“Where are you taking me?” His super-hearing picked up India’s voice as they came down the corridor, “Is Garrett there?”
“It’s a surprise, but a nice one,” Bree promised her.
“Imogen, I have a lot of things I need to tell you but first there is someone you should meet,” he said quickly and she turned from him as the door opened and her sister came in.
“India! She jumped to her feet and they were in each other’s arms hugging and crying and India apologized over and over.
“How are you here, Imogen, what happened?” India exclaimed and he stood back and folded his arms as the sisters each told their stories about how they came to be here. Seann could fill in the blanks with what Garrett told him and he would after they finished their reunion.
India hadn’t been as lucky and the mutt had injured her badly before he heard the pack on his tail and he left her alone in her car to die. She was unconscious when Garrett and the others found her and had lost too much blood to survive so he bit her to facilitate her transition. She had a scar on her neck and Seann wondered if the mutt tried to claim India, to start her transition or if he just randomly bit her because he has a taste for blood.
Garrett had changed back into his human form when he was sure the girl wouldn’t wake and carried her back to the compound where they cleaned her up and put her to bed and waited patiently as she started to go through the change.
He heard Imogen say that she had been to the police, who didn’t take her seriously but Seann was worried they may go back and check up on her anyway. She would need to tell them her sister was safe, they didn’t need the police snooping around looking for two missing girls and heading out their way to look for them.
They had the same shaped noses and lips and were about the same height and build but that was about it. India had flaming red hair and green eyes and Imogen’s almost black hair and blue eyes didn’t resemble her sister very much at all.
Garrett appeared at the door and his eyes went straight to India. She smiled at him and Seann could hear his friend’s heart rate elevate. There was definitely a connection there, he hoped that it became more. India would be much more likely to accept her future if she made a connection with one of them. A little voice was whispering in his ear that Imogen would be more likely to accept her fate if her sister accepted hers.
“Do you dye your hair,” Hope asked from the doorway but both girls shook their heads.
“India gets her looks from our mother, I resemble Dad more,” Imogen said with a wide smile and Seann felt himself get sucked into it. Shit, he hadn’t planned on being mated for a very long time yet...if ever and now this gorgeous woman would likely hate his guts after he confessed what he had done to her.
“Help Imogen and India with whatever clothes they need,” he addressed his sisters. “Garrett, clear the Den, no-one but family here today, we have a lot to discuss,” he said a little too sharply and Imogen’s brows furrowed at his tone. She was already attuned to his emotions although she didn’t realize it and he felt like a heel that he was the one to wipe the smile off her face.
“We will take you to your home in the next few days to collect clothes and any other things you will need,” he softened his tone when he looked at Imogen but she stood up to face him.
“Why can’t we just go home, Seann, are we prisoners?”
“Imogen!” India gasped.
“Well, are we?” she asked again despite her sister’s embarrassment.”
“No, of course not, but there are things we need to explain to you that may come as a shock and you do need to stay until we are sure you are not a danger to yourselves or to anyone else.”
“I think you better start explaining then,” she demanded.
She folded her arms across her chest and held his gaze and he wanted to put her across his knee and spank her. She wouldn’t yet feel the weight of his commands but as she transitioned, she would and he suspected his life was about to become more interesting as this firecracker went toe to toe with him.
“Garrett is clearing the house and we will go downstairs and talk. We will tell you anything you want to know but it may come as something of a shock, prepare yourselves,” he said and stalked from the room.
He had to get away from her or he was either going to put her across his knee or pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. His groin tightened as a bolt of pure desire shot right to the area and he groaned aloud. Thinking all kinds of things that would cool his libido he went into the kitchen where his aunt was busy at the stove.
She gave him a knowing look and he nodded.
“We are going to tell them now, maybe some food would help,” he gestured to the steaming pots and pans.
“This will be ready in a little while, I put some coffee and pastries in the living room to tide you over until dinner is ready. I sent Liam and Flynn to the clubhouse with a huge bag full of burgers, hotdogs and beans for a cookout, that will keep them all happy if they don’t have to fend for themselves tonight and will keep everyone out of your hair.” she smiled.
“You’re the best, Roisin.” He kissed his aunt on the cheek and turned when he heard the low growl coming from Imogen as she stood in the doorway watching them with a strange look in her eyes. Already she was lighter on her feet, he hadn’t heard her approach.
“Imogen, this is my aunt, Roisin,” he introduced her, and she immediately stood down with an apologetic look and offered her hand to the other woman. Roisin pulled her into a hug and Imogen embraced it.
“You don’t look old enough to be his aunt,” she said appraising the other woman when she released her.
“I’m his father’s much younger sister, she grinned and Seann was grateful for the small reprieve.
“Come into the living room and have some tea or coffee, we have a lot to discuss.”
She turned to face him, “Why does it bother me so much when you kissed your aunt before I knew she was your aunt. I felt the same with your sister before I knew she was your sister.”
She was way too astute.
“I promise all will become clear,” he closed the blinds on the bank of windows and someone had already lit the fire. He put another log on top and took a cup of coffee and another pastry, he was starving, he was always starving. Imogen took her coffee and a pastry and sat on one of the sofas as the others filed into the room. India took a seat beside her, Garrett sat on the arm of the sofa never too far from her sister. Bree and Hope took the loveseat and Seann remained standing in front of the fire.
“First I want to apologize for what I am about to tell you but please know that we didn’t have a choice. Secondly, you can never tell a living soul what is said here tonight, it’s imperative to our survival.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Imogen
She sat up straighter as Seann began, he was nervous, she could sense it, feel it in her bones. The hairs on her arms stood to attention and she was having one of her ‘feelings.’ India glanced at her but for once she looked worried rather than annoyed as her sister took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
She waited patiently knowing Seann was getting himself together before he spoke, she knew without being told that what he was about to say was huge and also that it was all tied into what they were doing there.
“The lone black wolf who first attacked India in the woods, bit her and left her to bleed out is a rogue wolf, a mutt and another few minutes longer and there would have been nothing anyone could have done to save you. You didn’t see the pack of wolves that chased him away and came to help you India, as you were unconscious, but Imogen saw them when they chased the lone wolf away from her when she was attacked the next day.”
“The brown wolf bit me,” Imogen said.
“To save you, Imogen,” Hope said softly, “If he hadn’t bitten you, you would’ve most certainly have died.”
“You said I would have died too,” India added.
“Yes, you would have, you lost so much blood it
would have been impossible to save you without a wolf bite. A different wolf from the pack bit you, to start what we call a transition,” Seann continued.
“How can a wolf bite heal another wolf bite?” Imogen wanted to know.
“Let him talk Imogen,” India said looking at her sister.
“This transition means that you will be forever changed, it healed you but neither of you will ever be the same again,” Seann said but his eyes never left Imogen’s face.
“I don’t understand,” Imogen said, “What has changed?”
Seann looked solemnly at Hope who nodded and stood up.
“We are going to show you something, please don’t be afraid, she has done this hundreds of times before and you are in no danger.” Seann came to sit on the other arm of the sofa beside Imogen and took her hand, Garrett put his arm around India’s shoulders.
Hope started to undress and the two men averted their eyes, making a point of looking at Imogen and her sister.
“Why is she taking off her clothes,” Imogen said, feeling more than a little weird.
She barely got the words out before she heard a moan as Hope dropped down onto all fours on the carpet and her bones were cracking and splitting all at once as her body stretched out and her naked skin began to grow dark brown fur. She opened her mouth and Imogen could see a row of razor-sharp teeth and elongated fangs.
Hope was a wolf, in less than thirty seconds, she had changed into a damn wolf!
She jumped to her feet and looked at her sister’s ashen face. She shook off Seanns hand and knelt on the floor in front of the small wolf. Hope lay down and closed her mouth and Imogen tentatively reached out her hand to stroke her head. She looked closely at her eyes and saw the same coffee color that she thought very pretty on Seann’s sisters. Hope rubbed her head against her hand and she emitted a low, contented growl as Imogen petted her and rolled onto her back like a playful puppy.
“India,” she gestured to her sister, “She won’t hurt you, come here.”
“How do you know,” India replied but fascination won out and she came forward and Imogen moved aside to let her get closer to Hope.
“She is wonderful,” India said as she touched the wolf, “I knew I wasn’t imagining things, I guess you believe me now when I say I saw a man change into a wolf all those years ago.”
“I guess so,” Imogen said ruefully as she watched her sister tentatively stroke the wolf.
Imogen looked back at Seann who was watching her with a smile on his face.
“I am in awe, I expected fear, tears and at the very least, disbelief. But you have taken this bizarre phenomenon and accepted it readily.”
“Please don’t think for a moment that I am not a little freaked out Seann because I am, but I am also seeing this with my own eyes so I know it’s true. I sometimes have premonitions and people have always made fun of me for them, it’s why we keep to ourselves but this is so much more than that.” She watched as Hope quickly shifted back into her human form and turned her back to get dressed.
Imogen sat down again and when Hope was fully dressed, Seann took the floor.
“She can change in less than five seconds, she was doing it slowly to let you see and so that you wouldn’t be scared,” he said.
“Are all of you here wolves?” Imogen asked and he nodded.
“Yes, we are a pack. I am the pack alpha, Garrett here is my beta, we have been around for a very long time. Our great grandparents brought this pack together, some of whom are still alive. We are a family, some by blood and some by a deep respect and friendship and we are all bound by an oath not to reveal our true nature to the world at large.”
“Is that the transition you were talking about, is this what India and I are to become?” she asked Seann carefully and he nodded slowly.
“Yes, it has already begun, in about a months’ time your transformation will be complete and you will be able to shift but it takes several months before you are as strong as you are going to be and barring decapitation or removal of your heart you will live for hundreds of years,” he moved towards her slowly as if he was trying not to spook her, “I am so sorry, Imogen, but you would have died if I hadn’t bitten you.”
“You were the one who bit me!” She said and he nodded.
She found that she was oddly relieved, “Did you bite India too?” she asked.
“No, that was me,” Garrett smiled down at her sister and Imogen thought he was more than a little smitten with her.
“I guess that explains why I feel such an affinity towards you and why these two seem to get along so well,” she added.
“Not really,” Garrett said looking a little uncomfortable, “You don’t really form a bond with the person who had bitten you, at least I don’t think so. We were all born as shifters, no one else here in the compound was bitten but there are a few in other packs. I fell for India the old fashioned way, watching her sleep, stalking her,” he made a joke to lighten the mood and India didn’t look unhappy that he was admitting to liking her, but Imogen was still curious about her feelings for Seann.
“So why can I feel your emotions, Seann?” She looked puzzled, “India, can you sense Garrett’s emotions?” She turned to her sister but she was shrugging.
“No, I haven’t felt anything like that, maybe it’s just that thing you do when you have a feeling something is going to happen,” she told her sister.
“Maybe,” Imogen shrugged.
“That’s not it,” Seann said and the room suddenly went very quiet.
Imogen felt a cold shiver run down her spine and she didn’t like the way Seann was watching her.
“What is it then?” she asked and his eyes went to the scar on her collarbone. She put her hand up to touch it.
“When I bit you, I didn’t just bite to heal, I marked you,” he said and she could feel him squirming in his own skin.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
He held her gaze and she could see his jaw clenching as he faced her, “I marked you, as my mate.”
CHAPTER SIX
Seann
She was angry, he could see all the different emotions playing on her face, shock, horror, disbelief but it settled back down to anger.
He knew everyone else had slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone and she deserved an explanation from him, he just didn’t know what to tell her when he didn’t know himself why he had done it.
“Clearly it wasn’t necessary to save my life as Garrett didn’t mark my sister. Will it heal?” she asked him, her voice devoid of emotion.
“No,” he winced but she deserved the truth, “The only way to remove my mark is if you replace it with another wolf’s mark and for that to happen I would need to be dead or for our mating not to be consummated.
“I have no problem staying away from other wolves Seann, so be it, we both do our own thing.”
“You don’t understand,” he came close enough that she had to crick her neck to look up to him, “I am the pack alpha and if we don’t consummate our union, every damn wolf within hundreds of miles will try to mate with you as grounds to challenge my position. My pack will fight to the death for me, lives will inevitably be lost. God, Imogen, I am so sorry, I don’t know why I did it, it just happened. One minute I was leaning in to bite you so that you wouldn’t die and the next I was claiming you as mine.”
He didn’t miss the sudden flash of fury in her beautiful blue eyes and he felt like such an ass for what he had done to her. He didn’t even know how to explain to her that it was primal, his wolf wanted Imogen and nothing was going to stop him.
“So I have to have a mate, if not with you, then it will be with another wolf and I won’t even have a say in it!” her voice had risen a few octaves.
“You always have a say but because I am alpha you will never be free of suitors if you don’t mate with me. The bond isn’t complete either until you bite me back.”
He took her hand but she shrugged away from him,
“Imogen.”
“Don’t touch me Seann,” she started to cry and took off out the door before he could stop her.
“Fuck!” He was making a real mess of this, he couldn’t let her get too far, the pack didn’t know about his mating yet and as soon as they saw her mark, they would know. Garrett and his sisters were the only ones who saw him bite her there. He needed to catch her before she stumbled across someone else.
He tore out the door and followed her scent, she had barely gotten a few hundred feet when he swept her into his arms and carried her back to the house. She didn’t even fight him which made him feel even worse and he went straight upstairs and into his bedroom. He held her against him as she cried and his heart ached for her. He had taken her choices away, but he was struggling between regret and euphoria that he had found his mate because the thought of her mating with someone else was intolerable to him. He was already in that deep.
“I need to be alone for a little while Seann,” she looked up at him with her huge blue eyes and he wanted to argue with her. He wanted to comfort her but as he was the cause of her pain he got up instead and went to the door.
“Call out if you need me, I will be downstairs,” he closed the door behind him and leaned on it. What a damn mess he had made of everything. Imogen wasn’t pack raised, she didn’t know how things were here. If he had bitten another pack member, she would have bitten him back and that would be that. What he hadn’t told Imogen was that a wolf would never bite someone who was indifferent to him, even in her injured state she had given off signs that she would be receptive to him. He thought it would be a terrible idea to tell her just yet.
He went downstairs and into his office, it was the only place he knew he wouldn’t get disturbed. He turned on his laptop and pulled up a map of the town, he would take Imogen to her home later today to pick up her belongings, this was her home now and he couldn’t suppress a grin at the thought of holding her in his arms every night. She would pitch a blue fit when she found out they would share the same room but it had to be that way or the vultures would swoop in to try and take her.
The Children of the Moon Page 3