The Girl Who Cried War

by Heather Hildenbrand

  “Are you stuck?” Talia asks.

  I snarl at her, and she rolls her eyes.

  “Well, what are you waiting for then? Shift back.”

  I close my eyes and think feet. No more tail.

  When I open my eyes, nothing has changed, and I give a little wolfy shrug.

  “Ha!” Talia crows. “I knew you were stuck!”

  My ears twitch as I pick up the sound of someone rushing downstairs. It’s only then that I realize we’re in a cell. The same one from our Midnight Kisses party if I’m not mistaken. The scent of Justice and Anna still linger faintly in the air, mixed with the scent of popcorn and sugar.

  I don’t have time to process how I know these things because out in the hall, someone is getting closer.

  I jump off the bed, putting myself in between Talia and the door.

  “What is it, girl? Did Timmy fall down the well?” Talia asks.

  I look over my shoulder at her and roll my eyes. She smirks.

  “You knew a Lassie joke was coming,” she says with a grin.

  I turn my gaze back to the door.

  “I hope it’s Lynch,” Talia says. “Ooo, favor?” she asks, and I turn to see her hopping up and down while still clutching the bedsheet.

  “Pretend to attack him. It will serve the jerk right for professing his love for me, biting me, and then locking me in a cell.”

  I shrug. Put like that, he does kinda deserve it.

  Talia pats my butt.

  “Thanks, Romy! Ooo, your fur is so soft!” she exclaims. “I wonder what mine looks like.”

  I can’t decide if I’m okay with her petting me or not, but there’s no time left to decide. The door to the cell slams open, and Lynch bursts in.

  I snarl, baring my teeth at him, and Lynch slides to a stop.

  He curses before calling over his shoulder for Kash.

  “Dammit, man,” Lynch says, never taking his eyes off of me while somehow still managing to not look directly in my eyes. “I knew they’d wake up the second we left. I should have stayed here to protect my mate. But you were all, ‘No, man. I put enough of my venom in her. Romy is mine. Let’s get Anna started on their breakfast. They’ll be hungry when they wake up’ and shit.”

  “Wait,” Talia calls from behind me. “You guys were with us all night?”

  Kash looks offended as he walks into the room, carrying a tray overflowing with food.

  “Of course we were,” he says, passing the tray to Lynch. “We would never leave our mates here to deal with the transition alone.”

  “Oh,” she says. “’Kay. You can stop scaring them then, Rom.”

  I stop growling, sitting back on my haunches so I can stare at Kash.

  He tilts his head, confused.

  I crouch down and leap at him. Tackling him to the floor and licking his face with long, wet strokes of my tongue.

  Kash chuckles, his hands coming up to stroke my fur. I rumble, pressing myself closer to him. But instead of holding me, he eases me back and looks into my eyes with an intensity I feel all the way to my toes. Or paws? Do I have toes, technically?

  “Hmm,” he says almost to himself. “I hate to do this, especially since I can see your beautiful green eyes, but I have to be sure.” His eyes bear down until my body grows heavy underneath the weight of his gaze. “Romy, sit.”

  I huff, indignant that he would even try to–

  All at once, my body obeys.

  My haunches hit the floor, and Lynch whoops. “Tell her to shake next.”

  I make a mental note to bite him in the ass...just as soon as Kash’s weird-ass compulsion wears off.

  But Kash ignores Lynch, wincing even as he nods in apparent satisfaction. “Thank you.”

  He blinks, and the intensity in his eyes disappears. My body is my own again.

  I promptly tackle him, only sort of holding back when I nip at his arm. Jerk.

  “What the hell was that?” Talia demands.

  “I had to test her,” Kash says, an apology written across his face already. He glances at her and back to me. “I had to know who your wolf has claimed as alpha. Even though she doesn’t have the yellow eyes of a forcibly bitten wolf, I couldn’t chance it.”

  “Obviously, it’s you,” Talia mutters, but I can hear the relief in her voice. “Why do all the werebros have yellow eyes?”

  Kash rubs his jaw in contemplation. “We’re not really sure, but we think it may have something to do with the amount of venom left in their system combined with the fact that Brody forced their change and their mark.”

  Hmmm interesting.

  “So, is that little compulsion trick reserved for alphas then?” she asks.

  “It’s not compulsion in a true sense. It’s more like your Alpha can give an order and you have to obey it. But I don’t use it,” he assures her. “Not unless it’s an extreme situation.”

  Talia looks at him like she’s trying to decide whether to threaten him outright or accept his assurances.

  Kash doesn’t take his eyes off me. “I’m sorry for forcing you. Forgive me.” He strokes my coat, and I huff, pointing my nose in the air.

  Kash grabs my furry face gently in his hands.

  “Your wolf is beautiful, Pepper,” he says, looking me in the eye.

  I smile at his praise and lick his nose.

  My irritation fades, but I make a mental note that someday, somehow, I’ll get him back for that little trick.

  “Your fur is so soft,” he says, in no hurry to move me off of him.

  “Right?” Talia says. “That’s what I said. Hey, what’s my wolf look like?” she asks Lynch.

  Lynch chuckles. “Beautiful and totally badass. Just like you,” he says, pulling her into a hug. “Why don’t you just shift and see for yourself?”

  “Can’t. My wolf’s broken.”

  “What?” Kash and Lynch say at the same time.

  Kash sits up, and I lie next to him, my head in his lap.

  “What do you mean your wolf’s broken?” he asks.

  “Romy’s is broken too,” Talia mutters.

  The boys share a look of confusion, and she sighs.

  “I can’t shift into a wolf, and Romy can’t shift back,” she explains.

  Lynch chuckles, and Kash grins down at me.

  “You stuck in wolf form, Pepper?” he asks, rubbing my ear.

  I nip at his fingers, and he chuckles.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll help. But first, we should help Talia shift into her wolf. There’s something I want to show you guys.”

  I tilt my head in agreement, not really bothered by being in my wolf form, and Kash stands, making his way to where Talia and Lynch are standing.

  “Door open or closed, boss?” Finn says, poking his head into the room. “Wow, Romy. You’re gorgeous!”

  A low growl erupts from Kash’s chest, and Finn’s eyes snap back to him then quickly to the floor.

  “Uh, I’m just gonna close this then,” he says before quickly shutting the door.

  Kash blows out a breath before turning his attention back to Talia.

  “Okay. This might hurt the first few times you shift,” Kash admits, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

  Talia snorts. “I can handle pain. Trust me.”

  Lynch rubs her shoulders. “That’s my girl. You got this, Trouble.”

  Kash grins. “I want you to close your eyes and focus on your chest. Your wolf spirit is connected to your heart. Can you feel her?”

  Talia is quiet for a few minutes before her eyes snap open.

  “I can feel her,” she says, excitement shining in her eyes.

  “Good,” Kash says. “Close your eyes, concentrate, and call to her. When you feel her surge forward, try to accept her. Like you’re becoming one.”

  Talia nods, closing her eyes and following Kash’s instructions. After a couple of minutes, her shape begins to shimmer around the edges.

  “Good,” Lynch encourages. “Keep it up, Trouble.”

&n
bsp; Talia folds in on herself, her eyes showing the tiniest hint of strain, and suddenly, a wolf stands in her place.

  Talia’s wolf is beautiful. It’s silky, black fur a similar color to Kash’s, but pale pink streaks through the fur like the most badass salt n pepper rainbow. Where Kash’s eyes are a startling blue, Talia’s are the same chocolatey brown they always have been.

  I rush to Talia, rubbing my body against hers in excitement.

  “Your wolf is so pretty, Talia!” I shout, too excited to care that she can’t hear me.

  “So is yours!” she gushes.

  We both pause, eyes going wide.

  Kash chuckles, and I turn, expecting to see him standing over us. Instead, his midnight black wolf sits next to Lynch’s pure white wolf. They both look at us and smile. I never even heard them undress, but their clothes sit in piles next to them.

  “Pretty cool, huh?” Lynch says, and I flinch at the unexpected voice inside my head.

  “Holy shit! I just heard you in my mind! We can talk to each other as wolves?” I squeak out.

  Kash nods. “Only with other members of our pack, though, and only when we’re in wolf form.”

  That makes sense, I guess.

  My stomach growls.

  “Ready to get back on two feet?” Kash asks.

  I nod my head. I’m starving, and as much as I want to wolf down some food, I’d prefer to do that with hands. Like a fucking lady.

  “Unfortunately, this may also be painful the first few times you shift,” Kash warns.

  “It wasn’t that bad,” Talia says, shooting me a look that says ‘men are babies. Am I right?’

  Lynch quirks his head at her, his gaze darting to Kash briefly.

  Kash shakes his head before turning his attention back to us.

  “Okay, this time I want you to picture yourselves as your human version. Think of all the things that make you you, and will them to be.”

  I close my eyes, thinking of my long auburn hair and the freckles that cover the bridge of my nose. I continue, thinking all the way down to my toes and the bright red polish that decorates them.

  When I open my eyes, I’m standing on two legs again.

  I hold out my arm, relieved to see my pale skin covering my arms instead of fur.

  I turn, throwing my arms around Kash’s neck as his human form shifts back into place.

  “I did it!”

  Kash chuckles, his body rubbing against my own, and I’m suddenly aware of the lack of clothing on either of us.

  A blanket hits me in the back of the head, and I turn to glare at Talia.

  Lynch freezes, pulling Talia tighter into his embrace. A look of worry crossing his face.

  “What’s his deal?” I ask Talia.

  She shrugs. “You got me.”

  “Pepper, how do you feel right now?” Kash asks, drawing my attention back to him.

  “Hungry,” I say as he wraps the blanket around us.

  “You weren’t angry when Talia hit you with the blanket?”

  I snort. “Talia once threw her Econ book at me because I accidentally spoiled The Sixth Sense for her. A blanket is nothing,” I say with a roll of my eyes.

  “You shouldn’t have told me he was a ghost!” Talia huffs, arms crossed over her chest.

  “It released a million years ago, you psycho! How was I supposed to know you had never seen it?”

  Kash and Lynch eye each other, doing one of their silent communication things, and I glare at them.

  “What?” I ask.

  Kash frowns. “It’s just that we don’t know what’s happening with you two.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Talia asks.

  “Normally, the first few shifts are painful,” Lynch says. “But neither of you so much as made a peep.”

  “If you think that hurt, you’d never last five minutes with Alexei Popov,” Talia says flippantly.

  “I don’t know what an Alexei Popov is,” I say, crinkling my nose at Talia. “But maybe we’re just tougher than you. I mean, women are built to have babies. We’re pretty much fucking superheroes.”

  “Who the hell is Alexei Popov?” Lynch growls.

  Talia rolls her eyes at him. “Russian inquisitor. Real piece of work too.”

  My mouth falls open. “Why the hell were you questioned by a Russian inquisitor?” I ask.

  “Training,” she says simply. “My father wanted to make sure I wouldn’t break and could keep our assets secure.”

  “That’s fucked up, T,” I say.

  “That’s the family business,” she says with a shrug.

  “Shady Russians aside,” Kash says, bringing the discussion back on topic, “new wolves also normally have trouble controlling their emotions. Especially an alpha.”

  “Maybe I’m not an alpha,” I say.

  Kash laughs. “You’re my mate, Pepper. You’re definitely an alpha.”

  My eyes gleam. “You know what this means, right?” I ask excitedly, my gaze darting to Talia. “We’re Bella fucking Swans!”

  “Yaz!” Talia shouts. “We’re bad bitches! Chest bump!” she shouts.

  I step forward, but Kash’s arms wrap around my waist, and Lynch does the same to Talia.

  “Maybe we should get you ladies some clothes first,” Kash says with a grin.

  Chapter 9

  We polish off the tray of food Kash brought us while Lynch fills us in on what we’ve slept through since turning. Then Talia and I decide to venture upstairs to the kitchen for the second course. When we tell Kash and Lynch we’re still hungry, they just laugh.

  “Is this normal?” I ask, grabbing a piece of toast straight out of the toaster and biting into it.

  “Your metabolism runs faster now,” Kash explains with a shrug. “So, yes.”

  “How much faster?” I ask, eyeing the triple-chocolate cake leftovers in the glass case.

  “You’ll burn all this off before lunch,” he says. “Why?”

  Talia’s eyes meet mine, and together we prowl toward the cake.

  No one else is around. I suspect Kash had the house cleared before we were allowed to come up. Even Girlfriend is mysteriously missing from the house.

  Together, Talia and I polish off the cake and finally, finally, I’m full.

  For now.

  “You two done?” Lynch asks, looking mildly impressed with us.

  “Until lunch,” Talia says with a smirk. “Why? You want to be the dessert next time, Scruffs?”

  “Hold up.” My memory is slowly returning now that I’m not hangry and naked. “Are you two together now? Like, officially?”

  I look back and forth between them, and with one glance at Lynch’s puppy dog eyes, I know I didn’t imagine it.

  “I guess we are,” Talia says, trying to hide a smile.

  “Wait a sec. I remember,” I say, eyes narrowing at my new beta. “You had a lengthy Titanic-like moment while I was bleeding out on the floor. Real great timing, Tal.”

  “You weren’t bleeding out,” she says, and I scowl. “Birdie made sure you were stable. And I couldn’t wait. I wasn’t about to let you get turned without me. We’re in this together.”

  My eyes burn with happy tears. “Thanks, Tal. What you did . . . it means a lot.”

  “We’re family now, Rom. Deal with it.”

  “Is that why you cried like a baby when you thought I was going to die?” I ask her.

  “I did not cry,” she says, refusing to meet my eyes.

  “Like a baby,” I insist. “It was really embarrassing.”

  “So what,” she says, squaring her shoulders. “I love you. You pain in the ass.”

  Talia’s words are just soft enough to let me know she cares.

  I smile. “Love you too, Tal.”

  “And if you tell anyone that I cried, I will murder you in your sleep.”

  Before I can tell her I see through her tough girl act, Lynch grabs her and kisses her loudly.

  “I love it when you talk violence, Troub
le. You may have gotten the worse end of the deal though. You can’t escape me now.”

  Talia responds by jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist.

  “If I try to escape, do you promise to tie me up?” she asks, and I roll my eyes.

  Lynch growls.

  “Get a room,” I groan.

  Kash laughs, and Lynch says, “Great idea. Be back later.”

  I half-expect Kash to stop them, but he just turns to me as Lynch carries Talia back downstairs. Kash’s eyes gleam with a hunger that I suspect has nothing to do with chocolate cake. In response, my belly curls with desire stronger than any I’ve ever felt before.

  Kash steps closer, and my breath hitches at the way our bodies seem magnetized to one another.

  He reaches up, cupping my chin, and my skin tingles where he touches.

  Suddenly, I’m not thinking about food or Talia or anything else. My sole focus is my mate. Kash.

  His lips brush mine, and I whimper, my knees threatening to buckle as overwhelming pleasure washes over me.

  “What is this?” I whisper.

  “Your senses are heightened now. Hunger. Smell.” I open my eyes to find him watching me with a predatory intensity. “Touch.”

  “Show me,” I tell him, and he reaches out and sweeps me into his arms.

  Moving faster than I ever remember him doing before, he races out the back door. We’re at the cabin in the blink of an eye. Kash throws open the door, kicking it closed behind him before heading up the stairs and into his bedroom. Our bedroom.

  He shuts the door and sets me on my feet.

  I take a deep breath, steadying myself.

  “What the hell was that?” I ask.

  He smirks. “I don’t have to hold back around you anymore.”

  My eyes narrow. “You were holding back?”

  His smirk deepens.

  “All right, speed racer.” I put my hands on my hips. “What else have you been hiding?”

  His smirk turns into a full-fledged grin that sends an arrow of desire straight through my core. “Brace yourself, Pepper. This is going to be intense.”

  We only come up for air again when my stomach rumbles with hunger. At the sound of it, Kash leans away, our bodies slick with sweat.

  “Where are you going?” I pout as he stands and disappears into the adjoining bathroom.