Crystal Lake Pack: The Complete Series: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance

by Candace Wondrak

As the hours dragged on and the scenery outside the Jeep changed, my mind raced. No longer in that cabin, I felt better, more lucid. My head felt more cognizant. It was then, of course, I realized what I’d said to Forest when he’d first burst through the cabin’s door. Those things about Hannah…

  Well, it was far too late to take any of it back, and now the doubt was planted, little seeds in the back of my mind. I didn’t want to replace Hannah; no one could truly replace anyone, especially a loved one, but now Forest probably thought I did. He probably thought I was insanely jealous of the dead woman. God, how embarrassing—and how totally wrong.

  Jealousy was the last thing I felt toward Hannah. The woman was dead. What kind of twisted person would be jealous of a dead woman? The image of Hannah in my nightmare was just that. An image. Not the real Hannah. The real Hannah was probably nice and kind, just as beautiful, and patient. She had to be patient to deal with Forest.

  Still, the dream Hannah might’ve just been a figment of my imagination, part of Clay’s magic, but parts of it were rooted in reality. My fears, mostly. I’d never be able to stand in Hannah’s shadow, didn’t deserve to. Not like it mattered, because I wasn’t with Forest, even if my wolf wanted his.

  Even if I kind of liked him, too.

  I’d made a fool of myself. A right fool. A big, fat idiot. Plus, I’d brought up Hannah, which Forest definitely didn’t need any reminder of, after the mass shifter funeral.

  The man driving, who still refused to tell me his name, like it was the most well-kept secret around, gripped the steering wheel tighter as he glanced at me. “Something on your mind?” The way he spoke, hesitantly, as if he wasn’t quite sure how to talk to me, made me annoyed even more.

  “Nope,” I said, staring out the window. I wanted to fume by myself, but seeing as how I was stuck in a Jeep with a stranger and a dying Forest, maybe fuming wasn’t the best option. “I’m an idiot,” I muttered, resting my chin on a balled-up hand.

  “Any reason why you’ve come to that revelation now?” the man asked, sounding like he cared, but trying to hide it. “Please tell me it has nothing to do with the alpha. The alpha that is currently bleeding all over my backseat.”

  I snuck a glance behind me, finding Forest had passed out. I stared at his chest, watching it rise and fall slowly. When I returned my view to the front, I asked, “Why do you hate him so much? He’s a good man.” A good man who might overstep some boundaries, but a good man.

  The newcomer let out a laugh. It was a bark of a laugh, unattractive in every way, full of disbelief and incredulousness. “A good man. A good man who I need to have a talk with, apparently.” There was a pause before he muttered, “Sarah was right, damn it all.”

  I didn’t like the way he brought up my mom’s name so nonchalantly, and I had no idea why he’d have to talk with Forest—to yell at him for barging in the cabin? Seemed a moot point now, given he was on the fast-track to Diesville.

  I blinked. “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Did something happen between you and Forest?”

  “You can say there’s a bit of bad blood between us, yes.”

  I stared at him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  His hands tightened on the wheel. “Nothing.” And that was that. The man would say no more until the familiar streets of Crystal Lake came into view, and even then, his lips were sealed shut as he parked the vehicle, hours later. He was the first to step out, into the dimming daylight. The drive had been over four hours long, and Forest had only regained consciousness twice.

  As I got out of the car, I was instantly bombarded by three shifters who had made a mad dash from the house the Jeep had parked in front of. Three shifters who took turns hugging me, smelling me, and, most importantly, kissing me.

  Maze, Dylan, and Landon.

  Their immediate affection was almost enough to block out their past dream versions, but not enough to distract me from Forest’s wound.

  The man gestured to the vehicle, moving beside me, taking me away from my three mates before any of them could speak a single word. “Go help your alpha. Take him upstairs, set him down carefully. Don’t touch the arrow—it’s coated in wolfsbane.”

  I moved my gaze along my mates.

  Maze stood, shoving his hands in his pocket, nodding along to the man, like he couldn’t argue with him. His blonde hair was messy, a bit greasy, and his face was stubbly, as if he’d neglected self-care since I’d left.

  His twin looked much the same, only his hair, a bit longer, was combed back, his brown gaze flicking between the newcomer and me.

  And Landon? Even Landon, the jerk of the group, didn’t put up a fight. He gave the man a nod and practically saluted him, trying hard not to let his blue orbs linger on me.

  What the hell was going on?

  Sarah burst through the front door of the house, tears in her eyes. “Addie, you’re here.” Before I could respond, Sarah was running to me, engulfing me in a motherly embrace. “You’re safe. I thought…you had me so worried, honey.”

  The man coughed, and Sarah was slow to break off the embrace. She looked at the newcomer, saying, “Henry’s here. He came back around shortly after you left.”

  “Wait here,” the man said, sauntering up the porch’s steps with a gait that practically screamed badass. I could see him through the windows in the living room, and yelling erupted shortly after in the house, loud enough for all to hear.

  It was not long before Henry stormed out of the house, his face red and furious, murder in his eyes. The old man shot a glare my way, shaking his head and swearing as he looked at Sarah. He said nothing else, walking right past Maze and Dylan, who each had an arm around Forest, carrying the alpha into the house as Landon held open the door.

  Damn. Whatever the man said, it certainly had a good effect. I would have to ask him what he said, because I needed to learn to deal with Henry like that. Fast and efficient.

  We followed the guys into the house, and I resisted the urge to go upstairs with my mates, with Forest. I’d dig what answers I could out of this stranger and my mom, and then I’d join them. Then we could brainstorm, come up with a way to stop the poison, reverse it and save our alpha.

  The three of us were alone in the living room a minute later, inside Forest’s house. Nothing had changed, nothing seemed out of place. It was like I had only been gone for a moment, though my mates’ haggard appearances said differently.

  I looked at Sarah. “Can you tell me what’s going on? It’s impossible getting answers out of this one.” I gestured to the other man…at the man who currently stood a few inches too close to Sarah. For all our sakes, he best step back.

  “I told him not to tell you anything,” Sarah said. “I’m sorry. I thought it was a discussion I should be a part of, too.”

  I was not in the mood for games. “What?”

  “Adeline,” my mom spoke slowly. It was never a good thing when she used my full name. She set her hand on the man’s arm, in a manner that was much too familiar and…almost loving? “This is Arthur.”

  My mood plummeted. I knew that name, because I’d heard her say it on only a few occasions. I started to shake my head, not wanting to hear it aloud. This was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now.

  “Your father,” Sarah finished.

  I stared at my mom.

  Then she stared at my father.

  I did a whole lot of staring in those next few moments. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. This guy was my father? This dude? This was the man who visited the pack, stole my mom’s heart, and ran away with her? Granted, he was a bookish kind of handsome for a man, clean-cut in an accountant sort of way, but he did not hold a single candle to a shifter male.

  His arms weren’t muscular beneath that jacket, and he looked like he had a bit of a food belly. Just a small bit of flub, but it was there.

  He was…quite the opposite from what I imagined. The very opposite. I didn’t find him da
shing at all—although maybe that was a good thing, considering he was my freaking father.

  Finding my voice, I said, “You’re the high warlock of power? You?”

  “Expecting something else?” Arthur spoke—he would forever remain Arthur. Not father. Not dad. Just because he saved me didn’t mean I forgave him for leaving Sarah, for getting her pregnant, taking her out of her pack, and then dumping her like trash when he knew from the beginning he would be one of the world’s seven high warlocks.

  High warlocks weren’t supposed to have a family, and if they did, they were killed because of some old-fashioned tradition of murder I still didn’t understand.

  My staring turned to glaring.

  So that’s why he and Forest were at each other’s throats. To say they had bad blood between them was a serious understatement. Sarah was supposed to be Forest’s mate, way back yonder, and then suddenly a nerdy warlock swooped into town and pulled the rug out from under him.

  My glare turned to ice.

  The others had acted like scaredy-cats around him. What did he say to them before the rescue mission? He wasn’t trying to act all fatherly now, was he? The time for that had long passed. I was grateful that he saved me, but it was as far as our connection went.

  “Yes,” I finally said. “I was expecting a bit more of a man.”

  “Addie,” Sarah gasped. “Your father just saved you—”

  “I know, but now Forest is dying, and you know what? I wouldn’t even have gotten into this problem if he could’ve kept it in his pants twenty years ago, Mom. He’s no father to me, just another man. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going upstairs.” I did not wait to hear from either of them, spinning on my heel and marching toward the steps.

  When I’d gone from the room, I overheard Arthur say, “She gets her attitude from you, you know.”

  Sarah laughed. “As if you’re the most amicable man around. Don’t be silly.”

  Don’t be silly. I blinked. Don’t be silly? No one was being silly, and there was certainly no need for Sarah to say don’t be silly in such a laughing, flirtatious way. Hearing her use that tone of voice made me want to be sick.

  Whatever. I wouldn’t think about it. They hadn’t seen each other in years, so it was only natural Sarah would be a little doe-eyed. At least, she had claimed they hadn’t seen each other, but at the rate my mom had spoon-fed me lies, it might just be another one.

  This day could not get any worse.

  Chapter Six – Addie

  A stupid thing to think, I realized, remembering the whole Forest-on-death’s-door thing. I emerged up the steps, finding my guys standing in the hall. Seeing them should make me happy, and my heart did speed up as they turned to look at me, but it was a true happiness, not something that lasted more than five seconds as I glanced at Forest’s room, where the alpha laid on his bed.

  Maze was on me in an instant, wrapping his arms around me in a hug that was slower, more deliberate, than the other one outside. He pressed his nose against my hair, breathing me in. “Addie, I’m so glad you’re back.” His hug loosened but did not let go, as if he was afraid to release me completely. “We all are,” he added, after throwing a quick glance to the others.

  With a nod, Dylan moved beside his brother, practically pushing him out of the way as he examined me. Beneath his glasses, his eyes roamed across me, traveling to my feet, slowly drawing up. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  I still wore the same clothes I had on when I left, the clothes I’d changed into after falling into the lake. They were a bit rancid now, not to mention I needed to shave like crazy, but I was alive and whole, mostly. More than what could be said for Forest.

  “I’m okay,” I said. “It was a lot of mind games, a lot of nightmares.” Telling them the truth, what I’d seen in my nightmares and how they’d acted, would only hurt them, so I kept it to myself. I also didn’t tell them about Clay hurting my wolf, which therefore hurt me, at least in my mind.

  It would seem my wolf was me, but I was not yet my wolf—and I wouldn’t be until I shifted. It was not on my agenda anytime soon. There were other things that needed my attention, like the dying alpha laying in his room.

  “You are never leaving our side again,” Maze said, to which Dylan nodded. Their protectiveness was sweet, and it made me smile—even if the smile fell off my face quickly.

  They only wanted me safe. I’d been stupid to walk away from them, downright idiotic for believing I could go toe-to-toe with Clay.

  Landon was busy watching me, his blue stare almost knowing, like he knew there were things I wasn’t saying, bits of the story I chose to keep to myself. Would he call me out on it? He opened his mouth, “What happened?” When I was about to ask him what he meant, his stare flicked to the bedroom.

  Oh. Good. He meant what happened to Forest, not me.

  “Clay shot him with an arrow tipped in wolfsbane,” I said, recalling the moment. At the time, I’d thought it was fake, all another nightmare. It was the last bit of insanity that swam through my mind because of Clay. The look on Forest’s face before he collapsed was one I would never forget, regardless of what happened tonight. “He doesn’t have much time.” The words felt wrong in my mouth, and I hated saying them.

  “So that’s it, then?” Maze asked. “Forest is just…going to die?”

  The mere possibility made me upset, and before I knew what I was doing, I said, “No. I’m going to find a way to save him. He’s not going to die. I won’t let him.”

  Maze agreed with my bravado, “Right, because alpha or not, he’s one of us, and we take care of our own.”

  With a sigh, Dylan explained, “He means because Forest is a mate to you as well.”

  Why did everyone keep saying that? My cheeks flushed, a flaming heat I could not stop from taking over my skin and reddening them. Like I was in middle school or something. Ugh. “He is not. You three are—”

  I stopped talking when I looked between each of them. Maze was unimpressed with my argument. Dylan only shook his head no, and Landon only frowned.

  It was the frowning one who said, “Addie, it’s okay. I think everyone against it is downstairs.”

  “That’s your dad, yeah?” Maze whistled. “Man, he’s a scary one, when he wants to be.”

  The last thing I wanted to talk about was Arthur—and the thing before that was Forest as my…mate. It just wasn’t possible.

  “Arthur,” I said. “His name is Arthur. The man has been gone my whole life, so he doesn’t get to be called my dad, or my father, or pappy or whatever.”

  “I think pappy is for grandfathers,” Maze chimed in. “In which case, you have wonderful Henry.” His wit was quick, and normally I would appreciate it, but today, I wasn’t in the mood.

  “Point is, don’t let him bully you. He has no right.” My gaze once again drifted to Forest’s room. “Just like he has no right to hate Forest.”

  Landon asked, “Can Arthur heal him?”

  I shook my head. “He said the most he can heal is a papercut, so I’m assuming healing isn’t one of the super-powered abilities of the high warlock of power.” I thought it over. If there were seven high warlocks, one of them being Arthur as power, surely another one had to be Clay’s master. Death. And, by extension, if there was a high warlock of death, there had to be one of life. Healing magic was possible; Arthur just couldn’t do it.

  Could I?

  My magic was fickle, but it had always worked when I’d needed it…or at least, I thought it had always worked. What happened that first round in the murder cabin, I was unsure. Still, I was capable of it, and simply because Arthur was the high warlock of power didn’t mean that was my specialty, too. Maybe my magic didn’t come to me easily because I’d been going about it all wrong.

  Maybe I was gifted in other areas, just not sheer power.

  I glanced to my arm, where Clay had cut me to drain some of my blood out. The line in my forearm was a scab, past the itchy phase. If anything, it looked l
ike the scab was already shrinking, trying to close up the skin underneath and fall off. “How long was I gone?”

  “Three days, why?” Dylan asked.

  I studied the twins, paying special heed to the arms that had gotten burned at the barrier. There was hardly a single blemish on them, now. My healing could be due to my shifter side, even though I wasn’t fully shifted yet…or, I could go out on a limb and hope it was a little magical.

  I moved to the bedroom door, half in and half out as I paused to say, “I’m going to need Arthur up here.”

  Maze, like a good little mate, started for the stairs. But then he realized what I asked for, and he stopped. “Yeah, can I ask what for? Or is it, like, some kind of father-daughter thing?” When I threw him an exasperated look, he swiped his hands through the air and said, “Forget I asked.” In the next moment, he was down the stairs.

  I moved into the bedroom, trailed shortly by Dylan and Landon. They weren’t kidding when they said I’d never leave their side again, were they? “Are you guys going to follow me into the shower, too?” The instant the question left my mouth, I wanted to take it back.

  Not something I should’ve asked. A bit inappropriate, given everything.

  “Do you want us to?” Landon asked, crossing his arms, a cocky playfulness in his tone. This was the Landon I liked, this was the Landon I had to remember, not the would-be rapist in my nightmare.

  I bit the inside of her cheek. “I’ll have to think on it, but I’ll let you know.” Damn, I had some game now, because I never would’ve said something like that before. Then again, it was hard comparing my old life to this one; these guys were not like any human males I’d ever met.

  Heck, before coming to Crystal Lake, the words male and female were hardly in my vocabulary at all. Now I said and thought them a bit too often.

  Figuring I might as well ignore the smirk on Landon’s face and the bewilderment on Dylan’s, I moved to the side of the bed, sitting gingerly beside Forest’s body, motionless save for the occasional breath. Even that was labored, like it was painful, hard to use his lungs. The arrow that protruded from his gut had long since dried, its sharp tip coated in maroon. Whatever wolfsbane was, it had to be strong stuff to knock him out like this.