[Anthology] Ancient Blood of the Vampire & Wolf

by W. J. May

  They avoided one another, and yet they had always been destined to be. Fighting with each other only made the need to be wrapped up together, naked and sweaty, worse.

  Dru dropped to the bench below her, the world crashing in around her. The sounds and smells of the forest ushered in a calm that covered her wounded heart. Seth had been a good man, a good wolf, and didn't deserve to meet his end. Had Derik even taken his body or burned it or buried it? There probably wasn't time for that in the midst of the battle.

  She hadn't seen Seth lying on the ground at the campsite as she’d fought, and her first order of business had been a quick assessment of the carnage. She had needed to know if her sister was safe or if she'd gone to meet their parents in the sky. Dru bowed her head, her fingers brushing back the small, loose strands of hair that danced in front of her, tickling her face.

  Was the Huntress that killed Seth the same one that had attacked her? She hadn’t seen any other Huntresses with a bow and arrow during the fight. Was Seth’s killer the dark-haired, green eyed vixen that the white wolf had placed himself in front of? Was the wolf her lover and somehow the Huntress didn't know he was a wolf?

  Nothing made sense and everything hurt.

  Dru sighed and pressed her face into her hands, sadness coating the desire to hump the closest thing she could find. The moon could go to hell with its power of forcing procreation upon any unsuspecting beast. The world could go to hell for taking her father and mother and leaving her to take care of Karis alone. She was a horrible caregiver, much too concerned with her own happiness and future than anyone else's.

  Everyone could go to hell.

  "This seat taken?"

  The sound of his voice jerked her from her depression. She looked up as goose bumps covered her exposed skin.

  Caleb.

  "No, but you'll not be welcomed here."

  He sat down and smiled, wincing as he did. Dru leaned over and took his face into her hand, pulling him close and inspecting the gash on his cheek. "Good Lord, what happened?"

  He reached up and put his hand over hers, turning and pressing his nose into her palm before breathing in deeply. He groaned softly and the sound slammed into her need painfully. She pulled her hand back slowly, not wanting to appear rude, but not entirely sure it was a good idea for her to be anywhere near him, or anyone for that matter.

  He appeared to be everything she'd been searching for, but that was something she'd yet to actually test. Her spirit told her of his goodness, and a rightness sat between them that had been evident in the forest earlier that day.

  "How did you know we were here?"

  "Which question first, Drucilia? My face or my mad tracking skills?" He winked and smiled, wincing again.

  She winced too, unable to stop the worry that blossomed within her. She stood and reached for his hand, pulling him up with her.

  "We're going to stitch up that gash, and you can explain both."

  She held onto his hand. The warm, soft strength in his fingers tugged at her desire to belong to someone, but she beat the unwanted emotion back down and suffocated the guilt caused by being with this stranger in the forest while Seth had met his death.

  "It will heal soon. It was just the perfect angle." He pulled back on her hand and she stopped, turning to face him. "I found you because I've been searching for you for a long time, like I told you in the forest this morning. Tracking you now that your scent is on my shirt is easy."

  She tilted her head, pulling her hand from his. "You're a shifter."

  "Yes," he said softly, his gaze focused firmly on her. "I won't stay long, since I know your Alpha just left. I just needed to see that you made it safely here."

  "Safely? How did you know we were in trouble?"

  He lifted his hand and moved it to hover just before her, over her heart, his words soft and thick with promise. "Can I?"

  She looked down at his hand before taking it and placing it above her breast over her heart, her words clouded with question. "Yes."

  He moved another step closer, as his thumb absently rubbed her collarbone. "I told you in the woods this morning that you'd yet to truly mate. I only know that because in my visions you belong to me."

  She swallowed hard and simply focused on breathing, her heart aching for there to be truth in his words. To belong to someone that might care for her as a beloved was a dream too precious to taint. She smiled sadly and placed her hand over his, pulling it carefully from her chest before pressing her nose to his palm. She couldn't help but taste his skin, the warm sensations of his flavor and scent rushing along her nerve endings.

  Large, sea-blue eyes filled with hunger and compassion stared at her as her eyes closed and she was swept away in sudden visions of his world. He growled softly as she kissed the padded roughness of his hand, each touch bringing his reality into more clarity behind her closed eyelids. The few scenes of his past that resounded within her spoke of painful truth.

  "You're the white wolf. A lone Alpha, but how?"

  CHAPTER SIX

  The night had ended with Caleb’s acknowledgment of the truth Dru had discovered. He was the wolf from the cliff, the one that her sister had hoped would come. His white coat was an anomaly, considering the darkness of his appearance when he was a man. It was rare for a wolf to look so different from his human shell. She was surprised and a little embarrassed at how much this had thrown her off. It seemed so obvious now that Caleb and the white wolf were one and the same.

  Caleb had joined the fight at the old campsite and seemed willing to protect their pack; however, he’d also protected the Huntress, which still sat heavy on Dru.

  Dru had felt desire like never before, and excusing herself was the only way to ensure that neither of them would lose their lives. Derik would massacre them both if he found that Dru had mated with another Alpha, especially in his own camp.

  Caleb had seemed to understand and simply touched her face, a smile on his lips that haunted her for the rest of the night.

  Dreams filled with the promise of a different life fluttered through her dream-scape, a life filled with harmony and passion.

  She woke to the sound of shouting, the masculine voices just outside of her tent causing her to dress quickly. She could tell that Derik was furious over something, and that the members of their pack weren't doing much to slow down his rant. Someone was likely to get hurt if they didn't calm him.

  She pulled a short blue cotton dress over her naked form and checked on her sleeping sister before walking out into the chilly morning air. The scene before her was a perfect copy of the one during the fight; the black and white wolves prepared to battle one another, each determining the strength of his opponent. Caleb stood toe to toe with Derik, their dark haired leader looking all the more menacing against the confident and collected giant who was new to town. Dru walked quickly toward them.

  Derik's voice was low and filled with warning as he said, "You know the way of our people and there is no room for you here. I will not welcome another Alpha in my camp, but if you mean to challenge me, then so be it."

  Dru pressed herself in between them, her back to Caleb and front to Derik, but her Alpha didn't break eye contact with Caleb. She pressed her hands against Derik's chest and her rear against Caleb, using sheer force to push them apart.

  "I'm not here to fight you. I simply want to stay and help ensure that your family is safe. These lands you've moved into are surrounded by both vampires and Hunters."

  A collective gasp sounded as members of the pack moved in to hear what Caleb had to say. Dru saw the vein ticking hard and fast in Derik's neck. She spoke up before either of them could continue down a path that would end with another life lost.

  "Derik," she said, patting his chest and lifting up onto her toes to catch his gaze, "he's the white wolf that helped us yesterday. He's only passing through and deserves our kindness for his willingness to put his life on the line for us." She patted his chest again as he stared blankly at her. "He's not h
ere to stay, nor does he want your position. That belongs to you. Let him help you until we're strong enough to recoup. With Seth gone, you need someone to scout."

  "I can scout for you, and the girl is right. I'm not interested in anything more than helping and moving on."

  "What business is it of yours?" Derik wrapped an arm around Dru's waist and pulled her to stand beside him, his grip on her telling of his underlying angst at her taking the stranger’s side.

  She took the opportunity to study Caleb. The strong look of determination on his face caused her heart to palpitate.

  "I've lost everything to the vampires. My whole pack was taken out, and I was a blood slave to their leader for years." He growled and Derik growled back. "I hate them with a vengeance, and will search the earth until I kill every last one of them. I only came to help because I knew that they were tracking you."

  Derik relaxed a little next to Dru. She wrapped an arm around his lower back and tried to offer him comfort and support so that he would continue to back away from the cliff of rage he often hovered over. Caleb's eyes never left Derik's, and Dru began to wonder if the man before her was the same one that hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her only a day before. He was showing respect for Derik … smart.

  "And what if the vampires are not hunting us but are hunting you?"

  Caleb snorted and shook his head. "They aren't hunting me. I follow them in their search, picking them off one at a time. The darkest demon from hell has gifted them with powers that make our fight that much more deadly. They are tracking you, whether you accept that or not."

  Drucilia shivered beside Derik, the thought of standing before a blood sucker and hoping to tell the tale something she couldn't imagine. Derik shifted his attention down to her, his free hand coming to touch the side of her face as he leaned in and kissed her softly. "It's okay, baby. I won't let anything happen to you."

  Dru stood in shock. His actions were so unlike him, and yet she realized it was all a game. She didn't respond with anything more than a nod, but the angst rolled off Caleb in waves. If Dru could feel it, Derik could too. He was toying with the other man. Dru felt her face flush as embarrassment covered her. Derik knew what he was doing. Cunningness was a trait that fit him snugly.

  "Very well," Derik said, turning back to Caleb, "you can stay for now, but if you think to attack me or touch anything that is mine, I will slit you from throat to groin and hang you from a tree to let the vamps pick you apart until there is nothing left."

  Caleb growled softly, the tense clenching of his muscles grabbing Dru's attention. "I'm here to help and then I will take my leave. What's yours is yours. Simple."

  The crowd began to disperse as Karis walked to Dru and pulled her into a hug. Derik moved among the people to begin discussing how to set up the perimeter and what their next steps would look like as a pack. Dru looked over at Caleb, trying to catch his attention, but he wouldn't look her way. He either thought she belonged to the Alpha, or he wasn't truly interested at all.

  She was starting to wonder if he’d lied about dreaming of finding her. If he was here to find revenge on the vampires, it had nothing to do with her. The thought tugged at her heart, hurting her in more ways than she cared to admit.

  "You aren't paying a bit of attention to me," Karis grumbled from beside her.

  She looked toward her sister. "I'm sorry. There’s so much going on around here, and Derik is just acting weird."

  "Yes, well, he should be," Karis whispered. "Our savior is here, and Derik’s about to get his butt kicked."

  "Karis, hush. You don't want anyone to hear that. Even if you believe it's true, it's not something you need say around anyone but me, okay?" Dru chided her, concern flooding her for her sister’s safety.

  "I know. I'm just telling you that he's the white wolf."

  Dru shook her head and pulled back out of Karis's hold. "How do you know that? Did he show up this morning in wolf form?"

  Karis scrunched her nose. "I don't know if he did. I just woke up. I know he's the wolf because I saw him transform in my dream last night."

  "Interesting."

  "Yeah, that's pretty cool, but the best part …" Her sister smiled brightly. "He's your mate."

  Dru choked, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as a few members of the pack looked over at her. She apologized and moved her and her sister toward their tent, standing just outside of it.

  "What did you say?"

  "Oh, you heard me. He's your true mate."

  "You saw that too?"

  "Sure did." Karis smiled. "But, it would be obvious, even if it wasn't in my dream. Look at how he watches you."

  Dru looked over her shoulder and caught his gaze, his eyes focused on her and the strong set of his mouth showing that he wasn't too thrilled. Dru turned back to her sister.

  "He looked positively pissed to me."

  "Yeah, but that's because he believes you’re his, and you are!"

  "Drucilia!" Derik yelled her name from across the small campsite, Dru turning to find him as he moved toward her.

  "I'm right here."

  She moved up and he stopped in front of her, the grimace on his face nothing unusual. "I need you to collect foliage and berries for the group. We will have a few hunters find protein, but we need something else besides just venison."

  "I can do that." She turned to go toward her tent, tired of leaving her clothing wherever she was when she transformed.

  He grabbed her arm, and she turned back to him.

  "Stay away from the edges of the property and take one of the males with you. Tell him to keep his distance as you do what you do best."

  Caleb's voice lifted from behind Derik. "I'll go with her."

  Derik visibly stiffened as Dru tried to appear good with whatever decision he made.

  Derik looked over his shoulder, moving to the side a little to look at Caleb. "Good, but don't get in her way and don't ever touch her. Do you understand?"

  "I think those instructions are rather clear." He shrugged and moved back.

  Dru pulled from Derik's grasp and walked into her tent, tugging her dress off and letting the magic in her veins pull her into a much more comfortable form. She trotted back out, a large white wolf waiting for her as Derik barked out his commands again.

  She was honestly shocked that he would allow her to leave the camp, and with Caleb. Now that Seth was gone, she was free to mate with whomever she pleased, but she knew without a doubt that Derik had begun to change his mind about wanting a companion. He wasn't lonely or needing comfort, but was dead set on presenting a strong, unified stance as leader of the Graybacks. She would refuse him as long as she could, but something deep inside of her told her that it wouldn't be long. His demands as her ruler would soon beckon her to place her own needs and desires aside and fulfill his.

  The forest offered peace as she lifted her nose and breathed in deeply. Her search for the earthy blackberries would be easy, thanks to the tangy smell they emanated. The large white wolf stayed just behind her, his footsteps lighter than hers, though he outweighed her by a hundred pounds. She turned to look over her shoulder at him as she moved, and he simply stared at her. A hundred words needed to be spoken by the two of them, and yet now wasn't the time.

  Dru took a sharp left, ducking under a fallen log and speeding up a little, a small rabbit giving chase just before her. Derik would never stay behind her if they were hunting something, and Seth would never have come. Her thoughts darkened for a moment as the memory of Seth surfaced. Had he died fighting to save her sister, or was he killed because Derik wasn't standing directly in front of him, protecting him? Why had Derik never taught his brother to fight for himself?

  She huffed and let the rabbit go, slowing by a large patch of blackberries. She looked behind her, suddenly realizing that she needed to change forms again. In her hurry to transform and be on with her journey, she hadn’t thought through the fact that she would be naked in front of Caleb. Showing her back to
him wasn’t so much the concern, she’d done that the day before, but being vulnerable was out. With anyone else from her pack, this would be no big deal, but he wasn't family, and honestly, she wasn't comfortable with him yet.

  She looked over her shoulder as he changed, his large frame turning with ease. He knelt before her, a smile on his lips as he let a short laugh out. "I was wondering when you were going to realize that you didn't have proper hands for picking berries." He laughed again and stood, the sheer beauty of his confidence slapping her hard.

  She backed up a little, lifting her head to respect his choice to be nude before her.

  He leaned down and started to pick the berries, looking over at her and talking as he did. "Stay in your Lycan form and keep yourself covered. I can do this for us." He winked and leaned into the bush. The long stretch of his legs flexed as his butt came into view.

  She made a small sound and turned to look the other way, her heart pounding in her chest.

  "Tell me something, Drucilia. This morning it looked to me like Derik was your mate, but something tells me that just isn't so." He paused and she let go of the breath she'd been holding and trotted up beside him, leaning over to nip a berry from the bush near his leg.

  "Hey … watch it." He laughed and moved back, laying the berries on a large leaf he'd pulled to the ground. She looked over at him and shook her head 'no' as best she could. Everyone belonged to Derik, in actuality, but she wasn't his mate—at least not yet.

  "I'll take that as a no." He leaned forward and worked quickly to get a few more as Dru nibbled at the branches, the sweet flavor rushing over her tongue.