A Wolf's Quest

by Hannah Steenbock

  That was another really good idea. Somehow, I found I could love her even more.

  I hurried into the house and found the room with no effort at all. His jeans were tighter than I liked them and too short, but they did cover up all the necessary parts.

  When I returned, Sylvia had moved to sit next to Eric, holding his hand. He looked as if he would lose consciousness any moment.

  “Hang in there, Cuz.”

  He blinked. “Sylvia, forgive me. Please. I can’t…”

  I knelt at Sylvia’s side and he met my eyes for a moment before looking away, and then they closed. I slapped him.

  “Eric! Stay with us!”

  His eyes fluttered open, and a moment later, he looked at me. “So… sorry.” His voice was slurry, and it alarmed me.

  Then I heard sirens and squeezed Sylvia’s shoulder. “Keep him awake. I’ll get the paramedics.”

  “Thanks.” A moment later, she slapped Eric, and he moaned.

  I stepped out into the yard, making sure I was clearly visible in the light coming from the workshop, holding out my open hands just as the first police car raced into the yard. It was followed closely by the little car that Beth had used to pick me up with, and I relaxed, feeling a grin trying to rise.

  Maybe they did have a cooperation with the police.

  Chapter 16

  Sylvia

  Things happened quickly once help arrived. Ben brought them into the workshop and made them help Eric first before pulling me into a hug again, before starting to answer questions, before letting anyone look at our wounds.

  His embrace made all my pain irrelevant. Just being close filled me with calm and happiness. I remembered Beth mentioning a bond, and when she walked in and saw us together, she smiled. And immediately took control over what the policewoman wrote down.

  Theo was hauled away in a police car, and I was relieved he was gone. When Eric was loaded onto a stretcher, Ben stopped the paramedics to ask how bad he was, and their little smile told me everything. My cousin would survive his heroics.

  In the end, Beth made us sit in the back of her car, taking us to a small hospital at their organization. I realized that it would be specialized for the healing of people like Ben and her, but wondered a little about being included myself.

  When I said so, he smiled.

  “You’re one of us now.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, almost.” His smile got a little crooked and he glanced at Beth.

  “Go ahead, tell Sylvia.” I could see her answering smile in the rear-view mirror.

  It was almost amusing to see Ben squirm a little. The man who had barely flinched after getting shot was now looking decidedly uncomfortable.

  I put my hand on his bare chest. There was still blood on it, and while I hated that he did get hurt, the blood itself didn’t bother me.

  “I love you, Ben. I want to spend my life with you. So tell me.”

  His entire expression softened and he held me tight.

  “You already have some wolf blood from one of your ancestors, or we wouldn’t be bonding so quickly.”

  I nodded, even though I had no idea who might have carried it.

  “But for you to have full access to your wolf, the… trait needs to be activated.”

  “Really?”

  “In a very old fashioned way.” He blushed, and I couldn’t help grinning, he looked so cute.

  “Yes?”

  “By… by…” He couldn’t meet my eyes.

  “Mating.” Beth’s voice was very matter of fact. “Preferably mating within a bond, but with enough wolf blood it can even happen with more causal sex. Full wolves won’t sense much of a difference.”

  I could feel Ben relax and breathe a sigh of relief as his leader explained, and I hid my smile.

  “That shouldn’t be a problem, then.” The truth was that I was looking forward to it. If the kisses were any indication, it would be fantastic.

  Ben breathed in sharply. “You… don’t mind?”

  “Not at all.” I kissed his jawbone.

  “You two should wait until you’re a little more healed,” Beth said, still in that detached, calm voice, and I couldn’t help giggling. “But I will make sure you get a room together, and Ben still has his apartment.”

  With a nice bed, I remembered and smiled in anticipation.

  We didn’t talk much for the rest of the ride, and Beth took us directly to their hospital. And of course, Ben insisted on carrying me, despite his injuries. And he insisted on sitting at my side as they examined the gun wound.

  “It was a small caliber,” the doctor explained, a slim woman with dark hair and a face that reminded me of a fellow student from Italy. “So we don’t need to do much, especially as it is already not bleeding much. You’re healing fast for a human.”

  “We’re bonding,” Ben said, and I was proud of him.

  “Ah. That explains it. Congratulations.” She smiled at me. “And welcome to the pack.”

  “Thank you.” I had no idea what the etiquette was on bonding, but it seemed a bit like getting engaged. Just more intense.

  Quickly, they put a bandage on my leg and then rewound the support on my ankle. Finally, they gave me a mild painkiller, and it took effect almost immediately.

  “Now you, young man, you need that shoulder taken care of,” she said and gave him a sharp look. “No more carrying your mate around anymore, either.”

  He blushed severely and I took his hand when the doctor probed his shoulder.

  “That one is healing nicely. As are your ribs. I would assume you spent some time as a wolf tonight. But that arm needs a few stitches, and you’ll probably keep a scar.”

  His eyes found mine. “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not.” I lifted his hand and kissed his palm. “I love you the way you are.”

  He stoically endured getting his arm stapled, and took a deep breath when the doctor finished bandaging it up.

  “Now, I want you to spend the rest of the night…” She looked at her watch and grimaced. “And tomorrow here in the ward. After that, three more days of rest. And I will check on both of you.”

  I smiled at her, feeling in very good hands. “Thank you.”

  Since Ben was forbidden from carrying me, I leaned on him to make it to the room we had been assigned. I was surprised to see it didn’t have hospital beds at all. Instead, it held one large bed that looked incredibly soft and inviting.

  It even had its own bathroom, and it was a relief to brush my teeth and curl up in bed, letting Ben curl up next to me, resting on his good shoulder. Of course, he wrapped me in his arms again, but before he could say anything, he fell asleep.

  I held the hand he had put on my chest, needing the contact, needing to touch him, needing to feel that he was real. I had come too close to losing him and everything he meant to me.

  My mind went to this bonding thing and what Beth had said. Would making love to him really activate the wolf in me? Did I even have one?

  I had seen Ben shift back and forth during the fight, moving too quickly to get a good look at him. I couldn’t wait to admire him in his wolf shape, considering how gorgeous he was in human shape.

  Finally, sleep caught up with me, as well, and I slipped into dreams filled with his scent and the howling of wolves.

  Chapter 17

  Ben

  Sylvia was healing almost as fast as I was, which boded more than well for our bond and for our mating.

  And yet, I dreaded that day. A wolf mating could get intense and I was afraid that it would scare her.

  The doctor sent us home to my apartment the next afternoon, declaring us well enough to heal on our own. I was glad to leave the hospital behind, even though they did their best to reduce the smells of disinfectant and illness. Wolves didn’t do well in normal hospitals, at least that’s what my father had always said. I didn’t intend to try that out.

  Sylvia relaxed considerably when she shut the door behind her. T
hen she grinned at me, and I realized I had simply put Eric’s jeans back on, lacking any clothes of my own.

  “We both need a decent shower,” she declared.

  I completely agreed. “Do you want to go first?”

  “Well, let me check something.” She quickly looked into the bathroom and returned with a grin.

  “Yes?”

  “It’s big enough for two. And I would love to get my back scrubbed.”

  I blinked. Was she suggesting that both of us should get into the shower together?

  She walked to me, her grin slowly fading, and then she took my hand. “Ben. I was flirting with you. But you look scared.”

  “I… I just don’t know.” How would I be able to tell her that while I had some experience with kissing, things had never progressed beyond that? My family had led a very reclusive life.

  “What do you mean?” Her question was gentle, her voice soft.

  “I never…” I licked my lips nervously, a wolf gesture, not that she would know that.

  She lifted both hands, slowly, carefully, as if trying not to scare me, putting them on either side of my face.

  “I love you, Ben McMullen. I want to spend my life with you. I want to… mate with you.”

  Her eyes were intense when she leaned in to kiss me, and my body sang under her touch.

  “Sylvie…” My voice broke, and I tried again, trying to explain what was deeply embarrassing. “I love you, too. But I need your help here.” My hands went to hold her, one behind her shoulders, the other in the back of her neck, and that felt totally natural.

  “My love.” Her lips moved against mine, and fire filled me. “I will teach you. We can start in the shower.”

  She let go of me and simply took off her clothes. As I copied her, I told myself that she had seen me naked before, so that shouldn’t be difficult. And Eric’s jeans were uncomfortable anyway.

  “You look gorgeous,” she said and put one hand on my bare chest. “Just in case nobody has told you that before.”

  I almost laughed, but her words touched me deep inside. “Nobody ever has. Until now. And you are beautiful and more.”

  “Come.” She took my hand again, and I let her.

  It was exciting to stand in the shower with the woman I loved, watching her move under the spray. And just a moment later, we were soaping each other’s bodies, and I was relieved she had chosen this way to help me get familiar with hers. I couldn’t stop touching her, and when we were done and toweled of, I simply picked her up again, as I had done so often, and carried her to the bed.

  And then she took over, touching me in ways that were electrifying.

  “My love. Let the wolf take over,” she said when I was still not entirely sure what she wanted in which way. And I certainly did not want to let the wolf take over.

  Until she bit me.

  It was a soft, gentle bite to my neck, but after that, the wolf would no longer be denied. I growled, deep in my throat, and her answering growl raised goosebumps on my entire body.

  She laughed, her eyes teasing me, and I lost all inhibition.

  We made love all night, and after that first, wild ride, it was caring, loving and no less intense. Dawn was lighting the sky when we finally fell asleep, sated, happy and content.

  Chapter 18

  Sylvia

  Waking up was a slow, delightful process. Making love to Ben had been a revelation, both because of his innocence and because of the underlying wildness of his wolf. I could still hear that growl he made after I bit him, more playfully than anything, and it had the power to make me quiver inside in response.

  He was still fast asleep, and so I took my time to study him. His face was softer in sleep, more relaxed. I also thought it was more defined than when I first met him, not that I could pinpoint the change.

  His hair was messy, and he needed a haircut. He also needed to shave, and I found myself wondering how a well-shaped beard would look on him.

  Those lips now… I wanted to lean in and kiss them again, but I held myself back. It was only two days since he got shot, not once but twice, and I was certain he needed his sleep.

  Then I noticed his smell, and that made me wonder. He smelled good, strong and clean, and very clearly male. But how could I sense that now?

  I sniffed, and I could also smell the shampoo and shower gel we had used. I went still and checked all my senses.

  I could hear people move inside the house, as well as the traffic outside, although the road was a ways off. I could even hear someone talk in the corridor.

  Was my inner wolf waking up?

  The thought made me tremble. I needed to find out how that would happen, and… My mind ground to a screeching halt. Would I be able to become a wolf? And how did that work?

  As if he sensed my agitation, Ben opened his eyes and before he had even blinked once, he reached for me and pulled me close.

  I kissed him right away, and his eyes shifted, from gray-blue to dark brown. My body reacted immediately, and my kiss became urgent and demanding, just as his hold on me tightened.

  When we finished that round of lovemaking, I snuggled close and finally found the courage to ask the question burning in my mind.

  “Is there a wolf inside me?”

  His smile was proud. “Oh, indeed, my love.”

  “Will you teach me to… work with her?”

  “Absolutely. But Beth will also be a good teacher. And since I know you’re dying of curiosity, your eyes turn a lovely copper.”

  I stared at him. “They… they already do?”

  “They do.” his voice was full of love. “You are truly a wolf now. And we need to tell Beth.”

  I was reluctant to leave our nest and get dressed but my stomach growled and made it very clear that food was becoming an urgent priority.

  It seemed that someone had very good timing, because a knock at the door came just as we had gotten dressed and were kissing in the kitchen. Ben went to answer the door and laughed, bringing in a box with food and a note with instructions.

  Eat first. Then see me in my office. Beth.

  “Well, then.” I grinned at Ben and quickly set the table. The food was delicious, but we agreed that we shouldn’t keep Beth waiting.

  She received us with a large smile on her face. “You were fast,” she said and I wasn’t entirely certain what she was referring to, especially when I caught that twinkle in her eyes.

  “Look at me,” she told me, and so I did. Her blue eyes suddenly turned yellow and she growled at me. I felt the hackles rise that I didn’t really have, and my eyes narrowed just as my lips curled. What was going on here?

  Beth smiled again and I felt myself relaxing.

  “Well done, both of you.” Her smile included Ben and was full of maternal pride. “And you do have a most beautiful copper hue in your eyes, my dear.”

  “Thank you,” I managed to say.

  “Now, we do need to teach you,” Beth said, her voice becoming more businesslike. “And Carl does that very well, so you’ll get lessons from him that you can practice with Ben. Starting this afternoon.”

  I blinked. “That is fast.”

  “Yes, it is. But you’re making fast progress, and it is easier to learn to do things correctly at the start, rather than going all wild and having to unlearn bad habits.”

  Something in her eyes told me that she had experience with those unwelcome habits.

  “May I ask a question?”

  “Certainly.” She was still smiling.

  “I think I saw Ben shift very quickly, even mid-jump. Is that normal? And… and does it hurt?”

  “Shifting that quickly and still landing how you want to land is tricky and takes a lot of practice. I assume Ben had that.”

  He nodded, without elaborating.

  “And yes, it hurts a little, but that also gets less with practice, when your body gets used to it.”

  I grinned. “I think I’ll enjoy practicing.”

  Her smile vani
shed. “For now, I only want you to shift with supervision. Do not try it on your own.”

  I could hear the warnings, even if she didn’t voice them, and so I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Beth laughed. “I guess I was using my leader voice there. You’re good, Sylvia. I’m giving you and Ben three more days off, to continue your bonding, except for the lessons with Carl. You need those. And then we’ll talk about what you two want and how we can integrate you into our structure here. Don’t worry, there are lots of options.”

  “Thank you.”

  I couldn’t help grinning. I was looking forward to a future here, together with Ben. And admitted to myself that my little summer vacation had turned out very differently from how I had imagined it.

  Chapter 19

  Ben

  Three days later, Sylvia and I borrowed the little car from Beth to take Eric home after he got released from hospital.

  He was surprised to see us, I could tell, and more than a little embarrassed.

  “Hi Sylvia, hi Ben. What are you doing here?”

  “Picking you up, Cuz.” Sylvia grinned at him. “A little bird told us that you’d be released today.”

  “Oh.” His smile was still crooked. “I guess that’s… good. I’m just…”

  “Let’s talk later,” Sylvia said, glancing around the lobby, and Eric nodded immediately.

  Since she insisted on driving, I chose to let Eric sit in the passenger seat and deliberately took the seat behind Silvia to avoid scaring him.

  It took him a while to find his voice, which was understandable. After all, he had helped Theo hurt both of us.

  When he took a deep breath, I pulled up a little wolf to hear him better, without seeming to listen intently.

  “Look, Sylvia, I don’t even know where to start.” He sighed. “I did so much wrong. I believed what Grandpa said. And I’m more sorry than I can say, because you both got hurt so badly. I want to… make it up to you, except I never will be able to.”