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
"We need to talk before you make decisions on our behalf." She wasn't snappy anymore, with his heat wrapped around her. The pinpricks of desire, lust only excaerbated because she knew him. Knew the slick power in his body, the hunger aimed at her, felt his kisses. Noah sighed and moved away."Why dont I believe you? That's your only hold up? You don't talk about it, you just shut me out?" He took in her form, the slouched shoulders, yawns she kept hiding under the light smiles. The dark circles under her eyes. He was missing something. The worst part of his lust was the overwhelming tenderness that came with it, to hold her close. He knew, the animal knew, intellectually, he can't protect her from everything. But the inane urge never died down. His wolf pawed at the ground at being blindsided by a problem that could cost him her. "I have.... I still have nightmares, Noah. You know how he can access my mind if I can access his. The more I try to hold out, the more I have to completel
Leaving the newly ranked soldier to his post on the rise of the hill, Noah made his way to the garden- an in built extension of the large sunroom where packmates relaxed to catch up, eat, drink, sometimes celebrate. As such the children below the age of ten played there, always in the sight of older pack members. The ones without parents also lived there. Excep Ian, his room was tucked between Noah and Evan's, on the second floor, because he had a family now. The whole pack was a family but seeing how he'd move back to Noah's territory soon, it was better off if he understood it. How many times a child could deal with separation? The football flew in his direction, an adept hand large hand swung forward to catch it. There he was. Noah had come to adore the bouncing tuft of blonde-brown hair. And the body the head was attached to. A smart kid-resourceful, quick on his feet, literally and matemorphically. He was a cat after all. Emotionally, he took after Vanessa. Noah only realized th
Noah sighed."Oh really. What else did she say about me?" Ian pointed at his hand and then counted five things she had said, closing a finger on each one. "You are honorable. You protect everyone. You can be mean. You will make me a pack member as soon as you can. And you love me." Yes, Noah thought. He did love the kid. Who wouldn't?"Remember you said Calvin's only weakness is his mind. What did you mean by that?" He phrased the question like every other conversation. He didn't want to pressure a young mind into recalling memories the trauma had shoved away."Just that. You know when they teach us about the tunnels?"wolves were taught a lot of precautionary measures from the start about mingling in human cities and the human world. Now, it came naturally but in the early days, animals got frustrated in the cities and were notoriously known for scaring humans, any day the fear would shape into paranoia, paranoia into xenophobia, so the elders in the pack decided to teach how to co-