This is the male I see around the village during the day, up on a roof with a hammer or loading up the back of a pickup truck. All business, economical movements, and easy efficiency.First, he quickly unpacks and sorts my backpack. My clothes go in a neat stack, thick hoodie and jeans at the bottom, panties and bras on top. My cheeks donโt even warm. My reactions have been shorted out.He takes my one pair of sweatpants and tugs them on, pulling the drawstring tight so they stay on his hips. They come to mid-calf on him, and theyโre pale yellow. Somehow, with his tan skin, they look good.The food goes in another pile, cans in a row, boxes stacked. Personal care products go in anotherโmy little floral makeup bag, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, a bar of soap wrapped in a blue handkerchief.The rest goes in its own small pile. A box of kitchen matches. A small, rusty hatchet that was at the bottom of the trunk where I keep the Weedwacker. A brown envelope with pictures of my dam and
I rearrange my quilt, folding it in half lengthwise so I can lie down. Iโm tired to my bones. Still, I canโt get it quite right. I have to shake it out and redo it several times before it feels good enough.I think Iโm losing it. I need rest. Iโll start fresh tomorrow, make Alec understand that Iโm not changing my mind. Right now, I just want to close my eyes.Iโm standing, glaring at my quiltโitโs off center somehowโwhen Alec comes up behind me. His scent hits me first, safe and familiarโdeceptive, too, since heโs neither of those things.He bumps my shoulder so I look at what heโs holding out. A skewer of unburnt squirrel meat. Heโs left the good parts.โHere,โ he says.โIโm good,โ I say.โI can hear your stomach,โ he says. My hand flies to cover it. I thought itโd calmed down. A memory flashes into my brain of Agnes Campbell shoving her dish of devilled eggs in my face.I push the skewer away. โI donโt want it.โHe sighs and works the meat off the stick. I try to ignore him and fig
ALECI donโt really sleep, and I get up around daybreak to get some feeling back in my body and see about rustling up breakfast. Flora is curled up on her side, knees tucked to her chest, snoring softly. Her braid is coming undone. My fingers itch to touch it. Her hair is soft as hell.I shake out my arms and legs, shuck my sweats, and shift. My wolf bolts for Flora, but I quickly pull up the reins and steer him away, reminding him that weโre away from pack territory and surrounded by unknowns.He grumbles, but heโs happy enough to go for a quick run, checking the perimeter I marked off last night, spraying some fresh piss. Nothing had the balls to come too close in the dark, but I catch the trail of a bobcat that came right up to the line before he changed his mind. Heโs long gone, and I canโt imagine bobcat tastes very good. I donโt bother tracking him.I frighten a fat hare out of a thicket, but I hold the wolf back. Iโm not bringing a dead rabbit back to Flora. Iโve already fucke
โFlora.โ I grab her forearm. She freezes in her tracks.โLet me go,โ she says between pants.โWhere you going?โ I keep my voice even.โI told you. The Old Den Pack.โโWhatโs wrong with your foot?โShe glowers down the deer trail sheโs found thatโs running more or less southward. โBlisters.โShe shakes off my hand. I let her. Then she heaves the pack up higher on her shoulders and plows ahead. I measure my steps so my pace matches hers.โFlora, this is crazy.โ I try to reason with her again. โYou canโt just run away because youโre mad.โ If you could, Iโd have blown Salt Mountain years ago. Weโre pack animals, though. We canโt survive alone.โIโm not mad.โ She scowls into the middle distance and limps onward. How bad are her feet torn up? I didnโt notice her favoring them last night, but I didnโt see her walking much either.โYou donโt have to lie to me,โ I say, and before she can get madder, I add, โGive me the backpack.โShe tightens her hold on the straps. โIโm not mad. Iโm determine
โIโm your mate. You canโt change it. Bram Blackburnโs out. Sorry.โShe stops in her tracks. The backpack hits the ground with a thud. The pink spots on her cheeks have spread all the way from her hairline to her neck. Her brown eyes spark, and all I want to do is toss her onto her back and drive my cock between her legs, fuck her until she makes those little squeaky shrieks she does when she comes, until she forgets about everything else.How is that wrong?How the fuck do I get there from here?โI donโt w-want Bram Blackburn,โ she growls.โThen whyโd you let him fuck you?โ Iโm raising my voice, and I swear I know better. I never yell at females. โScrip? Was that it? You couldโve come to me, Flora. Damn it.โHer mouth drops into a little โo.โ For a second, thereโs nothing but a crushing silence, punctuated by the chirping of one goddamn whippoorwill.My lungs freeze.She explodes.โYou want to know why I let Bram Blackburn fuck me? No. No. Screw you.โHer biceps bunch, and her hands f
โIt doesnโt matter,โ she says, fussing with settling her backpack and rubbing her eyes. โThatโs the past. Daylightโs wasting. Iโm going to the Old Den Pack. Keep up or go back.โShe draws in a deep breath and takes off down the path, even slower than before, all her weight on the balls of her feet. The boots must be rubbing her heels.Screw this.I jog to catch up. โLetโs shift. Itโll be easier going.โShe blinks over, her brow creasing. She didnโt really think Iโd bail?She shakes her head. Whole chunks of hair have come loose from her rubber band. Kind of makes her look nuts. Or freshly fucked. I swallow a groan.โItโll be quicker.โ My voice is weirdly deep.I can scent her suspicion. โI donโt think my wolf will carry the pack.โโMine will.โHer eyes narrow. โYouโll take the pack and leave. So Iโll have no choice but to go back.โIโd never leave her alone. I havenโt been able to since I hit puberty. Sheโd never believe me, though. โIโll shift first. If you think my wolfโs acting dod
He checks over his shoulder, sees nothing, and turns back to face her.She exhales, rolling her eyes, and peels off her top. My wolfโs adrenaline rushes. Heโs about to see fur.She shucks her pants, bra, and panties, folding them into neat squares, and tucks them into the pack, all while trying to cover her boobs and keep her pussy hidden by squeezing her thighs together.I almost rip our skin back, but Iโve got some sense left. And I donโt want to give up this giggling Flora quite yet. It occurs to me that I havenโt seen her smile in years. When we first started hooking up, sheโd be smiling when weโd meet up in the band storage room or wherever. Somewhere along the way, she got serious.I was so distracted by her tits and being mad she wasnโt my mate that I didnโt notice.What else have I missed?Flora closes her eyes, scrunches her face, and with a smothered moan of pain, she becomes her wolf.Her animalโs even bigger close up. Sheโs a beast. Easily the biggest female in the pack.M
My wolf abandons the body and spends some time kicking leaves and dirt onto it, covering it as best he can. He knows it used to be one of our kind. He wasnโt an enemy, more a tragedy, a wolf without a pack, abandoned or exiled or mad, with no reason to fight the sickness that makes us become this thing if weโre on our own too long.And Flora just strolled away from the pack with a half-assed plan to throw herself on the mercy of some Moon Lake rejects who set themselves up in an old cave.Rage surges up from my gut, spurring me to seize our skin and rise to two feet. Part of me is aware that this anger is the remains of fear and adrenaline, but the feeling is too glaring and loud to think around. I start for Flora, flinging branches aside, muscles clenching, my vision going red.If Iโd leapt one second later, the feral wouldโve landed on her.It wouldโve taken one bite, one well-placed swipe of claws to slit her neck, no matter how big her wolf is. Her reflexes are sluggish as hell. S
The humans know about shifters, of course, but thereโs no need to draw more attention to us than we already do, as strangers in such a small town. Folks already gawk as Annie leads us to the village commons even though the streets are busy. Itโs market day.As soon as we reach the grassy expanse filled with tables and tents, Alroy and Diantha peel off, heading in opposite directions. Griff seems torn, but when he sees that Diantha is making a beeline for a booth with racks of female clothing, he hurries to follow Alroy.Annie leads us down the makeshift walkways, smiling when sheโs greeted by name. My mate is still shy, but thereโs no trace of fear in her scent. I breathe her happiness and excitement in, letting it flush my lungs clean of the oily town air.She sees her friends before I do and lets go of my hand to run toward them.My mate. My Annie. Running with a smile lighting her face.This is a good, good day.Two females rush around their table, the third making her way more slo
JUSTUSMy perfect, beautiful mate does not like surprises, so she knows exactly where weโre going as we trot through the woods that run along the human highway. At first, I was sad that I couldnโt spring this visit on her, but I love watching her wolf get more and more excited the closer we get to Chapel Bell. Her short little legs are moving so fast, I almost donโt have to slow my pace.Alroy, Griff, and Diantha donโt have my patience, so theyโre several yards ahead of us. Poor Griff has to be the buffer between them, and he keeps getting caught in the crossfire when their wolves decide to break the monotony by sniping at each other.I was worried that Annie would be too nervous to venture this far from camp, but she gets more confident every day. Iโm pretty sure thatโs because when we were out for a walk two months ago, she saw me take out two ferals that were encroaching on our territory to the north, so even though Killian and I pretty much fought to a draw, she knows I can handle
He bares his fangs, yanks the needle from his neck, and blinks at it, bemused.โDid you stab me with a fucking knitting needle?โ He holds it up. Blood oozes from the wound, dripping down his bare chest. I didnโt even hit an artery.Justus snarls, squaring his shoulders and bending his knees, readying himself to attack. Every inch of his body is covered in mud and blood, gashes and purpling bruises. White bone shows through a jagged slash on his forearm.A male coughs, clearing his throat. โCan we just take a beat?โ Killian raises his hands, raw flesh where his nails should be.I wouldnโt have thought it possible, but heโs as battered as Justus, and he seems to be favoring his left leg, like his right canโt hold weight. Our males spar constantly. Iโve seen all of them beat up at some point, but Iโve never seen any of them mangled this bad. I canโt believe either he or Justus are still upright.โThat bitch stabbed me.โ Leith points at me with the knitting needle.Justus howls and steps
My wolf skids to a halt several feet away and then slinks forward, keeping the fire between her and the Salt Mountain wolf, letting the smoke block her scent. When sheโs too close to dare creep closer, she huddles close to the ground, staring up and up at his tremendous mud-caked haunches. Sheโs a miniature in comparison. All the females are, and we all stare, powerless, as the wolfโs bones crack and a strapping man rises from the hulk of his beast.His blond hair shines through the dirt. Iโve seen him. Leith Munroe. The new Salt Mountain alpha.He rests his hands on his hips as if there isnโt chaos all around him as his wolves play a game of distraction, breaking after our slower, smaller, or older males and mauling them until our strong males are forced to turn back, away from us, to rescue them.Leith takes no notice of our wolves, even when they get close, or me, skulking behind the fire. Why would he? Iโm no threatโskinny and small and stinking of fear.Instead, heโs intent on so
ANNIERun! Run! Run!I squat as low as I can in the wildflowers and tear off my clothes.A few yards away, Killian and Justus are murdering each other. Tye, Ivo, and the rest are just watching, and no matter how much I scream, no matter what I say, their wolves donโt listen.And the Salt Mountain wolves are up to something. Theyโre edging away from the fight toward the trail to camp. Quarry Pack is so intent on the fight, they either donโt notice or donโt care.I have to get to Khalil, and my wolf is faster.Run into the woods! The woods!I huddle in the tall grass and summon my wolf. For the first time in my life, sheโs ahead of me, bursting through our skin before Iโm ready, assuming form like sheโs surfacing from water rather than tearing herself free from bone and muscle.She runs away from the woods, toward the trail. The Salt Mountain wolves have gotten ahead of her, so she hangs back, keeping low and downwind.Turn around! Now!What are they doing? They canโt think to attack La
โLavender is light green this time of year. It doesnโt bloom until June or July.โโWhat are you going to do with it now then?โโMake a sachet. The scent mostly comes from the oils in its leaves.โโMake a sachet for who?โI wade through the tall grass to stand close to her and inhale her sweet rainy scent.โFor the den,โ she says, glancing bashfully up at me from under her thick brown lashes. Sheโs wearing my old sweater and another pair of my drawstring pants. Her pulse flutters at the base of her throat. Sheโs excited, too.Maybe we should cut this trip short and head back to the den.Or take a detour into the woods.She probably wouldnโt do that, but I think sheโd agree to return to camp. I draw in another deep breath. Her arousal teases my nose.My wolf snarls.Annie startles.It takes my brain three seconds too long to catch up.Underlying the rain and slick, there is another scent. Earthy, yes, but not the right earth. It doesnโt belong. Iโve smelled it before. A long time ago.I
My grip on the pot handle tightens. Water sloshes over the sides. My jaw clenches, my guts knot, and my dry eyes burn.I canโt do this.I have to.โJustus?โ Annie appears in the den entrance. Sheโs wrapped herself in a light pink sheet, and sheโs holding a cup. โYou brought water.โ She smiles, padding toward me on bare feet.And then she stops. Her smile falls aways.She blinks in the sunshine, the bleariness of sleep disappearing as she takes in my grim face and desperate hold on the pot. If I had dignity, Iโd find a way to smile back. Say good morning. Act like everything is fine.Her chest falls as she lets out a long, silent breath. She looks me straight in the eye. Her fear and doubt are clear as day.Sheโs going to ask me to take her home now.She takes a step closer to me, and then another, until weโre toe to toe. She gazes up at me, and for a second, all I can see is her beautyโher graceful neck, her delicate pointy chin, her soft, curving lipsโand then I notice the expression
โTrust me,โ he shushes, the hot head of his cock already notching at my entrance. He flexes his hips and sinks into me, a groan of pure relief torn from his throat. He fills me so completely that I ache where I take him, but I love it.I pant through the strain, and he gathers me close as he thrusts, cradling me to his chest, kissing my lips, my brow, my cheeks, the tip of my nose. I start to rock my hips in time.โYouโre so beautiful, Annie,โ he rumbles in my ear. โSo perfect for me. My Annie. Mine.โI sigh and ride his bucking hips, his cock stretching me until I feel like a glove made for him.โCome for me, now,โ he growls. โNow, Annie.โHot cum floods my womb, and his knot catches and swells, tearing a raw shout from my throat. His fingers find my clit while his fangs sink into my shoulder.I scream, bucking against him, but Iโm caught, so he moves with me, hushing me.I hover another second on the edge, somehow above myself, watching his strong arms tremble as they wrap around me
I let my hand fall and turn my head away.He snarls. He doesnโt like that.I drop back so Iโm sitting on the pallet, lift my chin, and fold my arms. His wolf rumbles unhappily. He shouldnโt have let his man mess with my nest.He dips his head and looks up at me from his lowered eyes, a wolf playing at a lamb. โIโm sorry, Annie. Here it is.โHe holds the pillow out.Itโs a trap.Of course itโs a trap. I reach for it anyway. As soon as I grab the pillow, he yanks and falls to his back, dragging me with him. I tumble on top of him. He quickly nips the pillow from my grasp, tucks it behind his head, and grins up at me.I push up on his chest, struggling upright until Iโm straddling his waist. He crosses his arms behind his head.I lean forward and try to pull the pillow free, but his head is too heavy.โJust ask nicely, Annie.โ Thereโs a new note in his voice, a gravelly depth that has nothing to do with his wolf.I prop myself on his folded biceps. Theyโre hard and velvet and flexing und