Chapter 3

Cassie



Upon arriving back at the compound, Cassie and Talon parted ways at the gate.

He headed for the communal building where all the pack members lived and Cassie headed to the house Braden had built for her to appease her human side, which was not used to living with so many people under one roof.

Once at the backdoor, her human form emerged. Given that she did not grow up with these wolves, she did not feel comfortable walking around naked after transmuting from quadriped to human. She covered herself with Braden's sweatshirt, which she had left outside for this moment.

"You're asking for trouble," her inner wolf, Evangeline, communicated to her. "You know how Talon feels about you."

Cassie pulled the sweatshirt down, covering herself to mid-thigh. "I'm not encouraging him. I didn't even know he would be at the lake." She stated defensively as she opened the door and walked into her home. "And he was with someone, surely that tells you there's nothing to worry about."

Her beautiful mate was sitting at the kitchen table along with Talon's mother, Orphea, and her chosen mate, Caspian.

They were all surrounding their precious three-year old, Selene, whom they named to honor Moon Goddess.

"Good morning everyone," she greeted everyone warmly with a smile walking straight to her mate, kissing his temple.

"Did you have a good swim?" He asked, leaning into her lips while feeding their daughter oatmeal.

She nodded. "Didn't get to swim much- there were others in the old Rogue village who had... a fun night," she said. "I didn't want to be a nuisance," she bent down to kiss her daughter's dark, curly locks- not that the chubby-cheeked girl cared. Cassie knew she was non-existend next to Braden where Selene was concerned. "What's going on today?" She asked, pulling the last available chair, and sitting down next to Braden.

Caspian began. "There have been human hunters in the forests," he said ominously. "They shoot at anything that moves."

Orphea nodded. "Maybe the pack should refrain from going outside of our gates until these hunters either stop or move on." She stated with worry. "A few local packs have said their wolves have been shot at, thank Moon Goddess there have been no unfortunate incidents." She said, her arms crossed, with a fist over her chest.

"Yes," Caspian added. "There are so many of us in the area, it's only a matter of time before something gives, one way or the other."

Cassie stared at Caspian, feeling an ominous chill with his words. "That's deeply concerning," she said, looking from face to face. She placed a hand on her mate's back.

He immediately turned towards her, smelling her. "You saw Talon?"

She nodded, trying to whisper, "Yeah- remember what I said about people having fun by the lake?" She whispered, "Maybe let's not discuss this in front of his mother." She had forgotten for a moment she was in the presence of wolves with a keen sense of hearing.

"Oh, thank Moon Goddess!" Orphea clapped, "He went out last night and did not return."

Cassie smiled at the older woman. As a mother now, she understood parental concern. "He's fine, he's back now."

Orphea quickly stood, grabbing Caspian's hand. "Come, let's go warn him of the humans." She said, pulling him out of the house.

Cassie walked the couple out, closing the door behind them. When she returned to the kitchen, she noticed Braden washing the dish he had just used to feed their daughter. Cassie walked over to Braden, wrapping her arms around him, feeling herself very much in love with her mate.

She felt him lean back into her. "I can smell your desire," he whispered.

She gently bit his ear lobe, her hands skimming the band of his black pajama bottoms. "Braden, I want you. How much longer are you going to make me wait?"

He turned to face her, placing his hands on her bottom, pushing her hips against his.

Cassie noticed he wasn't aroused as she'd hoped he'd be.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I have a busy day, but tonight, after Selene falls asleep, I'm all yours."

He stepped away from her, walking to their daughter and extracting her from the high chair. "And as the future leader of this pack, sweetheart, you will begin combat training today," he whispered against her head, placing a series of loud kisses on her chubby cheeks. "Cassie, did you get a chance to wash my combat uniform?" He called out, as he carried their daughter upstairs,

Cassie placed her hand on her hip, releasing a long, pent up sigh. She followed her family to produce said uniform for her mate.

Tonight better be worth it, she thought, ascending the stairs.

"Oh, it'll be worth it," Braden called out.

Stupid mind link, she thought, quickly shielding her next thoughts.

As much as she hated to admit it, hearing about the hunters made her stomach twist in knots. She had to do something, given she self-assigned human relations under her responsibilities as the pack both, Luna and as human.

Despited the past few years living with the Bloodstone Pack and producing offspring with the pack Alpha, she still had a hard time feeling like she belonged in this place.

After all, she had spent majority of her life thinking she was a human with a birth defect.

She decided that while Braden was busy with training their little warrior princess, she would go into the human village and other surrounding areas to see if she could get any information on the hunters and hopefully put a stop to the danger before someone got hurt- and by someone, she meant the humans.

They had no idea what they were dealing with.