Chapter 84
Venus POV
Life in the house had been peaceful for the most part, but lately, Aaron had been acting tense. Ever since he spotted for shifters near the wields it was like a cloud of unease hung over him. He tried to hide it, but I could see the way his shoulders tightened, how his gaze lingered at the tree one simen he thought no one was watching.
“Aaron, you’re on edge again,” I said one evening as
we
sat in the living room.
He glanced at me, his jaw clenching. “I’m fine, Venus. Just watching over things.
“Watching what?” I pressed.
“The foxes,” he admitted, his voice low. “I don’t trust them. They’ve been lurking too close for comfort.”
Aaron wasn’t one to let his emotions show, but I knew he was worried. Our previous history with those fox shifters had shaken him, and that wasn’t an easy thing to do.
Meanwhile, Nicole had moved into the house, which was a surprise to everyone but Eric.
He’d insisted it was for her safety, though I couldn’t help but notice the way he looked at her. It was more than just concern–it was something deeper.
She had her own room, and Eric made sure to keep his distance, at least during the day. But one night, as I was heading to the kitchen for a drink, I noticed him sitting outside her door.
“Eric?” I whispered, not wanting to wake anyone. “What a
are you doing?”
He looked up, startled, but quickly composed himself. “Just… keeping an eye on her.”
I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall. “Keeping an eye on her? Or something more?”
He hesitated before sighing. “Venus, I think she is my mate.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Your mate? Are you sure?”
“It feels like what Aaron has with you,” he admitted, his voice barely audible. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I just… I can’t explain it, but I know.”
I softened at his words. Mates were rare, and if Nicole was really his, it explained his protectiveness and why he’d brought her here in the first place. And something about Nicole was ticking in my mind. She gravitated towards Eric. Would glance at him when he wasn’t looking at her and often would seek for him, trying to act casual.
“Does she know?” I asked,
He shook his head. “No. I don’t want to scare her. She’s been through a lot, and I don’t think she’s ready for this yet.”
“Well,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder, “just be honest with her when the time is right. If she’s your mate, she’ll feel it too, eventually. Though she’s a human, I’m sure her feelings won’t be as strong as yours.
He nodded, sighing, as he looked at the closed door. “She doesn’t even know that I’m a werewolf. I am scared that if I tell her the secret, she’ll run for woods.”
“I’m so sorry, Eric,” I said, sympathizing with him. “But I’m sure the goddess has something planned for you.”
That night, while Nicole slept soundly in her room, Aaron, Eric, and I were discussing things about the pack when we saw the same three foxes which Nicole had seen earlier.
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Chapter 84
Tuck!” Eric snarled “They are back. He looked befiind as if looking whether Nicole was sale of fix the mo kaset and staden da and said, I’m going after these fuckers!”
Don’t be mad, Aaron warned him.
“Mad? I am going to chase them and kill them. And then tomorrow I’m going to meet Lexi and end this nonsense!
Eric was determined to check on the fox shifters again, and Aaron wasn’t about to let him go alone. Of course, I wasn’t about to let either of them head into danger without me.
The woods were quiet, the only sounds coming from the rustle of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. The air felt heary, like the forest sell w holding its breath.
“They were near the stream last time,” Aaron said, leading the way.
We moved carefully, keeping to the shadows. But as we approached the stream, a chilling howl cut through the night, followed by the sound of movement all around us.
“They know we’re here,” Eric said, his voice tense.
A dozen fox shifters emerged from the trees, their eyes glowing with malice. They didn’t waste time on words. The first one lunged at Aaron, and the fight began.
I shifted immediately. Aaron and Eric did the same, and together we fought back against the foxes. They were fast and cunning, but we were stronger. One of them leaped at Eric, but he caught it mid–air, slamming it into the ground with a fierce growl.
Another fox lunged for me, its sharp teeth grazing my arm before I twisted and knocked it aside with a powerful swipe of my claws. I took down two of them, my claws slashing through their fur as they snarled and snapped at me.
Eric fought beside me, taking down one of them. Aaron faced two at once, his movements a whirlwind of fury, his growls echoing through the forest as he tore through the attackers.
By the time we drove them off, five of the foxes lay defeated and dead on the ground. The rest fled into the darkness, their howls fading as they disappeared.
“We need to go back,” Aaron said, his voice sharp. “They’ll regroup.”
We nodded, shifting back into our human forms and heading home! But as we approached the house, a sense of dread settled over me. Something wasn’t right.
“Where’s Nicole?” Eric asked as soon as we stepped inside.
The house was eerily quiet, and there was no sign of her. My stomach churned as I spotted a piece of paper on the coffee table.
Eric snatched it up, his hands shaking as he read aloud:
“We have Nicole. If you want her back, meet Lexi tomorrow at 10AM. This is just the beginning.–Danny”
The blood drained from my face. “Danny?” In my dreams, I hadn’t expected Danny to return and strike us like this.
Aaron’s expression darkened. “The bastard is alive! His jaw clenched as he paced the room.
We shouldn’t have gone to the forest. It was a fucking trap. I stabbed my fingers in my hair. “They’ve got Nicole! What do we do?”
Eric crushed the letter in his hand, his eyes blazing with fury. “We’re getting her back.”
I stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. “We will, Eric. But we need to be smart about this. If they’ve taken her, it’s because they want something from us. We can’t let our emotions get the better of us.”
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10:42 Fri, 20 Jun GO
Chapter 84
“She’s my mate,” Eric said, his voice breaking. I can’t lose her.”
“You won’t,” Aaron said firmly. “We’ll get her back. But first, we need to figure out where they’ve taken her
As I looked at the two of them, their determination matching my own, I knew we wouldn’t rest until Micole was safe. No matter what it took, we would bring her home.
AD
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