I was currently pulling out every pair of pants I owned, trying to find something that wasn't black leggings or the one pair of jeans in my collection. I had worn those last time with Ike and I didn't want him to think I only owned one pair of actual pants. Even though I did only own one pair of actual pants.I mean, I have work pants. Slacks and a couple skirts. But I'm not wearing fucking slacks to a bonfire in the woods with a bunch of werewolves. And I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard by wearing a skirt. And what if someone tries to fight me and I end up panty flashing everyone while I'm locked in glorious combat?You're way over thinking this. You're probably right. I think as I sit on the edge of my bed, surrounded by my discarded and rejected clothes. It's just a bonfire. It'll be cold. Just wear a nice hoodie and your boots. I know the only reason my panther was helping me right now was because she was worried I'd freak myself out and not go. And?In the end, I liste
We arrived at his pack an hour after we left my apartment. We're late, but it doesn't matter, right? It's just a casual party. I hope. Because it's definitely my fault that it took so long."Stop worrying, please." Says Ike as we break through the trees into the clearing. He takes my hand and squeezes it firmly. It makes me feel grounded.I take in the sights in front of me. First off, I'm not sure Ike knows what a bonfire is, because this isn't a bonfire. They've got store bought fire pits set up in the middle of the clearing, about four of them, rather than one large fire. Each has its own group of people sitting around it, some in chairs, some on the ground. There was music coming from somewhere, though I wasn't sure where yet. It sounded like a radio station. I could smell alcohol and meat cooking. My stomach growled at me, reminding me that I had not eaten dinner yet. I knew where my first stop would be."Are you hungry?" Ike asks, looking down at me."You read my mind." We approa
"Come sit by me." Adan says, pulling a red folding chair next to him. I gratefully accepted the seat. "Okay. Starting from right next to me..." He introduced everyone in the circle, but I only absorbed two of the people's names. A dark haired girl named Willow, who sat with a huge dude next to her named Levi. They looked interesting, rough around the edges I guess some would say.Willow was small, with hair as dark as the surrounding night that hung down to her butt. She had square bangs that stopped right above her perfectly shaped eyebrows. Her eyes were narrow with short thick lashes, her face slim, a small wide nose and thick, pink lips. She looked Asian to me.Levi was extremely tall with dyed dark blue hair. It was hard to even tell it was blue to be honest, it mostly looked black, but the glow from the fire would catch it right every once in a while, and you could see the colored undertones. He had piercings covering his ears and black painted fingernails. His face was very simi
Cleo would be okay with Adan. He was nice and polite, and I knew he would never try anything on her. She... wasn't his type.I had been texting back and forth with Parker the last couple of days. He's been telling me a few things about panthers, but earlier today he told me he needed to meet with me face to face to tell me something he learned. He had been texting me all sorts of info over the last couple of days so what was different about what he had to tell me now? It worried me.Panthers live longer than both humans and wolves. While I'll start aging around the time I turn a hundred, Cleo will stay young well into her five hundreds. This made me worry. Would she be interested in an old man? We would still have years and years together, more than most people can possibly dream of having with their loved ones, but even forever wouldn't be long enough with my Cleo.He told me that panthers are in fact the stronger species between the two of us. He told me she could legitimately kick m
I watch her face as she soaks in our final destination.It's a pond, about the size of a swimming pool. It's got lily pads floating on the surface, along with moss and pine needles. A small lazy waterfall trickles water into the pond from upstream. I know from previous exploring that there is a small cave that is behind the waterfall. I don't know where it leads because I'm too big to fit, but I'm assuming the water escapes into it and underground somewhere.There are lots of large flat boulders lining the pond, perfect for sitting on. Some are leaned against each other straight up or at odd angles."It's so pretty." She finally breathes out after what seems like hours. I smile. I like seeing her happy. I lead her to one of the rocks, and help her up onto it, climbing up after. I sit down in the middle, leaned back on my hands with my legs stretched out in front of me. She stands near the edge, peering into the water. I wonder what she's thinking about."Sorry for leaving you like that
I feel her thighs clench as my teeth finally sink into her neck, and hot liquid drip down my legs. I didn't know who it was from. Probably both of us. I reached my hand down to in between her legs because she had stopped rubbing herself to grab onto my back with both hands. I was sure there would be claw marks all over me.She was throbbing. "Oh fuck, Ike. I can't do this anymore." She gasps out. Her legs are shaking, and I know she's already come, but I'm still rubbing her and sliding my dick in and out of her."Are you sure?" I ask, stopping all movement."You better not fucking stop." She growls, her eyes flashing at me in the darkness. I chuckle and keep going. I feel overwhelmed as I'm about to come again, even faster this time. I probably shouldn't be doing this inside her, but I couldn't help myself. She felt so hot and sticky and wet on my dick. I never wanted to leave this spot.And now my mark was on her. Blood was running down her neck and I leaned forward to lick it clean.
He had marked me.Originally, I had seduced Ike to make him guilty for lying to me and hopefully work something out of him. I knew he was; I just couldn't figure out what it could possibly be about. But apparently, we both got sucked into the moment and now I bear his mark.It's not that I didn't want it... I guess... but I was a little annoyed at Ike right now. What the fuck could he possibly be lying about? I guess I hadn't really known him for very long. What if he always lied about things, I just hadn't caught on before now? Stop spiraling. I agree he is lying to us now, but let's not start believing his entire personality is a rouse. You're right. But I was still annoyed for now.I followed behind him towards his house, still covering his mark with my hand. I shouldn't have gotten so carried away. Now our bond is even stronger."Where are you taking her?" Comes a sudden voice from behind us. We both whip around, prepared for the worst.But it's only Willow, shadowed by her guard d
Just like with mates, pack members share a special bond. We can tell from a feeling who is in the same pack as us, and we are all able to talk to each other in our minds in our animal forms. A very handy skill to have when you are shifted and unable to verbally communicate.But you also have a special bond. That's why it's rare to find lonely kids in wolf packs, because we all feel connected to each other. It had made my isolation that much more heart crushing.And right now, as Willow wrapped her arms around me, and Levi covered us with his much longer arms, I felt somehow forgiven. I could feel actually, geunie love coming from them, even though we had literally just met. I felt like I belonged with these people, like I had known them my whole life. How was that possible? It had been so long since I had felt this close with anyone. I wasn't even at this point with Ike yet, to be totally honest.I felt like I had been forgiven for being born a monster."I'm sorry." I say after calming
"You little shit, get your ass back here." I laugh from my spot on the kitchen counter, watching Nate chase our naked child, Liam around the living room with a yellow bath towel clutched in his hand. Liam stops then, turning around to grin at his dad. He was only three, but was already extremely mobile, and had a smile just like his dad's. "Are you going to help me?" Nate sighs, glaring up at me as Liam yells and resumes running around like a mad man with his arms up in the air. I shake my head a little, pointing to where Liam is now standing on the couch. He grins at his dad, who finally swoops in and grabs him in his arms, wrapping the towel around him tightly as he does so. "Ha! Got you!" Nate declares as he wrestles Liam so he's upside down in his arms. He squeals with delight as Nate carries him like that back towards his room to put clothes on, calling him a weakling the entire time. But Liam loves it. He loves his dad, and he loves playing and "fighting" with him.I smile a
Why is it so often when I'm waking up in the morning, I'm in pain? I groan, stretching my arms above my head and blinking away sleep. I wince as harsh daylight assaults my eyes. My head pounds, and I bring a hand up to rub at my temple."Fuck." I groan, sitting up and leaning against the bed's headboard. I look down at where Ike is facing away from me, towards the wall, hugging himself and with no blanket. Nate is on the other side, also facing away, burrioted up in the entire blanket. I fall forward and start to crawl between them to get out of the bed. I stop when I feel a hand grabbing my ankle. Nate's green eyes are already staring at me. He's rolled over and untucked himself from his blanket tomb. "You're not going to make me chase you again, are you?" I furrow my brow, sitting in a crawling position, trying to think why I would run away. "Oh." I say when I finally realize what Ike had done to Nate last night. I didn't actually see anything, but I remember one of Ike's hands
I leave Ike at the bottom of the stairs, taking Cleo into my bedroom first and laying her down gently. She starts wiggling around, smiling and rubbing all over the sheets. Weirdo. I go back for Ike, who is pulling himself up the stairs, or trying to. He's got one hand on the second step, his other on the first. "Can I help you?" I ask, bending down to wrap one of his arms around my shoulder and putting my arm around his middle. "Here we go." He mumbles as I half drag him to my bed.I let him fall onto it, barely avoiding Cleo, who has taken her leggings off finally and is laying like a starfish on the bed. I sigh. I turn and flip the light off, kicking my shoes off as I do. Off come my pants and shirt. "Move." I huff, closing Cleo's legs and scooting her to one side of the bed. "You too." Ike listens for once, but only because he wants to be Cleo's big spoon. I roll my eyes and fall into the empty space beside them.I lay on one arm, staring at the ceiling for a moment before clo
"You know what her parents told me earlier?" Ike tilts his head to stare at me. I shake my head. "They told me, that this is the last time they'll be seeing Cleo." I freeze at his words. My eyes dart around to try and find the two in question. "Don't bother looking for them. They went back to their place and are leaving first thing in the morning. They aren't even planning on saying goodbye." He shakes his head at me. "I mean, why come in the first place?" He scoffs, finishing off his drink. "Just to rub it in her face that you exist?" He's staring at Cleo, muttering to himself now really more than talking to me. "Did they say why?" I nudge him to try and get his drunk ass to focus. He kind of blinks and shakes his head before looking back to me again. "They said they couldn't stay or come visit her because of the rules of being part of The Circle," He scoffs at their title. "And that she couldn't visit them because if anyone knew they had a daughter out there they'd try and make he
My peace with Cleo is ripped away by that fuck head Thomas, who snatches Cleo away over his shoulder and yells something about loving tequila. Had he just been waiting for the perfect chance to steal her away again? "Oh my god." I rub the bridge of my nose and make eye contact with Cleo as she sits up on Thomas to grin at me like a child. I lean back and cross my arms as I watch him take her to a group of guards. "I got her!" He yells in victory. The guards cheer and whoop in excitement. "Your mates have had enough of your time!" Zach proclaims as Thomas sets Cleo down. "And besides, it's your turn to chug something!" I groan, and I'm about to rush over and stop her, but I halt when Ike and Parker walk up to me from their spot in the crowd. "I wanted to introduce you two." Ike says, stopping in front of me. I'm half sitting, half standing, midway to snatching Cleo away from the frat boys. I glance at her for a second and see her snapping the neck off a bottle of tequila. I sigh,
"Why do you people insist on doing this to me?" She complains as I carry her away from her group of fans. "It's just easier than arguing with you." I reply. She makes an offended noise, struggles to sit up for a moment, and then flicks me on the back of the head. I roll my eyes, hiking my shoulder up a little into her gut and smiling at the noise she makes. I approach a table that's empty on one end and set Cleo down in a chair. "Wait here." I look her in the eye to make sure she's paying attention, and then turn to track down some water.I spot coolers near one of the tables closest to the fire and make my way through chatting and drinking people. I didn't realize how many people were a part of Ike's pack now a days until they were all converged together like this.I finally make it to the line of eight coolers and start opening them to find one not filled to the brim with liquor. Finally, I get my hands on a cold bottle of water. There was only a single cooler with them in it; ty
Fuck that guy. Fuck him. I fucking hated him. He was fucking dick. I wanted to shove his face into the ground and rub it in. I ran through the trees, pine needles whipping at my panther's face as we escaped, past the pack's borders, further and further into the forest. My rage drives me to run for almost three hours before my panther finally stops, gasping for air and muscles aching. He finds a stream nearby and hunches over to take a long drink before we head back. What did I think was going to happen? I mean, I knew who this guy was, or at least what other's told me about him. And no one had anything good to say, not so far. They all said he was mean, and petty, and demanding as hell. He abandoned me in the woods to fend for myself when I so small, I couldn't even remember it happening. But the way he looked at me, pissed me off. Like I was scum. Like I was the one who should be begging for forgiveness. He was the asshole.But as we start running back to our pack, I can't st
I look away from the lively party scene after a moment, back to the table behind me. "Ooo." I snatch an unopened bottle of tiny blue vodka someone had left behind. Hoped they hadn't planned on coming back for it. "Excuse you." I make a whining noise when Nate is snatching the bottle from my lips before I can chug it. "Drink this instead." I sigh at the cold bottle of water he's put in my hand. "If I must." I crack the top. "You must." He plops in a chair beside me, sighing heavily and watching me drink. "Where have you been?" I ask once I've twisted the top back on the now half empty bottle. "You've been gone a really long time." I raise by brows at him, and the corner of his lip lifts up a little."And that drove you to drink?" I laugh loudly. "No, I just felt like it was time to get drunk." "Right." He nods, eyeing me. I blink innocently at him. "Can I say something?" I blurt out as he watches me. He ticks his eyebrow. "I think your dad is a fucking chode." He shakes his hea
"You better chug that shit!" "Come on bitch!" I jump in the air, yelling with Noah and Thomas at Zach, who was halfway through chugging an entire bottle of peach flavored vodka. "Don't be a pussy!" I punch him in the arm, a grin spread across my face. He pushes me off a little, flipping me off and continuing to guzzle the artificially flavored rubbing alcohol. "Let's go!" Thomas yells, throwing his half full beer on the ground in overly excited celebration at his friend finally reaching the neck of the bottle. Zach holds his hand up, and we all stare at him silently in eager anticipation for a moment, until he finally pulls the empty bottle away and makes a loud "ah" noise like it was a refreshing drink on a hot day. "Suck it, sluts." He slurs, grinning at us and throwing the bottle on the ground. I laugh, clapping my hands and stumbling back a little. "You thought I couldn't do it." He points his finger towards me, wiggling it a little in my face. I grin and clap him on the shou