The guys were all still up when I got home. I’d chugged a beer at the bar that made me feel sick, then walked home, making certain I got the attention of a few people before I got there.
Natalie had made coffee. I was sipping a cup since it didn’t look like I’d be sleeping anytime soon.
When I sat down they all gathered and now I sat on the couch, staring into my cup, resisting the urge to walk out and go back to Cara.
“How is she?” Charlie asked.
I shrugged. “Asleep. I hope.”
“So?” Mack asked.
“So, what?”
~ RIG ~“I am not letting Mack touch my mate.”Natalie rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about him doing anything with her. I’m saying when we’re walking across campus, or at the library, or we go out for fucking dinner, I don’t know. The point is, she’s with us and no one thinks twice about it, because she’s his… rebellious phase.”I could picture exactly what she was saying. Knew it was a good idea. But it made my skin crawl and my hackles rise.But Natalie’s gaze was piercing, and she didn’t look away. “You know it’s the only way to have her close an
~ CARA ~I woke to my phone buzzing and sat bolt upright. The room was mostly dim because the curtains were pulled. But there was a thin line of bright sunlight glaring through where Rig hadn’t been able to close them properly after himself.Right? That was real… right?I breathed for a minute, scanning back through my memories of the past two days. It was all so surreal still. But it was true… wasn’t it?I picked up my phone and frowned.BABE, SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH YOUR CAT.YOU NEED TO COME OVER. NOW.
~ CARA ~“Oh, come on! There must be some humans who know? But stay loyal?”They all looked at each other, Natalie seemed thoughtful, but the guys just looked dark. Rig kept staring at me, pleading.“No,” he said. “At least, none that know for real. I’m sure some exist somewhere, but we don’t bring them in. It’s too dangerous, Cara. I told you—”“Yes, yes, I know. But… but this is the way it’s been done by these wolves you hate, right? The ones who control everything and everyone? I thought you wanted to do things differently? Isn’t that the whole point? How can we have two sets of rules—one for wolves, and one for humans? It’s okay to give the wolves freedom, but if a human s
~ RIG ~Fuck, I hated being the reason for that terrified expression on her face. But she had to understand. The hierarchy was powerful. It’s why my father and other assholes like him fought so hard to keep themselves at the top of it.When one wolf was submitted to another, an element of their free will was lost. And the closer they were tied, the more loyal the wolf, the more their Alpha could compel them.And that was why I hardly ever used my Alpha power. Because if it was strong enough, on some level it turned wolves into slaves. My father loved that shit. It made me sick.I’d had to explain it all to Cara—how the vow tied our pack to us, all the ways their natura
~ CARA ~An hour later we were both lying on the bed, fully clothed, and barely speaking, both of us lost in thoughts. Rig lay on his back, one arm curled under his head, the other down between us. I was on my side with my head resting on his shoulder, while Purrkins curled between my stomach and Rig’s waist, Rig’s fingers thoughtlessly trailing up and down Purrkins’ back.My cat was purring so loudly it vibrated against my ribs.We hadn’t talked a lot, but that was okay, which was a strange place to be. Just being there with him, laying near him, my body felt relaxed in a way I’d never really experienced before.It had to be this bond he was talking about. I’d woken feeling restless and energized—but tense with it. Now… no
~ RIG ~My heart pounded mercilessly against my ribs. The human who suspects what we are is here, looking for me.I could feel the tension of my brothers as their wolves leaped to the defensive. If they were in their animal forms they would pace back and forth, their heads low and eyes locked on the threat.‘Stay back. Give her space,’ I mutter through the link as I fly down the stairs right on Cara’s heels. ‘Cara’s coming.’I reach the living room a hairsbreadth behind her, every instinct in me screaming alert, the hair on the back of my neck standing tall. If I were in my wolf, my hackles would rise across my shoulders and down my back making my body appear even larg
~ RIG ~I wanted to howl, but forced myself to just stand up and follow her to the fridge, leaning over the door which she’d opened and was bending down behind.Meg wouldn’t be able to hear us speak.“Are you okay?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice from sounding husky, but my groin was still twitching after that touch.“If you don’t stop staring at me like you want to eat me, I’m going to embarrass myself and freak Meg out by climbing you like a tree,” she muttered.“I wouldn’t be embarrassed,” I grinned. She was bent over as if she was getting something out of the fridge, but she’d turned her face up and stared at me out from under her lashes.
~ RIG ~I was the first to recover from the shock and hurry up the stairs, but Mack was right on my heels, and Natalie directly behind him.When I walked in, I found Cara with my eyes, searching her head to toe, inhaling her scent, making utterly certain that nothing had happened, that she was unhurt.Not that I thought Meg would truly hurt her, but if she’d found something out about wolves and come here trying to be sneaky…I swallowed back the chill of fear and walked quickly to Cara’s side. “What’s up, babe?”She gave me an amused look, but I smelled the flash of desire that shot through her when I called her that and made a mental note to keep using it.I had