Strength Enduring

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Love or not, she was his, and he was hers.

  She’d just have to figure out what to do about that.

  * * *

  The dream hit her hard again, and she screamed out at the shock, but she knew this time it wasn’t aloud. Kameron wouldn’t wake her until the dream wanted her to be woken up. Flames danced on her skin, but this time, she wasn’t alone.

  Aimee and Dawn faced her, their wrists in chains as they stared at her, their mouths opened wide in silent screams. They reached for her, but Dhani couldn’t move from her spot. Cheyenne was there, too, in shadow, not a part of things but not separate. Just there.

  Dhani blinked, and the scene changed.

  The old woman stood between her friends now. Her arms outstretched and her palms facing outward. She mumbled something Dhani couldn’t understand, but she knew it was important. Knew it had been said before.

  Stand up.

  Open up.

  Give up.

  Sacrifice begets sacrifice.

  Her friends screamed after the woman had finished speaking, and Dhani screamed with them. Then she found herself awake in her bed, Kameron’s arms tight around her as he nuzzled her neck over the mating mark he’d placed there.

  Something was coming. Soon, the dreams wouldn’t be of what was to come but what was already here.

  If only she had a clue how to decipher what the words meant.

  * * *

  Hours later, she was finishing up an afternoon lesson while her pups—she was still getting used to calling them that rather than kids—smiled and chatted as if they didn’t have a care in the world. And for them, perhaps that was the case. That was how it should be. Dhani wished she were able to think like they did but, for some reason, her sense of knowing seemed to hit her full force and she was having trouble concentrating.

  Her hands shook every once in a while as she tried to finish her lessons, and her heart raced even when she thought she was finally calming down. There was something approaching, something bad, and she knew if she weren’t careful, the innocent children in front of her would be in the line of fire.

  Yet she didn’t know why she kept thinking those horrible thoughts. Because these babies needed to be safe when they were inside the den wards. That was the whole point of having them cloistered inside them, after all. There were maternal dominants, dominants, submissives, soldiers, and every other kind of wolf and witch out there, ready to defend their territory and the children with their lives. And she knew it probably wouldn’t even come to that because it would take a lot of magic and pain for them to reach this part of the den at all. But she still had a bad feeling about her presence there and had no idea what she was going to do about it. She had no idea why she felt this way. Maybe it was just a bad dream that she couldn’t quite wake up from. Or maybe it was just a feeling that had nothing to do with the children finishing up their lessons in front of her.

  When one of them raised their tiny hand to ask a question, she pushed those thoughts out of her head and did what she was supposed to do. Her new role in this new life of hers was to take care of these children and teach them. She didn’t have time to stand around and wonder about the what-ifs and be scared all the time.

  She trusted her mate and his people to protect the borders. She trusted the wards around them, even if they made her skin prickle more than anyone else’s. So she just needed to get over what was bothering her and actually focus on her job. Because there weren’t as many children in this school as there were in the human one, and she could focus on each child individually as much as possible.

  School days were split up into half days with one grade in the morning and one grade in the afternoon. When the students weren’t in their actual homeroom, they were either at daycare or taking lessons from someone else. It was as close to a one-room school as they could get without forcing the younger children to learn lessons that were too hard or not teaching the older children enough. As the Pack grew and more babies were born, things would change. Apparently, the den had already changed drastically in the past few years.

  There were far more children under the age of twelve than there were older kids, and that was because of the timing of the new matings when the Talon Pack had started to heal.

  There was so much history surrounding the people around her, and she just wanted to soak it all up and learn as much as she could. And not just because she wanted to learn more about her mate.

  As she helped the kids finish up the last of their lessons and then walked them to the next part of their day, she found herself standing alone by the building that had taken her in, thinking about Kameron. She had been thinking about him a lot. She’d told him that she loved him, yet she was pretty sure he hadn’t heard her. That was probably for the best because she honestly didn’t think they would have been anywhere near this point in their relationship if they were human. Of course, she was still human, but she could feel this magical pulse inside her, telling her that she was mated to someone who wasn’t human.

  It should have been weird, but it felt right. It felt as if she were finally holding onto something that she’d been missing for far too long. The thing was, she wasn’t sure all of that feeling came from Kameron or if it was just the magic itself. She was really starting to wonder if maybe this sense of knowing of hers, the way she reacted to the wards, and the way she felt at home with people who celebrated magic was part of some bigger picture. But she had no idea if that was true or what it all meant.

  She hated feeling as if she didn’t have a clue what she was doing, yet that seemed to be happening more often than not recently. She was still learning, still trying to get all the facts and trying to fit in. And though things had changed drastically since she was on the outside looking in, she knew she was still missing something. Was that something Kameron? Because she had him now. She could feel that he cared for her. He was different around her. Different than he had been when he was walking around shirtless and growling before. Now, he walked shirtless and growled for a whole different reason. And that growl did something completely different to her than it had, something she really liked. Who knew she’d like growling that much?

  Now, her mind was going in a thousand different directions because everything was hitting her at once. She still couldn’t reach her parents, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. What if the others were wrong and Blade had nothing to do with this? What if Aspen was just a last name, and Blade hadn’t had any contact with her parents. Or maybe the other man had reached out, but her parents were willingly going along with him and his plans and schemes. But…what if they were in danger and she couldn’t help them? Though Kameron had two of his men watching her mom and dad, they hadn’t been able to get too close for fear of what would happen if they did. So now she felt as if she were cut off from the only two people she’d had before she met Aimee, Dawn, and Cheyenne.

  Her relationship with her parents might be strained, but that was on the three of them, not just her parents. She was just as much at fault for the tenuous lines of communication they shared. There’d always been something missing, something that had nothing to do with who they were, who she was. It had everything to do with the lack of something, but she’d never been able to figure out exactly what it was.

  And now she couldn’t talk to them. Couldn’t see them. She was still so angry about their words, even if they hadn’t been the ones in charge of what they said. Those words and what came as a result of them was what kept the pups in her classroom in danger.

  Somehow, she still felt far out of the loop, so very behind. The past week, she had spent almost all of her time either teaching or with Kameron. Because even though they had mated in order to keep the den safe, she figured that everyone knew she and Kameron needed some time alone to figure out who they were together. And that was how she had fallen for him so fast. Or, at least it was part of it. He was a different person now that she could see beneath his layers. She just didn’t know if he realized that.

&n
bsp; Or maybe he did, and he didn’t like it.

  Because her thoughts were annoying her, she was glad that she was headed to Dawn’s house as soon as she left the classroom. Aimee would be there as well, and they had smuggled in Cheyenne. Cheyenne had been forced to stay away from the den and everyone for far too long because no one wanted her to be seen as being too connected to them. Somehow, her name had been left out of the press, but Dhani knew that wouldn’t last long. So they had hidden her in the back of an SUV to get her into the den for girls’ night. Cheyenne probably wasn’t too happy about that since the woman liked to fight things head-on, but her friend also wanted to keep the innocents safe. She cared for those who couldn’t care for themselves. That was how she lived, how she breathed.

  And despite how Dhani felt sometimes, she and Cheyenne were still human. They were the weakest of the bunch, and somehow they needed to toe the line and listen to what everyone else said about safety and danger. It didn’t make the pill of having to bow down any easier to swallow.

  And while Dhani understood that, she was really afraid that Cheyenne might start to distance herself even more. Because Cheyenne had no connection to the den. No connection to the people inside other than friendship. One day, Dhani would be a shifter, just like the others. And when that happened, she would cease to age. Aimee, Dawn, and Dhani would grow into this new world of shifters and paranormal and slowly separate themselves from the human one. Yes, the whole idea of their Pack at this time and this moment was to integrate themselves with humans, but there was still a distance. Because humans aged and died. Shifters didn’t. And that meant, one day, they would have to say goodbye to Cheyenne. And Dhani was really afraid that Cheyenne would be the one to say goodbye first.

  So that was why she was happy that Cheyenne would be there today. She missed her friend. She missed talking to all three of them, frankly. She had so many thoughts her head, and she needed to get them out, and Dhani knew her friends could help. Because that’s what friends were for, and her friends were some of the best out there. They not only kicked ass but they also listened when someone needed to vent. And she had a lot she needed to vent about.

  But most importantly, she needed to tell her friends about the knowing that was growing increasingly hard to ignore.

  Something was coming.

  And she needed to tell someone before it was too late.

  * * *

  By the time she made it to Dawn’s place, Dhani was practically shaking with anticipation and worry. She missed her circle, her girls, and knew she needed to tell them everything that had happened, even if she didn’t understand it herself.

  “What’s wrong?” Amiee asked as soon as Dhani walked into the house. Her friend had piled her long, blond hair up on top of her head, but she had worry in her gaze. Her friend was so strong, so much stronger than she was even a month ago. Changing into a lion shifter truly looked good on Dhani’s best friend.

  Cheyenne was sitting on the couch, her eyes narrowing as she studied Dhani. And Dawn was just walking into the living room, a plate of mini tacos in her hand. Apparently, they were going to snack while Dhani broke down. Of course, the girls were there to talk about everything, but Dhani had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to hold back for long. And since Aimee had opened the door with the question, Dhani wasn’t going to hold back at all.

  “I think I need to leave the den.” She hadn’t known the words were going to come out of her mouth until they had. But now that they were out, she knew they were the right ones. She couldn’t be in the den anymore. Something was coming, and it was going to surround her. She wasn’t so self-centered to think it would only be about her, but she knew…she knew that if she stayed inside of the den wards, others would be hurt because of her. She wasn’t saying that others wouldn’t be hurt at all, but more people would be safe if she was away. Just thinking that hurt. Because this place was her new home. She finally felt like she actually belonged, but now she knew that if she stayed, things would get bad.

  And the fact that her friends only stared at her, and they didn’t look at her as if she were crazy, told her how close to the edge she truly was. Because they had gotten used to her knowing things, even if they never said anything about it. Even if she had never said anything about it.

  She was scared. So damn scared. Terrified of losing everything that she had just found. Of losing Kameron. And she had no idea why all these feelings were hitting her then, but it was important. And it was important that she not stay; that she leave and find someplace to be safe outside of the den. She didn’t want the babies to die because of her. Because she knew if she stayed, they would be hurt. Just the images that came to mind when she thought that made her want to throw up.

  Maybe she truly was going insane, but if she stayed, she would only go further past the brink.

  “You’re going to have to explain things a little slower. Or give us details.” Dawn came forward after setting down the plate of mini tacos. Her friend held her close, but Dhani stood straight, stiff, afraid that if she were to move just then, she’d break before she explained everything.

  “You know I always have these…feelings.” She had no idea what she was going to say to explain, but she had to get her friends to believe her.

  “We do.” Aimee gave Cheyenne a look when their friend frowned, looking as if she didn’t actually believe what was going on. Dhani didn’t blame Cheyenne since she knew she sounded crazy.

  “I’ve always had this…knowing. This idea that I was meant to be something more. And it wasn’t just because I didn’t like my job or my place in my family. All of that was part of it, but it wasn’t all of it. I finally feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. At least in the grand scheme of things. Kameron is my mate, and though we went into this a little quicker than we would’ve liked, I know that I’m supposed to be with him. I know I’m supposed to be inside this den and part of this Pack. But I also know that I need to leave it for a time. I need to keep others safe by not being here. Because I think that bomb was meant for me. Kameron got hurt because of me.”

  Dawn shook her head. “No. It’s not your fault that Kameron got hurt. It’s not your fault that this human contingent or whatever they’re calling themselves these days thinks that you’re a symbol for them. It’s not your fault that they don’t understand that we don’t walk their nightmares and take out children. It’s not your fault. You are a human living amongst shifters, and for some reason, you’re a symbol of what they think is wrong with the world. But they are wrong.”

  Cheyenne stood up and slowly walked her way towards the others. “You need to go.” She held up her hands when the others protested, and Dhani was grateful. The other two in the room might be shifters, but she and Cheyenne were the hardest of the four. Always had been. Aimee and Dawn were strong, they had to be, but they were also softer in ways that came from their hearts. And while Dhani tried that, sometimes, she was just a little more jagged than the other two. Hence why she fit with Kameron so well despite the fact that he hadn’t thought they would.

  Cheyenne met Dhani’s gaze and continued. “You know I don’t usually believe in all the magic-rules-the-world crap, but I’m surrounded by it and have been forced to face the fact that science and everything I thought was the only true way, isn’t. We’ve always known that there was something off about you. Not weird, but different. Just like we knew that there was something different about Dawn. Something wrong with Aimee. We all knew, and we didn’t say anything because we were so worried about what others might think or because we thought that everything would be okay because we had each other. But all of you have been hurt because of that. All of you. I don’t want that to happen again. If you think that you need to be outside of the den to keep others safe, Dhani, you should trust that feeling. Maybe you’ll figure out why it is that way, maybe you’ll figure out the connection. Or maybe you won’t. But if you’ve been listening to that gut feeling of yours this whole time while trying to find your place…then you n
eed to follow it now. Talk to Kameron. Find a safe place and hide. I don’t know what’s coming. I don’t know much of anything anymore. I don’t feel like I’m connected to anything anymore, and maybe that’s okay. Maybe that’s my gut feeling. But I want you safe. Because even if I don’t understand where all of you are going, you’re my best friends. And I’ll love you until the end of time. Even if my time seems to be a bit shorter.”

  Tears were freely falling down everyone’s faces by then, and Dhani held her friends close, knowing that things were about to change again. But something was coming. That prophecy of the words in her head wasn’t going away. If anything, it was echoing even louder with each ebb and flow. That meant that she had to find Kameron. Had to tell him exactly what was coming. Or at least what must be done.

  She just hoped he believed her.

  Because she didn’t know what she would do with herself if he got hurt again because of her. She honestly didn’t know what she would do if anyone got hurt because of her. And while her friends might be right and the fault landed on the ones that harmed them, some part of her knew that she had been part of the reason for all of it. It was time for her to make a move.

  She just had to talk to her mate first.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kameron had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what Dhani had to say to him, but he could feel the terror along the mating bond, and that worried him, too. Because it wasn’t about what was going on around her at that very moment, it was about something that was going to happen in the future. He had no idea why he knew that, but he had a feeling it had to do with the woman on the other end of his mating bond, and not him.

  He knew she wasn’t just human. There was something different about her, and they needed to figure it out.