I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand and nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Without warning, Jasper stepped up and grabbed me from behind.
He was so solidly muscled, it was like being hugged by a mountain. A warm, delicious-smelling mountain with biceps that seemed to be about the size of my waist. “The first line of defense is letting yourself go limp,” he said, his breath warm against my ear. “The person might not be able to support your weight, and then you can try to get away. Don’t bother trying it on me or anyone who seems stronger than you,” he added.
I could feel a hot blush working its way up my face, and I was glad I was facing away from him. “Not you, then. Got it,” I muttered.
“Second, stomp on their foot or kick them in the knee, if you can. Or, if their hands are within range, bite them or twist their finger back.”
I nodded, but all of a sudden, an idea came to me. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off, but I had to try.
“So go ahead,” he said, his arms like iron across my shoulders and waist. “Escape.”
“Hold on, I have a question,” I said. “Let me go for one sec.”
As soon as Jasper released me, I turned and flung myself at him, aiming my shoulder for his solar plexus. I had a split second to think that this would probably end with me making a fool of myself.
To my shock, my shoulder connected. He went off balance and fell backward, hitting the dirt with a grunt. Unable to check my momentum, I landed on top of Jasper in an undignified sprawl, but I scrambled off him as quickly as I could. He pushed himself up on his hands and stared at me, and for a moment I was worried he would be angry. But to my shock, he threw back his head and laughed, the sound echoing off the trees.
“I think you’re getting it after all. Well done, Allie.”
He’d called me Allie. He’d never done that before. And I’d never heard him laugh before, but the sound sent butterflies fluttering through my tummy. He grinned at me, and the butterflies started doing triple backflips. “Come on,” he said, getting to his feet and offering me a hand. “The other two will be wondering where we are.”
I took his hand, feeling the rough callouses there as he pulled me to my feet. “Thanks for the lesson,” I said, suddenly shy.
“We can do more work tomorrow if you’re interested.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” We walked back toward the camp together, and the memory of his laugh warmed me all the way.
* * *
Mal and Beau were packing up the camp when we returned. “So, did you kick his ass?” Beau asked, grinning at us.
“She has potential,” Jasper answered coolly before I could think of a clever reply.
“She’s got more than that,” Mal chimed in, and I felt myself blush at the tone of his voice. I’d been too distracted this morning to think about what we’d done last night, but seeing the wicked smile on his lips brought it all crashing back.
“I think I’m going to go rinse off in the pond,” I said, turning to hide my red face. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“Don’t be too long,” Beau said. “We’ve got some ground to cover today.”
I promised I would hurry, grabbed a fresh set of clothing, and made my way to the water’s edge. After checking that none of the men had followed me, I peeled off my clothes and plunged into the water.
The icy water shocked some of the weariness out of my sore muscles. I ducked my head under the water, letting it flow over me, rinsing me clean. I was looking forward to a proper bath in Gram’s ancient clawfoot bathtub, and I knew I wouldn’t have too long to wait. By my estimation, we’d reach Silver Grove in another day or two.
The thought gave me a twist of anxiety low in my belly. Well, of course it did. I was returning back to the place I’d run from, to people who never liked me, to do a ritual that would bar me forever from the few people who I did like.
Including my guards. I hated to admit it, but I was going to miss them when I left. I didn’t know how things had changed between us, but they had. Even the men seemed closer to each other. I wasn’t going to take credit for that one, but the whole dynamic was so different than when we started this journey that I almost felt like a different person.
The strangest thing was that I liked who I was becoming. The old Allie was quiet and avoided getting to know people and didn’t like trying new things. But I was enjoying unraveling the mystery of these men, discovering what made them who they were. And being out in the woods and sleeping under the stars and being physically close to others after so long alone was like waking up after a long sleep.
Could I give that up?
But if I didn’t, then what would happen to my life in the city? Would staying in Silver Grove mean the end of my independence?
Well, I still had a little time to decide. I climbed out of the stream, wrung the water out of my hair as best I could, and slipped into my clean clothes. As I approached the camp, I could hear the men talking in low, serious voices, even the always-joking Mal. A dart of worry ran through me. Something was wrong.
13
Beau
Allie and Jasper had spent the morning training together. It surprised me that I wasn’t jealous, but I didn’t feel the slightest pang. Jasper was a fierce warrior, the best in the Pack, and if he could teach her how to be stronger it made me happy.
But what really surprised me was my lack of jealousy toward Mal. It was pretty obvious what had happened in the tent last night, but I thought it had been good for both of them. I had sensed a deep loneliness in Allie when we first met her, but it had vanished during our time in the woods. And Mal, who had always been so secretive and sarcastic, was so different now. When he smiled, it lit up his whole face.
A change had come over Jasper, too, but it was more subtle. He didn’t snap at Mal and I the way he had when we first set out for the city. Some of the coldness had left his eyes, and I had noticed him walking closer to Allie than before as we traveled.
She was changing all of us for the better. What if she could do that for the whole Pack?
After she left to go rinse off, I turned to Jasper. “How did it go?”
To my shock, he smiled slightly. “Better than expected.”
“So she kicked your ass?” Mal drawled, grinning at him.
“She made a good start at it.” Jasper’s smile lingered for a moment, then faded like the moon behind a cloud. He looked from me to Mal, serious again. “She’s strong for a human, and she has spirit, but if she can’t shift she won’t survive among us. All it would take is one Challenge.”
Mal blinked. “Challenge?”
“Didn’t they have those in your Pack?”
He shrugged. “I might have heard some of the old-timers mention it, but I don’t remember. What is it?”
“If anyone thinks a Queen is unfit to rule, they can challenge her to single combat,” Jasper said. “And the winner takes over the Pack. A Queen has to be strong to rule in Silver Grove. Mentally and physically.”
My heart sank. I knew he was right. And I also knew that there were some power-hungry wolves who wouldn’t hesitate to pounce at any sign of weakness. “So, what?” I demanded. “We just give up on her? Tell her to go? Never see her again?” My tone was sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t help it. I had hope for the first time in a long time, and I wasn’t ready to let that go just yet.
“We’re her guards,” Mal said. “Could we accept a Challenge and fight for her?”
“No,” said Jasper. “It has to be her.”
“There has to be something,” I said, looking to Jasper. He was the highest rank of all of us, and he knew the laws and rituals better than most.
He glanced down, and for the first time since I’d known him he looked unsure. “There is one thing,” he said slowly.
“Well, shit, whatever it is, let’s do it!”
Jasper glared at Mal. “It is not without cost. Don’t be so hasty.”
Mal scowled right back. “Yo
u gonna tell us or make us guess, then?”
“Enough,” I said, nudging Mal with my shoulder to calm him down. “What is it, Jasper?”
“It’s an old ritual,” he said, still looking down. “I’ve never seen it done, but I’ve heard about it.”
I was as impatient as Mal for a possible way to help Allie, but I kept my mouth shut to let Jasper tell it in his way. After a long silence, he spoke again.
“It’s uncommon for a werewolf not to be able to shift, but it does happen sometimes. And if it doesn’t happen by the time they reach adulthood, their Pack members can join together to try and help.”
“Are there enough of us?” I asked.
“Three is the recommended number,” Jasper answered.
Mal looked relieved. “Well, what do we have to do?”
“I’ve never seen it done,” Jasper said again. “But the gist is that we all raise our energy, then transfer some of our power into her. The idea is that the extra magic will boost her natural ability and let her shift for the first time. If the first shift happens, typically it can be done again.”
Mal had been nodding silently as he listened, but he glanced over at Jasper. “And how exactly do we transfer our power into Allie?”
Jasper shrugged. “The easiest way is the old-fashioned way.”
“You’re talking about sharing her?” Mal said, raising an eyebrow. “All at once?”
Jasper nodded, and I felt a little surge of lust. Sex was one of the oldest and strongest ways of raising power. If the three of us, all Alphas, worked together, the magical potential was strong.
Mal was grinning that wicked smile of his, but something about Jasper’s solemn face made me wonder. I was pretty sure he had no objection to sharing, so there had to be something else. “What are you not telling us?” I asked.
Jasper sighed. “Sharing power would bind us to her, and to each other, for the rest of our lives. Think of a mating bond times four. And the bond happens even if the ritual isn’t successful.”
I was starting to get it now. “So even if it doesn’t work and she can’t shift, we’ll all be bonded.”
“And if she can’t shift, she has no business trying to be Queen, because she’ll get herself killed,” Mal muttered. “I won’t let that happen.”
“And if she can’t be Queen, she’ll end up banished. And the three of us will be banished, too,” I finished, and Jasper nodded grimly.
I leaned back, staring up at the sky. Part of me wanted to say that it was worth it, that she was worth it, that we should do it. But I realized this would impact all of our lives.
For me, Silver Grove was the only family and the only home I had ever known. Leaving, even for her, would be hard.
Mal was just opening up and processing his grief, and if we took him away from the rest of the Pack, would he shut down again?
And as for Jasper, as Guardian, he devoted his whole life to protecting the Pack. If he was banished, it would take away his life’s work, his purpose.
“Is everything ok?”
We all jumped like we’d been caught doing something wrong. Allie was standing at the edge of the clearing, her wet hair streaming over her shoulders, looking concerned.
Mal recovered the fastest. “Fine, Princess,” he said, his teasing drawl back in place. “We just had a little fight about the route to take, that’s all.”
I was surprised that he had lied, and I didn’t like it, but I understood. It was better that we all agreed on this before offering it to her. Otherwise, it would be cruel to tell her there was a chance to help her but that we weren’t willing to try it.
Luckily, she smiled. “Men. Human or werewolf, none of you will ever take directions, will you?”
I grinned. “Well, maybe we would if they came from you.”
She looked surprised for a split second, but then she laughed. It was a great sound, one I hadn’t realized how much I had missed. And the pleasure I got from hearing her laugh told me what I already knew: I would give up everything to be with her if it meant giving her a chance at taking her rightful place as Queen.
The question was, would Mal and Jasper feel the same?
14
Jasper
We set off through the woods later than I wanted that day, but the events of the night before had left us all tired, so I didn’t press the issue. We still had time. The Pack lands were only a day and a half’s walk from here, and the moon wasn’t yet full.
Wolf-formed, I prowled along next to Allie in what had become my usual place at her side. She was preoccupied talking to Beau, which let me watch her unnoticed. Her hair had dried in the morning sun, and it fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Her scent filled the air, all ripe peaches and sunshine. She smiled at some joke Beau made, and that smile went straight to my heart.
Everything she did lately went straight to my heart. I loved it and I hated it.
I had never felt this way about anyone. I had always assumed I would take a mate someday, but my life had been consumed with training, and none of the women in the Pack ever seemed to understand that. They would want me all to themselves, which was understandable in a mate. But my duty to the Pack as a whole would always come first.
But if we performed the ritual that bonded us, Allie would belong to all three of us. That would leave me free to do my duties as Guardian, knowing she was still cared for by Beau and Mal. And when I had time, I could come home to her, and perhaps make her smile the way Beau and Mal did.
I shook my head, wishing I could shake off these foolish thoughts like water droplets. I was being idiotic with these fantasies. After all, I wasn’t even sure she liked me. I had tried to hide my feelings from her, but more and more I caught myself slipping lately. She had a way of making me forget myself.
When we were grappling in the woods that morning and she was in my arms, with those soft curves and those fierce eyes, it almost drove me to distraction. When she tackled me, it was all I could do not to tangle my fingers in her hair and see if her lips tasted as silky as they looked. Instead, I had just laughed like an idiot. She impressed me, despite myself.
But was she worth potentially giving up my whole life for? Part of me wished I hadn’t said anything about the ritual, but Beau had looked so desperate it made me do something foolish. I realized I had started to think of him as a true brother, one who I wouldn’t mind being bound to. Mal, too. They were good wolves, and I knew between the three of us could take care of Allie.
A realization hit me like a ton of bricks: what if she still intended to give up being Queen, abandon us again and go back to the city? I had forbidden the other two from trying to influence her decision before we left, and that included asking what her plans were. But if we were going to offer our lives to her, we had to know for sure. I made up my mind to bring it up when we stopped for camp tonight.
And if she said she wouldn’t stay? Well, I would deal with that when the time came.
Wanting to give my mind a break from this grim possibility, I perked up my ears to listen to Beau and Allie’s conversation.
“So besides bartending,” Beau was saying, “What else did you do in the city?”
“I read a lot,” Allie answered, with a wry half-smile. “Kept to myself, or tried to. Sarah would drag me out to stuff occasionally, but I couldn’t risk opening up to people, so I made a lot of excuses. It was tiring. I did do some volunteer work though, stuff that didn’t require a background check. This summer I worked with a charity that collects school supplies for children in need. It was very rewarding.” Her smile was soft as she spoke.
That caught me off guard. I assumed she’d just run away from Silver Grove and abandoned the Pack to focus on her own desires, which was understandable but selfish. But to hear that she was devoting her time to helping others made me think that she just might be Queen material after all.
It would be a welcome change from Edie’s selfishness, that was for sure.
I reminded myself not to get my hopes u
p. First, I had to speak to Mal and Beau to see if they were willing to perform the ritual. Then I had to ask her what she intended to do.
Suddenly, being around her and being unable to touch her was too much. Despite the fresh air of the forest, I was suffocating. I caught Beau’s eye and gave him a curt nod, then galloped off into the forest, looking for Mal. I wanted to see what he was thinking, if he would perform the ritual. I knew there was no need to ask Beau’s opinion. The light in his eyes when he looked at her showed that he would do whatever was necessary to help her. But hell, wasn’t I as lost as he was?
She had to stay with us, I realized suddenly. I would make her see that even if she didn’t feel at home in Silver Grove, she belonged with the three of us. My inner wolf had already claimed her.
I raced through the trees, trying to outrun my thoughts. It didn’t work, but it didn’t stop me. I was so preoccupied that I didn’t see the bear cub until it was too late. I skidded to a stop, staring with growing panic at the young beast. A low growl from the bushes told me the mother was close by.
In that split second, I realized I had made a huge mistake. One that might cost me everything.
15
Allie
Jasper vanished off into the trees, leaving Beau and I alone on the trail. That wasn’t unusual; he was always off investigating strange sounds and smells, but he always returned to my side like a persistent shadow.
However, I sensed a change in my guards today. Ever since I had caught them talking this morning, they had been acting strangely.
Beau kept up a cheerful string of questions about my life in the city, but behind his easy smile I could see a hint of worry in his eyes. He was watching me more closely than usual, like he was looking for some hidden sign.
Mal’s teasing smile had a strange hardness to it, and he’d given me a long look before heading out ahead to scout. And even as Beau and I talked, I could feel Jasper’s eyes on me.
Princess of Wolves: A Reverse Harem Romance Page 8