Captured - Cara Wylde Page 0,46

at least a little, would have been a lie. And maybe the Woodwards realized that, because Mama Rose asked:

“Are you saying you’re relieved they died?”

I shook my head. “It’s not that simple. My feelings… I’m still not completely at peace with everything that happened. But I think that one day… Yes, one day, I will feel that.” That brought me to the reason why I was here in the first place. “And I want to join your pack. I know that I’m human, but I’m sure I can learn your ways and I’ll be able to contribute. So please… Give me a…”

“Absolutely not!” Jax cut me off before I could finish the phrase. “You expect us to believe you’ve suddenly turned a new leaf overnight? A few days ago, you were terrified of us and you thought we were monsters.”

“I never called you a monster!” I argued. “And… It’s true I was shocked. I never knew werewolves existed. But that doesn’t mean I can’t adapt.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re adapting just fine,” Reid said with a small, wicked smile. “Tell you what? If Jax has a problem with you staying, you can stay with me. You can cook for me, clean, make my food. How does that sound?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Thorn muttered. “Can you be serious for just one minute? Why do you always have to be such an obnoxious idiot?”

“I didn’t hear her refuse,” Reid answered snappishly.

“Enough!” Mama Rose interrupted them. “You… Pups. Get out of here. I want to talk to Isabel alone.”

“But Mama Rose…” Jax started to protest.

The female werewolf narrowed her eyes at him, and he shut up very quickly. Reid grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the exit.

“We’ll be right outside.”

As the trio left the cabin, Mama Rose patted the couch next to her. “Come here, child. Sit with me.”

I obeyed, although I was still a little terrified. I didn’t think she would hurt me, but my words hadn’t really changed anything. I wondered what she wanted to tell me that she couldn’t say in front of her sons.

As I sat down on the couch, she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close. It was so sudden that I tensed, but Mama Rose didn’t seem offended by my reaction.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “We’re just going to sit like this for a little while, keep those pups from overhearing our conversation. Sometimes, they’re a little too curious.”

I nodded and decided to wait. If she had something important to tell me, she would, in her own time. My guess was proven right seconds later.

“Finding peace isn’t easy, child,” she said. “You can’t just close your eyes and force yourself to forget about your loss. But what you can do is build a new future. You’re right. Losing Chase… It’s a horrible wound, one I might never heal from.” She took a deep breath and petted my hair. “But I still have my other pups, and it is for their sake that you and I must speak. This pack hates humans, Isabel Bishop, and rightly so. We’ve never much liked your kind, and Chase’s death… Well, let’s just say their feelings won’t change anytime soon. But there are exceptions to every rule, and you’re different, I can tell. Child, you are my sons’ mate, and you have the heart of a wolf. It’s very rare for this to show up in a human, but it does happen. My pups, though… They don’t see it. They’re Alphas and they’re so very stubborn. It’ll take some time and effort to wear them out. Be patient with them. They’ll see the light eventually.”

“Does that mean you think I have a future here?” I dared to ask. “Do you think I can belong with the pack? With them?”

This time, I couldn’t keep my voice from shaking, but Mama Rose didn’t blame me for it. She pulled me in and pressed her lips to my forehead.

“You can, if you are strong enough. Forget about your humanity, Isabel. Let your heart take over, and you can have a home here.” Her soft expression turned sharper, sterner. “I know I’m asking a lot, so I have to warn you. If you cannot to do this, if you cannot be the mate they need, you’ll never have what you seek. But you also won’t be able to return to what you had before. You know about werewolves now. The pack will never let you go.”

Her warning didn’t scare me. It was