“I know that I promised that we could stay here, but after yesterday you have to realize that’s no longer possible. It’s not safe here,” his father explained. “They’re shifters, Trace. You know how they feel about our kind.”
“But, father, Mary doesn’t care about any of that,” Trace said, and when his father opened his mouth to argue he rushed on, “and they don’t know about you. They think I’m here by myself. As long as I stay away from the rest of her Pack and take the long way home through the swamp, we’ll be safe.”
His father went still. “The Pack knows about you?”
Trace reluctantly nodded, shifting anxiously as his father’s blue eyes flashed silver. Trace didn’t need any light to know that his father’s fangs had dropped as well.
“You told me they didn’t see you!” his father snapped, coming to his feet.
Trace stepped back from his father. He knew his father would never hurt him, but even knowing that didn’t stop him from stumbling back from him when his father released a vicious growl. He’d seen what his father was capable of and knew that he never wanted to be on the receiving end of his father’s temper.
He swallowed hard.
“I-I t-think they spotted me when we were by the stream, Father. Mary told me to run, but I think it might have been too late and that’s why they struck her, but she didn’t tell them about me!” he promised.
Ethan rubbed his hands over his face, muttering something that Trace couldn’t hear.
“Father?” Trace said, taking a tentative step forward.
“You fool!” Ethan roared, slamming his fist down on the small table and breaking it into a dozen pieces before he stormed towards Trace. Before Trace could back away, his father grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.
“Her loyalty belongs to her Pack. Not you! She’s already told them about you!” his father snapped, shaking him harder. “Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you once they get their hands on you?”
“The full moon isn’t for another two weeks, Father! I’m safe!”
He knew they’d have to leave before the next full moon when every shifter in the region would be able to turn, because they’d be able to hunt them down. During those nights, they’d have to move to the city where it would be safer since shifters avoided humans on those night to keep their existence hidden. But once it was over, they could come back and he could keep Mary safe.
“You’re not safe,” his father bit out through clenched teeth. “Their Alpha can change at will. He can hunt you down when I’m not there to protect you, you fool!”
His grip tightened on Trace’s shoulders as he closed his eyes, almost as if he was the one in pain. “Please tell me that you didn’t tell her what you are.”
Trace winced as pain shot through his shoulders. “She promised not to tell,” he said softly.
“You fool!” Ethan roared, slamming Trace into the door.
“She’s my friend!”
Ethan backhanded him, knocking him against the wall, and destroying what little hope that he’d had left that his father would understand, making him realize that he no longer had a choice. He had to save her before it was too late.
“Oh my god...” his father said, looking horrified as he moved towards him. “Trace, I’m sorry.”
Trace shifted to his right and yanked on the short rope, pulling the door open and flooding their small cottage with sunlight. His father hissed as he was forced to retreat to the far side of the cottage where the sun couldn’t reach him.
“Don’t!” his father yelled.
“I’m sorry, Father, but I have to make sure that she’s okay,” Trace said as he slammed the door shut and took off for the woods.
Trace could still hear his father screaming his name when he reached the woods. He looked up at the bright afternoon sun, noting that he would only have a few hours before his father would be able to leave the cottage and come for him. That was more than enough time to make sure that Mary was safe before he was forced to say good-bye. He needed to explain things to Mary and make sure that she knew that he’d be back for her once he reached his immortality so he could take care of her.
Maybe she’d run away with him and his father, Trace thought as he navigated his way through the thick swamp. That way he wouldn’t have to wait until he reached his immortality. The more he thought about it, the more he liked this plan. He knew that his father wouldn’t be happy, but once he saw how sweet and gentle Mary was, he’d be more than happy to help keep her safe.
This could really work, Trace thought with a surge of excitement, quickening his pace, eager to find Mary and tell her. A half hour later, he stumbled through the thick foliage, gasping for air and grinning hugely when he spotted Mary sitting by the stream.
She looked up at him as he stepped out of the woods, making him frown when he realized that she wasn’t smiling. She’d always greeted him with a smile and a warm embrace, but now she looked nervous. He swore softly. Of course, she was nervous. Her Pack would punish her if they found them together again.
“I’m so glad you came, Trace,” Mary said, brushing back those golden locks that he’d dreamed of running his fingers through.
“Of course, I came,” Trace said, reaching for her only to find her stepping back out of his reach. “Mary, what’s wrong?” he asked, taking another step towards her.
“Nothing,” she said, smiling brightly.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, running his eyes over her face, her well-worn brown dress, hands, and bare feet and sighed with relief when he didn’t find any bruises or cuts marring her beautiful pale skin.
“Why would I be hurt?” Mary asked, stepping away from him as she toyed with her apron strings.
He reached out and gently took her hands in his, refusing to allow her to pull away again. “Mary,” Trace said, looking into her eyes, “I saw him strike you.”
She shrugged it away as if it were nothing. “I broke a Pack rule.”
“What rule?” he asked, frowning when she pulled her hands free.
“Mary, what-oomph!” The air rushed out of his lungs as he dropped to the ground, barely able to register Mary’s pleased smile as he watched the large wooden mallet race towards his head, again.
Chapter 1
Westdrom, Maine
Present Day
“Charlie! Oh my god, don’t pee on that!” Sam pleaded as Charlie raised a dark furry leg and gave her a pointed look that could only be taken as a threat.
Sam pulled on her old fluffy pink bunny slippers as she eyed her brother’s pain in the ass German Sheppard that he’d left with her when his unit had been deployed two months ago. She pointed a finger at him, trying to look stern as she said, “If so, much as a drop hits that staircase, you will never have another slice of pepperoni pizza.”
The dog eyed her for a moment before shifting his attention to the two-story colonial house’s original staircase that she’d spent last weekend sanding. The wood was bone dry and would happily absorb every drop Charlie gave it and then Sam would have to come up with the ten thousand dollars needed to replace the staircase, something that she’d been hoping to avoid.