Page 43 of Hidden Pain

“Human, I could kill you with one bite.”

“Kingsley, no. He’s threatening to kill you,” Lily called out.

“I know.” Kingsley didn’t take his eyes off the wolf. “Jessica, your spell works at a distance. I can hear his thoughts even though I’m not attached to you.”

Kingsley then continued to address the pack. “We’ve not corrupted Hunter, far from it. We’ve given him hope just in the same way he’s done for us. I did my first tattoo today since my accident. It was only small, but it’s a start. That was because of the confidence your alpha gave me,” Kingsley delivered his praise of Hunter, standing nose to nose with the man trying to tear him down. Her human lover had no fear even when faced by beings who could rip him apart. All he cared about was fighting for Hunter.

Lily joined in, “And I’ve shed the demons of my past and learned to love humans because of Hunter’s encouragement. For the first time in forever, I see a future. I want to help shifters who are not as fortunate as me to escape from the humans who torment them. Shifters who’ve been captured and beaten by them like the little girl I met yesterday. All her life she’s been caged by humans, but she took Kingsley’s hand and trusted him because she’d been given hope. A hope that came directly from Hunter and his faith in me.”

Kingsley wrapped his arm around Lily’s waist and pulled her to his side.

“If a broken bear and a damaged human can learn to trust the world again because of one man, then I’d want that man as my alpha,” Kingsley concluded.

“This is a load of sentimental crap. Let’s vote.” Ebony pushed forward, her tail wagging furiously. “None of this is helpful for our pack. If they are both healed, then they can leave and let us be.”

“Take your sides,” Christian ordered, and a few of the wolves moved either to the left or right. The elder wolf stayed beside Hunter, though.

“Did you know the bear and the human were going to do this?” he asked Hunter, and everyone around them froze. Respect for elders was always important in packs.

“No.” Hunter shook his head.

“Do you have anything to say to them in response?” the old wolf inquired.

“There’s nothing left for me to say.” Hunter sagged down onto the ground defeated as more wolves moved to the right, voting in favor of Ebony and Christian.

“Then I might as well join those who will no doubt in the future destroy the pack.” The elder wolf started to move over to Ebony and Christian’s side. “At least they are being honest with us. That’s all I ever ask from an alpha. That he’s honest with us and himself about his feelings.”

As the elder finished, Hunter got to his wolf feet, and his ears pricked up. Lily felt the air around her change.

“Wait,” Hunter called out as he shifted back into a human. He prowled over to Lily and pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.

“I hereby claim Lily Davies as my partner for life. My mate.” Hunter kissed her again.

Lily felt Kingsley step away from them, giving them the space the human clearly felt they needed in this moment.

“Don’t move,” Hunter ordered, and Kingsley froze. Lily’s wolf mate moved in front of their human lover. “I also hereby claim Kingsley Ross as my other partner for life. My mate. And I hope he’ll forgive me for denying my love for him, and his right to claim me. Kingsley, please take what I now give to you freely.”

Hunter leaned in and kissed Kingsley on the lips. It wasn’t as passionate as his display with Lily. It was a more tender kiss with their foreheads resting against each others.

“You mean it?” Kingsley questioned.

“My ass is yours later,” Hunter mouthed, so only Lily and Kingsley could see.

The two men kissed again and reached out for Lily to join them, and Hunter stood in the middle with his arms around both of them.

“Vote how you see fit for the future of the pack but know that with me all you’ll get is honesty. I won’t hide the truth about the future from you whether it’s grave or joyful. I’ll fight for all of you, and if the baby Ebony’s carrying is mine, which seems highly unlikely, then I’ll bring my son up that way too. If it’s not mine, you’ll have a wolf/bear hybrid as your next leader because I plan on putting a baby in Lily as soon as I can. Not only that, you’ll also have a future alpha with the compassion and kindness of a human who’s willingly accepted us into his world. I quite like the idea of bear/human babies as well. I think we’re going to keep Lily very busy.” Hunter looked down at her, and she felt her body go warm with the thought of growing both Hunter’s and Kingsley’s children. “The world is changing, and we must evolve to survive. That is what I offer you as an alpha,” Hunter concluded.

Lily watched as Hunter shifted back to a wolf and took his place on the left-hand side of the forest. Ebony and Christian skulked back to the right, their tails not as high as they had been before. Lily then took Kingsley’s hand and led him over to stand next to the alpha. She shifted into a bear and stood on one side of Hunter while Kingsley positioned himself on the other. Their votes may not count, but it didn’t matter. They were united together in front of everyone.

The elder wolf let out a laugh.

“Well, damn it! I was right. I knew you’d be the one to save our pack when you were born, Hunter. My mate said so, and she always did have some sort of sixth sense.” The elder wolf turned his back to Christian and Ebony. “I didn’t figure you’d do it with a human and bear at your side, but I’m up for anything. You finally accepted yourself for what and who you are, and that’s what makes a good leader. I vote Hunter.”

The elder wolf moved to the left and stood with them.

“Make your decision,” Hunter ordered.

The pack looked around at each other. They were still uncertain of what decision they should make. Eventually, they moved…all of them together to the left. Hunter had retained his position as alpha.

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