I knew that I had to help Owen, so I turned to the mahogany table, and grabbed one of the legs, pulling with as much strength as I could. An antique, the wood was pliable from the years, saturated by the humid Texas air. It bent, albeit slowly. I kept pulling, willing it with everything that I had left within me at this point, until it finally separated from the rest of the table. It wasn’t sharp; it was quite blunt, but it would have to do. Holding the table leg out like a lance, I raced toward Charleston’s unwitting back, praying that I wouldn’t hit a rib. I yelled as I used my momentum to stab him in the back with the table leg.
At first, it glanced off of a rib before sliding through his back. I twisted upward, hitting his heart. Charleston dropped Owen, who slid to the floor. Charleston turned, looking at me as his face seemingly began to sweat blood. He began to say something, but fell; a mess of blood and pulpy tissue upon the floor.
I raced to Owen, leaning down beside him. He groaned, and then nuzzled me with his velvet snout. It appeared that the twins and Sami had control of Boudreaux. Owen got up, as he did so, he shape-shifted back into his human form. He looked at me with tired eyes. I felt a rush go through my stomach as I realized he was naked. His body was as well-formed as his canine shape, defined muscles rippling beneath his unevenly tanned skin. He had a light dusting of dark hair that trailed down his stomach. He smiled as I looked at him.
“Let’s get you out of here,” he said roughly, and I looked at his throat, which was red from Charleston’s hands. He picked me up in his arms and walked to the window which overlooked a field of bluebells, the light early morning sun illuminating them. I tucked my head in beneath his chin, feeling awash in relief. He ran, through the bluebells, and into the forest, taking me back to the cottage.
“I need some clothes,” he said, placing me down in the living room, and then walking into the bedroom. “And then I’ll take you back to your house.”
“Wait—” I said, gathering up the skirt of the long evening dress. He turned to me, and his eyes were flashing, angry.
“How am I supposed to protect you if you leave?” He said, cutting me off. “How could you be so stupid?”
“I needed my money,” I said, lamely.
“No, you didn’t.” He snapped. “It’s just money. I’ve lived my whole life with next to nil. You may not be used to that, but you need to realize that your life is more important than feeling comfortable.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you? We risked our lives for you,” he gripped me by the shoulders. “We do that for members of our Pack. We promised to protect you. There are other vamps out there—not just the Palmers. Friends of the Palmers, though. You’re part of this, now.”
I put my hand on his cheek. It was warm and rough with stubble. A tear ran down my cheek. He turned away, and I grabbed his arm.
“Stay,” I said.
“I’m not a dog to be commanded,” he said, looking at me with feral eyes.
“I want you to stay with me,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest. He stood still, looking me directly in my eyes. When I was sure that he wasn’t going anywhere, I reached up, unzipping the gown, and easing it off of my shoulders until I stood before him in the lacy black bra and panties. He exhaled deeply as he looked me over. I unsnapped the bra and let it slide off down my arms, then stepped out of the panties.
He grabbed me, picking me up and throwing me down on the sofa. He nuzzled my neck with his nose, kissing my throat up to my ear, which he nipped lightly making me exhale sharply. I pushed him back until he was sitting, and I was sitting astride him. We kissed hungrily, eyes open. Running my fingers through his tousled hair, I held myself close to him, as though I wanted to melt into him. I felt him become hard against my leg.
He stood, holding me against him, then threw me down on the sofa, his stubble burned as he kissed my stomach, nuzzling his mouth between my legs. Warmth shot through my stomach as he expertly licked me. I felt loosened, freed as I came, yelling out suddenly. He kissed my stomach, smiling smugly at me. I smiled back at him, brushing his hair out of his eyes.
He was over me in a hot second, gently entering me, watching my face with a tentative expression. Everything about him was so warm and solid—he held my legs up as he rocked me back and forth. I was panting; I had him, but I wanted more. I arched my back, reaching up and circling his neck with my arms. A layer of sweat slid between us, he was breathing in my ear.
“What do you want?” He said breathlessly.
“I want you to come for me,” I whispered. He pumped harder, and I rocked my hips to meet his rhythm. I could feel my own orgasm building up with his, and we both broke together, suddenly coming apart at the seams in each other’s arms.
He slid behind me on the sofa, wrapping my body with his. I had never felt this comfortable with someone before, I realized with an electric jolt. I laced my small, slender fingers through his longer, masculine ones. He whispered in my ear.
“Stay, Ness.”
“Okay, Owen.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
We fell asleep like that, legs entangled, his arms encircling me, the morning light shining through the curtains.
The sun had advanced by the time that I woke up. Owen was breathing heavily in his sleep. I was starving. Un-entwining myself from Owen, I went into the kitchen. I opened up the cabinets and the refrigerator, taking stock of what was available. The refrigerator was stocked full of raw, red meat I found.
“Ew,” I whispered, shaking my head as I recalled that the man that I’d just had sex with was not entirely a man at all. Werewolf. I settled for dry cereal and a glass of orange juice. I heard him get up off of the couch. The tired, haunted look had returned to his eyes when he entered the kitchen.
“I thought you’d left again,” he said.
“Nope. Just getting something to eat,” I said, holding up the bowl of dry cereal. “Want some Cheerios?”
“Sure,” he said, getting the milk out of the fridge for his. We stood silently in the kitchen, eating our cereal.
“I didn’t thank you for rescuing me,” I began.
“Someone had to,” he said. “You don’t have to thank me.”
“You didn’t have to,” I said. “You barely know me.”
“I wanted to,” he responded. “Not everyone in the Pack was up for it. Bianca said you’d made your choice. Pastor Rich had to stay out of it since he has a public image to maintain. The Palmers, oddly enough, were part of his congregation. But I wanted to. And Sami and the twins were behind me.”
“Why?” I asked. “Why save me?” He looked at me.
“Don’t you know?” I shook my head.
“Tell me.” He put his cereal bowl down on the counter and put his lips up against my ear.
“We wolves have a tendency to imprint,” he whispered warmly. I laughed.
“You’re kidding.”
“I want you,” he said in my ear.
“You have me quite at your mercy, Mr. Wolf,” I replied. He took my bowl away from me, and lifting me in his arms, carried me in to the bedroom.
He was so gentle with me—this time, it was less frantic than before. The lovemaking was slow, and he made sure that I came first, massaging my clit with his fingers. I kept my eyes open the whole time—the way that he looked at me making my insides feel electric. I had never felt so desired before. He came, moaning softly as he tucked his face in to the hollow between my chin and my neck. I never wanted this to end, but at the same time, the outside world knocked.
“Owen—” I began.
“No. We’ll talk later. Tonight, just be with me.” He sat up, gasping. “Tonight! Fuck.”
“What?” I said, sitting up.
“It’s the full moon. I’ll have no control over myself,” he explained, quickly grabbing clothes out of his dresser, and tossing me a shirt and a pair of athletic shorts far too big for me. “You have to get out of here—somewhere safe.”
“Where? Where
should I go?”
“There’s a hunting blind, about a mile away,” he said, looking out of the window, where the twilight created a blue glow. “I think I can get you there before the moon rises.”
We were running through the woods again, racing toward the hunting blind. I heard a distinct howling. Owen paused.
“Shit,” he said, dropping me as he began to shift into a wolf. We were too late. “Run.”
I ran, as fast as I could on my bare feet, but I didn’t know where I was going and it was dark. My heart leaped as I raced. I suddenly heard a growl behind me as Owen leapt upon me, knocking me to the ground. I looked into his eyes, usually brown; they were a shocking red color. I screamed as he bit me.
I was afraid that this was the moment that I was going to die. Just when life had seemed so promising, Owen was going to tear my throat out. This was when a large, copper-colored Alpha sprang from the bushes. Pastor Rich, I thought. I held a hand to my throat, which was bleeding freely. The Alpha snarled, forcing Owen away from me. I quickly tore a strip of cloth off of the t-shirt that I was wearing, and wrapped it around my neck to slow the bleeding.
This was when I realized that I was beginning to sweat. The woods were spinning, and I tried to stand, staggering to my feet. I didn’t know where to go. I could hear the two wolves snarling and snapping at each other nearby. I sank back to my knees, keeping pressure on my wound. I felt faint, like I was going to pass out. And then everything faded, and I fainted.
When I awoke, everything was bright—far too bright. I was in Owen’s bedroom, and he sat next to me on the bed, wearing only a pair of jeans; his hair mussed, and the skin around his eyes red, as though he’d been crying. He had bruises and scratches on his body. Pastor Rich, dressed all in black, stood by the door, a solemn look upon his face. I felt like I had a fever—hot and covered in sweat.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” I croaked, and Owen held a plastic garbage can for me as I vomited bile. I lay back on the bed, breathing through my nose. “What’s wrong with me?”
“I’m so sorry,” Owen said, holding my hand. “If you want me to leave—”
“Stay,” I whispered. He looked like he was going to cry.
“When Owen bit you in the woods last night, you were infected,” Pastor Rich said.
“What does that mean?” I asked. My head was throbbing.
“You’re going to be a werewolf,” Owen said. I looked at him. He was wracked with guilt. I nodded. Oh well. Better than a vamp, I suppose.
“It’s okay,” I said.
“No, it’s not,” Owen said. “I promised to protect you, but I couldn’t even protect you from myself.” I shut my eyes.
“I want this,” I said. “I’m going to be strong, and I’m going to stay with you, Owen Green.” I could hear Owen sobbing silently as I dropped off into an uneasy sleep.
I slept fitfully, waking up to hallucinations—my parents, skin pale as the Palmer’s standing over me. I didn’t know where I was, and I felt too sick or weak to stand. I fell back to sleep, waking again, but this time to all of the Palmers, standing in a half-circle around the foot of the bed. I tried to scream, but my throat was swollen, and I couldn’t seem to make my vocal chords work. I felt so warm, and I was drenched in my own sweat.
I dreamed that I was back in the bar, with Kelly and Ella. We all sat around the table at the Ice House, and I sat with my fingers on the heart-shaped planchette for the Ouija board.
“Hey girls. Are we playing?” I said, waiting for them to place their fingers on the planchette.
“Of course we are, City Mouse,” Kelly said.
“You’re talking to us, aren’t you?” Ella said.
I noticed that their necks were slit open, and their blood was coursing down their chests.
“We’re still dead, City Mouse,” Kelly said. They smiled at me, their eyes going all black, and I woke with a start.
The fever was gone. The room was sunny, and I heard voices in the living room. The Pack. I eased myself up; I was wearing a t-shirt and the lace panties from the Palmer’s house of horrors. I felt tired and hungry, but stronger than ever. I got out of bed, padding over to the door. When I opened it, the twins sprung up from the sofa, locking me in a tight hug.
“Welcome to The Pack, Ness!” They said simultaneously. Bianca looked up from her book, a different one this time.
“It’ll be nice to have another she-wolf around,” she said, smiling warmly for the first time.
“Give her some space,” Owen said. He was looking at me hesitantly, standing with his hands in his pockets. I ran over to him, kissing him full on the lips. He froze for a second, then softened, leaning into the kiss.
“Enough, you two,” Sami said, laughing.
“I’m starving,” I said.
“Cereal?” Owen asked. I sighed, walking into the kitchen and throwing open the fridge. I grabbed one of the raw cuts of meat, tearing open the grocery store packaging before tearing into it with my teeth.
“That might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen a woman do,” Owen said.
“Shut up,” I replied, wiping blood from my mouth before devouring the whole thing.
The whole pack was present when I shifted into a wolf for the first time. They all shape-shifted first, one by one running into the woods, until only Owen and I were left standing by the cottage. I smiled at him. He smiled back, but I could tell that he still felt guilty.
“Let’s do this,” I said. He nodded, and I felt myself begin to shift. My senses sharpened—I could see better, and I could detect a million new smells. I looked at the wolf that was Owen, felt how much I cared for him with a jolt, and then leapt off into the woods after the rest of the Pack. We ran together, the trees and the sun blurring as we raced on. I felt strong, and connected, not just to Owen, but the others, as well. I belonged. I wasn’t some rich girl. I wasn’t some new girl in town. I was a she-wolf. I was a member of the Pack. But more than that, I was with Owen, the love of my life.
A few days later, back at the cottage, entwined in bed with Owen, he kissed my hair. It was night, and we had just gotten back from my first hunt with the Pack. I felt exhilarated, filled with fresh protein and endorphins.
“So, how is it?” He asked. “Everything that you wanted?” He still sounded bitter.
“Almost. But not quite,” I said. He froze. “I mean, I love it—the strength, the agility, the connection to The Pack…”
“But?” He whispered huskily.
“But I have this feeling that you think I’m going to leave again.” He exhaled. “And I want to prove to you that I won’t.” I turned so that I was looking him in the eyes. He looked afraid, set off balance.
“Marry me,” I said. It wasn’t what he had been expecting at all, I could tell.
“Are you sure?”
“More than anything,” I replied, and he pulled me in close. I could feel him smiling into my hair. “I love you, Owen.” He sat back, teasing a tendril of my hair.
“I love you, Ness,” he said. “I’ve never loved anyone before.”
“Neither have I,” I replied.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” he asked.
“Never patronize a she-wolf,” I warned him, nipping his ear playfully. He grabbed me, covering me with his body, and kissing me as everyone deserves to be kissed at least once in their lives. I was looking forward to being kissed that way every day for the rest of mine.
I never truly returned to the human world, forsaking it almost entirely for the safe, warm cocoon that I inhabited with Owen in our cottage in the woods, and the company of The Pack. I sometimes went into Wimberley, but the people there hardly recognized me. I didn’t look quite like my human self anymore—my features became more refined as I spent more time as a wolf. My body lost any extra padding that it’d had, and became more muscular, athletic. My eyes were suddenly a vibrant green. I began to wear my hair longer, as it was thicker, and fuller. Sami made me a wonderful fake ID, one for
a certain Ness Green, resident of the state of Texas.
Owen and I were married in a clearing in the woods by Pastor Rich. Only our pack was in attendance; they stood around us in a circle, wearing their best. It was deep into the afternoon in late summer, and I had a crown of blue bells and wildflowers in my hair that matched my bouquet. My dress was delicate white lace over a linen shift. As I walked alone into the clearing, my eyes were on Owen. He was wearing a white oxford over a pair of jeans and cowboy boots. His hair was tousled, and his ever-present stubble shadowed his jawline.
He smiled at me, like the first time he saw me, the smile reaching his warm brown eyes that I had come to love so much. He held out a hand, and I took it confidently after handing my bouquet to Bianca. He squeezed my hand as Pastor Rich began.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to join these wolves in holy matrimony,” he began, and we all grinned at the appropriation of our species. “Marriage, as Pack rules understand it, is a voluntary and complete commitment. It is made in the fullest sense and to the rejection of all others, and is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life.”
“Is it your intention to be married today?” Pastor Rich asked us.
“Yes,” we said together.
“Do you come here freely and without reservation?” He asked.
“Yes,” we both said, adamantly. Pastor Rich looked at me.
“Vanessa, do you take Owen to share your life, to build your dreams, and promise to give him your respect, love, and loyalty through all of the trials and triumphs in your lives together?” He asked. I looked at Owen as I said:
“I do.”
“Owen, do you take Vanessa to share your life, to build your dreams, and promise to give her your respect, love, and loyalty through all of the trials and triumphs in your lives together?” Pastor Rich asked.
“I do,” Owen was grinning easily.
“May I have the rings?” Pastor Rich asked. Sami stepped forward and handed Pastor Rich the rings. He handed the larger of the two unadorned golden rings to me.
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