Hers (Snowy Mountain Wolves)

by Lovell, Christin

  I stalked towards the door.

  “Kate! Talk to me!”

  Hand on the door handle, I looked back over my shoulder. My tee was large enough to dip off one shoulder, exposing the red bit mark. I lifted my gaze.

  Ellie’s expression was anything but kind. She was frustrated. Where was the love? Where was the concern I’d seen and felt earlier? Had this whole thing been a ruse?

  I wanted my brother more than ever.

  Tears wet my eyes. “You didn’t ask.” I walked out the bedroom door, closing it behind me.

  Across the way, Jerry stood outside his room. His features were twisted with fear. He looked the way Ellie should have: worried, remorseful, focused. His gaze fell to my shoulder. His muscles flexed fervently at the sight.

  “Congratulations.” His voice was devoid of emotion, washing his word of all meaning. He escaped into his room, leaving me standing there again.

  A sob broke from me. I sunk down on the top step. I bit my bottom lip hard, trying to fight it, trying to deny reality, but I couldn’t anymore…

  — 15 —

  Ellie

  My wolf howled. How the hell did we go from claiming our mate, partly, to losing her entirely?

  Her sob carried through the wall. It squeezed my heart, plucking at my icy chords; it kicked at my frozen walls. I was supposed to protect her, not hurt her dammit. Love her, not fucking drive her away.

  The need to console her, even if I was the cause of her ache, overpowered the bitch in me. I pulled an old shirt from the dresser and slipped on a pair of short shorts. Something told me nudity would have her shrinking away.

  I opened my door just in time to see Jerry reach her. He glared at me over his shoulder. Sadly, the alpha often was the go-between among disgruntled mates in his pack.

  He sat down beside her.

  Kate was hunched over; her elbows pressed into her knees for stability. Her face was buried in her hands; her hands tried to contain her cries, but they spilled over.

  Guilt slapped the shit out of me. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be…

  “I’ve got it, Jer.” Approaching, I placed a strong hand on his shoulder.

  “Doesn’t look like it,” he snapped.

  “Yeah, well, it’s not the first time I’ve fucked up and it won’t be the last.”

  He stood and got right into my face. His wolf flared to life in his eyes. “You hurt her again and I’ll have the elders dishonor your mating.” His voice was unwavering, steady, yet loaded with menace. He’d never spoken so passionately, so protectively?

  Shit. I was probably just panicking like my wolf.

  My wolf roared. Her claws gutted my insides as she fought her way to the surface.

  That was the ultimate threat. He was hitting hard.

  “Not a chance in hell.” I shoved past him and dropped down beside Kate.

  Jerry hovered, listening closely, making sure I held up my end.

  I wrapped my arms around Kate from the side. I gently set my chin on the edge of her shoulder. “Want to bite me back?”

  I recoiled. Fucking hell, El. Great opener!

  She lifted her head, wiping at her cheeks as she faced me, an incredulous expression on her face. “Bite you?” she exclaimed.

  My wolf huddled down. I actually cringed inside from the aggression in her tone.

  She let out a hollow laugh. “No, Ellie, I don’t want to bite you. I didn’t want you to bite me, but you didn’t ask. You assumed.” Her voice grew thicker as fresh tears gathered in her eyes. She choked back a sob. “You didn’t ask me. You gave me no options, just like…him.”

  “You sure as hell didn’t seem to mind in there.” My temperature dropped as my anger blossomed, raising stubborn, internal walls.

  I was shutting down. Who the fuck wanted to hear their mate say they didn’t want to be with them forever?

  She closed her eyes, sighing. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You’re…you’re an anomaly. I don’t know if you make me gay or make me straight with an exception. Hell, maybe I’ve been bi this whole time and didn’t know it.” She met my gaze. “You’re beautiful, but biting me proved we want different things. Just like him, you want a forever I don’t think I’m prepared to give someone like you.”

  I gave her some space by sliding over on the step. Crossing my arms defensively, I pushed for the truth. “And just what the hell am I like, honey, since you’ve got me all figured out?”

  She smiled wistfully, sniffing as her tears began to dry. “You’re sexy and confident; you’re fearless. You’re the opposite of all I will ever be. You deserve more, Ellie.”

  I scoffed. “That’s such a crock of shit. You’re just a scared kitty running from the wolf. Newsflash, sweet cheeks, I don’t plan to eat you. Contrary to popular belief, I’m more than a sexy bitch. I thought you saw that.”

  “I haven’t even known you a day. How could I?”

  My wolf was as quiet as I was; a deadly combination.

  I looked her up and down. My heart wrenched. I wished I could shut it off, be numb to what she invoked in me, the feelings she drew to the surface, but I couldn’t.

  Every time I saw those curves, I would want to strip and fuck ‘em. She fit perfectly against me. Dammit, she was perfect for me. I could already tell that she would balance me. That opposites attract crap tends to work best with our kind. We’re aggressive, opinionated and, sometimes, uncompassionate.

  Shit. Was I letting my ego destroy this?

  Fuck. This mating shit was hard. Everyone always made it look so damn easy, almost as if there was no choice, but also, no opposition.

  My wolf whimpered at the sight of Kate. She was our mate. I wanted to shake the truth into her.

  She was sexy. She was confident, when she told her conscience to fuck off for a while. She could be fearless and she already amazed me. She didn’t even blink when she discovered my wolf.

  Swallowing my pride, petting my wolf with assurance, I moved back into her space. I gathered her hand between mine. “You’re scared. I get that.” I laced our fingers. “I don’t want to scare you though. I want you running to me, not away from me. And as for a label, try Kate. I don’t give a fuck if you’re gay, straight or bi, as long as you give me a chance to be with you. I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you, Kate, even if it means going super slow and dressing like a man from time to time.

  She studied me sideways, biting back a smirk. “You’re too pretty to pass as a guy.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I’d do it for you.”

  This time, she didn’t hold back her smile. “Thanks, but that’s not what I want. No one should change who they are for someone else. Ultimately, that would doom us from the start.”

  “So there’s hope?” I tried not to be eager, but my poker hand might as well have been face up on the table at this point.

  She chewed her lip for a minute, keeping me on edge. Her brows furrowed as she stared at our conjoined hands. Exhaling softly, she said, “There’s hope, but there’s some stuff I have to get through first.”

  “Sure thing, sweet cheeks.” I squeezed her hand, glad to have salvaged our relationship for the most part, I hoped. “Now, come to bed. It’s lonely as hell in that massive beast.”

  Her gaze swept over me and back up to Jerry before she agreed.

  Standing, I kept hold of her hand and tugged her upright with me. The moment we turned, Jerry held up a staying hand to me. His expression was solemn, fierce. His wolf glimmered in and out of his eyes, putting my own on alert. A chill of foreboding shot down my spine.

  Jerry moved in front of Kate. “Who is he?”

  — 16 —

  Kate

  My heart took off. The tone of his voice, the flash in his eyes, the set of his features told me he knew, not everything, but something.

  I deadpanned.

  “You said ‘like him’ twice. I also happen to know of one man who overheard an interesting conversation, yet he won’t talk. He did say yo
u were running. Now who are you running from, Kate?”

  Crap, crap, crap.

  I looked around. The only exit was the stairs and Ellie had just tightened her grip on my hand. It was do or die time. Either I trusted them with the truth, or- I sighed. I knew they wouldn’t let me out of telling them.

  “Talk to us, Kate.” Ellie squeezed my fingers.

  “We can’t help you if you don’t open up.” Jerry watched me closely. I knew he saw every minute movement on my part.

  I studied them in return. My heart seemed to crack at the edges as my lungs constricted. I’d already involved more people than I wanted. I hated that Billy and Jared were drawn into my messy web.

  Looking at Jerry and Ellie, I couldn’t put my finger on it. They could clearly defend themselves, but I felt the need to protect them both from Donovan, from the unnecessary. Despite being upset with Ellie still, I couldn’t do this to them; I couldn’t bring Donovan upon them.

  “Why are you shaking your head ‘no’?” Jerry asked.

  Was I?

  Ellie’s features turned down. Concern wrinkled her brows. Beyond that though, I sensed her hurt.

  Dang it. It seemed she would get hurt either way.

  I looked to Jerry. He was so strong, a true tough guy, but I’d caught glimpses of the teddy bear. He cared. He rescued me, he protected me; he was the reason I stuck around and worked through things with Ellie. He’d already done so much for me; I couldn’t ask for more, demand for more. Telling them about Donovan would do just that: prompt them for more.

  This time, I consciously shook my head negatively. I withdrew my hand from Ellie’s grip, wrapping my arms around myself. Dang it, Donovan. I hope you rot in hell.

  Jerry caught me off guard. He cupped my face, his eyes boring into mine. “We can’t help you unless you tell us.” The vein in his neck danced.

  My flesh tingled beneath his hands. He was so earnest. I gave him a small smile as I secured his wrists to my palms. “I know.” I pulled on his wrists, but they didn’t budge.

  A snarl echoed beside me. “Let go of her!”

  Jerry ground his teeth. His eyes glowed pure golden honey as he roared, “No, dammit!”

  His body began to shake. I knew my expression unveiled my disquiet as I watched him fight for control.

  Ellie shoved at him, but he didn’t move.

  He growled. “Why aren’t you worried? She’s your fucking mate?”

  My heart began to pick up its pace. If they fought, there would be nothing I could do to stop them.

  Ellie invaded his space, as much as she could. “Because as long as she’s with me, I’ll protect her with my life. No one’s going to get to her as long as I’m alive.”

  “And when you’re not? When you’re at work or on a run?” he pressed angrily.

  His insistence had me squirming. I didn’t know if Ellie’s lack of concern or Jerry’s raging distress was more unsettling.

  I frowned, watching blindly as the scene continued to unfold. Ellie had no idea who she was dealing with. Jerry didn’t either…but, in this moment, I realized something troubling. While I didn’t doubt that Ellie would protect me, I felt safer with Jerry. He reacted exactly as Billy did.

  The differences between Jerry and Ellie were becoming more and more clear to me.

  Growls bounced off the walls as my pulse caught up with my heavily thumping heart. “Stop.” I was more confused than ever, lost as to the best answer, the best solution to all of this right now, and their pissing contest wasn’t helping me think. It didn’t matter who was right or wrong, only what was. Donovan existed. Donovan was a threat, whether they knew it or not...

  “Stop!” I cracked.

  Two pairs of glowing eyes glared at me.

  “You…you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

  “Because you won’t tell us,” Jerry said.

  Ellie cut her eyes at him. “Because it doesn’t matter.” Her statement made no sense from a police officer’s perspective. Knowing was half the battle. Knowing helped. Dang it. Knowing would help them.

  “But it does.” My voice was weak, weary, much like the rest of me when it came to Donovan.

  “I told you.” Jerry snarled.

  “When the fuck are you going to stop telling me what to do with my mate?”

  Jerry’s eyes sizzled with fire as he pulled me into his arms, securing me against him. My body melted around him as fresh tears stung my eyes. I buried my face in his chest. For one brief moment, I felt impenetrable.

  Until he said the one thing that would change everything…

  “Never, El. I will never stop telling you what is best for Kate. Because if you opened your fucking eyes for one goddam minute, just long enough to stop being so damned sadistic, selfish and fucking self-righteous, you’d realize that she’s my mate too!”

  TO BE CONTINUED…

  —~—

  Dear Reader,

  Let me start by saying I hate cliffhangers. (Sorry! Hypocritical, I know.) Trust me, I fought this one; I argued with the characters (mentally) for a while and then I proceeded to battle the words on the screen, trying to morph them into the bow-tied ending I always crave in a book or series, but, alas, it just wouldn’t work. The characters were right. This story had to be broken up for optimum relay. That last line wouldn’t have had quite the same effect if there was a man and woman on the cover and the title was Theirs rather than Hers. And Jerry deserved such a rise.

  As for why, he’s being more than generous with his point of view in the next book. I hope you’ll stick around for the next title. Jerry would like you to. It’s already in the process of being written. Barring all characters cooperate, the book should be released in October 2013.

  Until then…

  ~ Christin

  —~—