4. - – Hartley
CHAPTER FOUR
-
HARTLEY
Looking out the window, I saw Palmer and his buddies threatening Trick and Kade. He wanted me back in his clutches and I refused to go anywhere with him. He’s a monster and I won’t ever let him hurt me again. I won’t willingly be his victim anymore.
Then the oddest and most terrifying thing happened, all of them turned into wolves right before my eyes.
Even Trick and Kade. It happened in the blink of an eye.
One minute they were men and the next, wolves sprung from the porch where they'd been standing.
The wolves with Palmer transformed slightly slower.
I saw their faces change. Their mouths elongated into snouts with sharp teeth and fur sprouted from their skin before they fell down onto four paws.
What the hell? Did they drug me? Am I hallucinating? This can’t be real.
Stunned, I continued to watch as a third wolf joined the fight against the Palmer wolf and his friends.
One by one the intruders fell, torn and bloody.
They toyed with the big reddish-brown wolf that had been Palmer and then they killed him, defeating all six wolves.
They howled at their success and it spurred me into action.
I couldn’t stay here. They may have been nice to me so far, but now that they transformed before my eyes, I couldn’t wait around for them to kill me too.
Running to the coat rack I found a heavy coat and my boots, thankfully dry.
I stuffed my feet into them while pulling on the jacket.
I ran to the back door and tore off into the woods.
For the first ten minutes I just ran blindly led by terror, only wanting to escape, to get as far from them as I could. Nothing rational could make it past the chant in my head of, “They’re all werewolves, they’re going to kill me.”
By the time the cold seeped into me past the adrenaline, I had no idea where I was or which way to go.
For all I knew I was heading into the middle of nowhere and would be lost for good.
I stopped running, gasping for breath, with the cold burning my throat on each inhale.
Scraped and bleeding from my haphazard run through the frozen forest, I did my best to calm my panic.
The woods looked the same in every direction, the sky was blanketed in gray clouds, the sun hiding behind them.
I had no way to navigate, no wind blew, no North Star hung above.
I spun in a confused circle and fell to my knees with a sob.
What the hell were they? Was everyone a beast in disguise?
I had lived with Palmer for years and never knew he was a legendary magical creature.
How could I trust that anyone I met was human?
The three brothers were so kind, and they helped me so easily.
But they weren’t what they appeared to be.
They were as monstrous as Palmer and I needed to get away from them.
Choosing a direction at random I started running again until I collapsed.
As I stared into the dim sky, fluffy flakes began falling harder.
They landed on my face and melted into my hair.
I was so cold, again, for the second time in just a few days.
My legs were freezing, and the jacket didn’t cover them.
Now that I was lying in the snow, I couldn’t keep the cold from burning my skin.
My teeth chattered and my body shivered but I didn’t have anything left in my soul to keep running.
The sweat beneath my jacket turned colder, and I remembered my science class facts about dying in the cold.
Just like I was taught in school, when my body began to go numb the lure of sleep pulled me under and everything went black.
My eyes fluttered open and I recognized the sofa in front of the blazing fireplace in the cabin.
Kade, Kohl, and Trick were keeping me warm and safe.
Then I remembered their true identities, they’re werewolves and I’m not safe at all.
Fear startled me into sitting up and looking for some shoes. I had to get away from them.
“You’re awake.”
My body froze. Trick was watching me.
“Why did you run into the woods? We told you to stay in the bedroom.”
“I got scared. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, but you scared us. We thought we lost you. How are you feeling?”
“Okay. Uh…thirsty.”
“What would you like?”
“Water is fine. I’ll get it.”
“Alright.”
He followed me to the kitchen. My hand shook as I held the full glass. In my peripheral vision I could see him examining my tremors, his nostrils flaring.
“I heard Palmer’s voice and I ran. He can’t get me back. He’ll kill me.”
“You no longer have anything to fear…we took care of it. He won’t bother you again.”
“Wow. That’s a relief. I’m tired. Is it okay if I take a nap?” I kept my face angled away from his curious gaze so he wouldn't see my fear.
“Yeah, of course. Whatever you need,” Trick said with his brow raised.
“Thanks.”
Quickly returning to the sofa I curled up with my back to the room and tried to slow my pounding heart and smooth my breathing. Maybe if they thought I was asleep they would say something to help me figure out what they are and where to go to get away from them.
Unfortunately, I actually fell asleep trying to fool them.
Exhausted was an understatement of my condition.
Running around in the freezing cold is taxing, more than I thought possible.
When I opened my eyes again it was dark outside.
I couldn’t risk going into the woods at night.
I barely made it out during the day. The fireplace was burning bright and its warmth kept the cold from touching me.
Dishes clinked in the kitchen and I could smell something savory cooking.
My stomach growled in response to the enticing smell wafting into the great room.
Nobody was sitting watch over me and I sat up, waiting to hear a deep voice, but no one said a word.
I used the facilities and when I met my bruised eyes in the mirror I noticed the swelling had gone down around my worst eye injury.
I still looked awful and the nap after tearing through the woods didn’t help much with the exhaustion.
Needing another shower, I went in search of one of my captors.
It was hard to think of them as anything else since they’re actual monsters.
The reality of that thought was difficult to swallow.
Maybe I imagined what I saw. My head is injured, maybe I was hallucinating.
I found Kohl stirring something in a pot on the stove and Kade sat at the island with a beer. Trick was nowhere in sight, but I assumed he was close.
Clearing my throat got their attention.
“I want to take a shower. I’m gross after running through the woods.”
“I’ll find something for you to wear and you can use the shower in my room. Trick is in the other one.” Kade kept his eyes on me as he walked past.
Shuffling after him, I tried not to stare at his very well-defined muscles stretching his sweater and jeans.
Even though I’m scared out of my mind, something in me is still incredibly attracted to these guys.
Confusion wrinkles my nose. Why would I feel attraction at a time like this?
Maybe my brain is seriously injured. I should probably go to a hospital.
A smile tipped my lips at the corners, knowing it was a way to get them to take me to civilization.
I could act like my head injury is getting worse and they’ll have no choice other than taking me to a hospital where I can escape from them.
Kade stopped at his dresser and dug out a sweatshirt and sweatpants, then handed them to me before he showed me how to work the shower and gave me some towels.
Once he left I locked the door and took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves.
The new escape plan gave me a confidence boost and I decided to act like my head hurt as soon as I finished in the shower.
Dressed in Kade’s too large clothing, I made my way back to the sofa with a pained look on my face. Trick was in the chair by the fireplace watching me.
“Hey, you got the sweats to stay up.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Are you alright?” His head canted in concern.
Holding my forehead like it was hurting I winced when I tried to turn in his direction.
“No. My head hurts and I feel a little sick to my stomach.” His brow pinched in concern as he came closer inspecting my face.
“Kade, can you come here for a minute?” Trick called without taking his eyes off of me.
“What’s up?” Kade smiled at me but it fell from his face when he saw the look on mine.
“Hartley’s head is hurting. Can you check her concussion?”
Oh crap! I forgot Kade had medical training and concussions are probably one of the first things he learned. He approached me and pulled a small flashlight from his pocket.
“I’m going to look in your eyes.” I flinched and he added, “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
He blinded me with his bright light and moved it in front of each eye.
His tongue pressed between his lips while he concentrated, and an overwhelming urge to suck his tongue into my mouth overcame me.
My insides were too warm and my thighs clenched together.
His nostrils flared and he gasped softly in surprise.
He struggled to keep from smiling, forcing a serious face, but I could tell he was suppressing joy. He most definitely isn’t fooled about my concussion. Now what?
“Please describe what you’re feeling,” he requested.
“Sharp pain right here,” I pointed to my temples. “And I feel nauseous.”
He held my wrist pressing his fingers to the inside of it. He looked at his watch and was quiet for a moment.
“Your pulse is slightly elevated, but I don’t see any signs of a concussion. Maybe you’re dehydrated from running around in the freezing cold. That would give you a headache and an upset stomach.”
He leaned close, his nose inches from me as his eyes searched mine for something I didn’t understand.
While he looked at me, I examined him. His eyes reflected the light in the room with an animalistic glow. They were beautiful, full of emotion, and hunger. I hoped he wasn’t thinking of me as a possible meal. Do wolves eat humans?
Trick handed me a glass of water and stood there making sure I drank it.
When I stopped for a breath, he lifted his eyebrows urging me to continue.
Begrudgingly, I gulped the rest of it and then showed him the empty cup like a prisoner, proving I did as I was told.
He grinned and took it to the kitchen. Kade was still holding my other hand and I didn’t realize it until now.
He was also carefully watching me. It was unnerving when I didn’t know why he was being so attentive.
“What?”
“I’m just making sure you’re alright, beautiful.”
My cheeks heated and I imagined they were red.
Since we were alone and Kade was the one I felt most comfortable with, I swallowed hard and bolstered my nerves the best I could, “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Did you hear wolves howling while I was in the forest?” I figured a general inquiry was the way to broach the wolf in the room.
His eyes went wide and then he cleared his throat.
“Maybe we need to talk.”
I met his stare.
“Okay.”
“Do you believe in magic?”
Unable to contain it, I laughed out loud. His brow scrunched up and his eyes narrowed, no smile curved his lips. Taking note of his serious expression, I stopped laughing and shrugged my shoulders.
“I don’t know. Like magic tricks?”
“No, like ghosts, vampires, witches...”
“Do I think they’re real?” My head tilted, copying the move I’d seen from each brother.
“Assuming they’re real, do you believe they possess magical abilities?”
“Oh. I…um…I’m not sure. But if they were real, I would believe it was possible that magic was involved. Why? Are you a magician?”
“No. But I have some magical ability. I need to know if you’re open to that sort of thing.”
“Maybe, I mean, I believe ghosts are real, so it stands to reason there may be real magic in the world. Oh! And I knew this girl who was abducted by aliens. I’m not sure about her story but it seems like there’s a good chance aliens exist somewhere in our endless universe.”
“That’s a place to start. My brothers and I are part of a magical community. Have you ever heard of a shifter?”
“A shifter? No.”
“There’s all kinds of shifters. They look like humans but they also take the form of their inner animal. So, if they’re a wolf shifter, they could be in their human skin or their wolf skin but both are parts of the one being. A shared consciousness between human and animal.”
“Like a werewolf?” I suggested.
“The preferred term is wolf shifter, but yes.”
“Okay. I’ve never heard of such a thing, other than in books and movies. Are you saying you believe they’re real?”
“I’m saying my brothers and I are wolf shifters. Our whole family and community or pack, are wolf shifters.”
Chewing on my lip while trying to reconcile what he was telling me with what I saw and heard before, was making me anxious. Where’s the Xanax when you really need it?
“You’re saying you and your brothers are wolves?”
“Shifters, yes.”
“Why are you telling me? Shouldn’t it be a secret or something?”
“Usually, we don’t tell humans about us, but we have a connection with you so you need to know.”
“What kind of connection? I’m human.”
His fingers rubbed circles on the back of my hand but I didn’t pull away.
Something inside me was attached to the three of them too.
I'd felt it since I woke up here. I wasn’t afraid of him sitting next to me, he smelled nice and was sweet.
Although it was hard to accept what he was saying, even though I had seen the wolves with my own eyes.
“We believe you’re our mate.”
My mouth fell open, not sure what that meant. I didn’t know what to say.
“Our wolves want us to claim you as our mate.”
Something he said just clicked.
“You keep saying ‘our,’ do you mean all three of you?” Even my swollen eye was wide with surprise.
“Yes. All three of us felt the pull. Our wolves have been pushing us to claim you since you woke up the first time. I know this is a lot of new information and you’re probably confused, but you can ask me anything and I’ll explain the best I can.”
“This is a whole lot of strange all at once. Will these wolves hurt me? Should I leave?”
“They want to take care of you…we want to take care of you. In our community there’s nothing more important than a fated mate.
It’s like a human soulmate. It’s also common for one female to have multiple partners.
Shifter wolves are born male four out of five births.
We’ve adapted to the discrepancy by having multiple mates. Are you with me so far?”
“I’m a bit overwhelmed but I’m still here. What do you mean by ‘claim’ me?”