by D. M. Shane
“Have you thought any more about letting me attend the memorial?” she asked, nervousness clear in her voice as if she expected my usual response.
“That’s why my men were here. They will provide us a security detail.” She looked at me with a mix of excitement and apprehension, as if what I was saying was too good to be true. “Going without isn’t an option, Aislin.”
“But…”
“No. It’s not up for discussion. We go with security, or not at all. Understand?”
“Yes.” She wasn’t too happy, but she resigned herself to my decision. It was just the way it had to be.
“Good. We’ll head down Monday morning, and then you’ll have the afternoon to pick up anything you need before the evening service.” I picked up the bowl, pleased to see it empty, and set it in the sink. “All right, love, time to rest.”
“I’m fine. I mean, I’m tired, but not sleepy tired.” I could see she was pushing herself, testing limits, and I worried about her doing too much.
“How about a movie? Your choice.” I knew it was probably the only way I could get her to relax.
“Actually, I was kind of thinking maybe we could go for a walk. Outside?”
Warning bells rang in my head, and my wolf bristled. On one hand, I wasn’t sure she was up for it. On the other, the fresh air would do her some good. And maybe it would be good to finally introduce her to everyone. I couldn’t keep her a secret forever. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I’d kept the secret this long to begin with. It would mean added security for Aislin, and as an Alpha female—my female—they would also want to show their allegiance just as my security team had done. Yes, maybe we should take a walk.
“Are you sure you’re up for it? Dr. Gray wants you to rest.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she finally answered. “I think so. Yes.”
I helped her up from the table. “All right. But we take it easy. And the moment you feel it’s too much, we come home. Promise?”
“Promise.”
I placed an arm around her waist, and together, we walked out into the afternoon sunshine, but before we left, I sent a quick text to Gideon. Taking Aislin for a walk. Security detail now. It’s time to meet the family.
I didn’t wait for Gideon’s response. He would know what I meant.
37
Aislin
I couldn’t stay cooped up inside any longer. I’d been sleeping for days, and my body yearned for a good stretch. Standing in the gravel drive in front of Arkkadian’s cabin, I basked in the warm sun, letting it all soak in. The soft heat upon my skin and the clean, clear, crisp air in my lungs filled me with a burst of energy.
“Where to?” I asked. In the few short weeks I’d been here, I hadn’t really gone anywhere besides Gideon and Sara’s. So, I really didn’t know which way to go.
“Well, let’s see where your feet lead us,” he said. I knew he was placating me, but still, the thought of him letting me take the lead made me feel like his equal, and I appreciated that.
I spotted the community garden off in the distance and noted the small group of people diligently working to gather vegetables and dispose of the weeds. A few children played a game of tag on the big lawn next to the garden. I supposed that was as good a destination as any. It wasn’t far from Arkkadian’s cabin and would afford me a chance to stretch without becoming too worn out.
I interlaced my fingers with his, and together, we strolled toward the garden. As we neared, the group of men and women stopped working and watched us approach. I noticed one man stiffen with awareness, though the movement was almost imperceptible. Another waved at Arkkadian in greeting as we approached.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted them.
“Alpha,” a gruff male voice said. The big man had long, dark brown hair pulled back into a single braid, a thick reddish-brown beard, and icy blue eyes. He was easily six inches taller than Arkkadian and somewhat Viking-like in appearance. Broad. Stocky. Built like a brick shithouse, if you asked me. He was mending the fence while the others worked the garden.
The women all smiled, but the men eyed me warily, and I wondered if they could scent me just as Arkkadian had. My question was soon answered when he introduced me to the group as his Aeternus, and the men began openly sniffing the air. It was bizarre. Almost as one, the entire group knelt on one knee, hands flat to the ground, bowing their heads just like Arkkadian’s men had done in the cabin earlier.
I took a step back, entirely unprepared for the display before me. I wasn’t used to this much attention. Arkkadian squeezed my hand, and a gentle wave of comfort passed into me, calming me. I internally thanked him for it.
Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention, and when I turned to look, I noticed a larger group of people congregating around us. Men, women, and children were exiting their cabins and joining the quickly gathering crowd. If I ventured to guess, I’d say there were nearly four hundred individuals. Quiet murmurs filled the air, and I picked up on the words “mate” and “Aeternus” spreading like wildfire through the group. The cat was out of the bag now. And here I’d only meant to go for a walk. I don’t know what I had been expecting, but it sure wasn’t this.
“Ladies. Gentlemen. Please.” Whispers flew through the crowd until Arkkadian held up a hand, and they ceased immediately. In an instant, he’d commanded their attention.
I felt the eyes of every single individual upon me, and it made me slightly uncomfortable. A few weeks ago, I was just a girl. In a bar. Working two jobs to make ends meet. Now I was some sort of werewolf royalty? Wow, had my life taken a turn. For better or worse, I wasn’t sure yet.
“I see the questions in your eyes. I hear them on your lips. I would like you all to meet my Aeternus, Aislin.” More murmurs filled the crowd, and again, Arkkadian held up a hand for silence. Like before, the response was immediate. “Yes, the woman who stands before you is, in fact, my mate.”
You could have heard a pin drop as the words he’d spoken were digested by everyone in the crowd. And then the rest of the congregation joined the others, kneeling before us. Even the children knelt down. Not a soul was standing except Arkkadian and me. This couldn’t possibly be for me. Except it was. I stood in awe, not knowing what to make of this outright display of fealty.
And then Arkkadian divulged the biggest secret of all.
38
Arkkadian
I noted Gideon, Madigan, James, and even Corbin on the outskirts of the crowd, and nodded to each of them. I was glad to see Corbin had returned. If he hadn’t been told everything already, he would soon learn what he’d missed earlier.
“Please, rise.” I waited for everyone to get back on their feet and for my men to join Aislin and me before continuing. Everyone looked around at each other with curiosity, but no one spoke. “There are some things you should be aware of. Some of you may have noticed the increased security in the last few days. Aislin’s presence here presents a risk to our community. Most of you know the story about Wren Vane and Alaric Barrington. Aislin,” I said, indicating my mate with a nod, “is their daughter. She isn’t safe outside our territory.”
The crowd erupted into questions as all eyes landed on the woman beside me. She shifted to stand behind me. I could feel her fear vibrating through me and did my best to soothe her through our connection. She didn’t know these people, nor did she know if she could trust them. With her history, she didn’t trust easily, anyway.
“Silence. Please.” I spoke without raising my voice, the authority blatantly clear. Everyone ceased speaking immediately. “Until recently, no one knew of her existence, and until she came here, Aislin herself didn’t even know who she was until I figured it out. She was raised in foster care, and she knows very little of our ways. It is up to us to teach her. However, if Arden Vane finds out, he will kill her. I can’t let that happen. As Alpha, I call upon the Pack to fulfill its duty. To protect one of its own.”
Shouts of “Aye!” and “Yes, Alpha!” sprang up
from our audience. I pulled Aislin back around to my side and wrapped an arm around her. She trembled in my arms, and I could feel the tension in her muscles. I leaned in and kissed her cheek, hoping to reassure her.
“It’s okay, love,” I whispered in her ear. “These are good people. You’re safe.”
One by one, folks lined up single file in front of us. As they approached Aislin, they knelt before her and bowed their head just like before, this time individually pledging their loyalty. Aislin watched silently until the last of the crowd had finally dispersed. It had taken nearly an hour for the last person to reach her.
It was nearing dinnertime by the time we walked back to the cabin, and Aislin looked much more fatigued. The unexpected events of this afternoon had taken a lot out of her. I regretted my decision to let her explore and tire herself out, but it had been necessary for gaining Pack support, and now that it was done, she could rest.
After a quick meal, we headed upstairs to bed early. Aislin was asleep just moments after her head hit the pillow.
39
Aislin
The sound of running water woke me. I opened my eyes to bright sunshine filtering in through the window, the open curtains revealing the lightly snow-capped mountains in the distance. With the weather warming, the snowcaps were slowly receding, but the sight was still as majestic as ever. I could get used to this.
I felt much more refreshed this morning than I had yesterday. My wrist still ached a little, but the headache and dizziness were gone. I lay in bed a moment longer and stretched, working out the kinks from a long night’s sleep. It surprised me when I couldn’t recall having even a single nightmare.
The water in the bathroom shut off, and just as I sat up in bed, the door opened, and Arkkadian appeared. Like the first morning I’d woken up in his bed, he was nude. It was the first time I’d seen him naked since. My heart did a little pitter-patter in my chest, and when I swung my eyes up, a grin lit up his face. Suddenly, the room got very, very hot, and I blew out a puff of air, lost for words. My libido had gone from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. Arkkadian lifted an eyebrow in amusement, and an involuntary shiver shook my entire body from head to toe.
“Like what you see?” His voice did that deep, velvety, smooth-as-whiskey thing that made my insides go flippity flop.
I looked away, embarrassed at having been caught gawking at this fine specimen of masculinity. He was my personal nectar, and I thanked whichever of the fates had sent him my way.
“Mm,” was all I could muster in response.
I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply through my nose, and then let it out slowly through my mouth. I continued to breathe deeply, finding it nearly impossible to control the hunger I felt for Arkkadian. I wanted to launch myself at him. I wanted to taste and feel every bit of sweet ambrosia he offered, but I couldn’t make myself move from this bed, not with my affliction of inexperience outweighing my wanton appetite. I heard footsteps padding across the carpet, and I silently wished they were headed in the closet’s direction so I could catch my breath.
They weren’t.
The duvet tightened around my legs, pinning me in place as strong hands planted on either side of my lap. I opened my eyes to find Arkkadian’s strikingly beautiful eyes just inches from my own, sparkling with vivid blue fire. Their glow lit up the space between us and stole my breath away. The smile on his face made my toes curl and my heart hammered away inside my chest. One hand reached up to tuck yet another stray lock of hair behind my ear. He was always doing that, playing with my hair. I tried to keep my eyes on his, but a quick glance downward divulged just how happy Arkkadian was to see me this morning. Oh, boy. Breathe, Aislin, breathe!
“Good morning,” he said, before gently placing a kiss upon my forehead.
I opened my mouth to speak and quickly shut it again when the words wouldn’t come. Then, just as quickly as he appeared before me, he disappeared into the closet, leaving me bereft and wondering what just happened. He reappeared dressed in his usual black t-shirt and dark blue denim jeans that hugged his muscular form in all the right places. I was so hot and bothered, I couldn’t decide if I was relieved or disappointed at him having covered up that exquisite body of his. The smile on his face told me just how much he was enjoying this.
“I’ll be in the kitchen making breakfast. When you’re ready, come and join me,” he said, and then promptly turned on his heel and headed out the door with a smirk on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes. I swallowed. Hard. He did that on purpose! What the…?
It took a couple minutes to clear my head and get my libido in check before I could even climb out of bed. I was still reeling from the sexual tension that I couldn’t make heads or tails of what came next. It took a few rounds of walking back and forth between the bedroom and the closet before the spell was broken and I could finally think. Clothes. I needed clothes… and a shower.
My bags were empty, but my broken laptop and the book I had been reading sat atop a large dresser. I opened a few drawers and found the rest of my belongings. I was so tired yesterday, I hadn’t noticed Arkkadian had taken time to unpack my stuff. All of my clothes were washed, neatly folded, and organized. My heart swelled at the notion of him making room in his life for me. I may have lost my family when Paige and Carter died, but I wasn’t alone, I realized. I had a new family here in Eagle Ridge.
I quickly picked out everything I needed and headed for the bathroom. The warm shower felt heavenly on my skin, leaving me feeling clear and energized. I had expected to be tired over the coming days, so it surprised me at how good I felt compared to even a day ago. That didn’t mean I could do anything too crazy, though. Dr. Gray had said I’d need to take it easy, and I knew if I didn’t behave myself, I’d have to answer to Arkkadian. Not that I minded those consequences… I blushed at the thought.
I joined Arkkadian in the kitchen, and the smell of bacon and eggs cooking made my stomach rumble in hunger. I was starving this morning. On the way down the stairs, the realization that Arkkadian had seen the book hit me. How ironic that I’d been reading a paranormal romance about a werewolf right before everything happened, and here I was now, the potential new mate of one. What was once legend had become truth, though technically he wasn’t actually a werewolf. I couldn’t make this stuff up, though. I just hoped he wouldn’t mention it.
“You look well,” Arkkadian greeted me, all traces of earlier mischief gone. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Much better, thank you. I expected to still be fairly tired. I’m surprised I’m not.”
When I reached his side at the stove, he wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head. I wrapped both arms around his waist and snuggled up, feeling warm and safe in his presence.
“That would be the bond between us. It’s a happy side effect of being mates. Though we haven’t yet completed the bond, you’ll still feel some of its effects, healing quickly being one of them. Don’t be surprised if that cast comes off early.”
“Oh,” I said, liking the possibility.
Then Arkkadian’s voice turned serious for a moment. “Your scars will fade also,” he said, rubbing a hand up and down my left side where they lay hidden beneath my shirt. “They’re much older and more extensive, but they could fade entirely.”
This bit of news shocked me. The scars on my torso were a constant reminder of the horrors I’d experienced as a child, even though I had no memory of how I’d gotten them. Did he really mean I could be relieved of their burden once and for all? No longer ashamed of their presence upon my body? I wanted to believe him, but how was that even possible?
I pulled back to look at him, half expecting to see him laughing as if making a joke. He wasn’t. His face was dead serious. Still, I questioned the truth of his statement. But after everything that had happened, why would he lie?
“You’re joking, right?” I asked, my eyebrows pulling together in consternation.
“No, I’m not joking. It’ll take
time, and they may never go away completely, but they will fade,” he answered. “I promise.”
Wow. If this were indeed true—and judging by Arkkadian’s face, it was—this was huge. I’d never known a life without them. What would it be like to actually wear a swimsuit or even a tank top, and not have to worry about others staring at my broken body? This could be life-changing.
“I don’t know what to say. I mean, that’s amazing, but I worry it’s too good to be true,” I told him.
“You also thought shapeshifters weren’t real. And look what happened there,” he said with a laugh and a wink.
“True.”
I really had thought the entire idea insane in the beginning. I knew it to be real, but Arkkadian had yet to show me his wolf.
40
Arkkadian
Breakfast was filled with light banter and feeding Aislin’s curiosity. She had a lot of questions about our little community of Eagle Ridge and the people here, other Packs, her family, and more. I filled her in as best as I could, but when it came to her parents, I’d never known them very well so I could only tell her bits and pieces. Her disappointment was palpable, but I assured her that when the time was right, I would take her to meet her grandfather, Mathias. Satisfied with that answer, we moved on to other topics.
“I never asked you how old you are,” she said.
“Take a guess,” I hedged. She’d never believe me.
“Thirty.”