room. It wasn’t this life that suited her, but Liam. It was the only thing that made any sense compared to the rest of it. She didn’t like the idea of being in a pack and having an Alpha tell her what she could and couldn’t do.
But shifting forms? She couldn’t think of anything more freeing than the speed and strength she’d seen when Liam had shifted for her. Not only that, but he also had no intention of abandoning her.
Now she just had to convince him she would do the same.
16
Liam
It took him longer than he liked to find Zoe. It wasn’t like he could have followed her after the scene she’d made. Liam still couldn’t believe she’d stuck up for him like that – that she’d almost challenged an alpha for him, and Noah too.
His mate had the balls to say what everyone else had been thinking ever since Cascade had started messing with them.
Liam understood the value of peace better than anyone, but there was no way Kai could possibly understand what they’d all been through, what they would do to keep things from going down that path again.
Waiting and trying to keep the peace put the rest of them on edge and it was starting to cause problems with anyone who’d been in the pack from the very beginning, but Shane was the Second and he was loyal to a fault.
Liam and Noah knew that better than most. That they were still alive was thanks to him, but that kind of loyalty could be a weakness too.
Zoe was standing in front of the forest, across the clearing from the house. She was visible from the balcony, but for some reason he hadn’t thought she’d go outside. Having her there without anyone watching over her made him nervous.
At least until her first shift. Liam had no doubt her wolf would be just as vicious and protective as she was. But there was still two weeks until the next full moon, so until then, she’d have to wait.
Letting his boots crunch the snow under his feet, Liam tucked his hands in his pockets, watching her closely. Zoe was tense as she looked up at the pine trees, but at the same time she seemed more relaxed than before.
He assumed it had something to do with Chris being awake and well.
“Did you tell anyone where you went?” he asked, keeping his tone inquisitive, ensuring there was no challenge to it at all.
After witnessing the way she’d held Kai’s gaze for as long as she did despite the power he’d been purposefully exuding, Liam didn’t think it was a good idea to test just how much control her brand new, dominant wolf had.
“I told Chris,” she admitted, shrugging one shoulder. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Liam shifted, annoyed that what she said made sense even if he didn’t trust Chris to have enough brain cells to worry about Zoe now that he was a new wolf with a new mate.
“What are you doing out here?” She wasn’t wearing a coat either and he slid his off. “Aren’t you cold?”
Zoe let him slip his jacket over her shoulders and then wrapped it around herself. Liam loved that she wasn’t fighting him on the little stuff anymore.
“A bit. It comes and goes, but I have senses I didn’t before,” she murmured, eyes flicking to watch a bird take flight. My hearing is better than my sight, and my sense of smell works when I concentrate. What else is different?”
Liam wrapped his arms around her to add more warmth and smiled when some of the tension left her body. “Speed and strength. We can speak mind to mind when we’re in our wolf form. On the 31st you’ll have your first shift. The pain is brief, and it’s only for the first time.”
“Just like sex,” she snorted.
“Yeah, just like sex.” Liam couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to that spot on her neck where the scent of the mate bond was.
“This is weird,” she whispered, but Zoe didn’t try to push him away this time, she didn’t lean away from him either. Instead, he felt her body relax against his as she took a deep breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation like this with someone I’ve also had sex with.”
Warmth flooded him and Liam took a deep breath, scenting her hair, the mate bond, and her confusion on the air. At least she didn’t seem angry anymore, and it didn’t seem like