Secret In The Blood
1029 Words
Chapter 2
Morning came. I woke up in the sunlight and forgot for one second where I was. Then reality hit.
Montana. Parents dead. Werewolves.
I got dressed and went downstairs. The house was quiet. I found the kitchen.
Asher stood at the counter making coffee. He didn’t notice me at first.
Then he turned. His whole body went still. Golden eyes locked onto mine.
The electric feeling hit so hard I stepped backward.
“Sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t know—”
“It’s fine. I was just leaving.” His jaw clenched.
He walked past me, careful not to get close. I felt the distance like a physical ache.
I stood alone, hands shaking. The mate bond pulled at me, trying to drag me after him.
But I couldn’t follow.
Because getting close might kill me.
I made toast and sat at the table. Through the window, the forest stretched endlessly. Dark. Full of secrets.
Just like this house. Just like this family.
Just like my own blood.
Mom’s letter makes sense now. “Be careful who you give your heart to. Some loves are forbidden.”
She knew. She knew what I was. What I’d become.
And she sent me here anyway.
There had to be a reason.
I just had to survive long enough to figure out what it was.
Footsteps on the stairs made me look up. Marcus appeared in the doorway, already dressed.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.
“Not really.”
He poured coffee and sat across from me. “It gets easier. The first few days are always the hardest.”
“You say that like people move in here all the time.”
“No. Just you.” He smiled slightly. “But I remember when Jace was born. New pack member, new energy. It took time to adjust.”
I stared at him. “Pack member.”
Marcus’s smile faded. “Maya”
“I heard you last night. All of you. Talking about mate bonds and rogues and my mother being half wolf.” I set down my toast. “I know what you are.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “How much did you hear?”
“Enough. You’re werewolves. All of you. And apparently, so am I. At least partly.”
“I’m sorry you found out like that. We were going to tell you—”
“When? When was I more comfortable? More settled?” I laughed bitterly. “There’s no good time to tell someone their entire reality is a lie.”
“Your reality isn’t a lie. You’re still you. You’re just more than you thought.”
“And Asher?” His name came out before I could stop it. “The mate bond?”
Marcus’s expression turned sad. “Yes. It’s real. And complicated.”
“Because it could kill me.”
“We don’t know that for sure. Your mother was half wolf. That might protect you. But Asher won’t risk it. Not after Sarah.”
“Who’s Sarah?”
“My uncle Thomas’s mate. Five years ago, they tried to complete the bond. She died in his arms.” Marcus leaned forward. “That’s why the rules exist. Not to be cruel. To protect people like you.”
Tears burned behind my eyes. “This is insane.”
“I know. But you’re not alone. We’re your family now. Pack. We’ll help you.”
“Even though I’m human? Even though I don’t belong?”
“You belong here,” Marcus said firmly. “Your mother chose us for a reason. We’ll keep you safe.”
The door swung open. Jace burst in, saw us, and stopped.
“Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“We’re not—” I started.
“Cool! Because Mom says you’re coming to town with us. She wants to show you Silver Creek before school Monday.” He grabbed an apple. “Fair warning: super boring. Like, one coffee shop boring. But the diner has good pie.”
“Jace,” Marcus warned.
“What? I’m being helpful!” He grinned at me. “Welcome to the pack, by the way. Officially.”
“Jace!”
“I’m going!” He ran out, still grinning.
Marcus sighed. “Sorry. No filter.”
“It’s okay.” I almost smiled. “At least he’s honest.”
“That’s one word for it.” Marcus stood. “Get dressed. Town trip leaves in thirty minutes.”
****
Thirty minutes later, I climbed into a massive SUV. Elena drove. Marcus sat shotgun. I was squeezed in back between Cole and Finn.
“So Maya,” Finn said. “You know our secret now.”
“Finn, don’t you?” Elena started.
“What? She knows! No point pretending.” He turned to me. “Got questions? Ask away.”
“Finn, she’s barely been here two days,” Marcus said.
“Which means she’s got a million questions and no answers. Right, Maya?”
He was right. I had so many questions my head hurt.
“Can you all transform? Into wolves?”
“Yep,” Cole answered. “All of us.”
“Even Jace?”
“Especially Jace,” Finn laughed. “Kid’s a natural. Better control than Liam and he’s two years younger.”
“Do you transform every full moon?”
“Have to,” Cole said. “Full moon, we don’t have a choice. Other times, the older ones can shift whenever.”
“Like Dominic and Asher?”
Saying his name made my chest tight.
“Yeah. They’ve got full control. The rest of us are still learning.”
“Does it hurt? Transforming?”
The twins exchanged looks.
“First few times, yeah,” Finn admitted. “Like your bones are breaking and reforming. But you get used to it. Eventually it feels natural.”
“Boys, enough,” Elena said from the front. “Maya doesn’t need the whole werewolf handbook.
ght now.”
“She asked!” Cole protested.
“And you answered. Now give her some breathing room.”
- Writer
