Embracing the Wolf - Book #2 (Anna Avery)

by Stephanie Nelson

  “I don’t know,” Joe said, “I feel something, I guess. Like I’m uncomfortable in my skin.”

  I curled my lips inward to keep their trembling under control and ignored the trickle of tears down my cheeks. Subjects can feel when their alphas are in trouble, so how my pack wasn’t going out of their minds confused me. I wasn’t sure if what I was feeling was due to our Chante bond, our wolf bond, or both. My own worry, mixed with Adam’s emotions, filled my chest so much that I was choking on them. Tears fell freely as I eyed the speedometer.

  “Faster, Joe.”

  The truck accelerated, Joe’s fingers tightening on the steering wheel as he maneuvered the twist in the road. I bent over and rested my elbows on my legs, resting my head in my hands. My fingertips buried in my hair, I closed my eyes to try and concentrate. I pictured Adam’s wolf: raven fur, sharp yellow eyes, and muscular shoulders.

  “Adam, can you hear me? We’re coming.” I sent the message to him, hoping for a response. Remembering what Adam said about not being able to feel me, made me wonder if that meant he couldn’t hear me either.

  “If you can hear me,” I thought, “hold on, we’re almost there. Please, please, just hold on.”

  “How long ago did he leave?” I asked Joe.

  “I don’t know, like a half an hour ago.”

  “Anna …” Adam’s voice filtered through my mind, but hearing it didn’t bring me as much joy as I expected. It was weak and too breathy, as though it took all his energy just to get the message to me. I choked on another sob, bringing my hand to my mouth. My vision played through my mind again: Adam’s body falling to the ground, his eyes fighting to stay open, blood coating his chest, and then life leaving him.

  “Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled.

  “We’re here,” Joe announced.

  I hopped out of the truck before it came to a full stop. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I allowed my wolf to take over. She could find him quicker than I could and run faster than my human legs could carry me.

  “Anna, wait,” Joe called behind me, but I ignore him.

  Find him. I sent the thought to my wolf as her paws beat against the hard earth. The path leading into Tie Hack opened up to the large lake. A dam sat at the end, a walkway leading to the other side of the mountain. My wolf headed in that direction, cautious as her paws stepped over the grated walkway. She didn’t like the way it felt on her paws, but she knew Adam was on the other side; she could smell him. Water rushed through the dam, spit against her feet, and echoed in her ears. She had just made it across when she felt Joe behind her.

  Racing up the small incline, she disappeared through the tree line. Adam was here somewhere, and was that blood we smelled?

  No, no, no, I thought. “Adam, I’m here. Hold on.”

  Whatever new spidey senses I’d gotten, they worked great. My wolf found Adam within ten minutes. Silently thanking her, I switched back into my human self and ran as fast as my legs could carry me to his body. He lay on the forest floor, shadowed by the tree limbs. When I reached him, I fell to my knees and gasped at the arrow sticking through his heart. His eyes were closed and his breathing shallow.

  “Adam.” I tapped his cheek. “Adam, wake up. I’m here.”

  His eyelids fluttered as though fighting with his weak body. When they opened enough for me to see his eyes, I released the breath I’d been holding.

  “You’re going to be fine,” I told him, but as I looked at the arrow sticking out of his chest and the blood staining his skin, I wasn’t so sure. His naked body was cold to the touch, and his skin paler than normal.

  “Do you hear me?” I said, raising my voice. “You will be fine. You have to be.” My voice lost its edge as I realized how much that was true. What kind of world would it be if Adam wasn’t part of it?

  Footsteps sounded to the left, and I whipped my head around, a snarl falling from my lips. I prayed it was the person who had done this so I could tear them apart, but when Joe’s wolf stepped around the trees, I sagged back on my heels.

  “He’s been shot,” I said.

  “How bad is it?”

  I looked over to find Joe’s naked body coming toward us. He knelt on the other side of Adam, his mouth falling open in surprise. He shot me a brief look before glancing back down to Adam, but in that moment I saw what he was thinking. He didn’t think Adam would survive.

  “He’s going to be okay,” I told Joe. “We just need to get this arrow out.” I began to move my hands toward it, but Joe grabbed me.

  “Don’t,” he said softly. “If you move it, he could bleed out.”

  “He’s already bleeding out. We have to do something.” I reached for Adam’s hand, squeezed it, and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.

  “Anna,” Adam breathed, his eyelids fighting to open.

  “I’m here,” I told him.

  Save him, that voice inside my head whispered. You have the power.

  That same sensation I had felt in the cave washed over me, an eerie calmness that didn’t fit with the setting, and suddenly I knew what to do. I clasped the arrow in both hands and when Joe began to stop me, I shot him a look that had him bowing his head and scooting away from Adam and me.

  Gently, I broke the arrow in half and tried to ignore the wince wrinkling Adam’s face. I threw the broken piece behind me and turned Adam on his side with as much gentleness as I could. A hiss broke through his lips, and I cringed in response.

  “Sorry,” I whispered. “I have to get the arrow out.”

  Once Adam was positioned onto his side, I gripped the part sticking through his back—relieved it had gone all the way through. This would have been more difficult if the broad-head had been buried in his heart. Softly, I pulled the other half out. Adam sucked in a sharp breath and began coughing. I moved him so that he was lying on his back again. Joe shifted, wiping a hand over his face as he stared at his friend.

  Leaning down, I covered the wound in Adam’s chest with both of my hands and placed a soft kiss on his cool lips. My heart sped as his breathing grew shallower. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead atop my hands.

  You have the power, the voice repeated.

  I concentrated on the wound closing, of my power slipping from my body and into his to give him strength—healing him. My new tattoo burned against my skin, and I sat up to find a slight red glow emanating from it. The harder I focused on the wound mending, the more the mark burned. Tendrils of energy traveled down my arms, to my fingertips, and into Adam’s body. The spot around the wound glowed red, warming beneath my hands. I threw my head back, mouth opening as the rush of power transferred from my body into Adam’s. I could feel the skin moving beneath my palm, shifting as it stitched itself back together.

  Dizziness blurred my vision and, before I realized it, a vision played out behind my eyelids.

  I saw Adam’s black wolf weaving through the trees, shadowed in the cover of darkness. A form stepped out from the trees, raising a crossbow, and by the time Adam realized what was going on, the arrow was already sailing through the air. When it smacked against his chest, a sharp pain burned my own. Adam went down instantly, and the attacker fled through the woods.

  When I opened my eyes, I looked down at Adam and found him staring at me. I removed my hands from his wound and began laughing and crying. The wound was completely gone, just the smear of blood remaining. Joe moved closer to inspect Adam’s chest and gasped when he didn’t find a hole. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn’t stop looking at Adam.

  “What did you do?” Adam asked, sitting up slowly.

  “I don’t know,” I told him honestly. “I healed you somehow.”

  He eyed me warily for only a moment, and then his hand was in my hair and he was guiding my face to his. He kissed me so fervently that it felt as though he was breathing life into me. My body came alive, wild with desire for him. I fisted my hands in his hair and kissed him back with as much dedication as he gave.

  “Uh, should I le
ave?”

  Adam and I broke the kiss; I was laughing from the joy of seeing Adam healed.

  “No, man,” Adam said. “I’m ready to head home.”

  Joe and I helped Adam up, and the three of us walked back to the truck. Adam kept his arm slung around my shoulders, either for support or because he wanted me close.

  “Did you see who shot you?” Joe asked. I already knew the answer.

  “No, just a shadow, and by then it was too late.” He looked down at me, his fingers squeezing my shoulder. “I was dying,” he whispered. “I could feel it.”

  “Me too,” I replied. “I think I felt the exact moment you got shot. It’s how I knew to find you. I’m just happy you told someone where you were going.”

  He hugged me against his side, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. A mental thought of a human coming across the three of us naked made me laugh. Then again, it was nearly one in the morning, and the possibility that humans would camp in this area was slim.

  “What’s so funny?” Adam asked.

  I shook my head. “Nothing, I’m just happy you’re okay. You are, aren’t you? You feel fine?”

  “I sure as hell don’t feel like I was shot in the heart with an arrow. A little tired, but that’s about it.”

  I smiled up at him. “Good.”

  Back at the house, a small group of wolves stood on the lawn. When we emerged from the truck, clapping and cheers broke out. I could see the relief on our pack member’s faces as they watched Adam walking on his own.

  People patted Adam on the back as we made it up the porch and into the house. I guess my freak out had gotten around, and everyone suspected something horrible had happened. And it had. No matter how unsure I was about my new wolfy powers and how much it unsettled Adam, I would never resent having them now. They had saved my mate’s life; my wolf had saved his life, and I would forever be thankful.

  After everyone greeted Adam, only members of the Everwood pack remained in the main house. Adam, Joe, and I dressed and met in the kitchen. Elle fixed sandwiches for everyone, and I was grateful to have something to fill my empty stomach. I didn’t remember the last time I had eaten.

  After explaining what had happened, I got a few questioning glances from my pack. I admit, healing someone was a little bizarre. More than that, they watched me with something resembling fear, and that stung. Wolves can lend power if they’re alphas, but even then, it’s not strong enough to bring a person back from the brink of death.

  “You think it was Taren?” Wade asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

  “Could have been,” I said. “I did kill Veronica, and this could be his way at getting back to me. The thing is, this was different than my vision.”

  Wade chewed a few times and then said, “Visions aren’t set in stone, Anna. They change depending on people’s actions. You killed Veronica and the two others, so the future shifted to accommodate that.”

  I frowned. I didn’t like how he talked about the future as though it was a living, breathing thing. Hell, maybe it was. The universe is too big to understand. Maybe some mystical being sat amongst the clouds, strings dangling from his or her hands, controlling everybody’s actions. After becoming part of the supernatural community, I wouldn’t bet against it.

  “You said that Taren acted afraid of you,” Adam said. “Do you think he would risk coming back here to attack me just to get back at you?”

  I eyed Adam, happy to see the color returning to his face. “Honestly, no. If Taren willingly left Veronica because he was afraid of me, I can’t see him coming back here to avenge her death. No, whoever shot you, is the one who hired the vampires in the first place.” I reached for his hand and squeezed. “The vampires were lying about Anthony, but I know it was a wolf.”

  “Why would they lie about Anthony?” Elle asked, taking the seat next to me.

  I thought about it for a second. “It was smart and stupid at the same time. Smart because whoever it is knows that Adam and his brother don’t get along, and everyone would automatically believe it was Anthony. I mean, he did kidnap me after all. But it was stupid because they’re screwing with someone who has visions. They had to have known I would eventually see the truth.”

  “Maybe they thought you would be dead before then,” Elle added.

  “The question is,” Wade said, “why are they doing this? Who hates you enough to want to kill you, or Adam, for that matter?”

  That was a very good question, and only two names came to mind: Maggie and Donald Everwood. None of the other wolves knew me well enough to want me dead. And if I’d learned anything from watching crime shows, it was that politicians and wealthy families would go to desperate measures to make sure their family name remained clean. Having a mutt in the family would only soil their bloodline. Then again, why would they shoot their own son? Nothing about this ordeal made a lick of sense, and it was driving me crazy.

  “We can send tracking teams out,” Joe said. “I’ll oversee everything so you can get some sleep.” He rested his hand on Adam’s shoulder.

  I was supposed to be leaving for New Mexico tomorrow, but I couldn’t until we caught this person. Just thinking about what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten to Adam in time caused my stomach to twist with pain.

  “There’s one good thing that will come out of this,” Adam said. At our questioning looks, he said, “They will never ask me to host a conference again.” We all laughed and nodded.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “It’s almost like a murder mystery dinner party.”

  “Yeah, where the attendees could literally die,” Elle said.

  We all nodded in agreement, silence settling around the table as each person thought. I rested my head in my hand and rubbed my forehead, closing my eyes. I tried to think of a logical suspect, someone other than Adam’s parents, but the only thing I saw was Adam’s bleeding body in the forest. I had a feeling I would be seeing it for a while. I thought about the vision I had and the shadowed figure that shot him. From what I remembered the few times I’d seen Taren, the shooter was shorter than him. Was it another vampire or the employer?

  “Maybe we should tell everyone to go home,” I said and everyone looked at me. “I know the conference has another week, but I’m tired of worrying every time we go outside that another arrow is going to find its way into one of our hearts. If the person responsible is from one of the visiting packs, then maybe they’ll take their vendetta home with them.” Even as I said it, I knew I was wrong. Someone that twisted wouldn’t just up and forget about wanting me dead.

  Adam rubbed my back, his fingers coming up and squeezing my shoulder. “I think it’s best everyone remain here until we catch whoever is doing this. Maybe tomorrow you can start reading people.” At my frown, he smiled. “You can read Chloe first. Just think of all the dirt she’s hiding. You could own her with it.”

  I admit that did make this whole ordeal a little more bearable. Then again, I didn’t want to spend an entire day seeing the history of the visiting wolves. I wanted my mountain back and everyone to leave, like now.

  “I think I’ll start tonight,” I said, standing up.

  I knocked on the door to Adam’s old house where Chloe and Cadie were staying. The interior was dark behind the windows, and I smiled at the thought of pissing them off by waking them up. Lights flipped on, illuminating the house, and footsteps echoed as someone headed toward the door. I silently prayed that I would find incriminating information by reading Chloe. Other than Adam’s parents, she was my only other suspect.

  The door swung open to reveal Cadie. As soon as she saw me, a scowl distorted her pretty face. “What do you want?”

  I smiled brightly. “I thought we girls could have a slumber party,” I told her sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and began to slam the door in my face, but I shot out my hand and stopped it from closing. I ignored the huff coming from her lips and stepped inside.

  “That was very rude,” I told her. “Especially since this
is not your home. You are a guest here. I expect for you to show some respect.” I was not in the mood to deal with a snotty werewolf ho. One wrong word and I was afraid I would kill them both. Adam’s near brush with death had me tiptoeing between the edge of sanity and insanity. My wolf bristled beneath my skin, agitated and ready to break free, and I was tempted to let her.

  “I—” Cadie’s face changed from annoyed to afraid. Her lips parted, and she stared at the ground, giving me a wide berth as I moved farther into the house. I hadn’t been in here since I came looking for information on Eve. Her decorating touches still remained in the house, reminding me she was still here in a way.

  “Where’s Chloe?” I spun around and faced Cadie. Her long brown hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. I flicked a glance at her tank top that had a picture of a silhouetted wolf and the words Trophy Wife scrawled across the top. I quirked an eyebrow in disgust.

  “Nothing like advertising your gold-digger-ness,” I muttered.

  “She’s sleeping,” Cadie said, pressing her body against the wall as though the space between us still wasn’t enough. I smiled, taking a step closer. I had felt the effects of a powerful wolf and knew how suffocating it could be. I moved so close to her that she had to turn her face so that our lips didn’t meet.

  “Then go wake her up,” I said slowly.

  Cadie didn’t waste any time; she slid away from me and scurried down the hall. A wide smile bent my lips upward. Having this odd power might not be so bad.

  Five minutes later, I heard Cadie and Chloe down the hall.

  “Why didn’t you just tell her to leave?” Chloe asked.

  “Because,” Cadie said. “She’s different now, powerful.”

  “So they say,” Chloe murmured. “But I doubt she’s changed that much.”

  When they rounded the corner, I was leaning against the wall, my arms crossed over my chest. My eyes instantly connected with Chloe’s, and I grinned.

  “Aw, come on,” I goaded. “I must have changed enough to scare you. You did retract your challenge, didn’t you? I’m more than willing to meet you in the field if you’ve changed your mind.”