Chapter 8

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　A　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

I knew it was morning when I woke up before I even opened my eyes, I could feel the warmth from the sunshine coming in the window on my shoulders that were exposed. I stretched my legs and curled into the huge warm and furry mass beside me, thinking maybe it was too early to be awake yet.

Wait, warm and furry?

I threaded my fingers through the chunk of fur I had curled in my fist and opened my eyes. I gasped when I saw the huge black snout in my face. I tried to sit up, but there were large black paws over me, keeping me in place. I tried to wiggle out from underneath the large black wolf but it was not working out for me.

I sighed heavily hoping I could have slipped out of this awkwardness before he woke up but that wasn't going to happen.

"Kieran." I whispered. But he just made a grunt sound and refused to wake up.

"Kieran!" I hissed and poked at him to no avail.

"Oh, will you get off of me you great big moose!" I groaned.

His eyes opened and he suddenly shifted, leaving us in an even more awkward situation, now that there happened to be a completely naked man snuggling with me. His blue eyes widened and he jumped out of bed and ripped my blanket off of me to wrap around his waist leaving no time for me to see what was once exposed.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled and then I saw something, I'd never thought I'd see.

Kieran Quinn was blushing.

His cheeks were bright pink, and the tips of his ears, that I just noticed were pointed much like an elf, were pink too. I couldn't help but smirk.

His eyes turned adorably angry.

"Shut up." He grumbled before walking to the other side of the screen.

"But I haven't said a thing!" I laughed.

"You said it with your face!" He barked and I heard him rummaging through his dresser.

I got out of bed and stretched and looked out the window watching two wolf pups play fighting with each other down in the garden. It made me want to shift, and run. The weather looked perfect for it today.

I lifted my shirt looking at my wound, it was much better than it was yesterday, and I was feeling a lot better than I had in days, but I knew trying to convince anyone I was in good enough condition to run would be a problem.

"I really am sorry." Kieran said. I turned around as he came into my corner of the room.

"What were you doing? I only asked you to stay until I fell asleep."

"Well... I tried, but every time I tried to leave, you'd bloody whimper in your sleep." Kieran said and rolled his eyes.

"I don't whimper." I said, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh, you do, love. Believe me. And then you were shivering, and I kept trying to cover you with the blanket but your stubborn arse kept kicking it back off, so I killed two birds with one stone, I shifted, to keep you warm, and keep you still so you'd sleep through the night. Worked like a charm." He smirked. This time I felt my face heating up.

"You could have left." I muttered and turned back to the window "I would have been fine."

"You know, a little bit of gratitude goes a long way..." He scoffed.

I cocked my head to the side watching the wolf pups who had been playing, they had parted ways, one was chasing its tail on its own and another seemed to be distracted by something almost like it was being lured away. I looked up and saw something moving in the trees to the side of the house.

I gasped and spun around making a dead run out of the bedroom.

"Amara??" Kieran called chasing after me as I bolted down the stairs and to the front door.

"Amara what the devil are you doing??" Kieran demanded behind me hot on my heels as I ran outside in my pajamas.

I hurried to the lone wolf pup and scooped it up in my arms and then I tucked and rolled out of the way right as a gunshot cracked through area.

"Nicolas!!" I heard a man yell and looked up to see a man running towards me. I held the trembling wolf pup in my arms protectively as I looked around for the other pup hoping it hadn't been hit.

The man stopped in front of me

"You saved my boy." He said with tears in his eyes as I handed him the pup. He then looked around frantically.

"Josephine!" He hollered, obviously looking for the other one.  Kieran hurried over with the other pup in his arms.

"She's okay." He reassured the man. "The blast spooked her, and she was hiding under the porch." He said as he handed him the female pup.

"These hunters are getting brave." Marcus said as he hurried to us.

"Aye, get everyone inside while I look around." Kieran ordered and then looked to me. "Excellent eyes you have, we'd have lost him for sure had you not been so observant."

"You aren't going out there by yourself." I spoke. "Are you?"

"I'm not putting anyone else in harm's way. Go on, inside." He said shooing me away.

"You can't just go after the hunter alone! If they are brave enough to come this close, surely they won't hesitate to shoot you!" I spat.

"I said go inside!" Kieran barked towering over me, and I felt at that moment I had no other choice but to listen to him. What the hell was happening?

"Come on love. Inside." Marcus said as he took my arm. I watched Kieran shift and take off into the woods before Marcus led me into the house, unable to shake the feeling of dread that crept its way into my chest.

What was this man doing to me?

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I couldn't seem to pry myself away from the window. It had been an hour and there was no sign of Kieran. I kept trying to tell myself, everything was fine, there was no reason to worry, I couldn't even make sense of why I was worrying so much, yet I did not budge. It felt like my feet were just glued to the floor.

"Mar, Kieran does this all the time. He's fine, If he wasn't, we would know." Connor said as he came up behind me.

"I'm not worried about Kieran." I scoffed, though even I knew just how unconvincing that was beginning to sound.

"Sure." Connor smiled. "Then that's not fear I'm smelling."

"Stop smelling me." I huffed.

Connor laughed. "The whole pack can smell it."

"Forgive me for being afraid. That hunter almost killed a child, Connor!"

"Nicolas and Josephine are both safe, thanks to you. No one is outside."

"Except-" I went to say and then narrowed my eyes at Connor, knowing full well what he was trying to do.

"See. You are worried. It's okay to admit that Amara, he's grown on you."

"Like a fungus..." I muttered.

"You know he told me about that night in the kitchen, you know the stories, you know they are true so why are you denying it?"

"Because, Connor, I don't want this. I don't want to be tied down, I just want to be me, what is so wrong with that?"

"There's nothing wrong with it Amara but it's incredibly hard to fight the magnetic pull once you've found your mate." Connor sighed.

"Why did it have to be him?" I asked.

"Why not him?" Connor asked. "If you ask me, you two are perfect for each other."

"Well... I'm not asking you." I grumbled and turned back to the window sighing in relief as Kieran entered the front yard. I turned away from the window again as he shifted back to his human form, but I looked over my shoulder briefly to catch a quick peek as he walked around picking up his clothes that he had shed when he shifted.

He must have sensed I was looking as he turned around and his eyes locked on mine. I felt a blush spreading across my face as I quickly turned away from the window again looking at Connor who was grinning ear to ear.

"Not a bloody word." I mumbled and walked past him.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　K　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

When I walked through the front door, I was greeted by the pack, expecting news on my findings in the woods, which was likely.  however not so likely, Amara was attempting to push her way to the front, however, was unsuccessful so she was standing on her toes behind Marcus trying to get a good look at me.

"Did you find anything?" Michael, the twins' father asked. Naturally he would be the first who knew anything because it was his children who were threatened. I sighed heavily.

"Hunters are learning to mask their scent, I had him trailed and I lost it within seconds, but I kept looking hoping to find something but whoever this was, was good. And fast Marcus, and Kenneth, I'm going to need you guys to do patrols, morning and night, rotate to make sure you are both getting enough rest." I spoke.

"Yes, Sir." They responded in unison.

"I can help too." Connor put in.

"I appreciate that Connor, but you have a little one on the way, and If anything is to happen, I'd prefer not to leave your daughter fatherless. You and Rob sit this out."

"Do you think it could be Steele?" Mackenzie, Rob's wife asked.

I cringed; I hated it when anyone mentioned that man's name.

"Steele would have to be a bleeding idiot to return here." I spat a little more harshly than I meant to.

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean-"

I put my hand up.

"No, I apologize. If it were Steele, I am just certain he would leave clues to let me know it was him." I spoke.

My eyes scanned the room and locked onto Amara who looked confused. Of course, she had no idea who Steele was. She knew what her father allowed her to know, and while she knew hunters were bad, her father preferred to focus on spreading fear and lies about my pack.

"Ah, Amara, come here." I said and gestured her forward.

Her eyes widened and she looked around as everyone turned to look at her. She shook her head.

"No, I'm good." She spoke.

"Oh, just come here." I said and rolled my eyes. I knew she was far from shy, so I don't know why she was playing it.

Marcus chuckled and pushed her forward and she turned and gave him a dirty look.

"What do you want?" Amara hissed at me. I smirked and turned her to face the pack, keeping my hands on her shoulders so she couldn't run away like I knew she wanted to.

"Because of her good eyes, and quick thinking, Amara saved one of ours this morning. She is an example of why I believe that it doesn't matter where you come from, If you're a wolf, you're welcome. She knew young Nicholas was in danger and she selflessly put his life before her own."

"I mean... Anyone would have done it." She said and shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Not true, While I believe everyone deserves a fair chance there are those, from the same pack as you, who would have used the lad as a shield." I spoke. "I didn't expect such compassion out of someone who shares Alexander's blood."

She cringed at the mention of her father, and I knew I struck a nerve, and I honestly didn't mean to this time.

"Tonight, we dine in honor of Amara and her bravery, maybe this will be a chance where we can get to know her a little more." I spoke.

"That's...really not necessary." She stammered.

"It's how we do things here." I spoke. This was clearly not someone who was used to having all eyes on them. "Get with Sable later and discuss what you would like for dinner." I insisted and turned to walk away.

"Wait where are you going?" She asked.

I smirked and turned around.

"You know, for someone who just the other day literally couldn't stand me. You seem awfully concerned with what I am doing today, she-wolf."

She gave me an indignant look and went to protest.

"If you must know, I will be taking a shower, now I'm all for saving water and what not if you'd like to join me..."

Amara's face turned crimson, and she narrowed her eyes and stormed away from me and then, something I didn't expect to happen at all happened, another she-wolf in my pack, Lacey, sauntered over to me.

"I'll join you, Kieran." She smirked. Amara stopped dead in her tracks and turned around, there was a fire in her eyes that I had yet to see. Lacey was fun to mess around with, she hadn't found her mate yet and wasn't really in a rush, but now that Amara was in the picture, I was conflicted. 

Make your move Mara...

"Well, I mean, she is obviously not going to, and you know I am more than willing to take you up on that offer." Lacey smiled and ran her hand up my forearm. Amara appeared to be screaming internally or hoping her death glare would set Lacey on fire but instead of claiming what she knew deep down was already hers, she scoffed and walked away.

Not that move you stubborn thing!

"Perhaps another time Lacey." I said, which was clearly not the response she was looking for as she also scoffed and walked away from me.

These women are going to bloody kill me...

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That evening I wandered into the kitchen curious to see what Amara chose for dinner, only to see that she was actually helping Sable cook. Sable was very picky about who she let in the kitchen, so I was a little surprised.

"What are we making?" I asked.

"Well, with the cold weather coming in tonight, Amara suggested stew, a deer stew that is her mother's recipe and since she has the recipe in her head, I figured it would be best if she helped, I'm just…"

"Supervising?" I asked with a smirk.

"She's doing fine. It's just that we had a few accidents when she was browning the meat." Sable said and pointed up. I looked up at the burn marks on the kitchen ceiling and tried my best not to laugh.

"But recipes passed down from our loved ones are special and should be made with the same love, so here we are. Learning as we go."

"I'm a little offended, this is my house and you've never let me help you in the kitchen." I said with a sly smile.

"Aw, poor boy." Sable frowned. "What do you think Mar? Should Kieran help?"

"Let him do the dishes." Amara shrugged, "He should be able to handle that much." She said and put a lid on the pot. "It's almost done, it just needs to sit a bit." She added and wouldn't even look at me before she walked out of the kitchen.

I sighed. "That girl is going to kill me Sable, mark my words."

"Maybe not you, but she was getting really stabby with the meat when she was talking about Lacey." Sable said.

"I knew it! She's jealous." I smirked.

"Look, If you are ever planning to win this girl over you are going to have to stop being so arrogant." Sable said and put her hands on her hips. "Amara is in a new place, with new people. She's out of her element and she's uncomfortable. Stop expecting her to fall all over you like Lacey does. If it's truly meant to be like you think it is, then it will be. Stop trying to force it. You've been out of the game for a while since Michaela. I think you've forgotten how to actually woo a woman."

I felt a dull ache in my chest at the mention of Michaela.

"Kieran Quinn never forgets how to woo a woman; Amara is just a very different kind of woman." I muttered.

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This was Amara's first time actually eating with the rest of my pack so I could tell she was a bit uncomfortable. She preferred to be on her own, and that wasn't a bad thing, I just wanted to get her used to the way my pack did things. I had no blood relatives left so I preferred to surround myself with the pack, they were my family.

Everyone was chatting amongst themselves, and Amara was just kind of pushing the stew in her bowl around with her spoon.

"So... Amara, as you can tell, everyone in this pack has their own job of sorts, what did you do in your pack?" I asked.

Connor looked at me as if I had said the wrong thing. I was just honestly curious.

Amara shrugged.

"I didn't really have a place. I wasn't trained to fight because of my size. Connor taught me to hunt when I was young but mostly my father just liked me to stay quiet and out of the way. I'm the smallest of my pack so, not much use I suppose?" She said, keeping her eyes down. I felt awful. I didn't want to make her feel bad. I just wanted to know about her life and clearly the only one who actually gave a damn about her after her mother was Connor and he left her pack for mine.

"I don't know, you were pretty useful at keeping me on my toes." Connor chuckled. "All the late-night runs when you were a child, sneaking off to the forest line to watch the cars drive by early in the mornings."

Amara gave him a mischievous smile. If I was going to be able to talk to her without pissing her off every other sentence. I would have to get more intel from Connor, and I'd have to make sure to watch out for these late-night runs, and sneaking off as well, running is fine, but with the recent uprising of hunters running alone is not safe, especially if she was considering running towards the city.

"If a pack is run right, even the smallest of the pack could be the strongest." I said and smiled. "I was the smallest of my pack."

Amara's head snapped up and she missed her mouth with her spoonful of stew. She blushed and picked up her napkin and wiped her chin.

"I don't see you being the smallest of anything, you're quite...well.."

"Massive?" I asked with a chuckle. "You should have seen my father; He'd have made you look like a cat."

"So you aren't from this pack?" She asked 

"No, I'm not. My entire pack was wiped out." I said solemnly.

"Your whole family?" She asked sadly and looked down. "I'm so sorry..."

"No need to apologize. Life happens. The alpha of this pack found me outside the territory wounded and brought me here. I was hesitant to be a part of this pack, but they grew on me."

"That was nice of him to help you." Amara said. "What happened to him?"

"She was very nice when she wanted to be. Could also be quite the pain in the arse.. She was murdered years ago." I said bitterly.

Amara frowned.

"She was your mate, wasn't she?"

"Aye." I replied and sipped at my water.

"Was it that man you mentioned earlier...Steele, who murdered her?" She asked, curiously.

The entire table fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Amara looked around nervously.

"Alistair Steele is no man, he is a demon." I snarled.

Amara sat back in her chair with her eyes widened.

"I...I'm sorry it was just a question. I didn't me-"

"Do not speak his name in my house!" I snapped and stood from the table before storming away.

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It was at least an hour later before I heard Amara walking down the hall towards the room. She stopped in front of the door, and I could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Something was changing within her. When she was first brought here, she was loud and incredibly opinionated, but right now, she was more...tame? Was that the right word? This morning when I told her to go inside, she went and at the dinner table instead of yelling back or being the sarcastic little thing, I knew her as she was very apologetic, and afraid. It's not exactly what I wanted, I liked how she challenged me, I loved it even. She was a free spirit, and she did as she pleased, and I admired it.  I only wanted her to love me, the way I was beginning to love her, the last thing I wanted was her to fear me, but this had to mean something. Was she accepting me as her Alpha subconsciously?

"You can come in, I won't bite...hard, anyways." I said. The door opened and she poked her head in.

"When I said you could come in, I meant all of you." I smiled.

She stepped in the room with a bowl of stew in her hands.

"You didn't finish, I thought you might be hungry." She said and set it down on my table before trying to leave.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I think maybe it's best I give you some space." She shrugged. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to give me space, I should be the one to apologize. You don't know anything about Steele, or what he's done, I shouldn't have expected you to know how much I hate that man, and everything he and his name brings me."

"So... he did it?" She asked.

I nodded and sat down.

"Michaela…she was a bitten. She was turned by the Alpha who came before her when she stumbled into the territory. You see... Michaela was Steele's wife, and she was miserable with him, so she asked to be turned. to be free of him. She asked for her son to be turned as well but as you know we don't turn children. Michaela was perhaps the strongest of bitten wolves  I'd ever met, and this pack could tell you tales of her before I came around. She gained the respect of the pack and became Alpha after her predecessor was struck down by one of Steele's men."

I paused and looked at Amara who was hanging onto every word I spoke.

"When Michaela and I realized we were mates. It was like fire on gasoline. I loved her… And her son, who snuck off to visit quite often...I loved him too like he was my own. When Steele found out where his son was going, and he saw Michaela and I together he went mad with rage." My eyes welled over with tears and Amara scooted closer to me.

"We were expecting. I was going to be a father. Michaela was restless and I foolishly let her run on her own one evening. I Knew something was wrong within the hour. So, I went out looking, when I heard the gunshot, I knew I was too late but I ran anyway and when I found her, she was already gone, and his scent was all over her."

Amara had tears running down her cheeks, just as I did mine. It had been a while since I told anyone this story.

"What of her son?" Amara asked.

"Steele told Bastion that his mother was dead, and that I was responsible for it and being the young lad he was, He believed it. I tried to tell him otherwise, but he was so overcome with grief at the loss of his mother that he wouldn't hear it. He told me he never wanted to see me again..and I haven't seen him since."

I didn't expect what happened next, but Amara threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I embraced her. Holding her tight, remembering the last time anything felt this right was when I held Michaela. I buried- my face into her shoulder letting all the pain I'd held onto, out and she let me. Her hands ran over my back soothingly, and I felt at that moment it would kill me to be away from this woman.

"Please... Don't leave me." I begged her.

Amara pulled back, wiping her eyes, there was a look of fear in her eyes, but it wasn't me she was afraid of, it was something else. She cleared her throat.

"I Um..." 

I knew that perhaps I went too far too fast.

"I'm sorry, I had a bit of rum before you came in." I mumbled.

"Oh... yeah. It will do that. I guess." She said awkwardly and stepped away from me and stretched.

"I'm a little tired, I think I'll turn in." She said.

"I think I'll do the same after I finish this stew" I said and scratched behind my ear.

"Yeah..." She said quietly. "Well anyways." She added before she turned around, with every step she took away from me, I felt a dull throb in my chest, and the way she tensed every few steps, I knew then, she felt it too.

So why did she keep walking?