Chapter Seven

Emmaleigh

The beauty here astounds me. I can’t remember a time when I ever saw colors as bright and beautiful or smelled the sweet fresh air and the deep richness of the earth before today. I was kept in the dark concrete building for so long that I had forgotten what nature truly was. I missed this, just being outside and connecting with nature.

Standing in the middle of a field, I stare at everything around me. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, filling my lungs before releasing it once more. Nico stares at me but doesn’t say a word, allowing me to enjoy the moment.

Deep within my soul, I feel my wolf stir for the first time in years. Maybe Nico was right and I should just give us both the time we need to heal. She isn’t back all the way but knowing she is still there offers me some comfort.

“What do you think?” Nico asks once we reach the waterfall.

“It’s stunning,” I whisper. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

The waterfall pours from high upon the cliff until it reaches the small pool beneath. The sound is soothing and the water beckons me. White and yellow water lilies float on the surface making the entire scene seem like something out of a dream.

“Neither have I.”

When I face him, I find that he isn’t looking at the scenery but at me. I blush, heat creeping across my chest and face. No man has ever paid me this much attention. The Hunters didn’t fraternize with the captives, something I’m more grateful for than words can express. At least I never had to worry about being assaulted in that way. We were all beneath them and I can honestly say I have never been so grateful for other people’s prejudices. I remember when I was first taken, praying I wouldn’t be a victim of sexual assault.

Now, I am more grateful than ever. Of all the things wrong with my mind and my body, at least that isn’t part of it. One less hurdle to get over before I can start my new life.

“I really want to ask you to take a swim with me but I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Nico says before looking away from me.

My heart breaks a little but I don’t tell him that.

“I can feel your sadness, Emmaleigh. I don’t need to be mated to you to know what you are feeling,” he says cupping my face. “Don’t for a second think I don’t want to swim with you, spend time with you, or do dirty things to you. I never want to let you out of my sight again. But my wolf is volatile and wants to get to you and I won’t risk losing control.”

“Oh.”

I am shocked by his blatant honesty. He doesn’t hold anything back and seems to always say what he is thinking. It’s refreshing and scary at the same time. Thinking of this male in any kind of sexual situation has my blood heating and my pussy weeping. If I was a stronger woman I would beg him to take me now, but I don’t. Hopefully I will be able to do that someday soon.

“Could we just sit on those rocks with our feet in the water?” I ask, hoping to change the subject and get my mind of all the dirty thoughts I’m having.

“Anything,” he says placing a kiss on the crown of my head.

****

Nico

Two Days Later

I spend every free moment with Emmaleigh but I still have to do my part for the pack. We go on walks through the forest and enjoy nature and the silence together, but I also must spend hours away from her, guarding the compound. We have patrols around the clock now and every member of the pack must do their part. We won’t be caught off guard by the Hunters again. My wolf has become easier to control, even going so far as to allow me full control whenever we are with our mate. I know he is just as frustrated as I am but if I let him take the lead, he will pressure Emmaleigh and we might lose her before we have the chance to claim her.

She is a beautiful, confident woman. I wish I could erase her past but all I can do is be there for her, supporting her while she overcomes her fears.

“Have you seen Emmaleigh?” Peyton asks when she reaches me where I am posted at the gate.

“No. I’ve been here for the last hour. Why?” My breathing accelerates as fear for my mate creeps in. Her wolf has yet to make an appearance and that means she can’t defend herself if the situation calls for it.

“She left a couple of hours ago for a walk and she hasn’t come back. I thought maybe she was with you,” Peyton explains with a frown.

“Do you know which way she went?” I ask, ready to take off and find my mate.

“I have no idea,” Peyton says. I can hear the nervousness in her voice. “I should have asked where she was going.”

“Don’t worry,” I say, trying to sound reassuring. “I’ll find her easily.”

“I’ll have Caine send someone to take your place.”

Peyton smiles at me before I walk away, already shedding my clothes in preparation for the shift. It only takes moments for me to be outside the compound and my wolf to take over. The magic of the shift falls over me, my bones breaking and realigning in an instant while my muscles shift and remold into their new positions. A moment later my paws pound on the fresh earth as my wolf steers us through the forest, scenting the air as far as he goes. It only takes ten minutes to find her, sitting beneath a tree, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She stares at my wolf as I approach.

I try to force my animal to allow me to shift back but he remains firmly in control. This is what I was afraid of but I can’t do a damn thing right now. He is in control and I’m just along for the ride.

My wolf strolls over to Emmaleigh. She stretches out her legs and pats her thighs.

“As long as you don’t want to talk, you’re welcome to stay.”

My wolf lets out a yipping sound before dropping down beside her, his head on her lap. Emmaleigh threads her fingers through my fur, scratching behind my ear. The silence is peaceful around us as the sun sets over the horizon.

“I was trying to shift,” she says sadly, never stopping her hand. “I want my wolf back. I feel incomplete without her, even though I know she is still in there somewhere. It hurts.” The words carry so much emotion, so much pain, that my soul hurts for her.

My wolf rumbles unhappily and Emmaleigh laughs.

“I know. You and Nico accept me as I am. You’re happy to have a mate but I’m not complete. And it doesn’t matter how either of you feel about it, what I feel inside is what drives me.”

My wolf stares at her before plopping down on her lap for more scratches. I know what she is saying is true, now I just need to figure out how to help my mate.

She won’t move forward with me if she feels like half of herself is missing. I nuzzle deeper into her, taking her scent into me and letting it fill every nook and cranny.

“Can I talk to Nico?” Emmaleigh asks and my wolf begrudgingly allows me to shift back to my human form.

Nudity isn’t something that usually bothers me, or any shifter for that matter. But sitting beside my fully clothed mate, a mate I have yet to claim, has me folding my hands across my lap to hide the evidence of my constant arousal.

“I’m sorry,” she says, staring at the forest around us. “I could feel your worry and relief as your wolf approached. I didn’t mean to cause concern.”

“I would say I wasn’t worried but I won’t lie to you,” I reply. “You’re my mate even if we aren’t fully bonded yet, and I will always be concerned when it comes to you.”

“I can feel my wolf,” she says with a sigh. “She’s still in there and every day she shows me a little more of herself. She’ll be back eventually. Every time you and I go walking through the forest it’s like she grows stronger.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

“Maybe,” she starts but cuts herself off.

“Talk to me, Em. I want to do whatever I can to help.” My words are selfish and I know it but being this near her and not having her is driving me crazy minute by minute.

She smiles softly once she faces me. “I think it’s you. My wolf feels safe around you.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” The words sounds stupid falling from my lips but I need to know.

I’m a little confused and caught off guard. I don’t have the faintest idea where this conversation is going.

“Yes. It’s a great thing. But I was wondering if we couldn’t try to speed up the process. That is, if you want to.”