“Now that you mention it, Pam has seemed a bit distracted lately. When Annie wakes up can you let her know her friend Sal stopped by to see her. I told him she was out, and that he should have called her ahead of time. He wanted to give her a birthday present and see how she’s doing with the whole Ray’s passing.” This guy has balls.
“When did he stop by?” I asked him.
“Yesterday midmorning. I was leading the cows out to their field when he came up to me looking for Annie. I told him she’s at school, but he told me that the school said she was out sick so he stopped by. Pam was surprised but happy to see Sal.” Bo continued to inform me about what this guy is doing.
He either called her school or has been stalking her school. What was this man’s hang up on Anna? He has to have some end game here, and it put’s my mate in danger. “I’ll pass along the message to Anne. I’ll call you tomorrow with an update.” I told him as I hung up the phone. I needed to go for a run, but I also needed to talk to Steve. If Sal was after Anna, then our pack is in danger as much as she is.
I stepped out onto the back deck looking over the yard. I found Steve and Paul working on a patio that we talked about putting in. I walked over to them to offer them a hand. Keeping busy seemed like a good thing to do. “Hey, look who finally came out to help.” Paul teased. “She’s a tiger in bed huh?”
“Try she had another damn seizure, and then passed out.” I grunted.
“I hope you at least got laid for going to her like a good boy.” Paul scoffed.
“Get your mind out of the gutter man.” I snapped.
“Oh, come on man, we all know how you are. You fall for a girl who is good in bed. Somewhere only looking for a quick hook-up, others humored you with a relationship. You said it yourself that she was only interested in fucking you until last month. I still don’t understand what changed her mind. It sounds like she has quite the sexual appetite.” Paul stated with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Paul that’s enough.” Steve intervened with his alpha voice. Paul shut up quickly and turned back to laying stone down for the patio. “Do you know what she is yet?”
“Yes, but I’m not going to say out here. That ex of hers went to her parents’ house yesterday morning asking why she wasn't at school.” I explained.
Steve gestured to the house with his head as if silently telling me to follow him. As my Alpha he needs to be in the know about everything, and being the pack’s Beta, I need to have the pack's interest in mind as well. We walked into the house and up to his room. “Why would this guy be following Anna around?”
“Carol thinks his agenda has to do with the potential powers that run in their family. Anna could possibly develop them.” I quickly explained. “When he was manipulating Anna, her dad and Carol got in the way. They scared him off after two years, but with Ray out of the picture and Anna here with Pam and Bo she was an easy target again. I talked to Bo, Pam told him nothing about Anna’s seizure yesterday, and seems a bit detached lately. I knew how Anna felt about Pam and Bo after talking to her for two days, I can only imagine what he learned in the two years he dated her. Carol said he hung around since she was 14, but waited a year before asking her out. She’s concerned that he still has control over Anna.”
“Why? What is she?”
“No one outside this room can know until everything is taken care of with this mysterious wolf.” He nodded in understanding the need to keep this information quiet. “She’s a fairy. She actually just spent three hours in excruciating pain before sprouting wings. They ripped out of her back, I thought she was going to start shifting.”
“Well, that’s something. You said she’s resting now?”
“Yes, she’s resting while her wings dry out. Carol said she could be out for days, there’s just no telling. Anna kept calling my name while she was withering and sobbing in pain completely unconscious. Carol said she’s never seen someone call and respond to the presence of a fairy in transition.”
“Anna is mated to a wolf, it’s rare that a wolf is mated to a non-wolf on its own. The fact that she is making a transition into her powers after finding her mate probably has never happened before.” Steve reasoned. “We’re going to keep a closer watch on the house and especially Anna. She’s not going to like being babysat, but we’ll figure it out.”
I nodded. We headed back outside, but I stopped at my door to check on Anna. I waited until Steve went downstairs before unlocking and entering my room. I locked the door behind me as I crossed the room to the bed. I sat down next to her on the mattress, gently stroking her cheek. She looked so peaceful. I hope the pain has passed for her. I leaned down and kissed her temple gently. “I love you Anna.” I told her through our mind link. She reached out to me, but remained sleeping. I held her hand for a while before I got up and headed back outside to help the guys with the patio.
Diving into the work of putting in a patio allowed me a way to get my mind off of everything. I’m worried about what Carol had said about Sal and Anna’s relationship. Would she really hide the fact that she spoke to Sal from me? Does she still believe that he’s her mate?
By nightfall, Sophie and I ran a perimeter check together while Paul and Steve remained in the house. We didn’t find a trace of the mysterious wolf, but still didn’t mean he wouldn’t come back later tonight. I’m just thankful my curtains are blackout for the days I wanted to sleep during the day. No one can see in or out of my windows as long as the blinds are closed.
When we got back from our run, Sophie and I quickly shifted, pulling on our clothes as soon as we walked up to the back deck. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we are being watched by someone or something. I looked around peeling my senses, but saw nothing in the woods or anyone in the windows of the house. I shook my head and headed back inside the house. I wanted to go see Anna, since it’s been a few hours since I last checked on her.
I unlocked the door, to find her withering in pain on the bed again. I rushed to her, holding her shoulders to ensure she didn’t roll over onto her wings. Carol said Anna should be done being in pain, what the hell was happening now? “Anna, baby. I’m here, you’re okay.” I whispered to her, kissing her forehead and temple. She stilled and moaned a little.
I laid down on the mattress, and pulled her close to me. I held her hand and pulled her in close. She nuzzled her cheek on my chest like she often does when she’s asleep. I kissed her forehead as I let my eyes close. Her soft skin pressed against me, her gentle breathing, mixed with her sweet floral scent filling the air around us, had me drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 13
Charlie
I woke up the next morning to see her still sound asleep on my chest. She hadn’t moved a muscle since I fell asleep. I gently slipped out from under her, lowering her onto her stomach as I moved. She made a small sound of content as she nuzzled my pillow with her cheek. Maybe my scent will help keep her relaxed while I get something to eat.
I quietly stepped out of my room, careful to lock the door behind me as I went. I entered the kitchen and went straight for the fridge. I looked for something to cook for myself and settled with some eggs and ham. I closed the fridge and turned to the coffee pot. I filled the pot with fresh grounds and water, then hit brew. As my coffee brewed, I cooked my three eggs, and ham slices.
“How’s my niece?” Carol asked as she entered the kitchen.
“Still resting. When I went to bed last night, she was shaking in pain again, but calmed once I touched her hand.” I informed her. “Can I make you some eggs? Or offer you a cup of coffee?”
“I’ll take the coffee. Thanks.” Carol murmured. “Has her mother checked in yet?”
“Nope, didn’t even tell Bo that Anna was sick. I’ve been working all summer there helping him out, but when I didn’t go in these past two days, he was a bit upset. I told him about Anna not feeling well and having some weird seizures due to stress, he was concerned. He told me that Pam didn’t even mention it to him. Also found out tha
t Sal visited their house again when Anna didn’t go to school on Thursday.”
“How does he know she was there?”
“He either called pretending to be a parent, or has been watching the school too.” I explained. She let out a sigh.
“I really wish I knew what he was after with her. Like I said Ray and I tried many times to ask her about it, but she’d shut down. I tried to get close to him to read him, but he made sure I never touched him almost like he knew my ability and how my abilities work. Which is odd since even Annie didn’t know about them.”
“Pam was happy to see Sal at her house the other day according to Bo.”
Carol let out a small snort. “Of course, she would, because she doesn’t care.” I handed her a cup of coffee before taking a seat. “I don’t usually ask permission, but I’ll make the exception with you. May I take a look?” She asked, reaching her hand across the table. “I won’t do anything but look. I need to be absolutely certain how safe my niece is with you. All I need to do is touch your skin, even just a finger will give me enough information.”
I thought about what she was talking about. Maybe she has the ability to read minds or see the future. I shrugged and held my hand out to her. She gently held her hand on top of mine and closed her eyes. Nothing seemed to be happening on my end, so I began to eat my breakfast while she did her mojo. Her and I shared one person in common that we cared about most, so what would she gain by hurting me?
She opened her eyes with a smile. “She really is your mate.” I nodded; she wasn’t telling me something I didn’t already know. She chuckled a little, “You really took a job just to find out who she was and hope you’d actually meet her officially after seeing her only once for a minute in a store?” Again, I nodded. I have no shame in doing what I did. I found my mate and I went through great lengths to be with her. “I guess I can stop being so harsh on you, Beta. I apologize for my rudeness but I have a hard time trusting anyone outside of family. I think I like you more than I have ever liked Pam.”
I looked up and stared at her when she called me Beta. How did she know that about me? “What did you see when you touched me?” I asked.
“Your truth, and a little bit of your future. Though the future is never set in stone, it can always change when a decision or choice is made.” She explained. Her eyes seemed to turn greyer than blue as she gazed into my eyes. “Your truth is that my beloved niece is your mate, and you would give your own life to keep her safe. As long as she stays with you, she has a bright and happy future. Unfortunately, she has always been able to block me out of her mind unknowingly since she was three. She had a fantastic poker face, still does, and I can’t see her truth.”
“You’re worried about Sal?” I questioned as I began sipping on my coffee. She nodded with a sympatric look. “I think we’ll be okay. She has admitted to having a stronger connection with me than she ever had with him, plus the mind link thing was new to her, so I guarantee he wasn’t able to do that. What do you know about him?”
“Only that he was 17 when he met Annie, she was barely 14. He was new to the school mid-year weeks after her birthday. He sought her out to be friends will, and her two best friends Debbie and Billy, didn’t care for him. Debbie always said something was off about Sal, but didn’t know what. Billy was just afraid of Sal. He was adopted when he was 13 and moved around a lot. Ray or I never met his parents, I don’t think Annie ever did either.”
“She said he dumped her through a text a week before her birthday last year while he was on vacation with his family.” I recalled.
“He did, and she was devastated. The fact that he’s even here just confirmed my suspicions that he is waiting for her powers to come in. Somehow he knows about us.”
“Does Pam know he’s a wolf?”
“Does she know you are?” She asked in a more sarcastic tone. I shook my head and she just looked at me. “Pam’s not the most observant, but I wouldn’t have known had you not referred to Annie as your mate.”
“I figured that. I was just panicking about Anna, and you were talking in codes that just confused me more. As soon as you said she’s not human, my heart sank. I was worried she was keeping a secret from me, but instead everyone was keeping a bigger secret from her.”
“Pam should have been telling her when she asked about the panic attacks, but passed the buck off to me. Ray and I had a plan, even when we knew his time was ending. I was going to fly out her two weeks from her birthday, and have private conversations with her along with giving her Ray’s letter. He always had a way of explaining things to her that made her listen and be patient. I hope his letter helped with that.”
“She said Pam slowly killed Ray. How is that possible?”
“Well, once a fairy gets married, they cast a mating ritual that binds their souls together for eternity. Pam used the loss of her still-born son as an excuse to leave my brother. That didn’t do it. When she planned to marry Bo, she told me brother she never loved him and was going to marry for love this time. She intentionally severed their bond, and must have attached herself to Bo through another ritual. His soul began to die without its other half. I begged him to find another wife to save him, but Pam’s betrayal and destruction left my brother broken beyond repair. He may not have loved her when they got married but a year into their marriage, he was madly in love with her.”
“Damn. She really is heartless.” Carol only nodded in agreement. I finished my breakfast and coffee, washed the dirty dishes I had made and went upstairs to check on Anna before going for a run. She was still sound asleep on her stomach, curled up with my pillow. I went over to the bed, gently kissed her head, then went back downstairs.
Steve joined me for the morning perimeter check. We took off our shorts, and shifted as we jumped off the back deck. It didn’t take us long to find the mysterious wolf’s scent, it was fresh and that pissed me off. I inhaled the scent trying to determine when he left and realized it was around the time, I entered the kitchen. He must have bailed when he saw someone in the kitchen while he was watching the house.
Steve and I followed the scent to the road again, with the same results. He watches the house for a stretch of time, and then gets in a car. We searched around the area for more clues about when he arrived to try and determine how long he was in the woods for. “I sent Justin and Robby out around midnight for a check. He wasn’t anywhere so he could have arrived after one when they came back into the house.” Steve informed me through our mind link as we circled the surrounding woods. “The one good thing is that is smells like he’s alone, we have our six members and if needed we can call some other packs to help.”
“Carol would help us if needed. She and I had a nice talk this morning, I have earned her trust and I trust her. She is just over protective of Anna, because her mother isn’t. I get the sense that Carol took on the mother role for Anna at the age of six.” I replied back. He nodded his head as we continued to do our perimeter check. When we got back to the backyard, we shifted. We walked up to the back deck, pulled our shorts back on and entered the house.
Steve called a pack meeting in the living room. Our four other members sat on the couch and chairs as Steve and I stood. Steve recapped what we found, and waited for the rest of the pack to stop exchanging concerned glances. “The best way to handle this is for us to begin training more frequently. We need to be at the top of our game in order to protect what is ours, and Anna is part of our pack now. With her being sick at the moment, it is our job to protect her and the rest of this pack from unknown dangers.”
“There is a possibility that this unknown wolf is Anna ex Sal, but we cannot confirm or deny that possibility.” I added.
“We will be conducting more night checks over day checks. It’s safe to say he is only watching the house at night when everyone is asleep. So, we will do a ten o’clock check, a midnight check, a two-thirty check, a four thirty check, and pick up at seven for the last check. With Sophie still in school she will only do th
e ten o’clock checks on school nights. Friday and Saturday, you will also do the seven A.M shift.” He directed his order to his little sister who nodded in response. “The rest we’ll rotate between the five of us.” Everyone nodded in agreement.
“What will we do when we catch him?” Justin inquired.
“You call for backup. Even with a team of two, we don’t know this wolf or what he is capable of. Don’t attack without calling for back-up first.” Steve instructed. “We’ll figure out what we’ll do with him when the time comes that we catch him.” Steve dismissed the pack after giving his instructions and everyone dispersed for the day.
I snuck up to my room to check on Anna. She was still sleeping on her stomach with my pillow. Her wings had opened up more and were spread over her shoulders. They were really shiny, almost sparkly and large enough to be mistaken for a thin sheet at first glance. I looked around the room, and noticed there was some blood on the wooden floor. I cleaned up the mess before I went to bed last night except for our sheet that she was sleeping on. I quickly cleaned up the small spots of blood, then looked back at her.
I really hope she wakes up today, otherwise I’m going to have no room on the mattress to sleep. I can’t touch her wings, and with them open like this I have no place to sleep. I may have to see if I can’t talk her into rolling over for me tonight. I let out a sigh and changed into my jeans. Bo called me earlier asking if I could spare a few hours to come give him a hand collecting the final bails of hay. May as well fulfill my last days work while my beautiful mate sleeps.
I slipped out of my room again, locking the door behind me and made my way to the guest room. I knocked on Carol’s door as she pulled it open looking at me concerned. I explained that I was going to go help Bo for a few hours today while Anna still rested. I gave her the key to my room so she could check on her periodically while I was gone.
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