After a few moments, he turns to look at me. “You can’t feel it?” His eyes go back to the road. “There’s something about you that draws me in, that makes me want to be close to you. I guess I figured you felt it too.”
My stomach clenches. Of course I’ve had that feeling. I’ve been drawn to Jack since I met him—but I’d convinced myself it was a consequence of him being my alpha, of him being the one to bring me to the enclave. I never considered it was something far deeper. An idea crosses my mind that makes panic rise in my chest. “Does the rest of the pack know?” I don’t like the idea of being the last one to find out something so massive. I’m afraid they’ll all expect something from me because of it, and it’s too much pressure.
“Skye, Sawyer, and Mel know.”
I curse. “Why would you tell Mel?”
“Believe me, I wish I hadn’t, given everything that’s happened. But it was when you were still turning, and she was the beta female. I wanted them all to know because I wasn’t sure what kind of power shift would happen, or how your presence would change the pack dynamics.”
I raise my eyebrows. “And have you figured any of that out yet?” I know I’ve already impacted the dynamics of the pack by taking Mel’s place as beta, but perhaps there’s more I’m not seeing. “What does it even mean that I’m your half? Where do we go from here?”
“It’s as much up to you as it is to me,” he says, his tone gentle. “I’m just as much your half as you are mine.”
I consider this. I suppose it makes sense. Cassandra didn’t say anything about one part of the soul having more claim than the other. What was the word she used? Counterpart. One of the questions that’s been nagging me bubbles to the surface. “How does merging work?” The next part of the question makes a blush rises in my cheeks, but I need to know. “Is it like… marriage?” The word feels strange in my mouth. I’m nineteen. None of my romantic relationships up until now have been particularly serious. I guess I’ve always thought marriage would be in the cards for me, but it’s always been something nebulous, something that might happen one day.
“Yes and no,” he says. “There’s no special ceremony, no legal forms—and there’s no going back. Once halves merge, their life force is one. I’ve only known a handful of merged couples in my life. The connection is hard to describe. After the merging, they really seem to become two parts of the same whole. I’ve never seen people so in love.”
The word takes me off guard. Love? How can I be expected to love Jack? I’ve only just met him. Still, the connection I feel to him can’t be denied. I haven’t felt this secure in any relationship since my father died. He’s told me again and again he’ll keep me safe, and I haven’t doubted it for an instant. But feeling a connection and committing to someone for life are two different things. “I’m not ready for this.”
Jack turns the car, and I recognize the scent and feel of the enclave. I’ve been so distracted, I didn’t notice how close we were. He drives slowly along the loop that takes us through the settlement and parks the car near our houses. My hand goes to undo the seatbelt, but Jack covers it with his. “Luckily, you have all the time in the world. That’s the benefit of immortality.”
I smile. He’s right, of course. Jack has been patient with me thus far, and I don’t see that changing now that I know the nature of our connection. He’s waited more than a century to find me. A little more time won’t hurt anything.
I climb out of the car, wondering if Lillie is in the house and whether I should tell her about being Jack’s half, but before I can take more than a few steps, my skin prickles. Something’s wrong.
A glance in Jack’s direction reveals he senses the same thing. “Invaders.” He takes a deep breath through his nose. “There are wolves encroaching on our territory.”
I don’t need to be told this is a bad thing. Jack shifts and runs for the woods, and I am on his heels. Even though it’s only my second time doing it, the transformation is faster than before, and the pain isn’t as acute.
We join with other members of the pack a little way in. It seems we’ve all sensed the intrusion. I wonder how often something like this happens, but now’s probably not the time to ask.
Their scent is strong now, and I know the foreign wolves are near before I see them. Skye approaches them and shifts back to human form. Jack and Sawyer step forward as well, and it strikes me I should probably do the same as beta female. But before I can move, Jack sends a thought to me: Stay back with Lillie. We don’t know why they’re here, and you’re still new at this.
A low growl escapes my lips. My wolf doesn’t like being told to stand down, but she respects Jack’s authority and complies. I glance around and find Lillie a few paces behind me. It’s odd how certain I am it’s her, even in her wolf form. I’m not entirely sure how to send a thought message to her, but we lock eyes and I give it a try. What’s going on?
This pack has tried to move in on our territory before, but they’ve never been able to get a foothold, she replies. Most wolves respect each other’s boundaries, but not Justin and Chrissy. And they fight dirty.
But what are they doing here now? I wonder.
Jack moves to Skye’s side and transforms back into a human as well. Two wolves from the invading pack step forward and do the same. I assume the girl with the wild blonde hair and the guy with shifty eyes are Chrissy and Justin.
I glance back at Lillie. Why are they shifting?
We can only communicate with other members of our pack while in wolf form.
“We demand an audience,” Chrissy snarls.
“This isn’t how things are done,” Skye says. “You don’t just arrive unannounced and demand to speak with another pack’s alphas. There are protocols for this kind of thing.”
“And what’s the protocol for werewolves aligning with vampires?” Justin demands. “Don’t try to lie and tell us there’s not one among you. Two in our pack are halves, and they’re extra sensitive to vampires. We know every time a leech is turned in a hundred-mile radius.”
“Good for you,” Jack says, his tone dismissive. “I can assure you we’re not allying ourselves with vampires.”
Another wolf steps forward and shifts to human. Her build is slight and her dark hair is styled in a spiky pixie cut. “I know there’s one here—nearby.”
My stomach sinks. Can this wolf really sense me? What if she points me out? What will the rest of my pack do?
“Do you now?” Skye asks, her tone condescending. “And what do you imagine we’d be doing with a vampire in our territory?”
“We don’t know,” Chrissy says, an edge to her voice. “But Sara says this vampire’s energy is different than anything she’s ever felt before.”
Jack crosses his arms over his chest. “Even if we had a hundred vampires camped out in our territory, it would be of no consequence to you.”
An expression flickers over Sara’s face and she darts to Chrissy’s side before whispering something in her alpha’s ear. Chrissy’s response is quiet, but the movement of her lips makes her words clear: Are you sure? When Sara nods, Chrissy lifts her chin imperiously.
Sara takes her cue. I know what’s about to happen a split second before she lifts her hand to point directly at me. “That wolf is part vampire.”
Surprise ripples through my pack. It’s strange being able to sense the emotions of so many others at once. I have the feeling many of them want to look at me, but only Lillie and Maggie do.
“Do you deny it?” Justin asks.
“No.” There’s no hesitation in Jack’s voice.
A handful of members from the invading pack howl, causing my fur to stand on end. A few of them step forward as if waiting on an order to attack.
“How can you stand by and allow this abomination to live?” Chrissy asks. “I know your reputation, Jack. You’ve never been soft when leeches are involved.”
“She is a wolf first,” Jack growls. “And she is under my protection.”
“Your protection,” Chrissy scoffs. “And who’s supposed to protect the rest of us from her?”
“She’s not a threat to you,” Skye snaps.
“Maybe not yet,” Justin insists. “But what happens when she makes more like herself? Who could control a pack of hybrids?”
I can’t keep silent any longer. I know Jack and Skye want to speak for me, to protect me, but I can stand up for myself. I shift back into human form and take a few steps forward. Half of the invaders recoil. “I have no intention of making more hybrids. I don’t even know how. I don’t want to upset the balance.”
Justin glares, his eyes full of malice. “You already have.”
In a flash, Justin, Chrissy, and Sara shift back into their wolves and the invaders attack. Panic floods me. I’m frozen. The flurry of movement and the chorus of growls and snarls make me forget the new strength and imperviousness of my body. I feel small, vulnerable.
Until my wolf takes over. She overwhelms my senses and I shift without a thought. I allow her instincts to take control as a wolf with a brown coat runs toward me. I move out of the way at the last second and swipe at the would-be attacker as she passes. She spins and bares her teeth, and I snarl before lunging for her.
After a couple tries, I manage to knock her over. Before she can recover, I’m on top of her, biting down on her neck. My plan is simply to hold her down, to wait for the other pack to call for a retreat, but one of my teeth slices along the flesh beneath her fur. My lip curls at the aroma—this blood won’t do, it won’t satisfy—but I still want it. I want to rip out this wolf’s neck and lap her blood with my tongue.
Horrified, I unclamp my mouth and take a step back. No. I can’t—I won’t. But I want to. The vampire part of me doesn’t care that there’s a battle going on—she wants to feed. I fight the urge but I’m afraid to move, afraid of what might happen if I do.
The one I had pinned before rises to her feet and is joined by a snow-white wolf. Chrissy. I’m outnumbered. I should run, but my muscles are frozen.
Chrissy and the other wolf leap at me, but before they can make contact, Skye rockets into their flanks, knocking them off course. She and the brown wolf roll on the ground until Skye manages the dominant position. She clamps her mouth around her neck and shakes until the brown wolf’s head breaks loose from its body. I watch, revulsion and longing mingling in my stomach.
Chrissy takes advantage of my distraction and leaps on top of me. She scratches my back and I howl in pain, but before she can do any more damage, Skye rams her until she topples off me.
Someone howls. Justin. He’s calling for a retreat. All around, members of his pack run toward our border. But not Chrissy. Her body lengthens as she shifts back into human form. I can’t figure out why she would do that, until she shoves her hand into Skye’s ribcage.
A howl rips itself from my throat as Chrissy pulls Skye’s heart from her chest. She pushes Skye’s limp body off her and stands, a look of gruesome satisfaction on her face. “Let that be a warning to you and your wolves, Jack! There are consequences for allying yourself with such a monster.”
She takes off at a run and I give chase. She’s still in human form; I could easily outstrip her, but a voice booms in my head. No. Don’t go after her.
I turn to see Jack staring right at me. Why? Didn’t you see what she did?
His head drops. Yes. But retaliation won’t bring Skye back. He turns to address the rest of the pack. I know you have many questions, and I plan to answer them all, but not now. First, join me at the meeting house to mourn the loss of Skye and to welcome our new alpha female: Ava.
After a beat, Lillie howls, followed by Maggie. Sawyer joins next. One by one, each member of the pack joins in. It’s a sound of unspeakable sadness.
Chapter Thirteen
“It’s no problem, really,” Lillie says as she collects items off the dresser in her room and settles them in the open cardboard box on her bed. A hairbrush, a small jewelry box, a framed picture of a man in a tuxedo and a woman wearing enough white taffeta to fill a room—her parents on their wedding day.
This isn’t the first time she’s said it, but there is a problem. We were both out late last night honoring Skye. It felt strange to have the pack congratulating me on my new status as alpha female. I didn’t do anything to deserve it besides freeze up and force Skye to come to my rescue. If I’d been able to take care of myself, she’d still be alive. How can anyone believe I’m fit to take her place?
Lillie and I woke up late, and right after breakfast she announced she would start packing so she could move back into her old house. She seems to think that since I’m the alpha now, she can’t stay here. “You’ve barely got things unpacked,” I protest.
She laughs, but the sound is forced. “All the more reason to just do it now. It won’t be much work.”
“You don’t have to do this,” I say, even though this argument hasn’t stopped her yet. “You didn’t like your old housemate. There’s no need for you to go and move back in. They probably turned your old room into a gym by now anyway.” I try to smile at my lame joke, but I’m pretty sure it looks more like a grimace.
She doesn’t even pause. She opens up one of her dresser drawers and pulls out a stack of shirts.
“Aren’t alphas like the leaders of the pack? Can’t I order you to stay or something?”
At this Lillie stops, setting the clothes back in the drawer before looking at me. “You really want me to stay that badly?”
I throw up my hands. “I’ve only been telling you I want you to stay since you announced you were going to leave.”
A smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “I thought you were just being nice.”
I close the distance between us, grab her hands, and squeeze them. “I really want you to stay.”
“Okay.” She returns the pressure before dropping my hands and picking up the box on her bed. “You could, you know,” she says, replacing the packed items in their original spots. “Order me to do something. I’d have to obey if it was a real command.”
My brow wrinkles. “Are you serious?”
She nods. “I can’t explain to you how it works, but there’s something almost magical about the power an alpha has over the pack. I’m sure Jack will tell you more about it, but everything happened so fast…” She places the box on the corner of her dresser and squeezes her eyes shut.
The heavy weight of guilt settles in my stomach. “You cared about Skye a lot, didn’t you?”
Lillie takes in a breath before turning her brown eyes on me. “She’s been the alpha female since about a decade after I joined the pack. She was fierce, but kind. I trusted her completely.”
The description only makes me feel worse. “It’s my fault she’s gone.”
Lillie puts a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t think like that. She died protecting you because that was her responsibility. Our alphas are our leaders, sure, but they’re also our greatest defenders. I trust Jack with my life because I know he would give his to keep me safe. And even though it’s only your first day as alpha, I know the same is true of you.”
Tears prickle my eyes and I pull Lillie in for a hug. She doesn’t blame me. Part of me was afraid one of the reasons she wanted to leave was that she couldn’t bear to live with me after what happened, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Some of the tension that’s built in my shoulders is just beginning to ebb when a scent in the air makes me stiffen up again. My skin is tingling like it did yesterday when Jack and I sensed the invading pack. But this is different. There’s something familiar in the scent, but I can’t place it.
A knock sounds at the door and I separate from Lillie before jogging toward it. My breath catches as I open it. Jack. How is it possible that he’s even more attractive today than ever before? Is it something about the sunlight that makes him glow like something otherworldly, or is it due to what I learned yesterday about our connection—about us sharing one soul?
“We have a visitor,�
�� he says by way of greeting. “She’ll be at my place in a few minutes.”
I understand the invitation implicit in his words and step out onto the porch. The back of his hand brushes mine as we start toward his house. The scent of the intruder is stronger now, and I’m able to place it. “It’s Cassandra, isn’t it?”
He smiles down at me. “Very good. When did you first sense her?”
“Just before you knocked.”
He nods as we approach his door. He opens it and allows me to enter before him. “Your ability to feel when someone crosses into our territory will improve now that you’re alpha. All members can detect intruders to some degree, but alphas have the largest range.”
We step up onto his porch and he reaches for the doorknob, but before he can twist it, I tug on his arm until he turns to me. We didn’t get to talk much last night. He was too busy comforting the others, and I felt their need for reassurance was greater than mine for absolution. “I’m so sorry about Skye. I froze, and—”
He shakes his head and cradles my face in his palms. “Skye was a good alpha, and she’ll be missed. But if she hadn’t stepped in when she did…”
My heart twists. “I get it. I’m your half. If I died, you would’ve too.”
His brow furrows and he shakes his head. “We’re not merged. If you’d died last night, I’d still be alive—at least, I’d still be here.” He leans down and presses a hard kiss to my lips. The force is dizzying, and I’m glad for his hands holding me up. “I just found you.” His eyes smolder as they study my face, the intensity overwhelming. No one has ever looked at me like that, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. The emotion radiating off him is enough to make my breath catch. And there’s something rising inside me, something almost primal. I wish I hadn’t stopped him before we got into the house—I wish we weren’t standing on his porch right now. I want him to kiss me again, and I don’t want him to stop.
A car door slams, invading the moment. Jack breaks eye contact and I take in a deep breath.
Fate Bound (Fate Bound Trilogy Book 1) Page 9
