Chapter 12: Chapter 12

NOAH

Ever since Molly connected with me through our mind-link, Remi had been restless in my mind. He was like a caged animal, pacing and whimpering, pleading for us to go to our mate. I was thankful for Molly’s initiative.

She had gone to check on Evie and reassured me through our mind-link that everything was fine. But since then, I hadn’t heard from her.

I found myself pacing in the pack house kitchen, trying to keep my composure. That’s when Greyson, Jack, and my sixteen-year-old sister, Lucy, walked in.

Lucy, with a laugh in her voice, asked, “What’s up, buddy?”

I responded with a growl, and I noticed my siblings exchange a glance.

Jack, ever the practical one, pointed out, “You know, the stove usually works better when you turn it on.”

He reached over and turned the dial, ignoring the unlit gas burner.

Greyson, curious, asked, “What are you cooking?”

“Nothing, obviously,” I retorted, gesturing toward the pot of cold water that had no chance of boiling on the cold stove coils.

Lucy muttered sarcastically, “You’re in a great mood, aren’t you?”

Greyson, trying to understand, said, “I thought you’d be better after telling Evie the truth yesterday.”

I replied, “This might be worse.”

Jack, rummaging through the cabinets for a snack, asked, “What’s worse?”

“The fact that she knows about us, but I have no idea how she feels about it,” I grumbled.

Greyson, ever the problem solver, suggested, “Why don’t you go to her, then?”

“Because I’m giving her time to think,” I explained.

Jack, with a mouth full of chips, asked, “Why?”

Lucy, from her seat at the kitchen table, called him an idiot.

Greyson and Jack asked in unison, “What?”

Lucy rolled her eyes and said, “She’s a human, not a she-wolf. She needs time and space. Noah’s the only one with a brain here.”

Jack, trying to get a rise out of me, started yelling, “~Noah~!” and waving his hands in my face.

But I wasn’t paying attention to him.

My eyes darkened as Remi fought for control.

“Go to mate!” Remi commanded.

***

Suddenly, I knew Evie was in danger.

I bolted from the kitchen and through the pack house, transforming into Remi and following his lead toward our mate. He sensed her at the beach.

I reached out to Molly through our mind-link. “What the hell is happening?” I demanded.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with her,” Kira responded, surprising me.

“Kira?”

“She wanted to see me, so we took her to the beach to shift. But as soon as we shifted, she started freaking out,” Kira explained. Remi pushed himself to run faster, desperate to reach our mate.

“Is she safe?” I asked, my voice a growl.

“Yes, she’s just crying and screaming and won’t move,” Kira shared an image of Evie, standing just inches away from her, having a complete meltdown. She was trying to escape, but her feet wouldn’t cooperate.

“Kira, shift back into Molly, NOW!” I commanded, recognizing the signs of a panic attack.

I pushed Remi to run faster than ever before, but he didn’t resist. We had to get to our mate.

Thankfully, the pack house was only a short drive from the beach, and we made it in half the time on all fours.

When we arrived, Kira was still in control. Her duty to Evie as her luna must have overridden my alpha command.

I charged into her white wolf form, pushing her into the forest. She was half Remi’s size and stood no chance against us.

Kira immediately submitted, lowering her head to the ground.

“Shift. NOW,” I commanded, baring my teeth. Kira quickly relinquished control to Molly and shifted.

***

“Go inside and get me some clothes,” I instructed Molly. She nodded and quickly ran off.

Remi turned away from the woods and searched for our mate.

Evie had stopped screaming but was still frozen in place, tears streaming down her face.

I was torn between not wanting to traumatize her more by shifting and being naked, and not wanting to scare her more by approaching her as Remi.

Her eyes, usually a vibrant blue, were so filled with tears that it was hard to discern their color when she turned to face me.

I managed to wrestle some control from Remi, feeling my own eyes shift from their usual black to a softer green.

Evie’s eyes widened in surprise, her mouth forming a small ~O~ as she recognized the large, brown wolf as me.

Her legs gave out from under her, and she crumpled to her knees in utter defeat.

I couldn’t resist her any longer. We hunched low to the ground, inching toward Evie with the utmost caution.

We crept across the yard, careful not to startle her, her eyes tracking our every move.

We halted a few feet away, and Remi’s body relaxed onto the ground, his ears folding back as he looked up at her with my eyes.

Remi whined and purred, pleading for her attention, trying to show her we meant no harm.

She sniffed, blinking away her tears, and slowly rose to her knees, her hands clasped against her chest as she watched us warily.

She edged closer, and I held my breath, afraid any movement might scare her off.

She tentatively reached out, her fingers fluttering in the air as if testing the waters.

After what felt like an eternity, her fingers finally grazed Remi’s fur.

She recoiled, startling herself, before pushing her hand against Remi’s head and threading her fingers through his fur.

Remi began to purr, his tail wagging slightly in excitement.

“Easy, Remi. Don’t frighten her,” I cautioned him.

Evie ran her hand between Remi’s ears, a slow smile spreading across her face.

Both Remi and I were reduced to a puddle of bliss. This woman already had us wrapped around her finger.

“You’re not so scary,” Evie’s voice was soft and sweet.

Remi shook his head gently in response.

I reveled in the sound of her innocent laughter.

“You’re really pretty, Remi.”

“Mate said my name! Mate thinks I’m pretty!” Remi purred, bursting with pride.

“Is it okay to say that? Can a werewolf be pretty?” She blushed, uncertain.

Remi nudged her knee gently with his nose in affirmation.

“I guess that’s a yes.” She giggled again, tracing her finger down Remi’s snout.

He rested his head in our mate’s lap. It was official—we were her puppy.

“I’m sorry I scared Kira. She just got so close and was so big.” Evie’s voice was barely a whisper.

Remi snuggled against her legs, trying to comfort her.

“Do you think I could see Noah now?” Her request was so soft, as if she was afraid to upset us.

Remi lifted his head from her lap and bobbed it up and down in a nod. He kept his body low as he backed away from Evie.

She watched us intently as Remi trotted off toward the woods.

“Evie!” Molly came sprinting across the yard, my clothes in her hands.

Remi yipped at her, and she immediately changed course toward him. She tossed my clothes on the ground and hurried back to Evie.

“I’m so sorry, Kira got overly excited, and then she was so afraid for you she wouldn’t give me back control. She wanted to protect the luna, and it was overriding everything else,” Molly apologized to Evie, hugging her tightly.

I quickly shifted back and pulled on my clothes, eager to be near my mate.

“It’s okay, Molly. It wasn’t your fault; I was just triggered. It’s okay, promise,” I heard Evie reassuring Molly that everything was all right.

Normally, I didn’t have an issue with Molly, but right now, I couldn’t care less about her feelings.

“Everleigh!” I called out to my mate as I jogged to her side.

Molly quickly stepped aside and bowed her head to me.

“Noah.” The sigh of relief in her voice was all the confirmation I needed.

I cupped Evie’s face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away her tears.

“You’re okay,” I soothed. “Molly, you can go.” I dismissed her without tearing my gaze away from Evie.

“Yes, Alpha.” Molly didn’t argue as she left Evie and me alone.

“Don’t be mad at her,” Evie whispered.

“I can’t just brush it off; she hurt you,” I confessed, gently brushing her hair away from her face.

Evie defended, “She didn’t mean it.”

“~Hush~, let’s not dwell on that now,” I said, giving her a soft smile. “Did you like Remi?” I asked, changing the subject.

She bit her lip and nodded.

“He was nice,” she admitted.

I traced her bottom lip with my thumb, freeing it from her teeth. She blushed and looked down, shyly.

“You’re driving him wild with that comment,” I teased.

“I didn’t mean to…,” she began.

“It’s a good thing, sweetheart.” I laughed lightly.

I slid my hands down her arms, intertwining our fingers.

“Do you want to discuss what happened?” I asked her.

“Can we head to the beach? The woods are giving me the creeps,” she suggested, glancing behind me.

“Absolutely,” I reassured her with a smile, guiding her toward the beach with a hand on her lower back.

“May I assist you over the wall?” I asked, seeking her consent.

She placed her hands on my shoulders and nodded, signaling her agreement. I held her hips and gently lowered her from the wall.

As I lifted her, her arms wrapped around my neck. When I set her down on the sand, I was taken aback when she didn’t immediately let go. Instead, she steadied herself and ran her hand along the back of my neck.

I tightened my grip on her hips and growled in approval.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, tilting my head to meet her gaze.

“I’m trying to figure out if I want to resist this or not,” she confessed, her focus on me.

“Why would you resist?” I asked, scanning her face, fearing she might leave.

“It’s all so much. It’s happening so fast,” Evie admitted.

“I’m sorry, Everleigh. I’m doing my best to make you comfortable, but I need your help. Werewolves move fast.” I pleaded with her to help me understand her needs. “I need you to trust me when I say I would do ~anything~ for you. Whatever you need, just say the word and it’s yours.”

Evie sighed and let her arms fall from my neck. I swallowed my protest as she stepped back—my hands dropping from her waist.

She turned and extended her hand to me. I eagerly took it, allowing her to lead me down the beach.