by Lola Gabriel
Her hands were covered in blood, as were her clothes, but he had never wanted her more in his entire life. She had just saved a life, the life of someone close to him, and there were no words to explain how grateful he was.
“You were great,” he whispered to her as he put his arm around her shoulders.
“Thank you, but you kind of helped,” she smiled weakly.
“With the bourbon?” he chuckled.
“No, your presence kept me calm. I was freaking out at one stage, and you stopped me from being a hysterical mess of a woman.”
“I’d love to see that, though,” he laughed.
“You’re bound to. It’s only a matter of time before you get to see that,” she sighed and looked down at herself. “I must admit, being covered in blood is really starting to lose its novelty.”
Kodiak laughed and ran his fingers through her hair. “Shower time?”
“Definitely, but first we need to clean up this mess.” She motioned to the living area, which resembled a scene in a slasher movie.
“I’ll get a cleaning crew down here,” he said and pulled her closer to him. “In a minute.”
“Okay,” she murmured, not protesting in the least.
He held her close for another minute before he loosened his grip on her and she stepped away.
“You should be proud of yourself, Ferren,” he told her and as their eyes met, he noticed her insecurities bubbling up inside her. “Yet, I sense a bit of uncertainty from you.”
“You said to Moss that I was a healer. Is that what you call your doctors?”
“You’re much more than a doctor, Ferren. You have the ability to take physical pain away from someone who’s suffering. Levi would have died if you didn't do what you did.”
“But I didn't even know I could do that, Kodiak. I just did it because it felt right at the time.”
“That’s exactly what a healer is. It’s not about knowing what to do; it’s about sensing what needs to be done, and doing it.”
“So, I can do that to anyone?”
“Yes, anyone who is alive.”
“But just their physical pain?” she asked.
“Yes, and I’m pretty sure that if you work on your ability, and how to control it, you can actually heal injuries as well.”
“That’s pretty extraordinary,” she whispered.
“I told you that you were amazing,” he stated and tilted her chin upwards, kissing her on the lips. “Now go clean up while I take care of this mess.”
Ferren nodded and slipped out of his embrace. When she disappeared down the hallway, Kodiak took his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed a number.
“Hey,” Jett answered.
“Is Levi okay?”
“Yeah, he just woke up. He seems fine.”
“That’s great news. How’s Moss doing?”
“He’s more shaken up than Levi is, but he’s hanging in there. He can’t stop talking about Ferren and what she did.”
Kodiak could clearly hear the bite of agitation in her voice. “We’re going to Seattle. We’ll be back later. I’d like to talk to you about something.”
“If it’s about my attitude toward Ferren, you’re wasting your breath.”
“What is your problem with her?”
“My problem is that she’s practically a stranger who you’ve imprinted on, and suddenly she gets to bark orders and stick my fingers inside an artery without even considering the fact that we don’t know anything about her.”
“She’s not dangerous, Jett,” Kodiak sighed.
“That’s not what I said. I don’t trust her, and neither should you. Imprinted or not.”
“I’m sorry that you feel that way, but she’s a part of this pack now, whether you like it or not,” Kodiak muttered.
“You’re going to let a stranger ruin our friendship of a few centuries?”
“She’s not a stranger. She’s my mate.”
“That doesn’t mean shit to me, Kodi. I don't know her, and I don’t know anything about her. I don’t trust her!”
“I think you’re jealous.”
“Of her? Come on, Kodi. You should know me better than that.”
“I should, but right now it doesn't feel like I know you at all. This isn’t like you.”
“Speak for yourself. She’s changed you and you don't even realize it.”
“You know I can’t do anything about it, Jett.”
“Right,” Jett said snidely. “I guess then you’ll have to find yourself another Beta.”
“Jett—”
“Goodbye, Kodiak.”
The call disconnected and Kodiak lowered his phone. He let out a sigh and as he turned around, he saw Ferren in a fresh set of clothes, leaning against one of the wooden panels that made up the one wall of the living area. Her arms were crossed and she gazed down at the floor in front of her.
“Ferren...”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, Jett’s in one of her moods again,” Kodiak muttered and forced a smile. “Are you ready to go?”
Ferren approached him slowly and he felt a bit more nervous with every step she took toward him, but of course, didn't show it. What had she heard? Did she think that he was hiding something from her? And why did he feel that way?
“Before we go, tell me what’s going on. She sounded upset.”
“Jett’s an emotional person.”
“She’s leaving the pack because of me,” Ferren stated and as Kodiak started to respond, she held her hand up, instantly dismissing whatever he wanted to say to her. “You can scold me for eavesdropping later, but I felt the need to listen to what was going on. My gut told me to listen, and I did because I couldn't say with a hundred percent certainty that you would tell me why she wants to leave.”
Kodiak pursed his lips and lowered his gaze.
“What are you hiding from me?”
“Jett doesn't trust you.”
“She kidnapped me from my home, shoved me inside a van and locked me in a cell. I think that was pretty clear.”
“Jett has never warmed up to newcomers,” he explained carefully. “She’s afraid that you’ll betray us.”
“And how would I do that?” she asked.
“You were turned by a Crescent—”
“You don't know that for sure,” she interjected. “Or do you?”
“It might be, because it matches their Zetas’ description.”
“So, just because I was turned by a Crescent doesn't mean I am one of them, or does it?” she asked.
“No. It wasn't your decision to turn, so you’re not a member of their pack.”
“I see.” Ferren stopped a few feet away from him and placed her hands on her hips. “Do you want to know what I think?”
“Yes,” he answered carefully, feeling the anger rise up inside her, but like him, she didn't show it.
Yet.
“I think Jett is lying about not trusting me. I think she just wants me out of the way, because she is totally in love with you.”
Kodiak’s jaw dropped and he looked at Ferren with an expression of disbelief. “That is ridiculous, Ferren. Why would you say that?”
“Because she looks at you the exact same way I look at you.”
Kodiak shook his head. He had never noticed it before, or ever, for that matter. Jett had simply been his best friend for centuries, and never in his entire life did he ever feel anything but platonic feelings for her.
“Tell me, Kodiak, when I came along, did I ruin the perfect utopia for the two of you?”
“No. She is my friend and my Beta.”
Ferren looked at him for a few seconds, apprehensive, of course. “But you don’t want her to leave your pack.”
Kodiak nodded and let out a sigh. “She is the closest thing that I’ve had to family for a long time. I’ve known her for centuries and she was there for me when I had nothing and no one. She believed in me when no one else did. She left her own family to come with me because
she wanted to make sure that I was safe. We started this pack. Jett and I made it what it is today.”
“And then I came along and ruined things for her. I took you from her. No wonder she hates me.”
“She doesn't hate you,” Kodiak insisted.
“It’s okay. I’ve been hated before; this isn't my first rodeo,” she muttered.
“I’m sorry. I never thought that she’d actually have feelings for me. I’ve never even noticed it before. I actually still don’t.”
“Are you really that oblivious to female advances, or do you just shy away from the one thing you can change and manipulate?” Ferren asked.
“Look, after what happened to my family, it hurt too much to feel and I switched it off. I became cold and distant, and I locked my emotions away without feeling any guilt about it. I didn't feel anything at all. I was going to have you executed, but then I saw you and all my feelings came rushing back.”
“So, essentially this imprinting thing saved my life?” Ferren asked.
“No, you saved my life.”
Ferren tilted her head to one side and the corners of her pretty mouth curled upward, revealing a smile he could never tire of looking at.
9
Ferren stuck the spare key into the lock on her back door and turned it until she heard a soft click. She turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door. A familiar smell filled her nostrils as she stepped inside, with Kodiak following closely behind her. She reached for the light switch and the chandelier overhead lit up the entire living area and kitchen. Ferren’s racing heart seemed to calm down significantly as Kodiak closed the door behind him. The house was still a little ransacked after Moss and Jett had taken her from her home, and she sighed.
“Excuse the mess,” she apologized jokingly and Kodiak chuckled.
“This place is beautiful,” Kodiak smiled as he glanced around him. “It’s exactly how I pictured your house to be.”
“Really?” she asked with a furrowed brow.
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you. That’s nice of you to say.”
They made their way through her home and Ferren seemed a little troubled by the state of the house. The front door had been closed off and sealed by the Seattle Police Department, which she found both comforting and unsettling at the same time. Clearly, she was reported as missing and the police department was involved. She felt relieved to know that people actually cared enough to report her as missing, but she also felt as though she didn't want people looking for her anymore. Who knew how long she’d have to hide until everyone forgot about her, or was she supposed to just magically show up in town claiming she was abducted or something?
“You don’t have to worry about that now, Ferren,” she heard Kodiak say behind her and she turned to him.
“Are you sure you can’t read minds?” she asked suspiciously.
“As I said, as soon as you picture it in your mind, I can see it, but I can’t read your mind, or what you’re thinking,” he shrugged. “But you don't have to worry about how you’re going to ‘appear out of nowhere’ again. We’ll work it out together, okay?”
He held out his hand toward her and she took it without a moment’s hesitation.
“Please remind me why we’re here again,” she whined.
“You need to remember what happened the night before Moss and Jett abducted you. Why were you covered in all that blood? Whose blood was it?”
“Right, the night I want to forget, but need to remember,” she muttered.
“That’s the spirit,” he chuckled behind her as they walked up the stairs and into her bedroom.
The bed had been completely stripped, and all her clothes that had lain in a bloody pile beside the bed were gone. Someone had made an effort to clean up the bedroom slightly, but it wasn't a good attempt.
She breathed in through her nose, trying to smell something, anything, that might help her remember. She walked over to the bed, touched the dark wood headboard, tracing invisible lines on the smooth wood. There had to be something that would be able to jog her memory. She looked at Kodiak, who stood by the open door of her closet. He absentmindedly flipped through her clothes on the railing and he appeared to be confused about something.
“What?” she asked with a frown.
“No skinny jeans and leather jackets?” he asked coyly.
“I was a shy doctor. Skinny jeans and leather jackets weren't my idea of comfort. At work, I had to look presentable, not sexy. At home, I just lounged around in my pajamas.”
“Sexy pajamas?” he asked and raised a suggestive eyebrow.
“If you consider four-leaf clovers and sleeping cactuses sexy, then sure,” she answered and suddenly froze. “Four-leaf clovers,” she whispered.
“What is it?” he asked and approached her. “Do you remember something?”
“I think I do. I was wearing those pants that night, but then I couldn't find them anywhere the next morning. I thought I was just groggy but...”
“Someone stole your four-leaf clover pajamas?”
“Just the pants,” she whispered and glanced at the window. She rushed over to it and unlatched it. Opening it, a cold whiff of air blew into the room, making her shiver slightly, and she stuck her head out the window.
“Ferren...”
Ferren checked under the window sill and noticed the claw marks underneath the wood panel. “I climbed through the window...” Her voice trailed off and she thought for a second. She remembered the drops of blood on the carpet downstairs, which had been removed as well, and turned around abruptly. “There were drops of blood on the carpet in the living area, which does not make any sense if I climbed in through the window.”
“Right, so there was someone else here before you woke up,” he said with a giant question mark on his face.
“Or before I even came back,” she said and approached him. “What if whoever I attacked followed me home?”
“It would have killed you in your sleep while it had the chance. Why would it just leave you behind?” Kodiak asked.
“I don't know,” she whimpered hopelessly.
“Hey, don’t get discouraged, okay? At least you’re remembering.”
“I guess. I think being here helps, and having you here is comforting, so thank you for that.”
“It’s what I do,” he grinned and leaned in to kiss her.
His phone rang in his pocket, but it didn't deter him from kissing her and he pressed his lips against hers.
“You should get that,” she whispered against his lips.
He groaned in irritation and retrieved his phone from his pocket. Ferren turned away, giving Kodiak a bit of privacy, as well as looking around the room for anything that might make her remember what happened that night.
She focused so hard on her surroundings that she didn't even hear his conversation over the phone or pay him any notice. She had already listened in on his conversation with Jett, and she didn't want him to think that she was a jealous, possessive, ball-and-chain type that wanted to know of every phone call and everything he did, or everywhere he went. She just hoped that he’d share it with her regardless of whether she asked or not.
Especially when she didn't ask.
As soon as silence engulfed the space, she turned around and looked at Kodiak, who was watching her with a blank expression.
Ferren swallowed down the lump in her throat and asked, “Is everything okay?”
“There’s been another attack.”
“Is it someone from the pack?” she asked, suddenly feeling nauseated. “Is it Jett?”
“No, it’s a young couple from Winthrop.” Kodiak’s voice was raw and filled with emotion.
Ferren’s eyes widened and she sensed that the news was of the worst kind. She knew the look he had on his face, as she had seen it many times delivering bad news to a patient’s family. “Are they okay?”
Kodiak shook his head wordlessly and lowered his gaze. A gasp escaped from Ferren’s throat and
she covered her mouth with her hands. She had heard the pack members talking about their disdain for humans, but she believed it was all talk. Kodiak was visually shaken. A tear ran down her cheek and she sat down on the edge of her bed when her knees gave way from under her.
Ferren had thought that being a wolf would not make her feel the same sadness as when she was human, but hearing of a young couple being killed by the very same wolf who attacked her and turned her into a wolf broke her heart into a million pieces.
“Did they find their bodies?” she asked, feeling numb in her soul.
“They did, luckily, or for what it’s worth. It was on the news. Jett said...” His voice trailed off and he lowered his gaze.
Ferren noticed the hazy look in his eyes and stepped closer to him. She took his hand and held it against her heart. “It’s okay, Kodiak.”
He looked at her with his intense and pensive green eyes and smiled slightly. He straightened his shoulders, as if to keep up the appearance of a strong and brave leader, and cleared his throat. “I’ll tell Moss to call the whole pack in for a meeting. Everyone needs to be on their guard,” Kodiak responded quietly.
“Could I stay here?” she asked reluctantly, and he looked at her with a frown. “I just want to—”
“No, it’s not safe here,” Kodiak stated as he pulled away and made his way out of the room. “Come on. We have to hurry back to Winthrop.”
Ferren followed Kodiak back downstairs and out the back door. The lights of an oncoming car made Kodiak back up against the wall, pressing himself against Ferren. The heat instantly rose inside Ferren, but she knew there was no time for that. They had to get back to Winthrop.
She felt Kodiak linger for a second longer than necessary before stepping away.
“Come on,” he commanded as he took her hand and made a run for his Mustang which stood in the next street.
A few minutes later, they were safely in the Mustang, undetected by anyone who knew Ferren, and as they drove back to Winthrop, it started to rain slightly.
Kodiak switched on the display on the dashboard of his car and called Moss’s phone.
