BOOK ONE - promised series
When a new family moves to Everett Valley, Catherine vows to find out what they are searching for in her secluded hometown that doesn't normally welcome new people.
Catherine must choose between the council and her pack le...
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It took Reece two painful weeks until he woke up from his strained sleep. With his somewhat normal colour back in his face, he looked less like a ghost. I leaned over him, putting a cold, wet rag on his forehead because he'd broken a fever a few nights ago.
Cold fear had stricken—I had come so close to losing them.
Seeing my brother, my protector, writhing in agony during his sleep... I hated myself for not being there earlier. I could have prevented it—had I not been off, behind Reece's back, frolicking with someone I wasn't even promised to. I hated watching him lie there, not being able to help him.
"How are you feeling?" I asked once his eyes slowly opened, those brown irises confusedly staring up at me.
"What the hell happened?"
Reece tried to lift himself up on his elbows but failed miserably. His full strength wasn't back yet, but he definitely looked better than he did yesterday.
Some improvement, at least.
"A rogue attacked you and Emmet while I was out," I explained, guilt laced in my voice. It was my fault he was in this situation. All of it was because of me. I should have been there.
His brows crinkled in confusion, but after a few moments of thinking, he seemed to remember the events that had put him in this state.
"He came out of nowhere. Emmet and I didn't even hear him come in, nor did we smell him."
"Hmm. I couldn't see his emotional signature, either. How's that possible?"
I wasn't even able to fathom how impossible that was. No wolf could mask their scent that well. Especially not to the leader of a pack. Was that what I had smelled? Whatever he used to cloak it? But how did Reece and Emmet not smell a thing?
"I don't know. We'll have to figure it out," he croaked, lowering his head back into the soft pillow.
He was obviously exhausted and needed some rest, so I turned the rag around and attempted to get up and leave. Before I could properly stand up, Reece took a hold of my wrist.
"I did smell Holden," he said, and my heart stopped beating.
He what? I lowered my head and stared at the ground, shame running through me.
"I think you know what I think about your relationship with him," he muttered, the disappointment clear in his weakened voice.
Staring at the ground beneath my feet, words eluded me. Though I knew he didn't approve. I expected he would get angry, shout at me and then get over it, like he usually did. But I wasn't sure I could handle him being disappointed. It was so much worse... My voice was small when I spoke.
"I do."
Reece furrowed his brows again, his facial expression displaying the one emotion I could feel coming off of him in waves. And I hated what he was feeling to the core of my bones. He wasn't satisfied just yet.
