Chapter 7 - Iris

I still remember the way we first met. I'd been wandering through the woods on my own after having snuck out of the house. I'd needed a break from my family and the only way for me to do that was in secret. Otherwise, I was under their thumb all the time.

As I walked, I got the strange sensation that someone was watching me, only I attributed it to my being paranoid. It wouldn't have been the first time I got weird, intuitive feelings like that. And I was in the forest, after all, where I'd always been told horror stories about the wolf-men lurking in the shadows, ready to snatch you the instant you were alone. But going into the woods was my only option if I wanted to get any sort of respite.

So I ignored it, instead just enjoying my hike, going slowly so as to watch and listen for nature. The rustle of leaves as a mouse darted across my path, the crash of a deer through the brush, never hearing anything out of the ordinary.

Eventually, though, my stomach growled and my mouth went dry. A bush filled with berries was just up ahead, and I hurried over.

I was just about to put one in my mouth when a voice behind me said, "Don't eat that."

Startled, the berries fell from my hand as I spun around, thoughts of those old stories racing through my head. But what I saw was a gorgeous, muscular man. He was about my age, maybe a little older, but he seemed to tower above me. Every inch of his body looked perfectly sculpted, and his red hair seemed to go all over the place. When it caught in the dappled light, it looked as though it were on fire.

"Who are you?" I asked. It was all I could think to say. I knew all of the men in the village, and absolutely none of them compared to the Adonis in front of me. My heart thundered even as I drank him in.

"Alek," he said.

"You're, um…" My mouth was dry. "Not from around here."

"No," he said, taking a step closer. "I moved nearby recently and happened to be exploring. It's a good thing I did, too." He was a half step in front of me, close enough for me to see every individual eyelash as he looked down at me. Then he bent, picking up the berries. "These are harmless to touch but deadly to eat. If you'd had any, you'd've been dead in less than five minutes."

He threw them so far into the woods that I couldn't even hear them hit the leaves covering the ground.

"I thought they were blackberries," I said, still unable to take my eyes off his face.

He shrugged. "Common mistake. Just glad I was here to help."

"Thanks."

"You can thank me by giving me your name," he said.

"Iris."

"Do you live nearby?" he asked.

"A village not far from here," I said. "I should probably get back…" But the words sounded feeble, even to my own ears. I didn't want to leave this mysterious man. I wanted to stay, to learn more about him. I was a virgin, but I wondered what his mouth would feel pressed against mine, what it would be like to feel rough bark against my back as he pushed me against the nearest tree."

"Sure, you can't stick around a bit longer?" he asked. "It's a gorgeous day, and it would be a shame to finish my hike alone."

"I…all right." Color rose to my cheeks.

Grinning, he jerked his head. "Come on. I know a place with a great view not far from here."

And so we spent the rest of the day together, hiking and laughing. I was shocked at how easy it was for me to talk to him. Easier than it had been with Jason or Dad. There was something about Alek that made it impossible not to enjoy myself.

Time melted away, and it wasn't until I saw the red gold of sunset spread across the sky that I checked my watch and panic struck. Shit. I'd lost track of time. I needed to get back before Dad or Jason found out. I'd probably need to swing by the store and buy something as an excuse.

"I've got to go," I said.

"Can I walk you back?"

"No," I said, a little too hastily. If Dad and Jason got wind that I'd been spending time in the woods with a stranger, there'd be hell to pay. "No, thanks, though. It was nice meeting you."

His hand grabbed my arm before I could leave.

"Can I see you again?"

There was only the briefest hesitation. If Dad or Jason found out, they'd kill me. But there was a pull to this man that I didn't think possible. I didn't want to lose him. Not after just meeting him.

"There's a clearing not far from here," I said. "With an oak tree in the middle. The only one in the area."

He nodded. "I know it."

"Can you be there in two days? Noon?"

He nodded, eyes not leaving mine. "I wouldn't miss it."

And that was the start of a six month whirlwind relationship. Until it suddenly ended.

***

I paced back and forth, letting my mind wander, trying to think of anything other than the fact that I was bored.

It wasn't that there wasn't stuff to do here. The internet was great, and Alek's TV was massive. But you could only do that for so long before you were chomping at the bit. I wanted to go out, either go wander on a hike to explore the nearby areas, or just anything that involved me being outside.

But I didn't want to go alone. The idea of running into a shifter without Alek was enough to keep me in the house. Still, cabin fever was a real thing, and I was definitely succumbing to it.

Alek walked down the stairs, toweling off his hair. It was impossible not to notice he was shirtless, and my heart thudded traitorously as my eyes traced the lines of his perfectly sculpted abs, the biceps that looked as though they belonged to a Greek god. The towel wrapped around his waist left little to the imagination, and I wondered what it would be like if I yanked the towel off and—

Knock it off, I chided myself. Right now, things were too complicated. I didn't want to add physical attraction to the list of things muddying the waters.

"Hey," he said. "How are you doing?"

I was going to say I was fine, but instead, I blurted out, "Not great."

Alek paused, towel still held to his hair. He lowered it. "What's wrong?" he asked, coming closer, tilting his head in concern.

"I'm just bored," I admitted.

Alek gave me a sympathetic look, walking toward me and placing his hand on my shoulder. I thought I would recoil or flinch at his touch after all the anxiety and fear that had been plaguing me. Instead, I leaned into the touch, taking solace in the gesture.

"I get it," he said. "I know it's been a lot, and I know you haven't gotten the chance to see or do anything."

"Yeah," I said. "But I don't know what I would even do. It's not like I want to go into a shifter town." The word "shifter" still felt strange on my tongue. "So I feel stuck. Just a hike would be nice."

Alek nodded and studied me, his face solemn. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can imagine that would be frustrating. I actually have an idea to help with that. I was coming down to suggest it."

I straightened, eyes lighting up. "Really?"

He nodded. "There are some people I want you to meet."

I froze, my breath catching. Images of hungry wolves, waiting to pounce, washed over me in a tidal wave.

He must have seen my expression because he gave a reassuring smile. "Relax," he said. "You'll like them. It's impossible not to like them. They'll force you to like them before it's all over."

"But they're…like you?" I asked.

"They're shifters," he admitted. "But not like Dan."

My mind raced, eyes darting around as I tried to think of what to say, looking at anything but him. The idea of meeting other shifters scared the shit out of me.

Then, an image washed over me, a group of laughing women. They were faceless, but there was something soothing about the image. And I suddenly got the sense that the people Alek wanted me to meet weren't going to harm me. In fact, I felt the same sense of safety that I always had from Alek.

There was no reason for me to think that, but I'd had such weird strikes of intuition before, and they'd always turned out right. The sense of happiness and relaxation I got from that strange image was enough to calm me down. Whoever Alek wanted me to meet was safe. They wouldn't harm me. And the thought of meeting new people was comforting.

"Okay," I finally said.

Alek blinked, surprise evident on his face. It was honestly a little adorable, and I couldn't hold back an amused smirk.

"Really?" he asked. When I nodded, he said, "Okay. I have no idea what I said because I definitely didn't expect it to work, but fantastic."

"Why don't you throw on some clothes so we can get going before I change my mind?" I said.

He tilted his head, a smirk playing on his face, eyes sparkling wickedly. "What? You don't like me shirtless?" he teased.

"That has nothing to do with it," I said, color rushing across my face.

Alek chuckled. "I get it. You don't want other women to see."

The blush deepened. "Just…get dressed."

Alek cackled, then gave an exaggerated bow. "As my lady commands."

***

We arrived at a cute house tucked in the woods. Seconds after Alek rang the doorbell, a blond woman opened the door.

"Hi!" the blond woman said, beaming. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Jenn."

She stuck out her hand, and after a moment's hesitation, I shook it. At first, I thought it might be another human, but another look told me otherwise. Now that I knew what to look for, I could see the wolfishness in the eyes and around the mouth. She was a shifter.

I didn't have time to panic or even consider running when a toddler poked her head out from around Jenn's legs. She looked up at me and waved her tiny little hand. Her blond hair and the shape of her eyes were enough to tell me she was Jenn's daughter.

"This is Abby." Jenn patted Abby on the head. "Don't let the shyness fool you. She's a handful."

Abby ran back into the house without saying anything. Jenn smiled fondly after her—the perfect picture of maternal affection—then turned back to me.

"Come on," she said, gesturing for us to enter. "Theo is over for a playdate, so us girls are having some much-needed RR."

Alek snorted. "Don't you mean wine?"

Jenn blinked innocently at him, grinning slyly. "How else do you expect us to rest and relax?" she asked. "Dad's here, too, by the way."

Alek stiffened. "Really?" he asked. His eyes darted over to me, then back. "I mean, he knew we were coming over, right?"

Jenn rolled her eyes. "You try telling Dad not to come visit his granddaughter. I tried to explain, but he just said he'd stay in the corner."

Alek sighed, shaking his head, then shrugged as he glanced at me. "Jenn's dad is my old boss," he explained. "He's a good guy. Just a bit too doting on his granddaughter sometimes."

"You don't know the half of it," Jenn complained. "He's completely ruined any rules I've tried to impose about no treats until after dinner. And he's already talking about teaching her martial arts. But I'm being a terrible host. Come on and meet the girls."

The house was massive, larger than our house in the village, but cozy and warm. Pictures lined the walls, and the smell of freshly baked cookies permeated the air and made my stomach growl. It was a quintessentially happy home, about as far from where I'd grown up as possible.

Laughing women and happy chatter came from the left, where Jenn led us into the living room. A large group of six other women were sitting around, talking animatedly while Abby and another kid about her age were playing in the corner, over the watchful eye of a large shifter, his salt-and-pepper hair glinting in the light as he smiled warmly at the two kids.

"Girls, this is Iris," Jenn said.

The girls all fell silent and turned to look at me, an unsettling silence as they all regarded her. One was strawberry blond, another a petite dark-haired woman, another with brilliant red hair, another a curvy woman with light brown hair, and, finally, one with dark eyes and dark, wavy hair. "Iris, this is Georgia, Freya, Evelyn, Andi, and Stella."

As they all considered me, an uncomfortable prickling sensation washed over me. I wasn't sure if it was because I felt like they were judging me or if part of me expected them to eat me.

I took an unconscious step closer to Alek, and his hand went to my back. But a moment later, all the women gave me warm, friendly smiles, and that initial prickling of unease washed away.

"So nice to meet you," Evelyn said. The other girls murmured their agreement. If they knew about how I'd shown up at Alek's house, none of them mentioned it.

"Wine?" Georgia held up a bottle of white.

"That sounds nice, thanks." I reached out and took the stemmed glass, forcing myself to hold it loosely instead of white-knuckling it. I wondered how good their hearing was, whether they could hear my pounding heart or my pulse. I wondered if it was true that they could smell fear.

But they were just smiling. Not in the "I'm going to eat you" type of way, but in the "we've accepted you into our friend group immediately" way.

"Come on, sit down," Jenn urged me, motioning to an empty chair.

I was about to do just that when the male in the corner coughed as he adjusted his seat, watching me.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jenn said. "Iris, this is my dad—"

"Malcolm, right?" I said without thinking.

A surprised hush washed over the group, and heat flooded my cheeks. I knew without having to look in a mirror that I'd turned beet red. Malcolm blinked, glancing over to Alek, who looked just as bemused. He turned back toward me, leaning forward and steepling his fingers.

"Now, how did you know that?" he asked conversationally. He regarded me intently, with an interest that seemed unwarranted for simply knowing his name.

I blinked, frowning. How had I known it? "I guess Alek must have told me at some point?" I said, not sounding particularly convincing.

Alek shook his head. "I didn't."

My face turned even redder. God, it had happened again.

I'd always been considered a bit off growing up. It was one of the reasons my brother and dad treated me like garbage. It had been little things like this, being a good guesser or getting déjà vu fairly regularly, like what had happened when I'd arrived at Alek's house. I could have sworn I'd been there before, even though I knew I hadn't.

"I'm just good at guessing names," I muttered, shifting back and forth.

"Really?" Malcolm tilted his head, studying me with keen but polite interest. In that gaze, I saw the general he used to be, always assessing and calculating everything, needing to be two steps ahead of his opponents.

Did that mean I was his opponent now?

"What else are you good at guessing?" he asked.

It was such a bizarre question that I wasn't entirely sure how to answer. I opened my mouth, then closed it. I glanced over at Alek, who returned a bemused look and shrugged.

"Dad, stop freaking her out," Jenn scolded. "She's scared enough as it is."

"Sorry," I said. "It's nothing to do with you guys. You all seem lovely. It's just—"

"Just that your town or village or wherever you're from is terrified of shifters and shoved a lot of propaganda down your throat?" Evelyn, the redhead, finished for me, eyebrows raising. The girls laughed.

"That about sums it up, yeah," I admitted.

"Don't worry," Jenn said. "Us shifters only eat men—there's a reason we're called ‘man-eaters.'" She winked at me, and the girls cackled. Even I couldn't help but laugh.

"If you need the directions to my dad and brother's place, I'd be more than happy to point you in the right direction," I blurted, then winced.

"They sound like lovely people," Georgia said, "but you don't have anything to worry about with us."

Weirdly, I believed her. I believed all of them. There was something about them that put me at ease. It wasn't that they were lulling me into a false sense of security, either. They just seemed like they genuinely cared, and their open personalities made it easy to open up to them.

"Thanks," I said. "Not gonna lie, I don't exactly miss them."

"So they have no idea where you are?" Jenn asked.

I frowned, furrowing my brow. "I don't know, but I don't think so. I'm pretty sure they're looking for me, though."

"Any reason why?" Malcolm's voice made me jump. He was still staring at me with interest, eyes glittering.

"I don't know," I said, my skin prickling. "I just do."

And it was true. Deep down, I could almost sense my brother and father looking for me, trudging through the woods, trying to track me but finding nothing to go off, swearing when they finally admitted they'd lost the trail. Though, I had no idea why. There was no reason for them to show me any interest whatsoever. They'd treated me like garbage for years. They wouldn't come hunting after me. They were probably glad to be rid of me.

But no matter how much I told myself that, I knew it wasn't true.

I glanced over at Malcolm, who was looking at Alek instead of me. I took a generous sip of wine, letting the sense of unease fade away into the distance.

The next couple of hours went by surprisingly fast. Malcolm kept to himself, entertaining Abby and talking to Alek. For his part, Alek had tried to step back, letting me spend time with the girls without breathing down my neck.

And the more I talked to them, the more I liked the girls. They were nothing like the horror stories I'd been taught to believe, and they didn't treat me like a freak or like I was odd or different. They treated me like one of their own. And it was nice, getting to talk to a group of women. I hadn't really had friends back in the village, and being around these women made me realize exactly what I'd been missing, thanks to my family.

Sooner than expected, and sooner than I would have liked, reds and golds crept into the sky as the sun began to set. Everyone started going their separate ways, including me and Alek.

As we went to the door, Jenn swept me up into a bear hug. "It was so nice to meet you!" she said. "You're welcome to come back any time you like. Don't be a stranger."

"I won't be," I said a little awkwardly, unsure how to react to such effusive friendliness. "Thanks for having me over."

After another hug, Alek and I finally left the house and walked into the warm summer night.

"So, what did you think of them?" Alek asked as we walked back toward his house.

"It was nice," I said. Then, without really thinking, "Malcolm was a little weird, though."

Alek's brow furrowed. "Yeah, I'm not sure what was going on with him. He's normally pretty chill. Retirement and becoming a grandfather have mellowed him out a lot. He's still an intense guy at times, but I don't think I've seen him act that way in a few years. No idea what was going through his head."

"Just as long as it wasn't how tasty a snack I'd make," I said, only half-joking.

Alek's arm went to my shoulder. I stiffened slightly, then leaned into him, letting his warmth soothe some of that unease.

"You don't have to worry about that," he said. "None of us are like that."

Dan is, I thought, but I bit my tongue. Today had been weird enough as it was. I didn't want to bring up the other shifter. But I couldn't forget the way he'd lunged toward me. I was fairly certain that if Alek hadn't been there, he would have attacked me.

"How do you know them?" I asked.

"Jenn's my best friend's mate," he said. "Well, all of them are my friends' mates, except for Freya."

Mate. There was something weirdly primal about the word. It should have terrified me, just another example of what the wolfish world I'd been dragged into was like. But I wasn't afraid. That terror that always seemed to creep up on me was nowhere to be found.

"All of your friends," I said, "they're ex-spec-ops, too?"

Alek paused, glancing down at me, his brow furrowed. "I told you I was spec-ops?"

"Yeah," I said, but my brow furrowed as I tried to remember when he had told me that. He must have at some point. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known Malcolm used to be in the military.

"Huh," Alek said. "Anyway, yeah. All of them except Dan."

He must have felt the stiffness in my shoulders when he said the name because he gave a soft sigh. "You don't need to worry about him, either," he promised.

I gave a small smile. But something in the back of my mind, some strong intuition, told me that Alek was wrong. Whatever Dan's issue was with me, I had the sinking suspicion that we hadn't seen the last of him.

I hoped I was wrong.