“Joe, do you promise to protect and obey Anna Avery, putting her life before yours and others as your alpha female?”
Joe, a salt and pepper wolf, lowered his head in a bow. When Adam nodded toward him, he dipped both of his paws into the clay bowl and stepped toward me. Sitting on his hind legs, he pressed his paws against my stomach, leaving two perfect prints on my skin. I watched in awe as the red liquid slowly faded as though my body had absorbed them. Energy swirled through my body, causing my wolf to bristle beneath my skin.
Adam moved me around the circle, asking each wolf the same question, and each one dipped their paws in the red liquid and stamped my body with their paw prints, only for my body to absorb them. By the end of the line, I was so amped up, I felt like I’d taken a bunch of speed. Power surged through my veins like I was connected to a live wire.
“How are you doing?” Adam whispered in my ear as he helped me back onto the small stage.
I had to take a deep breath before answering—afraid if I didn’t, my response would come out as a squeal. “I’m fine.”
“Now it’s my turn.” He winked, and all of that energy racing through my veins headed between my legs. All of my senses amplified, my sudden desire for Adam caused my panties to dampen. Realizing that there was a huge crowd watching us, I tried to reign in my desire. Easier said than done, especially since Adam was stripping out of his linen pants. A couple females in the crowd whistled, and I growled in response, my eyes zeroing in on the admiring females. The clarity of my vision told me that my wolf was waiting right at the surface. I was sure my eyes were burning orange as I searched out the women ogling Adam.
When a hand brushed the small of my back, I looked down to find Adam smirking at me, an almost proud sparkle dancing in his eyes. With a wink, he shifted, and an ebony wolf now stood in front of me. He was huge, his shoulders coming to my feet on the stage. Adam dipped his paws in a clay pot, and just as he was about to place them on my body, a whizzing sound caught both of our attentions. Adam faltered, his ear perking up as he looked toward where the sound was coming. A deep growl echoed up his throat as he opened his mouth and roared. Momentarily distracted by his anger, when I looked up, it was at the silvery sharp edge of a broad-head arrow sailing right for me.
Adam leapt up, knocking me over right before the arrow found its way into my heart. I fell off the stage in a hard thump, Adam’s wolf a mass of fur and teeth acting as my shield. The adrenaline from the pledging part of the ceremony surged through my body making any and all pain I’d feel tomorrow nonexistent. But a tight wrenching in the pit of my stomach told me something was wrong with Adam. When he shuffled off me, I could see the cause of my panic. The arrow meant for me was sticking out of his side, buried at least four inches.
“Adam,” I yelled, crawling on my knees. I ran my fingers through his long, dark fur and tried to move around him, but he nudged me back with is head. He stood at attention, ignoring the arrow and my worry. The surrounding wolves all formed a tight circle around us, and the witnessing wolves all scrambled to their feet. I wasn’t sure if they knew what had happened, but it was evident enough that someone disrupted the ceremony.
Joe shifted beside me and grabbed my arm, trying to haul me up and away from Adam. I fought against him, needing to help Adam before another arrow found its way into his body. Through our bond, I could tell he was in a lot pain.
“Adam wants you inside,” Joe said.
Using both hands, I shoved against Joe’s body. “Too fucking bad. He’s been shot. He’s the one who needs to get inside. The arrow could have punctured his organs.”
Adam spun on me and bared his teeth, nodding with his head toward Joe.
“Uh-uh, not until you go inside, too. Let the pack figure out what happened. You’re in no shape to go running after the shooter.”
Adam’s black wolf made a sort of huffing nose, his eyes cutting to Joe. I didn’t need to know what he was saying to his second-in-command to know it had to do with me.
“So help me, Joe, if you touch me, I’m going to drop kick you in the balls.”
Joe’s eyes widened as he looked from me to Adam. Now that he was pledged to both of us, Adam couldn’t pull rank on me.
“Anna, it’s for your safety,” Joe said. “Adam wants you inside, please.”
I wasn’t paying attention to him or Adam. Movement in the distance caught my attention. A black figure scurried along the forest edge, disappearing through the trees. Anger coupled with my extra dose of energy caused my wolf to surge forward. Whoever the shooter was, they were still on my mountain and fair game.
I leapt off the stage and took off running. I could feel two more wolves with me, but my focus was on the forest ahead. Whoever was lurking on my mountain was after me. That arrow was meant for my heart. The fact that they got Adam, instead of me, only pissed me off more. If someone wanted to kill me, fine, but in his or her failed process they’d hurt my mate and, for that, I would make them pay.
My wolf pushed forward, her nails digging into the earth as she propelled herself onward. The wind whipped across our face and it smelled faintly of smoke and blood. As I reached the tree line, I came to a halt. Raising my head, I inhaled the spot I’d seen the perpetrator. It didn’t take long for my spidey senses to kick in and catch their scent. I edged through the trees, my eyes darting back and forth looking for any semblance of movement. The person couldn’t have gotten far.
“Anna, get your ass back here now.” Adam’s voice penetrated my mind and sounded as angry as I felt.
“No can do, sugar buns. Whoever shot at me is still on our mountain.” A crack of branches sounded just left of me. My wolf let out a low growl. The two wolves that had followed flanked either side of me. With a quick look, I realized it was Elle and Joe. Though the ceremony had been interrupted, their pledge was complete. Trying something, I thought about what I wanted to say and tried to direct it toward Elle. I never understood how Adam communicated with us telepathically. I assumed it was one of those mysteries I’d never understand.
“Keep your eyes peeled to the left,” I told Elle. To Joe, I said, “Eyes to the right.”
Both of their ears perked in surprise of my voice being in their heads, but they bobbed their thick, furry heads in an agreeable nod. Together, we proceeded forward and in the direction of the sound.
“I swear, if my life wasn’t linked to yours, I’d kill you myself,” Adam said.
“Pft. And here I was thinking we were still in the honeymoon phase.” I sent the message back with what I hoped was a humorous tone. It didn’t take much to upset Adam, at least where my safety was concerned. As much as his possessiveness of me was a turn on, I wouldn’t allow it to turn me into a damsel in distress. Sure, I wasn’t the best fighter, but the power surging through my veins made me feel invincible. Whether it was a false sense of superiority, I had yet to find out.
“I’m fine,” I sent the message to Adam. “Elle and Joe are with me.”
“Only because I ordered them to follow you,” Adam responded. “What rational person jumps headfirst into what could possibly be a trap? Just stay where you are; I’m sending Asher, Sawyer, and Wade.”
I wasn’t sure if wolves could roll their eyes, but I tried. Another sound echoed through the trees, this time to the left. Elle, Joe, and I all stopped and listened. I couldn’t see anything except for trees, a raccoon, and a mouse scurrying along the forest floor. Both animals were too small to create the crack of branches we’d heard.
“Fan out,” I told Elle and Joe. Hesitant to leave my side, they took a couple steps before stopping again. Annoyed with my bodyguards, I sent another message. “Fan out means separate.”
A few more lingering moments later, Joe and Elle did as I asked. Together we pushed forward. A small breeze wove around the tree trunks, carrying with it an unfamiliar scent. My wolf inhaled, filling our lungs with the stale smell. I’d been in the forest enough times to know that this thing—whatever that scent was emanating from—i
t didn’t belong here.
A flash of black whizzed ahead of me. That was all the motivation my wolf needed. She lunged forward, leaping over downed trees and around low branches as she chased the shadow. The dark shape moved quickly, blending in with the pockets of darkness of the forest. The staleness in the air intensified. What the hell was that? I could see the shadow just ahead of me. I pushed forward, my wolf sprinting to catch whoever was lurking on our mountain. However, as I neared the shape, it ran up the base of a tall pine tree and disappeared from my view.
Elle, Joe, and the others Adam sent joined me. We stared up at the tree in shock. What could fly up a tree and move that fast? Annoyed, I sent a message to the wolves to head back. There was no point in chasing shadows all night, plus I wanted to see how Adam was doing. Through our bond, I could feel his emotions, a mixture of annoyance, pain, and worry. It was making it difficult to focus on what I was doing.
Back at the house, I changed back into myself and strode into the house. Adam was lying on the sofa on his side while one of our wolves, Sunny, worked on removing the arrow from his thigh. Crouching down beside him, I ran a hand over his hair.
“How bad is it?” I asked Sunny.
She cut the arrow with a pair of tin snips and handed the discarded piece to Wade who was standing to her left. She sat back on her heels and looked over at me. Her hair was as black as midnight, and her almond-shaped blue eyes held an emotion I didn’t want to see—worry.
“The tip is pure silver, Anna,” she said. “I can’t tell how bad it is until I get the head out, but he’s in a lot of pain.”
Someone placed a silk robe around my shoulders. I looked up to see Sawyer just behind me. Smiling my thanks, I threaded my arms through the robe and knotted the belt. I hadn’t even realized I was naked—not that the pack cared—but Sawyer knew my disposition to nudity in front of them.
“Adam,” I said. He opened his eyes, relief washing through them. “You’re going to be fine. We’ll get you something for the pain.”
“We can’t take anything for pain,” Sunny said. “Our metabolisms are too high, we burn drugs off too quickly.”
Adam squeezed my hand and tugged me forward until my face was right in front of his. His fingers run up my nape and settled on the back of my head.
“Don’t you ever run off like that again, understand?”
“Adam, I—”
“No,” he growled. “If something happened, I couldn’t get to you, Anna. Your place is beside me always. Do. Not. Run. Off.”
I knew Adam was shaken up from the attack, and his anger was plausible, but being reprimanded in front of my entire pack plus some of the visiting wolves caused my wolf’s hackles to rise in indignation.
“All right,” I said through tight lips. Adam tugged me closer until our mouths met. He kissed me hard, his lips moving against mine vigorously, almost painfully.
“Sir,” Sunny said.
Adam released his grip on my head and looked at her. I ran a hand across my swollen lips, embarrassed to meet the faces of the surrounding wolves.
“I have to get the head out now,” Sunny said, holding up a scalpel.
My stomach clenched, and my eyes volleyed between the blade and Adam’s bare thigh. Droplets of blood still trickled out of the wound, increasing my queasiness.
“Do it,” Adam said tersely. He gripped my hand and dropped his head against the sofa. As Sunny got to work at removing the broad-head, Adam’s eyes clenched tight, but his face was devoid of the pain he had to be feeling. His jaw was slack, not even a tick of muscles betrayed the control he was keeping.
I leaned over him, running a hand through his hair to comfort him. I pressed soft kisses along his forehead and told him everything was going to be okay. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to reassure him or myself.
“If you keep rubbing those beautiful breasts against my chest, that towel covering my lap isn’t going to stay flat for long,” Adam whispered, opening his eyes to look at me.
I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I was just trying to comfort you. I didn’t mean to rub myself against you.”
“You’re welcome to rub yourself against me whenever you want, Chante, but let’s wait until Sunny has the blade out so that she doesn’t get an eye full of something else, yeah?”
I nodded and smiled, leaning back so that I was sitting on my heels. I kept a hold of Adam’s hand, but focused my attention on what Sunny was doing. I could see the end of the broad-head. Luckily, it hadn’t buried itself deep into Adam’s muscles. As a wolf, our muscles strengthen, making it harder for things like arrows and bullets to penetrate our bodies. We’re not impenetrable, though, and the silver head had already done its damage.
Sunny pulled the arrow’s head out slowly and gasped. The room grew still, the power buzzing through the air.
“What is it?” Donald asked, coming through the crowd to stand behind the sofa, Maggie just behind him. Her eyes weren’t focused on Adam or his wound, though; they were too busy glaring at me. She shook her head, just a slight movement that said she blamed me for her son’s injury. I held her eyes for a couple seconds longer before looking down at our joined hands.
“The head was tipped in liquid silver,” Sunny said. “It’s in his bloodstream.”
I hadn’t noticed before, but Sunny was wearing latex gloves. A small smear of silver tipped her pointer finger.
“Anna, can I speak to you a moment?”
I looked up, and Wade was standing right beside me. “I need to stay with Adam.”
“It’s okay,” Adam said with a rasp in his voice. “Just don’t leave the house, understand?”
I nodded and stood up, annoyed with his orders, but now was not the time to argue about his overbearing commands. Besides, had it been me that was shot and Adam took off, I would have acted the same way.
Standing, I leaned over, pressed a kiss to Adam’s mouth, and then followed Wade up the stairs. Once we were in the office, Wade shut the door behind him and held out the discarded piece of the arrow Sunny had cut. When I reached for it, Wade lowered his hand.
“First,” he said. “Did you guys see anything in the forest?”
I shook my head and said, “Not really. We heard noises, like footfalls, but whatever was making them was fast. All I could see was a black blur, and then it disappeared up a tree.”
The muscles in Wade’s face tensed. “Did you smell anything distinguishable?”
By the look on his face, Wade already had an idea of what could have shot Adam. His entire being seemed to be holding its breath as he waited for me to answer.
“Staleness,” I said. “I didn’t recognize the smell of being from the forest.”
Wade’s shoulders fell, and he shook his head. “Dammit. I was hoping I was wrong.”
“About what?” I hugged my arms across my chest, suddenly exhausted. The adrenaline from the ceremony was waning. And I was worried about Adam and the silver coursing through his bloodstream.
“I’m pretty sure what you saw was a vampire,” Wade said. “But I don’t know why one would be interested in killing you or us. Vampires and werewolves aren’t enemies like movies suggest, but we keep out of each other’s business.”
Wade was quiet for a moment as he thought about something. I dissected what he told me—just as surprised to find out I had been tracking a vampire. I was still new to the paranormal world.
“You think someone hired him or her?”
“Maybe,” Wade said. “The question is, who and why?”
I snorted. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? They want me out of the picture to either hurt Adam or take my spot.”
My thoughts automatically went to Maggie and Donald, but they knew what my death would do to their son, and they wouldn’t risk his life just to get me out of the picture. There was also Anthony, but something told me he wasn’t the one responsible either.
“Here,” Wade said, handing me the broken arrow. “See if you can get anything from this.”
&nbs
p; Curling my fingers around the thin aluminum cylinder, I closed my eyes and concentrated on getting a vision. Sparks of light danced behind my eyelids like an electric snowstorm, making it difficult to discern any one thing. I thought about Adam and how he’d jumped in front of me to save my life, putting his own in jeopardy and about the black mass I’d chased through the forest. Angered determination helped my mind clear the fuzziness away.
A black gloved hand loaded the arrow into the bow. The person raised the weapon up toward his or her face, getting me in sight. Leaves blew on nearby branches, momentarily obscuring the ceremony from the assailant’s view. Waiting until the shot was perfect, stretching back his or her arm to pull the bowstring tight—shot fired. The arrow sailed through the air like a torpedo, right on track to hit its target. As the arrow drew closer to the ceremony stage, Adam and I quirked our heads, hearing the disturbance in the air nearby.
The vision disappeared just as soon as it came. I blinked my eyes open, looking down at the arrow in my hand.
“What’d you see?” Wade asked.
“Nothing really,” I told him. “I saw the placement of the attacker and his or her movements as the bow was readied, and then the trajectory of the arrow as it made its way to the stage.”
“No noticeable characteristics of the attacker, something that would narrow it down?”
I shrugged. “He or she was wearing black leather gloves. If I had to guess, I’d say it was a woman’s hands.”
Wade took the arrow from me, spinning it between his fingers as he inspected it. I could feel Adam’s pain, though I was sure he was putting on a brave face for the pack.
“How do we get the silver out of Adam’s system?”
Wade looked up, his face softening. “It depends how much got into his bloodstream. If it’s not much, his metabolism will take care of it …”
“And if it’s a lot?” I crossed my arms and dug my nails into my palms.
“We’ll have to call in a medicine man,” Wade said. “But if there was a lot in his veins, he’d be in a lot more pain than he is now. I think we got lucky this time.”
Embracing the Wolf - Book #2 (Anna Avery) Page 8