by Skye Jones
His accent struck me all over again. His words were stilted, too. Empathine? I’d heard the word before. Earlier, when either dreaming…or maybe half awake. I didn’t know anymore.
“I think you’ve made a mistake. I’m not your empathine. I’m not your anything.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You are correct. You are not my empathine. But you are empathine. You are…precious to my kind.”
His kind? What the fuck? I’d clearly lost my mind. Perhaps this whole experience represented some sort of mind trip to cover up the pain of the attack. I tried to sit up but my head throbbed. My leg hurt more. The sharp, stinging pain in my thigh brought memories of the attack rushing back to me. I put a hand over my mouth to try to contain the sob tearing out of my throat.
The man from the woods, Louis, I think his name was, looked horrified at the inhuman sound forcing its way out between my fingers.
“You are safe now.” He ran long, strong fingers through his hair as he continued to watch me warily. “Please, do not distress yourself. You are safe. He cannot hurt you here.”
“I always knew he was a douche,” I sobbed. “But he hung around with me. We ate together, watched movies together. We were a gang. Then Jason went and blew it all apart, but I never thought Gregg…” The words died in my throat, far too painful to utter.
“He is no longer a threat to you. Please don’t cry.” Louis looked visibly pained.
“You’re Louis, right? What I heard earlier, the conversation, it’s all real.”
“Yes, I am Louis.”
“You’re not British. Where are you from?” I tried to control the spiraling panic by concentrating on mundane things.
“Sweden, originally. I have relatives in the pack here in Scotland, but also in packs in Sweden and Norway.”
“Pack? What do you mean?” I swallowed, my throat dry and sore.
“Sorry. I mean family. My English. It’s not so good.”
I didn’t buy it. His English may have been accented, but he spoke excellently.
Memories came back bit by bit, of the wolf in the clearing, the injuries to its leg, and then Louis turning up to save me, sporting the same wounds. Those emerald eyes flashed front and center. Both the man and the wolf shared the same striking green gaze. What were the odds?
My dreams ran through my mind like a cinematic film reel. The wolf, other wolves, a sense of connection, of belonging. The beautiful man in front of me on his knees before me, gazing up at me. Sexual things. Emotions. Such strong feelings of kinship and joy and connection.
“What’s happening to me, Louis?”
“You’re connected to us, through your ancestry.” A tall, astonishingly handsome man moved into the room, snagging my attention. “I’m Jake. One of the…leaders here.”
“Why does he talk about packs? I keep seeing a wolf, a wolf with the same cuts as he carries.”
“They are shapeshifters.” The familiar low, feminine voice filled the space, and a stunning redheaded woman walked into the room, followed by a blond man.
“Shapeshifters?” Seriously? I must be tripping out. Having a freaky, wolf-infested nightmare…
“It is a hell of a lot to take in. When I first found out, when Drew here showed me his other form, I freaked out. Pretty much like you’re about to do right now. But it’s true. They are able to take the form of a wolf.”
“Like werewolves?” I whispered.
“Yep. Pretty much,” Drew, the blond, confirmed. “Except most of us can control the change. Only rogues who have lost themselves to the lust for flesh can’t.”
“Rogues?”
“You do not need to worry about rogues, Izzy.” Louis patted my shoulder. The moment his fingers touched me, a burning frisson of recognition hit. I felt I knew him intimately. My skin tingled, and a warm flush crept up my neck as my nipples hardened under the thin gown I’d been dressed in.
“The connection between her and Louis is strong. Are you really going to try to take her for yourself?” Drew addressed this question to Jake, aka Mr. Handsome.
“Excuse me.” I sat up in bed. “Are you talking about me?”
The two men looked uncomfortable, the redhead shot them an annoyed glance, and Louis’s face fell, his jaw set tight.
“Take me?” I repeated.
“You are empathine,” Handsome-Pants said, as if this explained everything.
“I don’t care what I am, or what you think I am. No one ‘takes me’ as if I am some object to be passed around. I’ve survived one bastard trying to do as much. I won’t go through such violence again.”
“There won’t be violence.” Jake smiled at me.
Oh, I begged to differ. If any of these idiots thought they’d simply “take me,” I’d be the one getting violent. Unless the one doing the taking happens to be Louis, a small voice in my head whispered. Then I’d possibly let some taking happen before I fought to get away.
“I think you gentlemen should all leave the room and let me and Izzy have a chat,” the redhead said.
The men didn’t even question her. As Louis passed her by, she reached out and touched his arm. “Get your leg and face seen to, Louis.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He shot her a grin and it burned me to my core.
What a smile.
Once the men had all left, the redhead turned to me. “I’m Brooke, and we need to talk.”
“What the hell is going on? Why are they talking about taking me?” I cried as soon as the door closed behind Louis.
Brooke twisted her hands together.
“Please. I’ve been attacked, had weird dreams, and am pretty sure Louis is a wolf. So my sanity is rather delicate right now. Tell me all of it.”
“I’m an empathine. Their word for it. It means someone who can connect with them. We were viewed by many as mere myth, a legend. Even by the wolfen themselves. Then I met Drew, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
She sighed. “They have all these rules and ancient lore about empathines. Only the alpha or his family is supposed to bond with an empathine. Their rules are ridiculous, if you ask me. What I felt for Drew, if he’d not been an alpha, I’d still have wanted him. No one else. If you want Louis, fight for it.”
What the hell? Yes, I’d experienced an overwhelming attraction to the man, but Brooke spoke as if we were at the picking-out-china-patterns stage of our relationship.
“I have a home to get back to,” I told her. “I don’t want to be with anyone.”
Brooke smiled. A small, amused twitch of her lips. “Okay. Point being, don’t let these guys boss you around. The thing is, we can calm them, help them, but it’s a two-way street. We also experience an increase in feel-good hormones whenever we are around the shifter we have bonded with. They say it runs in families, and the pack is looking into my family tree, but so far nothing.”
Once more, my mad, wolf-loving auntie flashed into my mind. Hmm, her daughter, my irritating as hell cousin, didn’t seem to have the same wolf obsession, but then neither had I before my camping trip.
An hour later, Brooke left me with my head spinning. So, I was some mythical being. One who helped the wolfen to be calm and centered. A human who connected with these wolf people on some deep level. Like a dog whisperer but for werewolves.
It seems the alphas of old—the pack leaders—male or female, used to take an empathine and employ them to provide advice and a calming presence. Sometimes, the alphas mated with the empathines. Other times, they did not.
Brooke had also explained how she’d mated with Drew. When she spoke of him, her face softened and her smile warmed. She detailed how, as pack enforcer, Louis held no claim over me. Only Jake or his father, Adam, had any such right. Drew too, but of course, he’d already found Brooke.
Jake was the cookie-cutter handsome man who’d spoken with me earlier. Yes, he possessed stunning looks, but despite his pretty face, I felt nothing for him. Not a thing. Nor for Drew. I had not met Adam, their father and pack le
ader, but I didn’t imagine he’d light a fire in me the way Louis did.
Louis felt the same way. Don’t ask me how, but I sensed it deep in my bones.
It was all immaterial anyway. I couldn’t stay here. Brooke loved it, but I had a life to return to. Not much of one, the way things stood. No boyfriend. Attacked by a supposed friend. My heart sped up at the thought. What would happen when the police found his body? My DNA would be all over him. I’d have to face a trial. I didn’t know if I possessed the strength to do it. Each time I thought of the attack, an overwhelming sensation of panic clawed at me until I had to shut it out of my mind.
Gregg hadn’t touched me in a sexual way. He’d not gotten the chance, but I felt unclean from his hands on me. I wanted a shower in the worst way.
I’d have to tell all our friends. “Oh, God.” I groaned and covered my face with my hands. My father didn’t need to hear this. He didn’t deal too brilliantly with life since Mum’s death. Drank, did drugs, and seemed determined to kill himself.
My crappy life looked about to get a whole lot worse.
Chapter Six
The days passed in a blur. I needed rest due to being both physically and emotionally exhausted. Louis didn’t come to see me much, but he spent a lot of time lingering outside my room. Each time Brooke came and went, I spied him through the door, sitting in the hallway reading a book.
Jake came to see me a few times. He chatted to me, all charm and those easy good looks, and I felt…nothing. Then Adam, the pack leader, had visited. He was one charismatic man. Power rolled off him in waves. But nothing…nada.
My weird, aching desire remained. Despite the attack, despite the exhaustion, it didn’t desert me. The only person I burned for, though, was the scarred man who sat guard outside my room. No one had cared about me in such a way since my mother died. Not one person in my life back home would sit outside my room, keeping watch, caring, in the way Louis did.
“Hi, Izzy.” Brooke opened the door and breezed into the room.
I glanced to the hallway, hoping for a glimpse of Louis, but he wasn’t there.
Brooke followed my gaze. “He’s gone on a run for supplies with Drew. He usually goes with Jake but things are…tense between them right now.”
“I can’t stay here,” I blurted out.
“I know. I’ve explained as much to them. You have a chance to leave. You’re bonding with Louis, I believe, but haven’t taken the final step. I did, and so in a way, staying here wasn’t a choice. My body decided for me. I don’t regret it, though. My life is perfect. I get to study creatures no one knew existed and have Drew by my side. But you? You’ve not taken the final step—you can leave.”
I nodded, relieved.
“They will wipe your memory, though,” Brooke continued.
“What?” I sat up in bed.
“It is safe. I’ve seen it happen with tourists in the area who saw too much. The medicine woman here has vast knowledge of herbs, and she has created a drink. It will wipe your short-term memory. It means you probably won’t remember the attack, either. You take the drink, and we place you back in the woods near your friends. You’d be found, taken to a hospital, I assume, and they’d probably diagnose amnesia.”
My mind scrambled to keep up with the information. “What if Gregg’s body is found? Me having amnesia and our other friend dead, I’d be suspected of it immediately.”
Brooke flinched slightly and her mouth turned down. “There is no body, Izzy. He’s gone. For good.”
Wow. I didn’t even let my mind linger on what that entailed.
“You take the drink and go back to your old life.”
My old life. It meant forgetting all about this strange and magical interlude. Forgetting the attack, thank God. Forgetting Louis. My heart stuttered. I didn’t want to forget Louis. The idea made me oddly sad. It made me ache.
“What’s wrong?” Brooke regarded me.
“I don’t want to forget Louis,” I confessed, hating the idea of not remembering my scarred sentry.
“Once you have, though…you won’t know any different.”
Somehow, I didn’t believe her. I imagined myself not remembering any of this but always having a strange, yearning ache for someone…something I couldn’t name.
“There aren’t many options here.” She smiled softly at me. “Surely you have to understand, guarding their secret is of paramount importance?”
Yes, I understood, but I also found the stark choice brutal. I turned to her.
“So, you decided to stay and simply turned your back on friends and family?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I still see my family. They’ve met Drew. They even visited here once for a day. They believe we are an alternative lifestyle commune. Eco-hippies.” She laughed, the sound bright in the dim room. “I see my family, but only for short visits.”
“So why can’t I go home and promise to say nothing. Tell others I saw an eco-compound and nothing more?”
“Because you won’t be pack, and unlike my family, you’ve seen too much. Know too much. They won’t…can’t trust an outsider to such a degree. It’s not personal, honey. It’s simply incredibly high stakes.”
I shrugged and turned away, ashamed of the tears burning in my eyes. It didn’t make sense. I ought to be glad to have my memory wiped and forget the whole horrifying last few days. I doubted I’d be able to wipe the vision of Gregg’s neck snapping otherwise, or my terror at what Gregg intended to do to me. The idea of not remembering this place upset me, though.
“And what if…if, I mean, Louis and I, kissed or…something. Would I be like you? Deeply attached?”
“I don’t know.” Brooke shrugged. “This thing we are, an empathine. We know very little about it. We’re studying it, but we have few answers so far. It may happen to you. But Louis isn’t an alpha and all the legends say empathines only mated alphas, so who knows? Even if it does, though, you can be cured. Their medicine woman knows a way of ending the burning, as they call it. Humans who bond with wolfen suffer the burning and they used the cure for centuries, or so their legends tell. It works for empathine too, they say.”
The burning? Yikes, it didn’t sound pleasant. A knock came at the door. I sat up and painted on a brave face, expecting another visit from Jake. When the door peeled back, Louis looked in. All my worry about the burning disappeared as my heart flipped at the sight of him.
He shuffled over to the bed, hands in his pockets. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I said back.
“Do you feel up to a walk? You’ve not been out of this room, and some fresh air will do you good.”
“Okay.” The idea of getting outside tempted me, but not as much as the chance to spend some time with Louis. He intrigued me. His introverted nature, calm manner, and core of steely confidence all called to me on some level. Mix in the fact he’d saved my life, then sat watch over me…it kind of blew a girl’s mind.
Brooke looked from him to me and gave a cheeky grin before she stepped out of the room.
“I don’t have any clothes.” I looked down at the thin cotton gown I’d been wearing for the last few days.
“I got you some.” He flushed.
The big, bad wolfman actually blushed as he held up a carrier bag. “I asked Brooke to find out your size and got you a few different pairs of jeans and some tops. Some underwear, too.” He paused and his blush deepened. “And…erm…running shoes.”
“Thank you.” His actions touched me deeply. “I’d like to grab a quick shower. Do you mind coming back for me in twenty minutes?”
“Not at all. See you then, Izzy.”
When he’d gone, I hauled my stiff body out of bed. My leg hurt when I put it down on the floor. The spot where Gregg had shoved the sharp stick into me burned when I moved. I winced as I hobbled to the bathroom. Once there, I rummaged around in the cupboards, found a plastic bag, and wrapped it around the dressing on my thigh to help keep it dry.
The water beat down on my s
kin, all hot and relaxing. I sighed and tipped my head back. My body ached to move, despite the pain and bone-weary tiredness I experienced. I wanted to stretch and let my muscles work. The problem with becoming an exercise junkie was the hell one went through when cut off.
After washing my hair, I roughly towel dried it and pulled it back into a high ponytail. I studied my bruised face in the bathroom mirror. Attractive. With a sigh, I padded back into the bedroom and began to pull clothes on. I’d kill for some body lotion, but I didn’t want to go hunting around for Brooke in my towel.
The compound contained many beautiful wooden houses. The round ones were my favorite. They reminded me of Hobbit houses, but on a larger scale. The two main buildings were a large wooden structure, which seemed to be a meeting place and communal hall, and a large concrete building, hidden by trees. Currently, I was staying in the concrete building. It housed the medical center and a few guest rooms. God knew who stayed in the guest rooms, what with the pack being so private and all.
Once dressed, I shook my arms out, took a deep breath, and prepared to go find Louis. I pulled the door back and there he sat, limbs loose and relaxed, reading his book.
He looked up and our eyes met. Despite all I’d been through the last few days, as soon as I locked with his emerald gaze, butterflies danced in my tummy. His face broke into a gentle smile, transforming him into a truly beautiful man.
Not breaking eye contact, he stood and held out his hand. “I thought I’d show you some of the village. It’s probably best you do not walk around alone. Although we have rules about empathine, our young males will be tantalized by your scent. When Drew found Brooke, males surrounded her cabin. Because she wasn’t here in our village, she wasn’t safe until they mated.” His brows drew together. “Sadly, not even then, due to a vile rogue. You are safe by my side, as long as we are within the village walls. Ready?”
“Ready.” I took hold of his outstretched hand and relished the rough, warm skin as it made contact with my own flesh.
We walked toward the door in silence and out into the sunlight. I glanced around, trying to see if there were any rogues lurking behind the nearest tree, but the place seemed deserted. The leaves played hide-and-seek with the sun, dappling the ground with dancing sunspots as we walked toward the path leading to the large wooden meeting hall.
