“We can’t stay in here all day,” he says over the sound of the shower starting.
“Why not?” I ask.
He reappears, grinning. “As much as I’d like to,” he says, eyes raking over my outstretched body, “there’s more to show you about your wolf side.”
I wink. “Oh, I have more to show you too, Kash Montgomery, so why don’t you get your fine ass back here.”
He hesitates, and for a second I think he’ll give in. But then, he shakes his head and retreats into the bathroom.
“Compromise,” he calls out. “Get your fine ass in here for a quickie, and we’ll call it even.”
“Two quickies,” I shoot back.
“One. And I know where Anna hid another cake.”
That’s all it takes for me to move my ass.
Three orgasms later, I pull on a sweatshirt and leggings, marveling at my negotiation abilities as I follow Kash downstairs and back down the short path to the main house.
Talia and Lynch are already seated in the kitchen with cups of coffee in hand.
“I want one of those,” I say, and Talia hands hers over.
I blink and take it, surprised she’s offering up her own caffeine fix.
“I’m being a good beta,” she explains when I offer a skeptical look.
“Is this to make up for all the noise you made earlier?” I ask. I’m still astonished that I was able to hear her all the way in the cabin. I’m not sure I’m a fan of this particular supernatural perk.
Lynch snorts. “If that’s your consolation gift, we’re going to need a hell of a lot more coffee than this house contains.”
Talia’s face flushes, and she swats Lynch.
“This,” she says primly, “is my first act of sacrifice as your beta.”
“I really hope no other sacrifices are involved in this partnership,” I tell her, but I take the coffee anyway, moving to the fridge to find creamer. There’s no way I’m drinking it black. I snort as I think about the number of times Anna and I called Talia a mobster because of her coffee habits.
I mix the flavored creamer in and turn back to Talia. I smile at the blush on her cheek as Lynch whispers in her ear. I take a sip of my coffee to hide my smirk and decide not to point out that if I can hear them all the way at Kash’s cabin, I can sure as hell hear them from across the room. Ugh.
Kash is already at work reheating a leftover casserole courtesy of Anna.
“Where is everyone?” I ask as it finally dawns on me how quiet the house still is.
“Out for the day,” Kash says simply.
He’s been watching me warily all morning, and now my eyes narrow.
“Where did they go? And why are you looking at me like I’m Keith Richards and might trash the place at any second?” I ask.
When Kash doesn’t answer, I turn to Lynch. My temper flares as I realize they’re both holding something back.
“What’s going on?” I demand.
“You two are new,” Lynch explains. “Pups, really, and that means increased displays of emotion.”
“Like the display in our room?” I ask Kash, smirking.
Before I can answer, Girlfriend darts into the room and attaches herself to Lynch’s ankle. “Shit, she figured out how to escape the baby gate,” Lynch says.
Talia’s face flushes red, and she growls at the tiny Pomeranian.
Girlfriend yelps and runs out again.
“Like that, actually,” Lynch says calmly, and Talia rolls her eyes.
“I didn’t hurt her,” she protests.
“But you wanted to.”
“Only for a moment.” Talia smiles murderously. “Besides, if another female ever attached herself to you, you’re the one I’d come after in the end.”
Lynch looks moderately uncomfortable, and I can’t blame him.
“I get it. You sent everyone away for their protection.” I sigh. What must Anna think of that? Will she be afraid of Talia and me?
“Not everyone,” Lynch says. “Birdie took a few pack members to try to pick up a trail on Regina.”
“What about Danielle, Reagan, and the others?” I ask. “What about Anna?”
“They’re safe,” Kash says, and I don’t miss the fact that he doesn’t bother to tell me where they are.
“I’m not dangerous, Kash. Not to the people I love.” I think of Brody and how it’s his fault I almost died. I’d definitely enjoy ripping him apart right about now.
Something in my expression must tip Kash off because he shoves a plate of casserole at me and says, “Eat. We need to get you outside.”
I’m too hungry to argue with the first statement. The second, however, piques my interest.
“What’s outside?” I ask around a mouthful of food.
Beside me, Talia’s shoveling it in too. We take turns washing our food down with her cup of coffee, even though she grimaces each time like sugar is somehow poisonous to her.
“Finish up, and come find out,” Kash says.
His cryptic words leave me curious, so I eat with a frenzy, barely tasting my food. In no time, all four of us are standing in the backyard. It isn’t until I catch sight of the outdoor thermometer hanging near the shed that I realize I should probably feel a lot colder than I do.
“Wow, it’s below freezing?” I ask, tapping the glass temperature gauge.
“Your wolf regulates your temperature now,” Kash explains. “Even in this form, you’ll run hotter.”
“You’re pretty hot yourself,” I tell him with a wink, and Talia groans.
Lynch snickers.
Kash’s lips twitch. “Your libido runs hotter too,” he says, which isn’t something I needed explained, considering we just had a sex marathon, and I’m already ready to go again.
But apparently, there are other things to do.
“Now what?” I ask.
“Now, we run,” Kash says.
Before I can ask what he means, he begins stripping off his clothes and shifts.
He strolls up and bumps my hand with his nose while behind him, Lynch follows suit, and I try to avert my eyes.
Talia looks at me and shrugs.
“Guess that’s our cue.”
It takes us both a minute or two, but then we’re all standing on four furry legs.
“Nice work,” Kash says in my head, and I preen a little at the praise.
“Damn. You two are quick learners,” Lynch says, blinking at us both in surprise.
“How long does it normally take new werewolves?” I ask.
“To master their shift? Weeks,” Lynch says.
“Days at best,” Kash agrees. “You two are naturals.”
“Eh. Pain isn’t a deterrent for me,” Talia says.
I shoot her a questioning look.
“What? I already told you I had some training where my pain threshold is concerned.”
“I just . . . there’s no pain for me,” I tell her.
“None?” Kash asks.
I shake my head, which ends up shaking my entire upper body. The motion feels good, and suddenly, I’m struck with the urge to run.
Pointing my nose to the air, I inhale and catch such a mixture of scents I’m momentarily overwhelmed by them.
Dirt. Pine. Fabric softener. Wood smoke from a chimney. And animal. Something small. Rabbit maybe? Or squirrel?
I tense, and Kash’s voice speaks in my mind, soft and reassuring.
“Relax, Pepper. This is why you need to spend some time outside. There’s a lot more to take in with your new senses. Just breathe, and pick one to follow.”
I concentrate on the smells and do what he says.
There.
Somewhere directly west.
An animal of some kind. Something I can’t name.
Beside me, Talia is sniffing like crazy, but she doesn’t seem nearly as bothered by the mystery smell as I am.
“That way. What is it?” I ask, growling with the urge to investigate for myself.
“Hmm. I sense
rabbit and deer, but I’m not sure what the other scent is. It’s outside the wards,” Kash says.
“Only one way to find out,” Talia says and takes off toward the trees.
With an excited yelp, I follow.
Running as a wolf is awkward at first. I nearly trip on my back paws as they swing up to meet my front, but in a few strides, I get the hang of it all. Then, I’m flying. Or that’s what it feels like.
Wind whips through my fur, stinging at my eyes, and the muscles in my haunches begin to burn in a pleasant way that only makes me want to push harder.
Trees and brush whip past me as we run far beyond the pack’s borders and into the rough wilderness that surrounds them, but somehow, I see them all and am able to avoid hitting anything with ease.
I’ve never been more aware of my surroundings. Or the power I hold in my strong muscles and sharpened teeth. My belly is pleasantly full, thanks to that casserole, so when I catch another whiff of what Kash has labeled rabbit, I’m surprised to feel a twinge of hunger.
“Focus,” Kash says, and it’s the only reminder I need to recenter myself on the mystery scent I’ve decided to investigate.
Talia runs just behind us next to Lynch. Kash stays a half-step behind me, letting me be in charge of our little hunt.
I hope whatever’s waiting on the other end of this run is edible. I’m already hungry again.
Just as quickly as I have the thought, I shake it away.
I am not eating live game, werewolf or not.
Gross.
Besides, I love Bambi. I can’t be responsible for killing his mama.
The trees grow thicker, making it harder to weave between them. My pace slows as I pick my way along. By now, I’m winded, but the power still left in me is so exhilarating that I can’t stop.
We move farther into the dense growth.
In my head, I hear Lynch and Kash discuss how impressed they are with the way Talia and I have taken to our animals. I tune them out, intent on the hunt.
The scent is stronger here.
We’re getting closer.
My nose twitches, and I hesitate as the scent becomes something familiar.
“What is it, Pepper?” Kash is at my side in an instant.
“I’ve smelled this before,” I say, trying to place it.
“It does smell faintly familiar,” he says warily. “Go slow. Use all your senses. You’re a predator now. Use it.”
Moving slowly, I creep forward through the brush. Whatever that scent belongs to is just around this hillside, I can feel it. And if I strain my ears enough, I can hear it, too. Something’s breathing.
I hear Kash in my mind again, coaching my movements, and I’m pretty pumped that finally, I’ve found a form that will let me be as stealthy as I tried to be as a human.
But when I round the hillside and spot the source of the scent I’ve hunted down, all I can do is stare in shocked horror.
“Is that who I think it is?” Talia’s voice in my head echoes the shock that I feel.
“Derek,” I snarl just as he looks over and spots us.
His wolf isn’t one I’d necessarily recognize– especially way out here where I’d expected to find anything but another werewolf, but the moment he turns toward me, I know it’s him.
The eye I injured has mostly healed from the looks of it. Somehow, thanks to my werewolf senses, I suppose, I know the wound isn’t fresh anymore. Weird. A permanent scar has grown over the eyelid, making it impossible for him to fully open it. And the eye itself is clouded with a milky yellowish color that I suspect probably won’t go away either.
He sniffs the air, and his good eye narrows as it lands first on Kash and then on me.
“What is he doing way out here?” Lynch asks. He turns his nose into the wind, no doubt trying to scent out whether Derek’s got friends nearby.
But all I can sense is him.
“Brody may have cut ties,” Kash says with uncertainty. “Just in case, take Talia, and do a perimeter check. Make sure we’re not walking into a trap.”
Lynch curses and then nods at Talia. “Come on, Trouble. Stay close, and if you see a werebro—”
“Fuck ’em up. Got it.”
Talia and Lynch race off, leaving Kash and me to face the werebro who nearly ripped my throat out before Brody ever tried.
His good eye gleams with a murderous determination, and he stalks closer, his gaze locked on me.
“Do you think he knows who I am?” I ask.
Derek’s growl is the only answer I need.
“Pepper, stay out of the way, understand? I’m going to take care of it.”
I don’t have time to ask what “it” is before Derek makes his move.
He comes straight for me, but Kash blocks him, slamming into Derek with a force that shakes the ground beneath my paws.
Branches snap as Kash tosses Derek, using his teeth and claws to drive the one-eyed asshole farther into the trees and away from me.
I shift my weight, restless and antsy to help.
I’m finally strong enough to do more than just stand here. But one look at the crazy gleam in Kash’s eye, and I know I’ll only get in his way if I try to help. He wants Derek for himself. I can’t blame him.
In my mind, I hear Talia and Lynch calling out that they’ve checked the area and Derek is alone.
Too bad.
I wouldn’t mind the chance to show Brody what I’ve become–and return the favor he did me by ripping his throat out.
Instead, I watch as Kash does damage to Derek’s mangy fur. Claw marks leave a trail of blood along his middle. I can’t look away as Kash stalks closer, sensing this is it. He’ll go for the kill now.
I can’t say I’m sorry.
But at the last second, Derek leaps up, knocking Kash aside and launching himself at me.
I’m knocked to the ground and grunt as the air whooshes from my lungs. Derek’s teeth gnash way too close to my head, and my hands grip his fur around the scruff, holding him back with all my might.
Hands!
“What the fuck!”
My words ring out in the silence of the wilderness, and I’m horrified to realize I’ve accidentally shifted back to my human form.
“Shit!”
I yank Derek away before he can take a chunk out of my shoulder. Instead of throwing him off me, my wolf’s rage boils up and over, and I yank his wolf face down to my own until we’re nose to nose.
Ignoring his heavy ass middle bearing down on my naked torso, I look into his eyes. He angles his head at a weird angle, and my lips curve as I realize he’s only able to see me out of one eye.
“Get the fuck off me, you mongrel,” I spit.
Something passes between us, and I swear it’s the same magical feeling I get when Birdie does a spell. The air charges, and a breeze ruffles my hair.
Derek blinks then scrambles off me, backing away until he’s a healthy distance from where I’m lying naked on a bed of twigs and leaves.
Kash rushes up, still on four legs, and puts himself between me and Derek. When he moves in closer to Derek, the one-eyed wolf growls low. Derek looks over at me, a wolfish frown twisting his mouth, but he doesn’t get up.
Kash glances back at me too, his brows knitted in confusion, and a moment later, he’s on two legs again.
“How did you do that?” Kash asks in a hushed voice.
“I don’t know. I just told him to get up, and he did.”
I’m very aware of how naked I am, but neither of them seems to notice. Derek’s too busy writhing against some invisible chain. It takes me a moment to realize he’s trying to come for me but can’t.
A second later, he shifts back to his human form and glares at me. “What the hell kind of magic is this?” he asks in a rough voice.
His cheeks are sunken, and he’s lost weight. Dark circles ring his eyes, making me wonder just how long he’s been out here.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, and he growls then
tries to come forward. Something stops him, and he balls his hands into fists, changing course and heading for Kash instead.
Even in human form, he’s fast and manages to land a punch that grazes Kash’s jaw. Kash catches his balance and swings out, hitting Derek in the temple hard enough to send him reeling.
Their exchanged blows echo in the quiet, and I bite my lip, trying to decide if I should shift back or try my little magic trick again instead. This has to end. I can’t let Kash be hurt.
Derek dodges Kash’s next blow, and Kash leans in too far. Derek shoves him, sending Kash to the ground, and Derek crouches over him, cocking back with his fist.
“Stop,” I yell with all the force I gave it before, but nothing happens.
Shit, how did I do it the first time?
The missing piece clicks into place, and I race forward and grab Derek’s shoulder. The moment I’m touching him, I issue the command again.
“Stop now,” I say, and Derek freezes.
He grits his teeth, clearly trying to fight against whatever spell I’ve placed him under. Kash roars and slams his hand against Derek’s chest.
Derek gasps at the impact and wobbles before toppling sideways to the ground. I back up and watch as blood begins to leak from Derek’s chest. Kash climbs to his feet, standing beside me as we both watch Derek bleed into the dirt.
When Derek twists to look up at us, I finally see the wooden branch Kash has used to impale him. It sticks out of his chest, blood pooling around it. More blood trickles from Derek’s mouth as he watches us with both eyes wide.
“Where’s the rest of your pack?” Kash demands as Talia and Lynch step back into the clearing. The moment they see us, Lynch shifts back to his human form with Talia right behind him.
“There’s no one else out here,” Lynch says before Derek can utter an answer. “He’s alone.”
“Banished,” Kash says, looking at Derek again.
“Brody doesn’t tolerate failure,” Derek says, wheezing as blood trickles out of his mouth.
With my wolf senses, I smell the death clinging to him now.
“How did you do it?” Derek asks, pinning me with a look that makes it clear his hatred for me hasn’t diminished even as he lays dying at my feet.
“What’d you do?” Talia asks, coming to stand beside me, not a bit shy about the fact that we’re just four naked friends standing over a fifth naked dude as he bleeds out.
The Girl Who Cried War Page 9