Chapter 3
3
TALIA
I t was about a half mile walk from our house to the Alphas house where the gathering was being held.
That gave me roughly five minutes to get myself in the right frame of mind.
I breathed in the cool nights air, while enjoying the sounds of birds chirping in the trees while we made our way down the stone pathways between the pack houses.
Laughter was coming from between the trees, the youngsters were having their own bonfire between the stone arches of the old portal entrances.
The crackling of the fire, smell of burning wood, and chill of the late night air began to assault my senses as we passed the portal entrance.
Three stone arches sat in the middle of the forest clearing, the air almost feeling thicker as we walked past them.
My breathing slowed as my vision sharpened at the edges, a purple mist surrounded the young wolves as they danced and laughed around the fire.
Some say, that the mists are a blessing from the moon goddess herself.
I wonder if that's where my Vemor came from… a blessing from the moon goddess.
The laughter faded into the distance as we continued on down the path, Celeste was talking to me, but I was to stuck in my own thoughts to hear a word she was saying to me.
There would be over ten packs from the surrounding areas in attendance tonight.
It was supposed to be a gathering to build relations between leaders, but we all knew that our Alphas were just trying to increase the mating pool for all their pack members; including a few of the alphas who were without a mate.
“Earth to Talia!”
Celeste was waving her hand in front of my face.
“Are you with me? You were staring off into space again.
I’ve apparently been talking to myself this whole entire walk.”
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.
“Sorry I was trying to give myself a pep talk, and my thoughts drifted.”
“Well, you better put your game face on because we’re here and there are already several very good-looking men looking our way.”
Okay Talia time to bring out the extrovert in you.
You can do this! I put on my signature smirk, held my head high and made sure to move my hips a bit more dramatically.
Jericho’s house was an older farmhouse that had one of those huge wrap around front porches, and bright blue shutters by each of the windows on the front.
The front door was a rich mahogany with no windows, and old Victorian style handles.
The white brick was a perfect contrast to the shutters and the solid wood beams lining the porch.
I could see myself building a home like this if I were ever to settle down and have a place of my own.
As we made our way towards the front porch, someone called my name.
Walking towards me, her wide hips swaying sided to side, her long blonde hair curled to perfection as it met her shoulder, deep brown eyes glowing with a sneer on her face was Jules.
The local pack bitch.
“Well, I’ll be damned if it isn’t Talia! You came out of your room and decided to grace us with your presence?”
I rolled my eyes and took another deep breath.
My pulse started to race as the pressure in my chest increased, Sionn was rising to the surface, which could be problematic.
She hated Jules just as much as I did and was waiting for the day, we could sink our teeth into her.
I went to open my mouth, but Celeste beat me to it.
“Oh, shut the fuck up Jules, Talia can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and with whomever she wants.”
Celeste scoffed.
Jules stomped down the stairs of Jerichos house, her posse following behind her.
“You would think she wasn’t even a part of this pack; she hides in her damn room so often.
We only know she exists because of her job at the tavern and the fact she must screw every single eligible male in the pack!”
Jules screamed at Celeste.
Why was she so threatened by someone who was just having fun and not trying to settle down? She may be on the hunt for a mate but I sure as fuck wasn’t, and, let’s be honest, no one was a virgin in this pack, including her.
Our lifespans were too long to wait it out hoping to find our fated mates.
I started to chuckle while shaking my head.
“I only fuck the males who catch my eye and want a piece of this fantastic ass.
Don’t be pissed because they’re in my bed and not yours.”
I told her, I tried to contain my laughter as she began stomping towards me.
Her nostrils flaring as she yelled, “You bitch!”
She lifted her hand as if she were going to slap me.
Nails shifting into claws as her hand swung downwards.
I figured I’d let her take her best shot.
I probably shouldn’t have engaged with her, but I was itching for a fight tonight.
My wolf was on edge and so was I.
But before she got close enough to me, a strong hand gripped her by the wrist.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Jules." His voice a low growl.
His sweet citrus scent surrounded me as I groaned.
“Really, Lucas? She wouldn’t have touched me.
I would’ve had her on the ground in five seconds flat.
Plus, I need to release some of this extra energy,”
I said, looking into his eyes.
His eyes darkened as he stepped in closer to me, “We can work that energy off later tonight if you’re that worked up.”
He whispered into my ear.
Fuck, those dimples were killer.
My heart rate increased, my chest feeling heavier with each breath.
Deep Breathes.
Deep Breathes.
“Get your hands off me!”
Jules screeched, causing my focus to shift from Lucas and the discomfort I was feeling to her.
“Now come on Jules, you don’t want to make a scene like a Lunatic in front of all these potential mates, do you?”
I said, rolling me eyes at her.
She immediately tensed up, Jules coveted the idea of being an alpha’s mate more than anything and she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it.
She ripped her arm out of Lucas’s grasp and stomped off with her tail tucked between her legs.
The grass tearing from the ground as her stilettos sunk into the ground with every step.
“Careful Talia, you know she holds a grudge and will make your life a living hell.
She has connections in high places.”
Lucas growled.
“Yeah, yeah I know but I still could’ve kicked her ass.”
I whined, I rolled my eyes at him while planting my hands on my hips.
He shook his head and snickered.
“I know that, but females aren’t supposed to be able to fight.
The fact that you’re wearing that dagger on your thigh is going to give off too many warning signs tonight.
You sure picked a great night to advertise the fact you are inclined to stab things.”
I knew he didn’t mean anything by it, Hell Lucas was the one training me, but I hated being told what I couldn’t do.
My hands curled into fists, my nails began to lengthen, my wolf was continuing to push closer to the surface.
Closing my eyes I took a deep breath.
I’ve got this girl.
Don’t worry, no one tells us what to do.
She made her disapproval known but backed off leaving me to handle him.
My nails returned to normal as I looked up at Lucas and said, “I won’t ever hide the fact that I can protect myself, you know that.
No matter what rules I break or whoever I piss off along the way.”
He closed his eyes and seemed to be thinking about how to respond to me without further irritation on my part.
“Don’t say I didn’t do anything to warn you, Tals.
There are too many pack alphas in attendance tonight and I don’t want them to report you to the council.
On another note, I do have to mention you look fucking delectable tonight.”
He growled.
I snorted.
He did know how to change my train of thought, I would give him that.
“It’s the combination of the dagger and these pants isn’t it?”
I said, with my lips quirked to the side.
Lucas smiled at me and with a subtle growl to his voice said, “You know how to make an entrance, Tals.
I don’t think I’m the only one in attendance who wants a piece of you tonight.”
I hadn’t really noticed before now, but we had managed to gather a small crowd of pack members.
Some were of the Mountain Crest Pack and others were faces I didn’t recognize.
Well shit, there went the hope of staying under the radar.
I just couldn’t ever resist myself when it came to Jules, and neither could my wolf.
“Hey, you might want to try and keep your wolf calm, your eyes are glowing a bit more than normal.”
Lucas moved closer, his brows furrowing, concern filling his eyes.
" Come on girl, we can’t be making a scene any more than we already have tonight.
We are attracting the wrong kind of attention".
She just scoffed at me.
Well, I tried, didn’t I? Lucas put his arm around me, his hand firmly on my waist as we walked through the doors to the gathering.
I let his presence ground me, but there were so many influential pack members here, including some of the shifter council.
People started to murmur as we walked in, their eyes zeroing in on my thigh.
The women shot daggers my way, and I knew it was because I was on the arm of the most eligible pack member.
Lucas leaned down whispering into my ear, “Why don’t we go see if Jericho needs a break from all of this political bullshit?”
A smirk crossed my face as I looked up at him and nodded.
Lucas, Celeste, and I started to walk towards where Jericho was talking to some men that I didn’t recognize.
Three men surrounded him.
The one closest to us had his back turned.
He was familiar … The closer we got the more the walls began to close in around me.
My body started to tense up.
My breathing became fast and heavy.
Why did the room suddenly feel so small.
Sionn? Girl, I need you.
The scent of rotten eggs filled my nose.
Burnt flesh and rotten eggs.
That smell...
“Something doesn’t feel right.”
I whispered while trying to slow down my breathing.
I closed my eyes.
There were voices.
So many voices around me.
Why did I know that smell? It couldn’t be… could it? The room was spinning.
I couldn’t breathe.
I reached up grabbing at my throat with my hands.
My throat was closing.
Air.
I needed air.
The floorboards creaked as someone crouched in front of me.
Was I on the ground? The floor was cold beneath my knees.
I could feel the sweat dripping down my face.
The chattering from my teeth echoed through my ears.
My heart was still pounding in my chest.
Celeste was beside me in an instant holding my face between her hands.
“Talia is everything okay? Eyes on me, okay? Focus on me.”
she said, her voice sounding like it was underwater.
They didn’t know where I was … They left me for dead.
They think I’m dead.
Take a deep breath.
In and out.
Focus Talia, there is no way they are here, right? I was spiraling.
I was going to have a full-blown panic attack in the middle of the pack gathering.
My nails were lengthening at my fingertips, digging into my palms.
I could smell the iron in the air from the blood now coating my palms.
A cry left my lips as a bone snapped in my left arm.
Sionn was forcing a shift on me.
“No, I need to stay human.
Let me have control, we can’t shift right now.”
She growled, “You feel threatened, that smell I recognize it.
We are in danger.”
“Let me handle it.”
I whimpered.
A familiar scent filled my nose as a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me back to my feet.
I forced my eyes open, his breath hot on my lips from his proximity.
Lucas was standing in front of me.
His fingertips tightening around me as he gripped my arms and said, “Who do I need to hurt?”
he growled.
His irises were darkening to such a deep shade of green they were almost black.
The muscles in his jaw twitched as he clenched his jaw.
Lucas knew something had happened in my past, but he didn’t know the details.
He had seen my scars, but never pushed me.
Tals, “Your eyes are glowing again, and you’re shifting.
You need to calm down, you are going to cause a scene.”
Celeste whispered, concern lacing her tone.
Lucas and Celeste began to usher me to the side of the room, away from any prying eyes, when that scent hit my nose again, causing a growl to escape my throat.
I turned and began scanning the faces in the crowded room when I froze.
My heart stopped beating.
Black spots invaded my vision.
Terror consumed my whole body as I recognized the man speaking with Jericho.
The face that haunted my nightmares.
The face of the man who had left me for dead in that damn alley five years ago.