Chapter 127 Chapter 127
Shaelan looked back at Calum again. Her chest ached with the thought of what he was going to do. Every thirty seconds, since they’d started back to the village, she’d had to fight the tears. She couldn’t believe he was going to do it, but knew no one could change his mind. A part of her was still stunned that she had a man, a mate that was so noble with firm principles. Then there was the other part that wished he was more like meek men she’d been raised around. Only they weren’t really meek, she supposed, just terrified to speak out.
Idiot man. It was the most astonishing, selfless thing she’d ever known. A complete stranger going to fight—possibly to the death, to free her clan from Leroy. Turning, she followed the path Billie had taken. Stupid man. She was mad and proud of him. She couldn’t even speak to him right now for fear she’d howl like she was dying, or scream at him for being so… wonderful and stupid.
There had to be another way. There just had to be. Think! The only escape she’d ever had was her mind, as long as she kept it moving, she could live with the tension and apprehension that was her life. Now that she needed it, she could barely form a single clear thought.
Stopping, she crouched lower when Billie all but lay in the grass ahead of her. She set her bag down and listened to see if she could hear anything. They were only five minutes from Nona’s now, had one of Leroy’s men found them?
She sensed Calum move up beside her before she saw him. He stopped and lifted his face to the sky, inhaling slowly. Frowning, Shaelan did the same to see if she could… she did smell something she’d never picked up on before. It was an animal... something familiar. Her heart skipped a beat, hoping it wasn’t one of the men.
“It’s Brock.” Calum whispered. “Keep moving.”
She huffed out a breath and grabbed her bag. Brock must be prowling to watch for others to make sure they made it to the house, she hoped. Later, when her heart wasn’t in her throat she’d think about how she could find one smell among all the grass and nature around them.
As they reached the bottom of the hill to Nona’s she ran up. This area she knew, it had been the only way Billie and her could escape the village to be alone when they were growing up.
Reaching the top, she saw Nona on the deck, holding the door open. She paused to let the others go in ahead of her.
Aunt Marilyn greeted everyone as they came in. “We kept the lights off,” she waved to a few candles, “so no one looking up could see in.”
Shaelan huffed out a relieved sigh that they’d got here without incident. Pausing, she looked at the seven people standing in her home. Aside from Billie, they didn’t seem phased with all of this, and here she was an emotional wreck, and her skin felt several sizes too small for her.
Brock came in the front door wearing only a pair of jeans. She looked at his bare feet and almost laughed when she realized the casual dress that she’d grown up with wasn’t because of people were easygoing, but those wandering around half naked and barefoot had been because they had shifted back to their human bodies. How had she never fit all the pieces together before? Then again, she never could have imagined that turning into animals was a thing, so of course she hadn’t seen all the signs.
Brock blew out a breath. “I swear, when this is over I will have lost ten pounds from running around this much.” Holding a palm over his toned stomach he rolled his eyes, “but I guess it helps my manly figure.” A serious look replaced the animated one as his eyes stopped on Calum. “I can’t believe your doing this.” His eyes teared up, “but I’m so thankful you are.” he whispered.
Shaelan had to look away from him before she started crying again. “At dawn, you need to ring the bell, Brock.” She glanced quickly to Calum, then everyone else. “It brings every resident to the area in front of the meeting hall.”
Nona came over and took the bag Shae was clutching tightly to her chest. “That’s good, child, catch Leroy off-guard.”
“We were finally able to replace Jerome’s bullets with the blanks they used for target practice.” Her aunt told everyone. Shaking her head, she glanced to Brock, “don’t ask how we managed it.” She gave them a wide-eyed look. “Let’s just say one of the women went above and beyond.”
“Oh.” Rayne said quietly. “I will personally take her to the spa to… cleanse it away.”
Aunt Marilyn nodded. “I’m not too sure what that is, but sign me up too.” She sighed, “it’s been a long, trying life and we all could use some spa when it’s done.” She turned and looked to the hallway, where Shae’s mother stood. “Faye gets twice as much spa as the rest of us for what’s she’s had to put up with all these years.”
It hit her all at once, what her mother had withstood during her life with Leroy. Brushing by Nona, she went quickly to her and hugged her. Burying her face in her soft hair and inhaling the scent that was so familiar, realizing it had a completely different meaning to her now. She squeezed her to not sob and crumble to the floor in an emotional heap. She wanted to cry and say she was sorry for not understanding, and to whine because her mate may die in the morning, but instead she hugged her tight and shook from head to toe trying to keep it all in.
With a gentle touch, her mother leaned back and pushed Shae’s hair aside to look at her throat and the mark left there by Calum. A relief filled her eyes. “I think,” she said in her caring way, “I should meet my son-in-law.”
Shae nodded, realizing in all of this she hadn’t even gotten to meet Calum. Turning, she watched Gage give him a shove in their direction. She almost laughed at the expression on her his face. Now, he looked afraid. The prospect of meeting his mother-in-law scared him, more than his planning to fight for the position of alpha of her clan.
He came over and pulled her gently to stand in front of him, she didn’t miss the smirk on her mother’s face as he did.
“Calum, this is my mother, Faye Black.”
It dawned on Shae, she didn’t even know this man’s last name. She’d marked him… among other things and she was now mated to a man and she didn’t even know his last name.
He reached around her and held out his hand. “Ma’am.”
“Please, Faye.” Her mom stood there, holding his hand for a moment, her eyes searching his face and moving to his neck more than once. Shaelan swallowed, feeling the tension in him where he stood behind her. When her mother released his hand, she smirked again. “That’s… quite the mark you managed, Shae.”
Shae felt her cheeks go red, “I don’t have sharp teeth… yet.” She said quietly.
Giving her an understanding look, she tilted her head and looked back to Calum. “If he’s not complaining, then I guess it’s fine.” She glanced back to Shae. “How are you feeling?” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I can’t even help you, I’ve never shifted.”
She felt the tension drain from Calum immediately. He moved so he was standing beside her now.
“It’s okay, m-Faye, Kelsey and Rayne are here, she’ll have all the help she could ever ask for on the female side of things.” He squeezed her with his arm around her waist. “I’ll be with her and talk her through her first shift.”
Shae understood now, how he was on the inside. He honestly couldn’t stop himself from helping someone, even as simple as reassuring her mother. She leaned against him.
Her mother smiled at him. “Thank you. I sense her cat more, so I don’t think it’s going to be much longer.”
Holding her breath for a moment, Shae thought how she felt about that. She was excited, but frankly, scared to death about turning into something else. She wondered if she’d have dark fur like Calum or the lighter spotted shade she’d seen on the mountains many times. Shaking her head, she blew out a breath. “I just want to get through tomorrow, then I’ll take things as they come.”
Both arms wrapped around her waist now, Calum leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll be fine.”
The expression on her mom’s face changed, more serious and forlorn then she’d ever seen it. She looked to the floor for a moment then to Calum. “I don’t know… I feel I should thank you for…” She hugged her waist, “for doing what I never had the strength to do.” Her eyes teared up. “I thought about killing him in his sleep many times.” She covered her mouth with her hand for a few seconds, “but knew that wouldn’t end it. He has men that…” She shook her head, not finishing.
Calum’s muscles tensed against as he straightened back up.
“I’m glad you didn’t, in that it would have changed you in an irrevocable way.” He told her in a quiet voice. “It will end tomorrow, one way or another. You can count on that.”
All of it came back to Shae at once. Why they were here, what could happen… she turned in his arms and looked up at him.
“I’ll give you two some time.” Her mother said as she moved by them to go in with the others.
He shook his head, a tender expression in his eyes. “Don’t talk about the what-ifs, it will only put both of us more on edge.” Glancing up, he motioned with his head down the hall.