"Am I supposed to know her?" Jodie had bravely strapped herself to the backseat of Evan's car but now that she was here she the doubt kept mounting. A petite, slender girl-the same age if she was not mistaken, cupid bow lips, heart shaped face. The sort of vintage beauty everyone noticed. Her hair fell in subtle black waves but she had the greenest eyes Jodie had ever seen. When she sent a tremoluos smile her way, Jodie had a strange sensation, like a third eye in the back of her skull.She wasn't supposed to but she knew the smile. She wasn't supposed to but she knew the eyes. And how her lips would crease the cheek more on the left than on the right whenever she spoke. These were intimate things, like she had once read in the suspense column of a buzzword magazine, twins who knew each other to the point where they are fungible-fluid to each other's shape. Seemingly aware of the creepiness, the girl was about to approach him when a large dude- and dude was indeed her first thought b
"Where are we on the comms?" Communication centre for their backups on artilleries had been the first target. There was no way to figure out whether further inside the den territory, someone had sneaked in. If not for Vanessa, they couldn't have. Noah's wolf worried on the front that she was shaken up. She kept pulling herself inwards, preserving her body heat. An hour ago, the thin line between death and life had been real. Way too real. Enough to jarr him into anger. Sitting at a conference table, Rhys, Evan, Selene, Selene's Beta Carlos, her strategist Falkner and Silas har their attention drawn to the techie- a young woman, younger than Vanessa, who replayed the clip of the attack. "You are saying it was aerial?" Wolves were rich. The whole race richer than humans but a small attack smack in the face only to prove a point must have costed millions to whoever carried it out. Who had that kind of money lying around? Aerial defence was Selene Pack's weakness. The city relegated
"Because if they only wanted out reservoirs, they could have air dropped the bomb on locations. They seemed to know exactly where to hit. Why deploy a team on the ground?" Silas completed her reasoning. The old man had more experience than anyone in the room, which is why the lack of designation didn't matter. "What's the first thing you'd do after an attack like this?" Jodie asked."Evacuate the young ones, vulnerable people, codorn off the area with hospitals and food stocks. Basic survival amenities." Falkner answered with a shrug like it was obvious. Like it is exactly what he was planning to do once they stepped out of the room. Falkner was a dark, tall man with deep ebony skin. His shrug was comical. "Scattergun approach", Evan whispered but the hush of the room amplified his voice just fine. That's when she looked at him. Her heart coming to standstill to hold the moment, then pedalling into summer sunset. Cute. For another time."Yes," she felt herself smile anyhow, at the w
Jodie cleared her throat."I can't tell you the extent of Calvin's involvement in this. All I know is attacking, killing, maiming, all this mayhem-its not him. I don't mean that as a defense. He has bigger plans. This can't be it. This can't be his endgame." She shouldn't have betrayed Calvin, but there was husk inside her brain where he always had been, and husk tears asunder at the slightest harsh wind. "Jodie's right. We reconvene after three days. We focus on Calvin then." She shouldn't have felt a shot of pride at Noah's words either. But she did. It was late evening by the time decisions were made, plans put to motions. Jodie wasn't surprised when everyone exited at once but she was asked to stay put. "I'll not ask what went down between you and Calvin. A loyalty like that doesn't defect over a disagreement or a fight. I don't need to know in fact, unless it helps us win this war. But this is your place now, whether you want it to be or not. And for the time being, you pledge
"You drive a hard bargain, Jodie." Any smoother- his voice would drip like honey. Except this honey was nestled between the stinging bees. She watched him comb back his caramel hair, wet, slick, raindrops falling down his sculpted abdomen where her fingers should have been. Should've. She should've done lot of things right then. Like kept her word. She'd insulted him, asked him to stay away. But her salivating self wouldn't listen. And catastrophe followed. Her blood smeared cheek was the first thing he noticed. "Did you cut yourself, Jodie?" She had a torn copy of bedtime stories, one of the big bad wolf constantly repeating a child's name- yes, Red Riding hood. Eerily similar feeling shimmered with the wind around them. Her humanness magnified against the feral animal in him with every step he took until his torso touched hers. "Yes. A branch…." He hummed. A tut-tut like it was the most pitiful thing to happen today. She dug the front of her boots.He kissed her eyelids, tender,
He would've helped but he was a sadist. "Can you… my clothes?" "I don't know. We tore them." The affronted gasp was funny enough to laugh at, to get punched in return. His large body bent down to retrieve her lace panties dangling around her ankles. He snickered while she held onto his shoulders."Why are you laughing at me?" She poked a sharp nail in his side. "Leather and laces. How does one get into both?" Her eyes widened. Perfect. She had caught onto the innuendo, maybe he'll bring leather cuffs the next time around. His mind was misfiring, his body not under his control. Who was she? Why did she have to be rightfully his? 'Don't think about it now. You almost always ruin it.' At least the wolf's world hadn't tilted on its axis. "There." She was satisfied with only her jacket that reached mid thighs, panties and shoes for a decent after-rough-sex-in-wild outfit. Was there a modicum of fashion catalog for this? She only prayed that no one saw them like this. No one did. Sh
Vanessa shut her exhausted eyes, imagined herself in a peaceful slumber against the ceramic wall of her shower. The healer had needed much more energy than either of them had anticipated to keep working on injuries to heal quickly. They can't afford to have injured soldiers on their hands, not now. Her energy reservoirs had all but given up six hours ago, but perpetual fear of having failed people-not at meagre tasks but one of a survival possessed her like barnacle to its shell. If this is how Noah felt before every decision making, she had to think whether she was open to that responsibility or not. Lake and Walter, the two injured soldiers, one of which had a sweet tooth. Despite the healer's threat of striping his hide red, he had insisted on inhaling gallons of sugar. His younger brother, Fuastus, smuggled him those from the vending machine. The healer knew, the machine was at the end of the stretched hallway and crackled when put to work, but nobody had the heart to deny the
Noah had conference calls all day next day, until late afternoon sun had pulled his wolf out of slobbering inside four walls, starving for fresh air. Rhys was packing for home- for Nebraska and Wyoming, where Mikhail was the leader for all intents and purposes. A pack didn't have it's Alpha on territory, it can't do without its Beta too. As much as he needed Mikhail, he would have to do without him. Selene, he had very little to complain about, actually there was only one reason- she had given into Vanessa's demands for having separate rooms. Noah never put his foot right with that woman, and it was infuriating. Was he being punished for assuming they'd share a room? Or was she uncomfortable with the new standards of intimacy? He remembered how freely she gave herself to him when they were alone, out for a run. She talked to him like she hadn't to anyone. Or at all. Like she had lots of things to say and the time would run out, or fall short.His wolf pressed ever close, under the sur