by T. L. Reeve
Pausing at Abby’s bedroom, Aurora glanced inside and smirked. The little girl had kicked off all her covers and was clenching her stuffed sloth. She’d had it since birth, and the stuffed animal had engulfed her small frame for many years. It was well-loved and had a lot of miles on it. Slothy, as Abby liked to her call plushie, had been a faithful companion, going with Abby to every doctor visit and every hospital stay. Aurora had to bribe the little girl every time Slothy required a trip to the washing machine just so she would let go.
After pulling the covers back over Abby’s frail shoulders, Aurora made her way to the single bathroom. She needed a hot shower and sleep. Tomorrow was a big day for both her and Abby. She couldn’t allow herself to wallow in her wants or needs. She had to focus on her priorities as Abby’s guardian. Instead of cooling the lust flowing through her veins, it only tempered it enough to grab a shower and throw on her night shirt.
When she slipped into her lumpy bed, her clit continued to ache, and her cream dampened her panties. Deep down, she knew no matter how hard she’d try, she’d never find any relief with her vibrator or with her fingers. Her body was addicted to the one person who didn’t even remember what he was doing and most likely didn’t know he’d shown up at her apartment no more than twenty minutes ago. Aurora curled herself into a ball and closed her eyes. As she drifted off to sleep, a lone wolf howled in the distance, and she knew he was still out there.
Mackenzie woke to his alarm, face-down in his bed, completely naked, chilling him to the bone. He’d meant to have a conversation with Kalkin about putting him down, because he was becoming too much of a liability to his family. For almost two weeks now, he’d woken as he did, unsure of how he got there or why he’d been buck naked. He couldn’t remember where he went or what he did, nor could he remember if he’d hurt anyone, though there wasn’t any blood on him or his covers. Plus, he still had a raging erection. It hadn’t gone away in days even though he hadn’t had one since he’d been shot.
So, what gives?
He slipped out of bed, his bones popping and snapping as he strode toward his bathroom to take a piss. In the back of his mind, he knew he should have remembered something important from the night before, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Whatever it was, it had been accompanied by a delectable smell, he’d never get enough of, honeysuckle. But not just any garden variety. No, this particular honeysuckle only bloomed at night along with its counterpart, night-blooming jasmine. Those two scents wafted up from his body and every muscle inside him went taut as pleasure washed over him.
Mackenzie groaned. He hadn’t even realized he’d been stroking himself until his pee hit the lip of the bowl, splashing back on his shin. Mother fucker! What the fuck is wrong with me? He’d been on edge since he’d met Aurora. However, the moment he saw her mark, the edginess should have worn off. She belonged to another, not him. Yet, it stayed, and it was beginning to piss him the hell off.
After he finished using the facilities, he cleaned up the mess he made then jumped in the shower to wash up. He couldn’t spend the day smelling like the sweetest flowers. It would drive him crazier than he already was. Once he dropped the kids off at school, he promised himself he’d go talk to Kalkin and set up a contingency plan. His condition was getting worse, after all, and Liam and Riley didn’t deserve to see their father slowly descend into madness.
Wolves who’d been abused or abandoned went feral. Of all of his family members, Mackenzie understood the concept to the minutest detail. Feral shifters became rabid animals no one could reach. Not even Danielle would be able to put him back together. Hell, he should have gone feral a long time ago, more so, he should have died when Raymond shot him. Maybe if he had, his family wouldn’t have been so fucked up.
Mackenzie shut off the faucet and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped the towel around his waist and ambled back into his room. Glancing at his bed for a moment, he tried to understand what had triggered this episode. His clothes were left lying on the floor on the right side of the bed. None of the alarms were going off, nor had they. He had to have been cognitive enough to turn them off and back on again.
So, where did he go?
Again, a hint of honeysuckle and jasmine hit his nostrils and his cock thickened. He let out a muffled curse as he whipped the towel from his hips before going down on all fours. No one needed to see him like this. He palmed his dick and began to pump the unruly flesh. Soon, his hips joined in, rocking into his fist. Mackenzie squeezed when he got to the base and let loose with a low growl. He felt like a caged beast. The wolf inside him roared to life and pushed against his skin. The fear of his children seeing him humping his hand as a wolf, should have caused his dick to go limp, instead he went faster—grew harder while the wolf imposed himself on Mackenzie’s body, morphing him. By the time he orgasmed, the wolf was front and center, and his body was not his own. He bit his leg to keep from crying out, while harsh, body-racking throbs consumed him as pulse after pulse of his cum shot from his tip. It shouldn’t have been possible. He hadn’t been able to achieve any type of climax in almost thirty years—not even as a wolf.
What the fuck? He curled onto his side while he continued to tremble, and the rest of his release leaked from his tip. Soon, he shifted back to his human form, and all of the strength he had drained from him. Hell, even with Danielle explaining what happened at the Halloween party, he still couldn’t accept his wolf pushing himself forward. It scared the shit out of him. The towel he’d used around his waist lay inches from him, covered in thick white cum. He couldn’t deny he’d done that. He should feel relieved or content after going so long without feeling the ecstasy of climaxing. Unfortunately, it only scared him more and bolstered his need to have Kalkin take care of him if anything should happen.
When he was sure he could stand, he took another shower to get the remnants of his release off of himself. Then he dressed and headed downstairs. The mark on his bicep had closed, leaving only two little purple marks where his teeth had elongated, piercing his flesh. Should have been Aurora’s neck. The thought startled him, and he jumped when Riley landed on the tile floor like she usually did when she leaped from the staircase into the kitchen.
“You okay, Dad?” she asked, coming up beside him.
“You caught me off guard is all. You’re getting better about lightening your step.” He scrubbed the top of her head and grinned. “Why don’t you sit, breakfast is already in the oven.”
“I’m starved.” She grinned, sitting at the table. “We should have sausage patties and biscuits for breakfast.”
Mackenzie chuckled. “What do you think I’m warming up?”
Riley threw her arms in the air in triumph as Liam entered the space. His son looked exhausted. His cheeks were a bit flushed as well, while the rest of his face was a bit pale. Mackenzie frowned. Shifters didn’t get human ailments, but as he stared at his son, he could have sworn his boy was sick.
“You okay?” He peered at his boy who wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“Yeah.” The pink tinging his cheeks deepened to crimson as he crossed his arms in a defensive pose.
Mackenzie inhaled. There was a sweetness to his son’s scent also something musky and different. He watched his son as he twitched in his chair, a bit on edge like Mackenzie had been. “If you want to stay home today, boy, you can.”
Liam shook his head. His breathing had gone shallow. His eyes were a bit dazed. Mackenzie inhaled again and that musky scent grew stronger. He glanced at Riley who’d been completely oblivious to her brother’s condition, instead choosing to focus on the timer.
“Riley, why don’t you give me and your brother a moment?”
She looked at Mackenzie then her brother. Her eyes widened as she stood. “Sure. I’ll go uh, get my library book, almost forgot it.” She hurried back up the stairs, leaving Mackenzie with his son.
“What you’re feeling is normal son,” he said, sitting down beside Liam. “I don’t know what exactly you’re experie
ncing, but with the full moon coming soon, it can be intense and uncomfortable.”
“Dad,” Liam said from between clenched teeth. “I can’t talk about it. Not right now.”
“It’s okay,” he replied. “I understand, but the offer is still on the table. If you need to stay home, you can. I’ll have Danielle call the school. It’s a non-issue.”
Liam nodded. “If it’s all the same, I’d like to go to school. Maybe I can will it to go away.”
Mackenzie snorted. If only. “Sure, son. But, if you begin to feel...out of control, call me right away. I’ll come get you, and we’ll grab lunch or ice cream.”
Liam gave him a look then nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”
It was weird not having anywhere to be during the day once he’d dropped off the kids at school. He’d spent years working. The repetitive motion of laying pipe or nailing a frame together grounded him. The activity also built his muscles. It motivated him. Gave him purpose. Sitting in his house staring at the four walls surrounding him, drove him insane. And, after his little incident that morning, shit, he had to move.
Mackenzie stood, determined to make the best of his crappy situation, even if he didn’t think it would get better. He put on a front to his kids, and if he let it slip even a little, they’d know something was wrong. As he grabbed for his keys to his truck, his phone rang. He paused by the laundry door and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Window Rock High? Mackenzie slid his finger across the screen surprised and concerned. “Hello?”
“Hello, Mr. Raferty, this is Nurse Bullock. I hate to call you, because I know you’re busy at work—”
“It’s not a problem,” Mackenzie answered. “What can I do for you?” He remembered the conversation he had with Liam earlier that morning, and it dawned on him why she’d called. His son hadn’t been able to will it away.
“Liam had a bit of an accident,” she murmured. “He’s perfectly fine, but a boy his age should have his father with him at this time.”
He screwed up his face, not sure they were on the same page. What the hell has he done? “Sure. Would you like me to pick him up?”
“It would be best, I think,” the nurse answered. “Also, Principal Jones will want to speak with you as well.”
Ah hell. “That bad, huh?” He locked the door behind him before heading out to his truck.
“Oh, no. No. It was awkward.” She sighed. “It would be better if the principal tells you in person.”
“Understood. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Mackenzie hit end then tossed his phone on the seat beside him. He started the truck and backed out, heading in the direction of the school.
He should have insisted Liam stay home. He hadn’t gone through this with Royce. Nor had he been there for Bodhi or well any of the teen Rafertys. As a father, it was his duty to protect his kids, and he was sucking at that.
Ten minutes later, on the dot, he pulled into the parking lot of the high school. Students mingled around the campus. Some sat on benches, while others were under shade trees enjoying their lunch. He strode past all of them and entered the school. When Mackenzie first saw Liam, his son was pale. He had his face in his hands and the short hairs on the side of his head were dripping wet.
Damn it, kid. Even though every instinct in his body said to go to Liam, he continued on to the office and stepped inside. The secretary sitting behind the desk smiled up at him. “I’m Mackenzie Raferty, I’m here about Liam.”
Her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink as she swallowed hard and nodded. Once again, Mackenzie glanced back at his son. What the hell happened, boy?
“Mr. Jones will see you now,” she said, pointing to the open door not more than ten feet from where Mackenzie stood.
“Thank you.” He strode over to the door and knocked on the frame before stepping inside. “Thank you for calling me, Mr. Jones.”
The principal stared up at him then hurried to close the door behind Mackenzie. “No, I’m sorry we’re meeting this way. Has Liam or the nurse told you what happened today?”
He shook his head. “I wish to hell someone would.” Mackenzie winced. “Sorry.”
Mr. Jones waved him off then touched the side of his nose, and it dawned on Mackenzie the man was a shifter as well. “The first full moon for a wolf entering puberty can be...harsh.” He chuckled. “Hell, I think I got caught doing things I’d blush about doing nowadays, too.”
“Tell me about it,” Mackenzie muttered. “So, what exactly happened?”
“About eleven, Liam complained about not feeling well, and he asked to go to the bathroom. When he didn’t return after a half hour, his teacher, Miss Williams, became alarmed. She left her class in the capable hands of her TA and went in search of your son.”
Oh, God. Mackenzie squirmed in his chair. He swallowed hard, almost afraid to hear the next words that came out of the principal’s mouth. “Okay.”
“When Miss Williams knocked then stepped inside, she found Liam in a very compromising position.” Mr. Jones cleared his throat. “There’s no easy way to say this other than to spit it out. Liam was masturbating. From the condition Miss Williams found him in, she believed he’d been doing it the whole time he’d been in there.”
The air left Mackenzie in a rush. “Shit.”
“He was so out of his mind; Miss Williams finally threw a glass of water at him.” Which explained why his shirt and hair were wet. “She didn’t even think he knew what he was doing until she snapped him out of it.”
“I asked him to stay home today. I had planned on having his aunt call the school to explain why he’d missed the day, but my son, he is stubborn and hardheaded like the rest of us.”
Mr. Jones chuckled. “Well, no harm, no foul. I think Liam and Miss Williams are more embarrassed than anything. How about you take him home today and play it by ear tomorrow?”
Mackenzie nodded. “Sounds like a great idea. I appreciate the care you are taking with my son.”
A glimmer of pity entered the man’s brown eyes before he shoved it away. “It’s the least I can do to help out. I’d tell you where to take him if he needs help, but Danielle is your sister-in-law. She’d probably do a better job explaining it than a couple of old shifters.”
Mackenzie laughed. “She sure would.” He exited the office after shaking the principal’s hand and found Liam sitting in the same chair, he’d found him in when he’d arrived. “Come on, son. Let’s go home.”
His eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot as if he’d been crying. Fuck. He should have been more forceful with his son earlier. He should have sent Liam back to his room. If he’d have walked in on his boy, it’d been one thing. Instead, it’d been a young, female teacher.
Once they were in the truck, Mackenzie patted Liam’s knee. “It won’t be the last time you’ll do something stupid.”
“Dad, I really don’t want to talk about it.” Liam glanced out the passenger window.
“I know. There’s too much shit going on with us—all of us.” He drove out of the parking lot and headed to Keeley and Kalkin’s house. “But, I think I know of a couple of guys who can help you out. They should be home today.” If anyone could help him, it was his older male cousins, Nicolas, Aiden, and Colin. Each of them had been through their first full moon in the past couple of years, and they’d be able to ease his fears while also razing the hell out of him. “They’re your built-in support system. They’re your cousins and your peers. Use them wisely and just relax. It’ll get better over time.”
“Where you gonna be?” Liam flicked his gaze in Mackenzie’s direction.
He laughed. “I’m going to pick up supplies for dinner.”
If Mackenzie remembered showing up at her apartment almost two weeks ago as a wolf, he hadn’t said anything, nor had Aurora. She figured it was something Mackenzie needed to work out on his own. Telling any of his brothers would probably embarrass the guy, and she wouldn’t do that, either.
Unfortunately, it made things awkward between them. Because she
didn’t want to bring it up, and he didn’t appear to remember, she’d been forced to keep things light and her conversations with him to a minimum—which she did often since most times, she’d been on her way to work after picking Abby up from school.
Maybe it wasn’t Mackenzie, though. With her luck—if it wasn’t bad, she wouldn’t have any—it’d been some random wolf prowling the area looking for scraps or whatever. Aurora frowned. Why did the thought of the wolf not being Mackenzie bother her? It wasn’t as if he’d made any attempt to kiss her or hold or... Do you really want him to kiss you? Well... Sure. Perhaps she did. He did leave a bite on her neck, after all.
So, why didn’t he realize it was done by him? She’d thought about it since the night they had dinner together. None of it fit. He didn’t remember all of the Halloween party or more specifically the shifting, let alone nipping and licking her... Dammit, don’t think about it right now. Not while you’re at work. She glanced around the secured area and grimaced. They were busy, and if she continued to think about Mackenzie and what all he’d done to her; she’d combust there and then.
Girl, you’ve got it bad.
She sighed and scrubbed her forehead. Well, at least today isn’t a slow day. Most of her shifts were. It seemed like the only time there were issues in Window Rock, was when the full moon hung high over the town, then the crazy shit happened. For the fun of it, she’d read over previous month incident reports to prepare herself. What she read... Whoosh. It could make a radish blush.
Last year, a teen couple-over the age of eighteen—had been caught doing the naughty in the small park off Main Street. The first boy was knotted in his male partner while another female had taken advantage of the situation, causing the bottom—she thought was the right term—to be knotted within the female. According to the notes on the file, the girl was eager to find her mate and had been discovered in other compromising positions before. If Aurora remembered correctly, the girl’s name was Gwen. She’d heard it mentioned around the Raferty house during the Halloween party because three pups were dropped off right around the time Gwen should have given birth, if she’d been pregnant. Of course, it was all speculation on Kalkin and the Sheriff’s Department part. Since the boys didn’t want a DNA test due to the humiliation of not only being caught but then violated, they let it go. They didn’t want the reminder of what happened to them hanging over their heads.