She was logical, thoughtful. Sometimes brash, yes, but this was just too…too…weird. Going with Henry, and therefore Maze, to visit the pack her mother ran away from twenty years ago? She wasn’t the kind of person to go looking for trouble, and the Crystal Lake pack?
Seemed like it came with heapings of it.
No. She wasn’t going.
Chapter Six
Turned out, Addie’s mother could make a great bowl of Cajun chicken pasta. It was so good, so tasty she nearly forgot she and Sarah sat across from a scowling Henry and a grinning Maze. Almost, but not quite.
And it didn’t help someone’s feet kept hitting hers. Too wide and strong to belong to her mother. Too close to her to have come from Henry. Addie glared at Maze, to which he just smiled and shoveled more pasta noodles into his mouth. She figured he was trying to get on her good side, trying to help her choose.
Well, maybe he should’ve not stuffed his wet nose into her underwear, hmm?
“This is good, Sarah,” Henry was busy saying, gesturing to his bowl with his fork. “The pack would’ve benefitted from your cooking skills.”
“Cooking is the last thing I’d do for the pack,” Sarah said, her eyes staring down into her food. She hardly looked at him, preferring to gaze at Addie instead, which she couldn’t blame. As a father figure, Henry definitely sucked.
Henry was unimpressed by her remark, though his facial expression did not change. “Yes, we all know you were too busy running off.” His hazel stare moved to Addie. “I’m surprised you kept all of this from her. Surely it would’ve been better to have filled her with lies about us from the start?”
“Unlike most of society, both human and shifter, I find it reprehensible to brainwash a child from the day they’re born. I taught Addie enough to make her own decisions,” Sarah said.
The old man made a noncommittal noise, shrugging his shoulders as he rubbed the bottom of his grey goatee with his fork-free hand. “Perhaps the smartest thing you’ve ever done, pup.”
Beside Addie, her mother bristled. “I am no pup. Not anymore.”
“You will always be a pup, so long as you continue to act out—”
“And here I thought this was supposed to be a civil conversation,” Maze cut in with an easy smile. It was a smile that made Addie’s stomach flip, one she could not stare at for long. The more she looked at him, the cuter he became.
She would not let her hormones—which, until now, had never acted up—influence her decision.
Sarah snapped, “This conversation is not about me. It’s about Addie and what’s best for her.”
“The pack is always what’s best for any shifter,” Henry argued. To Addie, he said, “The pack is your family. We want you back, pup. We need you. You’re our future.”
“Because I’m a female shifter,” Addie mumbled, glancing to Maze in spite of herself, “and I can pop out shifter babies.” Her reply, full of snark and annoyance, stunned both men across from her into silence. Henry’s face drowned in pure astonishment while Maze’s skin flushed pink. Was he embarrassed because it was true?
Addie came to a startling thought. Had he thought about her like that?
Oh, God.
Shifter life was so not her kind of thing.
“Of course, furthering the pack is always important,” Henry said once he regained himself. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before continuing, “But you need us too, Adeline. This life, this human existence, is not what you’re meant for.”
That’s where the old man was wrong.
“I don’t need you,” she told him. “I’ve lived my whole life not knowing you exist, and I was just fine.” Lately, well, Addie hadn’t been doing so fine, what with her expulsion and her friends ignoring her, but he didn’t need to know all of that. “And you know what? I’ll continue to be fine, even if I never see you again.”
“Ooh,” Maze spoke, dimples appearing on his face. “Harsh.”
“Your mother’s spirit was always misplaced. I hope you decide differently,” Henry said, shooting a quick glare in Maze’s direction. “Ignore the pup. He’s only excited because I brought him over his brother. So far, he has not impressed me with his eloquent speech.”
Maze gave a nod, as if he agreed with him. “Harsh again,” he said with a grin. “Let’s move the conversation to a better topic, yeah?” His dark eyes lingered on Addie, and even though Henry had just insulted him, he acted like nothing was wrong. Did wolves not argue with their elders? Seemed stupid, considering how much of a jerk Henry was. “Is there anything you want to know about the pack? Odds are, you’d hang with me over the old meanie, here.” He flicked his thumb in Henry’s direction.
Hanging out with Maze seemed both a terrible idea and something that intrigued her. He seemed funny and nice enough…not to mention how he looked when he had nothing on. His body was—
No, bad Addie, she told herself. She was only half shifter. She wasn’t going to go crazy for the first wolf her age that crossed her path.
Henry spoke, “Why don’t you and Adeline clean up, hmm? While Sarah and I retire to the living room.” He got to his feet, not waiting for anyone to respond, not even Sarah, who was supposed to be okay with it all. He wandered around the corner of the kitchen, past the stairwell, and into the living room.
She looked at her mother, whispering, “It’s fine. The quicker we do this, the quicker we can get them out.”
“Hey, heard that,” Maze quipped. “I’m sure Henry heard it, too. We have pretty good hearing, you know.”
Sighing, Sarah said, “He’s not lying.” Without saying another word, she trailed after the old man, leaving Addie and Maze to clean up the dishes and whatnot. Definitely not a favorite job of hers.
Addie went for her plate and then her mother’s, scraping the leftover bits into the trash can sitting in the corner of the kitchen. Spending time with Maze would not change her mind. She would not soften into a pile of goo, would not feel her legs quiver just because he was attractive. His looks didn’t matter to her. Not even a little.
“So,” Maze spoke, and Addie jumped. The boy stood right behind her, too close. He wasn’t even carrying any bowls, only staring at her like she held all the answers. Or, well, all the questions. “What do you want to know?”
Coughing, Addie moved around him. She wasn’t the kind of girl who got all brain-dead at the sight of a pretty boy, even if he was oddly muscular. The ab game was strong on him. A solid six pack…something she should not think about, not while she was alone with him in the kitchen.
She managed to say, “Nothing.” She started to rinse the two bowls in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher.
“Liar,” Maze said, leaning on the counter beside her, propped on his elbows and puffing out his chest like he was the baddest wolf around. “You’re curious. I can tell. I don’t blame you.” He looked around the kitchen, at the pictures hanging on the walls. “I don’t know how you survived without a pack. Call me a sissy all you want, but being away from them, even for a few days, makes me feel empty.”
Addie met his eyes. The chocolatey color was deeper than she remembered it, warm and inviting. If she stared into his eyes much longer, she’d lose herself in them. How stupid.
Turning away, she said, “Missing them does not make you a sissy. You’re allowed to miss them.” Shaking her head, she mumbled, “Good to see some things are universal between humans and shifters. Men afraid to show emotion.”
“Only certain kinds of emotion,” Maze spoke, suddenly—and again—very close to her. So close she could feel his breath on her shoulders, hot and warm, making her feel…confused.
Was it her—what did her mother call it? Her inner wolf, wanting to be unleashed?
Hmm, no. It was just the Cajun spice, working its way through her system.
Addie felt her inner will hardening, and she inhaled as she turned to face Maze. He stood less than a foot from her, tall and imposing for a boy who had to be near her age. He held himself c
onfidently, more confidently than any boy she’d seen before. Even with those muscles, she would not be swayed. Even under his chocolatey stare, she would not waver. She’d already decided she wasn’t going with them.
“Look,” she said, “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not going to fall for it. I don’t want to go with you. The pack might be your family, but my mom is mine. Why would I want to go visit strangers who just want to use me for my uterus?” Okay, maybe she shouldn’t have said that, but once it came from her mouth, there was no taking it back.
“Our pack isn’t like that. We’re one of the good ones,” Maze said.
“You’re saying there are bad packs out there?”
“Bad for females like you, yes. If you stay here, with your mom, you put both of you in danger. She’s, no offense, old. She only has a few years left as a possible mate for roaming wolves. But you? If a pack ever gets wind of you, knows you’re unclaimed—”
“Unclaimed?” Addie echoed, not liking the way it sounded.
“Yeah, you know, unmated.”
Her eyes shut. This was so not the conversation she wanted to have. Mates and claiming.
Maze went on, moving closer to her, his hand brushing against her arm as he swiped some of her hair over her shoulder, “If another pack, or even a lone wolf finds you, they could take you and keep you. They might not give you a choice.”
Not liking how she kind of enjoyed the way his touch sent tingles down her arm, Addie stepped away. “I’ve been fine this long.”
“You’re always fine, until you’re not.”
Addie shook her head. “That was deep, Maze. Very deep.”
“I could go deeper,” he offered. “That…came out wrong.”
She laughed. Sheepish was a cute look on him, that was for sure. God, she couldn’t really be debating on this, could she? Going with them, checking out the pack, it wasn’t a possibility, was it? Addie blamed Maze for her confusion. No matter how often she said she wasn’t the kind of girl who swooned, here she was.
Practically falling over she swooned so hard.
Darn it.
Maze had his head cocked, much like he did when he was a wolf earlier. His dark eyes ate her up, and suddenly she felt so self-conscious. Not a feeling she was used to having. “Your laugh is like music. I love it.”
A little intense, a whole lot of weird.
Addie said, “Flattery will get you nowhere with me, wolf boy.”
“Wolf boy, is it?” Maze smiled. “I’m growing on you, aren’t I?”
“Like a fungus,” she muttered, wanting to smack herself. Like a fungus was not a cool comeback. It was nerdy and kind of embarrassing. “So, how long have you been looking for me?”
Maze finally got to work with the pots and the pans her mother had used to cook the meal. “Henry never stopped looking for your mother, which totally ticked off Forest.”
“Forest?”
“Our alpha,” Maze explained. “Forest said not to go after you, but…we’ve lost a few of our pack, and he’s been busy dealing with it, which gave Henry the time to really focus on finding you, I guess.” He helped load the dishwasher, not even wiping off his wet hands before he grabbed one of Addie’s. She was too taken off-guard to yank her hand back.
And he was so warm. Did shifters run hot?
“We need you, Addie, in more ways than one. The pack will love you, and you’ll love them. And once your wolf is free, once you feel how amazing it is to run with nothing but the wind and the moon on your back, you’ll know you belong with us.”
“I…” It was all Addie could say, the only word her stupid tongue could formulate.
Maze was so serious, so…close. Every part of his face was perfect. Not a single acne scar, not a pimple or a blemish. His cheekbones were high, his chin square. The earnestness in his voice made her shiver.
What were these feelings? Was it because he was a wolf? Would she feel like this in front of any shifter boy? And if that was the case…how was she supposed to control herself? She didn’t want to pop out any babies but, well, she did want to try a few other things.
Oh, God. Were those her thoughts? Not once had Addie ever had thoughts like that. They were completely unwelcome.
“Please,” Maze said, still holding her hand. His was rough and coarse, a strong hand, and in spite of herself, Addie wondered what it would feel like touching her neck, cupping her face, pulling her close as he… “One week. Give us one week, and if we can’t convince you to stay, you can come back here. You can go, no questions asked.”
“But,” Addie said, slowly feeling herself crumbling, “what about my mom?”
“She’s an adult. She’ll be fine on her own, at least for a little bit. She’s welcome to come with you, but…”
Addie nodded, knowing Sarah would never go back to the pack that had forced her to run away with her dad years ago. What if the same thing happened to Addie? What if she fell for someone who wasn’t a wolf? Would they run her off, too? Although, with the way she reacted to Maze, falling for someone who wasn’t a wolf seemed almost impossibly far-off.
“You already have a suitcase full of clothes,” Maze added.
The dreamy, swoony feeling did not leave her, even as Addie remembered him sticking his wolf nose into her underwear. “Yes, remind me to yell at you about that,” she muttered, though her voice came out way too light, too breathy.
Her freaking body betrayed her, all because Maze held her hand. What would happen if he tried to touch other parts of her?
God.
Maze didn’t look too repentant, considering. “Sorry. Better hearing, better sense of smell—”
That got her to raise her eyebrows. Was he calling her hoo-ha a smelly thing?
He grinned. “I know what you’re thinking, so let me rephrase. I wanted to know what you smelled like…no, still not any better. There’s nothing I can say to get myself out of this one, is there?”
Addie smiled, said “Afraid not, sorry,” and yanked her hand out of his. Hopefully to regain control of her thoughts and her body. She never understood the boy craziness of her friends…but maybe humans just didn’t do it for her.
Maybe, she was hesitant to think, maybe she should visit the pack. Just to meet them all, just to see what it would’ve been like. Odds would be she’d hate it all and want to come back home to Sarah. At least, she hoped she’d want to come home, because leaving her mother alone was not something Addie ever wanted to do, especially with Maze’s earlier words.
“If I don’t like it, can I leave before the week is over?” Addie asked, hesitant.
Maze looked depressed at the thought, his cute face frowning somewhat, but he did not deny her. He nodded once. “Yeah, I promise. And if anyone tries to stop you, I’ll stop them.” The smile was back, and so were the butterflies in her stomach.
Maybe it was the optimist inside her trudging out for the first time in a while, but Addie had a slight feeling her life was about to change.
Chapter Seven
Addie had her suitcase on the bed, and she picked and chose what she would bring and what she would leave here, at her house. She had decided she wouldn’t stay longer than a week at most at Crystal Lake.
Her jean jacket, of course. It was one article of clothing she could never do without, even in warm weather. A few pairs of shorts, some jeans just in case, some sweats to be comfortable in. Tank tops, t-shirts. It sort of felt like she was packing to go back to school. Only she wasn’t. She packed to visit a family, a pack she didn’t even know she had prior to today.
She wouldn’t stay. Even if she liked it, she couldn’t leave Sarah here, alone. Her mother was her only friend now her other friends had abandoned her and moved on with their lives.
Henry had been practically giddy when Maze and Addie had come in from the kitchen—as giddy as an old man could be. The smile he’d given Addie when she’d told him she would go for one week, reserving her right to leave whenever she wanted, did not make her
feel any better about her choice, even with Maze grinning boyishly beside her.
Yes, even the wolf boy’s dimples couldn’t make her feel any better about leaving Sarah.
Her mother stood near the window, gazing out at the dusk-filled sky. She said nothing as Addie packed, which bugged the heck out of her. If she was sad, disappointed, whatever, why couldn’t she say so and not let Addie’s mind worry? Put everything out in the open and air it out.
Henry and Maze were downstairs, waiting. Waiting on her to finish. As soon as she was packed and ready, they’d leave and start the long drive back to Crystal Lake. Henry had made the call on the house phone, and when Addie had mentioned a cell phone, Maze only shook his head and told her most of the pack was a little behind when it came to technology.
To which she’d wanted to reply, behind on technology? Cell phones weren’t exactly a new phenomenon. What sort of backwoods, hick pack was she going to? Did they even know what Wi-Fi was?
“Are you mad?” Addie broke the silence, able to take it no more. If Sarah was mad at her, then…then screw it all. She wouldn’t go.
“No,” her mother answered quietly.
“Disappointed?”
“No, Addie,” Sarah said, turning to face her with a tiny smile. It was a smile that broke Addie’s heart. “I’m fine. I will be fine.” She walked to her side, trying to be all motherly and stuff. She was failing, at least in Addie’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re going. It makes me feel less guilty, keeping you from it all. It might be good for you, being in a pack. I’m just…I’m a lone wolf, I guess. Never really liked it.” She lifted a hand, tucking some of Addie’s brown and pink hair behind her ear. “Don’t make any decisions because of me.”
Like Addie could promise that. She could hardly handle a sad and depressed mother.
“I know you. I gave birth to you. I know you’ll feel bad while you’re there and think of me, all alone, in this house. But, honey, I will be just fine. I want you to enjoy yourself, to really think about it. Those wolves would be lucky to have you.”
Limitless: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 1) Page 5