“Your wolf is just buried right now,” Margot explains. “That doesn’t mean you’re not one of us anymore.”
“I see the same aura around you now that you see around me,” Ryker says as he reaches for my hand. “And when I touch you, it feels like I’m touching electricity. I know you feel it too, you told me so this morning.”
“But how does any of this make us mates? I’m not completely sure I understand what being mates even means!” I hear the panic in my voice but can’t seem to control it.
“It means I am not meant to ever be with someone else. That fate has destined us to be together, to be with no one else.” Ryker’s thumb runs over my knuckles. “We were created for each other.”
“But what if I don’t want to be with you? What if I want to be with someone else?” I pull my hand back, suddenly feeling like I’m being trapped into something without any other options. “Could I be? Could you be with someone else?”
The feeling that these big life decisions have been made for me, and I don’t have a choice in the matter is bursting to the surface with intense speed. Ryker is looking at me like I’m his everything, and I don’t understand how he can believe full-heartedly I’m his one. Because he can see the glow around me, there is no one else in the entire world he could love.
Ryker stares at me with a pained expression. “You’re telling me you would be okay if I were with someone else?” Ryker’s voice is harsh as his eyes narrow. I haven’t seen this side of him before, and it makes me take a step back.
“I have no right to dictate who you’re with!” I fire back at him. “I’ve known you for like one day!”
Ryker moves so fast across the room, my eyes have trouble tracking him. Then he does something I never expected he’d do. He grabs hold of Avery’s side and the back of her head and pulls her face to his. He crushes their mouths together with such force Avery doesn’t have time to react. Everyone shouts and yells at him, but I stand quiet.
He was right, I would not be okay seeing him with someone else. As I watch him kiss her, something inside of me shatters, almost like a dam being broken. I feel the power wash over me and seep out of my pores. It vibrates in my chest so hard I feel nausea bubble up in my stomach. My hands are shaking at my sides, and I can no longer hear the uproar of voices around me. My beating heart is the only thing I hear as I stare at them, their mouths still locked.
All of a sudden, a deafening growl shoots through the room, causing everyone to jump. Ryker finally separates himself from Avery. Her face is flushed from the passionate kiss. I look around the room, and I’m shocked to find everyone staring at me, their eyes wide.
Holy shit…
“Was that me?” I ask with a gasp.
“I told you that you wouldn’t be okay if I were with someone else.” Ryker is the first to speak, and I want to punch him in the face for the cocky smirk that sits there now.
“You kissed her to prove a point?” I spit, my hands balling into fists at my sides, and the shaking from a minute ago subsiding.
“Well, yeah…” Ryker shrugs. “I told you, I’m not meant to be with or kiss anyone but you, Grey. I needed you to see I’m telling the truth. You don’t like seeing me touch another just as much as I don’t enjoy doing it.”
“Don’t call me that!” I holler. “That is not my name. Not anymore.” I shove my hands through my hair and look back and forth between Avery and him, my anger boiling up again as I replay the sight of them kissing.
The buzzing in my chest starts again, and I can’t seem to catch a breath. “I need some air,” I announce before storming out the door.
“Did you feel her power?” I hear someone ask before the door slams behind me.
The cool night air feels good on my face as I stand on the dock, looking up at the almost full moon. I can’t help but wonder if I’m going to start growing a tail and walking on all fours during the future full moons. One part of me is excited at the idea of turning into a wolf. The other is absolutely terrified. What if I turn into a wolf, and I can never turn back? Or worse, what if I’m never able to actually shift at all?
I sit down on the dock and dip my toes in the lake, mulling it all over.
It seems like days ago that I was out jet skiing with Ryker, but it was only hours ago. It’s crazy how fast someone’s life can implode before their eyes. I do, however, find some relief in knowing there is a reason I’ve been feeling like I’m losing my mind lately.
I’ve been dreaming about the wolf for months because he’s Ryker. And Ryker is my mate.
Ugh! Will that ever sound like a normal term to me? I hope so because Ryker proved to me I would never be okay with the idea of him being with someone else. And I know in my heart I could never walk away from him. It would hurt too much to do so.
“Mind if I sit?” a voice asks from behind me, and I turn to find him standing there.
“Would you listen to me if I said no?”
“Probably not.” Ryker sits down next to me, our arms brushing against each other. “I don’t think I will ever get tired of that feeling.”
“You enjoy feeling like you’ve been shocked every time you touch me?” I ask.
“I spent fourteen years thinking I would never touch you again, so no, I don’t mind it.”
I don’t look at him, but I can feel his gaze on me.
“I remember when I first saw the mating aura around you,” he says. “I was only ten, and you were five or six. I asked my mom why you were so sparkly. At first, she didn’t understand what I was saying, but when I drew a picture of you in art class with a golden glow all around you, she finally realized what I meant. My dad and she had to sit me down and explain it. They told me I was lucky to have found my mate so young since most wolf shifters spend their whole lives looking for theirs, and some never find them. And it looks like I’m still lucky because I get a second chance with you…Pruitt.”
He stumbles over my name when he says it. I can understand how hard it is for him to call me something else after all of these years, and I appreciate his willingness to do so. But after all the changes in my life in the last twenty-four hours, I need to hold onto the things I know, my name being one of those things.
“What happens if they never find their mate?” I ask him, curious about this whole mating thing.
“They go rogue.”
“Was the red wolf from earlier a rogue?”
“Yes. It isn’t really his fault he’s gone rogue, but it doesn’t change the fact he was a danger to others. He had attacked so many women before today. I’m glad I was able to stop him before he hurt anyone else,” Ryker explains.
“Why do rogues attack?”
“Every male shifter has an internal stopwatch of sorts that dictates how long we’ve got to mate before it’s too late. If we aren’t mated by then, we go rogue. Rogues are driven by pure need and desire, like a dog in heat. They have a bloodlust that’s so strong it takes over. I’ve spent the past five years tracking down every rogue wolf I can get my hands on.”
“Why?”
“We believed it was rogue males who attacked your family. I vowed I would kill as many rogue wolves as I could, avenging you and your family. My hope was I would eventually come across the ones that killed you.”
I turn to face him, and a sad look appears on his face. “How were you supposed to know I was alive? Everyone had told you I was dead, and you had every reason to believe it.” I reach over and take his hand. I’m still upset he kissed Avery, but my need to comfort him is stronger than my anger.
“I can’t help but think of all those years we could have been together.”
“I wouldn’t have been ready for you before,” I admit. “I want to believe I am now, but you’ll have to be patient with me.” At the hurt I see in his eyes, I add, “This is all new, and so much of it scares me. You turned into a wolf today and killed someone, Ryker. I have the right to a small adjustment period.”
“Take all the time you need.”
&n
bsp; I’ve never found it easy to talk about my feelings, so I take a deep breath before I say, “Please don’t ever kiss her again,” I say. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to understand this whole mate thing, but I don’t like how it made me feel when you kissed her, and that anger is something I never want to feel again.”
Ryker turns to face me more fully. “When are you going to understand the only person I ever want, or ever wanted is you?” He reaches up with both hands and cups my face, his thumbs lightly brushing my cheeks. I place my hands over his and look into his deep blue eyes that are swimming with emotion. “That I will never want to look at another woman, or touch another woman,” he adds.
“I don’t want you to feel like you’re trapped with me, that I’m your only option. I know you said every wolf shifter has one person they are meant to be with, but I won’t be mad if you decide you want to… I don’t know, look around?” He raises a brow in disbelief, and I wince. “Okay, I’m lying. I will be mad, but I’ll understand if you want to.”
“Even if that were an option, I wouldn’t want them.” Ryker moves one hand from my face, slowly making its way down where it gently cups the back of my neck. His eyes never leave mine. I couldn’t look away if I wanted to.
“I know, but what if—”
“Pru, shut up,” he interrupts, “because I want to kiss you, and I can’t if you don’t stop talking.”
“Okay.” I barely get the word out before Ryker’s mouth crashes into mine.
You know how in movies when the music starts playing, and the background fades away? That’s what happens when my lips connect with Ryker’s. Suddenly the only thing I’m aware of is how his mouth feels against mine and how I can taste the beer he’d been drinking on his lips. My hands wander up to his chest and grab hold of the front of his shirt, afraid if I let go, he’ll disappear.
I’ve only ever kissed two other guys in my life, and both times felt awkward and forced. But kissing Ryker feels right. My mouth moves with his purely on instinct, and I get completely lost in it. I feel his mouth lift into a grin, and I pull back to look at him. I reach up and lightly touch his face, my hands slightly shaking. Then I smile back at him before leaning up to kiss the corner of his upturned mouth.
“Can you do something for me?” I ask him in between planting small kisses to his lips.
“Anything,” he breathes against me.
“Will you shift for me?” I want to see the wolf when it’s not busy ripping the throat out of something. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about him for months now and want to see him again. He’s basically all I dream about anymore.” I pull back from Ryker and bite my lower lip, worried I’ve asked for something I shouldn’t have.
“Of course.” He kisses me one last time before climbing to his feet and helping me up. I keep eye contact with him the whole time he removes his clothes, throwing them off to the side. Just like at the lake, his amazingly built body and his many tattoos captivate me.
“Do they all mean something to you?” I ask him, reaching out to lightly trace a dark swirling line on his shoulder.
“Most of them.” He puts his arms in front of him and inspects the artwork. “Many I’ve had for so long I don’t really think about them,” he admits before taking a step back from me, his skin glowing in the moonlight. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
The man in front of me crouches, and the sound of snapping bones quickly follows. In seconds, the man is gone, and a large black wolf stands in his place.
When we were in the clearing earlier, I didn’t get the chance to really look at him, but now I see he’s the exact same as in my dreams. Even the white patch of fur on his chest is the same. I smile when I see his right paw also has white fur on the toes. He’s much larger than a regular wolf I have no idea how they have been able to keep their existence a secret from humans.
The wolf walks closer to me and presses his large head into my chest. I reach up and scratch behind his ears. “Well, hello there,” I say to him, and a happy sound comes from his throat, almost like a cat purring.
He looks up and with a quick swipe of the tongue, licks me across the face. “Yuck! Dog breath!” I wipe at my face, trying to remove all the slobber.
Ryker takes a few steps back from me and does something that makes my heart soar. He throws his head back and lets out a low, drawn-out howl. It echoes through the night, cutting through the trees around us.
Since moving to Montana, I’ve heard many wolf howls in the night, but Ryker’s is different. It pulls me in and hypnotizes me.
It’s the sounds of hollering that draws my attention away from the black wolf in front of me. When I look up at the house, I find the rest of the Weylyn siblings, Sawyer and Avery, all shedding their clothes.
“Fuck, yeah!” I hear Ransom yell down at us, before he flies down the patio steps, naked. He leaps down one of the small flights of stairs on the tiered patio and lands in his wolf form.
His twin follows close behind him, also shifting. The two large gray and black wolves nip and bite at each other. Playful growls come from them as well. Remi shifts next and joins in the fun, grabbing onto the scruff around Ranger’s neck, or at least I think it’s Ranger.
A soft whine draws my attention away from the commotion. Ryker is staring at his siblings, a look of longing in his eyes. “Ryker, go over there,” I say with a push on his shoulder, his black coat engulfing my hand. His fur is as soft as I thought it would be, maybe even softer. “I’ll be fine.” He snorts and shakes his head, refusing to move from my side.
“Ryk! Are you coming?” Avery calls down at us, still in her human form. She stands with her hands on her hips, unapologetically naked.
He still stands at my side, but I know he wants to go to his friends and family. “Ryker, I’m not going anywhere. Go have fun with them. I’ll be here when you get back.” I softly brush his face with my hand and look into those bright gold eyes. “I promise.”
That finally does it. I watch as Ryker takes off across the yard, his powerful body moving with such ease. I laugh out loud when he tackles the sandy-blond wolf that had jumped into the excitement. I assume its Sawyer since I no longer see him standing on the patio. Moving as one, they all take off toward the woods, Ryker leading them as they disappear beyond the treeline.
I feel a pang of jealousy I’m not able to join in. I wish I could be out there, running and playing with them. I never thought I would wish I could shift into a wolf, but right now, I want nothing more.
With a huff, I march back to the house, intent on learning as much as I can about my past and now my future.
14
Pruitt
My feet are tucked underneath me as I sit on the patio, curled up on the loveseat. The early morning sun beats down on my bare shoulders, and I tilt my face up, enjoying the warmth it brings.
I had come inside last night after I watched my friends take off into the woods to find Addison had fallen asleep on the couch. I figured she was tired from her travels, so I didn’t disturb her and decided to go to bed myself. I slept in the guestroom again, and when I woke, I found Ryker asleep in the leather chair again. Instead of waking him up, I pulled a soft blanket over him and left the room.
I didn’t dream about the wolf last night like I have for the past ten months. Instead, my dreams were filled with Ryker and his tattooed body. I was a little bummed at first when I woke up, and my head wasn’t swimming images of my black wolf, but that feeling went away the second I saw Ryker’s sleeping form across the room.
Margot was already awake when I entered the kitchen, and she suggested we drink our coffee on the patio. “I love sitting out here in the morning. It’s quiet and peaceful.” She smiles over the rim of her coffee cup. “I didn’t get many quiet mornings after having four kids. There was always someone who needed something.”
“I love looking at the water,” I tell her. “Our condo in San Francisco was over the marina, and I used to love watching the boa
ts come in.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Not really. It never felt like home. I never really belonged there. Don’t get me wrong, Addison provided me with an amazing life. I went on spectacular trips, and I never wanted for anything. But I never felt like I was in the right place. That was until I moved here.”
“This is your home.” Margot grins at me. “This is where you belong. I’m over the moon happy you’ve found your way back to us. Back to Ryker.”
I blush when she mentions his name, remembering our kiss from the night before. My stomach clenches when I think about how his mouth felt on mine. I’m still not one hundred percent sure on the whole mate thing, but I’m growing more comfortable with the idea by the hour.
“Can I ask you a question?” I ask Margot. Addison still isn’t awake, and I figure Margot can answer some of my questions.
“Of course.”
“Last night, Addison said something about a witch.” After I had climbed into bed last night and replayed all the information I had learned in my head, I remembered Addison saying that she had a witch wipe my memory. “Does that mean witches are real?”
“Yes, and I believe you’ve already met Esme. She’s the high priestess of her coven here in Montana,” Margot explains. “Remi told me you had quite the meeting with her.”
“She read my tarot cards,” I smile when I think about what Esme said. “She told me the one I had been searching for was on his way to me. I guess that was Ryker.”
“Esme’s very good at what she does. It’s not very often she’s wrong.”
“So if there are wolf shifters and witches…does that mean everything else is real?” I’m almost afraid to hear her answer. I don’t know if I can handle any more mythical creatures.
“Depends on what you mean by everything else.” Margot grins. “There are different kinds of shifters. For example, there is a pack of cougar shifters not far away, and there is a large pride of lion shifters based out of Texas.”
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