He remembered the feel of her cool skin when he’d reached down, touching her smooth cheek. Even now he jerked his hand back, staring down at his palm as if he could negate the premonition. He’d been getting the fucking warnings of things to come for as long as he could remember, freaking his parents out so much they’d forbid him to speak of his unique abilities to anyone within their Crew. Most thought he’d be the next King of the Lions since his father was the reigning one. What they didn’t know was his mother had jumped the fence to see how the grass looked and felt on the other side, coming back with a little cub in her that wasn’t her mate’s. Thadd guessed he should be thankful his father, or rather his mother’s husband hadn’t killed him at birth as was the normal thing to do amongst lions.
A growl escaped him along with thoughts of the bastard, which was what he called the fucker who’d raised him the first fourteen years of his life. Luckily for him, he’d found a new Crew with Hollis and Annie. They took in the misfits, the ones without a home. Those who’d wandered through their little town and needed a place to belong were given a chance with the Wilder Crew. Even though Thadd had carried a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas itself and was at least fifty pounds heavier than Hollis, he’d showed his throat to the alpha, knowing he could’ve bested the older wolf. Although Thadd hadn’t intimidated Hollis, not even when they shifted into their animals, the alpha still had scented of fear but never had he lost eye contact with Thadd.
Of course, Hollis hadn’t seen the real beast that resided inside Thadd. None of the Wilder Crew had. They’d just accepted him and his strange accent. Their words, not his. Being from Kenya, he guessed his accent was a wee different, but he’d mastered the English language along with many others.
Through the window, the sun was barely peeking out, heralding the coming of the new day. His destiny was just out of reach, like it had always been. He grabbed a change of clothes along with a couple extra sets, shoved them into a duffel bag that had seen a lot of moves, before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. After he finished, he took in his appearance in the mirror, wondering what others thought when they saw him for the first time. Six-feet-nine, black hair with streaks of red and blond mingled throughout. Clean shaven he wasn’t too scary. Although with his shirt off and his tats on display, he did get people to move out of his way with a look. Or growl. Whatever, it got the job done. As a lion, his mane was glorious. Red with a lot of streaks throughout that looked like a living flame. Black, golden, and every facet of red you could think of, definitely not a lion you could mistake for a natural lion, although he would love to chill with a few, just to see how they’d react to him. Or not. They’d probably piss themselves, and it’d be all over the news about a crazy lion causing lions everywhere to keel over in fright. Nah, he’d do best to stick with other kinds of shifters.
It took less than fifteen minutes to finish packing what he assumed he’d need, shoved it into the saddle bag on his Harley, and looked around the place he’d called his for the past five years. “No use moping,” he gave himself a pep talk.
On the bike he’d modified to fit his large frame, he revved the engine, loving the sound of the old bike, pointing the front tire toward his alpha’s place. He’d learned early you couldn’t put off what lay ahead of you. Destiny didn’t wait for no man, or beast.
Dust kicked up behind him from the lack of rain. The short ride gave him a little time to get his thoughts in order.
Hollis had told him and the others they’d always have a place to call home with the Wilder Crew. Thadd had always wondered if the old bastard would say that if he’d seen the real Thadd, the big beast he’d kept hidden from everyone since that fateful day all those years ago. His fingers tightened on the handlebars, threatening to bend the metal. With years of discipline, he relaxed each digit one-by-one. By the time he pulled into the long drive, he was in control, slowing the bike to a crawl. Several lights were on, letting him know his alpha and Annie were up like normal. Normal was good for a beast like Thadd.
“Ah yeah, Annie’s cooking breakfast,” he murmured. The kickstand came down with the press of his foot. He sat for a full minute taking in the sight around him. Texas was beautiful, especially their little piece of bliss. Throughout the years, they’d created a home for all the misfits and rejects, becoming more than just a Crew. They were family. However his recurring dream made it clear his destiny was outside the Wilder Crew. Not only that, but if he didn’t find her, he had a feeling her time on Earth was ticking.
“You gonna sit out there all mornin’ staring off in the distance, or you comin’ inside?” Hollis’s booming voice interrupted his reflection.
Thadd grinned at the other man’s southern accent. “I’m coming in. I can smell Annie’s cooking from
