Avery (Wolf Rage Book 1)

by A. M Martin

  “Wouldn’t you?” Nick’s eyebrows go way up.

  Aden huffs watching, “Look.” He nods his head.

  All three guys watch as Avery follows a smiling Cam into the house.

  “Sit. Sit.” Cam waves his hand.

  I follow Avery with my eyes. I can’t seem to look anywhere else but at her. She’s too thin. A breeze could knock the girl off her feet.

  We’re all quiet as Cam limps around the kitchen pulling a plate out of the fridge then heating it up in the oven.

  Avery’s nails tap the countertop. One finger after the other. I can’t help myself; my feet move on their own coming to take the seat across from Avery. Ice blue eyes are locked out the windows. Her fingers are tapping away.

  Her fresh winter scent fills me from head to toe. I want to purr and rub up against her. I grimace. Rub against her? I shake my head. Could I have found my mate after the cut-off age? Is it possible? My heart sputters in my chest just at the mere thought that it could be a possibility.

  “Here.” Cam sets down the plate of chicken and baked beans.

  I watch as Avery eats every bit. Her tongue is poking out occasionally, licking a spot of sauce off her pale pink lips.

  My blood is boiling at this point. I shift in my chair, crossing my arms. I want to slide my hands along Avery’s body. Feel the softness of her skin. Taste her lips. Nibble on her neck. I shift in my seat for the millionth time. My breath freezes in my chest when Avery moves.

  I follow her slim body with my eyes as she stands up and takes her plate to the sink and leave the kitchen.

  “Well, she was talkative,” Nick says drily at the swinging door.

  “Stop.” I grind out between clenched teeth and follow Avery’s scent out the door.

  I move slow, not making a whisper of a sound as I walk into the living room. My gaze softens, a small smile coming to my face when I spot Avery. She’s curled up on the couch, eyes shut and breathing even.

  “She fell asleep that fast,” Cam whispers peering over the couch.

  I shrug, grabbing a blanket out of the ottoman and lay it gently on Avery. “Guess so.”

  “She’s the one, isn’t she?” Cam murmurs watching me with keen eyes.

  I jerk looking at Cam from the corner of my eye, “I think so.”

  Cam nods and with one last glance at Avery, he leaves the room.

  I stay rooted in my spot for some time, watching this beautiful dark girl sleep. Her chest is moving slowly with measured breaths. I don’t want to leave her side. Not now not ever. I know I need to though. Now is not the time for this even though everything in me, is saying it is the time. Take it. Make her yours. I can’t. Not yet. I still have this uneasy feeling. Something just isn’t right.

  With one last longing look, I pad out of the room and away from the girl who I will spend the rest of my life with, I hope anyway.

  But now is not the time. But eventually, it will be.

  Avery

  I stretch coming awake and see two big brown orbs. I lean further back on the soft couch. The limping boy, I think his name is Camron is sitting right up against the couch. His pointy chin is resting on the edge.

  “Yes?” I ask, one eyebrow goes up.

  “You slept forever.” He smiled sitting up just staring at me.

  I sit up too, getting further away from those dimples and that smile. What does Camron want from me?

  He pushes his curly hair out of his eyes revealing the cut above his eyebrow, which now has five butterfly band-aids on it.

  “How old are you Avery?”

  “Seventeen.”

  “What’s your favorite color?”

  I just stare at this boy. Why ask something like that? My eyes flick over his slim shoulders when I hear a thump.

  Thunder eyes, Aden is leaning up against the wall by the tv, with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes narrowed at me. He’s thinking. I can see it in his toxic gaze. What does it have to do with me?

  “Favorite food?”

  My eyes flick back to Cam. My head cocks to the side as yellow ribbons come out to dance around his head. They twist and spin to their own song.

  “Hobby”?

  “What do you want?” My voice comes out as ice, and that boyish smile falls from his face.

  He looks down at his hands, his hair falling in his face again. He peeks up like a lost puppy, “Are you hungry?”

  I nod.

  The ribbons go wild as Camron jumps to his feet. That innocent smile back on and shining brightly.

  “Awesome. Come on.” He reaches for my hand.

  I jerk back, a snarl blooming across my face, “Don’t touch me.”

  He jerks back like he just got electrocuted. “Oh sorry.” He shoves his hand in the pockets of his black plaid shorts.

  “Food. Come on.” He nods almost skipping out of the room.

  I slowly climb to my feet watching Aden the way he’s watching me. With a death glare that trumps all death glares. He doesn’t like me either. That could become a good thing or a terrible thing. From the puzzled looks he’s been shooting me, I say it’s going to end up a bad thing.

  I smile slow and creepy at him and watch him stiffen. His eyes narrow to slits and I leave the room.

  Camron’s bustling around the kitchen when I get there. A plate of something gets popped into the oven.

  I sit down at the table glancing at the clock. It’s three. Guess I did sleep forever. It was nice not to hear the typical screaming for once.

  A plate of some meat and green beans gets sat down in front of me with a flourish.

  “Dig in.”

  I pick up the fork and pop a piece of meat into my mouth. My taste buds explode with flavor. Excellent considering the cardboard food I’ve been eating for two years.

  “Ah, Avery you're finally awake,” Jeff says as he walks through the door.

  Camron fiddles with his fingers. My head cocks to the side. Jeff makes him uncomfortable.

  “What do you plan to do today?” Jeff asks fixing himself something to drink.

  Camron stays quiet, running his fingers over the grains on the countertop.

  “Avery?”

  I look up from Camron’s slim fingers.

  “What are you doing today?”

  “Am I allowed to do something?” My lifeless voice causes both to flinch.

  “Why of course,” Jeff says surprised lighting his worried face.

  I place my fork on the now empty plate. I haven’t chosen to do anything in a long time. The guards and nurses at Green Brier always told me what to do, where to go.

  Camron mumbles something.

  “What was that Cam?” Jeff looks over his cup at the hunched over boy.

  Camron clears his throat, “I said she might like a shower?”

  Ah, yes that does sound good. Hot water to wash away the smell from the ward.

  Both look at me in question.

  I nod, getting up from the table. I wait beside the doorway. I’m not going back into my room till the things are no longer there.

  “Cam, show her to the guest shower and grab some clothes from her room,” Jeff says as he leaves.

  Camron lets out a deep breath.

  “He makes you uncomfortable. Why?” My head tilts to the side.

  Camron’s eyes widen his lips forming an o.

  “He doesn’t make you uncomfortable?” Camron squeaks.

  I shake my head no.

  He straightens out his white tee shirt, “Well he does me. Come on.”

  Camron showed me to the large shower. It could fit four people comfortably. The steamy hot water felt good on my skin. The hot water is melting my muscles. I should have done that last night.

  Dressed in shorts and a purple shirt I pad down the hallway and back towards the kitchen. It seems to be the one place everyone tends to be in, the kitchen.

  I stop short at the door. The tingles are back. Warm and buzzing down my skin.

  I scratch my arms as I walk throug
h the door. It’s a full house. Everyone is at the large breakfast bar.

  Kayden stares at me again like I’m his north star. Everyone else pretty much ignores me.

  “How was the shower?” Cam asks smiling again.

  “Fine.”

  I look to Jeff, “I’m going to the lake.”

  “That’s fine Avery. The boys will go with you.”

  My head falls to the side. Why do the boys have to go with me? Is he pushing these guys on me for some reason or is he afraid something could happen to me? Could it be the nonsense they were talking about yesterday?

  I nod, walking out the sliding glass doors.

  Avery

  The mountain air is crisp and pleasant as I breathe it into my lungs. My eyes shut, my head falls back letting the evening sun's warm rays bathe my skin as the summer breeze whirls about my face and my wet hair bringing the smell of cleanliness with it. It's intoxicating, being outside. It’s not until I hear the shuffling of feet that I snap back and continue walking, taking the middle path in-between the trees.

  The trees are bigger than what I am used to seeing out of the windows at Green Bier, and the leaves are bright glossy green. Birds are singing, and a few squirrels tussle in the bushes. It’s like I’m seeing everything for the first time.

  "So, how are you doing?" Camron asks as he falls into step beside me. This boy doesn’t know when to stop.

  My eyes flicker over to him. He’s staring straight ahead; hands shoved in the front pockets of his plaid shorts.

  "Fine,” I replied half-heartedly. I don’t care to pretend to care today. The other three are quite following behind us, listening to us.

  I feel a flutter of frustration laced with disappointment. It makes me stop in my tracks. My eyes lock onto Camron’s when I stopped. He stops to and turns to face me. These emotions aren’t mine, but his. It’s a feather-light touch. Barely there. I’m blocking always blocking. I’m entirely walled off, but the emotions whisper over me. Why now am I feeling him?

  My head tilts, “Why do I feel you." I say more to myself than him. Wondering how this could be possible. Wanting to figure out the why so I can stop it for good.

  His beautiful chocolate bar eyes widen, and he stumbles back in shock I suppose. Aden comes up behind him. I pay him a parting glance; my attention locked again on Camron.

  Awe lights up Camron’s features causing ribbons to appear and whisper touches of emotions to flow to me. The emotions are so light I could ignore it, but I want it to stop completely.

  He gulps afraid and excited all at the same time, “What do you......"

  "Nick. Nicholas." A high-pitched whine rings out interrupting Camron and causing a groan to release from Nick.

  A life-size Barbie doll rounds the bend of the path coming from the direction I’m heading. She’s tall with platinum blond hair and dark blue eyes. A halter top shows her midriff and a barely their jean skirt covers her lower half. She’s also barefooted.

  Huh. A backwoods Barbie.

  Joy lights up her overly made-up eyes. A whirlwind of pink-hued and dark red ribbons surrounds her.

  "Ah, Nick baby I found you." She sings out in a whiney voice. It rattles my ears.

  She stops when her eyes latch onto me. Bright green ribbons replace the pink but not the dark red. The two colors dance together. A sneer covers her inch-thick make-up face. "Who’s this?" She growls it out, hands on her bony hips.

  These people spend way too much time around dogs.

  Nick steps around me while the others move in standing close to my back, "This is Avery. Jeff’s niece."

  She’s bipolar. It’s like a flip of a switch. She’s back to the same girl who first walked out. All smiles and false sass.

  "The loony one." She giggles out, twirling a piece of her hair around her bony fingers.

  A fierce growl echoes out into the air. Barbie stumbles back, fear slamming on her face. Nick tenses up. It was Kayden. Even him growling like a demon dog has my blood heating with an electrical current racing across my skin more potent than before. Is he the cause of this pin and needles? I’m starting to hate this place. Maybe being free isn’t worth all this crap. I don’t need their crazy mixing with mine. That’s how insane folks are created.

  "Um... So where are you guys going?" Barbie asks softly. Eyes are flickering around on the ground. Head held down. It’s like she’s submitting. But to what or whom? I do know Kayden scared the sass right out of her.

  I smirk, moving around her and Nick going into the bend of the packed down the dirt path. The lake should be close. I feel some of the tension lose its strength on my tired body as I walk down the smooth path. I hear mumbles from behind. Hushed harsh whispers.

  "Hey, let’s do, something else,” Nick suggests jogging to catch up to me.

  "Why?" Camron stops causing the others to do the same. I keep moving; I just want to reach that muddy body of water.

  More heated whispering echoes from behind me.

  "Yeah, Avery let's go back to the house." Camron’s nervous. I don’t even need to look at him to know. His voice raised in a high pitch plus the edgy feeling tumbling around in my gut coming from him.

  I shake my hands out as the emotion slowly drains out of me.

  "No. You all go back. I didn’t ask for any of you to come."

  My feet hit the Sandy beach. The lake is more magical than I remembered.

  Stretching further than my eyes can see. The sun is shining its rays on the muddy surface. Maybe I’ll go for a swim. Could my body handle it? I haven’t done anything besides walking in a very long time.

  Growls and yelps bring me to a sudden stop halfway to the lake. My head snaps to the left. Further down the beach is a small crowd of kids surrounding what looks like a dog fight. What’s wrong with these people?

  "Uh. Oh." Barbie’s whiney voice rings out behind me. She’s excited. I can hear it in her tone.

  I flick a look over my shoulder cold eyes landing on Barbie who looks at the ground, fighting off a smile.

  I turn back towards the rowdy group of kids. There’s a tornado of ethereal ribbons exploding in and out of the chaos. So many colors. There’s one that catches my attention. It draws me forward like a moth to a flame. Dark and thick spinning slower than the others.

  It’s black and broad, dancing sensually above the other ribbons. There’s more than one. I move closer watching the people part from the corner of my eyes. My gaze is never straying from the thick black ribbons. That seems to make my mouth water and my heart to flutter.

  I reluctantly pull my eyes from the ribbons. It’s not a dog fight. It’s a wolf fight. What kind of place do these people live at to have wolves for sports fights?

  A huge black wolf with thick, coarse hair is about the size of a great Dane, but broader with thick wiry muscles. He’s standing on top of a much smaller gray wolf. The gray wolf is about the size of a small border collie, and it’s in some severe pain and scared to death.

  Do animals have ribbons? It’s a first for me, but then again, I haven’t been around any animals after the ribbons made their magical appearance into my life.

  My eyes narrow as I step forward into the center of the group causing the black wolf to back up. A soft whine coming from pulled back lips. I don’t think the wolf knows what to do with me.

  I give the beasty one last glance and look down at the small gray wolf at my feet. It looks quite pitiful. I bend down, the gray wolf's gold eyes lock onto my face. I hold its stare, but the ribbons soon draw me away.

  It’s like my body hungers for them. My hand raises. My fingers wiggle, and I watch as the many black ribbons slither slowly to me like a snake.

  They weave in and out between my fingers feeling like a cold gel. I barely notice that the gray wolf has calmed down somewhat. The ribbons have my full attention. They start to wrap around my wrist leaving a numb sensation in my fingers and hands. My eyes follow them as they twist around my arm, slithering higher. They spread out under my shirt across my ch
est. It’s a cold sensation but burns at the same time. I gasp as I feel a push through my skin, over my pounding heart.

  I fall to the ground, landing hard on my back. My body is writhing around on the sun-warmed sand. My mouth opens in a silent scream. My body absorbs the ribbons. One by one till all three are slinking in my veins.

  The thick black ribbons, causing unyielding pain and vigorous pleasure all at the same time. Tears leak from my eyes. I hear voices like I’m underwater. Muffled and hazy.

  I finally stop moving wheezing for air as the last ribbon vanishes under my skin, numbing my chest. I thought it was over. Whatever it was but I’m wrong. My body starts to bend in impossible ways. My head is going backward toward my back digging into the sand. My torso raises off the ground bending up towards the sky, as a burning hot, cold stretches through every cell of my body. I hear several somethings snapping as worried jade green eyes fill my foggy vision as I pass out.

  Kayden

  "Why do I feel you?" Avery’s cold voice lashes out causing a deep hurt to roll through my tense body.

  Why do I feel you?

  I don’t like the fact that she can feel Camron or what this means for me.

  Why would she feel Cam and not me? A primitive growl forms low in my chest. I clamp down on it. Growling like a wild animal will do no one any good.

  If Avery can feel Cam than that means she might be an empath after all and empaths do not mate with wolves. How could my instincts be wrong? Everything in me is saying that Avery is mine. My mate, not empath.

  What does this all mean?

  "What do you...."

  "Nick. Nicholas." Courts banshee voice pulls Avery’s cold gaze away from Cam, who lets out a stress-filled breath of air and looks at them with wide, panicked eyes.

  Court comes around the bend of the path dressed as she always is. In skimpy clothes. "Ah, Nick baby I found you." Her whiney voice rings out.

  How Nick can be around her is beyond me. The girl is a complete power-hungry twit, and that voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

  My skin ripples, my wolf ready to pounce. As a sneer covers Courts face, prompting me to move closer to Avery.