Chapter 3: Grey

Grey’s POV

I couldn’t resist a last glance at Emma before walking away from her. The sunlight turned her auburn hair the same shade of red as a sunset, and the sensual curves of her body would make any man gape in awe.

I sighed, thinking about her green eyes, the exact shade of new leaves in the springtime. They kept me captivated every time I looked at her beautiful face.

Emma was more than her beauty. She was unlike any girl I’d ever met. She was open, honest, and innocent. But there was strength in her soul. She had survived pain and great loneliness without it breaking her spirit.

Still, as much as I wanted her, Emma’s presence at Denhurst was trouble.

After Emma disappeared inside the house, I headed for the woods near my cottage. They were waiting.

Thirty feet into the trees several wolves alternately paced and pawed the ground. They were a handful of the young shifters, the offspring of members of the disbanded Denhurst pack. They had grown up listening to the stories of the old days and now craved leadership, strength, and the community of a pack.

They considered me their unofficial leader. It was an honor I took seriously and endeavored to deserve. But now the arrival of the lost daughter of the last hereditary pack leader had these young wolves on edge.

They had been told many times that Emma’s human mother had been the catalyst of the dissolution of the pack. What would happen after her daughter’s return to Denhurst?

Two of the wolves shifted. In the blink of an eye my friends Dierk and Finn stood before me. I knew what they were eager to know.

“Is she human or shifter?” Dierk asked.

“There’s no way she’s a shifter,” I replied. “She was wearing silver earrings,” I told him. “If she was of the wolf, she couldn’t touch silver for very long without pain.”

“Maybe she can wear silver on her skin because of her half human blood,” Dierk suggested.

“No,” I insisted. “If she had ever turned into the same animal that mauled her mother, poor Layla would have been terrified of her own daughter and sent her back here on the next bus.”

“Does she know about us?” Finn asked.

I shook my head in the negative. Emma was too genuine to fake having no memory of Denhurst. “She doesn’t remember anything about this place or her father. I’m sure she knows nothing of her family heritage.” And I intended to keep her from finding out.

Dierk and Finn nodded.

Finn kicked at a fallen branch. “Is she staying? Do we need to stay hidden?”

“She cannot remain here for long. Stay out of sight until I know more,” I replied. “But I think we need to always have a guard of at least three wolves here. Do you smell them?”

“The Shaws,” Dierk growled. “How could we miss their stench? They reek of cowardice, dishonor, and cruelty.”

Finn nodded. “It’s as foul as they are. Do you want us to run them off? Ash, Ethan, and Collin are nearby to help if it’s all five of them.”

“Encourage them to leave the area but try not to engage in a fight. Signal me if they do, and I’ll come to help.” I sniffed the air to try to judge how many of the enemy were nearby. “I don’t want Emma to hear anything that will make her curious. She needs to leave this place before she gets hurt.”

“But she’s beautiful.” Dierk gave me a teasing grin.

I felt my shoulders sag, remembering the attraction I felt for Emma while in her presence. But there was no way for me to explore that attraction. Pursuing it would only lead to despair. I had to do what was right for her. Emma needed to leave Denhurst, soon, for her own good.

“Beautiful or not, she can’t stay here,” I insisted. “Now, go!”

Dierk and Finn shifted and ran off to join the others.

Needing to think, I went into my cottage and sat in the worn overstuffed armchair near the cold fireplace. Even though it was a warm June day, I craved the hypnotic dance of flames. But there wasn’t time to light a fire. I had to think of a way to persuade Emma to leave Denhurst.

I heard a sound and hurried to the eastern window. I saw nothing in the trees, but the Shaw’s scent still lingered. Hopefully, Dierk, Finn and the others would soon have them moving away from Denhurst. They couldn’t be allowed to lurk so close to Emma.

Emma was what the Shaws called a half-breed, something they despised. Plus, like some other shifter families, they blamed Emma and her mother for the dissolution of the Denhurst Pack.

I sat back down and put my hands over my eyes. Emma didn’t know it, but she was in terrible danger. And not just from the Shaws.

What if my father’s weakness ran in my blood? How could I live with myself if I hurt her?

My father had insisted no wolf could have controlled themselves after a whiff of Layla’s blood. He claimed its scent was far more enticing than any animal or any other human’s. It was up to me to stop Emma from being injured like her mother had been. Even if it meant never seeing her again.

A series of short barks reached my ears, and I bolted from my chair. It was Dierk’s signal. He needed my help.

I rushed outside and entered the woods, shedding my jeans and shifting into my wolf form. Following the scent, I ran through the trees and quickly found my wolves.

All five of the enemies, Wade Shaw and his four sons, sensed I was coming, and the cowards were now retreating through a denser section of the trees. I gave the order to let them go.

I shifted back into human form a few seconds before Dierk and Finn. “Follow, and make sure they leave our territory,” I ordered the others.

Dierk lowered his head before speaking to me. “The girl needs to go if her presence at Denhurst continues to trigger rivals like this. Finn has been injured by old man Shaw while he was locked in combat with Zane Shaw.”

Finn held out his arm. There was a large bite just below his elbow. But the wound was shallow and would be fully healed quickly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Still, Dierk is right,” I admitted. “She needs to go … somewhere else.” The words hurt to say them. But there was no other way. The Shaws and other shifters like them, who still hated Emma’s mother for breaking up the pack, would enjoy destroying Layla’s vulnerable daughter.

“Don’t forget to keep guards behind the house at all times,” I told Dierk and Finn. “I need to go back inside the house for a few hours. But I’ll take a few hours of the overnight shift. I need a good run.” I wasn’t going to be able to sleep much tonight anyhow.

Dierk and Finn nodded before shifting, and I returned to the cottage for my shower. But I moved slower, feeling a sadness I’ve never felt before. Emma needed to go somewhere else, somewhere away from me. It was the only way to ensure her survival.

By the time I was climbing out of the shower, my mood had slightly improved. I hurried to dress in clean jeans and a button-down shirt. I was having dinner with Emma and Addie. At least I’d have some memories of her before I found a way to send her from my life forever. I would make them good memories. They would need to last for the rest of my life.