by Regan Ure
Slowly, I turned and shifted slightly so my head rested on his chest.
"Sleep, baby," he soothed again as he held me close to his chest. The sound of his heart beating under my ear soothed me into an exhausted but peaceful sleep.
When I woke up, I yawned and stretched. I felt great.
"How are you feeling?" I heard Cade ask. I looked to see him sitting beside the bed, watching me.
"I feel fine," I replied. In fact I felt better than fine. I felt stronger. I sat up.
"Why are you not in bed with me?" I asked.
He ran a hand through his hair. He looked exhausted.
"I couldn't sleep and I kept tossing and turning so I got up. I didn't want to wake you," he explained.
"Why didn't you go and sleep in one of the guest bedrooms?" I asked.
"I wasn't going to leave you."
My heart squeezed at his words.
I shifted over and held the comforter open and patted the empty spot next to me. He smiled at me as he got up and got into the bed next to me. Still sitting up, he pulled me against his chest and hugged me. I reveled in the feel of him holding me so close. I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed him in.
For a few moments we sat in silence, both lost in our own thoughts.
"I need to get up and shower," I said as I pulled away and looked up to him.
"I'll start the shower for you," he offered as he pulled away from me and got out of the bed. He disappeared into the bathroom and a few moments later I could hear the water running.
It was then that I remembered what they'd said about the pain of the first shift.
Cade walked out of the bathroom.
"If that's what childbirth is like, you're getting fixed," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest as I glared at him. There was no way I was ever going through that type of pain willingly.
He actually laughed at me and I felt my temper rise. He pressed his lips together to smother any further laughter. It must have been my glare that made him mask any further amusement because he knew his life depended on it.
"No, childbirth is not that bad. Normally the first shift is painful, but it's not usually as bad as what you experienced."
"Why was mine that bad?" I asked, feeling it was a little unfair that mine was worse than what most werewolves experienced.
"Only werewolves with alpha-blood experience a first shift like you did," he explained.
Firstly, it physically made my heart hurt to think he'd experienced that pain and then a moment later I realized what he was saying.
"I've got alpha blood?" I asked, needing confirmation of my thought.
Cade held my gaze and nodded. I'd never even suspected that.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means that your father or mother belonged to an alpha bloodline," he answered. My forehead creased as I began to process that thought.
"Come on, your shower is ready. We can talk about this when you're done," he said, pulling me out of the bed by my hands.
In the shower under the constant stream, I thought about the ordeal I'd just gone through. It had been the most intense thing I'd ever experienced and I was so relieved it was over.
I don't know if it was because I was thinking about my first shift or not, but I suddenly wanted to go into the forest and shift into my wolf for the first time. Or maybe it was something stronger that made me get out of the shower and dry myself off. I got changed quickly and then I strode out of the bathroom toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Cade asked from behind me. I'd been so focused on what I needed to do that I'd completely forgotten about him.
I stopped and turned.
"I need to...go outside," I tried to explain the need that was growing inside of me.
"Okay, Scar," he said and took my hand in his.
It took us a few minutes to get to the gates in front of the compound.
"Open the gates," he ordered to someone.
I wrestled with the growing need to shift into my wolf. Nothing else around me mattered.
The gates opened and I walked into the forest with Cade and a few others behind me. In the forest, with trees around me, I dropped to my knees. The need in me was so strong, but I had no idea how I was supposed to shift.
"Just let it happen," Cade whispered from beside me.
I closed my eyes and gave in to the need. It took a few moments, but then I felt my body change. It was painful, but I could handle it as my human form shifted into my wolf. The pain was nowhere near what I'd just experienced earlier.
This time when I opened my eyes, I was a wolf.
"You're beautiful," said Cade in awe as he stood in front of me.
I cocked my head at him and he smiled at me. My heart warmed at his words.
I looked down to my front legs and paws. I had soft midnight-black fur covering me.
In a moment, Cade changed into his wolf and he stood beside me, magnificently powerful. The color of his fur matched mine. He walked closer and nuzzled me with his wet snout. I loved the feeling of his fur against mine.
The two of us stood side-by-side, facing the forest.
I felt alive and I closed my eyes for a second to adjust to the intensity of my senses before I ran for the first time in my wolf form through the forest.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Scarlett
The feeling of running as a wolf through the forest was indescribable. Instinctively, I ran with Cade running protectively beside me. I pushed as hard as I could, feeling my powerful legs carry me through the forest so fast that the trees I was running alongside began to blur.
I felt a peacefulness settle over me as I enjoyed the feel of the air brushing past my face. The feel of the wind gliding through my fur was soothing. I ran as fast as I could, but Cade stuck beside me. I glanced to him and he looked at me briefly.
You are so beautiful, I heard him murmur to me. I felt like a giddy girl at his words. Every girl wanted to be told that they were beautiful, but the difference with Cade was that he didn't have to say the words because he made me feel beautiful.
The smell of something I couldn't place hit me and my running faltered for a moment as I tried to figure out what it was.
Stop, Scar! Cade shouted through the mind-link desperately. I dug my paws into the dirt and came to a stop.
I turned to look at Cade, but he was already standing protectively in front of me. He looked like he was braced to attack. I looked past him but couldn't see anything, despite the distinctive smell filling my nostrils.
Cade's eyes fixed on the row of trees in front of us.
What's going on? I asked him.
While I waited for Cade to answer, I saw the others move in front of me beside Cade. It almost looked like they were preparing for an attack.
Cade? I questioned again, feeling the initial feeling of fear.
It'll be okay, Scar, just stay where you are, he soothed as he kept his eyes on the threat ahead of us. A threat we still couldn't see.
Despite his words, I felt a sliver of fear creep up my spine. He might be saying one thing, but I could see from their actions that something wasn't right. What had been an innocent and carefree run in the forest had just turned into something unexpectedly deadly.
I kept my eyes fixed on the trees in front of us, but I couldn't see anything. The silence was deafening.
I sniffed the air. The initial smell that had hit me became stronger. It was then that I realized it was another wolf. Another whiff of the air told me the smell was too strong for only one wolf, there had to be more than one.
Oh. My. God.
There was more than one. That meant a group of wolves were about to attack us and we had no idea how many of them there were. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach that it might be the rogues. But the only thing that disputed that thought was the fact that this smell was different from the one I'd smelled before.
It couldn't be the rogues.
My eyes shot to the other wolv
es standing beside Cade. There were only about ten of us and we had no idea how many wolves were closing in on us. Just because it wasn't the rogues didn't make us any safer.
I didn't have sufficient training as a wolf and it worried me that I wouldn't be able to fight well alongside Cade. I looked to my mate and felt my heart squeeze in fear for a moment before I pulled myself together.
I wasn't one to back down from something that scared me and I wasn't about to start now.
There was no doubt in my mind that if Cade could, he'd send me back to the compound, but he couldn't take the risk that another wolf might get to me before I made it back there safely. He had no choice but to keep me with him while he faced off with the wolves about to attack us.
Anger began to seep into me and take over my fear. I couldn't be left alone long enough to enjoy my first run as a wolf? They had to ruin it and I could feel my anger begin to grow.
It wasn't fair.
I mimicked the attack position Cade and the rest were in. My head was lowered and my right leg was lifted off the ground and slightly bent. My back was straight and the hairs stood up straight in anticipation. My ears picked up on movement in front of us and as the sound got closer, I watched Cade and the others tense.
My eyes were glued to the first wolf that stepped out in front of us. Immediately you could see it was an alpha wolf because it the same size as Cade and it had an air of authority around him like Cade and Blake had. This wolf was also midnight black in color, with vibrant amber eyes. For most people it would be hard to tell the difference between this stranger and Cade, but I could tell them apart.
I'd expected the wolf to be threatening, but I could clearly see from its body language that it wasn't going to attack. Instead, it sat back on its haunches and scanned us, one by one.
This didn't seem to ease Cade's fears so he remained in the same position, tensed and ready to attack at any second. His eyes stayed on the alpha in front of him.
The moment the alpha's eyes settled on me, I felt a nervous tug in my stomach. A slow, menacing growl came from Cade at the fact that the alpha was looking at me. I tensed at the sound. He was being territorial and he was warning the other alpha off me. I was taken; I was his.
The alpha took his eyes off me and settled them back on Cade, which stopped the growling.
Another six wolves, all in various sizes and colors, stepped behind the alpha and it seemed to make Cade and his pack more tense and aggressive. But the wolves sat behind their alpha, back on their haunches. From their actions, they didn't seem to want to attack.
The alpha still had his eyes on Cade, but he bowed his head slightly. It signaled that he wasn't here to fight. Cade seemed to relax a little.
No matter what, Scar, you stay behind me, I heard him say to me.
Okay, I replied to him, trusting his judgment. I sat back on my haunches and watched the scene play out in front of me.
My eyes were still on the alpha when he shifted to his human form. In the massive wolf's place was a tall guy with black hair that hung across his forehead, ending just above his strong cheekbones. He was a good-looking guy and looked a couple of years older than us.
I was expecting him to have the same color eyes as Cade, but he didn't. He eyes were a dark gray color.
Cade shifted into his human form. With his legs slightly apart and his arms crossed over his chest, he looked formidable. I felt proud that he was mine. I'd never been one for being possessive, but that was until I met Cade.
"What are you doing here, Kyle?" Cade asked in a deadly tone. He was being openly hostile to the alpha.
"I'm looking for someone," he revealed. As powerful as Cade was, I could see that he didn't intimidate Kyle.
"Entering someone's territory without their permission is an act of war. You know the rules," Cade said. I could feel the anger coming off Cade. Kyle held up his hands in surrender.
There was no doubt that Cade was livid, but I think what made him angrier was the fact that I was with him. He wasn't happy something like this might be going down with me so close to it.
"I'm sorry, but it's urgent I find her," Kyle explained. He looked genuine. "There are rogues on the loose and I need to find her before they do."
I wondered if he was talking about the same rogues that had been after me. Maybe there was more than one group of rogues in the area.
"Who are you looking for?" Cade asked, looking at Kyle suspiciously. His anger had eased slightly, although it was still bubbling just under the surface.
Kyle paused for a moment. It was like he was trying to find the best way to say what he needed to.
"My sister," was his answer.
"I've known you nearly my whole life; you don't have a sister," replied Cade, still watching him suspiciously, his jaw tightened. I couldn't help but wonder how Cade knew him.
"She's been gone a long time," Kyle answered cryptically as he held Cade's gaze. They seemed to have a standoff for a few minutes before Cade relented.
"Fine, come back with us and we'll try and help you."
Kyle nodded his head in agreement and, within seconds, Kyle and Cade shifted back into their wolf forms.
The run home was more serious and my light-heartedness from earlier was forgotten as I thought about Kyle's sister.
I couldn't help that little bit of jealousy that I felt when I saw siblings together. A sibling was someone who grew up in the same circumstances and environment. They would know you better than anybody else—even your parents.
There had been more than a few moments in my childhood that I'd been so lonely that I'd wished for a brother or sister, but no matter how much I'd wished, it hadn't changed the fact that I was an only child.
Cade ran beside me the whole way back to the compound, with Kyle and his pack following behind us
The gates were open and there were a few people waiting for us as we entered the compound. Cade stopped beside me and shifted back to human form. I'd managed to transform into a wolf, but I wasn't sure how to shift back.
Take our visitors into my study. Tell them I'll be with them in a few minutes, Cade instructed Jake.
When I didn't shift back, Cade dropped to a knee in front of me.
You having troubling shifting back?
I nodded my head.
Close your eyes and see yourself in your human form.
He was so thoughtful, I leaned forward and licked his cheek. He laughed and wiped his cheek. It was nice to see him in the carefree state; it didn't happen often.
I closed my eyes and did what he said. Sure enough, I felt my body change. But unlike when I shifted into a wolf, I felt pain shoot through my body. When the shift finished, I was on my knees with my hands grasping the sand as I breathed through the pain.
"It's okay," Cade soothed as I felt him pick me up. He tucked me closer to his chest as he carried me to the house. I was glad that Kyle and his pack had been directed to Cade's study so that they wouldn't see me like this.
I heard the murmur of voices coming from the study as Cade climbed the stairs. Once inside his bedroom, he laid me gently on the bed.
How are you feeling?
"A little achy, but I'll survive," I answered him out loud. It was still more comfortable to talk aloud than to talk to him through the mind-link. He sat down beside me and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
"I'd stay but I have to talk to Kyle," he said as he pressed a kiss to my lips.
"It's fine, go do what you need to."
He gave me one last lingering look before he left.
I lay on the bed for about fifteen minutes before I felt the ache ease from my limbs. I wondered if it would be this painful every time I shifted back to human form, but then I remembered Cade saying something about it only hurting a few times after the first shift.
Thank goodness.
I wandered downstairs in search of Cade. I knew he was in the study with Kyle. Most people would have left them alone to talk, but I wanted to know what was goin
g on.
The door was closed, but I didn't knock. I opened the study and walked in. Cade turned to look at me. I wasn't sure if I expected him to be mad that I'd barged in, but he smiled.
"Hi," he greeted as he stepped forward.
"Hi," I replied.
I heard a gasp and I turned to see Kyle standing a couple of feet away from me with his gaze fixed on me in surprise. His mouth was slightly open in shock.
It was like he'd seen a ghost.
"Eyes off her," warned Cade when he saw Kyle gaping at me. Cade took a menacing step toward him. Kyle was yanked back to reality as he shot a glare to Cade. This guy was really acting weird. Then, despite the warning from Cade, he turned to me. His eyes softened slightly as he searched my face.
"Scarlett?" he whispered.
Cade stopped mid-step. Confused, he looked from Kyle to me. I didn't know why Kyle was acting the way he was, but I stood firm.
"Yes, I'm Scarlett," I confirmed while holding his questioning gaze.
A few moments of deathly silence descended.
"I'm sorry, should I know you?" I asked, feeling a little impatient that I wasn't seeing the whole picture.
"Yes...you should know me," he replied cryptically. I racked my mind, but I'd never seen him before today. He didn't go to our school and he didn't live in our town so I wasn't sure how I was supposed to know him.
In the meantime, Cade looked deep in thought as he rubbed his chin and then it was like a light went off in his mind.
"Scarlett?" he said to Kyle. Kyle nodded his head gently, but his attention didn't move from me. I hated not knowing what was going on.
"Where am I supposed to know you from?" I asked, feeling a little impatient as I cocked my head to the side and studied him.
"You..." he began, "... are my sister."
My eyes narrowed for a moment as I considered the fact that he might be high on something. I looked to Cade but Cade's expression was blank as he watched my reaction. The fact that Cade wasn't laughing his ass off told me that he believed what Kyle had just said.
A brother.
