Chapter 16

M y clammy skin was buried under warmth as my body, and my magic dug deeper to keep me wrapped up in my newfound joy. I stuck my nose under the cover with a deep breath. The powerful scent of earthy soil and lemongrass filled my nose. A sigh of pleasure fell from my chapped lips as the scent swept through my overheated body. Rays from the sun cascaded over my eyes, causing me to wince at the abrasive light as I turned on my other side. I have to move that window! I thought as I finally became comfortable, only the sun was still torturing me.

The sound of a creaking door opening caused the groan in my throat to slip out. These new housekeepers were annoying me. I know Ms. Kincaid had drilled into them not to wake me, especially since I could sleep for another eight hours. Their heavily clad shoes thunk as they drew closer to my bed and stopped.

“Leave me alone! And close the shades when you leave.” I said, but even to my ears, it sounded muffled with sleep.

A deep chuckle from my unwanted guest made my eyes widen at the disrespect. I shot out of the warm cocoon to lash out at the housekeeper…but stopped. The words died on the tip of my tongue as I stared at Greyson. His scent filled my veins, causing my nipples to tighten. So, it wasn’t a dream! I really hoped that it was all a sick and twisted dream.

Youna!

At least he had on clothing today.

Greyson filled out the older-looking brown button-down shirt with blue shorts that stopped at his knees. A yellow phoenix pendant stood out against the shirt. Rose beige skin highlighted his soft brown eyes with flecks of yellow, his upturned nose and his full bow-shaped lips. His black hair was in a ponytail that fell halfway down his back. Flexing my hands, I had to fight the urge to reach out, unraveling his silky hair and burying my hands—and face into it. Just the thought made my face flush with embarrassment. I wasn’t a mate-crazed fool . Swallowing as my eyes roamed, his corded muscles that strained against the shirt sent me clenching my thighs against the soft throbbing in my pussy.

What would my parents say if they knew I was in a shifter’s village, lusting after a wolf? I think my mother would take me to the underworld herself and leave me there.

“If you stare at me any harder, I might have to join you.”

Opening my mouth to speak, I was about to give him an earful, but then he went and ruined it for me by smiling. His perfect lopsided smile blinded me, rendering me speechless, and my body hummed in the aftershock. My magic did somersaults in my stomach. For the first time in my life, I had an opportunity to break the dreaded curse that hung over my head and have a mate. To have someone who wants me. To have someone that needs me. I didn’t know how I would pull it off, but I knew this was going to be way over my head since having a mate, who was not a witch, was strictly forbidden. How would I get my mother to break a rule our family put forth? My mother would sooner die than to change that rule.

Maybe I can ask Youna to give me another mate before the coven, and royals cast me out. If that happened, I would have to learn to live with Greyson without my magic, which was like stripping your soul from your body.

“Um, right, thank you for everything,” I said listlessly as I found a spot on the plain wall that needed my attention. Anywhere besides his gorgeous face. “I think I should get going. My parents would expect me to be back by now.”

“You’ve been out for over a day, Kaydian. You should eat and take a shower.”

If I hadn’t known better, I would have said he wanted me to stay, but the thought was preposterous since the shifters hated the witches as well, thanks to my father.

Greyson took a step toward the small bed. His upturned nose wrinkled, and his lips twisted.

“Um, I don’t mean to offend you, Kaydian, but maybe you would like to bathe first?”

“I don’t smell bad. You’re rude, asshole!”

The nerve of him! This is who Youna picked out for me. The sultry heat of anger coursed through my body. My magic, the charlatan, was fluttering around my chest, refusing to help me. Raising my arm, I poked my nose into my armpit, inhaled, and pulled my face back to Greyson. The acid in my stomach threatened to decorate the yellow comforter. Tears collected in the corners of my eyes as I tried my best to keep my face void of any emotions. It was then that I noticed the dark outline of what I assume was dried dirt that stained the white sheets, and I was still in my tattered overalls.

“Okay, maybe a bath wouldn’t hurt.”

Throwing Greyson a shaky smile.

“I left two buckets of water for you.” He pointed to the pails that were left in the middle of the room. “One for you to bathe with and the other to use as a toilet.”

The smile that once was on my face became stuck. This had to be a sick joke. Not even my father’s old ways prevented us from having a toilet.

“Ah, you don’t have a bathroom? So how do I empty…it?”

“We just take it out to the woods and throw it out there. Nature knows how to handle waste.”

Greyson gave another one of his dazzling smiles again. He hadn’t noticed the way mine faltered with the thought of taking out my waste. What century was I teleported to? Sadly, the small calendar on the dresser said it was still 1923. The shifters were always known to prefer the old ways, where they ran through the woods until their human side demanded to be released. I learned that during my Royals classes, but I never thought it was true. Boy, was I wrong.

Standing up, I stretched and twisted my rested body. My muscles contorted, and my joints made those comforting popping sounds when the gas escaped them. Greyson placed a simple black dress and white sandals on the small dresser for me.

Closing the door behind him, I waited until his footsteps were drowned out by my thoughts. Greyson’s small room was void of any personal touches besides the yellow comforter with a wolf and phoenix pattern etched into the medium-size squares. The bed had seen better days as I noticed the lumps in the twin-size bed that looked like tiny ant hills. Pressing a hand to my hot cheek, I just shook my head and cursed myself. The small soap Greyson brought me lay on the brown side table. He must love the color yellow.

The putrid smell of the dirt and sweat that clung to my skin sent me toward the buckets. With a grimace on my face, I got to work. The crystal blue water turned a murky mud color when I was finished. Every fiber in my muscles trembled with shame. Lifting the buckets, I prepared for my walk of shame with my bodily fluids in one hand and my bathwater in the other. Both made me cringe that I would have to do such a thing.

Greyson was nowhere to be found as I slipped out of the room. The kitchen, if you could call it that, comprised a wood stove with a stovepipe complete with patches of tape along the body. A thick coating of dust made it look gray. The wooden counter held a small bucket with used dishes and cups stored in it. Next to the kitchen was enough space to hold a small, weathered yellow sofa that looked older than me. The sofa had a noticeable dip in the seats with enough dust on the back to fill the bucket in the kitchen.

Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to face Greyson until after I disposed of my buckets. Before slipping out of the miniature home, I checked my hand and noted the red outline of the blood-cloaking incantation. If I were to get caught here, that would just be the nail in my coffin. And I was not sure of my abilities to not use my magic.

Things couldn’t get worse.

As soon as the thought passed through my mind, I scolded myself. I was the poster child of the saying, “ Anything that can go wrong will go wrong .” Tiptoeing out of his home, I closed the door and turned around before I came to a full stop.

Squeezing my eyes shut and reopening them didn’t make the nightmare disappear.

I would go insane in this village . The homes were a carbon copy of Greyson’s, and I could bet that the inside mirrored his home as well. A giant circle in the middle separated the homes, pushing them against the wooded forest. The pack members stood in the middle of the clearing, surrounding a pole that drew my interest. The closer I got to the pole, I realized it wasn’t just an ordinary pole. Someone carved a wolf into the statue. Intricate colors shone on the artwork, making the magnificent art the focal point. A black wolf's head with eyes like the summer sun sat right above the pack’s head. The crafter showed the wolf baring his teeth, frightening away his enemies, I supposed. The deep black body of the wolf remained the same onyx color as the rest of the pole that was stuck in the dirt. And on top, a yellow phoenix extended its wings. The totem pole reminded me of my drawings. Something attuned to a magnet.

It’s breathtaking! No wonder the pack members flocked to it.

The two buckets shook slightly as a couple of kids ran by me, snapping me out of the daze I was in. When I looked up, everyone stared at me as if I was repulsive. My mouth lifted into a nervous smile, backing away from the crowd with my buckets. Before I turned around, I heard one kid ask, “What is she?” Nosy children . I went back to Greyson’s home and followed a dirt path around to the wooded area, where I discarded the buckets along with my dignity.

“He couldn’t even empty the pails for you?”

A low, gravelly voice said from behind me. The buckets dropped to the ground with a soft thud against the dirt. My heart thundered in my chest as I swiveled around to see a man leaning against the back of Greyson’s home. Graying roots framed his ochre-colored skin. He was perfectly sculpted, with his muscles glistening in the midmorning sun. He pushed off from the home and my wide eyes roamed his colossal frame. When he stopped in front of me, I had to crane my neck to look up at him. He was gorgeous.

“Are you mute? I know humans are prone to many ailments.”

A blazing heat raced through my veins, and my magic skimmed underneath my achy skin. Ready for the command to skin this asshole alive.

“I can speak just fine.” My fists dug into the meat of my thighs. Holding back my magic and my temper since I was a stranger in their land. “I just wasn’t expecting to see someone stalking me while I empty my buckets.”

Ignoring Greyson’s pack member. I grabbed the two buckets that I dropped and made my way past the ogre. I had to leave before I ripped his heart out of his chest. His large hand wrapped around the fleshy meat of my upper arm, halting me before I could reach the dirt path back to the house. My arm jerked involuntarily, but the movement was fruitless, since the bastard’s hand hadn’t even budged.

“I don’t know why my nephew thought bringing a human amongst our people would be good…especially now.”

His dark brown eyes pierced mine as he looked down at me. With his nose sniffing around me, I tried to pull away again, another failed attempt. What’s with these bastards and sniffing?

“There’s something about you…and I will figure it out, human…”

A growl pierced the air before Greyson’s hand grabbed his wrist.

“Leave her alone, Oni!” Greyson’s silvery voice from this morning was gone. The guttural low pitch made Oni release my arm and turn his hard glare on him. “She’s innocent and has nothing to do with the humans in town.”

“She may have fooled you, but I don’t trust ANY humans, nor do I trust her. If she even looks at someone wrong, we’ll have to deal with it.”

Oni didn’t stay around to hear Greyson’s response as he stormed off, muttering, “Some fucking Alpha you are” under his breath. Greyson’s shoulders shook as I stared at his bare back.

“Well, that was a warm welcome from your uncle,” I said, as the pain in my arm subsided.

Greyson’s muscles tensed as I laid my hand on his back. He didn’t know I had become immune to people such as his uncle. To be ridiculed, judged, and picked apart until nothing but a shell remained. One would think I would be familiar with it.

“I’m sorry for my párah…. Sorry for my uncle’s behavior. We’re all on edge because the humans in town are slowly creeping into our territory.”

Greyson grabbed my hand and the moment we touched, fire coursed through my veins, leaving me feverish. My magic bristled with contentment at the small, intimate gesture. He pulled me, with the buckets in his other hand, along the dirt path to the front of his home. With every step, the blood rushed to my clit, leaving me biting a hole into my bottom lip. Not only was I the unwanted “human”, but my body was hyper-conscious of the fact Greyson was within arm’s reach. If I didn’t continue to repeat, “ He is a shifter,” I would have pushed him up against the side of his home and had my way with him.

I need to go home.

When we reached the front of his home, Greyson placed the buckets by the door and tugged me along the dirt path to the center of the village. Most of the pack had either dispersed from the area or lounged around the totem pole, making it easier to get to the massive wood pit. Gray smoke from the extinguished fire filled the air the closer we got to the pit.

Greyson let go of my hand, causing my treacherous magic to protest and stretch inside of me as it tried to reconnect with him. A soft whine slipped out of my mouth, causing me to cover my traitorous mouth. Greyson turned back toward me. A coy smirk graced his face. Smug bastard. My hands squeezed my hips as the urge to run and bury myself in his side became unbearable.

“I’m going to get us something to eat,” he said before he walked to the pit.

An unsettling sensation rippled through me, causing me to unglue my lustful eyes from Greyson’s broad back. Looking around the small gathering area, to my dislike, everyone was staring at me. I was well accustomed to the stares because they went hand in hand with my position. But this was entirely different. The pack couldn’t hide their obvious disdain for me, as disgust had the corners of their mouths pulling down in a frown. All the while, the children pointed and giggled as they hid their mouths behind their tiny hands. This time, the heat that swept throughout my body caused me to pull my hair over my scorching cheeks as I tried my best to hide from their glares.

When he returned, we shared several medium-sized pieces of bread that were left over. We sat—well, I sat in silence as he finished his bread since I had all but shoved my slice down my throat. Licking the remaining salt off my mouth, I eyed the other half of his bread unashamedly.

“Would you like the other half of my bread?” He smiled, and my favorite temptation beckoned me.

My face warmed again, and I think I might die in this village if I kept embarrassing myself.

“I-It’s just?—”

“It’s okay, Hiema. You haven’t eaten in more than a day.” He placed the rest of his bread on my small dish. Cupping my cheek with his hand, I melted into it. “We don’t have a lot here in the village. Honestly, we’re barely making it, but whatever I have is yours.”

“Thank you…for saving me again, and I’m sorry. It just seems like no one wants me here. Look at everyone staring at us.”

“They’re harmless and just afraid that you’re a part of the scheme, but you and I both know that you’re my mate. They’ll come around. My pack has been through a lot and trust is hard to come by, even for me, Hiema.”

“But how can you be sure?” I said as doubt filled my words. “Your uncle hates me as well, and he doesn’t even know me.”

“My uncle is all bark and no bite. He will get to know you, just as I will, and he’ll grow to love you. And even though you may not want to hear it, I love you despite everything, my Hiema.”

“You keep calling me Hiema. What does it mean?”

“It means sun. You’re my mate. My other half. I don’t have a lot, but what I have is yours.”

My heart soared with his declaration, but something in the back of my dark mind nudged at the endearment.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked, sending the memory back into the corner of my mind. Before I could respond, he continued, “How about you give us one day? If you hate us, then I will pack some of this bread for you and help you home?”

Could I abandon my people ? The question ran through my mind as I debated whether to leave or stay for a day or two.

Maybe another day wouldn’t hurt.

It’s been a week since I arrived here in Swiftwater, which I learned after Greyson gave me the grand tour of the village. The Swiftwater tribe resided in the Sacramento woods since their ancestors moved west two thousand years ago. Before the witch’s war, they occupied all the forest areas between the Ordbend and Rancho Llano Seco. My father and the witch’s covens killed their tribes, one by one, throughout North and South America, forcing whoever was left to hide. Honestly, I shouldn’t feel guilty since the war happened a long time ago, and I had had nothing to do with the massacre. That didn’t stop me from shifting when the Pack bought the past up.

One hundred and twenty hours since I had last used my magic, and it pained me.

The only shining light was that I got to spend time with Greyson…not that I would ever admit that to him. He’s already walking around the village with his chest puffed out like he claimed me. It was kind of adorable. He even planned a date in his favorite spot by the river. Greyson had been busy helping with the wood pit that day. I should have known something was up, since he had mentioned his cooking skills were almost nonexistent. Imagine my surprise showing up to the small little dugout with a plain white sheet laid out for us, and a wooden vase with flowers he purchased from the town close by. All the while, the reddish yellow from the setting sun glowed. It was gorgeous and, if I was being honest, the best date I’ve had thus far.

“You did this all by yourself?” I asked incredulously. My brow wrinkled.

His large hand engulfed mine. “Well, I had a little help from Hawk, but this was my plan from the start. I wanted to show you I cared about you.”

My mother always said emotions were for humans because they didn’t have magic to control themselves, but something in Greyson’s words made the hard shell my parents firmly planted splinter at the edges.

“And what if you decided I wasn’t worth the trouble? Would you choose your pack over me? I mean, I would understand. They hate me rightfully so.”

I was fumbling all over myself. My heart was permanently lodged in my throat as it thumped against the tightened walls. Youna! Never in this lifetime would I ever imagine that a shifter could make me forget I was the princess of a powerful witch coven.

“Let’s not think of the negative right now,” he said, brushing off my worries. “This is about you and me. Plus, they just need more time with you. We worked on some of your favorites.”

Biting my lips, I stopped worrying about the what ifs. “I’m sorry, I’m just too worried about the future to see what’s right in front of me.”

Greyson helped me onto the sheet, keeping the ends of my white dress from getting into the mud.

“That’s it, Kay,” he said as he sat down beside me. “Nothing good comes from worrying about things we can’t control. My mother always harped on that.”

“Your mother seems wise.”

“She was,” Greyson replied with a smile, but I saw the sadness lining his eyes. Greyson may have had the same thought as he changed the subject. “How do you like it here so far?”

I wanted to question him about his parents, but decided against it. “It’s…different.”

“Different in a good way or bad?”

“It’s just a major adjustment from my home,” I answered as he turned his attention to the spread before us.

When he lifted the wooden food cover to reveal salmon, succotash, and that amazing fry bread, the aroma plus Greyson’s lemon scent filled the little alcove along with our conversation and our laughter. By the end of the meal, we leaned against one rock that lined the beach. Greyson’s powerful arm was around me as I leaned into him, watching the last of the sun fade away into the night sky. I was content for the moment in peaceful bliss as the little alcove became a temporary shelter from the pack.

“Why don’t you tell me about your parents?”

My smile sagged slightly, but not before I caught myself. “My parents are just typical parents.”

If Greyson noticed I was stalling, he didn’t show it.

“It’s so beautiful out here. I’m jealous that your sunsets beat the ones back in Houston.” I said, shifting his attention as I snuggled into his side.

“Houston?” Greyson said, his eyebrows knitted together.

Instead, I hummed my answer as I cleaned the lone string grass that found its way onto my dress.

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Don’t worry, Kay. You don’t have to tell me anything. You’ll have plenty of these sunsets to take in once we are mated, my Hiema.'

There was something about him calling me his Hiema that sent the pulsating heat to my throbbing clit. I took a chance and turned to kiss him on his lips, but he turned his head, and my mouth landed on the corner of his mouth. Pathetic. Heat blossomed from my chest to my face. Even though I practically threw myself at Greyson, any chance we were alone wasn’t enough. Every night, Greyson and I were pushed up together on that old, tottering twin bed. His body causes mines to short circuit during the middle of the night. Especially when he throws his big, warm arms around me and his third leg conveniently finds its current favorite place, wedged between my cheeks. At those times, I couldn’t help but move my hips up and down his long length until I heard him let out a small groan.

They led to nothing but me falling asleep, feeling just as bothered as when I first arrived. Even when I tried to be suggestive and drop hints about us taking the next step, unsurprisingly, he would get up and run as if the hounds of the underworld were chasing him.

It was frustrating, and I wondered, for the first time in my life, if I were the problem.

Greyson cleared his throat, dragging me out of my head. “I think we should get going. It’s late, and we’ve both had a long day.”

“Of course,” I said dishearteningly. Another torturous night for me. “Greyson, thank you. This was the most thoughtful thing anyone has done for me in a while.”

“You’re welcome, Hiema,” he said, landing another kiss on my temple as we started the short trek back home through the quiet woods.

With Greyson’s head held high and on cloud nine, and my crumbling heart.

Maybe I was just a silly girl .