N. Walters - Legacy Found

“Well, we mature into adulthood in our early twenties. Males will make their first change into a wolf around that time.”

“What about females?” Her legs trembled and her shoulders hunched as the memories of her first change sprang to mind.

She sensed his hesitation but, once again, he gave her an honest answer. “Females come into heat around that time.”

There was that hated word. Heat . She’d hated being so out of control of her body due to some biological imperative she had no power over. Tom had always claimed that was the difference between humans and animals.

James continued, his voice low and calm. “To ensure the species survives, the female is biologically programmed to want a male at this time. She chooses one and he claims her as his mate. Once they have sex and he claims her in the way of our people, she will be able to make the change as well.”

“That’s not fair,” Shelley blurted. She was shaking now. Cold to the marrow of her bones. She’d had no choice. She knew that now. But it didn’t make what happened to her any easier to bear.

She swiped at her cheek, hating the lone tear that rolled down. Tears were weak. Useless.

James slowly eased the truck onto the shoulder of the road and put it in park. He turned to her, his gaze solemn. “No, it’s not fair.”

She glanced away, but he caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her face toward him. She jerked away when all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and cling to him. She felt as though she was unraveling, coming apart on the inside.

“How did you make your first change? I know you did, Shelley,” he continued when she said nothing. “You knew what I meant the first time I called you a werewolf. I could see it in your eyes.”

“He captured a male and brought him back with him.”

“Who?”

Shelley ignored his question, lost in the past. “He’d drugged the male and dragged him into the cage he kept me locked in while he was gone. I had no idea who he was or what was going to happen.”

Her entire body was vibrating now. She was so cold.

“My body had been feeling strange for weeks, but now it was out of control. My skin was so hot. I ached all over. I wanted to tear at my flesh.” She was panting hard now, finding it difficult to breathe.

“The male came round eventually. He went half mad, throwing himself against the bars and howling. Howling. Howling.” She slapped her hands over her ears as though she could stop the memory.

“Shelley.” James reached for her but she recoiled from his touch. He dropped his hand on the seat between them.

She shook her head. The dark memories spewed out of her like a seething volcano that had finally erupted. “Then he saw me and everything changed. He ripped off my clothes, threw me down on my stomach and…” She looked away, unable to finish.

“It’s okay, Shelley. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I didn’t fight him,” she screamed. “I let him do what he wanted.”

James undid her seatbelt and eased her closer, tucking her face against his chest. His big hand was so warm as he cupped the back of her head. “It wasn’t your fault,” he insisted. “You were young and afraid. You had no idea what to expect. Throw in the biology factor and you did what you had to do in order to survive. But it’s not supposed to be that way.”

“How is it supposed to be?” Her voice was muffled against his shirt.

James rubbed his hand over her hair and down her shoulder, his touch easing some of her tension. He didn’t seem disgusted by what she’d done. Her breakfast churned in her belly like acid. Her entire life, that moment had haunted her.

“You’re supposed to be surrounded by family and friends. Males come from miles around to court your favor. Your parents are there to guide you and help you make a choice. Then the joining between you and your chosen mate is a beautiful and natural thing.”

She sniffed and rubbed at her face. She wasn’t really crying. Not really. James made it all sound so natural and beautiful. Not scary and ugly like what had happened to her.

“I suspect whatever tranquilizer the male was given affected him to some degree. He should have had more control.” James arm tightened around her. His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath her cheek.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.” James sighed, ruffling her hair. “I suspect you made your change soon after that.”

Shelley nodded. “The male was tranquilized again and removed from the cage. I never saw him again.” But his final howl still haunted her. “He was killed by the hunter.”

“What happened to you?”

She took a deep breath. James’s scent surrounded her, comforting her. His calm acceptance gave her the courage to continue. “I was scared to death. I had no idea if I could change back or not. Finally, I was exhausted and the change happened. I couldn’t control it at first, but I quickly learned to.” She flinched involuntarily and forced herself to move away from James. He was kind but she couldn’t come to rely on him. She wasn’t staying. Wasn’t going to bring down the wrath of the hunters on him and his family. And they would be looking for her. Of that she had no doubt. She’d killed one of them.

“How did you get away?”

Shelley shook her head, sat back in her seat and pulled on her seatbelt. The click of the belt buckle was like a punctuation mark, ending their discussion.

James snapped on his seatbelt and put the truck in gear. After checking the traffic, he pulled back onto the highway. Shelley closed her eyes. She was done talking. The rhythm of the vehicle gradually relaxed her.

Tension thrummed through James’s body like a live wire. The things she’d shared with him were horrific. And the hunters called them animals. How in the hell had she survived all those years?

The only thing she knew about sex and mating was warped. She didn’t have any normal sexual experiences. It made him even more determined to show her the delights, the pleasures that could be found between a male and female if there was caring and respect between them.

He wondered what she looked like in her wolf form. She’d be delicate, but strong, just as she was as a human. He imagined her fur would be soft brown, her eyes dark and intelligent. He longed to see her.

His wolf was restless inside him, wanting to break free of the confines of civilization and run through the forest and mountains. He wanted to show Shelley the joys to be found in her wolf. From the way she spoke, he sensed nothing but shame for that part of herself.

He still didn’t know who had taken her or what had happened to her captor. Shelley wasn’t talking about him. Not yet. James was confident she would once she felt safe and secure.

He was determined to give her justice. Retribution. He also wanted to give her a safe home, with him.

He glanced over at her. Several tendrils of her hair had escaped her ponytail and were resting against her cheekbone. Her eyes were closed, her long lashes brushing against her pale skin.

Her head was resting against the seat, but he could tell she wasn’t asleep. She jerked every time he hit a bump in the road. No, she definitely wasn’t sleeping. He expected she was emotionally drained after their talk and just wanted to be left alone.

That was fine. For now.

Even after everything she’d told him, there was a sense of calm, a stillness about her that was peaceful. James felt no need to make conversation.

He left her pretending to sleep and turned his attention back to the road. He really wished that she would fall asleep for a while. There were dark circles beneath her eyes. She’d obviously been overworking and not sleeping well. And last night, he’d kept her busy until late, and today had been an emotional roller coaster.