I shook away my thoughts and tried to concentrate on the shopping list Elle had given me. Focusing on something so normal was a nice change of pace. I placed more paper plates into the cart, the fancy ones, per Elle’s instructions. She was making a huge deal out of the visitors, as though the Queen was visiting. Maybe it was my young age and lack of pack dynamics, but I didn’t get it. So far, all the new wolves I’d met had been either pretentious or slutty. If it were up to me we’d be eating hotdogs off the grill with cheap beer and generic chips. Adam was impressive in his own right—freaking royalty. They should be catering to him. Fanning him with banana leaves and shit. I giggled at the thought, and a woman next to me eyed me with wariness. I smiled sweetly at her, and she quickly averted her eyes, feigning interest in flushable wipes.
I headed down the aisle. Making a detour to the dairy section, I picked up a tub of whip cream. Maybe if I made a bikini out of it like in Varsity Blues, Adam would be tempted to lick each sweet dollop off me. My wolf purred with anticipation.
Back at the house, I lugged the multiple bags into the kitchen and set them on the table. The house was fuller than before. Wolves occupied every inch of the space. In the living room, the sectional was full of them as they watched EPSN on our flatscreen. Elle stood by the sink, her hip resting against the counter as she talked to a woman with an auburn bob. The woman smiled and laughed at something Elle said, making me smile, too. I wanted so badly for her to find someone to share her life with. She was too great of a person to spend it alone, cooking for an army of wolves.
“Anna,” Elle says, seeing me for the first time. “This is Jill Baker, a wolf from the Nevada pack.” Elle stared at her, besotted. Blinking, she remembers herself and looks at me again. “And, this is the slave driver, Anna,” she said to Jill.
I scoff. “Slave driver? Who sent me all the way into town to pick up supplies?” I retrieved one of the packages of paper plates from the bag and held it up. “I think you might be a tad OCD, Elle.”
Elle came across the kitchen to pluck the plates from my hand. “These are the strongest ones.” She held up the package. “And they’re even pretty to look at.”
I shook my head with a laugh, ignoring her obsession with disposable dishes. I stepped around her and held out my hand to Jill.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Jill clasped my hand and smiled. She was a good two inches taller than I was and had eyes the color of scotch, a perfect balance of caramel and brown. Her thin nose sloped at a flawless angle, and her Cupid’s bow lips were full and as red as a poppy.
“Anna Avery,” she breathed, clasping my hand and giving it a gentle shake. Releasing me, she stared almost in awe. Light sparkled in her eyes, and that friendly smile spread across her lips again. “You’re all the rage back in Nevada. A frickin’ rockstar!”
I laughed, thinking she was joking. She wasn’t.
“My sisters have been counting down the day until they meet you, and we also get to witness your alpha ceremony.” Jill paused to suck in an excited breath. I cast a glance at Elle, unsure whether I should be worried or flattered.
“The girls in Nevada seem to think because of you, they too, will get a chance at their happily ever after.”
I pursed my lips in confusion. “I hope they do, too,” I said. “But why would I have any part in that?”
Jill reached for my left hand and turned it so my palm faced upward. “Because of this.” She tapped my scar—a four-leaf clover pattern with an infinity symbol across it. “You’re proof that things are changing in the packs—that us made wolves can become more than mistresses.” She beamed again, as though her excitement was too vast to contain in such a slim frame. “You’ve given them hope that they could one day snag their own alpha.”
My eyebrows arched so high that the skin on my forehead felt like it’d been stretched over a drum.
“It’s a real life fairytale come true,” she all but squealed. I half expected her to clasp both of my hands and start jumping up and down in hopes I’d join in on her merriment. My life just kept getting more and more bizarre.
“Um … cool,” I said because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Elle laughed. “Jill, you’re lucky Anna hasn’t come into her alpha status yet, otherwise you’d be doing all of that squirming under the pressure of her teeth.”
Jill stilled, her eyes widening in horror. “Oh my God,” she gasped. “She’s right, you’re an alpha—or soon to be alpha—and here I am treating you like a regular Betty. I’m so sorry.”
My eyes darted to Elle’s face, and I scowled at her. She laughed, raising and lowering her arms in a mock bow. I was finding it difficult to keep the smile off my face so I turned to face Jill. I gripped both of her hands and gave her a reassuring smile.
“Elle is just screwing with you,” I told her. “There is no need to walk on eggshells around me. I’m no more important than you and would appreciate it if you treated me as such.”
“Modest and beautiful,” Jill almost sighed. Sighed, for the love of God. Was she crushing on me? I unwound my fingers from hers and took a step back. I know I should have been flattered that the girls in Nevada looked up to me, but all I felt was more pressure weighing down on my shoulders. They would be analyzing everything I did in hopes of catching on and snagging their own alpha. Maybe I should write a book titled: How to Bring that Alpha to His Knees—The Anna Avery Story. Or become the wolf whisperer—a fucking love guru.
I silently wondered how much they’d look up to me if one of the slut twins decided to challenge me, and I lost. Would they want their own alpha and all the drama it entails then? And I hadn’t just snagged an alpha; I’d snagged an olde blood. Mo’ money, mo’ problems, I thought with my own amusement.
“Jill, if you’ll excuse us,” Elle said coming to my rescue. “I have to prepare Anna for the ceremony.” She laced her arm through mine, and together we headed toward my bedroom.
“Of course,” Jill called after us. “I’ll just … mingle with the others.”
When my door clicked shut, I released the breath I’d been holding. My shoulders eased, and all of a sudden I felt … exhausted. I plopped back on my bed, my arms falling over my head. I stared up at the ceiling, my mind awash with thoughts, each clamoring for attention. Find out what Anthony is up to. Adam’s life is in your hands. Train to strengthen your visions. Put on your grr face to scare away the bitches sniffing around. Learn to fight in case you’re challenged. And, above all else, don’t let them know how much all of this is freaking you out.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I said, sitting up. For a girl terrified of commitment, I’d been thrust into the biggest commitment of all—alpha female. I wanted Adam … without a doubt. Needed him. It was his baggage that had me itching to run away.
Elle knelt in front of me. “Of course you can.” She clasped my hands and smiled up at me. Her copper hair was up in a bun today. Tendrils spilled from its hold, flowing over her bare shoulders. It broke my heart to see how much faith she put in me. Her bright green eyes watched me with compassion.
“Do you understand how monumental this ceremony is?” Elle asked. “Jill may be a little overzealous at times, but she’s right. You’re changing everything. You’re the voice of the common wolves—our hope.”
I frowned at her. “You’re not helping.”
“But you are, Anna,” she said, using my words against me. “For Christ’s sake, you even changed the Leaders’ minds. No wolf has ever done that.”
I looked at her dubiously. “What the hell are you talking about? The Leaders hated me, with the exception of Wade. They almost sentenced me to a lifetime of servitude with the Idaho pack.” I took a breath. “Had it not been for Adam and me bonding, they would have killed me.”
“The eyes, Anna,” Elle said, gripping my hands tighter. “They’d only just met you and already they vetoed their rule about looking them in the eyes. Why? Who were you to them then? You and Adam weren’t
bonded yet.”
I stared at her dumbfounded. “I …” I’d never really thought about it. From the beginning, I never cowered under Adam’s stare. Why would I with the Leaders? Maybe they sensed that within me—knew that my wolf would not cower under the weight of anyone’s stare.
“Doesn’t change the fact that they wanted to kill me.”
Elle blew out a breath, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “Anna, wake up,” she snapped. “All of the signs point to your potential to be great, a wolf for our history books. You were made for this.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. What if I failed? What if my failure resulted in Adam’s death? I was no longer just in charge of my own fate. What if …
“So why do I feel like everyone is just waiting for me to crumble?” I saw it every time I met someone’s eyes. My own pack watched me with curiousness, as though they’d betted when I would crack and were just waiting to collect their bounty. Some of the visiting wolves watched me with sympathy as though my fairytale was about to end, while others watched me with contempt. What Elle said was a pretty idea, but it didn’t come with pretty conditions. The phrase thrown to the wolves, held a literal meaning for me.
“They’re waiting for you to step up and embrace your wolf, Anna,” Elle said. I looked up at her. “We’re all waiting,” she added, coming to sit down beside me. “You’re the white wolf, the made wolf that captured the prince’s heart. You’ve already made history, and you haven’t even come into your own yet.” She laughed to herself. “I can’t wait to see what happens once you do.”
A tear slipped down my cheek, too overwhelmed with her assurance to hold it in. Elle slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into her. She leaned her head against mine, and said, “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You just have to believe in yourself as much as I do.”
I swiped the tear away, shaking my head. “You’re right,” I told her. “I have to put on my grr face and not second guess myself.”
Elle laughed. “Exactly. Convey with your eyes that’ll you’ll cut a bitch if she even sniffs in your mate’s direction. Make them second-guess everything they thought they knew about you, my lean, mean, alpha-bitch Queen.”
I burst out laughing. “What would I do without you, seriously?”
“Oh, you would be a mess. A complete and utter mess.” She bumped my shoulder playfully. “Now, let’s get you ready for the ceremony.”
My lungs constricted, making it hard to breathe. I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, the drag of my long, white silk gown against the grass, and the beautiful man awaiting me up front. Anything but the weight of eyes that was pressing down on me, or the abusive slam of my heart. I wasn’t ready for this, but then, would I ever be?
Elle spent the last hour and half doing my hair, makeup, and tried her best to make me laugh. Her company had helped, but now that it was time, all of that relaxation left my body, and I was as tightly wound as I’d been before.
Whoever set up the ceremony had done an awesome job. I walked down an aisle lined with pots of pink and white roses. Twinkle lights crisscrossed over my head, illuminating my face. White chairs sat on either side of the raised stage, too many to count. All of the wolves were here, faces I didn’t recognize or hadn’t met yet. The sky was twilight. Purple and orange smeared across the clouds, lending a beautiful backdrop.
Two women in midnight blue gowns held flutes to their lips, serenading the ceremony attendees. The music was so gentle, just a whisper of wind instruments, but it soaked through me. My wolf metaphorically puffed up her chest at the Native American tune. Pride leaked through me and helped me down the aisle. Elle and Jill were right; this was history in the making. I was a made wolf on her way to becoming an alpha. I held my chin high, relishing in my wolf’s strength. While I’d been unsure about where I belonged and what I could handle, she’d never wavered in knowing this was right where she was supposed to be. From day one, she thought of herself as an alpha, and now she would be—we would be.
I clenched my gown as I ascended the stairs to the stage. Adam was waiting for me with an outstretched hand. My eyes found the mark on his palm, and all semblance of doubt washed away. I clasped his hand and allowed him to lead me to the center. My pack circled around us, knelt on one knee with their heads bowed. My lungs no longer constricted, but my heart did. If there was one sure way to humble a girl, it was this moment. Tears stung my eyes, but I kept my chin high and my face blank. I could not break down, not before the ceremony even started.
“I am honored to share this moment with you my friends,” Adam began. He was wearing ivory linen pants and nothing else. His chest gleamed against the golden hue of the falling sun. When he looked over at me with pride-filled eyes, my own blurred more.
“To find one’s soul mate is a legend we long thought was lost,” Adam continued, looking out into the audience. “As wolves, we breed and mate all in the name of forming alliances. But love rarely fits into the equation.” He looked over at me again, squeezing my hand in reassurance. I tried for a smile, but it felt shaky on my lips. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.
“I am not a man who experiences insecurities,” Adam said with a smile. A hushed round of laughter circled around the crowd. “But when Anna walked into my life she caused just that.”
Hmm, that didn’t sound good.
“I was raised with one way of thinking, and this woman,” he signaled to me. “This beautiful, stubborn woman knocked me off my axis. The mere sight of her caused me to call everything I knew into question. We are each born with a piece missing, and it’s only through the sheer design of fate that we find that missing link. Anna is mine—the piece that makes me whole.” Adam stared into the audience. Aside from the soft music, silence settled over the ceremony as though everyone was holding his or her breath. I know I was holding mine.
“To know that sort of love, that completeness,” Adam paused. “I wish that for each and every one of you. So when I say that I am honored for all of you to stand witness to one of the most important rituals of my life, I say it with truth and humbled pride.” Adam bowed to the crowd. I wasn’t sure if I should follow suit or not … maybe curtsy? I nodded my head slowly instead, hoping I hadn’t offended anyone.
Adam leaned into me and whispered in my ear. “I have never seen you look more beautiful, my Chante.”
All I could do was nod. My voice left with my breath. My legs trembled beneath my dress, and a single tear escaped and slipped down my cheek. With a soft graze, Adam brushed the drop away, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“Are you ready?”
I cleared my throat and managed to whisper, “Yes.”
Adam must have given the orders telepathically because Elle and Joe stood from their bent positions and came to me. I noticed all of the men were dressed like Adam: linen pants and nothing else, whereas the women were sheathed in swaths of steely gray silk. Elle and Joe both smiled at me, but did not say a word. Together they undressed me, slipping the silk gown off my body so that I stood in my bra and underwear. Thank goodness I’d known about this part and had made sure to wear some decent underwear. I kept my eyes forward, not allowing my modesty to ruin this moment for me. At least I wasn’t naked in front of all of these people. Once Elle and Joe were done, they took their places back in the circle.
The drums grew louder and louder, mimicking the rapid beat of my heart. My pack began to fidget around me, their bodies writhing almost sensually. Clothes began to shred from their bodies as their wolves pushed forward. Within moments, a pack of wolves surrounded me. They sat waiting, their heads tipped back so that their noses faced the now dark sky. A cool breeze whipped across my stomach causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.
My gaze shifted when a group of women ascended the stage, each holding a small clay bowl. They formed a circle around me and knelt down, placing the bowls in front of the wolves. When each wolf had a clay pot sitting in fr
ont of him or her, the women disappeared off the stage. My eyes found the icy stare of Maggie and Donald. They sat in the front row, Anthony beside them. Maggie arched a sculpted brow at me, her displeasure loud and clear. Donald’s face was all hard lines and scorn. His jaw was clenched so tight; I wouldn’t be surprised if he cracked a few teeth. Anthony, on the other hand, smiled and winked at me, but there was something mischievous in his eyes that put me on edge.
“We’re here tonight to pledge our loyalty to you, Anna,” Adam said, coming to stand beside me. I smiled down at him, that tingly warmth bursting through my stomach. “Each wolf is here on their own accord. They have acknowledged you as their alpha female and wish to give themselves to you, as do I.”
My smile turned into a cheesy grin, and I had to restrain myself so I didn’t look like a teenager who’d just been asked to prom by her crush. Grinning like a fool wouldn’t help the witnessing wolves change their minds about my ability to rise to alpha status. I had to be serious and controlled. The smile slipped from my lips and straightened into a straight line while I looked ahead, chin held high.
“Let the ceremony begin,” Adam announced. He reached out a hand to me and helped me descend the small stage I stood on. Together, we walked over and stopped in front of Joe.
Embracing the Wolf - Book #2 (Anna Avery) Page 7