Chapter one
Belle
Iavoidphysicalcontactat all costs, I’ve hated thisgiftsince I first saw our mother’s death. My dad and brothers tell me it isn’t a curse it’s a blessing to see others’ lives. I don’t just see their lives; I see from the moment they take their first breath to their last. I would give anything in the world to just be a normal wolf shifter, I meananything. I am the daughter of an alpha and yet I cannot shift, my three older brothers are strong and formidable wolves who are a force on two legs but on four, they are savage.
Growing up in a pack hasn’t been easy, just because I am the alphas daughter doesn’t make me exempt from snide remarks or sly looks from the others. I know the pack doesn’t accept me because of my abilities, they fear what they don’t understand. I scare myself sometimes, now days I don’t even need to make contact with someone for a vision to happen. For the past eight or so months now, I’ve been dreaming about a man, I never see his face just his life, he’s in so much pain but it’s not physical. He’s strong and fierce but inside he’s so broken––lost.
My dad and brothers try to help me figure out my visions, they aren’t always clear to me. Sometimes it’s like a puzzle and I need to fit the pieces together before I can see the whole picture. I’m not a medium if that’s what you’re thinking, I can’t speak to the dead or see them. Given the choice I would rather deal with the dead than the living.
“How you doing, sis?” I turn away from the stove and smile at Cass, he’s the oldest. He may be big and bulky and look scary to others, but to me, he’s just a huge teddy bear. Cass is a real ladies’ man; he leaves trails of broken hearts where ever he goes. My brothers inherit their black hair from our dad, Cass, dad and Blake all have green eyes. Hunter and I take after our mom with blue eyes, I’m the only one with long brown thick hair. I used to keep my hair short, but dad begged me not to cut it since my hair reminds him of my mom. I know it sounds silly, but my long hair makes me feel like a part of her is always with me. I never got the chance to know her, the guys always tell me stories of her, and those are the only memories I have.
“I’m good, just preparing some supper. How long before dad and the others get back from the meeting?” No sooner have the words left my mouth do the other two giants I call brothers walk in; dad stands at shoulder height compared to his sons as he wrestles his way between them, smiling brightly as he heads my way to engulf me with a big hug, Blake and Hunter both snicker and roll their eyes, what can I say I’m a daddy’s girl.
“How is my favorite girl today?” Dad asks as he pulls back, I smile and roll my eyes.
“I’m the only girl dad.”
“He never calls us hisfavorite boys.” Dad winks at me before turning around to face the boys, Blake is the second oldest and Hunter is the youngest. Hunter loves to wind us up and never takes anything seriously.
“I thought we established this, Cass is the favorite boy Monday and Tuesday. Blake is Wednesday and Thursday and your Friday and Saturday.” Hunter playfully narrows his eyes and gestures between him, Blake and Cass.
“But who is Sunday?” Cass laughs and takes a seat at the dining table, Blake joins him. This is a weekly debate in our house, and we’ve all learnt to tune Hunter out.
“My boy, I told you Sunday belongs to God, so he’s my favorite on Sunday.”
I finish dishing supper and join the others at the table, all four men are boasting about how amazing it smells before they dig in. Being wolves, we consume a lot of calories, well they do. Due to being a non-shifter I graciously eat like a human, to feed four male wolves is the equivalent of feeding a family of twelve humans. I love this time of day where we can all come together as a family, dad has been so busy lately dealing with pack stuff.
“What are we going to do about the rogues?” Hunter asks, the carefree atmosphere is shattered by that one question. “They’re getting closer.” Dad tenses at the mention of how close these rogue wolves are getting to us. No one knows what they want or why they are raiding packs. They never take anything and as far as we know they try to keep all injuries to a minimum. Rogue wolves tend to be rabid and uncontrollable, but this specific pack seems to be organized and calculated almost like they’re looking for something or someone.
“We are trying to work out the best options and we have doubled the patrols around the perimeter.” I can clearly see the stress in my dad’s eyes.
“We have to act now before they come for us. We can’t be seen as weak; they have already taken control of at least twenty packs that we know of.” The growl in Cass’s voice tells us all that his wolf is close to the surface. Cass is the heir to the pack and will take over when dad steps down. The thing is though, Cass is wrong. Hunter told me that they don’t claim the packs, they subdue them then––leave.
“Cassius, being perceived as weak is not the problem here. The safety of the pack is my main concern––.” Cass slams his fist down on the old wooden table, I jump in freight. He levels dad with a stern look, which dad meets with one of his own.
“We need to take the fight tohim!” I look to Hunter and Blake and see they both are staring at Cass and dad in confusion.
“Him?” Blake asks, dad and Cass won’t break their stare off. Hunter turns to me with pleading eyes, being I’m the only one who’s the calm before the storm. I nod to Hunter and rise to my feet, Cass and dad finally break their stare off and turn to me.
“Cass, unless you want to fight dad for alpha you need to back down.” Cass reluctantly nods, it is known that if you hold a wolf’s gaze for too long it is seen as a challenge. “Dad, please enlighten us as to why you both think this is just one man?” Dad sighs, he looks to Cass and gives him a stiff nod as I take my seat. Cass turns worried eyes to me, he reaches his hand out and I stare at it for a moment. Over the years I have become somewhat immune to my family’s touch, sometimes a vision will strike but normally that only happens if they veer off the course of their destiny. I tentatively place my hand in Cass’s and then a vision hits me–––hard.
Chapter two
Belle
IseeCassrunningin wolf form, he’s being chased by at least eight wolves. These wolves are strong and huge. One of them nips at Cass’s flank but he dodges and leaps over the small creek. Cass runs to the top of the hill on the other side where Hunter, Blake and the rest of our pack wait for him. Once Cass is at the top he stops and turns back to the other wolves below. The huge black and white wolf with onyx eyes stares up at Cass, his lip pulled back in a snarl. This wolf reeks of power and dominance, more wolves come out of the woods behind him.
Cass shifts and is now standing there naked with a fierce angry look on his face.
“You will not take her from us.” Huh? The sound of bones cracking has me turning to the black wolf who is shifting back to human form. I gasp, my body urges me to go to him. Standing in front of me is the most breathtaking creature, messy black hair that’s long enough to run your fingers through. Piercing blue eyes as bright as the sky. He’s tall, maybe a few inches taller than Cass, his body is a work of art. Tattoos cover his arms and chest, he must work out because the muscles on his body are rippling with rage.
“She is mine, I will kill you if you stand in my way alpha. Gabrielle Wilder belongs to me!”
I wrench my hand from Cass’s and nearly fall out of my seat, dad reaches over to help me but I flinch away from his touch. I scrub my hands down my face as I try to rub away the vision. The rogues are coming for me, why?
“What did you see Belle?” I shake my head avoiding Blake’s question. This vision felt too real, I didn’t see death, I don’t even know what I saw. Over the past eight months my visions have been changing, I don’t just see death or some one’s life, now I see other things and it’s making it hard to decipher what these visions mean. If that man called Cass alpha, then that means…where was dad? I look around the table to see everyone staring at me with concern and worry, I try to smile reassuringly but fail.
“I’m sorry.” Hunter shakes his head.