by J. K. Snow
“Those memories are rightfully yours and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t take them away from you forever.”
“They made us believe they were the good guys. We were unfaithful to our own kind...feared them, hated them...for fourteen years. They cheated us out of our childhood...all of us. Even you and Asher were cheated out of yours.”
Declan nodded. “They took our mother,” he leaned down and gently swiped his lips across hers and said, “And they tried to take our future.”
She pulled back slightly. She could see raw desire in his eyes and she wondered if he could see it in hers too. She felt it; it was a deep ache in the center of her core. She wanted this man and she no longer doubted that he was her mate...but she was still remembering things, and she was still a little frightened of it all. She put her small hand on the side of his face and said, “I can feel it when I’m around you, Declan. I always knew that was how it was supposed to be...although I wasn’t sure what it would feel like. I felt it last night when you carried me out of that house. As frightened and confused as I was, I felt that connection. I’m not going to keep fighting it, Declan...but I need a little time to get used to it all.” He reached up and covered her hand with his and said,
“Take it. I’ve thought about you every day since that awful day fourteen years ago. But, I never once considered not waiting for you. Take the time to get accustomed to your memories and when you’re ready I will be here.”
She used the hand on his face to pull him down towards her face and pressed her lips into his. His lips were so warm and soft. She let her lips part and felt his tongue slide seductively into her mouth. He kissed her possessively. She was his and he was leaving no question about it. She felt his hand slide down to her waist and she was re-thinking what she’d said about needing time...until she heard her sister’s voice.
“Sonja!” She and Declan pulled apart slowly and he looked into her eyes and grinned before letting her turn towards her sister. “You’re...”
Jordan seemed to be at a loss for what to call it. Sonja grinned and said, “Kissing my mate?” Jordan squealed and flung herself across the room towards her sister. They embraced and Sonja whispered,
“Thank you for saving me.”
“You’re my sister...my blood. I will always be there to save you.”
*****
A week had gone by and Sonja slowly acclimated to her new and rightful life. The others in the village welcomed her home heartily and some of them left gifts for her on their doorstep. She spent time with her sister and her grandmother and she spent even more time with Declan. He showed her around the village and took her out into the woods and showed her their lands. On the third day as they were walking through a meadow, she asked him to change for her. She watched as he stripped off his clothes. She’d seen him without them already, but this private, just for her strip was almost more than her raging libido could take. His body was sculpted, every muscle taut and perfectly shaped. His maleness was unmistakable and sometimes late at night Sonja wondered if it would even be possible for him to fit inside of her. Regardless, she tingled when she thought about it and she found herself wet and her temperature high.
She’d seen Jordan change now quite a few times, but as she watched Declan changing that day in the meadow she experienced something she never had before. Something deep down inside of her awoke and boiled to the surface. It was something powerful and it urgently wanted to be released. It was her inner animal and after she’d watched his transformation and the huge black panther with the blue eyes walked over and rubbed himself against her...the only thing she could think about was mating with him. He was the most incredible creature she’d ever seen and she wanted nothing more than to be his mate and bear his cubs.
That had been three days ago, and now as Cyprus, Declan and Asher sat around the table with Sage and Erza, discussing the plan to go back to Anchorage, Jordan and Sonja sat not far off with their grandmother, listening to her regale them with stories of when their father was young. Sonja had to work hard to keep her mind on what her grandmother was saying. She could smell Declan’s masculine scent from where she sat and each time he glanced over at her she felt an electric shock coarse through her body. She shivered and focused her attention back on her grandmother as she was saying,
“Your father was born an Alpha. From the time he was little, be it his friends or his family or the villagers that collected around him, trying to get close to the boy who would someday be their leader...He commanded with authority...but also with compassion and respect. His pack adored him and when he was old enough to take over as Alpha and he chose your mother to mate with, everyone in the village was ecstatic. At the mating ceremony, hundreds of Kodiak’s turned out and it was the grandest celebration that the village had ever seen. It went on for three days, even after the newly mated couple had gone off to run and play in the wilderness together alone for a couple of days before returning home to the responsibility of leading the pack.”
“How long were they mated before they had us?” Jordan asked her.
“Two years into their mating you were born, Jordan.”
“I delivered you,” Erza said from her seat at the table. Jordan looked over at her and smiled. She stopped to give Asher a look that told him she was dying to frolic with him underneath the moon again tonight as they had the three nights previously. Turning her attention to Erza she said,
“Was my father disappointed that I was a girl?”
“Not at all,” she said. “I wrapped you in skins and then I carried you out where almost the entire village was waiting...I announced your arrival and the whole village cheered. They brought gifts to your parent’s door day after day until your father told them your family had enough and would like to share their blessings with others. That began a tradition of taking food and whatever extra the villagers had and giving them to one another...especially if you knew someone who needed it, rather than exchanging gifts on holidays. It was such a happy time for your parents...both of them. Then they became doubly blessed because Sonja was born a year later. During the year in between, Atticus had forged a strong friendship with another born leader...Cyprus. Slater. Cyprus had two young boys and the families became the best of friends. Atticus made Cyprus his second in command.” She chuckled and looked over at Asher.
“What?” Jordan asked her.
“I was just thinking of the first time that Asher looked into the crib and saw you lying there. You were looking up at him with those beautiful eyes and he looked at Cyprus and said, “Papa, is this my mate?” Your father’s looked at each other, surprised and then they laughed and Atticus said, “When she’s much older Asher.”
Asher, only five at the time had nodded and said, “I’ll look after her forever and when we’re older, she will be my mate and we’ll look after each other from this life to the next.”
Mamma Crone’s old eyes were tearing up as she said, “He knew...even then.” Jordan felt a shudder as she thought about it. To be a part of that kind of all-consuming love was something she would have never experienced if it was up to Lennox and Jude. They still needed to pay and she was growing tired of waiting for it to happen.
Chapter 6
Jordan and Sonja stepped onto the ramp of the plane just as it was being pushed closed by one of the crew. He looked at them with a shocked expression and said,
“Um...I’m sorry but Alpha Cyprus has a full plane...”
“Hmm, then I guess someone else will need to step off then,” Jordan said with her arms folded. Sonja stepped up next to her and folded hers as well.
“Alpha Cyprus is not going to be happy about this,” the young Kodiak said. He knew who the women were however and he seemed to be almost as reluctant to turn them away as he was to tell Cyprus they were there.
“It’s okay,” Jordan said as if reading his mind, “I’ll let Alpha Cyprus know we’re here.” She made her way up the ramp with Sonja right behind her. They stepped onto the plane...th
is one was much larger than the one they’d taken to pick up Sonja. Suddenly there were about fifteen pairs of eyes on them. Asher and Declan both stood up and went towards the girls.
“Jordan...baby, what are you doing here?”
“I’m going with you,” she said.
He chuckled softly. “No, you’re not. This is not a place for you.”
“Why? I’m as capable as you are when I’m in my animal form.”
“Yes, but you are also the prize their after. You don’t need to be anywhere near this clash. We’re going to end this tonight and then we can all live in peace.”
“You promised me.”
“Jordan...”
“They killed my parents and then kept my sister and me captive for fourteen years while lying to us all the while. I deserve to be there.”
Asher looked at his father and Cyprus nodded. The look he gave his other son told a different story. “Sonja,” Declan said, taking her by the arm. “You don’t have the capability to change yet. This is too dangerous.”
“I need to see her Declan.” He didn’t have to ask who she was talking about. They’d talked a lot about how angry she was with Mamma Sable. She’d been so attached to her and she’d thought that the old woman was everything she wasn’t. She wanted one last chance to tell the old witch how disgusted with her she was. She wanted her to pay for all of her lies and for making a little girl who didn’t know any better fall in love with her.
“It’s too dangerous,” he said again. “Father isn’t going to let you come.” The engines of the plane began to whir and Cyprus gave her another commanding look.
“Okay,” she said pulling Declan down for a quick kiss. “Be safe,” she said as she slipped out through the still open door. Declan stood looking after her with a confused look on his face. That was too easy and he knew it, he just didn’t know what she was up to. The pilot announced they were closing the door and getting ready for take-off.
“Sit down, Declan,” Cyprus told him.
Still concerned about what Sonja was doing, he took his seat. Meanwhile, as the crew member bent to push in the ramp, Sonja picked up a heavy wrench out of his open tool box and whispered, “I’m sorry.” She raised it and brought it down on the back of his neck. It wasn’t hard enough to knock him out, but he was stunned. By the time he regained his footing, she had climbed back into the plane, kicked the ramp loose and closed the door. When she turned around, all eyes were on her again. She smiled at them, completely avoiding Cyprus and Declan’s faces as she did. But what she couldn’t avoid was the sound of the deep growl coming from Cyprus’s chest. She looked at her sister. Jordan looked amused. Asher did not.
She made her way to the back of the plane and took a seat. After the pilot turned off the “seatbelt” sign she saw Declan get up. She held her breath as she watched him make his way back towards her. He sat down in the seat next to hers and she looked up at him and smiled.
“Hi.”
He shook his head. “What the hell are you doing?” he whispered.
“This is as much my fight...if not more so than it is yours.”
“Maybe so, but you’re not equipped to fight like the rest of us.”
“I’ll keep a low profile. I have to see her Declan.” He rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat. She knew that he knew arguing with her would do no good. At this point, he’d have to tie a parachute on her to get rid of her anyways.
The plane landed forty-five minutes later. As they were unloading, each person changed into their wolf form except for Sonja and Cyprus. Cyprus was waiting for her as she stepped off. He gave her a stern look and said, “You’ll have to learn how to listen to your mate and your Alpha better than this. She cast her eyes down. She truly hadn’t wanted to defy Cyprus.
“I’m really sorry, Alpha Cyprus...but I have to have one chance to tell Mamma Sable what she took from me!”
“I’m sorry too Sonja, but I can’t let you risk yourself.” He nodded to two of his men, crew at the airport. They suddenly morphed into a huge lion and a jaguar.
“What the hell? No! Cyprus please! Declan!” The blue eyed panther looked at her and she could see regret in his eyes as well as love. The two big cats marched her backwards back into the plane. She was royally pissed.
*****
They made their way to the outskirts of town in their animal forms. When they got to the clearing where the buildings began and they could see the Coyote they stopped and changed. Cyprus looked at his sons, Jordan and the twelve men that had joined them. “You know the plan. I’d like to spare the bloodshed, but I doubt that these wolves will let us walk out of there with their Alpha and his son without a fight. His eyes landed on Jordan then and he said, “The only thing that can kill us is fear, freezing up long enough to allow them to tear open our throat or rip out our heart. Remember who you are and where you came from.”
They all nodded their assent and followed Cyprus towards the bar. As they approached a man came out the front door. Jordan recognized him as Nick. The look on his face was pure shock when he saw the naked crew approaching. He started to back up into the bar to warn them when Cyprus suddenly changed and lunged for his throat. Nick tried to change, but he was already dead before the transformation was complete. Jordan looked down at him sadly as she walked by. His facial features were the Nick she knew...and liked. The rest of him was the body of a huge, brown wolf. His eyes were still open and staring at her accusingly. She reminded herself... “No fear” and she added, “No empathy,” because here where she knew these people, that might kill her just as quickly.
Cyprus busted through the doors of the bar and his crew followed him. Chaos ensued as he said, “I just want Lennox and Jude. I will spare the rest of you, as long as you don’t fight us.”
Men and women were already changing. Jordan saw Asher go for the throat of one of the customers who had morphed into a large black wolf and then a flash of black out of the corner of her eye behind the bar. Within seconds the big white wolf was sailing over the bar and into the back room. She saw Jude, just as he went out the back door. When he saw her, he changed forms, but kept running. She gave chase, finally cornering him between two buildings at the end of the alley. He had his hind-quarters against the wall and his teeth bared. She took a huge risk then and changed back into her human form. For a few seconds she thought he was going to go ahead and attack, but then he changed too.
“Well, there’s my kidnapped mate, come home to me.”
“I was kidnapped alright, but it wasn’t by the Kodiak’s. You knew what they did to my family. You knew that they’d stolen my heritage...yet you claimed to care about me. You’re disgusting.”
He smiled. “That’s not what you said the night we mated. Just think you might already have my cub growing inside of you.”
“I’ll eat it when it’s born if I do,” she told him, defiantly. He took a step towards her and she could see in the light where his face was scarred from Asher’s claws. It made her smile. “You know, you might look like your brother, but you’re not half the man...or wolf that he was.”
“Noah was weak. That’s the only reason he allowed himself to be waylaid and eaten by a couple of panthers. He probably tried to talk them down. He didn’t believe in violence. That’s why my father kept him here and sent me away...he was the decoy.” He smiled and his canines flashed in the moonlight. Jordan felt her body surge with a red hot rage. They had used Noah almost the same as they had used her and her sister. If he made it...fine, but they hadn’t expected him to. The bastards!
“Your breed is dying and the earth will be a better place when the likes of you are gone. You don’t know a thing about family or love. You’re kind is getting just what they deserve...a long, slow death.”
He took another step towards her and as he reached out for her, she changed. He did too, but it was too late. She slammed into his chest with both of her paws and he flew back into the brick wall behind him. As he slid down, she could see blood on the wall
. He was stunned, but alert still enough to let out a long, loud howl. He was calling for back-up. Jordan went for his throat. She let herself remember Noah and how kind he was, her parents, her time lost with Asher. She sunk her strong jaws into his flesh. She felt the bones as they crushed and the vibrations of his throat as he tried to let out a yelp that died on his tongue. She started to swing her head back and forth but before she could break his neck, she felt him twist around enough to clamp his teeth down into her shoulder. Her silky white coat began to become stained with the dark crimson of blood, but she still didn’t let go. Instead she went ahead and began to shake her head back and forth, forcing her teeth deeper into his throat. Blood was being flung from one wall to the other and she could feel his bite loosening, but he was strong and still doing his best to hold on.
Jordan was panting and blowing snot through her nostrils, shaking her whole body now, slamming the big, brown wolf into the wall. Suddenly she smelled a presence behind her. When she turned with the wolf’s throat still in her mouth she saw Asher. His eyes told her to let go of Jude and as soon as she did and his limp body fell to the ground, he transformed back into a man. Most of his throat was gone. He was dead.
She still nuzzled him with her nose a few times. She wanted to be sure. She wanted to live the rest of her life with her “family” not having to worry that this man would someday raise an army and come to slaughter them as his father had done before him. At last satisfied he was dead, her fur matted with blood and sweat, she changed back into herself. The blood stained her skin and she could still taste it in her mouth. Asher changed too and said,