Every damn day.
In the mirror.
“My name is Adalyn Erickson, and I’ve come to claim my rightful place at Black Paw.”
Rafe’s ears rung as the truth of her words settled over him. Yet he wondered if he had heard the woman correctly. Surely it must be some game, some trick. He was the only child of Bjorn Erickson.
“What game is it that you play?” His voice hard and unrelenting. Anger twisted through every inch of his tensed body.
“I play no games.” Adalyn moved closer to Rafe’s position, diligently keeping her distance from the wolves who appeared enraged by her presence.
Brenna stepped in front of Rafe. “If you play no games, you will remove the medallion from around your neck.”
Rafe looked to the medallion hanging just above her breasts. “You’re a witch then? One sent here to destroy the pack?”
Adalyn grasped her silver Triskelle medallion, which had been given to her when she was just a little girl by her mother and glanced down at it before pulling it free from her neck and tossing it to the ground. “Aye. ’Tis true. I am part witch, but also part wolf. And yes, my mother wished for me to come and destroy this pack, but it is not what I want or choose to do.”
The pack listened in stunned silence until Grace shifted back to her human form. Tears sprang from her eyes. “No! It cannot be.”
Rafe saw the hurt in his mother’s eyes and sensed the pain that she felt as she dashed for the main house. With a heavy heart and weary mind, he glanced back to Adalyn, unsure of how to proceed. It wasn’t like the Alpha handbook came with a section ondiscovering an illegitimate halfling who may or may not want to destroy the pack.
The one thing Rafe knew for certain was that he needed time to process what Adalyn had said. That and he had a million and one questions for her to answer. Questions and answers he’d rather discuss behind closed doors and away from the pack.
* * *
Wade found himself completely mesmerized as the woman pulled the hood of her crimson cloak from her head, setting free a mass of fiery red curls that danced around her heart shaped face in the brisk morning breeze. His wolf paid attention to every slow step that she made closer to their Alpha. He watched as her full red lips parted and she sucked in a deep breath, almost as if she were steeling her spine to answer his questions.
Her proud chin jutted high as the rays of first morning light danced across a spritz of freckles covering her dainty rounded nose and plump cheeks.
Wade held his breath, wondering what she would do next. Would there be an all-out battle with the declaration of her being an illegitimate child of the former Alpha, not to mention a witch?
Wade jerked in surprise as she ripped the pendant from her neck and tossed it to the ground. Every muscle in his body tensed as her scent washed over him. Sweet honey mixed with a soothing lavender.
His new favorite scent.
His head snapped back to her face, wondering if her porcelain skin was as soft as it looked.
A deep rumble rose from his chest.
The idea of her possibly facing the danger of his pack didn’t sit well with him. Thoughts of fighting his own pack to protect the stranger banged through his mind. His body tensed, readying to spring into action.
Every doubt that he’d ever had in his life about having a mate suddenly cleared up. All of his denials about the possibility of his mate being out there somewhere vanished as he sucked in a deep breath. Her honey and lavender scent left him panting like an untamed, randy pup.
“MINE!”his wolf shouted in his mind.
“No!”he shouted back. She may indeed be his fated mate, but he couldn’t claim her. His wolf may have forgotten who they really were, but Wade would not.
Could not.
It was forbidden.
A deadly snarl sprung from his snout. Three wolves standing nearby hurried out of his way as he walked a parallel path hidden by others of his kind. His wolf was unable to take his eyes off the one he had hoped, prayed, and begged the gods for.
The sun could have collided with the moon, for all he cared, at that very moment.
Nothing seemed to matter.
Only his mate.
