Page 7

Chapter

Seven

Jade walked out of the bedroom three days after the full moon with an aching back and a grumpy disposition after spending another restless night tossing and turning.

She found the seemingly always cheerful fallen angel in the kitchen washing blueberries before putting them into a bowl with other fruit.

“Morning, hon.”

Jade plastered a smile she didn’t feel on her face. “Morning.”

“You look like the dead. You didn’t sleep well?”

“No. And thanks,” she said with a grimace.

Alli laughed and set a mug of coffee in front of Jade, then scooted a container of half and half across the table. “Sorry.”

“I didn’t wake you up tossing and turning, did I?”

“Nope, I had earbuds in all night. I love listening to the rain when I fall asleep.”

“I’m glad I didn’t bother you.”

Alli put a plate in front of Jade with an omelet and home fries, then settled in the chair across the table with the bowl of fruit salad. As she spooned some into a bowl, Jade picked up the coffee and took a sip.

“You okay?”

“I think I need to go to the wolf pack,” Jade said.

“Oh? What’s going on in that wolfy head of yours?”

“My wolf is unsettled. Has been since we got here. And if I ever want to get a good night’s sleep again, I need to go there.”

“Why do you look like you’re making an appointment to get a root canal?”

“Because I’m worried.”

“Adam and Cinder are great, honestly. If I thought they’d be assholes to you, I wouldn’t take you there.”

“It’s not that,” she said. She put the mug down and lifted the fork, giving a gentle poke to the omelet. “It’s just… What happens when I get there? What if they ask me to join the pack? Or what if they say I can’t?”

“Do you want to join the pack?”

“I don’t know if I can. I’m still a member of the Ironwood Pack. I wasn’t exiled, I ran away.”

“To save your life, honey.” She hesitated, then picked up her phone from the table and swiped up, turning it around and setting it in front of Jade. “I got this email from Evelyn about three a.m.”

Jade read the message.

Thank you for helping our friend. I hope she has a good life. Alpha is suspicious that I helped but has no proof. I’m too low ranked for him to care about. Other pack has left town, several arranged matings occurred. I wish I could have helped them too. Tell our friend hello. xx

Jade’s eyes stung. “So you think that means I’m safe? And also that Evelyn is safe too?”

“I’d say so. If she was in trouble with the alpha, she wouldn’t have been able to message me, and if you were in danger, she’d have said something about that too. She’s always a little cryptic in her messages, but she’s one of the most careful people I know. If she was worried, she’d let me know.”

“That’s…really wonderful.”

“So the answer to your worries is that I don’t know what will happen when you meet the alphas of Thorn Hollow.

They’re not going to make demands of you, like expect you to just join up with them immediately, and no way would they endanger you by reaching out to your old alpha.

It’s just a meeting. Just a how-do-you-do sort of thing. ”

Jade exhaled and rolled her neck. “I can do that.”

“Yeah? You can say how do you do?”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “Oh my gosh, yes.” Then she smiled. “Thanks for letting me know about Evelyn’s message. It makes me feel a lot better.” She wasn’t sure she’d ever get to a place where she felt completely safe, but she was a step closer. It would probably just take time.

Maybe she’d be able to really make a life for herself in Northern Ohio, whether she joined up with the pack or not.

“If you decide pack life isn’t for you right now, I’m planning to hang out with Sadie later and you can hang with us.

The tigers are very open to visitors. Plus, my friend Angie, who’s a wolf and mated to two vampires, has a place she goes with some other shifters for full moon hunts and I know I could get you an invite. ”

“Did you say two vampires? As mates?”

“Yup.”

Jade’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t know vampires shared.”

“Some do. I think most don’t. That goes for shifters in general, I’d say.”

“True.”

While they ate, they talked about the shifter groups in the area. Jade had never heard of so many different kinds in one place, but along with the vampires and Wiccans who also called Northern Ohio home, there were bears, dragons, wolves, tigers, falcons, and white lions.

“There’s a Pegasus in the bear den, his name is Atlas, and there are also a few scattered around, like a panther who works for the vampires, and there’s the vampire club house band that has a wolf, a panther, and a falcon.”

“The vampires must like shifters. I thought they liked our blood too much to have us hang around.”

“They can control themselves,” she said. “It’s a common misconception.”

“I’ve never been around a vampire. Or much more than wolves, honestly. Northern Ohio is eye-opening.”

“I’m your first fallen angel too, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Well, you started with the best. What can I say?”

Jade felt a little lighter in her heart as they chatted about shifters and other supernaturals. Her wolf wanted to go to the wolf pack and meet with the alphas, and the fear that had been nagging her wasn’t quite so profound since Evelyn had reached out.

Thank goodness Evelyn had helped out in the first place. Otherwise, Jade might have found herself in an arranged mating to that dangerous male.

No longer bound by the whims of her alpha, Jade was free to make her own choices.

And she was choosing to see what the Thorn Hollow Pack was like.

“I thought you weren’t nervous anymore,” Alli said.

Jade stared at the big house that belonged to Adam and Cinder Beaumont and chewed on her thumbnail. “I’m not.”

“Liar.”

“Okay, I wasn’t as nervous after reading Evelyn’s message, but I’m still a little nervous. They’re alphas!”

“Yeah, and good people.”

“You keep saying that.”

“It’s true. But you won’t know until you get out of my car.”

“Fine.” She inhaled deeply and then exhaled sharply. Opening the door, she stepped free of the convertible and shut the door, taking a moment to scent the air. It smelled heavily of the woods and summer heat. And wolves. Plenty of them.

The Thorn Hollow Pack had over a hundred members, and Adam had been alpha for a long time.

According to Alli, he and his mate Cinder lived in the home with his parents and several high ranked males.

The three-story house was huge on all fronts, with a manicured front yard.

It looked inviting and intimidating all at the same time.

Her heart thudded suddenly, and she rubbed it with her fingers.

Her wolf was acting up again and had been vocal since they hit the road after lunch.

She wished her wolf could talk, but all the beast could really do was give her feelings and intuition. And she was definitely feeling something. Like the place she was supposed to be was here, in Thorn Hollow.

But for what reason?

The front door opened, and a male stood in the doorway. She didn’t have to be introduced to know he was the alpha. He just had the vibe. Powerful, authoritative.

“Hello, Alli,” he said, his voice deep and rich. “And you must be Jade.”

They walked up to the front door, and she shook his extended hand. “Hello, Alpha Beaumont.”

He gave her a curious look and then said, “You’re safe here, Jade. We take care of our own, and you’re under mine and Cinder’s protection now whether you join up with our pack in the future or not.”

She blinked in surprise. “Oh. I…Thank you so much.”

“I can tell you’re nervous, and from what I’ve heard of your history, that makes sense. Nothing has to happen today but a chat. Come and meet my mate, and we’ll see where the day takes us.”

“Do you need me to stick around, babe?” Alli asked.

Jade smiled. “I think I’m good.”

“We can have one of our security team run you home whenever you’re ready,” Adam said.

“That’s works, thanks.” She hugged Alli and said goodbye, following the alpha into the house.

He introduced her to Cinder, a beautiful blond who welcomed her with a warm hug. They sat in the family room on comfortable couches. After declining a drink, she was asked about her history, and she told them the story of how she’d come to flee Michigan and wind up in Ohio.

“Damn,” Adam said.

Cinder smacked his arm.

“Crap, sorry.” He rubbed his arm. At Jade’s confused look, Adam said, “We’re not really telling anyone, but Cinder’s pregnant. Keep it under your hat for now.”

“Congratulations, and I sure will.”

“This whole pack swears like they’re descendants of sailors,” Cinder said with a sigh.

“So you’ve got quite a backstory there,” Adam said. “Your alpha sounds like a real piece of work. I don’t operate that way. The only way I’d arrange a mating was if I was asked to, and both parties would have to agree.”

“I’m just thankful to be anywhere but there.”

“What if I bring in some females to hang out for lunch? Nothing fancy, just a casual get-together? My mother-in-law is awesome. You’ll love her. We can go for a walk around the territory too, maybe?”

“Only with protectors,” Adam said.

“Of course.”

“I’d love that,” Jade said.

“Let me go make some calls,” Cinder said, excusing herself.

For a moment, Jade felt like whatever she’d been feeling before suddenly got stronger. She rose slowly to her feet and looked toward the hall that led to the front door. Her wolf perked up, eager and alert, as if sensing something nearby.

Or someone.

“You okay?” Adam asked.

The front door opened and everything inside Jade went profoundly quiet.

She opened her mouth to answer Adam, when a male stepped into the family room a few moments later.

He was huge. Broad-shouldered and muscular, with dark hair and eyes, and the air of someone with power and authority.

Her wolf surged forward, slamming into her with the recognition of the male before her.

Her mind reeled as a word echoed inside her. Truemate.