Chapter Seven

R ose tried as she might to shift back. The last thing she wanted to do in the heat of sparring was shift into the most dangerous animal in her body. But it happened, and everyone was standing still as if she was going to attack them at any moment.

“Hope, Diesel…leave,” Kraven barked. Both of them paused for only a moment before leaving the confines of the training facility. “Get Talon.”

Rose was still herself, but her mind was in a war with her hound. She’d backed into a corner; she didn’t know which one. Her eyes were only on Kraven, and the beast inside her had its eyes trained on the male in the center of the room, standing on a blue mat. He didn’t move…he didn’t blink.

“Rose, if you can hear me, and if your beast will allow, I need you to nod that you understand me.” Kraven was as still as could be, but she saw the worry and concern in his eyes even though they’d completely changed from his normal icy blue to the golden hue of his panther.

With a forced movement, her head moved up and down. Her eyes were narrowed, but she could still see around her. The red hue from the beast didn’t distort anything. It only made things clearer…more pronounced.

“I don’t know what form you just took, but I trust you,” he said, his voice calm. There was no fear in the male who’d taken her under his wing and treated her like a human being.

Within a blink of an eye, she shifted. It was so fast that she moaned when her mouth reformed into her human one. The pain only lasted a second.

“Rose!” Kraven lost his composure as he rushed to her side. He never laid a hand on her to help, but she understood why he didn’t. His sister had informed her about matings.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled as she sat up, her naked body shivering from the rush of adrenaline it took to shift into the beast. “Cold.”

Kraven left her to retrieve a blanket from the closet not ten feet from where they were huddled in the corner.

“Your clothes are shredded,” he announced as he waited for her to cover her body. But not before she noticed his eyes darken from seeing her naked body fully human. The last time he’d seen her in a partial undress, she had the leg of a panther and the arm of a hawk. “We can get you more from the main house. After that, I can take you shopping for whatever you’d like.”

“Shopping?” she asked with her brows dipping low.

“At a store where you can purchase clothes to your liking,” he said with a frown. “Do you not know what a clothing store is?”

“I mean, I do,” she shrugged, “I’ve read about them, but I’ve never seen one with my own eyes. Our clothes were issued to us.”

Kraven cursed under his breath and stood back. “Can you get up on your own?”

“I can,” she sighed, but wasn’t ready to get off the floor just yet. “That form takes a lot out of me. It’s very different than shifting into my other animals.”

Kraven nodded, but she could tell his mind was going a million miles a minute. Before she could go into more detail about her abilities, the alpha wrenched the door to the facility open and stepped inside. His features were just as worried as Kraven’s had been.

“Rose? Kraven? Everything okay?” Talon’s gaze quickly shot around the room as if he were looking for trouble or destruction.

“I’m fine,” she said, tightening the blanket around her body. “I just lost control while sparring and the…beast exploded from me.”

“What beast was it?” Talon asked, pausing when his mate entered the building. He held out his hand for her to halt, but she ignored him and came around her mate with a bundle of clothing in her hands. “Liberty!”

“I’m fine…we’re fine,” she barked at her mate. Once the alpha stopped clenching his jaw, he gave her a short nod to approach Rose. “I had a feeling you would need something to wear.”

“I don’t want you all to be afraid of me,” she choked out, tears building in her eyes. She was a good person, and she hated seeing fear in anyone’s eyes when they looked at her.

“We are not afraid of you,” Kraven scolded, his eyes flashing amber sparks.

“We just don’t know everything about you, honey,” Liberty said, wrapping her arm around Rose’s waist. “Let’s get you changed and cleaned up. Our alpha can talk to you after you’ve had a moment to rest.” Liberty helped her to her feet and guided her to the door leading to the exit, but Rose paused to look back at the alpha.

“I’ll tell you everything I know,” Rose promised and left the room to head into what was the old dorms. Liberty showed her to the bathroom and left her alone to shower and change clothes.

She wanted to keep some of the details of her time at the hospital to herself, but the cat…or dog was out of the bag now. How was she going to explain to them that she had a darkness inside her that she kept repressed? That darkness wasn’t an animal of this world. It was from something much more sinister.

She’d been bred with hellhound DNA, and she didn’t know where it came from…and she’d always been too scared to ask.

“Talon will want to talk to you now,” Liberty advised.

“Am…am I in trouble?” Rose felt a bit of panic racing through her body. All of her animals were pacing just under her skin. Before she had a chance to think about how she would escape, Liberty squeezed her hand.

“He’s just trying to learn more about you. You’re not in trouble.”

Rose trusted Liberty. The females of the pride had been nothing but kind since she had arrived a few days ago. She needed to trust them because, without them, she had nothing else.

And Kraven…she couldn’t bring herself to leave him, but she would if it kept everyone safe from her and her beasts.

They walked together after a few moments back to the training room so she could gather her shoes and pick up her shredded clothes. Thankfully, her shift didn’t destroy the new pair she’d been gifted after she arrived and was checked out by the healers.

“Are the healers going to want to do more tests on me?” Rose wondered aloud.

“No, not right now, but they may ask you to visit with them. Only when you’re ready though,” Liberty whispered, pausing in her walk beside Rose. When she stopped to see why the alpha’s mate had paused, she saw understanding in her eyes.

“What?” Rose asked.

“Look, I was human when I met Talon,” Liberty began. They were only steps away from the main house. “I was scared when I was turned. I had no idea what was happening to my body, and I wasn’t so sure of my panther when I woke up. It scared me, but with the help of the pride, I learned how to control my beast. It took a while, but once I understood everything about it, things got better. I hope the pride can help you, and us, understand everything about your abilities and animals. This is new to us…just as a shifter pride is new to you. Be patient with them. It’ll be okay, and if it’s not, I’ll be by your side.”

“Thank you,” Rose cried. She’d never had a mother, but Liberty was quickly making Rose realize she needed one. It was hard to do, but she held herself together and continued her trek to the alpha’s office.

Kraven wanted to take Rose into his arms the moment she walked into Talon’s office with Liberty at her side, but he knew it wasn’t time to touch her. The sheriff was pulling into the drive, and he’d been advised Talon had called an emergency meeting with the angel. Whatever Rose’s beast was, he prayed to the gods that Garrett would know.

“Have a seat, Rose,” Talon said, pointing to a chair in front of his desk. “The sheriff will be here shortly. He may know about your beast.”

“I hope so,” she whispered, holding back tears.

Kraven could scent her fear, and it made his own beast pace under his skin. He didn’t care for her fear, because it burned his nose and pissed off his panther.

When the door to the office opened and Garrett stepped inside, so many things happened at once.

Garrett stopped dead in his tracks and his nose lifted to the air only seconds before he leveled his glare on Rose. His eyes blared white, casting a bright light into the room. The angel hissed and took a step back as if he’d seen his own death.

Talon yelled the sheriff’s name.

Liberty gasped.

Kraven’s only thought was to protect Rose. In one calculated move, he lunged toward his female, grabbing the back of her chair. She and the chair weighed next to nothing as he spun her around where she was safely behind his back. His panther started to make itself known by the recess to his nose and the sharpness of his canines in his human mouth.

Talon leapt over his desk to grab Liberty for her safety, and as soon as the females were out of harm’s way, the room fell silent.

In another breath, Guardians and Protectors burst into the almost 400 square foot room for protection. Garrett was pinned to the wall by Savage and Kye. Every single one of the Guardians snarled but held back on a fight until Talon gave the order. The Protectors, Hope and Evie, came to Rose’s side right behind Kraven. He felt a bit more at ease with them there to help cover Rose in case the sheriff tried to harm her.

“Why is there a demon here?” Garrett’s voice was deeper, scarier than Kraven had ever heard come from the angel.

“I’m not a demon!” Rose yelled from behind him. When she tried to stand from the chair, Kraven pushed it so it slammed into the wall, hoping she lifted her legs out of the way so he didn’t harm an inch of her body.

“Stay where you are, Rose,” Talon ordered, sending out a calming energy to the Guardians and Protectors in the room. None of them untensed, but they did reverse the shifts of their canines and faces.

Kraven, on the other hand, was honed in on the angel. He obviously knew something they didn’t, but he wasn’t going to move from his protective spot over his female. Not even the pride could move him away from her.

“You better start explaining what the fuck is going on, Garrett,” Talon ordered.

Garrett must’ve known he was outnumbered, or that even with the flashy thing he did, the Guardians holding him would hunt him down if he dared to disappear. Savage was at the male’s throat with his big beefy hand knotted up in his shirt, wrinkling the male’s perfectly pressed police uniform. Kye had his shoulders pinned tight up against the wall.

“If your Guardians would release me, I will explain why I think she is a demon,” Garrett snarled.

Kraven returned a deep-throated growl in warning at the angel. He didn’t care if the angel was a lawman by human rules. Garrett was only using it as a front for his mission here on Earth.

“Let him go,” Talon ordered, pausing while Savage straightened the male’s collar, patting him a little too hard on the chest. “Now, tell me the truth as to why you think Rose is a demon.”

“She is a demon,” Garrett replied, leveling his eyes on Kraven. “And can I assume the Guardian protecting her is her new mate? If so, Kraven, you should know what she really is. My kind hunts those like her.”

“You will not touch her!” Kraven had enough of the angel. The male was barely trusted at the pride, but his reactions to Rose told him Garrett would be a problem.

“I don’t hunt them, but others like me are put here to find them,” Garrett promised, but Kraven wasn’t convinced.

“Why?” Kraven asked.

“Think about it, Guardian,” Garrett scoffed. “Wars, political unrest, child endangerment, trafficking, homelessness. All of it. Demons are responsible for all of the unnatural things that happen on the nightly news that make you want to cry or throw up.”

“I’m not like that!” Rose yelled as she turned herself so she could stand up in the seat Kraven had pinned to the wall. She towered over him now, and while he wanted to push her down so she was out of danger, Kraven calmed his beast. They wanted to hear her out.

“Then what are you?” Garrett asked.

“I’m a MOD,” she sighed like she was tired of repeating herself. “I was born this way.”

“Your hound?” Talon asked, making everyone in the room turn toward Rose like they were confused and wanting answers.

“It’s a hellhound, Talon,” Garrett spat, narrowing his eyes. “They were made to bring sin and chaos…even murder. They don’t discriminate…good, bad. They’ll kill you just for fun. They work with the demons, protecting them so they don’t get caught for the evil they do to humans.”

Kraven stared across the room at the angel. While he wanted to deny what was said, he knew the words Garrett spoke were true. Hellhounds were rare, but they were as true as he’d said.

“Rose is nothing like that,” Hope snarled, stepping to Kraven’s side. “She’s pure and a good female.”

“Rose?” Talon spoke up. “Could you tell us what you know about the hound?” Talon didn’t use the term hellhound, and Kraven was thankful once again to his leader.

“I told you I’d tell you everything I know,” she reminded everyone. “Kraven, let me free, please.”

Kraven didn’t hesitate to let Rose free from her safety point, but he did move his sister to Rose’s side in case she needed to be shielded from the angel. No one knew what Garrett had up his sleeve.

“I was created in a lab; born to a mother I’ve never met.” She paused to swallow her feelings. Kraven wanted to scream at that admission. No one should be without a mother. He knew that all too well after he and Hope had lost theirs.

“Who raised you?” Talon pressed. All of the Guardians were relaxed now. Except for Savage. He was still in Guardian mode as he stood next to the sheriff. Rose’s life depended on the massive male. With a nod of gratitude toward Savage, Kraven focused on the female.

“Nurses and doctors,” she shrugged. “We were fed, clothed, schooled, and trained. That’s all I knew about life until I was taught to read by the instructors. They gave us books, and some of them had families in the stories. I thought it was just a human thing, but now I know it’s not.”

Kraven saw the sadness in her eyes, and as his gaze returned to his alpha, he noticed how Talon’s mate’s eyes misted from unshed tears. As a mother herself, he was sure Rose’s words had struck a chord with Liberty.

“What about your animals?” Talon continued with the questions, never relaxing next to his mate. Kraven’s chest burned with jealousy at how close they were. He dreamed of a time when he would feel like that with Rose next to his side. “What can you shift into?”

“Well, I prefer my hawk and panther, but I have an owl and black bear inside me. They’re dormant most of the time. The hellhound is another story, and I understand why the sheriff recoiled on me. It’s my most dangerous animal, but I don’t have a desire to kill anything or anyone in my path like he thinks.”

“What can the hellhound do?” Kraven asked, not caring if speaking up was against his alpha’s wishes. Everyone needed to know about Rose.

“What you saw was not quite my hound’s size or temperament.” She sighed, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, everyone gasped, taking a step back. Her cornflower blue was replaced with deep, blood red, and she looked around the room, making sure everyone could see her. “I hate this part of me, but if I get overwhelmed or too wrapped up in fighting, this happens. If I were in a scenario where I had to kill or be killed, this hellhound would be much larger than you saw today.”

“How much larger?” Hope asked at her side. Kraven’s sister had taken to Rose and they were quickly becoming friends.

“At least nine feet tall from the top of its head to the ground,” she admitted. “I don’t like that part of who I am. It takes all of my energy, and it’s a rare thing for me to shift like that. So, as you experienced in the training facility, I can calm it just enough to be the size of a big wolf.”

Rose turned her head to look directly at Kraven. He didn’t know what was going to come next, but her eyes were still blood red. Gods, as much as he wanted to hate that part of her, he found it as beautiful as her human self.

“Rose?” She’d been quiet for a moment, and he had to call her name again to bring her back from her thoughts. As soon as she heard his voice, Rose’s eyes returned to her human color.

“I’m not a danger, and I don’t want you to think I’m going to hurt you or your sister… or the pride for that matter.” Rose was obviously ashamed of what she was, but it didn’t matter to Kraven.

“You’re not a danger to us,” he stated. He had to hold himself back from coming to her side to comfort her. Touching Rose wasn’t going to happen in that office, and he had to remind himself they would eventually have their moment to mate. What was happening now was more important. They were talking about her life and everyone’s at the pride. “We just want to know all of the details since your abilities are new to us.”

“I know,” she replied, dropping her gaze to the floor. Once she composed herself, she looked up at the alpha. “What else do you want to know?”

“The man who created you,” Talon began. “Was he creating you for war with the humans? It’s the only thing I’ve come up with since you arrived and told us of your training and upbringing.”

“I really wish I could answer that for you, but I just don’t know,” she promised, placing a hand on her heart. “They kept us prisoners.”

“I need to know everything about your hellhound,” Garrett blurted. “To me, you are an enemy and my job here on Earth is to protect the pride. Your scent tells me you are a threat.”

“I’m not,” she reminded him. “If this is going to be a problem, I will leave and go somewhere else.”

“No, you won’t!” Kraven bellowed, panting as his panther pushed at his skin.

“Kraven, you have to see that according to your angel, I’m still a danger… my hellhound …is a danger to the pride.” Rose’s eyes filled with tears, but they did not fall onto her cheeks. She was as strong as they come, but she needed to know that crying was not a sign of weakness. That was something he would have to work on with her after all of this hellhound nonsense was resolved.

“We can’t protect you out there,” he reminded her. “You can’t be away from an alpha for longer than two weeks…at best. You’ll weaken and die.”

Rose exchanged a look with the alpha and he gave her a short nod. Everyone saw the exchange, and Kraven immediately knew they had their own secret.

“Kraven,” she said with a lump in her throat. “Talon’s blood didn’t do anything to me. I’m not like you and everyone else here. There is no connection.”

“What?” several voices gasped at the same time.

“We found this out when I gave her my blood the day she arrived,” Talon admitted, his voice clear and stern. “I respected her decision to not say anything until she was ready.”

Kraven wasn’t as shocked as the others. Rose was different. He already knew that.

“I shifted after I was hydrated by the healer,” Rose admitted. “I had to shift and it wasn’t because of his blood. I’m sorry I kept it from you. We thought it was for the best.”

“I’m not angry at you,” Kraven admitted. “Whatever you are, we will figure it out, but in the meantime, please don’t keep things from me.”

The room hushed, and Kraven sensed most of the Guardians leaving the room to give them space. When things quieted even more and the door closed silently, he looked over his shoulder to find Talon, Hope, and Garrett on the other side of the room to give them privacy.

“I’ll be honest,” she promised. “I have nothing else and nowhere to go.”

“You will stay with me, and we will get through this,” he vowed.