by Wendi Wilson
A few hours later, she woke to the startling feeling of a warm palm smoothing up her outer thigh. The hand froze with her quick intake of breath. It took her a few tense seconds to remember where she was. Once he felt the tension ease out of her, Jeremy resumed his soft exploration.
Melanie blushed a little when she realized that, in her sleep, she had thrown one leg across Jeremy’s waist and was snuggled tightly against his side. All embarrassment was forgotten, however, when his fingertips reached the hem of her boxers and slipped underneath to caress the swell of her butt.
“Hi,” he whispered softly.
When Melanie lifted her face toward him to respond, he quickly pressed his lips to hers and swept his tongue into her mouth. The magic he worked with his mouth and hand caused butterflies to erupt in Melanie’s stomach. It soon turned to a burning inferno that had her pushing on his shoulders in an attempt to roll over completely on top of him.
As she straddled her legs around his waist, their mouths broke apart and they sat up quickly, looking toward the door. They were both panting when they looked back at each other, bewildered.
“What was that?” Melanie asked, trying to keep her voice at a whisper.
“I don’t know. It sounded like someone was trying to open the door. Did you lock it when you came in?”
Melanie shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand. “Who would be coming to your room at three thirty in the morning?”
Carefully lifting her off his lap and setting her beside him, he got up from the bed and strode as quickly as he could manage to the door. He flung it open and stepped out into the hall. Looking both directions, he shook his head and walked back into the room, pausing to close and lock the door behind him.
“I don’t know, Mel. Maybe one of your parents was checking on you? If they didn’t find you in your room, they’d look here first.”
Melanie considered it for a moment, then shook her head. “No. If either of my parents found me in your room in the middle of night, much less in the position we were in, they would have come in and ripped us a new one. They would most definitely not leave us to what we were doing.”
“Who could it have been, then?” he asked, walking back over to the bed and sitting down next to her.
“I don’t know, Jeremy, but I have a bad feeling. What if whoever tried to poison you was coming to finish what they started?”
Jeremy’s mouth tightened into a straight line. “Then I will just have to be ready for them.”
Melanie took his face in her hands and kissed his lips lightly. “We,” she said with meaning. “We will be ready for them.”
“Melanie, I don’t want you getting in the crosshairs here. This person, whoever it is, is after me. Not you.”
“I don’t care,” Melanie whisper-shouted. “If they are after you, that means they are after what’s mine. And I protect what’s mine.”
Melanie quickly ducked her head, her face burning with a blush. I can’t believe I just said that out loud, she thought. I probably sounded like a total idiot.
Jeremy placed two fingers beneath her chin and lifted her face. Refusing to open her eyes, she shook her head slightly when Jeremy asked her to look at him. She felt his lips brush against hers lightly once, then twice.
“Mel, please look at me,” he whispered. When she finally complied he said, “That was the most amazing thing anyone has ever said to me. Don’t be embarrassed to stake your claim on me. Because you’re right. I am yours and I always will be.”
Chapter 27
“Okay. On to the business. I’d like to start by telling you that I’ve sent some men to Oklahoma.”
“You did? Why?”
Melanie sat across the desk from her father in his office. After a quick bite to eat, they had briefly discussed Jeremy and their plans for the day. He was taking the others down to the pond for a swim and Melanie planned to meet up with them after this meeting. She had been so nervous when Darren had brought up his name, thinking she was busted for sleeping in Jeremy’s bed the night before.
“I’m just covering all my bases. We’ve come to the conclusion that someone means Jeremy harm, and that someone, somehow, got onto this property to inflict it upon him. The only sure threat we are aware of is this alpha of the Oklahoma pack. My men will head there, survey the area and try to get as much information as possible.”
“Okay. So, when will we know something?”
“Well, they left after breakfast and it’s about a thirteen hour drive. Because of the late hour, they’ll probably not have any intel for us until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.”
“Alright, then.”
“Melanie, do you know what Jeremy has told his parents?”
Melanie shifted nervously in her seat. “He called them yesterday and told them he got food poisoning. He didn’t want to lie, but he was afraid they would make him come home.”
Darren nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. I’ll back up his story, if need be.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she said gratefully.
“Don’t go thanking me yet. If something else happens, I’m going to have to insist he go home while I figure out who the traitor is in our midst.”
“Okay,” she said, giving a slight nod. “I can accept that.”
“Now,” he said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his hands together, “you are within two days of your first shift, so I know you have questions. With your birthday and our guests, I haven’t really had a chance to meet with you.”
“Well, I do have some questions,” she hedged.
“Okay, well, spit it out.”
“I want to know more about the alpha power. I know you can control people, pack members, with your voice and mind. Can you do anything else?”
“Actually, I can. I also have abilities to aid in self-preservation. As alpha, I can mask my scent. If I choose to do so, no cynanthrope can tell that I am one of his or her kind. I can also shift into multiple forms.”
“Multiple forms? Like different animals?”
“No, not exactly. I will always shift into a dog, as that is our nature and genetics. Because I am the alpha, I can shift into different...breeds, I guess would be the best way to put it. If the situation calls for strength and endurance, I will transform into a dog akin to a Shepherd. If I need to be small and inconspicuous, I can choose to shift into a breed like a Chihuahua or a small terrier.”
“Wow. Will I be able to do that?”
“No. At least, I don’t think so. The alpha line has always passed down the male lineage. If an alpha has only daughters, it passes to the eldest daughter’s husband. In the history of the Kentucky pack, a female has never taken over as alpha.”
“Well, that sucks,” Melanie said sourly.
Darren barked out a laugh. “Yes, you’re right. It does suck. Maybe you’ll be the first female alpha of our pack.”
Melanie stiffened and looked at the floor. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever want to live in Wilkes. She liked her normal life in Amblin. With that thought, her mouth drew down into a frown. After this weekend, nothing would ever be “normal” for her again.
“So,” Darren said, regaining her attention. “Did you have any other questions?”
Melanie smiled gratefully at him for changing the subject. She wasn’t ready to discuss her future yet. And she did have other questions. Something had been bothering her for a few days and she meant to get to the bottom of it.
“Yes, actually. Does anyone else in the pack have any…special…abilities?”
“Why do you ask?” He raised an eyebrow at her quizzically.
“Please, just answer the question, Dad.”
“Okay,” he said, drawing out the word. “My beta, Chad, has the ability to affect moods. He can’t control people, like I can, but he can change the way people feel around him. It comes in handy when I’m not around. Chad can make people feel happy when they are depressed or calm when they are hostile. It takes the
edge off of any serious situation until I can get there and diffuse it.”
Melanie’s eyebrows drew down. “How does he do it? With his voice and mind, like you?”
“No, he’s not that powerful. He has to actually touch the person he wants to influence.”
“Are there any physical side effects?”
“Well, there’s warmth, and kind of an electric tingle, but nothing that feels uncomfortable or painful, if that’s what you mean.”
Melanie exhaled harshly with a frown. “Who else?”
“Who else, what?” He looked at her with a knitted brow.
“Who else has this power?”
“What’s going on, Melanie?”
“Answer the question.” She paused to take a deep breath and added, “Please.”
“Well, Chad is the only one who has full control of the ability, but, as his son, Declan has a grasp on it and is learning to use it in preparation of being the next beta.”
Melanie exhaled on a huff and shook her head. “I knew it.”
“Knew what? What’s happening? Is Declan bothering you?”
“Don’t worry about it,” she replied, standing up and pacing toward the door. As she grabbed the doorknob, she turned and sent him a caustic smile. “I can take care of this myself.”
She slammed the door behind her and Darren leaned back in his chair with a grin. “I bet you will,” he said quietly to himself. “You are definitely your father’s daughter.”
*~*~*
Melanie plopped down on the front porch steps with a huff. She was too angry to face her friends and she wasn’t sure yet if she wanted to tell Jeremy about her suspicions regarding Declan. She needed to confront Declan first, hear what he had to say, then she would decide.
A flash of white to her left caught her attention and she peered into the surrounding forest. She thought she saw movement again and inhaled a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, she stood and walked down the steps.
Reaching the edge of the woods, she said quietly, “Declan, if that’s you, I need to talk to you. Now.”
She walked back to the steps and sat on the bottom one to wait. If it was Declan that she saw running around out there, he would hear her and come. She knew she would have to wait for him to shift and get dressed, so she spent the next few minutes trying to calm and compose herself.
Five minutes later, Declan walked around the corner from the back of the house. He walked over and sat next to her, not saying a word. She didn’t speak either and they sat in silence for several long minutes until Declan finally broke it.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
With that innocent question, the anger exploded in Melanie again. She stood abruptly and put her hands on her hips, towering over him with a snarl.
“Why don’t you guess, Declan,” she said, putting a nasty emphasis on his name.
Declan stood and put his hand on her arm, just above the elbow. Almost immediately, she felt a warm tingle where his palm touched her, and her anger started to melt away. She looked into his aquamarine eyes and her heart started pounding. He smiled and leaned in closer, bringing his face within inches of hers.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mel.”
Melanie’s nostrils flared as she caught his scent and her eyes started to flutter closed as he leaned in even closer. He was going to kiss her and she wanted it. She licked her lips in anticipation, tilting her head up slightly.
Suddenly, Jeremy’s face flashed behind her eyelids and she jerked back with a gasp. Yanking her arm out of his grasp, she reared back with the other hand and let it fly toward his face. Declan stumbled back a few steps, reaching up to cover the red splotch on his face with his palm.
“What was that for?” he asked in shock.
“What was that for? Are you freaking kidding me right now?” Melanie started pacing back and forth in front him, shaking her head incredulously. “I can’t believe you, Declan.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Melanie,” he said in a low voice, not making eye contact.
Melanie stopped pacing and stood before him with her hands fisted at her sides. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm herself before she spoke. She took a step forward so that she was right in his face and began to speak in low tones.
“I know about your power, Declan. I know you’ve been using it to make me feel things for you. Don’t bother trying to deny it,” she added when he opened his mouth to speak. “I don’t want to hear any lame excuses or denials. Just tell me why.”
“I don’t know what-”
“Stop lying!”
Declan’s gaze dropped to the ground and he heaved out a sigh. Melanie waited for him to talk, knowing he would finally tell her the truth. Just when she thought he was going to hold his tongue forever, he finally took a deep breath and spoke.
“I’m sorry, Mel,” he said, staring at her feet. “I just…just like you so much. And I thought if I could get you to feel something, anything for me, you might be open to the possibility of us being together.” He looked up at her face with hope shining in his eyes.
“And, one day, that would make you alpha instead of beta.”
“That’s not-”
“Save your breath. Don’t you ever touch me again, you got that?”
“Yeah,” he said dejectedly, “I got it.”
Melanie turned her back and stomped toward the side of the house. She was still fuming and needed to cool off before she turned violent. Rounding the corner, she slammed into a warm body. Large hands grabbed her arms as she started to teeter backwards.
“Hey, easy there,” she heard as she tried to snatch her arms out of the tight grasp that held them.
“Chris? What are you doing over here? I thought you were swimming.”
“We were, I mean, are. I came up to the house to grab some drinks and snacks from the kitchen and I thought I heard your voice. I was just coming to find you, to coerce you into coming for a dip with us. The water is great.”
He smiled his goofy smile, his gorgeous dimples making an appearance. Melanie smiled back, forcing it to look genuine. She nodded and they both made their way to the back of the house. She waved at Jeremy and Tara, both of whom had spotted her from the water. She headed inside to go change, with Chris following behind her.
Making her way to the stairs, she stopped and watched Chris walk towards the door that led to the kitchen. He didn’t hear anything, she thought. He would have asked me about it if he had. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she bounded up the stairs to change into her bikini.
Chapter 28
“I still can’t believe it.”
Melanie groaned and threw a pillow at Tara. “Just shut up about it, already. Please.”
Tara threw the pillow back at her. “I can’t. I’m sorry. Melanie Johnson was rocking a bikini today. It’s like…a historic event, or something.”
After their swim, everyone had taken turns in the shower and Melanie and Tara were hanging out in her room while Jeremy and Chris made a run to the closest pizza parlor. They planned to spend the rest of the afternoon in the entertainment room, watching movies and playing pool.
“My mom bought me that sorry excuse for a bathing suit when I wasn’t around. It’s all I have.”
“Melanie,” Tara said, “look at me. You looked hot. Jeremy couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
Melanie blushed, remembering her time with him on the boat. “Yeah, I guess he likes it.”
“He loves it. And you should, too. Where’s all that confidence you’ve been building up over the last few weeks?”
“I don’t know. Old habits die hard, I guess.”
Melanie’s phone beeped and she picked it up from her nightstand. It was a text from Jeremy, telling her they were on their way back. “Let’s go downstairs,” she said to Tara. “The boys are on their way.”
When they reached the entertainment room, someone was already there. Melanie saw a li
ght blonde head over the back of the couch and paused with a grimace. The head swiveled to glance over at them and she met piercing green-blue eyes.
“Declan!” Tara exclaimed when she saw him. “What are you doing today? Do you want to hang out? The guys picked up some pizza and are on their way back now.”
Declan stood and walked around the couch. Without even a glance at Melanie, he said, “Sorry, I have some things I have to do. Maybe another time,” and left the room quickly.
“What’s with him?” Tara asked, grabbing the remote and plopping down on the couch.
“I can’t believe you invited him to hang out with us,” Melanie exclaimed as soon as she was sure Declan was out of earshot. “Don’t you remember what I told you?”
“I remember,” Tara said with a frown. “I just don’t buy it. I totally believe he wants you, that much is obvious. But to kill Jeremy? Just to get the girl he wants? Don’t you think that’s a little over the top?
“I don’t know,” Melanie said quietly, not meeting Tara’s eyes. “You could be right. But I’m glad it’ll just be us four tonight. We only have a couple of days left before you and Chris have to go home.”
“Don’t remind me,” Tara said. “Back to school on Monday, without you.”
Melanie put her arm around Tara’s shoulder and snatched the remote with her other hand. “I get to pick the movie this time,” she said cheerily, changing the subject.
Thirty minutes later, the boys were still not back and Melanie was starting to get worried. She checked the time on her phone again and jumped off the couch to pace the room.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s been too long, Tara. Jeremy and Chris should have been back fifteen minutes ago.”