Chapter 1 #2
She didn’t question him, but her heart rate increased as she did as she was told. All the while, she kept her eyes peeled on his home and the approaching wolves. When the wolves arrived, they shifted to human form.
Amber gasped. “Rylee is with them.”
“I’m sure she is.” Isaac was moving fast, but he didn’t seem winded. He was in the best shape of any shifter she’d ever encountered. “I assume they arrived?”
“Yes.”
“Still six of them?”
“Yes.”
His grip on her was firm. His heart was racing like hers.
The six shifters paced in front of Isaac’s home, waiting.
It took a few more minutes for Isaac to emerge into the clearing in front of his house and come to a stop. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Amber squirmed in his arms, wanting to get down as Rylee ran toward her.
Luckily Amber’s mate didn’t deny her the reunion. He set her on her feet, but held on to the back of her dress, making Rylee come to her.
Rylee lunged at Amber, wrapping her in a huge hug. “You’re here. You’re finally here. Sixty-seven days is a long time.”
The two women rocked back and forth, holding each other tight. All the while, Amber was aware of her mate’s grip on the back of her dress. He wasn’t letting her part from him.
“Drow escaped,” one of the males stated. Amber was pretty sure it was Rylee’s mate. He looked like the man Sienna had described. In addition, he came to Rylee and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.
“Who’s Drow?” Amber asked.
Isaac picked her up again, tucking one arm under her butt to hold her against his side. It was odd. She didn’t understand why he felt the need to hold her. On the flip side, she liked it. She wrapped her arms around his neck again, needing to breathe in his scent.
Frustration crawled up her spine that all these people were here.
Isaac rubbed her back. “He’s a rogue bear shifter.”
She gasped. “A bear shifter?”
“Yep.” He continued toward the front of the house and turned to face the crowd. He spoke next to the woman who had been a super large wolf. “What did you see, Khloe?”
“I knew he escaped.”
“Molly?” Isaac asked, turning his attention to another woman.
“He’s been grumbling about revenge. His voice hasn’t gotten closer yet.”
“Rylee?” he asked next, facing Amber’s best friend.
“He needs to brush his teeth.” She waved a hand in front of her face and scrunched up her nose.
Several people chuckled.
The man who had to be Rylee’s mate picked her up and held her against him.
This was when Amber noticed how all the women were dressed.
None of them had on anything as boring as the drab brown full-length dresses they’d all worn for their first twenty years.
They didn’t have on long dresses with long sleeves at all.
They all wore short dresses in pretty colors with short sleeves.
They looked so pretty. Rylee’s dress was yellow, which didn’t surprise Amber at all.
Rylee’s mate patted her bottom under the dress. “I bet you know something more important than the state of his breath, Baby girl.”
She sobered. “Sorry. Yes. He’s wandering. Not in this direction in particular.”
“How do you know that?” Amber asked.
Isaac sighed. “I haven’t had a chance to explain anything to my mate yet. Any chance you all could scatter and give us some time?”
“We’ll patrol the area,” the man with Molly said. “At a distance.”
“Thank you,” Isaac stated. “Oh, and for the record, Amber knew you all were here long before me.”
“How?” the man with Khloe asked.
“She saw you.” Isaac entered the house.
Amber leaned over his shoulder to wave at her friend. Apparently that was all the reunion she was going to get for the time being. She would accept that and be grateful. She didn’t get the impression Isaac was too pleased with everyone’s arrival.
He shut the door and carried her through the living room and into the kitchen. “Are you hungry, Little one?”
She shook her head.
He looked at her with a crooked grin. “Rylee says you eat everything. It’s just her who eats like a little mouse.”
Amber giggled. “Yes. But I’m not hungry.” Her stomach was in knots from all the excitement and knowing her friend was outside, presumably watching the house.
“You have a million questions, and I will answer all of them, but first, let me see to your needs. Have you eaten anything today?”
She slowly shook her head again. “No, Sir. I was too nervous.”
“That’s what I figured.” He opened the fridge and pulled out…a bottle? Like the kind of thing someone would use to feed a baby.
Amber held her breath while he twisted off the top and heated the bottle in the microwave. When he replaced the nipple, he headed for the living room and took a seat in one of the armchairs, settling her sideways on his lap.
Isaac set the bottle on the end table and turned his full attention to her.
“First of all, let me say that newly mated couples do not ordinarily interact with anyone for about a month. Alpha males take that time off from patrolling to spend it with our mates. But times are peculiar. There is some unrest, especially with regard to that particular rogue bear shifter, Drow.”
“He’s dangerous?”
“Yes. He recently killed another member of his community. He’s been in custody.
Apparently he escaped. We do not trust him.
We have an alliance with some of the other bear shifters.
I’m sure they will come and speak with us soon.
I’d prefer if you and I could stay out of it if at all possible.
We’re meant to be getting to know each other.
Not dealing with pack problems. The other Alphas and their mates will do their best to see that we’re not disturbed. ”
Amber’s brain was on overload, but she focused on the one pressing question first. Glancing at the end table she said, “Sienna told me that Rylee takes bottles. Do all the women?”
Isaac froze. “Who is Sienna?” His brow was tightly furrowed.
Amber’s face heated. Perhaps she shouldn’t have led with that information. She still couldn’t be certain anything Sienna visualized would be true, but the more Amber saw, the more she knew her friend was probably right about everything.
“Amber…” Isaac encouraged.
“Who is next to claim their mate?” she asked.
Isaac narrowed his gaze further as if slightly exasperated. “Jayce.”
“Sienna is his mate then. I met her last week. She…”
“Knows things.” Isaac tipped his head back and inhaled deeply.
“Yes,” Amber whispered.
Isaac lifted his head and pulled Amber closer to him, hugging her against his chest. “This is going to be the most unconventional mating of all time.”