Caeden laughed. "I"m a shifter not a werewolf."
He opened the back hatch and Murphy jumped with amazing agility for an animal of his size. Caeden unpacked our cart and I climbed in with Archie. I had s.n.a.t.c.hed his collar from the bag so I affixed it to his neck. His blue name tag, that I had made before we left, dangled from it. Archie quirked his head and then licked my cheek.
I stuck my tongue out at Caeden as he started the car. "See? He likes his purple collar."
Caeden shook his head and looked at Archie. "Silly dog."
Archie stuck his tongue out and licked Caeden"s nose.
We stopped and picked up something quick to eat before Caeden dropped me off at home. He helped me unload the car and then gave me a quick kiss goodbye. My stomach fluttered at the touch of his lips on my skin. I hoped desperately that the feeling never went away. I knew that my body and heart were already in love with Caeden and my mind was quickly catching up with them. I just didn"t know when I would be able to say those three little words of, I love you.
ten.
It was Thanksgiving morning and I was completely undecided on what to wear. I didn"t want to wear my typical jeans, sweatshirt, and hair in ponytail. I wanted to look nice. No, not nice, I wanted to look beautiful.
I stood in front of my closet with my hair dripping wet down my back and a towel wrapped firmly around my torso. I put my hands on my hips. What to wear?
I finally pulled out a pair of gray slacks that I had once worn for an interview and my cozy red sweater. Satisfied as far as my wardrobe went I headed to the hall bathroom to do something about my flat, straight, hair. Sometimes, my hair dried with a slight curl on the ends and other times it hung lank and lifeless. I blew it dry the rest of the way and then curled it into soft waves. I thought it looked decent enough. I pulled out my makeup and spent more time than usual, adding eye shadow and blush. Normally, I only wore lip gloss and mascara. But today was important. I wondered if Caeden felt it too. One day I would marry Caeden, he was my mate after all, and we would be spending holidays together... as a family. This was the start of that tradition and it sent b.u.t.terflies flying excitedly through my stomach.
Gram knocked on the bathroom door making me jump. "Are you ready yet?" she asked impatiently. I had heard her feet pacing outside the door for the last fifteen minutes. "I am an old woman and I have to pee."
I fluffed my hair and decided that I was presentable. "Done," I said opening the door. Gram rushed past me and closed the door in my stunned face. "You could have gone outside," I said to the closed door.
From inside she said, "I"m a shifter not a dog. Only dogs pee outside."
"And cats, rats, mice, bears, wolves, which you are I may add, and other various wildlife creatures. Oh, and frequently human males."
"I"m not a male," she said and I could hear the sounds of her washing her hands. She opened the door. "You just like to argue don"t you?"
"It"s my favorite pastime," I said with a smile. "Can we go now?" I asked.
She raised her eyebrows at me, "I"m not holding you up am I?" she asked sarcastically. "I was ready two hours ago and you spent the last three getting ready."
"Sorry," I mumbled. "I"m nervous."
"It"s dinner," she said.
"Thanks for stating the obvious Gram. I appreciate that."
"Any time," she replied walking out the front door. We took her Nissan Altima instead of my car. The small car handled the William"s dirt driveway surprising well. When we reached the gate Gram pulled out a card like Caeden"s and slid it through the slot. The wide gates opened beckoning us forward.
"How come you use a card to get in and a code to get out?" I asked as she navigated the dirt road.
"It"s just a precaution. That way if someone manages to get in they won"t be able to get out." She was thoughtful for a moment. "Unless they shift to a monkey but I"ve never heard of that so I think we"re safe from monkey attacks," she joked.
"Good to know," I said.
We made it to the end of the circular driveway and it was littered with cars. It looked like we were the last to arrive. Thanks to me. Gram parked behind a large truck that looked like it could squish her small car if it felt like it. The b.u.t.terflies resumed their nauseating dance. I took a deep breath hoping that the urge to throw up went away. I was shy and from the cars parked in the driveway I knew a large crowd waited inside. It was time to put my big girl pants on.
"Come on Sophie," Gram said from the front door.
"Oh, right," I mumbled, trying to remember how to make my legs work.
I made it to the door just as Gram knocked a second time. The door swung open to reveal Amy, a frilly ap.r.o.n overtop her cla.s.sic black dress, "Come in you two," she said ushering us through the door. "Lucinda and Sophie are here!" she yelled over her shoulder.
I was shrugging out of my jacket when Caeden appeared at my side. He kissed my cheek and I leaned back to relish in the comfort that his simple presence brought me. His rich scent of pine and cinnamon enveloped my senses. Caeden took my hand and said, "Come on, I"ll introduce you to everyone. They don"t bite. I promise."
A large group was gathered in the family room and for each person there was a familiar. I saw the rest of the pack standing in a corner with their familiars standing guard at their side. Poor Archie, I had left him at home, he had to miss out on all the fun.
"This is Emily and Grant," he said pointing to a couple in their forties. "They"re Logan and Chris" parents." I could see the similarities. Logan and Chris both had their mom"s heart shaped face but Logan had his dad"s square chin. Their hair color seemed to be in between their parents shades. Chris had her dad"s soft pale green eyes and Logan had his mom"s hazel ones.
"h.e.l.lo, it"s nice to meet you," said Emily in a high soprano voice. Her honey blond hair was in a fancy up do and she wore black slacks with a gray sweater. Looking around the room at all the fancy clothes I was glad I had chosen what I had.
"h.e.l.lo," said Grant taking my hand in his. His hand was large and paw like but warm and soft. His blond hair was brushed back from his face.
I smiled at them both and said, "It"s nice to meet you too."
Then Caeden whisked me away to another couple. The man wore a dark navy suit and with his black hair and dark eyes he reminded me of 007. But he also looked like an older version of Bentley. The woman looked like a tiny doll next to the large man. She had brown hair and intelligent green eyes. She smiled when we approached. "You must be Sophie," she said and took my hands in hers. "I"m Angie."
I smiled. "h.e.l.lo, Angie. You must be Bentley"s parents?" I asked.
Angie looked at her husband and patted his flat stomach. "Jeremy really marked him didn"t he? I swear that boy doesn"t look like me at all."
I laughed. "He does look a lot like his dad," I said smiling at the man named Jeremy.
"I hear you don"t shift until January?" she asked.
"January sixteenth is my birthday," I said.
"It"s also a full moon," she replied.
"I know," I grimaced. Curiosity had struck me and I had looked it up some time ago.
"Did you know that the most powerful wolves, the best Alphas, eighteenth or sixteenth birthday fall on a full moon?" she asked.
"I didn"t know that," I said.
"Caeden"s sixteenth birthday was on a full moon. You two are going to be dynamic, unstoppable even. In the legends I"ve heard of one mate"s first shift landing on a full moon but not both," she said.
"I guess we just had to break the mold," said Caeden.
Angie squeezed his arm and said, "You always did have to be different didn"t you?"
"Yes ma"am," he replied.
For the first time I noticed what Caeden was wearing. He wore navy pants with a light blue and white striped shirt belted into his pants. The affect was astonishing. His bright blue eyes captivated and held me immobile. The pale blue and white of the shirt made his already tan skin look even tanner and his dark brown hair was falling across his forehead and curling at the nape of his neck. His customary brown scruff covered his cheeks. He was perfect and he was mine.
He smiled at me and it helped to break the trance... somewhat.
We said our goodbyes to Bentley"s parents and then he glided me across the family room.
The family room had two story ceilings and dark wood beams crossed the ceiling. The walls were a dark wood paneling like what would be found in a library. And speaking of libraries there was shelf after shelf filled with books. The room was shaped like a rectangle with windows covering the right and front wall. A large stone fireplace stood proudly against the left wall and was surrounded by built in shelves stacked with books. Large leather couches surrounded the fireplace. Blue-gray and brown rugs covered the dark hard wood floors in a haphazard arrangement that somehow just worked. A large chandelier hung down from the middle of the ceiling. It looked like it was made of real wood and wired with tiny lights. The room reminded me of the casual library that might be found in a manor somewhere. I could picture myself snuggling onto one of the leather couches in front of the fire with one of the many books in my hand.
"You look beautiful tonight," Caeden whispered in my ear. I looked over at him, my musings of the room completely forgotten.
I smiled. "Thanks," I said. "You look handsome."
"You think so?"
"Definitely," I said. "If another girl looks at you I might have to claw out her eyes.
Caeden"s laugh filled the room. "I"d like to see that."
"I"m sure you would," I said with a smile.
He led me to yet another couple in the room. The man had brown hair and brown eyes. The woman had flaming red hair and emerald green eyes. A little boy of about twelve stood next to the woman. He had red hair and brown eyes. Freckles covered his young face.
"This is Keith, Savannah, and Jake," he said motioning first to the man, woman, and little boy. "Charlotte"s parents and younger brother. This is Sophie," he said then motioning to me.
The woman named Savannah pulled me into a hug, squeezing the air out of my lungs.
"Mom!" yelled Charlotte from across the room. "Don"t break her."
"Sorry," said Savannah releasing me. "You"re gorgeous," she said. "You two will have the most beautiful children."
Red flames devoured my cheeks like they were starving. But I couldn"t help picturing a little dark haired boy and girl with Caeden"s blue eyes. I knew Caeden would be an amazing dad. I could see him running around the yard after them now, wrestling with our son, and even playing Barbie"s if our daughter asked him too. It was a future I yearned to have. But for now I had to make it through the present.
"Thanks," I whispered. I saw that Caeden"s cheeks were red too but I thought the expression on his face looked similar to mine and that maybe his thoughts had gone in the same direction mine had.
Caeden introduced me to a few other people and then we joined our friends where I had to be introduced to their familiars.
"This is Lucy," said Logan pointing to the chocolate lab at his side.
"This is Gwenie. She"s an English Mastiff," said Chris.
"My familiar Levi," said Charlotte petting the Dalmatian at her side.
"Marilyn Monroe," said Bentley grinning like the golden retriever at his side.
"And you know Bella," said Bryce.
I petted each of the dogs and said, "I wish I would"ve known. I"d have brought Archie."
Just then Gram came in from the foyer. "Apparently someone didn"t want to be left behind," she said and I saw that she held Archie in her arms.
"Archie," I scolded, "how did you get here?" I took the little dog into my arms. "Poor little baby," I cooed. "You didn"t want to be left behind did you?"
Caeden laughed and shook his head. "That is one determined familiar."
I put the small dog down on the ground to play with the others.
"Dinner"s ready!" called Amy coming into the room. She had ditched her ap.r.o.n, showing off her black dress.
The large group of people filed out of the room. I didn"t see how we would all fit at a table but no one else seemed worried.
My jaw literally dropped when we stepped into the large dining room. This house must be bigger than I had originally thought. The dining room reminded me of something one might find in a castle or another place of magnificence. The dark wood floor gleamed brilliantly. A large chandelier hung above the long wood table it"s crystals casting rainbows throughout the room. The table had to be custom made for it sat at least thirty people and the legs of which were four different wolves. The chairs were all wing-backed and done in a rich gray velvet. A large built in dining cabinet was imbedded into the right wall. Two large windows filled the far wall. Caeden took the head of the table and motioned for me to take the place at his right, Bryce took his left, and his mom beside me. Everyone else took their seats around us. Those pesky b.u.t.terflies made their return when I realized that everyone was staring at me and Caeden. It had never occurred to me that in meeting these people that I would one day be in charge of them. Caeden had obviously already accepted his responsibility as Alpha but I hadn"t even come to terms with what it would mean to be a shifter. Now not only were Caeden and I mates, we were leaders too; leaders of an elite group of shifters. We hadn"t even graduated high school yet!
For a moment I felt faint. Caeden kept a firm hold on my hand. Everyone else sat while the two of us stood. Caeden cleared his throat. "I"m so glad that we could all gather here today to celebrate Thanksgiving," he gulped and continued. "This is our first without my dad as our leader. I know that I"m young but I hope that I"m doing justice to the role I"ve been given. I don"t take the job of being Alpha lightly. I know that many of you are older and more experienced than I am and I hope that one day I can have half the knowledge you all possess. I love and admire each and every one of you. I will do the best that I can as your leader and I hope that you will all stand behind me."
The people clapped and smiled, nodding their heads in approval. Caeden gave my hand a squeeze. "Say something," he whispered, barely moving his lips.
Scared stiff I thought of something to say, anything, so I could stop standing there looking like an idiot. "Um," I began. Real cla.s.sy, I thought to myself, "um", just stick your foot in your mouth why don"t you; I silently scolded myself. "I don"t really know what to say. I grew up knowing nothing of being a shifter. I"ve only known about all of this for a month. It"s a lot to just have thrust upon you. I don"t know what I would do without Gram, Caeden, and the rest of the pack. I"m not going to lie and say I"m not scared because in truth I"m terrified." I looked at Caeden for support and then continued. "I haven"t even shifted yet and a great responsibility has fallen on my shoulders. I only hope I"m worthy enough."
Silence met me and then slowly everyone began to clap. Relief flooded my veins. I was going to kill Caeden later though. He better watch his back.
He let me sit down and then he began to carve the turkey. Everyone pa.s.sed around the various dishes. I found my plate heaping full and that didn"t even compare to the people who had three and four plates. Caeden said a blessing over the meal and then we were allowed to eat. Every piece of food burst inside my mouth with flavor. I had thought Gram was a good cook but Amy could give her a run for her money.
The hungry wolves finished their meals in record time. I left half my plate untouched and had to sneakily undo the b.u.t.ton on my pants. Caeden saw and heat rushed to my cheeks. Oh, well, I thought.
Everyone gathered in the family room again. I stayed to help Amy clean up from the monstrous meal, no pun intended, and Gram stayed behind as well. Amy had an industrial sized sink and a restaurant style dishwasher so clean up didn"t take as long as I thought it might. In record time I was able to join the others in the family room. The adults had taken to wine drinking. Caeden pulled me into his arms when I came in and we collapsed onto one of the plush leather couches. He kissed me square on the lips right in front of everyone and smiled at me like he"d won the lottery.
He nuzzled my neck and inhaled deeply. "Cookies," he whispered. I giggled. "Did you enjoy your meal?" he asked.
"It was delicious," I replied. "but I did not enjoy that stunt you pulled, making me give a speech, you know I"m shy."
He laughed. "That"s exactly why I didn"t tell you. I knew you"d chicken out if I gave you time to think about it. I had to surprise you."
"Well, you did and don"t you ever, ever," I repeated, "do that again."
"Are you throwing a temper tantrum?" he asked with a grin. "Because this is not Toddlers and Tiaras."
"Oh, you haven"t seen a temper tantrum yet. You just wait, mister."
He laughed. "You"re cute when you"re angry."
"And you"re annoying when you"re smug." I supplied.
He grinned and pulled me tighter against him. "Oh come on. You know you wouldn"t change a thing about me. I"m so full of awesomeness it should be illegal."
"Maybe you should be arrested," I quipped.
"I"ll be your prisoner anytime. Bring on the shackles baby, I"m your slave," he grinned mischievously.
My cheeks flamed as I pictured Caeden in handcuffs, my prisoner to do my bidding. Oh dear, I thought. Shut up! I screamed to my thoughts. Wasn"t there an off b.u.t.ton for your thoughts? I needed one desperately.
Caeden laughed as if he sensed where my thoughts were trailing. I could feel my whole body turning red. At least the sweater and slacks hid most of the treacherous red splotches.
I turned my head, to look at anything besides Caeden, and looked at the beautiful night sky outside the window. I hadn"t ever seen this many stars. At Caeden"s house I always felt like I was one with nature. It didn"t feel as if this house had been built by man but instead created by nature. The trees seemed to embrace the civil war era house and the animals darted around outside like they weren"t afraid. It was a sight to behold.