by Laura Fields
“Harper,” she replied, smiling and shaking his hand.
Nice to meet you, Harper, he whispered through the bond.
Her eyes widened with surprise before she hugged him tightly.
It was like a match made in heaven.
As soon as Axel had the thought, he remembered their fight three weeks ago, and the memory slipped just enough for Harper to see.
“Well you’re wrong!” Harper screamed. Her expression was hateful. “You don’t understand, Axel, and you never will!”
“Harper, don’t say that. I understand you better than anyone else. Just tell me what’s going on! We both know you’re hiding something, and I don’t care what it is.”
Axel shut off the memory, but Harper dove deeper into his head.
Axel leaned against the wall in the foyer. The grandfather clock chimed midnight, and a few minutes later the front door opened. Harper stumbled inside, yelling a goodnight at Gabby. It was too dark for even her improved vision, and she didn’t notice Axel standing there. Harper took a few drunken steps, but on the third one she stumbled and fell. Axel had to force down the desire to catch her.
Instead he said, “Where the hell have you been?”
She looked up from her position on the floor. “None of your business.”
“Harper, I’m your mate, not some strict parent.”
“My head hurts,” she complained.
Axel sighed as he helped her stand. “I know it does. Let’s get you to bed.”
Axel forcefully shoved Harper out of his memories and sealed their bond. She didn’t know what he was feeling, but part of her didn’t care. She was too embarrassed by her past actions.
“Axel, I’m-” she began to apologize.
“Don’t say it; you don’t even remember.”
His words stung, but they were true. Was it really her fault if she didn’t remember her mistakes? Then again, that would never be a liable excuse for a drunk. Harper probably hadn’t remembered that night when she awoke the next morning, but it was still her fault.
The doorbell rang and Harper jumped. She really needed to work on relaxing.
Axel returned with the pizza to find her still sitting on the floor. He grabbed two slices and took a seat beside her. She didn’t feel like eating but took it anyways and looked at the pepperoni chunks with distaste.
After Axel had finished his piece he scooped Harper into his arms and dumped her on the couch so they could continue the movie. It took longer for her to get in a good mood, but the outrageous scenes soon had her giggling again.
She rested her head on Axel’s shoulder and he held her hand softly. It was almost like a first date. Harper felt a pang of sadness at the realization that she could no longer remember their first date or their first kiss. It had only been one day, so surely her memories would come back soon. She would just have to wait a while.
Before long, her eyelids drooped shut and she fell fast asleep.
Chapter 5
Harper felt completely amazing from her good night’s sleep. She refused to open her eyes, not wanting to break the blissful spell. To her bewilderment, her cheek was pressed against a pillow. Harper cracked open one eye. Axel’s face was inches from hers, and his body was most definitely invading her personal bubble.
He was sprawled out, one arm across her chest and one leg intertwined with hers. What should she do? It was then that she saw, or rather didn't see, his clothing. She should have known he would not simply take yesterday’s kiss in the office as payment for her misconduct.
"Whoa! No!" She leapt out of bed after throwing his heavy arm off her chest. “What the heck? Where are your clothes?” she whispered loudly.
Axel stirred and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw her he raked a slow eye down her body and grinned. “Get back in bed, baby. It’s a Saturday.” His voice was gruff with sleep and at any other moment she would have found it sexy.
Harper glanced down and realized she had on nothing but a pair of panties. She screeched, ripped the bedspread off, and threw it around her body.
“Where are my clothes?” she panted, enraged.
“I’ll get them,” he offered.
Axel stood and stretched while watching her surprised expression with amusement.
"Oh! Umm..." Wow, he was really big. Her wolf awoke at the sight of her mate and was eager to play. Oh no, Harper thought. No, no, no. She covered her burning face with a pillow to hide him from her wolf's eager eyes. “Yeah, clothes. Do I need to ask why both you and I are naked?”
“Well, the obvious answer would be-”
“Axel,” she growled in warning. “Did we somehow…?”
“No, dear Harper. Nothing like that.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Then why did I wake up this morning naked?”
He laughed and said, “Oh, after that blow to my ego in the office yesterday, my wolf needed some reassuring that you were still mine.”
“And is he properly reassured?” Harper ground out while trying to understand how she had been undressed and didn’t awake.
“Very,” Axel murmured from directly in front of her.
“You just wanted to punish me,” she accused, refusing to be phased by the knowledge the behind her shielded eyes stood a stark naked man.
I hope you’ve learned your lesson. His voice was like a caress, and she knew she needed to get out of that situation fast.
Harper peeked out from behind her blanket and snatched the clothing from Axel’s hands. She saw that… thing again and had to rip her eyes away in order to run to the bathroom. How completely humiliating. She had obviously slept with him before, but it was still like her body was as useless as her memories.
Harper slammed the bathroom door and glanced in the mirror. Yep, she was most definitely blushing like crazy. It took her seconds to change, but she still needed a few minutes alone to calm her racing heart.
We didn’t do anything, she thought to herself. He was just a naked man. You’ve seen other naked bodies in your anatomy book, so don’t freak. No biggie. She was okay.
“Do you, um, are you decent?” she asked cautiously before opening the door.
Yes, Harper, I am clothed.
Wolf, disappointed at the lack of action, settled down for a nap. Harper padded out of the bathroom awkwardly. “I’m angry at you, just so we’re clear.”
He was buttoning his shirt, and she unconsciously walked over to help. Harper could feel his chest rumble as he said, “I can feel your anger as clear as a bell.”
She wondered what other emotions of hers he could feel, and she blushed at the thought. If her lust was half as strong as his right now, he would be able to tell.
She cleared her throat and asked, “What’s the agenda for today?”
“We are having an emergency pack meeting at five, and I need to contact the other state alphas to figure out whether or not going public is commonly desired.”
“So it’s going to be a ‘relax and watch TV’ day?”
“For you, yes.” He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose.
“Excellent,” she whispered, not sure whether she was referring to the contact or the movie day.
Harper’s stomach twisted with nerves because of the upcoming pack meeting, but she ignored it. She was the alpha’s mate. If anything, they should be nervous about being around her.
Axel retired to his office again, and Harper flipped through the channels. Most of the shows she remembered had been cancelled, so she settled on an action-packed thriller movie.
Her thoughts kept wandering back to the upcoming meeting. She needed to do something other than sit there and become a nervous mess, so she wandered into the kitchen to cook lunch. Scrounging up what she could, Harper threw together two delectable-looking club sandwiches.
Baby, I made lunch, Harper announced.
Moments later, Axel appeared in the kitchen. “Amazing timing; I’m starving.”
She laughed and sat the plate down in front of him.
“I didn’t know what you like, but here you go.”
“It’s perfect.”
They ate in companionable silence until Axel said, “We’ll need to be at the meeting early to make sure everything starts smoothly.”
“Sounds good,” she replied over a mouthful of food.
“We can leave in an hour.”
As soon as Harper finished her sandwich, she eagerly hopped in the shower. Her outfit of choice was a pair of dark jeans and a black tight sweater. Even though she wanted to wear heals or boots, she went with the practical choice and grabbed the sneakers.
“Ready?” Axel asked from the closet door, startling her.
“Yeah.” She followed him to the car and checked out his butt while he couldn’t notice.
When Axel opened the car door for her, he whispered, “You’re not as sneaky as you think.”
She grinned guiltily and ignored his comment. “It’s so cold!” Harper turned on the heater and snuggled down into her warm coat.
“Just shift. The seat leans back,” Axel told her.
“What?”
“It’ll keep you warm. You have your own fur coat, you know.” He smiled at her bewilderment.
“Oh! Yeah, it’s getting warmer now,” she muttered. Change into a wolf? She didn’t even know how to start. “Doesn’t the change rip your clothes?”
“You’d have to undress first,” he said with a straight face.
“And here I was, thinking you were actually concerned about my comfort.”
“I am; undressing is just a pleasant by-product.”
“You’re a tramp. You know that?”
“Baby, don’t insult me like that. I’m a wolf.” Axel winked at her.
She couldn’t back her snicker and eye roll. “So, where are we going for the meeting?”
“It’ll be held at the warehouse about two miles from here.”
“A meeting in a warehouse? That sounds kind of creepy.” Harper could imagine a bunch of shady-looking men gathering after dark like a cult.
“We usually have it at the field, but it’s too cold this time of year.”
She was thankful for that; her fingers were still numb from the brief walk to the car. Harper stared out the window and tried to figure out how she should act. She assumed everyone already knew about her amnesia, so hopefully they would all understand her abnormal behavior. She was probably kind to everyone. Harper still remembered how it felt to be bullied, and she would never want someone else to go through that pain.
“I need to run by the office to grab something. Do you want to go in with me or stay in the car?” Axel asked, breaking her thoughts.
“I guess I’ll stay in the car.” Harper didn’t want to see anyone until it was necessary. Besides, she wasn’t eager to brave the cold wind again.
Axel parked by the entrance and disappeared inside the dark building. Everyone must have had Saturday off, because no one else’s car was in the parking lot. Harper turned the heater higher to banish the chill left in his wake.
A side door opened, but it instead of Axel, a tall man emerged. She squinted and could barely make out Conner’s large form. He must have been working overtime. When he spotted Harper sitting in the car, he came striding to her. Wolf gave a warning growl, apparently not wanting to be alone with a male who wasn’t her mate. Harper rolled down the window and cursed the cold air.
“Hey, Conner,” she said politely.
“Harper,” he replied. “How are your memories?”
“Still absent, I’m afraid. They’ll return soon, so no worries.” She smiled at him, but it wasn’t returned.
“Are you going to the meeting?” He looked anxious about something, and Harper could only assume it had to do with being around the pack.
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Okay, then. See you soon.” He turned and disappeared behind the building. Conner’s car must have been parked in the back lot.
Her window had just rolled up when Axel came out carrying a stack of papers in one hand and holding his phone in the other.
Harper heard his muffled voice from inside, “No, I didn’t. We have two, and they’re trying to pin blame on a bear. The rest of the group won’t listen.”
She reached across the driver’s seat to open the door for him, and he sent ‘thanks’ through the bond.
“They’ve been on the force for over ten years, but it’s hard to convince the rest of the team that those murders were caused by animals.”
Axel placed the papers in the back and then pulled out of the parking lot. “I’ll have pictures sent. If one more murder like that happens, we will be discovered and hunted like animals.”
He hung up the phone and sighed.
Harper said, “I guess it’s getting harder and harder to keep the werewolves hidden.”
Axel nodded. “I don’t understand why the murderer doesn’t take a video or a picture and send it to the press. Then, after the public is notified of our existence, he could just go kill people and strike fear into their hearts. There must be another reason for these carefully staged kills.”
“It sounds like they are trying to frame a specific person, not just the werewolf group in general. Could someone want to take over your position as alpha?”
He snorted. “Every wolf wants to be alpha.”
“Well, that sure does narrow it down,” I commented sarcastically.
Axel’s hand was warm against my freezing fingers. “Let me worry about it, little wolf.”
“Okay,” Harper said, not meaning it at all. They both knew she would help by whatever means necessary.
It was almost four by the time they arrived at the warehouse. It was old and weathered, but still stood strong. Axel took her inside and flicked on the lights. The warehouse looked smaller on the outside, not to mention warmer. Harper shivered, and Axel hugged her close.
“Want to stay in the car?”
“No, I’m fine,” she replied, shivering again.
The door flew open, and Gabby walked inside.
“Gabby!” Harper yelled, running to her friend.
They hugged and laughed like they hadn’t seen each other in years. Gabby wore a fur coat to keep the chilly air at bay, and Harper thought she looked odd. The Gabby from high school would have never agreed with killing animals for their fur.
Harper decided that it shouldn’t have been strange for her friend’s taste to change. It had been over two years, and a lot could happen during that time. Harper asked, “What are you doing here? I thought this was a pack meeting.”
“Oh, I come to all of them. Can’t miss out on watching a bunch of hot posturing men.” Her wink made Harper laugh.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted.
The door opened again and Gabby’s husband entered. Harper’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Gregory had changed drastically since his years in high school; he had grown at least a foot and was packed with muscle. She still remembered him being short and slight. He had been above average in intelligence, so he was always seen as the ‘nerdy kid’.
Harper let out an appreciative whistle and felt Axel’s wolf growl. “Gabby, you didn’t tell me what a looker your husband had grown to be,” she whispered loudly to her friend.
Gregory gave her a smile and she grinned back at him. It was always nice to see someone she knew before the accident. After glancing at his alpha for permission, he walked over to them and said, “You’re looking chipper than usual, Harper.”
“Yeah, so I’ve been told.” She glanced back at Axel, but his guarded expression gave nothing away.
He cursed under his breath and said, There’s about to be a scuffle in the back parking lot. Mason and Thomas haven’t yet figured out their pack rank, so it’s likely to get bloody. I need to officiate. Stay with Gregory. With that, he strode through an office door in the warehouse, leaving Harper with Gabby and her husband.
“Tell me again how you proposed,” Harper said to Gregory, even though Gabby had a
lready told her. Harper kind of wanted to go watch the fight, but she decided to listen to her mate and stay here inside.
“It was the sweetest thing!” Gabby exclaimed with a mega-watt smile, eager to talk for her husband.
While she was retelling the story, the warehouse began to fill with pack members. It left an odd feeling for her wolf. She felt at home with the other werewolves, but Wolf still stayed on guard.
After Gabby had finished her story, she glanced around at the forty or so werewolves. Harper had been trying to ignore them all in order to keep her nervousness to a minimum. She mimicked Gabby by looking around the room.
Yep, some of them were definitely staring at her. The pack as a whole looked friendly enough, but she caught the eyes of several wolves who looked like they wanted to rip out her heart. Dang, she had definitely ticked some people off in the past.
Where was Axel? She hoped he didn’t need any help regulating the fight. Wolf reminded Harper that he was alpha; he could take care of himself.
Gabby’s voice broke Harper’s worried thoughts. “Oh, shit. There’s Miranda. She looks so pissed.”
“Who’s Miranda?” Harper whispered.
“She’s Conner’s mate,” Gabby whispered back after nodding her head towards a tall woman with silky black hair.
She had been one of the ones staring straight at Harper with a look that could kill. Harper quickly glanced down quickly after meeting her gaze. Wolf growled, angry that Harper showed her submissiveness like that. I didn’t know that I was supposed to stare back at her! Harper yelled at her wolf.
What now? she frantically asked Wolf. Miranda the witch was walking to them from across the room. Harper caught Gabby’s eye and gave her a desperate what-do-I-do look, but Gabby just unhelpfully shrugged.
Wolf was glad Harper had pretended weakness like that. Now Miranda would believe that Harper’s wolf had lost her memories as well and wouldn’t be able to fight. Wolf really wanted to beat Miranda to a pulp. Harper swallowed. She, on the other hand, didn’t want to hurt anyone.
“Harper,” Miranda purred, emphasizing the ‘ha’ part of her name in a way that made her want to flinch.