B0079G5GMK EBOK (24 page)

“You know as well as I do, you can never hide from me,” Adam whispered hoarsely.

Joshua's eyes widened with horror and he tried to struggle free from Adam. Adam laughed roughly and tightened his grip by grabbing Joshua's throat with his other hand. Joshua's knees fell and Jonas stepped instinctively closer to him. I grabbed his arm fast and stopped him.

             
“N
o,” I hissed and Jonas backed away
.

“If you ever come to Europe, I will hunt you down without mercy, and I will kick the bloody mess that's left of you to the elders of Senja,” Adam threatened quietly. Joshua whined silently and Adam sneered.

“Did you forget who the leaders of the elders are? How stupid are you? What do you think they will think when they hear what you have done to their granddaughter!” Adam thundered and pressed Joshua's throat mercilessly.

“Adam,” I said quietly.

Adam closed his eyes before he pushed Joshua to the ground.

Joshua staggered to the woods, horrified. There was no doubt as to which one of them was a better hunter or killer. I closed my eyes and forced myself to stay still. Joshua had earned all this and even worse, but my heart was crying for that sweet young man I used to know. That man had joined
our pack in the a
utumn and he had been a part of our family. Joshua had destroyed himself when he attacked Clarissa. And the day he understood that, he would regret and mourn for his destiny forever. He had no chance of getting back what he had lost. No shape shifter pack would ever take him in. The word would spread and very soon everyone would know that he was nothing more than an outcast who lived
only because of the mercy I had shown
him. He would have to share his life with the mortal wolves and that would be his curse. He would be alone forever. His pack would die and he'd have to live. Joshua stopped before disappearing to the woods and looked hesitantly at Jonas.

“Jonas?”

Jonas shook his head and didn't take a step to get closer to his friend.

“Just a quick goodbye?” Joshua begged him.

Jonas sighed and looked at me for permission. I nodded and he went to Joshua carefully, ready to turn back if Joshua tried anything stupid. He didn't even try. He just stood there and waited for Jonas to get there. When the distance was only about two meters, Joshua strode to Jonas and
hugged him tightly. Jonas
instinctively put his arms around him and then he pushed Joshua away.

“What do
you want from me?” Jonas asked
coldly. “I think you said it all, right? Or is there
more
you'd like to share with me?”

“Come with me,” Joshua said and grinned. “We could hunt together and find another pack we can lead side by side, like brothers.”

Jonas couldn't believe his eye
s. He stared disbelievingly at Joshua. A minute ago, Joshua had said he was stupid because he loved Stella. And now he honestly believed Jonas would go with him. Jonas shook his head and lifted his hands up when Joshua tried to approach him again.

“I have made my choice and my place is here, with this pack and with Stella.”

“A mortal one!” Joshua spat the word out of his mouth like it had been poisoned.

“What kind of a life can she offer you? A moment? And in the end, it will be you, changing diapers for your woman and burying her to be food for the worms. Didn't you hear a word I said? It's stupid to get involved with human girls! It gives you nothing! Brother, come to your senses!”

“I love her, and I don't care if she's a mortal. A moment with her is better than an eternity with someone else.”

Joshua came next to Jonas as fast as lightning and shook him roughly.

“You're insane! Ask Daniel what it feels like to spend a moment with a mortal woman! Bury
her and your children. How
it feel
s
when you're the only one that's left, and you're the one that cries after them!” Joshua yelled.

Jonas glanced at Daniel, who stared at his hands. Everyone else stared at him, too. Finally Tiamhaidh stepped next to Jonas and thundered. “I think you've said enough. Go now and keep at least some self respect or we will force you to leave. And believe me, you don't want that.”

Joshua threw
one poisonous look at our pack and sneaked into the woods. We watched as the branches of the trees swayed and then it was quiet again.

David came next to me and stringed his fingers through mine. He kissed my hair lightly and I smiled.

“That's it then,” I said
,
and as the tears fogged my eyes, I turned and went back inside.

The others followed us silently and mumbled whatever excuses they could think of to disappear to their own rooms. In the end, we had all loved Joshua and we would all miss him.

Clarissa

Clarissa stared at the chair where Adam sat. How weird, she thought, yesterday that chair had belonged to Joshua. And yesterday she had feverishly tried to think of a way to tell Joshua about Adam. Now, all seemed to be the way it was meant to be. She had wished, though, that Joshua could've stayed in the pack, but maybe this was the best solution. Adam
was sitting, or rather lounging
, on the chair with his black hair a mess and his lips curving into a pleased smile that lightened his face. Clarissa stared at his leather jacket. She wondered when Dad would have enoug
h and order Adam to take it off.

The breakfast, however, went by peacefully as everyone seemed to be thinking about what had happened last night. It seemed really weird just to forget what Joshua had done and pretend that nothing had happened. To forget they even knew Joshua. Jonas looked defeated and Clarissa was happy she had asked Stella to drop by. She glanced at her watch. An hour and Jonas's sad mood would be Stella's problem. Stella, however, wouldn't settle for watching the sulking, sad Jonas. She would make his socks rock. Clarissa's eyes looked at
her d
ad, who was staring at Adam. Here it comes, she thought. The explosion she had waited for since Adam had crashed to the chair. Dad got up and coughed.

“I think Adam should move to our guest house,” David said.

Sofia looked at him questioningly, but he didn't even glance at her.

“I know this comes fast, but if I have understood right, Clarissa has chosen Adam as her partner, and no one can separate them anymore,” David said and looked at the members of the pack.

The others nodded tamely and didn't bother to deny that.

“Fine. I just want Clarissa to be happy and I also want to know what Adam is up to,” David retorted.

Clarissa lifted her eyebrows. What was
the catch? Mom said nothing, but went to Dad and put her arms around him.

“Well then,” Sofia said calmly, and with her eyes challenged the others to argue with her. They said nothing. Clarissa grinned excitedly.

“And
you can help me clean the guest
house,” Sofia said and wiped the grin away from Clarissa's face. Clarissa complained, but just a little, and left, half-dancing, towards the cleaning closet.

By that evening, Adam had moved his limited things to the guest house. However, he didn't want to disturb our family, so he stayed on his own the whole evening. Clarissa tried her best to lure him to join the pack, but he just kept grunting that it was not appropriate. Eventually, Clarissa gave in and left him alone, no matter how annoying she thought he was.

Sofia

For nearly three weeks Adam succeeded in avoiding our company. Clarissa smuggled food to him and kept him company in his
small lonely
house. I decided to stay out of that. I trusted that sooner or later Adam would get bored of his loneliness and join us of his own will. In the end, it was David who marched into Adam's house and dragged him to our dinner table.

“You're a part of our family now! That means you'll have to take part
in
the boring everyday things we're doing, just as the others do!” David thundered and made Adam look really embarrassed.

It was still hard for Adam to understand the world of humans. He couldn't get that someone actually wanted his company. He was so sure we had opened our home to him out of pity and his pride had kept him away from us. David,
however, didn't let him back away now, but mumbled angrily to
himself, “He thinks he's living in a hotel. That darn scamp.”

I glanced curiously at David and he winked at me. I smiled and decided to play along with him. After dinner I forced Adam to help me with the dishes and participate in our nightly play session. For three hours, Adam played Scrabble nicely with us. Then he politely thanked us for the lovely evening and receded to the peace of his own house. I warned the others not to laugh with my eyes and only a few asphyxiated bursts of laughter slipped from Clarissa's mouth. I was almost sure Adam didn't hear them.

The morning was cold and clear. However, the sun, shining from the bright blue sky, promised it was going to be a warm day. I knew that after a few hours the frost would lose its fight and the icicles hanging from the eave
s would slowly drop the water on
our terrace
,
bringing the promise of a warm spring. Clarissa
was sitting
in front of the window in our living room. Marie lounged next to her feet and Clarissa gently brushed Marie's hair. She stared out of the window, hypnotized. I glanced out and laughed.  Adam and Tiamhaidh were standing outside, with only their training trousers and shoes on, their bare upper bodies steaming from sweat. Both of them were ready to attack and it seemed they were having quite a tight fight for lordship of our yard. Marie lifted her eyes to me and smiled sweetly.

“Cold,” she said, childishly, and pointed outside.

“Cold,” I said gently, and touched her cheek.

Obviously pleased at her own perception, Marie turned her eyes back to the men and sighed. Clarissa tried to wipe the tears away from her eyes, and leaned over to kiss Marie's hair.

“How do they feel up to doing that every single day? Don't they get bored?” asked Clarissa, frustrated.

“They're not fighting for real,” I said and Clarissa nodded.

“I know that. But still. That's not normal.”

I burst out laughing and Clarissa joined me. Marie looked at us perplexed and shrugged.

“What's normal anymore?” I asked with my mouth full of toast. “I don't think there has ever been a pack with three strong alphas in it without them trying to kill each other. They're just easing the pressure, that's all.”

Clarissa puckered up her mouth and reached out to grab a piece of toast from my hand. I slapped her hand away and she howled as if it hurt.

“Let them train and enjoy the view,” I said and lifted my brows.

Clarissa snorted and grinned. Even I wasn't immune to the view that these gorgeous half naked men in our yard
were offering
. The smash that we heard from the yard got us all to press our noses to the cold window glass.

“And there goes the garden table,” Clarissa exclaimed and turned as she got up to go and help Adam, who was lying down next to the broken garden table.

The blood was spouting from his
nose. I grabbed Clarissa's arm
quickly, and stopped her. “Look.”

In that very
second, Adam kicked Tiamhaidh's legs and soon they
were both lying
on the ground, floating in blood and heaving with exhaustion.

“Why are they doing that!” Clarissa yelled in pain and held her head.

“Because they're the fighters,” I said gently, and she looked at me, wondering.

“Some of us have the ability to do extraordinary things,” I continued and noticed that Marie was also paying attention.

“Adam and Tiamhaidh have a phenomenal gift for fighting. I don't think I know anyone who could beat them.”

“Meh,” Clarissa sniffed. “Every male person knows how to fight.”

“You're wrong,” I whispered.

“Look at them. And watch closely. Can you see how they control every movement they make? How effortless
ly
they move, even when the snow bank falls under them. And how energetically they attack each other,” I said, mesmerized.

Clarissa stared at the fighting men with her forehead wrinkled. Marie fondled her a
rm and smiled. W
hen Clarissa really started to see the men and understand their abilities, her lips curved up. The look in her eyes softened and she met the smiling eyes of Marie.

“What if they kill each other?” Clarissa asked, a little bit concerned.

I looked at her with my head sloping, and said nothing. Even Marie giggled and Clarissa grinned.

“Oh, I forgot, that's not possible,” Clarissa said, embarrassed.

“What is my gift?”
Clarissa asked as she realized
she could have some extra cool abilities.