Love,
Me
Alexa!I had almost forgotten. I searched the pack bonds and smiled when I felt herenergy there. She was good, she was pack. She survived.
Aknock came at the door.
“Areyou up?” It was Emma.
“Yep.”
Shecame in and pulled a strange face. “Did you fall asleep with wet hair? It looksawful.”
Myhands flew to my hair which was matted on one side. “Oh, yeah.”
Emmaraised one eyebrow.
Ilaughed. “Shut up. Let me shower, then I need to see Alexa and then you canmake me over or whatever.”
Emmanodded. “We will all be waiting when you get back.”
AfterI showered, I headed over to Anna’s. She and Jake had settled in well on themountain. It was crazy to see Anna and remember how she was when I met her. Thecancer had eaten away at her body. She was hairless and frail and barely withlife. Over time, she had become lean and strong and had a nickname within thepack. Hulk. Anna’s gift had manifested after herchange. She was superstrong, like lift a car with one hand strong. It didn’t matter if she was inhuman or wolf form. She was badass.
Iknocked at the door. It slowly opened. Alexa stood there, a faint red markshown on her neck where she had cut herself. Her head was down, eyes on myfeet. She looked vulnerable.
“Alexa.”I remembered that feeling. Not knowing what to do, where you stood, how youwere going to live this life.
Shemade eye contact with me for a moment and I saw guilt there. Then she quicklylooked at my nose. She knew the rules.
“I’msorry, Aurora, I didn’t know any other way. I shouldn’t have put you throughthat. The day before your wedding. I’m so sorry.” Her lip shook. We werebonded. More so than anyone else in the pack. Save for Kai. I could feel heremotions, hear her thoughts. She had no other option, desperate to survive, shehad chosen hastily. RAIDOS was bigger and more powerful than I had originallythought. Sifting through her thoughts, I saw that they had private andgovernment investors, they had done science experiments that had been going onfor decades.
Iembraced her. “Alexa, you’re pack now. Family. Kai and I wanted that the secondwe met you at the waterfall. I’m sorry it had to happen in a bloody and freakyway, but I’m glad to have you. What you did was smart. I would have done thesame.”
Theinstinct to become strong and survive drove humans to great lengths. We couldall relate to that.
Shesmiled. “Thank you.”
Inodded. “Now, first things first. Where were you born?” I did not want anothershowdown with some Alpha fighting for Alexa on my wedding day.
“Japan.Military brat. Why?”
Isighed in relief. “Long story.”
‘Iwonder if I have a mate. I wonder if she knows who it is.’
Whoa. I was hearing her thoughts, just like Kaiheard mine in the beginning.
Shecleared her throat.
“Sorry.I’m going to teach you to keep me out of your every thought. It’s the one thingI wished Kai would have taught me right away.” Everyone deserved privacy.
Iwalked her through the guided imagery, she buried our strong connection, justbeneath the surface. I could still feel her a little more strongly than therest of the pack, but not her every thought. I guess because I was the one whochanged her, we were closer than the others. Interesting.
“Andfor the record, I don’t know who your mate is, but if I do you will be thefirst to know.” I smiled.
Shelaughed and her cheeks reddened. “Thanks.”
Annapeeked her head around the corner. “Are you going to help her shift? Can Icome?”
