Real Men Snarl_Real Men Shift

by Celia Kyle

  “Do you have anything from your past that hurts so much that to remember it— just remember it—makes you feel like you’ll die from the pain?” The words were hardly more than a harsh whisper.

  He edged backward, unsure how to answer her. The short answer, of course, was no. The deaths of his parents came close, but not to the extreme she described. But his answer wasn’t important here—only hers mattered.

  “When your only method of self-preservation is to forget or risk going insane?”

  At last, her gaze locked onto his. A shiver of anticipation raised the hairs on the back of his neck and his wolf paced inside him.

  “You wanted to know where my pack was, but the thing is, I don’t have one.” A single tear escaped her eyes and traced a damp path down her cheek. “I haven’t gone feral because I’ve pushed the pain so far down inside myself that it’s hidden in a dark crevice. A place just for that agony to live. Understand?”

  Kade could do nothing but tell the truth. “No. But I want to.” He reached for her, gently rubbing her arm as he spoke. “I want to help you—I need to help you—but you need to trust me.”

  “Trust you?” She snorted, and another tear escaped. She dashed it away before speaking again. “I don’t even know you.”

  Tears still sparkled in her eyes, but she didn’t look away when he moved closer. He leaned into her space, pressing his forehead to hers. His wolf allowed him to hear her heartbeat, listen as it slowed until it thrummed in time with his own. Soon, what remained of her anxiety drifted away on the warm breeze, leaving him surrounded by the sweetness of her natural scent.

  “I will be your shield,” he whispered, “if you’ll let me. I’ll protect you from whatever is haunting you. I’ll protect you from everything—past, present and future. Let me.”

  The tension in her shoulders eased and she leaned into him, adjusting her position until she was able to nuzzle his cheek. Not a lot, just a little, but it was enough for now. Her breathing slowed and shallowed to match his. He knew that if he cupped her cheek, she would allow his lips to meet her own.

  As much as he craved a taste of her lips, and despite his wolf’s demands, he refused to rush her. Her past still clouded her, chased her and nipped at her heels. It was what stopped her from recognizing their bond and he refused to rush her. Eventually she would no longer be able to deny the powerful draw between them, he simply had to be patient. In that moment, it was enough to be close to her, to share her burden—as much as she’d let him, anyway.

  “You need to know something, Ally. There’s nothing—nothing—I wouldn’t do for you. Your soul knows even if your brain won’t accept the truth, and that’s okay.” He placed his palm to her chest. “As long as you know it in here.”

  Her warm breath fanned his cheek and he smiled to himself, only to be interrupted by a loud cackle. The quiet, touching moment broken, they both swung their attention to the parked cars. Tessa sat perched on the hood of Ally’s car, slapping her knee and pointing at a red-faced Austin.

  “Oh God,” Ally sighed. “She probably told him one of her stories.”

  “Austin is a seasoned warrior, one of our very best. What could such a sweet little old lady have said that would make him blush?”

  Ally smirked. “Trust me, you do not want to know.”

  He scoffed. “I think I can handle it.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It was probably the one about her passionate threesome with JFK and Marilyn Monroe. Or maybe it was about the time she snorted cocaine off Dean Martin's dick. Or it could have been—”

  “Stop!” Kade's eyes widened as his stomach heaved. “You were right. I don’t want to know.”

  Chapter Nine

  The remainder of the journey was a marked improvement over the first half hour—of course, probably not for poor Austin who’d still been stuck in a car with Tessa. Tessa who had an endless supply of dirty stories to share.

  Ally had kept an eye out for a red Accord for the rest of the trip even though Kade probably watched as well. Their luck had held, and they hadn’t seen the car again. She was free. At least for now. She wasn’t so naive as to think Kade would drop the subject of their mysterious tail, but for now, he was giving her the time she needed. Now all she had to worry about was telling her best friend her deepest, darkest secret.

  With the sun just disappearing beneath the horizon, the street lights flickered on to greet the coming night. A sky full of pinks and purples dimmed with each passing second. Ally sank deeper into her seat, as if that and the night could hide her from what lay ahead.

  Kade shot her a curious glance. “We still have a bit.”

  She scooted up, not wanting to let too much of her anxiety show, even if he could smell it all over her. “Any suggestions on how to pass the time?”

  He offered her a mischievous smile, one that held both a hint of teasing and desire. She held up a hand. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”

  “Someone has their mind in the gutter,” he teased. “I was going to say we could get to know each other a little better. I ask a question, you answer, and then ask me whatever you want.”

  That sounded like a terrible idea. “I don't know…”

  “Tell you what. You can even pass on any questions that you’re uncomfortable with.”

  Ally hesitated, but finally agreed. I’m going to regret this. “Okay.”

  “You don't have a Georgia accent. Where are you from, Miss Rose?”

  “Pass.”

  Kade laughed. “So soon?”

  “Hey, either you make these passes easy for me to use or we sit in silence.”

  Kade sighed. “Fine, fine. Do you have any siblings?”

  “Pass.”

  “Are you messing with me?”

  “No, just ask less personal questions.” She squirmed. “Why don’t you try, I don't know, ask what my favorite cartoon was when I was little?”

  “Okay, what was it?”

  “The Powerpuff Girls.”

  Kade rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that tells me worlds about you.”

  “Fine, fine.” She grumbled and then sighed. “Something more personal, but not too personal is that I love grocery stores.”

  “Yeah, that’s not weird.”

  Ally laughed. “Hear me out. As a teen, I worked in the produce department of a local grocery store. I loved it. Making the displays pretty really appealed to me. Now I love checking out the layouts of stores wherever I visit. Especially the fancy-schmancy gourmet stores. You wouldn’t believe some of the bizarre fruits and veggies I’ve discovered.”

  “I suppose that counts as personal. You must enjoy cooking then.”

  “When I get the chance. Which I didn’t get much while living with Tessa and Lucy. I’m not as talented as my s—”

  She caught herself before admitting her sister was the chef of the family. Clearing her throat, she turned the tables on him.

  “What about you, Mr. Big Bad Wolf?”

  His eyebrow shot up as he cast a heated look in her direction. He growled low in his throat and the sensation sizzled throughout her body. “I could get used to hearing that from you.”

  “Quit trying to distract me,” she pressed. “Spill.”

  He smirked and turned back to the road, then pressed a finger against his nose.

  Laughing, she shook her head at the odd wolf. “What are you doing?”

  “Thinking.”

  “I've never seen anyone think like that.”

  “Then you've never seen anyone do it correctly,” he shot back. “Now, about me. I do like to cook, but I mostly like to do it with things I find.”

  “Like roadkill?”

  “No,” he laughed with her. “It'll probably make sense when you see just how much land we have, but my parents and grandparents taught us all from an early age how to live off the land. My dad would take us fishing in the streams and my grandmother would make salads from the local vegetation. I can't tell you how many times she took me to pick honey
suckle.”

  Ally smiled. “A real down-home Georgia boy.”

  “That's me.”

  “By ‘us’, you mean you and your brother Mason?”

  “And our younger brother, Gavin. He's the pack enforcer.”

  Ally did her best to ignore the chill that rippled down her spine at the mention of a pack enforcer. Her experiences with them had never been what anyone would call positive, but she was committed to keeping an open mind about the Blackwood pack. If Kade was any indicator, maybe the Blackwood wolves wouldn’t be too terrible…

  “…Lucy?” The end of his question brought her back to the present.

  “What about her?”

  “You two seem as close as sisters, but you’re still worried?”

  Ally knew better than to think it was a question.

  “I need to get better at hiding my feelings,” she muttered.

  “Or you could be even more open with them and share your thoughts with your mate,” he suggested gently.

  Kade turned off the highway and onto the rocky forest road. They were getting close. Civilization had been left behind and now trees loomed over them from every direction. Ally used the cover of darkness to let her true concern show by worrying her bottom lip and clenching her hands into fists.

  Kade reached over and gave one fist a squeeze. “We'll be there soon. Might as well get it out now.”

  Ally loosened her fist and entwined hers with his. She took a deep breath and shared more of herself than she’d ever imagined she would. And it felt so easy and natural with him.

  “It’s just that I’ve been lying to her for so long. I know she’ll feel hurt and I can’t blame her. It’s not like I can even break the news gently. The second she gets close to me, she’ll smell my wolf. She’s going to have so many questions, ones I can’t answer.”

  He squeezed her fingers again, and she took that boost of strength. “Maybe, but Lucy is a wolf, too. She knows the importance of secrecy. I think you need to give her a little more credit. She might be surprised, but she’ll still love you.”

  “I hope so.”

  The warmth of Kade's hand disappeared as he pulled up to an absolutely massive log cabin-style house. For a moment she wanted to reach out and snatch his hand back. To rest their joined hands in her lap and keep them there. Especially when a solitary light near the front door flicked on, revealing that someone was watching for them.

  “Family forgives. Family understands,” Kade murmured as he popped the SUV into park.

  The front door opened, and two people walked out into the dim light. Ally immediately recognized the curvy figure of her bestie, and assumed the tall, burly dude next to her was Mason. As much as Ally wanted to run to Lucy, to throw herself into her arms and hug her to death, she couldn’t will her fingers to grab the door handle.

  Lucy waved.

  Ally didn’t budge.

  Lucy glared and jammed her hands onto her hips.

  Ally wasn’t afraid of that glare. She was more afraid of never being on the receiving end again once Lucy knew about her lies.

  Lucy held her hands up to her mouth. “Hurry up, Ally,” she shouted, her voice reminding Ally of Tessa’s, only more youthful. “Get your scaredy-cat ass out of that—”

  Lucy stopped short, howling as the door bumped open wide and a white cat darted outside, followed by a herd—not a herd, a glaring—of kittens.

  “Ghosty, not again!” Lucy cried.

  The door banged open once more and a small boy scuttled past the adults, his hands outstretched as he chased the cats.

  “Charlie!” Lucy shouted, but the boy was more focused on the kitties than obeying his elders.

  The kittens darted between the boy's feet, drawing delighted squeals from him. Lucy and Mason ran down the steps to help him collect the wayward pets. Ally took advantage of the diversion to haul her “scaredy-cat ass” out of the SUV and join Kade near the bumper.

  When the white mama cat—Ghost Kitty, no doubt—ran toward them, Ally kneeled down and held her hands out. Ghosty skidded to a stop and arched her back. Her tail fluffed out and she hissed ferociously. Ally was more familiar with dogs, but she knew cats well enough to know when one was about to protect her brood.

  “No, wait,” Ally stuttered, then jumped upright.

  She scuttled one way, then the other, then backed around in a half-circle, trying to evade Ghosty’s razor-sharp claws. She heard the others laughing, but she kept her focus on the pissed-off pussy. When Ghost Kitty launched her little body toward Ally—claws and teeth in full view—Ally lurched sideways and smack into a stone wall.

  To her surprise, the wall tumbled to the ground along with her. Then its arms and legs got tangled up in hers. What the hell had she run into?

  Lucy scooped up the demon cat and scolded it for being so bitchy, while Kade rushed toward them, growling in anger over something. Tessa’s gleeful cackles could be heard all the way from the front seat of the Focus. And kittens scampered all around them.

  “Oof,” said a voice—a very male voice—connected to the legs and arms she was disentangling herself from.

  Oh God. Mason.

  Ally’s body went cold with fear. She’d knocked over the leader of the pack, the Alpha. If she'd learned anything about crossing men like him, he was going to make her pay.

  Scrambling to her feet, Ally blurted out one apology after another, her eyes glued to the ground. “I’m so sorry! Please forgive my clumsiness! It’ll never happen again!”

  She watched Mason using her peripheral vision and with every apology, Mason’s brow pulled down more and more. Apologizing wasn’t enough for this Alpha. She’d have to do something she’d promised she’d never do again. Funny how quickly pride got thrown out the window when faced with certain torture—if not death.

  Body flooded with terror and quaking as she cowered in front of Mason, Ally pulled her hair to one side. She bowed her head and tipped it to the side, baring her neck for punishment. Then she waited. In truth, the waiting was worse than the punishment itself—usually. Brian used to delight in making her stand there for hours, forcing her to wallow in the uncertainty of her surviving whatever torture he’d dreamed up. Usually, by the time he decided to put her out of her misery, she almost wished he would. Permanently.

  Tears dripped into the dirt at her feet. She hated this more than anything, and it was exactly what she’d been afraid would happen. It was exactly why she’d escaped Brian’s pack of thugs to begin with.

  She shouldn't have come, shouldn't have allowed herself to think she could live within another pack again. If she had an ounce of self-respect, she would have run and taken her chances in an unfamiliar forest. But with an Alpha looming over her, her wolf instincts kicked in. She was helpless to save herself from whatever punishment Mason decided to dole out.

  But nothing happened. Only silence.

  Daring to glance up at him through a curtain of hair, she caught his expression of utter confusion. When she tilted her head to expose more flesh, understanding flashed in his widening eyes.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but a tiny finger poked her hip and drew their attention. Charlie, the cat-obsessed pup, grinned up at her and blurted out the secret she’d held tightly for so many years. “Hey! You’re a werewolf too!”

  Chapter Ten

  Kade gripped Ally's shoulder, no longer able to watch her prostrating herself before his brother. She followed his touch willingly, allowing him to pull her into his embrace. Once she was fully in his arms, he rubbed her shaking arms and smoothed her hair, trying anything and everything he could to soothe her.

  Fuck. He should have known wolves had abused her in the past. Her skittishness, her self-imposed exile from her own kind, and her fear of other packs were huge red flags. Ones he’d ignored. He’d been so distracted by the fact he’d found his mate in this beautiful, amazing woman, he hadn’t put it together until he watched her submissive display and smelled her terror.

  Whoever had harmed he
r had been a dominant werewolf and Kade’s beast growled low as it imagined ripping the throat out of the asshole who’d hurt her. Since he had no way of seeking retribution at that moment, he settled for glaring at his brother.

  Mason shrugged, and though Kade knew his brother had done nothing wrong, anger still rode him hard. Then there was a lingering resentment and fury that his brother had come into contact with Ally. Grinning like the asshole big brother he was, Mason winked at him. Of course, the Alpha would sense the connection between Kade and Ally.

  So why couldn't Ally?

  Glancing down at her, Kade tucked a strand of loose dark hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch, nuzzling his palm. But no sooner had Ally relaxed, she tensed as the space around them erupted into noise and chaos again.

  Lucy was the first to wade into the fray, peppering Ally with questions. “Are you kidding me? Is it true?” She sniffed the air. “I smell Kade and Mason. Charlie. And… Oh shit, I smell you!”

  Kade had half a mind to hide Ally from Lucy and her intrusive questions, but he had no business coming between them. Besides, maybe she’d admit more about her past to her friend than she had to him.

  “How did this happen? How long have you been like this? Have you always been? Where's your pack?” Lucy shook her head again, her eyes growing wider now. “There's just so much to cover. Seriously, what the fuck?”

  Ally opened her mouth but didn't bother to answer. No one would be able to hear her. He’d barely been able to make out Lucy’s incessant questioning, but only because he was used the racket.

  After the initial shocked silence in the group, Charlie had happily gone back to chasing kittens, squealing and throwing himself into nearby bushes and generally being a rambunctious pup. Meanwhile, Ghost Kitty had escaped Lucy’s clutches and was delighting in circling Mason’s legs.

  “Could someone get out here and corral these damned cats already?” Kade shouted over his shoulder toward the pack house.

  If that wasn't enough, car doors slammed behind them as Tessa and Austin joined the party.