Wolf Cursed (Lone Wolf Series Book 1)

by Heather Hildenbrand

  “Drake wants to be the top,” Silas said.

  “That’s nothing new,” Isaac said.

  Silas frowned, his gaze flicking to me. “He won’t stop now that he knows your weakness.” He looked back at Kai again. “Watch your backs.”

  Then he turned and headed for his house.

  Presley followed.

  When they were gone, Isaac and Idrissa pressed in around us.

  My wolf inhaled their scents and noted how they dipped their heads, Idrissa as a wolf, Isaac as a human. Both acknowledging my wolf as part of their group.

  No, not group. Pack. I was part of a pack now. Wow. I had so many questions. Mainly, how in the hell did I shift back again?

  “Okay,” Isaac said, “It’s just us, baby girl. Time to give up the beast.”

  I stared up at him.

  “She probably doesn’t know how,” Idrissa said as her wolf shimmered then receded until she stood before me as her human self—naked as a jaybird.

  Wow, Idrissa was kinda hot. If I was into that sort of thing.

  But then Kai rubbed his furry neck against mine, and I forgot all about Idrissa and Isaac and everyone else, for that matter. My wolf only cared about him.

  “Why don’t we give them some space,” Isaac said. “Come on, sis. I’ll race you home.”

  “We can’t leave her here. What if Drake comes back?”

  My wolf stiffened at that.

  “He won’t show until that wound is healed,” Isaac said. He chuckled. “Baby girl whooped his ass.”

  Idrissa grinned at me. “Hell yeah, she did.” She glanced out at the woods. “Okay, we’ll head out.” Then back at me and Kai. “But call us when you get her home and back on two legs.”

  Kai made a grunting sound that I assumed was an agreement. Then Isaac and Idrissa left.

  Kai’s wolf prodded me, and I found myself looking directly into his dark eyes. My wolf acted before I knew what she was going to do.

  In a quick move, she reached out and licked his nose.

  Kai blinked.

  My wolfy jaw dropped in complete surprise at my own behavior.

  Kai let out a growlish laugh, and I stared back at him. Could wolves laugh? Because I was pretty sure my mate just did.

  Then he was turning and trotting toward the trees, and my wolf needed no more invitation than that to join him.

  I fully expected Kai to try to convince me to shift back to my human form, but he did the exact opposite. For the next few hours, we ran together, exploring the woods, wading through streams, and making our way up to an overlook at the top of the mountain.

  Not just any overlook.

  Roan Mountain overlook.

  The same place where he’d told me I was his mate.

  There, Kai’s wolf pressed in close, his paws intertwined with mine. When I looked over at him, he licked my nose and then cuddled against me.

  If wolves could be romantic, Kai had just won “most swoony.”

  My she-wolf was hooked.

  If she hadn’t recognized him as her mate before, she damn sure did now.

  I settled in close, and we passed out.

  Later, I woke to the sound of leaves shuffling, and when I tried to move, I groaned at the stiffness in my legs.

  Legs!

  I lifted my head and looked down to see my human form had returned. Clothes, however, had not. Beside me, Kai’s wolf pressed in close, keeping my bared skin warm with his massive fur-covered body.

  He stirred and looked up at me, noting my human body.

  I started to tell him to look away. I wasn’t exactly a prude, but waking up next to your wolf boyfriend with morning breath was one thing. Waking up nude and covered in mud and twigs and someone else’s blood was entirely another. But before I could utter a word, Kai moved away and shifted.

  Our eyes met, and there was no trace of awkwardness in his tender expression. He bent down, lifting me into his arms and tucking me in against his bared chest.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Um. Hi.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

  “Yeah, I mean, I think so,” I said, wondering how long I could milk this because my current position wasn’t something I ever wanted to give up. Kai’s broad chest and rippled abs were enough to make the whole shifting-and-trying-to-rip-Drake’s-throat-out completely worth it.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Naked,” I said.

  “No complaints from me.” His chest rumbled with a deep chuckle.

  My nipples hardened. It was getting more and more impossible not to notice all the hard parts of his body currently pressing against me. My wolf stirred, urging me to give in and make use of the moment. Her best idea yet.

  My hands tightened around Kai’s neck, and he sighed, his warm breath washing over my forehead.

  “Actually, you’re wearing more than you think.” His eyes flicked to my chest, and I lifted my hand, brushing my fingers over the pendant my father had given me.

  Strange.

  “It shifted with me,” I said.

  “Looks like it. Where did you get it?”

  “My father.”

  “Huh, must be wolf magic or something.”

  “Must be,” I agreed.

  I became acutely aware of the fact that we still had exactly zero pieces of actual clothing on between us.

  Through our bond, I felt Kai aware of that very same thing.

  “We should get you home,” he said.

  “Or we could stay here and—”

  My stomach grumbled loudly, and I scowled at my own body’s attempt to cockblock me.

  Kai laughed. “Looks like your baser needs are prioritizing themselves differently than you’d hoped. Come on. You definitely need calories after all that running.”

  He didn’t wait for me to answer. Instead, he stood, lifting me into his arms with ease, and headed down the trail.

  “I can walk,” I protested.

  “Suit yourself.” He set me down, and the moment he did, my knees buckled. He barely caught me, once again lifting me easily into his arms.

  “Indulge me,” he said wryly, eyes twinkling with what felt like amusement.

  This was a different Kai for sure.

  Happier.

  Lighter.

  It was really weird. Good, but weird.

  We walked in silence down the mountain trail, and after several minutes, I was surprised to see Kai’s backyard just ahead where the woods ended. Had he brought me to the overlook because it felt like home to him? Somehow, that meant more than just some random hideout he’d chosen.

  He carried me inside the back door and down the hall to a bedroom.

  The entire space smelled like him, but it was strongest here. His bedroom, I realized as he set me down against the soft gray sheets. I grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to cover me.

  Best to keep the mystery alive and all that.

  His lips twitched knowingly.

  “The shower is through there,” he said, pointing toward an adjoining bathroom. “Get cleaned up, and I’ll leave you some clothes to borrow.”

  He started for the door.

  I sat up quickly, still clutching the sheet to my chest. “Where are you going?” I asked, suddenly uncertain about having him venture too far from me.

  He returned and sat on the edge of the bed, facing me. With a gentle hand, he reached out and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’m going to make us some food, but I’ll be close enough to hear you call me if you need anything.”

  I let out a shaky breath, feeling silly. “Okay.”

  “I know you have a lot of questions, but let’s eat, and then I promise to answer them all. Sound good?”

  My stomach growled again.

  Kai laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss that stirred me in other ways. “Hurry up, little wolf. I want to get past the questions and on to dessert if you know what I mean.”

  I grinned. �
�Dessert’s my favorite.”

  He left, and I padded across the room to the shower. The hot water and pine-scented body wash were a balm to my senses. The mud and dirt and blood washed away, leaving me feeling much more human by the time I was finished.

  Except I wasn’t human.

  Not entirely.

  When I was clean and dry again, I inspected the bite on my leg. The skin had already scabbed over, making the wound look days old rather than hours. I marveled at how quickly my body was healing.

  A perk of being a wolf, I supposed.

  It was one of the questions I intended to ask Kai.

  In the bedroom, I slipped into the sweatpants and tee Kai had left out. They both smelled like him, which was a comfort, considering all the questions swirling in my mind right now. My wolf felt the most settled when she sensed Kai nearby.

  Following the sounds of cookware and the smell of bacon, I walked into the kitchen. Kai looked up from the bar where he’d just plated a few pieces of bacon next to a pile of scrambled eggs.

  “This smells delicious,” I said.

  “I hope so. I’m not much in the kitchen.”

  “Lucky for you, I’m a great cook,” I said, and then my cheeks heated at how presumptuous that sounded. But Kai leaned over and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth.

  “Damn right I’m lucky,” he said and my embarrassment settled. “Here. All yours.” He grabbed a fork and set it on the plate before me. Then he motioned to the bar stool. “Sit.”

  Manners might have dictated I wait for his food to be finished, but my gnawing hunger won out, and I dug in, scarfing the food. Kai offered me a second helping of each and then joined me with enough food on his own plate that I couldn’t possibly be embarrassed by my own portions.

  When I could think past the hunger, I set my fork down and sighed in contentment. “That was amazing,” I said. “Where’d you learn to cook?”

  “My dad passed down his one-meal cooking repertoire to me, I guess. Don’t get excited. Breakfast is the only meal I can cook without burning,” he warned.

  “Noted,” I said, leaning down to scratch at the scab on my leg.

  Kai frowned. “Can I take a look?”

  I pulled my pant leg up and showed him the wound. He inspected it closely, running gentle fingers over it and leaving goosebumps on my skin.

  “Already healing nicely,” he said. “It’ll be good as new by tomorrow.”

  I shuddered, and he straightened again.

  “So, healing is a perk then?” I asked.

  “Usually. The more severe the wound, the longer it will take, but yes, we heal faster than humans as a rule,” he said. “And especially if we can shift into wolf form to do it.”

  I thought of my dad. If he’d been able to shift, would he have healed from that gunshot?

  “Hey, where did you go?”

  His voice was gentle, and I blinked, noting the concern in his expression.

  “Just thinking. Is that why you didn’t try to get me to change back last night? So I’d heal?”

  “Partially.”

  “And the other part?”

  “My wolf really wanted time with yours.”

  For some reason, my cheeks heated at that, and I ducked my head.

  “Your wolf is gorgeous,” he added.

  I felt weirdly embarrassed yet flattered at his words. “Thanks. She thinks the same thing about you. In fact, she had quite a few thoughts about you last night.”

  He grinned. “Oh, really? Like what?”

  “That you’re okay,” I said, feigning indifference.

  “Just okay?”

  “I mean, she was distracted by Silas’ ass but—Hey!”

  I shrieked as Kai grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder, running into the bedroom and dumping me on the mattress.

  “Whose ass were you looking at?” he demanded.

  “Just yours,” I said, batting my lashes in mock innocence. “And maybe Idrissa’s,” I added.

  He launched himself toward me, and I shrieked, rolling away as he tried to tickle me. I struggled against his impossible hold and, in the end, resorted to fighting dirty. When I grabbed his nipple, he yelped and backed off.

  “I should have expected your dirty tactics,” he said with a laugh, and the reminder of what I’d done to Drake sobered me.

  “Stop beating yourself up,” Kai said. “I can see it written all over your face. What happened last night wasn’t your fault. Drake provoked it on purpose.”

  “I didn’t even think I could do something like that,” I said quietly. “Do you think he’s okay?”

  Kai sat back, giving me space to sit up too.

  “He’ll be fine,” he assured me, his expression flashing with fury. “Not that he deserves it after that shit he pulled.”

  “Do you think he’ll try again?” I asked.

  “That’s not something you need to worry about,” he said. “I won’t let him or anyone else hurt you.”

  My insides warmed at the protectiveness in him. And my wolf practically drooled for him.

  “The hexerei,” I said. “They didn’t have to kill him.”

  Kai sighed. “The hexerei have been trying to find our weak points for a long time. Ten years ago, there was a pretty bad skirmish on the border of our lands and ever since then, the pack has made it a rule to take no prisoners. None of it was your fault.”

  He was right. I knew I’d walked into a war that had existed before me. But I still felt badly for the way it had turned out for that guy. He hadn’t done anything except be what he was.

  I had to change the subject before I let the guilt tear me apart.

  “Kai…my wolf—she called you her mate.”

  His eyes filled with intensity. “As did mine.”

  “Does that mean… Do you think the curse is broken?” I asked, hopeful.

  He shook his head. “Recognizing a mate doesn’t mean you’ve become so. You still have to complete the bond, and even then, there’s a mental connection that happens when you’ve recognized your one true mate that hasn’t shown up for us. I was hoping last night would trigger it, but…”

  “But it didn’t,” I finished, shoulders sagging.

  “It’s not the end of the world,” he assured me. “Most mates don’t feel that connection until after they’ve completed the mating bond anyway.”

  “Well, how do you complete the bond? Maybe we could do that and see what happens.”

  His expression changed, and the way he looked at me had my entire body tingling. “The bond is completed through physical mating,” he said in a voice that seemed to rake over my skin. “Joining our bodies,” he added, leaning in closer.

  My heart pounded as his words registered.

  “Well, I think it’s worth a try,” I said, nearly panting with my need for him. “Don’t you?”

  His eyelids lowered, and he looked at me with an expression of pure desire. “I’ve wanted nothing else since the moment I laid eyes on you, Ash Lawson.”

  My mouth went dry.

  Did I want him? Hell yeah. Did I also melt a little when he called me by my rightful last name?

  Damn straight.

  I reached for him, pulling him down on top of me.

  “Me too,” I whispered. “Kai, make me yours.”

  “Ash, you need to be sure about this. It would be forever. Wolves mate for life.”

  “I’ve never been more sure,” I told him.

  He looked at me like he still wasn’t convinced.

  “Kai, listen to me. My mother left a long time ago, and my dad might as well have. He checked out mentally, emotionally, in all the ways that mattered. He never told me the truth, and he wasn’t there for me when I needed him. You’ve been there for me more times than I know what to do with, and I know you’d never let anything happen to me. You’re my family now. I don’t even want anyone else.”

  His lips twitched. “Not anyone? Not even Oscar?”

  I punched him lightly. “Not
the same, jackass.”

  He grinned, and the desire in his gaze made me shudder with the intensity of it as he leaned in close again.

  “It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: you’re it for me, Ashes. Always. Forever. Til death.”

  “Til death,” I echoed.

  He made a sound like a growl and crushed his mouth to mine. His hands were on me then. Fast, firm. Demanding. His tongue prodded my lips apart and delved into my mouth, teasing my own tongue in a way that made my core ache for more. His fingers roamed over the shirt he’d given me, sliding it up and running his rough palm over my hips and up to cup my breast.

  When his fingers rolled my nipple, I arched into him.

  “Kai,” I said, breathless and completely at his mercy.

  Between my human desire and my wolf’s need, I’d never craved anything as much as I craved Kai Stone right now.

  Without a word, Kai stripped my shirt off and then did the same with my sweatpants. He sat up and looked down at my naked body. This time, there was no embarrassment. The look on his face was pure awe and raw desire as he raked his gaze over my skin.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful, Ash.”

  He ran his hand gently over the bite wound on my leg then stood up and stripped out of his own clothes. I sat up on my elbows and looked him over, openly appreciating the rippled abs and hard angles of his broad chest.

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” I said with a smirk.

  His lips curved and he crawled across the mattress until he was directly above me. Slowly, he lowered his body against mine and kissed me. This time, there was no urgency. Only lazy perusal. His tongue slipped inside my mouth and stroked me with a steady rhythm that made me impatient for more.

  My hands slid up his chest and over his shoulders, gripping him and pulling him closer. When it all became too much, my hips rocked against his, and he groaned.

  “Patience,” he rasped.

  “What’s that?” I asked and grinned when his eyes narrowed.

  “Is that how you want this to go?”

  His words were a challenge that sent a thrill racing down my spine.

  “You’re the motorcycle rider,” I said. “I thought speed was your thing.”