Chapter 7

In the morning, Honor woke first, her cat anxiously ready to face the pride. She trusted Holden and Jax to keep her safe, and although she didn’t know James and John very well, she was going to take them at their word that she was welcome in the house and with the pride. She’d honestly never cared if anyone wanted her around before. Females accepted other females, period, and everyone else could go to hell. But the pride was automatically accepting of the mates of their people, whether they were lions or not – and whether they’d behaved horribly in the past or not.

She slipped from between her mates and picked up her bag. Not for the first time, she wished she had more clothes, and nicer things. It amazed her that not only had the curse stolen her family from her, it had also made it nearly impossible for her to care about anything. Even how she looked. She glanced back at her still-sleeping mates and smiled. They were so sexy, she was tempted to crawl back into bed and wake them up so they could enjoy each other’s company. But it had been a long trip from Canada, and she wanted them to get as much rest as possible.

As she was about to go into the bathroom, she heard a soft knock on the bedroom door. Opening it, she smiled in surprise at Melody. She stepped into the hall, shutting the door silently. Melody was Jax and Holden’s niece, but several years earlier when some of her females had been in King and found her, Honor had ordered the females to kidnap her and bring her to Canada. She’d been trapped in that house for a year before she escaped.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Melody whispered. “I was… I don’t know, I couldn’t sleep. I heard someone moving around and I thought maybe we could talk.”

“Your uncles are still sleeping,” Honor said. “I was going to grab a shower.”

Melody lifted a paper sack and said, “I wasn’t sure if you had clothes or toiletries, so I brought some things for you.”

“That was really sweet of you, thanks.” Honor took the bag. “We can talk in Jax’s room.”

Melody nodded. Honor led her to the bedroom next to Holden’s. She turned on the overhead light and waited for Melody to join her, then shut the door.

Melody crossed her arms and exhaled audibly. “I hated the females for a long time. After I was kidnapped and kept locked up, then escaped, and then was kidnapped a second time and nearly killed by the females living near King, I thought it would be far better if you all just rotted up there in the north.”

“You must have hated every female in existence.”

“I did. Because the females wouldn’t leave me alone and just let me and my mates live our lives, I had to kill one of them. I can’t tell you how much I wrestled with that. I hated myself, and I hated the females. I’ve never been sorry that I protected myself and Micah by killing Layla – she was planning to kill me and forcibly breed my mate – but I hated that they put me in that position.”

Honor’s heart was heavy. Melody was young, and had been through far too much just to be with her mates.

“I wish I could take back what happened to you.”

Melody rubbed her temple. “Me, too. It took me a long time to work through my feelings about what happened. I’ve been able to move past it, finally, because I realized that if I hadn’t been kidnapped in the first place, I probably would never have met my mates. And if I’d never met them, then Jilly might never have met her mates and had her curse broken. A lot of bad stuff happened, but really wonderful things have come from it. I guess in the end, what I want you to know is that even though you were instrumental in me being kept locked up in Canada for a year, I’m not holding a grudge against you.”

Honor’s brows rose. “You’re not?”

“You’re surprised?”

“Well, you have every right to be pissed. I’m pissed at the females for not letting me leave months ago.”

“The males believe that the females who are still under the curse aren’t responsible for their actions until they’re freed from the curse. I was fortunate to be raised away from any females at all, so I was never cursed. I’m the way our people were supposed to be, not the way things are now. That goddess is a bitch and I hope she’s dead.”

“I was worried you might hate me.” Actually, Honor was worried that every single mountain lion in the pride was going to hate her, and shun Holden and Jax just for being her mates.

Melody smiled sadly. “When I first came here, the males thought I was lying about not being like the other females, and they locked me up in a room downstairs. My mates rescued me and took me to King, and let’s just say there was no warm welcome there except with Micah and Tristan’s dads. Because of what happened with Jilly, the pride knows that there is a chance for change with our people. When my uncles said that they’d shared blood with you, I hoped you’d come for them on your own. I couldn’t remember where the house was up there, and it took me this long to figure it out.”

“I would have come here if I could’ve escaped.”

“I believe you,” Melody said. “I hear you have a daughter. Do you think she was poisoned?”

“As far as my dad knows, she was poisoned once when she was four. She’s only fifteen, but she doesn’t act like she’s been fully cursed.”

“Well, that’s a bit of good news,” Melody said, smiling. She tilted her head, listened intently for a moment, and then said, “I hear my little one up and asking for me, so I need to scoot. I’ll see you downstairs for breakfast.”

“Okay. Thanks for coming to talk to me.”

Melody hugged Honor, and it made tears spring to her eyes. She’d never gotten to hug any of the females goodbye. Granted, most of them hadn’t cared about her as anything but a pride member, but she’d cared for Gretchen and Julia. Maybe they’d find their mates someday and not be cursed any longer.

She didn’t want anyone to be cursed anymore.

 

* * *

 

After cleaning up, Honor waited for her mates to get ready. With every passing minute, her nerves ratcheted as she neared the time to face the pride. Holden turned from the closet, tugging a shirt over his head. She was too distracted to even notice his sexy abs.

“Sweetheart,” he said gently as he sat next to her on the bed. “You don’t need to be afraid.”

“I know. You keep saying that.”

He smiled. “It’s the truth. What’s worrying you so much?”

“That they’ll tell me to leave.”

“They won’t. But so what if they did? Jax and I would just pack up and take you someplace else.”

She liked that he was willing to stand by her side. Part of her had known that they would go wherever she was, but she didn’t want them to lose their friends and pride because of her.

She leaned against him, and when he put his arm around her she snuggled close. She’d never felt so comforted in her life as she was with them. They settled everything inside her that struggled with her past and her emotions.

“I guess that, because I never trusted outsiders when I was with the females, I don’t understand why the pride would welcome me.”

“Because we know the truth about the curse. And everyone in this house knows that you were released from it, and that you’re our mate. They welcome you because you’re our mate, but they’ll accept you because you’re wonderful.”

“I’m not.”

“Of course you are,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “And you have excellent taste in mates.”

She let out a snorting laugh. “You might be a little biased.”

“Well, I’m not entirely perfect, so probably. I don’t want you to worry about the pride. James and John are the leaders, and they set the tone. They met us last night and welcomed you. And Melody came to see you this morning, and she accepts you, too.”

“So you’re telling me I’m worrying over nothing?”

“Well, not nothing. You have a lot of baggage to deal with from your past. No one here is struggling with the curse like you. Even Jilly didn’t have to deal with it as long as you did, because she was freed when she nearly eighteen. But the past is allowed to stay in the past. You can look at this as an opportunity to start over with the pride. Who doesn’t like a fresh start?”

“Good point,” she said.

Jax joined them in the bedroom. “Everything okay?” His gaze pinged between her and Holden.

“Just nervous,” she admitted.

“I told her it’s all good,” Holden said.

“Well, that’s true,” Jax said. “And I hope you know that we wouldn’t let you meet anyone if we thought they were going to be jackasses to you.”

She snorted out a laugh. “I appreciate it.”

“Let’s go have breakfast with the pride,” Holden said as he stood. He held out his hand to her and she took it, linking their fingers. “Then we’ll get your driver’s license taken care of and pick up a phone for you.”

“And then?” she asked.

“The day is yours,” Jax said.

“I can’t wait.”

They walked down to the first floor. The voices from the kitchen quieted as they approached, and she squeezed Holden and Jax’s hands tightly. When they entered the kitchen, she found herself facing dozens of people. Some she recognized from King, but most, including the younger ones, she didn’t recognize at all.

She looked at her mates, wondering who was going to speak first.

“Hey everyone, this is Honor Parkins, mine and Holden’s mate,” Jax said. “We finally got her home!”

The pride members cheered and clapped. It made Honor’s eyes sting and her heart swell. Everyone seemed happy, and she didn’t see a glare or a frown anywhere.

James lifted his hand, and the crowd quieted. “John, Rue, and I met with Honor last night. Her story is a sad one – she’s been fighting against the effects of the curse by herself, trapped with the females who refused to let her leave. Her father is Elijah Parkins, the principal of King High School, and she has a daughter named Hope who lives in King with Eli. As is our custom, any mate of our pride members is automatically a member of the pride, and we gladly welcome Honor to our ranks.”

“Try not to overwhelm her with questions,” Rue said. “Welcome to the pride.”

The people cheered again, and when the joyful noise had died down again, Honor said, “Thanks, everyone. It means the world to me that you’ve opened your home and pride to me. I didn’t expect it.”

“Mates are family,” Melody said. “Period.”

Honor’s stomach growled as some of the pride members began to load platters and bowls of food onto the island. Even though she was starving, she wanted to greet everyone personally.

“Save me a plate,” she said to her mates, and went over to Melody, who was holding a little boy in her arms.

“Aunt Honor,” Melody said, “these are my mates, Micah and Tristan, and this is our son, Bradley.”

The little boy stretched out his arms to Honor and she took him, drawing him close and inhaling the sweet scent of mountain lion. “Hi there, little one.” To Melody, she said, “You named him after your father?”

“Did you know him?” Melody asked.

“I remember when he left, because the females talked about why he took off with you.”

“He didn’t know about the curse, but he was certain the females did something to the girls to make them change. He wanted to spare me, and he did.”

“Where is he?” Honor asked.

“He died a few years ago. He never got to meet my mates.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said.

Giving little Bradley a kiss on his chubby cheek, she handed him back to Melody and introduced herself to every single person there. At times she would look for Holden and Jax, and found them always watching her, close by but not crowding, giving her time to get to know the pride.

“I remember you,” Ethan said as he stood with his brother Eryx and their shared mate, Callie, along with their children. “I was a teenager when you left King.”

The Fallon males were a well-known family in King. James had been the chief of police and one of the brothers was a deputy. It hadn’t surprised her to hear that one of James’s sons was a police officer and one was an EMT in Ashland.

“We’re glad you’re freed from the curse and here with your mates. And I’m sorry that I frightened you away before. If I hadn’t been so close, Holden and Jax could have explained why you were in pain when you shared blood, and then you wouldn’t have been trapped with the females.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” she said. “I think I would have run anyway. I was overwhelmed with emotions and memories of my childhood, and it was confusing and frightening. Even if I’d been alone in the woods with my mates, I most likely would have left.”

“We’re glad you’re here,” Callie said. “Where’s your daughter?”

“Hope lives with my dad.”

“Are you going to see them?” she asked.

“We’re leaving Friday.”

“I’d like to host a girls-only dinner this week so you can get to know us. We can have it at our home. Would you come?”

“I’d love to.”

Ethan kissed Callie on the temple. “We’ll bring the kids here to hang out with their uncles and cousins.”

“I’m a girl,” little Sophie said.

Callie looked down at her. “What, peanut?”

“I’m a girl. Can I can come to the party?” Sophie blinked big green eyes up at them, and Honor’s heart melted.

Callie bent and hugged her daughter. “Of course!”

A couple came into the kitchen then, with a young girl whose blonde hair was tipped with blue and pink.

The trio came over to her. Honor recognized the male as Rhett, one of the Fallon brothers. “I remember you,” she said, shaking his hand.

“Me, too,” he said. “This is my mate, Lisa, and our daughter Treasure.”

Honor shook Lisa’s hand. When she took Treasure’s hand, an image flashed in her mind of the dragon that had burned Tanya and three of the females who’d come with her.

Honor jerked back with a gasp, her hand tingling as if she’d been shocked.

Treasure’s eyes were bright blue. “I remember you,” she said, her voice taking on a strange, ethereal quality. “You were like the others, but not on the inside.”

Jax and Holden grabbed Honor and pushed her behind them. “Treasure, back off,” Jax said. “She’s not like the other females.”

Rhett put his hand on Treasure’s shoulder. “She’s no threat to your mate. Stand down.”

“Whoa,” Lisa said. “Let’s all just calm down.”

Brian and Kevin, two of the young mountain lion males, rushed between them. The moment they put their hands on Treasure, the light in her eyes faded and she relaxed with a sigh.

“Sorry,” Treasure said. “That wasn’t my dragon, it was my fairy side.”

Honor gently pushed Holden and Jax apart and moved between them. “You’re a fairy and a dragon?”

“Technically I’m called a dragonfae, but yes. My father was a dragon and my mother was fae. Kevin and Brian are my mates, and when my natures get out of control they help me calm down. I wasn’t going to hurt you, though.”

“I felt a shock,” she said, rubbing the center of her palm.

“I’m sorry. My dragon recognized you as a mountain lion, and my fae was sensing your aura. I think I just used too much power.”

“We’re sorry if we overreacted,” Jax said.

“It’s not your fault,” Treasure said. “My boys would act the same way.”

Rhett rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. “Anyway, I think we’re all good now?”

“Yeah,” Honor said. “But what did you mean, that I’m like them but not on the inside?”

“The females who died in the woods by my fire were evil all the way to the center of their being. Their auras were brown, black, and red, which are indicators of evil intentions and murderous rage. When I saw you in the woods that night, your aura was clean. There was no rage or evil within you, but all your colors were muted.”

“Muted?” Honor asked.

Treasure shrugged. “I’m going to guess it was the curse that kept everything muted for you. Now that you’re not cursed, I can see your aura very clearly.” She moved her hand in the air between them, her eyes unfocusing. “Blues, purples, yellows, pinks, oranges…all the colors I’d expect from someone with pure intentions and a heart full of love. You’re no more danger to anyone in this pride than I am, and I’m definitely not a threat to anyone – except those who would harm my people.”

“She’s still learning about her powers,” Kevin said.

“And about our realm,” Brian said.

“Realm?” Honor asked.

“I’m originally from the fae realm,” Treasure said. “My parents were killed protecting me, and so was my aunt. Jilly and her family saved my life and brought me here. Kevin and Brian are my mates, and Rhett and Lisa adopted me so I could stay here.”

Honor wished she’d had an opportunity to know her mates when she was younger. The curse had taken so much from her. Although she was starting over now, there wasn’t anything she could do about all she’d lost but to accept it and move on.

“Thanks for not burning me to a crisp in the woods that night,” Honor said.

Treasure smiled. “Sure thing.”

“I think that’s everyone who’s going to join us,” Rue said. “Breakfast is on the table. Let’s eat!”

Honor sat between her mates at the big table. Every chair was filled by the adults, with several of them sitting on stools at the island. The kids all ate in the family room with the television. When her plate was filled, Honor said, “Thank you all for the warm welcome.”

“It’s our pleasure,” James said. “It’s a wonderful thing when one of the females is set free.”

“We wish it would happen for all them,” John said.

“Maybe someday it will,” Alek, James’s son, said.

“I hope so,” Honor said. It hurt her heart to think about the females suffering under the curse, their lives void of compassion for anything or anyone.

Holden squeezed her hand. “I’m so glad you’re here with us. It’s a dream come true.”

“For me, too,” Jax said. “Too many lonely nights without you.”

“No more of them,” she promised. “Only happy days and wonderful nights in our future.”

“I love the way you think,” Holden said.