False Blood

by Tamara White

  I dip my head, embarrassed and pleased at the same time. This is going so much better than I thought it would.

  My father clears his throat, drawing my attention, “Brent said in his letter that you had it rough with the pack. I want you to know, that won’t be the case here. We will always look after you,” he promises, coming over and pulling me up and into a warm hug.

  It feels so much like my dad’s hug, that I sink into it, finally feeling at ease. My mother joins us, wrapping her arms around the both of us. It feels like home even though I still miss Dad. He may not be my biological father but he is still Dad to me. I can only hope I get to see him again.

  After a few minutes, we break apart before it starts to get uncomfortable, and I glance at the guys to see them smiling softly.

  My father looks down at me, sadness lining his vibrant green eyes, “So, Brent tells us you’ve only shifted once. Would you care to explain why? And why you refer to your wolf as a ‘beast?’ Your wolf isn’t a beast, she should be a part of you,” my father explains as if me calling her a beast is the problem.

  My heart speeds up, panic clawing in my chest. Crap, I don’t really want to explain my beast. As it is, I don’t quite understand it myself. It’s just always how I’ve referred to her. She’s never been a wolf inside of me, always an animal with raw power. After my first shift, I knew she was no mere wolf, but a beast of untameable power.

  I take a step away, ignoring when my parents exchange concerned glances, “I’m sorry if I offended you by calling my wolf a beast, that’s just how it’s always been. When I first shifted, Dad was the only person with me. Back then, I thought he was ashamed of me because he didn’t want me to shift with the pack like all other wolves do when they come of age. Now I know it was fear of what I could shift into. He still ran with me, even though his fear radiated from him in waves. He was terrified of me, my own father.

  “My beast and I enjoyed our freedom, but when we got back to the house, Dad took me straight to my room and ordered me never to shift again, especially in front of the pack. His fear for me was so profound that I knew I couldn’t shift again. I had to keep my beast locked away not only for myself but for his peace of mind.”

  I take a deep breath before ploughing on, “Since then, I’ve kept her locked away in my mind. She only breaks free every now and then when I suffer from some extreme emotion. Usually my eyes go amber like any other wolf, but this last time my eyes went blood red. Dad knew the time had come for me to leave the pack and find you. He did mention something about my wolf having red eyes in my first shift, but I didn’t even know it was possible, let alone that it had happened so I just pushed it to the back of my mind.” There’s silence after I finish my story, as they all run through everything I reveal.

  “How do you feel about shifting for me? We could go down to the training facility, where you can shift, so we can see your ‘beast’ or we could go to the outskirts of town, where there’s a small patch of land I like to use for runs?” my father says, offering me an alternative.

  I hesitate, not sure about showing my parents my beast. They only just met me, I don’t want to scare them away in the same day. “We can go to the training facility, but can it just be us? And you guys can come too. You deserve to see me as I am before we talk about any soul-ties,” I add, looking over at Devin. Talon and Nik want nothing to do with the soul-tie, so I’m not too fussed with how they feel, but it’s only fair Devin sees what my beast is. Who knows, it may send him running and I’ll end up with no soul-ties.

  My mother rises from her seat, an elegance in her movements. “Good, it’s settled then. We just have to let our advisor know, in case we’re needed,” she smiles, reaching for the phone on the table beside the couch.

  Talon pales, reaching up to rub his chest, roughly where my name is branded. “Oh fuck,” he murmurs, his eyes darting over at me anxiously.

  Nik groans and Devin chuckles making Talon throw a cushion at him with a glare. It doesn’t stop Dev from grinning over at him like a madman, “You’re going to be in trouble,” he sings in a too-cheery voice.

  I don’t get it. Why would he be in trouble with the advisor? “Why, what’s the problem?” I ask confused.

  Talon faces me, slightly afraid. What could cause such a reaction? “Heather is the queen’s advisor. She’ll come in and see us, you with my name scrawled around your neck. It’s going to be a big argument,” he sighs in defeat.

  Oh. Of course I have to see his girlfriend. Why wouldn’t I see their girlfriends straight after finding out I have some kind of mystical connection that ties us together by fate? If I didn’t, I’d think my life was too easy! Stupid freaking fate!

  My father pats me on the shoulder, “Hold on, I’ll go get a scarf from Sierra’s wardrobe. You can wear that until we’re alone again,” he says, before running into a back room, then coming back with a pale purple scarf. He wraps it around my neck before turning to glare at Talon, “I don’t want Heather starting an unnecessary fight. That doesn’t mean we won’t talk about your soul-tie later. You boys and I are going to have a long, long chat.”

  That’s just great. Another protective Dad is all I need. Especially when I’m dealing with three hot attractive guys.

  I’m never going to get laid.

  Later and a knock on the door has Talon rushing to answer it. He greets a tall brunette woman, offering a kiss on the lips, driving my beast insane.

  Devin steps in front of me, blocking my view of Talon and the woman I assume is Heather. “Calm down Em, your eyes are turning red,” he whispers, running his thumbs over my cheek, wiping away a tear that has fallen. I have no idea why I’m crying. I barely know him! It shouldn’t feel like this in a matter of hours. What’s wrong with me?!

  I bury my face in his chest, trying not to look back. “I can’t help it. My beast is going wild, she wants to rip her to pieces for touching what’s hers” I murmur, clinging to his shirt and breathing in his scent all the while keeping my eyes shut. If I can’t see them, maybe it will help. Doubt it, but it’s all I’ve got right now.

  Dev lets out a pained groan, stroking my back as I bury myself in his scent. “Ax, please don’t kill me for this,” he whispers, lifting my chin and pressing his lips to my own.

  Every thought leaves my mind, my whole self focusing on Devin’s kiss. His soft lips, the gentle stroke of his tongue, and the taste of liquorice. I wrap my arms around his neck pulling him closer, kissing him with the passion that burns inside of me.

  A throat clears, interrupting us. “Um, guys, you know we can all see you right?” Nik’s strained voice pops the bubble Dev and I created around each other.

  I start to pull away from Dev only to have him grip me tighter, holding me in place. He stops the kiss but keeps me close to him, so I won’t have to see Talon and Heather. It’s probably for the best because I couldn’t pretend our kiss didn’t happen if my life depended on it. It was full of fireworks that I definitely wouldn’t forget any time soon.

  “Sorry, guys. Our princess here just needed a little love. Hope you don’t mind,” Dev says looking over at Sierra and Axel.

  Both of them have wide grins on their face, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh no, we don’t mind. Who better to have a soul-tie with our long-lost daughter, than one of our oldest friends,” Sierra beams, making a blush spread across my cheeks.

  Shouldn’t my parents be more disturbed by the fact I made out with one of their friends than basically approving it? It makes me wonder how old the guys are if they’re some of their ‘oldest friends.’

  Heather’s staring at me, shock on her stupid, beautiful face. How can someone be so god damn beautiful? “What do you mean ‘daughter’? I thought the wolves killed your baby when you were taken?” she asks, sarcasm lining her voice making my beast perk up. She’s watching her with a look of fury. I don’t blame her one bit.

  Heather is a goddess compared to me. Six-foot-tall with beautiful, chocolate brown hair flowing down to her wai
st. Her face looks as if it’s been carved from the finest white marble, pale with soft pink lips, hazel eyes and a cute, button nose. Jeez, if I was into girls, I’d probably be into her more than any of the guys.

  How can I compete with that?

  Sierra watches her, annoyance clear in her eyes. She obviously heard the sarcasm too. “Yes, Heather, it’s a long story but this is our daughter. We called you up here to let you know we’re going to the training facility for a while. We’re not to be interrupted unless it’s an emergency. I trust you to handle anything that comes up while we’re occupied,” Sierra barks at her, a touch of Queenly frostiness in her voice.

  “Of course, my Queen,” she nods, quickly pulling out a tablet, tapping away. “Do you want to have a celebration to mark her arrival or do you wish to keep the news to yourself for now?” Heather asks, pen poised.

  “We’ll have a celebration tonight. Do not tell anyone our daughter has arrived, we wish to tell everyone tonight. If it is leaked, there will be repercussions,” Sierra warns, eyes flashing red for a millisecond.

  Wow. I thought an advisor would be someone she trusts? Why is my mother treating her as if she is worse than dirt? Shouldn’t she be her closest friend or something?

  Heather jots down notes, before replying to my mother, in an even tone, “Very well, my Queen. I will see to it that the celebration is grand, worthy of honoring you and our King.” She jots down the last of her notes, adding the last tap, hard enough to make the screen groan.

  My mother nods, pleased. “Good. You may go now,” she says, dismissing her.

  Heather glances my way, before kissing Talon passionately and stalking from the room, head held high. I know she did it for my benefit but why? Is she really that territorial? And how on earth would she know there’s an attraction between Talon and I?

  My father rushes around the room, throwing a jacket on, “Let’s hurry before anyone else needs us. I have a feeling Heather will tell Felicia about this and she’ll come to investigate. You’re going to have to be careful around them until your soul-ties are sorted,” Axel warns me, leading us all into a hidden elevator beside their fireplace. It’s pretty nifty having a hidden elevator in their room.

  We go down five levels to the basement, and I gasp when the doors open. It’s some kind of magical wonderland. There are plants and trees growing down here. How is this possible?

  “What is this?” I ask, marvelling at the sight. So many plants are growing like a hidden away forest. It’s amazing! It looks like the sun reaches down here, but that is impossible, I know we’re hundreds of feet below the surface.

  My mother steps to my side, intertwining her arm with mine, “This is a gift from the witches. We signed a treaty with them not long ago, and this was their gift. They knew Axel had to go to the edge of town to shift because there is a werewolf pack in town, so they offered him his own personal retreat. He still goes to the forest if he feels too confined down here, however, this area is perfect for him to shift and train our coven to learn how to fight with a wolf in their natural territory,” Sierra explains, leading us down a well-travelled path.

  We arrive at a small cabin, too modern to fit in with the forest feel around me. Dev drags me inside before the others can say anything. My mother reluctantly lets me go without a word but I can see in her eyes she wanted to spend more time with me. The cabin is filled with a small area of lockers and an open shower big enough for several people to share. Dev goes to the lockers straight ahead, digging through the contents until he finds what he’s looking for. “Here, get changed into this so you won’t ruin any of your clothes,” he says holding out a pale blue dressing gown.

  I take off the scarf, folding it gently and placing it to the side before stripping down. Dev stops me before I strip off my bra. “Uh, maybe you should do that in there,” he mutters, pushing me into a changing room.

  “Sorry, I didn’t even think. I guess I’m just used to wolves changing in front of each other. I didn’t really stop and think. I’ve never really had the chance to shift so I guess I’m a little out of sorts,” I ramble on nervously. It’s only just occurred that I’m going to be naked in front of not only my parents, but three incredibly hot guys who my beast wants. That’s not tempting fate at all.

  “Oh, don’t worry I’m not bothered by your nudity at all, actually I encourage it,” he smirks, winking at me before closing the door to give me the privacy to change as he keeps talking. “However, the King and Queen, who are also your parents, expect me to hold a certain level of respect for you as your guard as well as someone who has a barely formed a soul-tie with you. So for now, I’d rather not risk the temptation of seeing your flesh. I have no doubt in my mind that I would want to taste you and we just don’t have the time for that. Maybe later though,” he says with mischief on the other side of the door, sparking my arousal.

  I rip off my clothes quickly, trying to ignore the need my beast and I have vibrating inside and pull the dressing gown over me. Taking a deep breath, I walk out, trying not to let the fact that Dev’s eyes roam over my body taking in everything. The dressing gown covers everything important though it leaves my legs bare. He takes it all in before shaking himself out of his daydream, leading me back to Talon, Nik and my parents.

  “You guys took your time. What were you doing?” Talon demands the moment he sees us emerge from the cabin.

  Rolling my eyes, I fire back, “Nothing, we were talking while I got dressed.” He can’t have it both ways. I’m either his soul-tie and he wants me or he has a girlfriend and wants nothing to do with me. No in between. Dev has actually shown interest. I can do whatever the hell I want with him.

  Axel steps up, stopping Talon before he can respond, “Tal, stop. We’ll deal with the soul-ties after we see Emerald’s wolf. I need to know what to expect and whether or not we can let her shift within the coven without supervision.”

  I grin, glad he got shut down. Petty I know, but the guy has been bugging me since I got here, acting all superior and knowing. It’s nice to see him taken down a peg or two.

  My mother steps up beside me, taking my hand gently, “Honey, you can shift now. We’ll turn away if it makes you feel more comfortable?”

  I take a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment. “No, I’ll be fine, just give me a moment,” I tell my mother, turning my back on the lot of them. My beast is all too willing to come to the surface and check out the men she’s attracted to. She feels safe in our present company, not objecting when I force the shift. I open my eyes, confidence flowing through my veins. I can do this. Who cares if they get scared. I can always run away to be by myself if they reject me and my beast.

  Dropping to my knees, I pant as the shift takes me, moulding each bone to suit my beast’s form. After what feels like forever, I can breathe easily again and shake the remnants of the dressing gown off my shoulders. Being my beast has me feeling free for the first time in a long time. We’re no longer confined in my body, keeping us separate from the world.

  We stretch out, turning to face the people watching us. There were gasps when I shifted, but we blocked most of it out while we concentrated on uniting our souls. There’s a balance being my beast. Like there are three entities inside me, fighting for control. My human side always wins out, my beast always pushing, trying to come to the front. Then there’s a dark entity in the deepest part of my soul. I never dare to acknowledge its existence.

  My father approaches me hesitantly as the others stand by watching. “Emerald, can you hear me?” Axel tilts his head, looking for my human consciousness inside of me.

  I yip and pounce towards them making them scramble back in fear. It saddens me to see my own parents afraid of me. I’m the same height in my beast form as I am in my human form so I understand it’s intimidating. Most shifters shift into a wolf the size of a natural wolf, though maybe a couple inches taller, depending on the power they have.

  Talon steps away from the others, ignoring the warnings from my father,
slowly approaching me with a look of fascination on his face. He stretches a hand out and I push my snout forward into his hand, enjoying the feel of his warmth through my coat. “You’re magnificent!” he breathes, stroking along my nose, and between my eyes. “Guys, come here.” he beckons Nik and Dev over to me.

  They both offer their hands the same way Talon did, and I respond, purring like a cat. Talon laughs at the sound, scratching behind my ears, while the others chuckle.

  “She sounds like a kitten,” Nik laughs, stroking along my collar bone, where his name would be on my human form.

  Dev smiles looking into my eyes, “You are so beautiful,” he murmurs. “Guys, look at her eyes. They’re red. Have you seen that before? I thought all wolves had amber eyes when they shift?” he asks excitedly.

  My eyes are red? Cool. I bark in excitement, startling them.

  I watch as my parents finally gather the courage to come closer, since I haven’t attacked Nik, Dev or Talon. My father reaches me first, “My eyes are amber when I shift but I imagine she has the vampire soul mixed with her wolf, which is why she is the way she is. I can feel the dominance rolling off her in waves. It’s remarkable. No wonder Brent told her not to shift again. She frightened me until I saw how much she enjoyed your interactions. Anyone else would be just as afraid but they probably wouldn’t be as accepting as we are. She’s just, unique,” he says running his hand up my nose affectionately.

  My mother approaches tentatively, “Do you think it’s because we’re two different species? The witches told us she would be fine, powerful, but fine. Though we never really asked them anything more about her, especially when we thought she was no longer alive. Maybe we should ask them before the ball? They might have the answers we need. Do you mind if I take a picture of you Emerald? Just so I can show them later?” Sierra asks hesitantly.