Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Phoenix
My heart sank at the expression on Emery’s face, the stark terror.
Of me. When I just wanted to stand in front of him against the world.
He tried to back up a little further, glanced around wildly, but he was stuck against the kitchen sink.
I very carefully lowered myself to the floor, let out a reproachful sigh, and rested my head on my two front paws.
I didn’t want to look, but I forced my gaze to meet his, my wolf easily reading his body language.
I didn’t know if it made me less threatening, but I doubted if anything would make this whole mess seem any better.
Emery gaped at me, the knife still held out defensively in front of him, and for a long moment, there was utter silence in the cottage.
Emery licked his lips, and I stifled an inappropriate groan as they snagged my attention, and my body responded.
Not now. My wolf couldn’t vocalize a groan, but he must have made some noise because Emery narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Wonderful.
“I’m trying to decide if I’m dreaming, high, or dead, but the food was yummy, so I kind of discounted the third.”
My heart beat pathetically harder at the tiny ray of hope I caught a glimmer of, and I raised my head cautiously.
“So, for a minute, which I’m probably going to regret, let’s go with the fourth option and pretend this is real.” The doubt in his voice was clear, and if my wolf could have crossed his claws, they would be in knots.
Emery waved his other hand, the one not clutching the knife. “Go on, then. Do your stuff.”
I took that to mean he wanted me as human, so I slowly came up onto my paws, then reached inside for my human shape.
I didn’t need to close my eyes even though it was instinctual.
We were taught never to give in to the temptation, as in the seconds between shifts, every shifter was at their most vulnerable.
I made an exception this time, though, not wanting to see any more fear or disgust in Emery’s eyes.
When I knew I was fully shifted, I slowly opened them.
The shift itself for an alpha took seconds, but I’d put off seeing his reaction for as long as possible.
Emery was staring at me, but before I got the chance to speak or move, his eyes drifted lower, and he gasped, his hand flying to his throat. “Put some clothes on.”
I glanced down. Shifters were used to nudity, and considering he’d definitely seen all I had multiple times in the last few days, I thought his reaction odd.
But obediently picked up my jeans, dragged them over my hips, and carefully—because I was with my mate and half hard even now in reaction to him—zipped them up. That even brought a wince from Emery.
I stood patiently waiting for the first question. But Emery surprised me. He turned and slid the knife back into the block, and keeping his back to me, he filled the small coffee maker. I was floored by the sudden trust when he’d seen what I was.
“Coffee?”
“Please,” I said hoarsely. I waited for an interminable five minutes while it brewed and then Emery dug in the fridge for cream, grabbed the sugar, and came over to the table. He went back, poured out two mugs of coffee, and walked back.
I still hadn’t moved.
He nodded to the chair opposite him at the small table we’d eaten at, and I grabbed a chair, still trying to pretend I was calm, and watched as he doctored his coffee with cream, took a sip, then added sugar. I took a gulp of mine black and ignored the burn.
He put his mug down and finally met my eyes. “How about you start at the beginning?”
“How far back?” I asked, still astonished.
He shrugged. “I have time.”
So, taking him at his word, I started with the legend of Lycaon, the son of Pelasgus, who angered the god Zeus when he served him a meal made from the remains of a sacrificed boy. As punishment, the enraged Zeus turned Lycaon and his sons into wolves.
“After Lycaon’s death, the sons begged the god for mercy.
Zeus refused to lift their banishment, but he created the wolf shifter so they would have the benefits of both forms of existence.
Zeus only granted this if the wolves agreed to protect as many humans as they could while they were alive. ” A promise we still honored today.
“My kids would love that,” Emery murmured.
“Aren’t they five, though?” Wasn’t that a little young?
He swallowed another mouthful and a tiny smile played briefly on his lips. The urge to feel it against my own was overwhelming. “I said my kids would love it. Their parents? Not so much.”
I allowed a small smile of my own. “That was the legend, anyway. Today, wolf shifters generally live in packs.” Then I explained the hierarchy.
“And you’re the boss of your pack? Like a king?”
I flushed. “Not a king.”
“But you inherit the title,” he pointed out. “There’s no election, I’m assuming.”
I shook my head and risked the next thing.
He might as well know. “Another wolf could challenge the alpha. If the other wolf won, then he would be the alpha.” It was a little more complicated than that, but for the purposes of our first questions, it would do.
I was glad when he didn’t ask what the challenge was because an alpha challenge was always to the death.
“Why don’t people know about you?” Another intelligent question, but then Emery was an educator.
Because it would be a disaster. “Can you imagine what would happen? If we were taken as a threat, we could be slaughtered or imprisoned. Not easily, but it could happen. If we were viewed as an asset, then—”
“They could try and weaponize you,” Emery finished for me. “Assuming speed, scent, and strength are all increased like the animal?”
I raised my eyebrows, and Emery flushed a little. “I did a little research to help the kids learn about different animals and habitats for a project we worked on last semester.”
He was silent, and I wasn’t sure what to add.
It would take far more time than we had before he met the pack tomorrow to explain our culture.
The mating consequences. I didn’t even know where to begin with the current threat.
He might accept wolf shifters, but I was asking a little too much to mention silver-skins. It would have to be soon, though.
He tipped his head to one side and considered me for a few minutes. I let him look. I didn’t have anything to hide.
Well, apart from how his life was about to turn on its head.
And the silver-skins.
He finished his coffee. “What really happened this weekend?”
I met his steady but determined gaze. “We’re mates.”
His eyebrows shot up. “As in wolves, the animal? They mate for life.” I nodded slowly. He rolled his eyes. “This is very flattering, but I’m a hundred percent human, and my ex-fiancé ditched me barely four days ago. There’s no way I’m about to rush into another relationship this quickly.”
I knew all that was true, but had no idea how to explain, to make him understand.
“If it’s any consolation, I’m shocked, as well.
” Then I flushed as I realized how that sounded.
“I mean because you’re not a shifter or a full shifter.
You may have shifter ancestors,” I hastened to add.
“Look.” I took a breath. “It’s very unusual for a wolf shifter to be attracted so intensely to a human.
Esther, who owns this cottage, is, I suppose, a historian of our race.
” Keep it simple. “I—” I flushed. “Our intense attraction—” I broke off, struggling.
“Esther knew I carried your scent on me.”
Emery wrinkled his nose.
“Wolf shifters each have their own unique scent. It’s how we’re such good trackers, and in our wolf form, we can identify every member of our pack.
Alphas are even better and can locate them, as well.
Esther has a lot of experience, and she knew instantly our scents had combined, something only possible with mates.
She also told me it was possible to mate a…
” I swallowed. I was digging my own grave here. “Human male, which I didn’t know.”
Emery’s eyes flashed threateningly.
“I’m bi,” I added hurriedly, to put it in words he would understand. There was no point saying all wolves were bi, even if it was currently impossible to accept.
He looked wary, but he didn’t interrupt.
“If I’d have known, I would never have left you on Saturday.”
“Why?” Emery asked. “Even if you insist I’m your mate, you certainly aren’t mine.
” He flushed but leaned forward. “We had incredible sex, and you’re a nice guy.
That isn’t a wedding invitation or a promise, not these days.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to see you again, but I don’t even know where I’m going to live yet. I need a job by the next semester.”
“You can’t leave,” I rushed out, then I could’ve bitten my tongue.
Emery nodded carefully as if that had been reasonable. “And who’s going to stop me?”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I don’t mean it like that. You’re not a prisoner.”
“No,” he said very seriously. “I’m not.”
“If you leave soon after our mating, you’ll get very sick.” I didn’t say he would anyway if we were apart, but it was crucial and dangerous within the first few days at least.
Emery sighed and folded his arms. “Are you saying that’s what was wrong with me on the weekend? You really expect me to believe I needed three days of sex to cure me?” Sarcasm dripped from every word.
But this time, I met his gaze and let a little of my wolf out. His eyes widened, and I knew he felt it. “I’d like you to meet Esther before you make any decisions, but if you insist on leaving here, then I’ll simply come with you.”
His jaw dropped.
“You were very sick,” I said quietly. “I know all this sounds unbelievable, and I’m sorry to put you in this position, but I can’t let you be hurt because of me.
” Emery looked like he was going to protest before I added the last few words.
“You know me, or your friends do.” I pushed his phone across the table, which he hadn’t even asked for.
“Tell your friends you’re staying at my place for a few days.
Tell them I had a spare room.” I hoped he wouldn’t be using it, but that didn’t matter at the moment.
Emery picked the phone up with a challenge in his gaze and immediately speed-dialed someone. He stood and walked to the sink, but with my shifter hearing, I heard his friend Gemma as clearly as if she were standing in front of me.
“Oh my God, Emmy, I was getting ready to call the cops.”
Emery sighed. “Sorry—” But his friend carried on.
“If Danny hadn’t had daily updates, I would’ve when I couldn’t get you on Saturday.” Her voice dipped. “You still don’t sound so hot, but having the flu really sucks.”
I tried to look apologetic when Emery turned to stare daggers at me, but to be honest, I’d never given it a thought. Good job either my dad or Esther had.
“And you never get sick,” she finished indignantly.
“Yeah,” Emery said casually. “Looks like it was my turn.”
Her voice dropped like it was a secret. “Are you still there? Danny says Phoenix is smoking.” She erupted into giggles, and I was suddenly looking at Emery’s back again.
I heard him promise to talk to her tomorrow, and I relaxed a little. At least he hadn’t asked her to collect him. He hung up and then turned to me. “I’ll see what they have to say. Esther, that is,” he qualified. “But I want to slow right down. What happened this weekend doesn’t happen again.”
He’d fastened his shirt up. I knew he hadn’t seen the mating bite yet, but because I was a coward and he said he was staying, I didn’t mention it, hoping he wouldn’t until tomorrow.
I met his gaze. “I live with my dad, but we have two spare bedrooms you can choose from.” I had no idea what to do about the pack meeting tomorrow when they all expected to meet my mate.
And there was no way just one day after a true mating that we could spend more than a few minutes apart, but at least he wasn’t running.
Not yet, anyway.