So she decided to speak the truth. “Wolves and Strathford have a history that even pack secrecy can’t cover up. As long as I’ve been alive—long before Kal attacked me, long before you silently watched over me—I’ve always known of one, singular constant that never changed, never stopped being a threat: wolves.
“In childhood, curfews weren’t enforced because parents were worried about boys or drugs. No, it was always because the wolves came out at night. Wolves were scary, dangerous creatures that wouldn’t hesitate to snap up tiny young girls like me, never to be seen or heard from again. I wouldn’t be the first child either. There were plenty of others on the side of milk cartons, plastered on billboards and headlining the news. It was so deeply engrained in my mind that wolves are the enemy that it became second nature to me.
“I’ve lost… everything to the Valley Clan. Not just my father, not just my worry-free childhood. I lost my friends; sure Becca doesn’t seem to have changed much, but I see the ghosts of her trauma from time to time. She’s still terrified. She may not have pushed me away like Zoe did, but we haven’t gotten any closer since the attack. It’s been ten years, and we’re just now beginning to maybe mend some of those burned bridges again.
“I lost the chance to ever have a nice day outside with my family ever again. Mom only left for our wedding because I begged and cried and pleaded, and she knew I needed her there. We shared a lot of tears before she finally agreed to go, and I doubt I’ll ever be that lucky again.
“I lost the innocence in my sister’s eyes. I used to live vicariously through her. After the attack ten years ago, I’d convinced myself that she was what I could have been if Kal hadn’t found me at fifteen. All bubbling personality and full of hope. But then Kal found and ruined her, too. Now we’re both wrapped up in the mess he made of us.
“I lost peace. Strathford has been in utter turmoil. When I’m not exhausted from training, I’m worried sick about my family. Yes, you have half the pack watching Strathford, but no one loves my family more than I do. No matter how many oaths you swear or drills you run, no matter how many fangs you have or claws you grow, no one will know how to protect them like I do. They are all I have left, and I’m doing everything in my power so that one day I can hold my head high and say all of their hard work for us and all of Strathford wasn’t in vain. I am the product of their love, their hope. I don’t want to waste it.”
She huffed a sad laugh. “I even lost my confidence to wear a bathing suit with…” she motioned wordlessly to the silvery scar tissue that marred her collarbone. “I know, it’s stupid, but yeah… the small things hurt, too, you know?”
She sighed. “What I’m trying to say is, the only thing I gained from Kal Vann completely destroying my life… was you. And I so desperately want to say that it’s enough, that you’re enough, but now with Kal gone and war looming, I… I could lose you, too.”
Amara’s gaze turned steely, and she hoped her determination to protect shined as bright and unwavering as Nova’s did when he protected her for ten years. “So it’s not enough, and it won’t be enough until Kal and his entire pack of thugs are put down for good. I wish I could tell you that I’ll stay safe, that I’ll stay back and hold down the fort while you’re God knows where protecting me and all the other humans like you’re used to, but I can’t. From the moment Kal gave me this scar, from the moment Valley wolves killed my father, and maybe even long before all of that, this was my war as much as it was yours.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have the right to take this from me.”
The pair sat in silence for a few moments, and Amara feared that the blank look that had overtaken Nova’s features was making a defiance of his own. She really didn’t want to argue with him when the threat of war was so close.
Finally, Nova sighed and all of his fight leaked out of him with that breath. “Okay. I don’t like it, but you’re right. It’s not my place to clip your wings, no matter how dangerous this is going to be.” He looked at her with worried eyes. “But if we’re going to do this, you have to stick close to me, where I can keep an eye on you. The pack may not agree with my decision, but you are my first priority.”
Amara’s eyes lit up. “I promise I’m more prepared than you know. If this war ever becomes a reality, you’ve taught me everything I need so that I’m not a burden. We’ll fight, and we’ll win.”
Nova had that cautious look on his face again. “If…” he muttered, averting his gaze.
Amara narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s up, Nova?”
Nova gave her an apologetic smile. “Just a few minor developments, is all.” His smile turned genuine. “One of them being a trip down to Strathford, if you’re willing to take the ride.”
Amara’s ears perked at the sound of her home. “I get to see my mom? Sadie?”
Nova’s lips fell. “Well, not exactly, but we can quietly check in on them if you want.”
“I don’t understand,” Amara replied, confusion coloring her tone.
“Yeah, I know,” Nova chuckled. “I’m not really explaining things very well today.” He stood. “Let’s clean all this up and I’ll explain on the way.”
Chapter 10
Nova recounted all of the events that Amara had missed while she was comatose. There weren’t many to list, but it still left her with a heavy sense of dread that had her scrambling to contact her family and make sure they were okay. She hadn’t noticed until then that it’s been nearly a week since she had contacted them last.
Sadie texted back wanting to know every detail of the ‘honeymoon’ she was on. It hurt Amara’s heart to lie yet again, but she knew it was for their safety. As she sent back a vague story to her sister about sandy beaches and cool breezes, her phone began to buzz, shining the name ‘Mom’ across the screen in bight letters. With a smile, she answered.
“Hey mom,” she sighed.
“Hey, sweetie. Is everything okay? That text sounded kind of heavy,” her mother asked, her soothing voice tinged with concern. Amara thought it must’ve been a special mom power to know when something was wrong, but just this once, she couldn’t give into the comforting embrace of her mother’s safety.
“Oh, no, everything’s great!” Amara feigned. “Perfect, really. I just hadn’t noticed that I forgot to keep in touch, so… you know, I’m trying to catch up, is all.” They conversed about a bit of everything and nothing at all, and after a short while, Amara ended the phone call promising that she’d try to keep in touch more often.
Tucking the phone back into her pocket, she looked over at Nova in the driver’s seat with a sigh of relief. “They’re okay.”
Nova flashed her a smile. “I told you they were.”
“I know, I know, but… it just feels good to hear their voices. You said the war is pretty much guaranteed and we’re the ones who initiated it. I know Kal plays dirty, and he had to get it from somewhere.” She gnawed on her lip nervously. “It made me worried that…”
“That Callahan might have sent an attack squad to Strathford in an attempt to gain the upper hand,” Nova finished. Amara shot him a look that was part fear, part anger. “Hey, I don’t need the mate bond to understand what you’re going through right now.” He glanced at her quickly before returning his eyes to the road. “But it helps.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Nova reassured. “As far as I know, Nemoy didn’t hint at any thoughts of war in his return letter accepting Callahan’s offer to meet. If Callahan isn’t setting a trap of his own, then we have nothing to worry about regarding the threat of war.”
Amara nodded. “But he’s not above taking an inconspicuous hostage or two, just in case?”
Nova chewed his cheek. “Callahan’s a ruthless leader, he’s not above much.”
“Which is why you’re pretty sure we’re marching into a trap.”
He nodded. “Which is why we’re preparing for the worst.”
“Okay,” Amara said, feeling the beginning pangs of a stress headache t
hrumming just beneath the surface. “So when do we leave?”
“Nemoy said as soon as he hears word back from Callahan, we’ll be safe to travel. Until then, our primary goal is to make sure no Valley wolves cause any ruckus in Strathford.” Nova tapped the steering wheel in quiet contemplation. “Things have been eerily tame since Kal’s escape. I don’t like it.”
Amara completely agreed. The Valley Clan was like a constant plague upon Strathford for a decade, maybe not always attacking, but always there. Now, they’ve all but disappeared?
She hadn’t noticed that she’d been gnawing on her bottom lip again until Nova tugged softly on her chin.
“You’re going to bite that thing clean off if you’re not careful,” he joked. “Like I said, it’ll be fine.”
“You can’t promise me that,” Amara countered.
“No, I guess I can’t, but I haven’t felt this sure of myself in a long time. This life, my pack, you… it’s all worth fighting for. So that’s what I’ll do.” He beamed a confident grin. “Luckily for the Mountain Clan, when it comes to fighting, I’m the best there is.”
***
Much to Amara’s dismay, their romp around Strathford was short lived. They had a quick stop at her place to pack a duffel bag of clothes, and she cleaned out her gun and knife safe just in case her specialty in weaponry would be needed. She hated to think that way, but she knew it was a very really possible outcome as she tucked the last of her knives into a safe place.
They made a quick circuit around the city, meeting up with various guard wolves for updates as well as checking in on anyone Amara felt the need to. She peeked through the foliage just south of her mother’s sun room and could already smell the fresh baked pie she had in the oven. The windows were far from where she was standing, but Amara could just barely make out her mother flitting from one end of the kitchen to the other, totally in sync with her baking habit.
Nate was keeping watch over Sadie, and easily pinpointed her location at a classy diner on town limits. She was out with friends, laughing and talking animatedly about something Amara couldn’t make out, sipping a fruity-looking drink from a martini glass. It made Amara smile to see her sister being so in tune with life again. She wasn’t letting Kal hold her back from experiencing life. There was a lesson to be learned there, Amara thought, but maybe after this war business was finished.
The Eastern border, where Valley and Mountain wolves had seen by far the most conflict in recent years, had only faint scents of Valley wolf activity, Nova said. At the nearby police department, Mac and Madge the receptionist were talking outside, basking in the sun and chatting about who knows what.
Murphy’s looked cold and sad in its lack of use, windows dark and lifeless when normally Amara and Mitch would be in there prepping for the day’s regulars. A single sign hung limply on the outside doors. It read ‘Closed Temporarily. Be Back Soon.’
Aside from the bar, everything seemed almost… normal. And not the normal that Strathford was known for, scary and wary with more than a little bit of paranoia thrown in.
Normal normal. People were laughing and spending time outdoors. Her mother had windows open wide as she baked, welcoming the natural sunlight. No one was looking cautiously over their shoulders or ducking their heads low in hopes to remain unseen by the underlying threat that always diseased this town.
It had been nearly a month since the wolf attacks stopped. No one seemed afraid.
As much as Amara wanted to remain vigilant in her suspicion, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of warmness at the situation. After decades of torment, they deserved this peace.
Even if it meant she’d have to go to war to preserve it.
***
Two days past after the trip to Strathford before Nemoy received the letter. Having seen the state of peace that her hometown was in after the Valley wolves stopped invading, Amara had trained tirelessly the entire time. All of her doubt, hesitation, and fears had finally subsided the moment she left Strathford limits that last time. Seeing all those unafraid, smiling faces was her motivation to keep going, even when her mind and body wanted to quit. She wasn’t fighting to prove herself any longer. She was fighting for them. She couldn’t afford to be afraid.
Nemoy entered the training area as she was floored by another one of Nate’s sweeping kicks. She glanced worriedly at Nova, knowing how much he fretted over her whenever she got hurt, but he wasn’t paying her any attention. The two brothers were conversing back and forth in hurried whispers, and Nemoy had an open envelope clutched in one hand.
Nate reached a hand out to help Amara up. “What do you think they’re talking about?” he asked, nodding at Nova and Nemoy.
Amara dusted off the dirt on her sweats. “See that letter?” Nate nodded. “I think it’s the one we’ve been waiting for.”
Amara noticed throughout the past few weeks that she and the wolves had more differences than just the ability to shapeshift. The way they acted and reacted, their thought processes, their moral compass, nearly everything registered on a more feral scale to her. It wasn’t enough to be scary, but sometimes it did give her pause.
This was one of those times.
At the very mention of the war, every shifter within earshot was instantly on alert. The air filled with excitement instead of solemnity, anticipation instead of fear. Amara related the reaction to a wolf before a hunt, the eagerness of running and jumping and being the freest version of themselves right there on the tips of their noses.
In that moment, it didn’t matter that some of them might die, or worse, the Valley Clan might overpower them and throw their lives into turmoil forever. All there was and all there ever would be was the hunt. In a battle of predators, no side expects to be the prey.
Amara thought worlds differently than that. Unlike them, she was typically prey. She was the deer fighting among wolves, and as much as she hated to victimize herself for even a moment, it did offer a clearer insight to their odds that she hoped would help them in the long run. They were out manned, going to someone else’s home court, preparing for a trap and a war. They couldn’t afford to run in blinded by anticipatory bloodlust.
She looked over to Nova, and he was already gazing at her with the type of worried tint in his dark eyes that wholly confirmed her suspicions. She turned to walk to him, but he inconspicuously held out his hand to stop her. Whatever needed saying to her, needed saying to everyone. She’d long since learned that if she was going to try and blend in with the pack, she needed to adhere herself to the pack dynamic, even if her mind worked differently than theirs. She nodded her obedience as Nemoy began to speak.
“Everyone.” Nemoy didn’t need to yell to get everyone’s attention. Even without shifter senses, Amara could feel the power in his voice as he addressed the crowd of warriors. “I’ve received word back from Callahan Vann, Alpha of the Valley Clan wolves. He eagerly awaits our arrival to his lands in hopes that we may discuss peace.” The last word hissed darkly between his lips, dripping in cynicism and scorn.
His words were met with boos and hisses from the crowd, accented by whoops and howls. It raised goosebumps on Amara’s skin, and when she looked to Nova for some form of reassurance, he only glared stony-eyed out into the sea of wolves, properly affecting his role as leader of the Protectors.
“But,” Nemoy continued when the din died down, “we all know that peace doesn’t come easily to Callahan Vann, don’t we?” More ruckus and jeers from the crowd. “We are tired of playing his games!”
“So we will go to this meeting, but not as brothers looking to reconcile, but as warriors!” The cheers were deafening, beating against Amara’s eardrums in an almost tribal tempo. “The time is long overdue to show the Valley Clan that Mountain wolves are not to be challenged.” A thunderous chorus of howls echoed through the compound, punctuated by wild stomps and savage poundings upon chests; it vibrated on, over, and all around Amara in a spectacular display.
Her eyes lan
ded once more on Nova, and again he was already looking at her. But something was different this time. Though she could tell that he was checking to see how she was handling all of this untamed ovation, she also couldn’t ignore the heat of the moment and the allure of the atmosphere in his eyes. Not so deep down, Nova was enjoying every bit of this brutish ceremony.
What did she expect? He was a wolf after all, just like them. She’d known the two of them were different from the night they’d first shared a bed together. She’d known that she’d probably never fully understand how it was to live life as a wolf, just as they’d never fully understand her life as a human. She’d known from the day they’d gotten married that she was pack now, and to be pack was to embrace everything about them and assimilate. She knew she wouldn’t fit in, not entirely, and it never influenced her decision. She didn’t intend to have it do so now. She steeled her gaze towards the man she loved with all her heart, and gave him one affirming nod.
The smile Nova flashed at her was incandescent. This was her husband, her mate, in his purest form. He’d always be wolf, and she’d always love him for who he was.
She turned to Nemoy as the cries still rang strong in the sky. “Alpha! When do we leave?”
Nemoy didn’t seem surprised to hear her speak first. Slowly, the howling and baying began to subside as each wolf realized that Nemoy was poised to speak once more. “Start preparing for departure immediately,” he said, eyes unwavering from Amara’s own gaze. “We descend the mountain at sundown.”
Chapter 11
Nova gave Amara a fleeting kiss before Nate hurriedly pulled her towards the nearest SUV. The council members were to travel separately to work out any last minute strategies, and though Nova was willing to stretch the rules to have her ride with him, she’d surprisingly declined the offer.
Mountain Wolf Protectors Complete Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 35
