Chapter Five

Cara waited patiently as Drew charged toward her with all his might and speed. Her pulse raced. Her breaths were short. Every step Drew took closer to her was a step into the pain. It tore through her body like a knife slicing into her flesh. She wanted to believe it was all in her head, but it wasn’t. The agony of her bones breaking and reforming into her wolf was a sensation she had to get used to all over again. Her injuries had healed but the psychological scars were still very much present.

“Run and change, Cara!” Chase called out from near the trees.

They’d been keeping their sparring lesson private until Cara could change naturally. Eventually, she’d have to go against the other members of their pack. It would be best for her to spar against Anna or Tryx if she decided to stay. There were so many things running through her mind that she nearly forgot about Drew running toward her.

Cara braced herself and forced her wolf out once again. The pain wasn’t as bad as before but it was still breathtaking. It took her a minute to adjust, and she didn’t have a choice but to take the brunt of Drew’s attack. He sunk his teeth into her, flinging her toward the ground. Cara grew angry as she slid across the dirt and charged him in return.

Her changing was the only thing left for her to master as she ducked his bite and pounced on him, nailing him in the ribs. Snarling and snapping at each other, Cara enjoyed her sessions with Drew. They reminded her of the fights she had with Cairo. What she didn’t expect was to hear the swiftness of Chase’s wolf running toward them.

It was a play he tried every once in awhile to get her instincts back to full capacity. Leaping off of Drew, she turned just in time to catch Chase with her feet as she fell onto her back. She flung him over her toward the brush. They went around and around for what felt like hours. By the time they were finished, Titan still hadn’t arrived. Her eyes kept navigating through the trees to see if he was there, but the only thing she could do was pick up his scent. It was strong and close but he was in stealth mode. He wanted her to know he was there but he didn’t want her to see him. It was driving her crazy.

Tired and sweaty, Cara, Drew, and Chase sat next to each other against the base of a wide tree.

“You’re getting faster,” Chase told her.

“No, she’s getting stronger,” Drew interjected.

Cara rolled her eyes, “You guys are too much. I just want to feel normal again.”

“Wow, if what we just did wasn’t normal, I’m anxious to see what is,” Chase laughed.

They laughed and talked technique for a moment but were interrupted by the sound of someone approaching. Titan’s scent had faded as Cara picked up another. It was one she was already familiar with.

Shelly sashayed into the clearing with a grin on her face. It was a grin that Cara didn’t like so much. Her voice, the shrill, made her skin crawl. There was something so uncomfortable about her and Cara was sure that Shelly was making her feel that way on purpose.

“Shaw would like to speak with you, Carol,” she said snidely.

“Cara,” she corrected as she pushed herself off the tree and to her feet. “We’ll go again later, guys?”

“Yeah,” Chase nodded.

“Sure,” Drew chimed in.

“No,” Shelly interjected, “They’ll be busy. I just spoke with Shaw and Titan. You two are on patrols with Nathan and Taylor for the rest of the day. And Titan will decide who’s going to take over her training, if, she decides to stay. No more sessions until that decision is made.”

“So I’m not allowed to spar with anyone until I decide? What am I supposed to do until then?” Cara eyed her curiously.

“Shadow box,” she replied dryly.

Cara tried her best to keep her temper in check as she followed Shelly through the trees toward the cluster of cabins where the rest of the pack stayed. The closer she got to the cabins, the further Titan’s scent wafted away from her.

“You know you’re lucky that Titan treats you the way he does,” she said out of nowhere. Her black hair swayed softly in the breeze as Shelly’s dark brown eyes glimmered in the sun just as she peered over her shoulder to eye Cara from head to toe.

Cara looked around surprised that Shelly initiated a regular conversation, “Excuse me?”

“I know how Titan feels about you,” she said with sadness in her voice. Cara couldn’t deny how beautiful Shelly was and was almost certain that if she changed her attitude, she’d have much better luck with someone like Titan. But there was budding feeling of possessiveness within Cara. Titan was hers, whether she wanted to admit that or not.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The way you see him treating me isn’t compassionate for any other reason than he saw what happened,” she told her. Titan’s words rang through her head. She didn’t want to disturb the relationships of the pack members toward him or his brothers if she wasn’t staying.

“Whatever,” Shelly sighed.

Cara stopped her with a light touch on her shoulder. Shelly practically leaped out of her skin but Cara held her hands up to show she wasn’t trying to attack her, “I’m serious. If you saw someone get attacked and knew they could survive, wouldn’t you help them?”

“I don’t know, what’s in it for me?” she laughed. The expression of crazed disgust made Shelly backtrack, “It’s a joke. But I get what you’re saying. I guess I would be more sensitive to someone’s injuries if I saw how they got them.”

“Exactly,” Cara sighed.

“So you’re not into Titan? Like at all?” Shelly asked her.

“I’m not going to lie and say he’s not attractive. I care about him too since he is the one who dragged me out of the forest and probably saved my life. But it takes more than a little bedside manner and a few weeks in a cabin to fall in love with someone,” Cara lied. She found herself wanting to protect Shelly’s feelings. However, if Shelly didn’t believe her, she was certain she just opened a whole new can of worms.

“What about Drew and Chase? If you’re not into Titan, that means you can mate with one of them. I’m sure you can see how much they’re into you,” Shelly giggled.

Cara knew she was only trying to steer her away from Titan, but even if she wasn’t, dating or entertaining Drew or Chase’s advances wouldn’t be good either, “No. Again, it takes more than a few weeks of talking and sparring with someone before I decide to make them my mate for life. Shelly, you know there are more wolves outside of this territory than the Finnegan sons right?”

“Of course I do!” she replied, “But why would I want to leave when I have everything I’ve ever wanted right here?”

They stopped in front a cabin that was a little further off than the others. Trees, mountains, and wolves howling into the moon were carved around the door frame. It was beautiful as Cara ran her fingers over it.

“True, but after seeing the way Titan reacts and responds to you, if he’s the only one you want, but doesn’t want you back … believe me, that’s a recipe for disaster.”

“You would say that,” Shelly mumbled under her breath.

Cara heard her but didn’t want to start a fight right outside of the alpha’s quarters. 

“Shelly, I think we’re more alike than you’re giving me credit for. If I decide to stay then I would like for us to become friends or civil toward each other at least,” Cara said to her sincerely.

Shelly rolled her eyes but before she could say anything, the door to the cabin opened up and Shaw stepped outside. He looked to the both of them with curiosity in his gaze, “It’s if you’re allowed to stay. Please come inside Cara.”

Cara all of a sudden felt the entire world placed on her shoulders. Her heart fell into the pit of her stomach and she dreaded whatever was coming next. She thought she would feel better seeing Kristin sitting in the cabin with Shaw, but it didn’t ease her anxiety in the least.

The cabin was set up just like Titan’s. It was small but the bed was larger. It appeared that they embraced their wolves more in the wild, but their human counterparts ruled their domestic domains. The feeling of home overwhelmed her as she sat down on the couch. Folding her hands in her lap, she looked both Shaw and Kristin in their eyes, wondering why they requested to see her.

“You told Titan your story, but now you need to tell us,” Shaw stated firmly. Cara simply nodded and rattled off her issues with the pack from Myre Falls. The fact that she still hadn’t heard from her brother also troubled her.

“That troubles me too,” Shaw said in a low tone. “I know who you are, Cara Danish. It took a while but word has finally got back to me about the reputation you and your brother once shared.”

“I know it’s hard to explain, but we were both young and naive about the situation I was in. Cairo was just trying to defend me when everything collapsed. I don’t want to cause any problems here, I swear,” she told them both.

Kristin remained silent on the couch next to her, simply watching her body language. Every once in awhile she’d nod to Shaw.

“My boys seem to have a thing for you, especially Titan,” Shaw stated.

Heat flooded to Cara’s cheeks at the mere mention of his name, “Um, that might be just because I’m new blood in the mix. I’m sure it will fade in time.”

“With Drew and Chase, yes it will. But don’t forget that we’re their parents. I can smell Titan on you,” Shaw called her out.

Cara felt far too exposed than she liked. Shrinking back, she defended herself, “I care about Titan a lot. Our bond is special. I don’t care if it’s simply because he saved my life. He deserves my gratitude and whatever else he wants from me.”

Shaw scoffed, “Gratitude doesn’t come with servicing your primitive needs at the cost of my son’s broken heart.”

“What?” Cara looked at Kristin whose eyes were warm but telling.

She finally spoke up, “What my husband would like to say is that our son Titan cares for you a lot more than he’s willing to admit. I’m sure he’s cared for you long before he even saw you. I’m sure you can understand that once your scent has touched the senses of your potential mate, it’s an undeniable feeling of lust and want of protection over that person. He’s going to deny it because your stay here hasn’t been defined.”

“And it won’t be until I give the okay,” Shaw interrupted. Kristin huffed and eyed him seriously. He corrected himself, “Until we give the okay.”

“Right,” Kristin smirked, “We run a very tight ship around here and anyone we take into our pack has to be deserving and has to be capable of pulling their weight. When will your brother be joining us? I’m sure his opinion will matter to you along with that of Titan.”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “He doesn’t know I’m here. If he’s come back from his mission and gone out looking for me, it could take him a few weeks to track my scent here. But my sparring in the woods with Drew and Chase should ease that for him.”

“It should, but be aware that if he comes into this territory combative,” Shaw insinuated the impending violence of the interaction.

Cara nodded slightly with a shiver down her spine, “Please, I understand you have to protect yourselves, but my brother if he smells my scent and only sees your guys, he’ll think the worst.”

“Well then perhaps he should think carefully before he acts,” Shaw stated firmly. “Do you want to stay here Cara?”

“I think so,” she said, but her voice was riddled with uncertainty.

“You don’t sound confident in that,” Shaw snarled.

Kristin rubbed the top of Cara’s hand, “Sweetie, you should be certain before your brother even enters this land. You two are playing a dangerous game if you’re here for any other reason than to recover.”

It was the first time the sweetness in Kristin’s voice was gone. It scared Cara just a little to see the glimmer of ferocity in the alpha’s mate. She’d be a formidable match when she was healthy, but in her state, Cara was in no condition to defend herself against the woman.

“I promise you that I’m not here for any other reason. I wouldn’t let myself go through what I did just to infiltrate your pack,” Cara affirmed.

“Fine, then let your intentions be known, and soon. I don’t want my sons quarreling over you and what they believe will be your everlasting bond to either one of them. It’s a distraction that we can’t have. There are things going on outside of this territory that we must be on guard for, that we must protect this pack from. A distraction like you could mean certain death for us. I will not have you come in and destroy my family, or the legacy that I’ve built here!”

Cara agreed but there weren’t enough words to convince Shaw that she wasn’t there maliciously. Only time would show that, and even after they dismissed her, she wondered if she was doing the right thing by staying. If Cairo was, in fact, looking for her, he would find her far more quickly outside of the Finnegan’s mountainside.

Stepping out of the cabin, Cara expected to see Shelly still there waiting to probe her full of questions, but instead, Chase stood there with a grin on his face. Shaw’s words replayed in her mind and she made a decision to cut whatever illusions the brother had thrown her … off.

“I want to take you on a hunt,” he blurted out, “I can show you where Anna and the others like to go and how our pack divvies up the food rations.”

Cara couldn’t be sure if he was just being nice or if he was trying to get her alone. She leaned more toward the latter, but rejecting the son of the alpha right in front of his cabin didn’t seem like the brightest idea. So she tried her best to play off the gesture as something platonic when she could feel it wasn’t. It was wrong to lead Chase on, but she hadn’t been on a pack hunt in months. It was just the stress relieving exercise her body was calling for.

“That sounds great,” Cara said with a smile. Besides, he couldn’t hit on her if they were stalking prey and running through the trees. It could just be a harmless training session.  She couldn’t help but ask, “Will your brothers be along for this expedition?”

“Drew’s working with Nathan and Perry on security detail,” he told her.

“What about you? Didn’t Shelly say you were on some assignment as well?”

“Shelly,” Chase scrunched his face in irritation, “She thinks because my father has a soft spot for her, she’s the natural born mate for Titan and the next in line to take control under my mother.”

“Is she?”

“Ha! Haven’t you met my brother? Don’t you see them together? He wants nothing to do with her. The more she pushes for her own position the more he pushes her away. I don’t think he even wants to be friends with her anymore,” he laughed.

“So why is she here?” Cara blurted out.

“People could ask the same thing about you. But let’s go. We got a pack to feed,” he told her just before taking off into the woods.

Cara hadn’t any idea where this hunt would take her but she was certain of a few things … she wasn’t fond of Shelly, but she was growing more comfortable with her shift. Running and shifting into her wolf, she felt at home for the first time in a long time. It was time for her to be exactly who she wanted to be.

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