Ekton: Winter Valley Wolves #6

by V. Vaughn

  CHAPTER

  I’m at dinner with girls from my floor, and they’re talking about some party everyone’s going to. I pick at my food that I can’t seem to eat. I don’t even know why I’m trying. I sigh, and my plates rattle as I stand. I say, “I’ve got a lot of homework. I’m going to go get a good seat at the library.” I’ll go anywhere to avoid my room these days, because the faint odor of bleach that prevails reminds me of Ekton. Although, he seems to have cleansed me from his system just fine. I haven’t seen or heard from him in weeks.

  I get a few nods of acknowledgment before the girls return to their conversation. When I’m on my way out of the cafeteria, my phone vibrates with a text, and I nearly drop my bag scrambling to get see if it’s from Ekton. My balloon deflates when I discover it’s from Andi. I’ve been avoiding her like my room, because I’m not ready to go the lab and relive the incident that led to my broken heart.

  Her words make me open the text. “You’re going to want to see this.”

  Fine. She got me. I text back. “See what?”

  “Meet me at your room in 5.”

  I’m not sure I do want to see what she has for me, but scientists are curious by nature. When I get to my room, Andi is already waiting for me. She stands from her seated position on the floor by my door.

  She sighs when she sees me. “You look awful.”

  “Thanks, nice to see you too.”

  “You and Ekton broke up?” She touches my arm, and her cool touch makes me want to throw myself into her arms for a good cry.

  I nod, because the lump in my throat is making it hard to speak.

  “I have something that should cheer you up,” she says.

  My door creaks open, and she shuts it softly behind her once we’re inside. She says, “I printed you a copy of the latest newsletter from Genetics International.” Her backpack zipper grinds as she rips it open.

  Genetics International is the professional organization for our type of researchers, and the paper is smooth in my hands when I take it. Andi highlighted the important sentence, and my eyes dart down to the yellow line to read it. “Dr. Sand has relinquished her grant for the Silver Lake genetic modification project.”

  Andi is twitching with excitement, and when I glance up at her expectant face, she asks, “Isn’t that awesome?”

  It is, and I smile at her enthusiasm. I hug her, and the faint odor of lemon from her shampoo travels to my nose. It makes me think I need a candle or something in here to get rid of the swimming pool odor. “Thank you.”

  “No. Thank you, Mia.” She releases me. “Have you heard from Ekton?”

  I shake my head. “He wants nothing to do with me, and I don’t blame him.”

  Andi scans my body, and I guess she’s judging my clothing choices. My appearance hasn’t been high on my list lately. She says, “I think you need to go to him.”

  “I nearly ruined his life, Andi. I get why he doesn’t want to be with me.”

  “But do you get why he was willing to be involved with you in the first place?”

  I have thought about why a werewolf would want to be with a human, but my conclusion was based on hope. Is she saying she thinks we’re true mates? “You mean...”

  “You’re devastated, and I think I know why. Just go talk to him face-to-face and see if you guys were meant to be.” She knows a lot more about the Silver Lake wolves than I realized. Andi smooths down my hair with her hand, and it makes me think of my mother.

  I say, “I don’t think he’s even on campus any longer. I wouldn’t know how to find him.”

  Her finger is cool on my skin as she lifts my chin and says, “Of course you know how to find him. Just do it.”

  When she leaves, I climb up to my bed. I hug my pillow to my chest, and my arms sink into the softness as I mull over her words. I do know how to find him. The metal rungs of my bed frame are cold in my hand as I scramble down to find my phone. I pull up a search engine to find the number to the diner and call it.

  A woman answers, “Lone Wolf Diner, how can I help you?”

  “Is Ekton Wakefield working tonight?”

  “He sure is. He’s here now if you want to talk to him.”

  The voice is familiar, and I ask, “Is this Darla?”

  “Yes.”

  Relief washes over me, because I think she’s the type to be Team Girl. “This is Mia. I need you to do me a huge favor and not tell him I called. Okay?”

  “Of course. Please say you’re coming to see him.”

  The phone is slick between my shoulder and ear as I use my hands to yank on a boot. “I am. I really need to talk to him.”

  “You sure do. He’s miserable without you, honey. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll tackle him if he tries to leave before you get here.”

  I grin at the image and say, “Thank you, Darla. Thank you so much.”

  The printout Andi made for me rustles when I grab it and shove it in my backpack. I have just enough time to get a bike from the rec center before they close, and the moment I’m out of my room, I begin to jog.

  He’s miserable without me. The fact that Ekton is unhappy shouldn’t make me smile. But for the first time in weeks, I have a reason.

  10

  Amazingly, doing nothing for exercise since the last time I rode a bike didn’t help my lung capacity, and I’m huffing and puffing by the time I get to the diner. I’m also drenched in sweat. I may have been a little too eager to get here, and now that I’ve arrived, I’m nervous about seeing Ekton.

  The clear glass door is hard to pull open, and I yank at it. Darla is behind the counter and smiles when she notices me. She crooks her finger, and I walk over. But before I get to her, a swinging door from the kitchen bursts open, and Ekton storms out.

  I begin to tremble at the sight of him. His gaze doesn’t leave me as he takes two big steps forward and grasps my hand. He tugs me back toward the door, and I squeak out, “How did you know I was here?”

  He growls, “I could smell you.”

  I pluck at my shirt as I stumble behind him and take a whiff. “But I wore deodorant, how could—” Oh. I bet it’s a wolf thing.

  Ekton takes me to a small room, and the lightbulb clicks when he pulls a string. I notice metal shelving full of cardboard boxes labeled with restaurant supplies like napkins and straws. The door shuts behind us, and my backpack squishes against it when I lean backward as if the door can give me strength. I find my courage. “We need to talk.”

  His gaze is intense, and I notice the weird flash I saw when he was so angry with me the other day. He breathes deeply as he closes his eyes. “Mia.” The word escapes his mouth as almost a whisper.

  “Ekton?”

  His eyes snap open, and they’ve returned to normal. “Why are you here?”

  The weight of my pack jerks my arm as I remove it, and I squat down to retrieve the printout. “Andi shared something with me, and I want you to see it.” The paper shakes in my quaking fingers when I hand it to him.

  He nods as he reads it. “Yeah. That’s good.”

  “Ekton, I’m so sorry.”

  He lifts his gaze from the report to glare at me. “Was I just an experiment to you, Mia?”

  “No!” The slides I made of his DNA come to mind. “I didn’t know until the night we...” I flush as my body recalls what we did, and my core twitches as I become aroused. “I saw your scratches heal in seconds. That’s when I knew.”

  Ekton sighs as he rakes his hand through his hair. My fingers remember what that feels like, and I long to straighten his locks. He says, “Yeah, I was pretty stupid to let us get that far.”

  I step forward and reach out my hand. “No. You weren’t.”

  “No?” Ekton steps back to avoid my touch. “What’s the matter with you, Mia? Don’t you see how it almost ruined everything?”

  “But it didn’t.” I shake my head as tears of frustration form. “I love you. Please don’t tell me that doesn’t matter.”

  Ekton’s sho
ulders slump. “Don’t cry.” His eyes are glassy, and he says, “I love you too.”

  Warm hands take my face, and he kisses me tenderly. It’s over too quickly, and he steps back. “I’m sorry that it has to be this way. Thank you for letting me know we’re safe. Goodbye, Mia Maybee.”

  No! Damn it. He moves to walk past me, and I grab his shirt. I shove him against the door, and it rattles on its hinges, and I pull his head down to kiss him with all I’ve got. I attack his mouth with my desperation, and when he responds I attack with my love. We’re both panting when I finally let him go. I say, “We’re true mates, aren’t we?”

  He nods and leans into my hand as I place my palm on his cheek. I say, “If I can’t live without you as a human, then you sure as hell can’t live without me.”

  “I have to. It can’t work, Mia. We’re not meant to be, and it has to be enough that I tried.”

  “Why can’t it work? I want to be with you, Ekton, and I don’t care what you are.”

  He searches my eyes before he pushes me away gently. “It’s not that simple.”

  I say, “Of course it is.” He shakes his head, and I ask, “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “The only way we can work is if I turn you. And I won’t make you something you would never want to be.”

  I have to be a werewolf? I’m not sure if that’s what I want, but I didn’t come here to give up so easily. “Don’t you think you should ask me that first?”

  He frowns at me. “You don’t even know what it would mean.”

  “Then tell me.” The nylon fabric of his shirt is slick in my hand when I tug on it again to pull him closer. “Give me the facts and let me decide for myself. I can’t know if it’s what I want yet, but I love you too much to just walk away.”

  He glances down at my small hand clutching at his shirt. A smile twitches at his lips. “You’re kind of pushy when you want something, you know that?”

  Yes. I’m getting through to him. I glare at him, but my smile can’t be controlled either. I remove my hand and step back. “You have no idea.”

  His lips are swollen and ruby red from my hungry kiss, and my body hums with desire as I recall what his mouth did to me not too long ago. The low rumble of his growl sounds, and he says, “I can smell your arousal, did you know that?”

  I shake my head as lust burns in my lower belly. “Do you like it?”

  He nods as his chest heaves with his breathing. “My wolf wants to claim you. I don’t think you know what you do to me.”

  “There’s a lot I don’t know about you, Ekton. Please give me a chance to find out.” I move toward him as a knock raps on the door.

  “Dude, I’m in the weeds. Get out here.”

  Ekton says, “I’m coming.”

  He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Two more seconds, and you would have been saying that.” I inhale sharply, and he adds, “I’ll be by when I’m done with work, Mia Maybee.” He pulls away and stares at me with a look that makes my toes curl before he leaves.

  I hug myself tight before I make my way out of the storage room. Pans clatter as Ekton’s coworker yells orders, and I push my way out of the kitchen with a silly grin on my face. I catch Darla’s eye, and she winks at me. When I get outside to my bike, I let out a squeal. The dream I came to Winter Valley for may be gone, but it’s been replaced with one so much better.

  11

  It probably took me the rest of Ekton’s shift to return to campus, and it’s a miracle I’m still alive. Riding a bike on the side of the road at night with only a small headlight to guide me is scary enough, but the fact that I had so much to process meant my thoughts might have made me weave out into traffic once or twice. Or maybe cars just like to blare their horns at girls like me.

  When I get to my room, I notice what a mess I’ve become. I spend time organizing my things as I continue to ponder what becoming a werewolf would mean. I wonder if I could tell my mother, and if we’d have wolf pups for children. I know that Ekton appears to lead a human life, but I don’t know if he has amazing control or if it’s easy to keep from shifting. I have so many questions I can’t wait to ask. The one I’ve already answered is my future. Unless my life will be in danger, I’m going to become a werewolf. Because living without Ekton is not an option.

  I finish cleaning and decide to wash off the sweat from my previous exercise. I’m on my way back to my room in just a towel when Ekton arrives. While I can’t see things clearly far away without my glasses, I think I’d know him anywhere. I flash back to the day I caught him freshly bathed, and when his gaze scans my body, my mind goes where I imagine his is. I say, “Hi.”

  He groans, “You’re going to crush my resolve.”

  I slide in front of him to unlock my door. My hand is steady, and I glance over my shoulder at him in what I hope is a seductive pose. “Wait until we get inside.”

  The low rumble in his chest that signals a growl coming tells me all I need to know. The moment the door thuds shut behind him, I drop my towel. I say, “I have so many questions for you, but whatever the answers are, I need you to know I’m yours.” I step forward to place my hand on his chest. “Please tell me you’re mine.”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Tell me.” The fabric of his T-shirt is flimsy in my fingers as I begin to lift it up.

  He places a super-warm hand over mine to help and says, “If we mate, the pack will expect you to have children.”

  I kiss his chest, and salty flavor makes my tongue tingle. “Will they be wolf pups?”

  “No. We don’t turn until puberty.” He combs my wet hair with his fingers.

  “Does it hurt when you turn me?”

  “I’m told it’s not too bad. It doesn’t hurt to shift.” The button of his jeans is hot from his body temperature, and it gives easily when I unfastened it.

  “Is it easy to stay human?”

  His lower stomach quivers, and I slide my hand into his briefs as he says, “Very.”

  Ekton’s cock is pulsing in my hand, and I stroke him quickly before I release him to remove his jeans. The heavy denim and his underwear scrape down his muscular thighs as I tug. I drop to my knees and gaze up at him. “Once we mate, it’s for life?”

  I grip his erection, and he whispers, “Yes.”

  “Say my name.” I swipe my tongue along his length from base to tip. A drop of his essence has oozed out, and I lick that too.

  His words are breathy. “Mia Maybee.”

  I lift my gaze to stare at him and shake my head. “It’s Mia Yes.”

  * * *

  With my bed high up in the air, I imagine it’s like a nest in the treetops and that nothing can get to us. I’m cuddled in the crook of Ekton’s arm, and the hair on his chest is coarse against my finger as I twist it. “I want to see you as a wolf.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’m not working tonight, so we can go out to the lake, and I’ll shift for you.” Ekton traces the edge of my arm with his finger, and I flinch as it tickles.

  “Is it crazy that I’m so excited to do this?”

  “Probably,” he says. “Is it because then you’ll get to run tests on yourself?”

  I poke him with my finger. “Maybe I’m going to test us both.”

  Ekton lifts up on an elbow, and I reach up to push a lock of hair out of his face. “What is it you want to know?”

  “Oh gosh, there are so many things I want to know. For starters, I’m fascinated by the way you healed so quickly, and I wonder if it’s something that could be used in medicine.”

  He sighs, “I’m afraid you won’t be allowed to do anything that could expose the pack. We’re already in trouble as it is.”

  “Oh god. Do they hate me?”

  “No.” Ekton drags his thumb over my lower lip, and I kiss it. “I’m the one who messed up.”

  “So what happens now?” I ask.

  “That depends on you, Mia.”

  This is it. If I decide I don’t want to be
a werewolf, what just happened between us will be our goodbye. I made my decision earlier, and I’m not about to falter now.

  I ask, “When do you want to bite me? Should it be done somewhere private?”

  “You’re really sure you want to do this?”

  I scoot back to sit up. “I’m positive.”

  Ekton sits up too, and he pulls me into his lap. He strokes my hair as I lean against his chest. The combined scent of us is on his skin, and I inhale it as he says, “Okay. We can do it this weekend. I’ll ask my brother if we can use his house.”

  I nod. Three days left as a human. I smile, because really, it’s three days until I get to be a werewolf and seal my fate with Ekton forever.

  I kiss my way up his neck toward his mouth. “I can’t wait.” My lips meet his, and I let everything Ekton overwhelm my senses. My dream of making a name for myself by discovering werewolves has shifted. I now dream of making a life for myself with the werewolves, and I hope I never wake up.

  12

  Ekton’s oldest brother, Esher, is single, and he had no trouble giving up his place for the weekend and staying at a buddy’s house instead. I packed my overnight bag with more than enough clothes, not really knowing what to expect. While Ekton explained that I won’t be spontaneously shifting, I still have visions of shredding clothes and would rather be safe than sorry.

  My boyfriend chuckles as he squishes my bag in his motorcycle’s storage compartment. “Did you think you might move in?”

  “Don’t laugh at me. It’s not like I’ve done this before.”

  Ekton leans down and kisses me quickly. “I’m laughing because you’re cute.”

  “Hey.” I put my hands on my hips. “I am not.”

  He shakes his head at my stance. I suppose it is kind of ridiculous, considering he’s got well over a foot on me. He says, “Yes, you really are. Get over it.”

  I tug my helmet over my head. It’s snug because Ekton bought me my own, and I watch him as he climbs on the bike. He’s wearing a leather jacket that makes him look so badass, I’m going to have to get one too. I glance down at my don’t-mess-with-me boots. I’m about to become the kind of chick who could mess you up. Who knew that if you dressed the part, you might actually become it? I chuckle at the image of me being something people are afraid of, because the truth is, I’m not meant to harm man or beast.