“I won’t call you a pup, cos I know how much you hate that. I wish I had brothers and sisters. You’re so lucky to have twelve people in your family. I told my mum that we were surrounded by werewolves, and she said I have an overactive imagination, whatever that means, but don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone else because I know now that it’s a secret. You save us from all the bad things,” Faith said.
Kane and Jamie stared open-mouthed at Faith as she smiled up at Kane.
“You’re really pretty. You can be my Prince Charming.” As she grabbed Kane’s hand, she gasped and seemed to go into a trance for a minute or two, her eyes becoming even bigger.
Faith grinned up at them and headed in the opposite direction to her house, dragging him with her.
Chapter 1
It’s so nice to be home, Faith thought. Her parents were throwing her a welcome home party, and she couldn’t wait to see her second family. She had missed Jamie and his family so much. Faith’s parents had picked her up from the airport yesterday, and she’d spent a relaxing afternoon with them. But tonight she hoped everyone she loved would be there, bar one. She couldn’t see him, not yet, she needed time to settle, build up her walls against him. Faith shook her head and finished getting ready for her party.
Two hours later, the party had started and Faith was chatting to all her friends, but she couldn’t stay focused on the conversation around her, because she was eagerly awaiting some of the most important people in her life. Her werewolf family was late, and she was starting to get upset.
She had been away for two years with only phone contact with the Wolfens. She never missed speaking to at least one of them every night. They were the reason she had come home, and why she’d left in the first place. It’s not that she wasn’t grateful to them, especially as they’d helped her learn to control her psychic gifts, but they always seemed to take over and overprotect her. She sighed and gave herself a little shake, hoping it would get her back into the conversation around her.
When Faith finally felt her wolf family arrive, she smiled, excused herself from the friends she was talking to, and ran outside to greet them. Faith kissed all the werewolves, and when she reached Jamie she jumped on him, kissing his cheek. “I missed my best friend so much,” Faith told him.
Jamie chuckled. “We talked almost every day.”
“I missed your hugs, and I miss your stupid jokes, they don’t have the same effect over the phone.” Faith kissed both of his cheeks.
She looked up and saw Kane first before she felt him. He was special. Faith loved her werewolf family, but the love she had for Kane was different, more intense, sexual, a love she felt to the bottom of her soul. The problem was, he didn’t want her.
Faith looked over Jamie’s shoulder, trying for a casual, “Hi, Kane.”
She turned her head back to Jamie before she did something stupid like jump on Kane and kiss him to show him how much she loved him and didn’t want to live without him anymore.
Without thinking of the consequences, she kissed Jamie on the mouth, trying not to put all her regret and self-hatred at loving Kane into it. Jamie seemed startled at first, but then he grabbed her arse to hold her closer to him, and he really got into it.
Faith wished she loved Jamie the way she loved Kane. God, she wished she felt something from this kiss. Nothing…she felt nothing for Jamie beyond friendship.
She sighed in thanks when her mother called her inside as she had an overseas caller. Faith walked into the house, not daring to look back at the group, knowing if she did she would have to acknowledge what was going on.
* * * *
Kane got out of his car and froze as chocolate and vanilla assaulted his senses. He looked for the source, terrified because he knew who it would be. His gaze fell on an absolutely gorgeous, grown-up Faith, and his wolf stood at attention for the first time in more than four years. It growled in his head mate, take, mate.
Kane stared at Faith as she greeted his family. When she came to Jamie she jumped on him, kissing his cheek. Kane fought with his wolf as he waited patiently for Faith to acknowledge him. All she did was look at him with a blank expression and say “hi” then turn her head to kiss Jamie on the mouth.
Kane snapped. He growled and lunged for Jamie only to be held back by his brothers, Rane and Arden. “Mine,” he snarled as he struggled to free himself.
Kane knew he wasn’t being rational. Jamie was his brother and Faith’s best friend, but it seemed his wolf, and deep down he admitted to himself, he didn’t care. The kiss ended when Faith was called inside. She excused herself and left without even looking back.