When she stepped into the first true home she’d ever known, she smiled at the sight of her parents making out in the middle of the living room. They’d been mated for over thirty years, and still, Maddox and Ellie couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The two of them were standing close together, caught in an embrace that should have embarrassed Charlotte, but merely showed her what she would never have. At least not with Bram.
Finally, the two wolves in front of her seemed to notice their presence, and they pulled apart, but not before Ellie traced her finger over the scar on Maddox’s face.
The scar Corbin—the brother Ellie and Charlotte shared—had put there in a heated rage.
Maddox kissed Ellie’s palm and pulled away to face Charlotte and Bram. “How was your run?” he asked, his wolf in his eyes.
Charlotte held back a sigh and moved forward to hug her father and mother. “Good, I needed it.”
Her dad kissed her temple before looking over her head at Bram. “Bram.” His voice was a little rough, a little cold, and Charlotte almost rolled her eyes. Maddox loved Bram like a son, but as soon as it looked like Charlotte might be mates with Bram, Maddox had turned on the overprotective father charm and hadn’t been able to turn it off again.
Bram found it funny, but it annoyed Charlotte to no end.
She met her best friend’s gaze, and he shook his head. Today wasn’t the day to get into it, she knew, but one day soon, she’d have to explain that she and Bram weren’t what the others thought. What she had hoped.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Ellie said with a soft smile. Her mother always saw too much, just like Maddox did, and Charlotte was afraid they already knew the truth about her lack of bond with Bram. “Finn called earlier and asked for you.”
“Oh, really?” Finn was the Heir to the Redwood Pack, the eldest son of the Alpha, and would one day be the Alpha in truth. He was also her other best friend and former roommate before he’d mated with Brynn, a former Talon Pack member.
“He’s headed to the Talon den and asked you to join him and Brynn,” Maddox said. “You know that we’re not letting anyone go off alone outside the den, and while Finn and Brynn would normally be okay on their own as a duo, three would be even better.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened even as a slight thread of excitement wove its way through her. She didn’t normally get picked for assignments like this. Yes, she’d fought alongside others when needed, and even helped saved some of the Talon Pack members who had been too close to an explosion, but since she didn’t have a clear role in the Pack yet, those assignments were few and far between.
“Really?”
Maddox nodded. “He’s leaving soon, so meet him at the main sentry gate if you’re joining him. I’ll phone ahead to let him know.” He looked over at Bram. “Finn also said Kade was about to do an all call for the enforcers.”
Bram’s shoulders straightened. “At the Alpha’s home, or the enforcer’s place of residence?”
“At Kade’s,” Maddox answered.
“I’ll head over there right now.” Bram met Charlotte’s gaze. “Be careful, okay?”
She looked into his eyes and swallowed hard. She was always careful. There wasn’t another option for a wolf such as she.
“You, as well,” she whispered.
Her best friend left without another word, and Charlotte was left to stare at the closed door.
“Charlotte…” her mother began.
Charlotte shook her head. “I should head out. I need to stop by my place and change my shoes. Thanks for letting me know.” She quickly kissed her parents’ cheeks and left without another word. She hated keeping things from them, hating hurting like she did, but she didn’t know any other way to live.
By the time she made it to the gate, Brynn and Finn were already waiting. Newly mated, the two of them were wrapped around one another much like her parents had just been. Everyone in Charlotte’s life seemed to be finding a mate of their own, and while she couldn’t hate them for it, that little pang of jealousy still hit her every once in a while.
“You’re here,” Brynn said with a grin. She looked like her brothers and cousins, all strength and dark hair with wide blue eyes. Finn was one lucky wolf.
“Let’s head out,” Finn said quickly. “Gideon said he had something to show us, and since Brynn wanted to see her brothers, we said we’d go.”
Gideon was the Alpha of the Talon Pack, while Brynn was Gideon’s younger sister.
“Thanks for asking me along,” Charlotte said.
Finn studied her face. “I wouldn’t have anyone else.”
She let that seep into her soul and sighed softly. He believed in her, and that had to count for something.
They made their way over to the Talons in Finn’s vehicle, aware they were being watched. The soldiers that guarded the dens weren’t on the Packs’ side, but they didn’t do anything to provoke an attack.
Yet.
Though Finn could have probably found a way to evade those on his tail, he let the others keep up with him. That way, the world could see that they were just simple people going to meet friends. It was all a lie, and would always be one, but she would do her part and protect what was hers. After they’d entered the Talon territory and nodded at the wolves who guarded their home, Charlotte followed Finn and Brynn to the infirmary.
“Do you know why we’re here?” Charlotte asked. “I mean other than the fact that Gideon asked for us.”
Brynn shook her head. “Not really. Gideon just asked us over. Kade said he’d come, but I haven’t seen my family in a week so I asked if I could come instead.”
Charlotte nodded. “Everything is so secret these days, I never know.”
Finn shrugged. “It has to be, but I wanted you here.” He met her gaze. “I don’t know why, Charlotte. My wolf urged me to bring you with, and I listened to him.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s…a little spooky.”
Finn snorted. “Tell me about it. I never used to have this connection with my wolf but after the…procedure, things are different.”
The procedure that killed him, she remembered. But if Finn’s wolf thought she needed to be here, she’d listen. He was the Heir for a reason, after all.
They made their way into the building, and Gideon came toward them. He had to be the biggest man Charlotte had ever seen, and that was saying something, considering how big her cousins and uncles were.
“Good, you’re here.”
A man’s scream echoed off the walls, and Charlotte’s wolf moved forward, ready to fight.
“What the hell?” Finn growled.
“That’s why I wanted you here,” Gideon said with a sigh. “We have a new Pack member.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. While it was not uncommon to bring in new members of the Pack, they were in the middle of a war, and turning a human probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Not that she’d tell a very dominant Alpha wolf that.
“Seriously?” Finn asked.
“What happened?” Brynn said.
Gideon pinched the bridge of his nose. “He is—was—a soldier, working under Montag.”
Charlotte hissed. Montag was the General who had killed dozens of wolves in the name of science. He tortured them to discover their secrets and was one of the loudest opponents against the wolves’ right to live at all.
“I don’t know what happened exactly, but we’re going to find out,” Gideon continued, giving Charlotte a curious glance. “He saved Ryder and Leah and risked his life to do so. Then he showed up at our borders and saw through the wards.”
“Holy hell,” Brynn whispered. “Ryder told me about the human that saved him, but I didn’t know who it was.”
“He’s also the man who saved you from that bullet, FYI,” Gideon said to Brynn. “But he’s not human anymore.”
“You changed him?” Finn asked.
Gideon shook his head. “No. That’s the thing. He smells of wolf but he isn’t yet. He was dying, a
nd the only way to save him was to bring him into the Pack. He’s not wolf. He’s not human. He’s something…different. The humans made something, Finn, something that could destroy us all if we’re not careful. I don’t know what to do with him.”
Another scream. This one louder.
“He’s in pain,” Charlotte growled. She didn’t know this human, didn’t know if she could trust him. He was a soldier—the enemy.
Gideon nodded. “And there’s nothing we can do to calm him. He’s here because Walker is trying to help, but no matter what we do, nothing seems to work. I’m at my wit’s end here.”
Charlotte was listening, but her legs had started to move without her thinking. She moved toward the source of the screaming and sucked in a breath at the sight of the man on the bed. He was chained at his ankles and wrists, but from the gouges in his arms, she figured the restraints were for his own safety.
Perhaps.
His veins stood out prominently, and he thrashed under the blanket he wore to cover him since he didn’t seem to have a stitch of anything else on. He screamed again before his eyes snapped open and met hers. His nostrils flared, and his body went rod-straight at the sight of her. Gradually, his breathing eased, and the cords on his neck softened.
Her wolf pounced, pushing at her to go closer.
But she couldn’t.
Because she’d heard a word on the wind she shouldn’t have. The one word that could break her.
Mate.
“Charlotte?” Finn asked. “What is it?”
She looked at him, her body swaying. “My wolf…” She pressed her lips together and pushed past him and the others so she could breathe once again.
“Charlotte,” Finn said once again when he came to her side. “He’s your mate, isn’t he? That’s why my wolf told me to bring you. Because he’s here…because you needed to be. It’s fate, isn’t it, Charlotte? It’s a twisted, fucked up fate.”
“Fate? You think I believe in fate?” Charlotte took a deep breath then gave a dry laugh. “Oh, Finn. How could I believe in fate? What has the moon goddess ever done for me?”
Finn’s eyes widened, and she wanted to let the tears fall. He’d been through his own hell with the bond between wolf and man, and the bond between him and his mate. Yet she couldn’t think about that, not now, not ever. “Charlotte. You can't say that. You don't believe that.”
“I was born to a monster. Chained to a wall for longer than I care to remember. I watched my sister, now mother, die before somehow coming back. I was the one who told them how to kill my brother, Corbin, though they didn't have the chance. I saw more horrors than you could ever dream of before I even met the Redwoods. And you think the moon goddess blessed me? No. I don't think so. I might have had time with a family I don't deserve, but now what does she do? She gives me a mate that sides with the enemy. She gives me the enemy himself.”
Finn reached out, but she took a step back.
“Don't. Don't try to make it better. The moon goddess, in all her wisdom, gave me a human to love, a human to cherish. That…I could do. I would embrace humanity with all my heart, even if they don’t embrace us. But she didn't just give me a human. She gave me a soldier. She gave me a man who wants to kill us. Who wants to hold us captive and dissect us.” And she didn’t let her have the one wolf who should have been hers.
“You don't know that. He's not the leader, Charlotte. He could be different from the others.”
She laughed, but it held no humor. “Even better. He's a pawn with no steel, no strength. He only listens to those that fear us and want to harm us.” She rolled her shoulders and knew she had to be stronger than she was. “I'm done, Finn. I won't mate with him. I won't listen to the moon goddess or my wolf. He's not mine. He'll never be mine.”
“I'm alone.”
Alone.
Again.
She'd grown up alone. It only made sense she'd die that way, too.
Chapter Two
It didn’t seem fair that she should be so far away while he was stuck here, wondering if she were okay. If she were safe. But nothing was ever fair in life, and Bram Devlin had learned that years before. And though he knew deep down that Charlotte could take care of herself and would always be a strong fighter, the dominant wolf inside him needed to make sure she was cared for.
His best friend had told him time and time again that it grated on her when Bram acted overprotectively. He couldn’t help it, though, especially considering the strength of his wolf…and the woman he wanted to protect.
Charlotte was his best friend, his one-time lover, and the one woman he wanted to spend the rest of his days with. That fact sent a shock of pain through his chest, and he did his best to ignore it. He’d been getting too good at ignoring a lot of things recently.
“You okay?” Gina asked him quietly. Gina was the Enforcer of the Redwood Pack, bonded to the others irrevocably and able to sense danger to the Pack from outside forces. Since their Pack was on the verge of war with the human population, he figured she must constantly have a hum along her bonds, warning her of what was to come.
She was also the daughter of the Alpha, his boss, and Charlotte’s cousin. Since many of the upper levels of the Pack held members of the Jamenson family, and the older generations had all felt the need to have numerous children, Bram couldn’t take two steps without bumping into one of Charlotte’s family members.
Usually, he didn’t mind it since they had taken him in when he’d had no one, but right then, he’d rather not see them. As a whole, they saw far too much of what he was feeling, and since he wanted their baby Charlotte in every position possible as well as by his side until the end of days, he didn’t think it would be good for them to know.
Charlotte’s father, uncles, and cousins were big ass wolves, who hadn’t slowed down even after they’d hit a century in age. Since wolves had far greater healing abilities than humans, they lived longer lifespans. He knew of a few wolves that were over five hundred years old and had been able to hide that fact from humanity for far longer than anyone thought possible. But now that the secret was out thanks to the Unveiling that had been out of their control, the mortals were getting curious.
They knew that shifters could change form at will, though they didn’t necessarily know how much pain they endured each time they altered their shape, or how shifters were made. Through the past year or so, the Alphas of the Packs around the world had slowly been letting key information about how dens worked and how wolves had human halves as well as lupine sides out into the public. Though some things would always remain secret and known only to those within the Packs, there were others that could no longer be kept close to the vest. The world had grown far beyond the ideas of hidden wolves and witches. Technology had begun to outpace the magic that had once kept shifters and witches behind the veil of illusion.
Bram wasn’t sure how long the wards that protected their Pack from the humans seeing too much and stopped the violence from the outside world getting in would keep up. As it was, the government and key groups already knew precisely where the dens were located, even if they couldn’t quite see them. It was only a matter of time before they found a way in, and the dens lost their security.
With each new mating of a witch into the Pack, the wards would gain strength, but they couldn’t rely on a fated mate to show up out of the blue to help their den. The witches had been thrust into the public eye only recently and had their own battles. Though both the Redwood and Talon Packs had formed alliances with the Coven near them, the relationship was still tentative at best.
Things were rapidly spiraling out of control, and Bram wasn’t sure what the next step would be. Though they had secret shifters within the government who had held those positions for years, they wouldn’t be enough if the delegation against shifters came into power. Senator McMaster was putting forth a policy that would essentially rip all human rights away from the shifters and label them as animals that could be studied, slaughtered, or locked up in
cages. General Montag had already been doing some of that on his own without government approval, and Bram figured he wasn’t the only one.
Their Packs had two enemies with names, yet there were countless others that could come at them at any moment.
And yet throughout all of that, Bram couldn’t keep his thoughts off Charlotte. She wasn’t near him and was in another Pack’s den where he couldn’t protect her. And frankly, she’d been pushing him away so hard recently, he wasn’t sure she’d ever let him close enough to help her again.
Just because the mating hadn’t taken the first time, didn’t mean they shouldn’t try again.
Yet he wouldn’t put her through that pain again. He couldn’t see that look in her eyes if the bond didn’t come…couldn’t feel the look on his own face.
“Bram? You’re ignoring me, and Kade is about to come back to finish the meeting.”
He blinked at Gina’s words and shook his head. Hell, he’d been woolgathering rather than what he should have been doing. That wasn’t like him, and he didn’t like that this wasn’t exactly the first time he’d done it recently either.
“Sorry, I was just lost in my head.” He ran a hand over his face and tried to clear his mind. He’d been called here along with the other enforcers—those wolves charged with protecting their Alpha—and yet, he couldn’t seem to focus.
Gina studied Bram’s face and sighed. “If you need to talk about it, I’m here. Quinn, too.” Quinn was her mate and a former Talon Pack member. And when Gina rested her hand on her belly ever so slightly, Bram held back a smile. Apparently, Quinn was also the father of her unborn child. Good for them.
“I’m okay. Really.” Lies, but lies he was good at telling. He’d been repeating them for years.
Gina opened her mouth to say something but closed it as her father walked in. Kade, their Alpha, frowned only a for a moment before schooling his features. As the man held special Pack bonds with each member of the den, as well as tighter ones with his enforcers, he could sense minute changes within the room. Bram hoped Kade couldn’t feel what Bram felt as he didn’t want anyone to have to go through that, least of all his Alpha.
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