Born Wild

by Nikki Jefford

  “You okay there, Kallie?”

  Palmer’s gentle, caressing voice made her shudder and grind her teeth.

  He slid in front of her, grinning wide and obnoxious, the reek of brew on his breath coming nearer, as though trying to capture her next inhalation in its thick, pungent waft.

  “Fine,” she said in a clipped tone.

  “You sure?” His brows jumped, and he raked his eyes over her body.

  “I’m sure.”

  Palmer wore a khaki collared shirt with two buttons unfastened at the top. His bronzed chest hair blended in with his tanned skin, and smiling lips made his cheeks puff out inside his round head. The hair on his head was a dull brown that receded on one side, making his forehead appear larger, but he had nice straight teeth and slightly crinkled, caring eyes.

  Palmer moistened his lips. “Have you thought any more about my proposition?”

  Kallie scowled. Just thinking about it made her recoil in disgust. Palmer wanted to make her his third mate. Apparently his other two mates, Francine and Trish, backed the decision since Kallie had been such a comfort to them since taking residence in the den. To keep herself busy, she had helped with baby Franny and Trish as the shifter went through a rough pregnancy that immobilized her most days and made her continually sick to her stomach. Kallie had felt bad for Trish. If she’d known Palmer would take her kindness as an open invitation to claim her as another female in his growing harem, she wouldn’t have bothered.

  “I told you I’m not interested.” The words were like grit between Kallie’s teeth.

  And yet her answer had no effect on Palmer’s smug smile.

  “You come from good stock, Kallie. It would be a shame not to continue that lineage. I know the other shifters look at you and see you as defective, but I see a female who is kind, caring, and still capable of bearing children. You shouldn’t have to miss out on all that just because of an unfortunate accident. The vulhena shouldn’t be allowed to take away your chance at a family.”

  Lips curling, Kallie hissed, “And you believe you’re the only male who can give that to me?”

  “I’m the one offering,” he said. “I’ve become quite fond of you, Kallie.”

  She snorted. He’d only seen the sweet, caring side of her. This is what came of being too nice.

  Palmer sighed. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts. If you need anything—anything at all—let me know.”

  He swaggered away before she had a chance to tell him what she needed was for him to leave her alone before she shifted and used her fangs to demonstrate that she was capable of more than just bearing children and assisting his family.

  When she reached Jager, her skin was still crawling, as though Palmer’s eyes had grown fingers that trailed over her arms and legs. Kallie shuddered. Near her, Amber sat on her knees in front of the elder shifter from Glenn Meadows, clasping the old woman’s hands.

  “Oh my gosh. Thank you, Flora. Thank you so much,” Amber gushed, lashes fluttering as she blinked back tears.

  Dark gaps appeared between Flora’s lips when she smiled. “Do not thank me, child. It was destined by the stars.”

  Kallie turned her back to them. She too felt like falling to her knees—if only to beg Jager to put her back on patrol at the next moon cycle.

  He looked up at her with a kind smile. Hopefully the drink had filled him with generosity.

  “Kallie, you look well, my dear,” he said.

  “I feel great,” she said. “Hardly notice my foot anymore.”

  “I’m happy to hear it.” Jager’s head bobbed ever so gently. It took Kallie a moment to realize he was moving to the music.

  Beside them, Flora sucked air in through her teeth.

  “Oh, dear child, you carry a heavy burden. Your fate was sealed long ago, but not in the natural way. Sorcery has foolishly attempted to supplant the stars.”

  Unable to resist, Kallie glanced over to see whom Flora addressed with such passion. Tabor’s half sister, Elsie, sat on her knees, grasping the old woman’s wrists as though they were branches keeping her from falling over a cliff. Somehow her long white dress always remained pristine—magic, perhaps—and her long brown hair had a shiny, silk sheen even in the dark.

  “But is there anything I can do to take back my future?” Elsie leaned closer, staring into the woman’s eyes as though she could see the stars reflected within her murky irises and all they held in store.

  “You already know the answer to your question,” Flora answered.

  “So, there’s still hope,” Elsie mused wistfully.

  It was hard to tune out such a curious fortune-telling. Odd that a powerful half-witch would be consulting an elder shifter claiming she could read the stars and palms.

  But Kallie had her own future to secure, and she wasn’t leaving it up to fate or constellations in the sky.

  She turned back to Jager and squared her shoulders.

  “I went running on three legs yesterday, and it’s pretty much the same as four.”

  Jager nodded, but he was watching the dancers.

  “Put me back on patrol. Please, Jager.”

  His lips drooped into a sad smile when his gaze found hers.

  “Sorry, Kallie. You know I sympathize with your injury more than anyone, but you’d only slow your partner down. Besides, Palmer tells me you’ve been a great help to his family.”

  Kallie scowled violently. Is that all the elders saw her as good for? Putting herself at the beck and call of Palmer, Francine, and Trish?

  As she jerked away from Jager, blinking back angry tears, she noticed two ancient eyes peering at her, pulling her in. It was as though those eyes had latched onto Kallie’s legs and moved Kallie toward her. There was an empty spot in front of Flora. Kallie kneeled in front of her, not sure why she bothered except perhaps to find out if her life was truly ruined.

  Flora took Kallie’s hands in hers and squeezed before turning them over to stare into her palms. The old woman smiled slightly.

  “Ah. So, you’re the one.”

  Kallie winced. “Please tell me I’m not doomed.”

  “Doomed?” The old woman cackled. “Dear child, the future is yours for the taking.”

  Flora leaned in closer, causing Kallie’s heart to beat wildly with something she hadn’t felt in a long time—hope.

  “I see it clear as sky. You will give birth to a strong, handsome son who will grow into a leader to future generations of this pack.”

  Kallie’s heart skipped a beat.

  A son.

  She was going to be a mother—to have a strong, healthy son. A leader.

  She shook her head, silently scolding herself for getting pulled into the old woman’s fantasy. Kallie yanked her hands out of Flora’s and got up on shaky legs. Flora baffled her further by flashing a knowing smile. Unfortunately, sometime during the fortune-telling, Rosalie had skipped over to wait her turn and overheard the last bit.

  She squealed, her brown eyes expanding in her round face right before she threw her arms around Kallie.

  “Oh my gosh, congratulations! A boy!” Rosalie let go and whipped around to address their closest bystanders. “Kallie’s going to give birth to a boy, everyone.”

  “Shhh,” Kallie hissed, eyes narrowing.

  She squeezed Rosalie’s arm so tightly her friend gave a squeak. Rosalie’s head drew back in surprise as though she hadn’t expected Kallie to possess that kind of strength since the accident, but there was nothing wrong with her hands and arms.

  “I thought you’d be happy.” Rosalie’s lower lip pouted, and she rubbed her arm where Kallie had squeezed.

  Kallie huffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s all a bunch of foolish babble.”

  “Well, I think it’s real or, at the very least, fun.” Rosalie’s rounded face and chubby cheeks made her appear younger
than her twenty-two years. She had thick, smooth hair, the darkest brown, which she brushed over her shoulder before taking her place in front of Flora.

  “Dismissed,” Kallie thought. Because she wasn’t fun anymore, not since she’d gotten her foot mangled.

  Her gaze went to Raider. His head was bent into Jordan’s, their lips locked together, while one muscled arm disappeared beneath her top. If there’d been any sparks left in Kallie’s soul, they winked out right then.

  On unsteady legs, she limped away from the bright, burning bonfire and all the boisterous music, dancing, and laughter, toward the dark trail leading back to the den. She’d gathered her courage and made her appearance, and now that she had, there wasn’t any reason to subject herself to this torture any longer.

  She could still hear the drumbeats behind her when Francine caught up.

  “Congratulations, Kallie. A boy is a fortunate prediction. The old woman said I’m destined to birth another girl.” Francine wrinkled her nose at the last part.

  Francine was as bad as Palmer. The two of them were like wolves ganging up on weaker prey. It made her seethe that they saw her that way and believed they could cajole her into joining their renegade family.

  Kallie shrugged with a dismissive lift of her nose. “I wouldn’t put too much stock in wild guesses. You could just as easily have a boy. It’s not like Flora will be around to see her predictions fail.”

  Francine put her hands on her hips. “Flora predicted the massacre of our elders.”

  “So she claims,” Kallie returned.

  “It haunts her still,” Francine said. “If she’d had her vision a couple days earlier, someone from Glenn Meadows would have been able to warn us in time.”

  “Well, they didn’t.” Kallie ground her teeth.

  “Life goes on,” Francine said. Obviously, there was no love lost for her parents, unless she kept it to herself. “Palmer would love to have a son.”

  “Perhaps Trish will give him one.”

  “We’ll see about that. In the meantime, you should really make yourself useful, Kallie. You can’t patrol, and you’ll never have your own mate. Don’t you want to be a mother? Don’t you want to help your pack?” Francine demanded.

  Bitter hot sparks erupted inside Kallie. She lifted herself to her full height, which had always been average. There was no way to tower over Francine, who stood four inches taller.

  “Don’t you want your mate to yourself?” Kallie shot back.

  She expected her question to irritate Francine, but the overbearing she-wolf simply stuck her nose in the air like she was above such petty jealousy.

  “Palmer is the greatest man in Wolf Hollow. He’s highly intelligent, potent, and a natural leader. The pack would benefit from having more of his offspring around, especially since Sasha shirked her duties by breeding with a half-breed. And it’s not like there’s much hope of Wolfrik mating Hailey from Glenn Meadows since returning half-mad.”

  Kallie narrowed her eyes. Francine should watch her mouth. She had no idea what it was like to carry around scars and feel that the strongest parts of her had been forever stolen.

  Francine’s head was too full of her own self-importance and her mate’s virility to notice Kallie’s aggravation. She tossed her hair back and thrust out her chest.

  “Just because you’re maimed doesn’t mean you can’t bear Palmer strong, healthy pups. In the meantime, you can help with mine and Trish’s. It will help prepare you for when your own pups come.”

  All thoughts left Kallie’s head. The ability to speak had vanished in her blinding rage. It was as though she’d shifted into a snarling, angry wolf confronted by a deadly pack of vulhena.

  But Kallie hadn’t shifted. She still stood on two not-so-sturdy legs, incapacitated by her fury.

  When she said nothing, Francine looked down her nose at Kallie. “Do us all a favor and stop playing coy. Accept Palmer as your partner at the next full moon celebration. You should feel lucky we chose you, Kallie.”

  After shooting her one final look of superiority, Francine walked away.

  Kallie was still rooted to the spot long after Francine had disappeared into the trees. Speech eluded her. The only language she understood at the moment was the animalistic kind.

  She’d rather banish herself from Wolf Hollow than bend over for Palmer. She’d rather join a new pack than answer to Francine. The Glenn Meadows shifters had taken Syndey in. Why shouldn’t they take her? Maybe they’d have a place for her to help. Unlike Wolf Hollow, Glenn Meadows still had a healthy population of elders, but they were getting older—like Flora. Perhaps they could train Kallie in the healing arts. She’d felt so helpless when Jordan’s sister, Emerson, had fallen ill. She wished she knew more about medicinal herbs and healing. Most of that knowledge had died with their elders, and the pack had to rely on Tabor’s magic.

  If Kallie became skilled in the healing arts, her pack would beg for her return.

  As soon as the thought occurred to her, Kallie latched onto it like a wolf onto a meaty piece of bone.

  She was done with Jager, Palmer, and Francine telling her what she could and couldn’t do. The old woman was right about one thing: the future was hers for taking.

  She ripped her dress off, tearing the fabric with her bare hands. Destroying the old cloth thrilled her.

  Kallie couldn’t carry it on her journey to Glenn Meadows. Once she shifted, she didn’t plan on turning back into a human until she reached the nearest neighboring wolf pack. During the five-day journey, she’d hunt her own game and keep warm in her fur at night. Her foot would slow her down, but three legs were better than one.

  Excitement coursed through her. No one could have her. No one could stop her. Freedom and possibility called to her, and she would answer back.

  chapter three

  As the last pieces of her torn dress fell to the ground, Kallie got onto all fours and shifted. Her body compacted into a powerful, lean, furry, four-legged animal. Her sense of smell and hearing heightened. Her energy level surged. The transformation was exhilarating.

  She turned and took off through the woods, away from the den, around the glade with its merry beat, and dashed between trees and past underbrush.

  The sky was a blanket of stars above her. She moved steadily beneath it, determined not to stop nor sleep until she reached Wolf Hollow’s border. In the morning she’d choose a direction . . . or possibly come to her senses and skulk back to the den. For now, it was liberating to just run and imagine a life free from Palmer and Francine’s pestering. It’s not like anyone else cared what became of her. Raider only had eyes for Jordan, and her own friends could be as selfish as they were clueless about her emotional state. Camilla was too busy licking her own wounds, and Rosalie and Olivia didn’t like anything they deemed “not fun.”

  So Kallie ran, dragging her mangled foot with her.

  Her emotions worked like muscles through her body, pushing her onward with boundless drive. Leaves whispered as she blew by, and bits of dirt loosened beneath her paws only to scatter back over the earth behind her.

  She ran fast. She ran free.

  This forest had been her home most of her life—the trees as familiar to her as her wolf pack—it welcomed and spurred her along. But would these woods let her go?

  Deep into the thicket, a rustle in the ferns caught Kallie’s ears. The fur on her back rose. She whipped around as a large gray wolf leaped on top of her and knocked her off her feet.

  She’d forgotten about Wolfrik lurking on the outskirts of the hollow. She didn’t fear for her safety, but she was annoyed by the unexpected delay.

  Kallie snarled and snapped viciously.

  Wolfrik shocked her by shifting into human form. What kind of maniac would turn human to wrestle down an angry wolf with his bare arms and hands?

  The naked flesh flashing beside Kallie’
s mouth was too tempting. She’d been holding back her anger for too long. She bit Wolfrik’s arm as he put his weight onto her. As soon as Kallie tasted blood, she let go. Even in wolf form, she had enough sense not to do serious injury to a fellow member of the pack.

  Wolfrik didn’t so much as grunt, as though he were impervious to pain. Instead, he put more weight on her and grabbed her two front legs before she could claw his skin.

  “Shift,” he said.

  Kallie thrashed beneath him, snarling out of control. She tried to scratch the arm impeding her escape, but Wolfrik somehow managed to squeeze both her legs into one fist. Kallie’s lips lifted over her fangs to snarl. She didn’t want to hurt him; she just wanted to get away.

  Wolfrik lowered his face directly into hers and bellowed, “Shift!”

  The fight in Kallie leaked away when she recognized the command of an alpha. There was wild, raw strength in Wolfrik that overpowered anything she’d ever detected from any of the other males in Wolf Hollow.

  Kallie huffed her consent before letting go of her wolf to take on human form.

  Fur receded, and sharp claws turned to stubby fingernails that Kallie was prone to biting. Thick brown unruly hair tumbled down her shoulders.

  She lay naked beneath Wolfrik, chest rising and falling rapidly. Her large breasts brushed against the soft brown hair on Wolfrik’s scarred and muscled chest. Her nipples hardened into painful tips. Her body ached with desire that heated her blood and throbbed between her legs.

  The instinctual part of Kallie called out to be claimed by such a virile man-wolf. She could still taste his blood in her mouth, which only excited her more. The unexpected lust coursing through her was beyond maddening considering the whole point of her flight was to avoid ending up on her back with a brute of a shifter straddling her.

  Only a couple inches of space separated Wolfrik’s very large, very hard shaft from entering her. From his pinched expression, he wasn’t aroused so much as annoyed, which made the situation utterly humiliating.

  Kallie tried to push him away. “Get off me.”