Before Zackary or Elsie could respond, a shrieking female caught everyone’s attention.
Francine screamed from the middle of the glade. “What happened here?” she demanded.
“Everyone, calm down,” Sasha said, stepping in front of Francine. “The matter is dealt with. A bear shifter charged into the glade. He’s gone now and I doubt he’ll come back, but we’ll keep a patrol on the lookout.”
“What was a bear shifter doing in the hollow?” Francine asked in her shrill voice.
Elsie wrapped her arms around Zackary’s middle, wishing she could disappear from sight.
Sasha’s eyes found Zackary. She lifted her chin and smiled.
“Zackary fought the bear shifter after the brute captured his mate. He fought him and won. The bear shifter obviously wasn’t happy about the outcome.”
Stunned faces turned to stare at Zackary with open mouths. Justin was the first to break the silence.
“Way to go, Zack!” He gave a cheer and jumped up, fist pumping the air. “You the man—taking down a bear.”
Wiley nodded eagerly, lips grinning.
Francine’s head jerked to Sasha. “How is that possible? We were told Zackary can no longer shift.”
“They fought in human form,” Sasha said.
“I bet the bear shifter is a big man,” Wiley mused.
Elsie loosened her arms from around Zackary’s waist to stand straight. “Bigger than anyone here,” she couldn’t help saying.
“Bigger than Aden?” Wiley asked.
“Oh yeah,” Elsie said.
“Wow.” Wiley’s eyes widened, bringing a smile to her lips.
Francine folded her arms, but Elsie lost sight of the cantankerous den mate as shifters came forward, surrounding her and Zackary, asking for details of the fight since Sasha wasn’t one to embellish. Besides, it was Zackary’s tale to tell.
He was the victor.
The hero.
The champion of Elsie’s heart.
chapter twenty-five
While the shifters in the glade spoke in boisterous groups, Lacy crouched beside the overturned table, picking up shards of porcelain and placing them inside an empty basket.
Diego knelt beside her and helped. Lacy paused, turning to smile at him. That gorgeous grin was all the motivation he needed to pick up every last sliver of broken materials.
“All right, everyone,” the pack’s elder said, clapping his hands together. “Back to patrol. You can talk more tonight during supper.”
“Where’s your brother?” Lacy paused just long enough to look around the gathering.
Diego chuckled, unworried. “Probably exploring beyond the hollow’s boundaries. He’s a wanderer.”
With a nod, Lacy resumed her task. More than half the bowls had broken in the crash. Damn bear. In all his travels, Diego had never gotten close to any bear shifters. They kept to themselves. Today’s confrontation didn’t make him any keener to cross paths with one.
The clearing quieted as shifters ambled into the woods. A petite female wearing the hollow’s ceremonial costume walked over.
“I’m so sorry about this,” she said. “Can I help?”
Lacy looked up. “It’s not your fault, and I think we can manage.”
The brown-haired female—Elsie, was it?—chewed on her bottom lip. “The next time I visit Balmar Heights, I will scrounge up as many bowls as I can carry to bring back to Wolf Hollow.”
“Thanks,” Lacy said. “I guess everyone will have to share for a while.”
Diego hid a smile. He wouldn’t mind sharing a bowl of food with Lacy.
Sasha walked swiftly over to them. “Thanks for cleaning up this mess, Lacy,” the pureblooded female said. She looked at Diego next. “And thank you for helping. It is very nice of you.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. Sasha turned to the petite shifter in the fur bikini. “Elsie, I’d like to get you and Zackary settled in the den. Ready?”
Casting one last look at the broken mess of bowls, Elsie lifted her head to face the pureblood and nodded.
After they’d gone, leaving Diego alone with Lacy, he cleared his throat.
“Is there always this much excitement in your pack?”
Lacy chucked a large piece of white porcelain into the basket then pulled her blonde hair over one shoulder.
“This is our first bear attack, but I guess we have been shaking things up lately. There’ve been a lot of recent claimings.” She smiled playfully. “No one said courtship was easy.”
Her grin lit his own. “Is that what this is—a courtship? Will you and I have a lot of drama?”
“Not if you behave.” She batted her eyelashes then resumed picking up bowl fragments.
Diego chuckled. Damn, she was cute. Stubborn, but sweet. He had to have her for his mate—whatever it took.
It was time to talk to his brother.
Nearly a week after the bear incident in the glade, the sound of hammering echoed all the way to the den’s communal garden where Elsie and Kallie removed bean pods that had been left to dry and brown for seed saving.
“I love that you’re living in the den,” Kallie said as she pulled another pod from the matured plant.
It had been such a relief to see her friend’s happy face the moment Elsie and Zackary made the den their home. Kallie had been bursting with excitement from the start.
“Ever since your return, Wolfrik’s been spending more time around here. At this rate, he might finish our shelter before winter.” Shooting Elsie a sly smile, Kallie added, “I think he just wants to finish before Zack.”
“Well, whatever motivates your wild wolf man,” Elsie replied cheerfully. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to finish before us since everyone seems to want Zackary’s help with repairs.” She sighed, but she felt too much contentment to mind. “Maybe one day I’ll get my treehouse.”
“Something tells me your mate would move mountains to make you happy,” Kallie said with a chuckle.
“He doesn’t have to move anything. He makes me happy every day all on his own.”
Kallie’s smile reached her eyes. “I know exactly what you mean.”
After they finished removing pods, Elsie carried the beans in a basket to the community shed where they would spend another couple week’s drying out. She really enjoyed the down-to-earth way things were done in the hollow rather transforming things like sand to flour at Balmar Heights. Everyone here was in tune to Mother Earth and the natural order of things. Although she considered herself a decent hunter, she found satisfaction in working the soil—especially when it meant partnering up with her dear friend.
Contentment buoyed her spirits. She felt like she was right where she wanted to be.
Before returning to the garden, she skipped over to a tiny home belonging to the shifter couple Farley and Tanya. Elsie ducked around back where Zackary crouched at the base of the wall, holding up a misshapen plank of wood as he nailed it into a gap between boards. A rotted piece of wood had been tossed aside a few feet away. Farley, burly with a big bushy dark beard, carried over more wood planks. Each one looked pretty rough and uneven, but the den mates shaped them as best they could with the tools they had.
“Hi, guys,” Elsie said.
Zackary turned around, grinning up at her. Sweat glistened over his bare muscular chest and on his forehead. Elsie licked her lips.
“It looks like you’re getting a lot of work done,” she said.
Smiling through his beard, Farley nodded. “Thanks to your mate here. Zackary has been a huge help. There’s practically a line forming for his services.” Farley winked at Elsie. She chuckled, happy Zackary was keeping busy and appreciated. She could wait for their treehouse.
Farley’s mate, Tanya, rounded the home carrying two glasses.
“Water, Zackary?” She handed him a clay cup before he could answer.
“Thank you,” he said, tipping it back and swallowing deeply, clearly parched.
That was her mate, too nice to
say anything. He’d work through the night if there was lighting.
Elsie was glad for the darkness. The treehouse could wait, but her evenings with her mate weren’t to be messed with.
“Water, Elsie?” Tanya asked politely.
“No, thank you. I’m headed back to the garden—just saying hi to my sweetie.”
A faint blush entered Zackary’s cheeks. Farley and Tanya stared at one another, sharing a tender smile.
That evening, they had dinner with Heidi, Peter, and their kids, Amy and Eric. Den mates were taking turns inviting the newest mated pair over for meals until they had a setup of their own.
After eating, Elsie and Zackary retired to their small tent. Heidi had helped dig it out of the shed, saying new couples used them while working on a more permanent structure. Zackary had erected the tent beneath the tree he and Elsie picked out for their eventual home above the ground.
Elsie looked up wistfully before crawling into their tent for the night. She could already picture their cozy dwelling with its enclosed living area and open deck where she could sit with her legs dangling over the ledge watching den mates go about their day. They’d need a couple of climbing ropes, too—for their kids and their friends. And a swing! They definitely needed swings. All the other children were going to want to come over and play at their treehouse every day.
It was going to be so much fun. Their lives would be filled with laughter.
Smiling wide, Elsie settled onto their shared blanket. Having rinsed off in the river after dinner, Zackary climbed in naked. Elsie changed in the tent knowing her mate preferred other shifters not see her naked. That was fine with her. She didn’t mind showing her body to her mate alone. It still felt awkward to her, having grown up always clothed. She liked watching her mate’s eyes alight as she pulled her dress over her head and stuffed it along the side of the tent. She especially liked being seized by her legs and pulled to him until their bodies became one. This time and space was theirs without interruptions.
As her mate made love to her in the confines of their tent, Elsie couldn’t help a teasing smile.
“You know, as long as we’re living in the den, we might as well get started on our own family.”
Zackary went still and stared straight ahead. In the lingering silence, Elsie worried that she was pressuring him too soon. She wasn’t one to drag things out, but she had already rushed him into the claiming.
“Never mind,” she said quickly. “We should build our treehouse first. And I didn’t realize how much help these couples needed. How did they even manage before you moved to the den?” Elsie stroked Zackary’s arm. He was so toned and fit. They’d make beautiful children . . . one day. “Nolosha para bos, nolosha para—”
“Stop,” Zackary said, interrupting her protection spell.
Elsie squinted up at him.
“No more spells.”
“But—”
“Let’s have a baby.”
Elsie’s heart expanded. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Zackary rubbed the back of his neck.
“Are you sure?” Elsie pursed her lips, unconvinced.
Caging her head in between his arms, Zackary dipped down and kissed her on the nose.
“Yes,” he said. “But you’re going to have to be the disciplinarian.”
Before she could answer, “Fine, I’ll keep our little rascals in line,” Zackary was rocking his hips in a rolling motion that made her moan.
Their nearest neighbors, Flynn and Chloe, would be smiling knowingly at them in the morning.
Who knew? If Zackary got her pregnant soon enough, maybe he’d finish building their home before Wolfrik. Nothing like a little friendly competition in the den.
“Tail” End
Southeast of the hollow’s den, Rafael ran past a cluster of hills that made up part of their host’s borders. He had explored all the perimeters several times and taken to short sprints beyond the territory. He always returned for meals. Tonight, as the sun faded, he had half a mind to catch his own dinner rather than join the Wolf Hollow shifters in their routine feast. Spending an evening away would serve Diego right for drooling hopelessly over the dainty blonde shifter.
After he’d put some distance between himself and his brother, Rafael shifted into human form and shook his fist at the half-moon that had appeared in the blue horizon several hours prior to dusk.
Fucking Diego. Rafael wanted to wring his brother’s neck. Better yet, knock him on his furry back and take his neck between his jaws. They should shift into beasts first then have it out. Maybe the idiot would be more reasonable in animal form.
Settling down had never been part of the plan.
Wolf Hollow wasn’t a bad place, but it wasn’t their pack, and it certainly wasn’t their home.
Rafael’s grumbles came out as growls through his wolf’s lips. He’d shifted several times. In human form he could cuss, which he’d done brashly in both Spanish and English. In wolf form he could snarl, which required no translation, pronunciation, or explanation.
He was all kinds of pissed off.
Rafael had stormed off right after Diego finished sharing his intention of wooing the little blonde she-wolf, claiming her, and settling down with his new mate in Wolf Hollow. Just like that he’d chosen a female over his own brother. They’d spent their entire lives together as a team. No one deserved Diego’s loyalty more than Rafael. No one! Certainly not some hussy who knew exactly how to bait his brother. It was the quiet, seemingly sweet ones who were most dangerous.
Finding himself back on two legs, kicking at pebbles, he bellowed. “Damn it, Diego!”
No female would ever pull that shit with Rafael. Hump and haul out. He always made his intentions clear from the start.
“I’m not looking for a mate or to settle down. Take it or leave it,” he’d told the two females he’d boned after the welcome celebration.
They’d taken what he had to offer with pleasure. No fighting. No drama. That was how it was done.
But oh no, Diego had gone and picked the one female who liked to play games.
Yep, better to keep away tonight so he didn’t run into the glade and bite Diego’s head off. Speaking of which, Rafael was ready to shift again. He dropped onto all fours, relishing his body’s metamorphosis into the lean, muscled beast that provided warmth, food, and protection against predators. His wolf had carried him across the continent. What kind of wolf shifter chose to settle down when there was an entire landform to explore?
One who was whipped, that’s who.
It was a sad day indeed when Diego would rather curl up at a female’s feet and eat scraps from the community cauldron than roam free.
Rafael resumed snarling, snapping at a log that he momentarily mistook for a beast of some sort—an inert bear or mountain lion.
He was projecting onto his poor wolf. In a matter of seconds, his beast form took over propelling him into a jog. Annoyance at his brother turned into a hollowed-out ache of loneliness. Rafael’s wolf didn’t enjoy running alone. He wanted his family, his best friend . . . his only packmate.
Stopping on a narrow path trampled over time by deer, he lifted his head and howled. When he lowered his muzzle, surprise jolted him at the sight of a beautiful white wolf standing before him. She’d appeared like a spirit, but unlike a phantom, her scent filled his nostrils. She stared straight at him with bright eyes that were like moonbeams. It felt as though the moon had created her especially for him after all these years of wandering without an equal.
Unlike his obstinate human side, Rafael the wolf longed for a resilient female companion to claim as his own.
This one stood proud and fearless. Something else intrigued him. He sniffed the air. What was that enticing aroma?
Moon above, the female was in heat.
Drawn to the scent of her need, Rafael circled around her, closing in on her arousal. He stuck his nose to her butt and breathed in. The female kept her patience as he got up in her business, fli
cking his tongue for a taste. She glanced back at him, eyes momentarily closing—the essence of serenity.
Was he dreaming? How had he stumbled upon this healthy, yielding female? The moon wasn’t full enough to impregnate her, but she permeated the air with her desire. She had the calm, cool stance of an alpha female and a regal air that communicated she was allowing his perusal . . . for now.
He rubbed his face against her hind flank, testing her. When she didn’t move away, he pressed his luck and mounted her. The female swept her bushy white tail to one side, allowing him entry. She bore his weight without moving an inch while he mated her. Hunched over her soft, thick fur, Rafael burrowed into her overpowering heat, pushing the ground with his hind legs.
Howls in the distance had the female breaking away from him much too soon. As she stepped aside, Rafael slid off her back and landed on the front paws that had been wrapped around her lower belly seconds before.
She sprang past him and took off running westward into the hollow. Rafael gave chase, never quite catching up until she reached the shifters who had gathered for dinner in the glade.
Seeing her shift, he quickly did the same. Crouched to the earth, he lifted his head and watched her sublime beauty unfold as she lifted to her feet and straightened her back. She had smooth, fair skin; firm, perky breasts, and short wavy white-blonde hair that didn’t quite reach her shoulders. Her face was perfection: a proud jaw beneath smooth, rosy lips, a slender nose neither too long, nor too short, and arresting olive-brown eyes that gazed with calm ease into the group gawking at her. Lips slightly parted, she looked around the gathering as though she’d been there first and everyone else had materialized with the moon.
Rafael got to his feet and tried to catch her eye, but she appeared to be looking at everyone at once and no one in particular. First, he thought he’d imagined her. Now he felt as though he’d dreamed up the whole mating incident. Maybe it had been a wolf’s fantasy. It’s not like the beast got a whole lot of action—poor guy. Rafael needed to treat his inner animal better.
Moon Cursed (Wolf Hollow Shifters Book 4) Page 26