“My bag is down in the bedroom in the back of the closet. I need you to open it and check the little black satchel that’s at the top. Make sure it has my ID, the wallet with cash and cards, the spare phone, and one of those charger units. If it’s all there, bring it out here. I’m going to talk to Lauren, make sure she understands the boundaries, then we’re getting out of here, okay?”
Kelsie nodded quickly. I kissed her softly, then let her go and she darted down the hallway towards the bedroom. I followed her until I reached the open door down to the basement, then after one deep breath, trotted down the stairs to find her now in clean clothes, though they had the stink of storage on them.
She seemed to be standing a little steadier, bu
~ Cain ~ “Cain… get away from her,” Kelsie said, very quietly, but very sharply, her footsteps slowing, then stopping entirely while she was still on the stairs above me. I wanted to turn and look at her, to reassure her. But the expression on Lauren’s face was making me nervous, and I didn’t want her to have any opportunity to come at Kelsie around me. So I stayed facing my former mate, but spoke to my love. “Kelsie, I know how this looks, and yes, she’s upset. But that’s natural. She didn’t know about the claiming. But I’ve told her now, she just needs to understand—” “No, Cain. I’m serious. Get away from her. She’s not safe.” I risked turning to look at my mate, sending a rush of reassurance through
SOUNDTRACK: “Legends are Made” by Sam Tinnesz and COFER. ***** ~ Cain ~ In a wolf-shifter’s life there was always a battle of sorts. As youths we had to learn to control the urges of our animalistic sides. Our wolves were driven by instinct and need—for survival, for reproduction, for domination. Our human hearts and minds had to learn to control those drives in our animals, because animals didn’t think. They reacted. For an Alpha to truly dominate, their human heart and mind had to be dominant over their wolf’s. I’d always been warned about that, from the moment I was
~ Kelsie ~When I’d gone back to the bedroom to get Cain’s things I had been drenched in insecurity—reminding myself of all the wonderful things that had passed between us, trying to get my heartrate to slow. But my head kept throwing up all the reasons why I should be unsure of him, how little we knew each other, how short of a time we’d spent together. So I did my own battle on the inside as they faced each other. I yearned to talk to Cain, to encourage him, to strengthen him, but I was terrified of distracting him as the two of them clearly prepared to do battle.And then, in a blink, she threw herself into the air, shifting into her wolf. And a heartbeat later, Cain met her in the air, and two of them began to fight.Heart in my throat, I gripped the ha
SOUNDTRACK: “Show You How It’s Done” by Sam Tinnesz, UNSECRET, and Ryan Oakes. ***** ~ Cain ~ I was going to lose this if something didn’t change, and fast. Worse, Kelsie was going to lose. It had taken Lauren only two or three minutes to figure out what I was doing, and now she was throwing every effort forward not to take my throat, but to get past me to reach Kelsie. And the frustrating thing was, I could have taken her a dozen times already—or at least, had a shot at it. If we’d been in an open field and Kelsie wasn’t nearby, I would have taken risk after risk, know
~ Kelsie ~It was the strangest sensation. Utterly surreal. Seeing death come at me, knowing the heart and mind behind it, seeing the truth.If I’d had time, I would have laughed. She didn’t know. She didn’t have a clue.Even Cain was clueless, I realized, as it all became clear to me.My stomach clenched when she feinted and he fell—a flash of fear that she’d turn her attention back to killing him.But no… I should have known. I did know.She didn’t want Cain dead. She wanted him free. Of me
SOUNDTRACK: “Vampire” by Fame on Fire (or if you like Post-Screamo, try the version of the same song by Our Last Night!) ***** ~ Cain ~ The early dawn light was a haze of pink and purple beyond the trees where we stood in the shadows on the edge of the clearing. I sighed to relieve some tension, then shook my head ruefully as I looked down and to my right where Kelsie stood with her chin high and smiling like she was arriving at a party. It would have made me laugh if I wasn’t so overwhelmed and nervous. But instead, I squeezed her hand and waited, turning to look for our… announcer. It was petty-minded of me, but I couldn’t help smiling a little bit as I watched Lauren stumble past us to the center of the clearing. Hunched and ragged, her
~ Cain ~ As the pack turned to face me—witnessed her submission, and watched to see how I would take it, it was up to me to win their hearts and minds. If I didn’t, if they challenged me now, I would have only myself to blame. “She’s telling the truth,” I called to them, echoing the words in the link which was now crystal clear to me. “Approach her and test her scent. Her wolf is… gone.” There was an uncertain murmur for a few seconds, but I refused to let them see my nerves and just stood there waiting. I could feel the question in Kelsie, but she was watching, fascinated, as slowly, one by one, the men—the wolves of my pack in their human forms—began to creep closer, eventually leaving the shelter of the trees
~ Cain ~“Tell me,” I growled, low and hard. “Tell me how that day went down when I ended up betrayed by my mate and my brother.” I seared him with my eyes, let him see and feel my fury.But although he tensed, Felix only sighed.“I had already been… enticed,” he admitted.I felt sick. But Felix went on, relentless.“She’d promised me that she’d raise me. That I would become Alpha over the others, except her. She’d promised me that I would have her all to myself. I just had to make you believe that it was me who was running the whole coup. She didn’t think… she didn’t think she could fool you if you had a chance to actual
~ Cain ~The celebration lasted late into the evening. We talked and joked through the afternoon until the bonfires were lit. Then we feasted and danced. And the pack… whatever had happened between all of us was a miracle. Because suddenly, Kelsie could hear all of them clearly, and they could feel her—sense her love, her strength, and her heart.And they were starting to love her as much as I did.Well, almost.For the past hour we had huddled together on a log next to the bonfire, a thick blanket over our legs. But then Kelsie leaned into my ear and whispered, “I need to go to the bathroom. And I’m going to have to put pants on, there is just too m
~ Kelsie ~I’d been giddy all morning. Nervous, but only the kind of anticipation that came with something exciting. Cain and I were already mated, already claimed and marked. So I didn’t expect the ceremony to have any real impact, except to make me and my mother cry.But the moment the wolves closed in around us, it was like the air began to crackle.And then, when Cain started the words, goosebumps trickled down my spine.He swallowed hard, his voice deep and husky—and echoed a second time in the pack link.“See here my will that is bowed to yours,” he started quietly. “I eat my pri
SOUNDTRACK: “Every Part of Me” by BASHAM. ***** ~ Cain ~ Staring at Kelsie as she looked up at her Dad—whose face was a picture of relief and pride—made my heart begin to beat even harder. I didn’t know where she and her mother had found such a gown, but she looked stunning in it. It looked like the entire thing had been knitted—like a thick, luxurious cableknit sweater, yet somehow it hugged every curve of her body from the high turtleneck, all the way down to her hips where it flared and hung in heavy gathers—but when she moved, the fabric clung to her legs beneath the skirt as well, revealing every curve and… I had to clear my throat and remind myself we had an audience as Kelsie reached up to hug her father, and the pack began to gather
SOUNDTRACK: “N E W H E A V E N” by Conquer Divide ***** ~ Cain (three months later) ~ ‘Where are you, beautiful?’ ‘Won’t be long, they’re just finishing my hair.’ ‘Your dad is just about ready to plan a siege of the house if you don’t come out soon.’ ‘Mom will keep him under control, don’t worry,’ she laughed. I wasn’t so sure. I stood at one end of the small clearing near our packhouse, arms folded and my sweater-sleeves pulled up to my forearms because that was how Kelsie liked them. My breath made a cloud in the winter air, b
~ Kelsie ~I was stunned when Felix became human again. Then hope rose in my chest, because he was clearly weak and struggling. Bleeding and panting, staring at Cain and struggling to speak.A little piece of me crumbled. He looked so shaky and broken. I wondered if he would submit and Cain would let him live. I could feel my mate’s conflicting emotions, that he didn’t relish killing his brother. But the betrayal…The fiercest emotion burning in Cain was rage—at the betrayal.I knew this wasn’t easy on him.I swayed closer, wanting to go to him, but knowing I couldn’t intervene while they were still technically fighting.All the wolves stared at them, eyes cold a
~ Cain ~Had I been fighting another wolf who didn’t know me so well, this was the moment to engage, to rush and take their neck high and bear down, flip the dog on his back and close on his throat if he didn’t submit.But Felix would be expecting that. And sure enough, in the blink where he realized there was no danger behind him and returned his full attention to me, he switched—rushing his longer body and heavier weight forward, on the attack, to make me hesitate.I didn’t even think, just let my instincts take over and feinted, first to one side, then the other, waiting for the third switch and praying Felix would instinctively anticipate it.And he did.A howl of victory started in my head as Felix shifted h
~ Cain ~‘Kelsie, get back!’ I screamed in the link as I leaped into my wolf to meet an attack for the second time in a handful of hours.There was a sick pit in my stomach, something that told me I would hate remembering this day. But there wasn’t time to think about it or give in to regret.I had a wolf to kill.I didn’t hesitate.As Felix raised his hackles to make himself look as big—and be as difficult to grip—as possible, I was already flying through the air towards him, ready to take the throat of my own brother.But for the second time in a few hours, time slowed, as if I moved through thick mud and saw ever
~ Cain ~Shaking with the intensity I turned to Lauren. “You hated me that much?”“I never hated you,” she breathed, but she didn’t meet my eyes. “I just… I wanted to have what you had. And… Felix…” she trailed off. I waited, but then my patience snapped.“Felix, what?!” I roared.Many of the wolves flinched, including Lauren, whose head dropped even lower. She clutched her hands in her lap.“Felix admired me. He needed me. He wanted me. You… you didn’t.”“Didn’t need you?” Are you fucking kidding, Lauren?! You were my mate!”
~ Cain ~“Tell me,” I growled, low and hard. “Tell me how that day went down when I ended up betrayed by my mate and my brother.” I seared him with my eyes, let him see and feel my fury.But although he tensed, Felix only sighed.“I had already been… enticed,” he admitted.I felt sick. But Felix went on, relentless.“She’d promised me that she’d raise me. That I would become Alpha over the others, except her. She’d promised me that I would have her all to myself. I just had to make you believe that it was me who was running the whole coup. She didn’t think… she didn’t think she could fool you if you had a chance to actual