Page 46 of Drive me Wild (South Island Shifters)

“That was a silly question.”

“Nothing is a silly question. I told you that. Do you have more?” I ask, rolling over to face her, tilting her head to me.

“I have lots more. I just can’t remember what they are.” She pauses for a moment. “Wait, didn’t you say something about we can hear each other’s thoughts? Why isn’t that working? Is my brain broken?”

I laugh. “Your brain isn’t broken. Maybe it’s because you aren’t a shifter. My Nana said that human to shifter connections can take a while to develop, but now that you’ve made it very clear what you want, I’d say it’ll happen soon.”

She nods, yawing lightly, then snuggles into my shoulder. “I hope you’re right, though I’m not sure I want you in my head.”

“All your secrets will be safe, and I can be surprised when I need to be. It’s just a matter of learning how to control it.”

She looks up at me, laughing. “I’ll try not to tell you.”

“Why do I have a feeling you are horrible at keeping secrets or surprises?” I tickle her, making her squirm and laugh, but a noise catches my attention.

I glance up from Winter in time to see a pure black wolf on my balcony. Growling loudly, I feel Winter shudder beneath me. I don’t have time to make sure she is okay as I begin my change towards the door. My hands are the last to change so that I can open the door out to my balcony. I catch the scent of the wolf and the swish of a tail as I bound after the rogue animal. Tonight, it won’t get away.

‘Graham, Zane, Lily, Brendan, Christian. Wolves. Coming down my balcony stairs, through my gates and towards Zane’s boundary line.’I holler into each of their heads. I hear a growl in the distance, and I know Zane is down the boundary line. A low, loud growl from a tiger sounds meters ahead of me.

‘Damn, lost him. Sorry, Dec,’Liliana says.

‘It’s okay, I got the scent,’I reply. I trace it towards the boundary line, and I know I’m getting close. I stop listening to the noises around me, inhaling the night air as rain pelts my fur. If this keeps up, I will be soaked when I get back.

‘Declan, just ahead of you, there is the wolf, but I picked up the scent of three others on the property,’Tasha, one of the storks and midwives on the housing estate, says.

‘Thanks. Keep an eye on the others, would you, Tash?’ I reply.

‘Will do, boss.’

I hear the snap of a branch and whip my head around to find the wolf I’d been tracking behind me. He’s trying to sneak back to the house. Its eyes widen as I snarl. Moving with lightning speed, I race off after it, except I’m stopped in my tracks as I hear,‘Declan,’Winter’s sweet voice fills my head, making me dizzy. I hear her sigh as the realisation hits me the telepathic connection has been established.‘Declan.’She tries again.‘Oh, bollocks, maybe my brain is broken, and this won’t work.’

‘It works, sweetheart. You aren’t broken.’I say.

‘Whoa! I was just trying to get it to work by laying here naked, and it did!’A gleeful feeling washes over me as Winter is happy.

‘Yes, it works, but I have to get back to work now.’

‘Get that wolf.’

All I hear is silence, and I exhale the breath I was holding, returning my attention to the wolf before me. I snarl as I close my eyes.‘Who are you?’I demand through telepathic connection.

The wolf blinks at me before answering,‘Joseph, of the Central Otago pack. And right now, I don’t know where I am.’

Central Otago pack? I’ve never fucking heard of them.

‘You’re on the property of Declan Stone, South Island Clan Alpha.’

He shakes.‘I’m sorry, Alpha. I don’t know why I’m here.’

‘I don’t believe you.’

‘I swear to you. I don’t. I…was drugged. With what I don’t know.’

‘How many of you are here?’I growl, pushing him harder into the tree.

He shrugs.‘I don’t know. I can’t tell you much. I don’t know much about the plan. What I do know is that we were sent to retrieve something, an ingredient of sorts.’I growl.‘I signed up so I could find my sister. She’s recently mated one of your pack, and I just want to know she’s safe.’

I nod. I can respect family bonds.‘She is?’I ask.

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