This bites.
I heard Gabe’s chuckle in my mind. Why don't we see if you can shift back to human at will?
Nodding my head, I pictured myself as Chloe. In my mind, I saw red, flowing curls and green eyes. I thought about my pale skin and the scar on my knee from a bike ride as a kid. And I felt nothing. I was still Chloe the wolf.
Damn.
Keep trying, Gabe encouraged.
No matter how hard I tried, no matter how I pictured myself in my mind, I couldn't shift back. I growled in frustration. Why is this so hard? I did it last night without even thinking about it!
Maybe that's the problem. You're trying too hard.
This is going to be a long night if I can't shift back to human, and I'm stuck in this damn cell.
Then we can get back to our earlier conversation.
Oh great. Gabe's chuckle clued me in to the fact that he'd heard what I’d thought. I really had to find out what he meant by shielding. How about we talk about something else? I settled onto the floor, my head lying on my front paws.
I'm serious, Chloe.
I know you are, Gabe, but I don't want to have this conversation while I'm covered with fur.
Gabe sighed. Fair enough. I always forget, it's different for cubs. You haven't yet come to terms with what has happened to you, so the wolf doesn't feel like a natural part of you yet. He settled down on the floor beside me. What else do you want to talk about?
Okay, so I still would be treading on dangerous ground, but curiosity about something he said earlier had peaked my interest. How do you know when you have found your mate? You said there was something else to it besides falling in love. Something about receiving confirmation?
Yes, wolves made for life. We believe mates are fated to be together no matter what. Most of the time mates suspect they are mates even without confirmation. They just have a feeling. Something is different. A blood exchange confirms or denies it. If a couple are fated mates, a blood exchange will cause a surge of what feels like electricity running through them for about a minute. Hector explained they felt like a mild, electric shock, like static electricity but longer and through the entire body.
And if they aren't mates?
They feel nothing. Now do you understand my suspicion we are mates?
See? Dangerous territory. I guess I was asking for it. Yes, but it could be something else entirely.
Maybe, but I don't think so.
But what if they aren't wolves? What if one of the set of mates is human?
Then we don't find them. We can still fall in love and be happy without our mates. But we believe that anyone who is fated to be our mate is fated to be a wolf.
Are all wolves created like me?
Actually, no. Some wolves are pure born. Others are like you. Normally, it takes a bite to pass it to a human, but sometimes a scratch will do it.
What type are you?
Pure born.
So where are your parents?
I don't really want to talk about that.
Hah, so you want me to open up and tell you why I run away from men, but you don't want to tell me about your parents?
Gabe growled. Damn, I see your point. I will make a deal with you. After we shift back, I will tell you mine if you will tell me yours.
I will think about it.
Chloe, you can't keep running from whatever it is.
I said I’ll think about it.
Gabe sighed. It's getting late. We need to try to get some sleep. Gabe stood up and trotted over to where I lay. He settled down behind me so that my back laid against his.
Maybe if I had stayed Chloe Jackson, human one night stand, I could have kept running. But so much had changed in such a short time. I lost Susie and thought I was truly alone only to discover the attack on me had changed me into something else with a built-in family. Maybe Gabe had a point, and it was time to stop running. Running meant leaving Gabe behind, and I was pretty sure that was something I could no longer do. He’d snuck into my heart when I wasn't looking, and I didn't want to kick him out. And it scared me, probably more than anything else ever had.
Chapter Eighteen
The next day, Gabe decided to call a pack meeting to introduce me to the remaining members and explain some of the differences I experienced. He hadn’t brought up continuing our conversation from the night before. I hoped he stayed busy enough that he put it off for a bit longer.
Before the meeting Dr. Matthews pulled me and Gabe aside. “I found out some interesting information about Chloe's family. I need to discuss it with you both before the meeting.”
“Let's go up to my office. We won't be disturbed there.”
What could Doc possibly have to say about my family that is so important that we need a private meeting?
When we reached Gabe's office, he perched on the edge of his mahogany desk, and I sat in an overstuffed wing chair located near it. Doc shut the heavy wooden door behind us and then leaned on it.
“So what did you find out, Doc?”
“As you know, my family has journals going back hundreds of years that chronicle the lives of my ancestors and tells about events that happened during those years.”
“Doc’s a pure born too,” Gabe explained.
“When Chloe told me her mother's name, it rang a warning bell, but I thought at the time, it had to be a coincidence. So I dug through the journals. Between those and some extensive research, I discovered it wasn't a coincidence after all. Chloe's mother is in one of the journals. She pops up in several of them actually. Between the description given in them and pictures and information I dug up in my research, I determined they had to be the same person.” Doc looked at me, her eyes filled with sympathy. “Chloe, your mother was a witch and not a nice one I'm afraid. And she's over 300 years old.”
“How is that possible?”
Gabe answered. “Most supernatural beings live an extended life... much longer than the average human. We age much slower once we reach a certain point.”
“Supernatural beings? You mean there’s more than just witches and werewolves?”
“There’s lots more,” answered Gabe, “but we will talk about that some other time.”
Doc Nodded in agreement. “Your mother was rather infamous for a time. Everyone feared her. Apparently, she started out innocent enough but fell in love with a dark warlock. He twisted her until her evil outshone his. For over 100 years, she created destruction and mayhem and always managed to escape the Witches’ Council. But her lust for power caused her undoing. The Council laid a trap and caught her and put her in a magical prison. At that time, witches were already teetering on the brink of extinction because the majority of them appeared to be infertile. Eventually, it was discovered the only way for a witch to breed was with another supernatural creature, and then the results weren't guaranteed. More often than not the baby would have no magical powers.
“So, if my mother was in prison, how am I here? I know I've only been alive for 25 years. I've lived every one of them.”
“The members of the Council died out one by one. Each death weakened her prison until she finally escaped. That was the last mention of her in the journals. My mother wrote of her escape. Surprisingly, Chloe’s mother actually birthed her in a hospital, or I wouldn't have been able to track her after her escape. I used the information from the hospital records to track her.
“It seems about 30 years ago, she decided to try to fully integrate herself into the human world. She somehow managed to get documents in her actual name. Odd occurrences popped up around her here and there but nothing major. It may have been that her power was weakened by the prison stay. However, on the night of Chloe's 13th birthday, the entire town suffered a power outage. When I went back and double checked, I found that over the previous several years, blackouts in Chloe's part of town happened frequently, increasing in number leading up to the night the power went out in the whole town.” Doc stopped and took a deep breath. “Chloe what I'm about to
tell you won't be easy for you to hear.”
“None of this has been easy. You might as well go ahead and tell me the rest. I know you have to be close to the end of it because she was locked up not long after my birthday.”
“I can't be 100% positive on what I'm about to say. I'm basing it on what I learned from the journals and research but it seems it's highly probable your mother intended to hand you over to some dark creature in exchange for more power and possibly immortality. Considering what happened, I suspect whatever creature she bargained with decided her existing power was a better treat and stripped her of it. Without her power, your mother was nothing, and my guess is that knowledge hastened the breakdown already heading her way from her involvement in the dark arts. No witch survives that unscathed.”
“So basically, my mother was some evil witch so horrible the Council imprisoned her and when she got out, she hatched a plan to have a baby just so she could sacrifice it to something worse than her?”
“It looks highly likely.”
“That explains a lot. So does that make me a witch? And if so, why do I age and not have powers?”
“Honestly? I think you are a witch. From what little I know about witches, they always have power, and it shows up in small ways here and there, but most witches don't come fully into their magic until their 30th birthday. It would explain the differences leading up to your first shift and why you shift differently.”
Gabe broke in, “So what else is she then if a witch has to procreate with another supernatural being?”
“That's another weird thing. I couldn't find any abnormalities to indicate Chloe's father was anything other than human.”
By this time, I had risen from the chair and was pacing across the floor. “Well that explains a lot, like why she never really paid attention to me. Why birthdays and holidays never got celebrated. Why she didn't do anything when I told her…never mind. Suffice it to say, she was a horrible mother in every possible way.”
Gabe stood and walked over to me. “I'm so sorry, Chloe.” He pulled me into his arms. Somehow, even after the terrible things the doctor had just told me, I still felt okay. Being in Gabe’s arms made me feel safe and secure. Nothing she said had changed the way he felt about me. I didn't know how I knew it, but I was certain of it. Still, something held me back, and I wasn't quite ready to admit I was falling in love with him too.
The door clicked, and I realized the doctor had left us alone. Gabe let go of me and stepped back. “The pack doesn’t need to know about your mother tonight. They can be filled in on all of the details later. For now, all they need to know is that you're a witch, and it's made your change different.”
I nodded my head in agreement and followed him down the stairs. A large group gathered in the Great Room. The pack numbered around 30, including children, who weren’t present at the meeting. Gabe introduced me to all of them, but I knew it would take a while for me to be able to remember them all. Most of the single ones lived at the compound while the families lived in houses nearby. Everyone seemed very friendly and welcoming. I wondered if that would change after Gabe revealed his suspicion I was a witch.
“Okay everyone has now been introduced to Chloe. The date of her ceremony will be announced soon. I've asked you all here because over the course of Chloe’s transformation, we discovered she's different. She shifts almost immediately, and her clothes disappear and reappear when she returns to human form. No doubt some of you were already aware of a potential problem from her first night here.” Gabe shot Beth a pointed look. “Through research of Chloe’s family line, Doc discovered that there is a probability that Chloe is a witch.”
Some pack members gasped in shock. Others just took in the news with a nod. Emily, who stood next to me, patted me on the arm. I found her touch very comforting.
“How do we know she's not dangerous?” shouted Beth.
“Because I say she isn't. Chloe wasn't aware of her heritage. With the exception of her altered change, Chloe has yet to manifest powers. According to Doc, it could be five years before she does.”
Doc spoke up, “Or she may not ever get any. As of right now, this is all speculation due to her parentage. It's entirely possible that the slight differences in her DNA due to her bloodline could account for the unusual way she shifts. Now we all know witches are incredibly rare. However, history teaches us that the majority of witches are white witches and are only dangerous to evil creatures or to those who wish them harm.”
“Unlike other cubs,” Gabe continued, “Chloe was completely coherent both nights while in wolf form and showed no signs of violence or aggression. Because of this, I'm not putting her in the cell tonight. I will shift and run with her, showing her the pack’s land. Any who wish to join us are welcome.”
A few members whispered to each other, mostly Beth and a couple of women around her. The other members appeared to accept Gabe’s statement.
“I will run,” said Emily.
“As will I,” added Hector.
“Me too!” shouted Harmony. I knew Chloe before she joined us. We work together at the restaurant, and I can tell you she's not dangerous at all. She's a sweet girl.”
A chorus of “I will run” followed Harmony’s proclamation.
Gabe smiled at his family. “The moon rises!”
Excited chatter broke out in the room. Gradually, most of the pack filtered out into the front yard. Only Beth and her cronies remained behind in the Great Room.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked Gabe.
He reached over and took my hand, giving it a squeeze as a pulse of energy leapt between our hands. “You'll be fine. It's up to you whether you want to disrobe like everyone else since you don't have to.” I looked out into the front yard and noticed most of the pack were beginning to undress.
“What if I don't change?”
“Then you and I won't run. But I think you will shift.”
I followed him off the porch and out into the yard, my face growing hot at the sight of all of the naked people. Halfway through the throng of pack members, pain stabbed through my gut, and I doubled over.
“It's time!” yelled Gabe. “Just relax and let it come,” he said to me. He yanked his t-shirt over his head and dropped it to the ground, and his jeans followed. His body was perfect. He saw me staring and smirked. Thin his features rippled, signaling the change.
Another stab of pain lanced through my body. “Okay, okay.” I closed my eyes and breathed in the earthy smell of the forest. For the first time, I actually felt my wolf rising, and I handed control over to her. When I opened my eyes, I stood on four legs and a jumbled of voices filled my head.
She’s white?
I thought she’d be red!
Quiet! Gabe’s voice boomed through the cacophony. Please keep your conversations limited to each other and not broadcasted to the entire group. Let’s all remember we have a new cub in our midst, and even with all of her differences, she is still a new wolf, and hasn’t yet learned to shield.
I heard several pack members say sorry in my mind and then one by one they came to me, nuzzled their noises against my neck and whispered their names in my mind so I could start learning to identify them as wolves.
After all had passed by, Gabe trotted over to me. Are you ready?
My wolf pranced around, eager to run and be free. Yes.
Follow me, Gabe said and took off. The pack responded to their leader taking off and as a group loped off into the trees.
I fell in behind them, quickly passing the pack until I nipped at Gabe’s heels.
You’re fast, he remarked. That’s good. I’m running at full speed. Very few wolves can keep up with an Alpha running at a full tilt. The only ones in our pack that can are the twins. It’s why they are my enforcers.
We ran for a while without talking. Being a wolf felt nothing like I had imagined. I wasn’t a snarling vicious beast intent on violence and destruction. Instead, I was this magnificent creature who ran like the wi
nd. Everything seemed brighter, smelled more intense. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning, I managed to sneak out of the compound while Gabe was in the shower. I ran into Harmony on the way down the back stairs, and I told her I needed to go to my apartment to pay some bills and to go to the restaurant to check my work schedule. So it wasn’t technically a lie. I did have bills to pay, and I did need to check my schedule, but the main reason I needed to get out of the compound was I suspected Gabe would want to finish our talk…and I just wasn’t ready for that yet.
Back at my apartment, I wrote out checks to cover what bills I could pay so if Harmony asked about it, I wouldn’t have to lie. I kept expecting Gabe to pound on the door, but he never did. Maybe he understood that I needed some space to think before we had that conversation.
My emotions jumbled up in a big mess inside me. IK still felt conflicted and afraid. Fear of getting close to anyone had been a constant companion for years. How did I know a monster didn’t lurk inside Gabe, and I just hadn’t seen it yet? The answer popped into my head. I thought about the pack members and how each one seemed happy and secure under his leadership. They all treated him as a friend, not just their leader. His insistence that I was his responsibility also spoke well of his character. And he didn’t just throw me in the cell and leave me there alone, but he stood by me every step of the way. Gabe Denton was no monster. He was a good man with a big heart.
The epiphany allowed peace to fill me. I finally belonged somewhere. The pack, well most of them anyway, willingly accepted and welcomed me. I had a family, and better than that, I had Gabe.
Gathering up the bills, I stopped by the post office to mail them on the way to the restaurant. Once I reached work, I ran in and picked up my schedule. Due to everything that had happened over the past month, the boss hadn’t scheduled me for many hours, but she told me to call in if I wanted to work, and she’d use me if she could. Before I left, I grabbed a quick bit to eat for lunch.
Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle) (Insatiable Reads) Page 120
