Strength Enduring Read online

  “I don’t understand.”

  “They don’t like the fact that Dawn’s a wolf. Apparently, they figured out that I have more connections to the Talon Pack than they are comfortable with. Which is ridiculous because the Talons haven’t done a single thing wrong. The humans started everything. But there was nothing I could do about it in the end. I have a new job, though, so I didn’t have to go unemployed for long. Only a couple of hours to be honest.”

  “I heard in your message.” There was a pause. “Is it really safe to be working with the wolves? I know they say they’re safe and don’t attack humans, but what do we really know about them? I just don’t want you hurt. And I don’t like the way I sound when I say that.”

  Dhani didn’t either.

  She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m as safe here as I would be inside any school these days.” Probably safer, but she wasn’t going to comment on that with her mother just then. She knew her mom was worried because of all of the changes, but she still hated to think that her mom would be scared of those Dhani called friends.

  “If you’re sure.”

  She didn’t like the uncertainty she heard in her mom’s voice, but there was nothing she could do about it. She let her mom talk about what she and her dad were doing for the week, and then she stopped the conversation because she needed to get ready for her day. She hated the fact that her morning had started on that note, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She just needed to go to work, see how she could be this new version of herself, and ignore the things she couldn’t change. The fact that those things were starting to pile up hadn’t escaped her notice, though.

  When she got to the school, Brie and Dawn were already there, waiting for her. Dhani pushed all thoughts of worry out of her mind and smiled at her friends. She wasn’t going to lie and say that she wasn’t nervous, but she was even more excited.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet the young ones,” Dawn said with a grin. “They’re seriously the cutest. Just remember, they’re not allowed to shift into their pup forms except for at recess. And yes, baby wolves in their pup forms are just as adorable as you may think. And, sometimes, they let you cuddle them and your ovaries burst.”

  “That’s something I cannot wait for.” Dhani grinned just thinking about the babies.

  “I happen to think my baby girl is the cutest, and if things work out, you’re going to be teaching her soon.” Brie hugged Dhani tightly before taking a step back.

  As soon as the other woman let go, Dhani knew that this was exactly where she should be. Yes, she was a human amongst wolves, not quite a part of who they were, but not quite out of place either. It was as if she had spent her whole life waiting for this exact moment. She wasn’t going to take it for granted. No matter what.

  Chapter Seven

  “Is it wrong that I wanted to crawl into the puppy pile and let all of the kids in wolf form crawl all over me?” Dhani asked later when she was at Dawn’s house along with Aimee and Cheyenne. Cheyenne had come to the den later that afternoon so she could have dinner with the rest of them. Her friend was now the only one of their group not living within the den wards, but considering that she had a veterinary practice out in the human world, that made sense.

  “There is nothing wrong with being enamored with the adorableness that is a wolf in pup form.” Aimee smiled widely before taking a sip of her wine. Her friend looked like a completely new woman ever since the curse that had tried to take her life was broken and she’d been turned into a lion shifter. The other woman exuded health and radiance now, and Dhani couldn’t be happier for her.

  “Since puppies and kittens are my favorite part of the job, I’m going to have to agree with you there.” Cheyenne winked, and Dawn threw a piece of bread at her head. Cheyenne caught it easily—the woman had fast reflexes. They were having a fondue party of all things, and the amount of food they’d already consumed was a little insane. Yes, the two shifters were able to eat a lot more, but she was pretty sure she and Cheyenne had almost met them bite for bite.

  “You and your need to study us like we’re part of your vet practice.” Dawn rolled her eyes, and Dhani knew that they were all joking. Although Cheyenne had made a comment or two about how she loved the science behind all the magic surrounding them, Dhani knew that her vet friend didn’t think of the wolves—and now cats—as things that might be part of her work.

  “Maybe.” Cheyenne smiled coyly before dipping the bread she’d caught into the cheese pot.

  Dhani tilted her head and looked over at Aimee. “But I guess knowing all of that would be helpful for Walker. Doesn’t he have degrees in veterinary medicine? I know he has a few in human medicine since he doesn’t want to use all of his strength as a Healer when he could just use science. But what if someone gets hurt in wolf form?”

  Aimee nodded. “He has one, but it’s been a few years. I think if things ever settle down, he’s going to go back and brush up on veterinary medicine. But, yeah, it’s easier for him to treat those in the Pack when they’re in human form.” She glanced over at Cheyenne. “You never know, he might just ask you to put up your shingle within the den.”

  Something uneasy flashed over Cheyenne’s face, but as Dhani was the only one at a good enough angle to see, she wasn’t sure anyone else had noticed. Interesting.

  “I think I’m okay with my practice where it is. If Walker ever needs my help, you know I’ll be there. But he seems like he can handle most anything. Especially now that he has Leah working with him as a water witch healer by his side. And you as his mate, helping him when you can, as well.”

  They moved on to another topic of conversation, but Dhani kept her attention on Cheyenne. There was something going on with the other woman that she couldn’t quite figure out, but she didn’t think it was her place to pry. Considering she had enough on her own plate, she held back from saying anything that could be too intrusive.

  “So, are you ever going to tell us about the sexual tension burning between you and Kameron?” Dawn fluttered her eyelashes as if she hadn’t just made Dhani choke on her wine.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Aimee snorted. “Come on, we see the way you two dance around each other. You guys are constantly fighting, flipping each other off, or looking at one another like you want to eat each other up…one tasty morsel at a time.”

  “It’s not like that.” She didn’t know why she wasn’t telling them, but for some reason, she wanted what was going on between her and Kameron to be just between the two of them while they figured it out. She knew she would probably break down soon and tell her best friends what was going on in her mind, but for now, she needed to let her thoughts go in circles for just a little bit longer while she tried to make sense of them.

  “What is it like then?” Aimee asked softly.

  “It just is. Can we talk about the fact that I caught you and Walker making out beside the cafeteria today? All swoony and totally not secretive at all?”

  The girls laughed and, thankfully, let Dhani awkwardly steer the conversation elsewhere. She knew that, one day soon, she would tell them that she and Kam were potential mates. But then she would have to answer the question of how she knew that. And because she didn’t have the answer herself, she wanted to wait. And it wasn’t as if Kam were ready to jump into a mating anyway. So she would wait.

  Just like she’d been waiting all her life.

  Chapter Eight

  Kameron did another pull-up, sweat dripping down his brow, and he blinked it away as it tried to get into his eye. He was working himself too hard, and he knew it. But he hadn’t been able to sleep the night before with thoughts of Dhani and the secrets she might hold, so now he was working off as much tension he could: stress from the fact that he couldn’t figure out Blade’s plans; anxiety over constantly being on alert thanks to his bonds as an Enforcer; and the strain that was pure sex and heat that had everything to do with the newest resident of the den.

  H
e let out a growl, his dick hardening at the thought of her, and forced himself to do another pull-up. Then another. If he worked himself to the bone, maybe his dick would be too tired to stay hard all the time.

  This was why he needed to stay away from Dhani. Because the more he was in her presence, the harder it was to ignore what might be between them. No, it wasn’t fair to either of them, but she wouldn’t be safe as his mate. And the more rationalizing he did, the more he felt like an ass. It wasn’t as if she were chomping at the bit to be with him. Instead, they were avoiding each other as if they didn’t live so close to one another and didn’t work within the same den walls.

  He did a few more pull-ups, his body straining, and then went to the ground to start his push-ups. He wore an old pair of sweats and some tennis shoes. But that was it. He hadn’t even bothered to put on underwear after his last shift. He’d run as a wolf on his patrol, looking for any evidence that someone had come near the den wards. Thankfully, unlike the other night, everything had been pretty quiet.

  There hadn’t been another human groupie or reporter wanting to know more about things they didn’t understand. And, thankfully, there hadn’t been any more rogues coming for them. Though Kam was keeping track of the number of them, they were pretty rare in the grand scheme of things. There were more incursions with fumbling humans than there were with wolves on a tear.

  The last major rogue attack that he could think of, beyond the ones that had been sent as distractions, was the one that had made Avery into her wolf. Avery was mated to one of Kameron’s triplets, Brandon. She was also mated to a former Redwood Pack member, Parker. That triad had been important to the health of the den and ending the war with the humans. But the fact that his new sister-in-law was now a wolf thanks to a rogue he hadn’t been able to stop would always sit heavily on his shoulders.

  Yes, Blade had been the one who sent the rogue. And it had been the Aspen Alpha who sent some of the others, as well. But he hadn’t sent the one from the European Pack that Kameron had been forced to take care of a few nights before.

  Kameron didn’t like taking lives. He actually hated it. But if it meant the safety of those he cared about, and possibly ending the pain of the rogue itself, then he would do it. He would be the first line of defense, and hopefully, the last. Because at some point, his Pack needed peace.

  And maybe if that peace happened, he’d finally be in the right mindset to be the man that Dhani needed and deserved.

  As he tried to push that thought from his mind, his body straining as he continued to do push-ups, a tantalizing scent carried on the wind, and he stiffened in more ways than one.

  He couldn’t see her, but he could sense her close to the line of trees that stood between his house and her small cottage. She was outside, that much he could tell. He could hear her footsteps on the branches that had fallen from the trees in the windstorm the night before. And he could hear her huff and puff as she carried something into the house.

  Interested, though he told himself he shouldn’t be, he stood up, rolled his shoulders back to relieve some of the ache there, and then walked past the trees to where he could see her cottage. There, he noticed her lugging boxes in and out of her car towards her house. He didn’t know why Mitchell or one of the others wasn’t there helping her, but knowing Dhani, she probably hadn’t told anyone that she was unpacking more today. He didn’t know what she was doing with her old place, but maybe if he weren’t such an asshole, he could just ask her and learn more about her life. But he was afraid the more he learned about her, the more he would want her, and the harder it would be to resist her.

  There were reasons he wasn’t sleeping. And the twisty and curvy thoughts that this woman gave him were just some of them.

  “Need any help?”

  She turned on her heel at his voice, let out a yelp, and dropped the box she had been holding. Thankfully, she jumped away in time so it didn’t fall on her foot. He cursed, not liking the fact that he’d startled her.

  “You scared the hell out of me. I know you wolves learn to walk all soft and shit, but if you come up from behind me, can you at least stomp around so I can hear you?”

  Kameron’s lips tugged into a smile. “I can try, but it kind of defeats the purpose of being an Enforcer.”

  She huffed out a breath and bent down to pick up the box, but he was faster and picked it up for her.

  “Thanks. I think that’s just linens, so I don’t think I broke anything when I dropped the box. Can you put it in my living room? I didn’t have time to label everything like I should have because my landlord kind of kicked me out of my apartment so I’m a little rushed.”

  He froze, staring at her. “You lost your job and got kicked out of your apartment all in the matter of what, less than two weeks?”

  “Well, it seems that some of the parents of the kids I used to teach who didn’t like me living in my old building. So, instead of giving me extra time on my lease like we had planned so I could move out slowly, the landlord sort of cut everything off early. I know it’s more than likely not legal, and it’s confusing, and I should probably care more. But I have a new place, and once I can think again, maybe I’ll figure out what else I can do within the den or close to it so I’m not leaning on everyone’s hospitality so much.”

  “I don’t like that you keep getting hurt because of your connection to us.”

  “I don’t either. But what I hate more is the fact that people are fucking bigots when it comes to shifters.”

  Kameron growled, this time a little bit louder. “I know it’s a lot more political than it sounds on the surface, but if you need us to handle things, we will. It’s illegal for them to discriminate against you. Hell, it’s illegal for them to discriminate against a wolf.”

  “We both know that doesn’t stop everybody. And maybe I’ll be able to fight just a little and help out somebody else in the future. But right now, I need to let my thoughts settle, and for some reason, I feel like I need to be here. And, yes, I know it sounds all woo-woo, but I can’t help it. You guys are made of the woo.”

  That made Kameron smile. “I guess we are. Now, let me help you get the boxes. Because I bet you didn’t tell anybody what you were doing today. That way, they couldn’t offer to help and make you feel even more beholden to them.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Not quite sure that I like the fact that you understand me so well.”

  He wasn’t sure either. “You’re not going to owe me for this. How’s that?”

  “Hmm.” He wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but he noticed that her gaze hadn’t left his bare chest for a while. He did his best not to preen because while his wolf wanted her, the man knew this was far more complicated than physical attraction. Slow, he reminded himself. They needed to take this at a glacial pace. Or not at all. Because he told himself he couldn’t hurt her. And being with him would lead to a world of hurt if anyone found out outside the den. It sucked trying to be rational sometimes.

  Chapter Nine

  Later, Kameron stood with his back against a tree, his attention on the men and women who reported directly to him. He and Mitchell were in charge of training all the wolves inside the den, ensuring that even the submissives were ready to fight in case of an attack. The first job of the submissive wolves was to protect the children and be the last line of defense in case the first line, the dominants and soldiers, were unsuccessful.

  Today, however, wasn’t for the submissives or even the other dominants that held jobs outside the protective structure. No, this was a training session for his soldiers and the lieutenants who were part of the Alpha’s security team. Not all of them were here since some were on patrol at the borders while others were by Gideon’s side as Kameron’s brother worked, but most were there now, getting their training in so Kameron could ensure that his men and women were ready in case of attack. Gideon would be by soon to check in. The Alpha always made sure he was there for his people, even if it was just to let them know how
they were doing and that he saw them.

  Kameron hated the fact that they had to do this at all since he didn’t like the reasons for it. He always trained his people so they were the best at what they did, but the idea that there was a real and present reason for this training didn’t sit well with him.

  Normally, seeing the men and women who’d trained so hard for so long doing well at their positions calmed him somewhat, but he didn’t think that would happen today. With a certain woman constantly on his mind, it was hard for him to focus on the good. Because all he wanted to do was ensure that she was safe.

  And that was why he knew he needed to be careful. Because if he followed exactly what his wolf wanted, he might end up losing everyone in the process.

  “Why do you look like you’re going to rip the arms off somebody who makes a mistake today?” Max came up alongside him, his attention on those sparring in front of them, though he spoke directly to Kam.

  “I’m not going to rip their arms off.” He frowned, narrowing in on one of his men trying to take down his opponent. “Tino, watch that right leg!” he called out to one of his sentries that was working up to soldier level. Tino and his friend, Dave, were working hard to get promoted. Kam would have to talk with Mitchell and Gideon before any decisions were made, though he had a feeling the two would soon be off sentry duty and moved into more leadership-type roles.

  Not that sentry duty wasn’t just as important—if not more important—as some of the longer patrols. Each role was a cog in the system that made up their Pack. Not paying attention to where each person needed to be in order to thrive and keep the Pack safe would go against his position as Enforcer.

  “You know, it’s not only your duty to keep your head down and watch what the Aspens are doing around us. And it’s not your fault that they’ve been able to use darker magic than us to get some of our weakest. Blade kills people in order to do what he does. I know they say it takes a village, but it really does take a Pack. That’s what the hierarchy is for. We have an Alpha, an Heir, a Beta, an Omega, a Healer, and an Enforcer. Then there’re people like me who aren’t part of the hierarchy but are still part of this family. I may not have a title, but I’m a damn good councilmember and soldier. Lean on us.”