by K J Carr
Shane grinned as he brought out a few heated blankets. He placed them on the deck outside the den and then lifted two of the pups onto it, wrapping it around them like it was a nest. He left room for Lexi.
“I think you should move her. She is becoming very attached to you, Holden.” Laughter sounded in his voice. I wasn’t sure what he thought was funny, though.
Lexi whimpered as I placed her into the nest he had made for them. She cuddled up with her siblings, after throwing a one-eyed look of consternation over her shoulder at me.
Shane used a second blanket to close the nest, giving the pups warmth and some privacy. He then stood and held out a hand to me.
Taking it, I felt a jolt run through my body, as he lifted me to my feet. I wanted to lean in closer to him, but I wasn’t sure why, so I stepped back, dropping his hand.
“Go take a shower. I will watch them until you get back, Holden.” He grinned, a smug look on his face before moving over to the deck chairs and settling down. He lifted his coffee mug, looking at me with one brow raised.
I just nodded and headed for the doors. Before going in, I turned. “Thanks, Shane.”
He didn’t turn around to look at me but just nodded his response. I turned away and moved towards the bathroom and a much needed shower.
Chapter 5
Shane
I sat in the cool morning air, but I was anything but cold. Leaning up against Holden, while she wore that skimpy outfit had been a test for both my wolf and me. She had felt so wonderful. Smelled fantastic, like the best dark chocolate and rich cinnamon. It surprised me she hadn’t noticed how she had affected me.
I shifted in the chair, trying to find a little more room in my pants.
I shouldn’t be thinking of her like this. I repeated this to myself again. Think about the pups. Only about the pups.
I hadn’t slept at the house last night. In fact, I hadn’t slept at all given everything that had happened recently. Wanting to check on the pups and the woman, I had jogged over here early. The sight of her sleeping outside on the deck with the young wolves snuggled in beside her had warmed my heart.
I picked up my phone, and moved to the side of the deck, after snapping a quick picture of the pups in their blanket den. I could hear Holden in the bathroom, even from out here, the shower still running.
“Max.” My friend picked up after two rings. He sounded sleepy. I glanced at my watch and grimaced. I would be sleepy too at six am, if I had slept.
“Sorry, Max. It’s Shane. Holden had gotten the pups to sleep last night. All three of them had cuddled with her in her sleeping bag.”
Max grunted. “While that is good news, it is not something that necessitates you calling right now.”
Hearing the water turn off, I turned to look away from the house, lowering my voice a bit.
“Perhaps not, but once they got up, the pups ate about half of a large bowl of meat each.”
I moved further into the shadows to make sure I didn’t catch a glance of the woman in case she had forgotten to take clothes into the bathroom and had to make a dash for her bedroom.
But, that was all I could think about now. Damn.
“Well, that is an improvement.” Max sounded a little more awake. “And now?”
I glanced back at the blanketed den. “They are back asleep, and Holden is in the shower.”
A long sigh came through the phone. “Go. To. Bed. Shane. That is where all sane people are at this hour of the morning. In fact, take Holden with you and both of you get more sleep. Or not. I don’t care.”
With that, Max hung up on his end.
I chuckled. Now that Max had mated, he thought everyone should stay in bed as long as possible. Wait until he had his first pups. He will find that six in the morning was not that early with hungry little ones underfoot.
The door open and Holden stepped out. She had changed into jeans, with a large slouchy sweater over a T-shirt. She also had pulled fuzzy socks over her feet, and she was holding another mug of coffee in her hands. I moved out of the shadows so I wouldn’t look like I was hiding. Even if I was.
“There’s more coffee. I didn’t take it all.”
She moved to the chairs that were facing the pup’s makeshift den and sat, pulling up her legs so they were curled up under her. She reminded me of a cat, curled with her feet underneath her.
She also looked tired, but I suspected that was because she hadn’t had a restful night with the pups lying up against her. Dealing with young pups was tiring for lycanthropes who had plenty of energy to burn, but humans didn’t have that extra well to dip into. Traumatized pups pulled emotional energy from everyone around them, which could be more exhausting.
I glanced at the pups. It looked like they had wrapped the blankets even tighter around themselves. I wondered when they would be hungry again. I hoped that they would eat in a few hours. They were so far below where their weight should be at this point. I wanted to be here for their next feeding. I didn’t question what my motivation was for this, though.
“Have we turned the corner with them?” Holden’s voice was soft in the morning air.
I shrugged. “Hard to tell. I wish I knew what had happened to them.”
The pups weren’t talking. It had surprised me I had established Pack bonds with them, and not so surprised they have said nothing to me since then.
She looked at me over her shoulder. “What do you know about their situation?”
I moved to sit beside her.
“We got them out of a lab. They had slaughtered their parents in front of them. The pups were taken because they are much easier to manipulate. They did tests on them, given the shaved patches. Best situation? The lab only took blood. Worst? They injected many things that we will never know about into their fragile bodies. Max found only a few residual toxins and medicines in their blood work. Some poisons, though, disperse over time and don’t show up in a blood test.”
Holden bristled. “I hate this. There is this group that talks about the existence of werewolves. They capture wolves and experiment on them. Sometimes, they kill healthy animals and then perform autopsies on them to figure out if the wolves are normal or not. Few of the wolves I had found had died naturally. My organization has been looking for clues about them, but they just kill wolves and then disappear. Poof.” She raised a balled up hand, flinging her fingers open, as she said this.
She didn’t see me tense with her words, as she continued. “They had approached my boss and were spouting crap and wanting information on wolves, such as how to tell if a wolf was a real wolf or a werewolf.”
I choked silently. Clearing my throat, I asked, “What did he say?”
Holden shot me a wry look. “My boss told them they were crazy and to get the hell out of our building.”
I cocked my head. “Do you think werewolves exist?” I held my breath.
Holden tilted her head back to stretch her neck, her eyes closed, her face uplifted. “I don’t know. It is possible, but I don’t think so. It would be so cool if they did, though. But who are we to disturb them?” She lowered her head and frowned. “I mean, if they were a mix of human and wolf, they still are human and should have all the basic human rights — to privacy and due process. We shouldn’t treat them like test subjects. We shouldn’t tolerate discrimination in any form.”
I exhaled, happy to hear that answer. Particularly with my wolf so interested in her. “I agree.”
It was time to change the subject a bit, though. I didn’t think it was time to introduce her to lycanthropes. Not yet.
“So, tell me about your research. What were you working on before you went on sabbatical?”
Holden’s face lit up. She started telling me about the wolf Pack she had been tracking in the North woods. Mesmerized, I listened to her. If I wasn’t half in love with her before, I was now. She had taken the bits of work we had started in college and had expanded it out. She was doing good work.
She had a definite affinit
y for wolves. Mine snorted in my head. He looked out my eyes again at the woman he had decided was his mate.
Down boy. I smirked. The pups come first.
My wolf huffed at me and then backed away, curling up inside of me.
Chapter 6
Holden
I smiled to myself while I brushed Soren. My morning had been relaxing, talking with Shane about my research. I liked the man.
There was this little niggling thought in the back of my mind, though, that kept telling me I knew him from before, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember from where. Sometimes it was his laugh, or a turn of phrase, or even how he would hold his head. If he reminded me of someone, it had to have been someone from my far past. He didn’t look like anyone I knew now.
“There, you are! Tangle free and nice and shiny!” I picked up the male pup and placed him on the ground. He made a little hop as if he would scamper away before walking solemnly towards his sisters.
I sighed. I was glad about the progress the pups were making – they were sleeping with me and eating food, but there still was this heavy sadness hanging over them.
I reminded myself that it had only been a few days since I had gotten them to this point. Tonight was the last night I would sleep outside with them, though. The deck just was too uncomfortable and my back ached. I hoped that they could sleep out here on their own.
I moved towards the house, slipping inside as my phone rang. Locating my bag over near the couch, I answered it without looking to see who was calling.
“Good evening, Holden.”
I stopped, my heart stuttering.
I hadn’t heard from Edward in three months. The last time I had seen him had been at my husband’s funeral. Thomas had loved his brother, but something about him just rang every warning bell in my head. It wasn’t anything he did or said, but I had caught him watching me from time to time. It was like there was another, more evil person, looking out of those bright blue eyes. And I was the moth he wanted to pin to a poster board.
“Edward. How did you get my number?”
“Blunt and to the point like always, dear sister-in-law.” His chuckle sounded forced.
“I am busy, Edward, what do you want?” Instead of picking up my sleeping bag, I dropped onto the couch, wondering if I could just hang up on the man. He would just call me back and keep calling until I blocked him.
Then I felt guilty because, while I had lost my husband, he had lost his brother.
“Well, I haven’t seen you since Thomas died. I was wondering how you are. It appears you haven’t been at home the last week. When I talked to your boss, he said that you had extended your sabbatical to take on a short research project. Where are you?”
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I didn’t like this man. It felt like he was stalking me. Calling my boss? Checking out my house? I shook my head, my guilt fleeing.
“Edward, I am doing what I need to take care of myself. I loved Thomas. His accident devastated me. I need time.”
“Which is why you concern me, Holden. I want nothing to happen to you because of his death. He had told me how he had met you. After you had lost someone else close to you. I am worried. Why don’t we meet in town and have coffee? Just talk with me and let me see that you are doing okay.”
“I am not in town right now.” I grimaced. I hadn’t meant to tell him that. I didn’t want him to come around now. Or ever. “We can meet when I get back. I will call you then.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and glowered at it. I would call him when hell froze over. I put the phone back to my ear.
There was silence on the other end. I waited. Finally, he sighed and conceded. “Okay, okay. I will give you more time. Just know that I care about you. Thomas was my only brother and when you married him, you became, in my mind, my sister.”
I kicked myself. His brother’s death would have impacted him as much or even more than me. Perhaps I was reading this all wrong. My voice softened. “Sorry, Edward. I didn’t think about that and I should have. He was your brother for much longer than he was my husband. I will let you know when I am back in town and we can talk.”
“I look forward to it. Good night, Holden.” He hung up.
I held my phone in my hands, thinking. Thomas had talked little about — or to — his brother during our marriage. Yes, they were family, but they didn’t seem to be all that close. Or at least, that was my impression. There were eight years separating them, so they hadn’t grown up together. In the six years of my marriage, Edward hadn’t visited our house once. We had seen him at their mother’s house only a few times.
The call seemed a bit out of character, but nothing he said could account for why I didn’t want to meet with him.
My phone vibrated. Opening it, I saw I had received a text from an unknown number. I absently opened it, still thinking about Edward. It took a few minutes for what I was seeing to sink in. Once it had, my breath left me.
It was just a picture. A picture of Thomas’ accident. And one I hadn’t seen before, not that I had seen many.
It was from close up, close enough I could see the deep indentation where the other car had hit his driver-side door. I could see my husband’s face, a look of pure anguish, pain and surprise on it. Blood was pouring down his head, only one blue eye staring out, cloudy with pain. He was facing the person who had taken the picture and I could see the recognition in his face, his mouth opened as if he would say something.
I covered my mouth, the tears falling as I stared frozen at my screen. Thomas had died, not alone, but with someone watching him, taking pictures, not helping him, while he was in extreme pain.
I screamed.
Lexi
I heard the scream, and it thrust me back into memories of being in that awful place. Hearing the whines of unseen wolves and the screams of humans as the bad people did horrible things. My mind went there immediately, my body dropping down to cower. Then I noticed my brother turning his head and looking towards the house.
This was not that place. This was the nice woman. Holden. I ran to the door to the house and pushed against it. She had shut it. I saw that she was lying on the couch, crying, holding her phone tight.
I didn’t want to shift, though. Papa had told us to only shift when we were safe. Mama had told us to keep what we were a secret.
And yet, Uncle Shane was here. Was it safe here? I wasn’t sure.
I heard a noise behind me and whirled around. Soren pulled a small stool over to me, with Betta pushing from the other side.
Quick. She is crying. Something scared her and we have to help. I urged my siblings to move faster.
They helped me pushed the stool against the glass. I hopped up on it and then stood on my hind legs. The stool was unsteady, but Soren and Betta leaned against it to help steady it. I couldn’t reach the handle, though. I was too small.
Let me, Lexi. I am bigger. Soren’s solemn voice interrupted me. He always was so serious now. He had taken on the mantle of head of our Pack, except it devastated him he wasn’t able to save us.
I was glad we had brought Uncle Shane into our bond. He was a good wolf. He would be a good Alpha. Our Pack was slowly being built – with him as Alpha and possibly including the woman who was more than human. Who right now needed us.
I jumped down, and he climbed up to replace me. Soren barely reached the handle, scrabbling a little to pull it down.
The door opened, and he lost his balance, since he had a paw on the glass. Betta moved enough to help cushion his fall while I leaped over them both to enter the room.
I jumped up on the couch and sniffed the woman. She shook, her skin clammy and tears ran down her face. I glanced around, wondering where the danger was. Looking around, I caught a quick glance at her phone. She covered the picture with her hand, but I saw an injured man staring out of it. The man’s eyes made me shiver.
Betta and Soren moved closer, their movements tentative. What is it, Lexi? Danger? Betta so
unded so lost.
Bad man. Someone hurt someone who looked like Bad Man. I replied, my mental voice a whine.
Poor Holden. Soren’s voice dripped with sorrow.
I wasn’t sure what to do. The woman stared blankly at nothing, her eyes not seeing us. I didn’t know what to do since I wouldn’t — couldn’t — shift to talk with her. I bumped my head against her hand, but she just kept on crying.
Uncle Shane! Uncle Shane!
Our weak Pack bond with him didn’t allow me to know if he heard me.
I pushed in closer and finally the woman saw me.
“Lexi!” The woman gasped out.
I stretched my head up and licked her face, tasting the salty tears that were there.
We’re here. We will help you like you help us. We are here, Mama Holden.
I knew she couldn’t hear me — she was human. And yet, something inside me said that she would understand. That what made her Holden would hear my heart crying for her, trying to console her. Similar to what she has been doing for us.
She dropped her phone and wrapped her arms around me, burying her head into the soft fur on my neck.
“Lexi.” She mumbled, as she cried.
Shane
I returned to the enclosure that evening and found Holden and the pups on the couch. All three pups were hovering around her, while she slept, tear still falling down her face. Lexi lifted her head and whined at me.
Putting my finger to my lips, I covered the four with a nearby blanket. Soren and Betta were at her feet, so I placed the blanket so they could breathe.
I sat on the coffee table, near Holden’s head. “Lexi. What happened?”
The pup whined again and shook her head. I gently touched her, reaching for the Pack bounds, trying to communicate via our fledgling connection.
Lexi?
Uncle?
I exhaled in relief. Touch helped our communication. The bonds must have strengthen as the pups healed.
