Shaelan hadn’t gone far. Calum was thankful that she knew enough not to take off alone. He could hear her sobbing and felt like the air was harder to draw into his lungs. His cat had gone completely still. Figures, he thought, bail on me and leave me to do this without help.
Moving silently, he went over and pulled her to her feet, and tried to wrap his arms around her, but she swatted them away. “Shaelan…”
She jabbed him in chest with her finger and glared at him through the tears. “This he-man, king of the jungle stuff is ridiculous.” Shaking her head, she stepped back from him and hugged her arms around her waist. “I don’t care if this is how it is in the animal world.” She paused and looked at the ground. “A week ago, I didn’t live in the animal world with all…” Her hands waved in the air. “…this.”
He moved to go to her, his cat reappearing and almost shoving him, but the warning look she gave him told him he needed to ride it out a bit longer.
“Leroy is a cruel, sick man that has filled the lives of the whole village with violence and fear.” She stomped over and smacked him on the chest. “How is fighting him by using more violence going to change that?” Turning away from him, she stood and looked into the night.
For whatever reason, he had always thought mates couldn’t harm one another, yet she’d smacked him twice now. Before this, no one would have dared. His mate was incredible, filled with so much emotion and passion. He clenched his jaw, so he wouldn’t grin at this revelation. She put her head down and started sobbing again. Moving quickly, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. “It’s going to be okay, love.”
“You can’t.” She looked up at him with tears running down her face once more. “You could die.” She buried her face in his chest again.
He could, he knew that, but it didn’t mean he was going to dwell on it. “There is no other way, that I can think of to end this.” He lifted her chin so she’d look at him. “It could take weeks for the alliance to get everything under control—without going in guns blazing and innocents getting hurt.” He wiped a tear from her cheek. “How many more people will pay the price with Leroy and his henchmen in that time?” Smirking, he tried to lighten the mood. “The cave isn’t big enough for the whole village.”
Taking a ragged breath, she shook her head. “You can’t. There has to be another way.”
The way she was looking at him, almost had him willing to back down, then he remembered how her mouth had looked when it was swollen. How she’d risked her own life to save his. How right in this very moment, there was a man that may never recover in the cave. Gene, he couldn’t think of a worse way to go, lost, alone and no one would have known if Calum hadn’t gone in that direction by mistake. He ran his hand down her back gently. “I can’t think of another way, love, and believe me I’ve been thinking about it since the moment I regained consciousness.”
“What if…what if…you…”
He placed a finger gently over her lips. “Don’t think like that. I can’t think like that going into it.” Moving his finger, he replaced it with a soft kiss. “For all we know, he may just turn tail and run when confronted by someone that isn’t afraid of him.”
“You’re not afraid of him?” She blew out a shaky breath. “Everyone is afraid of him.”
He shook his head and smirked. “I don’t think they are. You’re not, or you wouldn’t have marched up to Nona’s when you were just a kid and asked to learn how to care for every person in that village.” Kissing her again, he continued, “How can I not help my mate do that?”
“I could see even then that people needed help.” She exhaled a ragged breath. “Nona was always so strong, always knew what to do…I want to be like that.”
“You are.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not, or I would have a better solution than you fighting him.”
He grinned. “It’s who I am, I can’t walk away when someone is in trouble…never could, despite Devin and Gage trying to drag me away. I got them beat on many times while we were growing up.” Hugging her, he inhaled that sweet cinnamon scent. “And now fate has given me a mate that compliments who I am perfectly.”
She leaned back and looked up him with a questioning look.
He shrugged. “You can patch me up afterward, whenever I have to step into a situation.”
The look she gave him, told him that revelation was not a good thing. When she blew out a breath, he could feel some of the anguish leave her on it.
Her dark eyes moved over his face for a moment. “You can’t just walk in the gates and call him out.” Biting her lip, she paused briefly. “I think he has someone watching it all the time. It has to be a surprise, catch him and the men loyal to him off guard.” She leaned into his chest and rubbed her face there.
He grinned, she may not realize it, but that was very cat like gesture. “I was thinking I’d go to Nona’s tonight and already be in the village in the morning.” Looking back up at him, she searched his face as a shudder went through him seeing the soft expression in her eyes. “Everyone can hide at Nona’s.” He hoped it was a small consolation that he wasn’t going to try to exclude her from this, of course that didn’t mean he was letting her watch, either.
Biting her bottom lip again, she shook her head. “Chad can’t be moved yet, and I don’t think Dale and Marc are ready to be…” She gave him an annoyed look. “Physical.”
He looked from her mouth back to her eyes as she kept nibbling at that lip when she talked it through. When this was over, if he was still standing, he was abducting his mate and spending a week with her, alone, without interruption. “They’ll be safe here. I’ll text Jesse to send someone here when they’re coming back up here.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything.
He pulled her closer, just in case she had any ideas about hitting him again, sensing that now would not be a good time to tell her he found it sexy as hell that she did. She looked up at him for a long, silent moment, then reached up and grasped his hair to pull his head down to hers. She kissed him with such passion, he had to remind himself they weren’t alone out here as he pulled her tight against his body and molded her to him with his roaming hands.
Pulling her mouth away just as suddenly, she glared up at him. “If anything happens to you. No one responsible will survive. I will tear them apart with my own hands.” With that she stepped out of his arms and started back down the incline. “I’ll tell everyone to get ready to go.”
Calum stood there and watched her go. Blowing out a long, drawn-out breath, he rubbed a hand over his chest again where it still stung from her palm. Two weeks, he needed at least two weeks alone with her…for a start. Shaking his head, he went down the incline to see Devin and Gage waiting there and looking at him.
“That went well,” Devin said with sarcasm.
Inhaling sharply, Calum glanced toward the cave. “Yeah.”
Gage motioned to the cave. “The girls are getting our stuff. Marilyn took off back to the village as soon as you went after Shaelan.”
Nodding, Calum turned and looked out into the night. “I don’t see another way…”
Devin moved to stand beside him. “We don’t either.” He glanced over his shoulder. “They’re going to be pissed when they realize Gage and I won’t be standing idly nearby.”
Gage tapped Calum on the back. “We’ll be there to even the odds, something tells me this Leroy won’t fight a fair fight.”
Rubbing the spot on his chest again, Calum sighed. “Just don’t let him shoot me with a fucking tranquilizer dart.”
The walk to Nona’s was long, tension keeping every person there silent. Crouching down, he paused to watch Shaelan and Billie move by him to catch up to the others. Neither had been in touch with their new-found cat side long enough to have it ingrained in their movements, but they moved as silently and stealthy as the others. It was just one more thing that showed him they had grown up under all the wrong circumstances yet learned to survive.
Gage stopped beside him and nudged him. “Knock it off. The rage coming off you has my cat wanting blood.”
Huffing out a breath, Calum tried to shake the feeling off. “Stockpile that feeling, we may need an enraged tiger before this is over.” He watched Shaelan motion for Billie to keep going and then turned around and looked back at him. She hadn’t said a word to him since she’d walked out of the cave carrying his pack. He honestly had no idea if that was a good or bad thing. This mating stuff was complicated enough, he could have done without all the other complications involved. Things like being held captive, escaping, and freeing a whole village from a maniac.
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 you’re 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 that 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 second. “But I 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.
She didn’t want to talk about any of it in front of the others. They may not be standing right beside them, but she knew they could hear every word. Grabbing his hand, she walked down the hall to her room and went in. Only to stop suddenly and look around. She’d forgotten she’d all but torn the place apart and hadn’t been back since. There were books and papers from her shelves all over the place, the wooden shelves were broken and tossed in a heap on the floor, her mattress was half off the bed, and clothes were strewn all over the room.
“Maid’s day off?” he asked over the top of her head.
Turning, she gave him a blank look. “I forgot I had a…moment.”
“I’ve had moments before.” He stepped into the room and looked around. “You have a violent streak at times.” His eyes were sparkling with humor.
“I do?” She looked at him, her eyebrows up. She wasn’t the one going to fight Leroy.
Calum nodded and waved his hand around motioning to the mess. “This, and you’ve hit me, twice.”
She felt some tension drain out of her. “That was not hitting you.” The offended look on his face made her smile. “That was getting your attention.”
“You always have my attention.” Shaking his head, he looked at the books all over the floor. “You read all of these?”
Moving over, she knelt and started picking them up and closing them. “Yes, and every book in the village, twice.” She shrugged. “I almost lived at the library while I was at school.”
“Mmm.” He squatted down and picked up one of them and looked at it. “Environmental Science?” He glanced back at her before adding it to the pile. “I thought you studied medicine?”
Nodding, she pushed the stack toward the wall and started another one. “I did, do.” She shrugged. “I’ll read anything with words really.”
Adding a few more to the pile, he stopped and looked at her. “I think, my beautiful mate, you are entirely too smart for me.”
She shook her head, “I don’t think so.” She looked him over slowly. “I think you hide intelligence behind the brawn, so people don’t see it.”
He smirked. “Is that so?”
“It is.” She moved the books over beside the other stack and looked around. “I really made a mess in here.”
Chuckling, he sat down. “You had every right to have a moment.” Reaching out, he played with a lock of her hair on her shoulder.
“I just…there were so many lies.” She sighed softly. “Then there’s all this…everything I don’t know anything about.” Shrugging, she watched his face, noting again that she had his full attention. “I don’t like not understanding, or knowing, about something.”
His eyes looked around at the papers and books still scattered on the floor with them. “You don’t say.”
“I don’t know anything about being a shifter. Is there a book…”
He chuckled, “I don’t know. Maybe somewhere there’s something with information.” He shrugged. “you would have to ask Devin or his father, the alliance may have rooms full of books for all I know.”
“I hope so.”
Rubbing his hand over his forehead, he stopped and looked at her. “I can see you reading each one if there is.”
“At least twice,” she said, widening her eyes at him, teasing him.
“I can answer some questions if you have anything nagging at you right now.” He watched her face while she thought.
She couldn’t believe they were sitting here talking like this when in a few hours…everything was going to change. He was so calm. Inhaling a sharp breath, she remembered. “I do have one question.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I don’t know it…”
“What is it?” He eyes searched her face.
Biting her lip, she felt her cheeks flush. “I don’t even know your last name.”
Smirking, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Mmm, yeah, the moment for proper introductions was skipped right over, wasn’t it?” He looked back at her. “I didn’t know yours until you introduced your mother a few minutes ago.”
Her face flushed, and she covered it with both hands. “I still can’t believe how we met.” Dropping her hands, she gave him a stunned look. “How could we ever explain to anyone how we met?” She giggled. “Well, he was chained to the wall…”
He reached out and grabbed her, making her shriek, and pulled her into his lap. “We won’t be sharing that with just anyone.”
His smile told her he wasn’t upset. She chuckled again. “So, do you have a last name? Or are you just The Calum that wild bears even run from?”
“You heard that, huh?” Hugging her tight, he laughed quietly. “I have a last name and some stories from when I was younger that are never going to go away.”
“Who do I talk to so I can hear them.”
“No one, ever.” He sobered. “Dante. Calum Dante.”
She paused and wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into those deep green eyes. “Calum Dante,” she said softly. “So, with mates do they use the same last name?”
He was watching her mouth as she spoke. “They can. We have actual ceremonies as well. Mates get married like other people do. We have to live in the normal world like everyone else, with all the associated paperwork.”
Biting her lip, she thought about that for a moment. “Shaelan Dante,” she said, softly trying it out. “I like it.”
“I like all of it,” he said, leaning closer to her mouth. “The brains, beauty, even the violent moments.” He kissed her softly, pulling her tight against him.
Shae leaned into his kiss, craving the taste of him, almost needing it.
“Shae…Oh.” Kelsey stood in the doorway, looking shocked as she surveyed the room.
“She had a moment,” Calum said.
“I would say so.” She smiled at them. “Nona made some food, says Shae’s Calum needs to keep his strength up.” Kelsey smirked at Calum.
Shaelan nodded. “That’s a good idea.” She glanced at the clock on her wall. “Only four hours until dawn.” She exchanged looks with Kelsey, who silently acknowledged the fear and anxiety of what was to happen. She could feel his reluctance as Calum stood, bringing her to her feet as she did.
“I’d just like ten damn minutes alone with my mate,” he grumbled quietly.
Kelsey grinned. “Poor man.” She gave him a serious look. “After things are…resolved, tomorrow, you can hide with your mate in your cabin for weeks.”
“I plan on it.”
Kelsey turned and went back out.
He sighed and took her hand and starting walking out.
“You are?” They walked slow, in no hurry to go eat. She wasn’t even sure if she could eat.
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s small, I’m still working on it. It has power, satellite, and internet though, so it’s not as rustic as it looks. I finished the hot tub…”
She tugged on his hand. “Don’t tell Aunt Marilyn it has a hot tub, or she’ll be visiting. She’s been wanting one for years.”
He stopped abruptly and looked down at her, a serious expression on his face. “Will you come there with me? I know you have responsibilities here and…”
She put her hand over his mouth. “Yes. I think it’s a good idea, to get to know each other and then we’ll decide where we live, maybe both places part-time?”
Kissing her quickly he nodded and pulled her close against him again. “We can do that.”
Winding her arms around his neck, she gave him a soft smile. “The internet is like an endless book…”
Frowning, he studied her. “So, you’re coming to use my internet?”
She bit her lip and tried not to smile. “Of course.”
There was quiet snickering behind him, she looked around him so see the others watching them, trying not to laugh.
Calum growled playfully. “We’ll finish this discussion later.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Cal, I think the internet is what has her interest,” Gage said, smirking.
Shae went to the table and sat down, while watching the interaction between the men. It was clear they had been friends a long time.
Devin laughed. “Maybe the hot tub was a good draw too.”
Jake grabbed his sides, laughing so hard at the expression on Calum’s face.
“Hot tub?” Aunt Marilyn came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of sandwiches. “Who has a hot tub?” She set the tray down and stood with her hands on her hips.
Calum lifted his lip at his friends in a fake snarl. “Marilyn, I will build you your own private hot tub, if you keep these clowns out of my face.”
Aunt Marilyn looked at him for a moment, then looked Devin and Gage up and down. “Nona, grab the fork.”
Raising their hands, Devin and Gage backed up, big grins on their faces. “We’ll behave,” Gage said, trying not to laugh.
She gave them a quick nod then sat down and looked at Calum. “I want one big enough for friends.” She motioned to Nona. “We could have parties in my hot tub.”
Nona laughed and sat down, motioning for the others to help themselves.
Shaelan sat there, her hands in her lap smiling, trying not to think that it all could change in a few hours. Her chair suddenly slid as Calum pulled her closer to him.
“Don’t dwell on it,” he said next to her ear.