“Yeah, sorry, I just had to get out of there,” I cursed the tears I could feel burning in my throat. I would not cry. It was not that serious.
“I get it,” I could hear the pity in Jackie’s voice, and I couldn’t deal with that right then. I quickly got off the phone with her as I pulled up to my apartment building. Delilah’s car wasn’t home yet, and I was happy to be off the hook. I really wanted to spend the night thinking. I drug myself into the house and collapsed on my bed.
I wasn’t this girl. Guys didn’t get under my skin. I dated, but there were never feelings that scared me, like what I felt with Alex. A week was not enough time to become attached to someone. But still, no matter what I tried to tell myself I knew I had feelings for Alex. Not love, that would be crazy, but something that could become love if I let it.
Watching him with Delaney had almost driven me to a girly fist fight with the snotty girl. My first thought had been, He’s mine! I seriously considered clocking her in her perky little nose when she put her hand in his pants. I was so angry at him for bringing Delaney to the bar, and angry at myself for caring so much.
When he walked into the alley, I’d been ready to take all my anger out on someone. He seemed the best target, too, since he’d started all of this. Then he had to go and spill all his feelings. What kind of guy did that? It was amazing and aggravating, because all my righteous anger disappeared, and I let him kiss me into a melted puddle of forgiveness. The growl had been my undoing. I had no idea that a growl could be so sexy. Then he pulled away like an asshat. His eyes were the brilliant amber that I never understood, and they were full of so many emotions. I couldn’t comprehend it all and I had to get away from him.
There was just too much going on in my head and I finally flipped out my bedroom light and collapsed on my bed. I hoped that sleep would help me find some perspective about this whole mess. My sleep was restless, and I woke up feeling no better about my situation. I shuffled into the kitchen in my lounge pants and tank top to find Delilah eating a bowl of cereal at the small kitchen table with a book in front of her.
“Saw you were home when I got in last night,” Delilah observed. I poured myself some coffee before facing my sister. I knew she would have questions, or an opinion and I needed to be awake for it. When I turned around, Delilah was eyeing my ratty appearance.
“I kissed Alex yesterday,” I blurted out. I waited for an explosion of excitement from her, but she just nodded thoughtfully. “I mean we kissed on our date in the morning, but last night he pissed me off. He let some girl hang all over him all night. Then he had some lame story about being responsible for her and her just being a friend. But really, what kind of friend sticks their hand down your pants in front of God and country? Then he had this spiel about why he liked me. So of course, I fell for it and kissed him. It was… amazing.” I sighed and collapsed in a chair and laid my head on my arms on the table.
“Look, Zee, I don’t like to butt in, but maybe Alex is just too complicated,” Delilah’s book thudded closed and I looked up to find her looking at me. “How well do you even know this guy? It wasn’t so bad for some friendly flirting, but a relationship?”
“So, you were fine with me sleeping with a perfect stranger, but now that I’m getting to know him and have feelings for him, you don’t think it’s a good idea?” I asked her angrily. She’s the one that pushed me at him in the first place. “I know more about him than past boyfriends. He’s been open and honest with me, and he’s incredibly sweet. I’m not going to quit dating him just because some snooty bitch is jealous of me.”
Delilah’s face broke out into a sunny smile. She flipped her book back open and went back to munching her cereal while she read. The little brat. She’d gotten me to admit my feelings, and to how ridiculous I was being.
********
I was a nervous mess when I walked into the bar. I had no idea how I would explain how I had acted to Alex. I didn’t even know if he would show up. Maybe he decided I wasn’t worth the drama. His normal seat at the bar was empty, and when I glanced around, I didn’t see him at any of the tables. I hoped he would show up later.
My night was a busy whirlwind of guys grabbing my butt, beer, and shitty tips. The music was blasting country all night and the crowd was especially rowdy. I didn’t have a spare moment to wonder where Alex was until the bar was closing. Jackie had eyed me most of the night, but I’d been avoiding her. She finally decided to put in her two cents on the matter.
“He came in after you left last night and sat all broody at his table,” she said casually while we wiped down tables. “Your new red-headed friend plastered herself to that sexy blond that came with them. Blondie seemed pretty happy about it, too. Lucky bitch.” She muttered the last words and I stifled a laugh.
“Thanks, Jackie,” I couldn’t help the smile on my face.
Chapter Ten
Alex
“It’s good to have you back,” I clapped Jarren on the back. The solemn male nodded his head. I watched a shudder ripple through the muscles under his caramel colored skin. His ice blue eyes shifted restlessly around the room, landing briefly on each wolf, searching out exits. He was making me twitchy. I could feel his need to get out of the house quickly.
My gaze fell on the family of wolves Jarren had brought to the house. The adult male, Aaron, looked strong. A fighter if needed, a worker, but not after my alpha status. His mate, Mackenzie, easily caught everyone’s attention. Her smile was constant and contagious. Tegan sat near her talking happily about cooking, of all things. Shaking my head, I glanced at the last member of their family. Cody was pup, the first in our new pack. For a six-year-old he listened well. He explored and seemed endlessly curious. Taking him out to explore the woods would be a lot of fun.
Aaron had filled us all in on their reason for relocating. Their pack’s alpha had died and two wolves vied for the position of alpha. Eventually the packs split and followed whichever wolf they liked. That had led to territory disputes and constant fighting between packs. Aaron and Mackenzie were looking for something safer and more stable for their family. I could get that. I wouldn’t want a pup in a constant war between packs. I was happy to have them. Mackenzie had already agreed to take over all the work in the kitchen and Aaron was going to in charge of building and taking care of pack homes. They both seemed pleased with the responsibilities.
My eyes were drawn back to Jarren. He wouldn’t leave without asking or being told. I knew that enough of his Marine training stayed ingrained in him even with the instincts to run. Still his eyes darted towards the door throughout the time we were introducing the new family to our pack. As Tegan and Mackenzie headed into the kitchen, Cody tagging along at the mention of cookies, I nodded to the door. Jarren moved swiftly outside. I heard his sudden intake of air the moment he left the house.
“Is it so hard?” I was genuinely curious. He wasn’t overly forthcoming with how his time in the Marines affected him, and I never asked. He wasn’t a danger to my pack and that was all that mattered. But as I watched him clench and unclench his fists while he let out a shaky breath, I reconsidered.
“Not when I’m busy,” the usually stern former Marine shrugged his shoulders. It was the most normal thing I’d seen him do and it caught me off guard. He was always so stiff, who knew he could shrug. Outside of the house I could see him visibly relaxing. His body never seemed to be at ease, but the tremors stopped running through him.
“Not when you’re outside,” I stated casually, wondering what had happened. His response was immediate. I watched every muscles clench in his body and his jaw tightened. I didn’t comment, he’d answer when he was ready. I didn’t need his affirmation; I could tell the difference in him. I suspected that he might need to admit to it, though.
“Yes, sir,” his answer was quiet but staccato, like I was his CO. I supposed that worked. He hadn’t relaxed even with the admission. I stared at him for a moment before nodding and walking towards the woods. There was no reaso
n to keep digging at him like a chick. I’d keep him outdoors as much as I could.
Without asking I knew Jarren would follow me. His footsteps were light, even for my wolf hearing. It was one of the things that made him such a good tracker. It was why I pushed so hard for him to join the pack. He was an asset, and he needed a pack whether he admitted it or not. He stood silently with me at the edge of our clearing. Both of our eyes scanned the dark, searching for any dangers.
“Something happened while I was gone,” not a question, but I nodded anyway. Jarren practically bristled beside me as he searched harder in the silent forest. Guess I wasn’t as good at hiding my anxiety as I thought. Or maybe Jarren was just more perceptive than the rest of the pack.
“We found a scent,” I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Human, but wrong somehow. I was waiting for you to get back. I want you to see if you can track it for me.” I hoped Jarren would have better luck. No matter how hard any of us searched, the trail just ended abruptly at the road. Without a word Jarren shifted suddenly into a dark grey wolf. He raised his head and scented the air, flicking his tongue out to get a better reading of the air. I heard the rumble of a growl in his chest. He must have found the scent.
I changed easily into my black wolf form and we set off at a fast pace to the edge of the territory. When did you first pick up the scent? Jarren questioned as we ran toward the Eastern edge of the territory. I found it late afternoon on Monday. I followed it to the creek bed where it ended. Ryker looked for the source, but it ended at the road, so we assume they left in a car. I ran faster, taking just a moment to enjoy the feel of the forest floor under my feet. I never seemed to run just because I wanted to anymore. I could feel Jarren agreeing to my sentiment.
I skidded to a stop, my claws digging into the dirt, when the strange smell hit my nose full force. It may have faded a little, but it was still all along the Eastern edge of our territory. My fur stood on end and I fought the snarl that tried to work its way out of my throat. Jarren’s growl voiced both of our displeasure. He sniffed the ground and jerked back, searching the forest like he expected the danger to suddenly show itself.
He looked up at me, I don’t know what it is. I can smell that it is human, but there is something more that feels evil. I can’t judge if they are friendly or not, but I would say not. They knew where the territory line was. They are taunting us, showing that they know exactly where and what we are. With that Jarren moved to follow the trail toward the creek as I had done.
I sat on my haunches and considered the implications of what Jarren had said. We were careful, we had to be. There were no reported wolf sightings. My mind rushed through the possibilities. This person, or whatever the hell it was, may just be curious, but a curious person introduced themselves by now. That could only mean that this person meant harm to the pack. My hackles rose at the thought and I loosed a snarl, wishing that whoever it was stood in front of me at that moment.
Chapter Eleven
Zee
It is apparently possible to have a full-blown argument with yourself. Obviously, I’ve considered whether something was right or wrong before, but an all-out fight seemed crazy. I was crazy. From the moment I got out of bed that morning I was back and forth about going to see Alex. First, I considered calling in to work. I could have been sick. Guy dilemmas are a sickness. I’m sure Delilah had covered it in class.
Yeah, that’s where my mind was right up until I pulled into the resort. Then I spent my morning cleaning up after people while I fussed at myself for being a drama queen. Luckily, I was unexpectedly skilled at doing this in my head or the guy in cabin 12 would have been terrified. It was his own fault really. Check out is at eleven a.m. and if you’re still in the room you could at least use the Do Not Disturb sign. Or I could have knocked, but who’s getting that particular.
The drive to his house was a little of everything. Maybe he wasn’t home. Maybe he didn’t want to see me. Maybe I should have called first. What if he’s secretly married? What if his wife is visiting so he can sign he divorce papers? I definitely should have called first. Wait, when did he get married? He should have told me, no he would have told me.
Absolutely crazy. My poor car didn’t know what to do as I drove slowly and hit the brakes more times than any animal crossing could justify even in a forest. That’s probably why it rattled like a box of screws as I drove up along Alex’s driveway late Sunday afternoon. There were no more chances to turn around, and besides as loud as my car was, they knew I was coming, so I couldn’t turn back now. I needed to apologize for being a spaz at the very least.
When I pulled through the tree line I was distracted from my inner struggle by the cabin. I don’t know if I would ever get over how perfect it really was. A flash of grey to my left had me slowing down. Did Alex have a dog? I searched the trees but thought maybe it was my imagination. I was about to push on the gas when two wolves broke from the tree line and raced towards the house.
I had just a brief moment of panic, what if they got in the house to Alex, but it faded quickly. It wasn’t like wolves could open doors. I took a moment to study the wolves as they stopped outside of the house. One was light brown with grey streaked fur and the other was light grey with a little black. My car was almost at a standstill when the wolves both changed in the blink of an eye into Wyatt and Ryker. I let out a yelp and hit the brakes. My heart felt like it would pound right out of my chest and I squeezed my eyes shut. I did not just see wolves change into people. I did not just see wolves change into people. I cracked my eyes open and screamed.
Standing in front of my car was a tall shirtless man. His skin was the color of caramel and he was muscular. His hair was short and black, but I couldn’t tell his eye color, only that they were unusually light. He was looking at me intently as I shamelessly checked him out. Even in my terrified state it seemed my hormones won out. His nostrils flared and he cocked his head just slightly. Oh my…did he just smell me? The first day I met Alex suddenly came to mind, he had done the same thing. My car door jerked open, really have to start locking that, I thought dazed as I looked up into icy blue eyes.
“I need you to turn off the car and step out now,” he spoke calmly, but his look was calculating and dangerous. Stranger danger thoughts filled my mind and I stared at him without moving. He huffed out a breath and reached past me to put my car in park and turn it off. He pocketed my keys and unbuckled my seat belt. He looked at me expectantly, but I had no plans of getting out of the car. He seemed to realize that, and he grabbed my arm, none to gently, and pulled me from the vehicle. When he started dragging me in the direction of the house, I found my voice again.
“What the hell? Let me go!” I screeched and I tried to break his grip. He ignored me and before I knew it, he had me across the lawn and up the steps. There was no way I was going in the house with him, so I kicked at his leg. He whipped around and growled at me. It was definitely not a sexy growl. I would have fainted right there if I wasn’t so hell bent on survival. He pulled me into the house where Wyatt and Ryker were laughing. They both looked shocked to see me.
“Whoa, Jarren, what are you doing with Zee?” Wyatt stood slowly and held his hands out in a calming gesture in front of him. Ryker stood, too and edged around to our other side. I looked closely at them, thinking of how they had just been wolves. Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t all that odd of an idea. They were a group of unrelated people living in the woods together. I read books, sure this sounded more like fiction, but at least they weren’t some creepy cult.
“She saw you two outside a minute ago,” the man who held me, Jarren I guess, responded. I watched the look of understanding dawn on the other two’s faces. Well there went my rescuers. Wyatt looked worried as he tracked our progress to the room, I knew was Alex’s office. Jarren knocked and then opened the door, yanking me in after him. This guy was not a people person. I was suddenly face to face with a very surprised Alex, who jumped to his feet snarling, and lunged at us.
I guess the wolf was out of the bag.
Chapter Twelve
Alex
I had smelled Zee when she came in the house, but I knew Tegan was nearby and would keep her company while I worked. It didn’t occur to me that she hadn’t knocked. Subconsciously I guess I could have been thinking that she belonged here and didn’t need to knock. Either way, nothing excused missing the fear in her scent. It hit me like a truck when the office door opened though.
Jarren dragged her through the door and I had a moment of shock at her appearance. Her eyes were wide and shiny with tears. She was pale, like she’d just seen a ghost. Her little hand was trying to dig into Jarren’s arm to get him to release her arm. There wasn’t a single thought in my head aside from ripping him to pieces when I jumped to my feet snarling. She cowered away from me, and it dawned on me how I must look to her.
“She saw Wyatt and Ryker change,” was Jarren’s simple explanation before he forced her into a chair and walked out, shutting the door with a sharp snap. Aw hell, this was exactly what I had been trying to avoid. That scared look in her eyes as she looked at me. I dropped into my chair and shook my head. What could I say that would make any of this okay?
“I bet you’re wondering if you’re going crazy,” I looked up at her. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking as she stared at me. If only I’d been born a mind reader instead of a wolf. It would definitely help me judge how this conversation would end. “You aren’t crazy. Wyatt, Ryker, Tegan, me, all of us here are werewolves. I know it might be hard to believe, but I can explain as much as you want if it helps.” I watched her, waiting to see if she would even speak.
“How did you become a,” she swallowed hard, “a werewolf?” I had to admire her. Other than the slight stutter, she was being very brave. Maybe this would go better than I expected.
Falling Hearts (Hearts of Wolves Book 1) Page 5