by Eve Langlais
“Oh.” He wondered at Ellie’s sudden sullen tone. “So, you’re pretty excited about it, then?”
“Yeah.” He could talk about the sentry position all day if she’d let him. “I’m excited to have something that’s mine and not a part of pack life or structure. My alpha, Liam, is less excited.”
“Alpha?” Ellie asked. “Is he like the boss of your pack?”
Colin was sure Liam would love Ellie’s interpretation of his role. “Pretty much. Liam worked as a sentry before he moved the pack to Idaho. He didn’t have a very good experience with them, so he’s a little biased. I was trying to convince him to put his prejudice aside when Mia told me her theory about your curse.”
“Oh.” Again, he sensed so many unspoken things hidden in the one word. “Does Liam not want you away from Stanley?”
“Not at all. The alpha oversees the protection of the entire pack. Liam worries that the sentry’s leadership is too … cavalier in the treatments of its members. To put it in perspective, he’s like an overprotective dad who doesn’t want his kid to join the military.”
“I can see why he’d be concerned.” Ellie eased a bush out of the way and continued to walk in the direction the compass pointed. “But at the same time, he needs to trust that you’re capable of making smart decisions and taking care of yourself.”
“Exactly.” Every minute spent with Ellie further proved to Colin that they complemented each other. That they were meant to be together. Gods, he wished Ellie could see it, feel it, sense it, in the same way he could. “Wade Robinson, the territory director, told me he wouldn’t hire me without Liam’s consent. I threatened to go rogue when Liam told me he wouldn’t sign off on the appointment and my brother Owen went damn near nuclear.”
“Rogue?” Ellie’s step faltered. “What’s that?”
“Werewolves live in packs just like our animal counterparts.” Maybe if he could get Ellie to understand pack structure, she’d also understand why he wanted to keep her close. “That group structure is incredibly important. If you leave the pack or are excommunicated for some reason, you’re considered a rogue. Generally, rogues are treated as outcasts. They’re not trusted by the supernatural community.”
“Wow.” Ellie picked up her pace so she could stay alongside Colin. “I had no idea. That’s awful.”
“I’m not interested in leaving my pack. But I’m also not interested in letting Liam’s fears dictate my life. I’m hoping that when I get back home he’ll have had some time to think about it and realize he’s being unreasonable.”
“I’ve been alone for so long, I don’t even remember what it’s like to have a family, let alone have someone around to look out for me.”
Colin’s heart dropped into his gut. He couldn’t imagine what Ellie’s life had been like up until now. Keeping this secret about herself that she couldn’t tell to anyone. Watching as the few people who lived in the area grew old and died while she remained unchanging and forced to do it all over again with the next generation and then the next.
“How did no one realize you were…”
“A freak of nature?” Ellie asked with a laugh. Colin hopped over a fallen tree and reached for Ellie’s waist to hoist her over it. “I was an only child and both of my parents fell sick and passed shortly after it happened. At first I didn’t believe Sarah when she told me what she’d done, but then she ran a knife through my chest to prove it.” Her sad chuff of laughter stabbed through Colin and he swore he felt the same pain she had. “I hid myself away. I didn’t want anyone to know. My family’s cabin was tucked far enough away in the woods that no one bothered with me. It’s easy to live off the land when you know how. Every few years, I’d wander into town. Work. Earn money. Make an excuse as to why I had to leave and hide for a while. No one wants to live here. It’s too barren. Too far from civilization. People come and go. No one usually stays long enough to notice anything about me.”
“Including your fan club at the Sourdough?”
Ellie’s laughter was more genuine this time. “I’ve only been working there for a couple of years. That’s as long as I’ve known Frank and his crew.” Her voice went low. “They’re old. They don’t have much time left on this earth. Living so long made me realize how quickly a human life can pass. How fragile they all are.”
“Ellie.” Colin wished he had the words to comfort her. “You’re human too.”
“No.” She graced him with a sad smile. “Not anymore.”
Colin’s gut tied into a knot. All too soon, Ellie might become more fragile than she thought.
* * *
Ellie never considered that pack life could be so structured. The thought of Colin being considered an outcast squeezed her heart. If she asked him to leave Lowman with her, to travel the world and leave his pack behind, she’d essentially be condemning him to an existence as a pariah. She didn’t want that for him, which made their situation even stickier. If she chose to stay here for him—to be with him—she’d be cheating herself of a lifetime of experiences. If she left … Ellie worried she might actually leave a piece of her heart behind.
They continued to talk as they hiked. Ellie discovered that Colin’s favorite food was pizza, he was a sucker for cheesecake, and his favorite sport was hockey. She shared that her favorite food was biscuits with butter and honey like her mama used to make, she was a sucker for The Bachelor, and she thought the e-reader was the most ingenious invention of the modern world. Their conversation flowed from one topic to the next without either of them having to search for something to say. Every minute spent with Colin became something Ellie held close to her heart and cherished. Even their quiet moments were spent in companionable silence.
Did adventures really matter if Ellie had to experience all of it alone? Without Colin?
“I found the ley line.”
Colin shifted their course to the left and then readjusted back to magnetic north. Ellie followed. Tiny butterflies took flight in her stomach as they neared the second boundary. She checked her watch, another four hours eaten by the soles of their feet. The sun set low on the horizon. It wouldn’t be long before twilight settled over the hillside. In the distance, Ellie spotted a set of glowing red eyes. Was it too much to hope that a supernaturally enhanced bunny guarded this part of the boundary?
“Ellie…” She recognized the warning before he finished saying her name.
“I see it.” Ellie wished she were as preternaturally strong and fast as Colin. At least then she’d be able to help him. “I know the drill.”
She headed for the nearest tree and Colin lifted her as though she weighed nothing at all. His gaze, already feral gold, met hers, and he smiled. “Two boundaries down.”
He turned without a word and headed toward the animal whose low growl disrupted the quiet evening. Funny, the thrill of freedom didn’t hold the same allure as it had a few hours ago. Ellie didn’t have quite the vantage point as Colin fought whatever the hell evil creature Sarah had assigned to watch over the boundaries of Ellie’s prison. Snarls were met with grunts and growls. The sound of brush rustling and the thump of a body hitting the ground were the only indicators anything was happening. The sun set behind the western mountains, casting a gray mantle over the sky. Tension pulled Ellie’s muscles taut as once again Colin put his own safety—his life—on the line. For her. Worry pressed the air from her lungs and Ellie couldn’t help but wonder why, after all the times she’d walked this same path, she’d never seen these creatures that so fiercely guarded the items Sarah had enchanted.
Why now? Was it because of Colin? Did Sarah’s magic somehow know that he’d be capable of accomplishing something Ellie could never do on her own? The notion of her helplessness rankled almost as much as her worry for Colin’s safety.
God, Ellie. You never should have brought him into this.
She counted off the seconds in her head. The minutes. Twilight gave way to full dark and the sounds of the fight grew faint, as though they’d moved uphill. Ellie
clung to the branch that supported her. Her muscles cramped from trying not to move. Soon, even the sound of a scuffle settled into eerie silence. A lump formed in Ellie’s throat as she waited. Waited. Waited.
“Ellie. Hop down. I’ve got you.”
She let out a surprised squeal. She wobbled on the branch, so startled she nearly fell out of the tree. Colin hadn’t so much as stirred a blade of grass as he approached. He moved with eerie silence, once again astounding her.
“Colin! Oh my God, you scared the crap out of me!”
He gave a low chuckle that didn’t sound as humorous as Ellie expected he wanted it to. “Sorry. That took a little longer than I’d hoped.”
Colin grunted and Ellie’s heart rate cranked into high gear. “Are you hurt?”
“Damn timber wolf,” Colin complained. “Looks like we’re graduating to bigger guards. Got his teeth in my torso, but nothing serious. Now get down here and let’s find a magical item to smash.”
“Nothing serious?” Ellie pushed herself from the branch, and once again Colin caught her with ease. The fact that he treated a wolf bite like no big deal made her want to shake some sense into him. “I have a flashlight in my bag. Let me look.”
“Not yet.” Colin brushed her concern aside as though he’d only sustained a scratch. “It’s getting dark. Let’s find what we need to break and take care of it so we can set up camp.”
Ellie’s frustration left her lips on a sigh. “Fine.”
She knew there was no arguing with him. It was best to just do what he wanted so she could do what she wanted when they were done. She pulled her flashlight from her pack as they searched the ley line for anywhere Sarah might have hidden her enchanted boundary marker. Colin came to a stop at a large granite boulder that had a wide crack down the center and reached into the dark cavern. After a few seconds, he pulled out what appeared to be a weathered scrap of fabric. Ellie brought up the flashlight and his brow furrowed with curiosity as he unwrapped the fabric to reveal a delicate bone hair comb.
“That’s mine too!”
Indignant anger choked the air from Ellie’s lungs. Even after hundreds of years, it chapped her ass to know that Sarah had been in her home. Had stolen her possessions! She took the comb from the nest of fabric and threw it on the ground. She brought up her boot and smashed it into bits. Her knees buckled as the wave of magic once again stole over her, and like clockwork Colin was there to steady her. She brought her eyes up to meet his worried expression. God, she wished she knew what was eating at him.
His face was as grim as she’d ever seen it. “Two down. Two more to go.”
CHAPTER 14
Colin couldn’t shake his foul mood as he set up camp. His torso where the second hellhound had bitten him ached like a motherfucker and the punctures from the animal’s powerful jaw had yet to heal. Luckily, they were close enough to the full moon that he would heal a little faster than usual. He wished it were as easy to repair his cranky attitude that showed no signs of letting up.
Ellie had remained quiet since destroying the second boundary marker and Colin didn’t like it one bit. If anything, it contributed to his temper. He wanted to crawl right into her head and see what she was thinking. The silence between them slowly unraveled Colin. His own guilt at not telling her everything she needed to know before they started this quest gnawed at him. Had he perhaps let his own wants get in the way of Ellie’s needs? Had he perhaps used his own knowledge of the situation to manipulate it to his advantage?
Of course he fucking had. Gods, he was an asshole.
He pushed the last tent stake into the ground and Ellie got busy putting the sleeping bags inside. It was bound to be a chilly fall night, but Colin’s body heat would keep Ellie protected from the harsh elements. That is, if she let him. He’d hoped that this little adventure would bring them closer together. But he worried that every passing moment only helped to build a wall between them.
“Are you hungry?”
Ellie poked her head out from the tent. “I know I should eat, but I sort of just want to crash. I’m sure you’re starving, though. Go ahead and eat without me. I’m just going to lie down for a while.”
Colin scowled as Ellie ducked her head back into the tent. He swore under his breath as his frustration mounted. The wolf grew restless in the recesses of his psyche, wound up and just as agitated as he was. Colin stood and shot a glare at his backpack as though it had somehow offended him. He pulled back his leg to boot the damn thing down the hill and instead kicked out at a nearby rock, sending it flying downhill.
“I’m going for firewood. Don’t leave the campsite.” Colin didn’t give Ellie a chance to respond as he marched uphill. He needed to move. To walk off his temper and calm the hell down.
Colin walked for a good mile. A half mile uphill before turning and backtracking so as not to put too much distance between him and Ellie. He carried an armload of firewood, scraps of branches and broken logs that he’d found along the way. He thought about Ellie. About the fact that she had never walked farther than what he just had. He thought about the land that bound her, the loneliness she’d been forced to endure. The way she’d tried to escape immortality time and again before giving up. All of it weighed on Colin’s mind as he headed back to camp. But most of all, he worried that the road ahead would be much harder. And he worried that Ellie would hate him once she realized he’d backed her into a corner.
“Colin? Is that you?” Ellie’s voice called out from the tent as he dropped the load of firewood on the ground.
He gathered a few rocks and fashioned them into a fire ring before stacking the wood inside and retrieving a box of matches from his pack. “Yeah. I’m building a fire.”
Colin wasn’t mad at Ellie. He didn’t think he could ever be mad at her. He was mad at himself and taking it out on her and she absolutely didn’t deserve it.
“It’s getting pretty cold.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sorry I took so long. Like I said, I’m building a fire.” Gods, what was wrong with him? Colin knew he was acting like a first-class asshole and yet there was nothing he could do to stop it. The sound of the zipper shredded the quiet and Ellie poked her head out of the tent, her expression fierce.
“Are you seriously that thickheaded?” Her temper shone through in every word. “I don’t give a damn about a fire. I want you to come in here and keep me warm. But never mind, I guess. Build your stupid fire!”
Her head disappeared back into the tent and the zipper squealed shut. Colin’s shoulders slumped and he rested his head in his palm. Yep, he’d really fucked up this time. He finished building the fire, and as the flames began to lick at the dried wood he bolstered his courage and prepared to face the storm inside the tent. It might have been presumptuous, but he shucked his clothes outside the tent and climbed inside. She might have been mad at him, but that wasn’t going to stop him from making amends. What Colin needed right now, the only thing that would calm him, was his mate’s bare skin against his.
She’d zipped the two sleeping bags together to make one big bag. Apparently, Colin wasn’t the only one who’d been presumptuous. He crawled farther into the tent and zipped it closed before climbing into the sleeping bag and tucking his body against hers. Gods, her soft skin was heaven as it caressed his.
“I’m sorry, Ellie.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“I wanted to look at your torso. Make sure you’re okay. Couldn’t even let me do that. I mean, did I do something wrong? I’ve been trying to figure out what I could have done to upset you for the past two hours.”
She had every right to be angry. To complain. To feel hurt. Ellie had done nothing wrong. She didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of a shitty mood he’d created himself. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just a little wound up and on edge. We’re getting closer to the full moon and it makes my wolf a little volatile. I know that’s no excuse, and you have every right to be upset. I just got too deep into my own head. I really am sorry,
Ellie.”
She turned in the sleeping bag and regarded him. Colin doubted she could see much in the dark. The fire burning outside barely illuminated the inside of the tent. But Colin could see her perfectly. Every beautiful detail. Ellie was remarkable. Strong. Fierce. Stubborn and willful. And the thought of losing her crippled him.
“I never carry a first-aid kit.” She spoke the words as though it were something she should be ashamed of. “I don’t get hurt. I can’t. So there’s no reason for me to carry one. And now, you’re the one who’s hurt and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Colin’s lips curved into a smile. She really didn’t have any idea how resilient he truly was. “I don’t pack a first-aid kit either,” he said. “When I told you I heal fast, I meant it. The punctures are almost completely closed up. You’re not allowed to feel bad, do you understand me?”
Without a word, Ellie reached out and stroked her fingertips along Colin’s torso. His muscles tensed as pleasure radiated through him. His cock stirred between his legs and he swallowed a groan. Her simplest touch drove him out of his mind with want. Did she have any idea the effect she had on him?
“You’re right,” she said with wonder. “I don’t even feel anything.”
“Ellie.” Colin’s voice was rough with passion. “If you don’t stop touching me like that, I’m going to be tempted to prove to you just how uninjured I am.”
Her fingers skirted lower, past his hips, and she took the length of his cock in her palm. Colin sucked in a sharp breath as she stroked him from base to tip. Her voice went low and husky as the words vibrated through him. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.”
* * *
Ellie’s mood had tripped from annoyed to wanton in a split second. She’d wanted to hold on to her anger, but Colin made it damn near impossible. The second he crawled into the sleeping bag beside her, rubbed his naked body against hers, and spoke in her ear with that deep, rumbling voice, she’d been lost. In truth, Ellie had been lost to Colin from the moment she laid eyes on him. His silent stoicism had bothered her more than she wanted to admit. Something was on Colin’s mind, had been since they’d set out on this adventure, and she was tired of him keeping secrets. If something was wrong, she deserved to know. And damn it, they were going to get everything out in the open. Just as soon as she answered the call of her own raging desires.