Chapter Four
Amillion and one painful memories rushed through Grace’s mind. Could that girl really be Bjorn’s daughter? She had wanted to deny it. The gods knew she did. More than anything. She wanted to strike the girl down and call her a filthy liar, but deep down, she knew the girl’s words rang with an echo of unwanted truth that threatened to destroy Grace’s heart and mind.
One look at Adalyn’s familiar facial features, and her heart nearly split in two. The similarity to Bjorn…to Rafe was irrefutable.
“Goddess, please. Help me. I’m begging you. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to face this alone.”
Recollections flashed through her mind, back to the day she had met Bjorn. She had found him in the woods alone, naked and shivering. At first, Grace had thought he was a human who’d wandered too far into the depth of the forest. She’d thought perhaps he was lost or ill, as her wolf had failed to sense any majik in him at all. The only thing that she’d been able to sense had been his loneliness and despair.
He seemed to be waiting for someone or something.
It wasn’t until she’d caught his attention and looked deep into his eyes that she saw the faintest flicker of familiar majik. Majik that had been somehow drained or repressed, if that was even possible. Her mind raced with a thousand questions.
Who had done this to this strong and handsome man? She’d had no idea who or what could have blocked the majik she sensed deep inside of him.
Grace remembered the moment like it was yesterday. The lost stranger before her had called to her like no other. In a hushed and calming voice, she’d asked, “Are you okay?”
She watched as he turned to look at her, almost as if something hidden in the back of his mind had snapped at the sound of her voice. At the time, she had sworn that she saw tendrils of majik spiraling away from his body, lifting high above him and up into the clouds. The pungent smell of a wicked and unfamiliar majik had burned her nose and left a putrid taste in her mouth. The wicked scent left her gagging, gasping for air.
The male seemed to snap out of his majik induce stupor. His wolf charged instantly to the forefront, taking control of his body and assuming wolf form quicker than Grace could fathom.
If it hadn’t been for her own majik, she would have missed his transformation into the beautiful beast he’d turned into. She itched to run her fingers through his thick cinnamon colored fur, but she held firm, not knowing what to expect from the untamed beast in front of her.
He let out a long howl filled with so much sorrow and pain that even in her human form, she had no problem understanding the depth of his emotion. Something so wicked, so unconceivable, had happened to him. Who knows how long he had been under that spell? He was probably tired and confused, and now he called for his pack. A pack who was completely unfamiliar to Grace.
She tugged at a strand of her hair, startled by the thought of being surrounded by his pack. She was an intruder on their lands, and something traumatic had clearly happened to the male. She started to back away, frightened for the position she found herself in. Then stopped suddenly as a twig snapped beneath her heel.
“I mean no harm.” Grace stared down at the wolf, debating on whether or not she should make a run for it. Just as she’d made up her mind to bolt, her own wolf urged her to remain still.
“We cannot win against him. Besides, he is our mate.”
Her knees shook. Grace felt as if her legs would collapse from beneath her at her wolf’s admission. The dreams she’d had for weeks that set her on her current path suddenly made sense. She’d left her family and home, not quite knowing why, only that she was needed in a faraway place. That she would find her heart’s desire. Her parents and siblings had begged her not to go, but the foresight she’d been gifted with demanded she say goodbye to those she loved and set out by herself, forging her own path.
Without hesitation, the wolf inside of her, who longed for her mate, took control of her body. Her bones shifting effortlessly from human to wolf. As if she’d simply taken a breath, the speed in which auburn fur sprouted and covered her body caught her off guard. Never had her transformation happened so smoothly…so painlessly.
The male circled around Grace as she struggled with her own fears regarding her mate. She’d heard her fair share of horror stories about being claimed, and it shook her to her core. Her wolf, however, was cool and calm, waiting to be marked and claimed by their mate. Unlike Grace, who found herself full of anticipation and a healthy dose of fear that had settled in the pit of her stomach, and absolutely no idea what to expect.
The fact that she knew absolutely nothing about her mate didn’t help matters much. Not one tiny bit. Was he a good and honorable man? Could he be trusted? What about his pack? Would they accept her despite her shortcomings and the visions which had plagued her for as long as she could remember?
The only reason she held her ground and didn’t tuck her tail between her legs to make a run for it was because she trusted her wolf. With her life. The beast shared her body and soul and had never led her into harm’s way or steered her down the wrong path.
Her heart sped as she heard his pack surrounding them on all sides. She had wanted to scream at her wolf and tell her to run, they were coming but she knew it would do no good. Her mate stood watching every move she made, waiting for the opportunity to chase her.
Grace knew her wolf better than she knew herself. Her wolf was strong and brave, steadily holding her ground and their mate’s eyes. She wouldn’t whimper or cower before him. Whereas, if Grace were the one in charge, she’d be on her knees begging for mercy. She didn’t have half the strength or courage her wolf did.
Everything seemed to happen in a flash, she drew in a deep breath as her mate’s fangs sank deep into her neck. Howls from his pack filled the air.
She would never forget the feeling of being marked by her mate, and later that evening claimed.
The pack had celebrated that Bjorn, the Alpha and leader of the pack, had found and claimed his mate after vanishing for nearly two full weeks.
Bjorn had no idea what had happened or how he came to be in the forest the day Grace had found him. He only remembered waking up and sensing his mate. He’d worked relentlessly to find ways to restore his lost memories over the next several months but came up short with each new idea. It wasn’t until they were out for a run and came across a woman in the woods did he find any answers.
His wolf had seemed to recognize the woman instantly. His strong dislike and distrust of the woman was obvious to Grace, as snarls flew from Bjorn’s snout.
Her hackles rose, ready to attack. She would do whatever was necessary to defend her mate.
The woman’s scent washed over Grace and she nearly gagged at the smell. It was the same unforgettable odor that had covered Bjorn the day she’d found him in the woods.
