But I had to stay put. I hated it. It made me feel like a damn dog.
Another three more weeks before the doctor, a shifter friend, would release me. I had kept up the charade.
Greg still hadn’t told Huck about Ru needing to stay with me during the hunts.
With no control over when and where she got the visions, if it happened during another hunt, people could die.
If I hadn’t been close to her, or even paying attention, she would have died that night.
The lockpass gave me mixed feelings. I couldn’t distinguish between what was real and what wasn’t. It was still amazing, but it was also truly messed up.
With the lockpass, your true mate became everything in your life, the air you needed to breathe. You couldn’t survive without your mate. But if you locked on a human, when they passed on from this life, you couldn’t follow. With the protection of their marking on your back, you would never die. And you couldn’t commit suicide, because then you would never see them again. It was both a blessing and a curse.
The bond was real, though. It was not mumbo-jumbo crap, some magic wand wave and Voilà! You only have eyes for your mate! No, the process after the excruciating pain made you live their life as if you were part of it. You saw their first breath, their first steps, their first words… everything. You watched on the sidelines, learned what they loved, what they hated. You learned their true essence.
I now knew her better than I knew myself, and I would do anything for her. I’d give her anything she wanted. And that was what was sad. The people we locked onto had no idea, because they didn’t get to see or feel our special bond.
I hadn’t grown up with wolves. I had a family—a mom who died a few months ago, and a sister who hated me. I hadn’t spoken to her in years—we’d never had a great relationship. We had the same mother but my father must have been from werewolf lineage. I had no idea what Jim, my sister’s father, was—not human, because my sister wasn’t ordinary. When she was little, she could do things that other humans couldn’t. She could wield fire and lightning. When she cried, it rained, when she was happy, the sun blazed hot, and she had the ability to jump impossible distances. Once, she took me with her, and our relationship was never the same after that. I feared her. After that, my mother bound my sister’s abilities to her own life. My sister had been too young to remember the powers she once possessed, and when her abilities stopped, she carried on like a normal girl.
Lately, I’d been thinking about my sister. With my mother dead, my sister would reinherit her abilities, and there’d be no one there to help her understand it.
I couldn’t do it. I had a bigger responsibility now.
And honestly, staying away from her was the best way to protect her. If the wolves ever learned of her existence, they would either want to change her or kill her. I couldn’t even fathom what the vampires would do.
Letting her live her life away from all this was my only way of showing her that I loved her with all my heart.
That’s what big brothers were for, right?
Tony found me in Madagascar, where I had been working on my thesis on Lemurs.
While staying at the same lodge he saw my mark. The mark of the one destined to bring werewolves together and keep them sane during the full moon.
He tried to explain it all to me. I’d thought I was losing my mind and tried to run away from fate. Eventually they caught up with me, and this was my life now.
Tony was an unstable werewolf, so Greg had killed him. I had still been a mess back them, fighting against my destiny, because Tony had wanted me to bring destruction. He had been erratic at best as a human; as a wolf, he would’ve fit in perfectly with the violent pack we’d destroyed a few weeks ago.
Greg and his pack helped me to make peace with my destiny. They quickly accepted me, and before I knew it, they’d made me their Alpha.
That was the key for them to gain their conscience back during the full moon.
And now I was part of a lockpass I didn’t want. Not because I didn’t have feelings for her. Because she was human—and a hunter—and what the lockpass was when she would pass. I couldn't imagine going through life without the one person that gave it meaning.
Whoever gave us the lockpass… I wanted to thank them and curse them. They hadn’t thought it through.
I had to get through to her, to make her understand that she needed the change or she would die. Still, her grandmother lived with it for years, which was a mystery all on its own.
Her gift must’ve come from her mother’s side. Her brother bore the mark as well, but her father, uncle, and cousin did not. Liz didn’t have the vision either.
Perhaps that was why wolves were after them. They were a family with so many candidates.
Only time would tell how our story would end, but one thing was certain: it wouldn’t be easy. I still needed to tell her the truth, and I hoped with my entire existence that she would accept it. After all, my existence depended on it.
Ten
RU
* * *
From the moment I told my family about my visions, my sister had been treating me like I had a deadly disease, and my brother treated me like I was as fragile as glass and could break at any moment.
It frustrated the hell out of me. After all, I was still me.
“She can’t go hunting, Dad,” both said when we got the call about next week’s hunt.
“What if she gets another headache?” Theo asked, concerned.
“Dad,” Liz said. “You know it’s dangerous. Not just for Ru, but for the other hunters. Someone will try to save her. Someone could die.”
“I’m right here!” I slammed my fist on the table.
Five heads snapped toward me, as if they were realizing for the first time I had been sitting at the table.
“I know it’s frustrating, sweetheart, but they have valid points.”
“I’m not a porcelain doll, Theo. You’re just pissed because Collin saved me.” I turned my glare on Liz, who gaped back.
“He almost died, Ru. What if it’s me next time? Or Dad, or Theo? I’m sorry, but you’ll only distract us.”
If her precious Collin hadn’t gotten hurt, she wouldn’t be saying such things. My mouth tightened. “Please don’t side with them. I can take care of myself.”
He sighed.
“Your sister is right. We’ll be too distracted, worrying about you.”
“You’re saying I have to stay behind… alone?”
“We’ll make a plan. Give me a few days to think about this, and then we’ll discuss.”
That had been a week ago, and we still hadn’t revisited the subject.
My sister hadn’t said a word to me since, and neither had Theo or Will.
My father and uncle at least acknowledged my presence. I wish I had kept my mouth shut about my ability.
It was going to ruin everything.
“Ru,” my father called from downstairs.
I slumped off my bed and trudged downstairs, sliding my feet on the floor as I walked.
My siblings were sitting at the kitchen table, and my eyes widened when I saw Greg sitting across from them.
“Oh hi,” I said as I sat down. “How is Collin?” I didn’t know why I asked it.
A soft smile tugged on the corner of Greg’s lips.
“He’s getting there. Grumpy that he can’t join the hunt tomorrow. Apparently you are too.”
“What?” I look incredulously over to my father.
“Ru, I made a choice,” my father said. “You’re a distraction and—”
“A distraction?” I scoffed. “I’ve saved your lives a dozen times without any of you realizing. What if I can’t do that again? What will happen when I’m not there?”
“Sweetheart, you can call us.”
I crossed my arms and ground my teeth together.
“I know it’s frustrating,” Greg said.
My gaze darted back to him.
“Collin is up
set about not being able to hunt, too.”
I wanted to say that I didn’t give a shit about Collin, but that would be a lie. He saved my life, and I owed him.
“I have a suggestion.” He lifted his finger. “I’ll understand if you’re not happy with this, Huck, but I would feel better if Ru had someone with her while we were all on the hunt.”
“Who?” Liz asked, eyes narrowed.
“Well, I suggest that Collin comes to stay here, to make sure Ru is safe and—”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
Greg sighed. “To be honest, you’re not the one who needs a babysitter, Ru. Collin does. He’s been grumbling about not being able to hunt, but he’s not ready. He hasn’t healed. He can barely walk, and he’d be just as much of a distraction as you would be. He’s not listening to us.”
“And he’ll listen to me?”
“No, but it would give him a purpose if he’s asked to protect you. Not that you need protection. But please I’m at my wit’s end with that boy.” Greg’s eyes pleaded with me.
“You want me to be a damsel in distress.”
“To pretend. We all know you are anything but a damsel, but at least this way you’d have some company. Please,” he begged.
I looked at my dad, my lips pursed.
“It’s your choice, Ru.”
Liz piped up, “If Collin needs—”
“No Liz,” my father said, cutting her off.
“Dad.”
“You are needed at the hunt. We were already two hunters down, and now Ru and Collin too. We can’t afford to lose you.”
The muscles in my sister’s jaw ticked.
Seriously? Could she be any more pathetic?
Liz was becoming everything I thought my sister would never be.
I sighed.
“So, what will it be, Ru?”
“Fine, whatever. Doesn’t seem like I’ve got a freaking choice in the matter.”
“Ru!”
“Dad!” The chair screeched hard against the tiles as I stormed out of the kitchen and stopped to eavesdrop on the stairs.
“She isn’t taking this lightly, Greg. None of us are.”
“I can understand. Her gift is rare, and incredibly helpful. She gave us the time and intel to prepare for the last hunt. Without it… Well, I’m certain we would have failed. Take care of her, Huck.”
“With my life.”
“Tell her I say thank you. Genuinely.” As his chair screeched, I ran upstairs to my room.
Babysitting Collin? I guess I owed him that, at least.
Liz was outside, putting a bag for the hunting trip on the back of our truck while I looked on enviously.
“Sweetheart, please don’t be upset. I won’t be able to concentrate knowing that you might be in danger. At least with you staying home, I know you will be safe. And if that boy tries anything, anything at all, I’ll kill him myself,” my father said loudly.
“Dad!” I hissed, my cheeks flushing. Jeez, if Liz couldn’t hold his attention, it’s not like I had a chance in hell.
“Got it.” Collin passed us on his crutches and my blush deepened. I raised an eyebrow at my dad. He did that on purpose.
My dad stopped Collin and held out his hand. “Thank you for saving my daughter’s life.”
Collin squinted at my father’s hand for a few seconds before he shook it awkwardly. “Guess I was repaying the favor.”
My father frowned.
“Her vision. I died first,” Collin explained.
“Oh, sorry.” Dad said. “Shotgun’s in the kitchen, there’s another in the living room, and here’s pepper spray.” He put a can in my coat pocket.
“For real, Dad? I can take care of myself.”
“I know. But just in case.” My father winked and walked out the door as Greg walked in.
“Thank you, Ru.”
“Yeah, sure.”
He walked past me to the lounge, where Collin had headed. I leaned against the wall, my ears perked to listen in.
“I’m doing this for you, you are not ready.”
“Fine, whatever. You know she isn’t a damsel in distress, right? I’m not stupid, Greg.”
“Collin, please. You need to rest, and that is final.” He turned on his heel and walked back to me. “I’m sorry for his mood. Seems he’s not so stupid, after all.”
Collin was a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. I’d known he wouldn’t buy into the damsel-in-distress spiel.
I watched everyone drive off. My brother waved at me, but my sister didn’t even look at me. I wished she’d get over herself.
I stayed there until I couldn’t see the trucks anymore, then I walked back into the house.
Collin was sitting on the couch in the lounge.
“You want a sandwich or something?” I asked.
He shifted his gaze to me, his expression something between annoyance and pissed off.
I laughed sarcastically. “You don’t have to tell me, buddy. I feel the same as you.” I stalked away.
I prepared a bologna sandwich with mustard and mayo, and I was pouring a glass of Coke when Collin swung into the kitchen on his crutches.
“A sandwich would be nice,” he said.
“Okay.”
He sighed and took a seat.
I knew exactly how he felt.
“I take it you told your family about your gift.”
“You saving my life gave me no choice.” I put his sandwich on a plate and set it in front of him with a glass of Coke.
“Thank you,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” I replied, grabbing my own plate and sitting diagonally across from him.
“You do know that if I hadn’t saved your life, you’d be dead, right?”
I nodded as I took a bite of my sandwich.
“Okay, so it’s not my fault.” He sounded unsure.
I rolled my eyes and swallowed. “I didn’t say it was. I guess I should say thank you, and I’m glad you came out of it in one piece.”
“Yeah, if only Greg would trust me.”
“You think you’re ready for another hunt? You can barely walk with those crutches.”
“Hey, I can do a lot with them. I could hit some werewolves on the head with them.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m serious!”
“No, you’re right. Are your crutches made of silver?” I teased.
“No, but that’s a brilliant idea.”
“Collin,” I sighed. “I was kidding. You’re not ready, okay? We have to make peace with it. You will heal, and I… well, this is my future. A stay-at-home wifey that cleans and has dinner ready when the hunters come back.”
He snorted.
“What?”
“You’ve got a point. I’ll stop sulking. Seen anything else lately?”
I huffed. “Not really.”
“What do you see anyway?”
“I told you before: hunts.”
“Just hunts?”
“No,” I grumbled.
“You see other things?”
I huffed. He was so annoying. “Yes. And no. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay, fine.” He picked up his sandwich and bit into it.
“Liz still upset with me?” he asked, breaking the silence that fell as we ate.
“She’ll take you back, if that’s what you want to know. I’m not her favorite person at the moment.”
He studied me for a moment. “I don’t want her back. I don’t like it when hunters are upset with me. It’s dangerous.”
“She won’t hurt you.”
“I didn’t mean that when I said it’s dangerous. She’s bait. She needs to concentrate. I don’t want her to be pissed off because of what happened.”
“Liz is a big girl, at least, I thought so. Lately, I don’t know about a lot of things,” I mumbled.
“I take it she’s still pissed.”
“Pretty much, yeah. It’s pathetic. But you do
n’t want to know about that.”
“I’m sorry. I never should’ve have let it start.”
“Why did you?”
“It’s complicated.”
“No, really. You need to explain.”
“No, I don’t.” He sounded so sure of himself.
“No, you need to. I’ll drive myself crazy if you don’t.”
He smiled. “Then that’s your problem, right?”
“Oh? I won’t tell. They think I’m two clucks away from cuckoo.”
He roared with laughter.
“You can’t do this to me.”
“Sorry, Ru. I’m a guy of few words.”
He grabbed his crutches and balanced them as he pushed himself up.
“Ugh!” I grunted. He was so frustrating.
I put the dishes in the sink and walked back to the lounge.
“So, which room can I use? And if you tell me that all of them are upstairs, I’m staying right here.”
“No, Theo’s room is around the corner. You can use his.”
“Thanks.” He picked up his bag and hopped toward Theo’s room.
I watched him leave.
I could understand a little why pathetic Liz had come out to play. He was tall, muscular, and ridiculously handsome.
It had to be hard to get over what was between them.
I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, flicking through the channels. None of the shows that were on seemed remotely familiar, but that wasn’t a surprise. I never watched much TV.
I stopped on an image that grabbed my attention: high fantasy, swords clashing, castle walls, horses, and grimy faces. An idiot boy was king and I picked up in about two minutes that he was the biggest asshole ever. The rest of the characters intrigued me enough not to keep changing the channel.
Collin shuffled in.
“Game of Thrones?” Surprise colored his voice. He plopped down next to me.
“Game of what?”
“The show. It’s called Game of Thrones. Have you never watched it?”
“I’m not much of a TV person.”
“You haven’t read the books?”
“Not my genre. If you haven’t noticed, my life has enough fantasy in it.”
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