by Stacey Mewse
Eve ignored his tone and took another sip, tucking her dreads behind her ears and replying. ‘All the same, its delicious, and I can make you another if you’d like?’
Hunter shook his head. ‘I’d like to know what the fuck is going on if I’m honest. Tea can wait.’ His inner wolf snarled at him, how dare he be so insolent, she was higher up the ranks than him! Hunter snappily reminded it they were not part of the pack.
Eve did not look surprised by his response. He had every right to be angry; he’d been through a lot in a short space of time after all. Sitting back in her seat she kicked off her boots and curled her legs beneath her on the sofa. The previously broken limb ached a little but did not hurt as much as she had expected it would. Taking another sip of sweet tea she answered at length. ‘Firstly I’d like to say that I’m very sorry for leaving so soon earlier. It wasn’t my intention to pay such a flying visit and I can understand why you’d be angry at having no explanation.’
Hunter wanted desperately to interrupt, but let her continue on. Unable to help his overactive nose drawing in great lungful’s of her scent. He tried to be discreet about looking her over, but his lusts were more obvious than he would have liked.
‘I had discovered on my way back here from your cabin that another murder had been committed.’
Hunter did interrupt at this point. ‘I know, I had a visit from a police officer not half an hour before you arrived.’
Eve nodded, looking up from her drink and suddenly seeming to notice his red eyes and swollen face. ‘So you know then, that you’re in the clear?’
Hunter nodded ‘Yes. I know. Which leaves me clear to go after the monster who started all of this.’
For a moment they stayed silent, Eve’s searching eyes roaming all over his tear stained face. Then slowly she leaned forward and put her mug onto the worn carpet. Her breasts pushed against her knees in a way that he could not ignore, and as she continued to lean forward the scent of her arousal hit him like a slap in the face.
Her delicate features were full of concern. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, and to comfort him. The wolf in her had other ideas; it danced behind her eyes and called to his inner beast. They became slaves to their other selves.
He leaned forward himself, moving towards her and coming to a halt when they both somehow ended up kneeling together on the hard floor. Staring into each other’s eyes they slowly drew closer, until all of a sudden Eve lunged forward and mashed her lips onto his. He responded in kind, kissing her passionately as their hands began to roam each other’s bodies. A quiet moan escaped Eve’s full lips as he brushed against her breasts. He took this cue and pulled her tightly to him, his throbbing erection burning hot against her soft belly. Her kiss became harder, more hungry; and he grabbed her backside firmly with both hands, pulling her into him.
Then all of a sudden she drew away. Pulling her head back she looked up at him, bleary eyed and suddenly overcome with remorse. Her eyes were full of sadness as she lowered her hands to his and pulled them from her rear slowly but firmly.
‘I’m sorry…’ She coughed quietly, backing away a little. ‘My wolf… It feels some kind of connection with you. This is not the time for this… We need to focus.’
Hunter rocked back on his knees, his expression revealing the hurt he felt at her rejection. ‘Your wolf?’
‘Yes’ She replied quietly.
‘Not you…?’ He asked, dreading her response.
‘My wolf is me Hunter… Is yours not you?’ She looked up at him with eyes so filled with sadness and confusion, that for a moment he did not know how to respond.
‘Not in the same way that yours is.’ He finally managed to muster. ‘I can feel it urging me on to have you, to possess you; but its not entirely down to the wolf. I want you too, there’s something about you Eve. From the moment I laid eyes on you in the hall I felt it.’
Eve’s response simultaneously comforted and confused him. ‘You cannot separate the two Hunter, it is within you and therefore it is you. Whether you understand that fully or not. Therefore whatever it feels, you must feel too… Whatever it feels is a legitimate feeling of yours as well. Just because the wolf feels it first that does not mean it is not your feeling… Or my feeling too…’
‘…Why…?’ Hunter responded quietly, trying to calm himself down and wanting to throw himself forward into her arms once again.
Eve shook her head slightly, almost shrugging but not quite completing the motion. ‘Nobody really knows. Sometimes there is just a connection. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.’
Hunter saw the look in her eyes and pulled himself back up into the chair, hurt. ‘You think my grief is affecting me?’
Eve sighed and closed her eyes, dragging herself back up into her seat and sitting proud and tall. She was still pack beta after all. ‘It is a possibility. Only time will tell.’ And after a brief pause ‘believe it or not I’m not keen to get hurt myself.’
Hunter sat forward slightly, his face stern ‘I know my own mind.’
‘Not if you’re trying to think entirely separately to your lupine self you don’t. She retorted so quickly he could not think of a response. He simply sat in dumbfounded silence, picking at the fabric of his jeans to make his receding erection more comfortable.
Eve leaned forward and placed one hand on his knee. ‘I don’t want to hurt you either. You know there is attraction here; you can smell mine as clearly as I can smell yours. We just need to address the situation at hand before we get carried away.’
As he looked at her beautiful face his anger began to fade, no matter how much he wanted her right there and then, she was speaking sense. They needed to go after Varulv before he killed again. Their feelings and instincts had to come second to that. He nodded and placed his hand over hers.
‘Perhaps you can explain to me exactly why I feel so drawn to you on the drive?’ He suggested, looking deep into her crystal clear eyes.
‘I can try’ She replied ‘though I’m not promising it will make any more sense once I have.’
Hunter shrugged ‘an explanation of any kind will be enough.’
‘We need to leave soon Hunter. I have much to tell you but we may as well be on the move when I do.’
Hunter quirked an eyebrow ‘more than the discovery of another murder?’
‘Much more’ Eve replied grimly.
‘Perhaps we should be leaving then?’ He stood and held out a hand for her to take. She took it and pulled herself up, walking past him to the door and turning to look back at him.
‘What are you waiting for?’ She asked, smirking to herself. He followed her to the doorway and was stunned when she tilted her head and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then she walked off to the car and waited for him in the drivers seat, as he locked the cottage door and stuffed the key into his pocket.
Jogging down the garden path he hopped into the passenger seat and buckled up as she started the engine and pulled away.
‘Well?’ He asked ‘what have I missed…?’
Eve didn’t look away from the road as she answered. ‘Honestly, a lot. Firstly, Audra’s gone fucking AWOL. Secondly, Tobias and I crashed two of our cars and totaled the pair of them. I broke one of my legs.’
Hunter didn’t know where to start with his questioning. ‘What? What do you mean? Audra’s gone walkabout? Where? You broke your leg?’
Eve rolled her eyes ‘if we knew that it wouldn’t be a problem. And yes, but as you can see its all better now doctor, not a problem any more.’ She smirked and slapped her thigh, which sent a grimace jolting across her face.
‘Looks like it’ Hunter quipped. ‘How did you fix it? And what’s happening with Audra?’
‘I had to change so that the bones would re-set. ‘I’m not going to lie to you, I wouldn’t recommend it under less extreme circumstances, it hurt like hell. It was the only way to ensure a quick heal though… I mean, initially the idea was experimental but it worked. As for Audra, We’re not enti
rely certain. She went to the barn with Tobias to look for clues and scent trails, and while he was inside, she buggered off and fucking changed in the fields. She’s gone after Varulv by herself, which is typical behavior for an idiot like her. She’s going to get herself killed if we don’t intervene and fast.’
Hunter sat heavily back in his seat. ‘Well that would explain why the police couldn’t get hold of my solicitor then…!’
‘Thankfully it doesn’t seem to have damaged your case.’ Eve quipped.
‘Though they did find some hair at the scene…’
‘What?’ Eve took her eyes off the road for a moment to glower at him.
‘Yeah’ Hunter affirmed that he had just said what she had thought he had.
Eve mused over this for a moment, before finally responding. ‘Well if its human form any tests will just show it as human, and if its lupine… Well hopefully testing will show it up as canine and they’ll write it off as a scavenging dog. We need to stop this fucker before he does it again. He’s getting too reckless.’
Hunter nodded ‘So where are we going?’
Eve suddenly looked startled. ‘Actually, I don’t know.’ Awkwardly she reached across and popped open the glove box. Reaching inside she fished around and pulled out a mobile phone. Handing it to Hunter she instructed. ‘Find Tobias in the contacts and give him a call, he’ll tell us where to meet him.’
Hunter did as he was told, scrolling through the minimal contacts and quickly locating Tobias’ name. Pressing the dial button he lifted the phone to his ear and waited, listening to the ring.
After five rings Tobias answered, his voice not the jovial one Hunter remembered. He sounded stern and agitated, and it made Hunter’s inner wolf somehow eager to do as it was bidden.
‘Where are you?’ Hunter asked.
Tobias sounded surprised to be hearing a voice other than Eve’s. ‘We’re in the fields around the barn, following Varulv’s scent trail. Meet us here as fast as you can. And tell Eve not to crash.’ Though this last sentiment was obviously half meant as a joke, his tone was serious.
‘Ok, we’ll meet you there.’ Hunter replied, promptly hanging up. He turned to Eve and instructed her as to what they were supposed to do; she nodded and put the car up a gear. There was no time to waste.
‘We’ll park up a mile or so from the barn on a back road.’ She insisted. ‘We need to make sure the car is far enough away to look like an inconspicuous breakdown.’
Hunter nodded, not caring and wanting to be there as soon as they could.
Chapter 31
Audra shrank back on her haunches as the shape approached her out of the darkness. She tipped so far backwards that she fell over herself trying to get away. Yelping in a screamingly high pitch she hit the floor in a flurry of twitching limbs, desperately trying to regain her footing before he reached her. Her claws raked at the soft ground, and she bucked and struggled as she tried to scrabble back to her paws. Her eyes were wild and her chest heaved as she frantically tried to flee.
It took her a moment too long to right herself and all of a sudden he was on her. She felt him before she smelled or saw him, a sudden firm grasping on the back of her neck. His teeth buried through her thick pelt and she whimpered as their sharp tips prickled at the sensitive skin beneath. She became dead still, freezing in place out of absolute panic, rolling her eyes in terror.
Past his vice like grip he hissed at her. ‘Be quiet little one. Don’t struggle and I will release you…’
He took in a great sucking breath of air and shuddered at the scent of her. Audra trembled beneath him, feeling his breath rush through her fur, and a wetness on her nape that could have been blood or drool. She was too terrified to rely on her nose to differentiate.
He took in another deep, rasping breath and then a dry chuckle escaped him. A sound so absolutely filled with menace and intent that she imagined that the devil himself might have her in his grip.
‘You smell interesting my love…’ His chuckle grew more wicked somehow.
Audra whimpered.
‘You have been engaging in some very shady activities haven’t you…?’ He murmured into her thick pelt, pressing the rest of his body closer to her. She could feel his body shifting against hers and it made her skin crawl and her pulse race at the same time. He was changing, though into what she dared not guess.
He released his grip very slowly and stepped back, still on two feet. Terrified she stood stock still, breathing rapidly as she weighed up her options. Was it too late to flee? Would she make it far enough away or would he catch her?
‘Look at me’ He insisted, his voice deep and his accent exotic and alluring despite his commanding tone.
Shaking all over her body, Audra did as he said. Her head turned slowly and she cast her eyes upon him. It was not what she had expected to see. The creature that stood before her was a man, nothing more… At least not to the naked eye. He smiled at her, an expression which put her in mind of a snake eyeing up its next meal. Or an anglerfish dangling its lure in front of its prey. She could not help but study him, she had heard so much about the monster who stood before her and she was as fascinated as she was terrified. Her nostrils flared as she looked him over, his domineering scent pungent and alluring. She could not help the way her wolf succumbed to his natural aggressive nature, and as she looked upon him she sunk to her belly. Her tail came to rest between her legs, and she licked her lips submissively. Looking up at him she began to reek more and more of her shameful attraction, and his smile grew as she drank in the sight of him.
He stood backed by the light of the moon and the luminescent glare of the city lights. This threw deep shadows across him and added to his menacing appearance, concealing one half of him and sharply revealing the other. Even in the half-light and with such stark shadows, she could see he was a very physically attractive man. His features were delicate but somehow remained masculine and attractive. His hair was long and straight, platinum blonde and hung loose where it drifted about his strong jaw in the breeze. But what really enslaved her to him were his eyes… Shining bright and icy blue… They glittered like diamonds and she could clearly see menace, and hundreds of years worth of knowledge shining behind them.
Swallowing loudly, Audra watched as he lowered himself until he was crouching before her.
‘You ate something I left behind didn’t you…?’ He asked, his voice slick as a snake, his silver tongued charm working on her like it had never worked on any human girl. He wondered why he had never tried his little game with a female of his own kind before.
Audra nodded slowly, her tail tip wagging limply between her legs.
He noticed this and his smile grew, still devoid of warmth. ‘You smell divine my love…’ He cooed. ‘I would very much like to see your human form… If you are as beautiful as you smell then it would be a great loss for me not to be able to lay eyes upon you without fur.’
Audra could not believe her lupine ears. Her wolven form was then in full control of her mind and she was entirely under his spell. A dim insistence at the back of her mind that he was dangerous was shoved aside; the human part of her was entirely a slave to her lupine instincts at that point. She would have jumped off a cliff if he had asked her too, and all because of that intense and peculiar scent… It was as though he was the alpha of all alphas, and she was powerless to resist him. Darting her eyes about she looked for cover, and a clump of overgrown grass a few feet away caught her eye. Nervously she lifted one front leg and made to move off. Half of her thought he would call to her to stop, but he did not. Instead he watched her intently as she slowly walked to her chosen spot, slinking low to the ground and shooting him darting looks of uncertainty.
Once she reached the grass she sniffed at it nervously. Finding it free of any nasty foreign odors she wormed her way into it and dropped to her belly. Looking up in Varulv’s direction she watched him for a moment, her submissive lupine body waiting for permission to change. This seemed to please him
greatly as his eyes sparkled with amusement, he nodded once. That was all the permission she needed.
Rolling onto her left side she closed her eyes and felt the breeze ruffle through her fur. Its cooling effect felt good against her skin as her body began to heat up, and soon tendrils of steam were rising from her coat. She held her breath as her insides began to shift, it was a strange, bulging, shifting sensation. Within her body her organs slid over one another and expanded and contracted. It was not yet a painful feeling, but she knew that was shortly to come and so she screwed up her face against the upcoming onslaught. Then her fur began to dry and shrivel, falling out in clumps around her where it disintegrated into dust upon the grass. And then the real change began; a symphony of cracking bones and tearing muscle.