HIDDEN (Hidden Trilogy Book 1)

by Yelden, T. J.

  “Shit.” He cursed under his breath. He made a move toward Tanner, who immediately started shaking in earnest.

  “Wait!” I held up my hand and Cade stopped. He cocked his head to the side, eyes wide, as he waited for me to continue. “You’re scaring him.”

  “I’m scaring him?” Cade asked, nonplussed. I ignored his question, and held out my hand to the pup. Tanner looked at me, frame still shaking. “Kendra don’t-“

  “Hush.” I cut him off without looking at him. My instincts were screaming at me to calm the pup and that was exactly what I was going to do. My eyes focused on Tanner. “Come on,” I encouraged in a soft tone. “I won’t hurt you. Come over here away from the thunder and big scary Cade.” I heard Cade scoff softly but I had Tanner’s attention. He shuffled a few steps in my direction. “Come on, sweetie, I won’t hurt you. I’ll protect you from everything.” I cooed. The last statement must have encouraged Tanner enough to have him step quickly over to me and land in my lap. I wrapped my arms around him and pet him soothingly. “There’s a good boy. You’re safe now.”

  “What the hell?” I looked up at Brody’s confused voice. Beyond him, Cassie, Bree, and Hunter were all looking on with mild looks of shock, confusion, and admiration. I looked back to Tanner who had stopped shaking and was curled up on my lap, contentedly. He was about the size of a beagle and his fur was a blondish color that matched his normal hair color. I looked up as Cassie cleared her throat.

  “I think I should take him back to his mom.” She said slowly as she walked over to me and picked up Tanner. He didn’t struggle but did manage to lick my face as he was lifted away. I chuckled before I wiped my face with my sleeve. I pulled myself to my feet and looked around at my friends. All those thoughts I had earlier about how they were different? Yeah, that was starting to make sense now.

  “Something you want to tell me?” I asked as my eyes landed on Cade. He was still frozen in place and watched me carefully. Could the rest of them change shape too? I was suddenly very wary of my friends. If they could change, was I in danger? Could one scratch from them turn me into a werewolf too? I kept my internal dilemma to myself as I faced off with Cade. Answers. I needed answers. Now.

  “Tanner is scared of thunder.” Cade replied. I raised my eyebrow.

  “Really?” I drawled. “I think I got that when he was startled into changing into a wolf pup.” A freaking WOLF PUP. My inner voice was screaming at me to freak out but I tried to contain my rolling emotions. If they were wolves, I didn’t need to set them off by being hysterical.

  “He shifted right in front of you?” Brody asked, surprised. “And you’re still here, talking to us?”

  “What do you think I was going to do?” I scoffed. “Run screaming down the lane?” Not that part of my mind wasn’t telling me to do that very thing at that very moment. The other half was curious as to how things would play out.

  “That would be a normal response.” Hunter muttered. I rolled my eyes at him. Play it cool, Kendra.

  “Well I didn’t.” I replied, glaring at him. If they could be cool about this whole thing, so could I. “Was I surprised? Sure, but he was so small and scared himself. I had to help him.” I shrugged.

  “He came to you in his wolf form?” Bree asked, surprised.

  “Yeah. I coaxed him over. He was trembling and I didn’t like seeing him like that.” I answered honestly.

  “Incredible.” Brody breathed.

  “Why do you say that?” I asked.

  “We don’t associate with humans.” Cade responded. “The fact that he changed in front of you is a huge infraction. That he sought comfort from you, and not me when I was standing right there, is…unprecedented.”

  “He won’t be in trouble will he?” I was suddenly worried that Tanner might be met with some repercussions because of me. It wasn’t his fault that he was scared and I was in the wrong place. “I mean, it was the thunder that scared him. I won’t tell anyone.”

  “He’s only six.” Bree assured me. “We all make mistakes.” She bit her lip and turned her head as Cassie rounded the corner with her dad two steps behind. Liam did not look happy.

  “What did you see?” Liam demanded.

  “Um…” I hesitated because I didn’t want to get Tanner in trouble.

  “Everything.” Cade supplied as he met his dad’s gaze. They shared a look before Liam looked back at me and sighed.

  “Come inside. We should discuss things there.” He turned away and headed back toward the house. Everyone else besides Cade also turned and headed in that direction. Cade waited for me to move forward.

  “What’s going to happen?” I asked more than a little unsure how things were going to play out. Was I in danger from them now that I knew?

  “Nothing. We won’t hurt you.” He reassured. He must have read my expression on my face. “There are just some things we need to discuss since you…well…know about us now.” He motioned for me to walk toward him. I walked slowly forward and watched him closely. He was still the same guy I knew and hung out with every day. But now things started to make a lot more sense. The hearing, the scents, the speed. I ran those scenarios through my head over and over as I passed Cade with a curious look. He gave me a small smile as he followed me to the front of the house and inside where everyone waited in the living room, Mica included. Liam motioned to an empty sofa. Movement at the entrances to the living room made me look around and notice a few new faces, men in their mid-thirties, who were stationed at the doors. Who were they? Guards?

  “Please, have a seat.” Liam motioned to the couch. I nodded and sat down on one side of the couch and Cade sat beside me. I eyed the men standing around the room and looked toward Cade questioningly.

  “Don’t mind them. They’re the Pack’s Enforcers.” Well, that name rang a bell. If only Tyler knew how close to the truth their nicknames were.

  “Like guards?” I asked. He nodded.

  “They are just here as a formality.” Cade shrugged. Deciding that was another question for later, I turned to Liam as he started to speak.

  “I’m sorry you found out this way. It was never our intention for you to know at all.” Liam sighed. “There are rules in our society that must be followed, to maintain our secrecy and safety.”

  “I won’t tell anyone.” I assured them as I looked around the group.

  “And I believe you won’t.” Liam nodded. “But we walk a fine line. Now that you know, we have to be extra vigilant that no one outside of our pack knows that a human is aware of us.”

  “But you said she wasn’t human?” Cade replied. Uh…what?

  “I didn’t say she wasn’t human, just that she wasn’t quite human.” He looked to my shocked face and grimaced. “There’s something…different…about you that I don’t understand. You look human, act human, but my wolf tells me that there is something else there.”

  “Your wolf?” I asked.

  “Maybe we should start at the beginning.” Mica said gently. Liam nodded and turned the conversation over to her.

  “Our pack is called the McCoy Pack, since we are the ruling alphas. As you’ve gathered by now, we are all wolf shifters. Meaning we can change into wolf form at any time.”

  “So no full moons and all that?” I asked as my eyes shifted to Cassie and remembered our first conversation about werewolves and full moons. Was she feeling me out for what I knew back then? Did she know there was something different about me?

  “No, those are myths created through time. Our heritage is passed down through our genes, from one generation to another. We cannot create a wolf, they are only born.”

  “Are there others like you? Out there in the world?”

  “Yes.” Liam answered. “We are one pack among many. We control this territory just as other packs control theirs.”

  “So everyone here, they are werewolves?”

  “Wolf shifters, dear,” Mica corrected. “And yes, this small community is our pack. We live together, work together, and
thrive together.” Just like a real pack.

  “So you all can shift? Into wolves?”

  “Most of us can.” Mica answered. “The young ones eventually learn how to. The time they first shift can vary depending on how strong the wolf is inside. Alphas usually shift early, others not until their early teens.”

  I looked to Liam. “I take it you’re the Alpha.”

  “I am.” Liam nodded. He looked to Mica. “My wife, or mate, is the Alpha female.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, easily seeing that they were the leaders of their pack. “So what’s this about a wolf inside? Like a duel personality?”

  “Close.” Liam replied. “I only share this information with you because I know you are not human, well, all human. The information we discuss today remains here or with the people in this pack. You cannot tell anyone else. Understood?”

  “Yes, of course. No one would believe me anyways.”

  “Good.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “To answer your question, when we are in human form, our thought processes are similar to regular humans. We control our impulses and desires.”

  “When we are in wolf form,” Mica supplied, “Our wolves are more dominate, but it’s not to say we aren’t in control. Our basic needs arise. Like chasing, hunting, scenting, things like that.”

  “But your human half is still in control?”

  “For the most part, yes.” Mica nodded.

  “When isn’t it?” I asked, concern edging my voice.

  “Usually in situations of high stress or in some cases, emotion.”

  “Am I in danger, hanging out with these guys?” I asked motioning around the group. They shifted uncomfortably and I felt bad for asking. But, honestly, the question had to be asked.

  “No.” Cade answered vehemently. “Never.” I looked to him then back to Mica.

  “No,” she assured me and eyed her son. “Their wolves have all accepted you. They would never turn on you.”

  “What do you mean, accepted?”

  “It’s kind of complicated.” Mica bit her lip before continuing. “Packs are a tight knit group. They socialize well amongst each other, but not with humans. When you moved here,” She paused, trying to figure out how to explain.

  “Bree confronted me.” I offered. Shock registered on Mica and Liam’s face before they swiveled in Bree’s direction. Her face flushed red.

  “I came out of the store and she was staring at you guys.” She motioned to the other four. “I thought she was a loner passing through and didn’t want her sniffing around.”

  “Well done, Bree.” Mica praised. Bree glowed. I assumed since Bree had a passive nature, or submissive as the case may be, a confrontation was out of the ordinary for her. The wolves must prize more aggressive behavior when it came to the protection of their pack.

  “But then the rest of them joined us and questioned who I was.” I commented. Cassie piped up.

  “I knew you weren’t a wolf, you didn’t smell like one. But you didn’t smell human either.” She shrugged. “Either way you needed a friend.”

  “Then Cade offered to walk her home.” Hunter growled from the side couch. I was surprised he said anything at all. Usually he was too busy brooding over something or watching silently. I looked back to Cade who wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes.

  “I knew something was…” he searched for the right word.

  “Off,” I supplied, dryly. Cade looked to me in surprise. “Tanner mentioned you said that about me.”

  “I just bet he did.” Cade rolled his eyes. “Yes, there was something different about you and I didn’t know what it was. I knew we should stay close to figure out what it was, but after a while, you just became a part of our pack.”

  “Minus the whole turning furry part.” I mumbled. Everyone laughed.

  “Right.” Cade smiled.

  “Which brings me to my next question,” I said, looking back to Liam. “You said I’m not all human?”

  “Not quite human,” he clarified. “Your scent is off, not like a human’s.” He sighed in frustration. “Though I have no idea what it is.”

  “Vampire?” I joked. Liam laughed.

  “No, not vampire.” I looked to him in confusion. I meant it as a joke but… “No,” he held up his hand, “don’t ask. The less you know the better.” Uh, I can see the nightmares coming already.

  “So, earlier you said that my knowing about you puts your pack in danger.” I looked around the group. “Do I need to stop hanging out with you then?”

  “Absolutely not.” Cade said firmly. I ignored him and looked toward Liam for confirmation.

  “We don’t have to worry about anyone from our pack saying anything. It will just be when neighboring packs visit that we will have to be careful.”

  “Meaning I don’t come around here when they are here.” I replied dryly.

  “Exactly.” Liam responded. I nodded in understanding.

  “So, what happens now?” I asked as I looked around the group.

  “Now?” Liam asked. “Now we can all breathe a little easier since you know. We don’t have to hide what we are.” He smiled at me.

  “I’m sorry if I put a strain on things whenever I came here.” I replied quietly.

  “Oh, no dear,” Mica assured me. “We love having you around. It will just be easier for everyone to not be so on guard all the time.” She stood and clasped Liam’s hand. “We should go have a word with everyone else. Let them know about this new development. And talk to Tanner to let him know everything is fine.”

  “Yes, you’re right.” He looked to me before adding, “If you have any questions, feel free to ask us or any of them.” He said, pointing to the other five. “We’ll be as honest as we can now.”

  “Thank you. Really. For trusting me.” I replied sincerely. They both smiled in return before heading out the door. All of the Enforcers followed them out. I looked around at the “wolves” beside me.

  “Well, that’s not something you learn every day.” I said as I fell back into the couch. Brody laughed.

  “Knew she’d take it like a champ.” He grinned and I smiled in return.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Cade turned sideways to face me. I shrugged.

  “Well, I find out all my friends are wolf shifters, a secret society humans don’t know about, and oh yeah, apparently I’m not even human.” I sighed. “Yeah, I’m just dandy.”

  “Dad and Mom are working on what you are. They are doing research but haven’t come across anything yet.” Cade said.

  “They can’t exactly go around asking questions of other packs either.” Cassie added. “It would raise too many questions.”

  “Enough with the serious talk.” Brody huffed as he pushed to his feet. “Don’t you want to know what we look like in wolf form?” My eyes widened. Hell yeah. I nodded vigorously.

  “Well, all right then.” Brody smiled.

  “Let’s go back to the Falls, first.” Bree suggested. “It will give us a little more privacy while the pack is adjusting to Kendra knowing about us.”

  “You’re right.” Cassie stood up too and Hunter followed suit. “The storm has passed so the sun should be coming out soon.” Cade stood beside me and held out his hand.

  “You ready?” He asked, looking at me questioningly.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.” I clasped his hand and he pulled me to my feet.

  Chapter Eight

  The trip up the mountain was faster this time. Cade made me ride piggy back style since he didn’t have to hide his strength and speed anymore. Yes, made me. The man didn’t know how to ask nicely for anything. With nothing to hide, they all could use their wolfy traits and speed toward the Falls.

  When we reached the Falls, the sun was just peeking out of the clouds. Cade gently let me down a few feet beyond the tree line. I looked around at them and wondered how the shift happened. I mean, I watched Tanner but it was so sudden I didn’t get that good of a look. Never mind the shock of watching him c
hange. It was like one moment he was a boy, the next a wolf pup.

  “Cassie, Bree,” Cade started. “Stay in the trees and shift, then walk slowly toward us. We’ll take Kendra out further on the rocks.” I didn’t object as Cade guided me to the rock outcropping where we had picnicked a few weeks before.

  “Why can’t they shift out here?”

  “One, I want to give you time to adjust to our size. We are a bit bigger than Tanner.” Cade said.

  “That’s why the girls are going first too.” Brody commented. I looked to him in confusion. “We,” he motioned to the three of them, “are bigger than the girls.” He said with a twinkle in his eye. Movement to the side of my vision made me look back toward the edge of the trees where two large wolves now stood. Brody said they were bigger than that? Both wolves easily came up to my thigh. I watched as they slowly trotted in our direction.

  Who’s who?” I breathed.

  “Cassie is the slightly bigger one, black tipped in silver. Bree is the smaller, reddish brown one.” Cade replied as he watched me closely. I wasn’t freaking out, at least not yet. Both wolves stopped within arm’s reach of me and waited for my reaction. I stepped forward and Cade mirrored my movements. I moved to Cassie first, and she waited patiently as I ran my hand lightly over the crown of her head. So soft. I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. I glanced over at Cade to see him smiling.

  “Now, Bree.” He instructed. I turned back to Bree and did the same to her.

  “This is so cool.” I grinned.

  “I’m glad you think so.” Cade commented with a grin. He nodded to Brody and Hunter who strode off into the forest. I waited impatiently to see what the size difference would be and what color of fur they would have. Belatedly I remembered Cade was listing reasons why they couldn’t shift in the open.