“No. You smell…different.”
“Uh, is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I laughed nervously. She took a step closer and inhaled deeply. Wow, what a weirdo.
“Well, I’m sorry for running into you-“ I started when I heard Cade’s voice from the crack in the door.
“Everything all right, Kendra?” Cade asked from the other side of the door. The girl’s eyes widened as she looked from me to the door.
“You’re with them?” She questioned with a scowl. I was still back on why she sniffed me in the first place.
“Who are you talking about?” I asked finally.
“Kendra. Answer me.” The door was pushed open a little more, then, all of a sudden, it flew back and hit the wall. Cade stood there and glared at the girl in front of me. “Leave her alone.” Cade stated forcefully. I distinctly heard an animal growl emanating from his chest. Well, that was a first.
“She knows about you?” The girl questioned with raised eyebrows. She glanced between Cade and me.
“That’s none of your business.” He ground out.
“Wait,” I said, trying to follow the conversation. I turned to the girl, “You’re one of them?” I asked and gestured to Cade.
“No.” She scoffed.
“Oh.” I said, once again confused.
“I would never want to be a wolf.” She glared at Cade, and then turned her eyes to me. “You reek of them.”
“Uh…I’m sorry.” I said as I shook my head and stepped towards her. “I what?” I was a little insulted she was insinuating I smelled bad. I bathed daily, thank you very much.
“You smell just like them.” She regarded me coolly before adding, “But you don’t shift.” How could she tell that just by sniffing me?
“Kendra, let’s go.” Cade said and held out his hand.
“I have to use the restroom yet.” I protested.
“Stay. I’m leaving.” The girl replied as she looked me up and down then glanced at Cade. “It’s not good to be seen with one of you.” She stalked toward Cade who barely backed up to let her pass. The girl didn’t look back as she rounded the corner and walked out of sight. I looked back to Cade who still stood in the doorway.
“That was interesting.” I commented. “Do you know her?”
“No,” was his clipped reply.
“Huh.” Cade still stood frozen in the doorway so I cleared my throat. “If you wouldn’t mind closing the door, I’ll be out in a minute.” Cade glanced around the interior of the restroom before he backed out into the hallway.
A few minutes later Cade walked with me across the food court back to our seats. He was closer to me this time and he was constantly scanning the crowd. His vigilance made me a little nervous. The group watched as we approached and didn’t say a word until we sat down.
“Do you know who she was?” Brody asked. I was confused how he would have known what happened until I remembered they could all converse in their heads. Stupid, but useful, shifter gifts.
“No.” Cade growled.
“What was she?” I asked.
“Panther.” Cade replied with a wrinkle of his nose.
“Will she tell the High Council about me?” I asked.
“Doubtful.” Cassie replied. She looked around to make sure no one was listening to our conversation. “She doesn’t want to draw their attention to her.” I remembered what Cassie had told me about the High Council looking down on any shifter that wasn’t a wolf. Well, that was good for me, I guess.
“So what’s the problem?” I asked.
“She said you smelled like us.” Cade pointed out.
“Well, I do hang out with you guys a lot.”
“She also said you didn’t shift.”
“Yeah, heard that part.” I commented.
“What does that mean?” Bree asked with a frown. “Of course Kendra doesn’t shift, she’s not a shifter.”
“Yeah.” Cade replied without commenting. He looked around the group and cleared his throat. “We should keep moving if we want to be done and get home at a decent time.”
The discussion of the restroom girl was left unfinished as we made our way through the last of the stores. I finished my shopping of what I could. The rest I’d have to do online since one of them were always with me. It was kind of hard to buy something for someone when they were with you all the time.
When we returned to McCoy lands, the pack was in a giddy mood. I looked around at all the younger kids who played in the yards and chased after each other. Some were in human form, others were in wolf form. I’d asked Cassie how they kept their secret from just anyone driving up their lane to the houses. She told me the Enforcers were their first warning system. They each served on guard duty surrounding the immediate property and then there were those that went on border patrol. The immediate property Enforcers were in charge of maintaining secrecy of the pack and the early warning system of any humans that approached. The ones on border patrol scouted for intruders on their territory and maintained the borders.
As we piled out of the SUV with the other Enforcer SUV parked beside us, I turned when I heard my name shouted.
“Kendra!” I finally found Tanner bounding toward me with a big grin on his face. He was initially a little shy and embarrassed that he shifted in front of me, but now he was more than happy to have me around. He skidded to a stop in front of me. “You wanna play with us?”
“What are you playing?” I asked as Cade stepped up beside me. Tanner glanced over at him then back to me.
“Just tag. A few of us started already but you always like to play too. That’s why I asked.”
“Sure. I’d love to.” I smiled down at him.
“What about me?” Cade asked from beside me. Tanner gave him a long look. Ever since I’d started hanging around more and, honestly, not letting Cade get his way all the time, Tanner became a little braver too.
“I suppose you can.” He replied, still eyeing Cade. I had to hide my laugh. “But don’t pick on Kendra just because she can’t shift. It’s not nice.”
“I’ll try not to.” Cade responded dryly.
“I’ll know if you do.” Tanner said warningly before he turned abruptly and ran back to the waiting pack of kids. I glanced at Cade, trying to hide my grin, unsuccessfully.
“I think you’re a bad influence.” Cade teased softly.
“I’m good for your pack. You need someone to keep you on your toes.” I replied as we moved to join the kids.
“You’re a part of this pack too and I don’t need any of the pack challenging me.”
“Tanner’s like, six. It’s admirable that he’s looking out for others.”
“Yes, it is.” He paused before adding, “So you think a six year old looking out for you is more acceptable than what I do?”
“You are overprotective, verging on dictation, and borderline caveman.” I gave him a look before adding, “Tanner is sweet in his protectiveness.” I grinned.
“Burn, man,” Brody said from behind us. I glanced back and just noticed that he and Cassie were joining us in our game of tag. “Little Tanner’s winning over the ladies more than you.” Cade scowled but didn’t get a chance to answer as Tanner, who’d turned wolf pup, nipped Cade’s pant leg and jumped back, playfully wagging his tail in the air.
“You’re it.” I grinned as we all scattered. We played for a good half hour before I was too tired and dropped off to the side to catch my breath. Of course, everyone else was in tiptop shape and kept playing. Brody and Hunter’s parents walked by me on their way to the McCoy house. I’d only met them a few times but they were friendly, for the most part.
Brody’s parents, Garret and Janine, smiled as they passed me. They ran one of the businesses in town along with others from the pack. Hunter’s mother, Kristi, worked at the elementary school and nodded at me as she passed. Hunter’s father, Reith, gave me a steady gaze on his way by. He was never very open with me and always seemed to be keeping a watchful eye trained in my dire
ction. I’d learned that Reith was one of the older pack Enforcers. I watched as each of them made their way to the front porch of the McCoy house. The mothers went inside as Garret, Reith, Liam, and Darren, Cade’s Uncle, stood on the porch and seemed to start a deep conversation by the look on their faces. I’d met Darren a few times and he seemed like a nice guy. He reminded me a lot of Liam, which made sense seeing as they were brothers.
My curiosity got the better of me about their deep conversation and I stood up and circled around to the other side of the kids’ tag zone and sat down closer to the porch. Remember when I said my hearing was improving? Well, I wasn’t about to waste a talent like that when the group of four men seemed to be discussing something pretty serious. I zoned out the noise in front of me to focus on the one conversation behind me.
“You have to acknowledge that her knowing about us is a threat.” Reith said in a soft demanding tone.
“A threat to whom?” Garret countered. “The girl is hardly going to go blabbing to the other kids in school. They would laugh at her faster than they would believe anything she said about shifters.”
“Humans can’t know about us.” Reith insisted. “She’s a danger to our pack. What happens when the High Council finds out?”
“She’s not human.” Liam replied evenly. “We know that. She doesn’t smell like a human.”
“She doesn’t smell like a shifter either.” Reith growled.
“I haven’t been around her as much as you since I’ve been away on pack business,” Darren commented, “But I can tell you her scent does resemble a shifter. I just don’t know if what I’m scenting is hers or a result of her spending so much time with your kids.”
“She’s not a wolf.” Reith argued. “We’d know one of our own.”
“But she doesn’t smell like any other shifter.” Garret countered.
“Have you had any luck finding information on her?” Darren asked, I assumed to Liam.
“No.” Liam answered. “Any of the wolves we trust to talk to have never heard of a human, for all intent and purposes, not smelling like a human.”
“Did they have any theories?” Garret asked.
“Some. But we would have to contact other shifters to learn more.”
“You can’t do that.” Reith protested. “We don’t associate with them.”
“I know.” Liam sighed. “Which makes finding answers even more difficult.” There was a pause in the conversation before Liam asked, “You all heard about the shifter that the kids ran into today?” They must have nodded because Liam continued. “She was adamant that Kendra didn’t shift. But smelled just like us.”
“Again, it’s probably just because she spends all her time with your kids.” Darren argued.
“Perhaps.” Liam responded. I was jarred from listening to any more to the conversation when Tanner ran into me, back in his human form. He sat down beside me.
“Why can’t you shift?” He asked bluntly. After spending some time with him, I found out this was his usual line of questioning. Tanner liked to get to the point, quickly.
“I’m not a shifter.” I replied.
“Who says?” He asked. I shrugged.
“Everyone, I guess.”
“But you’re not human.” He pointed out.
“Guess not.”
“So, what are you?”
“Not a clue.”
“Huh.” He paused before asking, “Are you going to be Cade’s mate?” I almost choked before I managed to come up with a reply.
“Why would you ask that?”
“Because he likes you. Like, really likes you.”
“Oh, well.” I hedged as I bit my lip.
“Do you like him?” He looked up at me.
“Of course I like him. He’s a great friend.”
“If you like him you should be his mate.”
“You should love someone before you decide something like that.” I hedged.
“Oh, yeah. Mom and Dad say they love me all the time. Have you told Cade you love him?”
“Umm…no.”
“Why not?”
“Tanner, sometimes things don’t always go the way we want to. Even if I did love Cade, we could never be together. I’m not a wolf. I couldn’t be his mate.”
“If you were a wolf, would be his mate?”
“Boy, you are full of questions aren’t you?” I smiled weakly trying to get him off the subject. He shrugged.
“Mom says I ask too many questions. I just like knowing how things work.”
“Don’t worry. You have your entire life to figure that one out.” I ruffled his hair lightly as he tried to dodge me.
“Hey, you want to play again? Before we have to go in for supper?” He asked eagerly as he rose to his feet. I laughed. Change of subject? Mission accomplished.
“Sure. I’m game.” I followed him back into the chaos, our conversation and the one I overheard faded to the background, but not completely forgotten. What if I was a wolf? Then Cade and I would have a chance, his pack wouldn’t be in danger, and I wouldn’t be in limbo wondering why my parents left me for no reason. Okay, that last one I still might not know, but at least I’d be two for three. I sighed at the thought of how simpler things would have been if I was a wolf. If only.
Chapter Eleven
Christmas finally came and I was a little nervous about my presents. Nicole and Steve weren’t real close with their families so we stayed home through the holidays. They each liked my presents to them and I was ecstatic to receive my own tablet where I could manipulate drawings and sketches. One step closer to my dreams.
My friends decided our Christmas would be held out to the McCoy house since everyone was already there, except me. I had packed up my gifts to each of them and Cassie and I were on our way to her house. Things with Cade had smoothed out. He was still keeping his distance, as was I, but we were back on speaking terms. That unexplainable pull was still there, which made it even harder to maintain some distance. Cade was still adamant about my safety and checking up on me, from what Cassie told me, but he never pushed anything with me. This softer side of Cade was wearing me down. I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to hold up against our relationship turning into something more than friends.
When we stopped in front of the McCoy house where everyone congregated, I looked around at all the smiling faces, noticing that Cade was absent, and asked what was going on. Just then, the sound of an engine caught my attention. I turned and a slow smile spread across my face as Cade drove around the end of the garage…in my car. My newly restored, in working order, sexy, sleek, mouthwateringly beautiful car. Cade pulled up beside my frozen frame and was smiling as he stepped out and rounded the hood.
“Oh my God!” I exclaimed. Without thinking, I launched myself at him and he caught me around the middle. I couldn’t hold back my joy as I gave him a big hug which he happily returned. He reluctantly set me down as my eyes wandered back and forth over the purring car. “This is so cool.” I breathed. I turned and looked at everyone gathered. “Thank you so much for all your help.” I went around to each and every one of them and gave them a hug too.
“Do you want to drive it?” Cade asked as I turned back toward the running car.
“Hell Yes!” I exclaimed and ran around to the driver’s side. He laughed and slid in the passenger side.
“We’ll be back shortly.” Cade yelled as I started off.
“But what about my presents?” Brody called. I just laughed as we disappeared down the lane.
We made it out to the highway and I turned away from town. I wanted this baby out on the open road. We cruised along for a while, neither one of us spoke, just enjoyed the ride. Finally, Cade turned his head toward me.
“I take it you like it?” He grinned.
“Like it?” I said shaking my head. “I LOVE it.” I grinned at him in return before returning my eyes to the road.
“Good.”
“I guess this means I can drive myse
lf to school.” I commented. There was a long pause before Cade responded.
“We could drop one of us off at your place to ride with you to school.”
“You do realize that school is literally five minutes from my house, right?”
“Yeah.” He sighed.
“I can manage the drive myself. I’ll just meet you guys at school.”
“What about when you come out to our house? Is that going to change?”
“Well, I can drive myself now so it will save you guys the trip both ways.”
“So you’ll still come out even though the car is done?”
“Of course.” I replied, and then thought more about it. “Unless you don’t want me to.”
“What? No, that’s not what I’m saying. I want you to come out and hang with us.”
“So what was with the question?”
“I just didn’t know if you wanted to come out. If there wasn’t a reason anymore.”
“You’re all still my friends. I want to keep hanging out with you.” I pointed out. He sighed. I glanced at him to see a sad look on his face. “What’s wrong?”
“Kendra, don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t see you as my friend.” He paused before adding, “You’re more than that to me.”
“Cade, I told you-“
“I know what you said. And I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. But I don’t see myself ever…caring…for someone as much as I do you.” Cade admitted. My heart skipped a beat then was off to the races.
“But your lifemate-“
“Is some unknown wolf out there that I may or may not ever meet.” Cade finished. “I’d rather celebrate and be happy with what I have now, then be miserable waiting for something that might not ever happen.”
“Cassie said lifemates aren’t rare.”
“I know. We all know. But,” He paused before continuing, “You know yourself that you’re not fully human. Who’s to say we can’t form some kind of bond ourselves?” My eyes widened at his statement, and he rushed to continue. “I’m not saying we get married or anything like that. Let’s just, let things happen and see where it goes.” He looked to me and almost pleaded, “Just give us a chance.”
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