"Have you crossed the border to Canada?"
"Yes, more than once. I hate to say it, me being American and all, but the Canadian side of the falls has a much better view than we do. Plus, they have the Maid of the Mist boat tours that take you right to the base of the American Falls and into the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. I've been on that a few times."
"I've heard of the boat tours," Lexi said. "You're supposed to get soaked when they take you to the falls."
Kamryn chuckled. "Pretty much, so it's a good thing disposable rain ponchos are provided. But getting soaked is just part of the thrill of the ride."
"I guess. What do you do in Niagara Falls?" Lexi asked next.
"I'm an assistant to a wedding planner."
"Considering where you live, I imagine you have a lot of weddings to work on."
"Sometimes I feel as if I do nothing but run around booking halls and picking flower arrangements, but I like what I do."
"I used to be a teacher's assistant back in the States. I don't miss it that much."
Lexi put her hand on her stomach. "Though four months from now, I'll have my hands full and will be glad I don't have to go in to work every day."
Raed pulled Lexi close and put his hand on top of hers. "With all the uncles this baby will have, I'm sure you'll have lots of help."
Garrick had just taken a sip of coffee when Raed had spoken and now started to choke on it as if it had gone down the wrong way. Once he cleared his lungs with a few loud coughs, he shook his head. "Don't be expecting me to change dirty nappies. That I won't do, even if you order me to do it."
Raed chuckled. "Rest assured that will be one order I won't be issuing. You'd probably do a terrible job anyway."
Obviously pretending to take offense, since Garrick didn't sound too upset by Raed's comment, he went on to say how he would probably do a better job than the rest of the uncles. Of course, the others then had to put in their two cents.
Kamryn silently ate while the conversation turned to good-natured, male ribbing. Even Algar joined in. She also noted no one seemed to think it out of the ordinary for Raed to be issuing anyone 'orders'. It made her wonder if this 'family' had some sort of hierarchy to it. If it did, she could quite easily see Raed in the role of head of the family. He seemed to have a more authoritative presence about him than the other men, though Algar seemed to come in a close second.
By the time Kamryn had finished eating, the conversation had started to wind down. Algar, who'd emptied his plate quicker than she, leaned in and asked, "Did you have enough to eat?"
"Yes, thanks. It was just what I needed."
"Good." He looked toward the end of the table. "Lexi, if you're ready?"
"Sure. Let's go." She gave Raed a quick kiss before she got to her feet and walked over to them.
Once Algar and Kamryn stood as well, Lexi led them out of the kitchen and down the hall to a large living room. She took a seat on one of the leather couches and waited for them to join her.
Lexi looked at Algar. "I think it would be better if you went first."
Kamryn, who sat between Algar and Lexi, looked from one to the other, with her gaze finally settling on Lexi. "You know about Algar's little . . . problem."
"Yes, but like I said, I think it would be better if Algar told you what he is first."
She turned away from Lexi to look at Algar who shot up and started to pace in front of the couch.
"What you are?" Kamryn had no idea what Lexi had meant.
He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. "Let's see if I can do this without causing too much upset. I'm not like other men you have known."
"If you're talking about what happens while we're in bed together, I already know."
"That isn't what I mean. Damn, this is hard." Algar looked at Lexi. "Now I know how Raed must have felt when he told you."
"Just spit it out, Algar," Lexi said. "Like removing a bandage, it's better in the end not to go too slowly."
He nodded. "All right." He then moved so he stood in front of Kamryn before he squatted and took her hands in his. "You asked what I do for a living. Well, I guess my job description would best be described as immortal werewolf warrior." When Kamryn opened her mouth, he stopped her before she could respond. "Let me finish. I can already tell from the look on your face that you don't believe me. It's true. I was born in the Fifth Century here in East Anglia. I'm over a thousand years old. Raed was my king.
Actually, we still consider him our king. The Anglo-Saxon god, Tiw, chose Raed and the rest of us to protect mortals from the werewolves sired by Fenris the wolf, the son of the god, Loki. Tiw gave us immortality and the ability to shift into what we hunt to better help us take down Fenris' get. As for what happens when I sleep with you, I think it's because you're my mate. That has never happened to me before, only with you. This is still new to us. Lexi was the first to become a mate to one of us warriors."
From the serious expression Algar wore, she didn't question that he believed what he'd told her. All she could think was he had to be kidding her. He couldn't expect her to believe a story like that. What'd he take her for? A gullible moron?
Kamryn looked at Lexi. "This has to be a joke. Right?" When Lexi said nothing, Kamryn continued. "Come on? You can't tell me you believe this . . . this make believe story about werewolves."
"It's true, Kamryn," Lexi said with pity in her voice. "All of it. When Raed first told me, I felt the same way you do. No way could it be true, but when he showed me the proof, I couldn't deny it."
Kamryn shook her head and shifted her gaze from Lexi to Algar. "You've had your joke. It's time to stop trying to pull one over on the new girl."
Algar sighed, let go of her hands and moved to stand at his full height. "Shit. I'm going to have to shift."
"Make sure you start off with the wolf first," Lexi said quickly. "I would have freaked less if Raed had shown me that before the other."
Shift? Wolf? They couldn't be serious.
But then Algar's body started to blur and she felt her heart trying to beat out of her chest when a wolf with brown fur, the same color of Algar's hair, took his place. The shift had happened within a matter of seconds. The wolf took a step closer and nudged her shin with his nose. Kamryn pulled her legs up onto the couch.
Lexi put a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right. Take some deep breaths. It's still Algar in there. He can understand everything you say."
Kamryn said nothing, unable to tear her gaze off the wolf.
"Bandage time again, Algar. I don't think this is going to get any better."
The wolf's body blurred, and to Kamryn's horror, something even worse took its place. A creature that stood much taller and bulkier than Algar was now towering in front of her. It had the same color fur covering its body as the wolf had had. It looked a cross between a man and a wolf with its lupine head and tail. Sharp claws tipped each of its fingers. Kamryn breathed faster, her vocal cords frozen, while fear threatened to consume her.
The creature held out a hand toward her. "Take it easy, Kamryn. It's still me. This is my werewolf form." The voice that came out of the creature's muzzle sounded like Algar, but much gruffer and deeper.
He reached for her and that was enough to unfreeze her. She screamed. Loudly.
The creature took a step closer, and she screamed again, jumping off the couch and out of its reach. When the other people, or werewolves, rushed into the room, she backed away until she came up against a wall. The newcomers stared at her as if she'd lost her mind.
"Shift back to human form," Raed barked to Algar. "Your just scaring her more the longer you stay like that."
The creature's body blurred and once more she stared at Algar's familiar features. He went to take a step toward her, but she held up her hands with her palms out. "Stay the fuck away from me."
"Kamryn, relax."
Shaking with fear, needing to get away from the man—creature—she'd stupidly slept with, she yelled, "Relax! Are you fuc
king nuts?"
"I know you're a little upset right now, but if you would just give yourself some time to calm down you'll find I'm not any different from the man I was before I told you this."
She laughed; the sound verged on being this side of hysterical, and not in a good way. "No different?" she shouted. "Bullshit. You're a freak of nature. An animal. I can't believe I slept with you. Twice."
His face became closed. Something that looked like hurt flashed in his eyes. "I'm not an animal. I'm human. You're going to have to accept what I am. We're mates."
Another wave of panic washed over her. This couldn't be happening. She violently shook her head. "No, we aren't. Just because you went all animal when we slept together does not mean we're mates. I refuse to be a mate to a goddamned wolf."
Lexi moved to stand nearer to Kamryn, next to Algar. "Kamryn, I know this is hard for you, but the signs are all there that says you are Algar's mate. The only one we haven't seen yet to confirm it is Tiw's mark. To see if he marked you like he marked me."
Lexi turned slightly, pulled down the collar of her shirt, and showed the back of her right shoulder. Kamryn found herself looking at what appeared to be the same tattoo Algar had on the cap of his left shoulder.
"That's just a tattoo. Algar said it was."
"No, I didn't," he said. "I only let you assume it was. Tiw gave all his warriors the mark when we pledged to serve him. Since I've claimed you, the mark may already be starting to show. Lexi said it started off looking like a bruise shortly after Raed claimed her."
Kamryn practically choked herself when she grabbed the collar of her long-sleeved t-shirt and yanked it down so the people in the room could see the right side of her back. "Well, is there a mark?" Her gaze latched onto Algar when his face went blank, not showing any emotions. "There isn't one, is there? So I'm not your mate."
"It doesn't mean that," Algar said tightly. "Maybe it's just taking a little longer to show up than it did with Lexi."
"That's just wishful thinking on your part," she shot back.
Her fear not abating one bit, Kamryn gazed over at Wulfric, Dolf, and Garrick, who were standing closer to the living room's entrance. She weighed the possibility of them not stopping her if she tried to make a run for it. She didn't think her chances were very good.
The urge to run was becoming too much for Kamryn to ignore. Panicking to the point where she wondered if she'd give herself a heart attack from her heart beating so fast, she started to inch her way around Algar and Lexi. She kept her hands held out to keep them away.
"I'm getting the hell out of here," she said, trying to keep track of all the people in the room.
"No," Algar said in an abrupt tone. "I can't let you go. I need for you to understand."
When he made a reach for Kamryn, Lexi caught his arm and held him back. She shook her head. "Forcing her to stay isn't going to make matters any better. Maybe the time away from you will help her come to terms with this." Lexi then released him and turned to Kamryn. "I'll take you back to your hotel."
Out of all the people in the room, Lexi was the one Kamryn didn't fear as much.
"You won't go wolf on me, will you?"
Lexi gave her a small smile. "No. I'm not a werewolf. Tiw only gave me immortality. You'll be safe with me. And being pregnant, it isn't as if I can chase you down if you decide to run."
Kamryn thought it over for a second before she said, "Fine. I wouldn't mind a ride to my hotel."
"Let's go then."
A loud growl filled the room when Kamryn started to walk away with Lexi. She knew Algar had made the sound, but she didn't look at him. She needed to get her fear under control. If she glanced his way, she would only be able to see the creature he had been and not the man she'd originally thought he was.
Chapter Seven
I've lost her. That phrase repeated itself again and again in Algar's head while he agitatedly paced the length of the inside of the manor and back. His revealing what he truly was to Kamryn had gone worse than he'd imagined. He'd bloody well fucked it up. Raed hadn't had this hard of a time winning over Lexi, but obviously his king's mate was a bit more open-minded than Algar's was. Even though Kamryn didn't carry the start of Tiw's mark on the back of her shoulder, that didn't mean she wasn't his. He wouldn't accept that. He just couldn't.
They may have only met a few days before, but spending time with Kamryn, claiming her body with his, hearing the small sounds she made while she came, he found himself falling for her. Unlike Raed, who'd been married when he'd pledged to serve Tiw, Algar hadn't been. While he'd been mortal, he hadn't been ready to settle down. And as an immortal, he'd only wanted casual affairs. It was hard to think of having a lasting relationship with a woman when her lifespan was nothing compared to his. But now that Tiw was giving his warriors a chance to find that one special woman, and give her the lifespan to match, Algar no longer wanted to be alone.
His feelings for Kamryn were new to him. He wanted to wrap himself around her, keep her protected from the outside world. Now that she'd rejected him, the urge was even greater. When she'd walked out of the manor with Lexi, he'd barely stopped himself from throwing back his head and howling with loss.
The sound of the front door opening had him rushing to it. He practically pounced on Lexi once she stepped inside. "How is Kamryn?"
Lexi gave him a sad look and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Algar. Nothing I said seemed to calm her down. Every time I mentioned you, it just seemed to upset her more."
The wolf in him rose up, feeling the rejection of his mate as much as the man did.
His sight sharpened as his eyes turned and his claws shot out from the tips of his fingers. "She's mine. I can't let her walk away. I'll force her to see we're meant to be together."
Lexi cupped his face in her hands and forced him to focus on her. "Using force will not help win her over. She's scared, Algar. Give her time. If she truly is your mate, the time apart will make her realize how much she misses you. She just needs to remember how things were between you before you showed her your werewolf side."
"How long do you expect me to wait?"
"However long she needs."
"And if the rest of the fortnight passes and she decides to leave for the States before accepting me? What then? I can't let that happen."
"It won't come to that. I promise you. It may take a few days, but I'm sure it won't take the rest of Kamryn's holiday."
Algar pulled out of Lexi's hold and stepped back. He took deep, calming breaths to get himself under control and waited for his eyes to change back and his claws to recede. "I hope you're right, because it'll probably kill me to be apart from her."
* * *
One Week Later
Kamryn listlessly turned her head and stared at the digital alarm clock sitting on the small bedside table. Almost eleven in the morning and she'd yet to get out of bed.
Not that she had much to do that required her to get up early. Since Algar's confession, she'd holed up in her hotel room and had done nothing but watch TV, order room service, and sleep. All her plans to do some sightseeing had flown out the window. She couldn't shake the feeling that if she left the safety of her hotel room, Algar would be waiting to pounce on her as soon as she stepped outside. Not that she really thought he would. In the week since she'd last seen him, he'd not once tried to contact her. No phone calls, no messages left at the front desk.
At first, she was happy with the lack of contact, but as the days started to pass and her fear of what Algar was faded enough for her to think without it clouding her thoughts, his silence hurt. For someone who had claimed she was his mate, he was doing a fine job of keeping her away.
Kamryn snorted. She was being an idiot. It wasn't as if she wanted to be a mate to a werewolf. She needed to stay away from Algar. No matter how much she'd stupidly started to miss him. He was an animal, a freak of nature, as she'd called him.
But thinking about that got her remembering the hurt look on his face when s
he'd said it. God, she was losing her mind.
She rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom. Unable to stop herself, she opened her pajama top, shrugged out of the right sleeve, and turned so she could look at her back in the mirror. A blackish bruise-looking mark, about the size of her hand, on the back of her right shoulder showed in her reflection. It had appeared two days after the incident at Algar's manor. When she'd first found it, Kamryn had started to shake so badly she'd had to lie down on the bed. Now, she had mixed emotions about the mark.
It made her long to be with the man she'd shared her body with and had enjoyed immensely. It also made her gut clench every time she saw it, knowing it meant she was truly Algar's mate.
Turning away from her reflection, Kamryn stripped out of her pajamas and stepped into the shower. The hot water helped clear away the last of her lethargy, but did nothing to improve her whirlwind emotions. Finished, she dried her hair and body before she wrapped the towel around herself. She didn't bother to wipe the steam off the mirror when she brushed her teeth. She had no interest in looking at herself.
Back in the room, she pulled a comb through her damp hair and then dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a pink yoga top. Kamryn had just reached for the television's remote when a loud knock sounded on her door. Her hand froze in mid-air and her heart beat wildly. What if it was Algar?
Slowly, she lowered her hand to her side. If she was truthful with herself, she would admit that her heart's quickened pace wasn't caused completely by the fear that Algar may be on the other side of the door. No, it had a lot to do with remembering how it felt to have him touch her, kiss her, and have his cock moving in and out of her.
Hard to forget how good they had been together, when she dreamed about it night after night.
The knock came again, louder this time, followed by a deep male voice that wasn't Algar's. "Kamryn, open the door."
Curious as to whom it could be since the voice was definitely British, she crossed the room and looked through the peephole in the door. She sucked in a breath when she saw Brand on the other side, which she thought was strange since she'd barely met him.
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