How could she not sense him? Scent him? Though hidden, he was almost on top of her. Was she innocent of what he'd silently accused her?
He followed stealthily as she picked her way through the undergrowth. Closer to the pack. He sensed no ill intent. Now bonded, he could feel a whisper of what she did. There was nothing in her but curiosity and wonder. Enraptured, she seemed to hold her breath as she watched the pack play and cuddle, some finishing their meals. She smiled and put her hand over her mouth to hold in a laugh when Trystan rammed into Talon, sending him flying.
When Trystan moved to Amanda and rubbed himself against her side, then nuzzled her neck, Makenna's face softened further. Their wolves were not afraid to display their feelings, even if their stubborn human sides were reluctant.
Rhys shook his head, but his attention stayed on Makenna. More than anything, he wanted to go to her. But if she was telling the truth, he couldn't just shift in front of her and expect her to deal with it without talking to her first. He truly would lose her forever.
His earlier bravado faded as he relished the beauty of her features in the moonlight. So perfect. So sweet, yet with a hint the warrior could appear at any moment. He edged closer. His wolf began to pull back, urging the man to go to her, to bring his mate into his arms and home where she belonged.
He didn't put up much of a fight. Closer and closer. If he shifted, a few steps and he'd have her warm, lithe body pressed to his. They could make love in the moonlight, if she'd have him. He could make her understand. She felt the same pull, the same pain at being separated as he did. Her emotions swirled in his own chest, beckoning him to her.
She inhaled a sharp breath, and her hand flew to her breast. As she watched the pack begin to return to camp, she stepped back. He scrambled to do the same, her movement snapping him out of his trance. His hind paw caught on a branch. He overcompensated, sliding down the small hill, his back paws landing with a splash in the water.
Makenna whirled, then froze.
He should run. He should get away now so he wouldn't be tempted. It wasn't the right time or place to have the necessary discussion. Instead, he stalked out of the water, head held high. His wolf's enthusiasm infected him as he paced to within a few feet of her and stopped.
He'd done it now. If he couldn't fight the shift, everything would spill out into the open. Either she would accept him or reject him.
With all his heart, he hoped he could fight it off. Because judging by the look on her face, if he shifted she'd run fast and hard.
Right out of his life. Forever.
Or maybe not.
When he raised his gaze to hers, her eyes were wolf.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Wolves
Makenna’s soul felt them before she saw them.
The swirling in her gut, the tug on her heart, had drawn her from her reverie. Her head had snapped up at the first wave. Someone was close. Many someones. They felt familiar, yet not. There was a kinship riding the breeze with their scents.
Whoever they were, she knew them. Or at least, she should know them.
Yet another thing she couldn't explain. Another knowing.
Shivering in the slight wind, she rose from the log. Drawn toward a gap in the thick foliage, she tiptoed, afraid to be discovered until she knew what or who it was. There was no fear, but that didn't mean much. Not much scared her. Well, except for the feelings Rhys evoked in her and what was happening to her. But even those thoughts were consumed by the need to find out who it was that had garnered her attention. Who would be out in the swamp at night?
And why the ever holy fuck did she feel as if she were a part of them?
Two signatures, auras, whatever the hell they were, stood out among the rest. They pulled at her on a visceral level. A wave of sadness followed a soul deep longing to get to them.
To find completion.
It wasn't the same romantic pull as she'd experienced with Rhys, though. The lying bastard. She shook thoughts of him off and concentrated on the two beings, trying to see them through the thick bayou growth. This was similar, yet different. Whereas it had felt like he who she didn't want to name completed part of her soul, these two signatures were already a part of it. Integral.
The same.
There was a connection with the others as well. Not soul deep, but not shallow either. Somehow, they were joined in such a way she could feel some of what they felt. Each being drawing nearer was content. Aware, but content. Full. Happy. They were safe, though always on guard. It didn't interfere with their happiness, though. It was a part of their psyche, watching out for the others and themselves.
What would it be like to have someone care like that? To be so concerned with her well-being they watched out for her without hesitation, and she did the same for them? Was that family? Makenna thought so but couldn't be sure. She'd never really known family.
It'd been ripped away from her before she got the chance.
Not understanding what was happening but loathe to let the warm feelings slip away, she moved closer. There. In the small clearing below she saw them. She drew in a quick breath. What she saw wasn't what she'd expected.
A pack of wolves. Beautiful, majestic wolves. They had varying colors of fur, black, silver, reddish, creamy white. Each distinct and glorious.
They were no ordinary wolves. Not only were they much larger than average wolves, even from a distance, there was something about them...what was it? They seemed almost human. She would've rolled her eyes at yet another bit of proof she was losing her fucking mind if she didn't know down to her bones it was true.
If she weren't overcome with the desire to join them.
Her eyes widened as she watched them play, eat, and cuddle. Clearly they'd just finished a hunt and were enjoying the fruits of their labors. A male took off at a run and rammed into the side of another, sending him flying. She grinned. They were playing.
Then the aggressive male ambled toward a female, rubbing himself against her. There was an obvious connection between the two. The wolf that had been thrown shook his head and seemed to be laughing as he watched the other two cuddle. But Makenna's attention wasn't on them anymore. It was on the pain in her heart.
She recognized the connection between the male and female. Felt it echoing in her own being. An unfulfilled longing for the one who completed her.
Rhys.
The pain crashed in full force, stealing her breath. She sucked in air and grabbed her chest as it was sliced in two. Damn his lyin' ass. She couldn't get away from him. He was everywhere. Even in the depths of the swamp, in the middle of the night, as she watched wolves she felt like she knew and wanted to be with.
The beast inside stretched awake again. For once it didn't hurt. The change in her vision was smooth, as if she were becoming accustomed to it. The animal didn't claw at her, didn't try to take over in a violent, bloody rage. Didn't force its will on her. It lifted its head to the moon, and she did the same.
This time, it pushed gently against the confines of her mind. Whimpering. The beast was just as upset about Rhys as she was and missed him like she did. Fuck. Even her split personalities were in love with the guy.
Whoa. Not love. No way. Just a figure of speech. Because if this was love, the aching, gnawing, gnashing, devastating agony ripping through her and the voices in her head, she wanted no part of it.
The beast continued its moaning, apparently too sad and wistful to fly into its usual rage. This time what the beast wanted, it cried for. A mournful wail in her mind that sent chills into her bones.
It needed to get out.
Needed to get to its own kind. Needed its mate.
Mate.
The word echoed in her head like the softest of songs. In her heart, she knew that was the right term, even though it didn't make sense. Who talked like that?
Wait. Songs. A melody.
That hum was back. The soothing notes and tones she'd heard every time Rhys was near. The one her own soul reac
hed out and grabbed like it was a brass ring. Only now, it pounded in her ears. It grew fingers, reaching out to find its missing harmony. So close, yet so far.
He was here. Close.
Makenna's heart tried to thump its way out of her chest as she backed away from her lookout spot. The wolves padded into the trees away from her, apparently done with their fun for the night.
She stepped back further, part of her wanting to run away, the other part wanting to run after the wolves. A loud snap sounded behind her. She froze. The wind changed, blowing a scent up her flaring nostrils.
She knew that scent.
Leather and wood. Wildness.
Oh God. Rhys really was here. He'd followed her.
Was he not done with tearing her heart out? Was there a little piece left for him to play with? Maybe he had a few more lies to tell. She wondered what kind of excuse he'd make up for that night. Maybe he'd tell her she'd been seeing things. That she'd been drunk.
Red hot lava started as a trickle in her veins, in seconds turning to a flowing inferno. She'd ignored his call for a reason. There was nothing left to say. She growled. Seemed she was doing that a lot lately. That beast growled in her head too. But it was growling at her. Angry at her for being angry at Rhys.
What the fuck ever.
Yeah, she'd gone completely over the edge. She didn't care. She embraced the insanity. It was the only thing real in her world at the moment.
She clenched her fists to keep from taking it all out on a poor, defenseless, moss-covered tree. She had to get the hell out of this place. Away from him. Where only minutes ago it had brought her peace and seemed like home, now it was tainted by him. Those tiny pieces of her heart screamed he was part of what made it home.
She bitch-slapped them into oblivion.
Makenna whirled, expecting to find Rhys standing behind her with that superior look on his face, waiting to try and handle her. Fuck that. She'd put him on his ass and get out before he could say a single word. Though, having seen him fight in the dream she now knew was reality, that might present a challenge. That was okay. She could run through an entire fucking army the way she was feeling.
She stilled, shocked into immobility.
There was no army in front of her. No one to take her fury out on. No one to bear the brunt of the guilt she wished would come over how she'd killed that mugger and the confusion over why it was absent.
No Rhys.
There was only the wolf.
The wolf, her gut and something baser told her. The Alpha of the pack she'd been watching.
His regal, authoritative air was unmistakable. She would have sensed it even without her crazy knowings. His power smacked her upside the head with a force that would've had a lesser woman, a normal woman, dropping to her knees to do his bidding.
She was quickly realizing she was far from normal.
The beast within stopped its whining, its howling. Stopped everything as it stared down the creature in front of them. The animal growled, the sound rumbling in Makenna's chest. The beast seemed to recognize the wolf for some crazy ass reason. She acknowledged his power and dominance. Respected him.
There would be no submission, though. Either from Makenna or her beast.
He'd have to earn that. If he even could.
A strength flowed through Makenna unlike any she'd felt before. Something other than the beast sitting up and taking notice. The same something that'd nearly overcome her the other night during the fight.
The wolf's eyes flashed with recognition. Of Makenna and the animal inside her. He crept closer, not tentative, but cautious. He didn't want to frighten her. She couldn’t help but gasp at his size. He was at least a foot taller than any other wolf she’d seen. His shoulders wider than a man’s.
While the monster within began clawing to get to the wolf, the wolf licked his chops. Yes, he wanted her beast as well. But more than an animal was contained within his skin. The same sensation she'd had about the other wolves slid through her again.
He was more than wolf.
As she watched, riveted by the war inside and the wolf in front of her, the wolf's eyes flashed, changed. They were almost normal.
Dark like fine chocolate. Familiar. Eyes she’d looked into before.
The same passion, the same fire, blazed in them that had driven her over the edge. That other part of him wanted Makenna. Hungered for her like a starving man at a buffet.
And she craved him. Craved him with a need that echoed what her beast felt for his, set her skin on fire. The want that had driven her mad the past twenty-four hours. The need for completion. The urge to be whole.
Finally. Forever.
Makenna cocked her head as realization washed over her, turning her entire body into a quivering mass of need and desire, fear and disbelief.
It couldn't be, though. It simply wasn't possible.
It was only the magic of the night. The safety and serenity she felt in the swamp. The insanity that had now fully gripped her mind.
Makenna was seeing what she wanted in order to make herself feel better. She was creating an opportunity for closure. Building a moment and a vision where he returned for her because he couldn't stay away, couldn't bear the thought of life without her.
She gave in to her desire and reached out her hand. Slowly. Carefully. Afraid if she moved too fast the vision would disappear and her last moment with him would be gone. She stepped lightly, inching closer to him. A rumble of approval emerged from the massive animal as he mirrored her steps.
Her touch landed on the huge head with the chocolate eyes, now level with her breast. She closed her eyes, threading her fingers through the thick fur. It was luxurious, just like she'd imagined. He pushed into her hand, wanting her attention, her caress. She leaned in, resting her head on his as his body turned, pressing into her. He was warm. So warm. She ran her hand down his back.
Opening her eyes, she met that soulful gaze. The one that belonged to the wolf yet didn't. Tears ran freely down her cheeks. She didn't try to stop them. Everything she'd pent up began to trickle from her.
He rumbled again, the sound tinged with a whine. He didn't want her to hurt, to cry. He nuzzled her neck, nipping gently at her jaw. She leaned against him, accepting his strength as hers drained from her. She clenched both hands in the fur under his ears, holding his gaze hostage. Vulnerability tightened her gut and shown in his magnificent eyes.
At least she wasn't the only one exposed.
In her moment of weakness, the thoughts she'd kept locked up tight leaked from her lips. The vision had taken on a life of its own.
“Please, come back to me,” she whispered. “I need you.”
The wolf nuzzled her again, then backed away, pulling from her grasp. Agony swam in those dark depths as he began to visibly shake. Light seemed to emanate from him, wrapping him in an ethereal glow. He tossed back his head and howled to the moon. It was a mournful, heart wrenching sound.
A second later, he was gone. Swallowed up by the murky depths of the bayou.
Makenna shuddered at the absence of his warmth. A sudden, out-of-season chill raised goosebumps on her flesh. The movement brought the world back. A world of noisy wildlife surrounding her. Of darkness closing in. Of the moon she loved sinking below the horizon, hiding from her.
A world where there were no magnificent wolves who were more than animal.
A world where the ache in her soul consumed her body, wracking her with pain.
She snapped out of the fog that'd held her for the last minutes. Or was it hours? She had no idea. All she knew was she both wanted it back, and she didn't. Trembling set up in her bones, fueled by fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of the possible. Fear of the emotions whipping her heart into scrambled eggs and her gut into a churning mass of turmoil.
The thing in her head screeched, drowning out the howling of her beast.
The sound reverberated in her head, in her blood, causing an avalanche of fury, of agony, of determination that
wasn't hers. Or was it?
The world silenced. Animals halted in their nocturnal pursuits. The swamp held its breath, a true predator in its midst.
That sound had come from her mouth, but it wasn't her voice.
Makenna ran.
Jumping fallen logs, lithely skirting the murky depths, jumping from stump to stump, dry patch to dry patch, she arrived back at her truck. Out of breath, out of explanations, out of her mind, she jerked the door open and jumped in. She smacked the lock down and wrapped her arms around herself.
What was happening to her? That was the million-dollar question. Tonight, the price had gone through the roof. The interest on her borrowed time was more than she could pay.
Yes, Makenna was living on borrowed time. The truth reared its ugly little head and smacked her around. Those forces within her, the beast and the other presence, were getting stronger. Taking over her will. Using her body.
Soon, they would win. They would devour her, and there would be nothing left.
No matter how much she feared it, no matter how much she hated and loved the source, she had to have the answers. It was either that or checking herself into an institution and letting them drug her into oblivion to drive the delusions away.
One way or another, the battle had to end.
Glancing at the moon as its last light blinked out, awareness settled into her consciousness. She had two days. Two days to find the truth and get the situation under control. This time, her knowings came in handy. It spurred the urgency within her. Well, that and what, or rather who, she knew was the source of her problems and her solution. If not the source, he knew what was.
Yanking her water bottle out of the console, Makenna chugged half of it down, gulping to coat her parched throat. She breathed deep, shoring up her courage. She had to do this, and she had to do it now.
She could only hope she hadn't gone completely crazy and conjured the night's events. That what drove her to action was real and not a figment of her overly vivid imagination. Or did she hope it wasn't a hallucination? That she was perfectly sane, but the world had gone crazy around her?
Sleeper (Rise of the Fianna Book 1) Page 17