Limitless: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 1)

by Candace Wondrak

Throwing herself at anyone right now, well. It wasn’t the best time. Being claimed could come later.

  “Addie,” Maze spoke her name softly, “what kind of trouble did you stumble into now?” His hand went to her back, helping her to sit up. “I have a feeling we’re going to have to keep an eye on you.”

  She chuckled, no sound coming out. It was not like she wanted to get in trouble, not like she went looking specifically for trouble. It sort of just happened to her, almost like her and trouble were made for one another. Long lost lovers, forgotten friends trying to reconnect. Addie and trouble went hand in hand. Funny, because while she was growing up, she kept out of it. Now it seemed she couldn’t keep out of it.

  Addie could not stop staring at Maze, at the blonde stubble lining his jaw, at the way his cheeks held dimples even when he wasn’t grinning boyishly. She tried to breathe in his scent, but it was masked by burnt flesh—and she finally realized his arm, the one not touching her back, was just like Dylan’s, red and burnt from a magical fire.

  “Maze,” she whispered.

  “He tried going through the barrier,” Forest said, “before I gave him the order. Twice. The second time, he was lucky the barrier was down. Although, if he hadn’t, we would never have known.” He knelt beside her, one knee propped up, an arm draped across it.

  Turning to look at him, at Forest, Crystal Lake’s alpha, Addie understood then why he was the alpha. It wasn’t the way he could be serious and controlling, nor how he could snap and snarl in the blink of an eye. He was alpha because he carried himself well, highly but not too high to be out of reach. There was an air about him, commanding respect from any wolf around him. Which, strangely enough, now included her, even though she did not have her wolf form yet.

  Forest studied her, perhaps harder than she was looking at him. His deep blue eyes were narrowed slightly, his mouth a thin line, though the expression did nothing to take away from his attractiveness. He could sense it, sense the change inside of her. They all could.

  “Did he hurt you? Bite you? Scratch you?” Forest asked quietly, shooting Jack a glare. He was more than ready to end the stranger, but Addie stopped him by touching his arm.

  Wow. He was really warm. Like, ridiculously warm. Hot in every sense of the word, even if he was a few years too old for her. Addie should take her hand off him and stop thinking about how amazing his bare muscles looked dabbled with sweat, but she didn’t. She said, “No. Like Landon said, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you after we get out of here.”

  Maze said nothing about her touching Forest, instead saying, “She’s right. And as long as the barrier stays down, we should be able to come back here anytime we want. To…” His dark eyes glanced toward the makeshift cemetery. He needn’t say anything more.

  Landon nodded, standing. “We should go. Before that crazy bastard comes back.” He winced, reaching for the freshest cut on his side. His body was completely covered in bleeding wounds. Some had scabbed over, due to his shifter ability to rapidly heal, but most of them still looked garish and grisly.

  And of course it was then Addie realized all the shifters around her were naked, including the alpha whose arm she still was touching. The only one not naked was her. Jack was still a wolf, so he didn’t really count for anything, but everyone else was butt-ass naked, and she could see everything. For some of them, it was nothing she hadn’t seen before, but unlike before, where she would’ve felt her cheeks burn and look away, she only felt her cheeks flush.

  Meaning she did not look away, even if she should.

  Forest was right when he said shifters were not shy about things like this.

  “Can you walk?” Forest asked her, eyes falling to the bottom of her face.

  Right. She’d just thrown up. She probably had a little something there, not to mention a lingering smell. Addie wiped the back of her jacket’s sleeve on her mouth, knowing she’d have to now wash her jean jacket—and every time she washed anything that was jean material, it was not comfy for the first few wears.

  Realistically, the only reason she was now sitting up was because of Maze’s hand on her back, holding her steady. Could she walk by herself? Maybe. But even with her wolf’s strength, she still felt awful. Whether it was the aftermath of breaking the spell or the result from uniting with her wolf in an almost unnatural way, Addie couldn’t say. It was probably safer to have someone help her.

  “I doubt it,” she muttered, not happy to show the men around her any weakness. Addie wanted them to think of her as an equal—or as equal as she could be, considering she was not technically a shifter yet.

  Forest said nothing as he reached for her. One arm went beneath her legs, the other around her back after Maze pulled his hand off. He stood easily, as if she weighed nothing in his arms. His gaze traveled to each wolf in the area, and his head gestured to the forest. “Back to town,” he said, the authority in his voice making Addie feel…something strange.

  Submissive?

  Oh, crap. Some of these animal instincts were going to be tough to fight.

  Addie bit her bottom lip as they made their way back. It was not the first time she’d been cradled against Forest’s chest, and at the rate she was going, it wasn’t going to be the last. This time, however, she was more awake for it.

  Though her head was full of pain, she was aware enough to hear every snap of each twig one of them stepped on. She could hear the pounding of Jack’s paws. The others in the pack had shifted back into wolves, circling around Jack, nipping at him when he veered off course. They would not trust him, maybe not ever, which Addie understood, even though she would do her best to stick up for him. Even though he was not in control of himself before, it was just easier to put the blame on someone near, someone they could enact revenge on sooner.

  And, of course, Addie was awake enough to feel the beating of Forest’s heart, the warmth flowing off his skin, the muscles she was currently cradled against. These were things she probably should not have noticed, but her wolf was one horny beast, apparently. Or maybe she was just in heat. Dogs did that, right?

  It was Forest’s—not to mention everyone else’s—perfection that made her mutter, “I’m sorry if I smell.” Like blood, like vomit. Like whatever else she caught in that cabin. Addie was nothing like these shifters. Not perfect like them. She was not the female model to their maleness. Compared to them, she was chopped liver.

  Although, with shifters, it was possible the comparison was actually a good one. Maybe they liked liver more than the average human.

  “Hush,” Forest said. “You smell…” It was clear he was going to say more, but he stopped himself.

  Still, Addie was too curious for her own good. “I smell like what?” Like onions? Like death itself?

  His pace did not waver as his eyes glanced down at her. Such seriousness, such internal sorrow hidden behind their blueness. These were the eyes she’d seen atop the peak around Crystal Lake. These were the eyes of a man who’d lost something. In that moment, Addie was dying to know what it was, partly because she was always curious about things which weren’t her business, and partly because she wanted to make him feel better. He was not her alpha—not yet—but she cared. She cared about them all.

  What Forest said, though, made her feel a strange mix of emotions. She should’ve known, really, because of her semi-union with her inner wolf.

  Forest’s voice was low when he said, “You smell like an unclaimed female.”

  Oh.

  Right.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  When they got back to town, Forest brought them all to his house. He had the others lock Jack in the basement, the only windowless room where he could be without a guard. He helped Landon and Maze with their wounds, cleaning them and dressing them—to help them heal faster. As they were upstairs, Addie sat on a couch in the living room, practically glaring at her grandfather, Henry, who argued he was a part of this too. Fortunately for her, Dylan arrived soon after, his injured arm looking even better t
han it had a few hours ago.

  Dylan came in through the front door, because no one in this town ever seemed to lock their doors, and the instant he saw Addie, he froze. After hearing what Forest had to say, the whole unclaimed female bit, she knew the slight lingering smell of vomit was not why he stared at her so.

  Unclaimed female.

  “You…” Dylan was at a loss for words, and he glanced to Henry, who sat across from her on a leather recliner, looking smug, as if the old bastard had any idea what had transpired. “What happened?” He moved to her side, sitting beside her, intently studying her, holding himself back from doing what he really wanted to do.

  Addie knew, because she had the same feelings, the same urges. Tossing her over his shoulder and taking her upstairs was not what either of them should be thinking about.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Addie said, holding back from throwing herself at Dylan, tossing her hands around his neck and bringing those sweet lips against hers. “What you’re both thinking. And you’re wrong.”

  Dylan shook his head. “Addie, there’s no way I’m wrong. I mean, I can smell you. I can sense you. Before, I knew you were one of us, but now it’s…” He inched toward her, seemingly oblivious to the old man grinning at them from across the room. “It’s so much stronger now.”

  Making out with anyone in front of her grandfather was not what she had in mind. Ever. It was not on her bucket list of things to do. Nope.

  Addie set a hand on Dylan’s chest, the fabric of his Superman t-shirt soft. She didn’t want to push him away, she wanted the very opposite, but push him away she did. “I didn’t shift. I’m waiting for the others before I explain.” Yes, because explaining it once was going to be hassle enough. She didn’t need to do it three separate times.

  “Maze said Landon’s okay,” Dylan said.

  “Yes, seems our Addie is quite the savior. Found Landon, discovered what happened to all the missing wolves, and brought back a traitor,” Henry spoke with a flourish, sounding both proud and disappointed. Well, she couldn’t please everyone, and he was not on her list of people to please in the first place.

  “Jack isn’t a traitor,” Addie spoke, defending him. Dylan gave her a strange look, to which she just said again, “I’ll explain everything soon. I promise.” She set her hand on his knee, and he was so stunned at the gesture, he couldn’t make a sound.

  If he was shocked silent by a hand on the knee, what would he do if she moved her hand farther up?

  Okay, that was not a thought Addie would have had if she wasn’t one with her wolf. Her wolf was just too freaking horny.

  They waited in silence for Forest, Maze, and Landon to come down the stairs. Once everyone was in the living room, and thankfully fully clothed, Addie explained it all. How she felt the barrier weaken, how she was able to walk through it without much pain.

  “Yes,” Maze interjected then, sitting on her other side. She was in the middle of a twin sandwich. “It was like you vanished. You took a step forward and suddenly I couldn’t see you at all or track your scent.”

  Forest nodded. “Go on.”

  She went on to explain the cabin, figuring they’d already seen the cut-down trees and the cemetery, and those things did not need further explanation. Clay and his magic use, the cage Landon was in, the one they ended up sharing. How the bastard got his way into her mind and forced her to show him everything.

  Henry scoffed. “A warlock. Should’ve known.”

  “Should’ve known what?” Addie asked.

  “Should’ve known your father would bring us everlasting trouble,” her grandfather answered in a huff. “We all should have known it would not end with Arthur.”

  She did not like hearing her father’s name on Henry’s lips. As if the old man had any right to judge. “My father had nothing to do with this. Clay is crazy. He’s working for someone else, someone who wants to unlock the nature of the beast.”

  Landon stood near the couch, his arms crossed. He’d changed into jeans and a loose shirt, which gave his wounds air to heal. Now that they were cleaned, they were already starting to look better. “The nature of the beast? What does that mean?”

  “I think his goal is to make something new. A new breed, with the strengths of all and the weaknesses of none. He said he was a death priest.” Addie watched as Forest and Henry exchanged looks. “Do you know something about them?”

  “Death priests,” Forest said, rubbing the back of his neck. He sat in the other recliner, his knees apart, his back hunched. “From what I’ve heard, which might be all rumors, work for death itself. If death calls for a plague, they create one. They were feared centuries ago, but have dwindled in numbers, much like us shifters, recently. It seems they’re trying to make a comeback.”

  Maze asked, “Why would death want to know what the nature of the beast is? I don’t even know what that is, and it’s just knowledge, yeah? What good would knowledge do for death?”

  “I don’t think Clay was doing it for death. He was doing it for his master—another death priest, maybe? Someone more powerful?” Addie offered. “Either way, he thought I was the answer. A half breed, someone who he could connect with in a different way. For the others, he’d tried blood.”

  “But so many…” Maze said, shaking his head. His injured arm had the slimy sheen of aloe to help cool the burns faster. Addie hated he’d gotten hurt because of her.

  “He also dies a little every time he does a spell,” Addie said.

  “How the hell can you only die a little? There’s either dead or alive, not half-dead or half-alive. It’s one or the other, yeah?” Maze looked around the room, receiving no confirmation from anyone. Everyone else was stunned silent at her words, and Landon was probably caught in his memories of being stuck in the place.

  “He showed me his hand, and he was part skeleton. I don’t know how it works, but he can take life from someone else. He used the blood from the cabin to heal his hand. He was going to drain Landon tonight, but he felt you guys at the barrier, so he left.” Addie quieted, not sure how to keep going, though she knew she had to.

  Now it was time to explain Jack, explain how she got her and Landon out of that cage, and how she broke the spell between Jack and Clay.

  Once her long-winded explanation was over, every single wolf in the room stared at her with mouths agape. Everyone except Landon, who was a witness for it all and nodded when she sent him a pleading look.

  “I…” Even Forest was at a loss for words, which had to have said something, for he was alpha. He was Forest. The manliest wolf in the room. “I’ve never heard of partially joining with your inner wolf.”

  “Yeah,” Maze said, “it’s either a part of you, or it’s not, kind of like being dead.” His sarcastic reply was met with a few stern glances, causing him to not speak another word.

  Henry was not happy with the news, but Dylan was all too curious. Behind his glasses, his dark eyes blinked rapidly. “So you mean you have all the instincts of a wolf, but you can’t turn into one? That’s amazing. You smell just like any other wolf—well,” he caught himself, “not exactly like another wolf—”

  Yes, yes. The whole unclaimed female bit again. Not something Addie was going to like to hear again and again.

  Frowning, Henry cut in, “But you are going to shift, aren’t you? You cannot linger in this unnatural half state.”

  Addie glared at him, not liking his tone. “And why not? Clay wants me. He’s still out there. If I shift, what if I lose my magic? It’s untrained, but it’s there. What if we lose the one weapon we have against this guy?”

  “Fighting him is not your concern,” Forest said. “It will be mine.”

  “And if you fight him alone,” Addie said, staring at the alpha squarely, mustering up all the courage she could, “you’ll end up just like the others. No, you need someone who can fight Clay on his own field. I have magic, you don’t.” She wasn’t a fan of anyone with a hero complex, but after seeing it all first-hand
, it was hard not to want Clay to get his comeuppance.

  Really, it came down to logic. Forest wouldn’t last going toe-to-toe with Clay. Addie was the only one who might stand a chance. If she could learn to harness her magic at will, then maybe she could even beat him at his own game. Maybe she could protect herself and her mind from Clay’s influence. Maybe she could protect the entire pack.

  A vein in Forest’s forehead bulged, as if he was truly angry at her words. Still, he sounded relatively calm as he said, “I will not let you put yourself in danger again, Addie.”

  Addie. Not pup.

  “If you are going to stay here and become a part of this pack, whether you choose to shift or not,” he continued, “I am your alpha. I make the decisions when it comes to things like this, and I say you will have nothing more to do with it. I will handle it. Others will handle it. Clay cannot control us all at once. If he’s after you, we’ll watch you. We’ll wait and prepare ourselves so when he strikes again, we’re ready. No amount of magic can overcome an entire pack of shifters.”

  Addie remained quiet, stunned at the intensity of his words.

  “One on one we fall, but together we stand strong. Together, we’re limitless. These are the words we live by here, Addie.” Again, her real name. It sounded strange coming from Forest, but it was not an unwelcome sensation. She rather liked it. “What is your choice? Are you staying with us, or are you leaving? Now is the time to make your decision, and once it’s done, there’s no going back. Once a part of the pack, always a part of the pack. Is that what you want?” He stared at her, his blue gaze so strong she had to look away.

  Was it what she wanted? Yes, and no. Yes, it was what she wanted—but no, it was also what she needed. Now she knew her wolf’s feelings, her wolf’s instincts, she could not leave. And after seeing Clay and witnessing the destruction and death he brought in his wake, how could she possibly leave? A normal life was out the window, out of the question. It was not a possibility for her anymore, and surprisingly enough, Addie was okay with it.