“Where am I exactly?”
The light outside was dimming quickly.
“You’re with the Black Creek Pack,” she said.
I couldn’t think of why the name sounded familiar? I’m sure it was that I’d heard someone mention them at some point. My father? Maybe they wouldn’t pay enough for me? I couldn’t figure it out.
“Are they big?”
The female stopped straightening my blankets, and her brow furrowed.
“I always find it interesting how so many smaller packs don’t teach their wolves about the hierarchy. Black Creek is one of the three largest and holds a seat on the shifter council.”
My eyes felt heavy again, and I blinked against the exhaustion.
“It’s okay. Just sleep. Tomorrow is a new day. By the way? What’s your name? I’m Sarah,” said the healer.
I was losing the battle of sleep. A yawn proceeded my words and my eyes grew heavier than I could win. I breathed in again, catching his lingering scent and smiled.
Maybe he’d gone, but this was still different. For the first time in a long time someone cared what my name was, even if it wasn’t him.
“Kiara.”
CHAPTER3
Devon
What the fuck.I didn’t have time to be a loose cannon.
Why had I said that? Mine? My wolf thrashed around inside me begging to get to her and claim her.
This couldn’t be happening. Not now.
She couldn’t exist. Pacing wasn’t calming my fucking nerves or my wolf. He was pissed off and caging him inside wasn’t making for a great night. I needed to run, except; I was supposed to be listening to my beta. The timing was awful. I didn’t have time for her to cloud my judgment.
Fuck. I couldn’t understand how she was here. It was a lifetime ago that I’d seen a girl just like her. A girl who even then I was certain was my mate, but she hadn’t yet gone through her first shift. She didn’t know. But, that was years ago.
They’d told me she’d died.
The guilt surfaced all over again. I’d thought I’d buried all my feelings. All the feelings of thinking I could change the world if only I had her.
My jaw ached, and the tension in my neck made me feel stiff. I’d promised that female that when she came of age, I would bring her to live here. Her pack would have to let her go. I’d spent the following days trying to convince myself I should wait for her but something felt off.
Now this. I couldn’t wrap my damn head around this, her being here. The words from my father still haunted me. He commanded me to let her go all those years ago. Of course he did, because he had so much to gain from me mating with a much stronger female from a much larger pack.
I couldn’t let her go, I needed to know she was safe. For all his shortcomings though, he had tried. He had the capacity to understand that an alpha with a fated mate was stronger than just any mate. But, she had been my undoing as well.
My hands hurt and I realized my claws were digging into the skin of my palm. Years passed and I could still remember the pain. Fuck. So much for thinking I was numb. That day was so clear. The day I’d finally gotten my father to go negotiate. Fuck waiting for her to be of age. I needed her safe.
We’d gone to her tiny backwoods pack and bartered for her, but she was gone. They’d said she died. The pack smelled of fear and lies. I’d wanted to murder them all for failing her, but there’d been no proof they did anything wrong. My heart had shattered that day and my hatred for the packs started. Not all packs, just the ones that refused to try to keep their members safe. Was it a lack of education? Lack of money? I would have given them the world just for one female, but they failed her.
I ran my hand down my face, the bristle of my five o’clock shadow dragging over my palm.
“Devon have you heard anything I’ve said?”
I looked at Colton and then word vomit fell from my lips.
“Can these small packs even be helped? We’ve tried to do outreach. We’ve given them a presence at the council. Fuck, we’ve even tried to get them to come to more of the larger gatherings to find mates and create ties to bigger packs. It’s like they don’t even want the help.”