Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Forced Mate Chapter 12

Leah

It was odd to trot next to Tanner. While his wolf form wasn't entirely foreign to me, something seemed different about him in this light. It could have been the moon spilling over his slate black fur, enhancing the puddle of silver on his back. Or it could have been that we hadn't run together in literally years.

Trying to determine what made him feel different now only hardened my focus. Sharp edges became blades and the faintest light seemed to shine like a torch in the night. We were following the highway that would take us to Charleston. Already, we had gotten a few hours of running under our paws.

Above us circled a great dragon, wings beating so silently that I often forgot he was there. A soft whoosh sent my ears flat against my head and a massive shadow hovered just ahead. Milton was touching the ground. A few minutes later, he was in his human form, motioning for the lion at the rear of our group to join him.

A backpack bounced on the lion's back. He flopped onto his belly, allowing Milton to reach into the bag to retrieve water bottles. Snacks weren't exactly necessary for traveling packs. We could hunt as a group from the bounty of the forest. Just an hour ago, we had shared a deer.

My stomach rumbled. It wasn't hunger. It was anxiety. And I couldn't pinpoint what exactly made me so nervous about this excursion other than the obvious.

"We should pause for a moment," Milton whispered. He scoured the area and began collecting wood. "I'll start a fire."

The lion shifted into human form-Neil shucked the backpack over his shoulder. "I'll collect some mice."

"What? So you can play with them?" Tanner teased after shifting. He grabbed two bottles from the backpack. "Leah, darling, hydrate."

Veronica shifted next to me, flipping her hair over her shoulder like she hadn't been running a marathon. I envied the confidence with which she carried herself. Why couldn't I be like that?

She shot me a warm smile. "Don't worry. We're making good time."

Milton wiggled his nose and dropped the collection of sticks to the ground. "My senses have never failed me."

The pompous air about him made it seem like he was wearing a suit even though he was stark naked. No wonder Brandi had drawn those horns on his head. He truly acted like a devil of sorts, the kind of creature that was far too full of himself.

My gaze floated to Tanner. Moonlight kissed his cloudlike hair, making it seem like a celestial crown. Silver eyes glistened with light whenever he tilted his chin to observe the sky. The right side of his mouth tugged upward and a nostalgic smile appeared as he traced the skin of his shoulder.

The others huddled near the fire that Milton was sparking to life with a puff of air.

Tanner and I were alone for the most part.

"I've been wanting to get a constellation tattooed on my chest for a while." He pointed to the dark heavens. "Lyra or Aquila, maybe."

"Why constellations?"

He shrugged while dropping his attention to earth level. "I used them to travel up the coast."

"Didn't you have maps?"

He tapped his temple. "Plenty of maps up here."

"Why did you do it?"

His eyes swirled with memories as he knelt toward the backpack. While digging out a few more bottles, he shrugged. "I needed something to occupy my mind, I guess." He looked up at me. "Why did you get married?" "Because I loved him."

His throat clenched. "Did you?"

"I mean, I thought I loved him." I rubbed my arms nervously as I analyzed the darkness surrounding us. "I was just going through the motions."

"The motions?"

It was my turn to shrug. "Mating."

"But he was human. How could you mate with a human?"

"Our kind can mate with humans. It's not an uncommon practice."

He nodded. "It's just rare. Our pack is mixed, but it's mostly between species."

"Which is already rare enough for most people."

"You can say that again."

Amusement made me smile. "I could, but I know you understand me."

His eyes glittered. "Smart mouth as always, princess."

I lowered myself to the ground, noticing the way my hips plumped up as I crossed my legs beneath me. Part of me was tempted to hide it and another part of me was hoping that Tanner would notice.

The stress of the situation had me confused. Run or stay-which was best? Which one would provide the least amount of pain? Would Tanner still dump us as soon as Inez was rescued?

"I can hear it," he whispered.

My heart shuddered. "Hear what exactly?"

"Your pain."

I lowered my gaze, touching my hand to my cheek. My palm was clammy. Great-now I was nervous on top of everything else. "Oh..."

"It's not loud or anything. It's just..." He took my hand and massaged my palm with his thumbs. "I don't like it. I want to fix it."

"I'm sorry."

He chuckled. "Nothing to be sorry about, Leah."

"I just feel bad. If I hadn't come back, then Blake wouldn't have announced our pairing and you would be doing whatever you wanted right now."

"Who says I'm not doing what I want right now with you here?"

My brows knitted together.

He waved away my expression. "You know what I mean, princess."

"Actually, I don't think I do."

Pain flashed from my solar plexus like miniature detonations. They were brief, only noticeable because I was tuned in to the sensation.

And as I focused on it, I realized it wasn't my pain.

I squeezed Tanner's hand. "Is that you?"

He frowned. "What?"

"That flashing feeling."

He took a deep breath. "Does it feel hollow?"

I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling, noting its subtler hints. A baseline of sorrow threaded through the waves, making me feel like I was about to lose everything. And while that could have been attributed to the situation, I knew it was something else. My bones were sure of it even if my brain wasn't sure how.

Focusing on Tanner again affirmed my assumption. "Yes, it does."

"That's me. I'm just..." He frowned at our entwined fingers. "Can I be honest with you, Leah?"

"Yeah, duh." I squeezed his hand again. "We should be doing that, right?"

"Yeah, we should."

I bowed my head. "Get it over with, okay? Just be easy."

Silence settled between us. It was the type of quiet that made me want to curl in on myself. Many years had passed since I'd felt small like this, but it was a familiar feeling that urged me to start assuming the position.

Nonetheless, I resisted it. Whatever Tanner was about to share would be in confidence. The others weren't paying attention. And even if they were paying attention, they were sworn to the same codes of honor as the rest of the pack.

This couldn't possibly be more embarrassing than that public rejection from four years ago.

Worry sliced my chest.

Unless he's about to do it again.

His eyes locked on mine, a series of emotions passing between us. Understanding, compassion, assurance-it was all there. And it all happened in a matter of seconds.

Soon, my body was relaxed and I was cradling his hands between mine like we were lovers relaxing after a wonderful date together.

"I felt betrayed when you came back with Inez," he whispered. "Like you lied to me."

This again? Was it even worth trying to defend myself anymore?

He held up a hand. "I know. I'm doing it again. I can't help it. I'm sorry."

"I just don't know what to tell you."

"It just made me feel like I wasn't good enough for you."

I pulled my hands from him, trying to retreat. But he wouldn't let me. He caught my hands gently and then firmly applied his thumbs to my knuckles, massaging the ridges with committed pressure. "Don't leave, Leah. Please," he begged. "Don't run away from this."

"How do I know you won't do the same?"

He tried to smile but it came out as more of a weak grimace. "You don't know, princess. That's the thing about life. You just can't predict it."

"I don't want it to be that way. I want to know what happens next."

"We just can't control that."

I nodded. "That we can agree on. That's why I wanted to-" I snapped my mouth shut. No, that wasn't something to share with him right now.

If I told him I had discovered Inez while trying to leave, surely he would reject me again. I would have to go right back through that humiliating process just like before.

"No more secrets, Leah," he said, as if he could read my mind. Could he? "If Inez really was a miracle, then how?"

"I don't know how."

He looked defeated. But not deterred. "Do you think Dr. Windsor could shed light on that situation? For my peace of mind?"

"Why's it so important to you?"

"I just wanted my own kids."

I stood up. "Is Inez never going to feel like your child to you?"

"No, Leah. It's been the opposite lately. I'm just telling you how I feel."

"I'm starting to think you're telling me this so I can feel guilty over the whole thing. You're the one who rejected me. You're the one who kicked me out. I had to flee because of you."

He stared at me for a while without blinking. I was strikingly aware of the silence in the camp. The others were paying attention at this point. There was no denying it. But they were being kind about not making it particularly obvious.

I was through being secretive about everything. "You want the truth? It's literally that I have no idea how I got pregnant. I fucked twelve guys before I met Edward. All of them without using a condom. Never once did I miss a period."

I shuddered with rage. There were things I didn't want to say out loud. There were things I didn't want to admit.

If I seemed slutty to Tanner, then he might not want me. Right? Wasn't that how it worked? Loose girls were unappealing to men like him.

"But Edward?" I laughed dryly. "One time with him was all it took to knock me up. And then Inez came along. We were just as surprised as you. Trust me on that, Tanner."

His mouth tightened into a line and his features hardened. Was he disappointed in me? That was fine. He could feel whatever he wanted as long as we got this job done together.

I touched my stomach. "The fact that you're holding it over my head-that something from four years ago meant that much to you-is just ridiculous at this point, Tanner. At the time, I couldn't get pregnant. That was the consensus with my doctor."

The woods around me swelled with shadows. They seemed to overwhelm the camp, blotting out the light of the fire. I knew it was just a trick of the night combined with my ever-rising levels of stress. If I didn't resist the anger billowing inside me, then I would shift and run off.

That wouldn't help anyone.

Yet I couldn't stop it either.

My gums ached with my impending shift as tears sprang to my eyes. "You're just selfish, Tanner. That's it. You're going to reject me again. You're going to take it all away just when I thought I found something stable to build my life on. You're going to—" I choked.

Tanner was at my side in half a second. He yanked me into his arms and crushed me to his chest, the pressure pushing the rest of the tears out. They were quiet tears, angry tears. They were tears that had been waiting to appear for a long time.

The stress, the pressure, and the ugly feelings were finally breaking out. When was the last time I'd mourned the way Tanner had rejected me? Had I ever truly processed it?

No, I hadn't.

But now? I had no choice.

"I'm sorry," he said shakily. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm so sorry. I'm not rejecting you. I promise. I'm just-"

A branch cracked behind us. We both flipped around, eyes glowing with renewed alertness as we stared through the darkness together. My back prickled with awareness as the others rose to join us. Something was out there in the dark.

Something was stalking us.

And it looked like we might be trapped.