Unfortunately for Lucy, it was three days until she managed to speak to Dan alone. The pack had tried to make sure she felt welcome, but Lucy simply didn't manage to get a quiet moment with him. They still spent time together – and she still couldn't stop her gaze from drifting towards him – but it had always been as part of the pack. This evening, however, Lucy was determined to have him to herself.

“Dan,” she asked, once everyone had finished eating and were busy clearing up their dishes. “Could we take a walk?”

She saw the surprise in his eyes, which was quickly followed by a grin.

“Of course,” he replied, his eyes glancing over at the window. “It’s pretty dark, though.”

“That’s okay,” she smiled. “We don’t need to go far. I just want to ask you a few things.”

He studied her for a moment, as if trying to guess what she was going to say, but eventually shrugged. “Sure. Just give me a few minutes.”

 

Soon, Lucy and Dan were out walking along the edge of the woods, away from the cabin. They walked in silence, the only sound the crunching of leaves and twigs under their feet.

“So,” Dan said, eventually. “What did you want to ask me?”

Lucy glanced up at him, seeing his face bathed in the moonlight. He was looking at her with a slight smile on his face and her stomach flipped. She couldn’t help her attraction to him, despite what she had to ask him. Electricity sparked between them, making her shiver.

“Are you cold?” Dan asked. “I can go back and – ”

“No, no,” she interrupted. “I’m fine. It’s just – well, everything is great here so far, and the pack is so welcoming but I have a couple of questions.”

“Then ask them,” Dan replied, quietly. “You could have asked Nick too, Lucy. He’s more than happy to talk to you.”

She stopped walking and looked up at him, seeing his concern on her face. "I know that," she said. "But there's something about you that makes me trust you. It's not that I don't trust Nick but I just feel more able to be open and honest with you." Giving him a rueful smile, she shook her head. "I know that sounds silly since we've only known each other for a few days."

“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” Dan replied, warmly. “In fact, I feel the same way.”

Lucy’s breath caught in her chest as he touched her hand, heat racing up her arm.

“Talk to me, Lucy,” he encouraged. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

Drawing in a deep breath, she turned and began to walk again, as Dan fell into step beside her.

“I guess I’m wondering about this pack,” she began. “Savannah told me that you were part of the Northern Wind pack once.”

“Yes, I was, and so was she.”

Lucy nodded. “Lucas told me that someone from another pack killed one of his shifters.” She stopped again and looked up at him. “Was it you?”

“Me?” he asked, frowning. “Did I kill someone?”

She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” Closing her eyes, she calmed herself down and tried again. “Did someone from this pack kill someone from Lucas’ pack?”

“No, they didn’t.”

“Oh.” Relief flooded Lucy as all the tension she’d been feeling washed away.

“I mean, Jo tried, but she didn’t manage,” he replied, with laughter in his voice. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here!”

“Wh – what?” Lucy gasped, barely able to understand what he was saying. “Jo tried to kill you?”

Dan laughed at her expression, before putting one arm around her shoulders and beginning to walk through the woods again. “I think I should start from the beginning.”

“Please do,” Lucy murmured, trying not to react to the way he held her so closely. Listening to him carefully, she heard him explain how Lucas had ordered his pack to kill either Nick or Tom, and how Jo had rammed him with a car so that he couldn’t do what Lucas had ordered.

“Lucas thought I was dead,” Dan finished. “But, Nick and Tom took me back to their place and looked after me until my leg healed.” He looked down at her, smiling. “Once that happened, I’d been there long enough to decide that I didn’t want to go back to Lucas’ pack.”

“And Savannah?”

He grinned. "She was meant to be the ‘inside man' – pretend she needed their help before leading them into a trap. You should have seen her face when she first saw me!" His laughter echoed through the trees, lifting Lucy's spirits.

“Long story short, she decided to stay too.”

Lucy thought for a moment. “I’m guessing Lucas is pretty mad about that.”

Dan's voice grew serious. "Yes, he is. We think that's why he's recruited Dominic, to help get his numbers back up. He probably realized that his pack would never be able to attack the Alliance since we have two alphas and they have none."

“But now they have Dominic,” Lucy sighed. “He’s not an alpha, but he could be. He’s pretty strong.”

“Yup,” Dan murmured, rubbing his head where he had been hit, the memories bringing him slight pain. “He is.” He looked down at her. “Do you feel better now?”

“Yes, I do.” Swallowing hard, Lucy slipped her arm around Dan’s waist, aware of how he jerked in surprise. “Sorry,” she muttered, but Dan shook his head.

“No, don’t back away now,” he said, hoarsely. “Lucy, I’m not going to pretend that I’m not attracted to you, because, in case you haven’t noticed, I am.”

She chuckled, remembering how he’d asked for her number at the bar, even though he’d knocked her clean off her feet. “Yes, I’ve noticed,” she murmured. Her heart began to thump in her chest as he gently squeezed her shoulders. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

He laughed, his chest rumbling. “That’s good to know.” Stopping, he turned to face her, catching both of her hands in his. “I want to be able to shift with you though, Lucy.”

Shaking her head, Lucy’s excitement disappeared at once. “No, I can’t.”

"You can," he replied, gently. "You know that not everyone is like Dominic and Lucas. Haven't I just shown you that?"

“You have,” Lucy admitted. “But still, you guys are involved in a battle. I don’t want to be a part of it.” The last thing she wanted was to be part of a pack that was at war with another pack. She’d seen enough violence from Dominic to last a lifetime.

"It's a battle we don't want," Dan continued, still speaking gently. "There's so much more to being a shifter than just fighting, Lucy. It's freedom. It's power. Why won't you let me show you the different side of being a shifter? I guarantee it'll be a side you've never seen before."

Lucy's heart ached. She wanted to say yes, wanted to let him show her what being a shifter was like, but still, her fear held her back. Her bear growled, desperate to be let out and Lucy had to grit her teeth to push it back down. Her skin rippled as the bear continued to fight, her entire body tensing with the need to change.

“Let me see your bear, Lucy,” Dan whispered. “Please. Trust me.”

"No!" she shouted, twisting away from him. "I made a vow, Dan. I won't go back on it." She could see the hurt in his eyes, but knew he could never really understand what she as going through. "I'm going back to the cabin," she muttered, her anger slowly spiralling away. "Thanks for talking with me, Dan."