“Yup,” he grinned. “Nothing like a bear run first thing in the morning!”
"Oh." Her smile died almost at once. She didn't understand that kind of thing, having constantly pushed down her bear's need to get out. It was an on-going battle, one she fought almost every day, but still, she was determined.
“So,” Dan grinned, leaning on the counter. “What are you going to do today?”
She shrugged. “I don’t really know. Help out where I can, I guess.”
“Want to have lunch with me?”
Lucy nodded, surprised at the heat that rushed into her cheeks. “Sure, I’d like that.”
The grin on his face was immediate. “Great. And, if you want to make yourself useful, I know Jo’s keen on having this place redecorated.”
Wrinkling her nose, Lucy looked around. She wasn’t great at that kind of thing.
“Come on,” Dan laughed, seeing her expression. “I’m sure you’d look pretty cute in overalls, with a paintbrush in your hand!” He raised one eyebrow as he looked at her with his usual grin, and Lucy couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fine,” she agreed, rolling her eyes. “I’ll see what Jo wants me to do.” She couldn’t help but watch Dan as he walked away, thinking about how the sweat gleaming off his skin in the morning sun made him look even more attractive. Even if it was because he’d let his bear go running in the woods.
She'd seen the look in his eyes when she said she didn't shift. It was as if he was both shocked and horrified that she didn't let her bear out, that he simply couldn't understand why she would do that to herself. It wasn't something Lucy was used to talking about, but she could guess that Dan wanted to know more. Sighing heavily, she turned on the coffee machine and set about making a fresh pot. It wasn't something she wanted to talk about either if she was honest. She'd buried her reasons deep inside, hiding her emotions there too and choosing never to let them out again.
Dan was going to want to talk about it, though. It wasn't exactly normal for a shifter never to shift. She was probably the only one. Lucy remembered how Dominic used to brag about how he was going to be the strongest shifter around, even though he wasn't an alpha. At the time, Lucy hadn't thought much of it, but it wasn't until later when she realized just the kind of man – the kind of shifter – he was, that it all made sense. Dominic wanted to be the biggest, and the strongest so that he could dominate other people. He liked to see the fear in their eyes, whether that was in his bear skin or in his human skin. That was something Lucy absolutely hated about him. The way that other people's fear just fed him. He craved it. He wanted to be the one in charge, the one who would be respected but never respectful. He'd told her over and over that all the packs were like that, and that her ideas about having a caring, equally respectful pack were just plain stupid. Lucy hadn't believed him at first, but the more he'd told her, the more she'd believed. Then Lucas had called them, explaining his situation and asking for Dominic's help, and her dreams had shattered. When she'd heard what Lucas wanted, Lucy had pushed away all her hopes about, one day, having a good, decent pack to be a part of. Lucas had said that the Northern Wind pack was attacking this other pack, and they'd somehow managed to kill one of the Northern Wind pack members. He wanted Dominic's help for something but Lucy had stopped listening. She had decided there and then not to be a part of it and hadn't shifted since.
A sudden thought hit her. Was this the pack that had apparently killed one of Lucas's pack? That didn't seem possible. Lucy rolled her eyes to herself, realizing that she'd only known them all for half a day, but they had certainly made an impression. She couldn’t see any of them killing another shifter. Although, that being said, there were two alphas in the pack. They would certainly be able to defend themselves pretty easily if they had to. Was there another pack in the area, one that she didn't know about? Her frown deepened the more she thought about it. Lucas had wanted help to get another pack under control, which Nick had confirmed was this pack. So, had one of them killed a shifter from Lucas's pack? Had it been Dan?
All the air seemed to suck itself from her body as thought about him. Her attraction to him had been intense, but if he was a killer, then she wanted nothing to do with him.
Setting her shoulders, Lucy took in a settling breath. There was only going to be one way to settle this – she was going to have to talk to Dan and just ask him outright what had happened. If she discovered that this pack was involved in killing other shifters, no matter what the reason, then she’d leave immediately. There was no way she was going to stay here if that was the truth.
Glancing at her watch, Lucy heaved a sigh. It would be a good few hours until Dan was free to talk to her. Until then, she’d just have to hang around here and try to keep busy until he was able to speak to her. She couldn’t allow her attraction to him to grow, not until she’d found out what had happened.
“Oh, wonderful!”
Savannah’s voice interrupted her thoughts and Lucy jerked her head up to see Savannah smiling at her.
“Fresh coffee!” she continued. “Just what I need this morning.”
“Sure,” Lucy replied, handing her a cup. “Not much else I can do around here!”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Jo interjected, just walking in. “Dan just mentioned that you were quite open to helping me redecorate this place.”
Lucy gave her a quick smile. “I’m not sure how much good I’ll be but sure, I’d be happy to help.”
Jo grinned. “That would be fantastic. Seriously, you should have seen this place when I first arrived! It was pretty bad.”
"So you haven't always lived here?" Lucy asked, realizing how little she knew.
Shaking her head, Jo shared a quick smile with Savannah. "No, not at all. Actually, I was involved in the art industry before I came here. When Nick and Tom agreed I could stay, they said I could help out with this place, because apparently, they could ‘do with a little bit of help'." She laughed. "Turns out the business was doing well but in terms of running smoothly…" She trailed off and shook her head.
“Everything was on bits of paper,” Savanna added. “I do the finance and I’m still trying to work out who still owes what and how much we owe the taxman from the last few years!”
Lucy felt her heart grow warm at the obvious friendship between the two women. It wasn’t something she’d ever had before and she found herself almost jealous of what they shared. Perhaps she might stay and end up being a part of it. “So you came along after Jo?” she asked Savannah.
“Yes, I did.” Savannah’s smile dimmed slightly. “If you can believe it, I was actually a member of the Northern Wind pack. I mean, it’s a long story, but I ended up falling in love with Tom and staying here.”
“Wow,” Lucy replied, completely surprised. “So you know first-hand what that pack’s like?”
“Yeah, I do.” Savannah grimaced. “It’s not a good pack to be a part of. Just ask Dan, he’ll tell you what it was like.”
Lucy stared at her for a moment before recovering herself. “You mean, Dan was part of the Northern Wind pack too?”
Savannah nodded. “He was a part of Lucas’ pack for longer than me, and he was here before I came along too,” she replied.
“But not willingly,” Jo broke in, laughing.
“That’s true,” Savannah grinned, turning her attention back to Lucy. “Just ask him about it. He’ll be more than happy to tell you.”
“I will,” Lucy replied, slightly dazed at what she’d learned. “I certainly will.”
Chapter Ten
Unfortunately for Lucy, it was three days until she managed to speak to Dan alone. The pack had tried to make sure she felt welcome, but Lucy simply didn't manage to get a quiet moment with him. They still spent time together – and she still couldn't stop her gaze from drifting towards him – but it had always been as part of the pack. This evening, however, Lucy was determined to have him to herself.
“Dan,” she asked, once everyone had finished eat
ing and were busy clearing up their dishes. “Could we take a walk?”
She saw the surprise in his eyes, which was quickly followed by a grin.
“Of course,” he replied, his eyes glancing over at the window. “It’s pretty dark, though.”
“That’s okay,” she smiled. “We don’t need to go far. I just want to ask you a few things.”
He studied her for a moment, as if trying to guess what she was going to say, but eventually shrugged. “Sure. Just give me a few minutes.”
Soon, Lucy and Dan were out walking along the edge of the woods, away from the cabin. They walked in silence, the only sound the crunching of leaves and twigs under their feet.
“So,” Dan said, eventually. “What did you want to ask me?”
Lucy glanced up at him, seeing his face bathed in the moonlight. He was looking at her with a slight smile on his face and her stomach flipped. She couldn’t help her attraction to him, despite what she had to ask him. Electricity sparked between them, making her shiver.
“Are you cold?” Dan asked. “I can go back and – ”
“No, no,” she interrupted. “I’m fine. It’s just – well, everything is great here so far, and the pack is so welcoming but I have a couple of questions.”
“Then ask them,” Dan replied, quietly. “You could have asked Nick too, Lucy. He’s more than happy to talk to you.”
She stopped walking and looked up at him, seeing his concern on her face. "I know that," she said. "But there's something about you that makes me trust you. It's not that I don't trust Nick but I just feel more able to be open and honest with you." Giving him a rueful smile, she shook her head. "I know that sounds silly since we've only known each other for a few days."
“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” Dan replied, warmly. “In fact, I feel the same way.”
Lucy’s breath caught in her chest as he touched her hand, heat racing up her arm.
“Talk to me, Lucy,” he encouraged. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she turned and began to walk again, as Dan fell into step beside her.
“I guess I’m wondering about this pack,” she began. “Savannah told me that you were part of the Northern Wind pack once.”
“Yes, I was, and so was she.”
Lucy nodded. “Lucas told me that someone from another pack killed one of his shifters.” She stopped again and looked up at him. “Was it you?”
“Me?” he asked, frowning. “Did I kill someone?”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” Closing her eyes, she calmed herself down and tried again. “Did someone from this pack kill someone from Lucas’ pack?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“Oh.” Relief flooded Lucy as all the tension she’d been feeling washed away.
“I mean, Jo tried, but she didn’t manage,” he replied, with laughter in his voice. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here!”
“Wh – what?” Lucy gasped, barely able to understand what he was saying. “Jo tried to kill you?”
Dan laughed at her expression, before putting one arm around her shoulders and beginning to walk through the woods again. “I think I should start from the beginning.”
“Please do,” Lucy murmured, trying not to react to the way he held her so closely. Listening to him carefully, she heard him explain how Lucas had ordered his pack to kill either Nick or Tom, and how Jo had rammed him with a car so that he couldn’t do what Lucas had ordered.
“Lucas thought I was dead,” Dan finished. “But, Nick and Tom took me back to their place and looked after me until my leg healed.” He looked down at her, smiling. “Once that happened, I’d been there long enough to decide that I didn’t want to go back to Lucas’ pack.”
“And Savannah?”
He grinned. "She was meant to be the ‘inside man' – pretend she needed their help before leading them into a trap. You should have seen her face when she first saw me!" His laughter echoed through the trees, lifting Lucy's spirits.
“Long story short, she decided to stay too.”
Lucy thought for a moment. “I’m guessing Lucas is pretty mad about that.”
Dan's voice grew serious. "Yes, he is. We think that's why he's recruited Dominic, to help get his numbers back up. He probably realized that his pack would never be able to attack the Alliance since we have two alphas and they have none."
“But now they have Dominic,” Lucy sighed. “He’s not an alpha, but he could be. He’s pretty strong.”
“Yup,” Dan murmured, rubbing his head where he had been hit, the memories bringing him slight pain. “He is.” He looked down at her. “Do you feel better now?”
“Yes, I do.” Swallowing hard, Lucy slipped her arm around Dan’s waist, aware of how he jerked in surprise. “Sorry,” she muttered, but Dan shook his head.
“No, don’t back away now,” he said, hoarsely. “Lucy, I’m not going to pretend that I’m not attracted to you, because, in case you haven’t noticed, I am.”
She chuckled, remembering how he’d asked for her number at the bar, even though he’d knocked her clean off her feet. “Yes, I’ve noticed,” she murmured. Her heart began to thump in her chest as he gently squeezed her shoulders. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
He laughed, his chest rumbling. “That’s good to know.” Stopping, he turned to face her, catching both of her hands in his. “I want to be able to shift with you though, Lucy.”
Shaking her head, Lucy’s excitement disappeared at once. “No, I can’t.”
"You can," he replied, gently. "You know that not everyone is like Dominic and Lucas. Haven't I just shown you that?"
“You have,” Lucy admitted. “But still, you guys are involved in a battle. I don’t want to be a part of it.” The last thing she wanted was to be part of a pack that was at war with another pack. She’d seen enough violence from Dominic to last a lifetime.
"It's a battle we don't want," Dan continued, still speaking gently. "There's so much more to being a shifter than just fighting, Lucy. It's freedom. It's power. Why won't you let me show you the different side of being a shifter? I guarantee it'll be a side you've never seen before."
Lucy's heart ached. She wanted to say yes, wanted to let him show her what being a shifter was like, but still, her fear held her back. Her bear growled, desperate to be let out and Lucy had to grit her teeth to push it back down. Her skin rippled as the bear continued to fight, her entire body tensing with the need to change.
“Let me see your bear, Lucy,” Dan whispered. “Please. Trust me.”
"No!" she shouted, twisting away from him. "I made a vow, Dan. I won't go back on it." She could see the hurt in his eyes, but knew he could never really understand what she as going through. "I'm going back to the cabin," she muttered, her anger slowly spiralling away. "Thanks for talking with me, Dan."
Chapter Eleven
Dan threw back his head and roared, the sound practically shook the trees. He let out all of his frustration with one single sound, only ending it when the last bit of disappointment left his heart.
Feel better?
Turning around, Dan saw Tom's bear approach, his eyes fixed on him. Obviously, he'd heard his roar.
I guess so.
Tom snorted, letting his breath come out in a few short puffs. What’s bothering you?
Dan paused, before walking alongside Tom further into the woods. It was a beautiful day but that still didn’t lift his spirits. It had been a week since he’d last spoken to Lucy about shifting, and the Northern Wind pack and still he was upset with how she’d reacted. He couldn’t understand why she was so against shifting. Okay, so she only had her brother to go on but he’d been trying to show her that this pack, the Alliance, was completely different from Dominic and Lucas, but so far she hadn’t responded.
Tom snorted again, making Dan realize that he was still waiting for an answer. It’s Lucy.
She still won’t shift?
Dan fi
gured his silence would be all the answer Tom needed, dropping his head low as they carried on through the woods. Birds chirped and the air was filled with wonderful scents and smells, but Dan didn’t notice any of it. All he could think of was Lucy, and how she was choosing to miss out on all of this.
You need to be careful, Dan.
Turning his head, Dan looked at Tom who was now busy sniffing the air.
Why?
Tom stretched up onto his back legs, standing tall for a moment before falling forward onto his four paws. There’s always loyalty between family. She might choose him, not you.
Dan didn’t believe that for a moment. He’d seen how Lucy was when she’d been with Dominic, and there was no way she’d defend him. She’d tried to get away from him, hadn’t she?
If it came to it, she’d choose him, not you, Tom warned.
Dan immediately wanted to disagree but chose instead to stay silent, thinking about what Tom had said.
I’ve got to go, Tom continued, sniffing the air hard again. Savannah’s out here somewhere.
Inwardly groaning, Dan turned around and began to walk away from Tom, wandering back through the woods towards the mechanics. Tom and Savannah would often disappear into the woods and Dan didn’t want to be around when they found each other.
His bear disappeared slowly, as Dan pulled himself back into his human skin. It wasn't as painful this time as if the bear knew he had enough to deal with already. Stretching, Dan let out a groan as the final bone snapped back into place.
"At least Lucy's missing out on this bit," he muttered, crossly. Looking around for his clothes, Dan realized he'd left them a little bit away from where he'd shifted. Grumbling under his breath, he tried to make his way through the woods back to where he'd left them. Branches snapped under his bare feet, making him wince.
“Dan?”
Heat shot to his face as he attempted to cover himself with his hands. “Lucy?” he gurgled, looking around for her. “Just give me a minute.”
“Nick said you were out here,” came her voice again. “I was hoping we could talk.”
The Dragon's Lover (Elemental Dragons Book 2) Page 125
