by Lily Graison
Lydia stopped a few feet from him and looked out over the mountain. “It’s quiet. I can see why you spend so much of your time here.”
He turned his back to her. “What do you want?”
“I came to say goodbye.”
“Then say it and go.”
She moved closer then, her footsteps a soft whisper against the pine needles. Her scent wrapped around him like a soft glove and he closed his eyes to ward off her effect on him. “I will miss you.”
Bryce said nothing in response. He knew if he opened his mouth he’d beg her to stay and he couldn’t live with that. He loathed her kind. Had since he’d found his family murdered for no other reason than he trusted someone he shouldn’t have.
Lydia sighed, the sound causing the hair on Bryce’s arms to stand on end. His wolf was howling inside his head, demanding he claim her, to take her and lock her away from the world.
He refused to obey.
Standing, he stretched out the kinks in his neck. “Don’t keep Sabriel waiting for you.”
“He’ll wait as long as I wish him to. Besides, he was having a heated conversation with your pack leader last I saw him.”
Bryce turned to look at her. She was staring up at him with an unreadable expression on her face. “Go home, Lydia.”
Her expression didn’t change but something in her eyes made his breath catch. The pain he saw there caused his chest to tighten. He regretted brushing her off so easily now.
She ran her gaze over him, her large green eyes glassy in the filtered light. The corner of her mouth tilted into what he assumed was supposed to be a smile before he felt a light, phantom caress on his cheek. She turned, without a word, and left.
He stared at the spot she’d been standing, his wolf raging inside his head, and a full five minutes hadn’t passed before he was running through the trees.
Lydia had cleared most of the forest by the time he caught her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her around to face him and kissed her without a word said between them. When he pulled back to take air into his lungs, he said, “I’m sorry.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “For what?”
“For not being able to give you what you want.”
The smile on her face fell away and she sighed, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. She toyed with the fabric of his shirt and chewed her bottom lip for long moments. “Nothing I can say will change your mind?”
“No.”
Lydia looked up at him. “I have to return with Sabriel.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to go.”
Begging her to stay would have pleased his wolf but pride wouldn’t let him do it. “It would never work, Lydia. I can’t forget what you are. I spend half my time hating you and the other half beating myself up because I want you so much.”
She looked away from him, her hands sliding down his arms. “I guess there’s nothing else to say then.”
“No.”
Rising up on her toes, she kissed him softly on the mouth, tasting his lips before her tongue darted inside. She broke away before he could truly enjoy it and pulled away from him. “If you’re ever in New York…” She smiled and turned without another word.
He watched her leave and knew that every day without her would be torture. The wolf would make it so. The further away she walked the louder the beast howled. He would demand his mate and Bryce knew now that Lydia was the one. Vampire or not, his wolf had chosen. And he’d be damned if he let the creature have its way.
When she was out of sight, he gave in to the anger and rage and let the beast have his voice. He howled his pain for the entire mountain to hear, screamed at the injustice of it all, and fell to his knees when his lungs ached from the effort. The wolf clawed at his soul and Bryce knew, the creature would never rest until he had his mate.
Epilogue
A case of nerves every once in a while was normal for a reporter but today, Rayna felt ready to faint. The pack had assembled at the clearing and with so many present, it was reminiscent of the first time she’d been here, when Malcolm had called her and Mitch to witness a shift.
With the addition of Carmen’s wolves, the area was packed. She’d counted nearly fifty people as they walked from the trees. Rayna was sitting on the rock face, watching those around her, and waiting for Judith.
Her friend was leaving. After tonight’s hunt she would be going to Bluff’s Point with Chad. The two had barely been seen since returning to the mountain and the romance Rayna had wondered about was no secret now. Chad was smitten. He looked like a schoolboy around Judith most days. And Judith had a perpetual blush staining her cheeks. They cared for one another, enough to give Judith the courage to leave.
Rayna was happy for her but the sorrow she felt was bone deep. She’d miss her. She’d been like a mother to her most of the time. A true friend when she needed one. Someone she could talk to about anything and not feel like a disappointment.
She saw her moments later walking past the tree line with Chad. Rayna wondered how Garrett’s old partner and friend would react to what he was about to see. She reminded herself that he’d seen much of what he’d witness tonight in the park at Bluff’s Point. He was probably more prepared than Rayna had been. They crossed the clearing and jumped up on the rock face.
“So I hear this is your big night?” Chad said.
Rayna grinned. “Yes. Garrett said I was ready so, I’ll be shifting.”
“Are you nervous?”
“I’m scared shitless!”
Chad laughed. “I would be too. I’ve seen it before but the thought of watching it again, with this many around, is giving me a nervous stomach.”
“Well, I can tell you from experience, it’s frightening the first time. At least you have advanced warning. You know what’s about to happen. I wasn’t that lucky. I thought I was surrounded by loons who only thought they could shift. I hadn’t prepared myself for the actual event.”
Rayna saw Garrett walk into the clearing with Bryce. She wasn’t sure what the two had been talking about but whatever it was must have pleased her mate. He was smiling, the white’s of his teeth shining in the moonlight. Her wolf stirred just looking at him.
Since the night they’re returned to the mountain, and he found her alone with Sabriel, he’d barely let her out of his sight. Not that she was complaining. Her body still ached in places and every nerve was over sensitized. He’d made love to her so often she was afraid he’d get tired of her soon but that didn’t seem to be the case. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it too much.
His wolf showed himself more, looking at her as if he were the one there with her instead of Garrett. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that exactly but knew, once her wolf was born, Garrett’s wolf would finally be able to truly have his mate. She wondered if that wasn’t what drove Garrett as of late. The wolf’s eagerness for his equal.
When everyone was present and accounted for, Garrett silenced them with a hand in the air. He said a few words, wished them a safe hunt and turned everything over to Bryce. She stared at him questioningly when he approached the rock face, grabbed her hand and tugged her to the ground. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t say anything, just kept walking toward the trees. She followed without a word. Half an hour later when the sound of water reached her, she smiled. He was going to the creek.
“You’re not bringing me out here to seduce me, are you?”
He laughed and looked back over his shoulder. “When have I ever had to seduce you?”
“Point taken.” She walked the familiar path, the grass beaten down by repeated trips through the woods. When she saw the area where they’d first made love after reuniting, where he’d claimed her as his own, she grinned. A blanket had been placed near the stream. A basket she assumed held food sitting neatly in one corner. “You’ve been a busy boy.”
He growled, his grip on her hand tightening. “I haven’t been a boy in more y
ears than I wish to count.” When they reached his carefully prepared picnic, he turned to face her and immediately went for the buttons on her shirt. “You in a hurry?”
“Not particularly but the wolf is. He hasn’t stopped screaming inside my head all day.” When her shirt fluttered to the ground, he unsnapped her bra and tossed it aside. He grinned at her, palmed one breast and gave it a squeeze before stripping his own shirt off.
“Why am I getting naked if the wolf is the one so eager? Because I’m here to tell you, there isn’t going to be any kinky business between me and that wolf of yours.” She toed off her shoes before unbuttoning her jeans and sliding them off.
“Well, I didn’t think you’d want to walk back home naked in the morning so, the clothes come off now.”
It dawned on her then what he was doing and why. The shift. They weren’t going to shift with the others. He’d brought her out here, to their place, so she wouldn’t have the curious gaze of the pack on her. Her chest tightened.
She’d known all day he wanted her to shift. That he’d been preparing her for days, in fact. Coaching her on what she’d feel, teaching her how to relax her body enough to let the wolf take control.
Knowing Garrett was doing everything within his power to make her shift easier was comforting but having to actually shift? Her lungs seized. Breathing became difficult and it wasn’t until Garrett grabbed her that she gulped in enough air to breathe.
“Nice, easy breaths,” he said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m right here.”
She nodded her head. “Maybe, but I’m still scared.”
He kissed her forehead, pulling her into his arms. “I’ll not let anything happen to you, Rayna. I love you.”
“I know you do.”
They stood like that for long minutes. Until her pulse returned to normal and breathing wasn’t an issue. “Okay. I’m ready.”
He pulled back so he could see her face. “Are you sure?”
“No, but its going to happen regardless, right?”
He nodded and his eyes held a sadness she hadn’t noticed before. “I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am, Rayna, but…” He sighed and stroked the side of her face with the back of one hand. “I love you. If I hadn’t infected you, a part of me would have always wished you had been.”
“Is that you talking or the wolf?”
“Both.” He looked out across the forest, his features softened by the light of the moon. “I’ve been like this for so long. It gets lonely after a while.”
“Garrett…”
“It’ll be nice to have someone to share my life with, is all.”
Tears clouded her vision and Rayna rose up on her toes to kiss him. She lingered, tasting him at her leisure. His tongue slipped between her lips, dancing with hers until she felt light headed. She felt languid and relaxed by the time he pulled away.
“Are you ready?”
She nodded her head. “Yes.” It wasn’t a lie. She hadn’t realized how lonely he would have been all those years away from his pack. It had just been him, hiding a secret no one could ever know. Falling for a woman he could never truly have. Now, he did. She was right in front of him and Rayna would spend the remainder of her life making him happy, whatever it took.
Inhaling deeply and letting it out slowly, she raised her eyes to him. “So, what first?”
He smiled, gave her a quick kiss before taking a few steps away from her. “Do you want me to shift first or wait for you?”
“Wait. I don’t want to do this having to stare at the wolf.” He nodded and kicked off his shoes. When he unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down, his cock springing free, she grinned. “That’s a bit distracting.”
“Well, stop looking. Look here,” he said, pointing to his face. When she focused her gaze on his eyes, his voice softened to a whisper. “Now concentrate on the wolf, Rayna. Feel her and let her come.”
She did. It took only seconds for the wolf to make her presence known. She slid against Rayna’s bones. The scent of fur filling her head. When the first twinge of pain hit her, her pulse leaped.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m right here.”
Rayna stared at Garrett’s face as the wolf pushed. The heat in her palms and the tips of her fingers told her the claws were coming. She braced herself for the pain, breathing through it much like a woman giving birth did.
When she glanced at her fingertips and saw the claws extending and hair sprout on the back of her hand, tears filled her eyes. This was really happening. She was turning into a werewolf.
Garrett’s voice was a constant whisper in her head. He’d taken a few steps closer to her, the gentle smile on his face urging her on.
When she gave the wolf full reign, fire raced along her limbs, her bones ached as they began to shift and move and the scream lodged in her throat tore free as the wolf crawled to the surface.
She hit her knees in agony, barely registering what she was seeing. Garrett’s face was a blur. He was on his knees, his mouth moving but the words were lost to her. The pain was too intense.
A final scream ripped from her throat as her body convulsed. Sights and sounds assaulted her, the sound of her own screams ringing in her ears. Her entire body burned, the pain so intense bright shafts of light pierced her vision before everything went black.
When the world came screaming back into focus, Garrett’s voice was the first thing she noticed.
Rayna opened her eyes and saw him there, still on his knees. He was smiling, tears making tracks down his cheeks. She opened her mouth to tell him she was okay but heard nothing but a whimper. Looking down, she realized why. She had no voice. The wolf had been born.
“Can you move?”
She blinked at him. It took her several tries before crawling to her feet. When she stood without wavering, Garrett shifted.
The world looked different through the wolf’s eyes. Everything seemed brighter. The moon lit the forest but the shadows didn’t seem as dark now. She could hear things rustling along the forest floor. Smell them close by. The urge to see what they were was great.
Testing her new legs, she took a step and ventured toward the creek, looking over the bank into the water. The light from the moon shined down on its surface and there, staring back at her, was the wolf. Her coat was a rich, chocolate brown streaked with red. Her eyes wolf amber.
She turned to Garrett. He stood a few feet away from her. He hadn’t gone for the fancy half-shift he was fond of. He’d followed her, bringing the wolf completely out, and stood on four legs. When he crossed the space that separated them, he nuzzled her face, giving her a lick across the nose before turning and heading for the woods.
Rayna only hesitated a moment before running to catch up. Howls echoed across the mountain, their pack emerging from the trees. Seeing them all there, for her, gave her a sense of belonging that was overwhelming.
These were her people. Her pack. Her family. She was mate to the pack leader, loved by those around her. This was what her wolf had been waiting for. The gathering of her pack. Their presence calmed her and she knew, with her family and Garrett by her side, the world wouldn’t be such a lonely place anymore.
The End
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Other books by this author
Western Romance
The Lawman (Willow Creek #1)
The Outlaw (Willow Creek #2)
The Gambler (Willow Creek #3)
The Rancher (Willow Creek #4)
His Brother's Wife (A Willow Creek Novel)
Contemporary Romance
Wicked: Tempt Me Not (Wicked Series #1)
Wicked: Leather and Lace (Wicked Series #2)
Wicked: Jade Butterfly (Wicked Series #3)
Wicked: Sweet Temptation (Wicked Series #4)
Wicked: The Com
plete Series (Wicked Books 1-4)
Blame It On The Mistletoe (single title romance)
That First Christmas ( single title romance)
Paranormal Romance
The Calling (Night Breeds Series #1)
The Gathering (Night Breeds Series #2)
About the Author:
LILY GRAISON resides in North Carolina, a stones throw away from the Blue Ridge Mountains and a few hours from the Outer Banks. First published in 2005, her debut novel won a Reviewers Choice Award. The author of over a dozen published books, Lily writes in the Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance genres.
When not writing, Lily can be found at her sewing machine creating 1800’s Period Dresses or at a nearby store feeding her obsession for all things resembling office supplies
For more about Lily Graison, visit any of the following locations around the web:
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The Gathering
(The Night Breeds Series #2)
Copyright © 2011 by Lily Graison
Smashwords Edition
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