Outcast: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Pack Prophecy Book 1)

by R. L. Caulder

  Fix things with him.

  I know I need to, but how do I admit to him that he was right about Jameson breaking me into pieces?

  Love isn't about judgement, it's about understanding.

  His head snapped up to look in our direction, and Lux whined softly as she closed the distance between us, shoving her head into his chest, rubbing against him.

  You can do it.

  Shifting once more, my stomach growled from all of the energy we'd exerted with the constant changing. What an entrance. Standing naked in front of your mate and having your stomach growl so loudly that it sounded like it was trying to have its own conversation.

  Nibbling on his lip, his eyes raked over my body with a deep hunger before he cleared his throat and offered, "Seth isn't here. He's on watch at the pit with a high-level Daimona."

  We should take this opportunity to test out our powers and interrogate it.

  My eyes widened slightly as I turned towards the door. "I need to put some clothes on, and then I want to go down there." As I reached for the door handle, he halted my movement with his simple question, "Are we okay?"

  "Do you want to come in, and we can talk?"

  He rose nimbly to his feet and followed me into the house as I walked towards the bedroom to grab an outfit. I heard the bed behind me creak lightly as he sat down, patiently waiting for me to start the conversation.

  I didn't know where to start. By telling him everything he’d said about Jameson was right? That I didn't know where to go from here?

  The emotions of the morning caught up to me, and as I opened the drawer to pull out a pair of black athletic shorts and a plain white, cotton shirt, I felt angry tears pricking at my eyes as I tossed them to the ground.

  I fished out a sports bra from the disorganized drawer, a few teardrops splattering down onto my hand. Bracing my hand against the drawer, I tilted my head forward to hide my tears from Milo's view with a curtain of my hair.

  Gripping the drawer tightly, I felt it splinter under my hold and cursed under my breath as a few pieces of the wood pierced the fleshy part of my palm.

  Fuck, how did I do that?

  Enhanced strength, hearing, and vision are byproducts of all shifters merging with their wolves.

  "Baby, what's wrong?" His concerned voice carried over to me as the telling creak of the bed betrayed his movement. Cradling my hand near my stomach, I focused on my breathing to try to quell the tears and started to pick out the wooden splinters. Small drops of blood pooled as I removed each one.

  Large hands came to rest lightly on the curves of my hips, and soft kisses trailed along my shoulder and up to my neck. His lips rested lightly against my ear, tickling the outer shell with his breath as he spoke. "Baby, whatever it is, it's okay."

  Prying out the last splinter from my hand, I turned around in his grip and peered up at him. "You were right. He broke me and left me in pieces this morning," I admitted with a bitter tone to my words, but it wasn't directed at him.

  His lips brushed against my forehead soothingly, causing me to close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself. "I was wrong to say what I did, Kira."

  His admission shocked me to my core, because I had just told him he was right. I must have tensed at his words, because he elaborated "I was wrong, because no matter what he does to you, I will never allow you to shatter into pieces. I don't want to pick up the pieces after you break. I want to hold you so tightly to me that you never have a chance to splinter."

  His strength and love seeped from every word, and I couldn't resist grabbing the back of his head with my uninjured hand and crushing his lips down to mine. Our mouths fused together, and I consumed every ounce of love that he offered, healing my heart with each caress of his lips.

  Pulling back ever so slightly, I peered into his bright sapphire eyes and whispered against his lips, "You've always held me together. You were the one person who stood by my side long before the bond even told you to."

  Milo gave me a brief peck on the lips, then grabbed my wounded hand and offered the same attention to the skin there. Looking at me with a quirky smile, he asked, "All better?"

  I knew he meant more than just the wounds on my skin—he meant the wounds on my heart.

  A hesitant smile pulled at my lips, "It will be."

  Crouching down, I grabbed my shorts and tugged them up before nabbing the sports bra out of the broken drawer. Oops. Quickly, I pulled the bra on and tossed the white shirt over it.

  While I dressed, Milo had wandered back out to the front, giving me a moment alone. I grabbed a hair tie from the top of the dresser and braided my long hair to keep it out of the way. Who knew what this interrogation would bring, but I needed to be ready to get down and dirty.

  It was time to stop worrying about my confusing relationships for a moment and focus on the impending prophecy. If I wasn't prepared for that, I wouldn't have any mates to worry about.

  I walked towards the front door where Milo waited, and he opened it, gesturing for me to go first. As we started our trek towards the Pit, I filled him in on what Lux had told me to do.

  "I need to test out my powers against this one to see if I can inflict any damage or if I need to find another way to fight them in battle."

  He hummed in response, and I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, "What?"

  "Just trying to swallow the fact that you're central to a pivotal battle for our existence and that I can't hide you away in a bunker somewhere." His tone was sarcastic and jesting, but his face betrayed his true emotions.

  He was scared for me.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Jameson

  I couldn't believe that girl had the audacity to try to rip what remaining family I had left away from me. Anger had blinded me all morning as I sat on the couch and fumed at how to grapple with the tumultuous emotions bouncing around in my head. I had been ready to work through our problems, no matter how difficult and painful it would have been to open up those old wounds.

  She was worth it. Or so I had thought.

  Only a fool let good pussy blind them like I had for a few minutes this morning, thinking that we could actually live a happy life together and that the Goddess had truly blessed me with her as my mate.

  I was a fucking idiot.

  Goddess knew how much time had passed since I’d tossed her out. I drifted between the bottle of whiskey and the wall I had deemed it necessary to punch holes into.

  After much back and forth with myself, I settled on the decision to bring this up with my father to ease the shred of doubt plaguing me. I left my house and crossed the short distance to my father’s massive home.

  I didn’t bother knocking, too aggravated for formalities and needing to get this off my chest now. Storming into the massive living room with swooping exposed beams across the ceiling, I glanced around the open floor plan but didn't see him in the living room, kitchen or dining room. My voice echoed as I called out, "Alpha! We have a problem."

  A door opened from one of the bedrooms in the back, and heavy footsteps sounded against his wooden floors. Crossing the corner from the hallway, he emerged with a stone cold expression, immediately reprimanding me, "You may be my son, but you will treat me with the respect of knocking before barging into my home."

  Moans echoed faintly from the back of the house, and I cocked my head at him. A brief moment of hesitation crossed his face before he crossed his arms and breezed past it, "What did you need that is so important?"

  I had never considered the idea that he would sleep with other women after my mother's death, and coming to that realization right now was not good for my mental health. I needed a wall to punch again.

  Shaking my head to clear it, I threw everything out there for him to deny so I could go on with my day in relative peace, "Did you tell the council about the Daimona's presence when mom died, and have you told them that Daimona activity has increased?"

  Shock lined his face, and he floundered for a moment before
a murderous rage took over, twisting his features in a menacing way. "Of course I told them. Are you questioning my decisions for this pack?"

  Pacing in the front entryway, I threw my hands up. "No, but Kira is! She's accusing you of not bringing it up to them and suggesting you might be connected to the darkness that's mentioned in the prophecy. It's fucking insane!"

  Oddly enough his expression calmed, and he held his hands in front of him stoically. "Oh, did she? Perhaps it's time for her and I to have a private chat since she's so ungrateful for what I've provided for her."

  Dread settled into my stomach at his icy tone.

  That was not the outcome I’d hoped for from talking to him about this. I had simply wanted his reassurance that her words were crazy—I didn't need him to reprimand her.

  Backtracking slightly, I stumbled over my words, unsure of how to verbalize my thoughts. "Oh. I can handle it myself, Alpha. You don't need to lower yourself to such trivial matters."

  Why did such overwhelming fear surge into my chest at the idea of them alone together? The same woman I had just tossed out of my house like a piece of trash.

  Mate.

  Fuck this bond making me protective of her still.

  His gaze narrowed on me suspiciously. "Did you sleep with that whore?"

  "N..No," I stammered, trying to collect myself. I’d come here to seek validation, but the situation had quickly turned on me with his immediate reaction being to teach her a lesson.

  In my haze of anger, I hadn't thought this plan out well enough. If I had cooled down a moment I would have realized that me mentioning this would only bring out the physically abusive side of the alpha that only I knew.

  I'm so fucking dumb.

  Looking me up and down slowly, he inquired, "Is that so? You're suddenly singing a different tune, and I find it a bit odd."

  Pulling my shoulders back and lifting my chin, I calmed my racing heart as I responded evenly, "Your question just caught me off guard because you know how much I despise her. I'll handle the situation, Alpha. I apologize for bothering you with such nonsense. I should have known better."

  His eyes lingered on me for a few moments, trying to find any cracks in my facade. Once satisfied with what he saw, he nodded and turned, walking back down the hall and calling out as he went, "Make sure that you do. I don't think you'll like what I have in mind otherwise."

  Once he rounded the corner, I let my shoulders sag in relief.

  What had I been thinking seeking comfort and reassurance from him? Those were two things that man had never provided me.

  As I turned around to head for the door, I heard his faint laugh, and it caused me to pause. It wasn't a laugh of amusement. It was one of cruelty.

  When I was younger, I had heard that laugh too many times to count as he beat me every time I cried for my mother. He’d told me I needed to toughen up and become a man if I ever wanted to do anything about her death. That crying was for weak women.

  What was he doing back there?

  Against my better judgement, I walked lightly on the balls of my feet down the narrow hallway and glanced around the corner. His voice was muffled, but I could still make out the words as he spoke to the woman who began moaning once more.

  "That sniveling boy is good for nothing. Now...where were we?"

  Ew. Maybe there was nothing more to this than him getting his dick wet.

  As I turned to leave, he spoke again as she gasped in pleasure, "It's almost our time to step out of the shadows."

  Did he mean to bring their relationship out in public?

  He began to grunt as she panted out, her voice oddly familiar, but I couldn’t place it, "He will be most pleased with your offerings."

  Ice filled my veins and froze me to the spot at this unknown woman's words. Offerings?

  Waiting for a few more moments to see if they would elaborate further, I cringed at the sound of skin slapping against skin. Their sounds of pleasure continued, and I decided to abandon my post. Hurrying as quietly as possible, I exited his home and softly closed the door behind me.

  I stood on the front step and looked around at our community as her words echoed through my head.

  What did it mean? Was I thinking too far into this because of what Kira had already put into my head?

  There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe it was a wolf from a neighboring pack, and my father had offered resources in exchange for her to come to our pack?

  Fuck, what do I do?

  Crossing the distance back to my home, I slammed the door closed behind me as my mind raced.

  The last thing Kira or I needed was me continuing to act wishy washy in my stance with her. There had been too much tug of war between us over the past two days already. I needed to be sure of what was going on with my father before making a decision.

  If Kira was right and my father did have something to do with the Daimona, then none of us were safe. He held too strong of a foothold in his position with the elders and had a pristine reputation with the other packs.

  Grabbing the whiskey off the side table by the couch, I took a few swigs, enjoying the burning trail it left in my throat and chest in its wake. Walking over to my new favorite wall, I yelled and punched a new hole into it.

  How could I even begin to apologize to Kira if she was right?

  I found myself at a crossroads, and I didn't know up from down at this point.

  What the fuck was I going to do?

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Kira

  Nearing the entrance of the Pit, I reached out for Milo's hand for reassurance. Squeezing it gently, he pulled me in for a quick hug and kissed the top of my head. His breath fluttered a few strands of my hair as he spoke, "You'll be safe, Kira. Seth and I would never let anything bad happen to you."

  I released a shaky breath and pulled back with a resolute nod. "Let's get some answers."

  Descending down the worn wooden ladder, I jumped off when I got close enough to the bottom and looked around the closest cells for Seth. Milo hopped down next to me as a horrifying screech sounded from the back.

  "Looks like he got started without us," I observed, trying to make a joke out of the situation to calm my nerves.

  Walking quickly to the back and turning the corner to the cell that had restraints drilled into the wall, my stomach rolled at seeing a Daimona up close again. I hadn't been faced with one since Maya's death.

  It seemed more grotesque than I remembered, with pieces of blackened flesh hanging off it in various places. I gasped and stepped into the cell when it twisted, showing off the underside of a gaping piece of flesh.

  I had to be seeing things. Were those flames inside of it?

  "Hey, Kitten," Seth purred from his relaxed stance against the wall with one ankle crossed over the other. His black, sweat-slicked hair looked as if he had just run a marathon.

  "You've finally come."

  Startled by the deep, gravelly voice, I took a few steps back and stared at the Daimona once more. Its large head swung to look at me, its eyes sending me back into the memories that haunted my dreams still. This was the first time I had been present with one, so it’s intrusion into my mind was jarring.

  Flames consumed the sockets where eyes should have been, but somehow I could feel the weight of its stare, as if its darkness was seeping around me like an oil thick in the air.

  The feeling alarmed me, and I reached for my flame on instinct, bringing the welcome warmth of my mark to my forehead.

  Don't show fear, Kira.

  Calling my own flames to the surface, I felt them wrap around me like a cocoon, dissipating any trace of the Daimona’s scent from the air. Lux was right. I needed to maintain an air of calmness.

  "It has refused to speak the entire time I've been down here, no matter the methods I've tried. The guard on shift early this morning told me that this is the one that attacked Jameson. The alpha dragged him in and chained him to the wall himself."

  I refused to
look away from the Daimona as Seth filled me in, not trusting those chains even the slightest.

  It spoke into our minds, "I'll only speak with her alone."

  Its request was immediately met with refusal from my mates. "Fuck that!" and "Over my dead body!" came from them both simultaneously.

  Holding tight to my flame, I continued to let my powers seep through me, bringing me confidence in what we needed to do.

  "Wait outside, guys. I need answers, and clearly it hasn't been able to break out of the chains despite any torture done to it," I stated calmly, expecting them to fight me on this matter. My mates pleasantly surprised me with their faith in me when Seth pushed off the wall and Milo stepped up behind me.

  "Okay, Kitten, but don't hesitate to call for us if you need us. You're not in this alone," Seth assured me as he walked out.

  Milo lingered at my back, and I felt his anxiety at the situation as he did his best to respect my wishes. "I don't like this, but I know you need to do it. We can be back here in a heartbeat, Baby."

  With that, they were gone, leaving me to face this monster alone.

  "He told me you would come."

  "Who told you that?" I continued to speak to it out loud, hopeful that it couldn't hear my inner thoughts.

  "Our master's pawn."

  Taking a few steps closer to its hulking form, I cringed at the smell of sulfur that assaulted me.

  The Daimona’s black, melted skin made it look like it had been dropped into a lava bath upon its creation with the way it sagged and hardened in random places on its body. The main metal restraint wrapped around its neck, clipped to the stone wall with multiple other chains attached to it. The chains were slack as it sat there patiently.

  "Do you know the name of that pawn?" I attempted once more to get a name, hoping with everything in me that maybe I was wrong about my suspicions.