Chapter 87
Venus POV
Ever since we had returned to the Pack Pride pack, the air in the packhouse was tense, yet alive with excitement. I could feel it as walked into the lay hall where Alpha Martin, Luna Marie, Aaron, Eric, and the other warriors stood talking about their next steps. But my attention wash can the plans for the pack. It was on Nicole.
She sat on the edge of a couch in the corner, her hands clenched together, her face pale. She had spoken little since we brought her here after saving her from the fox shifters. I knew why. Her world had been flipped upside down, and now she realized that not everything or everyone was human
Her discovery that we were werewolves was a shock to her. It happened when Nathan walked in. He was agitated, his wolf barely contained. His claws extended as he approached Aaron, who had been pacing.
“Why didn’t you inform me about it earlier, Aaron?” he demanded.
Aaron took a deep breath in. I could see that his wounds were already healing. But the pack doctor was here with his staff and he was taking care of all our wounds as he applied antiseptic on them. If infected, things would go terrible for us. “She’s safe now,” Aaron said, his voice firm. “Danny is gone forever.” He looked at me with concern and love in his eyes that stirred my heart yet again.
But Nathan didn’t relax. Instead, he growled low in his throat. Then, right there in the middle of the room, he shifted.
Nicole gasped audibly, her eyes wide with shock as she scrambled backward. One moment, Nathan was a tall, muscular man, and the next, he was a large brown wolf. His eyes were sharp and glowing, his fur bristling with energy.
I stepped forward, trying to calm her. “Nicole, it’s okay,” I said softly, sitting beside her. “He’s still Nathan. This is just… our nature.”
“Our nature?” Her voice shook as she looked between me and the wolf. “You mean–he’s a werewolf?” She clutched her shawl as she stared at all of us
with wide eyes.
I could understand her shock because when we found her, she was unconscious. The fox shifters had made her unconscious and kidnapped her. Her mind was still in haze and the doctor had given her medicine to come out of it.
“Yes,” Aaron said. His voice was calm but firm. “We are all werewolves here, Nicole. This is our pack, Oak Pride.”
She shook her head, disbelief plain on her face. “This–this can’t be real. Werewolves aren’t real!”
“They are,” I said, reaching for her hand. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t look at me either. “And you’ve been in our world for a while now, even if you didn’t know it. The fox shifters, the witches–they’re all part of it too.”
Nicole looked at me then, her eyes filled with confusion and fear. “So, you’re saying that Eric is…?”
“Yes,” Eric said, his voice soft but steady. He was standing just a few feet away, watching her with concern, too scared to come close to her. “I’m a werewolf too.”
Nicole looked at Eric, her eyes wide with disbelief. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. I could see the conflict on her face–fear, shock, and a tiny flicker of curiosity.
“So… all of you?” she whispered finally, her voice trembling.
“Yes,” I answered gently. “We’re all werewolves. This pack, this family–it’s what we are.”
Nicole hugged herself, getting up. “This… this isn’t real. It can’t be. I’m dreaming.”
Eric took a step forward, his hands raised as if to reassure her. “It’s real, Nicole. But we’re still the same people you’ve known.”
She looked at him, her voice barely above a whisper. “And I’m supposed to be okay with this?”
Chapter 87
“You don’t have to be okay tight away, I said softly. “But you’re safe with us. Always?
“Was I really kidnapped by fox people?” she asked.
Eric replied, “Yes.”
Before Nicole could respond, Luna Marie walked
“Welcome, Nicole,” she said gently. “I’m Eric and A
you.”
her. Her presence was calming, her smile warm.
mom. I know this is overwhelming, but you are safe here. We are family now, and we will protect
Nicole looked at her, her lips trembling as she tried
to
find
words. Finally, she whispered, “Why me?”
you are special, Nicole. You are part of our pack now, even if you don’t fully understand it yet Luna Marie knelt in front of her, taking her hands. “Becaus And we need you as much as you need us.” She cupped her cheek. “Nicole, I know this can be really shocking, but whatever is happening, it’s for good, We firmly believe that you are Eric’s true mate.”
Nicole didn’t reply, but I saw her shoulders relax slightly. She still looked uncertain, but the warmth in Luna Marie’s words seemed to ease her fear. “1 need time to think.”
“Take all the time you need,” Eric said, his tone warm. “I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
“Yes Nicole, you have all the time in the world to think about it,” Luna Marie reassured her. “And Eric is going to stay right beside you.”
Nicole turned and walked away slowly, leaving us standing in silence, the weight of the truth hanging heavy in the air.
“I think I better be with her,” Eric said and followed her. Yep, mates.
It took an hour for the doctor to put bandages on us. Once he left, Alpha Martin and Luna Marie came to us. Both of them hugged us and I could feel how relaxed they were. Alpha Martin put his hands on Aaron’s shoulders. His chest was swelling with pride as he looked at his son. “I would like to step down as the Alpha of the Oak Pride pack and give you the reins of it,” he said.
“Father!” Aaron protested.
But Alpha Martin shook his head. “I won’t hear a word about it, Aaron. You promised you would take over as the Alpha once you finish college.”
I couldn’t help but look at father and son warmly as I leaned against Luna’s Marie’s shoulder. We all had come a long way. And I knew it was time that Aaron took over as the Alpha of the pack. He looked at me and I smiled at him encouragingly. Aaron sighed. “Father, let me at least finish college. We came here because it was an emergency.”
“Yes, father,” I supported Aaron. “Few months later, we will finish college.”
Alpha Martin nodded. “Yes, I know. I am asking you to take over after that.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Aaron said, hugging him tight. “Thanks for coming and helping us all in time.”
Alpha Martin chuckled as he held his son. Once Alpha Martin and Luna Marie went to their rooms to get rest, Nathan came over to us in his human form, scratching his head.
“Hey, sorry man!” he said sheepishly. “When it comes to Venus, I can’t help my protective instincts. After all, she is the future Luna of the pack.”
I grinned, feeling warm as Aaron pulled me to his side, wrapping his arm around my waist. “But don’t shift in front of Nicole until she has recovered,” he
warned him.
“I won’t!” he said. “But there’s something about her I can’t put my fingers on.”
Chapter 88
