Due North by Kelsey Gamble
Tasha
A noise startles me awake.
I blink rapidly to adjust to the pitch black of the room, my heart pounding. I can feel Paxton pressed up against me in the bed even though I told him I was going to bed by myself. I would never admit it to him, but I’m relieved he stayed with me as I fell asleep.
When I tried to go to sleep alone, my wolf worked herself into a ball of anxiety. Coupled with my actual anxiety from the exhausting day, I was in no position to sleep by myself.
Right now, Paxton’s the closest thing I have to an anchor keeping me steady as we navigate all the turmoil around us.
That doesn’t mean I’m accepting all the nonsense about him being my… Mate. I roll my eyes in the dark, forgetting my fear momentarily, then stiffen when I hear the noise again.
There are footsteps out in the hall that are much too heavy to be Leah. I consider waking Paxton up but think better of it. I don’t need him to save me; I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself.
Except against him, apparently. Which I should probably take more time to consider when it’s daylight and there aren’t footsteps prowling outside my room.
I slip silently out of the bed and move cautiously. There must still be lights on in the hall because I see the shadow of a figure lurking outside the door. The little hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up and an odd sensation hits me.
Wolf. There’s a wolf right outside the bedroom.
My hands start to glow. “What the—“ I slam my mouth closed. The words were barely a whisper, but I can see the shadow outside the door stop moving. If the wolf didn’t know there were people in here before, it does now.
I try desperately to do something—anything—with the glow that’s unfurling from my hands, brightening the space in front of me like a nightlight. It feels like I should have some kind of control over it, but there’s nothing. No matter how intensely I try to manipulate the light, it frustratingly seems to have a life of its own.
With an impulsivity that’s not like me at all, I jerk the door open and come face-to-face with our intruding wolf.
It isn’t a shifter I recognize. As my body floods with fear, the power radiating off of me reacts on my behalf. But just as it starts to lash out toward the wolf, an arm wraps around my waist and jerks me back. Instinctively, I touch that arm to try to push it away, but the big body behind me jolts, and my eyes widen with nervousness and a touch of embarrassment as I realize what I’ve done.
“Shit. Fuck.” Paxton grunts like he’s in pain, and the light mercifully vanishes, thrusting us back into darkness. “What the fuck are you doing, Callie? No wolves in the fucking house.”
He keeps me plastered to his chest as he shifts to flick the light switch on the wall. I blink against the harsh, sudden light to find there’s no longer a wolf staring at me. The curly haired shifter smiles sheepishly at me from human form.
“I, uh, guess we had the same idea about a safe house.” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “I freaked out when I saw a Jeep I didn’t recognize sitting out front. Leah never has guests. And then I smelled someone unfamiliar, and I figured my wolf had a better chance of keeping me safe.”
She barely finishes speaking before she bursts into tears.
I pull away from Paxton thinking, since he obviously knows this girl, that he’ll comfort her, but he stands there looking dumbstruck. When he starts to reach out, it’s only to try pulling me back to him.
Jerk.
Since apparently he’s not going to, I step forward and wrap this stranger in my arms, rubbing comforting circles across her back. “Hey, it’s okay. Anyone might have made the same mistake; I’m glad you thought to do what made you feel safe. No harm done.”
She shudders in my arms, and for some reason, I get the sinking suspicion there’s more to her upset than what just happened. It makes my spine stiffen defensively, my protective instincts creeping out.
“Are you in danger?” I pull away just enough to look her in the eyes.
“My—“ She can’t seem to get the words out but the anguish on her face gives it away. I know that kind of pain.
“Did something happen to your pack?” I can’t bring myself to ask if something happened to her mate. It hits too close to home. It hurts too bad.
Paxton finally seems compelled to act, his footsteps falling with heavy thuds on the hardwood floor as he moves to wrap his arms around Callie. And since I’m already holding her, he simply wraps his arms around us both. I hate that for a split second I can’t help but think how safe it makes me feel to be cocooned by him like this.
“She doesn’t have a pack,” he explains. To her he asks, “Where’s your crew? Where’s Baylor?”
She buries her head in the crease of my neck. “It was all a trap.” Her words are barely more than a whisper, and they don’t make any sense to me. Paxton goes rigid against us, though, so I know it means something to him.
“Did anyone follow you?” he demands, his voice suddenly harsh even though he doesn’t let go of her.
“No,” She whimpers. “They were all headed for that place in the woods you used to stay. I’m sorry.”
“Dammit, Callie.” Now he does release her, taking me along with him.
What the hell is going on?
He pulls me hard into his chest and wraps his arms so tightly around me I have to gasp for air before he loosens them to something closer to reasonable. Callie hangs with a group of rogues that were talking about linking up with some other rogues. Instead, it sounds like they trapped her into trying to give us away. The only reason they would come looking for me was if they were really looking for you. Someone must know I have you or assume I know how to get to you. I wasn’t exactly secretive about you being my mate while I was with Callie and her crew.
I’m still having a hard time following. Why would anyone assume I’m with Paxton instead of safely with the Sovereign Pack where I’m supposed to be? Just how many people has he involved in this whole charade?
I shake off my bitterness and try to focus on present concerns. I still don’t understand why Paxton seems so upset with this woman. It isn’t her fault someone would target her to get to him. So she sent them in the wrong direction and came to warn you? I suggest, waiting for him to fill in the blanks.
No.We both turn our heads, glancing at the emotional shifter standing in the doorway with her head buried in her hands as she sobs loudly. I can’t believe Leah hasn’t come to see what’s going on. Callie would never have guessed I would come here. I’ve always respected Leah’s choice to be alone. She sent them to a cabin I use as a safehouse thinking we would really be there.
Now I’m the one who goes rigid. I don’t understand. Why would she do that? And who is she?
My sister. He grinds his teeth so hard I’m worried he’ll chip one.
I don’t understand the dynamic of Paxton’s family. His brother was an abusive asshole. His sister knows he thinks I’m his mate and still sold us out. It’s disheartening to learn about this family’s willingness to hurt each other. My chest aches at the unfamiliarity of their dynamic, but I chalk it up to how it makes me think about my own family.
I would give my own life before I put either of my siblings in danger. I’m sure if asked, they would both say the same about me. Clearly, his family is nothing like mine.
You should go up to Leah’s room. She won’t like it, but tell her what’s going on and she’ll understand. I’ll deal with Callie and work out how fast we need to move. We can’t stay here now.
He’s delusional if he thinks I’m going to do that.
“You kidnapped me to bring me here, and all you’ve done so far is put me in danger. So if you really think I’m going to go wait upstairs and trust you to be the one to handle things, you’re crazier than I thought.” I try to step away from him, but he’s built like freaking stone, his arms impossible to push off of me.
“I just want you to be safe.” He frowns down at me, and I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m suddenly hyperaware of how close our faces are. We stare at each other while I’m wrapped in his embrace, a strange fluttering feeling passing fleetingly through my chest.
“Let me go.” This time when I wiggle, he releases me.
Callie lifts her head and swipes the back of her hands across her cheeks. “I swear I wasn’t trying to put anyone in danger. They turned Baylor, Pax. I thought he…” She trails off, and there’s heartbreak written all over her face.
I hate that she put us at risk, but even more than that, I hate that I can see the betrayal that’s cracked open her heart.
I’m starting to get the gist of what must have happened. Someone she genuinely cared for took advantage and led her like a lamb to slaughter. I don’t think she wanted to put her brother in danger—I think she didn’t realize she was being taken advantage of until it was too late to stop it.
I abandon Paxton’s side and go to Callie. There’s a flash of fear in her dark eyes as I reach for her, but she soothes immediately when I hug her fiercely. She doesn’t need to be berated when she’s clearly hurting.
Tasha. His growl echoes around my head.
I turn my head just enough to make sure he sees the glare I’m sending him. We don’t turn our back on family.
* * *
Paxton finds me standing in the open doorway of the front door after he manages to settle Callie into another of Leah’s guest rooms. He wanted to interrogate her like an enemy, but by some miracle, I convinced him to let it wait until tomorrow. His anger with his sister disturbs me, even more so because my first impression of her is that she’s young and probably more than a little naive.
“I hid the keys,” he barks at me.
I’ve never wanted to strangle anyone as much as I want to strangle Paxton Glass. Even if I was thinking about looking for the keys, I don’t think he deserves any room to judge considering I was forcibly brought here. “I was just thinking we should put the cars in the garage. If anyone does happen to come snooping around, the cars out front are a dead giveaway that Leah has people here.”
“I’ll move them in the morning.”
No apology for jumping to conclusions. No thanks for how considerate I’m being despite the fact that he brought me here against my will.
I don’t understand Paxton. One second, he almost reminds me of Dominic. Protective and possessive; there are worse things to be. Then the next, he treats me like property. Something to own instead of something to cherish.
Jimmy never treated me like that. My wolf whimpers, joining in on the pity party I’m having for myself. I can feel Paxton still hovering behind me, thick waves of tension rolling off of him. He clearly thinks if he takes his eyes off of me, I’ll run. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
I’m tired.
Exhausted.
Life keeps beating me down, and this time I’m tempted to stay down. Every time I think I might be able to get my feet under me again…
I haven’t had any stability since my parents abandoned us, leaving Tevin and me to raise Tess while they disappeared into the unknown. For years, Jimmy gave me as much stability as he could, but being a Beta’s mate comes with a set of its own issues.
Alpha Callum could call for Jimmy any time, and my mate had no choice but to drop everything and go. In our smaller pack, it wasn’t as bad as in the bigger packs where there’s constant fighting and territory disputes to be handled. At least he wasn’t in danger every time he left our bed. Only the last time.
I shut my eyes and try to focus on something else. Something tangible. The breeze softly caressing my skin. The cold marble floor under my bare feet.
It’s the closest I ever get to meditating.
“Are you coming back to bed?” He sounds impatient.
Paxton Glass does not understand me. My wolf can claim mate all she wants, but I see the bigger picture. A mate bond is about bonding two shifters who compliment each other. Who can be what the other needs and strengthen them.
That’s not us.
Fate can’t be so cruel as to give me the perfect mate and then give me… Paxton.
“Tasha.” His voice is barely more than a low growl now. “Stop ignoring me.”
I peek over my shoulder at him to find him scowling. He’s so painfully handsome, it’s a shame he has such a bad attitude all the time. And I hate that he’s about to make me do something I’m going to wind up feeling bad about later.
Lie.
“I think one of us should stay up and keep watch the way wolves in packs do. Surely your sister’s friend would have had someone following her just in case. It seems too easy that they’d let her get away on her own before they actually checked your cabin.” She actually confided in me that she’d been forced to crawl out of a bathroom window to escape the two wolves they left guarding her, but Paxton had gone to get her a glass of water—begrudgingly leaving us alone—when she mentioned it, so I’m counting on him not knowing.
His scowl deepens. “You’re not keeping watch. Go back to bed, and I’ll stay up.”
Even though he played right into my hand, I still feel a sting of resentment that he dismisses me so easily. As if it’s unreasonable to think I could take a turn keeping watch. He’s the one who left me alone with Zeke, forcing me to prove I can defend myself just fine.
I don’t say a word about it as I carefully maneuver around him, leaving him to play watchdog. If I learned anything from being with the Sovereign Pack, it’s that no one is really interested in being questioned.
No matter how open and kind they pretend to be at first.
I’m just passing the sweeping staircase around the corner when someone whispers my name. I glance toward the darkened stairs and can just barely make out Leah’s wild blonde hair clipped messily to the top of her head.
I change directions and head toward her out of curiosity.
“Come upstairs with me, sweetheart.” Her voice is still low like she doesn’t want anyone else to hear. I’m not sure how much I trust Paxton’s judgement about who is safe and who isn’t, but I know I’ve been in this house long enough that she could have come after me already if she wanted to.
The fact that she hasn’t means she’s probably actually the person I trust the most here.
I pick my way carefully up the staircase behind her. She pauses at the top of the stairs to wait for me. I’m grateful for that, considering it’s almost pitch black in the upstairs hallway.
“A lot of people don’t understand me.” Leah’s tone is considerably calmer than when I met her, more subdued. “The whimsy isn’t for most people, sure, but it’s really my solitude they don’t understand.” She wraps her arm around mine and carefully guides me forward. “Some shifters are built for it.” She hesitates before adding more quietly, “Some aren’t.”
I’m not sure where she’s going with this, so I stay quiet and just hear her out. I have a feeling there’s been plenty of times in her life when she didn’t have a voice of her own. I won’t be one of the people to take it from her.
She pauses next to an open window, with just enough moonlight seeping in that I can see the closed door we stop in front of.
And she finally gets to her real point.
“I don’t believe that you, Tasha Jarreau, are meant for solitude. I think you deserve to take your second chance.”