“Maybe that’s what Cassidy needs to do,” Kajakti said. “Maybe the pain will stop once she takes on her wolf form.”
Edensaw had no idea if it would work, but right now, he was ready to try anything. With each of Cassidy’s cries of pain, and seeing her in so much distress, it made him wish he could suffer through it for her.
“All right,” he said. Edensaw sat on the floor with Cassidy cradled on his lap. He brushed her sweaty hair off her forehead and forced her to look at him. “Cassidy, you have to listen to me. I want you to shift into your wolf form.”
“I don’t know how,” she said in a hoarse voice.
“You have to reach deep inside yourself for the spark of magic that is now yours. Once you do you should automatically shift.”
“I can’t,” she gasped. “It hurts so bad.”
“You can. Just try. If you do, the pain might go away.”
Cassidy panted and closed her eyes. The seconds ticked by, and Edensaw thought she wouldn’t be able to do it while in the state she was in. But then her body shimmered and blurred. He put her down on the floor and watched as a female dire wolf with blonde fur that matched Cassidy’s hair took form.
The wolf shook off the sheet and turned to look at him. “Is the pain gone now?” Edensaw asked.
Yes.
He heard Cassidy’s voice inside his mind and breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess shifting was what you needed.”
She licked his cheek.
Now we know for when the others find their mates and turn them. That wasn’t something I would want anyone to go through. If I had known, I probably wouldn’t have agreed to do it.
“I’m sorry you had to endure that. I never expected it to be so painful.”
At least it worked. Look at me. I’m a dire wolf just like you and the others.
Cassidy held out one of her front paws as she looked down at it.
Edensaw wrapped his arms around Cassidy’s furred neck and hugged her. She rested her lupine head on his shoulder. He breathed in her scent. It was still her own but was altered slightly, marking her as a werewolf. Now he would have his forever with his mate.
He released Cassidy, and she took a step away from him. “You should shift back to your human form, but we’ll do that upstairs in our room. You won’t have any clothes to will back on since you weren’t wearing any before you went wolf.”
Now that the urgency had gone to help Cassidy with the turn, the others chuckled. Edensaw was sure his wolf brothers had to be thinking of what their mates would have to endure when they found them and bit them to become true mates.
Yeah
, Cassidy said.
I don’t want to be butt naked in front of anyone but you, Edensaw. So sorry, guys, no free show for you.
Capac laughed. “I think Edensaw would make us regret it if we did see you like that. I’d feel the same way if it were my mate.”
“I agree with Capac,” Durlach said. “But when you’re ready, all of us can go wolf and we can show you the freedom you’ll experience while running through the trees in that form.”
Edensaw nodded. “We’ll do that soon.” He rose to his feet, collected the sheet and looked down at Cassidy. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Cassidy followed Edensaw to the upper level, marveling at all the new perspective she had of the world while in wolf form. Her sense of smell was so good she could pick up the scents of the five men downstairs as if she had her nose buried in the crook of their necks, all at the same time. And her hearing was sharper as well as her eyesight. She knew she would still have all of those abilities in human form, but they would always be keener when she was a wolf. And being one now, there was a wilder part of her that hadn’t been there before. A part that wanted to do as Capac had said, go into the woods and just run. It was new but she didn’t find it disturbing. She actually liked it.
Closed inside hers and Edensaw’s bedroom, she watched him as he put the sheet he carried back on the bed. Once he was done, he turned to face her. “Shift, Cassidy,” he said. “Just reach for that spark of magic inside you again.”
This time she found it was a little easier than it had been on her first shift. No longer in agony, it was easier to focus. She inwardly grabbed that bit of magic and returned to her human form. It didn’t hurt, and it was over within seconds.
Edensaw opened his arms and she went into them. He held her tight. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said. “I never want to see you in so much pain again.”
Cassidy pulled back her head and shook it. “You didn’t know it would be like that. None of you did. The main thing is it’s over and I’m turned.” She smiled. “As for seeing me in pain again, it’s inevitable if you want to have kids.”
His gaze snapped to hers. “I do want them, but would it be selfish of me to decide to have you all to myself for a few years before we start our family?”
She shook her head. “No, it wouldn’t because I feel the same way. And it’s not as if we won’t have an endless amount of years to have them. Look at Brice and Marta. They’ve been together for over fifty years and didn’t have Lindsey until nineteen years ago. I think we can wait.”
Edensaw swept her up into his arms. “And it will also give us lots of time to practice to get it right when we’re ready for children.”
Cassidy pulled her mate down onto the bed as he placed her in the center of it and gave herself over to the pleasure only he could give her.
Chapter Ten
A week had gone by since Tanner’s visit and Cassidy being turned. So far they hadn’t heard anything from the lone wolf who had threatened to retaliate after Edensaw had refused to align with him. Cassidy wondered if Tanner was all talk, but Brice had assured them all that wasn’t the case. So every day they kept an eye out for Tanner every time they left the house, thinking he would jump out at them when they were least expecting it.
Cassidy hated having to always watch her back while doing something as simple as going to the grocery store. Not that Edensaw or the others let her go by herself. Her mate stuck to her like glue and made sure at least one of his wolf brothers accompanied them wherever they went.
At least they’d had no problem with her going wolf with them two days after she was turned and taking that run through the trees on their property. Cassidy now understood what Durlach meant about it giving her a sense of freedom she couldn’t experience as a human. Once Tanner was no longer a threat, Edensaw had said they’d take her out hunting in wolf form. She’d go, maybe chase a critter or two, but she wouldn’t be making a kill. Even though she was a werewolf, she still preferred to get her meat from the grocery store.
Since the move and settling into her new life as a werewolf, Cassidy had gotten a little behind on her work. Today she’d decided to make a concerted effort to get caught up. Edensaw and the others were in another part of the house doing their own thing while she worked in the den just off the dining room. It was the perfect size for an office and let in a lot of light from the French doors that opened up onto their large backyard.
Cassidy lost track of the time as she slipped into her normal work routine. With her keener hearing, she’d hear the wolf brothers talking in one of the other rooms, but it wasn’t enough to distract her from what she was doing.
She’d made some good headway into some of the projects she had to finish when Cassidy suddenly felt as if someone was watching her. Her first response was to look toward the closed den door, half expecting one of the men standing there. But it was still shut and no one had come inside.
With the sensation still persisting, she looked toward the French doors, the only other access to the room. She thought it could be one of the men trying to bug her. Ketah had stood outside there more than once while she worked, waiting for her to notice him, then wave before walking away.
Only this time it wasn’t Ketah or any of the others. A man she’d never seen before stood just on the other side, staring at her. His eyes glowed as a werewolf’s did as he took a few steps back, then barreled into the glass doors, breaking through them. He shifted the instant he was inside the room. He growled and bared his teeth as he bunched his hind legs underneath him, getting ready to launch himself at her. Cassidy screamed.
* * * * *
Brice waited for Nat, a younger member of his pack, to take a seat in one of the chairs that faced Brice’s desk. The boy looked nervous as hell, and Brice had no idea what Nat wanted to talk to him about. Nat had called about a half hour ago to set up this meeting without giving a hint as to what he wanted to discuss.
“So what’s up, Nat? I was surprised when you called.”
The boy fidgeted in his seat. “I think I’ve gotten myself into something I can’t get out of on my own.”
“You can’t go to your family for help?”
“No. Once they find out what I’ve done…” Nat let his words trail away. “No. Only you can fix the mess I’ve made.”
Brice leaned back in his chair. “All right. Tell me what it is and I’ll see what I can do.”
Nat ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve really fucked up. I owed someone a lot of money. He also knows I’ve done some things I’m not proud of.” He swallowed. “He’s using them against me, getting me to do favors for him that I wouldn’t normally agree to.”
“Such as?”
“Giving him information he had no right to know.”
Brice sat up straighter as a bad feeling went through him. “What kind of information are you talking about here? And who is the one forcing you to do this?”
“Pack stuff. And recently, information about the wolf brothers and what they’re capable of doing.” Nat gave him an apologetic look. “It’s Tanner. He told me if I didn’t give him what he wanted he’d tell my dad everything.”
Brice swore. Now he knew who was giving Tanner info about the pack. And Nat’s father had been one of the people Brice had told about the wolf brothers. Obviously, the boy had overheard something at home.
He let out a long breath. “I’ll take care of Tanner. Just tell me where you’ve been meeting up with him, where he hangs out. I’ll round up some other pack members and we’ll take care of the mess you’ve made.”
Nat wrung his hands. “There’s more. Tanner’s planning to make a move against the wolf brothers. Today. He might already be at their house now. He has other lone wolves with him. Tanner is going to try to see just how immortal Edensaw is. If he can, he’s going to try to take the alpha wolf brother out.”
Brice surged to his feet. “Get out of here, Nat. I have to gather some men and get the hell out to Edensaw’s place as fast as I can.”
“You won’t tell my father, will you?”
He growled. “I won’t promise you that. And I’ll deal with you once I’ve taken care of Tanner.”
Running out of his den, Brice took his cell phone out of his pants pocket and made the phone calls to have some of his strongest male pack members meet him at the wolf brothers’ house. He just hoped they wouldn’t be too late, and that the ice age hunters would be more than capable enough to handle what Tanner would dish out.
* * * * *
Cassidy didn’t wait for the wolf to go on the attack. Using her new werewolf speed, she raced across the room to the den’s door and yanked it open. Behind her, she heard the sound of more wolves coming in through the busted French doors.
She ran with the first wolf hot on her tail in the direction she knew Edensaw and the others would be. The sound of a fight taking place coming from the living room drew her there.
When she arrived, she saw there were four other strange wolves battling with the wolf brothers who had all shifted except for Edensaw. He kicked away one of their attackers as he ran toward her. He called out her name. She went to race to him but found herself grabbed from behind and thrown into the closest wall. She fell against it hard enough to knock the wind out of her.
As she fought to catch her breath, Cassidy watched with horror as Tanner walked past her, took out a gun and aimed it at Edensaw. He pulled the trigger and the weapon went off with a loud bang. Cassidy screamed her mate’s name as he was knocked off his feet.
“Let’s see if you can survive a bullet to the head,” Tanner said with an evil-sounding laugh.
Cassidy pulled herself to her feet and ran to Edensaw. She threw herself down at his side. “No, no, no,” she wailed when she saw the bullet hole in his forehead. She placed her fingers at the large vein in his neck and felt for a pulse. There wasn’t one.
With tears streaming down her face, Cassidy lifted Edensaw’s head and put it on her lap. She put her hand on his chest that didn’t rise and fall with his breaths. As she wept, all hell broke loose around her. The remaining wolf brothers fought to take their attackers down. The sound of the front door slamming open vaguely registered. Same as when Brice and another group of werewolves barreled into the room and joined the fray.
Cassidy couldn’t think past the fact that Edensaw lay on the floor dead, never again would he hold her in his arms and kiss her, or make love to her. She felt as if a piece of her had died right along with him. She now had an eternity to live without the only man she would ever love.
She ignored the tears that continued to flow and looked down at her mate. The battle still raged on around her, but it didn’t matter. She kissed Edensaw’s forehead, then jerked back as a fresh trickle of blood leaked from the wound there. Speechless, she watched as the bullet pushed itself out and fell to the floor. A second later, Edensaw’s chest rose as he took a deep breath. His eyes remained closed.
Gently, Cassidy lifted his head from her lap and put it on the floor before she shifted around to place her ear on his chest to better hear the sound of his heart beating. Two seconds before it had been still and silent.
“Edensaw,” she said frantically. “Wake up. Please open your eyes.”
He groaned and reached up to touch the wound that was already starting to heal. “My head hurts,” he said in weak voice. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. “You’re crying. What happened?”
Another flood of tears dripped down Cassidy’s cheeks as she smiled at him. “They’re happy tears now. I thought I lost you.”
At that moment, the sound of fighting ceased. Cassidy looked up to see the other wolf brothers and Brice and his men had routed the intruders. The ones who were still conscious were being guarded and tied up by the werewolves Brice had brought with him.
The pack leader and the wolf brothers rushed over to Cassidy. Brice squatted beside her. “Is Edensaw okay?”
She gave him a watery smile. “He is now. What about Tanner? Did you get him?”
Brice shook his head. “The bastard managed to slip away. But we’ll get him. We’ve captured most of the other lone wolves he had with him. They’ll give us the information we need to find Tanner.”
The wolf brothers helped their alpha to his feet. Cassidy and Brice stood with them. Edensaw’s face took on a greenish tinge. He groaned. “The room is spinning and I feel as if I’ll be sick if I move too fast.”
Cassidy looked at his brothers. “He probably has a bit of a concussion still, though it won’t last long, considering how fast we heal. Can you guys carry him up to our room and put him into bed?”
Ketah nodded. “We’ll get Edensaw settled for you, then come back down and help Brice take out the trash.”
Once Edensaw was gently lifted by his wolf brothers, Cassidy turned to Brice. “How did you know to come?”
“I found out who the leak in my pack was. He came to me, knowing he’d screwed up. He’s young and stupid, and Tanner took advantage of that.”
“I’m glad he told you.”
“So am I. You go take care of your mate. Let me handle the rest.”
Cassidy nodded, then headed up the stairs to hers and Edensaw’s bedroom. She walked in to see her mate was stretched out on the bed. The others gave her a reassuring pat as each one left the room, the last one shutting the door behind him.
She crossed the distance to the bed and climbed up next to Edensaw. He opened his eyes and pulled her down so she lay at his side with her head on his chest. The sound of his heart beating was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Now I am, but I should be asking you that.” Cassidy put her arm across his stomach. “You appeared dead there for a few seconds. Your heart stopped and you weren’t breathing.”
Edensaw rubbed his hand up and down her back. “I wasn’t. It was similar to when the shaman had put me into my long sleep. I could hear you, but I couldn’t move or speak. I guess my body had to heal enough before I recovered to do those things.”
“It still was scary. I really thought you’d gone.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I will never leave you, Cassidy. I’d even fight death if I had to.”
Cassidy closed her eyes and snuggled close, breathing in her mate’s scent. “And I’d do the same for you.”
As Edensaw’s body relaxed and he drifted off to sleep, she sent a silent thank you to the ancient shaman who’d given Edensaw to her. If he hadn’t turned Edensaw and given him complete immortality, Cassidy would never have met the man of her dreams.