Chapter 7

Mora

Ashiver runs through my body as the car turns onto a rutted path. It might be August, but it definitely doesn’t feel like it in these mountains.

I hold my breath as we bump over another spot, clenching my jaw as it jars my ribs. It’s been two extremely long days and now it’s nearly two a.m. and we’re nearly to the place I’m supposed to call my new home. I already hate everything about it and can’t wait to escape.

Sammy’s far more accepting of Cole as my supposed mate than I expected he’d be. It’s scary because I honestly think part of him likes Cole, even if they have butted heads more than once the last two days.

A few more ruts have me almost in tears before we make a turn, and the path becomes an actual road. I breathe out, a little moan of pain falling from my throat bringing Cole and Sammy’s attention to me.

“What’s wrong, Mora?” Cole asks first, similar words dying on Sammy’s lips.

“You could have warned us that there wasn’t an actual road back there,” I grouse, holding my middle.

“I’m sorry, my mate. It slipped my mind. We’re used to it, use it as a deterrent for humans coming out this far, and I didn’t think what it might do to you with your injuries. The remainder of the drive though gravel is smoother, I promise.”

“Too little, too late,” I mutter under my breath putting a hint of a smile on Sammy’s face as he hears it while helping to ease another pillow behind me.

My eyes close as I force the pain away, and when the car comes to a stop, I don’t want to get out. Now that we’re here, I know what he’s going to expect, and it’ll never happen. I will never let him close enough to hurt me.

Sammy gets out, stretching while I pull on a thicker sweater, thankful that Mom packed it. He helps me out and I listen to the absolute silence surrounding us. On one hand it was nice, but on the other, I know it means that they can get away with anything. Do whatever they want to their pack members, their mates, without anyone else being aware of it, and that terrifies me.

I don’t argue when Sammy picks me up seeing the hugeness of the packhouse. It has to be at least four if not five stories tall. There’s no way I’d be able to climb however many stairs that’ll be right now. Not after that sorry excuse of a road jarred my body so much.

Not one word slips from me as we begin to move into the house, heading up every flight of stairs to what appears to be a sixth story at the back of the house. The second Cole unlocks a door, moving us into a huge suite, my body tenses, my breath stopping.

“Is this your suite?” Sammy asks him.

“Where else would I put my mate?” he replies completely frustrating me at his nerve.

“Once she’s officially your mate perhaps, but not until then,” Sammy returns, allowing me to breathe again. “She’s still recovering from everything so your pack shouldn’t have an issue with her having her own space for now.”

“Fine,” Cole grumbles, turning back to the door and we go down a story, take a long hallway before going back up to a new story. There’s a short hallway with a single door, and I feel ten times better seeing the fairly empty space we move into after Cole unlocks the door. “This can be for you and your parents when they arrive. Right now, there’s only one bed in here, so Sammy will have to take the couch until we get more furniture, or your parents bring yours with them.”

“Fine by me,” Sammy says, carrying me into the bedroom Cole stops outside of, and I’m a bit surprised that it doesn’t appear to be the master bedroom of the suite.

“This was my beta Adam’s space before he met his now mate. He and his little sister stayed with her pack as his mate’s father was alpha and his daughter his only child. I’ve yet to name a new beta so your family can have the space instead,” Cole explains from the doorway of the bedroom, calming me a bit more that he doesn’t come into the space. “I’ll have Evan bring your bags up. Mora, please get some rest. If you need anything to help you sleep or help with the pain, let me know and I’ll have our healer Teresa come up to see you.”

“I’m fine, just tired,” I lie, wanting to be left alone, and after several long, silent moments, Cole finally leaves, letting me go to the bathroom and slip into the bed before Evan comes to the front door with our bags. Sammy takes them, bringing me mine, and I give him a tight smile letting him head back to the living room to get some sleep. I know I won’t be, but he doesn’t need to know that.

I toss and turn for hours, unable to get settled, feel comfortable even though the bed is soft as feathers, cupping my body with an easy caress. Every hour Sammy comes in, checking on me and I hate that I’m waking him, keeping him from sleeping, but I just can’t stop my mind from racing, questions and fears echoing through my brain that gives me no comfort at all.

“What’s wrong Mora?” Sammy asks softly, kneeling next to the bed, his hand brushing the hair from my face. “Are you in pain? I have the rest of the meds we had at home. You haven’t taken any in days and even though Cole healed part of your injuries, he hasn’t been able to heal the rest and the ride in here was definitely rougher than anything you’ve dealt with since coming home. Well, other than that wolf’s attack.”

“It’s not pain keeping me awake. I just can’t stop wondering if this place is really safe,” I admit, watching his brows lift in sleepy confusion. “I know you’re here but so are how many others?”

“Most that are likely still asleep,” he says but not even that settles me. “Come on, Sis. They don’t even know we’re here. The only ones that do are Evan and Cole, and he’s not going to do something stupid when he’s trying to win your trust.”

“I don’t buy it—his quick change of attitude,” I argue, pulling a sigh from Sammy. “You saw him that day, heard about his reputation even before that. I’ve already seen the real Cole and I want nothing to do with him, but we’re here, under his roof now, and I know no matter what I want, he’s not going to listen to it, to me. He’s going to do what he wants when he wants it. He has a key to get in here whenever he wants after all. How many others do? And if I refuse to be his supposed mate, what are they bound to do?”

“No one is going to lay a hand on you and that includes Cole without your permission. I promise you that. I won’t leave your side until Mom, Dad and the others get here. I do think that Cole could be a good mate if given a chance though, Sis.”

“Yeah right,” I grumble.

“Is he rough around the edges, cold, hard? Yeah, but the one thing I truly think he’s sincere about is making sure you’re safe and also that you’re not in pain, not hurting. I’ve watched him the last two days when you’ve ignored him and all he wants is your attention, Mora. When you’ve actually spoken more than just a yes or no to him in a single sentence, let alone when you actually turned your attention to him, he’s melted. From everything I’ve seen of him the last two days, when it comes to being a mate, he’s shown the right combination. He’s strong where it counts with his determination to keep you safe, but also soft when it comes to you. You’re not a wolf so you don’t know how hard it is to turn away from the fight, but he did that with Dad for you. Because neither he nor his wolf could do anything that would hurt you more, so give him a chance, okay? He might not be anything you’ve ever wanted in a mate—man,” Sammy adds when I roll my eyes at him, “but he was created for you and you for him. Trust that the stars and the Mother knew what they were doing when they made the two of you mates.”

“We’re not mates,” I fume, letting out a long huff. “I feel absolutely nothing for him but disdain and irritation that he won’t just let me go, let us leave. I’m never going to accept him as anything to me, Sammy.”

“Then for tonight, at least get some sleep. You need it, Sis. You won’t finish healing without it and until you’re fully healed, he’s not going to accept that you don’t want him as your mate. That you don’t feel anything for him. So the faster you heal, the faster we can get this all handled. And I promise, no matter what Dad might think or say, if you still feel this way when you’re better, if you still have no pull towards Cole, I will take you away from here myself, okay? I’ll never let anyone force you to be their mate if you really don’t want it.”

“Promise?” I say, holding his hand and gaze as he slips onto the edge of the bed with me.

“I promise on my life, my wolf, I will never let anyone force you to be their mate. Not even the great Cole Arthurian,” Sammy says, and I let out a soft sigh, my eyes closing.

I drift off into a light nap, half waking when Sammy slips off the bed, covering me, but I don’t bring his attention to it. I’m not the only one that needs sleep—even if I can’t really find it myself. Sammy can’t protect me if he’s exhausted though, and I let him head back to the couch, and his soft snoring starts telling me he’s far more comfortable than I’ll ever be here.

A chill runs through my body even though I’m covered with a fluffy comforter, and I let out a soft sigh, turning over once more.

I cat-nap but each sound pulls me awake again, so by the time it’s nine-thirty, I’m more exhausted than ever. Tears fill my eyes thanks to the exhaustion and the pain in my ribs every time I attempt to move.

A soft knock on the door pulls Sammy out of his sleep and I can hear him hurry to the door before another knock can sound on it.

“Cole,” he says, his voice full of sleep and I hate that I kept him up all night.

“Sorry, I didn’t think I’d wake you,” Cole states, their voices traveling through the walls with ease, which is surprising since shifters are supposed to have such good hearing. “Even with the late night you seemed to be the get up early type.”

“I normally am but Mora had a rough night. She didn’t even fall asleep until about six this morning.”

“Why? Is she hurting? I should have had the healer come check her last night when we got here,” Cole states and I bite my tongue to keep from scoffing. He’s not concerned about my welfare. He’s concerned about when he can claim me and really own me, I’m sure.

“It was more about us being here…in the packhouse than anything else,” Sammy says pulling a sound from Cole I don’t fully understand. Surprise, shock, or disbelief perhaps. “You’ve got to understand where she’s coming from man. We never lived in the packhouse back home. From the day Dad brought Mom and Mora home, they were in our house. Thomas didn’t want a human child in the packhouse, so he had the house prepared just for them. We’ve never been surrounded by pack members, never had a place where others had the keys for it. Not to mention that the last time Mora was around a group of shifters was her graduation day, Cole. Since the attack, she’s only seen the healers at the hospital, a couple of nurses, and us. This is a complete change for her all on top of the fact that the last time she was near a large group of shifters, she almost died, which was only compounded by the attack where she was hurt again. I know you’re anxious to see her, but right now she just needs to sleep.”

“I see,” Cole says, his tone tighter than before and that alone tells me I was right. He’s not concerned about me at all, just with what he wants, and it makes me hate him more. “I brought over a thicker blanket for her to use. I’m sure she’ll find the house cooler than what she’s used to and for us it isn’t a bother, but I don’t want her to be cold. This suite doesn’t get as much sunlight in the morning, so it’ll take longer to warm up.”

“I’ll give it to her,” Sammy states and I relax a bit more into the bed hearing footsteps fading down the hallway.

I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep when the door for the room opens, and Sammy comes in. He drops a kiss onto the top of my head before spreading the blanket out over me and I fight to control a soft moan of comfort as it warms me almost instantly.

“Sleep Sis, you’re safe,” Sammy whispers to me before shutting the door once more and I curl up under the blanket more.

There’s a warm, woodsy scent to the blanket and I ball my fist in it, bringing it up to my face, inhaling it with a smile on my lips. It reminds me of the morning dawn in the woods and I slip into a deep, true sleep in minutes, as my mind latches onto happy memories of watching the sunrise.