Chapter 1
Standing on my porch, I watched Huritt, one of the pack’s nurses, jogging my way. He leaned against the porch railing, catching his breath.
“Hey,” he said. “Alpha wants you. He said it’s your turn to go into town to get supplies.”
I smiled at the younger Native. “Are you sure you’re not just telling me that because it’s your turn?”
Huritt laughed and shook his shaggy black hair. “Oh no,” he said. “I know not to do that.”
“Again,” I smirked. “I may be the elder, but I’m not that old yet.”
“Shut it,” Huritt chuckled and headed back the way he had come.
I walked toward the alpha’s cabin, taking my time, enjoying the sun shining through the trees. It dappled me and the path ahead with warm light. Once again, I lifted my left arm and looked at the small, delicate sea green feather marked on my inner wrist. All shifters were born with one, different according to species, and each one was a different color.
The marks were for when a shifter found their one true life mate. Finding a mate was something all shifters looked forward to, given their long lifespan. They lived for around one hundred fifty years, and that was a long time to be alone.
Once the claiming of a mate was complete, an exact replica of the shifter’s mark would appear on the other’s left inner wrist. It showed everyone else that the person was taken and who they were with. So far, no one in Cheveyo’s pack had been mated.
Finally reaching the alpha’s porch, I climbed the steps and knocked on the door. He told me to go in, so I opened the door and stepped inside. He was sitting at his desk, smiling at me.
“Are you ready to go get supplies?” he asked.
“If I must,” I grinned jokingly with an exaggerated sigh.
“Funny,” Cheveyo said, holding out a clipboard. “Here’s what we need.”
Taking the list, I read it over quickly then nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, Alpha.”
I went out to my truck and headed toward town. The scenery was gorgeous, as always, and I enjoyed looking at all of the foliage. The air was cooler than it had been the previous week; pretty soon, the whole area would be blanketed with the first snow of the season.
It didn’t take long to get to the store. I went in, grabbed a cart, and started gathering things on the list. Thankfully, the place wasn’t too crowded and the people I did see recognized me as a shifter; we were the only Native Americans around the small town. Some of the people were afraid and kept their distance, which was a truth we had to face anywhere we went, while others waved and called out greetings. Same as always.
I was turning my cart onto the aisle that held the wine when the scent hit me. It smelled of the air right before a storm, rich and earthy, with rain that had not yet fallen. I thought I was imagining things. Where the hell was that delicious scent coming from?
Scanning the aisle ahead of me, I saw that no one was around. The guy that usually stocked the wine was nowhere to be seen, so I turned around to look the other way. That was when a man rounded the corner with a box full of wine bottles, and we collided head on. The man dropped the box he was carrying and fell on his ass, clutching his right leg. Holy shit. I hoped I hadn’t hurt him.
Thankfully, my shifter reflexes kicked in and I saved the box from crashing against the floor. I scooted it out of the way with my foot and crouched next to the man. His scent hit me full force and all I could think of was oh my God, I found my mate!
Gathering myself from my shock, I cleared my throat. “Oh my God, I am so sorry,” I said, looking him over for any evident injuries. His right leg stuck out farther than his left, and part of his pants leg was flat. Holy shit. He had a prosthetic leg.
Moving my gaze up the rest of his body, my eyes landed on the most beautiful face I’d ever seen. He was concentrating on reattaching his leg, so I took that moment to drink him in. He had short, light brown curls, full lips, and the clearest green eyes. Damn, he was sexy!
He finished with his leg and grinned at me. His teeth were white and even, except for a slightly crooked canine. I was immediately enamored with that little imperfection.
“No harm done,” he said with a chuckle. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
Standing, I held my hand out to help the guy up. He took it and clambered to his feet. I couldn’t resist taking hold of his elbow as he righted himself.
“Are you alright?” I asked quietly.
“Fine, now,” he answered.
I had to resist the urge to keep touching him. Truth be told, I wanted to claim him and make him mine right there where we stood.
“Can I ask your name?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. Being so close to him was wreaking havoc on my emotions. I had to control the beast within me so I wouldn’t scare the guy.
“Bram,” he said, then looked me over. “Hey,” he continued, “you’re one of the shifters that live right outside of town, aren’t you?”
“I am.” I smiled.
“Which one?”
“I’m Nixkamich, Nix for short,” I said. “I’m the elder of the pack.”
Bram’s curiosity amused me. He seemed friendly, and unafraid of me, which I was thankful for. Hopefully, his acceptance of us would help me when I told him he was my mate.
“That’s really cool,” he said.
Since he was so enthusiastic about meeting a shifter, I made a quick decision.
“Hey, why don’t you have dinner with me and I can introduce you to the rest of the pack?” I blurted out.
Bram’s cheeks pinked and I had to take a deep breath in order to control the desire that flared up in me. My mind was racing, and I briefly wondered if he would be blushing like that when I made love to him. Fuck, I couldn’t think like that. It was hard enough controlling myself as it was!
“Well...I...uh…” Bram stammered, the pink in his cheeks deepening.
Fuck. Me.
“Oh, come on,” I said, holding my phone out to him. “Just put your number in here and I’ll call you for the address so I can pick you up. When is the next day you’re off?”
“Um...Friday,” he said, taking my phone and typing quickly. He handed it back to me and I couldn’t help but smile widely.
“Works for me,” I said. “I’ll give you a call.”
Bram nodded at me and I reluctantly went further down the aisle to get the wine I needed. I tried to breathe in as much of his scent as possible before I left. Although, I didn’t want to seem like a creeper so I didn’t linger too long.
All the way home, I was fighting to get a grasp on everything going on inside me. Lust, nervousness, protectiveness, and excitement were all fighting for dominance. My wolf wanted to go back and stay by Bram’s side, to protect him from anything that may harm him. The fact he had a prosthetic told me he had been harmed enough. I just wasn’t sure how to tell him we were meant to be together, that he was my mate. We shifters still had secrets from the humans, and the fact we have fated mates was one of them. The sooner I could explain everything to Bram, the better.
Damn, I needed to talk to Alpha.
