Leander

“I think you need to explain what the hell that was!” I snap at Bastian as soon as I’m through the parlour door.

After Sara passed out in my arms, I rushed her back to the mansion. I took her to my room, where Toby checked Sara over. He told me that Sara was perfectly healthy, apart from exhaustion.

Toby said to let Sara sleep as long as she needed, then I’d get my chance to find out why she told her parents about our kind. I’ll also be able to tell Sara all the information she lacks when it comes to shifters.

Once Toby left the room, I ran a warm bath, stripped Sara, and bathed her, all while she slept.

It was hard not to notice how beautiful and toned her body is, though I tried not to stare. But Goddess knows I’m just a man!

How could I not note her pert little breasts, flat stomach, thick thighs, and bubble butt?

I pushed it to the back of my mind while I cleaned every inch of her body and hair.

I lifted Sara out of the bath and wrapped her in fluffy towels. I dried her body and her hair, but I didn’t blow dry it because I don’t know-how, if I’m honest. That and blow drying a passed out person’s hair would not be easy.

I put one of my t-shirts on Sara and smiled at how big it is on her small frame.

I combed Sara’s hair as best I could before laying her down in my bed. I covered her, tucking the covers under her chin, and kissed her head before leaving her to sleep.

I quickly changed my clothes and then headed downstairs, where Mum and Dad demanded to know what was going on. I told them the abbreviated version of who Sara was and how I’d explain everything to them when I knew myself.

Sara has a lot of explaining to do, but I won’t allow anyone to cast judgment until I know all the details.

Mum and Dad left to visit Adrian and Tracey, my aunt and uncle, and I made my way to the parlour. Luther had told me that he, Bastian, and Lilly were waiting for me.

I’m pissed off that Bastian was staring at Sara the way he was. He had to have noticed how uncomfortable Sara was; the girl practically clung to me in fear.

I would have expected more from Bastian. He’s mated to my sister, so what right did he have to be looking upon another woman the way he was?

My woman at that!

“Sit down, Leander, and Bastian will explain.”

I bite my lip at Lilly’s order and take my seat beside Luther.

“Get on with it, Bastian.” I snap before scrubbing my hands over my face.

I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I’m more than just protective of Sara. I have been since the moment I set eyes on her a couple of months ago. The Goddess only knows how I’ve managed to stay away from Sara so long, but I did.

Most upon finding their mates can’t stay away from them, but I knew that I had to, coming from where she did.

That and everything that happened with Lilly, I couldn’t go to Sara even if I wanted to, which I did.

I could have gone to Sara once everything had settled down, but still, I didn’t.

Goddess knows that was stupid.

‘You’ve got balls of steel, my friend.’

‘Not that you helped!’

My wolf has badgered me for months to bring Sara here, but I held firm.

“I wasn’t staring at Sara for the reasons you so obviously think, Leander. To be honest, I’m insulted.”

“Then, why were you?” Luther asks.

He may be angry that Sara told her parents about our kind, but he’ll always be on my side.

Bastian sighs before scrubbing his hands over his face. Lilly takes his hand in her own, and Bastian smiles in her direction.

He looks at me again. “Do you remember my sister?”

I shake my head. “Not really,” I remember the Ashworth’s attending the Snow Ball with a newborn, and I remember them bringing her the following two Christmases, but I don’t remember her as such.

Though I do remember Bastian speaking about her a while ago and how desperate he has been to find her.

“You know that she disappeared when she was two?”

I nod in response.

I remember the wolves of Zidiah and the surrounding packs searching for a child. I was too young at the time to remember much, but my parents sat Luther, Lilly, and me down and explained how Alpha and Luna Ashworth’s little girl had gone missing.

I didn’t understand back then what it meant; I just remember how sad everyone was for a while.

The Ashworth’s attended the Snow Ball every year and still do, but no mention of a child was ever heard. It’s as though they pushed aside what happened, putting on a brave face for those around them.

Though my family has heard about Stella a few times since Bastian and Lilly mated.

Bastian stopped coming to the Snow Ball when he reached sixteen, and I never questioned why. Looking back, even though he also put on a brave face in front of people, he was a nightmare to Lilly, Luther, and me after Stella went missing.

Bastian couldn’t stand being around us, and I often wondered if that had anything to do with him missing his sister.

Perhaps he was jealous that Luther and I had our sister, and his was gone?

No one ever mentioned Bastian’s sister, nor what may or may not have happened to her. There were no leads as to where the child could be, nor any evidence to say that she was still alive.

I do remember how Luther and I became more protective of Lilly and how we watched her closely. We were just kids, but we were scared someone would take off with our sister or that she’d be killed.

I know that after three years of the Ashworth cub being missing, the authorities stated she must be dead. If she weren’t, there would be leads of some kind.

“It took me a long time to admit that Stella was dead, just recently, in fact,” Bastian tells us.

I’m guessing he’s already spoken to Lilly about this because she’s merely supporting him but saying nothing.

“I loved Stella so much. I always wanted a sibling, but my parents believed they’d never be blessed with another cub. When Stella came along, I was ten, and though I prayed for a brother, the moment I saw her, I was lost.”

‘What’s this got to do with anything?’ Luther asks through our mind-link.

‘Shut the fuck up and listen to him!’ Lilly butts in before I get the chance to reply.

“The day Stella went missing, she ran into the woods. I chased after her because Mum would have gone crazy had she known. I could hear Stella giggling and calling my name, telling me to come and find her.

“I laughed and continued chasing her, but then Stella went silent, and I couldn’t find her anywhere. I lost her scent so quickly; I didn’t understand what was going on. I searched everywhere, but Stella was gone. I ran home and told my parents, who then set about trying to find their little girl.

“You have no idea what it’s like to forever wonder if your sister is still out there somewhere. To be told that she’s dead and to never find a body that we could bury,” Bastian shakes his head and lowers it, hoping no one saw the tear slip from his eye.

“When you ran out of here earlier,” Lilly picks up. “We all thought something bad was happening, so both Luther and Bastian went after you. The reason Bastian was staring at Sara is that he not only recognised her scent but her face.”

“What are you saying?”

“I think you know what they’re saying, Leander.” Luther rolls his eyes at me.

I suppose I know what Lilly and Bastian are saying, but I’m not sure I believe it.

“You want Stella back so badly that you’d have yourself believe that Sara is Stella.”

“Don’t do that, Leander!” Lilly snaps. “Bastian hasn’t got this wrong, and you’re going to let him speak with Sara as soon as she’s awake.”

“Not a chance!” I get to my feet. “Sara is confused. For Goddess sake, Lilly, Sara didn’t even know she could shift until five months ago. The girl doesn’t have a clue who she is, and until I’ve explained everything to her, no one is speaking with her. Do not go against me, Bastian; I mean it!”

I don’t give anyone the chance to respond; I’m not in the mood. This has been one hell of a long day, and all I want is to lie down with my mate and sleep.

Now that Sara is with me, no one is coming between us because I will kill anyone who tries.

* * *

I’ve been watching Sara sleep for the past three hours. I haven’t moved from the chair beneath the window. I also haven’t taken my eyes off of her once.

She’s more beautiful than I first thought. I’ve never been this close to her before, and I can feel the mate bond growing stronger with every passing second.

I hope and pray to the Goddess Selene that Sara is feeling what I’m feeling. She doesn’t know much about mate bonds, and I will inform her that she has the right to reject me. However, I hope that she doesn’t because I’m not sure I’d survive it.

“No,” I sit straighter in my seat when Sara mumbles in her sleep. “I want...” I get out of my seat and make my way over to Sara. “My...” I sit down beside her and take her hand in mine. “Mummy.” She lets out a sob that cuts me deep.

I stroke her hair back from her forehead.

“Sara?” I try coaxing her awake. “Baby, it’s okay,”

“No,” Her head thrashes from side to side. “Want to go home,”

She sounds incredibly childlike, and I have to wonder if she’s dreaming about the day she was taken from the woods.

I can’t even deny looking at her this closely that I see Bastian in her features. I’m looking at Stella Ashworth, and she doesn’t have a clue who she is.

I can’t just spring it on her; she wouldn’t believe me if I did.

There’s a lot for Sara to learn before she can know the truth of her parentage.

The trouble is, I don’t think Bastian will want to wait until Sara learns all she needs to know. I can’t blame him for that; he’s waited sixteen years for news of his sister.

Bastian is going to tell my parents and his own, and I’m not sure which way round he’ll do that.

I have to have an honest talk with Bastian about waiting. I know our wolves don’t see the point in waiting for much, but he needs to wait this time.

No matter how much it kills Bastian to wait, he has to.

Humans raised Sara or Stella, or whatever I’m meant to call her; the human world is all she knows. Being told that she was kidnapped will be a big shock, much less knowing everything about shifters. The world Sara thought she knew is not all there is.

“Sara?” I try again when tears fall around her temples. “Wake up, sweetheart.”

“Leander?”

I smile as she opens her eyes slowly. “Yes, it’s me. You were dreaming,”

Sara nods her head while pulling herself up and against the headboard. “Where am I?”

“Dalgaard Mansion.” Sara narrows her eyes, but I smile while holding both of her hands in mine. “I know you’re confused about a lot of things right now, one being how you got here. The truth is that I brought you here when you passed out in the forest.”

“Dalgaard Forest?” I nod my head. “My wolf told me that I shouldn’t have gone so far because it would be dangerous. She said a family owned it,”

“My family,” I cut her off. “My name is Leander Dalgaard.” Her mouth forms a perfect O, and I smile. “You have nothing to fear from me or my family, Sara.”

“Is your father really a King?”

I tuck her hair behind her ear. “Yes, and my mother is the Queen. King and Queen of what, right?” She nods.

Everyone knows England has a monarchy, but they don’t know that England has much land that belongs to shifters. Most of the land is enchanted, and humans don’t even know that it exists.

“My parents are King and Queen of Zidiah, a city of wolves.”

“Werewolves?” Sara swallows hard.

I shake my head. “No, we don’t call ourselves werewolves, though most in the human world would refer to us as such. We’re shifters, and there are many kinds out there, not just wolves. You are one of us, Sara.

“There is much for you to learn, and I will teach you everything there is to know. Right now, you need to know that we are mates and what that means for us.”

Sara pulls her hands out of mine. “I am so confused.”

“I’d be surprised if you weren’t confused, Sara.”

“What does it mean? Us being mates, I mean.”

“It means that we’re soulmates. The Moon Goddess chose us to love and protect each other for all eternity. I won’t lie to you, Sara; you have a choice. If you don’t want this,” I move my finger between the two of us. “Then all you need to do is reject me. Just say your full name, state that you reject me by using my full name, and the mate bond will break. It will be painful, but only for a moment or two. Once the bond breaks, you will no longer feel a connection to me, and you can move on with your life.”

I can already feel my heartbreaking at the thought of Sara rejecting me.

I should tell her what it would mean for her should she choose rejection. I don’t know what kind of wolf she is because Sara is unreadable, though I don’t believe she’s an Omega. Regardless, death could come for her at any time.

As a Romerian, if that happened, it would kill me also, but so could the rejection. But I won’t put that guilt on Sara’s shoulders. She doesn’t need to know that it could kill me. I want Sara to choose me because it’s what she wants, not because she feels there is no other choice.

Sara doesn’t strike me as the kind of girl who would let someone suffer if she were able to prevent it. But I’m not the type of man who would allow a woman to stay with him out of duty. I never want to see my mate unhappy. Staying with me because she feels she has to would only lead to her unhappiness.

‘What do we do if she rejects us, Leander?’

‘I don’t know, Valerius. All I do know is that it has to be Sara’s choice, and I won’t influence her either way.’

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, Leander. I don’t even know where I am.”

I stroke the back of my knuckles down Sara’s soft cheek. “You’re in my home, Sara. I brought you here to rest.”

“Why am I not in my own clothes?” Her eyes are wide, and she swallows hard while looking down at the t-shirt she’s wearing.

“When I brought you here, I stripped and bathed you. You were passed out cold, and I didn’t want to put you to bed with damp hair and damp clothes; you would have caught a chill. You’re wearing my shirt,” I shrug like it’s nothing, but it’s obviously something to Sara.

She bites her lower lip, and I realise she’s embarrassed that I’ve seen her body.

“You have nothing to feel embarrassed about, Sara. I’m your mate; it’s not as though I wasn’t going to see your body sooner or later.”

She nods her head but seems unconvinced.

My gut drops a little because I have a feeling Sara is going to reject me. All I can do is try and show Sara that we’re meant to be together. How I’m meant to do that? I don’t yet know. All I do know is that I won’t stop until she’s mine.