Chapter 6
SIX
Roxie
Fern doesn’t let go of me for a long time.
We sit curled together on the couch, her arm wrapped tightly around my shoulders like she’s afraid I might disappear if she loosens her grip. I don’t mind. I lean into her warmth, breathing her in—lavender shampoo, coffee, and home.
“You scared the hell out of me,” she murmurs into my hair. “We’ve been looking for you for weeks! There was no trace of you.”
She sniffles, and I hug her tighter.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I was so scared, too. I didn’t know what would happen to me or even where I was.”
We cry together softly, both of us clinging to the other.
Eventually, she pulls back just enough to look at me properly, her sharp eyes scanning my face, my arms, my neck. “Are you really okay?”
“I think so,” I say. “I’m… better.”
Better than a few hours ago. Better than the last few days. Better than I thought I’d ever feel again.
Fern nods, satisfied for now. Then her expression tightens. “What happened?”
“I went to get your things from your apartment—”
“Dad,” she practically snarls.
The word lands heavily between us.
“I know,” I say quietly. “I thought he’d be out at work. He wasn’t there when I first went in.”
I trail off as my body tenses, and I relive what happened. Fern squeezes my hand.
Abe rushes into the room as if sensing I’m upset. “What’s wrong?” he asks, making a beeline for me.
Jameson crosses the room and takes Fern into his arms.
“We were just talking about what happened,” I say, my voice still rusty from disuse.
“Yeah, we actually need to talk to you about that,” Jameson says carefully, sharing a look with Abe.
Abe sighs. “Come on. Breakfast is done. Let’s get some food into you.”
He lifts me off the couch and sets me on my feet slowly, making sure I’m steady before stepping back. He takes my hand in his, and we follow Jameson and Fern into the kitchen.
“It smells great. Thanks for cooking, Abe,” Fern says.
Abe nods distractedly as he pulls out a chair for me and watches me sit.
“Do you need a pillow? Are you cold? I’ll get you a blanket,” he says, dashing off before I can respond.
I turn to Fern, wide-eyed. She smirks knowingly.
“Is he always like this?” I whisper.
She laughs. “No, I don’t think so. Usually, he’s pretty laid back.”
“He’s a wolf shifter who just found his fated mate. This is his new normal,” Jameson grunts as he piles eggs onto Fern’s plate.
I blink. “What?”
Abe comes back into the room, wrapping a blanket around my shoulders and tucking it under my legs. The man is practically swaddling me, and I didn’t even say I was cold.
Man, what would he do if something were really wrong?
Then I remember him hovering over me when the doctor checked me over. I remember waking up next to him on the couch this morning, his worried eyes locked on me like he’d watched me sleep all night.
We’ve barely spoken, and already it’s like I’m the center of his whole world.
It’s a strange new reality, one that’s so foreign to me. I’m used to my parents not caring about me, to being invisible to my peers and colleagues. With Abe, it’s… different. He sees me, really sees me. I have all his attention, all his care.
“What did my dad say?” Fern asks gently.
Abe tenses next to me.
I clear my throat. “He didn’t say much. He wanted to know where you were, but I told him I didn’t know. He had other men with him, and they had more questions.”
“Like what?” Jameson asks.
Abe grabs my chair and drags me closer.
I stare at him, but he just smiles slightly and adds food to my plate.
“We’ll start with pancakes and see how your stomach handles them,” he tells me.
“Uh, thanks.”
I wiggle my arms out of the blanket so I can eat. I’m starving, and I moan as I dig in.
We eat in silence for a minute before Jameson clears his throat, and I remember he asked me a question before Abe started feeding me.
“What did the men who took you look like? What did they say? Did they tell you why they took you or what they wanted from you?” Jameson asks.
“They were regular men. Average height and build. One had dark brown hair, another was blond. The other two were overweight.”
Jameson seems frustrated by the lack of information.
I try to think of something interesting that they said or did. “They took me to a motel, and we were there for a few days, I think. We kept moving from motel to motel. They seemed nervous the first couple of days, then just annoyed with me after that.”
“Did they say anything?” Fern asks.
“They were talking about some guy…uh, Michael.” I search my memories for anything else. “They talked about Michael a lot. What he wanted, what he said, what he would say about something. They were pretty worried about him. They mentioned Fern and the ‘bastards who stole her from us.’”
Fern laughs as she turns to Jameson. “Apparently, you’re a bastard.”
He taps the end of her nose. “I’ll be anything for you.”
Fern melts at his words. It’s wonderful to see her so happy. She had to be so strong when her mom died and her dad started drinking. She’s always put on a brave face, but with Jameson, she can be softer. She can be herself.
“Then, they drugged me again, and we came here,” I conclude.
“Did you see Michael? Did you meet him?” Abe asks, looking fierce.
“No. They said they needed to get me ready for him, whatever that meant. He was preaching or something. Then you came in.”
I finish eating and sit back in my chair.
“We’ll clean up,” Abe says.
Fern stands, grabs my hand, and drags me back into the living room.
“How are you feeling now?” she asks as we sit on the couch.
“I’m fine,” I assure her.
We sit in silence for a moment before curiosity nudges its way forward.
“So,” I say hesitantly. “Shifters.”
Fern smiles faintly. “You want the crash course?”
“Yes,” I say quickly. “Please.”
“It’s like I said before. They can change from human to their animal in the blink of an eye. It’s kind of crazy to see… Okay, it’s really crazy to see.” She laughs. “Crazy but cool.”
“And fated mates?” I ask hesitantly.
“Shifters only fall in love with one person. They’ll only ever love that person, only ever want that person, and only ever sleep with that person.”
“And how do they know when they’ve found that person?”
“They sense it, I guess.” She leans back against the couch cushions and sighs. “Has Abe said anything to you?”
I chew on my lip. “He said some things. Last night. Before I fell asleep.”
Her brows lift. “Oh?”
“He said I was home,” I say. “And that he wasn’t letting me go.”
Fern doesn’t look alarmed. Instead, she smiles gently. “That sounds familiar.”
“You think that means—”
“Fated mates.”
The words echo in my chest.
Fated. We’re fated to be together.
“I don’t know if that’s what I want,” I admit. “I was leaving Tacoma because I needed space. From my parents. From being told who I was supposed to be.”
“And then you got kidnapped by a cult,” Fern says dryly.
“Right. Which makes me wonder if I’m just… trading one cage for another.”
Fern’s expression softens. “Roxie. Jameson didn’t cage me. And Abe doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who wants to own someone.”
“Maybe not,” I agree. “But he’s intense.”
She laughs softly. “They all are. At least with their mates.”
I mull over what we’ve talked about as I lean against the cushions and rest. I hate to admit it, but I’m tired again already.
Fern notices, smiles, and pushes to her feet. “You get some rest. We’ll be back later to check on you.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you, too,” she says, then turns to call to her man. “Jameson? Time to go!”
Jameson walks into the living room a second later with Abe on his heels. I wave as they leave. The house feels quiet once they’re gone.
Abe lingers near the doorway, hands in his pockets, like he’s unsure whether to approach. “You okay?”
“I think so,” I say honestly.
“Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m good.”
“What did you and Fern talk about?”
“Shifters. And fated mates.”
He nods, looking nervous as he sits next to me. “Do you have any questions?”
“You’re a wolf shifter?”
“Yes.”
I nod, wondering how to ask the next part. If I ask him if we’re fated mates and we’re not, how awkward would that be?
“Um… and do you have your mate already?” I finally spit out.
He stares at me. “Now I do.”
My cheeks heat with a blush. It’s crazy because a few weeks ago, I was jealous that Fern had someone who was obsessed with her and wished I could find a shifter of my own. Now I have, but I’m too messed up to know if I still want this.
Do I want to live near the men who took me? Can I stay so close to that cult and still be happy, or will I always be looking over my shoulder?
“Do you want to see my wolf?” Abe asks softly.
“Sure.”
I sit up straighter as Abe pushes to his feet and moves to the center of the room. He reaches up and pulls his shirt over his head.
“Uh…”
“I don’t want to rip my clothes,” he explains. My face flames, and I look away as he reaches for his pants.
I hear the rustle of his clothes as he tugs them off, then he clears his throat.
“Ready?” he asks.
“I think?”
I look at him, careful to keep my eyes on his face. He nods. Then he shifts.
It’s beautiful. Terrifying. Powerful.
And it happens so quickly.
One second, he’s on two feet, and then a giant wolf is standing in the living room with me.
I gape as I stare at the giant animal. My mind struggles to process what just happened. I mean, I knew he was going to do this, but it’s another thing to see it up close and in person.
The wolf steps closer, and I jerk back instinctively. My heart races, but when he steps forward again, I reach out and sink my fingers into his soft fur.
“Whoa,” I whisper reverently.
The wolf grumbles, and I smile at the familiar sound. I’ve heard Abe make that sound, too.
A moment later, the wolf steps back, and he shifts again. When Abe is standing before me, he gives me a hopeful smile. I return it weakly, then push to my feet as he pulls his clothes back on.
“I need a shower,” I blurt.
“I’ll show you where it is.”
As I trail him down the hall, my thoughts whirl.
I know he hasn’t said anything yet, hasn’t put any pressure on me, but he will one day. He’s going to ask me to be his fated mate, and I need to decide if that’s what I want for my future.
And I need to do it soon.