Forbidden Hope: A Werewolf Wars Prequel Novella

by Bethany Shaw

  He inhaled sharply, breathing in the earthy grass scent. The smell of lilacs was on the air too. Emily! He sat up and looked around. The smell was too strong for her not to be near. A speck of light blue stood out in the bushes a sharp contrast to the yellow and red leaves of the fall foliage. Marcus watched as the beautiful she-wolf pulled her hair loose from its ponytail and fluffed the long strands out.

  She was truly exquisite. Her hand went to her blue jacket as she shrugged the garment off. She wore a light green tee underneath that hugged her curves perfectly. Emily shuffled—probably kicking off her shoes. Marcus held his breath. She was going to shift right in front of him, and he knew that he should warn her of his presence. It wouldn’t be right to sit and watch without her knowledge.

  “Hi,” he called.

  Emily’s head snapped in his direction. She smiled, bending down to collect her belongings, and headed towards him.

  “I didn’t realize you were out here.”

  “Went out for a run,” he explained. “I wish I would have known you were almost done helping your mom. I would have asked you to join me.”

  Emily plopped down next to him. “I’m usually done earlier, but we ran out of flour and I had to wait until my mom got back from the store to finish preparations.”

  “What is for dinner?”

  “Chicken and dumplings. One of my favorites.”

  Marcus leaned back on his elbows, looking back up at the sky. He’d only known her a few days but couldn’t deny that he craved her company. There was something about her. When he was with her he felt at ease—like he was home.

  “Vincent invited me out to the city tonight. Would you like to join us?” Marcus asked, holding his breath.

  “No,” she sighed.

  Marcus’ shoulders slouched and he blinked up at the bright sun, not wanting to look at her. He’d thought they had a connection. Maybe he was wrong.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she whispered, touching his hand. “It’s just, my dad, he’s very protective of me. I’m the only female wolf in the pack and he doesn’t let me leave the property. He’s too afraid something will happen to me.”

  “You’re not allowed to leave?” Marcus questioned, turning to her. He frowned as anger surged through him. He understood they lived in a dangerous world, but it wasn’t right to hold her prisoner here either. Hopefully, he’d misunderstood what she meant.

  “I got to do odds and ends when I was younger, but after my heat cycle started, my dad forbade me from leaving the grounds. There is too much unrest amongst the packs in our area.”

  Marcus opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. He’d just lost his pack because of the tension amongst their kind. “You can’t even leave if Vincent and Devon are going to be there?” Surely if she had protection, the alpha would allow her some freedom.

  Emily shook her head sadly. “I would love to get out—believe—me but I know he’ll never let me. I’ve asked, screamed, and shouted until I’m blue in the face and his answer never waivers.”

  Marcus placed his hand over top of hers in an effort to comfort her. Arousal rolled through him at the innocent gesture, causing his cock to throb against his jeans. He gritted his teeth and inhaled a deep breath; he was not some horny teenager. “Maybe we could find something here to do then. A movie or a run? Something fun—just the two of us.” Hell, he’d even offer to rake leaves if it meant spending time together.

  “What? Like a date?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “Yeah.”

  Emily pulled away from him and stood up. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

  “Why?” he asked, standing up next to her. The fear laced stench of soured milk mingled in the air accompanied by her natural lilac scent. Is she afraid of me? But why would she be aroused if she was scared?

  Emily opened and shut her mouth. “It just wouldn’t. I need to get going. My mom is expecting me back in a bit anyway.” She turned on her heel and sprinted into the brush.

  “Emily!” Marcus called, taking a step toward her fleeting form, but she was already gone. What the hell just happened? He looked down at his feet’ her jacket and shoes still set in a tidy pile next to him. Scooping them up, he set off to find her.

  ***

  Emily breathed heavily as she dressed. Her run had been grueling and, instead of providing relief, it had only made her tension worse. Her body ached and muscles clenched painfully as she moved.

  Marcus wanted to date her. She’d hoped the attraction had been one-sided. It would have been easier. As a girl amongst a sea of men, she’d had more than her fair share of crushes, but this was different. Whatever this feeling was, it was more than a crush. She physically yearned to be near him—to touch him.

  Stop! Your feelings don’t matter. You’re the alpha’s daughter and you have certain obligations.

  “Emily,” Marcus called.

  Emily twirled around as he came jogging up to her. She ran a hand through hair and willed her body not to betray her true feelings.

  “You left these behind,” he stated as he handed her coat and shoes to her.

  “Oh. Thanks.”

  “I’m sorry if I made things awkward. I thought...” he paused clearing his throat. “I just feel this pull towards you and I don’t know how to explain it. I thought you felt the same way too, but that was my mistake.”

  He feels it too? Her heart swelled, but it was almost immediately ruined by the chill of anticipation that shot down her spine. No. No. This is bad. Dad will never let you mate with anyone but an alpha. Get it together and stop this before it consumes you.

  Emily swallowed, nodding.

  “I just want to get to know you,” Marcus explained.

  “I think we should just be friends,” she blurted.

  Marcus blinked. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

  “Okay,” she said, forcing a smile. “Thanks for bringing these back to me.” She slid her jacket on and tried to ignore the way Marcus’ smile wavered. “I have to get back to help my mom, but we’ll talk again later.” She shoved her feet into her shoes, waved goodbye, and took off back to the house. Friends—it’s for the best.

  Chapter Two

  Emily brushed her hands on her jeans as she left the kitchen. Dinner was in the oven and dessert was chilling in the fridge. She’d already shifted today, and since Devon and Vincent were hanging out with Marcus—who she’d been actively avoiding the past week—she didn’t have anything to do but go up to her room and read.

  Or, she could see what Daniel was up to. She wasn’t as close to Daniel, but she didn’t feel like being cooped up in her room either. Her stomach twisted with indecision. She knew what she wanted to do, but keeping distance from Marcus was best. The draw to him was undeniable. Regardless of her feelings, they could never truly be together. Her best bet was to visit Daniel.

  She wandered outside towards the field where Daniel trained the younger male wolves how to fight. The gravel crunched beneath her sneakers as she made her way over the drive.

  “She finally emerges from her dungeon,” Vincent called as he came out of the massive, twelve-car garage that sat adjacent to the house.

  “Hey,” she said, greeting her twin.

  “We got beer and a few movies from the store. Want to watch something with us?” Vincent offered, holding up a six-pack.

  Emily hesitated watching as Marcus and Devon appeared from the garage. “What did you get?”

  “Marcus has never seen Teen Wolf,” Vincent smirked. “I told him it’s a must-see movie for us. You know you want to watch it with us and crack jokes about how wrong they get it.”

  Emily giggled as Vincent wagged his brows at her. They’d watched the movie at least a dozen times before, each time finding new things to laugh about. It was one of her favorite things to do with her brothers.

  “It will be fun,” Vincent added.

  Emily chanced a glance at Marcus, who was now only a few fee
t away. Butterflies fluttered in her belly as their eyes met. She held his gaze a long moment. “Okay,” she heard herself say.

  “Fantastic,” Vincent grinned, wrapping an arm around her and leading her inside.

  ***

  Emily fiddled with the seam of the green leather couch arm as she attempted to watch the movie and not look at the handsome wolf to her right. About an hour into the movie, Devon got called downstairs to help with an injured wolf, and, shortly after that, Vincent had gotten up to go to the bathroom.

  “Vincent said there is a sequel to this movie,” Marcus said, taking a swig out of his beer bottle.

  “There is. He’ll probably insist on watching it after dinner.”

  “I’m not sure you could call what we are doing watching,” Marcus chuckled.

  “Vincent likes to make everything into a joke.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  Silence enveloped them as they both stared at the screen. Every few minutes, Emily slid her gaze to the right, taking in Marcus’ form. His blue-grey eyes were glued to the screen and she wondered if he was having as hard of a time focusing as she was.

  “How have you been?” Emily asked, instantly regretting her words. She should not be making conversation with a man she was avoiding.

  “Good. I haven’t seen you around since the other day.”

  “I’ve been busy with my mom. My dad is going out of town tomorrow and she’s been finalizing his plans, so I’ve been in the kitchen.” It wasn’t a lie—she had been doing just that. But she could have maintained her regular schedule.

  “I wanted to apologize about the other day. I didn’t mean to upset you. I must have misread things,” Marcus stated, turning to her. “I’m new here and trying to fit into a new pack. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

  Emily’s heart throbbed against her ribs. She nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile. “It’s okay.” I can be his friend. It will be better and easier than avoiding him. And maybe if I talk to him, it will make that overwhelming desire to seek him out go away. Mind made up, she asked. “How do you like the movie?”

  “It’s alright. Hollywood’s take on werewolves is interesting, to say the least.”

  Emily laughed, drawing her knees toward her chest.

  “What kind of movies do you like?” Marcus asked.

  “Not the kind my brothers would ever rent for me. I usually wait until they come out and order them on TV.”

  “But what do you like?”

  Emily giggled. “Romances, dramas, comedies. Things my brother’s hate. They like the action and suspense. And horror—ugh—they love gory, scary movies.”

  “There is nothing wrong with scary movies,” Vincent defended as he came in. He plopped down on the couch next to her, causing the cushion to hiss. “My favorite part is coming up. You’re going to love this, Marcus.”

  Emily sighed, chancing a glance at Marcus. He sat, relaxed in the plush, green chair. She leaned back and tried to focus on the movie, but every so often her eyes drifted to the wolf on her right. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

  ***

  Emily tiptoed down into the kitchen. The house was quiet and dark; all the occupants were sound asleep. She’d developed a routine long ago of stealing a few moments to herself, and now, she couldn’t sleep until she took advantage of the freedom. For a few precious moments every night, she could wander about the house and not have her every movement tracked. Usually, it was her brothers who followed her around, but she craved time just to herself. She grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge and crept outside.

  As she stepped onto the front porch, the crisp air touched her skin, sending a chill up her spine. She pulled her plush purple robe tighter, slightly regretting her choice of a cold beverage in this weather. But only slightly. Coke is worth it. The she-wolf popped the tab on her soda and took a long gulp of the bubbly liquid.

  Headlights bounced in the distance as a car turned down the long gravel drive. The tires crunched over the rocks and she could make out a green Civic in the distance. The garage door opened, filling the quiet night air with a soft hum.

  She watched as Devon’s vehicle pulled into the building. A moment later, a door clicked shut and she could hear Marcus and Devon talking as they left the garage. Devon veered to the left toward the guesthouse while Marcus made his way toward the main house; the newest pack member was now staying in the quarters of the large guesthouse.

  Emily took another sip, watching curiously as Marcus jogged up to the porch.

  “Did you forget where your room is?” she teased as he clamored up the wooden steps.

  Marcus paused, his eyes darting to her. “I didn’t see you there,” he smiled.

  She shrugged. “Just enjoying the night air. Did you have fun tonight?” She regretted the question as soon as she asked. She didn’t want to know. It was obvious that her twin had enjoyed himself—and still was since he hadn’t returned home.

  “It was okay. It’s nice to get out and unwind a little.”

  “I bet,” she blurted, rolling her eyes, she would give anything to have a night out of the house. He hadn’t meant any harm by his comment, but it reminded her that she couldn’t go out and just chill. A part of her understood the reasoning, but it didn’t take away the craving for freedom.

  “I was going to run inside and get my laptop. I left it in the front room. I like to check up on things before going to bed. It’s how I unwind,” Marcus said after a long moment.

  She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Her mother had mentioned something about Marcus doing work for Emmett. “I heard my dad is letting you balance his books and work the stock market.”

  “Yeah,” he grinned.

  “You like that type of thing?”

  “It’s what I was going to school for. And I’m really good at it. It’s always a pleasure to watch your earnings grow and know that you were responsible for it,” Marcus explained with a toothy grin.

  Emily nodded. She understood what he was saying, even if she had no idea how stocks and bonds worked.

  “What are you doing up so late?” he asked. He finished climbing the steps and strolled over to the swing, sitting next to her. A chill of anticipation ripped through her. He was so close—too close. She needed to distance herself before her body reacted even more to his.

  “Couldn’t sleep.” She stood up and suppressed a yawn.

  “My mom used to always make me a tall glass of warm milk when I was a kid and couldn’t sleep.”

  “My mom read to me.”

  Marcus used the heels of his feet to sway the swing back and forth. “I could make you a glass of milk.” He looked pointedly at the red can in her hand. “I doubt that will help you sleep.”

  Emily laughed. “Probably not.”

  “So do you want that glass of milk?”

  She should say no. “Sure.”

  ***

  Marcus poured the steaming milk into a mug and handed it to Emily. “It should put you right to sleep.”

  “Thanks.” She blew on the cup before placing it to her lips and taking a sip. “Tastes good.”

  “It was my mom’s recipe. The nutmeg helps calm you.”

  “You didn’t mention your parents before,” Emily commented.

  Marcus licked his lips and sighed. “They died when I was about twelve.” After his parents deaths, he and his brothers had been inseparable. Now, they were gone too. A tick formed in his jaw and he swallowed hard, not wanting to appear weak in front of Emily. He drew in a quiet breath and composed himself.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, glancing down into her mug.

  “It was hard. My mom was sick for a while. She kept getting worse and worse, but our pack doctor couldn’t figure out what the problem was. After a few months, she died. My dad didn’t last long after that. Losing them both so close together was difficult, but, at the same time, knowing that they loved each other so much...” he trailed off.

  “A tr
ue love match. My mom told me about them once. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an actual one. It all sounds so romantic. To live and die for each other. To have a physical and mental connection with each other.”

  Marcus stared at her. She looked away, her emerald eyes darting anywhere but him. Everything seemed to click all at once for him. She was his true mate. It was the only possible explanation for the way he felt. The desire to claim her was as powerful as the yearning to spend time with her. Her lilac scent intrigued him, drew him in right from the start.

  He looked up and saw the slight part of her lips. Her breathing quickened and red crept over her face as if she were having a similar revelation.

  “Thanks for the milk,” Emily stammered, setting the empty mug in the sink. She played with the purple sash on her robe for a moment. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Emily?” his hand shot out and grasped her wrist. “I...”

  She swallowed as she moved closer to him, her eyes blinking rapidly as her breath puffed against his face.

  His hand reached up to graze across her soft cheek before threading in her hair. Her tongue darted out to wet her pink, plump lips and he tilted his head to the side, entranced. Their lips grazed against each other, lightly touching at first before Emily deepened the kiss. He nibbled her bottom lip, pulling her flush against him. She melted into him for a few precious seconds, before she froze.

  Emily’s hands pushed on his chest and she turned away from him. “We can’t do this,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

  “Why? I know you feel it too.”

  “You know how our world works, Marcus. I’m to be mated to another alpha to ensure the peace amongst our neighboring packs. If we go down this road, it will only end in heartbreak. I can’t do that,” she said hoarsely.

  “So don’t think about the future. It’s not set in stone. Things can change. I can prove myself to your father. Just give me the chance. I can’t ignore whatever this is and I want to—need to see it through,” Marcus encouraged. He would show the alpha he was worthy.