by Jules Tyler
Taking a deep breath, trying to encourage herself to be brave once more today, she suggested, “Actually… I’m not looking for anything… More here, but I wouldn’t mind cuddling in your bed. It’s been awhile since I got to lay on something other than a bus seat or a couch.”
“You sure? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Elijah canted his head.
“Yeah, I’m positive. My wolf is telling me to trust you. I trust her more than I trust myself most days.”
“Okay… Follow me then,” he motioned as he walked back towards his bedroom. Candace looked around his home, making note of how neat and tidy it was. There wasn’t much for decorations, just a couple of simple pictures of what she assumed was his family. When she entered his room, she was pleasantly surprised to find a four poster bed with green sheets and a comforter with the depiction of the forest on it.
She smiled, “Your bed is beautiful.”
“Thanks, I wanted to be close to the forest without actually sleeping outside,” Elijah said, pulling back the covers for her to slide under.
Once settled in the bed, Candace scooted closer to Elijah and laid her head on his chest, “Is this okay?”
“This is perfect.” He smiled down at her, “So what do you want to know?” “What is an intended?”
“You know how humans are always talking about having a soulmate? That whoever their god is created one person in the universe that would fit them? An intended is like that. It’s a shifter’s version of an soulmate. My Mama and Pa were intendeds. A shifter can bond with someone who isn’t their intended, but it’s not the same. The bond is weaker and more fragile. When intendeds are bonded, their already fast healing is amplified. They can run faster, longer. They can fight harder and more fiercely. Their hearts beat almost as one. Sometimes they can read each other’s minds or communicate in animal form. Intendeds mate for life. Those bonds can’t be broken. They are stronger than anything I’ve ever seen,” Elijah said, drawing small circles along her spine.
“What is a bond?”
“You know that electric pull you’ve been feeling, where you almost need to be closertome? That’s the beginning of a bond. When intendeds or shifters pair up, they begin to develop a bond. When you develop a bond with someone who isn’t your intended, it usually has to start with some form of intercourse to create it. Intended mates, however, start building that bond from the minute they meet. Each conversation, every little action that benefits the bond, solidifies it a little more at a time. Just laying here together is strengthening it; I can feel your curiosity almost as strong as if it were my own. It’s different than a lust or a love… Both can fade with time. Bonds are forever.”
Candace sat up and looked Elijah in the eyes, “What if you don’t want your intended?” Elijah frowned, “I’ve heard of shifters who have denied their intended for one reason or another. Some do well like that. Most meet their intended and it’s like the world’s strongest magnet is pulling them closer to each other. Kind of like how I’ve been drawn to you.”
“You’re drawn to me?” Candace asked innocently.
“Very much so,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead before she laid back down on his chest.
“What makes the bond permanent and how do others know you’re mated? I’ve noticed that McKinzy doesn’t wear a ring but Alicia does. Does that mean one is bonded and the other isn’t?”
Elijah hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to explain it, “Both of the girls are mated, bonded, and claimed.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means the same thing. The only difference is that when you are claimed, it’s the final step in the mating and bonding process. It’s like the consummation to a marriage.” He stopped for a moment to test the waters before continuing, “When someone claims you… The male bites the female while they’re in the throes of passion, usually from behind. It happens as they climax together. It fills her with his scent and gives her his mark so male shifters know that she is taken.”
Candace was silent for a moment before asking, “Does it hurt?”
“I’m sure it does a little because the bite has to break the skin, but only for a minute.” “How do you know if you’re moving too fast?” Candace whispered, so faint that Elijah almost missed it.
“Everyone has their own speed. Most shifters, like McKinzy and Adrian, move quickly. They felt that connection almost immediately, from what Adrian told me. They both thought they were going crazy. Like I told you, with intendeds, that need to be together is almost instantaneous. But, I also told you, I’ll never do anything that you aren’t ready for or comfortable with. As much as I hate to admit it, I’d rather be your friend and keep you forever than try chasing you and have you run away. At least this way, I know you’re safe.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.
“You’d do that?”
He frowned again, “If it means you’ll stay so I can keep an eye on you and keep you safe? Absolutely.”
Candace ran a finger down his bare chest, “I think… I think someday I could be ready for a commitment like that.”
“Really?”
“I just have some trust issues to sort through. With all of this crap with Zeke resurfacing too? I just don’t think it’s fair to you if I can’t commit heart and soul to you. Once all of this blows over and I’ve gotten to know you better… Yeah… Maybe then we could jump in with both feet. Right now, I’m comfortable just testing the water with my toes,” she said, wrapping an arm around her middle and pulling him close as she yawned.
They laid there for a while before she drifted off to sleep, feeling more safe now than she had since she walked into that circle ten years ago.
Chapter Eighteen
Elijah awoke to a pounding on the front door, looking down at his chest, Candace was still asleep, so he slipped carefully out of bed so she could rest. Padding to the front door he saw Duke standing on the porch, concern written all over his face.
“What’s wrong?” Elijah asked, opening the door.
“Did Candace come here last night? We got up this morning and she was gone. Okami is still pacing the house because he’s worried. Poor dog,” Duke rushed out as he stepped inside..
Elijah pointed over his shoulder towards the bedroom, “Yeah she came over late last night and wanted to talk.”
“She did?” Duke’s face was riddled with confusion.
“Yeah, she had questions about mating customs and such. I guess since she didn’t grow up like us, she wanted to learn.” Elijah shrugged.
“Talking is all you did right?” Duke folded his arms, face filled with suspicion.
Elijah felt slight fury boiling under his skin, “Yes, Dad, that’s all we did last night. Not that it’s any of your business. Candace is a big girl; she can sleep with whoever she wants to.”
“Elijah?” Candace’s sleepy voice came from the bedroom as she padded out to the living room, “Oh, good morning Duke.”
“Alicia and Okami have been worried sick about you,” Duke grumbled at her. Candace frowned, “Why?”
“Because you disappeared in the middle of the night and didn’t bother to leave a note. We thought you went after Zeke and got hurt or something.”
“Oh...I’m so sorry. I didn’t think about that.” Candace frowned.
“Next time, just leave a note or something, okay?” Duke said, casting a dirty look at Elijah before stomping out of the house.
“What was that look for?” Candace furrowed her brow as she asked.
“Nothing,” Elijah frowned as he watched his friend stalk back to his home, “Hey, didn’t I promise you breakfast?”
Candace wrapped her arms around his middle and nuzzled his neck, “I think there was a mention of bacon.”
“How do breakfast burritos sound?” He asked, smiling to himself as he pulled her closer to his chest.
“Sounds great. Want any help?”
Elijah laughed, “What kind of host would I be
if I let my guest help me cook?” “Fine.” She giggled as she crossed over to plop down on the couch.
Candace sat and watched as Elijah worked in the kitchen. He was a sight to behold. He worked with so much passion, she could tell he cared about what he was doing. She listened closely as he hummed while he worked. She recognized the tune as a Darius Rucker song, one of her favorites if she wasn’t mistaken.
“Is that If I Told You?” She smiled.
“Sure is. It’s one of my favorites. Why?”
“Because it’s one of my favorites!”
Elijah grinned, “Glad to see we have more in common than you thought.” “Sure do!”
“Breakfast is just about ready. Do you want salsa on yours?” He asked.
“Would it be a breakfast burrito without it? No sir, it would be breakfast foods on a tortilla.”
“Fair enough. Here’s your breakfast, beautiful,” Elijah said as he handed her a plate and a glass of orange juice, “Eat up. We need to get over to McKinzy’s to discuss our plan of action with Zeke. Something tells me Duke and Desmond will be going to get him.”
“Why do you say that?” Candace asked around a mouthful of burrito.
“Because both of them are bad asses. Duke with his task force background and Desmond helped Jasper escape a mafia crew of kodiak shifters in Alaska. If anyone can bring that asshole in against his will, it’s them,” Elijah explained before inhaling his own burrito.
Candace was silent for a moment before she stopped and looked at Elijah, “I’m not sure if I’m ready to face him.”
“Then don’t, hon. But I think it would be good for you to face him at some point. You need some closure, and that’s something you didn’t get the last time you two crossed paths. Just know whatever decision you make, Alicia and I will be there to hold your hand through it.”
“You don’t think I’m weak for not wanting to face him?” She asked.
“Beautiful, you’re submissive and scared. That does not make you weak. If I were in your shoes, I would be scared too. Don’t ever let someone tell you that you’re weak. You’re stronger than you think.”
Candace stared at him for a moment before speaking again, “You promise to hold my hand through this?”
“I swear it on my life. Whatever you need from me, you can have it,” Elijah smiled. “Pinky promise?” Candace raised an eyebrow, almost daring him to go back on his promise.
Elijah stood and crossed the room to hook his pinky around hers, “Pinky promise.”
He used his free hand to tilt her face up and gave her a quick smack on the lips with his, “Now are you ready to do this?”
“Better now than never, I guess.”
“That’s what I want to hear!” Elijah exclaimed, “Now let’s get ready before we miss the meeting.”
Chapter Nineteen
Candace smoothed her shirt down for probably the millionth time as she and Elijah walked towards McKinzy and Adrian’s cabin. She knew McKinzy was going to tell them they needed to bring Zeke in for questioning, but she wasn’t prepared to have to share her story with the rest of the crew too. That was a lot of people knowing her private life. It made her itchy just thinking about it.
Elijah stopped in front of the door and glanced at Candace, “It’s gonna be okay. Don’t forget, I’m going to be here the whole time. Don’t stress about it. Everything is going to be just fine. Now take a deep breath before we go in there.”
Candace took a long, slow breath before nodding at him. Reaching for his hand, they walked into McKinzy and Adrian’s home. Elijah led her over to the spot they had sat the night before and sat on the floor so she could have the chair. Candace took note that the panther was still there, and she wrinkled her nose.
“Why is he still here?” Candace growled, casting a look of confusion and anger at McKinzy.
“Because if we’re going to make it through this, then we are going to have to call in reinforcements. No one has better resources than the task force. As much as I hate working with them after what they did to my kind, I will do what I need to to keep the shifters safe that we were charged with. I want Anthony present for the conversation we have with Zeke so he can report back to his higher ups. We’ll need some fire power. The only way we’re going to get it is through them,” McKinzy explained.
Candace pinched the bridge of her nose, “You’re right. Sorry, I have a hard time being around people I’ve had confrontations with. If it means keeping everyone safe, I will put up with it.”
McKinzy nodded, “Good. Now that that is cleared up, I just want to make sure I fill everyone in on the details. From what I gather, it appears that the government sent Zeke up here because he had been hunting other shifters. I’m not talking about a game of prey versus predator either. I’m saying he was hunting them like man hunts big game. He got caught last year and sentenced to life up here. He’s one of three people up here that have committed murder, but the only one that has links to the Firebirds.”
Candace felt Elijah’s grip tighten around her hand, “So you’re telling me the fucker was hunting his own kind?”
“Exactly. Looks to me like he was arrested somewhere in the Ozarks. Never in my life have I heard of someone hunting other shifters, let alone with a gun instead of their animal form. None of this makes sense,” Alicia added.
“Bring him in,” Elijah growled.
“Elijah, there’s no way of telling if he’s the one. Calm down, brother,” Duke said from the corner next to Alicia.
McKinzy frowned and looked between the two men, “What is he talking about, Elijah?” “Nothing,” Elijah said.
“Secrets get people hurt around here, or do you not remember? As your warden, and your alpha, I am commanding you to tell me what the fuck he is talking about,” McKinzy said, as the dominance she was putting off began to fill the room.
Candace whispered to Elijah, “Elijah, you have to tell her. I can’t breathe.” “Okay, fine,” Elijah muttered.
Candace gasped for air as McKinzy tucked away the last of the heavy air, squeezing Elijah’s hand for comfort as he began to explain.
“Long story short? My Mama was hunted in the bayou back in Louisiana. The local police never found out who it was, just wrote it off as a hunting accident and covered it up. They brought us Mama’s body, filled with bullets. I came out here to find some answers, thinking if anyone could help me, it would be the government. I was wrong. Then Alicia showed up and had all of these tech skills, and I was thinking that once this was over and done with, I would ask her for help in finding Mama’s killer. Now I’m sitting here and you’re telling me that the cocksucker that turned Candi might also be the murderous prick that killed my Mama,” Elijah explained, struggling to hold in the growl that Candace could feel rumbling inside of him.
The room was silent as they stared at the two of them. Candace squirmed under their gazes, trying to figure out a way to hide that wasn’t completely obvious.
“Fuck,” Jasper and Isabelle said in unison.
“Yeah, fuck.” Elijah nodded, “So now I’m sitting here, asking as nicely as I can possibly muster for you to bring him in. We need answers. Candi and I deserve answers. Hell, you deserve answers. There’s too much terrible shit in this world. We need to try to get answers while we can.”
“Is that okay with you too, Candace? Alicia told me your story last night, and I’m so sorry that this even has to involve you. I just need to know if you’re going to be comfortable listening to him spill his guts in front of everyone.” McKinzy looked at both of them with sadness in her eyes.
Elijah looked at her, squeezing his hand with encouragement as he did so, “If you won’t do this for you, will you at least do it for me?”
Candace took a deep breath to collect her thoughts before looking to McKinzy, “Bring him in.”
Chapter Twenty
Elijah paced the floor of McKinzy’s home, casting worried glances over at Candace as she spoke in hushed tones with the other women. He was boil
ing with rage at this point. Sure, he knew something was wrong with how many bullets had been in Mama, but he never had expected another shifter was at fault for her death though. Who hunted their own kind in the first place?
A dickless man with no reason to care. This guy’s wolf has to be a mess if he’s been killing shifters. It’s not natural.
“Not natural is an understatement,” Elijah huffed.
“Elijah, pacing isn’t going to make this any easier on anyone. You’re making Candi nervous. Can you please sit down?” Alicia pleaded, locking eyes with him.
His eyes drifted to Candace’s and his heart filled with more fury. She looked scared; deep inside him, he knew that it wasn’t his fault though. She was scared to face the monster that had done this to her. He also knew she was scared to see Elijah gain answers to what had happened to her mother. He couldn’t guarantee that he’d be able to control wolf either.
Need to spill his blood. Need to take vengeance.
“I’m sorry,” Elijah sighed before walking out onto the porch to pace instead.
“You need to calm down,” Adrian said from the chair next to the door.
“How am I supposed to calm down? My mate is terrified. I’m pissed. This asshole already has done so much wrong in this life. Why the fuck didn’t Michaelson put him down when he was up here? Maybe this whole situation could’ve been avoided,” Elijah snarled.
“Would it change things though? Candace still would’ve been turned by him. You’d never have answers to the questions burning in your mind. Does that really sound much better than where we are right now?” Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Maybe your mate would be safe. She wouldn’t have to constantly be looking over her shoulder.”
Adrian shook his head, “Dragons haven’t been safe in years. With her being the last one that we know about, I think she’ll always be looking over her shoulder. I pray everyday that the baby she is carrying inside of her will be a cub instead of a dragon. At least a cub wouldn’t have to live life the way she has.”
