Avery (Wolf Rage Book 1)

by A. M Martin

  Cam. Aden. Nick. Jeff. Familiar smells of my pack. Cold snow. Avery. Something else.

  Something almost covered in Avery’s scent. Drenched in her. It’s dark and old if dark and old had a smell with a hint of fresh rain. I don’t know how else to explain it. Dangerous and Wild perhaps.

  The smells lead me into the den. I pause in the doorway, hard green eyes taking in the scene.

  Jeff and Nick are standing against the built-in bookcase along the right wall. Cam is in front of the fireplace along the left wall, with Aden is standing slightly in front of Cam. Body rigid. It sends me on the defensive side.

  Avery is in front of the couch, her back facing them all. Her scent is wrong. It's covered in something dark yet familiar.

  Stepping into the room a board creaks underfoot. Everyone looks in my direction. Even Avery with blood highlighting her normal pink lips dark. I stop cold. A shiver is racking my already edgy body.

  A man is on the couch behind her. I want to growl, howl, pull her away.

  Wait. The blood.

  My eyes snap back to Avery. The line of blood is slowly falling from her lips down her chin.

  I look up, my eyes snagging on the tag.

  A growl does burst from my lips then, loud and vicious. I step forward. My body is vibrating with anger and pain.

  Who would touch her? She is mine.

  I snarl, stopping in the middle of the room when I finally tare my gaze from the crook of her shoulder. Her eyes. There’s no light in them.

  No.

  My heart stutters.

  Her eyes are vacant and cold once more. That smile that stretches across her bloody lips could make even the meanest of men have nightmares for a lifetime.

  "What did you do?" I snarl out at Cam.

  My eyes are never leaving Avery as she cocks her head to the right.

  "I didn’t do anything,” Cam whispers like a scared child.

  "Ahh, Kayden." Avery sings, standing on the tip of her toes, leaning forward, “I can see your pain." She breathes it out.

  I flinch at the devious note in her voice.

  What did they do to her?

  I watch her as if she’s in slow motion her head leaning to the right then to the left.

  "Do you want me to take it away?" She sings out, right hand fluttering in the air. Slim fingers are wiggling.

  My mouth opens, but no words come out as I hear a grunt and a low growl come out from behind Avery.

  I watch as her eyes light up. Not with the lightness that made them shine. No with a darkness that makes my stomach toss and turn. It feels like she punched me in the gut.

  "He's up." She sings, stepping out to the side. A hysterical giggle is flushing her pale skin pink.

  Have I lost her?

  Avery

  I pause in the doorway, “Are you coming?"

  "Umm." Cam mumbles.

  My ears pick up the sound of the front door opening and closing.

  "I’ll go see who that is?" Cam says, his footsteps growing softer. A second set follows him.

  Well, then. I cross the threshold.

  Walking slowly to Dean, sprawled on the brown leather couch in the back of the den. A furry black blanket is covering him from mid-chest down.

  I stop when the tip of my toes touches the couch.

  All those pesky emotions from before are long gone. My body is so much more at ease. Twisting my head, I look at the shocking white of his hair and eyebrows.

  It’s a curious thing. Him having white hair when his wolf is black as night. Does that mean something is different about him? Special even. Or was he just plain dirty?

  My eyes roam down. Even his eyelashes are thick and white. The others don’t look supernatural in their human bodies, but he does. He looks so very different. Is that why I’m drawn to him more than I was to Kayden? Or is it something else that calls to my blood.

  His nose is straight, just a perfect fit to his strong square jawline. Those plump lips are just meant to be nibbled on. What a naughty thought to think. When I first saw the other boys, I thought they resemble closely to what one would call a Greek god. Not compared to Dean. He’s the real look-alike god.

  His skin is pale. I can easily see each individual muscle in his solid chest. A warrior. The thought floats through my mind. Why would I think such a thing?

  "Avery?"

  I let my name hang in the air, smiling as the nervous energy slowly amps up. It has my blood sizzling.

  "Yes,” I say looking over my shoulder.

  Jeff has finally come home. He stands with Nick along the bookcase wall.

  My eyes flick over to Cam and his faithful bodyguard Aden. I smirk. Aden’s lips pull back in a silent snarl, and Cam looks sick with worry.

  "Avery honey, why did you do it?" Jeff asks softly.

  I look back at Dean’s peaceful face lost in dreams. Are they good dreams or bad? I blink my eyes and just like that my second sight comes on. His emotions are a whirlwind mix of everything. I guess that’s to be considered with what he went through. Still going through, I’d bet.

  "So, we would live." My cool voice rings out through the den. The tension thickens. I can feel it like a live energy.

  Interesting.

  "You still could have gotten through this without locking yourself away,” Jeff says sternly.

  "Maybe." I cast him a quick shallow smile.

  I drop down to my knees. The sound of bones hitting wood flooring rings out in the air.

  Something dark and enticing fills my nose.

  "I just bite?" I question looking at Cam. After all, he’s the one who said this needed to be done.

  He nods, biting the inside of his cheek.

  I bend down. My lips are a feather ghosting across the crook of Dean’s shoulder and neck.

  A spike of nervousness flows through me. Dean. He must be able to pass my shields.

  His skin is soft and cold. A salty sweet taste explodes on my taste buds as I give his neck a small lick. Opening my mouth wide I bite down. I wince as my canine teeth length and grow longer, slicing through his skin like butter. His blood fills my mouth bringing a copper taste with it. I bit harder and gulped two mouths full of his blood. As I pull my mouth away, I feel my teeth go back to normal bringing a small hit of pain. A heat fills my body and our link snaps into place stronger than before. Pulsing with his feral energy.

  I climb back to my feet and look over at Cam, “It’s done. Are you proud of me?" I ask with a child’s innocence.

  He flinches back not meeting my eyes.

  My gaze goes back to Dean and the blood smeared on his neck. The bite glows lightly, and I watch with ramp attention as my name Avery forms on his neck. Pride swells through me. Not mine. His. Why can he always break past my wall? How does he know what is going on?

  A board creaks bringing me back to the now. I twist around. Ah. Kayden has decided to join us at last.

  I watch as his eyes fasten to my bloody lips. He stops. His eyes flash, a shiver shakes his body.

  I see the minute he spots Dean. His eyes glow with a yellow tint, his lips peel back, but not a sound comes from him.

  He shakes himself, hard gaze falling back on me. His eyes follow the line of blood that slowly falls from the corner of my mouth.

  His eyes snag on the tag at my neck. That does bring a menacing growl from his parted lips. I can feel blimps of his anger and pain. I guess that answers my question. He and I are still connected in some way. I don’t miss the butterfly feeling he usually brings forth. What a silly feeling.

  "What did you do?" He snarls out at Cam.

  His eyes never leaving my face.

  My head cocks to the side watching the rippling of his skin.

  "I didn’t do anything,” Cam whispers like a scared child.

  "Ahh, Kayden." My body pulls up, standing on my tip toes, leaning forward. "I can see your pain." I breathe out. Watching the black and red ribbons swirl with might.

  Kayden flinches. Is it from the hunger
in my tone or the look in my eyes?

  I lean my head slowly to the left, following his ribbons with not only my eyes but my head. The black ones have a slight golden touch to them. I know plain black is pain. With the gold, could that be an emotional pain? It looks oh so sweet.

  "Do you want me to take it away?" I sing out, right hand fluttering in the air. Fingers are wiggling. Wanting to bring the ribbons to me.

  His mouth opens, but no words come as a grunt and a growl come from behind me.

  I feel the heat in my eyes as Dean’s feral energy fills the room. Twisting and turning.

  Stronger than the others. He’s an Alpha.

  "He’s up." I sing softly, stepping out to the side. A hysterical giggle bursts from my lips.

  I wonder what Dean will do. How he will act. Will he look human but act like a wolf or has he regained the pieces of him that are human?

  Maybe I shouldn’t of block my emotions again. I seem worse than the first time. If that’s even possible. Oh, well.

  Avery

  One-minute Kayden is standing in the middle of the room a snarl on his face. The next he’s standing in front of me. His eyes are glowing yellow.

  My smile slips off my face. What’s he up to?

  His rough hand wraps around my neck. Fingers flexing and tighten on

  Dean’s name tagged forever on my skin.

  I feel more than see Kayden’s skin ripple and roll as he leans in close, lips laying right on my ear.

  His warm breath flutters across my ear and neck, “Mine." It’s growled. More wolf than man.

  Before I can even react, his teeth sink into the smooth skin of my neck. There’s a small pop sound as his teeth sink in deep. He nuzzles me tearing the wound wider. My eyes get heavy when I feel this snap. I jolt into Kayden’s hard chest, not even that small inch before separates us now. I feel a push and pull from inside of my body.

  I gasp as my door, the one I built into my wall that keeps my emotions locked down tight, that door I thought was such a good idea, splinters open in a million little slivers from an unseen force.

  Tears immediately spill down my cheeks as a mayhem of my emotions eclipse me.

  Desire. Anger. Astonishment. Loathing. Guilt. Horror. Panic. Mortification. Adoration. Glee.

  It’s a never-ending flux of emotions. Pulsing with the beat of my heart.

  Kayden lets go with a suction cup pop.

  I sway on my feet.

  His gaze captures me. A look of horror and pride fills his green eyes, “Mine." It’s a whispered caress across my lips. Just like Dean, I watch Kayden’s eyes roll into the back of his head. His body gives out, as he keels over onto the floor. Out cold.

  My knees buckle just as a pair of solid arms catches me, lowering me onto the floor beside a very passed out Kayden.

  I look up with bleary vision and see a set of shockingly bright copper eyes.

  "Dean." I stutter, breathless and tired. Weak. Scared.

  "Too much. Too much." He grips. His voice is shocking me to my core. It’s a soft melody of words. So, in contrast to his wild demeanor.

  "Yeah." My voice is a hoarse whisper as darkness tries to drag me away.

  "Avery, everything is going to be fine. Just fine." Jeff says balling up a shirt against my bloody neck.

  Fine. A word that works in a lot of ways. A small laugh flees from my blood-caked lips.

  Dean

  He feels him. The other meant for the female.

  Girl. Human girl.

  The three words ring out in his distorted mind. He’s like her now. His fur is gone and his tail. His teeth and claws. His senses are dulled. He doesn’t think he likes being trapped in this human body. He grunts and growls as he tries to make his weak body move. Wake up. Do anything then just lay here.

  Useless. This body is so weak compared to the wolf.

  He snarls in his head. He twitches as he feels the other one. Feels his wolf push to the surface. He’s closer now. Right beside the girl. He can smell the girl’s scent mixing with the other male.

  Will he tag the female? Complete the bond, making the Triad.

  Dean thinks as his fingers, not paws; it’s still so strange to him. He gets his fingers to move working up from there slowly.

  Must get up. Must protect mate. Too many males.

  His nostrils flare as the coppery smell of blood invades his senses. It’s her. She's hurt he can feel her pain along with so much more.

  Is something wrong with her or is it me?

  It’s too much. So much new feelings.

  He feels the slight shift in the air move as a body drops to the ground.

  Protect.

  He jolts up from the couch just in time to slip his arms underneath the small girl. He lowers her to the ground. So softly, like she’s made of the softest glass and will fracture into a million tiny pieces.

  Her teary ice eyes look up into his face. Into his very core. His soul.

  "Dean." The girl stutters. So, weak.

  "Too much. Too much." Dean mutters.

  His body tenses at the sounds coming from his snout.

  Words. I spoke just like them. Snout. No, I have a mouth now. Worthless mouth. No sharp teeth.

  Dean inhales deep, too much. Blood flows freely from the bite. The fool. He was too rough with their mate.

  Fool. I like that word.

  "Yeah." She speaks again, soft. To soft. She’s growing weaker.

  He doesn’t know what to do. How to help. Licking would work. That’s what he would do. He’s different now. She’s different. Not wolf. Licking won’t work. What to do. His hands hover over the bleeding wound not knowing.

  He holds back a growl as another male drop down beside them.

  "Avery, everything is going to be fine. Just fine." The male has a deep, commanding voice.

  He rolls something up, laying it on the girl’s bleeding wound.

  Dean leans in close. Powerful copper eyes locked onto the male. He smells of a wolf. Of pack.

  Alpha.

  Dean knows this man. He smirks.

  Not as powerful as me.

  "Cam, get the Doc." The man all but yells.

  Dean jerks his head back to the girl. She’s out. Her breathing slow and shallow. Not good.

  "Hello, Dean." The man says looking at him.

  Dean rolls the words along his tongue. "Hello." He cocks his head.

  "Her,” Dean says nodding down at the girl.

  There’s fondness on the man’s face, “Avery. She is Avery."

  Avery. Avery. Avery. Mine. Mine. Mine.

  He rolls her name around and around in his head. On his tongue.

  "You?" Dean says sitting down cross-legged, his right-hand laying on Avery’s stomach.

  He feels calmer when he’s touching her. And he just likes it.

  "Jeff." The man says.

  Jeff. The name sounds familiar. Like he’s heard it before. In another time. Another life.

  Jeff moves the rag away from Avery’s bloody neck.

  "She’s going to be okay?"

  Dean snarls, snapping his teeth. Another male.

  Too many males.

  "Yes, Nick. I say just a little bit tired, but otherwise, she’ll be fine."

  Nick nods his head.

  Dean looks from the male on the floor, the other, to this Nick back and forth. They look alike.

  "Look,” Jeff says surprised.

  All three guys look at Avery’s slim neck. The blood is still there, but they all can see Kayden, eternally tagged into her skin. They watch as the light glows brighter connecting one name to the other. As the light fades, it leaves an etching of tribal markings across Avery’s slender neck. And right in the middle. The little hollow of her chest, just below her neck is a small wolf print. All in a silvery color. How very curious.

  Avery

  Opening my eyes, I groan. My head is pounding. Is that going to be my normal for now on? Passing out and waking up with a pounding headache.

  This bed
is oh so soft. Looking up I see a white ceiling with two huge skylights. The sun is setting washing the sky in bright colors of orange and soft pinks. My eyes flick down to the pale blue walls. The color of my eyes.

  Where am I?

  I look to the left and jerk backward, holding in the scream. Cam is laying down beside me. It’s Deja vu. What’s with him and laying in beds with me while I sleep? And here I thought I was the weirdo.

  "What happened?” I ask rubbing my hands on my tired face. I feel exhausted.

  "Here." I look at Cam holding a glass of water and two white pills in his hands.

  I take the water and gulp it down. My tongue finally comes unglued to the roof of my mouth. Ugh, I need a toothbrush too.

  "What're the pills for?"

  "It’s for the blood loss."

  Blood loss? What blood loss? I stare at him. His eyes on my face. No, not my face but my neck. I gasp as it all comes back to me. Biting Dean. Kayden is biting me. All the blood. Dean soft sweet voice. The onslaught of my emotions. I don’t feel anything like that now, though. Why? All I feel is calm. An eerily calm that pills would bring out in someone. Did I break myself? Where’s Kayden? Dean? What exactly does all this mean?

  I toss the pills back and finish off the glass of water handing it back to Cam, who’s now sitting cross-legged on the light gray bedspread.

  "Why am I so calm?" I asked wide-eyed. Trying to feel panic or fear. Nothing just content calmness. Shouldn’t I be freaking out? I should. I really should. I bit someone, drinking their blood like a vampire and Kayden chewed on my neck like I was his favorite toy. I should really be freaking out.

  What the crap?

  It’s not like I’m complaining or anything it’s just that I don’t want something else to be wrong with me. Something else that’s broken. A normal person would be freaking out. Right?

  Cam nods his head to the end of the king-size bed.

  My eyebrow cocks up, and I raise up on my elbows looking down the length of the light gray blanket.

  A fluff of snow-white hair is the first thing I see. So, bright against the black silhouette of the tree and crows on the blanket.