by T. S. Joyce
Public speaking hadn’t exactly been her bright and shining moment in school. In fact, on two different occasions when it had been her turn to speak in front of the class, she had simply frozen and looked blankly at her notecards. She’d barely passed her public speaking classes.
Was she supposed to say something? And if so, what was she supposed to talk about?
Marcus leaned kindly into the microphone. “Apparently this year’s crop of newcomers has turned up a Silver Wolf, which you all know was thought to be extinct.”
“How do we know she’s a Silver Wolf?” someone called from the crowd.
“Yeah, we want to see her Changed!” someone else yelled.
The room exploded with demands. Marcus looked questioningly at Morgan, and she nodded. Maybe if they saw her as a wolf, the curiosity would die down some. God, she felt like a freak show.
A man at the front of the crowd spoke. “Of course she is Silver Wolf! Even if she isn’t Changed, she smells different?” He drew a long-exaggerated breath and stared at her with predatory eyes. “Smells like a bitch in heat.”
He reached for her leg, but before he could touch her, Grey’s Wolf exploded from him in an instant, and his black-furred muzzle clamped down on the man’s arm. He bit hard enough to puncture skin, and then let him go. The man scurried backward through several rows of people, knocking chairs over and pushing into others. The stink of fear was thick and pungent in the air.
“No one is to touch her,” Grey snarled out in a voice more growling beast than human. The crowd gasped, and then started their whispered chatter again. He stood protectively in front of her, but she was just as stunned as the crowd. No way could she ever speak human words when she was Changed into her wolf. Several wolves in the front whispered, “That’s the Demon Wolf,” and a few even made the sign of the cross, as if they were warding off evil. None of this seemed to bother Grey, who sat down beside her and narrowed his glorious yellow eyes at the audience.
Morgan cleared her throat. “I’m not very comfortable Changing in front of people yet, so if you don’t mind, I would like to Change in private. I’ll try to hurry.”
Marcus nodded. “Of course. And take your time. You’re still a new werewolf, and perhaps not used to the pain of the Changes.”
She tried to smile her thanks, truly she did, but it probably came out as a grimace. She turned on her heel and left through a door at the back of the room in search of somewhere more private to Change. Grey followed her to the women’s bathroom. Their bond was slack, which meant he was sitting right outside the door. Even though her pained whimpers embarrassed her, she was relieved that he was near. She clawed the cracked door open with her paw and came face to chest with Wolf, the pitch-black, golden-eyed, massive wolf who was much bigger than her. He ran his muzzle down the side of her face and gave a short whine. She sent him pictures of them holding hands on the plane, and of him throwing Lana up in the air and catching her in front of the cabin. He always settled if she sent him happy thoughts and good memories. She was fine. She just wanted to get through Summit and back to normal—whatever ‘normal’ was. Grey rubbed his body down the side of hers and led her back out to meet the crowd.
She and Grey walked side by side as they came back out onto the stage. When she stopped and sat down, Grey sat close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body emanating from him. The chatter had escalated when she first appeared and had morphed into a constant and excited buzz when she sat down.
She couldn’t see much past the first row of men, who were all taking on bright-eyed predatory gazes. Wolf snarled and lunged at the closest one. He paced a tight circle around her, growling constantly. The pictures that came across the bond were of fighting and blood and creative ways Wolf was coming up with to kill anyone who dared touch her. She’d done what they had asked, and it was time to find her human skin again. Much more of this and Wolf was gonna enjoy a little killing spree.
She hopped off the side of the stage and found the bathroom with her clothes and Changed back. Fully dressed once again, she leaned against the sink of the tiny restroom and dragged her eyes up to the mirror. Brilliant purple against the dark eyeshadow she had chosen. The tingles in her skin from two consecutive Changes were uncomfortable and her muscles were so sore. It felt like invisible fur was all over her body had been rubbed the wrong way and there was no way to right it. She flexed her arms as she gripped the sink even tighter.
“You okay?” Grey asked from the doorway.
She jerked her head in a nod. “Sorry. The Change back took me a pretty long time.”
“That’s okay. No one is timing you. If you wanted to take a day Changing, no one can say shit or I’ll eat them. Can I do anything?”
“No. My skin hurts, but no one can fix that.”
He shut the door behind him and leaned against the wall as if he didn’t have anywhere in the world to be but here, in the empty lady’s bathroom in a building full of werewolves. She approached him slowly and ran her fingertips up the side of his cotton shirt.
Quietly, she asked, “Why are your Changes so different?”
“I don’t know. The pain is blinding but it only last a couple seconds. If I could take the hurt from your Changes away, I would do it.” He reached up, and his hand hovered just above the still sensitive skin of her cheek. “If I could take all of your hurt away,” he whispered, “I would do it.”
She sighed and leaned into his palm. The price of the pain was fair to gain the warmth of his touch. “I feel too far away from Lana.”
“Me too,” he admitted with a smile. “Want to know one of the sexiest things about you?”
“Is it my bedhead in the mornings?” she asked cheekily.
“That’s really damn cute, but no.”
“Hmmm. Is it my nerd side when I’m working on computer stuff? Or the way I get excited before I eat a meal and rub my hands together like a praying mantis?”
His chuckle filled her heart with happiness. “Nope. It’s how good and natural you are at mothering Lana. Sometimes I just watch you two together and it makes me feel…feel…well, it makes me feel. You are very special, Morgan.”
Back at the table, with Lana snuggled tightly in her arms, introductions began and promised never to end. Most wolves she met were kind and curious. A few of the females from other packs even stayed longer to talk to Rachel and Marissa. A smaller number, however, weren’t kind at all. These wolves obviously didn’t have a comprehensive understanding of women and said the most inappropriate things she had ever heard. She hadn’t a guess if they said such things to shock her or to get a rise out of Grey, or if they were actually hoping she would like the filthy talk. By the last group, she tried not to cringe while waiting to hear what was going to come out of their mouths. Perhaps if there were more female werewolves, they would know how to talk to ladies better. She enjoyed a good dirty joke, but good Lord, not when they were directed at her by complete strangers who were actually serious.
The other females were quite interesting, and she found a bond with them she hadn’t expected. She was lucky to have Marissa in her pack and Rachel as a close friend in the pack next door, but other females weren’t so lucky, and Summit was their only chance to find camaraderie with others. Sure, some of the females were quick to make snide remarks, acting jealous about the boys paying attention to a new plaything, but Morgan waved them off. Even as a human, she had never had any desire to make friends with women who acted like that. Others were perfectly friendly with a hint of desperation to connect. Rachel knew most of the females who sat around their table at the end of the night to talk. Lana had played thumb war with Grey until she relaxed and eventually fell asleep in his arms, and he smiled and left with her to give Morgan time with the other females.
“What happened to your arms?” a pretty blond wolf beside her asked.
She pursed her lips, unsure of how to answer. How much detail did she go into? What if one of these females came from a pack they had fought? She d
idn’t want to bring tension into the group.
Rachel spoke up. “Our packs were attacked last week, and Morgan joined the fight in her human form.”
“Were you there, too?” the woman asked.
“Marissa and I both were. Our pack was so outnumbered, and we wanted to help.”
“Has that happened before?” Another woman asked. “I mean, have you had to fight because you are Silver Wolf?”
“We had several formal challenges made at our house before that.” Morgan looked down to hide the heat in her cheeks. “The last one wasn’t accepted because I had already been claimed.”
“That big black wolf…you are his then? Officially?” the brown-haired girl to her left asked, disappointment tingeing her voice.
Morgan laughed. “Sorry ladies, he’s spoken for.”
Grey talked with a group of men a few tables away. His shoulders were tense, but he patted Lana’s sleeping back absently and seemed comfortable enough. His gaze collided with hers, as if he could feel her attention, and the corner of his mouth curled up in an irresistible half smile. He winked, and she tried her best to stifle her hammering heart before the others heard it.
“Holy moly, he’s freakin’ hot,” the blond woman said to the laughter of the table. Morgan thought her name was Sarah, if she remembered correctly.
“They were married last Saturday,” Marissa chimed in.
“You guys are married?” A younger woman, probably in her early twenties, all but squealed.
“Yeah,” Morgan admitted happily. “I don’t wear my rings unless I know I’m probably not going to Change that day.”
“You could do what some married females do and have their husbands brand their ring finger. You could brand him, too. Then there is never a question of whether you are married. I mean, males can smell that you are claimed anyway, but I think it is kind of romantic to get your ring finger branded.”
Morgan leaned back in her chair in surprise. “I’ve never thought about that. I might actually consider it.”
“So, what is the best part of being Silver Wolf?” another asked.
Morgan laughed, thinking. “I don’t think there is any benefit to being Silver Wolf thus far, but the biggest benefit to being a werewolf would be…oh, after I was Turned, I figured out I can eat as much as I want and not gain weight. I almost gave myself theobromine poisoning from eating three giant Hershey kisses to see if I could gain any weight. That experiment isn’t recommended, ladies. Chocolate really does poison dogs.”
“I save a ton of money because I don’t have to buy wrinkle cream,” an older woman, Doris, offered.
“There is never a lack of horny male attention,” Sarah said.
Marissa snorted. “Who wants that?”
A couple of the other women nodded in agreement with her. The giggles died down and Sarah spoke up again. “I know this is personal, but I think everyone is wondering. Wolves have been talking, and they say you are able to have babies. Are you?”
“I don’t know,” Morgan replied honestly. “It’s something I always think about, but all of the history we’ve been able to find says only some of the Silver Wolves were breeders. I don’t know if I am a breeder or not. I’ve only had two periods since I was Changed, and they were both unpredictable.”
“Well that’s a good sign, dear,” Doris said. “I haven’t had a period since I was Changed. The stopped the day I was Turned.”
The other girls said the same. It was a subject Morgan had been afraid to bring up in front of Rachel, so this was the first she was hearing of it. She squirmed in her seat uncomfortably.
“I’m just glad I got boobs,” Marissa chirped up. “I was convinced I would look like a flat chested fifteen-year-old for the rest of my life. I only had my period a few years before I was Turned, so imagine my surprise when these puppies started coming in.”
Everyone at the table grew quiet for a second, and then burst out laughing. Though her being Changed as a child was no laughing matter, Marissa was kind of awesome at subject changes.
“My mate is the one who Turned me,” Doris quipped. “The whole ‘I might die’ thing was of less concern to him than the possibility of my sex drive plummeting after I was Turned. He assumes it messes with our hormones since we are unable to reproduce, so he keeps waiting for the day I grow bored of sex. He keeps waiting, and I keep putting him to work.”
The table erupted in a fit of giggles.
“Okay, I change my answer. That is the best part about being a werewolf,” Morgan said, grinning.
“Is everyone doing the scavenger hunt tomorrow morning?” The young brunette woman asked.
Most of them spoke up saying they wanted to.
“I bet if we split it off, boys versus girls, we would win easily,” one of the women said. “No seriously, how much time do you think the boys are going to waste fighting each other tomorrow?”
Rachel laughed. “I would guess about ninety-four percent of the time, give or take.”
“Do you think it will be kid-friendly?” Morgan asked. “I want to go but I won’t be separated from Lana. It makes me paranoid to be away from her.”
“I think so,” Doris said. “If she gets tired, you could carry her. I looked at the list of packs that are paired up, and the Dallas packs are on the same team, so you will have all of your guard dogs with you,” she said with a wink. “The baby would probably enjoy running around the mountain, too.”
“Good,” Morgan said with a nod. “What are the strength challenges they are talking about?”
“It’s mostly for the guys. It gets pretty bloody, but if you can stomach it, sometimes it’s pretty interesting to watch. It’s basically a fight for who is the biggest and baddest wolf. You have to stay in human form, so it’s a brawl. Dean has won it the last two years in a row,” the woman sitting beside Marissa said, waggling her eyebrows at Rachel.
“Dean did?” Morgan asked in surprise. “Rachel, how did I not know about this? I knew he was a fighter, but whoa! Who knew I lived next door to the meanest wolf there is?”
“Well, a new wolf will be crowned this year. He isn’t entering this time around,” Rachel said.
“What?” Morgan exclaimed. “Why not? He is champ! He needs to defend his title.”
“Do you really think it is a good idea for Dean and Grey to possibly face each other in the ring?”
“Oh no, that is a terrible idea. I didn’t know Grey was entering.”
“I don’t think he even knows yet. I saw Dean signing him up.”
“I’m sure Grey will appreciate that,” Morgan said sarcastically. “I wouldn’t mind seeing it though. Are any of you girls going?”
They all decided they would go if the other ladies were going.
“So, Marcus said something about a girl fight?” Morgan questioned.
“Usually, we don’t have any girls enter. I looked on the sign-up sheet and didn’t see anyone on there yet. They make it available in case any ladies want to give the boys a good girl fight to watch, or if they have something to hash out with another female. I don’t think we’ve had any ladies volunteer for four or five years now. Why? You wanting to fight one of us?” Sarah asked with a saucy grin.
“No, not me. I don’t want to sign up. I was only curious about what it was. Honestly, I’ve had enough fighting for one lifetime.”
The ladies said their goodnights, and genuine smiles lingered on their faces as they promised they would see her at breakfast. As the packs headed back to their cabins, Morgan’s tension eased.
If nothing else came of Summit, at least some of the wolves had accepted her.
Chapter Six
Wade was a bit of an anomaly. He was reserved with a quiet demeanor about him that only lifted when he had something important to say. He was uncomfortable in crowds, often pacing the outskirts of pack dinners. Underneath it all, he was dominant, but she’d never seen him challenge Dean for the pack or anything. He seemed content to just be invisible. It was pretty obvious t
hat Summit wasn’t his scene from the moment they all crammed into the cabin, and even before the meet-and-greet, he had found his escape in the form of hunting down food from a small local grocer that would feed the Dallas packs in between meals. Morgan couldn’t really blame him for finding an excuse to duck out of the crowds. She would have escaped with him if she could have.
She bathed a very sleepy Lana and tucked her neatly into one of the bunk beds. Even though her dark-headed little niece was halfway to dreamland, Morgan sang her favorite lullaby anyway. Grey watched her patiently from the door. He wasn’t rushing her. The languid notes of contentment sang through their bond and relaxed even her tensest muscles. The more she tuned into their bond, the more his happiness became like a drug to her, like a siren’s song. Was it the same for him? The need to encourage his happiness so he could drink in that natural high?
Wade’s hunt had been successful. Morgan left the door open a crack so she could hear Lana if she woke up. Wade was unloading groceries only a little faster than the pack was devouring them. He nodded minimally under their thanks but his mouth curled up in a satisfied grin. Even if Summit wasn’t his type of place, he liked being appreciated. She could tell.
The oversized picnic table was overflowing with friends, and it creaked under their constantly shifting weight. Marissa sat comfortably in between Rachel and Brent, and they were laughing at something he’d said. Morgan smiled at the scene before her, in awe of this completely unexpected family she’d stumbled into. Marissa waved her over, making room between her and Brent. Face still stretched in a lingering grin, Morgan settled in and reached for a plate. Grey pulled up an extra chair close enough behind her that his knees rested against her lower back.