by Desiree Holt
Chapter 5
As they drove, Lawrence explained some of the history of Stone Mountain. Zada listened, thinking about the tasks ahead. While now the park was used as a tourist spot, its background proved to be quite colorful. The expanse covered more than three thousand miles.
“Not as big as the Kisatchie National Forest where the Wolfe Pack lives,” Alex said.
“True, but still large enough. The area was originally home to Native Americans, and some of the shifters who live there now are descendants of the original people.”
The idea intrigued Zada. Most of the shifters she knew came from a similar heritage. Those with a Native American background possessed a different connection with their wolf ancestors. Was that how they evolved?
“Records show in the early 1900s, the KKK founded a group,” Lawrence continued his tale.
Charlie leaned between the two front seats. “How do you reconcile separatists with shifter Native Americans? The two don’t seem to mix well.”
“Hey, you were around back then,” Alex joked. “What’s the truth?”
Lawrence made a moan that sounded impatient. “I spent the majority of my life in New Orleans. Aside from first moving there, it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve been venturing out more. Historically, that happened in 1915, and if you do your research, our city was hit by a big hurricane that year, too. It’s not like today with the Internet. I wasn’t paying attention to what happened in Georgia.”
Zada stifled a laugh. He sounded like a parent lecturing young children. Compared to him, though, they had much less knowledge. She’d barely finished high school, and she worked in a bar. Now, she wished she’d studied history more.
She leaned her head against the cool window, and gazed at the moon. The motion of the car on the uneven road rattled the glass.
When she next opened her eyes, the car was coming to a stop.
“We’re here,” Alex called out. “Wake up sleepy heads.”
Zada yawned. Long drives always did it to her, especially with whatever the hell was happening with her body. The nap left her feeling recharged and refreshed. Outside the car, she stretched out, and inspected the area.
Tourist information signs pointed the way toward various attractions, and Charlie stood before an oversized map.
“We’re here.” He pointed toward a red dot. “Where is this great pack? Hard to imagine it being located in a high-population area.”
“I’m sure it’s like the Wolfe Pack,” Alex added. “Our National Forest is filled with many camping grounds. But there’s so much land that’s untouched – unless someone gets lost. So how do we find them?”
“We run,” Lawrence instructed. He opened his backpack, and waived his hand toward them. “You three strip and give me your clothes. Then it’s time to shift.”
“Just like that? You bring us out to the middle of a forest and tell us to shed our clothes?” Vada teased. Seriously, her body craved the release. After living in the city for so long, she went long periods without running free.
Both guys glanced at each other and shrugged. Sure, they didn’t mind getting bare in public. No way they would outdo her. First, she removed the amulet from around her neck that hid her true nature. She had a voodoo priestess from New Orleans to thank for that goody.
“Keep this necklace safe,” she instructed Lawrence as she handed it over.
He placed it inside his jacket. Along with the totem.
“It’s the full moon,” she said, gazing up at the sky.
“The Hunter’s moon,” Alex added. “My moon.”
How had she not made that connection? Each month, the full moon had a different name. October was known as the Hunter’s Moon.
“Somehow, all of us being here tonight is fated, isn’t it?” She didn’t require an answer to her question. She knew it was true.
Charlie danced back and forth, and she averted her eyes as not to stare at his nude dangling parts. “Anything else we need to know? Are we ready to do this?”
“Just remember to be on the alert. We’re entering another Pack’s territory,” Alex advised. He lifted his nose to the air. “We protect our grounds. I’m sure they’ll do the same.”
The thought sent terror through Zada, and her nerves jumped to full alert. “Isn’t there a way to call ahead or something?”
The three men looked at her.
“No? I didn’t think so, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
“We’re losing the night,” Lawrence said. “And I need to be in before daybreak.”
Oh yes. The vampire thing. Resolved, Zada removed her clothes and tossed them to Lawrence. Alex had already seen her nude, and if things worked out the way they were supposed, she figured Charlie eventually would.
“Ready boys? We’ll be able to communicate mentally, Lawrence, and we’ll follow you.”
Final directions set, she closed her eyes and pictured her body changing into her wolf shape. Pain flashed across her back, and her nails slashed into claws. Her snout protruded and her mouth widened to accommodate enlarged teeth.
“Sexy,” Charlie said.
She snarled in his direction, and he grinned back and raised his eyebrows. Such a goofball. She still didn’t know how to read him, but she was figuring him out more. The more she knew, the more she liked. Once he let her see him – the man behind the prophecy.
In a flash, Alex shifted into wolf form, and she marveled and his thick red hair. Figures he’d be beautiful in this shape. Of course as a Hunter, his abilities proved to be different. He needed to be able to change form fast. Maybe that’s what drew him into his position.
“Watch this.” Charlie stretched his arms out, and cracked his neck side to side. He touched two fingers to his chest. “Remember, leader of the pack. Some things have changed recently.”
What did that mean?
Within a blink he transformed in a large black wolf. He stood taller and broader than Alex. What the fuck? How was that possible, when he was shorter in human form?
“Impressive, man.” Lawrence whistled. “Guess your lineage is showing.”
Charlie opened his jaws, evoking the image of a smile. Great. A smiling wolf.
“Enough showing off,” the last talking member of their group said. “Let’s move out.”
Just in case, Zada grabbed a good whiff of Lawrence’s scent. If she lost him, she’d be better able to find him. She momentarily thought how great she felt at that moment, like whatever sickness plaguing her melted away. Perhaps, this little excursion was going to work out after all.
The vampire took off at a lightning speed, and Zada followed. As if in unison, Alex and Charlie each paced her on either side. Protecting me. As if I need it.
She caught the scent of a rabbit, and something else darker and wilder in the woods. Her paws carved into the damp earth. Why didn’t she do this, embrace her true form, more often? Her chest heaved with exhilaration. She fought the urge to hunt, and mate. Two activities that came naturally to her. She focused on the objective, and her sister. Was Jana feeling the effects of this curse? She should have called her, but everything happened too quickly.
Somewhere ahead, the howl of a wolf broke the stillness of the night. As one, they stopped, and she cocked her ears in the direction of the sound. Someone else was out here with them. But how close? Was it a warning call for others?
Lawrence circled back to where they stopped. “Wait here,” he instructed.
The forms of her two men pressed close to either side of her, and she wanted to snap to leave her be. Charlie ducked his head and nuzzled under her chin. Even in his wolf shape, she caught a glimpse of his worry. She shouldn’t be angry at him, at them, for caring about her. The knowledge lifted her spirits. She didn’t have to fear being alone. She had two potential mates who cared about her.
Now, how to figure out which to choose? After, when they’d completed this task, she’d talk to them.
Within minutes, Lawrence returned. “Just over t
he rise is the encampment. From here on out, I’d suggest human forms. Less threatening.”
He removed their clothing from his bag. Too soon, she shifted back into her human shape. Tiredness from the short run made her legs feel heavy. Maybe she still wasn’t healed. She pulled on her clothes, wishing to stay nude and free.
“Way to bring down the moment,” she said.
Alex slung his arm over her shoulders. “It’s all right. I promise you lots of wild romps through the forest in the future.”
This one! Her heart sang, until she glimpsed the dejected look on Charlie’s face. Like he knew he’d already lost.
Charlie watched the interaction between Alex and Zada. He wasn’t giving up, yet. It had become more than a damn prophecy and some curse. He already cared about her, and didn’t want to think about the alternative to winning her heart.
“Before we do this, how about a kiss for good luck?” he asked.
She opened her mouth, maybe to deny his request and then looked at him. Like really looked at him, like she saw beyond everything that had happened all the way to his soul.
“Sure. Show me what you got?”
“Now wait a minute,” Alex said.
But he wasn’t stopping, or listening. All he thought about was holding Zada in his arms. In two strides, he did exactly that. He slid one arm around her waist, and drew her close. She sucked in a breath as their bodies pressed close. Her chest brushed against his, and he gazed into her eyes. She tilted her head up, her lips mere inches from his.
Watching her run in wolf form filled him with such awe. She was graceful as she glided across the forest. She belonged out here, in the wild, more than in the city stuck behind a bar with drunken tourists.
Maybe she should be with Alex. He pushed aside the doubt, and kissed her. Her warm lips opened slightly, and he trailed the tip of his tongue over her lower lip. He breathed her in, relishing this moment. The cool air circled around their bodies, creating a sphere that made the second feel like it was only him and only her. Nothing else, and no one else mattered. She gripped his belt loop, and returned his kiss with a newfound fervor. Their tongues met for the first time, and he knew that whatever it took, he’d have her.
Their souls recognized each other. She belonged to him. She broke the kiss to look into his eyes, as if searching for something.
“Did you feel that?” she asked.
“Yes. Let’s do it again.”
And they did. She tasted like the night’s air—crisp and wild. He slipped his hand further, grabbing her ass and riding his cock against her pelvis, leaving no doubt to his attraction and intentions.
“Hey now, that’s enough.” Alex placed his hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
He turned, growling at the interference. If only they were alone. Not here in this forest, about to go literally into the wolves’ den.
“We’ll pick this up later,” Zada assured him.
“Like hell you will,” Alex side-stepped to come between them.
“I advise you not to interfere,” Charlie said.
“Dude. I’m going to cock-block you as much as possible. After tonight, your balls will be so blue, you won’t know what to do.”
Zada’s laugh cut through the tension. “Will you two knock it off. Blue balls. You’re being ridiculous.”
“We have incoming,” Lawrence alerted. “Get ready to stand your ground.”
The three men took formation, with Zada in the center. She angled her way to the side, making herself a direct target.
Five wolves broke through the foliage on all sides of them. Fuck that. They should have stayed in wolf form.
Lawrence held up his hands. “We are on a peaceful mission.”
Two men walked toward them. Charlie identified the taller one to be the leader, while the man to his side appeared to be a protector, body guard. He aimed a crossbow with what appeared to be a sharpened stake at the vampire.
“Three enemy shifters and an undead parasite on our land in the middle of the night, and we’re supposed to believe you mean us no harm?” the protector said.
“We got a late start?” Zada said.
“Not the time for humor,” Charlie warned her.
“You,” the leader pointed at Zada. “What is your lineage?”
“My what?” His would-be mate tilted her head and focused on the man.
“Your ancestors,” Lawrence helped. “What’s your Pack?”
“I have none,” she replied, stepping closer to them. “I was adopted, but my sister Jana is part of the Wolfe Pack. We are the Luna Twins.” She nodded toward Alex. “This Hunter also is with the Wolfe Pack.”
The guard raised the bow. “See, I told you Sire. What are you hunting?”
Charlie attempted to keep watch on everyone at once. At least the surrounding wolves hadn’t made a move. The leader studied Zada.
“The Luna what?”
At the questioning, something inside Charlie tightened. Too many things collided at once, and he had no control.
“Twins. My sister Jana and I were both adopted, separately.” Zada held a palm up, as if offering something physical.
Charlie didn’t like the look the leader gave her. He knew how rare female shifters of mating age were. Especially ones as attractive as Zada.
Ever so slowly, Lawrence reached into his jacket pocket. “If you would allow me.”
A click alerted Charlie to the guard’s intentions. Zada stood the closest to Lawrence, and she jumped in his direction. Everything else stopped. He watched the trajectory of the stake. It was going to hit Zada.
“No!” He flung his body against hers, knocking her to the ground. Pain flared across his shoulder.
“Charlie,” Zada cried.
Everything went black.
Chapter 6
“I think he’s waking up.” Zada watched the man laying on her lap.
“I’m sorry.” Charlie whispered.
He coughed and blood pooled at the corner of his mouth. She used the tip of her shirt to wipe it away. “Sorry for what? Saving my life?”
He opened his eyes. “It wouldn’t have worked out anyway.”
“Shhh, now.” She brushed his hair back with her fingertips. “Don’t waste your energy. You’ll have plenty of time to talk to me in the future.”
Do something. She mouthed to Alex. He shook his head in the negative, and lifted his shoulders. Earlier she’d teased Lawrence not to turn her into a vampire in order to live. Now faced with the same decision for the man in her arms, she’d make the opposite choice.
Nothing like death to make a person question their values.
Tears slid down her face, dripping onto Charlie, and her heart ached. She’d spent so much time questioning and fighting against the stupid deterministic nature of them coming together she hadn’t given him a chance. Over the space of a few days, he’d endeared himself to her. She thought him shallow.
Now look at him.
His eyes slammed shut, and the muscles of his body slackened.
“No! Don’t you give up. We can’t let him die. Somebody, do something. Lawrence.” Panic struck full bore, and she wanted to tear through the rest of the observers. After the bastard shot him, they brought them to their living area. If Charlie lived, she promised the powers-that-be to act differently.
Alex held his hand out in a stop gesture, and she wanted to smack it down.
“You know he wouldn’t want to be turned,” he said. “His pack never would accept it.”
“Fuck his pack. We’re his family now.”
The vampire knelt beside them. “I hear his heart beating. It’s steady. He might have passed out from shock or loss of blood,” he said. “We need to get him medical attention.”
“What? As in a doctor?” She swiped the wetness off her cheeks. “Are you telling me he’s not going to die?”
“I can’t make any promises there, but the pumping of the blood in his veins sound strong.” Lawrence slid his hands under Charlie’s body and l
ifted him with ease. He dipped his head and inhaled deep. His eyes flashed, and sharp teeth emerged when he grimaced.
“Don’t be getting any ideas,” Alex said. “He doesn’t need any other blood missing.”
“Can’t help the physical reactions,” he explained. “It’s like getting an erection around your mate. I know how to control my … urges.”
A petite female shifter stepped away from the outer circle, and approached. “Come. This way. I will take you to our healer.”
“What took so long?” Alex said.
Without so much as a backward glance, the woman walked down the path toward another structure. Lawrence followed her directly, with Zada and Alex next.
“Why’d he have to be such an asshole?” she muttered. If anything happened to Charlie, she wouldn’t forgive herself. She shouldn’t have shunned him.
“It’s not your fault.” Alex walked alongside her. When she didn’t look at him, he clasped her hand.
“Wait one minute, and listen to me. There’s nothing you could have done to stop it, or to stop him.”
“Don’t start. Not now. Let’s see how he’s doing first, and then you can have your say.”
She pulled out of his grasp, and followed the others into the hut. Smoke filled the room, and the low-ceiling brought out her claustrophobia. She hated being in confined spaces.
A weathered old man sat next to Charlie, who lay out on a table. In the eerie lights, he looked already dead.
“You have the artifact?” the man addressed Lawrence with his hand outstretched.
Lawrence met her gaze and she nodded yes. They’d come all this way and risked everything in order to offer the totem. No reason not to now.
Fire flickered from a pit in the center of the floor, and the smoke billowed. In the dancing light of the flames, it appeared as if the carved wolf moved, its muscles flexing. The man closed his palm over the piece of wood and brought it to his lips for a kiss.
“Now we see if we can save this one’s earthly body,” he said. “He has more on this plane to do.”
From a table beside him, he took a stone bowl and ground some herbs into it. Within minutes, he’d concocted a thick, greenish paste.