Page 12

Chapter Twelve

Arley

E verywhere I looked, I expected to see Marcus or one of his friends. Jumping at every slight noise, excessively checking locks on the house, and starting to get a headache from the stress. I didn’t want to even leave the house for the last few days. It was driving me insane and I couldn’t figure out how to deal with it. On top of all my extra hormones, I knew it couldn’t be good for the babies or myself; yet, all the extra stress wasn’t going anywhere.

“How’s it going trying to convince the dean to let you switch to virtual classes?” Fen’s hands kneaded my shoulders. He’d been trying to help me relax all week. Sexy times with my mate only relaxed me for so long, even if I craved them.

“Not great.” I closed my eyes and let myself relax into his touch. I could get lost in his touch alone. A simple hug, or a loving caress; his touch made everything better. “They don’t like switching midsemester. But if I can get all my professors to sign off on it, Dean Anderson said she’ll approve it.”

“So all you need to do is get the signatures?” Fen turned me around to face him. “We can do this. Let me help.”

“Thanks, babe.” I leaned in and kissed him, addictive as always. “I really don’t want to walk around campus right now. The bigger I get with these pups, the harder it is to navigate classes. I just hope they see my reasoning and agree.”

“They will. Trust me, okay?” Fen stared into my eyes and I hoped that he saw my love shining through.

“I do.” I caught myself switching my gaze between his hypnotizing eyes and his tempting mouth.

“Come to class with me tomorrow. We can get all the signatures and hand it into the dean after.” Fen placed his hand on my cheek. “I won’t let anything happen to you or to our babies.”

“I know.” I turned my head and kissed his palm.

“Let’s go shift.” Fen ran a finger down my cheek. “The doctor said it’s still safe and that it may calm your anxiety. Wanna give it a try?”

“Yeah.” I pulled away a bit but didn’t end contact with my mate’s body. “As long as you’re with me. My rabbit wants me to shift. I know I will still worry afterward, but I think connecting with nature and my animal may help.”

Heading out onto the campus, Fen led me to the wooded area the students used to shift. Secluded enough not to cause drama with the humans and connected to a private lake, the land here was perfect for all of us to allow our beasts free. Strict pack laws made sure that there was harmony among all types of shifters in the area, so prey shifters like myself need not worry about predators taking advantage of us during weakened moments like mid-shift. Fen had taken me here several times since we arrived, and I still felt a magical welcome when entering the boundaries of the area.

“Ready to change!” Fen placed our backpacks by a tree and started to undress. “We can leave everything here and come back for it after.”

“Let’s do this.” I shrugged out of my shirt and undid my pants, no time like waiting. I could feel my rabbit just below the surface. I needed this more than anything at that moment. “Thank you for bringing me here. I needed this.”

“Anything for you.” I could feel Fen’s sincerity, his determination. Even if I was a bit of a pain at times, thanks hormones , Fen was always there doing anything for me.

Once undressed, I closed my eyes and let the shift take over, losing myself in the sensory assault of the transformation.

Opening my eyes, the world looked different but beautiful, and having my mate nearby eased any lingering fear that I’d be attacked. I was able to just be my animal for a bit and let this part of me heal my soul.

When a wolf’s snout bopped me from behind, I gave in to the invite to play with my mate. Together in these forms, we defied the expectations to be the hunter and the hunted and instead Fen played my protector as I hopped around and felt the grass beneath my furry paws.

After about two hours, hunger made me shift back. “I could have eaten as my rabbit but I really want some street tacos instead.”

“As you wish.” Fen had shifted back as well and now stood handing me my backpack and clothes. “My favorite truck usually parks a few blocks away; let’s satisfy that craving.”

“You are too good to me.” I leaned up and pecked his cheek. “I’m sorry I got so panicked. The shift has helped though. Thanks for suggesting it.”

“Anytime.” Fen took my hand in his and guided us toward the neighborhood that housed the best food trucks in the city. “Let’s feed you and then head home?”

Warmth from my mate’s love flooded me through our mate bond. For the moment, life was perfect. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Fen

“I can’t believe how good these are.” Arley finished the last bite of his taco and wiped his mouth. I loved how enthusiastically Arley enjoyed food. It gave me warm feelings knowing I was taking care of my mate, my pregnant mate. “Can we get dessert now?”

“Of course we can.” With my hand on his back, I led my mate over to the food truck that served the best frozen treats in the Midwest.

“Look what we have here.” Marcus’ growl set my hair on end and I turned to face the man I once called a friend. Why did he have to pop up like a zit? No matter how many times you popped it, it just kept coming back.

“What are you doing here, Marcus?” I let my wolf out just enough to have his power flash in my eyes. I couldn’t let Marcus think he had dominance over me in either form. I would make him pay for lingering and terrifying my mate. I was just man enough, and alpha enough, to do it the correct way.

“We are here to bring our little bunny here back home. He belongs with us.” Marcus and his friends now surrounded us. Several other students stood nearby but so far were only onlookers. I hoped it stayed that way and no one got hurt.

“Marcus. I thought we talked about this.” I shook my head, fully exasperated with this man. This entire situation was fucked up. “Arley doesn’t belong to you or to the pack. We are together, and we both belong here now. Go home before you start even more trouble than you already have.” How dense was he?

“We aren’t leaving without Arley. What we say is ours, is ours.” Marcus grabbed my mate’s arm and tugged. “Now come home.”

“He’s not going anywhere with you.” Patrick placed his hand on Marcus’ shoulder. Damn man was lucky I had seen Patrick come up behind him. It wouldn’t have done any good to shift in public, but I would have if I had to protect my mate.

Marcus let go of Arley’s arm, and I pulled my mate behind me in protection. “Marcus, just leave.”

Marcus scoffed and looked around at his guys. “There are more of us than the three of you. What are you going to do about it if we refuse to leave?”

“We already warned you once, and you ignored us. This time, it’s not going to go as easily for you all I’m afraid.” Patrick snapped his fingers. Samuel, James, and a few other large shifters from the campus pack approached the group. “It was never just the three of us against you.” At that moment, I was thankful for my friends; they were there for us, through thick and thin, and always had our backs. I hoped to one day repay the favor.

“Bring it.” Marcus growled and shifted into his wolf. He never was one to think the situation out before acting on his instincts. Point proven as he snapped his jaws at Patrick.

Tonight may teach him a lesson, at least I hoped.

At the first sign of Marcus’ decision to shift, Patrick also transformed into his beast. Compared to Marcus’ wolf, Patrick was the clear winner in any battle for dominance.

It didn’t take long for the campus pack to bring down my old packmates. In the wake were blood and broken bones. This lesson was going to leave its scars. I just hoped the lessons lasted longer than it took to heal.

“That’s enough.” Patrick had shifted and was now putting on new clothes his beta Alex had prepared, his original clothes torn when he shifted. “Let’s get these men to the medical center and treated. Then send them home for good.”

The drive to the hospital was quiet. I never wanted Marcus and the others to get roughed up, but they’d left the campus pack without a choice. Sometimes, there was only one way to deal with idiots, and it was to deal with them in a way they’d understand. For this group, it was by showing them how weak they truly were.

“Wait here while I go in and speak with Marcus. I don’t want him near you again.” I kissed Arley and pulled away. I felt I had to speak to Marcus one last time. I felt nothing but pity toward the man. “I’ll be right back, stay here with Neal.”

“I’ll keep him safe.” Neal placed his arm around my mate, a move that may trigger anger in some men but made me happy that our friends loved me and my mate enough to show affection and support. “I’m going to go take him to the car and wait for you in the parking lot.”

I nodded, agreeing that was the best plan of action. Turning from them, I was called into my oldest friend’s room.

“What are you doing here?” Marcus looked up as I entered. “Didn’t your friends do enough?”

“Things like this don’t fly in the city, Marcus.” I stood by the chair next to his hospital bed; it looked like Marcus hadn’t learned a thing. “When you and the others are healed, you’d better heed this advice. Go home. Since I know you won’t change and see why what you did is wrong, I won’t hold my breath that you will start respecting others. But go be the big fish in that little pond…out here, you are just another tiny minnow that will get swallowed by sharks.”

Leaving the room before he had the chance to respond, I was confident that this time he might listen.

“Hey, Fen.” Patrick came up to me in the hospital hallway, walking with me as I entered the waiting room. “Do you have a minute?”

“Sure.” I sat on one of the chairs in the hospital waiting area. “What’s up?”

“I just heard back from Skye.” Patrick joined me at the chairs by the windows. “The spell was successfully unraveled and the doctors were able to see the cause of the virus and are attempting to reverse any issues that have been caused.”

“Do they know who was behind it all.” I had so many questions I wanted answers to. “What was causing everyone to get sick?”

“They are still patching everything together and I was told not to give too many details yet until the Shifter Council arrives at your old pack and takes everyone into custody who was involved, but I think we both know who is on top of the suspect list.”

“I still can’t believe how much he’s changed since I knew him in high school, hell since birth.” I rested my head on my hands, elbows on my knees. “But I am glad it’s all finally catching up to him.”

“Me too.” Patrick stood and I followed his lead. “Like I said, Fen. I would make sure we found out what was going on and fix this. Now go meet up with Arley and head home. You both need to rest.”

“Thanks, man. See you later.” I left Patrick standing outside the hospital and headed toward the lot where we had parked.

The weight on my chest had been lifted. My old pack was getting the help they needed. Now, I needed to focus on my mate.