Betrayed by My Pack – Wolfless Hybrids Escape
Chapter 47 –

Cara's POV

As we walked over to the area, I trained. I listened to the conversation between Alexei and my mother. Alexei was carrying a duffle bag, and I wondered what was inside. Is he coming to stay closer to us in the pack in case Jana approaches me again? I know that my mother had spelled the house because Jana had mentioned this morning that she couldn't get to me. If necessary, I can always stay at the packhouse on the Alpha level until Jana is caught and dealt with.

I was walking with Robert, and we were in the middle of the group. My mother and Alexei led the way and were about ten feet in front of us. Mom always gets there first to create the dome I train inside. I haven't even tried to make something that large yet. The main purpose of my training was to learn how to protect myself before moving on to other things.

"I know what you tried to do at lunch for me, Cara. I appreciate the nod of approval, but I don't think your mother is willing to accept me as a suitor," Robert said in a low tone.

"I think that you would be good for my mother, Robert. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even brought it up," I replied in the same low tone.

"She has been hurt by one of our kind. I feel like she will never lower her guard against me for me to earn her trust. I hoped she could read me and see who I was. I wanted her to know that she could trust me. I do not play around with she-wolves. I was waiting for my mate, but there was something about her. Her scent makes my wolf stand up and take notice of her. Echo, my wolf, says that she is ours but refuses to acknowledge us. It is frustrating, as despite what he says, she doesn't seem to feel the same way. I was hoping that by volunteering to escort you both, she would start to sense something. I don't want this to be one-sided," Robert told me.

I was stunned at the revelation. When I stopped to look at him, I could tell that he was being completely truthful. He sensed her as his mate. I thought it was just a crush, but I know how important a mate is to a wolf. I knew it from my sisters and at least a hundred nights of us having a sleepover. I remember listening to them wonder when they would meet their mate. The bond is a very powerful thing between true mates. My heart breaks for Robert. I have to help him. I am going to have a serious talk with my mother tonight.

If his wolf says that she is his mate, this is not a crush. She was doing to him what Dad had done to her. It was not right, and I felt terrible for him. She needed to give him an honest chance to see where this could go. It was not just him missing out. She might be missing out on her own great love story. I just hope she listens to me. Robert is sad because she is ignoring him. It was like a rejection of him as she was acting oblivious to their bond. I don't want him to lose his sense of humor and wit over being depressed by his mate not wanting him. I am actually ecstatic that he is willing to accept my mother. From firsthand experience, I know that most wolves wouldn't even consider a witch as their mate.

I watched as the dome appeared before us, impressive as always. I was told that once we entered it, the outside was just a reflection of the surrounding area. One minute, we were there, and the next, we were invisible to anyone trying to replace us. We can see out of it, and I have watched as Lena and Korey tried to replace a way to see into it or replace an opening to some in here. They have never been successful, and they eventually stopped after Jaxon sent them both a mindlink. They had run away and never came back again. But I know that they still watch when we come out here. I sometimes see them in the woods or over by the training fields, looking in our direction.

"Cara, I need you to warm up on your own. I need to go somewhere for a minute to retrieve something for us. I will be back soon. Try practicing lifting Robert or Jaxon. They are the bulkiest here and, therefore, the heaviest. I will be back very soon," my mother told me before disappearing.

"OK, guys, who wants to volunteer?" I asked with a smile, and Robert stepped forward with a grin. He is always willing for me to use him for practice.

"Not too high, OK, Cara?" Robert told me with a smile. He is always a good sport, but he doesn't like heights.

"Twenty feet, that is all. I think I may send you on a lap around the room. You OK with that?" I asked him. He nodded, and the next moment, I had him lifted up. I held him there for a minute before he made a quick lap around the dome, all the way down both ends. It was good practice to stay in the center and control objects around me. I used my hand to control where he went, and I admit that I picked up speed the second time around. Robert played along and put his arms out in front of himself like he was flying like Superman. I grinned before I tilted him to make the rest of his journey, just like Superman.

"That was fun, Cara, next," Robert said as he stepped back to where he had been standing.

"Can I do it?" Alexei asked as he stepped forward.

"Sure," I told him and lifted him up.

"You can go to the top. I am used to jumping to great heights, so I am good if you want to go higher," Alexei called down to me. I sent him higher, all the way to where if he reached up, he could touch the top of the dome. His grin let me know that he was having fun, and I sent him around the room, just like I did Robert.

Alexei called down, "Can I go another round?"

"Of course," I replied, sending him around the room again. He seemed to really be enjoying it, and I was too. This was the first time that Alexei had seen me using my powers. He seemed to be very proud of me, and I admit that I preened under his attention. Once he was back on his feet, he came to me, lifting me up in his arms, and twirled me around.

"I am so proud of you, my love," Alexei told me.

I could feel all the emotions that he was not trying to hide from me anymore. I was much more sensitive now that I had been using my powers. I could tell that he had been keeping them from me before, but now I could sense them all. Pride, love, desire, the need to protect me, great happiness at replaceing me, it was all laid bare before me. So many emotions that I was caught by surprise. I could feel his emotions before he tried to contain them again. I could feel the fear he felt at having released them. His own fear of rejection was loud and clear to me. He was just as scared as I was at his feelings being spurned.

"Please, don't hide your feelings from me, Alexei," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. I felt everything he felt for me. To be able to sense it for myself was overwhelming to me. I needed to feel this from him. It was all I had ever wanted. I didn't realize that I was crying until he lifted my face to look at me.

He had worry and concern for me all written all over his face. "Please, don't cry, Cara. I was trying to let you decide about me on your own. I wasn't trying to keep them from you to hurt you. I knew that you didn't want to be forced into anything. You are a loving and kind woman, so I didn't want to rush or force you. Maybe I shouldn't have hidden them all from you. I just want to spend time with you so you can learn to get to know me. Not because I already love you, but to see if you can truly learn to love me, too," Alexei told me.

"I was waiting because I was trying to see if you honestly cared for me. I was afraid you didn't care for me. I didn't want you to just want me because I am a witch. Or because you replace me attractive, or even because you want what your brother has. I was waiting to see how you truly felt about me. I only wanted someone to love me, for me. I have been so worried that you might want me because I have an extended life. I wanted to know that you desired me, that your love for me was real. Not a crush or a phase, but because you only want me to be with you for the rest of our lives," I replied.

"Cara, I loved you before you even arrived here. You are my destiny. The one who was created just for me. Ivan saw it in his dreams. He can see the future. He has never made a mistake in his predictions. He foresaw Anton getting his mate, too. I was so worried about you and the people after you. If they had tried to get you at the gate, I would have killed the three of them myself. I have never been so worried about anyone as I was for you. Nothing is more important to me than you. Dmitry and Ivan are running the coven for me, as I will not allow Jana to get near you. You are my life; I would not want to go on without you. I want no one else, only you, Cara, until the end of our lives," Alexei told me.

I could feel that he was telling me the truth, and I believed him. I wanted him, too. He is the most handsome man I have ever seen. His strong body shielded me from the other three in the room to give us privacy. Looking into his eyes, being this close, I see the beautiful gold flecks them. I also see the love that he has for me shining in them. I will give him his answer and pull his head down with my hand until his mouth touched mine. Alexei immediately took over the second our lips touched. I was overwhelmed with the passion and desire he felt for me as it crashed over me as he nipped my bottom lip to get access inside. I have never been kissed before, but I can see what the hype is all about now. I never wanted our kiss to end.

"I have been gone for ten minutes, but it looks like those imaginary grandchildren I wanted may soon be a reality," my mother's voice came from behind Alexei.