Awaken a Wolf (Wiccan-Were-Bear Book 9)

by R. E. Butler

  Pushing those thoughts away, she walked up the steps to her apartment and smiled to see another envelope with her name on it in the same spot where she had taped Adam’s envelope that morning.

  Inside were the necklace and the chocolates. After popping a chocolate in her mouth and savoring the sweet, dark flavor, she headed to the bathroom to shower, with the necklace once more around her neck. She chose a black tank dress and paired it with her favorite kitten heels. She double-checked her makeup and fluffed her hair, debating once more on whether she should wear her long tresses up or down.

  There was a sharp knock on the door, and she felt her body clench low in her belly. Letting her hair fall back down, she walked quickly to the door and took a moment to settle her nerves before she opened it. Adam, dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and red tie, stood before her with a single red rose in his hand.

  He growled, the sound sultry and filled with hidden promises. She took the rose, a red so deep it bordered on black.

  “It’s the color of passion and commitment,” he said, his voice low and growly.

  She touched the bloom to her nose and inhaled the sweet scent. She peeked at him and found him watching her intently. “You’re dangerous, Adam Beaumont.”

  “Never to you, and only to those who would try to harm you.”

  Wow. That made the panty-dropping alarms go off in her head. Stepping out and closing the door behind her, so she didn’t do something embarrassing and invite him to spend a week naked in her bed, she smiled. “What are we up to tonight?”

  “Dinner and dancing. How’s that sound?” He offered her his arm, and she looped hers through.

  “Really good.”

  He opened the passenger door of his SUV and helped her inside, and after shutting the door, he strode around the front and climbed behind the wheel. On the way to dinner, he asked her about her work at the Wiccan store.

  “You’re a natural Wiccan, right?”

  “Yes, south power, which is fire.”

  “Can you just think something on fire?”

  “There are basic spells for lighting items on fire, but I can throw my power to an object and set it on fire without a spell. When I was younger, I had trouble controlling it. When I would get upset, objects near me would catch on fire. My mom went through five sets of curtains in my bedroom before she gave up and said I had to deal with uncovered windows until I could handle myself.”

  He chuckled. “Sounds like what pups go through. It’s hard to know how to deal with power no matter what form it comes in. Young pups can lose control when they get emotional and people can get hurt.”

  “Did you ever hurt anyone, when you were young?”

  “No. I’ve always been careful to handle the beast, but others aren’t so lucky. I had great teachers in my father and grandfather.”

  “Why isn’t your dad alpha? Aren’t packs like a family hierarchy with who becomes the alpha?”

  “Not at all. The alpha is the best male in the pack. Before me, it was a male named Lit, and he was a great alpha, but he had family issues and was too distracted to take care of the pack. I was third ranked and knew that it was just a matter of time before someone tried to kill him to take over.”

  “Why didn’t his number two guy become the alpha when he couldn’t?”

  “Because I skipped over him and took out Lit. It was the right time, and the beta is Brick, who is my cousin. He’s an excellent beta, but he’s not alpha material. You have to be ruthless at times.”

  “You mean being an asshole?”

  “Not just that,” he said, laughing. He stopped the SUV in front of a restaurant and turned off the engine. “If I could go back, I would grab you on the dance floor that first night and sweep you off your feet. But I didn’t do that. I treated you like a wolf, and you almost died. I’m furious at myself for what happened.”

  “I’ll forgive you eventually, don’t worry.”

  “Eventually? At least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

  She put her hand on his arm as he reached for the door handle. “I’m scared.”

  “About dinner?”

  “No, about what this means between us. I kind of hate you because of what you did, but I also really like being around you. You settle something inside me. I know what it means, and I’m scared because I don’t know if I can handle what’s coming.”

  She swallowed hard and blinked at the sudden tears. He leaned over the console and pulled her close. She was immediately enveloped in his dark scent, and the tears eased away as quickly as they had come.

  “I don’t know what’s coming for you either, Cinder, but I know I’m not going anywhere. Whatever comes, I’m there.”

  She pressed her face into his neck and slid her arms inside his jacket to feel the heat of his skin through the silk dress shirt. “I’m not going to apologize for being pissed at you for what you did.”

  “I didn’t ask you to,” he said with a chuckle. “Let’s have dinner and then we’ll see where the night takes us.”

  * * * * *

  By the time dinner was finished, Adam was head over heels for Cinder. She was amazing. More than once during dinner his conscience had been pricked over how he’d taken her two closest friends from her. She was a stranger in Northern Ohio, and he’d pulled from her the most important people in her life. Not that he planned to let her hang out with those unmated males anytime soon, but he still felt bad.

  They shared a tiramisu, and he told her about the pack’s full moon gathering. “The town has been the pack’s territory for generations. No one hunts in the woods but us. We have pack members working in most every business, from city hall to the police force to the diner.”

  “Do females hold rank in the pack?”

  “No. The females are led as a group by the alpha female, but of course everyone, including her, is under the authority of the alpha.”

  Adam watched as she stirred the spoon in her coffee and looked thoughtful. She was so beautiful. He loved her golden hair and wanted to sink his fingers into it and see if it was as soft and as thick as it looked. Her green eyes shimmered in the candlelight, and her lips were just begging to be kissed.

  “What if I can’t be the Sahri for the pack because I shift this full moon?” Her teeth dug into her lower lip.

  “We haven’t had a Sahri since Lit left. His mate was Wiccan. If you really are going to shift this full moon, then you’ll need to concentrate on that alone. Until you’re ready to be the Sahri for the pack, we will do without.”

  “Someone else from the coven–” she spoke, but he stopped her with a soft snarl.

  “I don’t want anyone else to be the Sahri but you.”

  She smiled and it warmed him from the inside out. The physical pull of their mating was difficult to ignore, but it wasn’t only because of the physicality of their bond as mates. He flat-out liked her. She was witty and sarcastic, generous to her friends. She probably didn’t realize that when they mated, the pack would become her family. Not for the first time, he wondered just how much she knew about wolves and whether she truly understood what becoming his mate meant. He wanted to tell her everything and mate with her immediately. The alpha in him demanded his female was by his side at all times. But worry over pushing her away by coming on too strong held him back. It was only because he felt her softening toward him that he resisted bulldozing over her life and forcing her to bend to his will. He didn’t want to force her. He wanted her to come to him because she didn’t want to be with anyone else, ever.

  He stood and held out his hand to her. She took it immediately, and the connection between them flared once more. It felt as though they’d been holding hands for years when she linked their fingers together and walked with him through the restaurant. They only let go of each other for seconds as they got into his SUV and headed to Lykos.

  He could have walked her into the club through the back and whisked her right to his private table, but he could admit to a bit of mas
culine pride at wanting to show her off. She was gorgeous, in the almost too-tight dress that showed most of her short but shapely legs. He slipped his arm around her as they walked down the sidewalk in front of the club, past the humans and other shifters who were hoping to gain admittance.

  “Welcome, Alpha,” Grey, a bouncer and pack member, said as he unhooked a black velvet rope and stepped aside.

  Adam nodded as he ushered Cinder through the open doors and into the club. As the long line outside suggested, Lykos was packed. Strobe lights and lasers painted the crowd as they danced and writhed together.

  “This way, sweetheart,” he said into her ear as he led her around the perimeter of the dance floor to his private table. His table was in the back of the club in the center of the wall. The horseshoe-shaped booth had soft leather padding on the seat and circled a round wooden table. The booth was partially obscured in darkness thanks to carefully arranged lighting, so in a sea of bodies, it felt relatively private.

  Cinder paused in front of the table, her fingertips brushing against the smooth surface. “I think you promised me dancing,” she said.

  Removing his jacket, he laid it on the seat and held out his hand to her once more. She took it, a beautiful smile lighting her face, and he swept her into the crowd to dance the rest of the night away.

  * * * * *

  Cinder had thought Adam was charming during dinner. He listened to her as if every word she spoke held hidden mysteries of the universe. And then he’d danced with her until she thought she’d combust from being so close to him. He’d held her tight with his arms wrapped around her, and they’d played a few hours’ worth of grinding-pelvis, which left her throbbing and tingling by the time they were ready to call it a night.

  Adam watched her unlock her apartment. He had surprised her by not inviting her back to his place, considering he’d asked his sister to invite her twice.

  As if reading her mind, he said, “You asked me to give you time to get to know me. The clock is running down on the full moon, but I can give you some time.”

  She leaned against her closed door. “What’s going to happen?”

  He rested his hand on her neck, and his thumb stroked her pulse. “I don’t know.”

  “No, I mean aside from whether I shift or not. Doc mentioned something about…how the alphas get together.”

  She felt her cheeks heat and Adam chuckled lasciviously.

  “Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?”

  “No. No bridge crossing without advance warning.”

  He glanced around and said, “Let’s table this discussion for tomorrow, sweetheart. I don’t particularly want to discuss bridges out in the open like this.”

  “Thank you for dinner.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart. Did you have a good time?”

  “I did. I hope you did too.”

  He placed his hands on either side of her head against the door and leaned forward. “I did. You’re amazing, and I’m crazy about you.”

  Her heart stuttered a little at his confession. Hooking her hands over his arms, she tilted her face, silently asking for a kiss. He didn’t hesitate, pressing his lips to hers. They’d kissed from time to time while they were dancing, but this was different. She could feel the heat of his body as he leaned closer, and the wild scent of him intensified. His tongue swiped at the seam of her lips, and she opened willingly, unable to stop the moan of pleasure when their tongues slid against each other.

  She felt the muscles in his arms grow taut, and there was a sound of metal creaking. He lifted from her lips with a soft growl and said, “You said I was dangerous, sweetheart. Your kisses are addictive.”

  They hugged and kissed once more, and she turned to open her door and saw several dents in the metal where his fingers had made impressions. Looking over her shoulder, she raised her brow and he shrugged with a smile.

  Shaking her head with a chuckle, she said goodnight and walked into her apartment. After turning the deadbolt, she walked to the window overlooking the parking lot and watched him walk to his SUV. He stopped before getting inside and looked up at her. She smiled and waved, watching until he was gone.

  Part of her wanted to call him and ask him to come back and stay with her. But she knew without a doubt that if he came into her apartment tonight, they’d have sex, which would probably be the most amazing sex of her life, but then what would happen? He was being docile and letting her have time to know him. It wasn’t only the whining wolf in her head that wanted to roll over and show him the goodies. Cinder had never felt so strongly about a man so quickly. Sure, she’d been attracted to Cyrus and to Leo, but she’d known deep down that what she had with them was nothing more than fun.

  Walking back to her bedroom, she looked at the door to what had been Cyrus’s former room. It had made her incredibly sad learning he’d moved out, but it didn’t sting so much now. Adam had done something rash, but she suspected he was jealous and had reacted. She wouldn’t want an unrelated female living with him either. She frowned, thinking about what Angie had said about she-wolves being thrilled to be mated to Adam. She wondered how many females he’d been with. The wolfy part of her snarled in anger, wanting to go to the pack and threaten anyone who had ever touched him.

  Shaking her head at the bossy wolf in her mind, she unzipped the dress and dropped it into the hamper, trading her sexy dress for a comfortable sleep shirt. She didn’t want to shower, because she could still smell Adam, as if his scent were cologne that had been rubbed all over her. After climbing into bed, she pulled the covers over her, closed her eyes, and sleep quickly overtook her.

  She found herself standing in dark woods. The moon was obscured, but she felt the full moon in spite of the darkness. Something cracked loudly behind her, and she turned and moved in that direction. She’d never been in these woods before, she was sure, but she had no trouble navigating around the large trees. A flickering flame came into view, and she walked toward it. Another crack sounded, this time followed by a grunt of pain. Immediately, she recognized Adam’s voice and ran toward the flame.

  She skidded to a halt inside a cleared circle. A bonfire blazed brightly in the center, and a group of men stood watching as a tall man took a thick branch from inside the bonfire and laid the burning end against Adam’s bare stomach. Adam was chained to a pole near the fire, and as the flames burned his stomach, he grunted and jerked the chains, making the pole crack under his strength. The men watching howled in encouragement. She screamed and tried to rush forward, but something held her in place.

  The wolves parted, and she watched an older male pulling a woman behind him with a chain. She gasped in shock to realize that she was watching herself be pulled, and the chain was attached to a thick collar around her neck. She was naked, her body bruised and bleeding from what resembled whip marks. The male wound the chain around his hand, pulling her closer. He shoved his hand between her legs, and she whimpered in pain. He lifted his hand and it glistened in the firelight. Blood.

  Adam roared in rage, but the sound died when a male grabbed Adam’s head between his hands and broke his neck in a swift movement.

  The man holding the burning branch turned slightly, and she recognized her father. He spoke to her as she was shoved to the ground by the male holding her chain. “This is what happens when you run. Disobedience will not be tolerated.”

  The wolves howled in approval. Cinder looked at Adam’s body as it hung limply against the pole. She knew she was going to be raped, and she couldn’t stop it. She pressed her hands over her ears and screamed.

  She sat upright in bed, her voice cracking with the scream. She scrambled from the bed and looked around wildly, still certain she could smell the smoke of the bonfire and the scent of Adam’s burning flesh. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and she couldn’t stop shaking as she tried to convince herself it had been a dream. Except it hadn’t really felt like a dream. She’d felt as though she’d been watching an event unfold, as if she wer
e an observer. If it were a dream, she would have been in her own body, not watching herself be raped.

  She stood on trembling legs and stumbled to the bathroom, turning on the light and splashing cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror, checking her body for the wounds she’d seen so clearly. Whip and claw marks, bruises from a beating. Her skin was clear and undamaged. Taking in a few deep breaths, she laid her hands on the countertop and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were gold. Gasping in surprise, she peered closer and watched as her natural green color seeped into the gold until only the green remained. Her heartbeat slowed and she felt herself losing the edge of panic that had ridden her since she’d woken up.

  She stripped out of her sweat-soaked sleep shirt and stepped into the shower, turning on a lukewarm spray and letting the massaging pulse soothe her. After drying off and donning lounge pants and a loose shirt, she walked into the living room and flipped on the light. A tall bookshelf next to the window held her Wiccan books, and she trailed her fingers over the bindings until she found the one she was looking for.

  Pulling the old, leather-bound book about dreams and visions from the shelf, she pulled a fleece blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders as she settled in the recliner. Opening the book, she turned the pages, looking for something that would tell her whether she’d really had a crazy, frightening dream or if she’d actually witnessed an event that was going to come to pass in the future.

  Chapter 8

  Cinder was waiting at the Wiccan store at eight a.m. on Saturday morning when Lorene showed up to unlock the front door.

  She stared at Cinder for a long, silent moment and said, “What happened?”

  Cinder had been up since three a.m., reading everything about visions and dreams. Her books all said that natural Wiccans could have the ability to see the future in their dreams, but it seemed to be up for debate on whether, once the future was shown, a Wiccan could change that future. She’d known in her heart that she needed to see Lorene and ask for help. The thought of Adam dying had filled her with such dread that she’d been unable to go back to sleep, obsessed with finding out whether or not her dream was going to come true.