Jaded Hearts
Chapter 2

Matt

This was not in the plans. I was just supposed to ask her to be mine tonight, then show her my wolf later. But she was so scared that I didn’t want her, I knew I had to do everything I could to convince her that nothing was further from the truth. Now I was driving out to the woods lining our pack border to shift for her.

This was going to be a disaster.

“It’s so beautiful and peaceful out here, and the smell is incredible,” she said as she rolled down the window and let the breeze dance across her face.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards the moon, and a small smile played at the corners of her face. Taylor appreciated nature and the moon like a wolf, making me more and more in awe of her. She turned to me and put on her serious face.

“So, you have something to show me, right?”

“Right?”

“Is it a freaky-a*s sweater collection?”

“Uhhh, no. Why would you … Never mind. Just, no.”

She waggled her eyebrows at me and licked her lips. “Is it your d**k?”

I knew she was joking, but damnit if I didn’t want to pull over and take her on the hood of my car. “No, baby, it’s not my d**k. Well, not really. You may see it, but i’m not driving all the way out here to show you my d**k. I could have done that at the restaurant.”

“True. So, are you going to kill me?”

“No, tesoro. I’d never hurt you. I’d never lay a finger on you. You know that.”

“That’s what they all say.

What did that mean? Had someone hurt her in the past? I gripped the starting wheel as a growl escaped my lips. I tried to cover it with a cough, but she heard it and looked at me quizzically. “Did you just growl? Damn, that was sexy as hell. You should do it more often.”

She turned back to the open window and continued to enjoy the scenery. If only she knew how much growling I really did, she may have wanted to take that statement back.

As soon as I crossed the pack border, I sent a quick mindlink to Xander and our Beta, Kade, letting them know I was here. I didn’t want them to send patrols over and scare Taylor any more than I knew she already would be.

Hey guys, I don’t have a lot of time to talk, but I’m on the west border. I’ve got Taylor with me, and I’m taking her to the waterfall. I’m going to show her my wolf.

Oh, s**t! That’s crazy. Do you think she’ll freak out?

Matt, ignore Kade. Just be careful with her, and let us know if you need anything.

I pulled to the side of the road, then walked around to take Taylor’s hand and help her out of the car.

“We’re walking into the woods a bit, so you may want to leave your shoes behind. Don’t worry; I’ll carry you,” I added when she looked from the dense forest floor to her adorable little feet in those pumps.

“Just trust me, okay?”

She nodded once before pulling off her heels and placing them on the passenger seat. I then picked her up bridal style and began the five-minute walk to the waterfall. We heard the water before we saw it, and when we finally reached the clearing, I heard her gasp at the sight.

It really was magnificent, and with it being a full moon, it was even more majestic. I gently set her on her feet, and she walked over to the water and dipped her hand in. “It’s warm! That’s amazing,” she laughed before she stood and walked in to her ankles.

“There’s a hot spring at the top of the falls that keeps the temperature perfect all year round.”

“This is awesome. I would love to live somewhere like this.”

She was so innocent and sweet. I hoped she wouldn’t hate me when this was all over. I grabbed her hand and pulled her from the water, then took off my jacket and laid it on the ground for her.

“Sit down, please? Just listen to what I have to say. And trust me, I won’t hurt you. Ever.”

She looked around nervously. “Okaaayyyy.”

“This is my home. Well, a few miles farther down the road is my actual home, but this land belongs to my pack.”

“Pack? What’s a pack? Like a pack of wolves?” she asked with a laugh.

I just shrugged. “A pack is a family. I live here with my family.”

She looked around, and then her eyes got huge before she jumped to her feet. “Are you in a f*****g cult? Have you brought me here to make me drink the Kool-Aid or some crazy s**t like that?!”

“Baby, calm down. I promise I’m not in a cult. Sit down, please.”

“No! I want to stand. What’s going on?”

I took a few steps back before I began stripping off my clothes.

“What are you doing? I thought we weren’t here for your d**k.”

“We’re not, Taylor. I’m trying to show you why we’re here. Just please, don’t run from me. My heart couldn’t take it.”

She wrapped her arms around her chest and gave me a small nod. When I was completely naked, I crouched down and let my wolf, Logan, come forward. His thick gray fur began to sprout over my skin as my bones shifted, popped, and reshaped. After years of shifting, it no longer hurt, but feeling your nose change into a snout and your nails into claws was far from comfortable.

When I was done, I stood on all four paws and towered over Taylor’s petite frame. She took a small step backwards like she was going to run, and Logan instantly let out a small whine and whimper. He didn’t want to be the reason we lost our mate; it would destroy him.

He held his head down in a nonaggressive stance and took a step forward. She stood in place, not moving a muscle. This was a good thing, right? One more step, and we were standing close enough for her to reach out and touch us if she wanted.

But she didn’t want that at all.

I could smell the fear pouring off her. It broke my heart and made Logan whimper even louder. When tears started trailing down her face, that was it for us.

Logan, let me shift back. She’s terrified, and I don’t want to see her like this.

My mate shouldn’t be afraid of me, Matt. I love her. I’d never hurt her.

I know, but she doesn’t. Let’s shift back now. I need to take her home.

Logan lifted his head and let out the saddest, most painful howl of our lives. The sound carried through the trees on the still night air and shook Taylor to the core.

She let out a small muffled cry before her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground.

* * *

Taylor

Why is it so damn hot in here?! It felt like I was buried under ten of the thickest, heaviest blankets ever created. When I moved my hand, I bumped against a hard, naked chest.

Not what I was expecting at all.

I opened my eyes and looked around—I had no clue where I was. This wasn’t my bedroom, but it didn’t look like a hotel either. I felt myself begin to panic, old memories began to resurface, and it became harder and harder to breath.

The bed shifted beside me, and I shut my eyes as tight as I could. I didn’t know who it was, but I was terrified.

“Tesoro, calm down. It’s just me. It’s Matt.”

When he placed his hand on my arm, a flashback of the scene in the woods sprang into my mind, and I couldn’t help myself. I screamed as loud as I could.

I jumped from the bed and tried to get as far away from him as possible, but he was too fast. So fast that I didn’t even see when he got out of the bed and stood in front of me.

“Taylor, please don’t do this. I promise I won’t hurt you, baby, please.”

The pain in his eyes and his voice was killing me, but he was some kind of monster. He was a wolf disguised as a man or a man disguised as a wolf. I didn’t know, but it wasn’t f*****g normal.

“No! No, no, no! Don’t touch me. I can’t do this. Please let me go. I promise I won’t say anything to anyone ever. Just don’t hurt me, I’m begging you.” My legs went limp, and I fell to my feet. I had never been more terrified in my life, and I had lived with some heavy shit.

“Baby, don’t do that. I can’t ever hurt you. It’s impossible. Hurting you would only hurt me.”

But I couldn’t hear him. He was going to rip me to pieces, and no one would ever see me again. I didn’t want to die before I had the chance to experience life, but what could I do now? He had me trapped wherever this was, probably in the middle of the woods.

Through my blurry, tear-filled eyes, I saw him gently ease out of the room and close the door behind him. He had probably locked me in. Maybe he was going to get his giant wolf “killing kit.” I know that sounded idiotic, but my ability to form a coherent thought was completely gone. So, I balled up on the floor and cried.

He had been so perfect from the start; I should have known that no man could be this amazing. How could I have been so stupid to have let another man into my life? I didn’t even fight him, just let him in and gave him my heart without hesitation.

A small knock on the door jolted me up from the floor. I pushed myself into a dark corner and waited. “Taylor? It’s Alaia. I’m Matt’s friend. I’m going to come in, okay?”

When I didn’t answer, I heard the door click then slowly ease open. A tiny woman about my age walked in and gently closed the door. She had dark brown hair that went down past her waist and the brightest golden eyes I had ever seen. Her caramel-toned skin and bright white smile made me relax slightly, but my guard was still way up.

She wrapped her arms around her chest and gave me a small nod. When I was completely naked, I crouched down and let my wolf, Logan, come forward. His thick gray fur began to sprout over my skin as my bones shifted, popped, and reshaped. After years of shifting, it no longer hurt, but feeling your nose change into a snout and your nails into claws was far from comfortable.

“Taylor, I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanted to come in and talk to you for a little while. Is that okay?”

She seemed like such a sweet and caring person, so I nodded my head.

“Good. Matt told me what happened, and I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know this can be a lot to take in, but he really is as good as he says he is. He’s as good as you’ve seen. You just need to understand the other part of him too.”

I mustered the courage to speak for the first time since Matt had left the room. “Are you a wolf too?”

She smiled before she answered. “Yes, I am. I am the Luna of this pack, and my husband Xander is the Alpha.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, the pack is just a collection of wolves who live and coexist together as a unit. We are a family. We celebrate each other’s successes and grieve each other’s losses. The Alpha is the leader of the pack, and he makes sure everything runs smoothly for all who follow him. The Luna is the Alpha’s mate. She’s his equal in all things, and she helps to support her pack with love, compassion, and understanding. Kind of like what I’m doing here now for Matt.”

“He said you were his best friend.”

“I am. He was one of the first people I met when I came here, and he accepted me immediately. He was like a big brother when I couldn’t be with my own. I love him, and he’s one of the best people I’ve ever known.”

This was a lot, but the way she explained it all, it was so much easier to understand. “So, you said you were the Alpha’s mate. What is a mate?”

“Well, a mate is a partner. It’s a partner that the Moon Goddess herself chose especially for you. Your mate competes and compliments you in every way. They are your other half, and when you replace them, you are finally whole. You’re Matt’s mate, Taylor. That man would lay down his life just to make you smile. He’s waited his entire life for you. Only you.”

“But I’m human. How can I be the mate of a wolf? How does that work? How can a human be a part of this world?”

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to bring my husband in here. He’s human, so maybe he can help explain some of this.”

“Wait, the Alpha is human?”

She smiled and shook her head.

“No, sweetie, Xander is a wolf. As an alpha, he is one of the more powerful wolves we have. It’s my husband Alexi who’s human. He’s the one I want to bring in with us.”

So, this was some weird cult s**t!

“I promise you that this isn’t common, having two mates for one wolf. How it happened is a long story. We don’t have sister wives or anything weird like that. Don’t worry.”

“So, you just get to have two men? What’s wrong with them? Something has got to be wrong.” I was being rude, but I wanted answers.

“They’re both perfect actually. They’ve given me love, devotion, three amazing children, and too many o*****s to count. Tall, sexy, scrumptious men, and they’re all mine.”

Okay, Ms. Alaia. I liked her—a lot.

“Sure. I’d love to hear how another human lives with wolves. Thank you.”

Her eyes clouded over, and it scared the s**t out of me. It looked like something out of a horror movie. When they went back to gold, she focused back on me and apologized.

“I’m sorry, I was mindlinking him. It’s a way of silently communicating with each other no matter where we are. I should have warned you in advance.”

“Yeah, well, I saw a man turn into a big a*s wolf earlier. I can handle a few cataracts, I guess.”

Then I thought about something. “Wait! You can do that link thing with him, and he’s human. Can you do it with me?”

“I guess I could. I have a unique ability that lets me communicate with almost anyone. And if you become Matt’s mate, and he marks you, you’ll be able to link with him. But you won’t be able to hear the rest of the pack the way the rest of us do. Alexi used to be a wolf, so he still has a few extra abilities.”

This was information overload, but I needed to know all I could about this man and his pack. If I was going to be in his life, I didn’t need any extra surprises. I heard a quick knock on the door before a tall, GQ model walked in.

“What is up with this place? Are all the men here this good-looking? How do you keep your panties on?!”

There goes that mouth of mine again. The man laughed, and damn if it wasn’t a deep and sexy rumble his chest.

“I’m sorry; ignore me. I tend to lose my filter when I’m nervous.”

She shrugged me off. “Don’t worry about it. Yeah, they’re pretty much all delicious specimens. And about the panties? I’ve had three babies in less than a year, so I don’t think I can offer any advice on that one.”