by Ines Johnson
“Hey, hey,” whined the boy. “I’m sorry.”
The other frat boys, the alpha wolf, and the passengers all gaped at Viviane. They had looked wary when the boys were harassing her. No one had come to her defense, except the wolf. But he likely only came to her defense out of some racial-solidarity notion. Or to flex his alpha balls. Likely the ball-flexing.
“I’m not interested in your apology.” Viviane tweaked the frat boy’s muscle. She knew this muscle and the amount of pain it was causing. She’d aced her Anatomy exams last year. And it wasn’t because she’d had extra tutoring sessions with her Anatomy professor. Though she had explored every bone on Professor Lui’s body. “I’m not something you can manhandle and then toss aside like a piece of trash when you’re done toying around with me.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t think you’re trash. I didn’t mean to handle you.”
“Just because I’m strong and independent and have my own thoughts, it doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings. I’m not here at your beck and call.” The last word broke as it left her lips.
Viviane let the boy go. He collapsed to the floor. He looked like a broken toddler. She took a deep breath to compose herself. She hadn’t cried in front of Daniel and she would not cry now in front of this douche bag.
“And don’t call me a bitch,” she growled.
All passengers, seated and standing, shook as the train lurched to a stop. The boys fell into their seats. The alpha wolf beside her stood firm. Viviane wobbled. The wolf held out his hands, but did not touch her. His arms spread around her like an open cage.
“You two dogs off,” shouted one of the train’s officers. He looked between Viviane and the alpha wolf.
Viviane sighed. She didn’t feel inclined to repeat her biology lesson. There were still some racists in the world who were afraid of moonchildren. It appeared this guy was one of them.
“Listen, I’ll go,” she said. “But he didn’t do anything.” She pointed to the wolf.
“Don’t care,” said the train officer. “Don’t want no more malarkey on the train.”
Malarkey? Where was this guy from? The twentieth century?
Viviane made her way back to her seat and hefted her bag down. The wolf did the same. He didn’t offer to help her with her bag this time.
They debarked out into the middle of the desert night. As soon as they were clear of the tracks, the train picked up and took off.
“I’m sorry about that,” Viviane said. “But I didn’t ask for your help. You should’ve stayed out of it.”
“I didn’t ask for your breakfast,” he said.
Viviane opened her mouth to launch into an argument, but instead of harsh words, a sob came out. She couldn’t take it any longer. She sat down on a rock and balled. The one thing she knew for certain was that tears would always drive a man away, which was fine because she wanted to be left alone. Instead, warm arms came around her.
Viviane stiffened. “What are you doing?” She leaned back, breaking his embrace.
The wolf looked at her, befuddled. “You’re crying.”
“That’s what I’m doing. What are you doing?”
He was down on his knees with his arms around her. “I’m comforting you. That’s what happens when someone is sad.”
“But you don’t know me.”
“Does that matter? You need to be comforted.” He opened his arms wide.
Her torso moved independently of the rest of her body, and before she knew it, she was in this stranger’s arms. Even though she scented the sick on him it felt amazing resting against his chest.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said while her face rested on the cushion of one of his pectorals.
“Yeah, I know,” he said. “My mother says my weakness is that I always try to do the right thing. Even if it winds up hurting me.”
“My mother says I always do the opposite thing. She says I’m stubborn and that will get me into trouble.”
“It looks like you’re doing fine.”
She turned her head and rested it on the opposite pectoral, which was just as comfortable as the first. “You don’t know the whole story.”
“Want to tell me? We have a ways to walk before the next station.”
“I can walk home from here.” She looked out at the looming landscape. The Saguaros seemed to lean back to show her the way to her ancestral home.
“Your feet don’t seem to be moving,” said the wolf.
“That’s because I know when I get home, my mother will kill me.”
“I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not exaggerating,” she said.
He pulled back and Viviane was sorry for it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been held like this. Her mother wasn’t a hugger. Her father hadn’t been around a lot. Daniel had embraced her many times. Before or during sex. He’d never tried to comfort her hurt feelings. Mainly because he’d been the cause of so many of them.
Viviane took a deep breath and let loose the thing she’d been holding onto for over two months. “I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Three
Pierce inhaled deeply at her words. Not out of shock. She wasn’t the first woman in history who was less than excited about a pregnancy. He breathed deeply trying to catch a whiff of the truth.
It was a faint scent. But it was there. Beneath her rich, natural fragrance was something brand new.
He’d never scented a new life before. There was something fresh and precious about the scent. It made him want to lean forward and shield this woman with his body.
He’d breathed normally as he’d held her back when his intention had been to comfort her. Now his lungs filled to capacity with her heady scent. She looked like a city wolf in her fitted dress and heels, but she smelled of turned earth, wind, and sunlight. The beast below nudged at his fly for a taste of its own.
Pierce doused a mental cold shower on his cock and his wolf. There would be no tryst with this woman now. No matter how delectable she smelled. She was in shock, in despair, and in need. He would do what was right and get her back to her mate.
He pulled back and squinted down at her collarbone; staring at the planes and contours and slopes of her honey-colored skin. It reminded him of his time on the snow-capped slopes in the Montana mountains and the tracks he left behind with his skis. But unlike that much tracked winter wonderland, this woman’s collar was bare.
“I’m not mated,” she confirmed.
He turned around as though searching for the child’s father. Did she reject the father? Even if a male wolf felt the pull to claim a female, she was under no obligation to accept him.
“He’s no longer in the picture.” Her shoulders stiffened and her chin steeled.
Pierce didn’t ask the question that was on his mind. He wondered if the male was a loner? His new sister-in-law’s father had been a loner. But Lucia’s father had loved both her and her mother. He’d taken care of them. Kept them alongside him as his nature pulled him to roam the lands.
The two females had followed him until Lucia’s mother had fallen ill. Then they had to return to her coven. The coven of witches wouldn’t allow a wolf, or any man, up their mountain.
The lone wolf had gone crazy and gotten himself thrown in jail. That left Lucia to believe he’d abandoned her. But Jackson, with his legal training, had gained the captured wolf his freedom. Lucia’s father was out of prison now and reconnecting with his daughter.
That story was not the norm for loners. Pierce knew lone wolves often fathered children and left them behind. He was determined never to have children of his own. It was hard enough leaving his family behind. He would never do that to a cub.
“What am I going to do?” The woman in his arms said the words more to herself than to him.
On the train, when she’d been confronted by the low-life little boys, Pierce’d had her back. Sure, there was the solidarity in their being of the same kind. But he’d felt responsible for her. He w
asn’t exactly sure why? Maybe because a part of her had landed on his pants?
He hadn’t bought the whole I’m-an-island-unto-myself attitude she’d given him, before she gave him her breakfast. She wasn’t like him. She wasn’t a loner. Females never were. She’d needed a pack to back her up. So he’d stepped in.
There were no such things as single mothers in moonkind culture. Children were raised by families, packs, covens, or clans. Her father might go after the deadbeat wolf and mangle his muzzle. Family was family. They would always take care of their own even if there was discord within the ranks.
“You could tell them the truth,” he said. “They’re your family. They’ll always have your back.”
It had taken Pierce some time to tell his parents the truth about his nature. Of course they’d always known his true nature. They’d just denied it and tried to tether him to home. They didn’t like that he was off roaming by himself. He wasn’t sure if it was the by himself portion, or the roaming portion?
The woman before him shook her head. “My family disagreed with my decision to go to university. My mother couldn’t fathom what a wolf would need with a human education. She didn’t even come to my graduation. And that was fine.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed at her forearm. It was a gesture he’d seen his sister do many times when her older brothers left her behind. Pierce’s eyes softened at the sight of it. When the she-wolf caught him looking, she dropped her arms and straightened her spine.
“Does he know?” Pierce asked. “The cub’s father?”
She gave a curt nod. “I wasn’t asking him to support me. My family is well off. I’m not so stupid to believe he loved me.” Her chin, steely a moment ago, wobbled at these words. “I just wanted my baby to know who their father was. But he’s denying it’s his.”
Pierce put his hands on her shoulders. The blades of her shoulders were firm under his touch; like hard clay. But soon the caps warmed and became pliable. He reached his arms around her again.
She eyed him. Warily, at first. When her cheek hit his chest, her shoulders slumped, and she allowed herself to be held.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” she said. “Are you trying to seduce me? You saw what happened the first time.”
Pierce chuckled, his breath blowing up a strand of her thick hair. The move rustled more of that earthy scent into his nostrils. He was surprised to notice that his wolf, which had been raring to run only a half hour ago, sat by calm and watchful.
“Occupational hazard,” he answered. “To serve and protect.”
“You’re a cop?”
“Well… not exactly. I guess, technically, I am. I graduated from the academy, but the job wasn’t for me.”
“Then it’s not an occupational hazard.”
“No,” he chuckled again. “I guess it’s just a regular, old habit. I see someone in need and I offer to help.”
“Could you go back to Sequoia University and drag the man who knocked me up to face my mother? That would help me out a lot.”
He had half a mind to do it. He couldn’t imagine any father willfully abandoning his child. But then again, if the wolf wasn’t willing to take care of his responsibilities, he didn’t deserve the gift of a child. Pierce inhaled and caught another hint of the precious life growing inside of her.
“My mother’s going to kill me when I come home with a degree in hand and a baby in my belly.”
Pierce’s mouth opened before he knew what words were on tap. “Does it have to be him?”
“Who?” She pulled away from him, but not out of his embrace. Just enough to peer into his face.
He was struck dumb by those piercing, blue eyes. Wolves saw perfectly fine in the moonlight, but her eyes made him feel the need to squint at their crystal, clear brightness. The only thing that was missing was her smile; the one she’d given him when she asked him to spare her any niceties. He ignored that request once again. This woman needed someone nice in her life.
“I’m assuming you never brought him home to meet your family?” Pierce asked.
She gave a shake of her head to confirm his suspicions.
“Then it could be any man,” he said. “Your mother would never know.”
“What are you talking about?”
She stood, and he came with her. His arms remained just above her waist in an open, sort of hug.
“We could pretend that I’m the father,” he said. “That we’re mated.”
“Are you insane?” She pulled completely out of his embrace now.
“No. I’m a loner.”
Her face cleared in understanding. Sympathy spread across her angled features.
“You know what that means,” he said. “I won’t ever settle down. I don’t plan to have any children of my own because I would never leave a cub behind. But to help you? I’ll claim the child and then I’ll do what’s in my nature and run off.”
She thought for a second.
Shook her head decisively.
Then stopped and looked at him pensively.
“Why would you do something like that?” Her lip quivered on the last word.
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her it was in his nature to do the right thing. But it was also in his nature to leave the ones he loved behind. The heavy guilt he’d felt earlier at the start of the train ride pounded a reminder inside of his heart.
Lone wolves so often left nothing but broken promises, broken hearts, and broken dreams in their wake. Maybe Pierce had found the one thing his nature was good for.
It wasn’t his family who would be disappointed in him. It was hers. He had nothing to lose. The cub and his mother had everything to gain.
“It gives me a chance to use my talent of leaving for good.”
He inhaled her earthy scent. Inside, his wolf licked its chops. He couldn’t deny he wanted her. But he beat his wolf down into submission. She’d already had enough males take advantage of her for one lifetime. He inhaled again and the fresh, clean scent that was the new life inside her filled a void somewhere inside of him.
Chapter Four
Viviane looked at the guy, really looked at him, for the first time.
He was handsome. Really handsome. He was almost perfect-looking with the strong chin of an African prince, a long patrician nose that pointed to the aristocracy of Europe, and the plump lips of a delighted cherub.
To top that off, he was clean cut, like a city wolf. His beard and mane was shaved to within an inch of its life. His brown skin glistened in the dusky moonlight. But the suave, gentlemanly look of the top half of him was out of sorts with his bottom half.
Her eyes tilted down to the well-worn hiking boots with old muck caked on the tips. The same substance that befell his feet were a faded stain on the kneecaps of his cargo pants. Her nose told her that the linen shirt he wore was laundry fresh, but it too had seen better days.
“You’re very handsome,” she said.
When he blinked, she realized her words might have sounded forward. Unlike women in the city, she had never learned to temper her opinions. She always raised her hand in class, unlike the other girls who demurred to the largely male, mostly mediocre, student body. Viviane had grown up surrounded by females; men were sparse. She’d never learned to hold her tongue in front of males. She always said exactly what she thought.
“Are you gay?” she asked.
“No,” he chuckled.
He didn’t appear insulted at her inquiry. His chuckle dissolved into a patient smile as he waited for her to make what she would of his offer of pretending to be involved with her. Viviane didn’t let her guard down. Daniel had found her straight-talk amusing. At first.
“I thought maybe you needed a beard too,” she said.
He laughed in earnest, appearing to take no offense to her offer to be his fake mate to hide his sexuality. “I just came out of the closet as a lone wolf. I’m off to explore.”
Apparently he didn’t need to hide anything.
He was a straight, virile, alpha wolf. He was just like every male back home.
Viviane hadn’t been interested in any of the wolves in her hometown. They were all an untamed, uncouth, uncivilized, uncultured step below animals. Every one of them believed they were alphas. None of them were.
In the old days, they barked contradictory orders. They expected their women to stay home and take care of the house and cubs. They spent their days asserting their dominance, pissing on invisible lines of territory, and fighting off claims of other males. But that was no more.
Her pack Alpha’s superiority was absolute. Their territory was fenced in. And no one would dare pick a fight with the Veracruz wolves. Unless they wanted their balls ripped off, broiled with a sprig of sage, and handed back to them on a silver platter.
That security was enough for the wolves of her pack. But not for her. Viviane had always wanted more out of life. She’d wanted an education. She’d wanted to modernize the family farm.
Her mother had been against it. Insistent that, just as she didn’t need any man in her own life, her daughter didn’t need a human education. The old ways worked fine, Gloria Veracruz insisted. Viviane thought her mother a hypocrite. The Veracruz pack didn’t follow the old ways -not in the conventional sense.
Viviane took in the handsome, charitable, patient man standing before her. She didn’t even know his name. But it didn’t matter. The plan was crazy. If she were to bring him home, the pack would tear him apart, and serve him up with a side of smashed potatoes.
“I don’t know if you’re crazy or kind?” she said.
“A bit of both,” he shrugged. “It’s no trouble to make a stop, especially if it helps you out.”
“I’ve been nothing but trouble to you since the moment we met. First, I throw up all over you. Then I get you kicked off the train.”
Another shrug. “I was feeling cramped, anyway. I’m itching for a run.” He peered around. His eyes glinted in the moonlight. His wolf peeked out from behind those hazel eyes and grinned at her.