by Niki Trento
“No. Pandora and Kathleen will stay.” I keep eye contact with him until he looks down.
Kane turns and stomps off.
Knowing he won't go far, I turn to Axel and Pandora with a shrug of my shoulders.
Pandora seems to relax the tiniest bit, a shaky sigh escaping her lips. “Thank you, Barin.”
I bow my head and smile. “Let him cool off while we eat. You didn't eat much and I'm sure our guest is hungry, too.”
The inky sky fades to make way for a fresh day. Although we had hunted only a few hours ago, I know that two deer are not enough to properly fill the whole pack. I head to the kitchen where Donovan is already cooking steak and eggs.
Just as we sit down, Pandora and the new wolf come in. When I look up, I see our guest for the first time clean, and in human form.
Her hair is mostly white with golden blonde woven in. Her eyes a deep violet. She worries her full bottom lip between her teeth while she fidgets with the hem of her tank top.
I clear my throat and stand, lift my hand. “I am Barin. Welcome to our home.”
She looks at my hand then slowly reaches out to shake it. “Thank you, I'm Celeste and I'm sorry if I caused any trouble. I didn't realize I was in your territory...I just…” She lowers her gaze.
I realize she will say nothing more. “Celeste, I'm glad you found us. You have caused no trouble and you can stay for as long as you'd like.”
At that, her head snaps up, disbelief in her eyes as she searches my face.
“Come. Eat. Donovan over there makes a killer steak.”
Donovan smiles at Celeste, waving a pair of tongs at her.
“You've already met Pandora and Axel, my Delta. Afterward, I'll give you the tour and introduce you to the rest of the pack.”
The longer I look at her, talk to her, the more I want to know about her. I’ve been curious before, but this is so much more than that. The desire to have her stay in my life is stronger than I ever imagined possible.
Our small group has a light conversation over our early breakfast. Celeste doesn’t say much aside from a question here and there.
"Donovan and I left the pack in search of our place in the world when we were eighteen. We channeled money into investments to be sure we had the funds necessary to buy land and shelter. The investments we made kept our bank accounts full. This, my uncle told me, would be one of the most important pieces to building and caring for a pack."
“Do all of you live here?”
“Most of us do. A few of them live off territory, closer to their jobs. We also use the bungalows for new or visiting wolves or for added privacy.”
A slight blush colors her cheeks. Celeste finishes her food and looks at me. We hold eye contact, yet she doesn’t seem bothered or tempted to look away first.
None of the pack, except Donovan, has ever held eye contact with me like this. I could easily lose myself in her eyes. I want to know what it would be like to watch those eyes as I drive into her. I want to memorize the flecks of silver that swim in her violet irises.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kathleen walk in and freeze.
I can sense her amusement through our bond. Most of the pack walk in various doors, chatting with each other, and then everything–and everyone–goes quiet.
Celeste and I are still involved in our little staring contest. I can't believe she hasn't looked away yet. I think maybe the distraction of numerous bodies will compel her to look away, but she seems to get more ambitious. I can't decide if she is challenging me or herself.
I don’t break contact, nor do I exert my dominance.
“I've got five bucks on the newbie. Any takers?” Cole tosses his cash on the table between us. I can't help but smirk.
Celeste’s eyes crinkle a little and the left corner of her lips quirks up.
“I've got a fiver on boss man.” Axel tossed his five down. “Don't let me down, man!”
I hear money rustling and various people placing bets. I am fairly surprised to hear many of them betting on Celeste. Her smile grows a little each time she hears a bet in her favor.
Donovan steps over from the sink and pulls cash from his pocket. “I have twenty smackers…on Celeste.”
I turn in surprise and look at my lifelong friend, my second in command. The kitchen explodes with laughter and applause. I lay a hand over my heart, “Et tu, Brute?”
Donovan slaps me on the back as he laughed.
My shock leads way to a goofy grin as I watch my family congratulate the newcomer.
Celeste looks drunk with excitement as she laughs with the others.
“Well, that's one way to win them over, Celeste,” I chide.
A soft blush rises on her cheeks. “I didn't mean for it to turn into a contest like that. I had no idea they would place bets.” Celeste giggles and it goes straight to my heart. Then down to my crotch. My wolf is already claiming her and I couldn't agree with him more.
“These clowns will bet on just about anything. Cole once lost a bet with Zeke over who could stand the most pain from a muscle stimulator.”
“I still say Zeke's wasn't working right,” Cole grumbles.
Everyone is laughing, coffee is brewing, and Donovan has more steaks cooking. I point at the others around the room. “Let me introduce you to your new fans. This here is Kathleen, my third-in-command. Cole and Zeke here are brothers.”
They all shake her hand and welcome her.
Axel drapes an arm over her shoulder. I can feel my wolf snapping his jaws, his lips curling up at the harmless gesture.
“Spencer and Gray are the tech guys. Between the two of them, they handle everything from security to video games. Will manages the accounting and finances of the pack. Vivian is a nurse at Cole’s vet clinic, and Cash is our Omega. You’ll meet Rock and Lukas later, and Kane is out in the woods blowing off steam. Now, how about that tour?”
The wolves give their winnings to Celeste and she scoops it all up. “Ok, but I'm not paying for it,” she said.
The room explodes with laughter again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Barin
After a brief tour of the house, I take Celeste around the property. Donovan and Kathleen join us.
“What's your story? You mentioned you didn't know you were on my territory, how'd that happen?”
“My story? Well, I was in my father's pack until about two years ago. I studied photography and wanted to see the world through the lens. I was going home for a visit when I lost all my gear except, thankfully, my memory cards. Then I got lost and somehow ended up here. My clothes and my cards aren't too far from where you found me. I hope they're still there.” Gnawing on her lip.
“We found you northwest of the house, we can start there and sniff around.”
We make it to the area where I had first seen Celeste. Spreading out, sniffing to track where she had been.
Donovan and Kathleen go to the left.
I can't see her clothes like I could have seen a fox in her den, but they shouldn't be hard to find with four noses going. My mindsight works best with heat signatures.
Celeste shifts, nose to the ground. I was here. She tilts her head back and takes a deep breath through her nose and nods. Yup this way. She walks more to the north. There's a cave that hasn't seen a bear in a long while, I remember now. I was going to hide there. Tucked my clothes under some rocks and shifted. Then the next thing I remember is you and Axel. Her brows knit down in confusion. Without warning, Celeste shifts back to her bi-pedal form.
“I know the cave you mean. Are you ok?” Does she not remember leaving the cave?
“Uh…yeah, I'm fine. I just…” Celeste's head tilts to the side, her eyebrows slowly rising as if she remembers something. I can't go back to that cave! She stumbles backward.
I reach for her and barely grasp her wrist. “It's ok, you don't have to. Celeste? Celeste?! Look at me!”
Her head shaking, eyes filled with terror.
Donovan! I need you and K
at! Celeste is freaking out!
I take her hands and guide her to a nearby boulder.
She sits down but her heart is racing. What in the hell happened to her?
I place her hand over my heart, covering it with my hand. Cooing to her, pushing just a little of my alpha power towards her, hoping the calmer beat of my heart would ground her anxiety.
“Celeste, honey, it's okay. I will not let harm come to you. Feel my heart, Celeste. Focus on it beating. Take a deep breath in.”
Kathleen is a blur in my mind as she races to us.
Slow down, Kat. She's scared, she will think you are attacking.
Don't call me Kat! Kathleen walks up to us shortly after and puts her head in Celeste's lap. I don't know why the “concerned-pet” trick works on shifters, but it always does...or maybe it’s just Kathleen.
Celeste puts her small hand on Kathleen’s head to pet her.
Donovan stands sentinel behind me, watching the three of us.
Within minutes, Celeste’s breathing is normal, and her heartbeat slows. A tear slides down her flushed cheek. “I'm sorry. I am so sorry.”
I wipe the tears from her face, and Kathleen gives her a nudge before stepping back.
“You're okay. What happened?”
“I remembered. I don't want to talk about it here, but I can't go back to that cave.”
“I'll get your clothes. Kathleen, come with me.”
“No! Kathleen can't go! Please! Don't make her go!”
“Okay. It's okay." I use my voice to soothe her. "She will stay with you, I'll go with Donovan.”
Celeste nods, more tears fill her eyes.
“Kathleen, take Celeste home. We will meet you there in twenty minutes.” If we aren't back by then, send Cole and Zeke. I don’t want Celeste to worry any more than she already is.
Kathleen nods, nudging Celeste's leg.
I look at Donovan and shrug.
“I don't know what the hell spooked her so badly. We've been to that cave dozens of times; no bears, no skunks, nothing.” My brow crinkles in thought and confusion.
Almost to the cave, I stop and stretch my sight as far as I could around the mouth of the cave. All the usual suspects are around, undeterred from going about their business. Squirrels hunting for acorns, birds building nests.
“Smell anything?” I ask.
“Nothing unusual. Definitely no bears. What do you think was here?”
“No clue. I'll get her clothes, keep a nose out.” I see her clothes peeking out from two small boulders just inside. Obviously, she didn't explore deep into the cave, her scent doesn't go much further than this.
As I unearth her clothes, I notice something on the walls out of the corner of my eye. When I look at them straight on, whatever is there shimmers and I can’t quite make it out.
“Donovan, come look at the walls.”
He steps just barely into the cave and looks at the stone.
“I see nothing but rock.” Coming in further. “Nothing.”
“Really? How about right there?” I point to the area where I had first noticed something. It almost looks like writing, but it’s too hazy to make out.
“Some scratches and cracks, but that's it.” His gaze narrows at me, confusion and worry written on his face.
Why doesn’t he see it? “Ok. Maybe it's my eyes playing tricks. Let's head back before Kathleen sends the cavalry.”
We walk in silence on the way home. I can't stop thinking about the walls of the cave and why Donovan couldn't see the markings I saw. Did those markings have anything to do with Celeste?
Zeke and Cole are on the porch as we return home. They had been looking at their watches, waiting for the twenty minutes to be up when Zeke spotted us.
“Impeccable timing! We were just about to come save your sorry asses!” Zeke’s sense of humor would probably have warranted an ass-kicking or at least a snarl from another alpha, but I know he means no disrespect.
“Sorry to ruin your fun, Zeke,” replies Donovan.
“Going to check on Celeste. You two, do a sweep.” They salute me by placing their middle fingers to their foreheads and leave to walk the perimeter.
I shake my head as I walk in to find Celeste and Kathleen sitting at the kitchen table with hot cocoa and cookies in front of them. I snag a cookie and sit down.
“Donovan is getting your clothes washed. Here are the memory cards and everything that was in your pockets.”
Besides the cards, there is a pack of gum, some money, a hair tie, and a key. “Was that all you had?”
“Yup. That's all of it. Thank you. You didn't have any trouble, did you?” Her genuine concern is obvious in her voice.
“No trouble at all. When you are ready, I'd like to hear what you remember. No rush, and we can speak privately if you wish.”
Her hands grip her now empty mug, seeking warmth or perhaps strength. She looks so intently into the emptiness, like she is wishing to crawl inside or willing it full.
Kathleen fills her mug.
“Kathleen and Donovan can stay, I don't mind.” Her half-hearted smile almost looks painful. “After I shifted in the cave, I saw something weird on the walls, like writing.”
Donovan peeks at me from the corner of his eye.
I nod.
“It wasn't any language I've seen before and I've been almost everywhere. I tried to remember if I noticed it before shifting, wondering if maybe I just hadn't noticed it or I could only see it as a wolf. Before I could shift back to test my theory…” Tears stream down her cheeks. I can hear her heart racing again.
I pull my chair closer to her, once again putting her hand over my heart. The room is nearly silent, waiting for Celeste to continue. I don't want to rush her or discourage her from telling us what happened.
She takes a deep breath and continues. “The words, or whatever they were, seemed to pulse, like a heartbeat. I sensed something behind me, deeper in the cave. I heard something but felt glued to the spot, too afraid to investigate. It was like...like a force that didn’t want me getting any closer. The best way I can describe it is like an Alpha’s power pushing me away, telling me to leave.”
That is probably why she was terrified of me when I tried to use my Alpha power to calm her.
“It wasn’t just telling me to leave, it was forcing dread and fear on me. I ran, hard and fast. I slid and got caught in the mud by the stream. I heard the howls of the wolves...your wolves. That is when I realized I was in someone else's territory and the fear rushed over me again. I didn’t know if I had found myself in hostile territory or not. I knew hiding was fruitless, but it seemed better than running and encouraging you to chase and attack.” Celeste tilts her chin down.
Silence permeates the enormous kitchen.
“I don’t think I was meant to remember any of that.” She visibly controls her breathing and looks up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly.
“Donovan, we need to get Spencer and Gray out to the cave, maybe they can set up some surveillance. I want teams to go there and check it out a few times a day. If something is there, we are bound to catch it at some point.”
Donovan leaves to carry out the order.
“Celeste, I would like for you to stay in the house instead of the bungalow, just in case there is something out there.”
“I don’t want to impose any more than I already have. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not. We have plenty of room here and you will be well protected if something happens.”
“Thank you, Barin. I am sorry for bringing this to your territory.”
“It’s possible it was already here. You were probably just in the wrong place at the right time to catch it.”
“Maybe.” Celeste doesn’t look convinced.
“Why don’t I show you to your room? You can take a hot shower and a nap; you must be exhausted.”
“Sure. A hot shower sounds perfect.”
I usher her to a room that has a bathroom in it. Th
e walls of this room are lavender with white trim. A deeper purple bed set covers the queen-sized bed.
The interior bathroom has a full-size bathtub and all the amenities. Kathleen had done the decorating in the entire house, each bedroom has its own color scheme.
“My room is across the hall; Donovan’s to your left, and Kathleen’s to your right. The bathroom is through that door, it should be stocked with everything you need. There should be some clothes in the dresser, nothing fancy, sweats and t-shirts. If you need anything, just knock.”
I don't want to leave her alone. I want to ask her about the writing on the cavern walls. I want her to know that I saw it, too, that she isn't alone with all this crazy weirdness.
I close her bedroom door and walk across the hall. The three steps from her door to mine are just three steps too many. Deciding on a quick shower, imagining she is doing the same.
As an alpha, it is in my DNA to protect. The feelings I have for Celeste are beyond that. The urge to protect this new little wolf is not the same as say, wanting to protect Cash, our omega.
Having her out of sight, even though she’s under the same roof, is agonizing. The wolf inside me yanks and pulls at my control. Trying to force me to lie at her feet, to watch her every minute of the day. My heart agrees with him.
After drying off, I put on a pair of sweatpants, grab my phone, and the book from my nightstand. I don't want her to feel crowded, but I have this overwhelming need to keep her safe.
With a pillow behind my back and a book in hand, I lean against my door facing her room. I hear her get into bed, tossing until she finds a comfortable spot.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I text Gray to see if they have any plans for the surveillance. While waiting for a reply, I text Zeke.
-Zeke, have you been near the abandoned cave?
-Yes, D told us to check it out. Haven't seen anything odd.
-When were you there?
-About an hour ago. Helping geeks get supplies now.
-Keep me posted.
When I saw the markings on the wall I was human, Celeste was a wolf. No one else can see them, but why? What did it mean? When we went to get her clothes, there were animals around and they didn’t seem scared or in hiding. We didn't smell or hear anything.
