“If you promise not to run away,” he murmured, and I turned to look at him. His eyes were already swirling amber. I nodded my head. There was no way I was running. I had been dying to see him as a wolf from the first moment he’d told me. I just hadn’t been honest enough with myself before then.
Alex stood and looked down at me for a moment with solid amber eyes. Then he closed his eyes and his form seemed to shimmer. I gasped when a solid black wolf replaced him in front of me. The wolf opened its eyes to reveal their amber color. I couldn’t believe how beautiful and scary the wolf in front of me was.
His fur was as black as midnight. I didn’t see any other color anywhere except for his amber eyes and they looked like they were glowing. He was tall, his head would come above my waist and if he stood on his hind legs, he would be taller than me. Still, my fingers ached to touch his fur. I wanted to find out if it was as soft as it looked.
Chapter Twenty
Alex
I stood perfectly still in front of Zee. Her eyes were wide as she looked at me, but I couldn’t smell any fear. For the first time I was frustrated that I couldn’t talk. I wanted to know what she was thinking. She moved her hand towards me, and I flicked my ears forward and wagged my tail just a bit. I felt foolish as hell, but I didn’t want her to be scared.
She held her closed fist to my nose like she was greeting a strange dog. If I could have laughed, I would have. Instead I gave her hand a sniff and then flicked my tongue across it. Her face broke into a huge grin and she giggled. Her little fingers threaded through the hair on the top of my head.
“So soft,” she whispered as she ran her hand through my fur. She reached out with her other hand and rubbed it down my neck and chest. My eyes slid closed; her hands felt great. I moved forward and pressed into her legs, trying to get her to scratch down my back. My tail hadn’t wagged so much since I was pup. Thank fuck the other guys weren’t around, they wouldn’t have let me live it down.
“Thank you, Alex,” she looked into my eyes and I yipped at her. “You’re beautiful.” I barked out the closest thing to a laugh. Nothing a guy likes more than being called beautiful. I backed away from her and shifted back. Her smile was breathtaking, and her eyes were full of excitement.
“You should never call a guy beautiful,” I told her chuckling, “but thanks, and thanks for not being scared of me.” I sat back on the log beside her and pulled her hand into mine. I threaded our fingers together, marveling a little at how she had just run them over my wolf form. She scooted closer and leaned her head against my shoulder.
“You weren’t scary,” Zee’s reply as quiet. “I know I freaked out when you first told me. I wasn’t scared of you, but of my world changing. Then I was afraid of losing you or losing myself. I didn’t know what our relationship would be like. I still don’t know. I can’t tell you if I can ever change into a wolf to be with you.”
“I’m not asking you to change,” I put my arm around her and pulled her closer to my side. She fit so perfectly, almost like she was made for me. A crazy though to have about a girl who may not stay with me. I’d just have to persuade her. “And as for how our relationship will be, I’ll show you.” I tipped her chin up and pressed my lips to hers.
******
Over the next week, if Zee was working, I threw myself into pack work. The moment she was off I would take her out. The weather was cooling rapidly but we both enjoyed spending our time outside. One of us would pick a spot and would hike together. She always brought her sketch pad and I would lie on a blanket beside her and watch her sketch the world around us.
She loved to play with shadows in her art, so when I was picking places, I took into account how the sun would be affecting that part of the forest. On border patrol I found myself keeping an eye out for places to show Zee. My favorite place so far had been a small creek full of rocks. The water flowed over the rocks in little eddies and Zee loved to catch the shimmer and shadow that it created.
She was off Thursday night, so I made plans. I didn’t tell her where we were going, just to dress up. When I showed up to her apartment, I waited for her. It went against what I wanted to do. I should have been knocking on her door, waiting because she likely wasn’t ready yet, and then escorting her to the car. Instead I settled for leaning against the grill of my new truck so I could at least open her door for her.
Her apartment door shut and the click of heels on the steps announced her decent. I watched as first her strappy silver fuck me heels emerged from the shadows, followed by the creamy skin of her legs. Her royal blue dress fell in sheer layers around her knees that became solid at about mid-thigh. With each step the layers swirled around her legs. A silver belt circled her waist, and the top was haltered with a plunging neckline.
Her breasts were showcased in a sexy but elegant way and I really wanted to rip it all off her. If I made it through the date it would be a miracle. Her hair was in waves around her face and I finally took in her amused smile. I’d been staring for way too long. I walked across the lot to her and pulled her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her soft lips.
“You look amazing,” I breathed as I kissed down her jawline. Her hands slid into my hair and she tugged lightly as I nipped her neck. Her head tipped to the side to give me more access and I ran my hands down her bare back, fuck that’s sexy, to pull her hips tighter against me. Her gasp when she brushed against my erection made me chuckle.
A movement caught my eye and I glanced up to find one of her neighbors, an older man, standing open mouthed in shock. Unless Zee wanted her neighbors to see a lot more of her than was publicly acceptable, we needed to get out of here. I pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose. Her breathing was fast, and her eyes were half lidded and dark with lust.
“Reservations, sexy,” I reminded her as I took one of her hands and pulled her towards the truck. “Unless you want to put on a show for the complex.” Her eyes went wide, and she glanced around. Luckily, the shocked old man had darted into his apartment when we pulled apart.
I opened the passenger door for her and helped her up into her seat. My hand lingered on her bare back and I said a silent thank you to the weather for being warm enough to let her wear this dress. I perused it one more time, my eyes lingering on her breasts.
“If I’d known a dress would get this much attention, I would have worn one ages ago,” the playfulness in her tone had me looking up to her eyes. They were twinkling with amusement. I shook my head and shut her door, but I could hear her laughter as I made my way to the driver’s side. I opened my door and her laughter died but her smile stuck around as she fluttered her lashes at me playfully.
“Keep it up, trouble, and I’ll say fuck our date and find a hotel instead,” I growled out, my cock jumping at the idea of seeing what was under that dress. Her smile faded to be replaced by a lust filled look. She snagged her bottom lip between her teeth and her eyes slid down my body.
“We could do that,” her voice was throaty, and she reached out to slide her hand down the fitted grey shirt I was wearing. Her fingers slid casually in between the buttons to stroke the bare skin of my abs and I groaned. She was a fucking minx, and if she kept this up, we wouldn’t get our date.
“Oh no you don’t,” I picked her hand up before it could continue its torturous journey. I kissed the back of her hand and then placed it back in her lap. “We’re going out, and then I’m taking you home.”
“Well you’re no fun,” she grumped as I pulled the truck out of the complex. She looked out the window and didn’t say anything else, but I could see her smiling in her reflection. I had every intention of taking her home, I just wasn’t sure if it would be her home or mine. She crossed her legs and from the corner of my eye I saw her skirt ride up. My home.
Our drive was relatively quiet after she asked me where we were heading. I just smiled and shook my head, and when we left Cadillac she asked again. I laughed and told her to just wait and see. She had settled back then and watched the darkening night pass by. When
we pulled into Grand Rapids a little over an hour later, she gave me a curious look.
“I thought we’d get away for a bit,” I shrugged. I hated being unsure about anything, but her response wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought she’d be excited. Instead her brow furrowed. No way would I admit the work I put into planning tonight if it was all going to shit so quickly.
“Is it okay to be so far from home right now?” her question caught me off guard. She was worried about the pack.
“Things are quiet right now,” I told her as I weaved through traffic. “There are no new leads and no threats. It’s like he disappeared. They’ll call if something happens.” I was trying to reassure her, but really it bothered me that we had found nothing. Why make such a blatant attack and then disappear? This man was out there somewhere, planning something else. We just had to be prepared for anything.
Zee didn’t reply but the concern didn’t leave her face. If anything, she looked more worried. When I pulled into a parking spot so we could go to the restaurant her eyes darted around the shadows. I hated that she was scared. I walked around to help her from the truck, and I could feel the tension in her body.
“Listen, we’re safe,” I whispered, glancing around for other people. There was a group of people far enough away to not hear us, but still able to see us. I scented the air and came up with only humans. “I don’t smell anything wrong. Try not to worry all night. I want you to have fun.”
I stroked my hand down her bare arm and she shivered. Taking a step closer I trapped her against the side of the truck. Her breathing picked up and I looked into her brown eyes, taking in the way her pupils dilated. I brushed my lips against hers lightly before moving to kiss behind her ear. Her gasp nearly drove me wild. A growl rumbled in my chest as I grazed her throat with my teeth.
“Reservations?” Zee’s voice trembled as she whispered the word. Her hands were clutched in my shirt like she didn’t want me to pull away. I glanced at my watch and groaned. She was right, we needed to get moving or we’d miss dinner. I pressed one more kiss to her lips and pulled her hands from my shirt gently.
“Let’s eat,” I grumbled, and I kept ahold of one of her hands, entwining our fingers as we started walking. Her giggle brought a smile to my face. I was turning into a sap over this girl. I glanced down at her as we walked towards the restaurant. The worried look in her eyes had been replaced with excitement.
Chapter Twenty-One
Zee
It was crazy to think that I’d know Alex for three months that Monday night. I was never an anniversary girl, but I couldn’t help the smile when I realized the date. It didn’t even register until I glanced at a receipt as I handed it to a customer.
We’d been spending all our time together between work and his pack duties. He’d been working to out-do our first date every chance he could. I had loved the night in Grand Rapids. Dinner had been perfect and then he’d taken me to a club to watch a band. It was also our first night that we spent sleeping together.
By far our best date was for my birthday in early October. It was already getting cold outside, especially at night, so when he had pulled me to a stop next to a tent for my surprise, I was worried. It turned out that I didn’t need to be.
Outside the tent a fire pit was already full of wood, with more stacked nearby. Logs had been moved over by the fire pit and a cooler sat against the tent. Alex knelt and quickly had the fire going before he motioned for me to follow him inside the tent.
I walked in and gasped. The inside of the tent was cold, but the ground had been covered with blankets. More than I could count were spread out to create a cushioned floor. Small lanterns had been placed around the room, some on the blankets, some sitting on the little chest of drawers pushed to the back of the tent, one in the center of the table that sat just inside the tent flaps. A white tablecloth was draped across it and two chairs were sitting on opposite sides.
The center of the space was dominated by a huge bed. I couldn’t imagine why or even how he’d done it, but headboard and all, his bed was there. I could just see his steel grey pillowcases on his pillows under the massive white duvet that covered the bed. I turned to find Alex watching me from the opening of the tent.
“Do you like it?” his voice was soft, like he wasn’t sure, and I nodded a little because the lump in my throat meant my voice wasn’t happening at that moment. He grinned, “Happy Birthday doll.” A tear broke free from my eye and left a traitorous path down my cheek. His eyes followed its progress, his smile fading.
I sucked in a deep breath and told myself to get a grip. It was just a camping trip. I smiled and walking over to wrap my arms around his waist, I laid my head against his chest. “It’s perfect. Thank you,” I murmured, afraid to look at him. I didn’t want to cry, even if they were happy tears.
His arms wrapped around me and he held me tightly and I heard his chuckle rumble in his chest, “I don’t know about perfect. I haven’t even burned your dinner yet.” I laughed and pulled back to look up in his eyes. He looked incredibly pleased at his success.
Loud beeping pulled me from my memory, and I glanced at the TV above the bar. The weatherman was talking about the winter storm warning that was being upgraded to a blizzard warning. He listed some of the roads and bridges that were no longer passable. I glanced at the last few stragglers and I was thankful that many took the warning to heart and tossing down money they called their goodbyes and left.
A man still sat at the end of the bar and as I waved out another customer, he flagged me down. He was older, with a bald head and a salt and pepper goatee. I took in his light jacket that showed he was a tourist. I walked over and offered a smile, “What can I get you?”
“A beer would be great,” he smiled at me, but I couldn’t help but notice it didn’t quite reach his pale eyes. I nodded and poured him a beer. He watched me and then asked, “Are you from around here?”
“Yes, sir, born and raised,” I picked up a rag and started wiping down the area behind the bar. Maybe if he realized I was ready to close he’d leave quicker.
“What’s good to do around here? Any fun places to check out?” He asked with what sounded like forced casualness.
“Well there is the ski lodge,” I answered, unsure what he was looking for, “And you can hike in the national forest.”
His eyes sparked with interest, “The forest? That seems my speed. What kind of wildlife do they have there?” I looked away from him and wiped at some rings on the bar.
“The usual stuff I guess,” I answered him, still not meeting his eyes. I didn’t like the feeling I was getting about his questions. “Deer, a lot of birds, but not as many with this weather. Rabbits, squirrels, and fox. Like I said, typical stuff.”
“Have there been any wolf sightings?” I tried not to react to his question, but a chill ran up my spine and I clenched the bar rag tightly in my hand as I shook my head.
“None that I’ve heard about,” I forced myself to meet his eyes and smile, hoping that I was hiding my nervousness. He stared at me for several moments. I felt like my skin was crawling and he gave me a slightly sinister smile. A shudder passed through me and he nodded, apparently getting the answer he wanted. He tossed down money for his beer and left the bar without another word.
I glanced around the bar at the last few regulars, but they didn’t seem to have noticed the man. They all watched the news footage while they nursed their beers. I hoped they weren’t planning on staying until closing time. I set to work cleaning all the empty tables. Thankfully, an hour later the last of the patrons walked out and I locked the doors before anyone else decided to drop by.
I cleaned up the last few tables and flipped out the lights. I was turning off the neon lights when I got the horrible feeling that I was being watched. An icy chill went up my spine and I looked around the darkened bar. I didn’t see anyone, but I couldn’t shake the feeling. I snatched my coat from behind the bar and left though the back door to get to my car.
<
br /> The parking lot was a sheet of ice covered in several inches of fresh powder. Snow fell fast around me, swirling through the air on the wind. I moved as quickly as I could across the lot and pulled open the door to my car. The feeling of being watched overtook me again. I looked around and noticed a black car sitting on the far side of the lot. I couldn’t make out much through the snow and the license plate was dirty. I could just see the shadow of someone sitting, motionless, in the driver’s seat.
I jumped quickly in the car and pulled out my blue tooth as I started the car. I sent a silent thank you to Delilah for insisting that I needed a blue tooth. I put it in my ear and quickly dialed Alex on my phone. I glanced in the review mirror while I listened to the ringing in my ear. The car still sat there. I pulled out of my parking spot, sliding a bit as I made my way to the road.
“Hey, doll,” Alex answered in my ear. I was checking the review mirror again as I pulled onto the street. The black car’s head lights had come on and it was rolling forward. Nothing to worry about, I told myself. “Zee!”
“Oh, yeah, hi,” I wondered how long Alex had been trying to get my attention. “I’m sorry there’s a strange car leaving the bar with me.” I looked in the rearview to see it following me at a relatively slow pace.
“Huh. Well it could just be a regular in a rental or something,” he reasoned, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. That made sense. “How was work?” he asked.
“That reminds me,” I was suddenly back to a bundle of nerves as I thought of the strange man at the bar. “A man came in the bar tonight. I’ve never seen him before, but he asked about wolf sightings.” I fought with both hands to keep control of my car on the slick roads. I seemed like the road crews hadn’t hit the street the bar was on yet. I just hoped the main streets were a little better.
“What did he look like?” Alex’s question was clipped, like he was angry.
Falling Hearts (Hearts of Wolves Book 1) Page 10