“I’m not really angry. I’m just pissed at Matt,” Ariel declared, snorting at all the emotions she released by saying it aloud. “I’m not used to be this emotional.”
“Most women like talking about it. Are you not used to talking about what you feel?” Reed asked, already knowing the answer, but it would be good for her to vent.
“No, I guess I’m not. Being pissed is worse than just be angry. Pissed creates a state of mind where I want to run this truck of Matt’s off the nearest cliff to prove to the jerk that he can’t control my life. I’m mad because he marked me last night without my permission. He bit me on my collarbone while I slept after we…well after things. It was like a damn dream happening. I knew he was all worried about me dying and—okay—I did let him have his way with me to make us both feel better. But the nanos didn’t even try to fix the bite—not that they haven’t had more important work to do in the last twenty-four hours. The place he put it is going to show to the world no matter what shirt I wear. And it looks like a cat scratch. I hate cats.”
She glared when Reed burst out laughing. “You know—you’ve been laughing at me since the day we met, Reed. If I didn’t get all mushy inside every time I looked at you, I’d kick your laughing ass. This is not funny. I’ve been all about turning into a wolf since I found out I could. That’s the honest truth and it surprises the hell out of me. But what if Matt’s people get the wrong idea about our relationship? After that woman tried to kill me, Matt didn’t need to give me the werewolf version of a damn hickey.”
Reed shrugged. “Alphas rarely ask permission to do anything. They just tend to do what they think is right.”
Ariel snorted. “If that were true, I’d have knocked Matt’s teeth out of his head this morning. I didn’t because I owe him for all he’s done to help me, but nothing gave him the right to turn me into one more piece of Gray Wolf property. I’m not his property. Anything could happen to me and probably will. Our situation is not normal and I’m not a normal werewolf. He needs to get over himself. He doesn’t rule the world—or at least not my world.”
Reed nodded and worked to school his expression into something sober. “Matt says he loves you. He wanted to know how I felt about it. I told him your approval was all that mattered.”
Ariel snorted again. “Matt doesn’t love me. He just loves that I give him sex without wanting anything in return. Any male would love a female who did that. We agreed to mutually take care of each other without emotional strings. We agreed to be friends. The benefits of that friendship did not extend to permanent werewolf hickeys.”
Reed couldn’t prevent the chuckle that escaped. “I think you are friends. Friends can be great lovers. Why can’t you believe Matt loves you?”
“Why? Because we’ve known each other less than two weeks. And we’re not really of the same species. Matt is always telling me how much I still smell like a human. I find that ironic because my wolf side now seems more real to me than anything else I know about myself. One side of my mind pursues logic like it always has, but the other part of me wants to kill and drag dead things around in my mouth. If Matt wanted to spend his life dealing with a mentally unstable female, he should have slept with the crazy woman who tried to kill me.”
“Bah…Matt felt nothing for the girl who harmed you. Well, he wanted to kill her, but I’m glad he showed mercy in her case. Killing outright usually starts more problems than it solves.”
“Matt is just confused. Great sex is not the same thing as love. I’ve had great sex before—okay, maybe not Matthew Gray Wolf-great sex—but I know the difference between the two things. I’m just a novelty to him. If he’s ready for a real relationship, he needs someone of his own kind.”
Reed laughed. “Ariel, what you are saying is irrational. You are his own kind, no matter how you became a werewolf.”
Ariel shook her head. “You know I’m not a real werewolf. Hell, I don’t know what kind of weird anomaly I am. I survived something that usually kills werewolves. And look what I’ve done to you, Reed. You were dying and I experimented on you just like Crane did.”
Reed looked sideways and growled. It was the first time Ariel had ever made him angry. “You saved my life. Never speak of it differently. I don’t want to get upset at you over your negative attitude about what you are.”
Ariel battled back the butterflies Reed’s anger caused inside her. Finally, she nodded and sighed. “Okay. We’ll go with saying I saved you. And I’m sorry you’re getting the brunt of my irritation with Matt. I saw his mark in the bathroom mirror this morning and all he did was laugh while I indignantly shrieked about it. I should have just kicked his ass right there and then so I could have put the anger behind me.”
Huffing and shaking his head, Reed looked out the window at the passing landscape he knew so well. He was going home—to the only home he’d ever known.
“I agree it wasn’t fair of Matthew to mark you without your permission. However, I can also see he might consider your body letting the mark linger as a sort of higher permission than your words might give. He knows your body can erase nearly any sign of harm.”
“Would you ever mark a woman without asking her first?” Ariel demanded.
Reed laughed. “I did it all three times I mated. I was raised to be assertive with females and didn’t really give them a choice. I was their alpha. But I did try to win them over before I completely mated them. It worked for me because I was careful in who I chose to mate.”
Ariel frowned and stared at the road. “But that’s not fair, Reed. They deserved to have a say in the matter.”
Reed laughed at her careful words. “Did you witness my relationships? How do you know it wasn’t fair? I concede none of my matings were quite as civilized as any human courtship. To the best of my recall though, none of my mates ever complained that what I did was unfair. Perhaps it was because I made it worth their while in every way I could. And I loved them with everything in me. I was always, always faithful. Being mated was a source of great joy for me.”
“I think we should stop talking about this while I can still remember why I like you so much. Otherwise, I’m going to start throwing around words like sexist and caveman,” Ariel declared.
“Human terms and human rules,” Reed stated flatly, shrugging at her glare. “I am an alpha—so are you. One day, I think you will understand how a sense of gut rightness can rule your decisions and banish all your mind’s rational doubts. I see your wolf is trying hard to teach you this lesson.”
“Now that’s where I have to disagree with you, Reed. My wolf was just as mad about the mark this morning as I was. It was my human side which kept calm about it. I can’t let myself care about another man who thinks he can control me. Those days are over.”
***
It was shocking when hundreds of miles of road bordered by untouched land finally parted to reveal signs of civilization on each side of it. Reed’s village was remote, but very picturesque. Houses were painted bright colors, neatly maintained, and all had well landscaped yards with a variety of foliage. It was an Alaskan suburbia in the middle of nowhere. They pulled over at a general store slash welcome center, which could have easily been located in Wasilla.
Several men walked out of the store as they climbed out of the truck. Ariel couldn’t take her eyes off the one who looked like yet another replica of Reed. She looked at the man seated beside her. His genes were obviously determined to survive and to replicate him as many times as they could.
She slammed her door closed and walked around to the front of the truck to stand at Reed’s side.
“Greetings Hanuk,” Reed said, addressing his grandson.
“Have you come back for a visit, grandfather?” Hanuk asked.
Reed nodded. “Yes…and to dispel some rumors. This is Dr. Ariel Jones. A human science organization she worked for captured me. Thanks to Ariel, we all managed to escape. However, her employers used me to turn her and two other women into werewolves.”
&
nbsp; Hanuk smiled. “Science? We heard you bit them and turned them.”
Reed raised an eyebrow. “Who would spread such rumors about me?”
Hanuk shrugged. “Travis—for one. But the same rumor is believed throughout the pack.”
“Travis? Is that right?” Reed asked, walking closer. “Travis told me you were the one spreading the rumors.”
Ariel narrowed her gaze when Hanuk laughed at the accusation. She glanced at Reed, who was staring stoically at his grandson, not laughing or smiling. When Hanuk stopped laughing, he shrugged.
“Like many others, I have been discussing the rumors…and wondering if they were true. As current alpha, I was concerned what your lack of mental stability might mean to us, especially since you seemed to have formed some sort of unusual alliance with the Gray Wolf Alpha.”
Reed smiled. “Matthew Gray Wolf’s healer saved my life. That is my alliance with him and his pack. He also took care of my scientifically made family when I was unable to see to their needs. Being newly converted, the women are passing through their burning time. Two of the Gray Wolf pack have accompanied Ariel’s charges to assist them. I expect you to make all the Gray Wolf members feel welcome and to show them respect while they are here. They will not interfere with Black Wolf matters.”
Hanuk snorted. “Your expectations for the pack are no longer my concern, nor are your promises something I can take for granted. Yet for the sake of maintaining peace, I will make the Gray Wolf members welcome.”
Ariel felt Hanuk’s stare switch to her before he spoke.
“Who is acting as your consort during your burning time, Ariel Jones?”
Ariel crossed her arms. “I’m not in the habit of answering personal questions from strangers.”
Hanuk laughed. “Come now. We’re not strangers. We’re family. Unless you plan to go off and start your own pack, you belong here with us.”
“Reed says the two women are my pack. Since that feels right to me, I’m working on figuring it out,” Ariel declared.
Hanuk mirrored her crossed arms and made his companions laugh at his disrespect of her. Ariel had a sudden urge to attack him and take him down, but pushed it back. The man was rude, but also something worse than just arrogant. He was playing with them. Every instinct she had said so. Still…it wasn’t her place to correct the situation. It was Reed’s.
While she waited, she bit her tongue, settling for a stoic glare at Reed’s nearly identical—but evil—twin. Behind her, she heard Crane’s jeep roll into a stop. Moments later, the rest of their group poured out. She felt Brandi’s alertness and Heidi’s mistrust without even turning around. Gareth appeared to stand on the other side of Reed.
It mildly surprised her when Travis walked by everyone and went directly to Hanuk. Ariel watched Hanuk nod, his mouth twisting into a snarl.
“Yet another wanderer finally returns to the pack,” Hanuk said, his tone ironic.
Travis nodded in reply. “Yes. I am home…and I’m willing to keep my part of our agreement.”
“What agreement is between you?” Reed asked, surprised to see the cousins conversing so intimately.
Ariel’s stomach fell as she watched Travis smile. It never reached his eyes.
“Hanuk and I have been sharing the role of Black Wolf Alpha the whole time you’ve been gone, Grandfather. We look similar, and smell similar, which is not surprising considering we share the same unfaithful male for a father. The pack has never questioned the switch. He serves a year and I serve the next. We use his name—and avoid pack females who might betray us.”
“For what purpose would you deceive the Black Wolf pack in this way?” Reed asked.
Ariel saw Travis step closer to Hanuk who glared at Reed. A fight seemed imminent.
“For the same reason you and our parents kept your deceit from everyone. We like having control, so listen well, Old Man. If you challenge us for the alpha position, you’ll be challenging the both of us and the alliances we have made among the pack’s people. Your ancient ways have no place here now. But if you have come to try—we will gladly let you have your death.”
Ariel lifted an eyebrow when Reed seemed to grow several inches taller. He glared at his second generation offspring. The original was a bigger man than either of the clones. There was no doubt about it and she had no doubt he could best them. But it had to be eating at Reed to see his grandsons aligned against him. He had been so sure Travis was a good man.
“I want to talk to your parents. I’m sorry, Travis. But I do not believe your story about your parentage.”
Travis shrugged. “Your belief makes no difference to what is the truth. It’s not our fault if you were never told.”
Hanuk smiled. “Go in peace and visit who you want. It will change nothing. You can stay three days and then I want you all gone unless you intend to challenge me. Otherwise…I will have you removed.”
Ariel winced as Reed turned without replying. He told all them to get back into the vehicles.
Before Ariel climbed into the truck, Brandi stepped up beside her and leaned in to whisper. “Now that I’ve seen them both, I’m pretty sure it was Travis who shot Reed, not Hanuk. But I don’t know why he would do it. He seemed to like his grandfather.”
Ariel searched each man’s nearly identical face. What were they getting from their ruse? Were they getting money from the pack? Or just power? Her instincts held her on an edge of hyper alertness while her wolf paced back and forth, restless and worried about what was going on.
Chapter 14
They were installed for the night in a series of scarcely furnished cabins near the edge of the village. She and Reed ended up taking the one with two beds, giving the ones with single beds to the couples.
When Reed disappeared to visit his children, Ariel went out to walk. She ended up by a stream cascading energetically over a lot of big rocks. It reminded her of a white water rafting trip she’d taken once in Colorado. That had been before she married.
Putting everything into her studies, she’d never had time for making genuine friends. When she’d gone on the white water rafting trip, it was with all strangers. After they’d fished her out of the river three times, they’d been pretty tired of her. Some had verbally expressed their frustration with her incompetence.
Feeling ostracized had always been a normal occurrence in her life, which is why she was always surprised by her happiness to see Brandi and Heidi walking toward her, as they were now. If having a pack meant having people in your life who just accepted you without questioning your weirdness, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad deal. It might be worth the sense of responsibility she felt and all the concern she had about whether or not the two women coming toward her were happy.
“Hey. I was just heading back to the cabin. Figured you two would be taking care of your personal business, not traipsing out her after me,” Ariel joked.
Brandi snorted. “Gareth is fast. Business resolved for us long ago. I left him sleeping it off.”
“Same here,” Heidi said. “Ryan is nervous. I faked it so he’d go to sleep. I’m too worried to enjoy myself.”
“Why? Are you all as worried about Reed as I am?” Ariel asked, looking between them to see both heads nodding.
She sighed when they were in sight of the cabins again and headed to a covered shelter with several picnic tables under it. When she sat, they each took seats across from her. It had been this way since their conversion. On the gurneys, they’d been complete strangers. As werewolves, they were a solid team of three.
For the first time since her conversion, Ariel felt emotion rising in a wave which threatened to bring on a flood of tears. Other than extremely lonely, she couldn’t describe what her life had been like before she knew them.
“Reed refers to our connection to each other as having a pack mentality. While my scientific mind struggles with his explanation, I do feel like I’ve known you two all my life,” Ariel confessed.
Brandi nodded. “You’re not th
e only one who thinks this is weird, Ariel. I have this constant sense of your…I don’t know…personality or something reaching out to me all the time. It’s almost like you’re a family member…I guess…or at least what I’ve always imagined having a family would be like. I never really had much of a family.”
Ariel sighed. “I’ve never been one of those people who butt into other people’s personal business, but I don’t seem to be able to stop the urges where the two of you are concerned. Have you given any thought to what you want to do when we get back to Wasilla?”
Heidi tucked her hair behind her ears. “My life…before all this…was not so great. My parents were killed when I was a junior in college. They left behind mostly debts so I had to drop out of school. Thinking I was going to start over fresh, I followed a guy I met to Anchorage. After he ditched me and took off to the lower forty-nine again, I was suddenly left in Alaska with no car, no money, and no way of making a living. I found a way to get by, but kind of lost track of my self-esteem in the process. It’s not like I slept with all the guys I entertained, but I got paid to make them happy any way I could.”
Ariel Page 14