by Dannika Dark
Even though Jericho was their father, Austin mentored the boys. One day they would become Packmasters and form an alliance with the family, and Austin wanted to make sure they were ready for the difficult decisions that lay ahead. Part of that was giving them important jobs and extra responsibility.
William emerged from the study and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “I volunteer,” he said, stretching out his arms. “I’ve had the boys working all day. Tired kids make mistakes, and I think most of us just want to eat. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Jericho and Austin resolved their differences with a glance.
William brushed his curly hair away from his eyes. “Just let me know when you’re ready to start so I can put on my flame-retardant jumpsuit.”
Maizy swung her gaze upward, listening to the barking and shouting upstairs. “Quiet or you’ll wake the baby!” she yelled.
Austin slid his jaw to the side. “My son’s up there with a rabid squirrel?” He sighed and hiked up the steps. “If it ain’t one thing, it’s something else.”
Chapter 9
Melody
Melody searched the entire front property all the way down to the road before heading back and circling the creek. Sparty’s black coat would be easy to spot against the snowy backdrop, but what she was really hunting for were footprints. When Uncle Reno and Aunt Lexi moved the grill to the front, she decided to search the back of the house.
This was all her fault.
The last thing she wanted to do was confess to her mother and Naya that she was the one who’d let Sparty outside. He’d been running around the house all morning and getting in everyone’s way, and when Melody went in the kitchen for an apple, he was meowing at the back door.
She didn’t think twice about it. Sure, it was snowing, but no one had given any special orders about keeping the cat inside. He’d been out in snow before. For crying out loud, the cat had gone to war with them. It was only later on when Naya was looking for him that panic set in. After searching the house, it dawned on Melody that she hadn’t seen him since letting him out that morning. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Naya, and even when Naya had given up, Melody kept searching.
She looked in cabinets, under furniture, and even behind the dryer. Sparty could be a sneaky little devil with his hiding spots.
What if he never came home? What if he’d fallen into the icy creek? Here it was, Christmas, and Melody was overcome with terror and guilt that something had happened to Sparty because of her idiotic choice to let him out.
She even searched the murky pond and poked a stick around. He loved swimming, and her heart sank with every call that went unanswered. She got an idea that he might have crossed the woods to the fort that belonged to her brothers. When she caught sight of a black animal, she ran after it, but it kept weaving out of sight. It hadn’t taken long before she’d gone too deep. Her uncle owned hundreds of acres that spilled into neighboring land, and there was no way she could keep searching.
Melody turned back and followed her tracks for a while, but it grew increasingly difficult to find them. The snow made everything look so different, and she couldn’t figure out where the bunkers and tree stands were. If she could find them, they could help her get her bearings and provide a temporary shelter to rest.
Now here she was, huddled beside a tree in the dense forest, shielding herself from the blistering cold wind. Nightfall was fast approaching, and she was completely and utterly lost.
Not even her pockets would keep her hands warm. She hadn’t dressed for staying out so long in the snow, so all she had to keep warm was her patchwork hoodie and a light jacket. There was a little bit of warmth in the jacket, which had a black torso with down lining, but the knitted sleeves provided no insulation. When the snow began hitting her again, she pulled loose the hood from beneath her jacket and covered her head. It was hard to believe that just four weeks ago they were barbecuing outside, the sun warm and inviting.
Melody grimaced when she tried to swallow. Her throat was sore from calling out for help, but she didn’t dare eat the cold snow. Terror sank in when her last cry didn’t even sound like her anymore but a feral animal. How long would it take before they noticed she was gone? It was a big house, and they lost track of people all the time, especially with everything that had been going on today.
“Why me?” she whispered.
Feeling an onslaught of tears coming, she picked up her feet and started moving.
“Help!” she croaked. Melody cupped her hands and tried the dove call several times—something they’d used during the pack war. Not even then had she felt this terrified. Nothing was more frightening than facing the unknown alone.
The cold penetrated down to her bones, and she couldn’t feel her face anymore.
Now you’ve really ruined Christmas for everyone, a little voice nagged in her head. First Sparty, and now everyone will be out looking for you. Dinner will be cold, and you’re going to be in big trouble with the Packmaster after your mother gets through with you. What if you die? It happens all the time to kids. You’ve heard the stories about kids getting lost in the woods. Now they’ll have to mourn your death every Christmas.
She stepped over a fallen branch and lost her footing.
“Ah!”
Her head struck the base of a tree. She touched her temple and looked down at the bright red blood on her fingertips. Not wanting to use her clothes to stanch the bleeding, she pressed a handful of packed snow against the cut. When she realized that snow was soaking through her pants, she quickly stood up and brushed it all off. As if she wasn’t cold enough, now her clothes were wet. The air clouded in front of her when colliding with her heated breath.
Why couldn’t she have been one of those lucky girls who went through their first change early? Then her wolf could lead her to safety. With her bad luck, she’d probably be in her twenties before it happened.
If she lived that long.
What if no one noticed she was missing until morning?
This is how people die in the woods, you idiot. They let their fears take over.
Melody trudged forward, but without the sun, moon, or stars for navigation, she would end up walking in circles. Uncle Reno had taught her that.
When a marked tree caught her attention, she hurried over and traced her fingers across the smooth etching in the wood, trying to remember the lay of the land. This particular mark indicated a tree stand was fifty paces ahead.
Where am I?
The boys would have found their way home. They spent a lot of time playing in these woods and knew the terrain like the back of their hand.
“Think, Melody. Think.”
Not all the stands were the same, so maybe she’d recognize it. Filled with hope, she hurried forward, her legs weak from all the hiking. Virgin snow crunched beneath her boots, and a few birds scattered overhead, sending down a curtain of snow from one of the branches.
“Great. You’re going to freeze to death out here and you’ve never even kissed a boy,” she said aloud, then laughed at the direction her thoughts had taken.
Melody wasn’t super interested in dating, but she was curious. Lately some of the boys in town had been looking at her differently, some bold enough to ask her out on a date. Most were human, and they were quickly shooed off by her pack. Jericho and Austin had lectured her on the powerful influence female Shifters had on humans, often attracting weak-minded men. But even some of the boys from nearby packs had been flirting with her as of late.
Was it flirting?
Melody didn’t really know from personal experience. She could tell when the adults were flirting with each other, but it was an entirely different matter with teenagers, so mostly she ignored them.
Shifters didn’t start dating until after their first change anyhow, and while some of her friends had already gone through it, Melody hadn’t. Her mother said it might not happen until her twenties. Shifters lived for centuries, so why rush? She had plans for her future, and b
oys would only be a distraction.
She climbed up a steep hill, her fingers clawing through snow to grip something.
“Here you are on the brink of death, and all you can think about is making out with a boy. Just ignore the fact that your little brothers will be worried sick, and forget that you’ll never grow up to run your own business.”
When she crested the hill, she took in her surroundings. The trees were spaced farther apart. Some of them were evergreens, so their branches were weighted with snow, leaving the ground below them visible. She hurried toward a familiar live oak and walked around to the other side. Up above, a platform circled around the trunk, but two of the ladder rungs were missing.
Not that she cared.
The last place she needed to be was higher up where the wind would hit her. The platform provided shelter from the falling snow and a dry patch of earth beneath it to sit on.
Melody squatted down and flattened her back against the tree, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs as she tried to ball up and lock in her body heat. It was better to stay in one spot for now. She was losing light fast, and no one would find her if she kept walking in the wrong direction. The last thing she needed to do was tumble down a ditch or hit her head on a rock. She lowered her head inside the open space between her arms. Her breath bounced off her legs and warmed her cheeks.
“Where are you?” she whispered. “I know this tree stand.”
Reno had built three like this one, each on a live oak tree. But Melody had a sickening feeling that this was the one at the far end of the property line. There was no way to be sure. If only she knew which way was north and south, she could head to the road. But one wrong turn would lead her deeper into the woods.
The isolation and silence made her thoughts drift, and she tried not to think about rogues. Sometimes they wandered across the property line, and one of her uncles would go out there and mark the territory. Wolves weren’t supposed to be aggressive toward women or children, but seeing one attack her best friend a few years ago changed her mind about that assumption.
Nope. There was no way she was walking any farther.
Images floated in her mind of everyone gathered around the fire and roasting marshmallows. Uncle Denver was cracking one of his inappropriate jokes while her dad tuned up his guitar. Lennon and Hendrix were digging in the closet for the Clue game to play against Uncle Trevor and William. She smiled, thinking about her mom telling Lexi one of her old stories about when she first met a rock star who changed her life.
Melody transported herself into that room. The smell of cinnamon, a blazing fire in the hearth, a warm blanket over her legs, shadows dancing on the wall, Uncle Ben cracking walnuts, and the protective feeling of her pack all around her. Sparty had somehow found his way home, and after gobbling down a can of tuna, he jumped on Uncle Wheeler’s lap and curled up in a ball.
She could almost hear Lynn humming a Christmas carol.
Jolted out of her fantasy, Melody’s eyes widened when a twig snapped in the distance and two sharp eyes stared daggers at her from a break in the trees.
Chapter 10
Naya and Wheeler
Naya drew a hot bath in their oversized garden tub. It was luxury personified, with a step to get in and candles all around. Austin had installed it earlier that year as an upgrade, and the women took personal time to soak every chance they got.
She poured more lavender oil in the water, steam rising and dampening her face.
Wheeler came up from behind and took her by the hips. “I don’t need any of your scented oils, kitty cat.”
Naya swung her bottom from left to right, causing him to moan. Before he got too amorous, she stood up and screwed the cap back on the bottle. “Don’t be ridiculous. You smell dreadful. What did you two do out there?”
He stripped out of his pants. “Man’s work.”
“Mmm.” She circled her finger over the panther on his right pec. “It’s a shame I missed it.”
Naya dropped to her knees and gave him a sultry smile as she pulled down his black underwear. Wheeler liked her taking control, and whenever she was in one of her dominant moods, he’d be as still as a submissive little kitten. Nothing delighted Naya more than the control he relinquished to her.
She stood up and slowly circled behind him, her fingertips grazing around his midsection.
Naya came face-to-face with the dragon tattoo on his back, and she tasted the ink with her tongue.
Wheeler sucked in a sharp breath and lowered his head. His muscles tensed and contracted as he stood captive in her thrall.
“Be a good boy and get in the tub,” she commanded, giving him a playful slap on his firm ass.
Wheeler flashed a wolfish smile before stepping into the tub and submersing himself. She admired every inch of his magnificent body, and he readily took advantage and showed off his assets. Wheeler dunked his head underwater and then sat up, his brown hair slicked back and his lips glistening.
Hot tamale, she thought. If he keeps that up, I’m going to rub myself all over him like a cat in heat.
Naya backed up against the sink and drew in her bottom lip. That wild wolf was all hers—scars, tattoos, and all. Her panther grew restless as she admired the way his skin glistened in the candlelight, making it seem as if the artwork was coming alive. It was tempting to get in with him, but there was too much to be done.
He rested his head on the back of the tub, knees bent with his feet propped up on the opposite end. “You take real good care of me.”
Naya strutted toward him and sat on the flat edge, a dry sponge in her left hand. She dunked it underwater and began working it gently in circular motions.
Wheeler’s eyes hooded, and his lips parted. “What do you want for Christmas, kitty cat?”
She lifted the sponge and squeezed it out before massaging it across his stomach. “You know me better than anyone. I trust your judgment.”
Naya couldn’t help but notice a flicker in his gaze, one of uncertainty. He must have been having second thoughts over his gift like he did every year. When would he realize he could buy her a bag of trail mix and she’d love it? Naya didn’t care about such things. The best part about winter was wrapping herself in his arms on cold nights.
She smiled and took his arm, scrubbing it from shoulder to elbow. “Did you give any thought to my suggestion?”
“Sex?”
“That’s never a suggestion. I’m talking about Ben.”
He turned his arm to let her scrub the other side. “You mean the vacation?”
“It would be good for you two. Escape this crazy house and see the sights in a camper.”
“What’s wrong with a plane ticket and a hotel?”
“You’ve always talked about a vacation with nothing but miles of road and bags of beef jerky,” she said with a chuckle. “You know it’s not my thing, darling. That’s something you should do with your brother.”
“Mayhap there’s nothing out there I need to see. I’ve got everything I need right here.”
Naya reached across his chest to wash his other side. “There’s little here you haven’t seen,” she purred. “Go on and do your male-bonding thing. We can have phone sex every night.” She pinched some of his circle beard and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Just imagine what all that time apart will feel like when we’re finally together again.”
Wheeler stripped her bare with his molten gaze. After a beat, he rested his arms on the rim of the tub, which accentuated the muscles in his arms. “I’ll think about it if it makes you happy.”
Even though Ben was in the pack again, Naya felt it wasn’t enough. He and Wheeler had made amends, but Wheeler was holding back. She wasn’t sure why; maybe it was the fear that Ben could slip back into his old ways, or maybe it was just awkward for two siblings who had been on the outs for so long to become best friends. And it wasn’t just Wheeler. Ben was also apprehensive, but his issues were different. Perhaps he was afraid that deep down, Wheeler would n
ever forgive him for the sins of his past. Naya was convinced that a road trip—far away from the pack’s influence and rules—would be a good reminder of just how strong their relationship was. Would they try to kill each other at some point? Absolutely. But in the end, their unbreakable bond would make them even stronger than before. They needed new memories together that didn’t involve the pack.
Plus Naya could use a little alone time. With everyone’s work schedule, it was harder to have a getaway with the girls, and sometimes a girl needed to get away.
Wheeler reached around and squeezed her hip. “Have you put on weight? Something about you is sexier, and I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s driving me crazy.”
She wrung out the sponge. “And what would you do if I suddenly gained fifty pounds?”
He lunged at her, pulling her into the tub with him. Water splashed over the rim as she settled on top of him. “Want to know what I’d do if you gained weight? Slip off those panties and I’ll show you.”
Naya gripped his shoulders and whispered in his ear. “I’m not wearing any.”
His tongue swiped between her breasts through the keyhole opening in her red shirt, his eyes dark with desire.
She rocked her hips against his hard erection. “You’re a naughty boy. Dinner will be ready soon, so finish up.”
He groaned in protest when she carefully stepped out of the tub.
Naya placed a dry towel beside him and jutted her hip. “Stop that growling. You sound like the Big Bad Wolf.”
He arched a brow. “Maybe I am, because I sure feel like eating you.”
“You’re the Big Dirty Wolf. Hurry up. We have to get ready for dinner.”
When he dunked his head underwater, Naya sauntered into the hall and headed toward their bedroom. She’d almost made it when a commotion downstairs drew her away.
“Ben!” Reno shouted. “Go watch the grill.”