Midnight Secrets

The remainder of breakfast was uneventful, and I was more than ready to get away from the prying eyes and ears in the kitchen. Some of them had at least attempted to be subtle, but others hadn’t. They’d outright and openly stared at me.

Finn and Leon remained in the kitchen, wishing us luck on our tour. Cass led me out the way I’d come in this morning, and I once again appreciated how light and open the sunroom felt.

Rather than take me toward the parking lot of sorts, Cass led me through a small courtyard that I hadn’t noticed this morning. Stone benches dotted the area, and in the center was a tree that had bright white flowers. We took the cobblestone pathway leading from the courtyard and into the trees.

No one else was out here, and I felt like I was finally able to breathe. It felt so suffocating in that house with the imaginary neon sign saying “human” flashing above my head. It was a little rude of them to openly stare at me. I didn’t gape at the werewolves, even though part of me had wanted to. I wouldn’t have minded the chance to see if I could discern any differences between them and humans. Yes, I know I could’ve used Addie, Cass, or his friends as a guide, but I still found it hard to see them as werewolves. It probably would remain that way until I saw them shift or do something supernatural.

As we walked through the forest, light filtered through the leaves as birds chirped and animals rustled through the underbrush. I didn’t worry about the possibility of a predator attacking us since I figured werewolves were more dangerous than anything that might live in this forest.

“You’re a terrible tour guide,” I finally said after a few minutes of walking in silence. “You’re supposed to be pointing out things to me—although there isn’t much other than trees right now—and explaining the history of the pack or some shit.”

Cass huffed out a small laugh as he shook his head. “Alright. So the building we just came from is called the packhouse. A few live there full-time, but most of us are only there after the full moon or if we have pack business. Not all of us can fit, and only higher-ranking members have a room. The house was built in eighteen—”

“I don’t need the year or the name of whoever built it,” I cut him off with a groan.

“I believe you said you wanted the history of the pack,” Cass said with a grin, which only grew when I shot him a bland look. “Those who live in the packlands full time have their own houses sprinkled through the forest so they have some privacy. You’d be surprised how little privacy you can have in the packhouse, even with the soundproof wardings.”

That didn’t surprise me in the least. If breakfast was any indication, werewolves were nosey fuckers.

In the far-off distance, I saw another building, this one not as tall as the packhouse, but the dark wooden structure was still imposing.

“That’s our training facility where we learn the history of the supernatural world and learn to hone our skills. It’s vital for us to know how to fight and keep our wolves in check. It only takes a moment for a sudden loss of control to hurt a human or reveal ourselves. I have a feeling you’ve been dying to ask about what extra abilities we might have.” He gave me a sideways glance, a knowing smirk in place.

“Maybe.”

His smirk turned into a full-on grin, and my stomach felt like it was doing somersaults. “We are stronger and faster than humans, although not as fast as we are in wolf form. When we are wolves, we are just as fast as vampires.”

My jaw dropped as I remembered how fast Ezra had run. He’d been a blur, moving nearly twenty feet in a matter of seconds.

“What else?”

“As you’ve probably guessed, we have enhanced hearing along with eyesight and sense of smell.”

“Sense of smell?” That didn’t sound fun, especially around those who didn’t understand the concept of a shower and tried to cover it up with perfume or cologne. “So you can smell if someone hasn’t showered or whether or not someone is afraid?”

Cass grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop as he turned me to face him. “Among other things.” He dipped his head so his nose brushed the crux of my neck and inhaled deeply. His meaning wasn’t lost on me and had me shocked and embarrassed once again. This couldn’t be happening right now. Please tell me he wasn’t suggesting he could smell when I was aroused.

I didn’t ask him to confirm whether or not he could smell my arousal, afraid he’d confirm my fears. It wasn’t like he didn’t know I was attracted to him, but there was something about him being able to smell every time I was horny—it felt invasive.

Oh my god. Were the other species able to do this as well? I wanted to bury my face in my hands at the thought. Was it too late to forget about the supernatural world? Ignorance was bliss and all that shit.

Even though Cass hadn’t said anything else, I could practically feel his amusement, and I was relieved when we finally reached the training facility—even if it meant I’d have to deal with being stared at. The building was more simple in design than the packhouse and was only three stories, but it was twice as wide as the mansion.

Apprehension flooded my body as I followed him inside the building. The floor was a light hardwood, and the walls were painted dark green. I’d been expecting rubber floors that were in most gyms.

“What about vampires?” I whispered, even though no one else was around, as he led me down the hallway. “What can you tell me about them? What are their special abilities—other than speed and strength? Do they have any weaknesses?”

I already had my suspicions about their abilities based on what I experienced with Ezra, but I still wanted to hear the words from Cass. If I had a vampire willing to try to abduct me, I should know everything they are capable of.

Cass’ steps slowed as he faced me, his amused expression long gone, and his posture was now rigid. If I wasn’t mistaken, I was pretty sure vampires and werewolves were enemies. His reaction to my mentioning vampires all but confirmed my suspicion.

“Vampires used to be human. They’re turned by the process of having a vampire drain nearly all their blood and replace it with theirs,” Cass said with a sigh as he scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Their age dictates how strong they are, and the bloodline of their maker dictates their special abilities. They all have a lure of sorts they use on humans to get them to willingly submit their blood to them. Not only do they not have a taste for other supernatural species’ blood, but their lure doesn’t work on us.”

“Their lure is their scent, isn’t it?” I asked when he paused for a moment. I’d thought multiple times about how it seemed like his scent had a life of its own, trying to choke me with its intensity. Cass nodded. “And the thoughts implanted in my mind? Is that a typical ability?”

At my reminder of how Ezra had been screwing with my mind, Cass moved closer, resting his hands on my hips as if to reassure himself that I was really here. His jaw clenched as he took deep breaths to steady himself. “No. Only certain bloodlines can do that. And based on what you told Sebastian, he thinks it’s an old one.”

It was my turn for my body to lock up. “He told you?” I hadn’t pegged Sebastian as the gossiping type.

Cass gave a rueful grin as he shook his head. “He refused to give any details.”

I let out a relieved sigh as my muscles relaxed. I didn’t need Cass to know the details of how much Ezra had screwed with me. The details were unnecessary and would only piss him off more.

Cass took my hand in his and guided me down the hallway until he pulled me through a set of double doors. My assumption about the flooring was proven right when we entered a spacious room, with mats scattered around the black rubber floor and equipment one would expect in a training room. The ceiling was high, with a skylight in the center, allowing late afternoon rays of sunlight to fill the room.

A balcony circled the room, allowing spectators to watch those sparring. So far, they hadn’t noticed me, and I’d like to keep it that way. Having others gawking at me had already grown old at breakfast.

The fighting was mesmerizing with their speed, which was anything but human, as well as their agility and displays of strength. It was clear they were well trained, with years of honing their craft. Did Cass look like this when he fought?

Across the room, I spotted Aspen and Fay sparring. Fay more than held her own against him, dodging punches that didn’t appear like Aspen was holding back. She managed to land a kick to his midsection that had me flinching. “You guys heal fast, right?” I asked as I watched Aspen wheeze and double over.

Fay didn’t let up or take it easy on him, going on the offense again, and I preemptively tensed, expecting her to knock him on his ass. He caught her leg when she went to kick him again and used his foot to knock her off her feet.

“We heal faster in wolf form, but we still heal twice as fast as humans in this form.” Cass placed his hand on my lower back and guided me between the mats. I tried not to flinch when anyone was thrown onto the ground, half afraid one of them would accidentally barrel into me.

By the time we reached their mat, Aspen had Fay pinned. Her golden blonde hair had half fallen out of its bun, and her tanned skin was covered in sweat. When her dark gaze landed on me, a smile lit up her face, and unlike Lindsay, it was genuine. “Look who’s finally in on the secret. How are you handling everything?”

“I’d handle everything a whole lot better if everyone would stop staring at me,” I grumbled, crossing my arms and raising my voice as I caught a man on a nearby mat looking my way.

“You mind?” Fay directed her question at him, placing her hands on her hips. He looked away, but I doubted that would last long. “Don’t let them get to you. We don’t get too many humans here, especially not the day after a full moon.”

“So I’ve gathered,” I muttered, letting out another sigh when I met someone else’s stare.

Aspen grabbed a towel from the bench and wiped off his sweaty face. “Have you filled her in on everything?”

“Not even close. I was going to take her to the lake, but I doubt we’d get any privacy there.” Cass’ gaze pointedly flicked around the room, landing on those watching from the balcony. They weren’t subtle in how they were trying to eavesdrop.

Aspen took a long drink from his water bottle before tossing it to Fay, who caught it without even looking in his direction. “Yeah, not this time of day and not with her being the newest curiosity.”

“They’ll stop staring,” Fay added. “Eventually.”

“Is that supposed to reassure me?” I gave her a look that told her how unhelpful I found her words.

“Maybe one of the lecture halls is open.” My attention was pulled to Aspen, and my eyebrows pulled together.

It shouldn’t be surprising to hear they have lecture halls since there was probably a ton they had to learn that they couldn’t learn in human schools, but it was still strange to hear such a normal and mundane term in werewolf territory.

“Why don’t the two of you check to see if one’s empty while I keep Rhea company,” Fay suggested as she threw an arm over my shoulders. I tried not to cringe at how sweaty she was, but from the way she chuckled, I think I failed.

Cass’ hesitation was obvious as he opened his mouth to argue. “No one will touch her, I promise. You can do your overprotective alpha male thing and check out the lecture hall to ensure it’s safe. Rhea probably needs to have a few minutes of peace to think. This is a lot to be thrown at someone at once, and that’s in a normal circumstance.”

I met Cass’ gaze, and he carefully scanned over my face for several long seconds. Whatever he saw there had him relenting. “Keep her safe, and try not to overshare,” he said with a low sigh, shifting his gaze to Fay until she nodded.

“No promises on the oversharing part,” she called after him as he and Aspen weaved between the mats. She hooked her arm through mine and guided me toward a nearby door. “Let’s get you away from prying eyes.”