Ever After (23 page)

Then Graham had mated to the new Alpha of Ashwood Falls and the senior enforcer a few months ago. He also adopted his ex-lover’s kids after finding out Isaac had died protecting little Max and his sister, Sammie.

Her youngest sons, Micah and Ethan, had followed Cale and joined Crimson Stone. They’d tried to get her to move there, to be part of a Pack and allow the Pack to help her heal.

That wasn’t what she wanted. Not really. Besides, she’d belonged to a Pack once and had been shunned as soon as her first mate, Jake, died in a rogue attack. She’d later found out that the old Alpha of Emerald Springs had submitted to the same madness Felix, Alpha of the rogue Pack Onyx, possessed—the thirst for power and control over every Pack in the nation.

Still, she hadn’t gone back after the new Alpha stepped up. She’d been surrounded by enough violence and pain, and she didn’t want her kids to endure the same.

Yet, the rogues were strengthening and branching out, according to Blaine and Graham. Now there were rebel groups fighting each other for different causes.

Even though she and Jake hadn’t been true mates, they were the best of friends and cared for one another deeply. Besides, he’d given her four wonderful boys.

Then she had met her true mate and lost him much too soon to the same violence she tried to run from…

Tears filled her eyes, and her chest tightened. Walt hadn’t deserved to die. If what Damian said was true, she was to blame. She’d grown too comfortable in her life among the humans that it never occurred to her that they, too, could turn on her and her family.

She peered at Damian, and the floodgates opened, consuming her with all the buried pain she tried to contain. Without a word to him, she darted to the door, opened it, and ran.

Sarah wasn’t sure if she was running from Damian or the memories he made surface. All she did knew was she needed to get away from him, away from the house. It was all too much. First Walt’s wedding band then Damian showing up from the dead. Oh, and there was the fact that she’d killed a human.

Coming to a stop, she dropped to her knees and let the emotions wash over her. Her shoulders shook as she cried. She didn’t care if it made her look weak. She was tired of being the strong one, the maternal female who protected her cubs at all cost.

She smelled Damian a few moments before he picked her up and took her back home, cradling her to his chest. She didn’t fight him, mostly because she was too tired to fight. The fight had left her when she’d lost her mate, and it had only grown worse when her boys became men. They didn’t need her anymore.

Inside the cabin, Damian set her on her feet, ran a hand through her hair, and froze. Sarah reminded silent, knowing what was coming.

A low growl sounded from Damian, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “Why are you aging?”

He knew why. However, that wasn’t the point of the question, now was it? She pushed at him and wiggled until he set her free from his embrace. “My mate is dead, and my children have their own lives. I have nothing left in this world.”

He narrowed his gaze on her and stepped forward, his dominance whirling around her. She stood her ground and refused to let him cow her into submission. She was far from a submissive puma.

“That is bullshit, Sarah.”

She sighed and lowered her shoulders. “I’m tired, Damian.”

****

Damian watched as Sarah turned away from him and went to the sliding glass doors and peered out into her backyard. “I got a heartfelt package in the mail today.” The sarcasm in her tone set his puma on alert, but he remained quiet and let her continue. “I didn’t know who sent it until you told me about the rebels.”

He growled, unable to hold it back. Shield had reached her faster then he’d expected. If they had her address to send threats, then they’d been watching her, but for how long he didn’t know. “What did they send you?”

She reached into her jeans pocket and turned, her brown eyes shiny with tears he could tell she tried to keep from falling. Holding out her hand, she opened it. His heart stopped, and he was sure he stopped breathing for a moment. Lying in her palm was a gold wedding ring. Tentatively he reached out and picked it up.

“It’s Walt’s, or at least it’s identical to his, right down to the engraving.”

Damian closed his fingers around the ring and, with his free hand, gripped her arm and tugged her into a hug. She tensed at first then relaxed and wrapped her arms around his waist. After a moment she pulled back and took the note out of her pocket and handed it to him. “This note was with it. They said I was next.”

He pulled back to peer into her face. Lifting her chin so they made eye contact, he said, “They will not hurt you. That’s why I’m here.”

She drew back to study his face. “What?”

He laced his fingers with hers, led her to the sofa, and sat, drawing her down beside him. “Walt and I both were part of a shifter rebel group that were created to stop Shield and other groups like them.”

Sarah shook her head. “Walt wouldn’t lie to me. He couldn’t. I’d know.”

“He didn’t have a choice. However, he didn’t lie to you. I did.”

“I don’t understand how that was possible.” Her tone grew more annoyed.

“We were spellbound not to speak about the group to anyone.”

Her expression tightened as anger entered her scent. “Not even to his own mate and your best friend?”

He reached for her, but she jerked back. Letting out a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and spoke softly. “Neither one of us wanted to keep it from you, but it was safer for you and the boys.”

She stood and started to pace. “Those boys were old enough to kick ass and protect us from threats. So it’s my turn to call bullshit.”

He moved fast and gripped her by the arms before she could track him. The startled expression on her face told him that. “It wasn’t our call. Damn it. I wanted to tell you. Hell, it killed Walt to not tell you.”

She sagged into him and rested her head on his chest. “I loved the both of you. I would had helped in every way possible.”

His heart skipped several beats before picking in a rapid rhythm. “Say that again.”

“I’ve always felt a strong connection to you. It wasn’t as strong as the one I had for Walt because he was my bonded mate. I thought back then it was like a connection to a Packmate.” She averted her gaze to his T-shirt, which she smoothed out with her hand.

“And now?” he prompted.

She lifted her lashes to peer up at his face. “I’m confused. I want to be mad at you for lying to me, for making me believe you were dead all this time when you were out there hunting my mate’s killers. I deserve that task.”

He ran his knuckles down her cheek. “I was afraid of facing you, afraid you’d blame me. Hell, I blamed myself.”

“You’re here now. Why? To warn me?”

She narrowed her eyes and that tiny twitch under her right eye indicated her anger had returned, sparking the fire inside her he knew hadn’t died like she thought. “Yes, to warn you and to stop those bastards from taking someone else I love away.”

She stilled and searched his face. “Don’t say that.”

He stepped closer, closing the gap between them. “Say what? That I love you? Sarah, I’ve known from the moment I saw you that you were my mate.”

Her lips trembled slightly. “I don’t believe you. Why did you stay around and watch Walt and I mate?”

He cupped her cheek, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb. He smiled when she didn’t move away. Instead, she closed her eyes for a brief moment, as if allowing herself to enjoy his touch. “Because Walt was like a brother to me. I couldn’t leave him any more than I could you.”

She pulled away then, breaking the connection. “I can’t do this.”

When he stepped forward again, she turned and rushed to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Nice one, asshole
.

He ran a hand through his hair and turned to the kitchen. When he reached the archway that separated it from the living room, his phone rang. Peering at the screen, he groaned.

It was Cale Griffin, Sarah’s eldest son.

He turned toward the front door and stepped outside before answering. “Yeah.”

“Did you get my mother to move yet?”

“Nice to talk to you too, Cale.” Damian laughed at the answering growl from the male on the phone. “No. Your mother is even more stubborn than before.”

“Not possible. She’s strong-willed and refuses to be ordered around.” Cale fell silent for a moment before adding, “Look, I know how you feel about her. I’ve always known. Frankly I thought you loved to torture yourself by hanging around her and Walt all those years. But I get it. I’d stand down and let any one of my brothers find their happiness above mine.”

Damian sighed. “Why are you calling me?”

“Because I just talked to Graham, and he said you were alive and at Mom’s.”

“Did you tell your brother that you already knew that?” Damian teased. Cale had found out a couple of years ago that Damian was alive and working with the shifter rebels to stop Shield. Ever since, the puma fed him information as it came through the Pack Network—an online community that connected the American and some Canadian Packs together. It was an information system they all used to share information and spy on the rogues since Onyx Pack members were known to use the network for their own person reasons.

Cale snorted. “Hell no. Graham is newly mated to two very dominant felines. He has his hands full. Anyway, Graham wanted me to go talk Mom into moving to Ashwood.”

Damian shook his head, knowing where this was going. “And you thought you’d call me.”

“Yep. You know, since you’re there and all. Any luck?”

Damian growled. “No. She’s now locked herself in her room.”

Cale laughed. “You are such a ladies’ man.” Damian growled again, and Cale sobered. “She is safer at Ashwood. Get her there. I don’t care if you have to seduce her to do it.”

Damian was about to tell the male to go to hell when the phone went dead. His first reaction was to call Cale back and tell him to get his ass down here, but then Cale’s words sank in. Seduce Sarah? That could work, and it could be the most difficult thing he’d ever done.

Damian smiled and went back inside. He did love a good challenge.

Chapter Three

Sarah stepped out of the shower to a mix of scents drifting into her room. She inhaled the savory, sweet smells, and her stomach growled. After drying off and dressing, she made her way to the kitchen but froze when she entered the living room.

The lights were out, and candles illuminated the room. Two glasses of red wine sat on the coffee table, and a small fire flickered in the fireplace.

She bit her lip and forced her cat to calm. Damian wasn’t hers. This whole setup was to smooth over her anger, and he most likely wanted to try to talk her into moving. She’d thought about it many times after Blaine and Graham offered, which was every time they called to check on her. Even Nevan and his mate, Dani, mentioned in not-so-subtle ways how wonderful Ashwood Falls was.

She sighed. Really, what was she holding on to? A ghost? Keeping the house wasn’t going to bring Walt back. Besides, she’d started the aging process. The least she could do was spend her last years with her family.

Yet living in a den meant her new packmates wouldn’t allow her to give up on life. No, they’d love her until she began to live again. The problem was she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Damian entered the living room, carrying a couple of plates. She met his gaze, and her knees almost gave out when he smiled at her. His lips upturned at the corner, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Still, it was just as seductive.

Yep, the male was definitely up to something.

He set the plates on the coffee table, side by side.
Nice and cozy
, she thought dryly. “Trying to wine and dine me?”

This time his smile did reach his eyes as he held out a hand to her, palm up. “Whatever works.”

She snorted and ignored his hand as she sat on the floor closest to the fireplace.  “You know it’s summer and a little warm for a fire.”

His puma flashed in his eyes as he eased down beside her with all the grace of the cat he was and leaned into her. “It’s for visual effects. Just go with it and enjoy yourself.”

She pressed her lips together to hide the smile from him, but the way he chuckled as he sat back told her he knew she was already enjoying the play. Probably a little more than she should. It’d been too long since she’d played with another cat. Five long years since she’d desired another male like she did Damian in this setting.

Sarah wasn’t sure what had changed. Was it his admission that he believed she was his mate? Or had all the time she’d spent alone finally driven her insane?

Whichever it was, she’d play along. For now.

Damian was the type of male females found hard to deny. He was funny, compassionate, a loyal friend, and able to charm the socks off a pissed-off tiger.  If her family wanted to persuade her to move, then Damian was the puma to do it.

She looked at him, studying him for a long moment before asking, “Which one of my sons called you?”

He peered at her with a blank stare then raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Whatever,” she teased and turned to her food. A perfectly cooked steak covered in a mushroom sauce sat beautifully in front of her. She inhaled the savory aromas and nearly moaned. It’d been way too long since someone had cooked for her.

She fell silent, not sure what to say to him. There were so many questions and so much she wanted to lash out him for. Yet, her heart couldn’t stay angry with him. She knew it wasn’t his fault, any more than it was hers, but the piece of her that still clung to memories of Walt wanted someone to pay for taking her mate away.

“Sarah?”

She raised her gaze to his. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, making her close her eyes at the too-brief brush of his fingertips. “Why are you willing yourself to age?”

She opened her mouth to reply then closed it. She was over two hundred and fifty years old. Sure, that wasn’t considered old among shifters, but neither was it young. Even though shifters lived to be thousands of years old, there were the rare cases in which they could will themselves to age.