Highlander's Pride: Winter Solstice (Against All Odds Series 1)

by Veronica Wilson

  “Where is everyone?”

  “They have gone to the winter camp. It is safer there.”

  “Why didn’t you go?”

  “I cannot make the trip, my son. Your mother will be going with you.”

  “What about you?” Sierra felt her heart break for the man beside her as she realized what his father was saying to him.

  “I have said my goodbyes to everyone. I was waiting for you, my son.”

  “You can’t mean?” Brysen shook his head as he plopped down into a chair and rested his head in his hands.

  “Yes. My time is near. Listen, son. You are now the alpha. I know you have been taking over slowly, but now you will be required to do all the things required of you.” He turned to Sierra and smiled. “You will help him, my dear. I have seen it in my dreams.”

  “But. I am just here long enough until it is safe to return to my uncles.”

  The older man smiled. “I fear you two have a big fight on your hands. Not just to other packs but between yourselves as well. Just remember that some things are worth the fight. You cannot give up on yourselves or each other.”

  Sierra looked to see Brysen looking at her and their eyes met briefly before she looked away.

  “Mr. Coronis thank you.”

  “For what my dear?”

  “For being there and showing me the mountains and for what you did for my sister. But why are you not mad that I’m here?”

  “You are very welcome my dear. Also, I am not mad because this is where you belong.”

  “But I am a human. You sent my sister…”

  “Because she did not know our ways. She could not handle our ways. She wanted Elijah to live as a human and that would have killed him. He would have felt like a trapped man in a cell and the cell would have bene his own body. You are different Sierra and you know this.”

  She nodded. Walking to the bed she leaned over and hugged the older man before kissing him on the forehead. “Goodbye. I will miss you as I have for the last 8 years.”

  “I know my child, but I will see you again. Can you please give me a couple minutes with my son?” Nodding she stood straight and turned to walk away. Brysen glanced up as she was about to walk away and she saw the hurt in his eyes. She placed a hand over his own for a brief moment and they looked at each other for a few more moments before she walked out the room.

  Brysen’s mother Sila came home shortly after and she helped her to prepare the food. That night Brysen took her to his cabin. It was larger than most of the others and she couldn’t help but admire the home. There were dark furnishings and nothing was on the walls except a huge tapestry. The tapestry she saw was a huge family tree.

  “Wow, this is amazing.” Her fingers lightly grazed the fabric and she turned to see Brysen staring at her.

  “Yes. It was from my father. When I started taking over as alpha.”

  She smiled before turning back around to look at it again. She gasped when she felt his arms wrap around her waist. She was pulled back against him and she couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped. Nothing was said as his hands caressed her and his lips dropped to her neck. She should push him away. She should tell him no, but she was tired of fighting it. She had dreamt of this day since she was a teenager. She wanted him and he wanted her. She knew he was hurting as well. Turning in his arms she faced him. Her eyes dropped to his lips before returning to his gaze. “Tonight only.”

  His lips crashed down on hers as he began to devour her lips. Her hands were frantic as she kissed him back at full force. His hands gripped her ass tightly as he brought her even closer up against him. She felt his hard length against her as he pulled her tight. His hands swept over her body in a fast pace and they both began clawing their clothes from each other. He kissed along her collarbone and down to where her bra wrapped the top of her breasts. Looking up he grinned at her as he unclasped the bra and it fell away from her. He stood back up and looked over her body. She was exquisite. He moaned before lowering his mouth to her nipple.

  Sierra had never felt the sensations that ran through her body at that moment. Sure she had been kissed but never with so much passion. She clawed at his shirt, not caring that buttons flew everywhere in her haste and kissed him even more. His hands were on her jeans and she felt them fall to her feet a minute later. She pulled at his jeans button and they were both standing in their underwear. His hands slid under her panties to grip her ass possessively. He lowered himself to his knees on the rug and brought her down with him. When she was laying flat on her back and looking up at him he looked down at her. His eyes traveled her body and then met her eyes again. He stared into her eyes as he slowly pulled her panties from her body and then removed his boxers.

  She smiled as he slid in between her thighs. He kissed her again as he slipped a finger inside her. She knew she was wet. She could barely breathe she was so turned on and she wanted more. She showed him this as her hips rose to meet the slow thrusts of his finger in her body. Slipping his fingers out of her he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly eased inside a little at a time. She felt him stretch her skin and her walls contract around his large size. Her eyes were wide as he continued to push through until he was fully inside her. He watched as her eyes slide closed in ecstasy.

  “Look at me Sierra.”

  She looked up as he began to move inside her. He slowly moved inside her before he began to move faster and faster. She gasped with the sensations that flowed through her body. Her back arched and he continued to move inside her. He moved faster and faster until he was slamming into her. Their panting mingled together as he sat up on his knees. His hands gripped her hips as he brought her upward to meet each of his hard thrusts. She groaned over and over as she felt him take her body. The sensations she was feeling went into overdrive as she hit her peak. She yelled with her orgasm as her eyes looked up at him frantically. He followed her shortly after with his own yell.

  They laid together on the rug a few minutes later and she felt his hand glide across her hair. She sighed as she sat up slowly.

  “I should take a shower. I am sure you would like to visit with your mother and spend some more time with your father.”

  “Shouldn’t we talk about this?”

  She shook her head as she stood and gathered her clothe sin front of her. “There’s nothing to talk about. Go Brysen. You don’t know how much more time he has. You need to be with him.”

  She walked down the hallway and coming to the bathroom she walked through the door. She heard the front door shut. She felt the door against her back as she slid down in a pile on the floor. Her hands wrapped around her knees as she rocked back and forth. Her tears spilled from her eyes. What did she just do? She knew they could never be together and her feelings just grew stronger. She had no idea what she was going to do now. She quickly took a shower and made her way to the spare room. She had taken a T-shirt of Brysen’s from his room and slid into it to sleep in. She could smell him on the shirt. A mixture of pine and downy with a hint of spice. She sighed as she closed her eyes.

  “Sierra. Wake up. Come on. We have to go. Fast.” Her eyes were still half closed as she looked up at Brysen.

  “What are you talking about? What are you doing?”

  “Come on. You and my mother are going on to the winter camp.”

  She was beginning to wake when she realized his words. “What? What about you?”

  “I will meet you there. My father is gone. I must bury him in the high grounds. I will then meet you at the winter camp. We must hurry.” He was already pulling her from the bed. She sat there and shook her head as she rubbed her eyes slowly.

  “Why do we have to hurry?”

  “Toby and his men are close. I saw signs down by the river. You have to leave now. You need to go. I can lead them elsewhere.”

  “NO. No, I won’t leave you.”

  “You must. Now come on.” She quickly pulled on her clothes and walked with him to his parent’s home. His mother w
as on the porch.

  “Sierra. It is good to see you again. I wish we had more time, but we really must go now.”

  She turned to Brysen and her eyes widened a the look he gave her. “I won’t leave you.”

  “Yes, you will. It is ok. I can handle this. Go on now. Go.”

  She turned to walk away with his mother towards the woods and then when they were a few feet away she turned back to see him standing there looking at her. Without another thought, she ran back to him and pulled his head down to hers to kiss him. She felt his arms wrap around her middle tightly as he brought her close to his body. His mouth devoured hers like he was trying to take something from her. The kiss broke off suddenly and she looked up at him with wide eyes. “You come back you here me. If you die out there I’ll find you in the afterlife and kill you again.”

  “You know that doesn’t make sense right? I’ll already be dead.” He chuckled as he laughed at her.

  “That’s not the point damn it.” She smacked him on the arm and then glared at him.

  “I will see you at the winter village.”

  “OK.” She briefly brushed his lips with her own and then she began to quickly follow his mother from the camp.

  The trip to the winter camp took 3 days. Her and Meredith, Brysen’s mother, took turns sleeping and keeping watch. When they reached the camp they had both slumped into bed and slept for a long time. The days went by slowly then. She stood on the porch and looked out looking for the man she was determined to see again. But he never came. Two weeks passed and still nothing. On the third week, she brought her fears to his mother. She quickly calmed her and told her that Brysen was smart and that she knew he was alright.

  She was sitting with Meredith in the living room when it happened. She grabbed her stomach and quickly made her way to the bathroom. Everything she ate came up this time. She knew what the problem was. She knew why she was sick every morning. She sighed as she sat back on her heels for a moment. As it subsided she rinsed and then wiped her mouth before coming back to the living room. She smiled at the older woman. “Something’s not sitting right.”

  “Must be that child you are carrying. How far along are you?”

  “What?”

  “Come my dear. I have given birth to enough children to know the signs of morning sickness when I see it. How far along are you?”

  She looked up at the woman expecting her to be mad but instead of a frown there was a smile on her face.

  “Just a couple weeks.”

  “Let me make you some tea. It will help with nausea.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Have you told my son yet?”

  She looked at her stricken but knew that there was no way of hiding it. She could tell from the woman’s eyes that she knew. She knew everything it seemed. “No.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t say anything else and the subject of her child was dropped to her relief. They stood there speaking of past times when they heard the shout. Jumping to their feet, they both ran outside to see what the commotion was. There was a wolf limping into the village. Sierra followed Meredith down the stairs to see the commotion. She knew that it was one of their people. When she got closer the wolf collapsed on the ground. Looking down she gasped at the site of blood everywhere and the flesh that had apparently been torn with teeth. Her eyes met the wolves and she knew instantly.

  “Oh my god. Brysen. Brysen!” She didn’t think twice as she ran to him and slid onto her knees beside him. “Someone help me.” She was vaguely aware of Meredith barking orders before someone was lifting the body up and carrying him inside the cabin. There was blood everywhere and she looked down at the wolf beneath her.

  “I must change.” He said it to her and there was something in his eyes like he thought she would leave. She stood there and waited. She had never seen one of them shift before. She had seen some of his people in their wolf form, but they had never shifted around her. Her eyes grew round as saucers as his body began to change. The hair that was all over his body started growing inward. Almost like it was being sucked inside his body. His legs began to grow and develop. His paws began to elongate into fingers, stretching from the rounded shape they had been before. Her eyes grew in size as she continued to stare at him. She wasn’t frightened just amazed as she watched him. Within minutes, there was a man laying on the bed in front of her instead of a wolf. It had not taken long at all for him to change although in her mind it had seemed like forever. “Please.” It was the last word before his head dropped and his eyes closed. She quickly ran to him. She noticed that she was farther from the bed now. She must have stepped back unintentionally as he had begun to shift. Placing her fingers against the side of his neck, she searched for a pulse and sighed in relief when she found one. He had passed out. Meredith made her way inside and between the two of them they got his clothes removed and starting cleaning the wounds.

  Sierra stared down at the man under her. It had been two days since he returned. He had done good in the beginning, but his wounds developed an infection. She knew that werewolves healed much faster than humans, but the infection had stopped his healing from progressing like it should. Her hand swept his hair back from his head. He was still warm with fever. Picking up the cloth beside her from the bowl, she ran the cool rag over his head and face. It would help to cool him down. He laid there and she watched his face twist with the pain he felt. He may have been asleep with the fever, but he could still feel it. She turned away slowly until he began to talk. He murmured through the night and day, but this was words he was forming loud and clear.

  “Sierra. She must go. She must go. Yes, father, I know she isn’t like us. Yes. I understand.” His lips stopped moving briefly and she looked down at the moisture on his chest. She realized suddenly that it was coming from her. The tears flowed as she sat back in the chair and looked at him. She knew what she had to do. The camp wasn’t the place for her. She knew that now. Apparently he knew that as well. She needed to leave. Her heart ached to think of raising her baby alone, but at least she would have a part of him with her. He would always be with her now. Sighing she stood and after washing her face she walked outside. Meredith looked up from the couch where she was knitting a yellow blanket.

  “He is talking now.” Sierra smiled at the older woman.

  “That is great. It is a good sign.”

  “Yes. So he will make it then right?”

  “Yes. We just need to get the fever to break and then we will know he will be alright.”

  She nodded before making her way over to the chair to sit. She sighed as she sat back and closed her eyes. She would go back to Virginia where her parents were. That was where she belonged. She knew however that it was something that she couldn’t tell anyone. As soon as his fever broke she would leave.

  Brysen’s fever broke the next day and she smiled when he finally opened his eyes. He didn’t speak however just smiled at her and then went back to sleep.

  Sierra left that night. She couldn’t say goodbye. It would be too hard and she would make a fool out of herself when she began crying all over him like a blubbering fool. She stood at the door and looked over at him. She knew now that she loved him. Had always loved him no matter how much she tried to tell herself she didn’t. She looked at Meredith sitting beside her son. Her lower body had a blanket over it as she leaned onto the bed. Her head was on the bed propped by her folded arms. She looked peaceful. Sierra’s heart went out to the woman. She had just lost her husband. Meredith was one of the strongest women she had ever met and over the last week they had nursed Brysen back to health and she had come to know her more.

  Turning she made her way into the kitchen. She took the keys to the huge truck they had outside. Placing the note on the table she looked around once more and walked out to the truck. There were only a few trucks that could make it from the camp down the mountain and the village had five of them. One was Brysen’s. She put the truck into gear and began her trek down the mountain and back to Virgi
nia.

  Two Months Later

  The days seemed to grow longer now as Sierra began to show. She seemed more tired now and her feet were swollen. Her parent’s were aware of the situation, but she never told them who the father was. She didn’t need to answer any questions or get the third degree. She sat in the chair and watched her sister. She was happy now and her smile lit up the room. The wedding had been beautiful and Sierra was glad she hadn’t missed it. She watched her sister twirl around in the dress and felt herself grow envious. When the music stopped another one quickly started and she smiled at her father as she made her way to the food table. She always felt hungry. Like she couldn’t get enough.

  “Will you dance with me?”

  “Thank you but I don’t’ think I’m good on my feet right now.”

  “I think you are. I mean you walked for days with those feet and then drove down a mountain.” Her eyes widened when she recognized the voice and the words said. Slowly she turned around and looked up at him.

  “What are you doing here?” She gasped.

  “Well, first I was invited.” She looked over to see her sister smiling at her and her parent’s standing beside her. His voice brought her attention back to him. “Second I don’t’ know if I want to spank your ass or kiss you. I might end up doing both.”

  “You have no right to come here and talk like that to me. And my family will hear about this. They are a bunch of traitors.”

  “They care about you and they know the same thing that we both know.”

  She put her hands on her hips as she looked up at him. “And just what is that?”

  “That you belong with me. That this baby you are carrying…” His eyebrow shot up at her look of shock. “Oh yeah, I know about it. It belongs with its kind.”

  “You are not taking him from me.”

  “That is not what I meant. I mean he belongs with our people and us.”

  She looked up at him confused. “What do you mean our people? I am not a werewolf.”

  “Just because you cannot shift does not mean that you are not one of us.”