“I can hear a woodpecker half a mile down the trail, a mouse a little farther away scrounging for food.” He swung his head in the other direction and added, “Cassie and the pack are five miles away, following the scent of an elk.”
“You can’t know that by your sense of hearing.”
“No,” he grinned. “Cassie told me what they were doing. But I can hear them loping through the forest.”
“No way. Over five miles from here?”
“Yes.”
“That is so cool.” I admitted. He smiled and regarded me.
“I can hear your heartbeat.”
“Huh,” was the only response I could muster. He grinned before lying back down beside me. “What else you got?” I asked, curiously.
“What makes you think there’s more?”
“Has to be.” I said, assuredly.
“Our sense of smell is similar to that of real wolves.”
“Like how good?”
“I can smell the beaver swimming in the pond a little over a mile from here. There’s also a small fox that traveled through this meadow a few days ago.” He glanced over at me to gauge my reaction.
“Can you pick out people? Like identify them in a crowd?”
“Crowds are harder. Lots of different scents mix together to make it confusing.” He glanced over at me before adding, “I could track you anywhere though.”
“Uh, does that mean I smell?” I asked with a small laugh. He chuckled in return.
“No, well, you don’t smell bad, if that’s what you’re asking. Your scent is actually really…good.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “It’s just that I’ve been around you long enough to memorize your scent.”
“So you could track any one of your pack members too?”
“Yes. But I would be able to hear their thoughts farther than I would be able to scent them.”
“Wait, can you read each other’s minds?” I hoped not, that would be awful.
“No, not really. We only hear the words that are broadcasted. Not those that are private.”
“I didn’t know there was a difference.”
“There’s a difference.” He chuckled. “Trust me.”
“Does it work the same for members outside of your pack?”
“To an extent. While we can communicate in wolf form with thoughts, the distance isn’t there as well as being able to track as far as we would with a pack member. It all comes down to how familiar you are with the wolf.”
“But I’m not wolf.” I pointed out.
“No. you’re the exception.” He sighed. “I can scent you like a pack member, but I can’t communicate with you like the others.”
“Hmm,” I said, noncommittally. We fell silent as we listened to the forest around us. I was still trying to grasp all the implications of this afternoon. Wolf shifters were real. They had super strength and speed. Their hearing and sense of smell was phenomenal. And apparently I wasn’t human. That last thought scared me the most.
“Hey,” Cade said, shifting towards me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I tried to cover my worries.
“Nothing my ass. I sensed a mood shift. Call it a wolfy talent. It wasn’t me with the mood swing, so what’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking about what your parents said about me not being human.” I paused before adding, “at least fully human.”
“I know. It’s all I’ve been thinking about.” He looked off into the distance and appeared to be thinking hard.
“Do you think they can find some answers?”
“They can do some checking around. But I don’t know how successful they will be or how long it will take.”
“I supposed in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. I look human. Have all the sunny personality traits and abilities of a human.” I shrugged. “It’s not like I have some ability that makes me different.”
“Except that whole drawing and dreaming thing.” Cade pointed out. Oh yeah.
“Right.” I sighed. We were silent for a minute before a stray thought crossed my mind. Something that had been bugging me for some time. “What happened to make Tyler and his friends afraid of you guys?” Cade’s face darkened before he closed his eyes and answered.
“We were in middle school when it probably started. Our…emotions…run a little closer to the surface than most, so anything can trigger our more aggressive nature. Tyler and his group used to hang with a different crowd. They were prone to picking on others. Bree was one of them.”
“What did they do?”
“They’d bump into her in the halls, close her locker on her, step on her heels in the hallway,” he growled, “things like that. Now, I know it was just a bid to get attention, but back then, someone was attacking a member of our pack. My pack. Bree hadn’t learned to shift yet, so she was still mostly human. She didn’t have our reflexes or agility. That’s where Hunter, Brody, and I came in.”
“Oh…I can just imagine.”
“We cornered them outside of school. They thought three against five was in their favor,” he grinned before adding, “of course, they didn’t know what we were.”
“What happened?”
“We tried to talk them down, let them know what they were doing was wrong, mean. They laughed. I’m pretty sure Hunter lost it first. He jumped two of them and started pounding. Brody and I joined in. When it was over, the five of them laid in a heap, bloody noses, swelling eyes, the works with us standing over them without a scratch. We didn’t break any bones. We knew enough to pull our punches to avoid that.”
“Did you get in trouble?”
“No, they never said anything to anyone, and we never did either. Bree, of course, forgave them because she has a kinder heart than me. They left her alone and shifted shortly after that.”
“So, to this day they haven’t forgotten?”
“Would you forget being beaten into almost a coma?” He chuckled.
“You know you shouldn’t have fought with them.” I scolded.
“What would you have had us do?”
“Report them.”
“So they could get a slap on the wrist with in school suspension?” He scoffed. “No. No one messes with my pack.” The conversation seemed closed as he sat up and looked at me. “Do you want to do some exploring? I can lead in wolf form. My senses are sharper that way.”
“Sure. Sounds like fun.” We both stood up and Cade reached for the button on his jeans again. I promptly turned around to his soft chuckle. I now understood why Tyler and his friends always kept their distance from Cade and the boys. Being beaten to a pulp would be a lasting impression on anyone. Although, I didn’t agree with their methods. There was a time back before Steve and Nicole when I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Now, I understood the importance of diplomacy. Did it work every time? No, of course not. Then an old fashion beat down was just the ticket.
We spent the next hour wandering in and out of the trees, following trails and a small stream that led to the waterfalls. Cade seemed to be enjoying himself because I caught him wagging his tail on a number of occasions as he waited for me or scouted ahead. Fodder for teasing at a later time. He’d occasionally double back and rub against me before he’d bound ahead, tail wagging. If wolves could smile, he’d be grinning ear to ear.
After a while, I heard rustling in the forest to our left and watched as the other four wolves emerged from the brush. They all greeted each other upon their return and rubbed against each other. They even included me in their welcome. I did notice that Hunter still kept his distance from me. I knew Hunter had always been standoffish with me, but since this morning, he seemed to hold more of a grudge than ever. I remembered his argument outside of school with Cade and the things he said about me not being one of them. If that was his view, I could understand his hostility to me now knowing about them. After the greeting, we turned back to the Falls so everyone could change into their clothes. Once everyone was dressed, we
headed back down the mountain at a leisurely pace.
The McCoys invited me to eat supper with them that night and it was like nothing had changed. They were still friendly and happy with me in their presence. Cade and I shared the news about my dreams and drawings. While Liam and Mica found it interesting, they didn’t really know if it was a lead. They said they would keep it in mind as they talked with other wolves. During the meal, they shared stories from their lives as wolves that were thoroughly entertaining. I didn’t stay pass supper as my body was tired from all the excitement that day. Of course, Cade offered to drive me home. I had to smile when he actually asked if he could take me home. He asked, instead of demanded. I smiled. Baby steps.
Chapter Nine
A few weeks later Bree, Cassie and I were hanging out in my room. We were waiting on parts for the car again so we decided to spend some time at my house. It was one of the rare times when they left the boys at home. I was glad as there were a few questions that had been bothering me since the big reveal that needed to be answered.
“Hey Cassie,” I asked from my desk. She was sprawled out on my bed reading a magazine.
“Yeah?” she asked but didn’t look up. Bree sat on the floor and painted her toe nails. I’d questioned earlier if the strong smell of nail polish bothered them but she shrugged it off. She said some things were worth putting up with.
“Your parents,” I paused before continuing, “they said they were mates. Does that mean for life? Or if one dies they can be with another? How does that work with you guys?”
“Wow. Deep subject for a Saturday morning.” Bree breathed as she looked up from her toes. Cassie sat up and regarded me for a second before answering.
“Wolf shifters are much like their animal counterparts.” She said to answer my question. “We search for our mate, hoping we find the one that we call a lifemate.”
“Meaning, a mate for life?” I asked, just to be sure.
“Yes. My parents are lifemates.” Cassie nodded. “Most wolves find their lifemates. That one person that was meant just for you. Those that don’t marry someone they care for deeply.”
“Are lifemates hard to find?”
“Not usually, no. Since we are in touch with our wolves, we can scent them when they are near or we come in contact with them. It’s an awareness that is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, or so I’m told.” Cassie said.
“So, neither of you have met your lifemate?” I asked as I looked between Cassie and Bree. Bree answered first.
“No. Wolves can only scent their lifemate after they turn 18. Something about giving each mate time to mature and be ready for a serious relationship.”
“When do you guys turn 18?” I asked.
“Next spring. Bree’s birthday is in April, mine and Cade’s is in March.” Cassie replied.
“What about Brody and Hunter?” I asked.
“They turned 18 already.”
“Really?” I asked shocked.
“Yeah, last summer.”
“Oh.” I paused before asking, “Have either of them found their lifemate yet?”
“No, you’d know if they had. They wouldn’t be able to spend much time apart. They might not find their mate for a couple years anyway. They can’t scent their mate until she is at least 18 too. So if one of their mates is like, 16, then they have a couple years before they’ll know.”
“What if one of you is their mate?” I asked with raised eyebrows. Bree blushed and Cassie laughed.
“No way.” Cassie giggled. “Neither one appeals to me. They’re great as friends but I’m not attracted to them any more than that.”
“I’m sure Cade is happy about that.” I commented.
“Yeah, he can be a pain. But when I turn 18, I’m going hunting. I’d like to meet the wolf for me.” Cassie grinned. I laughed, just imaging Cassie out there, literally hunting down her mate. I turned to Bree.
“What about you, Bree? You like any of the boys?” I teased lightly.
“I like them but they are too alpha to want me.” Bree said quietly and didn’t meet my eyes. The smile dropped from my face.
“What do you mean?” I asked confused.
“Bree is destined to be our Omega. Just like her Mom is now.” Cassie said with an encouraging smile at Bree. “She’s brilliant at healing and will be great for the wellbeing of our pack.”
“Okay, I think I’m missing something here.” I said, still confused.
“All packs have a hierarchy.” Cassie explained. “The Alpha pair are in charge of the pack, making the impactful decisions that would affect our whole pack. That’s my parents. The Beta is next. This can be a lone position or a mated pair. They see to the financial and less important decisions regarding the pack, to help ease the burden of the Alpha pair. My uncle is the Beta of our pack.” Cassie explained, “He’s been away on business for the pack lately but should be back soon. He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, Cade and Liam have told him a lot about you.”
“Huh.” I wasn’t sure how to respond to that so I returned to the original subject. “All right, I’m following so far.”
“Then we have the Enforcers. They are usually all male, upper 20’s and 30’s in age to see to the safety and basically be peacekeepers of the pack. Once they start their families, they take on other roles in the pack, like running businesses in town or some other way to bring in money for the pack. Enforcers have the potential of being an alpha of another pack if they ever choose to leave.”
“That’s what Brody and Hunter will be,” Bree commented. “Enforcers.”
“And why would that be a problem if you liked one of them?” I asked.
“It’s not a problem.” Cassie said forcefully and looked at Bree. “She just thinks that they would be too high up in the hierarchy of the wolf pack to want her as a mate. Which is crap, as I keep telling her.”
“Doesn’t matter if neither are my lifemate anyways.” Bree said quietly.
“So, where does the Omega come in?” I asked, trying to keep everything straight.
“After the Enforcers, other pack members fall into line according to their strength and abilities. Omega’s are usually the weakest physically in the pack, but,” Cassie said with a stern face to Bree, “they are very important to the health and wellbeing of the pack.” She looked back at me. “It’s the rest of the pack’s responsibility to protect the Omega’s from harm.”
“So,” I looked at Bree, “You think since you are destined to be the pack’s Omega that Brody or Hunter, who will be Enforcers, won’t want you because you think you’re weak?” I watched as she nodded sadly before adding, “But if you are destined lifemates, that won’t matter. It would be Fate, right?”
“She thinks if one of them is her lifemate that they would resent the fact that she was their mate.”
“Is that possible?” I asked with raised eyebrows.
“No. And I’ve told her that repeatedly.” Cassie glared at Bree who didn’t meet her eyes.
“Bree,” I said softly. I waited until she looked at me. “I know I don’t know that much about your whole shifter society, but I don’t think either Brody or Hunter would feel that way.” I assured her. Hunter may be ambivalent about me, but I was sure he had a soft spot for Bree. “If anything I think they would be overbearing and suffocating with their protection.” Cassie laughed and that made Bree smile.
“You think so?” She asked.
“Yeah, definitely.” I nodded. Seeing that she felt more confident, I asked the one nagging question that came to mind during our discussion. “What about Cade?”
“What about him?” Cassie asked.
“Where does he land in the hierarchy?”
“Basically Alpha in training.” Cassie commented offhanded. My eyes widened.
“As in, heir to the pack?”
“Yep.” Cassie chuckled. “It’s why he’s so protective of everything, demands to know where everyone is
, things like that. He’ll be a great Alpha if he can find his lifemate to be by his side.” She looked at me before adding, “Too bad you’re not a wolf.”
“What?”
“Only wolves can mate with wolves. You’re not human, but you’re not a wolf. If you were a wolf, I bet you would be his lifemate.” Cassie replied.
“Why do you say that?” I asked slowly.
“You are the only one that stands up to him, well besides me, but I’m his sister.” She shrugged before adding, “He’s super protective of you, is always watching you and demanding to know how you are doing whenever we go home.”
“He is?” I asked surprised.
“Yeah, it’s kind of strange. I’ve never seen that attachment to a human before.” She looked at me, before clarifying, “well, not exactly human.”
“Thanks.” I replied dryly.
“When you go toe to toe with him,” Bree said from her seat on the floor, “It’s exactly what Alpha mates do. You get his hackles up and never back down. You question him, make him see things from a different perspective.” Bree laughed. “It’s quite entertaining.”
“It’s frustrating is what it is,” I commented.
“Yeah,” Bree said still laughing from the floor. “Too bad you’re not a wolf. I’d like to see who became Alpha in that relationship.” Yeah, too bad.
“Well, Cassie, you’re parents still haven’t had any luck with their research, have they?” I asked, redirecting the topic to safer subjects.
“No, they are still looking.” She sighed. “I can tell they are frustrated, but they don’t want to alert everyone to the fact that they have someone in their territory that they can’t identify.”
“And that would be bad because?”
“Shifters would either be too curious and want a sniff of you, or shun us because of the unknown.” Bree commented.
“Not to mention the High Council would probably get involved.” Cassie rolled her eyes.
“All right, another question. What’s the High Council?” I asked.
“Not a what but a who. A bunch of old, stuffy shifters that make the rules.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “They have their own Enforcers that, well, enforce their laws and bring people to heel if they misstep.”
HIDDEN (Hidden Trilogy Book 1) Page 13