by Flynn, Donna
“She should have come to one of us, not Gina.” He shook his head worriedly. “I had hoped she was feeling better about us, but Marlo did warn me that she was not as accepting as she seemed. I suppose this proves she still has some issues we need to work out.”
“I think she puts up a good front, but now I can see what Marlo was trying to tell me. I have to stop excusing her behavior and teach her how to be a member of the pack, even if she resents me for it.”
Nina wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him close, knowing how worried he was. “Hopefully after this she will understand better why Gregory or Alec needs to be with her when she shifts.”
“Alec must have been terrified,” Gregory said, knowing if anything happened to Mercy his son would never be the same again. The loss of a mate was the most traumatizing thing a wolf could endure, very few moved on with their lives after such an occurrence. It was devastating to the surviving mate's mind and many a good wolf had turned rogue after experiencing their mate’s death. Gregory knew firsthand how the loss of a mate affected their kind. He had been there, wallowing in grief and self-pity, when his own mate was murdered. If not for Alec, he too might have chosen to die; it would have been easier than living every day without his mate, but his son and heir gave him a reason to go on, and he would never want him to experience the devastation he did back then.
“It is going to take time for her to adjust. It was unrealistic of us to think that such a short time with Marlo was enough,” Lucan said.
“We should go and see how she is doing,” Nina said, rising from the table.
Lucan stood, dreading what he knew was going to be a long night, and Nina placed her hand in his. Together they all walked up the stairs, but uncertainty about what was going to happen if Mercy could never accept her Were side tore at him.
*****
Alec sat by Mercy’s side, listening to each breath she took, thankful she was alive. The moment he had seen her on the ground in such agony, he had known the true meaning of fear. He couldn’t help her, he could not stop her pain, and that upset him tremendously. Nina assured him that she would be fine, but still he worried. If anything happened to her, he knew his life would be over. He had known her too long to be able to live without her presence in his life. She was his light when the world was dark, his sanity when all else was in chaos, and the calm he sought when he lost control. Simply put, without her he was nothing.
“Alec,” Mercy whispered, struggling to open her eyes. “What happened?” she asked wearily, clutching her tender abdomen.
“Don’t talk,” he told her, seeing that it clearly caused her considerable pain to do so.
“But…” she whispered.
He placed his finger over her lips silencing her. “We can talk later, when you’re fully healed, for now you need rest.” She nodded, gripping his hand tightly in her own, looking around the room for her brothers.
“They are on their way,” he told her, understanding immediately she sought the comfort of her brothers’ presence.
The door opened, Lucan walked in, followed closely by Nina and Gregory.
“How are you?” Lucan asked, coming to her side and taking her other hand in his own.
“Fine,” she murmured, tears misting her eyes. She hated that once again she looked like a failure in his eyes.
“You don’t need to say anything, just know how very thankful we are that you are alive and how much we all love you.” He kissed her forehead and let go of her hand, backing away so Nina could check her over once more. By the time she was done and she had given her some pain medicine, Mercy was once again sound asleep.
*****
Alec watched Mercy as she slept throughout the night and as the morning sun filtered into her bedroom, she finally reopened her eyes. He held her hand, as he had throughout the long night and she squeezed it softly, meeting his gaze. Never had he seen her look more beautiful than she did in that moment, and he wasted no time with words. He leaned over, brushing her lips with his own, trying to understand the hesitation he felt coming from her. “I was so afraid. I thought that I had lost you,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry,” she replied softly. Her last conscious thought before blacking out was of never seeing Alec again. It made her realize just how important he was to her that the idea of his loss took precedence over her brothers, whom she loved dearly.
“The thought of never seeing you again … I …” His eyes grew moist, and he squeezed her hand so tightly she cried out. “Sorry,” he murmured.
“Don’t cry,” she told him, upset with herself for being so stupid as to believe she could shift on her own. “I am alive. Do not dwell on what might have happened.”
“How can I not, when I saw you there like that…?”
He was so upset that she reached out and took his hand in her own, ignoring the panic just touching him brought her. She wanted to tell him how she felt, to admit that she too knew he was the one for her, but she wasn’t ready to commit to a life she knew little about, and he would want that. He couldn’t help it, he was Alpha, and he was used to things going his way.
“Well, look who’s up,” Gregory said, striding into the room followed closely by Lucan and Cade.
“Hey kid, how are you doing?” Cade asked, coming to her side and placing a kiss on her cheek.
“Sore, but considering I almost killed myself yesterday I can deal with the pain,” she told him as Lucan leaned down to kiss her cheek too.
“We heal quickly in most cases,” Lucan told her.
“But in your case it is going to take a few days. Your body is not used to shifting and it sustained internal injuries mid-shift that had to be repaired,” Cade warned.
“So what on earth possessed you to try shifting on your own?” Gregory asked, taking a seat close to the bed, his best intimidating Alpha expression firmly in place.
“I don’t know, I guess I’m just tired of being afraid and I thought I might be able to conquer that fear.”
“No more,” he commanded. “From now on, one of us must be with you when you shift.”
“Dad, don’t, she’s been through enough,” Alec protested, instinctively protecting his mate.
“I am her Alpha, as her pack leader my word is law.” He looked down on Mercy, the wolf inside of him reflected in his eyes, reminding her how immensely powerful he was. “You scared us all today. Do not let it happen again.”
“I promise,” she told him sincerely. In all honesty, she was terrified of shifting again, even if he was going to be there. It seemed with every advance she made into their world the further away from it she felt, and that worried her immensely.
“Good. We understand each other, then.”
His blue eyes pierced hers, stressing his point, and she nodded. “Yes, we do,” she whispered, her old fears about wolves resurfacing as his dominance rolled over her, deafening her own free will. Another reminder of how much she had lost by finding out she was a werewolf.
Chapter Five
Three days after the shifting incident, Alec was pulling on his shorts after running through the forest while Mercy slept, when Amber caught up to him again.
“Alec,” Amber called from the tree line where she had been watching him.
Alec snarled and turned on her quickly, earning a sharp cry of alarm from Amber as she took a step back. His mind had been on Mercy and how withdrawn she had become since her failed shift and he had failed to notice her presence, as he normally would have so her sudden appearance took him by surprise. “Amber, what are you doing out here?”
“Your dad said you were off for a run, I thought I would join you.”
She walked towards him with a panther-like grace, reminding him how remarkably in control of her wolf she always was, and he couldn’t help but be impressed. It was rare for a woman to possess such power, but she had always been strong and independent, something he often admired about her. “I just finished, I’m afraid, but you go on, I’ll tell the others y
ou’re out there.” She stared at him with such intensity he felt uncomfortable, and he found himself reaching for his shirt and pulling it over his head hastily.
“Don’t bother, I can run later.” She placed her hand on his arm and smiled. “How’s Marcy?”
“Her name is Mercy, and she’s doing much better, thanks for asking,” he told her, trying not to choke on the rich musky scent she wore.
“Sorry, you know I’m not good with names.” She flashed him a brilliant smile, but pulled her hand quickly away when he did not smile back. “I was thinking maybe we could go to town tonight so you can show me around.”
“I need to be here in case Mercy needs anything,” he reminded her.
“Oh of course, I should have thought about that,” she said with a pout, angered that Mercy was always his first thought.
“If you’re still here when she is feeling better we can both take you out and show you the town,” he offered as a compromise.
“That would be great,” she agreed halfheartedly, forcing herself to smile knowing it wouldn’t do to have him think she didn’t like the idea.
“Okay, then.” He turned to go, but she placed her hand on his arm and he turned back around.
“You know I’ve always considered you my best friend.” She stepped closer, her eyes shimmering with false tears. “Maybe even one of the only friends I have that I can really talk to, and I feel so alone here. That’s why I thought we could hang out together.”
At once, he felt sorry for ignoring her since her arrival. With Mercy being ill, he had been so worried for her that he had forgotten that Amber was alone in a new town. If she was crying, he knew it was because he was upset with his treatment of her since her arrival. They had known each other since they were babies, and clearly she was jealous of the time and attention he gave to Mercy. She was so used to him dropping everything for her. It had to be upsetting that suddenly he had someone else more important to him. Amber not the kind of girl who stood for being second best and he realized he would have to make a bigger attempt to include her in his life. Besides, he was sure Mercy would be thrilled to help him show Amber around when she was feeling better. It would be good for them spend time together. There was a lot she could learn from Amber about being pack. “I’m sorry if you’re feeling neglected. I have been so busy since you arrived that we haven’t had much of a chance to spend time together. Why don’t we take a walk, I’m sure Mercy’s brothers are watching over her, so I can spare some time for you.”
Amber looped her arm through his with a victorious grin and all traces of tears gone from her eyes as they walked off together into the woods. Everything had turned out just as she had planned. Alec had always fallen for her fake tears. All she had to do now was to plant enough doubt that Mercy would ever be good enough for him, and she would have Alec for her own.
*****
After days of drug-induced sleeping following her failed shift, Mercy woke alone in her room her body mended, but her mind filled with doubt about her ability to live as a werewolf. Tears pricked her eyes as she recalled her unsuccessful shift. It was just another sign to her that she wasn’t cut out to be like the rest of her family, who seemed at one with their animal.
Her family had been encouraging, though, telling her often over the last few days that what happened was common for first-time shifters. Reminding her that she should never attempt to shift alone again until she bonded with her wolf and they were able to work as one. She had tried to be upbeat and make herself believe what they said was true, but deep down she knew that it would never happen as long as she was so scared. Her wolf had sensed her fear during the shift, and it too had been afraid and panicked.
Tired of her morose thoughts, she threw her legs over the side of the bed, and decided a shower was the first thing she needed before she faced everyone again. She was gathering her clothes from the dresser in front of her window when she looked to see Alec and Amber walking out of the woods together. Amber was laughing, her body pressed close to his, her hand on his bicep, wearing a look of adoration that was hard to miss as Alec stared down at her with a smile that could be interpreted as friendly, but also flirtatious. Jealousy instantly took hold inside of her. The sound of wood cracking alerted her, she had gripped the dresser drawer too hard and she released it instantly, staring down at the splintered wood in disbelief, pulling her hand away and tucking it behind her. She looked out of the window once more, but Alec and Amber were out of sight, so very carefully she closed the damaged drawer and walked to her bathroom trying to convince the ugly, green-eyed monster inside of her that it was surely just two friends taking a walk together. Jealousy, though, was a funny thing, and even though Alec had told her they were just friends, she smelled trouble brewing. She was well aware he had spent a lot of time at her father’s pack in the last few years, and a niggling fifth sense told her Amber was on the make, even if Alec was clueless about her intent. It was definitely something she needed to think on for a while before acting.
*****
As it turned out, Mercy had a lot of time alone to think about what she had seen that morning. Jealousy ate away at her common sense with every hour that passed without Alec coming by to visit throughout the day. As she had made her way downstairs by dinnertime and he still hadn’t appeared, she began to imagine him alone with Amber, falling under her spell. Pretty, smart, and wonderfully adept at pack life, Amber was surely everything he wanted in a mate, everything she was not and might never be. It was killing her that he had told her how much he loved her, promising she was the only one for him, and now she was sitting alone in her living room while he was making time with a hot female werewolf who had designs on him.
By the time, he strode through the door well after nine o’clock she was in no mood to listen to his excuses for not being there as he had promised. She knew the moment he entered the house, heard Lucan call out a greeting to him from his office just before he walked into the living room where Mercy lay on the couch watching TV. She didn’t bother to look his way, aggravated that he would dare even show up after ignoring her all day, but she couldn’t stop the little jolt of excitement that her traitorous body felt as he drew closer to her. Her palms grew sweaty, her heart beat faster despite her resolve to ignore him, and she sighed, hating that he had such an impact on her.
“Hey, what are you watching?” he asked, taking the seat next to her, placing his hand on her knee.
“Nothing really,” she snapped. “In fact I was just about to head upstairs.” She looked down at his hand with disdain, clicked off the TV, and stood, letting it drop to his side.
Alec was puzzled by her attitude, but he decided she must have been tired given the circumstances of the last few days. “I’m surprised you’re even up and around, I thought for sure you would be resting still,” he said rising to stand next to her.
“I’ve been up most of the day,” she told him shortly. “You would have known that if you came by.”
“I’m sorry, I was busy with some pack things, but I’m here now.”
He reached for her hand, but she kept it at her side and glared at him. “What were you busy doing?” She asked, ignoring his confused stare.
“I took a run, and I had some things to see to for my father.”
She stared at him with contempt, unable to believe he did not even mention being with Amber. He continued to look perplexed by her behavior, but as mad as she was, she could have cared less what he was feeling. He did not exactly lie, but he had left out his time with Amber, and that she thought was particularly telling.
“Look, I can see you’re angry I was not here when you woke up, but I came as soon as I was able,” he told her, worried that the traumatic shift had somehow rattled her mind
“Well I’m glad you could fit me in, but I’m rather tired, so I think I’ll just call it a night.” With that said, she walked out of the room leaving him standing there with his mouth hanging open.
Alec was completely puzzled about
what he had done to upset her, but knew somehow he had gotten himself in deep.
“That was tough, what happened?” Cade asked from the doorway.
“I’m not sure,” he said still flustered by her reaction to his late visit. Mercy was usually so sweet and forgiving, but he had just seen a side of her that was foreign to him and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He sat on the sofa placing his head in his hands trying to understand why she was so angry. It wasn’t as if he had left the state after all. She could have called him if she needed anything, and he would have come immediately. He had told her repeatedly she was the most important thing in his life. Surely, she understood that by now and knew he would drop everything for her.
“Sometimes women get upset, and we never understand what really happened. Why don’t you go home and let her sleep it off I am sure things will be better in the morning,” Cade told him thinking it odd Mercy had reacted so angrily.
“Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea since she doesn’t seem to want to talk to me.” He stood and shook Cade’s hand then left through the front door intending to cut through the small area of trees that separated his house from Mercy’s. He was so lost in thought about her odd reaction to his visit that he was not paying attention to where he was walking and before knew what happened he ran smack into Amber knocking her to the ground. “I’m so sorry,” he said reaching down to help her off the ground.
“No problem, I should have called out to you.” She placed her hand in his, but instead of letting him help her up, she yanked him downward. As he landed on top of her, she began tickling his sides, giggling as he returned the favor until they were rolling on the ground like children and they were both laughing hysterically.
*****
