Chapter 3 : Wolf Shifter

*Estelle*

It was the middle of the night and the streets were silent. The scent of flower boxes and foliage filled the crisp, clean forest air as we continued down the cobblestone walk. We passed a butcher shop, a bakery, and a coffee shop. It was like something out of a romance movie. It was the kind of place I always dreamed of settling down in.

Awestruck, I asked, "Home?"

This cute little village was his home? It didn't seem possible for someone so cold to come from a place that seemed so warm. Then again, I knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Gabe's cover was undeniably alluring, but inside was a different story.

"This is where our pack has settled," he said softly. "It's not much, but it's safe. I've worked hard to make sure that we have everything we need. You'll be staying here."

"You can't just decide that for me," I said. The thought of staying was actually nice, but I definitely didn't belong here. A cute little village like this being run by an isolated group in the forest was a little too cult-like for me.

He didn't get a chance to answer; the sound of footsteps approaching on the stone walkway drew both of our attention. A tall, slim, blonde man was approaching with a huge smile on his face. Gabe stopped as we reached the man and he extended his arm, clasping hands with the man and nodding in greeting.

"Welcome back, Alpha," the man said. "I didn't expect you back yet." He looked at me and tilted his head a little in confusion. "And you brought a stray?"

"My mate," Gabe said in a tone of warning.

The blonde's gray eyes widened and he turned back to Gabe. "You found her? That's incredible news! Welcome," he said. He inclined his head at me in greeting.

I was startled by the joyful reaction and took a half step back. I glanced at Gabe, but his expression was unreadable.

"It's about time," he responded simply.

"This is ridiculous. I'm not staying," I said firmly.

The blonde looked at me in shock and Gabe rolled his eyes. "Val, this is Estelle." He looked at me and my confidence wavered again. His gaze was so stony and indecipherable that I couldn't help but shrink away from it. "She was raised by humans and knows nothing about pack life."

"That's awful," Val said sympathetically. "You poor thing. How could something like that happen?"

"I don't know yet," Gabe said. "There's more, but it can wait until later. Find her a bed for the night."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he gave me that hard look again and I fell silent. I wasn't going to get anywhere with him, and I certainly couldn't navigate my way out of the forest in the dark. Besides, a few hours of sleep sounded nice.

Val smiled encouragingly at me. "Follow me," he said. "I'll get you set up at the inn."

I just nodded and followed him down the road. When I glanced over my shoulder, Gabe was still standing in the dark, watching us go. My other side, my wolf, apparently, whined sadly as we went.

I could hardly listen to Val as he told me about the village. He seemed excited that I was there, which annoyed me. I hated feeling like it was a foregone conclusion that I'd be staying. I had spent all of my life being moved around without my input or consent. I wanted my freedom. I wanted to choose where I would spend my life. That's all I'd ever wanted. Then Gabe dragged me out here and told me it was home.

And I hated that part of me wanted that to be true.

"No offense," I said quietly, interrupting his speech. "But it's been a long, weird night, and I just want to go to sleep."

"Oh, no problem," Val said with a smile. "We're here anyways."

He opened the door to a small, two-story stone building and ushered me inside. I entered, and in the dim light I could see a squat, older woman standing behind a dark wooden desk. She smiled brightly at Val and held her arms out to him.

"Hi, Mama Iida," he said. He embraced her and she patted his cheek as he pulled away.

"What are you doing out so late, Valentine?" she asked in a light, airy voice.

"Gabe returned early," he explained. "We have a special guest who will need a room." He gave her a meaningful look, but didn't say more.

She looked at me and smiled brilliantly. "Oh, wonderful. I have a very nice room that I think you will find comfortable." She walked around the desk and motioned for me to follow her down the hall.

"I'll be back to get you in the morning," Val said with a wave. The door closed behind him and I felt so much more calm with only the kindly older woman around.

"Are you hungry, dear?" she asked.

I shook my head. I hadn't eaten, but fear had stolen my appetite. She looked me over and clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Will you be needing fresh clothes in the morning?"

"Yes," I said. "If you have anything I could borrow, I'd appreciate it." I hated traveling without anything on me. I averted my gaze in shame. Relying on others to care for me felt foreign and somehow dirty.

"Aren't you a polite young lady," she said, smiling kindly.

She led me to the end of the hallway and unlocked a dark, wooden door. She flicked the light switch, revealing a large, plush bed and a comfortable looking chair. I stepped inside and savored the fresh scent of clean linens. It was worlds better than my hotel room in the city. She pointed to a door opposite the bed.

"The washroom is there, dear. You come get me if you need anything at all. Now, you look downright sapped. I'll leave you to get some rest."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said softly.

She just patted my arm gently and closed the door behind her.

I clicked the lock on the door and threw myself onto the bed. This all had to be a nightmare, but it was too visceral for that. I could still smell citrus and cedarwood, and my wolf was discontent that the scent was so distant. I grumbled at it and pulled a pillow over my head.

I didn't remember falling asleep, but I must have. The sound of gentle knocking on my door pulled me from my rest. I stumbled to the door and pulled it open, trying to shake the bleariness from my head. The kindly older woman from last night, Iida, was standing there with a large paper bag.

"Good morning, dear. Sorry to wake you so early. I've brought you some clothes. You should get cleaned up. Val will be here to get you soon."

"Thanks," I said sleepily. I accepted the bag and returned her friendly, if awkward, wave before closing the door. I went into the small bathroom and washed my face. I had no hairbrush, so I ran my fingers through my short, strawberry hair until it looked somewhat presentable.

In the bag, I found a somewhat old-fashioned green dress. It was collared and reached to my knees. The depth of the color suited my pale skin nicely and made my eyes look even greener than they really were. The style was flattering on my slim frame. I smiled into the mirror, thinking that I owed Iida a more sincere thank you. She'd clearly taken care when choosing this for me.

I was torn from my thoughts by a knock on the door and rushed out to answer it.

Val was standing there with a cup of coffee, which he offered to me. I took it but resisted the urge to drink it right away. I wasn't certain that I could trust him, though I didn't feel any fear toward him. He was friendly and warm, unlike Gabe.

"Good morning," he said with a smile. "I thought you might need a little energy boost."

"Thank you," I said.

"I spoke with Gabe last night after I dropped you off," he said. "He said that you were raised in foster care."

"Yes," I said simply. "I don't know anything about my family," I added. I'm sure he was going to ask, and the look on his face confirmed it.

"Well, I can't imagine what it must have been like for you to be raised by humans. Did you know any other wolf shifters?"

"Shifters?" I asked. Was that what people like me were called?

"You've shifted, right? You're old enough, you must have taken on your wolf form." He looked me over briefly. His expression was one of open sympathy, and it took me off guard. It was rare for people to be genuinely sympathetic toward me.

"I think so, but I thought it was a dream," I admitted softly.

"I'll do my best to explain things to you," he said.

"I would actually really appreciate that. I have no idea what is going on."

I stepped into the hall and closed the door before following him out of the building. In the daylight, the little village was even more beautiful. I couldn't help but admire the buildings as we walked.

"I'll try to start with the basics; please let me know if there's anything you don't understand."

I only nodded, listening to Val as he spoke.

"Shifters usually live in packs, large groups of families that have lived together for generations. The leader of the pack is the Alpha; in our case that's Gabe. His mate is the Luna. She is his most trusted confidant and has her own responsibilities to the pack. She helps make decisions about care for pups, the injured, and struggling members of the pack. She's very important. We don't have a Luna right now. Gabe has been looking for his mate for a long time."

"And he thinks it's me?" I asked incredulously.

"He knows it's you. You can feel it, can't you?" he asked. He looked at me curiously.

I bit my lip.

I had felt something strange whenever Gabe was around. His scent made my wolf go crazy. It almost felt like he was luring me in. I wanted to resist it, but it would be a lie to say I didn't feel it.

"What exactly is a mate?" I asked.

"A fated mate; a soulmate–it's one of the best things about being a wolf shifter," he said with a kind smile. "When you meet the one that you're meant to be with, your wolf just knows. It doesn't mean that it works out every single time, but if you're willing to put in a little work, you'll have a relationship that can withstand anything."

The tone of his voice and smile on his face made it clear he was head over heels for whoever his mate was. I felt a little jealous. "There's no way that rude, cold man could be my soulmate."

"He's not as bad as he seems," Val said. "He's been through a lot. I'm sure that you'll see what I mean as you get to know him."

"I don't think that's going to happen unless I develop Stockholm syndrome," I said bitterly. "You know he forced me to come here, right?"

"I do. It was because you were being attacked by a rogue wolf. I'm sure he didn't go about it in the gentlest way." I scoffed at his words, but he kept talking. "But he did bring you here to keep you safe."

"I don't feel safe," I said firmly. "I feel like I'm being dragged into some fucked up cult."

This made him laugh, and I crossed my arms in irritation.

"I don't find it funny."

"You'll see," Val said, once he'd calmed his laughter. "You'll learn to love him."

Yeah, sure.