Page 8 of Howl For A Kiss (Rebellious Mates #3)
Elena's jaw tightened. "I couldn't handle being controlled like that. Especially after he mated with Sarah when I was eight. Suddenly I had a stepmother trying to 'civilize' me and a baby half-sister who fit perfectly into their neat little family unit."
The pain in her voice made Damon's chest constrict. His wolf paced restlessly, wanting to comfort their mate's distress.
"But Fiona—my half-sister—was the only good thing about that situation," Elena continued, her breath forming small clouds in the cold air. "Eight years younger than me, but she was... bright. Curious. Everything I'd been as a child before the isolation wore me down."
"You left home when you were a teenager, right?" Damon asked, remembering the fragments she'd shared earlier.
Elena's laugh held no humor. "Ran away is more like it. At age sixteen. I found a group of kids living rough—Rachel, James, and later Tyler. We moved from caves to abandoned cabins, scraping by however we could."
Behind them, Maggie called out a warning about unstable snow ahead. Elena automatically adjusted their path, her leadership instincts seamless even in casual conversation.
"So where are Rachel and James now?" Damon asked carefully, sensing deeper pain beneath her matter-of-fact recounting.
Elena's steps faltered almost imperceptibly. "They died ten years ago. Accidentally fell off a cliff while we were exploring for new territory. Tyler and I found their bodies days later."
Council kill order, Damon realized with cold certainty, though he kept his expression neutral. His grandmother had mentioned rumors about hybrid hunting even in those early rebellion days. Rachel and James had probably died protecting Elena's secret without her ever knowing.
"So that's when you and Tyler joined the rebellion?" he asked, putting the pieces of her past together.
"We were angry. Grieving. The rebellion gave us purpose and direction for our rage.
" Elena's voice grew stronger. "Tyler and I spent those first seven years with a small rebel group honing our skills.
Eventually we'd decided it was time to start our own rebel group and build our own rebel base.
We'd spent the past three years building up that base, training fighters, and creating something meaningful. "
Damon found himself mesmerized by her passionate intensity.
This woman had forged herself through loss and hardship into a leader capable of inspiring fierce loyalty.
Every survival skill, every strategic insight, and every moment of revolutionary fervor had been earned through blood and determination.
She's my equal in every way, he realized with growing hunger. Leadership, brilliance, and courage—Elena possessed everything he'd never dared to want in a mate.
"What about you?" Elena asked, pulling him from his thoughts. "What drives a skilled Silvercrest rebel to leave comfortable pack territory for this chaos?"
The question hit closer to home than she knew. Damon considered how much truth he could reveal without exposing himself completely.
"I've spent fifteen years following orders without question," he said carefully. "Recently, I started wondering if blind obedience was the same as honor."
Elena studied his profile with those perceptive eyes. "That's a dangerous realization for someone raised in traditional pack structure."
"Dangerous," Damon agreed, "but necessary."
Their conversation was interrupted by Daniel, Elena's senior fighter, jogging back from the advance scout position. "Elena," he called, slightly breathless. "Cade's base is just ahead. Quarter mile through those pine groves."
Elena nodded. "Good. Signal the others to tighten formation for arrival."
As Daniel moved to comply, Elena turned back to Damon. "I should warn you—Cade's protective of his territory. He agreed to shelter us, but he'll want to evaluate you personally before accepting you into the Tidewater group dynamic."
"Understood," Damon replied, amused by her concern for his welfare. "I think I can handle a territorial rebellion leader."
Elena's lips curved in the first genuine smile he'd seen from her. "I'm beginning to think you can handle just about anything."
The warmth in her voice sent heat spiraling through Damon. Their eyes held for a moment longer than necessary before Elena looked away, but not before he caught the subtle scent of her arousal that made his wolf pace relentlessly.
Twenty minutes later, Cade's rebel base emerged from the treeline—a sprawling compound of interconnected cabins and reinforced structures that spoke of permanence and serious defensive planning.
"Welcome to our sanctuary," Elena murmured, but Damon heard the underlying tension in her voice.
The sun set behind the mountains as they approached the compound gates, painting the snow-covered landscape in shades of gold and crimson.
This was temporary shelter, not home. And in less than two weeks, he'd have to choose between his duty to Kieran and his growing need to protect the remarkable woman beside him.