AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Your dad will be just fine. Your mate is waiting.”
“Thank you, Miti.”
“Luc,” she said, putting her hand on my face. “She will be traumatized. Treat her gently.”
I laughed dryly. “I think that’s saying it lightly. I have a lot of explaining to do.”
Miti nodded, then ran off, probably to find Dad or cause more mischief, and I followed the sound of Jill’s heartbeat until I reached the door that led down into the dark.
“Jill?”
All that answered was a soft sobbing sound, and my heart broke at the thought that Jill might not be receptive to me after this. I wished I’d found her before Rich had gotten his hands on her, and that I could have spared her from all this trauma. I would have to do everything in my power to support her through this, because one thing was certain—she was my everything, and I couldn’t lose her.
With that promise residing in my mind, I slipped into the darkness and immediately saw her crumpled on the floor. I slowly approached and touched Jill’s arm. She flinched and looked up with startled eyes.
“Luc.” My name came out in a sob.
My resolve broke. Without thinking, I crushed her to me. Another sob escaped her lips as she collapsed into my arms. I picked her up and ran out of there before anyone else could surprise us.
Jill
I wokeup in my own bed with the sun shining through my window. I sighed happily, realizing what I’d been dreaming of was just a nightmare. Groaning, I turned to see what time it was, only to scream when Luc came striding through my bedroom door.
He ran to my side. “Are you okay?” he said, putting down the tray of food he had brought in with him.
“I’m okay,” I said, trying to catch my breath. Then I whispered, “It wasn’t a nightmare, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t,” he said in a somber voice, sitting down next to me and pulling me into his side.
I welcomed his warmth until memories of last night slowly started to seep in. I pushed Luc away when I remembered what I’d witnessed—all the screaming, the sound of limbs tearing, the blood, and most especially the creature I’d seen. I started shaking as the details flooded in. I looked at Luc, feeling my face leaching of color. “Miti! She’s . . . she’s a . . .”
“Wolf. Yes, we all are.” His arm loosened around me as he pulled back, watching my face closely.
The first thought to cross my mind was that I was saddened at the loss of his touch. It left me confused because we hadn’t known each other that long. But then the words he’d said seeped in, and my eyes locked on Luc’s. His were a bright golden blaze.
His voice came out low. “My family descends from a long line of wolf shifters. It’s why we live out here in the woods. It’s why you’ll always be safe if I have anything to say about it.” He took a deep breath, and his eyes shifted back to their normal shade of brown. “I’d like to show you what that means if you’re okay with that.”
“Show me?” I whispered. I was having a hard time computing what he was saying.
“Let the girl rest first!” Miti announced, coming to stand in the doorway. She was leaning on a cane, bandages covering her arms and face.
“Oh my goodness, Miti!” I said, standing up and reaching for her.
“Sit down, dear girl. I’m just fine. I’ve been through worse.”
Luc snorted, and I looked at him, but he just winked at me and whispered, “I’ll tell you another time.”
Miti shuffled to the other side of the bed. We made to help her, but the look she gave us made us stay put while she grunted and maneuvered her body until she was sitting on the bed next to us. “I told you to treat her gently,” she said, giving Luc a stern look.
“He is!” I said, hoping Miti wasn’t about to get mad at him. If anything, Luc’s presence in the room was exactly what I needed.
“What she’s saying is I shouldn’t have jumped right into wanting to show you how I can transform,” he explained.
“I . . .” Then I stopped. I wasn’t so sure about what was going on and what I wanted. Did I really want to see him transform into a wolf? I still didn’t quite believe I’d saw what I saw with Miti, but then what else explained all the death that followed in her wake? Miti had changed into a wolf before my eyes . . . and she had talked of changing for a long time before that. The evidence was stacked in favor of Miti being a wolf shifter. But Luc . . . ? He had just said he was one too . . . and Miti had claimed that she wanted to protect her family. Did that mean that Luc and his brothers and everyone else in his family—including Bubbie—were all wolf shifters?
My mouth dropped open.
As if she could see the thoughts in my mind, Miti said, “It’s okay, Jill. You are family. There is time. What is important now is that you rest and heal.”
