Chapter 16

T oday is going to be full of meetings and me repeating myself for what feels like the hundredth time. Alpha Mortlock needs me to tell him what happened, and the other alphas have called a meeting. I'm surprised I was left alone yesterday evening anyway, given the seriousness of what happened. I found out at breakfast that the alpha had ordered I be left in peace last night, although this had caused a strain with the other shifter packs, since everyone wanted answers and were not prepared to wait. I'm filled with gratitude that Alpha Mortlock allowed me those hours to come to terms with what I did and what we saw. I think he allowed that time for Alex and Seb too, we all needed to be together last night. Apparently, Killian went a little crazy when he saw me covered in blood, not realising it wasn't mine, and had to spend some time in his wolf form to blow off steam.

I sit on the edge of the bed and try to tame my hair, the brush catching on the tangles and causing me to snarl at my appearance in the mirror. Seb is just walking out of the bathroom, a towel tied around his waist, and he pauses when he sees me struggling with the brush.

"Let me," he says softly, and he climbs onto the bed behind me, taking the brush and working gently through my hair. The movements are soothing, and I close my eyes as he works, enjoying his soft touch. "Perfect," he announces, and I open my eyes and smile up at him.

"Thank you."

There is a knock at the door downstairs, and I hear someone open it. Thanks to my supernatural hearing, I can hear the quiet greetings and the guests being led into the living room, so I know Alpha Mortlock, Isa, and Alex are downstairs. I knew this meeting was coming. Alex had warned me this morning that he would have to speak with Alpha Mortlock and that the other packs would need to know about what I saw. It affected us all, so it was only fair that we shared the information. The question was, how much is the alpha going to tell the other packs? The reason Shadow Pack is after me is because of my Shadowborn abilities, so do I reveal this to the shifter community? On a separate, selfish level, I'm also dreading admitting to the others downstairs what I am capable of, that I killed someone last night.

With a sigh, I push up from the edge of the bed and make my way downstairs, Seb following behind me. No point putting this off. As I walk into the room, I see everyone is here, Eric included, all except Garett, who's with his pack, explaining what happened to his alpha. Tori sits on one of the sofas and pats the seat next to her when she sees me.

"Good morning, Alpha Mortlock, Alex, Isa," I greet them and give a slight nod of my head before sitting next to Tori, who's smiling as she immediately wraps her arms around me. She stayed here in one of the spare rooms last night, wanting to be close to me. Her magic had been drained from calling the hellhounds, so I felt better knowing she was here, recovering. I pull away from her quickly when I remember her injuries, guilt running through that I could've forgotten.

"Is your arm okay?" I ask, pulling at her jumper to try and see the skin on her shoulder, but she laughs and bats my hands away.

"I'm fine, I used a healing spell when we got here," she tells me, and then matches my expression and boops me on the nose when she sees my frown. "No. Stop feeling guilty. You had your own issues going on. You don't have to be super Ari, saving everyone. You have to focus on you sometimes." I roll my eyes at her lecture, having heard it a hundred times before, and I know she's right.

"Ari," the alpha calls, and my gaze immediately goes to him. He's smiling at the two of us, and his expression looks apologetic, like he's sorry he has to break up our conversation, but I understand this is important. "Can you tell me what happened yesterday?" he requests, and the room goes quiet as everyone turns their attention to me.

"As you know, Tori and I went to look at the most recent disappearance scene yesterday." Nods fill the room and I glance at Tori to see if she's okay with me speaking of her involvement. She nods, so I continue. "Tori used her magic to find the scene and identify what magic is being used. We found runes to capture a shifter and keep them silent and invisible. Tori didn't recognise some of the runes and is going to look into them. When we were there, I felt someone watching us, and when I turned around, I saw someone from ASP staring at me. It was the same agent from before." There are growls and hisses of anger in the room, which causes me to stop. Killian is pacing up and down the room, his fists clenching and unclenching the whole time. Alex and the alpha are sharing a significant look, and Isa stays silent, but her expression is grim. Eric stays silent in the corner of the room, his gaze not leaving me, while Seb's upper lip is pulled back in a snarl. It's his reaction that surprises me the most. In a room full of dominant shifters, he would normally be quiet and subservient, but he looks like he's struggling to control his wolf. I glance at Mortlock and notice that he has seen the same thing I have. He meets my gaze and nods for me to continue.

"He left when he saw me looking at him. Tori and I then went to get some food, and on our way to the restaurant, Tori felt someone using magic, a lot of it. We followed it and found someone, a shifter, trapped in a ring of runes, pinned to the ground." I continue to describe the three robed people in the ring with him, how we couldn't hear and touch them past the runes. When I mention that Terrance was in the circle, I'm met with more snarls and growls. Even Eric looks affected by this piece of information, his expression becoming dark and his eyes turning black as unnatural power starts to emit from his corner of the room.

"Enough!" Alpha Mortlock commands, his power filling the room and grabbing the attention of the snarling males. "Ari is safe, she's here with us. We need to know the facts, so if you can't control yourself, then leave." He looks around the room, meeting the eyes of each of the guys, particularly Seb, who I notice is nodding his head in acknowledgement. "Ari, can you continue please?"

"Terrance tried to get me to fight him. The magic user in the circle started attacking Tori, so she was working on getting through the runes. I used my shadow powers to ghost past Terrance, and it worked, but when I tried to reappear behind him, someone walked into my path as I was reappearing, and I couldn't stop it." My voice goes quiet as I explain, until I finish and drop my eyes in shame, waiting for the judgement to come my way.

"You exploded a man with your power?" Isa's strong German accent greets me, and I look up to meet her usually stoic face, which is graced with a small smile. "I've met a few men that I have wanted to make explode in my time."

I snort out a laugh, unable to hold it back in my surprise, and Tori giggles beside me. The tension in the room has been broken, and for some reason, my eyes are drawn towards Eric, who has an understanding look on his face. I can tell there's something he wants to say to me, but not with everyone around.

"So what happens next? I assume we need to let the other alphas know?" I turn to address the alpha directly, since it will be his decision as to what we do next. Mortlock leans back in his seat and nods at me with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I've already told them a little of what we know. They wanted to speak with you, but I told them you needed to heal after the attack. I've told them nothing of your Shadowborn abilities, and I'll leave it up to you what you say." My heart warms at the alpha's words, and he must see the surprise in my expression, because he frowns and gestures towards me. "Did you think I was going to make you reveal yourself? I won't ever force you to do that unless the safety of the pack depends on it, and even then, I would consult with you first. This is your decision, and I know it's not official, but you are part of this pack now, whether you admit it or not," he finishes with a little smile, and I have to fight the tears that threaten to fall. I nod at his words, not trusting my voice. Tori squeezes my hand, and I turn to her with a smile. She knows how difficult it is for me to open up to others and accept people into my life, so she understands this is a big moment for me.

"We have something else you need to know." Alex's tone is guarded, so I know it's not good news. I look over and see both the alpha and beta are frowning, as if they don't want to tell me. "The shifter that was taken was found dead this morning, just outside of their pack's boundaries. The words ‘See you soon' were carved into his back. We think they were aimed at you."

My vision spins, and my ears start to ring. I need to get some fresh air, so I get to my feet, it feels like the walls are closing in on me.

"Ari?" someone calls, but I'm so focused on getting out of the room that I don't register who it is.

"Give her a moment, she needs some air," a deep voice answers.

I hurry out of the room, blindly pushing at the front door before falling to my knees in the grass outside the house. I'm going to vomit. I lean forward and retch, my breakfast threatening to make a reappearance. Images of the shifter we were unable to save keep floating in my head, him mouthing the words help me over and over again. I groan, bringing my hands to my head as I take deep breaths. After a few minutes, the feeling of nausea starts to recede, and I realise someone is sitting with me, not touching, but close enough that if I were to reach back, our hands would be touching. I should have realised from the humming in my chest that it was Killian.

"I know what it's like to feel responsible for the death of others." His voice is deeper than usual as he remembers his pack and the fate that befell them. I turn to see him sitting on the steps leading up to the porch, looking off at the trees that border the house, but I can tell he isn't really seeing them. I reach out and take hold of his hand, knowing his guilt will always be a burden he carries around with him. He didn't kill his wolves, but he trusted someone who betrayed them, resulting in all but Killian dying, his mate included. He blows out a deep breath and turns to meet my gaze. I'm hit by the agony I can see in his eyes, and I crawl forward until our foreheads are pressed together. We don't always agree and we fight like cats and dogs, but Killian understands the dark part of me I fight with and the guilt I carry with me.

"None of it's your fault. Not that he walked into you reappearing, and not the shifter they killed."

"But if I'd told you guys the details sooner, we might have been able to find him, to save him!"

"The moment he was captured, his hours were numbered, you know that. The actions of the Shadow Pack, and whoever is working with them, are not your fault, nor your sole responsibility." I look away as he speaks, but he gently pulls my face back to look at him "You're part of the pack, even if we have to leave and create our very own pack with the seven of us."

"Seven?" I ask, confused. Had I adopted more people to my rapidly growing harem?

"You, me, Garett, Alex, Seb, Eric, and Tori." I blink at him in surprise, and he smiles at my expression, chuckling slightly.

"You included Eric and Tori?" I thought he hated Eric, since he ignored him all the time, often refusing to even acknowledge his presence in the room.

"Well, Eric is just as much a part of this as I am. Fate is bringing us together for some reason, we just need to figure out what." His expression has adopted his typical scowl, and his voice is resigned. There's the Killian I know and love. "And Tori is part of your family, so she's part of ours."

"You would accept a witch into our pack for me?" I stumble over the words our pack as I ask the question, gobsmacked he would do that for me. I don't want to focus on the fact that he's offering to start our own pack just yet. I'm not ready to think about that, but the fact that he has thought about it warms my heart.

"You don't get it, do you?" he questions, his voice teasing as he pushes to his feet and reaches his hand down to help me up. Standing, I look up at him, the confusion must be evident in my face as he just smiles and presses a kiss to my lips. It's not the searing, possessive kiss I'm used to from Killian, but a sweet peck on the lips that leaves me wanting more. He just smirks and walks back into the house. Bastard.

"What don't I get?" I call after him, but he ignores me and walks back into the main room. I'm about to follow after him and demand he answers me when Eric walks through the door with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. His stunning blue eyes are kind and show empathy as he walks towards me.

"You've had a tough couple of days, I thought you could use this." He hands me the coffee, and I smile at him gratefully. I'm still not sure how he fits in with everything here, but I can't deny the pull I feel towards him. It's different than the feelings I have for the other guys. It's more like I need to be near him. With the true mated pair bond with Killian, it's a constant tugging sensation when we're apart, like he has a part of me and has taken it with him, making being apart difficult. Whereas with Eric, it's more like being with him soothes a part of me, being together just feels right .

I bring the mug to my lips and inhale the comforting smell of coffee, blowing on it before taking a drink. It's too hot to drink really, but I can't help but take small sips.

"Thank you. How are you?" I ask, feeling ashamed that I haven't been asking that much lately, in fact, I've barely had the chance to talk to him since that day in the coffee shop, and guilt fills me. He smiles and gestures towards the house.

"I'm about to have a visit from a patient, I believe you know them already, do you want to assist me? I imagine you miss being hands on with your patients," he offers, and a smile lights my face. I do miss seeing my patients.

"I would like that." He nods at me with a smile, and we walk together into the house and through the corridor to the rooms in the back, which act as a medical practice. There are two examination rooms, as well as a room with a set of beds, acting as a small ward should we need it. Thankfully, since I've been here, we only needed to use that room once after the attack on the pack, and luckily, the injuries were only minor and we used it as a waiting room. Following Eric into one of the rooms, I'm surprised to see my name has been painted on the other door to the room I use as my consultation room. Sneaky buggers, I haven't agreed to stay here, but they have obviously decided that I will be. I smile and shake my head. Eric gestures for me to take the seat behind the desk as he moves around the room, getting it ready to see his first patient, before washing his hands in the sink.

"To answer your earlier question, I'm okay. Better since I moved in here and I can be close to you. But it's difficult not being able to feed." He meets my eyes, and I know what he's saying. I haven't accepted the bond with him, not yet. I struggled with the idea of Killian as my mate, and now Eric is supposed to be my fated mate too? It's a lot to comprehend. He hasn't once tried to make me feel guilty or force the bond on me though, which I appreciate, but I know we'll need to have this conversation sooner or later. I put my coffee mug down with a sigh and walk over to him, placing my hand on his arm.

However, as soon as I touch him, he gasps like he's in pain, his face twisting as he falls towards me. I reach out to try and catch him, but he knocks into me and we both fall to the ground. Pain flashes through my head when my skull smashes into the counter on the way down. Eric lands on top of me, his heavy weight pinning me to the ground. Usually, I would be strong enough to move him off me, but the whack to my head has my vision doubling. For the second time in the last hour, I feel like I'm going to vomit as I wait for the dizziness to recede.

"Eric?" I rasp out, turning my head to look at his face, which is close to mine.

His eyes are wide open, and his pupils seem to fill his whole eye until only black is visible, and all traces of blue are gone. His body is rigid, and a trickle of blood drops from his nose.

The scent of blood, both mine and his, fills the air, and I hear a commotion farther in the house as the shifters' sense of smell picks it up.

"Ari!" I hear someone shout before several sets of feet start running towards us. The door slams open, and Killian, Alex, and Tori come crowding into the room.

"Careful! Eric is having some sort of seizure!" I call out, worried they might accidentally hurt him if they aren't careful with him. Tori comes forward and crouches down to observe his face, looking solemn and nodding her head.

"He's having a vision," she confirms, and I scrunch up my face.

"I thought those stopped once he came to live with us because he's near me now? He knows that we're fated and I'm not in danger, so why is he having a vision?" Eric had told me how visions worked for incubi and their mates. Something triggers the bond, and they get visions of their destined mate. Once they meet them, the visions stop.

"That's what we thought too. Come on Ari, you're bleeding, let's get you up." She looks to Killian and Alex, who nod and come farther into the room. They help move Eric off me, picking him up and placing him onto the examination bed in the room. Tori moves forward to help me up, and I groan as I stand, putting my hand to my head. I wince as I feel a wetness running down my neck .

"Ari!" Eric shouts, his eyes wide in panic. The blue of his irises is back now as he frantically looks around the room for me. As soon as he sees me, he throws his legs off the side of the bed and tries to hurry to my side, although Alex has to grab him when his legs start to give way.

"Dude, just sit down for a second. Ari's fine," Alex tells him, helping him sit on the edge of the bed. Eric leans forward and put his head in his hands.

"Eric, are you okay? What happened?" I ask softly, not wanting to panic him again.

"I had a vision when you touched me." We had assumed that already, but he carries on before I can ask more. "It's unusual, because the visions usually stop when you find your mate, but then the bond is usually accepted straight away, so this is an unusual situation anyway. Further visions sometimes happen when your mate is in danger." He sits back as he says this, his entire focus on me. I take a deep breath before leaning back against the counter that is supporting me.

"So I'm in danger?" No surprise there, I always seem to be in danger nowadays. He surprises me when he shakes his head though, looking at the others around the room.

"We all are. They're coming for us."

"Us? You mean Moon River Pack?" Alex steps forward, a frown on his face as he tries to work out the threat. Eric just shakes his head again, looking like he's about to vomit.

"No, all of us. They are coming for all the shifters and those associated with them."

"Shit. Fuck!" Alex shouts. "Okay, Ari, are you okay here? I need to go speak with the alpha. Killian, can you come with me? I could use your expertise." Killian just nods at Alex's request before leaning over to me, placing his hand on my cheek, and pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead, then the two of them leave the room.

"I'll call Garett. I'll just be in the next room, you'll be okay?" Tori asks as she fishes her phone from her pocket. I nod, waving her away, my eyes still on Eric. He's eyeing me up like I'm his next snack, and my pulse speeds up. I don't think I'm in danger with him, but I'm suddenly reminded that he is a demon.

"Ari, we're all in danger. A fight is coming, and I need to be strong enough to help keep you and the pack safe. I need to feed." I frown at his words, about to say no, we would have to accept the bond for that, wouldn't we? He sees my hesitation and shakes his head, holding his hand out to me. "I know you're not ready to accept the bond, but if you let me feed from you, I'll be strong enough to help. Please." I walk over to him warily, and he raises his hand to the back of my head where I hit it from the fall. I wince when his fingertips brush it and stare at the blood on his fingers as he pulls his hand away.

"You are already in pain, I can use that. I don't want to push you, but I need to be at full strength or as close as I can get. Do you trust me?"

I look into his eyes, the eyes of a friend I've known and trusted for years. That friendship had been rocked by lies, but he's proven himself since. I bite my lip in indecision, but there isn't really an option. If him feeding from my pain is going to help protect others, then I'll do it. I nod, trepidation filling me as a small smile appears on his face.

"You will feel a bit of pain, but I can make it pleasurable," he whispers into my ear as he pulls me closer, placing one hand on my waist as the other comes up to touch the back of my head.

His fingers brush my wound, and I feel a sharp bolt of pain before a strange pulling feeling fills me. The pain starts to tingle, the tingle spreading all over my body as I feel Eric press up against me. Need overtakes me as arousal spreads through my body, and the pain becomes pleasure running all along my skin. I feel like I'm on fire, and I gasp as Eric presses a kiss to my forehead, the pleasure-pain intensifying. I'm not sure how long this goes on for, time loses all meaning as I become absorbed in the sensation. This could become addictive. Eric pulls away from me, and I gasp as the intense feeling leaves my body, leaving only a slight tingling running along my skin.

When I open my eyes, which I hadn't even realised I'd closed, I gasp as I look at Eric. He's practically glowing. He was good looking before, but his features have sharpened, making him even more handsome. His eyes are glowing, an eerie reddish glow comes from them as they focus on me. He raises his hand, which is glistening with my blood, and brings it to his lips, putting one finger in his mouth before sucking my blood from the appendage. I should be disgusted, but with the afterglow of whatever Eric just did to me, I find that it's a major turn-on. I take a deep breath and step back. I need some space from the handsome demon in front of me before I make a decision that I'll regret.