Cherry
“This is your room,” Maddox says, gesturing into the bedroom. “We’ll always leave the door open so you can come and go as you like.”
Taking a step into the room, I glance around. It’s lovely. Lovelier than I remember any of my shared bedrooms with my sisters to be. But something about it made me uncomfortable.
My nose twitches as I try to take in any scents, but I smell nothing. Which isn’t unusual for me, but the rest of the house has a faint smell of the five of them, and this room doesn’t. As if it’s sat vacant for a long time.
It’s not that it has been unused that makes me feel queasy; it’s that having been constantly surrounded by their scents has helped to calm me for the first time in years, and in this space, I can already feel my hackles rising.
“If you need anything at all through the night, my room is right there,” Maddox says, pointing across the hall. “And everyone else is along this hall too.”
“I’ll, uh, open the shower door for you,” Hunter says, stepping past to go into the ensuite. “You can pee in there if you need to go in the night.”
If I could blush in embarrassment, my cheeks would be bright red right now.
“Of course you can wake me to take you outside if you prefer,” Maddox says. I’m honestly not sure what I’d prefer at this point.
Peeing in a shower feels embarrassing, but so does waking them to let me out like their pet dog.
I stand there, glancing around the room at the large queen bed and the cozy-looking armchair until Maddox finally speaks again. “Okay, well, good night, Red. You know where to find us.”
I turn, watching anxiously as each of them nods or waves before heading off to their rooms. When they disappear from sight, I step into the doorway and look down the hall, seeing that everyone has left their doors wide open.
The rustling of fabric tells me they are getting changed for bed, so I take a moment to better inspect my room. It’s decorated in soft greens and whites, and I wish I felt comfortable in here. It really is the nicest room I’ve ever slept in.
Jumping up on the bed, I circle it a few times before lying down, right in the middle. I close my eyes and try to sleep, but I feel too tense. Today has been extremely eventful, and physically, I’m exhausted. But my mind can’t seem to settle.
I start to think about my childhood and my family, which makes my mind spiral into darker places. Flashes of my imprisonment remind me that although I may have escaped, Dr. J is out there somewhere, no doubt searching for me.
The scent of smoky maple reaches my nose right before the bed shifts. My head shoots up to see a large blond wolf looming over me. Bain.
My heart races, but not from fear, from proximity. He lies down at my back, his larger body practically surrounding mine. I rest my head back down and close my eyes, letting myself bask in his scent and his presence.
Instantly, I feel the tension dropping away. The thoughts that were plaguing me just a few minutes ago are already fading from my mind.
The bed bounces a little, and I open my eyes to see two gray wolves jumping up. Hunter and Chase. They both curl up against my front, right against me, as if they have no sense of personal space at all. I love it.
My head ends up curled into Hunter’s neck, and his pine and citrus scent has me relaxing even further.
Is it normal for your pack’s presence to soothe you this much?
I’d always felt comfortable with my family, but it’s not like we ever slept in our wolf forms. Nor did I actively crave their presence like I do these five.
I decide it must be a normal pack thing. If one of them was my fated mate, then I would know, wouldn’t I? I mean, I know we don’t officially know until we’re both in our human forms, but wouldn’t I feel a deeper pull to one of them more than the others?
And they would know for sure. If one of them felt it more than the others, surely they wouldn’t all be so affectionate with me. Which means they must see me as a pack member, and nothing more.
I snuggle a little deeper into Hunter’s neck, determined to enjoy this for as long as it lasts.
The soothing timbre of Gage’s voice wakes me from my sleep. I try to tune into what he’s saying, but it takes me a minute to orient myself.
I’m still lying in my new bed, but nobody else is in their wolf form anymore. I can feel I’m lying against someone’s leg, with my head in their lap as they gently stroke my head and neck. From the strong smell of cedar, leather, and ash, I know it must be Maddox.
“I know it’s just about legends,” Gage says, “but I’m out of options. I’ve literally read every book I can find on shifters.”
“Well, she is a shifter, right?” Chase asks from somewhere close by. The room goes silent for a few seconds before he speaks again. “I’m just saying, she isn’t a human who’s been cursed by a witch or something?”
Witches are real?
I decide it’s time to let them know I’m awake. Besides, I can clarify that question. Lifting my head, I find Chase sitting at the end of the bed and shake my head at him.
He smiles in amusement, then reaches out to stroke my lower back. “Born a wolf shifter, huh?” I nod.
“Are your parents wolves too?” Gage asks, and I turn to look at where he and Maddox are sitting in my bed, leaning against the headboard. Gage has a giant book in his lap and just watches me patiently. I nod again.
His eyes dart to Maddox, and suddenly, I feel the tension in the room ramp up for some reason. They must be speaking through the bond.
Maddox licks his lips before carefully asking, “Are they out there somewhere? Your parents? Do you think they’re looking for you?”
A small whine leaves me, almost inaudible, at the thought of the loss of my family. Then I shake my head and rest it back across Maddox’s lap. His hands, and several others, start to gently soothe me.
“Do you have any family that you know of?” Maddox asks gently. I manage to give my head a little shake. “It’ll be okay, Red. We’re your family now.”
I squeeze my eyes tightly shut as a stray tear rolls down my cheek.
I have the strangest mix of sadness and hope pooling in my chest, and I’m not sure how to feel right now.
Losing my family, the way I did, still haunts me, but knowing that I have a place with them, even if I’m never able to shift back, it means more than they’ll ever know.
I take a few moments to let my emotions out, then I take a few deep breaths, tired of feeling sorry for myself and determined to start acting strong. Opening my eyes, I notice the book in Gage’s lap again and lean forward, nudging it with my nose.
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You want me to read this?” I give him a single nod, and he opens it up. “Is there something in here that will help us?” he asks.
I have no idea. I just want to change the subject, and since I can’t do any research of my own, I’m going to need their help to do it for me. I try to lift a shoulder in a shrug, and Chase bursts out laughing.
“Oh my God, Blue, you’re adorable.” He hasn’t called me Blue in a few days. I like the nickname. I glance at the others. Hunter is sitting beside him, at the end of the bed, and Bain is sitting in the armchair.
All of them look tempting, like I could curl up in any of their laps and be completely comfortable.
But how could I choose who to go to? In the end, I decide to stay with Maddox.
I stand up and shake out my body then gently step on his thighs.
His brows pinch in confusion for a moment as I climb onto his lap and sit down, leaning my body against his torso, my head fitting perfectly below his chin.
His arms come up to surround me, and he kisses the top of my head. I watch Gage, waiting for him to read. His lip twitches in what I think is amusement before he starts to read from the book.
“A Supernatural History of Legends and Myths,” he says, reading the title.
“The creatures and ideas in this book have not been confirmed. However, legends start somewhere, and may be an example of what existed long before our time.”
He flips the page as Maddox’s fingers gently stroke through my fur.
“How supernatural beings came into existence.
Thousands of years ago, the Moon Goddess, Alaya, fell in love with a human man, Magnus.
It was said to be the greatest love that the world had ever seen.
But Alaya knew Magnus was mortal and would die one day.
She was unable to grant him immortality, so she did the next best thing, gifting him with a much longer life than any human had ever had before.
“Alaya had to spend most of her time in her own realm, since the human world drained her energy. And Magnus couldn’t go to her realm, so she visited often.
“This worked well for a long time, and at first, Magnus was grateful for his extended life, allowing him more time to spend with his love. But when his mortal friends and family aged and passed away, leaving him alone, he started to grow resentful.
“He started to believe Alaya didn’t actually love him, but was toying with him for amusement. That his long life wasn’t a gift, but a curse.
“One day, Magnus met a beautiful young woman named Rosemary. She was so different from the dominant Alaya that he found himself pulled to her sweet, docile personality. They started to spend all their time together, and he fell in love with her.
“Soon they married and consummated their love. Alaya was heartbroken and furious, literally ripping a tear open between her realm and the human one in her rage. She called Magnus an animal and let the energy from her world enter him, turning him into the first wolf shifter.
“But she couldn’t control all the energy flowing from her realm, and it found homes in other humans, gifting or cursing them with other supernatural abilities. Witches, vampires, and a large variety of shifters were born that day.
“Other Gods from her world helped to close the rift, stripping her of her power and sealing her on their side forever. Nobody has heard from or spoken to any Gods or Goddesses since.
“Many of the newly created supernaturals were unable to control their new power and either accidentally or purposely started unleashing their abilities. Many humans died before they decided to start an uprising and started killing any supernatural beings on sight. This drove supernaturals into hiding, teaching them to live in the shadows and keep their powers secret from the rest of the world.”
I watch Gage with rapt fascination. I’ve never heard the shifter origin story before. It’s sort of beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Gage flips to the next page and continues reading.
“Many of the shifters that were created that day are still known to us today: wolves, bears, tigers, foxes, rabbits, panthers, to name a few. But there are many more dangerous ones that are believed to have existed at some point but have been hunted to extinction. Some of those include: banshees, basilisks, chimeras, dragons, dryads, gryphons, hydras, kraken, leviathans, manticores, merfolk, phoenixes, sea serpents, sirens, will-o’-wisps, wendigos, and wraiths. ”
Dragons and leviathans? I hope I never meet any of those creatures; they sound terrifying.
Although the thought of any species being hunted to the point of extinction doesn’t seem right either.
We didn’t go around killing every human just because people like Dr. J existed, so what gives them the right to hunt us down?
Gage flips the page again. “The Danger Within,” he says, reading the chapter title.
“The human uprising wasn’t the only thing supernaturals had to worry about.
A new threat surfaced, known only as The Omegas.
They had the ability to control a small group of supernaturals into doing anything they wanted.
They somehow were able to connect their minds to a small group of supernaturals, signaled by a burst of power from the Omega.
It was believed they were created by humans as an attempt to even the playing field in the war. Although that has never been confirmed.
“So supernaturals started hunting down The Omegas and killing them on sight. The Omegas who had control over others had them fight to the death to protect them. What followed was a brutal war that lasted many years. In the end, it was believed that all Omegas had been killed, and the supernatural community had been greatly depleted, so they went into hiding from humans, destined to live out their lives in secret.”
There is a collective silence in the room as I try to absorb everything he’s just revealed. I had no idea we had such a complicated history.
“We already knew all of this. Is there anything helpful in that book?” Chase asks as he lies down on his side.
Maybe this was common knowledge to them, growing up in packs, but all I knew is that we were created by the Moon Goddess, not the story that surrounds it. I let out a small bark, aimed at him then let out a small huff that sounds more like a sneeze.
“I don’t think she agrees with you,” Hunter says in amusement.
“Is that true, Red?” Gage asks, making me turn back to him. “Was that all new information for you?” I dip my chin, and the only response I get is frowns from everyone.
“Why wouldn’t she know basic shifter history?” Chase asks in confusion. I let out a small grumble, wishing I could answer.
“You weren’t trapped or imprisoned your whole life, were you?” Hunter suddenly asks. You could cut the tension with a knife, and I quickly shake my head, which has everyone relaxing a little.
“I think it’s time we eat breakfast,” Maddox says, changing the subject.
“I’m going to dig through this book to see if there is anything useful,” Gage says as everyone climbs out of the bed.
“Come on, Red,” Hunter says, beckoning me away from my comfortable position in Maddox’s arms. I tilt my head up to look at him, and he smiles before kissing the top of my nose.
My entire body warms from that contact, making me feel more than just cared for.
I feel a deep need for him that I don’t want to look too closely at, especially since I’m trapped as a wolf.
His nose twitches and his eyes widen for a split second.
I would have missed it if I wasn’t looking right at him.
He looks at the others as his arms drop from around me.
“Come on, angel,” Bain calls, his deep timbre making me practically jump to attention as I climb off Maddox’s lap and follow Bain out of the room.