AN: Longer chapter for readers... I'm sure there are mistakes... read, comment and vote.

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Chapter 5 - Kaden POV- The Past, 25 years old

She was looking at me and I saw her right brow twitch up, so maybe I was the only one in the trance I mentioned.

"Do you not like children?" she asked me and there was something in her tone, it sounded sad, unsure and as the words came out I could almost see the wall that was being built to keep me away although she had been the one calling me out here. I'm not sure how I could see it, but I could. I knew when someone was pulling away, or safeguarding themselves. I had done it myself to get over past emotional hurt.

Could I answer her question without giving so much away, I thought to myself. It was impossible. Sighing I thought back to Lana and decided the best thing to do here would be to tell the truth, let her know my hand by laying all my cards on the table. Leave the ball in her court and possibly save us both all the heartache.

"Etta, it's not like that at all, I have no problem with children, I think they are a blessing, a gift. When I was younger I always saw myself being a father, having as many children with my mate as I was granted or she wanted but things change. While I still think they are a gift, I just do not want any of my own..." I answered. I couldn't tell if it were the right or wrong one when it came to her reaction. For the most part she remained emotionless, but then I concentrated just on her eyes. To my immense satisfaction her eyes gave her away and I realized that my response did in fact disappoint her.

Then soon she controlled even her eyes. "Why?" she questioned but I did appreciate that she didn't ask with an ounce of anger or judgment. The question came to me and in my heart I could feel the conflicting emotions Elizabetta felt, but what really stood out to me was it came out comforting me.

For a flash second my mind wandered and I thought of how odd my body was reacting to this woman in front of me. It felt like I was under a spell, the most welcomed kind.

As I stare into her beseeching eyes I could see she was begging me for honesty and I wanted to give that to her, I wanted to give her anything.

I thought to myself, until it dawned on me that I had nothing to be afraid of. Naught to prevent myself from telling this beautiful woman the truth. She was a Fae hunted by both werewolves and vampires for many reasons, each self serving for the two species. Compared to her, my secrets seemed more like an annoying itch, while hers was a terminal illness.

"When I was 19 years old I was kidnapped by human hunters. When they tried to kill me with vampire venom something happened and instead of killing me it changed my DNA. It altered me, but also enhanced me at the same time. I was able to escape, return home but tainted of course," I said and she slowly sat down her eyes watching and examining me. Her warm smile was encouraging, small but never the less cheering.

"I was back with my family but not really because I had secrets that I couldn't divulge to them," I shook my head because that wasn't true and I think I knew that.

"No I could," I said shaking my head, "I just didn't want to be an experiment or bring a target to my Pack."

"So even now you've not told them?"

I answered with the slightest head shake.

"How were you changed?" she asked genuinely interested.

"I lost my wolf but not completely because I am him," I began openly.

He brows scrunched, "I had a wolf his name was Aynor, when I shifted I was a complete horse sized reddish brown wolf. However with what they did it killed him, but the part of him that was me stayed with me. While others will hear their wolf, I am my wolf, so there is nothing to hear," I explained.

"When I shift I only half do so, I get furry, my hands and feet are covered in fur. My teeth sharpen, when- no have you ever seen or heard about vampire teeth?" I asked hurriedly. I guess I thought that if I got it all out she wouldn't turn away from me.

"They have fangs," she nodded.

"Exactly Etta, well every one of my teeth turn into fangs," I wanted baited breathe for her reaction but I received none.

"The venom killed Aynor; it more or less killed the humanity and morals of my wolf. Many believe the Hollywood spins and versions that wolves are vicious, cold monsters but unless under attack there is no draw to randomly kill an innocent. We love, and protect our family. What those human hunters did was create a true killer; they removed Aynor's, so now when I shift we depend solely on mine," I carefully tried to explain hoping I was making sense.

"What does this have to do with children?" well she was certainly persistent, I'll give her that.

"I Went home, told everyone I lost my wolf," I shook my head.

"They didn't mind, but I- I didn't tell them the rest. I take medication to have power over my wolf, but I still have trouble when I turn, I am not exactly volatile but nonetheless. How can I pass that onto a child? What if they harmed people and others wanted them destroyed? Worse what if I have to keep them locked in a cage for their first 15 years of life?" I said speaking my thoughts, worries.

She looked at me skeptically, could she read me as I could she and knew that I was hiding something? I decided to go for broke here with Etta.

"I had a mate," I heard her make a small noise but then she bit her lip as if holding them prisoner so nothing else, not a single sound could escape.

I cleared my throat, "our families are very close. My brothers- okay first let me tell you a bit about my family, parents and siblings..." I told her so she wouldn't be confused.

"First my parents, their names are Marcus and Lia, they are currently still Alpha and Luna of my old pack, growing up was fun because I have many siblings. Multiples run in my family plus as wolves we tend to have high numbers once pregnant."

"You already know that it is hard to get pregnant as a wolf but once it happens... you know?" I asked her and she nodded listening to me speak.

"I am the middle out of nine children; Jace and Addy are the set of twins, then Matteo, followed by Grace and me. After I was born my mother had Conner, Cain, and Rachel, the triplets. And 8 years ago my mom had her final child, Maximus. As you can see we had a full house but I had a great childhood. I was born in England and remained there until I was 13 years old. We had and currently still have the largest pack on many acres of land but there was an attack on a pack in America that needed to have an Alpha. Granted we could have had them come to us, but at the time my father and the pack decided we would transition ourselves there," I said trying to tell her the story.

"How did you know the pack was in trouble?" she asked me.

"Well because of Lana... my ex-mate. It was her pack... Lana came to my pack on a student exchange program. Living in my house for almost 2 years. She would visit home but her family never came to visit our pack, when she first came she was escorted by her mother and father, the Pack's Beta. At the time without an Alpha, her parents were step in Alpha and Luna until they could either find a new Alpha or a pack that they could merge with. A pack without an Alpha and Luna has no order and will slowly or quickly depending on size, eventually fall apart. While Lanas' father was standing in Alpha the packs third in command, Vince and Christine stood up as Beta," I said hoping this wasn't too much for her to keep up with. I hated being railroaded or spammed with information myself.

"Besides knowing from Lana, Christine and my mother are also good friends, grew up in the same pack before each enjoying the packs of their respective mate."

"Lanas' family as I said before was the Beta to the Silverwood Pack. Victor and Sarah her parents have six children; Emma, Peter and Patrick, fraternal twins, Victoria and Lana are identical twins and Jenny," I explained.

"Lana had to be accepted into our pack, which she was able to do. I was twelve at the time and she was 15 years old. The fact of the matter is when she transferred schools she came in as a junior. I'm smart Etta, by the time I was 12 years old I held many online accredited degrees as well as one from Oxford. My parents let me excel, but thought that it would be good for me to eventually start high-school so that I could interact with my peers. You know, really get the high school experience, and make friends... I was not popular at all. It didn't matter that my father was the Alpha. I couldn't relate to, too many my ages but with all my siblings it made it a nice childhood. When Lana graduated she moved to the U.S. with my older brother Jace, they were going to attend ASU in Arizona. When she left with him I knew that she was my mate but she rejected me then," I said shivering remember that pain even all these years later but strangely it hurt less than before in Etta's presence.

"Lana and Jace were together the instant she moved into our home and remained together for the first semester of their University time, so almost three years together," I said with a blank expression.

"I think she thought that since Jace hadn't found his mate that they would mark each other, they would never be able to have children but they would have the mate connection once they marked one another," I said proud of myself for keeping the anger and annoyance out of my voice.

Shaking my head I continued, "When they left to America, we had been planning to move to where Silverwood Pack was located, in North Carolina. Jace and Lana went straight off to ASU, but over holiday break when they finally came home to North Carolina Jace met his mate. Lana's twin sister, Victoria. When she lived with us, no one knew that they were together at all. My parents wouldn't have allowed it, my father especially because he is a firm believer in waiting for your mate, especially when it came to his children. To this day, well 6 months ago Jace and Lana had told no one that they were ever more than friends. When Jace found out his mate was Victoria he and Lana agreed it would be best if they told no one especially Victoria that they were together," I explained.

"Over Thanksgiving, well once it was over Lana went back to ASU but Jace stayed in North Carolina with Victoria. I was fourteen years old when that happened, even after she graduated she did not return home. She could have, but she couldn't be around Jace and Victoria. It was too painful for her. So she punished me more than just rejecting me. At the time I think I would have taken her back, I'm not sure. You know how when a mate cheats on the other there is this pain that makes you wish for death? Well after, for the 4 months she was with Jace I felt it, after I had shifted. When he met Victoria and Lana went back to ASU I still felt that pain..." I said."I would hide or try to go off on my own so no one would find out she rejected me. Over time the pain... well my threshold for pain went up so it wasn't so bad."

"When I was kidnapped and returned, Lana wanted me then. She pleaded for a long while and eventually we got together. Because of Victoria, I guess I just didn't want trouble. We got together but the thing is I no longer felt a strong mate bond with her when I returned, but she did with me. That being said my family was so happy that Lana was my mate and continuously tried to help us out because we dated broke up and repeated that process a lot. Especially Jace... he has always been on my back about treating her right, not cheating. Not ignoring her. Not putting her first. How lucky I am to have her, the whole nine yards," I finished hoping she was still with me.

"I didn't know who I could trust you know? With my secret when I returned but John was someone that I turned too... to help me. He knows what I am capable of. He is not sure but believes that any child I had with Lana would be more wolf than human, meaning less humanity and more viciousness. Lana has always wanted to be a mother, I mean that's what she said when she rejected me and when I returned before John let me know about my genes. She would break up with me for not wanting children, and since I couldn't mark her she wanted a wedding etc..." I said explaining.

"She sounds like such a child!" Etta blurted out then slapped her hand over her mouth almost as if she could stuff the words back in.

"Sorry," she mumbled. I threw my head back laughing.

"No I do not know your mate," she said.

"Ex-mate," I corrected.

"So you are afraid that if you have children that you would be creating uncontrollable children?" she asked me for clarification.

"Yes. I am afraid of that, so I've already made peace with the fact that I should never have children of my own, but I wouldn't mind adoption," I said throwing in that bit down there so she knew that I would be open to one day being a parent. With her. We could raise her siblings together... I thought frightening myself.

Standing, I brought my empty plate to the sink, Etta following me, doing the same. We were about a foot apart and I thought I would bring this all home, drop the final piece since she took this all so well, calmly.

"There is more Etta," I stated calmly but I'm anything but inside.

Taking a deep breath, "Please remain calm, okay?"

Ever so slowly I transformed myself. I shifted but not into my half wolf self; I shifted into the man I could also pass off as because of the venom that altered my genetic makeup. This was the person I was when I would leave my pack, the person I created an alternate life for since I returned.

Etta gasped as she watched; slowly I changed my nose, complexion, height, and build, everything that made me physically Kaden changing into features of another man.

Reese Morgan Francis.

Once I was completely this man, I remained still awaiting her reaction.

She lifted her hand to my face and I felt something that I had never felt with Lana.

Sparks.

I didn't have time to think about that though because Ettas' reaction baffled me, she had tears in her eyes as she traced the tiny lines on my face and I watched her face grow with sorrow. Pain for me. She pitied me. I stepped back and her hand fell to her sides, I didn't need her pity or anyone else's.

I looked around breaking eye contact with her, not sure what to do or say next, mostly I only wanted to know and make sure that things were left on good terms, I wanted. No, I needed to spend more time with her and I did not see that happening if there were problems of any kind. So I went with an explanation of what John and I believed happened to me or the after effects of the experimentation.

"John and I believe that the traits that changed are those that belonged to different vampires, their venom. He has been relentless in searching for answers without giving too much away but believes that since they used venom, characteristics from the vampires corrupted my DNA, enabling me with the ability to change my outer layer," I tried to simplify it all for her.

She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Is this the only lunch box you have?" she asked seriously but I could only laugh because she was quite clever. John and I had never once called it that. Her word choice made me hopeful as well because I'd like to believe that she meant that it's what's on the inside that counts.

Wishful thinking? Maybe but in this paradise she had become my very own personal sun. We had a connection, one I felt inside and just now when she touched me physically.

"Yes, my only lunch box," I said still chuckling and I was rewarded with a brilliant smile, yet she was holding back because this one did not quite reach her eyes. Then again maybe I had said so much and she just needed time to process everything I had said. Hopefully she believed me, trusted that I was being one hundred percent honest with her.

"Do you think your face belongs to just one person?" she asked head to the side watching me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well are you made up of more than one person this way?"

"When I am this man, Reese Morgan Francis, John and I both agree that it is from different vampires. We have friends in pretty high places that have used face recognition programs to compare and sift out from the billions of people on the planet and they did not come up with a singular person but several different facial markers belonging to various people. We have no real way to know exactly which vampires have been used or how long ago the vampire was changed, captured and venom being extracted. You know?" I said quickly. She wasn't smiling but she did not look bothered. Again I wanted and craved to put a genuine smile on her face.

"So which face do you prefer?" I asked half joking and failing because all traces of humor left Etta's face. In its place was a stern look of incredulity and fury. Shit.

"I do not care which face you wear Mr. Kaden, I want the man inside. I want the man inside to love," she whispered at the end. The words mumbled together and if not for my extra sensitive hearing I would surely have not caught it.

"I am not a shallow woman sir," her lovely accent thick and sending waves of sexiness, activating my southern region. Just the voice of a woman, no not a woman, this woman, making me rock hard, almost as if I knew her voice, knew the pleasure of being with this caramel skinned Goddess in front of me.

"I was not insinuating that you were shallow!" I corrected but my response felt lame, leaving Etta still a puzzle.

"Do-"

"Maybe-" we both started at the same time.

"Go ahead..."

"You first?" we said together again but this time I went first.

"You would be able to come to town to see me, at my house? Well more than just in town. I mean on my island?" I asked hopeful.

"Yes, I- I well I can have one of the wolves maybe come and watch the kids after I put them to bed 7:30p.m.?" she said unsure like I would turn her down if she could not come earlier but that worked fine for me.

"Well, I'm on my island so I could have John or maybe David can bring you to me? Or I can retrieve you myself?"

"I'll wait for you," she said smiling.

"I will take my leave," I said not moving away from her.

She walked to me. Closer still, "Can I touch you?" again asking unsure like I could deny her anything at this point. I mean I left the states, bought an island and faked my death to be with her. Well the faking my death part was so I couldn't be found by my family. I nodded immediately. Her hand slowly comes to caress my cheek, until they fall back to her sides.

Nodding I walk to the door, then out of it not looking back. But I hear her whisper "Goodnight, Mr. Kaden," although I was currently physically walking out with the facial features of Reese Morgan Francis.

I left Etta's in a complete and utter daze, as well as stiff. I was pretty much forcing myself down that unpaved hill into civilization, doing my best not to turn around. Using a different route down that the one I used to go up I was able to take and catch the scents of others wolves.

John.

David.

Nicholas.

Damien.

Margot.

Asia.

Eve.

Bounty.

Kay.

Then there were scents I did not quite catch, so maybe they were children of the mated wolves here.

For the most part if you did not know that Etta was up here and you were human you wouldn't notice or make it up here without a few injuries and bites from predatory animals.

Using more speed going down I was able to make it to the pack Area in 15 minutes. Passing by I noticed that the lights were on, on John's porch so I knew he was probably out in the sea getting a late night swim. Sitting down, I gazed out at the sea while I waited for him to return. He had been living on this island for almost 10 years and I could use some knowledge on Etta. His scent was near her as were the other wolves and Etta mentioned them as well. I'm sure he could answer a few things for me.

Elizabetta, I thought then sighed. She isn't like the other women that I've dated of been intimate with. She was curvy, small chest; that I'm sure would be enough for me to handle; great ass, and lovely brown skin and by the looks of things a voluptuous size seven maybe eight but I didn't care. Granted I had never been with a woman that was larger than a size two or three, they were all missing things besides meat on their bones. I had always thought that I would be an eternal bachelor, but with Etta she was the whole package and she wanted me as I wanted her. God how I wanted her, she was full figured and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and she thought she was my mate. No not just her, I was warming up to that idea as well.

I could hear her in my head. My mate? That may explain things, but first talking to John would help greatly.

"Kaden!" I heard and snapped out of my internal rationalizing. John and David and a man they introduced me too earlier in the day were looking right at me, from a couple feet away.

"What's got you so distracted Son?" John asked me, the other two snickers like young schoolgirls.

"Well," I start off slowly, "someone brought me here, called out to me. I went in search of her as I told you previously. There is a woman-"

"Tink?" Damien interrupts.

"Hm, no. her name is Etta, Elizabetta actually. I was wondering what her story is? She is up there with two kids and two more I think? When I asked her about the children she only mentioned the two children. I guess she could just be watching the other two," I said rambling after asking my question. None of them replied but 40 seconds or so Damien spoke. Well Laughed.

"Etta is Tink, although maybe you will call her Tank instead... compared to the women you are used too she's way too fat to be considered-" that's all Damien got out before I swung.

"Don't ever talk about her that way," I growled at him in warning.

"She's- she's beautiful..." I gritted out and saw a look pass on Johns face but it was gone as fast as it came.

I turn to glare at the man on the floor, I expect him to retaliate but that never happens instead he spits out salvia mixed with blood and David Johns son pulls him away.

"Sorry-" I began to apologize to John but he just remains cool and collected before speaking.

"I made him sat that. Wanted to see your reaction..." he informed me nonchalantly.

I was baffled, "What? Why? Was this some part of an experiment?" I fire questions as him becoming angrier as I ask.

"I made a promise of sorts, Kaden." He has answered me cryptically. I cocked my brow.

"Tink is very special. She is under my protection and has been since she was a young child. I've been a part of her life since she was born, at first for a long while I protected her from a distance. She is a good looking young woman, meant for great things. Right now I believe that she, she's in a good place in her life but that wasn't always the case with her," he sighed and I was instantly ready for him to tell me everything that he knew which was a lot since he had been in her life, all her life.

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So what do you guys think??

Anyone see this stuff coming??

ELIZABETTA or Etta as Kaden calls her is Tink. I'm sorry if it's confusing I'm working kinks still but... yeah I know I put a lot of names in here but THERE WILL BE NO MORE! I will create a key so no worries.

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