by A. D. Ryan
Yeah. Apparently my new home had an indoor pool, too.
The tension in my body continued to grow as the moon became fuller, so I got up early and ran on the treadmill every morning to help ease the feeling. I still had six days until I would be forced to shift, but I could feel it teetering on the edge. I was certain it would only take one small incident and I’d explode, so I decided to exhaust myself in hopes of avoiding that particular scenario. I wasn’t sure if it actually worked that way, but I was willing to give it a shot.
Sensing my boredom on the second night, Nick headed down to the little, and extremely over-priced, gift shop and bought a deck of cards and various candy bars. We raided the minibar—even though I argued, saying it was too damn expensive—and we played cards, ate empty calories, and drank ourselves stupid.
Not too stupid, though; unlike the other night, I didn’t throw myself at him in a moment of weakness and desperation. He had other ways to keep me distracted, and I was grateful for his friendship. Especially when he’d made his feelings for me crystal clear. And while I could admit to my own feelings toward him reigniting, I wasn’t ready. Nick accepted that.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be ready, and when I was, I couldn’t promise that I would be ready to move on with Nick—what if our time had passed? Only time would tell, I suppose. In the meantime, we would return to the manor under the guise of being a happy couple and go from there.
When I woke up on the third day to see the sun was actually shining and we could see the outside world instead of the blowing snow, I was elated. We still had approximately six hours on the road, so I headed down to the gym to get a run in. My cabin fever had peaked and this had been my only outlet while we were snowed in.
Nick checked us all out while I loaded our things into my car. Meanwhile, Jackson and Vince headed over to pick up the van they were using to transport the bikes since the condition of the roads was still questionable. When they returned, we headed out. Nick drove a little more carefully as he navigated the icy streets.
“We’ll need to get you a set of winter tires,” he said. “Or a car that’s better suited to Canadian winters.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” I agreed, cracking my knuckles and fidgeting. I’d only been in the car a short time and my restlessness had returned. Claustrophobia wasn’t something I ever really had to deal with before, but ever since I was bitten in Chaparral Park over a month ago, confined spaces put me on edge. I’d hoped my morning run would relax me, but apparently being cooped up in a hotel for three days and in a car the one before that had gotten the best of me.
In an effort to keep my mind off of my increasing agitation, Nick let me be in charge of the music, but I couldn’t settle on any one thing for long, so I eventually gave up. I was like a child who was on a family road trip, unable to sit still or keep busy long enough to help the time pass more quickly.
The highway was pretty busy with people who’d also been grounded by the storm, but we still managed to make excellent time. When we got to the Canadian border, I handed over my passport, and then we were on our way. Only a few more hours, and we’d be at our final destination. This made me nervous, but there was a flicker of excitement as well.
I watched out the window as we drove the rest of the way, the peaceful scenery helping me relax a little more. The mountains were absolutely amazing against the bright blue sky, and there was barely a cloud in sight. I know I said I loved the desert, but I had no idea how beautiful the mountains were.
Any photo I’d ever seen just didn’t do them justice. Sure, it looked cold outside, but the beauty took my breath away, and the temperature and snow-covered ground didn’t even faze me anymore. This was what I needed; the open space and quiet that only living outside any major city could bring.
“We’re here,” Nick announced as we rounded a corner off onto another road. We drove a few yards before stopping at a large wrought-iron gate with stone support columns every six feet. I couldn’t see much since the driveway seemed to stretch on, but I tried as Nick rolled down his window to punch in the code to open the gate.
Driving down the circular driveway, we approached the house, I gasped. It was amazing. No wonder Nick said he couldn’t do this place justice. It was beyond words.
First of all, the mountains were right there. I mean, it would definitely be a trek to reach them, but I wouldn’t doubt if the Pack went for several runs a week in and around them. If they didn’t, they were crazy. I imagined it would be exhilarating, and I would run every chance I got. I looked forward to shifting for the first time since all of this started, which, in itself, was a huge development.
Then I saw the house…if one could even call it that.
It was huge. Bigger than anything I’d ever seen except in movies. Made of light gray and tan colored brick, it stood at least two stories high. The windows above the second storey hinted at either an attic or an upstairs addition to whatever rooms they topped, and there were at least three balconies off the front of the house—who knew if there were more in the back. There were trees everywhere on the huge plot of land as well as right in front of the house, some of them bare and covered in frost and snow given the cold winter months while the pine trees remained green. Off to the right of the house was an addition almost the size of the main house with a terrace on the roof.
I couldn’t wait to explore this place.
“Wow,” I breathed as Nick rolled to a stop in front of the house.
“Told you. Come on.” He opened his door and rushed around to open mine since I was still sitting there, dumbstruck.
He grabbed our bags as I crawled out, breathing in the crisp winter air and strangely reveling in it. It was so clean compared to back home. Nick led the way up to the front door as we heard the guys pull into the driveway and park behind us.
Inside, I picked up the unfamiliar scent of several Pack members as well as faint traces of the ones I already knew, and I stopped in my tracks, completely blown away by this place. It was like something straight out of a movie—Gone with the Wind, actually.
“Holy shit,” I murmured as I let my duffle bag fall to the floor heavily, and Nick chuckled behind me.
The foyer was stunning, the off-white walls accented by the deep mahogany color of the banisters and wood trim of the two curved staircases that shared a main platform at the top. From there, the hall curled around either side, disappearing and leading to where I assumed the bedrooms were. Below the stairs was the entrance to what looked like the formal sitting room, and it had floor to ceiling windows that showcased the Rocky Mountains in all their miraculous glory. Four structural columns only added to the ambiance of the home between the foyer and the sitting room. Everything was so bright and open, and it was so elegant and welcoming—which, if I was being honest, I didn’t expect from a pack of werewolves.
I couldn’t imagine what the rest of the house looked like if this was just the front entry.
We weren’t in the house very long, Nick having just barely closed the door before hurried footsteps echoed through the house and a loud voice was heard.
“You made it,” the deep voice called out, coming from around the corner of the sitting room. Soon, a man about six feet tall with shoulder-length black hair and dark blue eyes approached. Even though his hair was several shades darker, the sides graying in that sophisticated way, I saw a lot of Corbin in his features, and I immediately deduced he was Marcus.
His eyes fell on me, and his already wide smile broadened, his eyes sparking with recognition. “You must be Brooke,” he said warmly, opening his arms and pulling me into them as if we were lifelong friends.
It caught me off guard, but I went with it, hugging him back quickly. “I am,” I said with a slight smile. “Marcus?”
Marcus laughed, releasing me from his greeting hug and holding me at arm’s length by my biceps. “She’s much prettier than you’d described, Nick,” he goaded, shooting me a quick wink. He was friendly, and I
could see myself being able to open up to him easily, but behind this warm welcome, I sensed he was the Pack Alpha for a reason. There was a hardness in his eyes that only a leader would have, and his posture was strong and confident.
The door opened behind us as the rest of the Pack filtered in. Marcus dropped his hands, his eyes drifting to the guys. “Welcome home,” he said as Corbin walked past and hugged his father. My stomach twisted as I watched this heartfelt reunion between father and child, and I found myself looking away and wishing I was with my own parents.
“Where’s Mom?” Corbin asked, piquing my interest. There were other women living here? I guess that explained the elegance of this place.
“Your mother’s in the kitchen, preparing dinner with the others,” he said. “Why don’t you go say hello. She’s been missing you terribly.”
Something told me that this was the first time Corbin had been away on a mission.
Corbin dropped his bag on one of the Victorian-style chairs that sat along the wall in the curve of the stairs and went into the room on the right. Curious, I looked after him and saw there was a formal dining room, the walls painted a rich terra cotta color and adorned with some classic art pieces. The kitchen must have been straight through.
The other guys greeted Marcus before retreating upstairs. As several doors closed, Marcus turned his focus back to me, and this time he met me with a solemn expression. “Nick filled me in on what happened, Brooke, and I just want to extend my greatest sympathies to you.” My chin quivered and tears stung my eyes as I nodded. “If you need anything—and I do mean anything—please come to me. I’d like to help.”
I sniffled, straightened my posture, and held my head high. “Thanks,” I said, my voice wavering slightly. I could feel the tears welling up, so before they had a chance to fall, I turned to Nick. “I’m a little tired. I think I’m going to go and freshen up before dinner, if that’s all right?”
Nick looked from me to Marcus, then back again. “Yeah, of course. I’ll come with you.”
“It’s okay,” I said with a reassuring smile. “You two should catch up on everything. I’ll be fine. Come get me when you’re done.” I grabbed my bag from the floor and slung it over my shoulder before taking my suitcase from Nick. I had just stepped onto the first stair when Nick approached me.
“At least let me show you where it is,” he offered softly, eyes concerned.
I placed my free hand on his cheek, chancing a glance at Marcus as I initiated our charade. Did he know we weren’t really together? If he did, did he care, or did he understand why Nick wanted to carry on with this pretense?
“I’m sure I’ll find it. I’ve got this uncanny sense of smell now,” I joked, leaning forward and kissing him lightly. Nick’s breath caught as though he hadn’t expected the gesture, and before I could pull away, his own hand came up to cradle my face. His long fingers curled around my neck and into my hair as he kissed me a little firmer. My lips tingled beneath the pressure, and when he pulled away, I smiled. My head was a little fuzzy as I continued to climb the stairs, and when I reached the top, I turned to find him downstairs, still watching me.
Butterflies flourished in my belly, but they turned to ash when my guilt about David returned. It was too soon to let myself feel this way. It was disrespectful to David’s memory…right? Just because Nick and I had a past and it was easy to fall back into old habits didn’t make this right. I couldn’t rush into anything. I was still far too fragile.
At the top of the stairs was a set of double doors, which I assumed led to Marcus and his wife’s quarters. Down each curved hallway were three sets of doors along the outer wall and then another set of double doors at each end. I inhaled deeply, catching the subtle notes of Nick’s familiar scent before turning left to follow it. There were several other scents down this hall—Zach, Vince, and others I didn’t recognize. One more sniff, and I found them to be distinctly female. I passed the room next to the central one and knew it to be Zach’s. Vince’s was next and where one of the female scents came from. The other unknown female’s room was after, which meant that the set of double doors at the end of this hall was Nick’s room.
Excited about the idea of a little time to myself, I opened one of the doors and let myself in. However, the sight that greeted me forced my previous plan to relax to fly through the glass French doors on the other side of the room and then throw itself over the balcony.
Chapter 5 | competition
I stood there, stunned into silence, the door wide open as I watched the naked woman scramble off the bed, embarrassed. Up until the second she realized I wasn’t who she was waiting for, she’d been lying on the bed seductively, her right leg folded in exactly the right way to cover her lady-bits and her arms folded just enough to emphasize her breasts.
“Sweetie,” she said as she grabbed a black silk robe and pulled it on. She lifted her dark auburn tresses from the back—a color she got from a bottle, I might add. “I think you have the wrong room.”
Sniffing, I took a quick look around, recognizing a few of Nick’s belongings from when we were together, and then turned my glare on her. “Mmm,” I hummed, taking a slow, calculating step into the room. My vision went a little wonky for a minute and my hands trembled. “Nope. I was looking for Nick’s room, and based on the Matt Leinart autographed football on his mantle—the football I got him for our first anniversary—I’d say I’m in exactly the right room.” I dropped my things, stopped in my tracks a few feet away from her, and crossed my arms. “So I think the question remains… Who are you, and why are you in here?”
Another sniff, and I could tell she wasn’t human; she was wolf, and it was her scent I’d picked up from the room next door. Nick’s scent lingered on her skin. I wasn’t sure if it was because they were involved previously or because she was just rolling around on his bed naked. Either way, it enraged me, and every muscle in my body started to tighten.
I shouldn’t have been this worked up—knew that. I was in no way ready for a relationship, and Nick and I hadn’t spoken in seven years. I tried to tell myself I was just acting the part; that I was playing the character of Nick’s girlfriend who just stumbled upon a naked woman in his bed.
I was damn convincing. Even to myself.
Then she inhaled deeply, and I saw what she must have seen in my eyes: a spark of recognition. Her blue-gray irises brightened around the edges, and a deep, guttural rumble started in her chest as her hands clenched at her sides. “His scent is all over you,” she snarled, her lips curling back. “Why is his scent all over you?”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose and a prickle of alarm raced up my spine, but I stood my ground. She rounded the end of the bed, eyes looking me up and down as if wondering how capable I was at defending myself, trying to see if she could find the chink in my armor. She wouldn’t.
“I asked you a question,” she demanded a little more forcefully.
I took another step forward, showing her that I wasn’t afraid of her. “I asked mine first.”
Her rage and jealousy thickened the air as much as my own did, the only difference was that I could hear the telltale beginnings of the change working its way through her body, whereas I was nowhere near shifting.
Perhaps she would find that weakness, after all.
Loud footsteps thundered up the stairs and down the hall before Nick burst in, red-faced as his eyes darted from me to this woman. I could see the panic in his expression, feel it in the way he looked at me apologetically.
“Nick,” the woman said. “What the hell is going on here?”
He looked at me. “Brooke, can you give me a minute alone with Roxanne?”
I looked her up and down. She was tall—five foot nine, probably—lean, and muscular. Her hair was long, hanging down to the curve of her waist, and her skin slightly glowing and tanned, despite the winter weather. Roxanne. Yeah. She looked like a Roxanne.
“You want me to leave our room?” I demanded incredulously, pu
rposefully throwing that information out there. I was being petty, and I didn’t give a rat’s ass.
Roxanne looked as stunned as I had been upon finding her. Her brown eyes widened, eyebrows shooting up behind her perfect bangs, and her mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”
I inwardly smirked—okay, maybe a little outwardly, too. I’d hoped my comment would feel like a kick to the balls. Mission accomplished, based on her sour expression.
“Roxy,” Nick said, almost pleadingly. “Can we talk?” He glanced at me, and I crossed my arms, resolute about not leaving the room. “In the hall?”
With a huff, Roxanne followed Nick out into the hall, but not before “accidentally” slamming her shoulder into mine. I was knocked slightly off balance, and she glared over her shoulder.
I caught my footing as she pulled the door mostly closed behind her and muttered, “Bitch,” under my breath.
Now, I knew eavesdropping was wrong, but I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t like they took their conversation away from the door, and how was I supposed to block it out when my hearing was so acute? It wasn’t like I pressed my ear to the door and listened that way…at first.
“Brooke? Are you fucking kidding me, Nick? You couldn’t have called and told me?”
“Rox,” Nick said, “You and I were never serious.”
“Are you fucking her?” she interjected crassly.
“Jesus, Roxanne,” Nick mumbled, and I imagined him running his hands over his face in frustration.
“Are you?”
There was a moment of hesitation. “We’re together.”
“Together?”
“Mated,” he informed her, his tone confident.
Even through the door, I could sense her fury as it burned the air. Nick said they were never serious, but did she know that?