I slammed it down immediately, a growl reverberating in my throat at the thought. I wasn’t calling Elias. I had made it this far without him. I wasn’t going to go crawling back to him, begging for his help. Even if I wanted to, he didn’t even know Grace existed. How the hell was I going to explain that he’d had a secret daughter he knew nothing about for the past five years?
He would probably just laugh and reject her,I thought.There’s no way in hell I’m risking that happening to Grace ever. She deserves better.
Still, that didn’t change the fact that I knew what was coming for Grace, far sooner than I was prepared for, and I didn’t know what to do or how to help her.
I’ll figure it out, I promised myself, taking a deep breath as my fingers curled and uncurled.I’ve figured things out on my own for nearly six years now. That’s not going to change now.
I threw a smile on my face, not wanting to alarm her. I didn’t want to think about what it meant if she was already showing signs of early shifting. And I wasn’t going to worry her right now. She knew about shifting, knew about her heritage. She had asked about it before, and I had given vague answers. I wasn’t sure how I was going to approach it once she began shifting. I thought that I would have a few more years to figure it out.
“Well, I’m sure it will pass soon,” I said. “If you notice any more of these symptoms, let me know. Okay?”
Grace nodded. I kept moving around as normal, even as those worries continued to swirl and plague me. We went through our nightly routine for going to bed.
I tucked Grace in and pushed her hair back as she nestled beneath the covers.
“Good night, sweetie,” I said, kissing her on the forehead. “I—”
A knock pierced through the tranquility of the house. I straightened, turning to look in the direction of the door. Apprehension prickled along my skin as I stared out, wondering who could be coming to bother me at this hour.
“What’s wrong?” Grace asked. Her eyes were wide as they searched my face. I tried to keep a calm, reassuring expression as I smiled down at my daughter, not wanting to alarm her any more than I already had.
“Probably nothing,” I said, smoothing down her hair as I plastered a smile on my face. “Why don’t you go to sleep? And no sneaking out of bed.”
Grace grimaced, telling me she had been planning on doing just that. I gave a knowing smirk, closing the door behind me as I stepped out and headed toward the front.
Dark shapes moved beyond. Unease twisted my insides as I stepped closer.
I opened the door, and the world seemed to stand still as I stared into the face of the shifter I had hoped I would never see again.
He was even taller than I remembered, his shoulders broad enough that they were almost too wide for the door frame. He loomed over me, his muscles rippling, his dark, shaggy hair framing his attractive features, with a sharp square jaw and piercing blue eyes you could drown in. My breath caught as I stared up at the man I had never expected to see again, had neverwantedto see again.
“Hi, Emma,” he said. “We need to talk.”
Chapter 2 - Elias
I stared at the tiny house as lights flicked on and off throughout the night. The inside of the car was steadily growing colder the longer we parked, the chill from the outside seeping into the interior. I leaned back in my seat as I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel.
We had pulled up two hours ago. I hadn’t caught a glimpse of Emma beyond brief silhouettes in the windows. The house was tiny, but the street itself was quiet, peaceful.
“You’re going to have to go talk to her at some point,” Sam said from the passenger seat.
I snarled, and he shrugged. “Look, don’t shoot the messenger. You knew you were going to have to do this before you even hopped in the car. Don’t get pissed off at me.”
Scowling, I turned back to stare at the house, as if staying here would somehow change the outcome of what I had to do. Except, as Sam pointed out, I knew what I had to do for days now.
I doubted I would ever forget that conversation with the Oracle of our pack. She had shown up in my office while I had been talking with Sam and a few other men about the sand wraith that had been plaguing the town for months now.
“I’m sorry, Oracle,” I’d said, glancing up briefly from the map of attacks before us. “But right now is not a great time.”
The Oracle stayed put.
“I’m afraid I must request an urgent audience with you, Alpha,” the Oracle said as she bowed. Her gray eyes always had an almost cloudy look to them, as if she were blind, but theintent stare she gave me as she spoke indicated she was anything but.
“Very well. Sam, you can stay. Everyone else, please leave.”
Something about the way she spoke and the somber expression on her face told me I would want Sam, my beta and the pack’s second-in-command, nearby.
The rest of my men shuffled out, giving respectful nods to the Oracle as they scurried around, giving her a wide berth. Though most of the pack hierarchy was male, the Oracle held a special place of honor and respect in the pack due to her abilities. Though some regarded her with suspicion because her powers were too close to witchcraft for some of the pack’s comfort, her counsel and visions had provided the pack with help countless times, and everyone respected or feared her.
