The Hidden Truth (Shadow Claw Book 7)

by Sarah J. Stone

  How the crowds got to the stage door so fast was stunning to her. It was almost as if some of them had left the show early just to meet her. When she pushed it open, they cheered at the top of their lungs, shoving against her.

  Ariel shoved back, snapping at those who got too close. She told herself that she would sign ten autographs–that was it–and then she would go back in. Ten was a significant number; they couldn't blame her for that.

  “What name do you want me to make it out to?” she grabbed a tenth one, grateful that it would only be a few seconds. Frankly, she didn't care who they were or what they wanted written, so long as it was short.

  “Katianna,” said a voice.

  Ariel froze, looking up.

  Two different colored eyes looked back at her, a smile on her face. She didn't look anything like the last girl. The only similarities were the eyes and Spencer standing beside her.

  Ariel had never been rendered speechless before. Her jaw fell open, and she stared at Spencer, shaking her head.

  “No,” she said. “No. This isn't real.”

  “And yet the proof stands right in front of you,” Spencer said softly. “Can't you feel it?”

  “I felt you,” Ariel said, quickly. “That's it.”

  “Well, from what I understand, it's been a while since you honed your skills,” he answered. “You were radiant on the stage, just as we remember.”

  “You remember,” she said, looking back to Katianna, “Just one of you remembers.”

  “I remember you,” Katianna replied. She had dark skin this time around, and she was taller and curvier than last time. But something about a firm lilt in her voice sent shivers down Ariel's spine. “I used to watch videos of you last time. And this time.”

  “No.” Ariel closed her eyes. “No. We went over the possibilities. We investigated–”

  “And what did you find?” Spencer asked. “Anything conclusive?”

  “No,” she admitted. “But–”

  “Ariel, would you do us the honor of having a drink with us tonight?” Spencer asked. “We're across the street, at the Marriott.”

  “Why?” Ariel asked. “We weren't close. Why did you seek me out?”

  “There's something I need to tell you,” Spencer replied. “For old time's sake, then. For Alexander.”

  He used the magic word–the word that he knew she couldn't deny. She nodded silently, agreeing to meet them at their room.

  What in the world did he want to talk to her about? What did it matter? What he have to say, she thought?

  Still, she couldn't stay away. She rushed through the interview and barely changed before she headed across the street. Her heart was hammering as she got into the elevator, taking it to the top floor.

  She knocked on the door to the penthouse with sweaty palms, brushing her hair back from her eyes. The doors were mirrored, and she stared at her reflection for a few moments. She was still gorgeous, her red hair was still a solid color. Her face was more defined, as often happened with age. Her small body was a little wider, her legs a little thicker.

  She had a briefly thought of Alexander, seeing the fact that stared back at her. If he was still around, would he still think she was beautiful? Would he still love her? Or would their marriage have given up the ghost a long time ago?

  Spencer pulled open the door with a smile.

  “Ariel, thank you for coming.”

  “Please make it fast,” she said as she stepped into the room. “I don't have long, and I'm tired.”

  “Of course,” he said. “You were working. Katianna, Ariel is here.”

  She came out of the bedroom, starling Ariel all over again with her face. Ariel looked her up and down hesitantly.

  “I heard your death was painful,” Ariel said at last, the only thing she could think of saying. Katianna smiled.

  “That part, I don't remember. I only remember good memories of last time. You and I in the palace, staring each other down like this. We were almost friends by the end, I think.”

  “Anyone could know that,” Ariel said, clutching her purse with shaking hands. “Anything that you claim to know, anyone could guess, or Spencer could feed to you.”

  Katianna glanced to Spencer, who seemed relaxed.

  “Yes,” Spencer admitted. “You are right. Everything that she knows, everything that happened with her graves, it could just be logically explained away. But the feelings you know in your heart, Ariel, the feeling you have when you see the person you are supposed to spend the rest of your life with, those don't have an explanation. You just look at someone, and you know, even if they are in a different body.”

  “Why I am here?” she asked, at last. “Did you bring me here to throw my sad love life in his face?”

  “No,” Spencer said. “I'm sorry. We should have made it clear. Come this way.”

  “Why?” she half whined, her shoulders sinking as she followed him to the second part of their suite. Spencer pushed open the door to the bedroom, and Ariel suddenly froze.

  It felt like when she saw the wolves in the throne room. Something felt familiar, and yet different. Something was compelling, buried underneath a different coat.

  Inside the bedroom was a young man. He had golden hair, falling into his eyes, and he was wearing a suit, well cut to his lanky frame. His cheek bones were high, his jaw was strong, and he was a few inches taller than her.

  He met her eyes, and she felt like her chest seized up. She knew this feeling, this magical strain, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

  “Hello,” the young man said, staring at her. “I think we know each other.”

  “Alexander?” her voice finally cracked. He took a step forward, and she took in a huge breath, feeling the magic.

  “You were my wife, weren't you?” he said, softly. “You were my love.”

  “Yes,” tears slipped down her face. “But it's been twenty years.”

  “You are beautiful,” he said, and she fell into his arms. “Still.”

  “Oh, my God,” she whispered, laying her head on his chest. “Oh, my God, is this real?”

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  “I want it to be real,” she sobbed, her walls coming down.

  “Then it is real,” he replied, and she said no more, remembering their wedding vows.

  “Till death do us part,” they had said.

  And beyond.

  ***THE END***

  Saved by Alpha Bear (Shadow Claw Book 1) Preview

  Chapter One

  “Luke, the elders have a point. At least hear them out.”

  The door banged in the lieutenant’s face and he sighed. He walked towards the common room, wondering how he could convince his alpha that he needed a woman in his life to stabilize him.

  “Kevin!”

  Ted waved at him from the counter where he was wolfing down his meal. Kevin made a face at his pink hair, and sat down next to him. “Who dared you to do that?” he said.

  “Jenny did.” Ted bared his teeth in a smile. “And now she has no choice but to go out with me on a date. So,” he said, swallowing his stew, “what did Luke say?”

  Kevin leaned over to grab a piece of bread from the basket, and broke into it with his teeth. “He told me to go do something to myself which is not anatomically possible.”

  Ted frowned, “The elders should just stop climbing all over him. He’ll find a mate soon enough.”

  “He hasn’t touched a woman in a year. Not even a packmate. He will go crazy.”

  Ted sobered at his friend’s words and then his eyes lit up, “Why not send him to town? One of those local bars. He might be attracted to somebody there.”

  Kevin shook his head and wiped the crumbs off his face. “You know we can’t mate with humans.”

  Ted glanced at the wall clock and put his bowl in the kitchen sink. “Sex and mating are two different things. He’ll relieve himself, and then the elders will be able to relax. We all will.” He winked at Kevin. “
I’ve got to go. I’m late for my patrol.”

  He rushed out and Kevin looked thoughtful. It might work. It just might.

  Luke Claw frowned at the papers in front of him. A political alliance with the wolves? He was not letting those cunning creatures anywhere near his territory. Besides, given what he had read in the formal declaration, the wolves would try to infringe on his lands. The numbers from his pack had already dwindled due to the last attack. They needed to feel safe before they let other shifters near them.

  “Kayla!”

  There was no response. He growled and rubbed his temples, and then shouted in a deafening roar, “KAYLA!”

  The teenager who had needled him and begged him to let her work as his assistant walked in annoyed. “I was on the phone, Luke.”

  She ignored his scowl and sat down in the chair across from him. “What?” she said

  Luke tossed the papers towards her. “Write a letter, declining their offer.”

  His assistant picked up the papers and scanned them. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. “Are you sure? Wouldn’t they be an asset to us?”

  “You want more bloodshed at our door?” His dark words made her pale, and she quickly shook her head, taking the papers as she left.

  Luke sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. Shit. Her parents had been killed in the panther’s attack. He should not have said that.

  Kevin marched in twenty minutes later, frowning. “What did you say to Kayla? The kid looks like she’s been crying.”

  “What do you want?” ‘Great. I made her cry again,’ Luke thought to himself. He ran a hand through his shaggy, brown hair, feeling guilty. “I’ll talk to Kayla. Why are you here?”

  “You need to get out.” When Luke bared his teeth at him, Kevin raised a hand. “Just hear me out.” He leaned forward, saying, “You go out, see if some woman catches your eye. You have not let anyone near you, Luke. You need this. This will even make the elders back off.”

  When Luke gave a considering look, Kevin jumped at the chance. “You’re sniping at everyone here. Even Kayla. Go out tonight. Everyone is on edge and you know it.”

  “The Pack needs–”

  “I will be here, and so will Sheila and Ronnie. I’ve called them back.”

  Luke’s golden eyes glinted. He may be an asshole, but he always put the needs of the pack first. “I’ll go. If it gets the elders off my back, I’ll get out.”

  He made a face when his first lieutenant looked elated. “Don’t look so thrilled. This might come to nothing,” he warned. “Now get out. I have work to do.”

  Kevin practically skipped out, making Luke call him a particularly nasty word. However, his friend just showed him the finger and left, grinning gleefully.

  When he scented another visitor a few minutes later, Luke was about to scowl until he saw who it was. His four-year-old intruder was pretending to be a hunter. The little bear cub sniffed at the doorway and looked up at Luke who pretended to be busy in his work. The alpha of the Shadow Claw pack could smell the glee of the child as he quickly darted under the desk. He winced when he heard the boy stumble and hit himself, but when there was no cry of pain, he carried on with the little game.

  Two seconds later, he felt something grab onto his leg. He jumped in surprise. Leaning down, he picked up the little bear cub by the scruff of his neck and brought him close to his face. The cub showed him his teeth, licked his nose affectionately, and shifted in a shimmer of light.

  A tiny naked boy grinned at him and said, “I caught you!”

  “When did you get here?” Luke frowned. “I did not even hear you.”

  Keenan wrapped his arms around his alpha’s neck, “I’m going to be a Hunter one day.” Then he pulled back and said, “Why is Kayla sad?”

  Luke put the boy on his desk and walked over to a small chest that stood in the corner of his office and contained clothes of all sizes. Pulling out a small pair of jeans, he helped Keenan put them on. “I was mean to her,” he said.

  Keenan patted Luke’s cheeks and smiled innocently. “You should say sorry. Mama said that when you do something bad, you should say sorry.”

  “Then should not you go say sorry to the pack nanny? She’ll be worried sick.” Luke ruffled the boy’s head.

  At Keenan’s guilty look, his alpha put him on his shoulders and carried him out of the room. His gaze fell on his subdued assistant. She refused to meet his eyes, and he sighed inwardly. Putting the boy down, he ushered him out of the room. “I have to say sorry to Kayla,” He whispered to Keenan who grinned and ran off.

  He made his way towards the girl and leaned his hip against her desk. She refused to acknowledge his presence.

  Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “You okay?” he asked.

  “No,” came the mumble as she typed on the laptop.

  “Would you accept an apology?”

  “No.”

  ‘Why are teenagers so hard to deal with?’ He had never been this difficult. But then again, he had been isolated from his pack and had wandered the woods in a black rage.

  Sighing again, he dragged Kayla into a hug. She stiffened at first and then relaxed. When he felt his shirt become wet, he felt bad. “Come on, kid. I was not thinking.” He ran his hand over her hair in a comforting manner, and after a while, her tears stopped and she sniffled.

  “You haven’t hugged me in a while.”

  “I know.” Releasing her, he flicked her nose, making her howl and cover it with her hands as she glared at him. He smirked at her and said, “That was for making me feel guilty.”

  He evaded her kick, “Come on, don’t you have a class at three? I’ll drop you off.”

  Kayla grabbed her bag and closed her laptop, rushing after him. “You’re going out?”

  “I have been forced to,” he muttered darkly. “This is blackmail.”

  Kayla grinned, “Where are you going?” She wiggled her way under his arm and he let her. He was the alpha. That meant forcing his pack to obey him, but also giving them the comfort, and affection, they needed. After last year’s attack, they had lost half their numbers, forcing them to bring in other bear shifters who wanted to leave their packs. He glanced down at the young girl who was chattering away and felt relieved that she had started smiling again. Her parents had both been sentinels and had not survived the attack.

  “Well?”

  Luke glanced down at her. “Well what?”

  “Is it true?”

  He raised his brow. “I was not listening. Is what true?” Kayla tugged painfully at the arm around her neck. “Hey!”

  “Don’t ignore me!” She scowled at him. “I asked you if you were going to mate with Fiona?”

  “W-What?” Luke looked horrified, “Where did you hear that?”

  The girl looked smug. “I knew it was a lie,” she said as she made a face. “I don’t like the new packmates. They’re very mean.”

  Luke gave her a sharp look and asked, “Are they bothering you?”

  Kayla shrugged. “They don’t feel like family, and they’re always looking down on us. I don’t like it.”

  Luke ruffled her hair with his free hand, making her shriek. “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry. Come on. Go grab your stuff.”

  He watched Kayla run to her room, and he wandered over to the fridge in their large common room to look for something to eat. Taking out a bottle of juice, he was about to gulp it down when his eyes fell on one of the elders sitting in a corner, reading. Crap, he thought to himself. If she saw him drinking straight from the bottle, he would not hear the end of it.

  Scowling, he fetched a glass and poured some juice in it. He could swear he saw her smirk but she seemed focused on what she was doing. The elders were usually the maternal females. All the children in the pack would go to them, and they were very protective. The last alpha had nearly destroyed the pack, ruling them with an iron fist. It was when Luke had killed him and taken his place that he had implemented the Pack Laws. He washed the glass. He had
a very strong feeling that the elders liked to bully him until he snarled at them. He remembered his experience as a child. The alpha, at the time, was named Dorran.

  Luke had admired Dorran beyond anything. He remembered that time as the most prosperous time in the pack’s history. However, Dorran’s right-hand man, Malcolm, had sold out the pack, slain his alpha, and took his mantle. Nobody had been safe. Luke’s father had been a lieutenant in the pack, and when he had refused to accept Malcolm, the latter handed the entire family over to the panthers. Luke still remembered that day. Malcolm had made the entire pack watch, especially the elders and the pups as the panthers dragged the family away.

  Luke was fifteen. His parents were tortured and killed. He fought back so that he could escape and save himself. He returned to the pack five years later, wild and vicious, to take on Malcom. After the ensuing blood bath, he became the leader of the pack.

  He glanced back at Abigail. She had been there when he had returned. She was the only one from his broken pack who had stood up to him. He scowled. She was such a frail woman, he should not fear her.

  “What are you scowling at, boy?”

  He nearly jumped.

  Abigail was peering at him.

  “Nothing” He muttered, sticking his hands in his pockets.

  “So you’re going out tonight?”

  It annoyed him that it sounded more of an order than a question. “You hags are not really giving me much of a choice.”

  When she tossed the knife at him, he snarled. Her love affair with knives was still going strong. She had been a lieutenant during Dorran’s time.

  “Show some respect, Luke.”

  He ducked his head and escaped.

  Seeing Kayla, he grabbed her by the arm and marched her towards the garage. On their way, they passed some of the new packmates. Mostly women had joined them. He did not like the way they looked at him. He felt like he was a piece of meat for them to sink their teeth in.

  He saw the way they looked at the girl by his side, and he pulled her into him, protectively, snarling at them. Smelling their fear satisfied him. As he and Kayla sat in the car and he barked at her to put on her seatbelt, they drove in silence to Kayla’s university.