Chapter 19

 

“Kane is going to be angry that you took another of his shirts,” Verna said.

She watched as Reese finished rinsing the soap from her skirt and wrung it out before hanging it over one of the lower branches of the large tree that grew beside the lake.

“Is she going to be okay?” Reese glanced upward. Deena had wandered after them and climbed the tree. She was sitting on one of the branches that grew out over the lake and staring down into the water.

“She’s fine,” Kavine said dismissively. “She’s always doing stupid stuff.”

She shaded her eyes against the sun and shouted at Deena. “Why don’t you go into the lake and bathe, Deena? You’re filthy!”

The shifter ignored her and Kavine rolled her eyes before sitting next to Adina on a large boulder. “Why Borek doesn’t just take her out into the woods and end her misery, I’ll never understand.”

“Kavine!” Verna gave her a shocked look. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“She cannot be happy. Borek can’t even get her to bathe. She hardly eats, and everything she says is nonsense,” Kavine replied. “Borek is wasting his time with her. She’ll never bear him pups now.”

Reese, wearing just Kane’s shirt and shivering in the cold breeze, frowned at Kavine. “That’s a very cruel thing to say.”

Kavine rolled her eyes. “Hold your tongue, human. You know nothing.”

“Ignore her, human. She’s just being nasty because Radek spoke dismissively to her this morning. Something put him in a foul mood,” Verna said.

She studied Reese’s lips. “Your lips are blue. Is that normal for human females?”

“I’m a little cold.” Reese stomped her feet and waved her arms around.

“Well, you’ll have to get used to it. We have no warm clothes to fit you.”

“Do the male shifters not have warmer clothes?” Adina asked curiously. They had stopped at Kane’s cabin on their way to the lake, and she and Reese had searched through Kane’s limited amount of clothing but had found only thin pants and shirts.

Verna shook her head. “No. They have no need for warmer clothing. Female shifters stay quite warm but our mates are even warmer - even in their human forms. Besides, most of the men stay in their wolf forms.”

“Do you prefer your human forms?” Reese asked.

“It depends. In the warmer months we spend more time in our human forms. In the colder months, our wolf forms.”

She eyed Reese’s shaking body. “If Dagon does not take you as his mate, you’d better hope one of the other males in our pack decides to. Now that the rains have come and gone, it’s only going to get colder. You’ll freeze to death without a male to keep you warm.”

“She’ll be fine,” Kavine said. “She’s got plenty of fat to keep her warm.”

Reese ignored the shifter and straightened the wet shirt that was draped across the branch next to her skirt. If Dagon didn’t choose her, perhaps Kane would.

He won’t. Stop with your silly dreams and figure out what you’re going to do if Dagon does choose you.

She sighed and picked up the soap that Verna had given her. Her feet and lower legs were black with dirt already and steeling herself against the cold, she waded into the water and scrubbed at her legs and feet.

If Dagon did choose her, she would try and escape into the forest during the night. She would wait until he let his guard down and then –

“Deena, stop that!” Verna cried shrilly.

Reese looked up as Deena jumped from the branch she was standing on and dropped like a stone into the lake.

“She can’t swim!” Verna cried. Fur was growing on her face and she gave Kavine a panicked look.

The girl shrugged. “We cannot swim either.”

“Here we go again,” Reese muttered. She swam toward the spot where Deena had disappeared and dove under the water. The female shifter was sitting on the bottom of the lake, a string of bubbles rising from her nose and staring calmly at her. Reese swam to her, grabbed her arm and lifted her to the surface.

They broke through the water and Deena took a deep breath and lay limply against Reese as she struggled toward the shore. When her feet touched the bottom, she helped Deena to stand.

“Are you all right, Deena?”

The woman studied her carefully. Despite the coldness of her water she wasn’t trembling and her skin was flush with warmth. She reached out and touched Reese’s mouth.

“You are precious to him.”

“Shh,” Reese said nervously. She glanced at Adina and the two shifters standing anxiously on the shoreline. “I’m not, Deena. Kane doesn’t like me, okay?”

Deena grinned at her. “Kane’s pretty little flower. He wants to put a pup in his flower’s belly.” She pressed her hand against Reese’s stomach and Reese shook her head.

“No, he doesn’t. Just keep your voice down, okay?”

“Okay,” Deena said softly.

Reese was still clutching the soap in her hand and Deena ran her finger through the rapidly disintegrating gel.

“Do you want to bathe, Deena?” Reese said. “I can help you wash your hair.”

Deena shrugged and then surprised Reese by pulling her shirt over her head and dropping it into the lake.

“Oh, Deena.” Reese stared horrified at the scars that crisscrossed the woman’s abdomen and chest. “Did the bear shifter do this to you?”

“Bear,” Deena said quietly.

“I’m sorry, honey.”

“Sorry, honey,” Deena repeated. She scooped some of the soap from Reese’s hand and rubbed it haphazardly against her scalp.

“Here, let me help you.” Although her body was beginning to go numb from the cold water, she waded behind Deena and lathered her long dark hair as the shifter tilted her head and stared silently into the sky.

 

* * *

 

“Kane!”

“Borek? What is wrong?” Kane asked as the older shifter jogged toward him.

“Where is the big human?” Borek asked anxiously.

“In my cabin, I assume. Why?”

“Deena is missing! Verna said she fell into the lake earlier and the big human took her to our cabin but she is not there. I want to speak to the human!”

They were almost at Kane’s doorstep and Borek growled under his breath. “If the human has hurt her, if she has harmed my mate, I do not care what Dagon says. I will rip out her throat.”

“Enough, Borek. Reese will not have hurt Deena,” Kane growled back. He opened the door, growling again when Borek pushed past him.

“Deena! Deena, are you in here?” He shouted before stumbling to a stop.

“Deena?” He whispered.

Kane peered past him. Reese had pulled one of the chairs close to the fire and Deena was sitting on it. She was dressed in fresh clothing, her skin was pink and clean and her usual wild and dirty hair had been washed and combed. Reese looked up with her fingers tangled in Deena’s hair as Borek stared at them.

“Hi there. You must be Borek. I’m Reese.” She smiled at him before continuing to braid Deena’s hair.

“Deena?” Borek whispered again. He knelt in front of his mate and took her hand. “Are you all right, my love?”

“All right, my love,” Deena said in a sing-song voice. Borek kissed the knuckles of her hand tenderly.

“What happened?”

When Deena didn’t reply, Reese smiled at him. “She just took a bit of a dip in the lake while I was washing my clothes. We decided we might as well bathe while we were in there. Isn’t that right, Deena?”

“Deena smelled bad,” the woman said solemnly.

Reese squeezed her shoulder. “That’s okay, Deena. I didn’t smell that great myself.”

“Stinky flower.” Deena laughed loudly and Reese grinned at her.

“Well, we both smell better now.” She finished braiding Deena’s hair and tied the end with a small piece of leather. “There you go, honey, all done.”

Borek stood and helped Deena to her feet. He stared at his mate before putting his arm around her and kissing her temple. “You look lovely.”

“Pretty Deena?” Deena smiled shyly at him and put her arm around his waist.

“Very pretty,” Borek said softly. He glanced at Reese. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Come, my love, it is time to eat.” He guided Deena toward the door. “Kane, are you coming?”

“Aye. We’ll be out shortly.”

“Kane’s flower,” Deena said solemnly.

“What, my love?” Borek frowned.

“Kane’s pretty little flower. She is precious to him.” She pointed to Reese.

Borek glanced first at Kane and then at Reese. A strange look came over his face and Kane hurried toward him. “Borek, she speaks nonsense. You know that.”

“Aye,” Borek said quietly. He nodded to Kane and holding Deena’s hand firmly, led her from the cabin.

Reese gave Kane a nervous look. “I don’t know why she keeps saying that. I told her it wasn’t true and asked her not to say it.”

“She speaks nonsense. No one in our pack listens to her,” Kane replied.

Reese frowned. “I know she says odd things but it isn’t nonsense, Kane.”

Without replying, Kane took her arm and led her toward the door. “Come, it is time to eat.”

“Do you eat together all the time?” She asked curiously.

He nodded. “For the most part. We like to be together.”

Reese supposed they did. The pack was important, even she could see that. If the way Kane and Theran and Hanif refused to disobey their alpha didn’t indicate a pack mentality, nothing did.

“Reese? Hold your tongue, all right?” Kane said anxiously. “Dagon will be there and he won’t go near you but he’ll be watching and listening. Do not speak of your world.”

“I won’t.”

“Do you promise me?” Kane’s fingers were digging into her arm and she pulled it free with an irritated look.

“Yes, shifter. I promise. I am capable of keeping my mouth shut from time to time. I spent two days not speaking to you in the cave, or have you forgotten?”

“I have not forgotten,” Kane growled at her before pulling her into his embrace. He squeezed her full ass and nipped at her earlobe before breathing hotly, “Do not plan on doing that again, Reese. I did not like it.”

She pushed her way out of his embrace and straightened her skirt. “What’s with your fearless leader and menstrual cycles, anyway?”

Kane shrugged. “He is squeamish about certain things.”

Reese rolled her eyes. “Well, let’s hope his squeamishness doesn’t seep into the bedroom. He sounds like a prude, and I might not be that experienced but I’m not a pr – “

She squeaked in surprise when Kane snarled angrily and yanked her back into his embrace. He wrapped his hand in her hair and held her tightly as he glared at her. “Do not speak of being in his bed again. Do you hear me, human?”

She scowled at him. “Jealous, shifter? Don’t worry, if he picks me I’ll keep the sex details to myself.”

Kane howled angrily, his eyeteeth lengthening with a harsh pop, as he squeezed her more tightly.

Reese, what are you doing? Her inner voice moaned. Stop goading him, for God’s sake!

He bent his head until his mouth was only inches from hers. “You are mine, human. Mine! Say it!”

“No.” She shook her head. “I will not.”

“Say it!” He growled.

She gave him a defiant look as there was a knock on the door of his cabin. It opened and Verna stuck her head in. “Kane, we are waiting for – “

She paused, her eyes widening and her hand squeezing the door nervously. She stared at Kane’s hand wrapped in Reese’s hair, the fangs that were protruding from his mouth and the way his large body was bent over hers.

“Do not kill her, Kane. Dagon will kill you if you do,” she said quickly. She glanced behind her. “Calm down and let go of the human.”

Kane released her so quickly that she stumbled. Verna, keeping a wary eye on the shifter, reached out and snagged Reese’s arm. She pulled her toward the door. “Come, Reese. You can sit with me at dinner.”

She pulled Reese out the door and Kane made a short howl of frustration before slamming his fist into the wall of the cabin. The skin on his knuckles tore on the rough wood and he grunted in pain before sucking the blood from his skin. He took a few deep breaths as he waited for the bleeding to stop. Verna seeing them was a good thing. She had thought he was close to killing Reese and she would quickly spread what she had seen to the rest of the pack. The girl was more talkative than his mate. His pack mates knew of his hatred for the humans and Verna’s gossiping would ensure that no one suspected he felt differently about Reese. Well, no one but Radek, but his cousin would keep his secret.

 

* * *

 

Reese, her head spinning, smiled at the wolf shifter standing in front of her. Kane’s entire pack had been milling about the clearing when Verna had dragged her from his cabin, and the woman had wasted no time introducing her to nearly everyone. She had already forgotten most of their names and she rubbed her aching belly as Verna hooked her arm around hers.

“Teagan, give her some space,” the shifter said irritably.

The wolf shifter, he was short and built like a barrel with long black hair and dark brown eyes, was surreptitiously touching her hair. He blushed and gave Reese an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, human. I just wanted to see what your hair felt like.”

“I don’t mind,” Reese smiled cheerfully at him, “as long as I get to touch your hair in return.”

He laughed and swept his hair forward. “Go ahead, human.”

She touched his long hair and marvelled at the softness of it before grinning at him. “Your hair is softer than mine.”

“I take very good care of it,” he boasted.

From the corner of her eye, Reese could see Kane edging closer to them as Teagan gave her a curious look. “Do you have hair on your body, girl?”

“Oh, um…”

“I asked the blonde one.” Teagan pointed in Adina’s direction. The woman was standing on the other side of the clearing, surrounded by a few of the male shifters and about five female shifters. “She said she had a little. Is it different for you because of your dark hair?”

He eyed her stomach and reached out and grasped the bottom of Kane’s shirt. She took a nervous step back and Teagan followed her. He was actually lifting her shirt when Kane appeared and growled angrily at him. He knocked Teagan’s hand away and snapped his teeth. “Keep your hands off of her, Teagan.”

Teagan gave him a startled look and bowed his head. “I am sorry, Kane. I did not mean any disrespect. I only wondered if her skin was as smooth under her clothing.”

Kane glared at him as Verna said helpfully, “If our alpha does not choose her, perhaps Reese will mate with you, Teagan. Then you can find out.”

Teagan gave Reese a hopeful look. “Will you, human? I find you pretty and would be happy to take you to my bed.”

“I, uh,…” Reese stared at the shifter as beside her, Kane began to growl under his breath. “That’s a very kind offer, Teagan, but I’m not sure that I – “

“My dick is large,” Teagan said eagerly. He reached for the button on his pants and grabbed her hand. “Here, you can touch it and see for yourself.”

“Teagan!” Kane snarled, his fangs glowing in the setting sun. “Touch her again and I’ll take your head.”

Teagan dropped Reese’s hand and backed away. “Easy, Kane. I meant no disrespect.”

“Aye, you keep saying that but you are asking our alpha’s potential mate to grab your dick.” Kane snapped. He gripped the back of Reese’s neck and tugged her back toward him. “Have you gone mad?”

Teagan didn’t reply and Reese tried to ease away from Kane. He scowled and pulled her even closer. “Stay still, human.”

He fixed his glare on Teagan again. “Apologize to her.”

“I’m sorry, human.”

“Her name is Reese,” Kane snarled

“I – I’m sorry, Reese.” Teagan was giving Kane an odd look and Reese stepped on Kane’s foot. The shifter’s grip eased and she pulled away from him and gave Teagan a small smile.

“Apology accepted, Teagan. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to say hello to Deena.”

She walked toward Borek and Deena who were sitting alone near the campfire as Kane growled again at Teagan. “Do not touch her again, Teagan. Even if Dagon does not choose her, you are not to touch her. Do you hear me?”

“Aye, Kane.” Teagan bowed his head again and Kane glared at Verna until, with a small whimper, she bowed her head as well.

 

* * *

 

“Hello, Deena.” Reese sat down on the log next to the shifter. The woman was staring at her hands and she glanced up as Reese touched her shoulder.

“Flower. Kane’s pretty flower.” The woman turned to her husband and stroked his cheek. “She is precious to him.”

“I know, my love.” Borek smiled at her. “As you are precious to me.”

Reese, her stomach twisting nervously, shook her head. “Kane hates me.”

Borek snorted laughter as Deena ran her fingers through the thick beard on his face. “Does he now?”

“Yes.”

“Deena, does Kane hate the human?” Borek asked his wife.

Deena giggled before touching Reese’s cheek. “Precious flower. He bathes her and holds her so tightly in his bed. He will never let her go.”

Borek raised his eyebrows at Reese. “It does not sound like Kane hates you.”

“Please,” Reese gave him a desperate look, “you cannot say anything, Borek. Kane has been, uh, kind to me but he does it only because Dagon ordered him to. I would freeze to death if I didn’t sleep in his bed.”

“Borek, please.” She begged again when he didn’t reply. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

Borek touched Deena’s hair before staring gravely at Reese. “I know you saved her from drowning.”

He sighed heavily and stared at the ground between his feet. “I know what my pack mates say behind my back. I know what they say I should do to Deena and that they believe it is an act of mercy, but I love her.”

He gave Reese a tortured look. “Have you ever loved someone so deeply that you would die for them, human?”

“I – no, I don’t think so,” she whispered.

He stared at his wife. “I wish every day that I had not allowed her to go into the forest alone that day. She was so strong though, so stubborn, and I could refuse her nothing. It is my fault.”

“It isn’t, Borek,” Reese said. “Blaming yourself isn’t going to help.”

“What do you know of blame, human?” He said bitterly.

“My parents died. I was supposed to be with them but I wasn’t because I’d had a fight with my father a few days prior and I was still angry with him. My father died without knowing how much I loved him and that’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been so petty and childish.”

Deena took her hand and she squeezed the shifter’s fingers gently. “I spent months blaming myself. I actually believed that if we hadn’t fought and I had been with them that day that they wouldn’t have died. I finally realized that my father wouldn’t want that. I loved him and I know he knew that, even if I was angry with him before he died.”

She took a deep breath and smiled at Borek. “Deena loves you, that’s easy to see. Despite what your pack mates believe I do not think she speaks nonsense.”

“She doesn’t,” Borek said softly.

Reese hesitated. “Except for the stuff about me being Kane’s precious flower. That’s complete bullshit.”

Borek stared at her and then burst into loud laughter. Deena clapped her hands and giggled as Reese grinned at both of them. After a few moments, Borek’s laughter tapered off and he took Deena’s hand and squeezed it affectionately.

“My love, look at me.”

She turned to her husband obediently and he kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Will you do something for me? Will you keep Kane’s love for his flower a secret between us?”

Deena raised her finger to her lips. “Shh.”

“Aye, that’s right, my love,” Borek said gently. “It’s very important that you speak to no one but me of Kane and his precious flower. All right?”

“Aye, Borek,” Deena said softly. She turned to Reese and pressed her finger against Reese’s mouth. “Shh, flower.”

“Yes, shh.” Reese agreed solemnly before touching Borek’s hand lightly. “Thank you, Borek.”

“Thank you for being so kind to my love,” he said hoarsely. “It has been many months since she has had a friend.”

“You’re welcome,” Reese replied.

The smell of cooking meat drifted to them and Reese’s stomach growled lightly as Borek made a face and Deena put her hand over her nose.

“It smells good to you, does it?” He said curiously.

“Yes.” Reese laughed. “You have no idea how good.”

She was suddenly starving. She had eaten nothing but the bit of rabbit that Kane had cooked for her this morning and despite her menstrual cramps, she was looking forward to eating dinner.

Dagon stepped closer to the fire. He clapped his hands sharply and the rest of the pack grew quiet as he cleared his throat. “Come, my brothers and sisters. Let us welcome the new members of our pack with a hearty meal. We have prepared meat for you in the manner you are accustomed to, although,” he grinned at Adina who gave him a tentative smile in return, “you will have to learn to appreciate the smell and sight of raw meat.”

He pointed behind him where a table was set up. Platters covered in raw meat covered most of the table and a smaller section had bowls of greens.

He nodded to Anna. “Anna, feed our newest members first.”

“Aye, Dagon.”

The shifter pulled the rabbit from the spit over the fire and working quickly, pulled the meat from its bones. Reese’s stomach growled again and she licked her lips eagerly as Anna handed plates of meat and greens to Adina and Ghita.

They took their plates with a nod of thanks to Anna and Dagon raised his eyebrows at them. “Will you not thank your alpha?”

“Thank you, my lord,” Adina said politely.

Ghita, tears standing in her eyes and her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold the plate, swallowed nervously. “Th-thank you, my lord.”

Dagon rolled his eyes in irritation as Anna walked to where Reese was sitting with Borek and Deena. She handed the plate over and Reese stared at in confusion. There was nothing but plants on the plate and she caught Anna’s arm as the shifter began to walk away.

“Anna? Could I have some of the meat as well, please?” She asked.

Anna shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, human.”

“Why not?”

Anna hesitated and Deena shrank back and made a small moan of fear when Dagon appeared in front of them.

“You are too fat, human. Only plants for you until you are more pleasing to my eye. Do you understand?” He took a short whiff of Reese and stepped back a few feet, his nose wrinkling.

“Well, do you?”

Reese, her face burning, stared down at the plate before looking across the clearing. Kane was standing with Raina, his body rigid and his hands clenched. He gave her a look that she had no trouble reading.

With extraordinary willpower, she swallowed down her scathing reply and smiled at the alpha. “I do, Dagon. Thank you for the plants. It is very generous of you and I’ll enjoy them.”

“Aye, I’m sure you will,” Dagon replied before walking to the table of food.