Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Aloud, low noise vibrates out from the trees. It faintly reminds me of a dog’s bark, but it’s evident it comes from a much larger creature. It sends a shudder down my spine, and my heart skips a beat as Logan obediently lowers his head.
I’ve heard audio recordings of the shifters, but it’s nothing compared to the real-life sound. It’s terrifying, and I curl my hands into my fists as I wait.
Despite my training, I’m scared. What’s going to happen when the shifters reach us? Pairings between shifters and humans are rare, practically unheard of. For all I know, the alpha could take one look at me and decide to tear out my throat. I’d be helpless to stop him.
The shifters near. Sweat trails down my spine.
I’ve waited my entire life for this, but now that it’s here, I feel entirely unprepared. I never wanted this for myself. I never wanted a mate. I hate the shifters.
Four wolves enter my line of sight. My gaze immediately lands on the one in front.
He’s fucking huge, easily as tall as me despite being on all fours, and his head and paws are massive.
I would never stand a chance against him.
His dark, chestnut-brown fur is suspiciously the same color as my hair, and he’s larger and faster than the two shifters who have arrived with him.
This is Alpha Knox. Caleb. My mate.
Bile rises up my throat. I push it down, refusing to react to the sight of him.
He shifts into his skin form mid-run and drops to his knees beside me. I feel an unmistakable pull to him, an intense urge to literally crawl in his direction. I hate it.
Caleb is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He’s naked, too. I look.
A muscular torso, narrow hips, a flaccid cock I force myself to skim over, and thick thighs. All shifters are tall and muscular, the picture of physical perfection. Caleb is no different, albeit slightly larger.
His hair is the same color as his fur, and he has the dark-brown eyes all shifters seem to share. He’s freshly shaven, with a slight hint of stubble just beginning to appear along his jaw. When he gulps, his throat bobbing, my gaze travels to his neck.
Someday soon, I’m going to slit his throat.
His fingertips graze my cheek, and it takes everything in me not to recoil. My pulse threatens to race again, but his touch soothes the quick pattering. My hands unclench. It’s an automatic reaction, one I have no control over. I don’t like that.
Alpha Knox feels like home—or at least the distant memory I have of home. The shifters took that from me when they murdered my parents, and the HPAW facility I was raised in sure wasn’t an adequate replacement.
The alpha’s gaze darkens as he looks down, taking in my injuries.
“I don’t…” He works his jaw from side to side. “Where are you hurt?”
His voice is too soothing, the low pitch drawing me in more than I’d care to admit. I knew the bond would be intense, but I wasn’t expecting this. This man was made for me. The nagging thought lingers at the back of my mind, but I shove it away. I have a job to do.
I choose HPAW and the humans over the idea of a mate.
“My ribs are the worst,” I choke out.
Logan speaks up. “Her shoulder was dislocated. I already reset it.”
The three shifters that came with Caleb circle me, but I keep my focus on the alpha. He grabs my wrist, his touch soft as he turns my hand over. I expect him to examine my mark, making sure it’s a match, but his focus goes instead to my shoulder.
Two of the shifters transform into their human form. The first is the freckled woman who found me—Logan’s mate. She clears her throat and moves to stand beside Logan, her fingertips grazing his inner arm.
The second is somebody new. He’s an older man, maybe in his early sixties, and his hair is beginning to gray. I keep him in my sight as he approaches from the right.
“Hello.” He offers what I assume he believes to be a friendly smile as he crouches beside me. “You sound like you’re having trouble breathing.”
I eye him, then give a curt nod. I wish HPAW had given me a weapon, but that wouldn’t fit with my victim narrative.
“I’m a doctor,” he continues. “I’m going to take a look at your ribs, okay?”
He waits for my permission, which I give with another curt nod. Then he looks to Alpha Knox, waiting for my mate to give him permission as well. When the alpha nods, the doctor rips open my dress, exposing my bare skin.
I’m surprised they asked for my approval. It’s not what I expected from a shifter.
The third shifter who arrived with Caleb finally transforms. It’s a woman. She has dark skin and wide eyes, and she tucks her long, spiraled hair behind her ear as she kneels beside me.
“I’m a nurse,” she says, her voice hushed. “My name is June.”
I’m surrounded, and I don’t like it.
The alpha introduces himself. “I’m Caleb.” He reaches for my face, his palms open, before he winces and pulls away. Smart choice. “You’re safe now.”
The doctor examining my ribs sucks on his teeth, the sound screaming displeasure, before turning and mumbling something to Nurse June. I don’t pay much attention to his evaluation, already knowing exactly what’s wrong with me.
Caleb seems to be hanging on to every word. His eyes dart between me and the doctor, and the anger he’s clearly trying to hide begins to appear. At first, it’s a twitch of the lips and a scrunch of the nose, but it quickly transforms into a full snarl.
He’s upset by my injuries. That’s a good sign.
I’m surprised I’m not being hammered with questions, but I’m sure they’re coming. These people will want every detail about who I am and how I got here. It’s only a matter of time before they demand answers.
I look at Caleb’s right hand.
His marking is identical to mine, minus the color. His remains white. Why is mine the only one that has darkened? I assumed we’d match. Without thinking, I touch the back of his hand. Caleb sucks in a sharp breath, but he doesn’t pull away as I run my fingertips along the length of his mark.
Every brush of our skin is electrifying, and I hope Caleb feels something similar. Getting information from him will be easier if he feels drawn to me.
I ignore the metallic tang of blood as I lick my lips.
“Mine doesn’t look like that,” I say.
Caleb stills, his gaze finally settling on my hand. I turn it toward him, showing my marking. The action hurts, pain spreading through my wrist, but I ignore it.
There’s a moment of tense quiet before Caleb shakes his head and grabs my hand, flipping it over so my mark isn’t in his sight. Interesting reaction. That’s not what I expected, but a sharp pain shooting up my side pulls my focus.
The doctor grunts. “Well, this isn’t ideal.”
He leans closer and brushes his thumb back over the spot he just touched. I just barely resist the urge to smack at his hands as I hiss and jerk away. What the hell is he doing?
Caleb darts forward, batting the doctor’s hand away. “Enough.”
He pulls me into his arms a second later. The movement should hurt, but all I feel is relief as my face is pressed against his bare chest. Our bond is going to be a problem.
The doctor frowns. “I don’t believe anything is broken, but I’m not certain. We should get her to the hospital.” He pushes off his knees and rises. “Can you carry her?”
His question isn’t met with a verbal response.
Caleb loops one arm around my back and another under my knees, then stands. My body does not like this, and I bite back a cry as I’m lifted and held against his chest. He turns, spinning me toward Logan and his freckled mate.
Nurse June is still crouched, and she purses her full lips as she bounces to her feet. Her white mark stands out against her deep-brown skin. It’s floral like mine, and it curls from the inside of her wrist toward her pinky finger. It stops just before reaching the digit.
Her hand disappears from my line of sight. She tucks it behind her back, and when I meet her eye, I realize she’s upset. Should I not have looked? Maybe the marks are private.
“You two stay here,” Caleb orders Logan and the freckled woman. The freckled one is staring at the ground, her skin unnaturally pale. She looks sick. Caleb turns toward Nurse June. “Run ahead and alert the hospital staff.” The doctor is the last to receive orders. “You stay with me.”
Logan shakes his head. “Sash can monitor the cabin herself. I’ll follow the trail.”
Sash. That’s the freckled woman’s name. Logan told me earlier, but I didn’t remember. I commit it to memory now.
Caleb makes a quiet noise in the back of his throat, then approves Logan’s revision with a curt jerk of his head. Logan is quick to transform into his wolf form and disappear. He can follow the trail all he wants. It won’t lead him anywhere. HPAW knows how to cover their tracks.
Caleb peers at me. I force myself to meet his gaze.
“You’re my mate…” he mumbles.
Is he asking or telling me? I can’t quite tell, and I run my tongue over my dry, cracked lips before giving another nod. His questions will come soon. I have carefully crafted answers for all of them.
I’ll tell him that I’ve always known I was his mate, but I’m scared of the shifters and have gone through great efforts to stay away. I’ve heard the horror stories, and I never wanted to take the risk of finding out whether or not they were true.
“Are you going to kill me?” I ask, putting an extra tremor in my voice.
“Kill you?” Caleb shakes his head and begins walking, carrying me into the forest. His movements are even and steady, which I appreciate. “Never. I’ll never hurt you. My pack lands are close. We’ll get you fixed up there, and then I’ll answer all your questions. I promise.”
Those words are music to my ears. I have many questions.
My eyes slip shut in a long blink before I force them open. I need to keep tabs on the direction we’re going. A glance at the sun tells me we’re heading north, which I suspected.
I shift, wrapping my good arm around Caleb’s neck. The other one rests on my stomach.
“How far is your pack?” I ask.