by Sage, May
They wouldn’t kill her—oh, no. Not if they could help it.
They’d drag her to the Pleasure House, kicking and screaming.
Avani got back to her feet and looked ahead, toward the borders of Oldcrest. Could she make it now, before the rest of the pack caught up? Maybe. Not with the boy, though.
She should go. She’d done her best for him. She should—
Abandon the child to a fate worse than the one she’d lived through.
Avani moved to a protective stance, placing herself between the boy and her head enforcer. She couldn’t take the whole pack, but she sure as fuck could beat him.
Zayn’s wolf was ecstatic, delighted by the prospect of fighting her. It wasn’t their first brawl, and he still hadn’t lived down the fact that she’d won three times against him.
Now, she was exhausted, and the boy was a weakness he could use. No wonder he was happy. He’d get what he wanted. Her submission. Her humiliation. And her body, too, he believed, not understanding she’d kill herself before she let him lay a finger on her.
Zayn pounced.
She was glad he’d moved first; she knew his moves well enough to read his attacks and respond accordingly. Watching him go for her back, she prepared to roll aside at the last second.
Then Zayn disappeared with a helpless yelp. There was nothing in front of her, just a cloud of dust.
She shook her head in confusion, wondering if she’d hurt her head when he’d tackled her.
The scent of blood was thick in the air, and another wolf cry made her turn to her left. A hundred feet away, the cloud of dust dissipated, and in its place, there was a creature of nightmares, a monster so vile she should have been terrified.
He held Zayn by the neck, lifting the three-hundred-pound wolf like he was a hollow doll.
The beast was taller than most men, dressed in a white shirt and faded jeans, but that was where the resemblance to a person ended. He’d been skinned alive, his flesh seemed burned to a crisp, and his eyes shone red. Demon. It had to be a demon of a sort.
Yet…she recognized it. Him.
The scent. Wolves generally didn’t forget smells they’d identified, and this one had made an impression. Wood, apple tart, and pine tree.
He should have smelled burnt or putrid, not enticing.
“What the hell is that?” The boy was panicking.
Avani pushed his side with her muzzle, demanding his attention. He blinked and got back to his feet before mounting her again.
Shifters didn’t let humans ride them, but she wasn’t going to let her pride get in the way, as she scented the rest of the pack approaching. They needed to get back to Oldcrest, now.
She rushed forward, refusing to look back to see how close the pack was, or whether the creature was attacking them now. All that mattered was getting through the perimeter.
A wave of power passed through her, sliding through her fur like water, and the next step, she was on the other side of the barrier. She breathed out in relief.
“What…where are we? There was nothing in front of us. Now there’s a damn town. What’s going on?”
Any other time, she might have been amused by the fact that the boy was talking to a wolf, instinctively getting that she would understand it, yet he was freaked by magical wards.
People knew about shifters; it wasn’t such a stretch to imagine that the oversized pack attacking him were werewolves rather than regular humans.
Finally allowing herself to look back, Avani’s eyes widened. The pack was too close. She wouldn’t make it to her place to grab her phone before they entered Oldcrest.
Fuck. What now?
She had a split second to decide between multiple dangers.
Then, remembering the distinctive scent of the…thing that had come to her aid, she trotted toward the nearby peak, giving a wide berth to the Wolvswoods.
When she reached her destination, the troll guarding Night Hill stood between her and safety. She didn’t feel comfortable enough to shift back—she was stronger in her wolf form. But he had to let her in. She didn’t have the strength to fight him. Not to mention, there was no way a were would have had a chance against an ancient troll.
So she lowered her head and whimpered pleadingly. Her pride bristled at the humiliation, but she liked living more than she liked being a badass right now.
“Oh, jeez. Enough with the puppy dog eyes, all right?” the troll grumbled, heading inside a small cabin. “That’s not fair. I bet it’s gonna get me in trouble. You should feel guilty, young lady.”
She didn’t.
The heavy iron gate slid across, letting her pass.
She collapsed on the road the moment she was inside, breathing hard.
The boy was smart enough to get off her back, so she shifted back to her human shell, rolling on her back.
Overhead, the moon was still blood-red.
There was a shift in the air, though she didn’t even have the energy to look to see who it was.
No pack member would come here, on vamp territory—not even to get her. Besides, her instincts weren’t screaming in alert.
An annoying and annoyingly beautiful man stood between her and her view of the moon, glaring down at her. The asshole who hadn’t wanted to help her with the zombie huntsman. She really hadn’t mistaken his scent. Not that she’d thought she had, but given how unconcerned with the fate of other people he’d seemed a week ago, she had a hard time believing that he’d come to her aid.
He wore a white shirt and faded jeans. He still smelled delicious. And his skin was slowly growing along the exposed muscles of his hands and neck.
“You should see someone about that skin condition. That’s pretty gross,” she told him, in case he hadn’t noticed.
The vampire laughed, removing his shirt and letting it drop on her head.
“Get dressed, crazy wolf.”
Arrangements
Alexius hadn’t minded when Knox asked him to look after her. That was a simple favor that shouldn’t have required much energy.
Tonight, he was starting to understand how entirely naive he’d been.
There were regular girls. The kind that wore pretty skirts, had their nails done, and giggled when he flirted with them. They could be strong, intelligent, or annoying, but they were faces and names that never made an impression.
Only a few women had ever made an impression on him at first glance. Liz Eirikrson. Chloe Miller—soon to be revealed as another Eirikrson. Viola Wild. All three of them had stood out, and they’d been more trouble than they were worth.
The wolf had stood out too. He should have known she’d be a handful.
Alexius led her and the boy to his home wordlessly.
“Hot chocolate?”
Both of them nodded enthusiastically. He started the stove, melted chocolate in a pan, and started to warm up some cream.
“I can add a sleeping draught to yours, if you’d like?” he asked the boy.
The teenager scratched his head. “I need to contact my parents, tell them what happened.”
Yeah, right. “Just let them know you’re okay for now. They’ll want to come here otherwise, and it’s not safe for anyone right now. Especially not regular humans.”
His eyes widened, but he bobbed his head, turning to Avani. “Thank you. You saved me.”
The girl shrugged. “Yeah, well. I’m dumb like that.”
Alexius chuckled.
The boy pulled out his phone and started to text.
Finishing up the hot chocolates, Alexius found his gaze drifting back to the she-wolf.
While the boy had taken a seat on a stool near his breakfast bar, she’d propped herself up on the kitchen counter.
She looked great in his shirt. It reached mid-thigh and drowned her. Somehow, it was still hot.
“Why can’t I have mine spiked?”
“Because we need to talk,” he replied.
She pouted, switching from fierce to adorable in an instant.
“I
do have brandy if you’d like? Or rum. Or…everything.”
“Brandy would be great.”
He handed them their respective drinks. By the third sip, the human boy was out of it.
Avani whistled. “Damn, that must be the good stuff.”
“I can give you some after you tell me what happened.”
She sighed, reluctant to relive the mess. Not that he could blame her. “I don’t know, man. We were running, and all of a sudden—wait, that’s not the start. Our pack doesn’t normally run out of the territory, not without guards from Knox.”
Alexius had heard that at one point or another. He didn’t pay that much attention to wolf politics, although he wasn’t surprised, so his vampire memory must have saved that in a corner of his mind.
“I take it there were no bodyguards tonight.”
She agreed. “I was freaked the moment they said we were going to run on a blood moon. I don’t know if you get it, but for us guys, it’s like giving us crack.”
“Oh, I get it.” He flashed her a grin that he knew must uncover his fangs.
Vampires were somewhat more civilized than werewolves as a whole, but underneath all the suave sophistication, they were still supernatural beings. He felt the change in the air on full moons, eclipses, blood moons. In his case, it meant that he felt a little thirstier, hornier perhaps. It was no wonder that the wolves would be affected to a greater extent.
Avani’s gaze fell on his lips, then raked down his naked chest. She shifted on the counter.
He smiled knowingly.
“Stop that,” she admonished. “Not in the mood to be teased. Anyway, we started to run, and then all of a sudden, I saw that we were approaching humans. The pack started to attack. I don’t get it. Why would they risk everything, just for a hunt?”
Her tone had lost all levity; she was desperate to understand.
Alexius turned to the window. “You know, in the old days, the wolves used to believe that spilling blood as a pack on full moons made them stronger. Maybe it did. They haven’t really done it for centuries, because of the huntsmen. And the world changed. But in another time…it would have been normal.”
What wasn’t normal was her risking her life for prey. Pulling away from the pack like she had. Alexius barely comprehended it. He’d been a wild monster high on bloodlust for years and he could never have stopped of his own volition.
“How old are you?” she wondered.
He must have sounded particularly ancient. He shrugged, glancing back at her. “Old enough.”
He had to return to the window for two reasons. If he didn’t, he was going to end with his head buried between her legs, right there and then. And in the distance, he could see Levi approaching, like the spoilsport he was.
“What you did was incredibly courageous, but foolish. You could have died.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I didn’t. Thanks to you. So…thank you, I guess.”
He laughed, because expressing gratitude was killing her. He wondered if it was because of what he was, or because she simply didn’t like to rely on anyone.
“You’re welcome. Now, we have company. There may be clothes your size in the spare bedrooms on the first floor if you’d like to cover up.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m a werewolf. Everyone I know has seen me naked.”
Alexius saw his eyes brighten in his reflection as her words brought back memories of the lithe, muscular feminine body.
“In that case… Come in,” he called before Levi bothered to knock.
He walked in the entryway, Chloe and Mikar in tow.
“Billivern called. He said we have a stray wolf and a human boy on the hill?”
“Kitchen,” Alexius replied.
The moment they appeared, Avani waved cheerfully. “I’m the stray. The human’s sleeping on his stool.”
“Avani?” Chloe said with some familiarity.
“I know, I know. Twice in a week. We’re practically best pals now, right?”
How could the damnable woman laugh minutes after running for her life?
“What happened?”
“The wolves went rogue. Human hunt. Avani saved the boy.”
Chloe’s hand went to her mouth, open in shock. Neither Mikar nor Levi expressed any surprise. The former sighed. Levi turned to Avani. “It took courage. And strength. Not many would have managed to go against their pack.”
“Actually, I’m fairly certain it’s your mate’s fault,” Avani said lightly.
Chloe’s eyes brightened. “It worked?” As everyone in the room stared between the two of them, the newborn explained. “You know I’m a whisper. What I say affects people. I figured I’d help Avani, in case she was ever forced to do something she didn't want to, like some wolves are. I told her she was free, using my power.” Chloe frowned. “I’m so sorry.”
Avani laughed. “It’s fine. Trust me. I’m glad to have free will. It just sucks I have to leave.”
Alexius stiffened. “Where will you go? Do you have family?”
She shook her head. “If you guys don’t mind lending me a phone, though, I can call someone. He’ll sort me out. I think.”
Alexius assumed she was talking about Knox.
And he didn’t like it. Not at all.
He turned to Levi. “The pack went against their agreement here. They should be banished.”
Avani’s eyes widened. “Whoa, isn’t that a bit harsh? I mean, sure, they totally went overboard, but this is their home. The only home they can have.”
To Alexius’s relief, Levi was with him on that. “I can’t have rogue wolves here, miles away from our students and the residents of Oldcrest.”
“So, punish them. Tell them to stick to their borders. Banish the alpha—he’s the one who started that. Don’t take the home of seventy people who don’t fit anywhere else.”
That woman was impossible. Impossible.
“They just chased you, intending to kill you,” Alexius reminded her.
She didn’t seem to care. “In their wolf forms, because the alpha ordered it. They couldn’t help it any more than you could help biting if I sliced my neck and told you to suck me.”
Alexius glanced at said neck and swallowed. Hard.
All right. Maybe she had a point.
“So, you’re fine going away?”
The light dimmed in her eyes a little. She didn’t want to leave Oldcrest any more than he wanted her to. “Even if I stayed, I couldn’t be part of the pack. Not after what I did. Not after what they did. I wouldn’t want to.”
No one had anything to say about that, probably because of the sadness they could all hear in her voice.
Chloe broke the lengthening silence. “I know! Avani could enroll at the Institute. Stay here as a student. If we banish the alpha and make it clear that you’re under our protection, they should leave you alone.”
They were stunned into silence.
Chloe didn’t let that discourage her. “There are other shifters, you know. It’s not quite a pack, but they spend time together. I think you’d fit in fine.”
Alexius turned to Levi, fully expecting him to point out that it was a stupid idea. Avani should stay here, on the hill, where she’d be safe under their protection. Even if they got rid of the alpha, there was no way that the pack would leave her alone. The alpha assuredly had some supporters. They would see what she’d done as a betrayal, and they would eventually seek revenge.
“It’s not the worst idea.”
Alexius groaned. “It’s stupid. The Institute is an advanced college. Do you even have an academic record?”
Shit. He’d expected more indifference, another shrug, maybe an eye roll, but he saw hurt flash in her eyes.
“I passed high school,” she said. “It’s not like a werewolf stuck here needs a higher education.”
“Well, you don’t have to be stuck here, you know,” Chloe said gently. “You can stay while you get back on your feet, then we can help you rejoin the world—a
pack, or get a job in the regular world, if you want. I think it’d be fun. My friends and I can help you catch up if you need help with your undergrad courses.”
Alexius had a million protests at the ready.
Then he saw Avani’s eyes brighten in something close to excitement. Hope.
So he shut the hell up.
History
Alexius gritted his teeth, taking a moment to breathe in and out, before speaking. “All right, glad it’s sorted. Now that’s enough. The human needs to lie on a flat surface before he falls off his stool, and I’d wager my guest could use some sleep. You can keep interrogating her in the morning.”
Avani narrowed her eyes—he didn’t think she appreciated anyone speaking for her. Or being told when to go to bed, for that matter. To his surprise, no one protested.
“Yes, of course.” Chloe was the first to acquiesce. “Sorry, I forget what it’s like to need more than a few hours of sleep. Are you comfortable staying here? We can take you up to my place, or Levi’s, if you’d prefer?”
The offer was fair—Avani was, after all, a woman and a stranger. At the same time, Alexius couldn’t say he liked it. Did the fledgling have so little trust in him that she believed him capable of hurting the she-wolf?
Avani shrugged. “I’m fine here. And I won’t lie, I could use a bed right now.”
That surprised him—she didn’t look tired at all. Not to the point where a little trip up the hill would have been unappealing.
“All right.” Chloe stepped toward the girl and wrapped her arms around her.
The wolf leaned into the hug, closing her eyes and squeezing the woman right back. Werewolves were known to be tactile with those they trusted. Normally, that only meant their pack.
Maybe the woman needed some contact now that she’d become a loner in the space of a few instants.
Alexius accompanied the other vampires to the door and locked up the heavy bolt of his wood-and-gold door behind them. While atypical, considering the guests in his home, being more careful than his norm couldn’t hurt. He didn't think that the Elder Pack would storm the hill to take Avani, but he wasn't going to take any chances just in case. A locked door couldn't stop any shifter, so his was sealed with spells that would delay—if not stop—any intruder.