Forest watched me, perhaps harder than I was looking at him. His deep blue eyes were narrowed slightly, his mouth a thin line, though the expression did nothing to take away from his attractiveness. Oh he definitely could sense it, the change inside of her. They all could.
“Did he hurt you? Bite you? Scratch you?” Forest asked quietly, shooting Jack a glare. He was more than ready to end the stranger, but I stopped him by touching his arm.
Wow. He was really warm. Like, ridiculously warm. Hot in every sense of the word, even if he was a few years too old for me. I should take my hand off him and stop thinking about how amazing his bare muscles looked dabbled with sweat, but I didn’t. I said, “No. Like Landon said, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you after we get out of here.”
Maze said nothing about me touching Forest, instead saying, “She’s right. And as long as the barrier stays down, we should be able to come back here anytime we want. To…” His dark eyes glanced toward the makeshift cemetery. He needn’t say anything more.
Landon nodded, standing. “We should go. Before that crazy bastard comes back.” He winced, reaching for the freshest cut on his side. His body was completely covered in bleeding wounds. Some had scabbed over, due to his shifter ability to rapidly heal, but most of them still looked garish and grisly.
And of course it was then I realized all the shifters around me were naked, including the alpha whose arm I still was touching. The only one not naked was me. Jack was still a wolf, so he didn’t really count for anything, but everyone else was butt-ass naked, and I could see everything. For some of them, it was nothing I hadn’t seen before, but unlike before, where I would’ve felt my cheeks burn and look away, I only felt my cheeks flush.
Meaning I did not look away, even if I should.
Forest was right when he said shifters were not shy about things like this. They…weren’t the worst things to look at.
“Can you walk?” Forest asked me, eyes falling to the bottom of my face.
Right. I’d just thrown up. I probably had a little something there, not to mention a lingering smell. I wiped the back of my jacket’s sleeve on my mouth, knowing I’d have to now wash the jean jacket—and every time I washed anything that was jean material, it was not comfy for the first few wears.
Realistically, the only reason I was now sitting up was because of Maze’s hand on my back, holding me steady. Could I walk by herself? Maybe, but even with my wolf’s strength, I still felt awful. Whether it was the aftermath of breaking the spell or the result from uniting with my wolf in an almost unnatural way, I couldn’t say. It was probably safer to have someone help me.
“I doubt it,” I muttered, not happy to show the men around me any weakness. I wanted them to think of me as an equal—or as equal as I could be, considering I was not technically a shifter yet.
Forest said nothing as he reached for me. One arm went beneath my legs, the other around my back after Maze pulled his hand off. He stood easily, as if I weighed nothing in his arms. His gaze traveled to each wolf in the area, and his head gestured to the forest. “Back to town,” he said, the authority in his voice making me feel…something strange.
Submissive?
Oh, crap. Some of these animal instincts were going to be tough to fight.
I bit my bottom lip as we made our way back. It was not the first time I’d been cradled against Forest’s chest, and at the rate I was going, it wasn’t going to be the last. This time, however, I was more awake for it.
Though my head was full of pain, I was aware enough to hear every snap of each twig one of them stepped on. I could hear the pounding of Jack’s paws. The others in the pack had shifted back into wolves, circling around Jack, nipping at him when he veered off course. They would not trust him, maybe not ever, which I understood, even though I would do my best to stick up for him. Even though he was not in control of himself before, it was just easier to put the blame on someone near, someone they could enact revenge on sooner.
And, of course, I was awake enough to feel the beating of Forest’s heart, the warmth flowing off his skin, the muscles I was currently cradled against. These were things I probably should not have noticed, but my wolf was one horny beast, apparently. Or maybe I was just in heat. Dogs did that, right?
It was Forest’s—not to mention everyone else’s—perfection that made me mutter, “I’m sorry if I smell.” Like blood, like vomit. Like whatever else I caught in that cabin. I was nothing like these shifters. Not perfect like them. I was not the female model to their maleness. Compared to them, I was chopped liver.
Although, with shifters, it was possible the comparison was actually a good one. Maybe they liked liver more than the average human.
“Hush,” Forest said. “You smell…” It was clear he was going to say more, but he stopped himself.
Still, I was too curious for my own good. “I smell like what?” Like onions? Like death itself?
His pace did not waver as his eyes glanced down at me. Such seriousness, such internal sorrow hidden behind their blueness. These were the eyes I’d seen atop the peak around Crystal Lake. These were the eyes of a man who’d lost something.
In that moment, I was dying to know what it was, partly because I was always curious about things which weren’t my business, and partly because I wanted to make him feel better. He was not my alpha—not yet—but I cared. I cared about them all.
What Forest said, though, made me feel a strange mix of emotions. I should’ve known, really, because of my semi-union with my inner wolf.
Forest’s voice was low when he said, “You smell like an unclaimed female.”
Oh.
Right.
Chapter Twenty-Three – Addie
When we got back to town, Forest brought us all to his house. He had the others lock Jack in the basement, the only windowless room where he could be without a guard. He helped Landon and Maze with their wounds, cleaning them and dressing them—to help them heal faster. As they were upstairs, I sat on a couch in the living room, practically glaring at my grandfather, Henry, who argued he was a part of this, too. Fortunately for me, Dylan arrived soon after, his injured arm looking even better than it had a few hours ago.
Dylan came in through the front door, because no one in this town ever seemed to lock their doors, and the instant he saw me, he froze. After hearing what Forest had to say, the whole unclaimed female bit, I knew the slight lingering smell of vomit was not why he stared at me so.
I mean, I did rinse my mouth out, but still.
Unclaimed female. Me. It was…hard to accept.
“You…” Dylan was at a loss for words, and he glanced to Henry, who sat across from me on a leather recliner, looking smug, as if the old bastard had any idea what had transpired. “What happened?” He moved to my side, sitting beside me, intently studying me, holding himself back from doing what he really wanted to do.
I knew, because I had the same feelings, the same urges. Tossing me over his shoulder and taking me upstairs was not what either of us should be thinking about.
“I know what you’re thinking,” I said, holding back from throwing myself at Dylan, tossing my hands around his neck and bringing those sweet lips against mine. Who cared if my stupid grandfather sat a few feet away? “What you’re both thinking. And you’re wrong.”
Dylan shook his head. “Addie, there’s no way I’m wrong. I mean, I can smell you. I can sense you. Before, I knew you were one of us, but now it’s…” He inched toward me, eyes focused on me, his lips parted slightly. “It’s so much stronger now.”
Even though my wolf wanted to, making out with anyone in front of my grandfather was not what I had in mind. Ever. It was not on my bucket list of things to do. Nope.
I set a hand on Dylan’s chest, the fabric of his Superman t-shirt soft. I didn’t want to push him away, I wanted the very opposite, but push him away I did. “I didn’t shift. I’m waiting for the others before I explain.” Yes, because explaining it once was going to be hassle
enough. I didn’t need to do it three separate times.
“Maze said Landon’s okay,” Dylan said.
“Yes, seems our Addie is quite the savior. Found Landon, discovered what happened to all the missing wolves, and brought back a traitor,” Henry spoke with a flourish, sounding both proud and disappointed. Well, I couldn’t please everyone, and he was not on my list of people to please in the first place.
“Jack isn’t a traitor,” I spoke, defending him. Dylan gave me a strange look, to which I just said again, “I’ll explain everything soon. I promise.” I set my hand on his knee, and he was so stunned at the gesture, he couldn’t make a sound.
If he was shocked silent by a hand on the knee, what would he do if I moved it farther up?
Okay, that was not a thought I would have had if I wasn’t one with my wolf. My wolf was just too freaking horny.
We waited in silence for Forest, Maze, and Landon to come down the stairs. Once everyone was in the living room, and thankfully fully clothed, I explained it all. How I felt the barrier weaken, how I was able to walk through it without much pain.
“Yes,” Maze interjected then, sitting on my other side. I was in the middle of a twin sandwich—not a bad place to be. “It was like you vanished. You took a step forward and suddenly I couldn’t see you at all or track your scent.”
Forest nodded. “Go on.”
I went on to explain the cabin, figuring they’d already seen the cut-down trees and the cemetery, and those things did not need further explanation. Clay and his magic use, the cage Landon was in, the one we ended up sharing. How the bastard got his way into my mind and forced me to show him everything.
Henry scoffed. “A warlock. Should’ve known.”
“Should’ve known what?” I asked.
“Should’ve known your father would bring us everlasting trouble,” my grandfather answered in a huff. “We all should have known it would not end with Arthur.”
I did not like hearing my father’s name on Henry’s lips—and as if the old man had any right to judge. “My father had nothing to do with this. Clay is crazy. He’s working for someone else, someone who wants to unlock the nature of the beast.”
Landon stood near the couch, his arms crossed. He’d changed into jeans and a loose shirt, which gave his wounds air to heal. Now that they were cleaned, they were already starting to look better. “The nature of the beast? What does that mean?”
“I think his goal is to make something new. A new breed, with the strengths of all and the weaknesses of none. He said he was a death priest.” I watched as Forest and Henry exchanged looks. “Do you know something about them?”
“Death priests,” Forest said, rubbing the back of his neck. He sat in the other recliner, his knees apart, his back hunched. “From what I’ve heard, which might be rumors, work for death itself. If death calls for a plague, they create one. They were feared centuries ago, but have dwindled in numbers, much like us shifters, recently. It seems they’re trying to make a comeback.”
Maze asked, “Why would death want to know what the nature of the beast is? I don’t even know what that is, but it’s just knowledge, yeah? What good would knowledge do for death?”
“I don’t think Clay was doing it for death. He was doing it for his master—another death priest, maybe? Someone more powerful?” I suggested. “Either way, he thought I was the answer. A half breed, someone who he could connect with in a different way. For the others, he’d tried blood.”
“But so many…” Maze said, shaking his head. His injured arm had the slimy sheen of aloe to help cool the burns faster. I hated he’d gotten hurt because of me.
“He also dies a little every time he does a spell,” I said.
“How the hell can you only die a little? There’s either dead or alive, not half-dead or half-alive. It’s one or the other, yeah?” Maze looked around the room, receiving no confirmation from anyone. Everyone else was stunned silent at my words, and Landon was probably caught in his memories of being stuck in the place.
“He showed me his hand, and he was part skeleton. I don’t know how it works, but he can take life from someone else. He used the blood from the cabin to heal his hand. He was going to drain Landon tonight, but he felt you guys at the barrier, so he left.” I quieted, not sure how to keep going, though I knew I had to.
Now it was time to explain Jack, explain how I got us out of that cage, and how I broke the spell between Jack and Clay.
Once my long-winded explanation was over, every single wolf in the room stared at me with mouths agape. Everyone except Landon, who was a witness for it all and nodded when I sent him a pleading look.
“I…” Even Forest was at a loss for words, which had to have said something, for he was alpha. He was Forest. The manliest wolf in the room. “I’ve never heard of a partial joining with your inner wolf.”
“Yeah,” Maze said, “it’s either a part of you, or it’s not, kind of like being dead.” His sarcastic reply was met with a few stern glances, causing him to not speak another word.
Henry was not happy with the news, but Dylan was all too curious. Behind his glasses, his dark eyes blinked rapidly. “So, you mean you have all the instincts of a wolf, but you can’t turn into one? That’s amazing. You smell just like any other wolf—well,” he caught himself, “not exactly like another wolf—”
Yes, yes. The whole unclaimed female bit again. Not something I was going to like to hear again and again, even if it did warm my lower stomach a bit.
Frowning, Henry cut in, “But you are going to shift, aren’t you? You cannot linger in this unnatural half state.”
I glared at him, not liking his tone. “And why not? Clay wants me. He’s still out there. If I shift, what if I lose my magic? It’s untrained, but it’s there. What if we lose the one weapon we have against this guy?”
“Fighting him is not your concern,” Forest said. “It will be mine.”
“And if you fight him alone,” I said, staring at the alpha squarely, mustering up all the courage I could, “you’ll end up just like the others. No, you need someone who can fight Clay on his own field. I have magic, you don’t.” I wasn’t a fan of anyone with a hero complex, but after seeing it first-hand, it was hard not to want Clay to get his comeuppance.
Really, it came down to logic. Forest wouldn’t last going toe-to-toe with Clay; I was the only one who might stand a chance. If I could learn to harness my magic at will, then maybe I could even beat him at his own game. Maybe I could protect myself and my mind from Clay’s influence. Maybe I could protect the entire pack.
A vein in Forest’s forehead bulged, as if he was truly angry at my words. Still, he sounded relatively calm as he said, “I will not let you put yourself in danger again, Addie.”
Addie. Not pup.
“If you are going to stay here and become a part of this pack, whether you choose to shift or not,” he continued, “I am your alpha. I make the decisions when it comes to things like this, and I say you will have nothing more to do with it. I will handle it. Others will handle it. Clay cannot control us all at once. If he’s after you, we’ll watch you. We’ll wait and prepare ourselves so when he strikes again, we’re ready. No amount of magic can overcome an entire pack of shifters.”
I remained quiet, stunned at the intensity of his words.
“One on one we fall, but together we stand strong. Together, we’re limitless. These are the words we live by here, Addie.” Again, my real name. It sounded strange coming from Forest, but it was not an unwelcome sensation. I rather liked it. “What is your choice? Are you staying with us, or are you leaving? Now is the time to make your decision, and once it’s done, there’s no going back. Once a part of the pack, always a part of the pack. Is that what you want?” He stared at me, his blue gaze so strong I had to look away.
Was it what I wanted? Yes, and no.
Yes, it was what I wanted—but no, it was also what I needed. Now I knew my wolf’s feelings, my wolf’s instincts, I could
not leave. And after seeing Clay and witnessing the destruction and death he brought in his wake, how could I possibly go? A normal life was out the window, out of the question. It was not a possibility for me anymore, and surprisingly enough, I was okay with it.
Every single pair of eyes in the room were on me. Beside me, the twins gave me a silent but pleading look. A look also mixed with a yearning I recognized all too well. They wanted me to stay because I would be theirs. There was no question about it, no denying anymore what I felt for them.
Landon’s gaze read differently. I knew he wanted me to stay, not only because he was part of the mini-pack with Dylan and Maze, but also because he wanted more time with me. He was sorry for what he’d said before, I knew. These were things Landon might never say aloud.
Henry’s wrinkled gaze told me he thought he knew my decision—but I would make sure to let him know that, just because I chose to, did not mean I would kowtow to everything the old bastard wanted. He was nothing to me, and he would continue to be nothing to me. Pack elder or not, I would not respect him, would not listen to him. He had no right to try to tell me what to do. No right at all.
It was, though, Forest’s gaze that held mine the longest. Deep within their cerulean color, I could practically see the future. My life in the pack could be a happy one, if Clay was dealt with. His gaze held promises unspoken, an unyielding strength I knew I could not stand against. He was the alpha, the leader. He would’ve been my mom’s mate, had she not run away with my father. He was completely off limits, but that did not stop my heart from beginning to pound quicker and harder.
“Yes,” I whispered.
It was crazy how a single word could change the rest of my life, even stranger to me how it could lighten the mood of the room so drastically. What else could I have said? Leaving had ceased to be a real option a long time ago.
Crystal Lake Pack: The Complete Series: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance Page 18