Revocation (The Canyon Wolves)

by Laura Fields

  The pack magic gathered around Axel and swept towards Harper. It began weaving and braiding, forever linking them together. Her excitement rushed through the bond and was soon followed by elation.

  Her big eyes blinked at him with eagerness and confusion. Axel tentatively examined her essence through the link. He soon discovered that Harper’s wolf was fiery with passion while her human mind was cool and calm. She was utterly perfect, completely at odds with her wolf and yet completely balanced.

  Harper was jerked into awareness as the scene ended.

  “Wha-” she started to protest.

  “You’ll have to earn the ending.” Axel winked at her.

  “You’ll have to earn the ending…” Harper mocked, opening her car door. “And how am I supposed to do that?”

  “Oh, I can think of a few things,” Axel joked inappropriately, making Harper blush.

  She leapt out of the car to escape his presence and then spotted their destination.

  “Holy cow. Holy cow. We have the wrong house. I don’t live here.” Harper turned to reopen the car door when Axel intercepted her.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and began gently dragging her to the house.

  The estate was a neoclassical home complete with a brown exterior, white columns, and grey roof. She hadn’t noticed the large circular drive and white fountain because she had been too enthralled in her past moments.

  How in the world did she live here? Was this Axel’s house?

  He picked up on her shock through the bond and explained, “It’s the pack’s house. I live here permanently as the pack’s leader, and you live here as my mate.”

  “It’s incredible,” she whispered, stepping out of his reach.

  They had arrived at the entrance. Its columns were made to intimidate the weak-hearted, so Harper steeled herself. Axel opened the door.

  It was grand, with beautiful hardwood flooring and an elegant staircase. The chandelier hung high and mighty above their heads. The best part about the home was the comfortable feel to it. Perhaps it was simply her memories of living here stirring, but for some reason she could feel the years of love and happiness put into the house.

  Harper stepped inside and ran her hand over the smooth table.

  “Would you like the grand tour?” he asked from directly behind her, making her jump.

  “Oh! Umm, yeah. I would, please.” She was nervous, and Axel could tell.

  He laughed deeply, held out one arm, and said, “Allow me.”

  She took his hand and Wolf leapt to life, sending shocks of excitement and glee through her body. Her wolf fought for control while she was distracted, and Harper won the mental battle by a hair’s breadth.

  After a deep breath, she said, “Lead the way.”

  Chapter 3

  The house was extensive. It contained at least seven bedrooms and bathrooms. How Harper had comfortably lived here, she didn’t know. Axel had just shown her the outdoor pool when they came to a stop in front of a pair of wooden doors.

  “And this is the master bedroom,” he announced, opening the entrance for her.

  She stared as she tried to figure out how anyone lived like this. The walls were a gentle cream that complimented the brown wooden furniture and bedspread. The ceiling was tall, making the room open and airy.

  Harper swallowed nervously. “I, uh, I’ll just sleep on the couch tonight.”

  Axel was enjoying her discomfort, even raising an eyebrow to make her squirm further. How had she gotten in this situation? Wasn’t her original plan to go home with her parents? Well, she was no longer 17, even though that’s what it felt like. She needed to grow up and act her age.

  Harper cleared her throat. “It would make me feel more comfortable. Or I could stay in one of the bedrooms, I guess. It doesn’t matter to me, they’re all nice.” Shut it, Harper, she told herself.

  “You take this room, I’ll find somewhere else.”

  “No, really. I don’t want to kick you out of your own room. It doesn’t matter to me, because…” Harper shrugged, not wanting to remind him this felt like a new and strange place to her.

  “We’ll see,” he said, basically telling her that he would get his way eventually. “Are you hungry? We have some leftovers in the fridge.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” She let out a breath of relief at the subject change and followed Axel into the kitchen.

  He rummaged through the fridge, extracting what looked like Chinese food. Harper’s stomach rumbled eagerly as he popped it into the mircowave. Before long, a steaming plate was being waved under her nose teasingly, and she laughed, snatching it from him.

  The kitchen’s stillness was more noticeable in this huge home, so Harper fished for a topic. She wasn’t comfortable enough with Axel to eat in silence yet, and he could probably feel her nervousness through that stupid bond.

  “What flooring is that outside by the pool?” Harper did a mental face-palm. Could she have come up with a lamer topic? Leave it to her to start a conversation about flooring.

  “Acid-stained concrete.” If the topic bothered him, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed to find it amusing.

  “Of course it is,” she muttered. “It’s pretty.”

  The doorbell rang, making Harper drop her fork. It clattered loudly on her plate as a noisy punishment for her jumpiness.

  “Stay here,” Axel commanded, striding to the door.

  Of course, Harper immediately followed him. She was curious to see who the visitor was. She hid behind Axel as he opened the door and revealed a tall brunette with big brown eyes and a gorgeous body.

  “Harper!” she squealed, running for a hug.

  They embraced, and Harper was flooded with relief at seeing a familiar face.

  “Hey,” she trailed off lamely, not knowing how to respond. Gabby had been one of her best friends in high school. She was the only one who had truly accepted Harper when she had moved here, and they had been inseparable ever since.

  Just then, Harper felt so guilty about forgetting the past two years of her life. With Axel, it wasn’t as bad because she hadn’t met him before losing her memories, but with Gabby, she had no idea where they were in their friendship. Had they faded to acquaintances, or had they stayed best friends through everything? Harper didn’t even know if Gabby knew she was a werewolf.

  “I’m Gabby. We were best friends before the accident,” she explained slowly, looking at Harper expectantly.

  Harper just stared at her friend, not sure how to handle the situation. Before panic could set in, she said, “Hi Gabby, I remember. I’m so sorry, I just,” Harper fought for an apology, “My, um, my memory isn’t…” She shrugged and fought back the tears of frustration.

  Gabby hugged her again, and Harper hugged her back. A few tears slipped out, and she sniffled. Soon both the women were crying as Axel stood by silently.

  “Oh, Harper! I’m so sorry. I can go if you want-”

  “No! Stay, please.” Harper would much rather be with Gabby than alone with Axel. He might have been her mate for the past year and a half, but her human self still didn’t entirely trust him.

  “Want to go to the living room?” Harper asked, pulling away from her friend.

  Axel left the foyer, saying, “I’ll leave you two to talk.”

  Gabby and Harper sat on the couch together, and before long Gabby was filling in the memory gap for Harper.

  “Your mom told me you forgot everything past our senior year of high school,” Gabby started, and Harper nodded in confirmation.

  She couldn’t believe how much her friend had changed. The last she could remember, Gabby’s had dyed blonde hair and was several inches shorter. She had grown into such a beautiful woman. As a matter of fact, Harper hadn’t looked in the mirror since she woke up in the hospital. What did her own body look like after two years?

  “Well, let me start from the beginning. Graduation was a complete nightmare. Do you remember Benny? He tripped on
the microphone cord and fell! The party after was okay, but Daniel had gotten drunk and puked everywhere.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “You remember your old boyfriend, right? Yeah, he got into drugs and moved off to Illinois; haven’t heard from him since!” Well, Harper thought, some things never change. Her friend might look older, but she still talked the same way.

  Two hours later, they were still sitting on the couch. Harper had a sudden thought. “Wait, so what happened to your boyfriend, Gregory?”

  Gabby held up her hand, showing off a large diamond ring. Harper squealed, leaping off the couch. “Oh. My. Gosh. You’re married!”

  They hugged again, laughing. “We got married four months ago, and the wedding was crazy. Okay, so there was this slut there who was all over Axel, and you got so pissed. After she didn’t take the hint, you dumped champagne all over the front of her dress and it was the most hilarious thing ever.”

  Harper smiled, but she couldn’t imagine herself doing that. Throughout Gabby’s recap of her wedding, Harper began to notice small changes from the girl she remembered.

  The woman sitting next to her was more self-assured and a bit more arrogant. She talked haughtily, taking special amusement from the stories where someone else had been humiliated. Since the funniest of these memories had happened in the second half of her senior year, Gabby was flipping back and forth between the past two years, confusing Harper terribly.

  “And then he told me he was a werewolf! Can you believe it? No? Well, you couldn’t believe it when I told you, but then you turned 18 and apparently became one too. I was completely shocked. You were angry at your parents, of course. Anyways, I had better get going. I’ll be back soon to fill you in some more!”

  They hugged goodbye, and Harper’s head reeled after she closed the door. Gabby had talked nonstop, and it was disorienting to compare the two versions of her best friend. The Gabby she could remember had been sweet and accepting of everyone. This new Gabby was such a different person, with no sympathy. In fact, it seemed like she was glad that Harper had lost her memories, because then it meant she had someone who would listen to her rehash the past few years.

  She shook her head, deciding to worry about it tomorrow. The grandfather clock chimed 11:00, and Harper began wandering down the hallways in search of a closet with clothing. She wasn’t picky, but she needed something to wear after her shower-to-be. All she wanted to do was wash off those hospital germs.

  It took her three tries, but she finally found a pair of grey sweats and a matching sweatshirt. Turns out she would have to go without a bra and underwear.

  Now time to find a bathroom, she thought. Any help, Wolf? You remember your home, don’t you? she asked herself while feeling silly.

  Wolf stirred, taking control. Harper let her, knowing her wolfy-self could maneuver the house better. She brought them to the master suite and didn’t pause before opening the door. Harper prayed that Axel either wasn’t inside or, if he was, fully clothed. Luckily, he was nowhere in sight. She made it to the bathroom without any problems.

  Thank you, Harper thought to her wolf, wanting to regain control.

  Wolf ignored Harper, refusing to relinquish command of Harper’s conscience. Giving a mental shrug, Harper let Wolf have her way, content to sit on the backburner as Wolf took a shower. Stripping shamelessly, her wolf turned on the shower to hot and stepped inside the steam.

  Harper? Axel asked inside her head.

  Yes? Harper tried to send back, but couldn’t. Wolf had control of her thoughts as well, and that knowledge was scary.

  Wolf sent Axel an unmistakable feeling, sex.

  Harper thought at her wolf, Are you freaking kidding me? If you hijacked my body for sex, then that is so wrong.

  Harper could feel Wolf’s amusement. Axel chuckled deeply, his voice reverberating in their head.

  Little wolf, that wasn’t kind, he told her.

  Harper began fighting to regain control, but Wolf was adamant.

  Now, Wolf thought at Axel.

  All in good time, Axel thought back at her.

  It was like being a third wheel in her own body, which was extremely irritating.

  Listen here, Wolfie, it is my body, and I am saying NO to sex. Got it? Harper thought, giving her wolf a mental shove. Wolf snapped back at her, but gave up control. Harper was yanked back into her own head with a sudden lurch and was left clutching the shower walls for support as she regained her bearings.

  Sorry, Harper apologized to Axel.

  Oh, my dear Harper, do not be sorry, he replied immediately.

  It took her a few minutes to calm her racing heart, but she managed. After turning off the shower and getting dressed, Harper tried to decide which toothbrush was hers. With a shrug, she grabbed the nearest one and began brushing her teeth. The mirror was foggy, but Harper was too nervous to wipe it clear to reveal her reflection.

  She emerged tentatively from the bathroom and was unsure of what to do next. Axel was watching TV while lounging on the bed. Where the heck was his shirt? It must have been a werewolf thing.

  He looked up at her approach and gave a small smile. “Ah, back to your lovely self, I see.”

  Harper couldn’t tell whether or not his words were meant sarcastically, so she stayed silent. She nervously shifted from foot to foot before saying, “Goodnight.”

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Axel asked, sliding his eyes over her outfit.

  “I’m, um, going to, uh.” Harper fought for words, distracted by his six-pack. Why did her mate have to be so sexy? “Going to go to the other, uhm, bedroom! Down the hall.”

  “Harper.” He lowered his head and stared at her with a don’t-be-so-silly look.

  “Axel,” Harper replied, furrowing her brows and lowering her voice to mimic him.

  He laughed suddenly, making her grin. “Come here. No sex, I promise.”

  She hesitated in the doorway, afraid to go to him but afraid to disobey.

  “Don’t make me call your wolf,” he threatened, only half joking.

  Nothing else would have made her come to him faster than that threat. She hopped on the bed and crawled under the covers. Her back was to Axel, and not being able to see what he was doing left chills on her arms.

  She could stand the silence no longer. “So we’ve, you know.” She wanted to ask if they’ve had sex, but she already knew the answer.

  Axel chuckled. From the sound she could tell he was lying on the bed facing her. “Yes, Harper. I would apologize, but I’m afraid the apology would be a lie.”

  “But I swore I was going to stay a virgin until marriage,” she protested weakly.

  "That was before I charmed you into bed."

  Harper tried to smother her laugh. “I am such a terrible person! Well, I am going to believe myself to be a virgin because the new me wouldn’t do that.”

  Harper wanted to ask what their first night together was like, but she was too afraid of the answer. Was he good in bed?

  “Goodnight, love,” he said while she was trying to figure out the answer.

  “Goodnight, Axel.”

  Chapter 4

  Harper had slept like the dead. After waking up from an amazingly restful night of rest, she stretched luxuriously. Axel had already been up, and he had left a note on his pillow. It read: ‘Cooking up a meal fit for a queen’.

  She grinned while climbing out of bed. Harper couldn’t resist fixing her hair and adding some mascara before padding softly down the hallway. She followed her nose into the kitchen and peeked her head around the wall.

  Axel heard her and turned, smiling. “Morning, beauty.”

  She blushed at his greeting. “Good morning.”

  “Hungry?”

  “I’m completely starving. I don’t remember feeling this hungry when I was a teen,” Harper admitted, taking a seat on one of the bar stools.

  “Part of being a werewolf,” he shrugged, popping a piece of bacon into his perfectly formed mouth.

  “You
don’t sound too inconvenienced.”

  “I enjoy a good meal.” He winked at her before taking two plates out of the cabinet and filling them with food. Pancakes, bacon, fruit, and eggs were piled high, making Harper’s mouth water.

  He gave her a steaming plate before taking a seat. Harper daintily picked at her food because she was nervous about eating in front of him. She knew it was silly; they had obviously known each other for a while, but it was like a first date. Her stomach was aflutter and she felt tense for no reason.

  “Harper,” Axel accused.

  She laughed, forgetting that he knew how she was feeling.

  “I’m sorry, but you make me nervous sometimes. This whole scenario is so clichéd, you know. I get amnesia, wake up, have a handsome boyfriend, and live in a beautiful house. The only problem is that losing your memories isn’t half as amazing as it’s portrayed in books and movies. Well, the books and movies that I can remember. It’s actually extremely frustrating.” Harper bit her lip, aware that she was rambling.

  “I know. You’ll get your memories back.” He sounded so sure.

  It was time for Harper to know how she had lost her memories, so she asked, “What exactly happened that night? How did I hurt my head?”

  Axel sighed and glanced out the kitchen window, choosing his words carefully. “You were out shopping with Gabby when you told her you were going off by yourself to buy some earrings. I was taking care of a pack argument,” he said, looking at her unfathomably before continuing, “when you were dragged into a vehicle.”

  Harper was shocked. Why had anyone wanted to abduct her?

  “How did I end up in the hospital?” she whispered.

  “You were taken to a warehouse and had escaped. Conner and I found you by the side of the road, unconscious.”

  “Why? Why would anyone want to take me?"

  “We don’t know, Harper, and it’s driving me crazy.”

  They both fell silent, and then Harper whispered, “Was I raped?”

  “No.” Axel’s tone told her it was the end of the discussion.

  They finished their breakfast in silence, and as Axel was placing the plates in the dishwasher Harper asked, “Do I have a job?”