by M. L. Briers
“Enough for three?” He asked hopefully, eyeing the breakfast meats, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and getting a whiff of the coffee pot to boot.
“Probably enough to feed half of the pack.” Chase scoffed, sitting back in his chair and watching his mate with pride. He liked seeing the domesticated side of her. It made him feel all warm inside. And they hadn’t had a woman cooking in this kitchen for them since his mother had died. It somehow made it feel like a home again.
“I could get used to this.” Connor poured himself a mug of coffee, and stood grinning at the thought of a meal he didn’t have to cook himself.
“At least you remembered your pants this morning.” Cassidy teased just as he was about to take a sip, and he raised his brows over the rim of the cup at her in amusement.
“Getting zapped wasn’t high on my priority list for the day.” He shot back, before going to sit at the table with his brother. Both men were eyeing her across the way. Although Connor noted the way his brother’s eyes flicked to the boarded up back door every now and again, followed by the caged tension that rippled from him.
“Apparently she cooks up a storm when she’s unsettled…” Chase offered, as though whispering a secret.
“Keep her unsettled, check.” Connor shot back.
“Or anxious…”
“I’m sure we can find plenty for her to worry about.” Cassidy sent him a disapproving glare over her shoulder that made him grin.
“Or happy…”
Connor slouched back in his chair and shook his head. “Happiness is your department brother, her being your mate and all. But I’m more than prepared to punch you in the head if you’re not living up to her expectations. On a totally self serving need to get good meals and just for the satisfaction of... well punching you in the head.”
Cassidy dished the food onto the plates as she watched the brother’s easy conversation. How was she used to their banter already? It was as though she had been living with it for years? It felt good. It took her mind off… other things.
“She makes good coffee, let’s hope she can cook too.” Connor whispered to his brother, purposefully loud enough for her to overhear, as she brought them their plates and set them down on the table in front of them.
“If you don’t want it Connor…” She went to take the plate back and he balked, his fingers grasping the edge of the plate possessively, his eyes wide.
“Don’t be mean to me woman. You did zap me for no good reason yesterday.” He looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes, pleading for clemency and she chuckled.
“Don’t think that look will get you out of trouble with me. Save that one for your mate when you meet her.” She watched the mock horror wash over his face.
“Bite your tongue witch. I’ve a lot of women to bed before I find my mate.” Chase scoffed at the idea, as he tucked into the food on his plate with gusto.
“Not if Nathaniel has other plans for you, you don’t.” He eyed his mate across the table from him. “Which reminds me. We need to go and see Nathaniel today.”
“Try not to kill him Chase. He is one of the elder’s after all.” Connor mused between mouthfuls of food.
“He’s going to tell me what the hell is going on. I want the when’s, the where’s, and the how’s along with all the gory details in between.” Chase huffed. He was in no mood for any of Nathaniel’s games today. If the old man wanted to see just how pissed off his Alpha could be, he only needed to try playing the cryptic mind games.
It would end badly.
Nathaniel opened the door with an expectant look on his face. He had no time for his Alpha, his eyes were only for Cassidy, as he ushered her into the warmth of his house. Chase went to take a step forward, but the old man held up his hand, palm outwards to stop him in his tracks.
“Alone.” Nathaniel informed his Alpha. Chase took one long deep breath and raised a brow. He wasn’t amused by the old man’s attitude already.
“Nathaniel…” He started in a tone that conveyed the fact that he was already on his last nerve.
“Cassidy and I need to talk. Fae to Fae…”
“You’re a Lycan…” Chase growled down at him. The old man lifted his brows and gave him a look that was surprise mixed with curiosity? Feigning offence at Chase’s words.
“What? When did that happen?” Chase took a long steadying breath and blew it out slowly, annoyance reined within him.
“Listen old man…”He pointed a finger at Nathaniel, and the old man reached out and slapped it away.
“My visions give me the right to claim Fae abilities, even ancestry, Alpha. So, Fae to Fae. Go prop up a tree.” He slammed the door shut in Chase’s face and the Alpha growled long and low at the closed door. He didn’t need Nathaniel’s brand of eccentricity today, any day really. But after the events of yesterday, he really was down to his last nerve.
Cassidy couldn’t help the smirk that the old man’s antics had provoked on her face, and she just couldn’t seem to make go away. Watching Nathaniel and Chase interact, left her with the feeling that she was going to like this old man. By his own claim, he was part Fae, so maybe that gave her something of an ally within the pack.
She also liked the fact that he didn’t take any of Chase’s Alpha stares and glares seriously. They were kindred spirits in that regard. Now all she needed to do was find out what he knew of her fate. She was hoping it would have a happy ending. But as with much of her life so far, she wasn’t counting on it.
“Ok, spit it out Nathaniel. You got me here under false pretences. I’m stuck up a mountain. Chase is my mate. There’s a white rogue after me. So fill in the blanks.” She tried to make it as succinct as possible. She didn’t want him leading her around by the nose, the way he seemed to enjoy doing to Chase.
The old man wrinkled his nose in a kindly smile. Those bright blue eyes twinkled with mischief as he gazed back at her. It didn’t feel like an appraisal, more a thoughtful appreciation for who and what she was.
He motioned with his hand for her to take a seat and offered her a warming drink. When she declined, he sat opposite her in the other easy chair in front of the roaring fire and made himself comfortable, before he regarded her again.
“Tell me how you’re getting on with the Alpha.” He had a little upturn to his lips and a fiery glint to his eyes that couldn’t be denied. Cassidy lifted one brow and dipped her chin, pinning him in her gaze for one long moment.
“Oh I think you know Nathaniel. So let’s get to the bones of the matter, and you tell me why you forced this union.” She watched the old man’s shoulders move up and down as he gave an almost silent chuckle.
“You are a fiery little thing. I thought you would be good for Chase. He needs a firm hand.” The old man admitted. There was amusement mixed with something else in his face, but what that something else was, well she couldn’t quite pin in down.
When he put his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers, he regarded her with interest. It was almost like a game of chess, only she didn’t know the rules to this particular game.
“It would appear that he isn’t the only one.” Her words were an accusation that didn’t get lost in translation. Nathaniel chuckled this time. There was yet another twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
“Yes. I can be a handful. My mate used to despair sometimes, as you will with Chase. But I digress.” He brushed it all away with a swoop of his hand and regarded her with an almost curious stare.
“What do you know of rogues?” Now they were getting somewhere, she told herself, as she thought about that white wolf from her encounter last night and a shiver ran through her.
“Not a thing really. Except what I encountered last night. He was a determined little sucker. Even came through the damn window after me. Care to enlighten me?” She pushed back in the chair with her own show of getting comfortable. It was getting to the interesting part and she didn’t want him going off topic again.
“Rogues are, in genera
l, Lycan’s who are, for whatever reason, more comfortable in their beasts form. The longer they stay wolf, the more humanity slips away. Your white wolf has been a rogue for a while now. His humanity is sadly lacking.” The old man seemed lost in thought for a long moment, and she waited until he floated back to her with a gentle shake of his head.
“Why did he go rogue?” He jumped forwards in the chair. An unexpected move that startled her for a moment, as she watched him become slightly more animated.
“Good question!” When he didn’t supply the answer, she tipped her head to the side and nodded her encouragement.
“Thank you I try.”
He chuckled then, sitting back in his chair and steepling his fingers again.
“Let’s just say, there was a disagreement between him and a Fae…” When the word popped out of his mouth, she groaned, dropped her head down to regard her lap, and shook it back and forth in despondency.
“Seriously. Why me?” The words came out on a whine of disbelief.
“Because in his beasts mind, you are Fae. It’s that simple. He tracks Fae. He picked up your scent a couple of days ago…” She nodded her understanding. Bringing her eyes up to meet the old man’s, she understood.
“Which is why you sent Chase to come and get me? You knew the white wolf would go after me, and you brought me here for my own protection.” It was all fitting into place. Nathaniel had basically saved her life. She owed him a debt that she hoped, one day, she would be able to repay.
“Exactly. You being the Alpha’s mate and all. I couldn’t have you being eaten by…” He paused as amusement gleamed once again in his eyes. “… The big bad wolf.”
Her eyes flashed with the spark of amusement. Yes, she had thought of Chase as the big bad wolf. Little did she know there was another, far worse, stalking her. Chase by comparison, was just a big old softie.
“Well thank you for saving my life.” She offered. Nathaniel tipped his head in acknowledgement. But she wasn’t done, there was more, she could feel it.
“So what now Nathaniel? How does this big bad wolf story end?” When his eyes dropped down to the floor between them, she felt a rush to despondency again. That was never a good sign, not in anyone’s book.
“Let’s just say that the story is still untold. What I see, and what comes to pass isn’t finite yet. It’s not written in stone. Your actions and the actions of those around you will determine the outcome.”
Cassidy pinned him with her eyes. That wasn’t good enough. She was still walking blind through this nightmare, and if he could shed some light on what was going to happen, then she wasn’t giving up that easily.
“That’s a crock of shit old man and you know it.” She accused and saw the old man’s brow rise slightly in surprise. “Maybe you can get away with that cryptic bull with the Alpha… Him not being Fae and all. But I’m not buying what you’re selling. So spit it out.” It sounded a little harsh and accusing, even to her own ears, but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook that easily.
Nathaniel took a long moment to roll her words around his mind. She was a forceful little thing; he had to give her that. And she was right; he had been able to fob his Alpha off with such eloquent explanations. Now he was faced with a Fae, things might be a little different.
“If I tell you what you need to do, you aren’t going to like it.” He offered, somewhat teasingly, and she smirked back at him across the way.
“Give it a shot and we’ll see who blinks first.” She offered, just as teasingly.
He sat forwards in his seat and heaved a long sigh. “You and Chase need to bond.” He got his victory. She blinked first. In fact, she balked at the very idea. The look of disbelief shot onto her face, and she regarded him with that scepticism that flowed through her very veins.
CHAPTER NINE
“Oh please. This is another one of your tricks. Like the way you sent Chase to get me.” She shot back, and he sat back in his chair and regarded her with the air of amusement.
“I did tell you that you were not going to like it.” His voice was quite melodic, his eyes were just plain gleeful.
Cassidy tapped her fingers against the armrest. The sudden rush to anxiety that flooded through her was a force that she couldn’t have controlled, even if she had seen it coming.
“More tricks?” She pinned him with a look of mistrust. But he shook his head.
“Bonded females are more protected.”
“Cryptic.” She shot back, wanting more, needing more.
“Let’s just say. An Alpha male, even a rogue, would pause long and hard before they took the life of a bonded female. Especially when that female is the mate of an Alpha.”
Cassidy shifted in her seat nervously. If she was reading between the lines correctly, and she thought she was, then he was telling her that she was going to come up against the white wolf again.
“So I’m still in danger?” It wasn’t so much a question, as a plea for clarity. He could give her that much, couldn’t he?
Nathaniel nodded his head. His eyes never left hers, and they conveyed a warning that she should adhere to his earlier words of wisdom. Bond with Chase. Damn. That certainly wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“Damn it, Nathaniel. I’m Fae, not Lycan. I can’t just tie myself to Chase without thought or certainty.” She was attracted to Chase on so many levels, it was actually quite scary. But to bond with him…?
“Fate is fate little Fae. You know that better than anyone. If the two of you are mates, then where is the thought needed for you to consummate the bond? It’s not something you can run away from. So why wait? You are soul mates. And deep down, you know it’s true.”
Cassidy shot him a look that boarded on a death glare. To say she was disgruntled by his answer, his reasoning would be an understatement. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and held there. God, how she hated the elders for they were always right.
“Anything else you want to impart about my little wolf problem?” She returned her gaze to his and saw that his face had softened, his eyes had become a little more sympathetic, and his whole posture gave off an air of empathy.
“Depending on what you chose to do from now, will determine the outcome. I have seen many variations, but unfortunately, I’m not in control of your destiny.”
She huffed out her displeasure. How like an elder to not give way and throw her a bone. At this point, she figured she could sit there and speak with him all day, but the outcome would be the same. She wasn’t going to get anymore information from the old man.
Cassidy got to her feet and Nathaniel did the same. He held out a hand for her to shake and she bypassed it, stepping into his personal space, she reached around and hugged him, feeling him hesitate for only a moment before he did the same.
“Thank you.” They both knew what she was thanking him for. He had saved her life, and with his words, he might just have done it twice.
When she pulled back he let her go. The smile on his lips was even more evident in his eyes a moment before they became serious again.
“Choose wisely.” He warned, and she nodded up at him, before turning on her heels and heading towards the outside world and the troubles that awaited her.
Pulling the door back to a gush of arctic air that greeted her, her eyes locked onto Chase, whose head shot up, his dark eyes pinning her to the spot as he started to stalk towards her.
Just one of those troubles she needed to deal with.
He didn’t stop at the stairs that led up to the house. Bounding up them, he stalked towards her until he was toe to toe with her. His eyes flicking over her shoulder to the inside of the house, searching for Nathaniel with what she was sure was a mouthful of displeasure to be aimed at the old man.
Cassidy put her palm against his chest to sooth him, and it seemed to work. His eyes dropped down to look at her and all she could manage to give him was a curt, “We need to talk.”
Trailing back through the frozen landscape on foot between N
athaniel’s house and chase’s place, she took the opportunity to think over the old man’s words.
He wasn’t wrong about fate. She couldn’t outrun it, and Fate had decided that they would be mates. So should she bite the bullet and capitulate now, or risk not heeding Nathaniel’s warning, and possibly put herself in even more danger?
Would it be fair to Chase to bond with him if she wasn’t one hundred per cent sure that it was what she wanted to do? Again, if fate had its way, and she was sure that it would, then they were destined to be bonded, so why wait?
But if she was to die, or worse, Chase was to die at the hands of the rogue wolf then did it really matter either way if they had been bonded first? The loss to both of them would still be akin to chopping out their hearts and stomping them.
But if the bonding was the key to saving her life, or Chase’s life, then how could she not do it?
When had life become so damn complicated? That was a question she could easily answer. It was the moment her Alpha mate had walked into her life.
“Didn’t you say we needed to talk?” Chase offered. Cutting through her thoughts and bringing her back to him.
Cassidy winced slightly at the thought of how exactly to brace the subject with him.
“Meh.” She offered, not committing herself either way right now. What did she say? She didn’t even know how they were supposed to bond. What would happen? It was a bite, she knew that much. But then he had already bitten her, twice and they still weren’t bonded.
“Are you going to tell me what Nathaniel said to you?” He tried a different approach and she winced again. A shrug off her shoulders had him blowing out vapour in a large cloud around his face, and she could almost feel him tensing beside her.
“Cassidy…” He sounded slightly annoyed and very exasperated, and she rushed to sooth him.
“Let’s wait until we get home.” Out of the corner of her eyes she watched his brows raise slightly, a small smile played on his lips and he seemed a little more settled in his manner. What had brought that on she wasn’t sure, but she was thankful for it. It meant she could put off this rather awkward conversation for a little while yet.