Shifted Scars: A Wolves of Forest Grove Novel

by Lawson, Elena

  They didn’t ask me any questions as I strode past them and up the stairs to shower the blood off my hands and discard my crimson splattered shirt. They still didn’t ask me a damned thing when I came out of the bathroom and found them both on my bed waiting for me with an icy cold whiskey and understanding expressions.

  Maybe it was the fact that they didn’t ask, or maybe that I saw no judgement in their eyes, that made me want to tell them, but after a time—and two whiskeys—I did just that.

  They didn’t try to hide their surprise, but I got no sense from them that they thought what I did was wrong. I didn’t stop at admitting I’d just killed a witch, though. I’d already told them how he’d been following me, trying to get me to go with him to speak to an Arcane Council member. The whole pack knew that now, otherwise bringing him to the moon chamber for questioning would have led to too many questions of their own. But I also shared with Viv and Layla my suspicion that Gregory was to blame for the missing wolves and my fear that they wouldn’t be coming back.

  That I’d failed them.

  We had planned to wait up until Seth and Destiny returned from Portland and Clay from burying the witch’s corpse, but by the time Clay returned, the three of us girls had fallen asleep in my bed. The whiskey sending us off with a wave and a warmth deep in our bellies.

  I awoke to the soft press of lips against my forehead and the shifting of blankets as Clay drew them up to cover me and the girls. He whispered to me to go back to sleep, brushing a knuckle down the length of my jaw in a way that made me shiver before he left. I wasn’t able to fall back asleep until the shower had stopped running and I sensed Clay shifting and curling up to sleep below the window outside in his wolf form.

  Knowing he was close, not only so that he could protect us, but also so I could protect him if needed, allowed me to drift back into a black and dreamless sleep.

  I sensed him coming as the grip of a restless sleep eased and I blinked into the barely-there light of early morning. Jared. A sigh of relief blew out through my lips as I carefully maneuvered myself from the bed, careful not to wake Layla and Viv just yet.

  I tiptoed to the door and down the stairs, skipping all the boards that I knew creaked underfoot so I wouldn’t wake Clay outside, either. I inched the door open and shut behind me and took off toward the trees at the edge of camp, where I could sense him approaching on quiet bare feet over the hard packed dirt.

  The sun hadn’t begun to rise in earnest yet, and a chill still clung to the air that told me it was likely not even five am yet. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself as I slipped past a few of the smaller cabins and into the trees. The scents overwhelmed my still-waking senses, and I breathed in the grounding bouquet of wet earth and cold pine as I waited for Jared to find me.

  It didn’t take long. About a minute later I spotted him walking through the foliage in his human form. A pair of khakis riding low on his hips.

  “Hey,” I said lamely when he was close enough to hear, fighting a blush.

  He smirked, sighing as he came to a full stop a couple of feet away. “Hey.”

  “We should talk—”

  “I couldn’t sleep—”

  We spoke at the same time, and Jared bit his lower lip, tucking his hands deeply into his pockets. “You first.”

  “No, you go.”

  He pursed his lips. “Okay. I…”

  He scratched the back of his head, making some of the dirty blond strands stick straight up. “I’m sorry I freaked out. I shouldn’t have left.”

  My jaw set of its own accord, and my wolf woke within, prowling. Usually, my guys could do no wrong in her eyes, but on this one, she agreed with me. Neither of us were fucking happy.

  “I’m not what you seem to think I am,” I replied, my hands clenching, drawing his attention. “You...you put me on this pedestal like I’m perfect—like I can do no wrong, you always have. But that’s not true. That’s not who I am, Jare.”

  His brows drew down, shadowing his amber eyes as a muscle in his jaw ticked. “That’s not fair, Allie.”

  “Not fair?” I demanded, hating how my voice was growing in volume but completely unable to help it. He’d hurt me last night. Just leaving like that. Making me feel his disgust. His shock. His fucking dismay at what I had to do.

  “What’s not fair is having to feel your judgement after I did something you knew damned well needed to be done. I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect my family.”

  My voice broke on the last word, remembering what it was like before. Living with the ghost of my dad after my mom died giving birth to me until he died too, succumbing to his illness without putting up a fight. Hell, even my aunt and uncle ditched me within a few months of taking me in after he was gone.

  For years Layla and Viv had been my only family while I lived alone out in the woods, barely surviving on berries and oatmeal because I didn’t want to burden anyone.

  Things were different now, though. I had a family. A real one. This pack meant more to me than I could ever express in words and it wasn’t just my alpha wolf that felt fiercely protective over them, it was my human side, too.

  I’d die for any one of them. And I wouldn’t stop at killing Gregory if the threat against them persisted. I’d end the life of anyone involved in hurting my pack. Not just because it was my job, but because I wanted to. Needed to. I wanted to earn their respect, their friendship. Their loyalty.

  “Whatever. It. Takes,” I reinforced when Jared made no reply, instead, staring at me like there were a thousand things he wanted to say but had no idea where to begin.

  Fine, if he didn’t want to talk this through then I wasn’t going to make him. A short snarl fell from my lips as I spun on my heel, ready to go back to the cabin and dump half a bottle of Bailey’s into a coffee so I could get through whatever the fuck today decided to throw at me.

  His hand closed around my wrist, stopping me dead, and I tore my arm from his grip, baring my teeth. “What?”

  His lips parted but no sound came out. Pain ripped through me, sent like a vibration down the mate bond straight from his heart to mine. I winced, guilt hedging in to blot out the anger trying to take hold.

  “What, Jared?” I asked again, more softly this time, my chest heaving. Then even more softly, “I needed you. I needed you to support me, to be there for me, and you weren’t.”

  “There’s nothing I can say to make up for that,” he gritted out, lifting his hard gaze to mine. “But you’re wrong about something.”

  I waited for him to continue, trying to keep a level head and not make this worse than it already was.

  “You are exactly who I thought you were,” he said finally. “Stronger than I could ever be.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

  “You’re right that it was hard to watch you do what you needed to—”

  “Eliminate the threat,” I amended, speaking the words he was clearly too afraid to voice aloud.

  He nodded. “It was hard to watch, not because I was disgusted at you or horrified or any shit like that. It was hard because I’m not sure I’d have had the strength to do it myself.”

  My nose wrinkled, confusion muddying my thoughts.

  “The mantle of alpha was always meant to eventually pass to me from Ry. And...I can’t help thinking that I would’ve been absolute shit at it. I’m weak, Allie. A coward. You barely flinched while you took out the most likely threat against our pack. I felt your resolve like a cement wall. No cracks. No second guessing. You knew in your bones it was the right thing. The only thing.”

  He shook his head, letting his gaze finally drop.

  “I don’t think any less of you, Allie. I envy you. I envy your strength. And it fucking eats at me that you have to be the one to deal with all this shit when it should’ve been me.”

  “No,” I choked out, stepping in closer and forcing him to look at me. “You don’t get to do that. If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead or worse by now. My
psycho ex would’ve killed me when I didn’t mate him after he bit me. If not for you, I’d have remained homeless. Alone. You’ve given me more than I’ve ever had.”

  “And taken away more than I could ever replace.”

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  His eyes narrowed.

  “You are strong, Jared. I know it even if you don’t because I can feel it here.” I pounded a fist over my heart. “And because I’ve seen it with my own eyes. If I wasn’t here I know you’d be able to step up and do whatever you needed to for this pack, but I am here, and I’m glad it’s me.”

  I realized how much it might hurt me if I had to watch him do something that might taint his self-image or moral views. If I had to watch a darkness creep over his soul like the one that had already begun to creep over mine long before I had to kill Gregory.

  It was a callusing of the spirit. A building of resilience. Born of understanding that in the many many years to come there would be trials you needed to face and you needed to face them head on without apologizing.

  Jared looked doubtful at my admission, but he didn’t argue.

  “Does that mean you’ll forgive me for being an ass and taking off on you?” he asked with a hopeful gleam in his eye. I knew he was just trying to get out of the conversation, and I was hesitant to let him, but when he threaded his fingers through mine, I gave in.

  I licked my dry lips and tugged on his hand. “I forgave you about three seconds after you left, but I fully expect at least a week’s worth of groveling.”

  His full lips tipped up at one corner and a short laugh escaped. “Done. How about I start with making coffee and breakfast. I have a couple of hours before I need to be getting to the quarry.”

  My stomach rumbled loudly at his suggestion. “Only if you make those banana pancakes.”

  “The ones with the chocolate sauce?”

  I nodded, salivating already, and Jared chuckled. I could already feel his inner turmoil easing as we made our way back to camp.

  The fire pit was just coming into view when my wolf sensed danger approaching. I tugged Jared to a stop and listened to the sounds of the forest. “Do you feel that?”

  “I don’t—”

  “Shh.”

  I closed my eyes, wondering if I should shift, my heart lurching into my throat. There was something…

  My eyes snapped open.

  “Seth,” I growled before drawing on my wolf. I ran toward the east, following the faint sound of his approach. It was him. My wolf recognized the feel of his pack bond. But what was he doing out here? He should have been sleeping still.

  My stomach twisted as I shifted and a yelp left my canine mouth as I barreled onward, heading straight for him.

  Allie, came Jared’s voice in my mind, his wolf right at my heels. Where are you going?

  He must’ve heard or sensed Seth a moment later because his voice in my mind ceased. I howled, calling to my other mate in case we needed help, my chest tightening.

  I couldn’t explain it, but I just knew something was wrong. Seth was never up this early. Seth wouldn’t be running toward pack camp from the east before five a.m. He just wouldn’t. Not unless…

  My eyes bugged wide as I caught sight of him in his wolf form, limping as he ran through the foliage. Archer at his side. He must have left his patrol station on the first ring to escort Seth in case he didn’t make it.

  I skidded to a stop as our paths met, my wolf wrinkling its nose at a foreign smell clinging to his broken body.

  What happened? I demanded, circling him as Clay found his way to us, churning up dirt as his claws scraped over the earth.

  What’s going on?

  We were attacked, came Seth’s reply as he bowed his head, his sides heaving and bloody saliva leaking from his jowls. Just outside the third ring. We didn’t even see them coming.

  My heart in a vise, I scanned the forest behind him, reeling, a million questions vying for dominance in my mind, but there was one I needed the answer to first. Before anything else.

  Where’s Destiny?

  Seth’s wolf whined, its sides squeezing in as his tail tucked low between his legs.

  No.

  Is she…

  They took her.

  Who took her? Jared growled, stamping a thick paw to the earth as his hackles rose and his upper lips curled back to reveal his canines. His white fur vibrating with malice to rival Clay’s.

  I don’t know, Seth admitted with another whine, his face pained. I realized his rear right ankle was broken and had set improperly. He was mostly healed now though streaks of dried crimson still matted his fur, but that ankle would need to be rebroken before he could walk on it properly.

  As much as I wanted to get him back to camp—get him properly cared for, that would just have to fucking wait.

  Seth, I urged, not realizing that I’d laced the word with the authority of my alpha status. He buckled under the pressure of it, lowering into a bow.

  I tried to ease up, hot breaths pushing out through my nostrils. Was it witches?

  He lifted his head to meet my eyes, and I found a sadness there laced with so much guilt it made my stomach turn. It was shifters. A foreign pack.

  Not Dante’s? Clay demanded, but we already knew the answer to that. Dante was too much of a coward to try anything against us. He and his pack lived peacefully beyond the third ring of our territory to the northwest. Seth had come from the east.

  No. I didn’t recognize any of them.

  I circled Seth again, picking up the foreign scent still clinging to his jet black fur. Clay and Jared joined me, committing the unique scent to memory.

  I’m so sorry, Allie… Seth trailed off, practically shaking, and I couldn’t tell if it was the pain or the guilt that brought it on. But if he thought he was in pain now, wait until Vivian…

  Vivian.

  A whine pushed up my throat and my eyes burned, making my wolf shake her head to try to rid herself of the sensation. Her mate had been fucking taken. Taken by a foreign pack. But why?

  Why take her. Attacking another pack to try to gain new territory wasn’t uncommon among shifters from what I’d learned, but this happened outside of our territory, and we had to assume they hadn’t killed Destiny. Vivian would have felt it if her mate’s life had been snuffed out. No matter the distance. But her fitful sleep last night now made a hell of a lot more sense.

  Why take her? Did they plan on using her as ransom to gain some territory? Who the fuck were they?

  My wolf snarled viciously as I made up my mind. There wasn’t only one thing to be done. Get Destiny back. Retaliate. Retaliate strong and fast. Strike hard. Show whoever these fuckers were that we were the strongest pack in the eastern USA and we were not to be messed with.

  How many were there?

  I-I’m not sure. Maybe seven?

  Think harder, I growled and Seth lowered his head, flinching away at my tone, but I was beyond keeping myself in control.

  He paused, sealing his eyes shut to recall the information.

  Eight, he finally said. There were eight. I’m almost certain.

  Where.

  He explained the location and Clay stepped forward, his gaze already set on the trees due east. I know it. I can lead.

  He already knew what I intended and he was on board. Good. One less person to convince.

  Get a team together, I shot at Jared. Ten of our strongest and fastest. Fighters. Tell Charity I need her to bring in third ring patrol and triple patrols on the first two rings. I want everyone awake and ready in case anyone tries anything while we’re gone.

  He hesitated, but only for a moment. I thought he might fight me on it, but his eyes narrowed to slits and he nodded. Don’t leave without me.

  Hurry.

  He took off in a flash of white and vanished through the trees.

  Archer, get him to the cabin and see to it that he gets some help setting that ankle.

  The new pack member brushed against Seth’s side, g
etting him moving and giving him the ability to lean on him if needed. I watched them as they passed and cocked my head, considering Archer for the first time since he and his mate joined the pack no more than a couple of weeks ago now.

  Since the pair of them arrived, our butcher had gone up in flames. Three shifters had gone missing, and the power lines to the quarry were cut. Now, one more had been taken. This one forcibly under attack.

  Our food source.

  Our numbers.

  Our income.

  I met Clay’s icy stare and let him in on my thoughts. His gaze darkened as my realization settled in his mind and his lips pulled back to reveal bared teeth.

  You think this has something to do with them?

  No, I don’t.

  It was the truth. Archer and Callum came here seeking asylum and to live without being judged for their same sex bond. Why would they do anything to interfere with that? I’d never felt even the slightest animosity from them. I had to believe they were innocent, though you could bet your ass I’d still be looking into the possibility.

  This next part was going to hurt to admit, but I’d only just promised Clay I wouldn’t lie to him and there was one other shifter who’d recently rejoined the Forest Grove pack.

  They aren’t the only ones who joined recently…

  I let the weight of that sink in for a moment before continuing, feeling the sinking in his gut as though it were in my own.

  I’m not saying it’s to do with her for certain, I hedged. But—

  But it fucking looks that way, he finished for me. Dammit, he growled, paws scraping against the ground in fury. If it’s her...fuck! If it’s her, I’m going to—

  We don’t know for sure yet, Clay.

  A human howl of pain stole our attention and both of us turned our heads on a swivel toward camp a fraction of a second before we began running.

  My chest ached as she howled again, this time it was her wolf crying out. Vivian had just found out her mate was taken. This was not fucking good.

  We broke through the tree line and entered the main ring in front of the cabin just as Vivian lunged for Seth’s throat, her sandy brown wolf sailing through the air from the front porch with jaws wide.