Chapter Four

Thea looked around her apartment one last time as the clock continued to click away the minutes before she went to meet with her parents. She should’ve left hours ago to ensure she arrived at the South Carolina nest by sunset, but she’d wasted the day doing things that could’ve definitely waited until she returned.

She gripped the crossbody bag that held a pair of sandals, undergarments, and a dress, along with her phone and wallet. She’d carefully picked the items for the bag so the weight of it didn’t affect her flight, but it was still heavy despite her attempts to pick the lightest of items. The nest had several members who drove vehicles with trailers full of clothes and other belongings for the winter, so she only had to take clothes to change into when she shifted. The rest of her things were waiting for her.

Her phone buzzed and she knew it was her mom. Again.

Instead of answering the call she sent a text.

Leaving now.

The call abruptly stopped, and her mom texted.

Why didn’t you leave earlier?

I got busy. I’m on my way now. See you in ten hours.

There was a long pause, and then she texted back, Fly safe.

Thea turned off the phone and put it in the bag, then left the apartment, slipping her key into the bag and adjusting the strap. Hurrying to the woods beyond the apartment, she took off her long coat and hung it on a branch, cinched the crossbody strap as tightly as she could across her chest, and called for her shift.

Golden eagles were one of the largest bird shifter types, with dark brown feathers and big talons. She was nervous about the long flight alone, but also about what awaited her when she got to South Carolina, so it took her a little longer than usual to change from human to bird. When she finally shifted, she stretched out her wings and let out a loud call, then rose into the air. The sun was setting now, a beautiful amber and orange orb dipping down as the darkness rose to meet it. She didn’t mind flying at night, her homing instincts were very good, but the reason she hadn’t left earlier was she was a big old chicken and didn’t want to face her parents.

How many times had she picked up her phone to call and say she wasn’t coming? A dozen at least.

She didn’t like confrontation with her parents, but they’d been at odds for years. It was only now, as she’d been close to finishing her degree and wanted to make her own plans for her future, that she’d realized how oppressed she’d felt. She’d known in her heart that the arranged mate conversation was going to happen soon, because they’d been hinting at it before they left for the winter grounds.

She knew they loved her, they just had ideas about her future that involved an arranged mate and a house full of babies.

Something had triggered an awakening in her over the last few months. She could feel the noose of her future tightening around her neck. As a female in the nest, she didn’t have a lot of power. If her parents wanted to arrange a mate for her, she could say no to them and the mate of their choice. But if her alpha stepped in, she would have only one choice: take the arranged mate or face exile and a future without the nest. In an ideal world, she’d tell her parents she moved out and they’d be unhappy but ultimately respect her decision and not turn their backs on her, even if her alpha wanted to exile her from the nest.

She just wasn’t sure that ideal world actually existed.

As the scenery sped by below her, she let herself go into her natural instincts, heading toward South Carolina. Her bird knew where to go, she just had to trust her.

 

* * *

 

There was something peaceful about flying at night. Even though it was cold high in the sky, she was all alone. Natural birds were resting for the night and it was just her and the stars.

She’d been flying for a while and was tired, but she didn’t want to stop to rest yet. She tilted to one side to catch a gust of wind and caught something flickering down below. Her eagle was immediately curious, letting out a trill in her head.

Circling overhead, she focused on the flickering below and realized it was a bonfire. Internally shrugging, she attempted to break out of the circle, but her homing instincts suddenly went berserk. Instead of continuing to fly to South Carolina, her bird wanted to stay here.

Pushing hard on her wings to take her out of the circle, she squawked loudly as her bird fought her. Her mind spun as her trajectory skewed downward. She managed to gain some altitude for a brief moment, leaves from tall trees slapped her underbelly as she soared wildly off-kilter.

Her homing instincts, which should have led to her nest’s winter home, had gone crazy and were potentially going to get her killed.

With one last effort, she let out a distress call loud enough to wake her dead relatives, and then she tumbled to the ground, her wings unyielding to her orders.

The ground came up fast and she bounced a few times before skidding across the snow. Her last thought was, inexplicably, home.

Then everything went dark.

 

* * *

 

Bram loved being in his shift, loved hunting and running in the woods. Although he wasn’t a winter animal, per se, like an arctic wolf or a polar bear, he loved the snow and cold temperatures all the same. Well, he loved them when he was in his shift, anyway. If he was shoveling a driveway or clearing the full moon meeting place, then he’d rather be inside by the fire having a hot drink.

He'd been hunting for a while. They stayed in small groups for safety reasons. No wolf was allowed to hunt on their own or they faced punishment by the alpha. Bram enjoyed hunting with his friends anyway and knowing that it might be Remy’s last full moon made it a more meaningful time.

Overhead he heard a bird screech, and his wolf stopped its one-track-mind for hunting. Bram slowed his fast gait and glanced overhead. He couldn’t see anything but the night sky and stars through the canopy of trees. A darker shadow soared overhead, hitting the tops of the trees as it moved south.

He followed slowly, his wolf very interested in whatever it was. A bird, he supposed.

Losing sight of the shadow, he felt a pang in his heart and a feeling of distress, and then the sound of a bird’s cry for help. It pierced the night like a siren song and made every instinct within him roar the same thought: mine.

Letting out a sharp howl of notice to his friends to follow him, he took off in the direction of the flailing bird as it crashed through the trees overhead. He had no idea why his wolf was so interested in a bird, but his instincts weren’t telling him the creature was prey.

His paws pounded through the snow as he made his way in the bird’s direction. The full moon bathed everything in blue and offered just enough light for him to be able to see the moment the large bird tumbled through the trees, hit the ground, bounced a few times, and then stopped in a fluff of snow.

He shifted on the fly and raced the last few feet to the bird. Landing on his knees, he stared down at an eagle with dark feathers and his wolf let out a curious growl.

Someone moved next to him, and he instinctively covered the bird. The moment he touched the soft feathers, he knew it wasn’t a natural bird, but a shifter.

And his truemate.

“What’s going on?” Gideon asked.

Their friends, still in their shifts, stood nearby. Bram lifted his head and gave his brother a sheepish look.

“She’s my truemate. I sensed her when she was in distress.”

“Shit, seriously? Is she okay?”

Bram listened intently and could hear the rapid beat of her heart and the low sounds of her breathing. “She’s alive, but I don’t know how injured she is or what caused her to fall. I need Doc.”

“You want us to bring Doc out here or to the house?”

Bram gently lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “The house.”

Gideon nodded. “Remy, run to the alpha’s house and tell them to send for Doc. Fast.”

Remy was gone in a flash, his warning bark alerting the pack that help was needed.

“I’m with you, let’s go,” Gideon said.

“Thanks, man.”

Holding the female close, Bram ran as fast as he could back to his parents’ home. Remy would beat them as he was faster in his shift, but Bram was also running at his peak speed.

He was simultaneously happy at finding his truemate but confused as to why she’d fallen from the sky. He didn’t scent any blood on her and hadn’t heard gunfire, so he didn’t think she’d been hit by hunters. But whatever had caused her to land in their territory, he wasn’t going to complain because it had brought her to him.

He just hoped she was okay.

The house came into view. Remy, back to his human form and getting dressed on the porch, said, “Doc’s on the way.”

“Thanks,” Bram said.

The back door opened, and his mom waved him in. “Bring her in and put her on the couch, honey. Doc will be here in a few minutes.”

As his nickname suggested, Doc was the pack doctor. He was human and his wife was part of the pack, but the couple rarely joined the pack for their full moon hunts, choosing instead to stay at their home and hang out alone. He was always available for emergencies, though.

Bram carried his mate into the house and laid her gently on the couch. He sat back on his heels and rested one hand on her chest, feeling the rise and fall as she breathed. Her eyes were closed and there was a bit of blood seeping from her nostrils.

Cadence appeared and handed him clothes. He always kept spare clothing in the house and was grateful for it. As he dressed, he told his mom and the other females who had gathered in the room to listen, what happened.

“She’s your truemate?” Karly asked with wide eyes. “That’s amazing! I’m so sorry that she’s hurt, though. Do you want us to send someone to find Reika or the girls?”

Bram mused on that for a moment.

“No need to call for the cavalry, I’m here,” Promise said, striding into the room. “I just shifted back to human when I heard the call for help. What’s up?” Promise, along with her mother Reika and her sister Rio, were apexes, also known as healing wolves. They could use the venom emitted from their fangs to heal even the most serious of injuries.

Bram finished dressing and gave her a quick overview of what happened. “I don’t think she needs to be bitten right now. I want Doc to examine her first and see what he says.”

“I understand,” Promise said. “I can shift back into my wolf if you need me to, or we can call my mom or Rio.”

The apex healing bite, along with the venom, could be quite painful and he didn’t want to cause his mate any unnecessary pain. When he was a teenager, he’d fallen off a ladder while helping his dad clean out the gutters and broke his ankle. He was too young to shift and heal himself, so Reika had shifted into her solid blue-black wolf and bitten his ankle. It had been the single most painful thing he’d ever endured in his life. But his ankle had healed in a few hours, and he hadn’t even had a scar from the bite.

Doc showed up a few minutes later carrying an old-fashioned black medical bag. “Hi, everyone. I understand we’ve got an injured bird shifter.”

“She’s my mate,” Bram said. Once more he shared what had happened and then Doc examined her.

Bram hooked his finger around one of her thick talons and watched Doc as he examined her.

After what felt like an eternity, Doc said, “I don’t believe that any of her bones are broken. She may have some sprains but those should heal as she shifts back. It appears that she was knocked unconscious when she hit the ground. As a shifter, she would already be healing so I don’t see a need to take her anywhere for x-rays. However, if she doesn’t wake up in a few hours, call me and we can rush her to the hospital.”

“Do you think she’ll wake up soon?” Bram asked.

“I believe so. Shifters heal fast, so it should just be a matter of time before she’s awake. But, like I said, call me if she’s not awake in the next few hours. Or you can always have one of the apexes bite her, but without knowing what’s wrong that may not be the best idea right off the bat.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Bram said. He moved a little closer to his mate as Doc grabbed his bag.

“Of course. Happy to help.”

He spoke to Bram’s mom for a few minutes in the foyer, and then left.

“Wake up sweetheart,” Bram said with a low voice. “I need to know you’re okay.”