Masked SheWolf (MSW book 1)

Chapter 21 - Michael

JUNE 2022 UPDATE: Go read "Lucy", a spinoff of the Masked SheWolf trilogy, now updating on Wattpad, and its "Behind the Scenes" companion book that includes character profiles and a complete recap of the trilogy, as told by the characters in interview format.

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Cade struggles with words as he stares at us in complete and utter shock. I'm too dumbfounded that he's actually here that I'm frozen in place. The minute he will charge at me, I won't have a way to escape. I can feel it building inside him, but I can't move. Plus, my brain is still working somehow, and it's telling me to keep my pelvic area against the ground no matter what, as long as he's close.

There were two things I found weird when Sadie told me about her relationship with Cade; first is the fact that they weren't together -in the physical sense- until she was eighteen, when I know they've been together -in the other sense- long before that.

Second is the fact that Cade still hasn't allowed her to see him during a shift. Usually, werewolves are dying to show their mates their wolf form. It's a very meaningful act in our world, because it's like recreating the mate bond... like letting their mate inside their very soul and showing them that they're theirs forever. It's strange that Cade would still be self-conscious over this instead of jumping at the opportunity to express how much she means to him.

So if shifting in front of your mate is a very meaningful act of love, finding them with another wolf would be a very meaningful act of betrayal, at least at first sight. But I can't really blame the guy for thinking that. I mean, what else is he supposed to think? That I'm a girl and Sadie's not really cheating on him?

"How could you?" he finally utters, and even I'm moved by how heartbroken he sounds.

It takes Sadie two seconds after he asks that question to realize how this must look like, jump up and run to him frantically.

"No, no, baby, I swear, this is not what it looks like," she pleads with him, seeing his expression becoming more and more deflated. "I love you, I would never do anything like that to you!"

"Did you watch him shift?" he asks again, his tone growing harsher with every word, although his eyes are still fixed on me. Sadie's hesitation causes him to snap his head in her direction and glare at her. "Did you?" he repeats. "Answer me Sadie, or so help me-"

"Yes, but it's not what you think! Cade, please let me explain!" she begs.

What?! Explain what? She's not going to tell him is she?I desperately hope.

Suddenly, it's like she's not even there anymore. Cade slowly faces me again, and there is such hate in his eyes that I would have burst into flames if that was possible.

"You," he growls.

That's when he moves Sadie to the side and flies at me. Seriously, for a second there, it actually looks like he's flying. But then he explodes mid-air into a grey wolf and his clothes are ripped to shreds and thrown around him like fireworks. That's when I finally regain the ability to move. There's no point in staying still anymore, unless I want to get beat up and chewed off. There's nothing like a jealous and angry mate to get even the bravest werewolves to tuck their tail between their legs and run away in fear.

I take off before he can even reach me. Vaguely, I hear Sadie's voice shouting something, probably calling out for us, but I can't think about anything other than fleeing for my life. I hope to God that all those years of beating my brothers at races and bragging about being the fastest even though I'm the smallest, pay off right now.

My heart is beating a mile a minute, both from the fear and from the running. This is the fastest I've ever run in my life, but I can still hear him chasing me. He can't be any more than ten feet behind me. So I push myself even harder until my lungs are about to explode and heat is searing through all four of my legs. I don't know how long it takes him to catch up to me, but it feels like a long time.