by Celia Kyle
Lucy laughed and squeezed Ally’s shoulder. “Don’t sound so excited, Al. Haven’t you ever been on a pack run?”
She shrugged, still not ready to discuss her past with anyone, even her best friend.
“Well, you’re going to love it. It’s a monthly tradition. No speeches, no ceremonies. It’s just a fun way for the pack to strengthen its bond and enjoy the call of the moon.”
It made sense. She’d felt the pull of the moon many times over the years, but never so strongly. In fact, ever since Kade had come into her life, everything about being a werewolf had intensified. Including her wolf’s delight in finally being able to run free. After years of suppressing the craving to feel dirt under her paws and wind in her fur, the beast practically howled with joy. And sharing that experience with a group of people who seemed to not want to kill her sounded pretty nice. If it weren’t for one, small thing…
“Why is everyone undressing?”
“Are you kidding?” Lucy gave her an incredulous look. “We’d shred our clothes if we shift without getting naked. I love shopping as much as you do, Ally, but that’s a little too wasteful. Plus, I like this shirt. Oh, Mason’s calling me. See you in the woods!”
Lucy ran off toward the Alpha, tugging her shirt off and tossing it aside as she went. She wasn’t the only one to leave piles of clothing around. No one else hesitated to show off what their mama gave them. Except Ally. The very idea of exposing herself made her skin itch, hives threatening to make an appearance. The feeling intensified when she imagined Kade’s gaze on her. Not that he posed a threat, but some reactions were simply instinctual after what she’d experienced.
True to his word, in the two nights since Brian had set off the alarm, Kade had done nothing more than spoon her as they fell asleep. With his warm, strong arms wrapped tight around her—and the knowledge that Blackwood sentries were patrolling the perimeter—she’d never slept more soundly.
Other sentries kept an eye on her throughout the day as well, but far from feeling smothered, Ally was relieved by that extra show of protection. Brian was out there, biding his time, but the Blackwood pack stood together to protect her—a stranger—from an unknown threat. She’d never experienced this feeling of peace in the past and that sensation merely doubled when Kade was at her side.
The only hiccup in her life at the moment was Kade and the time they spent together at night. Whenever they were snuggled up in bed, his larger body curling around hers, all she wanted was to roll over and start something she didn’t want to stop. Ever. He’d been a perfect gentleman, and there were no wandering hands or roving lips. Despite his belief that they were mates, he kept it strictly PG. Which merely infuriated and frustrated her wolf, because the beast wanted to jump to a XXX rating.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t just her wolf who felt hot and bothered and desperate for the big wolf’s bod.
The tender, chaste approach was what she’d needed when they met, but now… Now she’d spent time with him, gotten to know him alone as well as watched him interact with the pack, and found herself aching for more. What they’d had was no longer enough. She wasn’t sure what she craved, but she knew exactly who she desired.
And glancing around the area, she gritted her teeth when she realized Kade was nowhere to be seen.
Something tugged at the back of her shirt, the pull gentle but insistent. Spinning in place she peered down at little Charlie while he stared at her, his head cocked to the side. If he’d been a pup, she had no doubt his ears would have been perked up in an unasked question. Of course, he was human-shaped, so the questions came at her rapid-fire.
“Why do you still have your clothes on, Ally? Aren’t you going on the run with everyone else? Do you want to help me take care of Ghost Kitty and her babies? Ooh, was that a bat? Cool!”
Since she’d arrived on Blackwood lands, she’d spent a little time with the boy, who had proudly told her he was “five and three-quarters.” Then he’d launched into a story about how Ghost Kitty and all her kittens were his because he’d saved them from a burning porch, whatever that meant. Despite the kid’s incessant chatter, he really was quite a charmer and she’d grown fond of the pup.
Ally wasn’t sure which of his questions to answer first, so she started with the easiest. “Yes, that was a bat. No, I can’t help you with the kitties because yes, I’m going on the run. Aren’t you?”
The boy’s lower lip pooched out so far Ally worried he might sprain it. “No.”
“Why?” She tried not to snicker at his pouting.
“Mama says I’m too little, so I have to stay behind with Ida, Tessa and all the babies.” He spat the last word as if it tasted like rotten meat.
“That’ll be fun though, won’t it?”
“Not as fun as running!” He rolled his shoulders back and stuck his nose up in the air. “Besides, I’m big now. I’m too old for a babysitter.”
Ally had only briefly met Ida Abbot, the woman who managed the pack house, but Tessa was sure to show the kids a good time. “Hey, Lucy’s grandma is a pretty fun lady.”
He didn’t look convinced.
Ally lowered to a crouch, putting herself at eye-level with Charlie. She tugged on his shirt and smiled at the young boy. “I’m sorry my first run with the Blackwood pack will be without my second favorite pack member.”
Charlie’s face split into a huge grin. “Bet I know who your first favorite is!”
He mimed a kissy face at her, then skipped away, singing at the top of his lungs. “Kade and Ally, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
“I like the sound of that,” a deep voice rumbled behind her, and she rose, turning to find Kade standing behind her, hands stuffed in the pockets of his low-slung jeans. Low-slung and loose so that his hands tugged the denim even lower. “Ready?”
Ally was ready for something.
She glanced around the yard once more, unable to suppress her newest rush of nerves. It’d been years since she’d been around so many wolves, but the mood here was so different than it had been back then. Their excitement was infectious, and she was almost ready to pound the ground alongside them. The rest of her wanted to run in the opposite direction as long and far as she could go.
Before she could bolt, Kade wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm. Her nerves instantly settled with the touch and her mind moved on to thinking about running through the forest by his side all night long.
Like everything in life, starting was the hardest part. It was doubly hard in this case because it meant stripping down.
In front of everyone.
Including Kade.
She wasn’t ashamed of her body. She’d simply never been much of an exhibitionist.
As yet another pack member shimmied out of his pants, dick just swinging in the breeze, Ally blushed and hid her face in Kade’s chest. She didn’t think she’d ever be that free and easy when it came to undressing in a crowd.
A chuckle rumbled through Kade’s chest and he tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I had no idea you were such a prude. Let’s take turns.” He stepped back and whipped his white t-shirt over his head, giving Ally a full view of his sculpted abs. “See? No big deal. Now you.”
Ally winced and glanced around to see if anyone watched them. Not a soul. Everyone else was too focused on preparing for the run themselves. She toyed with the top button of her shirt, and just as she was about to unfasten it, she sensed the presence of someone behind her.
A jolt of alarm poured adrenaline into her system and she whirled in place, half-expecting to find Brian glaring down at her. Instead, she found the youngest Blackwood brother, Gavin, nearby.
Just like everyone else, Gavin was only partially dressed. Barefoot and shirtless, his jeans already unzipped to reveal a light dusting of hair that grew denser the lower her eyes roamed. Thwarted by the rest of his jeans, she let her gaze skim up the ridges and bulges that made up his stomach and chest, until she reached his handsome gray eyes.
No doubt about it, Gavin Blackwood was just as gorgeous as his older brothers, but not in a way that tripped her trigger. He quirked a suggestive eyebrow at her then winked, and his lips curled up in a sensual smirk. She blushed and fidgeted, uneasy at being the subject of his attention. It felt… wrong. And kinda gross, to be honest. Aside from appreciating his beauty in a clinical way, Ally had zero interest in the youngest Blackwood. She definitely didn’t want anyone looking at her with sex on the brain except Kade.
Without warning, Kade hoisted her over his shoulder, ass up and head down, and brushed past his laughing brother.
“What are you doing?” She didn’t bother fighting him. She was far too busy enjoying the hardness of his muscles and the smoky heat of his scent as he carried her to the far side of the pack house.
“You were right.” His voice was rough and gravelly with emotion. “You shouldn’t undress in front of the pack until you’re more comfortable.”
She nearly snorted. Nearly. He could lie all he wanted, but she scented the truth in the air. Every step sent up the strong, spicy scent of jealousy. One giggle led to two and by the time they rounded the corner and he placed her on her feet, she was laughing outright. Which earned her a scowl.
“What’s so funny?”
This only made her laugh harder and she shook her head with disbelief. “You! You’re jealous!”
He scoffed and sniffed and snorted, but he didn’t deny her words.
“Admit it, you’re jealous.”
Kade gripped her hips, squeezing gently while he walked her backward until her back rested against the wall. He stooped, leaning down until his blazing eyes were level with her own.
“I’m jealous.” He growled low, but the threatening sound didn’t scare her the least bit. “I want you more than I want my next breath, Ally. I die a little every time I have to restrain myself from kissing you.”
The smile fell from Ally’s lips and her body responded to his words. Every nerve flickered to life, flames dancing over the endings. Mere inches separated them, his lips so very, very close, and she couldn’t stop staring at Kade’s mouth.
She licked her lips, unsure what to say. “I—”
“Ally, I’d never push you. I’d never do anything you didn’t want. I know how to control myself, but I can’t pretend it’s easy.”
Dragging her gaze from the lips she longed to kiss, she met his intense gaze. “Kade, I… I definitely have feelings for you, and I’m trying to figure out what they are. I’ve never felt anything like this in the eight years I’ve been a wolf.”
Kade’s eyes widened at her unintended admission and Ally kicked herself for letting such a revealing detail about her life slip out. She’d worked hard to build up her defenses, but just a few days around Kade Blackwood and they were gradually crumbling to dust.
In for a penny…
She swallowed past the knot of apprehension in her throat and opened up to him a little more. “And it scares the hell out of me.”
Chapter Fourteen
Kade reeled, not only from Ally’s confession, but also her nearness. He couldn’t stop himself from pulling in as much of that sweet milk and honey aroma coming off her skin as he could. He fought the intoxicating effects of her flavors and struggled to focus. He couldn’t allow himself to become distracted. Not when she’d just truly opened up to him for the first time.
“So, you were made, not born,” he concluded gently.
Ally dropped her gaze and shrugged.
“How?” He kept his voice calm and low while his wolf raged in his mind. She’d been made. Probably painfully, violently.
She looked away and pressed her lips together. The window of opportunity to learn more of her was closing fast. He tried for an easier question.
“Where’s your pack?”
She sniffed and finally met his gaze. “I’ve never had one. Not really.”
Kade couldn’t wrap his head around what she was telling him. She’d been born human, then turned into a werewolf, which meant she was bitten. Bitten with no mate and no pack. No protection. How was she even alive? He couldn’t ask that yet, as much as he wanted to hear the answer. Besides, it was pretty obvious—she was strong as hell.
“If you never had a pack to learn from, you must not know much about your abilities.”
“I suppose that’s true, but I’ve picked up the basics along the way. I learned to control my wolf on my own. I learned I heal more quickly than… before. I learned to sniff out other wolves and keep my distance. I read some books on natural wolves, but I haven’t found many credible texts on werewolves.”
Try ‘none’, Kade thought ruefully, amazed by her strength and bravery.
“It must have been hell for you,” he said, thumb stroking her hip.
“I discovered a few benefits. It’s why I’m such a good dog walker. It’s pretty easy to keep them all in line because I’m always the alpha of the pack.” She flashed him a cheeky grin with that and his heart broke.
It was a strange ‘bright side’, but when you were surrounded by darkness, the faintest blip of light must seem as bright as the sun. Now that she was speaking more freely, he asked the question burning inside him.
“Eight years ago… You must have been fresh out of high school.” He lowered his voice and softened his eyes, so she would know it was safe to confide in him. “What happened, Ally?”
A veil dropped over her eyes and she pulled herself from his embrace, moving just out of reach. She pretended it was, so she could peek around the corner at the rest of the pack, but he sensed her discomfort. Unable or unwilling to answer the question, he knew better than to press his mate. As frustrating as it was, he at least had another piece of the puzzle his mate presented. Kade leaned against the wall, his attention on Ally while he waited for her to quit pretending to be interested in the crowd.
“No wonder you don’t recognize what we have.”
She tensed and returned her attention to him, her brows pulled low over her narrowed eyes. “This again?”
He ignored the comment. “I thought you wanted to take your time, but you really don’t understand, do you?” No answer, just lips pressed into a thin line to join her glare. “I’m talking about fated mates, Ally. I know humans don’t have them, but werewolves do. We mate for life. When we discover our mate, we become whole. Our souls intertwine and connect us forever. Those feelings you’re trying to deny? Trying to fight? You won’t win because we’re destined to be together. Just like Lucy and Mason.”
Ally’s eyes grew wide and a fresh red glow spread over her cheeks. “Now hold on—”
“I won’t let you hide from the truth any longer,” he said, pushing off the wall and grasping her shoulders. “I know how hard it must be for you to process, but you can’t hide away this part of you much longer or you’ll go feral.”
“Feral?” She blinked up at him.
“Wolves who don’t find their mates—or in your case, deny them—will eventually go feral. Basically, you’ll go insane and start killing any and everything you can. Lucy’s parents were killed by a feral wolf.”
Ally gasped, and all color drained from her face.
“It’s true. That wolf went feral for different reasons, but the end result was the same. I won’t let that happen to you, Ally. The sooner you accept all there is to being a werewolf, the happier you’ll be, I promise.”
She clearly had her doubts, as evidenced by the deep furrow in her brow. “I don’t know…”
“But I do,” he countered. “I know you feel drawn to me in a way you can’t explain. I know your wolf won’t let you deny your feelings. It claws and howls to be set free, so we can finally be together. You’re having trouble controlling your beast. You catch the slightest whiff of my scent and your wolf goes nuts. Touching me helps ease the desperate ache inside you, but it’s not enough. Not nearly enough.”
Throughout his little speech, Ally’s eyes grew wider and wider. “How did you…?”
He
traced her ruffled brow with his forefinger, reveling in the sparks of electricity that shot up his arm and straight to his heart. “Because it’s exactly how I feel. It’s how all fated mates feel.”
Tears welled in her eyes as her head and her heart battled one another. Her confusion caused a physical pain inside him. “I wish I could believe you, but I just—”
He wrapped his arms around her trembling frame and pulled her into a deep hug. He rested his cheek atop her head and took comfort in the knowledge that she didn’t pull away. “You’ll trust me someday. Soon, I hope. For now, I need you to know that members of the Blackwood pack are honorable and kind. We aren’t violent, unless it’s to protect one of our own from outsiders. No one throws their dominance around just because they can. There is no belittling or attacking of weaker wolves.” Ally tried to respond but her voice was so thin it broke. He gave her a squeeze, then released her. “What I really want to know right now is whether you still want to go on tonight’s run.”
Almost as if in answer to his question, a howl split the night air. Mason calling the pack to shift and dive into the forest. His howl was answered by dozens more, and Kade’s own wolf surged forward, ready to follow their Alpha. Ready to run off some of his pent-up frustration.
But only if he had Ally by his side. If she didn’t want to go, he’d stay behind to make sure she was safe and secure, if not exactly happy.
Stepping back from him, she took a deep breath and her fingers went to the top button on her shirt. “Let’s run.”
Chapter Fifteen
The excitement in Kade’s eyes was echoed in Ally’s heart. She normally kept her wolf on a tight leash, but now she could hardly wait to cede control to her inner animal. Let it out to race through the woods and enjoy the feel of the wind stroking her fur.
Kade’s hands dropped to the fly of his jeans and instinct told her to look away, but her wolf growled a warning. It wanted to watch him strip. It wanted to witness his strength—the way his pecs flexed, and muscles bunched and moved as he undressed. He was, without a doubt, the sexiest man she’d ever seen. Only when his hands stopped moving did she look up at his face.