“Exactly,” Brody chimed in.
Ellie huffed. “We weren’t questioning. We were just hoping for juicy runner gossip. There’s a difference, right Maya?”
“Wondering is innocent,” Maya agreed. “I doubt Reid is offended by inquisitive wolves.”
“It’s not like the pack doesn’t gossip about everything else,” Ellie continued.
“Exactly.” Maya gave a small nod. Pack gossip tended to run rampant about most topics.
Laurent didn’t reply, only gave Maya a patient half-smile.
She wasn’t convinced that Laurent didn’t know something more, however. Runner secrets existed. That was a fact.
“Could you change the station?” Ellie asked, pointing at the radio.
Maya flipped through the stations, only half listening to Ellie as she dictated what they’d listen to for the remainder of the drive while Brody protested. Maya’s thoughts wandered, and she stared out of the window watching fence posts speed by.
They made it home with too many hours before dinner and nightfall remaining. Maya parted with Laurent and her cousins, still lost in thought and in need of peace and quiet.
The house was empty when she returned, her parents likely out with friends. She unwrapped the wolf figurine as she entered her room and took only a minute to find the perfect spot for it. The shelf over her bed, beside a decorative copper tea pot with a dragon for a handle and in front of a framed print copy of an old werewolf movie poster.
After placing the wolf and standing back, she gave it a long look. While a part of her appreciated seeing her collection and knowing everything was in its place—which gave her a degree of satisfaction—her mind was miles away. Turning, she pulled back on the curtain over her window and peered out at the sky. The sun was still high, and time wasn’t passing faster just because she wanted it to. Why did she want it to?
The voice at the back of her mind combined with her wolf. An impatient press that vibrated and wanted the cover of darkness to seek out August.
He wasn’t entirely wrong about the Bronze pack, but not entirely right, either. Her pack didn’t necessarily discourage the overt possessive and aggressive mating rituals that he’d hinted at. Males had fought over females in the past. Females had occasionally encouraged it. And yes, some females were quite aggressive when interested in a male.
Yet, those instances seemed the outliers within the Bronze pack. There was nothing wrong with being aggressive, but most seemed to automatically lean toward a calmer level. A quiet assertion of confidence rather than a showy one. Maya couldn’t say why that was. Who knew why packs acted the way they did? It’s not as if Reid told them to behave that way.
Stories she’d heard from older packmates and her parents revealed that in the past, there was more violence inherent in pack life. Honor fights were particularly serious, and completely sanctioned. There was no rule against them now. They simply didn’t happen. She had a suspicion they still happened in the Sandstone pack.
Though the sky was still bright, she found herself unable to wait for an explanation. She headed out, circling back behind her house to reach the mostly unused trails that surrounded the edge of the territory. After making her way to the stream, she followed it up until she came across the set of small falls where she’d first encountered August. From there she headed into the trees and closed her eyes to search the scent trails for him.
She found he and Leon deep in discussion, both males leaning against a thick tree trunk as they spoke with severe expressions. It made no sense, but her first thought was that perhaps they were speaking of her. She shook it away. They would have no reason to speak of her. August certainly wouldn’t be confessing that he’d been talking to her when the contact was forbidden.
The temptation to get closer and listen hummed in her, and her heart began to race at what she imagined she could overhear.
Footsteps trod over twigs in the distance, however, prompting her to climb higher in her tree and press against the bark. She peered around and searched the trails. A headful of spiky black hair on a figure entirely swathed in black leather appeared. Damon. One of the Bronze pack’s runners.
Damon glanced in the direction of the Sandstone males. All three heads lifted in acknowledgement, but Damon didn’t appear to be seeking conversation. After the small respectful gesture, he moved on, soon disappearing into the foliage. Leon and August shared a few words then Leon swept up a jug from the base of the tree, turned, and headed towards the stream.
Maya waited a minute before shaking the branches of her tree, gaining August’s attention. His eyes snapped to her, and followed her as she hopped to another tree, then another. She led him away from his campsite in this way before scrambling down to the ground.
“You truly are a squirrel,” he commented.
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
He didn’t answer, instead looking her over with a curious gleam in his eyes. “I wasn’t sure if you’d return. You were upset.”
“You were making a lot of assumptions.”
“And you’re here to set me straight?”
She crossed her arms and leaned against the tree she’d climbed down. “No. I was wondering why we aren’t supposed to talk.”
“Because your alpha said so, I imagine.”
“Why is that?”
“Because my alpha said so,” he said with a dry chuckle. “Part of that discipline thing. I’m supposed to be re-learning respect through limited solitude away from my pack. It loses some of the sting if your pack welcomes me.”
“I’m ruining that,” she mused.
“You don’t seem to care.”
She bit her tongue. It wasn’t like her to be this reckless, and yet in the moment it was exactly her. “One wolf isn’t a pack.”
He glanced around before sitting on the ground. His arms stretched out behind him and he leaned back, peering up at her until she slid down too, and they were at eye-level with each other.
“What’s your pack like?” she asked.
“You’d have to be more specific.”
“If you think our pack is a certain way, how does yours differ?”
His head tilted to one side and he seemed to study her. “We have a different balance. That’s true of every pack, really. Imagine if everything in pack structure could fall under a tenant. You’ve got the old ways in a corner. Modern ideas, including human interaction, in another corner. Then to tip the triangle, our history.”
“Our history is the old ways. That’s the same thing.”
He shook his head. “No. Our history is why we made the old ways and is why we made the new ways as well. Everything we do now stems from history.” He drew a triangle in the dirt to his left and gestured to it. “When we change a pack law, adapt a new behavior, or abolish an old one, our history is always consulted.”
She considered his logic. “Then in your mind, all packs land somewhere different on the triangle. Closer to modern ways but still close to history, is far from the old ways.”
“Exactly. And there’s nothing wrong there, unless you’ve left something behind you needed.”
“Like our wildness?”
He gave a subtle shrug. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to return to the days of arranged pairings. Nor do I want to have to fight a female’s older brother for mating rights, or any of the numerous old ways that we’ve grown out of.” He laughed to himself. “But I like being in a pack that doesn’t obsess over the human world.”
“We don’t obsess.”
“It doesn’t seem that way to you. If you spent time with another pack, you’d think differently.”
She almost mentioned that her pack had recently accepted a human, and that it wasn’t a terrible thing, and yet it did seem counter to her supposed argument. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, homing in on another topic. “How do you even know this much? You aren’t a runner.”
“Our pack doesn’t keep runner reports a secret like yours does.”
<
br /> Maya straightened and met his eyes. “Not secret. We don’t need to know…”
“And you aren’t really allowed to know, are you?”
She pursed her lips, thoughts flashing back to the conversation with Laurent earlier in the day. It wasn’t just him. She’d asked Damon about other packs before, and though he’d share some things, she always knew she wasn’t getting the full story. A full report on his latest mission? No. That wasn’t something he’d share.
“You shouldn’t worry about it,” August said. “I wasn’t hinting at anything nefarious. Just pointing out that the differences aren’t all linear. No pack is entirely modern. No pack is upholding the original traditions in completion.”
“I never thought of it.”
“I get that. And I’m wondering if telling you this is making it worse. I suspect Reid would have my skin for it,” August said with a frown. “We should talk about something lighter, perhaps.”
Maya stared down and picked at a loose thread on the sleeve of her sweater. “Why did you bring it all up?”
“You brought it up. I’ve just been trying to get on common ground.”
“What do you mean?”
“You like information, and I suppose I feel inclined to share it just to keep you talking. To try and circle back around to something else, though I’m failing at it.” He scratched his fingers through the triangle he’d traced into the dirt. “I’m usually better at this.”
“Talking?” She glanced up and found him staring hard at her.
“Maya… why did you come here the first time? Had Reid announced us? Our pack?”
She nodded automatically. “Of course.”
“And you came to see Leon when you heard it was Sandstone runners?”
“What? No. I didn’t—”
“You were told not to come to this section of land. Aside from your runner, no one else has ventured this way. Leon didn’t seem surprised you stopped by, though.”
Her brow wrinkled. “And?”
August dusted his hands off in front of himself. “Do you like Leon? Are you interested in him?”
She laughed at the ridiculous question and how serious he’d sounded when asking it. “Of course I don’t.”
“Then you came to see me?”
“I came to see the mystery of why I wasn’t supposed to see whoever was here.”
He seemed satisfied with the answer, and the way his features relaxed startled her.
“Were you jealous?” she asked with a gasp.
His gaze dropped to her feet, and he made a noncommittal sound in his throat. “You aren’t clear with your responses.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” she admitted. “My responses?”
“When I look at you your heart speeds. Still, you don’t… do anything. Say anything.”
Her cheeks burned as she recalled what he’d told her before. That he’d let her see him nude for her appraisal. She still had no idea what to make of it. The entire notion seemed foreign.
“There,” he said softly. “What are you thinking? Are you thinking of me? Or do I just make you uncomfortable?”
A sense of being lost swept over her. He was leaning toward a conversation she wanted to have. She closed her eyes. What if she admitted interest only to have him pat her on the head and call her precious? It seemed unlikely, and yet the fear was there.
“I don’t know how to respond,” she admitted, licking her lips. “I can promise you don’t make me uncomfortable in a bad way.”
She heard him move closer, and she peeked at him through half-slit eyes to see that his knees were almost touching hers.
“Who sees to your needs?” he asked.
Her eyes sprang open. Surely he hadn’t just asked her that. She sputtered. Lupine needs were spoken of casually, but between friends. She couldn’t talk to him about them. “I don’t have needs.”
He arched a sleek black brow at her. “You’re a terrible liar.” When she didn’t respond, he continued, “I’m curious to find out exactly how neglected you are. You can tell me, or I can guess.”
“I’m not neglected,” she said hotly.
“You’re going to make me guess?”
“How would you?” she scoffed. He patted beside himself, and she crawled to sit beside him after a brief internal debate. She gazed up at him, a surge of reluctance coursing through her. Uncertainty crossed her now that she could see clearly into his handsome face and dark eyes. This close it was like staring at a perfectly chiseled sculpture of masculinity. “What now?”
He touched her chin, his fingertips barely cupping the gentle point of her face. The action was enough to make her breath still. His brows knit and a serious expression came over him as he stared at his hand on her. Then he slanted his lips and brushed them across hers.
It wasn’t a kiss, exactly. It was a warm whisper of soft flesh. He did it again and again, and she found herself frozen in her spot while also feeling like a tightly wound spring. She wanted to pounce on him. She wanted more. She licked her lips and left them parted. He suckled her lower lip, gently pulling it to him. He licked the swell of the center and nibbled it for a moment. Then he did the same to her top lip.
The voice in the back of her head told her that kisses were supposed to be made of movements from both participants, but she felt like she was witnessing something rare. She didn’t want to ruin it. Even so, her wolf rubbed against her, more than curious at the current situation.
His hand travelled back to stroke her jaw before cradling the nape of her neck. His fingers flexed, clutching the hair there and at the same time, his tongue slipped into her mouth. A moan escaped her, and heat slid through her as she tasted him.
The kiss became hungrier. Her thoughts jumbled, at first trying to identify the flavor of him—something wild and mysterious—and then wondering what the kiss meant. Everything slid away, however, and soon her hands were clutching his shirt and holding him close as if she would never let go. Her nipples hardened and the warmth flowing between them began to pool between her thighs. She’d never been kissed like this.
A low growl escaped his throat, and she gasped at the feral sound, a sound that stirred her blood and made her wolf perk up like never before. A heady vibration poured through his skin, and she knew his wolf was investigating along with hers. The vibration soon became more than a sense and his hand trembled against her neck.
He pulled away, and for a moment a gentle amber ring shined bright around the otherwise deep brown irises. He exhaled sharply. “You’ve never been kissed.” His voice was like gravel, and it brushed against her skin like an abrasion that was somehow pleasant
“I’ve been kissed,” she murmured, a bit lightheaded.
He released her nape but pulled gently on a curl as his hand moved away, finally releasing it to spring back. “Then you’ve only kissed humans.”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Are the males of your pack addled?”
“What?”
“Do they truly ignore you or do you miss their intentions as you missed mine?” A crooked smile slid onto his lips as he spoke. “Are you certain you haven’t simply missed the hints of their interest?”
“I’m not that oblivious.” She smoothed a hand down his chest, her memory stripping away the soft t-shirt to reveal the muscles beneath. “I’ve never even had to deal with subtle flirting, so your overt attention was overwhelming, I suppose. I thought you were playing with me.”
His eyes darkened. “I’d never play like that. You fascinate me. I don’t desire any games.”
“Oh.” Her head dropped. “But you’re leaving soon.”
“Not tomorrow morning, but the next. We’ll pass back through on our way home, though it won’t be much of a stay, if any.” He touched her ear and caressed down her neck. “Don’t think about that.”
She gave a small nod, but how could she not think about it? Staring into his eyes, she marveled at how steadily he stared back. How he stu
died her. No other male looked at her and saw her like this. She wanted more time with him.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” he asked.
“Are you sending me away now?” she asked, glancing at him. The sun hadn’t even set yet.
His eyes flickered in the direction of his campsite. “Leon and I have some talking to do. Planning for the mission and other things.”
“I could come back tonight…”
He smiled. “I should say no. I should tell you that we’re risking too much.” His hand trailed over her shoulder and down to cup her elbow. “But I’d like that.”
Weighing risks had only recently become a factor in Maya’s life, but this one was an easy decision. Every minute spent with August opened her eyes to possibilities, and she liked the way those possibilities warmed and awakened something deep inside her. Something more complex than mere lust.
“I’d really like to spend more time with you. I can slip away tonight.”
“Wonderful.” He grinned. “I hate it all resting on you. It takes away from my chance to impress you with my determination to see you again. In fact, if it wouldn’t alert your pack and get me mauled, I’d sneak into your room.”
Her heart fluttered at his words, and she hated that it couldn’t happen. She lived with her parents however, and the thought was an icy bucket to cool her. August likely lived alone within his pack, as did most grown lupine. She groaned to herself. “It would definitely get you mauled.”
“How many brothers would I have to fight off?”
“None,” she said slowly. “Or actually, just about every male over my age.”
“Of course. They’d have to protect you.” His thumb drew a lazy circle on her shoulder. “You’re the sort to be locked up in a tower. Which wouldn’t stop me, depending the night.”
She smiled at the thought but couldn’t find the words to respond. Time with August had a way of slowing and placing them into a bubble. Within that bubble she could be herself. The outside world tugged her lose now, demanding she return to her pack and be that version of herself.
She stood reluctantly. Every fiber in her being wanted to stay, and her wolf whined at losing contact with August. His warmth was a loss she felt hard and quick, and she fought a whimper. He stood and kissed her tenderly, a brief moment that left her lips tingling.
Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection Page 83