“You’re my long-lost cousin. And by long-lost, I mean that the Le Charme family is shocked to discover that our dearly departed—and incredibly randy—old Uncle Aaron had yet another illegitimate child with a Las Vegas showgirl.”
Elle is trying to keep a straight face, but I can tell she loves this idea. “So I’m a bastardess?”
“A Vegas showgirl bastardess. That’s very exalted company.” He bobs his eyebrows. “And you’ll be doing me a favor.” He lowers his voice. “Bry seems rather shady. I think she’ll get more work done if you keep an eye on her.”
“So it’s all about the papyri?” asks Elle.
“What else?” These two are such flirts, this could go on for hours.
Knox seems to feel the same way I do. He pointedly checks his watch. “What do you say, Elle?”
“It’s tempting.”
“Clearly, I need to sweeten the deal. And the apartment next to this one has tons of extra space. You and Bry can live here. Commute together. Save on groceries and maid service, that kind of thing.”
Knox shakes his head. “And then they’ll be at your beck and call, too.”
Alec winks. “That never occurred to me at all.”
“Watch the scheming there, mastermind.” Knox turns to me. “Are you cool with that? I know the apartment Alec is talking about. The place is still under construction, but it’s huge. You and Elle will have your own rooms.”
It’s a good question. Am I cool with all this? Moving into an apartment next to Knox is certainly intimidating, but it would have its good points, too. And living with Elle would be awesome.
What am I thinking? Of course, I’m cool with it. The whole thing is amazing. It’s everything I’ve wanted.
I shoot a thumbs-up. “I’m in.”
Alec beams. “I knew you’d love my plan.”
“Wait a second,” says Knox. “We haven’t covered all the details yet.” He steps closer. “Remember when I said there was some stuff we needed to talk about?”
“You and me?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
The hair on my neck stands on end. Somehow, I don’t think I’ll like this conversation. “I remember.”
“Before you commit to Alec’s offer here, you need to know the full story.”
Alec pulls out a barstool and sits down. “This is going to be interesting.”
“No, it’s not.” Knox points toward the door. “Why don’t you show Elle her new apartment? Bry and I need to talk.”
“I thought we could make microwave s’mores and hang out,” says Alec. “I’m sure you want my opinion on whatever it is you think is preventing my plan here.”
“Out. Seriously. Before I set loose my wolf on you.”
Alec offers Elle his arm. “My lady?”
She sets her hand on his forearm. “Sir.”
Their gazes lock as they walk away. In fact, I’m not sure how the two of them don’t slam into a wall. They certainly aren’t looking where they’re going.
Funny the things that stick in your mind when you’re about to get bad news.
At last, I hear the far-off snick of the door shutting. I try to keep my features level, but my voice comes out at least two octaves too high. “What’s going on?”
“You remember how Alec said he’s a warden?”
“Sure.”
“I’m a warden, too.”
“Yeah. I guessed that, remember?”
“Well, what Alec said about a wife and kids. I want that too. Only, werewolves don’t get married. We have a mating ceremony. After that, we can have cubs.” He tilts his head and winces. “My wolf really wants to have cubs.”
Sure, this is problem for a long-term relationship. However, I see a super-easy solution. “This is fine.”
“Really?” Knox frowns. “Because Alec undersold the process a little there. Finding the fountain isn’t enough. It needs to be active, too.” He takes my hands in his. “That said, I want you to know something. I trust you, Bry. I trust us. We’ll figure it out, one way or another. The important thing is that we’re together.”
“I see this as a nonissue, really.”
Knox’s features tighten. “Why?”
“Because I don’t have to embrace my wolf side. I can act like a regular human, and so can you. We don’t need to worry about mating ceremonies and cubs. Like last night? I dreamed I saw my wolf like five different times. I just ignored her, and she went away.”
“You did, huh.” Knox doesn’t seem at all happy about my plan here, which doesn’t make any sense. Maybe I just need to explain things more clearly.
“I’m not really all that magical. I’m a regular girl, mostly. We can just act like two regular humans and take every day as it comes. What do you think?” The more I talk about it, the more I love this idea.
Knox stares at me for a long time. His ice-blue eyes turn super-intense. I’d worry that he’s about to go wolf on me, but his irises aren’t gold. Finally, he speaks. And what he says almost makes me fall out of my chair.
“How did Jules die?”
“I don’t know,” I say quickly. “That is, I don’t remember.”
“Which one is it? You don’t know…or you don’t remember?”
“Okay, I know I sound really sketchy. I’m just not ready to talk about it.”
“But you’re certain you don’t have a lot of magic.”
Something inside me snaps. I press my palms to my eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know what I am, Knox. I don’t know who my parents are. I have no clue what my real powers might be. The whole situation is a mess. I’m best off keeping everything on a human level. Come to think of it, that whole West Lake Prep thing is a bad idea.” I scrub my hands over my face. “I don’t want to be Magicorum.”
He steps closer. “I’m Magicorum.”
“And you’ve been amazing. It’s just that the rest of it—my aunties, Jules, the battle—it’s pretty much been a nightmare. Can’t we pretend to be human, just for a little while?”
“That’s not how it works with werewolves.”
A lead weight settles onto my shoulders. “I see.”
“Being Magicorum isn’t all horrible, you know.”
“I get it. I’ve really liked our time together.” Sure, I’d love to hang with Knox as a werewolf, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like a bad idea. What if I open the lockbox again and blow away lower Manhattan by mistake?
“That’s not what I mean. Can I show you something? We’ll have to ride my bike to get there.”
I worry my lower lip with my teeth. “What are we doing to do, exactly?”
“Have some fun, that’s all.” Knox offers me his hand. “What do you say?”
Knox looks so handsome and hopeful, there’s only one answer I can give him. I set my palm on his. “Yes.”
Once we’re done having fun, we can get back to this conversation about living a normal human life. That’s all I’ve ever wanted in the past. I’m sure it’s all I want for my future.
Definitely.
Maybe.
Possibly.
Oh, crap. I really have no idea.
Being around Knox makes everything a lot more confusing.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Knox
I ride my Harley along Route 87. Bryar Rose cuddles up behind me. I won’t lie; feeling her pressing against me is like a drug. Right now, my inner wolf is about as contented as he gets. I’m right there with him, too.
Bryar Rose and I left my apartment about an hour ago, so it’s late morning now. I heave in a deep breath. Damn, I love the tang of clean air in my lungs. This is one of those summer days that makes New York the best place in the world. Bright sun. No wind. Sky so blue, it hurts to look at it. Tall trees lining the road, the branches heavy with emerald leaves.
Perfect day for a ride.
Leaning slightly on my bike, I veer around a nasty dip in the asphalt. At this point, that’s a reflex move. I drive this strip of highway so much I’v
e got a mental map of every pothole, slope, and uneven patch. Hell, I even notice new roadkill. All in all, I’ve toured Route 87 thousands of times, but never with a girl on my bike.
Turns out, Bry is the exception to every rule.
My smile widens. I haven’t told Bry yet, but we’re going to Bear Mountain. The place is a kind of shifter preserve. In other words, it’s a safe zone where folks who can’t take the city can get a run. Az gave me the land years ago. I’ve always let any shifter use it. Mostly it’s wolves who stop by, though. And so long as they don’t over-hunt the wildlife and leave the tourists alone, I got no problems with them. A sinking feeling sets into my gut.
That’s all about to change.
For years, the other weres have been pushing me to let them build some cabins on the mountainside. A real pack-living experience, that’s what they want. In the past, I’ve always told them to forget it. Hell, they were lucky I let them run around on my property.
But now that they saved my ass with Jules? I might have to let them build a cabin or two. Of course, I would never actually live out here with them. Pack life is one long party, and that’s not for me. Unless it involves killing Denarii or hanging with Bry, I’m not interested.
I shake my head. This is all Azizi’s doing. For as long as I’ve known him, Az has wanted me to take my place as alpha of alphas. The old fart’s been sitting around, waiting for an opportunity to lock me in. And the battle with Jules was his chance. He called in every nearby pack to help me out, and now I’m indebted to all of them.
Ah, well. Something to worry about another day.
I change lanes, which means tipping the bike. As we shift, Bry grips my abs more tightly. Nice. Truth be told, that move is quickly becoming my favorite part of riding with Bry. Hell, it might now be my fave part of riding, period.
I follow a familiar pattern of turn-offs that lead to ever thinner and more remote roadways. Soon, we reach an isolated stretch of forest divided by a thin path for my bike. We park in a small shed. Not much in here but a few tools for repairs and an emergency stash of clothes. I let people use this too, as long as they put stuff back like they found it.
Bry slips off my bike and looks around. She gives me a shy smile. “This place smells like you.”
“The shed? I keep some stuff here.”
“No, everywhere. Ever since we got off the highway.” A blush crawls up her cheeks. “That’s weird of me to say, right?”
“Not at all. This is my territory. It should smell like me.”
“So you do what? Pee on the bushes?”
“Yeah. Among other things.” Bry has a lot to learn about shifter life. It will be fun to teach her.
“How much land do you have, exactly?”
“Five thousand acres, give or take. I own all of Bear Mountain, pretty much.”
“What happened to the bears?”
“A buddy of mine kicked them out. Same guy who gave me the land.”
“Azizi?”
“How d’you know about him?”
“He introduced himself at the fight with Jules.”
“That smooth talker. I forgot he sniffed you out. Yeah, Azizi kicked out the werebears and gave me the land. He won’t tell me any of the story, though, but that’s classic Az for you. Now the place still has the name, but it’s pretty much Wolf Mountain. Shifters come here a lot.” I slip my hands into the pockets of my jeans. Sometimes, being around Bry makes me feel like I’m twelve again. “Wanna go for a run?”
“Oh, I didn’t bring jogging shoes.”
She looks so wide-eyed and worried I just want to kiss her again. But this isn’t about making out. I brought Bry here so she could discover the nicer sides of being in the Magicorum. “I meant as wolves.”
“Oh.” She bites her bottom lip a little, and the urge to kiss her comes back even stronger. I’ll need to turn wolf soon, or I won’t be able to restrain myself.
“No, you’re good. Before the fight with Jules, I didn’t even feel your wolf before.”
My wolf begins chanting in my head. “I knew mate! I knew mate!”
I clear my throat. “Correction. My inner wolf knew who you were right away, but I couldn’t sense anything. Normally, I get that stuff right away.”
“But you sense my wolf now?”
“Yeah. Constantly.”
Bry exhales a long breath. “So, you want to run as wolves.”
“That’s right.” I have to work hard not to show how much I want this. If Bry wants to shift and run, that’s great. But it should be her choice, first and foremost.
Bry laces her hands behind her neck and looks away. Damn. I bet she’s going to take a pass.
“Run with mate! Run with mate!”
Crap. I should never have said that stuff out loud. Now, my wolf if going to freak if we try to get back on the bike.
At last, Bry turns to me again. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
I can’t stop myself from grinning. “You sure?”
“Positive.” She pulls at the neckline of her sweater. “Do I have to take this off?”
“Not if you don’t want to. I have plenty of sweats and stuff in the shed. Changing into random clothes is a basic part of shifter life. I have caches of stuff hidden all over the property.”
“Good to know.” She’s trembling a little, but trying to look cool.
“Strong mate,” says my inner wolf.
“I know.”
“So, how do we start? The last time I did this, it was pretty much instinct. I’m not really sure how to do it on demand.”
“I can help there. I’ll set my hand on your neck, like this.” I palm the soft skin on her nape. She shivers again, but I can smell a different scent on the air. She’s excited, too.
“Are you giving me your alpha mojo?”
“A little.”
I guide us closer until only a few inches separate our bodies. “Now, look into my eyes.” Our gazes lock, and I tap into my alpha power. A warm wave of magic rolls down my arm and into Bry. I keep my voice low and gentle. “Come to me. Show me your wolf.”
A crackle of magic zooms across my skin as Bry’s power answers mine. Her bones instantly start to snap and reform. Fur sprouts on her skin. Claws appear on her hands and feet. Her wolf tears right through her clothes. Within a few seconds, she’s transformed into the most beautiful white wolf I’ve ever seen.
Her blue eyes lock with mine. “That wasn’t so bad. Thanks.”
I shake my head. “I still can’t believe that you can talk.”
She tilts her head. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“No. It’s a rare gift to talk in your wolf form. Only wolves I knew who could do it were me and Az.” I step back and soak in the beauty of her all-white fur, strong muscles, and bright blue eyes. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you can, though.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what happened with Jules again. That guy could totally talk in his wolf form, which is another sign of how powerful he was. But I shrug it off. That’s a conversation for another day. It’s enough for Bry to just have a good run as a wolf; we can worry about the rest later. I quickly shift into my own wolf form. Normally, the change hurts like hell. For some reason, the transformation doesn’t pain me too much today. Maybe I’m just excited to run with my mate. We are pack animals, after all.
I round on Bry. Seeing her animal through my wolf’s vision is a totally new experience. Every strand of fur, scent of sunshine, and flicker of light in her eyes…they all become more intense. The desire to run and explore becomes almost overwhelming.
I take a few steps backward. Wolf-Bry still watches me with her bright blue gaze. “Are you ready to run?” I ask. “Just take a few steps. Start off slowly and—”
All of a sudden, Bry leaps into the air and takes off like flash into the woods. I watch her scamper away. She’s unbelievable. Most wolves freak out after their first change. A lot of them spend at least an hour sitting around and sniffing at the grass. But with Bry? Once agai
n, every rule goes out the window.
“We find best mate,” says my inner wolf.
“That’s right, buddy.”
“Mate has secrets, though. Even ones she doesn’t know.”
For my wolf, that’s some serious contemplative thought. “I understand. That’s all part of being mates, right? We’ll figure it out.”
“No lose mate.”
“Never, bud.”
Bry’s scent is still strong, so I jump into the forest and take after her trail. Wolf or man, my heart has never felt so full.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bryar Rose
I am a wolf.
And it’s mind-blowingly awesome.
I run through the woods, the soft earth tickling the pads on my feet. Tiny breezes caress my fur. All my senses feel crazy-intense. The forest appears with incredible detail down to the last leaf, bug, and blade of grass. And the scents! There are so many, it’s hard to keep track. I inhale the gamey waft of rabbit, lemony tang from dandelions, and the green smell of fresh soil. Another aroma enters into the mix as well: it’s a mixture of sandalwood and musk. My pulse quickens.
That’s Knox.
He’s following me.
Fresh energy pours into my muscles. Instinct urges me to run faster. Another wolf is here.
Race.
Evade.
Leap.
I rush faster through the trees, dodging one trunk after the next. Wolf-Knox is getting closer. I fake a right turn, but veer left at the last second and leap over a thin stream. A thud sounds behind me as Knox follows my movements with ease.
My combat training comes back to me. If evasive moves don’t work, try to win with brute force.
For me, that means all-out running.
A grassy field opens to my right. I take off in that direction and run so hard, my legs ache. The drumroll of Knox’s paws grows fainter behind me. Triumph makes my body feel weightless.
I am a wolf. I’m unstoppable.
I risk a quick glance over my shoulder, and that’s a big mistake. The movement slows me down enough that Knox closes the gap between us. His massive black body leaps into the air and tackles me onto the grass.
We roll around for a while. Knox growls, but somehow I know it’s a playful tone. He nips at my neck and slows his movements. I heave in slow breaths and just exist. What a moment. The sun warms my fur. Knox nuzzles against me. Green grass cradles us both.
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