by Lilly Wilder
I fit nicely into the crook of his arm and I could have stayed there for an eternity. I looked up, expecting to see desire playing upon his face, but there was a stony expression.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“I’m thinking of the future and all that is yet to come.”
“Try to put it out of your mind. No good is going to come of this,” I said, but it evidently wasn’t going to work. He pulled my arm off him and slid out of bed, moving to the window. The moonlight that poured in silhouetted his body, highlighting all the perfect angles of his muscles. I wrapped the blanket around me and sat up. My hair fell upon my shoulder in ringlets. My body still simmered with the passion he had conjured within, and my breaths were deep gulps.
“But I must think and plan. I know that the Hunters are out there, waiting to make their move. They see us as vulnerable and they know what having you here means for us. I will not let them take you from me. I will not let them harm you like before.”
“With Lucy,” I said in a hushed whisper. His head hung. “She meant a lot to you, didn’t she?”
“She meant everything.”
“Tell me about her.”
“I…it would not be right.”
“Please, Jack, I want to know,” I said, longing to feel some of his deep emotion and to explore what feelings lay in his heart. From making love with him I could tell that he was a man who felt things deeply and whose roughness was a façade, shielding his sensitive soul from hurt and pain, holding it deep within until it seeped into his bones. “You should be able to share these things with me if I am to be the mother of your pack,” I said.
He looked directly towards me.
“Do you mean to say that you have accepted your role, your duty?”
I considered the question for a moment. Emotions swirled within me. I knew there were so many things I hadn’t yet thought of, and no doubt there would be other surprises in store, but after being intimate with Jack I knew that he wasn’t going to treat me as an object and that this was something greater than merely being used as a vessel for the continuation of the pack. He cared for me, truly cared, and while I didn’t know about the other men in the pack I was ready to trust him.
“Yes, I am. But what will people think about you and I being together?”
“They will accept it because I am their leader.” He walked over and cupped my head in his hand, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “If I had my way I would not allow anyone else to touch you, but I must think of the pack,” he said.
“Was it like that with Lucy?” I asked, determined to root into his past. He smirked and let out a small chuckle, evidently realizing that I was like a dog with a bone when it came to certain matters.
“No, it wasn’t. She was my sweetheart. We grew up together and for all my life I thought we were going to end up living our lives together. She was kind and sweet. She valued the pack as much as I did and wanted to make it great again. She longed to have children and to fight back against the Hunters. I have never met anyone as pure in spirit as her, and it was such a tragedy that she was not given a chance to live her life the way she wanted. She was taken from us too early, just as your father was.” He turned away from me as sorrow pervaded his heart.
I rose from the bed. The blanket slipped away, leaving me naked. I placed my hand on his shoulder and pressed my body against his. “Then we will avenge them both, Lucy and my father, and anyone else the Hunters have hurt. But Jack…you can’t treat me like you have done before. You must let me make my own decisions. I know you wish to make this pack strong, but I will not sleep with anyone I do not wish to.” I wanted to make that very clear from the beginning. Jack nodded, wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into him again for a passionate kiss. Fire swelled within my heart and I lost all sense of time and space as he dragged me to the bed. We fell upon the sheets and animal passion overwhelmed me again. The last thing I saw before I descended into darkness was mother moon smiling down on me, on us, blessing us with her silver stare.
*
I awoke with a smile on my face. A good ache rippled all through my body and a satisfied murmur purred between my lips. I enjoyed the warmth of the bed. It still radiated heat from our night together. I luxuriated in it as though it was a warm spring in a sunny glade, a place where I could cast away all the trappings of civilization and enjoy the natural desires of sun kissed skin in a crystal lake. I sighed happily, basking in this glory, but my mood quickly changed when I reached over to feel him, but grasped nothing but air.
I spread my palms over the imprint of his body. The bed was still warm. I pushed myself up. Confusion danced upon my face as I looked around the room and saw no sign of him. I didn’t understand…it felt as though we had made a real connection and I couldn’t see why he would leave without waking me or telling me. I told myself to not worry, that I was likely overreacting and becoming paranoid, but the night had been so wonderful and I had finally gained some equilibrium, I did not want to lose it or risk anything unbalancing it. There had been enough twists and turns for my liking. I just wanted it to be over and to find a steady foundation. So much of my life had been cast in the shadow of turmoil and I just wanted it to be over.
Pulling on my clothes, I flung the door open and walked out through the clubhouse. Things were eerily quiet and the short hairs on the back of my neck rose in alarm. I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat, but it wouldn’t go away. Something was desperately wrong and I feared the worst. I checked all the rooms I had been in before, but there was no sign of anyone and none of the usual sounds either. The doors to the main hall waited for me, called to me, but I hesitated in fear as I was afraid of what I might find.
I turned the handle and peeked through the crack. The main bar was a large room with a pinball machine, TV, dart board, poker table, pool table, and lots of other tables and chairs scattered around. The bar was well-stocked and the smell of cigars, grease, and alcohol created a potent cocktail. As I glanced around I couldn’t see anyone and I wondered if they had all left. It would have been ironic; the moment I was able to leave I had figured out that I wanted to stay. Why couldn’t this have happened a couple of nights before?
But no…I was glad that it hadn’t. If I had escaped and returned to my normal life I never would have discovered the truth about my father and I never would have gotten closure with my mother. It still amazed me that I had been on that journey. I intended to thank Matt properly the next time I saw him. I realized now that I had mistreated him for he had been genuinely kind to me. I had been wrong about all the wolves, aside from Buck. He was as mean as he looked and I wasn’t disappointed at the thought of not seeing him again.
Then I opened the door a little wider and stepped into the room. As I entered I got a wider view of the bar and as I crept around past the bar I saw that by the main door to the clubhouse Buck was sitting with his legs up on a table, sipping from a beer.
“Well, good morning to you,” he said, tipping the bottle towards me. I glowered and my cheeks turned red. My hands clenched into tight balls as I stormed up to him, annoyed that he was the one who had been left behind.
“Where is everyone? Where’s Jack?” I frowned as I spoke. Buck moved slowly, swinging his legs down from the table and then rose from his chair. His biceps were on full display as the sleeves had been cut away from his denim vest. It struck me as vain, but his biceps were impressive and I couldn’t help but admire them, despite my better intentions.
“That’s no way to act after you’ve just gotten up. Go and get yourself a drink and something to eat. There’s nothing to do but relax,” Buck said casually. His eyes gleamed with amusement and he clearly took great joy in torturing me, which only made me more frustrated.
“Where’s Jack?” I repeated, this time more tersely, through gritted teeth. Buck folded his arms and regarded me with a wry stare. His smile was slanted and he placed his beer down on the table.
“He what?”
“He went to speak with the hunters. Last night a message came to us. Turns out that after our little scrap in the forest they want to talk and try to sort things out. I guess now that they’ve finally tasted blood they’re willing to negotiate, or at least that’s what they claim,” Buck said. A hint of pride crept into his voice as he referred to the wolf he had killed. The image of that dead wolf filled my mind. At the time it had been easy to forget that it was a man. A shiver of fear crept down me as I realized that perhaps I was not as prepared to be a part of this world as I thought. There was a side of it that was vicious and deadly.
“You don’t think that’s true?”
“After all the crap they’ve pulled over the years? No way,” Buck scoffed. He picked up the bottle and took a swig. “They aren’t interested in peace. I tried telling Jack that, but he said we owed it to everyone to at least see if there was another way out of this. He seemed to think we might be able to get some information about their numbers as well. We haven’t really been able to send out scouting parties for fear of losing men,” Buck said.
“Where do they even live?”
“In the town that used to be the home of our community,” Buck snarled. “But it’s a trap. It has to be.”
“I’m surprised you’re not there with them. I would have thought they’d want their most powerful wolf,” I said. I was trying to get under his skin, but it didn’t work. He just wore that same slanted smile again, and I found it was me who was getting agitated.
“I thought the same thing, but there’s enough of them going that they should be able to take care of themselves. Jack wanted me back here to defend you, in case this is all some elaborate plan to get to you. Matt’s here as well, but he’s out in the meadow gathering herbs in case a lot of healing is needed. So it’s your lucky day, you’re stuck with me,” he sat back down and stretched his arms behind his head, pushing out another chair, gesturing for me to sit down. I looked at it and felt annoyed that Jack had deemed it fit to leave without even telling me. I refused to sit down and instead went to the bar. I pulled out a packet of chips and a bottle of beer. It wasn’t the healthiest breakfast, but I needed something to quell the aching doubt in my gut.
When I muttered my displeasure about Jack’s actions, I did so without thinking, and of course Buck responded.
“There’s still a lot for you to learn Trish. When you get to know Jack better you’ll start to realize that he’s not the most reliable person. He’s the leader of the pack and that matters to him above everything. He’s going to do whatever he thinks best, no matter what, and there’s no use talking him out of it, you just have to go with the flow.”
“I see. Well I’m glad I have you and your words of wisdom here,” I said bitterly. “But it’s not as though you care about anything other than the pack either. You’ve already told me that you’re only goal in life is to keep the pack together.”
“Yeah, because I’ve seen how easily it can be torn apart,” Buck said. For a moment the confident smirk disappeared from his face and he scowled. There was a darkness in his eyes that intrigued me and hinted at a deeper soul.
“What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t matter. You don’t need to know.”
“Buck, come on, if we’re going to be stuck in here together then you might as well tell me. It’s not like we’ve got anything better to do. And you never know, talking about it might help,” I said. Buck leaned forward and he looked as though he was about to speak when he suddenly twitched and his ears pricked up. He cursed under his breath and rose abruptly, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me out of the bar.
“What are you doing?!” I cried. “Get off me!” he opened the door and flung me inside. His eyes were intense.
“Stay out of sight. They’re here,” he said, and those words were enough to make my heart sink. Fear crawled all over me and I suddenly felt vulnerable again, as vulnerable as I had when the three men had first approached me outside of the bar. But they had turned out to have good intentions. I knew these Hunters didn’t. Buck slammed the door behind me and returned to the bar. He was the only defense I had, and as a last line of defense went he was a pretty damned good one, but I had seen how deadly the Hunters could be and I didn’t want to sit there helplessly and do nothing.
I pushed the door open and kept low as Buck opened the door. His enhanced senses had allowed him to hear the approaching Hunters far before I did, but the roar of their motorcycles soon became apparent and it only made my fear increase. Buck stood at the doorway, hands on his hips. His frame was a silhouette and he waited patiently for them to approach. Out of the wide windows I saw the three of them, each of them meaner looking than the last, all burly and stocky. They walked slowly and pulled off their gloves. Buck walked back inside while I scurried behind the bar, hiding in fear. There was a gap between the bar and a handily placed mirror, so I could see everything that went on.
The three Hunters approached the bar.
“Where is she?” one of them growled.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s only me here. I guess that the peace talks haven’t gone well?” Buck replied. He took a sip of his beer and didn’t seem troubled at all. I couldn’t help but be impressed by how cool he was under pressure, especially considering that he was outnumbered three to one. Even though I had seen how viciously he had fought in the forest I was still afraid for him, as I didn’t think such a thing could be repeated, not without any backup. I thought about running to the meadow to try and find Matt but I didn’t dare move now in case they saw me.
“Ha, peace was never on the table. Your leader is a fool if he believed that we’d ever consider making an agreement with you.”
“It seems we have at least one thing in common then,” Buck said. “But unfortunately for you it’s just me here, and you really should have stayed at home.” Buck took a final swig of his beer and then launched the bottle at the first man. In a rage he threw himself at the three men and pummeled them as hard as he could. He shoved tables to try and separate them and drove chairs into their chests. He moved in such a flurry that it was almost impossible to keep track of him. Everything was a weapon and for a moment I thought that my fears had been misplaced. He was so strong that it didn’t seem anything could dare stand up to him. His long arms reached out in thrashing punches, he twisted and turned and seemed to know where the Hunters would be before they even moved. It was a raw, violent dance and I was captivated by it.
But then the Hunters started to fight back.
Chapter Twelve
I clamped my hand over my mouth, stifling my anxious gasps as the Hunters overcame the confusion borne from the initial flurry of Buck’s attacks and regrouped. They fought as one and Buck wasn’t being as successful at fending them off as he was before. When he jabbed at one, another came in and thrust a hook in his gut. He still took a lot of punishment and lasted much longer than any other man would have in the same situation, but it seemed as though there was only going to be one conclusion.
The hunters wrestled him down. A table crashed under the weight of the four men. Buck wriggled amid the maelstrom of arms and flesh, and managed to free himself with a mighty roar. He squirmed away and ran to the pool table where he grabbed a cue and started flailing it around wildly. The Hunters recoiled at first, but then one of them grabbed the end and Buck’s attack stopped, at least with the cue. But he pulled the Hunter towards him and stuck out his arm. The Hunter’s face crashed into Buck’s forearm and there was a crunch as his nose broke. It must have been like running into a brick wall.
I stayed as quiet as I could. I knew the Hunters were wolves, and that their senses were enhanced just like Buck’s had been. For the moment they seemed too focused on Buck for anything else to matter, but I knew that could change quickly. I hoped that
the stench of alcohol and grease could at least mask my scent for a little while.
Buck snarled. His body bristled with primal energy.
“You killed Johnny the other day,” one of the Hunters said. “I’m glad you’re here. I can get revenge for him.”
“You can try,” Buck said, and then it happened. He’d finally had enough of fighting in a human form. The air shimmered around him and his face changed. Even as I watched I could barely believe it was happening. Grey fur sprouted from his flesh and the muscles became even more pronounced. His face lengthened into a snout, but the snarl was still there and the aggression was still contained within those beady eyes. He hunched over, his bare teeth ivory sharp, and as he transformed so did the Hunters. Their fur was black and patchy, they were stocky and leaner, looking in worse health. Saliva dripped from Buck’s mouth as he growled and flung himself forward again. This time though, instead of throwing punches, there were snapping jaws nipping in every direction and swiping claws seeking to tear flesh from bones. The tables and chairs were obstacles in the arena that were flung asunder. Buck slammed into one of the Hunters with a raging ferocity and aimed to bite him in the neck, but at the last moment the Hunter adjusted his position and Buck sank his teeth into his shoulder. The Hunter yelped in pain, but it wasn’t as deadly as it could have been.
The other two Hunters nipped at Buck’s body, trying to take advantage of their numerical superiority. I felt helpless cowering behind the bar and knew that I had to do something. Once they got past Buck they would tear this place apart looking for me, and then I would follow. I winced as I heard the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart and the painful yelps. Buck was still managing to hold his own, but there was only so long that he could last. One of the Hunters butted his head into Buck’s chest and sent him staggering back. His arms were askew and his chest was open. One precise attack and his body would have been slashed open. I was about to cry out in the hope that I might be able to distract them, but I was rendered silent by the Hunter’s attack. The wolf with the darkest fur launched itself at Buck and for one terrible moment I thought it was all over. But then Buck shifted his position to the side and brought his paws down, catching the wolf and helping it on its way, straight through the window. It crashed outside and the window shattered in a thousand sprinkling shards of glass. The wolf landed with a thud and a whimper. The Hunters looked shocked and Buck took advantage, charging at one and sinking his paws into it, sending it flying across the bar.