Inferno: Werewolf Romance (Smokey Falls Wolves Book 1)

by V. Vaughn

  “You think?” I grab her hand and squeeze her fingers as I offer support. “Are you okay?”

  She looks back again as she hisses, “What the hell was that? You just told the wolf we were leaving, and he let us.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t think we’re his type. Not enough fur.”

  Alisha hits my arm. “What is wrong with you? I almost get eaten by a wolf, another one tries to kill you, and you’re joking about it?”

  “He wasn’t going to eat us,” I say.

  “Oh my God, Juliet! He growled, and did you see the size of his teeth?”

  The flash of the wolf’s teeth plays in my mind and sends a delicious shiver of attraction through me. But cold water is thrown on that feeling when I imagine the danger of human authorities going after him. The last thing I need is for Alisha to report this. “How many beers did you have?”

  “Oh no, you don’t. I know what I saw. What about the other one that came at you?” She shudders. “If wolfie hadn’t been there, we’d both be dead.”

  I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve acted the way the female did. I think she was jealous. “It never would have happened if the other wolfie hadn’t been sniffing us.”

  “How do you know so much about wolves?”

  “They’re a recent hobby of mine.”

  She frowns at me but seems to accept my explanation. “Make light of this if you want, but the girls will think like I do.”

  I stop walking and grab her arm. “You can tell them a good story, but this stays between you and me. That wolf had no intention of hurting us, and if we tell Chelsea, she’ll want to report it. He was looking out for us, but nobody would believe that. If we start a wolf hunt, who knows what the authorities would do to him?”

  “Oh.” Alisha’s quiet for a moment as she considers my words. “I didn’t think about that.” She takes a deep breath, and I know I’ve got her. She’s the one in our group to usually come up with a good story to get us out of trouble. “Okay. I’ll give the ditzy-Alisha exaggerated version so the girls think I’m making it up for shock value.”

  I let out a deep breath. “Thanks.”

  Alisha bumps me with her shoulder as we walk. “Look at you being all animal lover and stuff. I had no idea.”

  “Yeah.” You really don’t have any idea. I wonder what she’d think if I told her we just met a couple of werewolves and that we’ll likely see the dark one again because he wants to mate with me. His growl replays in my head like sexy words, and I realize I might not be strong enough to resist him the next time.

  Four

  “I swear on my grandmother’s grave, Juliet whispered in his ear, and he took off running,” says Alisha.

  Chelsea mumbles to me, “I bet her grandmother is still alive.”

  Alisha says, “I heard that. Tell them, Juliet.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not sure what really happened. I’ve had a lot to drink tonight. I just know that the big dog that looked like a wolf didn’t hurt us.”

  “Fine,” says Alisha. “Be humble. But I was there and know what really happened.”

  Jayden raises her beer. “To the wolf whisperer!”

  When the other girls raise their drinks, I reluctantly join in to play along, but I wink at Alisha to let her know she was great. The real truth is I haven’t had much to drink at all, even though that was the plan. After one strong cocktail, I switched to soda and barely sipped my sweet after-dinner drink before I went in search of Alisha. I am drunk in a different way, though. The encounter with the wolf left me a bundle of raw sexual energy, and my wolf wants to shift and find him.

  But I can’t. If there’s a jamboree happening, then it’s likely he’s not from here and has to adhere to alphas’ rules, which probably entail a curfew to keep everyone out of trouble. My best bet is to make sure my friends and I stay far away from their gathering.

  The fire is almost out, and the girls are drunk, so I stand and say, “I’m tired. Anyone else ready for bed?”

  My friends get up and collect things before they go into the RV to get ready for sleep. I stay outside to push the embers around and cover them with dirt. When I’m sure the fire can’t reignite, I gaze out at the woods and sigh. A long howl sounds in the distance, and it echoes the longing in my heart. The familiar loneliness of being without a mate echoes in my heart. Even though I’ve accepted I’m meant to be alone, there’s no way to ignore the attraction I had to the wolf tonight. My animal side won’t let me. I wonder if my wolf’s primal need to be mated is what’s making me want to submit, despite my human need to be with someone as an equal. I kick at the fire one more time, and ash floats up before I go inside the RV.

  We drew straws earlier for sleeping arrangements, and Alisha and I ended up with the pull-out double bed in the main living space. When everyone is settled, I stare at the ceiling as the girls’ breathing begins to slow. I think Chelsea and Jayden are asleep when Alisha whispers to me, “When I’m done with my run tomorrow morning, you’re going hiking with me.”

  “Okay. I’ll make sure the other two are ready.”

  “Just us, Juliet. You’re not telling me everything about what happened in the woods tonight, and I’m not letting it go.”

  “Alisha.” I sigh. I’ve wanted to tell her for years about what I am. At first, I thought she’d run from me, but now I know better. She’s my best friend and loyal to the core. I’m more afraid she’ll manage to get herself into trouble with the information. I love my friend dearly, but she has the curiosity of a cat, and she can’t let things be. I take a deep breath. Lying by omission all this time is weighing heavy on my mind, so I say, “Okay. I’ll explain more tomorrow. Now go to sleep.”

  Birds chirp in the trees as I pace the campsite area and wait for Alisha. Jayden and Chelsea are still asleep, and I don’t want to explain why Alisha and I are hiking without them. I keep reminding myself about how Alisha is open minded and will embrace what I am with the unconditional love we have for each other. But the fact remains that nothing she expects to hear today can compare to my truth.

  The sound of her feet thudding softly along the road carries to me, and I walk over to meet her. “Hey,” I say when she gets close enough.

  She smoothes back a strand of hair from her forehead that is damp with sweat. “Hey. Thanks,” she says when I hand her an ice-cold water bottle. She gulps some down and tilts her head toward the path. “Ready?”

  I nod in reply and begin to walk. “Good run?”

  “Not bad. But since I don’t know the area, I had to pay attention.”

  I smile at my best friend and tease her. “I can see where that would be a problem for you.”

  She swallows down more water before she grins back. “At least I didn’t get lost.”

  “You stayed on the same road?”

  She chuckles. “Yup.”

  We walk in silence for a while before I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. “So about last night.”

  “I’ve been thinking about what I saw,” she says. “It’s kind of odd you were never afraid of those wolves. Why?”

  “Because they weren’t completely wolf.”

  “No?” Leaves rustle as she pushes a stray branch out of our way.

  “They were werewolves and understood what we were saying.”

  “Werewolves? And you know this how?”

  I stop and grip her arms lightly as if I can control her reaction. I look her in the eyes. “Because I’m one too.” Her brow lowers as if she doesn’t believe me, and I let my hands drop. “Think about it for a minute.” I can practically see the wheels in her head turn as she replays memories of odd situations. I think about the time she caught me crawling back through our window with my shirt on inside out, or when she claimed my eyes flash in a supernatural way that makes me look possessed when I get angry. As her face relaxes, I say, “You get it now, don’t you?”

  She nods slowly. “It does explain a few things.”

  “So yeah. I can turn into a wolf whenev
er I want to.”

  “That’s pretty cool.” She catches herself and asks, “It is, right?”

  I smile as relief washes the tension from my limbs. “It is. I should have known you’d think so too.”

  She links her arm with mine as we begin to walk again. “Why did that wolf try to attack you?”

  “She was probably jealous of me. The male was checking us out to see if either of us smelled like a compatible mate.”

  “Interesting.” She nudges me with her elbow. “He really liked the way you smell. Once he figured I wasn’t the same smell as the fleece I borrowed from you, he moved on to you, right?”

  I recall my reaction when the wolf sniffed me last night, and my insides twinge a little. “Probably.”

  “So does this mean you found yourself a new guy?”

  “No.” My voice comes out a little louder than I planned. “I’m not interested in having a mate.”

  “Why not? He was kind of cute in a wolfie way. I bet he’s hot as a man too.”

  If I’m going to bare my soul to anyone, it’s Alisha, so I say, “In my pack, there are very few females, but I still couldn’t find a mate. The males even went on to choose human women over me.” I sigh. “I’m just not cut out to have one. Besides, it seems he was already involved.”

  “Nope. I don’t buy it. I refuse to feel sorry for you, because I don’t believe for a second you’re meant to be alone.”

  “I’m fine. Werewolf men are obnoxious. You know, big, muscular, and cocky as all get out.”

  “I was right! Your wolfie is definitely hot.” She stops walking. “That wolf wanted you and then protected you from the other one. Now, maybe he’s not the one, but there is definitely someone out there for you, Juliet. Remember, the gypsy said you have a Romeo.”

  I reach into the pocket of my shorts, and the glass potion bottle the witch gave me is smooth in my fingers as I fondle it. I discover a smile has crept onto my face, and I quickly frown.

  We start walking again, and Alisha says, “Wait. The firemen. Are they werewolves?”

  “Yes.”

  “And the frat at school with the sexiest guys ever who were practically untouchable. Them too?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  She punches my arm lightly before she begins to hike again. “You could have told me, you know. No wonder they wouldn’t ask me out. I wish I had known it was because I can’t growl.”

  “That’s what you’re taking from this? You don’t care that your best friend is a freak?”

  She turns to walk backward as she speaks. “You are so not a freak. You’re amazing, and I’m a little jealous. Can you run superfast when you’re a wolf?”

  “Yup. Want to race me?”

  Her face lights up. “Can I?”

  “No! I was kidding.”

  She pouts for a second, and then her smile returns as she says, “If Roman is a werewolf, then you really could have your Romeo.” She steps back beside me. “I still say he likes you.”

  “Actually, I think he likes you. How do you feel about becoming a werewolf?”

  She stops again and latches onto my arm tightly. “Are you serious? Could I really become one? I can, can’t I?”

  “What is wrong with you? I was joking.” I chuckle. “You don’t even know what you’re asking. But yes. You could become one if you found your true mate.”

  “That’s so cool.” She splays her fingers over her neck. “Would he bite me and drink my blood?” She shakes her head as I grimace. “Right. That’s vampires.”

  We’ve reached a small ledge that has been cleared and allows us to gaze down at the valley. We stop to look, and I say, “I swear, Alisha. If I told you I was an alien, you’d probably ask me to beam you up to my planet.”

  “Well, duh. Human life is so boring.”

  I shake my head at my adventurous friend. “By the way, this isn’t something you can share with anyone.”

  She stares at me with intensity. “I guessed that. Thanks for telling me your secret. It makes me feel special that you trust me enough to let me know.”

  “You are special. I’ve never told another human what I am, but I trust you with my life.”

  “Aw. You’re making me teary, Juliet.” She waves her hand in front of her face before she pulls me into a sweaty hug. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Alisha.”

  When we break apart, she says, “So tell me more about how things work. I want to know everything.” She waggles her eyebrows at me as she sits on a rock and adds, “And I mean everything.”

  I roll my eyes at her as a grin covers my face, and I share everything she wants to know.

  Five

  My friends and I spent our first full day splashing around in the river, and now I’m working on the fire before a bunch of testosterone-driven wolves try to do it for us. The firemen will be here soon, and I’m not looking forward to it. Alisha is convinced Roman likes me, and the other two girls are fighting for the mirror so they can impress hunky firemen. I let out a big sigh.

  “Tonight will be fun, Juliet,” says Alisha as she approaches me with a drink. “Trust me.”

  She hands me a plastic cup, and I take a sip of the contents. The alcohol flavor is strong, and I squint at her. “You’re liquoring me up?”

  I told her that werewolves could handle more alcohol than humans because of our metabolism. She winks at me. “I think you can handle it.” Alisha sits in a chair and stretches her long legs out. “Are you going to be nice tonight?”

  “I will. I promise to save my best snark for you.”

  “Good. Chelsea and Jayden are practically peeing themselves with excitement over this.”

  “Yeah.” I frown because Alisha doesn’t seem that thrilled. “You’re not?”

  She twirls her foot and smiles as she bites her lower lip. “Logan and I have been texting.”

  I recall the calculator comment from the fortune-teller and ask, “He’s the physics teacher at your school, right?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Nice.” That explains why she’s been clutching her phone like it’s her lifeline, and I grin. “But wait. Didn’t he have to do math to get that job?”

  She rolls her eyes. “I know. It’s crazy to think I’m falling for a guy smarter than I am.”

  “What have I been telling you all these years? Sometimes we can’t see what’s good for us.”

  She raises her eyebrows at me, and I realize what I just said. I cross my arms as if she’s scolding me. “I know.” It’s just that my pride has taken so many blows I’m not sure I can handle another. But maybe I need to anyway, because a human man might not be any better. And Roman does have the look I go for. “I’ll try tonight.”

  Alisha stands up and swishes her hands together as if she’s wiping off dirt. “Good. My job here is done. Now I’m going back in to see if there’s some mascara left. You coming?”

  “Why not?”

  A half hour later, a large black truck pulls up next to our RV, and the four hulking men Alisha and I met in the airport get out. A large cooler thuds on the ground by the fire as Alex sets it down, and introductions are made. Roman offers me a quick smile but focuses on Chelsea as she offers him a drink. I use the opportunity to take stock of his appearance. His shoulder-length hair is dark and thick. I imagine what it would feel like in my fingers, and when he bends down to pull beer out of the cooler, I watch the muscles in his legs flex. If my wolf were a cat, she’d be purring. As it is, I have to turn away before my thoughts go too far.

  Alisha must have seen me checking out Roman, because she winks at me before giving her attention to Dean, a werewolf who is clearly a regular at the gym. He slides his hand up his chest to draw attention to his defined pecs displayed beneath a shirt that’s one size too small and then tugs on his collar. “Clothes can be so restraining, don’t you think?” he asks her.

  When I let out a noise of disgust Byron winks at me and says in a low voice only werewolves can hear, “He shops in the b
oys’ department.”

  I let out a snort and turn away. Sparks fly up as I poke at the fire, and Byron asks if he can help. We get into a discussion about how to cook steak over open flames, and even though he’s a shameless flirt, he convinces me he’s competent, so I take him up on his offer to do the grilling. Chelsea put foil-wrapped potatoes on the coals earlier and prepared salads, so there isn’t anything left for me to do. I take a deep breath and go over to Roman to make an effort. He’s talking to Chelsea, and she pulls me into the conversation.

  “I was just telling Roman about where we went swimming earlier.”

  “It’s so beautiful here,” I say. “What did you guys do today?”

  He shrugs. “Hung out.”

  Okay. So maybe he’s still pissed about me not believing they were firemen. “Have you guys worked together for a long time?”

  “A few years.” He glances over at Dean and says, “Excuse me,” before he walks away.

  Chelsea and I exchange puzzled looks, and she says, “Let’s go check on the salads.”

  I smile at her attempt to let me vent about Roman’s behavior. “I’m fine.”

  Jayden’s giggle carries to us, and we both glance over at her and Alex. He leans his head down and whispers, “Your dimples are cute.” I don’t think Chelsea can hear him, but their body language is speaking loud and clear.

  She nudges me. “How adorable is that?”

  “Very.” At least someone is getting attention. I look over at Roman and wonder what makes Alisha think he likes me, because he couldn’t be colder toward me tonight, while just the sight of him is warming me up. I gaze over at Byron and decide to flirt with the cook to take my mind off Roman.

  I tell Chelsea I’m going to check on the steaks, and she goes in the RV to start bringing food out for dinner. Beef sizzles on the metal rack as I approach the fire. “Hey, those smell great.”

  “Yeah,” says Byron. “I’m struggling to keep myself from eating one.”