Outcast: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Pack Prophecy Book 1)

by R. L. Caulder

  She was just unconscious.

  Looking up, I saw Jameson hovering behind Seth, staring down at Kira in horror, like he was trapped in a bad memory. His eyes were wide, his mouth parted just slightly, and his hands trembled.

  Odd reaction for someone who’d just openly denied his bond with her in front of the pack not even an hour ago.

  Shaking my head in disbelief at him, I looked at Seth who was stroking her head and murmuring to her softly, "Come back to me, Kitten."

  "Her pulse is steady, but we should take her somewhere to rest."

  Before he could respond, the alpha interrupted, "She's not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell that was. She is not a normal shifter. Tell me right now, or she goes to the dungeon until she wakes for an interrogation."

  Jameson shook himself out of his trance and stepped in front of his father. "I know what she is. It is sensitive information that we must keep between us and the elders. We don't want to...rile the pack." He muttered the last part low enough that the others wouldn't be able to hear, even with their enhanced shifter senses.

  It was a tense few moments as I tried to discern what was going through the alpha's head. Jameson blissfully blocked his dad's cock from my view, for which I was eternally grateful, but his face was easy to see, and what I saw didn't bode well.

  He was grinding his jaw, and the thick vein in the middle of his forehead was visible from him straining so hard. Taking his son in, he ground out between clenched teeth, "And you didn't think to tell me about this when we chatted this morning, why?"

  Jameson tried his best to keep his voice strong, but I heard the slight tremble to his words. "We planned to talk to you after the meeting. I didn't want it to get in the way of you denying the mate bond as soon as possible."

  A low, humorless chuckle came from me at his response. And here I was feeling like maybe he wasn't a Grade A asshole—maybe just a Grade B.

  Seth winced as if his friend's words physically wounded him, but he didn't stop his loving strokes through Kira’s hair.

  His son's words must have satisfied him, because the alpha finally relented, "Bring her to the elders’ hut. I'll gather them since they don't partake in these festivities any longer." He turned to leave, calling over his shoulder with a tone that sent fear through me, "But don't think I'll forget about your indiscretion, Jameson."

  My brows furrowed at Seth, who merely shook his head with a knowing look on his face. Before we could get into that, Kira shifted back to her human form. Seth jerked his shirt off, and I helped maneuver her to a sitting position so we could cover her quickly.

  Leering eyes fell upon us, and I couldn't contain the snarl that tore from me as I whipped my head towards the closest bystanders. They immediately averted their eyes. I didn't care if nakedness was natural for shifters, no one was allowed to look at my mate's body.

  Except for Seth. I liked him.

  After he slipped the shirt fully onto her, I scooped her into my arms and stood. Glancing down at her, I couldn't help the panic that spread through me at her unconscious state.

  Seth stood and began walking with me out of the yard. Dirt crunched behind us, alerting me to Jameson following us, and I whirled on him.

  "How fucking dare you!" I spat.

  Seth placed a hand on my shoulder, "Now isn't the time."

  Dead eyes looked back at me as I narrowed my gaze at Jameson. "Do us all a favor and stop acting like you give a shit whenever you randomly feel like it. You've caused her enough pain. You rejected the bond. Learn to live with that. Alone."

  Dismissing him, I turned with her in my arms to head towards the seldom-used elder’s hut. It lay on the outskirts of the pack village, but that was the most I knew of it. No one entered it without an invitation, and I most definitely had never had a reason to be there before.

  Seth stayed in step with me, continuously casting worried glances at Kira. Breathing deeply to steady my emotions, I tried to block out the sounds of the steps that followed us, knowing I needed to get Kira to a safe place and not fight Jameson right now.

  A chill hung in the air despite the sun shining through the clouds now, and I pulled Kira closer to me, hoping that I could provide her some warmth considering her lack of pants. We walked into the tree line that surrounded our village, and the tree branches swayed with the wind, rustling together.

  A few minutes passed before we reached the large stone cottage. Seth moved in front of me to open the old wooden door, walking in first to scout out the room. His head popped out, and he gave a quick nod, letting me know it was clear.

  I ducked slightly to get through the doorway, straightening once I got through and taking in the warm fire burning in the back of the open room. The crackling wood called to me, and I strolled towards it.

  It was barren in here, surprisingly filled only with a table strewn haphazardly with scrolls and books, as well as some scattered chairs. I didn't know what I expected, but it wasn't this.

  Maybe some organization and more furniture?

  Perhaps they really didn't need it anymore. Rumor had it that the elders of each pack used to be consulted on all matters before the alpha made decisions, but it wasn't that way now. Our pack became known throughout the world after our alpha won the tournament many moons ago that established who the most powerful one was.

  The council entrusted the winner with special missions when needed and made them privy to private information. Basically, they were groomed over time to take the next open seat on the council.

  A ruffling of papers pulled my attention towards Seth, who was rifling through the items on the table.

  "Anything interesting?"

  Holding one up to examine it, he shook his head, "No. But I've never really been interested in the history of shifters or the prophecies in the Cognitonis, to be honest."

  I grunted my agreeance. Pretty boring shi—. Wait.

  "Do you think there is something in there that might help us understand Kira’s powers? I used to think the prophecies in there were all just stories for kids to be entertained or scared by, but with what we've seen, it makes me believe that there's more going on than we can reasonably explain."

  I’d managed to forget about Jameson for a few minutes, until he popped his head into the doorway, an annoying grin on his face. "Oh, did Kira not tell you? Selene visited her and told her she is a part of the Dark Prophecy."

  I winced at the fact that she had shared private information with him of all people, and not me. Hurt like a bitch. I couldn't deny that, but she had to have her reasons for it.

  After the sting wore off, fear settled into my stomach at the mention of the one prophecy that our parents used to scare us into behaving as children. Could it be true?

  Seth snapped, "If you want to help, then help. Don't gloat like a fucking asshole. If that is true, we’re in deep fucking shit.

  Slowly, I lowered us to the ground, close enough to the fireplace for its heat to warm Kira, but not enough for her to break a sweat. I settled her head into the crook of my elbow and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

  Pulling back, I tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear as Jameson started to explain.

  "This morning, when she told you guys to go get dressed, she explained it very briefly to me because she thought she'd need me to back her up with my dad."

  That satisfied the small bite of jealousy that had wormed its way into me. I knew she’d had a reason for it.

  He continued while making his way to one of the chairs near the table. "During her first shift, she said Selene visited her in a dreamscape and explained that Kira was a prophetess—whatever that means—and told her the Dark Prophecy was tied to her."

  Stunned to my core, I couldn't formulate words. It made sense that she had a divine connection with what we had seen her do, but why was she tied to such a daunting prophecy?

  Seth must have been on the same train of thought because he inquired, "What if she can’t fulfill her role in it?"<
br />
  As if it wasn't even a slight concern to him, Jameson tossed out, "Well, if she fails, all the shifters will die."

  Glancing back to Kira, I took in her soft and delicate form. This woman, raised thinking herself a human, had the fate of all shifters hanging over her head?

  "Interesting information," the deep voice of the alpha intoned as his large frame filled the doorway, setting me on edge.

  At the same moment, Kira stirred in my arms and mumbled, “What happened?”

  Thank the goddess she was awake, but fuck if I didn’t wish we’d had time to talk to her about this before the alpha and elders arrived.

  Her gorgeous eyes opened, settling on my face as I answered while bringing my hand to her cheek, “You're safe. I think your body just collapsed from exhaustion from the powers you exerted.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes as her body began trembling in my arms. “I can’t feel my wolf.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kira

  My wolf was gone.

  At least that’s what it felt like. As if a chunk of my heart had been removed and I was operating with the half of me remaining. Incomplete and broken.

  Tremors racked my body, and my breathing became shallow and rapid. "No, no, no..." I muttered over and over', overwhelmed with fear of having lost her. I might have only had a day to bond with her, but it was long enough for me to feel complete for the first time in my life.

  She had shown me that she would be my number one supporter in my moments of doubt and would defend us even when I was petrified with fear.

  Dropping my head down, I rocked back and forth as the hand touching me moved to my back, rubbing circles there.

  My eyes burned, and tears gathered behind my closed eyelids, slowly dropping onto my bare legs. Warmth settled around me as someone draped a blanket around my shoulders.

  Come back to me, please.

  Centering my thoughts, I looked within to find my flame. There! In the darkness, I found it burning brightly still. Reaching out for it, I cried out in anguish as it seemed to dance just out of my grasp every time.

  Why couldn't I connect with it?

  Frustration threatened to overwhelm me, and a deep laugh cut through my mental barrier. Whipping my head up, I fixed my gaze on the alpha, who now wore a pair of athletic shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, lounging against the door frame.

  Running his hand through his caramel flecked hair, he chuckled lowly again as he surveyed me and my mates.

  "You want me to believe that this mess of a girl is supposed to protect the shifters of the world?" he sneered. "What a joke."

  Wait...how did he know that?

  Looking at Jameson as he spoke, I spotted annoyance and a hint of fear on his face, "Father, I promise you that—" but he was cut off quickly.

  "No. Clearly you've been ensnared by her with whatever mate bond you think you have. I won't hear anymore of these childish tales!" He spoke with finality, ending the conversation and turning to leave.

  My voice cracked slightly as I asked, "How do you explain my powers then?" I couldn't help the annoyance that bled into my words.

  Surely he couldn't deny what he and the pack had witnessed in that training yard.

  Halting in his tracks, he looked over his shoulder at me. "We'll talk when you can manage to stop crying about losing your wolf. I doubt you could manage any display of power in your current state."

  "This is serious, Alpha! Selene visited me during my first shift and explained the direness of our situation. I need to get my wolf back, or we have no chance."

  "Calm down. They can't just disappear," he scoffed, turning back to glare down at me like I was an insolent child.

  Rage built in me at his blatant disregard for the impending war. I was tired of him treating me like I had caused his mate’s death. I was done being spoken to like a child just because they raised me to believe that I was a human.

  All because of him.

  Selene's confusion over him not scenting my wolf popped into my head, and I couldn't contain the suspicion that he had known I was a shifter all along.

  There was no way an alpha as powerful as he claimed to be wouldn't have sensed it.

  I jumped to my feet, the blanket falling off and pooling around my ankles. "Stop acting like you're so all knowing!" I yelled as his face darkened at my defiance. "For the Alpha of Alphas, I find it very odd that you never scented the wolf within me. My entire life could have been different if you had just done your job."

  His dark green eyes glowed for a moment as he snarled at me, "Don't you dare speak to me like that ever again! I could have kicked you out of the pack as a child and left you to die out there."

  Seth's scent hit my nose as his hand rested on the small of my back, calming me down enough to take a deep breath and answer with a clear mind. "Oh, I know, you made sure to remind me of that often. What you put me through with your disapproval and condescension made my life hell, and I just had to suck it up and accept it. I had to tell myself every damn day that at least I was alive. How fucking pathetic is that?"

  Milo attempted to step in front of me as the alpha stalked towards me, but I gently commanded him, "Step aside, please."

  He tensed before doing as I asked, leaving me looking up into the sneering face of the alpha before me. Reaching out, he poked me in the chest roughly to emphasize his words. "You are weak. You always have been and you always will be, no matter what powers you acquired. Our goddess is an idiot for placing her faith in you."

  Milo and Seth let out sounds of displeasure at the disrespect in his tone, but I held up a hand to halt them. Channeling the strength my wolf had imbued me with, I looked up at him and tested where his priorities truly lay, "You are blinded by your pain from Maya's death, but are you willing to risk the lives of every shifter to continue to harbor your misplaced hatred for me?"

  His lips thinned to a small line as he grimaced. "The elders should arrive any moment. I’ve gathered them from their homes. They will hear your story and make an unbiased decision on how to proceed."

  Shocked by his calm and sensible answer, I cocked my head to the side and furrowed my brows in confusion at the personality change.

  "Thank you, Alpha," Jameson called from his place by the desk, sitting back in his chair as he did.

  With a grunt, the alpha turned and joined Jameson at the table, pulling forward a thick leather bound book and dismissing us.

  Milo held me in his arms for a few moments before allowing Seth to do the same. Pulling back, I glanced between them, despair finding me once more as I reached for my wolf but was met with silence. "How is it possible that I can't feel her anymore?" I inquired, willing myself to stay calm while the dam I had erected between my fragile emotions and my head threatened to burst.

  Seth reached out and gripped my chin, forcing me to lock gazes with him. "Kitten, listen to me." My lips parted slightly, and I found myself leaning into his demanding touch and smoldering dark blue eyes.

  A knowing smirk crossed his face before he continued, "She isn't gone. I know it feels that way for you right now, but we just need to get through this meeting, and then we can focus on coaxing her back out."

  Heat emanated from behind me as Milo locked me between himself and Seth. His breath tickled the outer shell of my ear as he whispered, "We can coax her out in whatever way we need," before nipping at my neck with his blunt teeth.

  "Can you save that for your love nest?" Jameson snapped, shattering the sexual tension building between the three of us, which I'm sure was his intention.

  Narrowing my eyes at him, I didn't bother giving him a verbal response as I pondered what the hell his deal was. He was so hot and cold, and I couldn't just forget about the glimpse I'd gotten into his soul this morning.

  The part of me that remembered our incredible friendship before Maya died wanted me to fight to bring that back—to show him how beautiful life could be if he could just allow himself to let go of the guilt and anger he carried around co
nstantly.

  What I’d realized while in his memories was that I wasn't the person he hated the most. That spot was reserved for himself for not saving his mother—for not even trying. He'd allowed me to hold him as her howls echoed through the forest until the other pack members came and took us away.

  I was just a convenient and easy target for him to funnel his emotions towards. It was easier focusing that anger on me rather than forcing himself to work through the inner turmoil toward an acceptance of the fact that there was nothing he could have done. The fault laid solely with the Daimona.

  But, the other part of me hated him for using me as a scapegoat for his pain for sixteen years, then denying our mate bond instead of using it as an opportunity to mend things. My mind remained at war on how to proceed, but my heart had already settled on a decision.

  Why did I always carry a soft spot for him? Oh wait, because he's your fated mate, duh.

  Seth's hand weaved itself into my own, and he traced small circles on the back of my skin.

  My chest rose as I breathed deeply, resolve settling into me. I wouldn't give up on him, even if he had convinced himself that he’d made up his mind. There was a reason our souls were meant for each other, and I refused to accept that this rift was irreparable.

  "Jameson," I called out softly to get his attention once more. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye but continued to rifle through papers. "Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?" My voice wobbled a bit, scared of his rejection.

  His father's body went rigid, eyes narrowed and waiting with bated breath to hear his son's answer. Honestly, I was surprised he hadn't butted into the conversation to act like he could deny a mate bond once more.

  A muscle ticked in Jameson's jaw as he turned to look at us. I could have sworn that a sliver of longing flashed in his eyes, before it was concealed behind his cold, unmoving mask of disgust.