by Desconhecido
What the hell is she talking about? Tapping her forehead deliberately, Luka said, “Whole sentences, Ella. We didn’t what?”
She swallowed, grabbed his wrist in both hands, and carefully breathed, “Protection. We didn’t use protection. Am I pregnant? Exactly how fertile are you guys? Am I going to die?”
Using her grip on his wrist to pull her into his lap, Luka locked an arm around her waist and caught her cheek with his other hand. “Breathe,” he commanded firmly. “You’re not pregnant. Werewolves can’t reproduce with humans. It’s physically impossible.”
Her eyes widened again and she dragged in a deep breath. Silence stretched for a moment and then, slowly, she relaxed in his hold. “Oh. Okay. That even kind of makes sense.” She sagged against him, then, her head on his shoulder. “Sorry.”
Slipping his fingers into her hair, Luka said, “No problem.” He held her like that until the scent of cooking meat wafted into the cave. Someone would be coming to get him if he didn’t show soon. It was time to make another appearance.
****
Joella took a deep, steadying breath as she prepared to embark on Luka’s requested favor. He’d taken the twins, along with Chad and Russell, for the hunt. Max still insisted on staying with Emily who was, of course, still recovering from her battle with the mountain lion. But he had agreed to help Lew on border patrol. A necessary, but inconvenient, choice. She’d barely said two words to Lew or Max in the time she’d been there. How was she supposed to figure out which members of their pack they respected most if she couldn’t talk to them?
One thing at a time, Ella. She wanted to check on Emily anyway, so she’d start there. And talking to Michelle would be easy enough. Maybe the women would say something to indicate their mate’s preferences. Or maybe she’d have to try and find them. Either way, this was the least she could do for Luka.
She pulled her lip between her teeth as a memory of the night before danced across her mind. Never had she felt so desirable. The way he’d looked at her, the way he’d touched her, it was like something out of one of her crazier fantasies. Like he needed her. She knew she was deluding herself even coming near thinking of it that way, but what they’d shared had been so passionate—so powerful—that she couldn’t stop herself. And Luka had been right. Any future lovers she might have would fall far short. There was just no way an ordinary man could compare. Certainly the kind of human man she attracted wasn’t capable of half the things Luka had made her feel. It was disappointing, really.
But this wasn’t the time to think about that, so she forced out another breath and pushed to her feet. It was time to find Emily.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t occurred to Joella that Emily might be covered in fur and sporting four legs when she found her. That did make holding a conversation just a tad more complicated. Still, she at least wanted to say hello, so Joella tapped her nails against the nearest rock and quietly called, “Knock knock.”
Emily was curled up, full tail resting over her nose, on a patch of grass nestled beneath a row of thick bushes. There was no visible blood on her light brown fur that Joella could find, but that didn’t mean she was anywhere near recovered. At Joella’s voice Emily’s ears flicked and she lifted her head just enough to see. She offered a soft whine and twitched her tail in response. Joella could only hope that was a welcoming response.
Moving forward until she was close enough to talk quietly, Joella knelt down and said, “I just thought I’d check in on you. I didn’t get to thank you yesterday.”
Emily whined again and shook her head slightly as if to say ‘no need.’
Smiling, Joella asked, “Do you need any water or something?”
Again Emily gave a small shake of her head, this time leaning forward enough to briefly lick Joella’s nearest hand.
Hoping that was a ‘no, thank you,’ Joella reflexively reached out and lightly scratched Emily’s head. “I’ll check back in a bit, okay? Get some rest.”
It wasn’t until she was halfway to the rock formation surrounding Michelle’s ‘den’ that it even occurred to Joella to be embarrassed about petting Emily. I can’t believe I did that! Was that considered rude? Too personal? She had no way to know. When they were in wolf form it was so easy to forget that they had ‘human’ minds. Or did they? Surely they do. And she never would have petted a person.
Rolling her eyes at herself, Joella stepped up in time to hear the laughter of small children. The boys. A moment later the trio came into view. The boys were in human form, playing tag around a boulder maybe three yards away. Michelle was closer, watching from a seated position and, thankfully, also in human form.
Michelle turned warm brown eyes up to her and said, “Good morning, Joella. Come sit with me.”
Returning the smile, Joella obliged. “They look recovered,” she said as she settled.
“For the most part,” Michelle assured her. “That’s the beauty of youth, I suppose. And I don’t think they really understand other wild animals yet.”
“And how are you?” Joella asked carefully. She really wasn’t the spy type, come to think of it. Luka had asked her not to be obvious, so she couldn’t just come out and ask what she needed to know, but she wasn’t sure how else to get the information.
Michelle took a deep breath. “I’m still recovering,” she admitted. Returning her smile to Joella, she added, “But, thanks to you and Emily, I will. My boys are fine. I really can’t thank you enough.”
“I can’t take much credit,” Joella pointed out. “Luka was the one who saved us from Char. I was just stalling.”
“You did the best you could,” Michelle said. “That means everything.”
Joella smiled. It had been a while since she’d heard such straightforward, honest appreciation—whether or not she felt she deserved it. “Of course I did.” She paused, trying to figure out how to guide the conversation, and found herself blurting, “Tell me honestly, should I be afraid of Vanna?”
Michelle blinked at her for a moment before huffing and leaning back against the rock behind them. “No,” she said. “Vanna’s a petty little brat, but she’s ultimately obedient. She’ll never cross Alpha, and neither would Morgan. They’re just jealous.”
“The jealousy I’d figured out,” Joella replied. “But sometimes women can be violent about that sort of thing.”
“Human women, maybe,” Michelle argued. “And maybe if the male isn’t also the Alpha, or if they actually outrank the other woman. But Alpha’s protecting you, which means the most they’ll do is glare and sling insults.”
Joella nodded. “That’s a relief. I feel like I’m safe with you and Emily, and I don’t have anything against Chad or Russell, but those two I wasn’t so sure of.”
Michelle hummed an agreement, paused to lecture one boy for throwing something at his brother, and then said, “I suppose you haven’t had much opportunity to get to know Chad and Russell. They’re good men. Loyal and strong. I hope my boys grow up to be like that.”
“I’m sure they’ll grow up well,” Joella said honestly. “They’ve got amazing role models.”
Michelle grinned. “Flatterer.” She paused for a moment, seeming to just watch her sons as they rolled, laughing, into a bush. “If you don’t mind me asking,” she finally hedged, “are you going to stick around … after the witch is defeated?”
Joella’s eyes widened at the question. “I—” Her answer wasn’t as certain as it should have been. She knew the answer, after all… Didn’t she? Swallowing, she finally said, “I can’t. I’m….” Human. Different. Weaker. “I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I’d just slow you all down.” Where is this coming from? It was true, certainly, but was that really the reason why? Did she want to stick around?
“In my opinion,” Michelle began quietly, “you’re good for Alpha. Most of us have always been uncomfortable approaching him. It was one thing to see Justin, our Beta, approach him and talk openly with him, but to see an outsider do it—a human, no less—was reall
y something. And he’s….” There was a pause, and finally she smiled like she was telling a joke. “He’s human with you.”
Oh, he’s far more than that. But she kind of recognized Michelle’s point. She’d witnessed interactions between Luka and the others, if only sporadically. And his earlier military analogy was strangely accurate. Except for the way he was with her, at least now. But would that change if she stayed? Does it even matter?
Lew was a hard man to talk to. Not because he was rude, but because he was shy. Joella had tried having a conversation with him and discovered, after several painful minutes, that she wasn’t going to get much out of it. Which, she supposed, also indicated he wouldn’t be particularly good for the job, either. Still, at least she’d managed to get a couple of whole sentences from him.
After that she’d hunted down Max, and once the awkwardness of debating whether or not she needed to introduce herself was over that conversation wasn’t too bad. He’d even hugged her. But from what she’d gleaned from Luka the very fact that he put off his Alpha’s crusade in favor of staying with his healing mate, while emotionally logical, meant he wasn’t cut out for Beta. He had, however, said some good things about Chad and Russell. She was coming to think the choice would ultimately be between the two she couldn’t talk to.
Still, her obligatory rounds done, and after another short visit to Emily, Joella found herself returning to Luka’s den. Or cave or whatever it was. Her pile of clothes was off to the side, exactly where she’d left it, and Luka’s extra clothes were a couple of feet closer to the outer edge. I wonder if this is the werewolf equivalent of sharing a closet…. Really, there were still so many things she wanted to know about werewolves. She just didn’t know how to ask. Or even if she should bother. Would she even need the knowledge in a week?
Her heart slowed in her chest.
A week. Realistically Luka’s pursuit of Char would either end or take him out of the area in just a few more days. Once Char was no longer haunting the area where she lived, whether he was dead or had simply escaped, she would have no excuse to avoid going home. Back to her lonely apartment. Back to her perverted, adulterous boss. Back to the life she’d been resenting for longer than she cared to think about—a life devoid of Luka.
That was the kicker. In way too short a period of time she’d become incredibly attached to the 6’4”, perfectly sculpted, powerful man who’d rescued her. The only man who’d ever really made her feel beautiful, desirable. Feminine. And it wasn’t just the loss of that uncharacteristic, but amazing, feeling that she knew she’d miss. It wasn’t even the mind-blowing sex. It was him. That warm, strong presence. The almost inexplicable completeness that overtook her when she was next to him.
“Are you going to stick around?”
Michelle’s question echoed again in her mind and Joella sat with her back against the wall opposite the clothes. Her heart was doing odd things in her chest all of a sudden.
Yes, she realized, she wanted to stick around. Despite the irrationality of it, there was something about this lifestyle she was glimpsing that appealed to her. And she certainly enjoyed the freedom from her job and her mundane life, but it was more than that. She wanted to stay with Luka. She wanted to pursue these new, budding friendships with Emily and Michelle. But she couldn’t. Wanting to didn’t change that and she knew it, but she didn’t like it.
Her mind wound back to that morning, when she’d woken up completely nude and tucked beneath a masculine jaw. Wrapped in strong arms and pressed against a warm, solid body, lying on nothing but grass. She was thoroughly surrounded by him and his natural scent and she couldn’t honestly remember when she’d last been so relaxed.
This is a fantasy, Ella. You always knew that.
Her eyes closed and her head fell back against the stone. Yes, she had, but she didn’t have to like it. If she could live in denial for another day or three she gladly would.
Distant howling caught her attention and Joella straightened. That was too far away to be coming from one of the pack who’d stayed behind today. Luka! Her mind’s eye filling with images of Justin’s burnt corpse, Joella sprang to her feet and ran as fast as she dared to the meadow where the pack tended to gather. Sure enough, Michelle and Lew were gathered there with wide eyes.
“What’s going on?” she demanded as soon as she was near enough.
“Alpha’s in trouble,” Lew said quietly, his voice full of fear. He had an arm around Michelle’s shoulders and both pairs of eyes were fixed in the direction the howling was coming from.
Heart immediately leaping into her throat, Joella turned her attention in that same direction. The air was full of howling wolves. It was as if the birds and other animals had stilled to listen. At least two distinct sets of howls were echoing now. And, as she watched, the sky began to darken with the first plumes of smoke.
Chapter Eight
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, Luka had caught a fresh trail. Just minutes old and heading out of the city. Seemed Char was once again taking a stroll through the brush, likely searching for him. Ordinarily that would have upset him, but this particular time it was going to prove useful. Char had isolated himself, making it that much easier for Luka and his pack to fight.
As soon as he could, Luka shifted back to wolf form. He could make up more ground that way. And make it up he did.
Up a short incline and past some scraggly bushes, and then there he was. The witch he’d been hunting. The witch that had haunted him since he was young. He couldn’t help but wonder if Char actually held any memories from that incident, or if the only thing he inherited from that strange spell was his ancestor’s power. Ultimately it didn’t matter. Either way, the witch was dead.
“So you’ve made it,” Char said, straightening from the dead tree he’d been leaning against. “Good. I was hoping you’d find me.”
Luka bared his teeth at his foe, ears flat on his head, his mouth already watering for the sweet taste of vengeance.
Char rubbed his hands together slowly, thoughtfully, and a dark smirk twisted his mouth. “Snarling at me like that, you remind me of your father,” he said. It was a deliberate statement, meant to assure Luka that he was fully aware of the history between them.
It also succeeded in pushing Luka’s temper over the edge. With a sharp howl, designed to carry on the wind to his pack, he lunged forward. He wouldn’t be satisfied until the bastard’s body was as mutilated and unrecognizable as the bodies of his parents. Or Justin.
Laughing as if he’d already won, Char spun to the side and flicked a wrist in Luka’s direction. The Latin command that followed didn’t matter to Luka. What mattered was the flame that would obey.
It sprang up directly under his belly, forcing Luka to throw himself sloppily sideways to avoid serious injury. A sharp yelp escaped him from the instant pain of the scalding flame and in the back of his mind he wondered if that, too, would scar. He hadn’t truly gotten close enough to risk real injury in decades; not since Char’s previous incarnation. The witch had escaped, obviously, but they’d left their marks on each other. Unfortunately, with the passing of that descendant, Char’s wound disappeared as well. His new body’s face was unmarred, as if the battle in Luka’s memory had never happened at all.
And that just pissed him off.
“Your reflexes have improved, Craige,” Char taunted, sweeping his arm outward. The fire followed the motion without the need for a verbal command. Cutting Luka off from the city, as if he would have bothered to flee in that direction. Or flee at all. “But I’m afraid our little feud is getting old.”
Luka snarled and flexed his muscles, willing his body into another shift. Four legs were good for speed and a wolf’s form was good for fighting other animals, but he needed a different kind of leverage here. His muscles stretched and his body went numb, as it always did in a shift. He came off his front legs and his forepaws lengthened until they were reminiscent of human hands. His fur shortened, becoming coarser and therefo
re thicker. His claws doubled in length and his snout receded by half. This was a werewolf’s fighting form.
“What a treat,” Char said, his smirk never wavering. “I don’t think I saw this form in our last fight.”
With an angry roar, Luka raced forward, claws braced. Char would surely fire back, but if he managed to lop the bastard’s head off he didn’t care about another scar. Because the witch was right. It was time to end their feud once and for all.
Char held his ground as Luka ran at him.
Luka threw his arm forward, the full strength of his lupine form behind the swing, aimed straight for Char’s throat. But it was too good to be true. Char’s body burst into white-hot blue and orange flame, shooting out at him viciously. He howled in pain as his fur burned, his body flung backwards. It took precious seconds for him to regain any real focus. Even longer to work up the strength of will to force his muscles to move despite the raging inferno dancing over his flesh. If he didn’t get the flame out before his flesh began to boil it would scar, and since his entire body was covered in the scorching fire it would scar horribly. At best.
He caught his claws on a rock, another kind of pain stinging through the heat for a moment when one of them snapped against the stone, but it was enough to pull himself out of his free-fall. He crashed hard on the ground and swallowed another pitiful howl of pain as he shoved himself into a roll. The heat was kicking up, he was running out of time. He remembered what it felt like just to have a single arm engulfed in these flames. He remembered thinking it would have been less painful to swan dive into the sun.
So he didn’t really know how to categorize this pain.
More howling drew his attention as he rolled to a stop and moments later he realized the burning, searing heat on his body had lowered. Someone had heard his call, then. And drawn Char’s attention. Fortunately, to maintain such a soul-burning flame, even a witch as powerful as Char needed focus.