Chapter 33: Chapter 5

NATALIE

I hold my hands up and let the energy of the woods fill me up. With my eyes closed, I can concentrate on the feelings stirring inside of me. I take a tentative step forward and I’m engulfed in a static electricity running through my body.

I inhale a slow, deep breath, then open my eyes and let the energy flow into my being. I feel overcharged and anxious. Now that this energy is inside of me I don’t know what to do with it. I shake out my hands, but it does nothing to extinguish the energy pulsing inside of me.

I look up to the moon as the sun begins to set. “Moon Goddess, please help me.” I know she’s there and that she can hear me. She’s helped me on a few occasions. I let the memories fade as I try to get this nervous tension out of my body.

I look at my hands and call forth my healing power, but it’s not the same, my glow is yellow. I have to do something. I’m shaking and so cold only wearing a sweater. I almost wish I were in front of a warm cozy fire. I gasp as my light turns orange and the bush in front of me lights up in a soft fire. My power fades from my palms and the buzzing inside of me dissipates.

“Shit!” I grab a mound of snow and throw it on the bush. I relax once the fire is out. How the hell did that happen? I know it came from me because the energy is out of my system. Fabulous, not only am I a healer, but a flamethrower and I have no control of it. I doubt Kya has ever set anything on fire. I look at my plain hands again. First blue after training, then yellow and orange now? What is this?

I turn around and gasp. Alpha Ramirez is leaning against a tree as calm as can be. He gives me a soft smile. “You shouldn’t be here by yourself. Dec would have my ass if anything happened to you… I would hate for anything to happen to you.”

“Sorry, Alpha. I just wanted to get a feel for what’s going on here.” Everyone else left yesterday after lunch. I got to hang out with the orphaned pups watching ~Charlie Brown Christmas~ and drinking hot cocoa. The oldest is fourteen and there are twelve pups all together. Orphaned pups are not uncommon in pack life due to the mate connection. If one mate dies, the other will usually follow.

Alpha Ramirez’s eyes stare into mine. “Damon. My friends call me Damon.”

I hang my head. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, Natalie. I’m glad you’re here, just make sure you have someone with you from now on.” I nod to his request. He tilts his chin toward the now-blackened bundle of branches. “What happened?”

I nibble on my bottom lip, not quite sure how long he’s been standing there. He pushes himself off of the tree and steps to the bush. He inspects the branches, breaking one off then sniffing it. “This wasn’t burned before and that weird feeling is gone.”

“How long was that energy there?”

He turns back to look at me. “Since I became alpha.” He tilts his head back toward the bush.

“I…lit it on fire…” He lifts one of his brows. “It was an accident, but I did put it out.” He subtly licks his bottom lip as he thinks. I involuntarily shiver at the sight. He notices and removes his jacket then places it over my shoulders.

“You can keep that since you don’t seem to own a jacket.”

My cheeks warm up. His jacket hangs down to my knees and would fit two of me, but I zip it over me and walk beside him out of the woods.

“I’m meeting up with a few friends at Lou’s. You’re welcome to join us. B and Finn will be there.”

I nod. “Yeah. Thanks.”

He leads me to his jeep then opens the door for me. Lou’s is an old-fashioned diner, much like Bruno’s diner.

“Damn, Damon. Where did you find this one?” A tall blond guy practically yells across the diner from his seat.

Alpha Ramirez…Damon just rolls his eyes. “Spencer. She’s off limits, unless you want the wrath of Alpha Redd. This is Natalie, Kya’s sister.” He points out the blond guy. “That’s Spencer. You met Cameron yesterday, this is his mate Melissa.”

The statuesque brunette gives me a subtle wave.

“I didn’t know Kya has a sister,” Spencer comments as he flags down the waitress.

“She’s adopted, and if anything happens to her you’ll face my wrath before Dec ever gets near you,” Finn warns and I take the seat beside him. Overprotective much, but I don’t mind. Other than Jason and Virgil, Alpha Redd, and the Masons, no one has really looked out for me.

Damon sits across from me and I can tell he’s deep in thought. The waitress looks to me for my order.

“Get whatever you want, Natalie. You’re my guest.” Damon looks up to the waitress. “Bacon chili burger extra cheese, fries, and chocolate shake, please Dorothy.” He nods to me and my stomach rumbles.

I blush, but order an open-faced turkey sandwich.

“So, what brings you to our pack, Natalie?” Melissa asks me.

“Just hanging out.” I give her a generic response because I don’t know what…Damon wants shared.

“She’s the one I told you about,” I hear Cameron whisper to his mate. He subtly shudders but it’s enough that I catch it. Damon clears his throat and Cameron visibly nods. Damon must’ve said something through the link.

Dorothy brings all of our plates at once. In one fluid motion, she slides all seven plates to land perfectly in front of us. “Wow.” Dorothy is impressive. She gives me a wink then moves off to another customer. The food is incredible, and I end up eating more than I should.

“Are you ready, Natalie? You’re with me today,” Damon asks as he finishes the last of his fries. I still have half a plate of food left. He chuckles as he takes in my plate. “No rush.”

“No, I’m beyond stuffed.”

“Dibs,” Spencer calls out. I laugh but push my plate toward him.

Damon stands and leaves a wad of cash at the table. He offers me his hand. “Ready?”

I take his hand and his warmth provides me so much comfort. He throws his massive jacket over my shoulders then leads me out of the diner.

“Where are we going?” I ask as he drives out of his territory.

“No-man’s land. I’m getting presents for the pups at the pack house. Do you mind?” He steals a glance at me.

“Not at all. I have nothing else to do now that the woods are free of that weird energy.”

“Why did it affect you more than Kya and Doc?”

I clench my fists in my lap. “I don’t know. Why were you able to feel it, but others couldn’t?”

Damon licks his bottom lip and I have to look away. He is gorgeous. His lips have a perfect cupid’s bow and his dimples are boyishly cute with high cheekbones.

“I think it’s because I’m an alpha. The land calls to me. It never did before, but I’m connected to more than just my pack now.”

Damon asks me get-to-know-you questions the rest of the drive. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

My cheeks warm up and I tuck a strand of hair over my ear. “No. But Jason and Virgil are really protective of me. They’re strays too. That’s what we call the group of us that Alpha Redd allowed into his pack.”

Damon nods as if he doesn’t care either way.

“What about you. Have you found your mate?”

Damon peeks my direction then turns back to the road. “Kind of.”

“What does that mean? Either you have or you haven’t.” The mate bond is an instant attraction. You know without a doubt when you meet your mate.

He runs his hand over his stubble and my fingers itch to touch it too. “Would you believe me if I said the Moon Goddess pointed her out to me?”

“I believe the Moon Goddess is capable of anything. She helped me leave my family.”

I can tell my answer caught him off guard as he gives me a double take. “You left?”

“Yeah. My mom always hated me but I never knew why. When I was eight, my brother fell down the side of a ledge when we were hiking. I couldn’t heal him. He died and they blamed me. My mom started beating me. I’m a natural healer but they always called me a witch.

“My dad never actually hit me, but he never stopped her. He did lock me in my room sometimes. When I was twelve, after a pretty bad beating, I prayed to the Goddess to kill me. Instead, a beam of light shot through my window and she told me that I’m special and that my mate is good.

“She told me to leave, so I did. She led me to the camp… I’ve never told anyone about my past. Kya knows about my brother, but nothing else.”

“That’s some story. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I’m glad you were able to get out of there.”

We’re silent for a little while.

“Finn says you’re sixteen. Does that make you a junior?”

I answer in the affirmative, and our conversation returns to normal, safe topics, and he pulls into a row of stores.

He picks up a gold necklace with a snowflake charm. “Do you think my mom would like this?”

“Does she like snowflakes?”

“She likes winter. She loves the snow and hot cocoa, crackling fire, lights, that kind of thing.”

“I think you answered your own question. I’ve never really done any of those things, but I enjoyed the cocoa and movie last night.”

He places the necklace into the cart, then stops in front of jackets. “Pick one. You can keep mine, but I’m sure one that fits would keep you warmer.”

I pull his jacket tighter around my body. “I’m kind of partial to this one.” My straight face cracks at the look he gives me, and we both end up laughing. I find a plain dark gray jacket that is really warm. “Thank you.”

I slip it on after it’s paid for, then give his back to him. I hear him take a sniff before he shrugs it on. We load all of his finds into his jeep, then head back to his territory.