Crystal Lake Pack: The Complete Series: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance

by Candace Wondrak

  “Why would I want you both to interrupt?” I said, glad for the distraction. It saved me from doing anything I might regret later…and anything I might not regret later. Knowing my inner wolf, I wouldn’t regret anything that took place between me and any of my intended mates.

  The same time I asked the question, Landon hurriedly said, “Nothing. You’re interrupting nothing.” He backed off, fuming as he stormed down the hall, nearly knocking into Maze’s shoulder—the burnt one—as he disappeared out the front door.

  “Methinks I interrupted something,” Maze said, wiggling his eyes in the stupidest of ways.

  Still, it got me to laugh. “Methinks you’re so weird.”

  He finished his snack, his mouth too full to act shocked. Once he swallowed, he gave me an easy, dimpled smile, and the smile sent my insides aflutter, little butterflies scattering in my stomach. “Methinks you kind of like it.”

  “Methinks we should stop saying methinks,” I said with a sigh, crossing my arms. “I don’t think he likes me.” I didn’t know why I cared all of a sudden; before I’d found him in the cabin, I was firmly on the side of screw you, Landon. Now…now things were complicated.

  It had to be my wolf. My wolf wanted him to like me, wanted more from him than just a claiming. So stupid, not to mention ridiculous, because I felt the same way about Dylan and Maze.

  Having the same intense feelings for multiple people was not something I was used to. I grew up in human society, not in the pack, and having multiple mates, partners, husbands—whatever they were called—seemed odd to me, even if my wolf was all for it. Since I was staying, it was something I’d have to get used to.

  “Who?” Maze turned his head, following my gaze to the front door, which now sat closed. “Landon? Oh, come on. Isn’t it obvious?” He chuckled, shaking his head. His short blonde hair moved only slightly with the movement, and I resisted the urge to run my fingers through its length. It was the perfect length to tug on.

  Okay. That was something I probably shouldn’t have thought.

  Swallowing down my inappropriate thoughts, I nodded. Yes, I’d meant Landon. Who else? And what the heck did Maze mean when he said it was obvious? Nothing was obvious to me. At least, not when it came to things like this. To my wolf, sure. But me? Nope.

  “Landon likes you,” Maze said, speaking as if it were more than obvious. “That was him showing he cares about you. Following you downstairs like that? He wouldn’t do that for me. Unless I asked him, which, you know, I would never, because I’m a man—but you?”

  I blinked, saying slowly, “I am not…a man?” I wasn’t sure why I asked it like a question, because I’d known for quite a long while now I was not a man, but Maze was staring at me like he expected me to talk.

  “Right you are, yeah. Definitely not a man.” Maze stopped his long-winded speech to have a good, hard look at me, and I rolled my eyes. “Believe it or not, Addie, that was Landon playing nice.”

  Nice? That was Landon playing nice? I did not want to know what he was like when he was playing mean, or whatever the opposite of playing nice was. Playing dirty? Whatever. Now was not the time to get lost in my own thoughts.

  “And you called him a jackass,” Maze laughed out. “The look in his eyes was priceless. I wish I could’ve recorded it. Mushy-gushy Landon. Who would’ve known?”

  The more Maze spoke, the more I grew confused. “That was not mushy-gushy Landon. That was…he’s a—well, a jackass!” There that word was again, sounding foreign on my tongue, as if it was hard to pronounce.

  The smile Maze wore only widened, his dimples deepening. Though I liked those dimples, I was ready to smack them right off his face. “You like him, don’t you?” When I only glared at him, no words coming from me to refute it, he said, “You like the jackass. Don’t deny it. I can see it. That means you like each of us, yeah? No problem with our mini-pack. Forest will be happy to hear it—”

  Okay, at that, I had to cut in, “Don’t you tell Forest anything.”

  “Why not? He needs to know. Plus, he should have some good news, after all this.”

  Forest was the alpha, but he didn’t need to know how I felt about the others, did he? Yes, they were supposed to be my intended mates, so I supposed it might all work out, but still. Knowing he knew, it was…weird.

  Then again, soon enough the whole pack would know, wouldn’t they?

  “I’ll…I’ll tell him,” I said, not sure if I was lying or not. “Where is he?” He’d left the house a while ago, putting Maze and Dylan in charge of watching the basement door to make sure Jack didn’t escape, but where he went, I hadn’t an idea.

  “He’s probably done informing the pack of what happened. He might be back at the clearing, helping to dig up the…” His voice quieted, losing its witty gusto. “The bodies.”

  All of the shifters who’d lost their lives to Clay. Far too many. I knew I’d have nightmares about it for a long time. All those crosses, stuck haphazardly into the ground, marking the graves. All done in the name of twisted research. Clay was a madman, and he had to be stopped.

  I didn’t want to return to the clearing where the cabin used to be—and then suddenly wasn’t, because of magic—but I could not stay in this house and argue with Maze about it. About Landon, about Forest. About anything. I had to get out, feel the breeze on my back.

  “I’ll go,” I said. I headed to the door, hating its ugly yellow color, but I was trailed shortly by Maze. My hand was on the doorknob, but Maze set his burn-free arm against it, holding it shut. I might’ve been stronger than I was before joining with my wolf, but I was still not as strong as the guys. “Maze,” I whispered, “what are you doing?”

  “You know, Dylan ran home to grab his book.” I felt him move closer to me, could feel his body radiating heat behind me. “We are more alone than we might be for a while.” His voice held no traces of the sarcasm it usually did. It was low, serious, almost too deep, and it caused waves of tumultuous feelings inside me.

  I shivered, and not because I was cold. I managed to say, “What are you getting at?” I wasn’t sure why I asked. I already knew.

  “There are other things we could do, besides running off to Forest.”

  Running off to Forest was probably the smartest thing to do, considering. My body had other ideas though, for it responded to Maze’s suggestion. I felt my back arching, and I leaned against his chest. Solid, warm, strong. He smelled mainly of aloe vera now, but behind the gel, I knew his scent, knew him more than I’ve ever known another guy before.

  Humans, clearly, weren’t my type. Shifters were. Wolves were, because we were one and the same.

  “I thought,” I whispered, my voice far too breathy and light, “you said Forest should know?”

  “He can wait another hour, can’t he?” Maze leaned down, nuzzling the back of my neck, his nose brushing past my mostly pink hair, lips reaching my tender, sensitive skin.

  How the heck could he flick the switch from sarcastic little twerp to suave smooth-talker?

  Oh, I wanted to agree that Forest could wait, because running off and telling him all about my business was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted nothing more than to let Maze keep going, to feel his lips on more than just my neck, but I also knew once we crossed that line, there would be no going back. No putting my feelings back into a box. Once it happened, it would happen fast and strong like a hurricane, and anything subsequent I would never be able to deny.

  No, for everyone’s sake—but mostly for mine—I had to nip this in the bud and ignore the warmth flooding the area below my stomach. For now, at least.

  “As tempting as it is,” I spoke as I straightened my back and stepped closer to the door, pulling away from him. The nuzzling being done on my neck stopped, and I felt its loss heavily. “I’m going to have to pass.”

  “You are too cruel,” Maze said, his arm sliding off the door. “Too cruel.”

  I yanked the door open, tossing him a look over my shoulder. “Sorry,
but you started it. I just had to end it.” I hoped I didn’t come off sounding too mean, but I would not lose myself to him or his brothers. Not while I had to prepare myself for Clay.

  Maze must not have been too offended, for he only gave me a lopsided smile. “Your willpower—I can see it crumbling. One of these days, I’ll get you.”

  Like I knew it was coming, I said quickly, “Don’t you dare wink.” But by the time I’d said it, he had already done it. I let out an incredulous laugh, because who the heck winked in real life? Before I gave him another chance to do something equally as silly, I was out of the house and down the sidewalk.

  Chapter Three – Addie

  I didn’t make it far. I got to the sidewalk and turned to head toward the lake—my sense of direction was much better now that I was united with my inner wolf—but I nearly ran into someone. I jerked back, saying immediately, “Sorry.” It was then I realized I’d almost bumped into one of the pack’s pregnant women.

  A pretty girl, a bit older than me by a couple of years. Wild, long black hair almost halfway down her back. Pale skin, a freckle-free face containing the world’s softest, warmest brown eyes. She wore a colorful, Bohemian-style dress, hoops in her ears and sandals on her feet. From the look of her belly, she was ready to pop any time now.

  Did the pack have a doctor nearby? Did they go to the hospital? The pack seemed quite self-sufficient when it came to injuries, but a pregnancy was a little different and required a special kind of touch.

  Then again, women had been giving birth for millennia now. Certain things were instinctual, especially when it came to shifters.

  And the woman before me? Shifter. Definitely. I just knew.

  “It’s okay,” the woman said, her eyes studying me intently, as if I was a strange specimen. Which, I supposed, I was, since I was half shifter and half witch/warlock and could access the powers of both. “You’re the newcomer—Adeline?”

  “Addie,” I said. At least talking with this woman was getting my mind off of Maze in the house. It wasn’t even their house; it was Forest’s. What was he thinking, suggesting we do stuff in someone else’s house?

  “I’m Caitlin,” the woman spoke with a smile. Unlike the mischievous nature of most of Maze’s smiles, hers was soft, genuine, hiding nothing. It was…refreshing, actually. “It’s nice to finally meet the one making such a fuss.”

  As I stared at her, I recognized her. She was the woman on the sidewalk, on my first day, when I’d arrived here. Caitlin had stared at me strangely then, too. “I’m not making a fuss,” I said.

  “Don’t be modest. You’ve created a ripple in a calm lake.”

  I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and I didn’t know how to answer the woman. Not a fan of small talk, I said, “I was just leaving to find Forest.”

  Nodding, Caitlin said, “I’ll walk with you. I doubt they’d want you to be alone, with everything that’s happened.” She cradled her belly as she turned around, facing the same direction I was.

  “Who?”

  “Your mates, of course.”

  Now it was my turn to nod dumbly. “Of course.” It was already a given, then, that I would be with Maze, Dylan, and Landon. I was unsure if it made me angry or not that Caitlin had just assumed. At this point, I didn’t know what I should feel.

  As I started walking, Caitlin kept her word and went with me. I asked, “Getting in your exercise for the day?” Was that a thing pregnant women did? I had no idea.

  God, that question fell under the realm of small talk, didn’t it?

  “I try to stay active, even if I’m not supposed to shift,” Caitlin said, patting her round belly.

  “You’re not supposed to shift?” It was news to me, and I couldn’t say why it shocked me so much. I hadn’t shifted once, but it seemed like something important, something vital to who all shifters were. Being unable to do so for nine months straight? Had to be pure torture.

  Caitlin replied, “It’s not good for the baby, not this far along. I haven’t gone on a run with the pack in months.” She squeezed her eyes shut, as if the thought hurt. I imagined it did. “You know, I was in the meeting when Forest told the pack what happened. You haven’t been here a week yet, and you’re already becoming something of a legend.”

  A legend? Me? “That seems a little extreme.”

  “It’s not. The way Forest spoke about you…it’s like you’re untouchable. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone earn his respect so fast.”

  “Forest’s respect?” I shook her head. There was no way I had Forest’s respect. I was a newbie, someone he didn’t know. Plus, I’d only agreed to join the pack this morning. I wasn’t one for following rules or respecting authority—unless that authority earned it. To hear Forest had spoken of me with respect…Caitlin had to be wrong.

  Caitlin went on, oblivious to the surprise on my face, “Forest doesn’t give his respect lightly. You must be quite a woman.” She smiled again, her features soft and supple with the added weight of her pregnancy.

  “Oh, you know. I try.”

  As we went, Caitlin asked me dozens of questions. What I’d been doing before this, why I decided to stay, whether I thought I would like it here. We meandered slowly, mostly because of Caitlin, but the meandering walk was a good distraction from everything. I found it easy to talk to her.

  Some people—or in this case, shifters—had a way about them. They were easy to relate to, even if they were strangers, even easier to talk to, though I’d never spoken a single word to her before. Past all my anxieties over everything that was happening, I recognized the feeling Caitlin inspired.

  It was like talking to a friend.

  Oh, how I missed it. I’d forgotten what it was like.

  My first year of college, my high school friends and I had stayed in touch. During holidays and summer break, we visited each other and hung out like old times. I didn’t recognize it then, but it was when things began to grow stale between us, awkward. I’d been oblivious, but it’d been clear they were moving on and I wasn’t. Unlike them, I didn’t go out to parties, didn’t make friends with other girls in my dorm.

  I had foolishly thought my friends would remain my friends, regardless of the distance between us. After all, there was Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, a whole slew of other social media platforms, not to mention texting. It wasn’t like I expected a call from each of them every day, but a few texts every now and then would’ve been nice.

  It didn’t matter in the end, though. I was left behind, forgotten, tossed aside in favor of shiny new people, shiny new friends, and so I just shoved my nose into my studies harder. Second year of college started, and I had never been more alone. I had all the Disney movies and microwaveable food I would need in my room. I had studied so much, actually read the chapters in textbooks the professors assigned, and went to bed early every day, never missing a single class.

  Of course, then I got a C-minus on a research paper, and the rest was history.

  The forest around Crystal Lake’s other side was already beaten down with a heavily-used trail. Caitlin and I walked along it, carefully stepping over any fallen branches that were in our way. We neared the clearing, and Caitlin stopped us.

  “I’m not sure what you have to talk to Forest about, but it can’t wait?” A heaviness coated her question, an unknown lingering on her gentle tone.

  I was struck confused by the sudden question. “Uh, why?” So very eloquent. I had a way with words, so good at using them everyone else was jealous. Even Maze was jealous of my wordplay.

  Okay, that was a huge lie. No one was better at stringing words together than Maze. That boy could go on and on about the stupidest of things.

  Caitlin’s brown gaze fell to her feet. Or the area around her feet. I wasn’t sure the woman could see them, given the huge belly she had. “It’s really not my place to say, but…we’ve all lost something here, Addie.”

  “Clay took so many of you,” I said. “Why did you stay? Why did
n’t you guys pack up and leave?” The question of the day, really. No, of the year. All those crosses, all those bodies underground. A good portion of their population, taken and experimented on by a madman. I knew, though, if they had left, Clay would’ve followed or found another pack to torment. There were no good options here, but it was like the Crystal Lake Pack hadn’t even tried.

  “Where would we go? We’ve been here for nearly a hundred years. This is our land now, our home. No alpha worth their fangs would turn tail and run from an enemy. We fight.”

  I held back from snipping back at her, because none of this was her fault, but it was so hard to comprehend, difficult to understand why the pack would rather die than move and possibly save lives. If shifters were dying out, wasn’t every life worth it?

  “Plus, the human world is…strange to most of us. We’re mostly out of the times here, you know. I think, as a whole, there’s maybe five cell phones in town, including the one I’m sure you brought.”

  Crap. Speaking of phones—I felt around my backside, in my jacket’s pockets—I left my phone in the room. I had to call my mom as soon as I was able to. She was going to kill me doubly, now. I would’ve made the comment about how I could hardly function without my phone, but after spending a few days here, I was already proving myself wrong. I hadn’t gone on social media for days.

  It was…kind of freeing, not having the cloud over my shoulder, not seeing what my ex-friends were up to in their stories and their posts.

  Then again, I had to deal with life and death situations, not to mention a crazy death priest, plus deal with the attraction to multiple people at the same time, but…well. Those were all things I’d have to get used to, since I was staying here. Part of the pack. Both a shifter and not a shifter.

  “The human world is normal to me,” I finally said, shrugging. “All this shifter stuff is what’s weird. To be honest, I’m still caught up in the multiple mates thing.”