Wolfe’s den(8)

“A big reason is that he wanted it kept a secret, and they pretended she came from a different tribe from the North. After that we had the great fire that killed many of the elders and most of the historical records. Tales of her existence seemed to disappear from our history and it became only a legend. Those who knew the truth kept her history from the rest of the packs because there was too much tension between them. Besides, after their first litter she became a shifter as well.”

“So she wasn’t human after all,” I whispered. That was disappointing because Catherine was definitely human. Kane looked upset, too.

“No, she was human. Her parents and the descendants all down her line had been human. It’s one of the interesting things about human mates. They shift after they birth their first pups.”

“Only an Alpha could possess a human mate. He is the strongest, and it takes the most powerful Alpha to have a human mate.”

“Why?” It was peculiar because humans were weaker than us.

“Because until she bore him his first born pups, she possessed no special abilities. She was extremely vulnerable, and it takes a mate that could handle an attack on her and their unborn pups. Before she changed, they had no idea that she would ever grow to have the ability,” he informed me.

Fear started to course through me. Catherine was going to be a target. My sudden urge not to reveal the truth about her was my natural need to protect her. How I was going to keep her a secret was a mystery. She would be hard to hide because she wouldn’t have a pack or story we could use to keep her safe. I noticed Kane was getting antsy and his heart was racing. I started to wonder if he knew something and was hiding it.

Creed tapped my shoulder as I examined his kin. “You look lost in thought. I knew one day you’d come for these answers.”

“What do you mean?” I asked earnestly.

He knowingly smiled, then asked, “You’ve found her, haven’t you?”

“I have, but please don’t tell anyone,” I pleaded.

“Hunter, I look to you as one of my own. There is no way I would tell a soul about her, but I’m afraid there will be no way to hide it. You must mark her as yours as soon as possible, the only problem is she has to agree to be yours.”

“Is it because she’s human that I have been dreaming of her for the past six months. Dreams about mating and marking her?” The instant I said that Kane turned to me with his eyes wide open. I wondered what could be on his mind and I was starting to get an idea.

“Yes, since she is not one of us she doesn’t feel the pull like you do. She doesn’t crave you like you crave her, but dreaming of her for the past six months may make her more receptive to you,” Creed added, which alarmed me, but seem to soothe Kane.

“Damn it, I have to make her want me. How am I supposed to do that? I’ve never had the urge to mate before. I’ve never tried to charm a woman into anything.”

“Hunter, it will come naturally. You mustn’t worry. No male knows what to do with a woman before they begin the mating dance. It comes to them and the mate that is meant for them, so they could never not please them. You’re fated to each other.”

“But she’s different.”

“Are you afraid that you won’t feel as strongly to her?”

“No, if anyone feels like I do at the moment, I would grieve with them. I feel like I’m in a perpetual state of longing to be at her side. I want to please her, and I don’t even know her. My heart is pounding just at the thought of seeing her.”

“Your bond will be the strongest of all. It will bring resentment from others and that’s why the Alpha is the only one to possess a human mate.” I will need to be strong for her.

“How many have there been?” Kane asked.

“Only a handful throughout our five thousand years. It’s so rare because it takes a supreme Alpha to handle a human mate.”

“Because some may want to hurt her?” Kane interjected.

“Yes, there’s that, but also the human tendencies. They possess free will. She doesn’t have to choose you. You may fuck her, but she may not accept you as her mate for life,” Creed explained.

Kane and I snarled as I stood up and asked in outrage, “What do you mean?”

“Just as I said, unlike us, most humans take more than one lover. Many human females get divorced and have children with several men.”

“That’s not happening. She’s mine,” I roared.

“Then you must make her love you, like you love her. How is she in your dreams? Does she fear you or does she welcome you?”

“She welcomes me,” I breathed, it was a bonus that in my dreams she wasn’t scared. Kane growled and rushed out the front door.