A soft sound escaped her as she felt her bear whimper in misery.
Her cubs could never truly be safe. But what a life it would have been with Luke.
She felt a nudging at the back of her mind and ignored it. However, it wasn’t going away. Worry.
It was Luke and his tension leaked through the bond. Was he alright?
He was angry and tense, and she could feel his emotions. Her bear resisted the urge to care, but it looked up nonetheless. She felt a warm wave of love pass through the bond and felt the urge to look up.
Luke emerged from the trees, looking weary and tired. The sad smile on his lips and the relief on his face upon seeing her broke the seal that Cassie had put on her heart.
The sobs broke out of her as her heart broke all over again. She held out her hands like a child demanding comfort, and her mate came to her and held her. He held her as her sobs racked her body.
She cried for their unborn baby.
She cried for them.
He did not move. He just held her as she cried herself into exhaustion.
She felt his lips on her forehead in a loving caress. Her face was buried in his neck, and she realized dimly that he smelled terrible. Her sobs quieted down after a while, and the excited chatter of the fairies died down as well.
Luke’s voice was hoarse. “Don’t ever walk away from me again.”
Cassie didn’t say anything and just absorbed his strength and warmth. Her bear whimpered and she let herself shift, showing her true form to Luke. He neither moved nor looked surprised. Instead, he ran a hand over her pale fur and Cassie’s bear rumbled in pleasure.
He took a step back and shifted. His black form was larger than hers, and he bumped his nose against hers and licked it. Her bear sniffed his neck and rubbed herself against him, making a gentle huffing sound. Luke nudged at her and lay down. Cassie curled up next to him.
The fairies flew towards them and perched on lower branches to see what was going on. But the couple just lay there in silence, sharing their grief. Cassie’s bear found some consolation as her form cuddled into Luke’s larger one. He dwarfed her even as they lay together, and that made her feel protected as she drifted off to sleep with her mate protectively watching over her.
Luke watched Cassie sleep and growled in warning when the fairies tried to creep closer to see Cassie’ stunning form. He had been mentally prepared for it, but the image that he had had in his mind did no justice to her.
She was gorgeous. And she was his.
He rumbled as he rubbed his paw over her affectionately. He didn’t care what Cassie thought. She may find it hard to trust anyone, but he would prove to her that he could and would protect her and their cubs. He could feel her pain keenly even as she lay unconscious. His bear kept licking her gently, wanting to soothe the hurt.
He had been so lost. If he thought the death of his family had nearly killed him, their baby’s death and Cassie’s running away had broken him even more. Somehow – someway – Cassie had managed to heal the agony inside him that still pulsed in its rawness and the idea that she had left had ripped him apart.
He nuzzled at her lovingly. Their cub would always be a special part of their lives, but they would rebuild their family, and he would give her so many cubs that she wouldn’t know what to do with them.
He had been roaming the woods, desolate when he had realized that he was being followed. It hadn’t been his soldiers or the elders. They seemed to have given up. It was Keenan in his cub form. He had yowled when he had seen his alpha catch sight of him and had rushed towards him. The boy had been hysterical and completely beside himself. And it was then that Luke realized how selfish he was being. It was time to stop grieving and bring his mate home.
Tracking her down hadn’t been easy, but Luke was one of the best trackers in the pack. His time in isolation had made him very self-sufficient, and he had simply developed those skills even more when he became alpha. And Cassie hadn’t made it very hard for her to be found. She had run blindly, and left too much evidence of her presence.
Cassie slept soundly, dead to the world, and he realized how mentally drawn she was. She had lost weight, and it was evident even in her animal form. It made him bitter. She should have turned to him. Why did she have to run away? He wasn’t stupid. He knew she blamed herself, and he understood that he would have to teach her to trust him with not only her heart but also her secrets.
He was surprised that the fairies weren’t attacking him. They seemed almost protective of Cassie as they glared at him. One of them flew too close, chattering at him in a high-pitched voice and he swiped his paw, careful not to touch it, but showing that he meant business.
So, they watched in silence, and he watched them in turn.
When Cassie awoke, her bear dug her form into him, seeking his warmth and he playfully fell over his back, letting her clamber over him. Their noses touched as they stared at each before Cassie shifted. Her very human and very naked form hurried her face in his fur and she breathed him in.
Luke allowed his human form to come forward, and he dragged her into his arms, and asked, “Are you ready to come home?”
Cassie gave in to the pleading in his voice and nodded her head.
He didn’t ask her what happened, and she didn’t offer any explanation. He had warned the pack to treat her normally. Her status as a white omega should not be made prominent in her relationships with the pack.
However, he had not anticipated how deeply the pack would take his words.
When Cassie entered the den, she was attacked by her students who rushed towards her, looking miserable.
“Cassie!”
“You’re back!”
“You wouldn’t believe what Stella did to her foot!”
“Fred says he can beat you!”
The voices climbed over one another as Luke’s mate was snatched away from him and dragged into the large circle of adolescents who were welcoming her back, complaining, and snitching. Luke watched as she became bewildered by all the attention and hid a smile.
Leave it to these kids to force their problems upon her.
They would pamper her, yell like five-year-olds at each other, do dumb acts, hurt themselves in the process, and would give Cassie too much to worry about. And that distraction would pull Cassie out of her grief. However, for now, she needed a bath and some food in her. He had picked up some clothes at one of the drop offs where pack members made sure to hide parcels of clothing in case they shifted without being prepared. However, they were hanging off her small frame.
“Give me back my woman, you runts.”
Luke stole his mate away amid the protests and hollers. Cassie let him carry her back to their room. They met with a few pack members along the way, and he could feel her tense at each greeting. Depositing her on her feet, he started taking off her clothes, making Cassie stop him with her hand. “What are you doing?”
Luke growled, “I haven’t showered in days and neither have you.” He ignored her guilty look. “We both stink worse than pigs, as Kayla very politely reminded me.”
He shrugged off his shirt and took off his jeans, glaring down at them. “I hope we don’t have to burn them.”
Cassie wondered how he could be so normal. He hadn’t mentioned their baby at all, and it confused her because she could feel his pain through their bond. Then, she realized what he was doing and it humbled her that he was putting aside his own grief for her. His back was to her as he walked towards the bathroom and she wrapped her arms around him from behind.
Chapter 13
“Cassie?”
Cassie could hear the uncertainty in his voice, and she mumbled, “No sex.”
She heard his rough chuckle as he pulled her to his front and cupped her face in agreement. “No sex for now. I make no guarantees for later.”
Luke felt Cassie’s lips move in a small smile as he kissed her, pouring all his love for her into that one kiss. She kissed him back, and he felt the hesitant
movements. It pleased him that she was trying to meet him halfway.
Pulling back, he made a face. “Let’s shower first.”
The water was hot, and Luke shivered when Cassie changed the settings to cold. He scowled at her. “Are you made of ice, woman? Hot water is good for the skin.”
Even in her state, Cassie was not above passing acerbic comments. “I think I saw a wrinkle on your forehead.”
Luke immediately put a hand on his forehead before realizing what he was doing. “I’ll get back at you for that.”
Cassie shrugged, showing that she wasn’t particularly worried. “Sure.”
Luke soaped himself and then her, his bear wanting to care for his heartbroken mate. “You think I won’t. But I will. And you’ll never see it coming.”
Cassie didn’t laugh, but Luke saw her crack a small smile and that lifted his heart.
When they got out of the shower, Luke handed her one of his shirts and Cassie looked puzzled. “I have my own clothes,” she said.
“I know,” Luke said, as he put on another shirt. “But I want you covered in my scent. I need that.”
Cassie didn’t argue and just slipped into the shirt that was two sizes too large for her. Once she had dressed, she saw Luke watching her.
“We need to talk, Cassie,” he said. When she took a step back, he immediately reassured her. “Not about what you are. That can come later at a time of your choosing.” His face was grim. “I want to know who attacked you.”
Cassie’s bear reared its head in a roar and Luke saw the feral look in her eye. “I want to kill them myself.”
Luke cupped her face. “We’ll decide their fate together, but I need names.”
Cassie told him, and she watched as his face grew still as if it was carved from stone. He waited patiently for her to finish and then he snarled, “I’m going to make them suffer in ways that will never let them forget you.”
He began to turn, but Cassie grabbed his arm. She swallowed, before asking, “You would choose me over your packmates?”
Luke saw the doubt on her face and he growled, “I would choose your over everyone and everything else. They not only murdered my unborn cub, they also damn near broke you.” His golden eyes blazed. “Trust me. They are going to pay. But,” his smile was cruel, “they will never see it coming.”
Very few packmates knew that Cassie was back, and Luke made it public knowledge when he and Cassie shared a meal in the common room. Some packmates smiled, some looked shocked at her return. They had all heard that Cassie had been attacked, lost the baby, and then disappeared. To see her eating her food so quietly was a shock to them. But everyone who saw her approached her endearingly.
A brush on the arm.
A lick on the cheek.
Their gestures showed their solidarity with her. Luke tightened his grip on her hand and she looked at him gratefully.
They were all being so supportive, and she could feel how they shared in her loss. That feeling of being loved was so foreign to her that she was overcome with emotion. Her hand trembled as she brought the food to her lips, so Luke took the spoon from her and fed her the broth himself.
Cassie shook her head. After a few more bites, her appetite was sated. She watched Luke eat and felt her bear shift inside her, a warm sensation in her chest. Luke was nothing like the men she was used to. She didn’t have to worry about him ever doing to her what her father had done to her mother.
“I love you.”
The words simply came out of her mouth, and her face turned red when she realized what she had said. Luke gave her a look followed by a gentle kiss on her mouth. “I love you, too.” His face turned serious. “But I’m not sharing my food with you.”
Cassie chuckled and watched him with growing contentment. He would heal the hole that was left behind in her heart. She knew he was the only one who could.
Hearing a familiar voice, she straightened up and looked over to see Bianca standing in the doorway with Hilda. Their eyes were fixed on her, and the horror and fear on their faces was unparalleled. Hilda took a step back but her arm was quickly held in an iron grip by one of the sentinels.
“We didn’t–”
Bianca’s words fell on deaf ears as they were dragged away by the pack soldiers. Cassie’s eyes held a vicious hate in them, and Luke turned her face toward himself. “I know that feeling, Cassie. If you let it consume you, it will change you like it did me.”
“They murdered my–”
Luke shook his head as he cut her off. “They will pay for it. And my methods aren’t gentle. But I don’t want you to let this destroy you. I need you to trust me on this.”
Cassie looked away and nodded. She didn’t have to like what he said, but she could understand him.
Fiona seemed to have disappeared and both of her friends claimed no knowledge of her whereabouts. However, Cassie was sure that wherever she was, the female shifter was up to no good.
She wasn’t wrong.
****
It had barely been a week since Cassie had returned when Luke barged into her training session.
“Corrigan Hearth is here.”
Cassie felt the floor shift beneath her feet but before Luke could touch her, she brought herself back to her senses. “Why?”
She knew why. She just didn’t want to believe it. Was her father going to start a war over her?
Luke’s face was set in angry lines, and she smoothed his scowl over with her fingers, “What do you–”
“You’re going to stand by my side proudly.” Luke growled. “You’re my mate. And it’s time we made it clear that Shadow Claw isn’t going to bow down to some power-hungry pack.”
Stunned, Cassie followed him out of the den into deeper den territory. After Bard had managed to infiltrate their den, Luke had increased the security tenfold. From what he told her on their way, her father had tried to break in unsuccessfully.
Corrigan had aged greatly since she had last seen him. How many years had it been? Thirteen? There were lines on his face, but his cruelty had not faded. However, it was not his appearance that shocked Cassie. Rather, it was the woman who stood by his side that made Cassie snarl with rage. Fiona was sidled up to Corrigan, his hand on her back, and hers on his chest. She wore a sneer on her face.
Luke’s hand on her arm made her stop. Her father had brought an army that included all his best soldiers.
Luke was not to be intimidated. And as the lieutenants and sentinels followed him into the clearing, Luke looked confident even though their numbers were significantly fewer. Cassie wondered what he was up to. It wasn’t like Luke to look this sure of himself unless he had some ace up his sleeve.
Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re trespassing.”
Cassie saw Mackenzie standing behind her father and schooled her face. She would not show her fear or her anger to them. She wouldn’t let them manipulate her emotions. A part of her was quivering. Although she believed that Luke would not give her up, a tiny part of her heart wondered whether he would change his mind. And she hated that. So, when her fingers curled into the back of his shirt, he did not move a muscle, indicating that he felt her fear. But she felt his love and assurance communicated to her through their mating bond, and it eased her mind.
“You have something of mine.”
“Yeah. And what would that be?” Luke challenged, his teeth bared.
Cassie watched as Corrigan lifted his finger and pointed towards her. Dread coursed through her as it always had when he used to enter her room back when she lived with their pack. To Corrigan, she was not his child but his asset, and the ways in which he was willing to use her frightened her.
“I believe that you’re pointing towards my mate. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
One of the Black Eye soldiers said something which missed Cassie’s ear but not Luke’s, and Cassie felt the cold rage tear through him. Some of her father’s soldiers snickered at the words. However, her mate kept his mouth s
hut.
“That female is our pack breeder. We want her returned.” Her father ignored Luke’s declaration that Cassie was his mate. “I will be taking my property back.”
Cassie hadn’t known that Samuel stood behind her until she heard him say, “We don’t recognize pack breeders. The practice is no longer legal. You standing here is enough to provoke the council upon you.”
Corrigan sneered, “The council does not exist. It is just a myth, old man. Get your head out of your fairytales.”
Samuel wore a strange expression on his face. “Is that what you have been told, boy?”
“I know. And even if this nonexistent council were to intervene, they hold no power over us. Now return the female to us.”
Cassie noted that Corrigan did not use her name, only referring to her as ‘female’ or ‘pack breeder.’ It had been the same way with her mother. Her father had refused to use her name. She wondered if that was his way of degrading her.
Luke raised a brow, “You want me to hand over my mate to you? You must really think I’m a fool.”
Corrigan shrugged, “There are better options out there. And besides,” Luke saw the sly grin, “it is not like she is carrying your child.”
Cassie thought for a moment that Luke would lose it. The red rage that flowed through her mate was vicious enough to make her wince.
However, his expression did not change. “Says who?”
Corrigan’s smile faltered for a second, “The breeder has lost the child.” He glanced at Fiona who looked uneasy, but nodded. “She has.”
Luke smirked. “Where are you getting your information from, Corrigan? Now I will not repeat myself. Get off my territory.”
Cassie watched as the pain pulsed through her at the reminder of her child. Her father shrugged off Fiona’s arm and stepped forward threateningly. “Be that as it may, the female comes with us.”
Luke’s lieutenants stepped forward protectively, ready to shift. However, Luke smiled, unpleasantly. “I don’t think so.”
Black Eye’s alpha sneered, “My people outnumber yours. She’s not even worth it. Just hand her over.”
Luke paused and pretended to think, mockingly. “I think she is.”
Saved by Alpha Bear (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Shadow Claw Book 1) Page 8
