by Regan Ure
Dark and foreboding trees above me made me shiver with apprehension as I glanced around the dark forest.
The only light was moonlight that filtered through the trees. My heightened senses were on full alert. I had a feeling I wasn’t alone in the dark forest.
I heard a noise behind me and I turned to find nothing but the wind blowing the branches of the trees. My fear began to grow as I took a tentative step back and then another one.
Then I stepped back and felt someone standing right behind me and I froze.
“Scarlett,” Cade whispered seductively with his head bent down next to my ear. I felt a shiver of awareness run through my body. There was no point in fighting the inevitable, so instead of moving away from him I leaned back and closed my eyes. Reveling in the feel of him against me.
His arms wrapped around me from behind and I reached to touch his arm. Our first skin-to-skin contact sent a rush of adrenaline through me that felt like an electrical current.
I felt a rush of feelings and possessiveness for Cade.
“Mine,” he growled possessively as he tightened his hold on me. Deep in the dark forest under the moonlight, he held me like he was never going to let me go. And deep down inside me, I didn’t want him to.
“Yes, I’m yours,” I whispered to him, giving in to the destiny that had decided he was my forever.
I shot up in my bed, breathing hard. My body was tangled in the sheets, showing I’d been restless in my sleep.
I rubbed my face with my hands, trying to remember what I’d dreamed about. When I remembered, I was mortified. I’d given in to him and I was disgusted with myself.
CHAPTER NINE
Scarlett
I was still half asleep when I pulled my robe on and tied it around my waist. I slipped my feet into my slippers, thankful Gary had remembered to pack them. Coffee was the only thing I could think about as I left my room in search of my first caffeine fix.
The rich aroma hit me and I followed it to the kitchen.
"Morning," Cade greeted me cheerfully from the counter he was sitting at.
"Morning," I muttered, trying to stop myself from killing him with my death glare. I was grumpy as hell until I had caffeine running through my veins.
"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine first thing in the morning," he observed as I just turned and let my ice cold gaze sweep over him. He didn't get the message because he kept smiling.
I wanted to smack the smile off his face, but that would involve touching him, which I was avoiding at the moment. Would he find it strange if I covered my hand with a glove to slap him? It sounded so appealing, it made me smile secretly to myself.
A stronger whiff of the coffee pulled me out of my planning and I shuffled to the machine. I took one of the cups beside the machine and poured myself some.
I took a deep sniff of it and sighed before I took a tentative sip.
Yummy.
I turned to face Cade and leaned against the counter.
He didn't have a shirt on again. What was with this guy and going shirtless? Most girls wouldn't complain, they would just enjoy the view, but seeing him half naked just set off that familiar feeling inside my stomach. I liked to be in control and around him, I wasn't. My body's reaction went against any logical reasoning I could muster.
Then there was that other problem that he was my mate, he was meant to be my life-long partner. I couldn't help but wonder if my attraction to him had anything to do with him being my mate, even though we hadn't touched yet?
"Don't you own enough shirts?" I asked as I took another sip of my coffee.
"Does it make you uncomfortable? Most girls don’t complain," he said with a smirk.
Can't slap him, I kept chanting in my head as I felt my temper start to rise.
"I'm not most girls," I muttered as I held his gaze.
I had to remember to try and be nice to him as hard as it was going to be. He was helping me by letting me stay at his house and I needed to appreciate it no matter how much I wanted to slap him or bring him down a peg or two.
He got up and walked to the coffee machine beside me. As much as I wanted to stay where I was, I moved away because I couldn't chance him touching me by accident. I wasn't ready to deal with a possessive mate just yet. Deep down I knew I couldn't avoid it for long, but I needed some time to get my head around it.
He smiled at the action. He probably thought I moved because he made me feel uncomfortable and he liked the fact that his presence affected me.
"You scared I'm going to bite you?" he said in a seductive tone as his eyes traveled over me appreciatively. I bet he used that line a lot.
"Who says I won't bite back?" I retorted.
"I don't mind," he teased with a smile as his eyes held mine.
"Does that line ever work?" I asked, annoyed.
"I don't have to use lines," he assured me with a satisfied grin.
He was probably right. I could see the girls falling at his feet without him having to utter a word. I was pretty sure one look from him would do it.
Can't slap him, I told myself again. It was going to be harder than I'd first thought as I clutched the coffee mug tightly in my hands to stop me from doing something I would regret.
"Morning," Gary greeted as he entered the kitchen. He was already dressed.
"Morning," Cade and I greeted at the same time.
I was relieved to have another person around and it seemed to ease the tension that had been building between Cade and me.
"How are you feeling?" Gary asked with concern as he checked the cut I was still sporting on my forehead. At least the swelling had gone down. He was in ‘concerned parent’ mode.
"I feel better. My ribs are still a little tender," I confessed. I wasn't one to complain, but I wanted him to know I was healing. It was only when I made sudden movements that I felt the pain.
"It's a werewolf thing," Cade commented, watching the two of us.
"What is?" I asked, turning to face him.
"We heal fast. You'll heal faster once you shift," he informed us.
That was a good thing. Maybe being a werewolf wasn't such a bad thing after all, but then I remembered the whole ‘mate’ thing and that put a damper on things.
"So what's the plan for today?" Gary directed the question at Cade.
"I've got some of my pack tracking the rogue but they haven't found him yet," he explained as he went back to the kitchen counter and sat down.
"How long do you think it will take?" Gary asked.
Cade shrugged his shoulders. His shoulders are wide and strong, I thought to myself. Angry with myself, I shook my head, to stop thinking of him in that way.
"It could be a while. This rogue is good at covering up his tracks and he is very good at keeping himself hidden," he answered. "He is probably an older werewolf."
Great! Not only did I have a rogue intent on doing me some serious harm, but he was older and more experienced. I had a feeling I was going to be staying at Cade's house for a long time.
Crap! It was going to be harder keeping my distance from him if I was living in his house. The odds were starting to stack up against me.
"Is there a chance that there might be more of them?" I asked. I wasn't sure what made me ask the question.
"Yes, there is." He watched me carefully for a reaction to his answer.
The thought that there might be more than one rogue terrified me, but I kept my outward calm facade firmly in place as I finished my coffee. I glanced down at my watch and realized I didn't have a lot of time before I had to leave for school.
"I'm going upstairs to get ready for school," I announced as I put my empty mug in the sink.
"You're not leaving the house; it's not safe," Cade informed me sternly. Gary looked more concerned as he shot me a look, which told me to play nice but he knew me better than that.
I didn't like being told what I could and couldn't do no matter what was at stake. I was stubborn to a fault.
"Wh
y not?" I asked. "The school is filled with werewolves, so how can I not be safe there?"
This whole ‘being in danger’ thing really sucked.
"You're safer here, or do you want to chance another encounter with the rogue?" Cade asked, already knowing what my answer would be. Last night had scared me, although I wouldn't openly admit it to anyone. I hid my fear deep under my facade of confidence.
"I can't just skip school until you catch the rogue," I argued. "Like you said, it could take a while."
"At least give us today to try and strategize and put a plan into action," he said, surprising me. I'd expected him to tell me that I wouldn't leave the property until the rogue had been dealt with.
I was learning I needed to pick my battles. I gave him a brief nod, agreeing to stay put for the day.
"Tomorrow I'm going to school," I stated. There would be no negotiating.
"Fine," Cade agreed tightly. He didn't like being dictated to; well, that made two of us.
"Nice to see the two of you are getting along this morning," Blake remarked, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
"I wouldn't say we were quite getting along," I muttered. I think the correct thing would be to say we'd negotiated some sort of truce for the moment.
Spending the day at Cade's house was boring. I'd gone back upstairs to shower and change. Then I'd lain down on the bed for a little while. I was so bored, even flipping through the channels of the TV didn't hold my attention for long.
My stomach rumbled and I let out a sigh.
As much as I wanted to hide out in the room to avoid any run-ins with Cade, I needed to eat. The kitchen was empty when I walked in. I let out the nervous breath I'd held, hoping I wouldn't run into Cade. Cade had instructed Gary and me to help ourselves to whatever we wanted in the kitchen.
I began to look through the cupboards. I had a craving for some sugar-coated cereal, which was strange because it wasn't something I normally ate. I found a couple boxes of cereal on the top shelf of the one cupboard and I tried to reach it on my tiptoes.
"No way!" I heard Blake exclaim.
Confused, I looked over to him, his eyes were fixed on my hip —my hip that had my birthmark. Mentally, I swore as I quickly pulled my shirt back down but it was too late. He'd seen it.
"What?" I asked, breathless, like I'd been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.
"This is going to be good," he murmured to himself with a grin on his face.
"What do you mean?" I pretended I didn't know what he was talking about as I clutched my shirt over my birthmark.
"You're Cade's mate," he revealed to me, shaking his head like he was truly amused by the information.
"Cade's my mate?" I asked, trying to feign surprise but he saw right through it. His eyes narrowed for a moment and he cocked his head to the side.
"You don't seem that surprised by that information," he observed.
I contemplated whether it mattered if I knew before and decided it didn't.
"Yeah, I know," I muttered as I shrugged my shoulders.
"How'd you find out?" he asked, watching me with curiosity.
"I saw his birthmark," I answered. I felt a nervous knot start to form in my stomach, and there went my appetite. He began to grin as he shook his head again, like he was laughing at some inside joke or something. It was annoying.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked, sounding as annoyed as I felt and I put my hands on my hips as I glared at him.
"Because I think the two of you are perfectly suited for each other," he answered, still with a huge grin on his face. "And it is going to be endless entertainment to watch the two of you figure all of this out."
I continued to glare at him but, honestly, he was only telling the truth. Cade and I were both strong-willed and we didn't back down easily, so the fact that we were mates was going to be a constant battle of wills.
"Are you going to tell him?" I asked, nervously biting my lip. Blake stopped smiling at me and looked a little taken aback.
"Why would you want to keep this from him?" he asked. It didn't take a genius to figure out he wouldn't be happy about keeping the secret from his friend.
"I just wanted a little time to get used to the idea before he finds out."
It was the truth. I couldn't keep it from him indefinitely. Was it so wrong to want a couple of days to get used to the idea? My eyes pleaded with his and after a few moments of contemplation, he sighed.
"Cade is my best friend and I don't like keeping things from him... but I understand you're new to all of this and want some time to get used to it so I'll give you two days."
I was about to argue with him but he gave me a look that made me shut my mouth.
"Two days is all I'm going to give you."
The finality in his voice told me not to bother arguing with him, and that I should be happy he hadn't gone looking to tell Cade straight away.
"Thank you," I said, relieved I still had some time, although two days didn't seem like a lot. At least it was something.
"Understand that if you don't tell him by the end of the two days, I will," he warned me seriously.
I nodded. Two days.
"I know it's a lot for you and I know Cade can be a bit domineering and stubborn at times, but I know him well enough to know that he is fiercely loyal and he'll be a good mate."
It was because he was domineering and stubborn that I was so hesitant to reveal I was his mate. He would try and dictate to me and that was something I wasn't willing to take from anyone, even someone picked out by destiny to be the person I was supposed to spend forever with.
"I feel I should also warn you," he continued as he sat down in the chair across from me, "just so you know what you're in for."
I felt the nervous knot in my stomach grow. Whatever was coming wasn't good.
"When Cade finds out you're his mate, he'll make sure he does everything in his power to keep you safe."
"That's not exactly a news flash," I replied sarcastically.
"You don't understand."
He took a deep breath and released it. It was like whatever he was going to say was something I wasn't going to like.
"At the moment, you don't belong to a pack and you can't shift into a werewolf. Both of these things make you weaker and therefore an easier target."
His eyes held mine, his face serious.
"So?"
"He'll expect you to join his pack."
That was the first bombshell. I didn't want to belong to a pack. I liked being on my own.
"He will want you to mate with him so you'll be able to shift into a werewolf."
And there was the atom bomb.
Ah, crap!
Slightly stunned, I walked over to the kitchen table and sank into one of the chairs. Thought upon thought of what was going to happen bombarded me and I felt the pressure weighing down on my shoulders. Blake watched me with concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently as he came to stand in front of me.
"I don't think I'm ever going to be okay," I mumbled. I felt like my life was busy spinning out of control and there was nothing I could do but watch it happen.
Blake was right. When Cade found out I was his mate, my safety would become his top priority. He would make me join his pack. I wasn't even sure how that happened, and then he would insist we mate.
Then I remembered what mating involved: biting and sex. There was no doubt about it, I was physically attracted to him, but that didn't mean I wanted to jump in the sack with him. And the biting thing, that would hurt. It was barbaric.
I shook my head. I wasn't ready for any of that and I doubted two days would change that.
"I know it's all a bit much all at once but it isn't that bad," he assured me gently. I looked up at him and threw a look that told him to go fly a kite.
"Just yesterday I was a single, independent, human girl starting her senior year. Today I'm a werewolf whose life is in danger, who has also just discovered she has a mate and, o
nce he finds out, I'll have to join his pack. I lose my independence and on top of that I have to mate with him so I can shift so I will be able to protect myself."
Blake remained still and silent.
"Does that about sum it up?" I said, feeling my anger rise at the unfairness of it all. This was my life and it felt like since I found out I was a werewolf that it wasn't just mine anymore.
"It is what it is," was the only consolation I got from him. It meant no amount of anger was going to change the inevitable.
In two days, Cade would find out I was his mate. I knew, irrespective of how hard I fought him, my life was going to change. There was no doubt about that.
CHAPTER TEN
Scarlett
After our conversation, Blake left me with my thoughts as I munched on some of the cereal. I hadn't bothered with a bowl and I was eating out of the box. It was something I normally did at home. My appetite was gone, but the munching seemed to ease my angst slightly.
My conversation with Blake played on my mind. Blake was right—when Cade found out I was his mate, he would do everything he could to keep me safe and I couldn't blame him for that. He'd make me join his pack and he'd insist we mate.
This was all so unfair. I'd just found out I was a werewolf yesterday. I hadn't even had time to adjust to that, so the thought of joining a pack and mating overwhelmed me.
I wasn't sure what joining Cade's pack would entail. I made a mental note to ask Blake some questions about it. But there was no way in hell I was ready to mate with Cade. Sex might not mean a lot to some people, but it meant something to me and I wasn't going to be forced into anything like that when I wasn't ready, even if my life was in danger.
With my decision made, I began to feel a little better. I'd be open to the idea of joining Cade's pack, but there was no way I was going to mate with him.
Images of the two of us getting hot and heavy flashed through my mind and it made me feel a little flustered. I was attracted to him, but that didn't mean I was going to sleep with him.