by V. Vaughn
“Juliet, if I have you and Alex, I’m sure I’ll be more than fine.” She grabs my drink and takes a sip of it. “Hey. I never thought to ask, where do they live?”
I chuckle before I say, “Good question. I don’t know either.”
Jayden laughs too. “We’re a pair of lovesick fools.”
When she lets go, I step back and lower myself into a camp chair. It creaks with my weight as Jayden sits in the one next to me.
“How do you feel about doing their bond ritual?”
Jayden’s blue eyes are serious. “Alex said if I decide I don’t want to mate with him I can back out at any time. Well—" she lowers her voice to repeat what I told her earlier about becoming a werewolf. “As long as he hasn’t bitten me yet.”
I place my hand on her arm. “You have plenty of time to think that part over. Please don’t jump into this. I know you’re sure it’s right, but once you become a werewolf, you don’t get to turn back. And you know I have your back no matter what you decide.”
“I know. I haven’t told Alex about my decision yet. I thought I’d try saying ‘I love you’ first.”
“Yeah?” I grin at her. “Maybe I should too.”
Jayden nods toward Alisha and Chelsea as they discuss how best to cook the corn, and she whispers, “How awful am I for wanting to find werewolf mates for them?”
“Not awful at all. I like how you think.” I recall how for the past few years I’ve wanted so badly to become a part of a human world that made me feel good about myself and about how I arranged my life by surrounding myself with my three best girlfriends. But now I realize that it could happen the other way around. The reality is, though, I don’t think being human or werewolf matters for the four of us. I say, “That’s what’s so great about our friendship. Whenever one of us is happy, we want the same for each other.”
“It’s true. Remember when Alisha was the first one to get a teaching job, and instead of taking it easy, she poured her efforts into helping us find them too?”
“I know.” I grin as I remember how she did mock interviews with us. “Remember her principal outfit?”
Jayden chuckles. “The bow tie was almost as good as her stuffy-man impression.” She takes another sip of the drink we’re sharing before she says, “True-mate love is so much more amazing than human love. And that’s why I wish I could give it to Chelsea and Alisha. I want them to come be part of our new family.”
I grab a stick to poke at the fire and watch as the log I opened up to more oxygen glows red. “You never know. Maybe we can make it happen.” Suddenly the wood bursts into flames, and I smile as if it’s a sign telling me that anything is possible.
Ten
Sunscreen is greasy on my skin as I rub it in. I feel like a teenager again as my stomach flutters with nerves about seeing Roman. I’m about to spend my day floating down a river next to him. I jog out of the RV when I hear the guys arrive, and the moment Roman gets out of the truck, I don’t see anyone else. I don’t think he does, either, because he stalks his way over to me, and before either of us speaks, he kisses me. I lose myself in the overwhelming need to be pressed against my true mate and let him take it as far as he wants to go. Werewolves are not modest—we tend to strip our clothes off at a moment’s notice— but I’m not willing to forget people are watching when the guys start telling Romeo and Juliet to get a room.
We separate ourselves, and the passion racing through me is reflected in Roman’s eyes as we stare at each other. He takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. Alisha’s voice tears me away when she says, “Come on already, you two!”
I glance over at the truck to see everyone already got in it and realize I didn’t notice it happen. Alisha holds up my bag as if she knows I’m clueless, and Roman grabs my hips to lift me so I can climb in easily before he joins me. The metal floor is hard on my bottom as Roman settles behind me and pulls me in between his legs. I lean back against his strong body as I revel in how nice it feels to have his thick arm wrapped around my waist.
Alex is driving, and Jayden sits up front with him and the guy who will drive the truck back. Our inner tubes went to the drop-off spot with the van, and we’ll get them when we arrive.
Dean asks, “Has everyone done this before?” When he discovers none of the girls have gone tubing, he grins. “Well, the first thing you need to know is beer is involved.” A cooler slides across the flatbed as he drags it over, opens it, and tosses each one of us a can of cheap beer.
Alisha crinkles her nose. “Do I really have to drink this?”
“No,” says Byron. He reaches over and takes it from her. “Princess, you can wait until we’re on the water and you’re really thirsty.” He winks at her. “I’ll be dragging a six-pack behind me.”
She glances over at me with wide eyes, but she follows it with a smile, and I chuckle. I ask, “Does everyone get a nickname with you guys?”
“Eventually,” says Dean. His can pops as he opens it.
“So what’s mine?” I roll the cold beer in my hands.
“You don’t need one. You’re Romeo’s Juliet.”
I tilt my head to gaze up at Roman. “My Romeo.” I brought the tiny potion bottle the witch gave me on the trip with us, and it’s safely stored in my bag. While I’m doubtful that Roman could ever need me to save him, I’m afraid to push my luck.
He leans down and kisses me quickly before he whispers, “I’m anything you need me to be.”
The truck turns off the main road, and the shocks squeak as we bounce over dirt. Alisha asks, “Do you guys do this a lot at home?”
Byron says, “We’re on the water as often as we can be. You’ll have to come visit us sometime.”
I think about how I don’t know where I’ll be moving to. “Where exactly is home?”
“Smokey Falls,” says Roman. The way the words sound coming from his mouth makes it seem like heaven. And because I’ve found my true mate and it will be my new home, I suppose for me it is.
“Firemen from Smokey Falls?” asks Chelsea.
“Yeah,” says Roman. “We know.”
I ask, “So whose nickname is Smokey?”
The guys look at each other before Byron says, “Nobody’s.”
I chuckle. “We’ll have to fix that.”
The truck slows to a stop, and I notice a group of people who must have come in the van. Alex parks, and he and Jayden get out as Roman tells us to stay put. Dean explains that since we’re bringing beer and there are families, we should wait until everyone else has gone.
I say to Jayden, “Guess where these firemen are from.”
She grins. “Smokey Falls. I love it.” She leans against Alex and says, “You are smoking hot.”
Chelsea groans and then says, “As much as I want to vomit over the love going on, I think we just found our Smokey.”
Dean nods. “Hey, Smokey, want a beer?”
Alex holds up his hand, and metal slaps in his palm as he catches the can. I think he puffs up his chest a little too. Apparently, because Jayden gave him the nickname, he’s fine with it. He pops the top off and hands it to Jayden before another flies his way. I think about how Roman was surprised I called him hot. I turn my gaze to my mate. He’s not the usual standard of sexy male, but everything about him oozes desirability.
He whispers, “I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but the answer is yes.”
I snicker before I whisper back, “The things I could ask for right now. Should we take a little break in the woods, somewhere down the river?”
He places his hand on my bikini-clad bottom and squeezes. “Done.”
“I think Jayden is going to say yes to mating with Alex.”
“Good. He’d be miserable without her.” He strokes my cheek with his finger. “How far is Smokey Falls from your pack?”
“I’m not sure. I’m up north in Winter Valley.”
He nods. “I know that pack. Paul Ryan’s the alpha, right?”
“Yes.”
“H
e and my dad were friends. It won’t be a problem for you to visit as often as you like.”
I think about who I’d miss, and the reality is that I’ve been separating myself for some time now. “Thanks, but I’ve drifted away from them over the past few years.”
Dean lets out a whoop that captures our attention. He lifts Chelsea up and tosses her in the air with his excitement. “C’mon girly. It’s our turn to go.”
I laugh at how flustered my friend is when he catches her and sets her back on her feet. I secretly love that she’s blushing from the attention. These crazy Smokey Falls werewolves are lightening up even the most uptight of my friends.
As Roman and I walk over to the van as he asks, “You didn’t quite fit in with your clan?”
“That’s right,” I say as a guy hands me a huge inner tube. I wrap my arm around it with difficulty, and it’s bulky as I hug it to my side.
“Because you couldn’t find a suitable mate?” Roman asks as he takes my float from me.
“How did you know?” Pebbles are hard under the soles of my feet as we walk toward the water.
“Imagine being an alpha without a mate when your clan desperately needs more wolf cubs,” says Roman. “And having undesirable options thrown at you by the elders and even your own mother.” Our tubes slap on the water as he drops them.
“Oh. So—”
“Yes, Juliet.” He takes me by my arms. “We’ve been waiting to find each other.”
Roman kisses me, and the rush of love that fills me with warmth reconfirms this is the man I’m supposed to be with. When we break apart, he helps me get settled in my tube, while the rest of our crew is catcalling and teasing us about the public display of affection. Roman winks at me before he pushes me off and gets in his float to join me. Water is cool on my fingers as I drag them through the current that propels me slowly down the river, and Roman grabs onto my tube so we can float together.
We move without speaking for a while, and I listen to the sounds of the forest that borders the river and the low rush of water. Living on Silver Lake for most of my life means water is in my blood, and I’m glad I’m not leaving it for my new life with Roman. I say, “Tell me about Smokey Falls.”
Roman smiles at me with a glow in his eyes that conveys the love he has for his home. “You’re going to be impressed. We’re in the mountains, as I’m sure you guessed, and no matter how hot it gets during the day, the nights are always cool. The area got its name for the way the mist rises from the pools of water below the falls early in the morning like smoke rising from a fire.”
“That sounds beautiful.”
“It is. I’m glad you like the water, because even though it’s gets colder in the winter, I go to the falls as often as I can to swim and stand under the powerful showers. It’s a great place to think.”
I imagine what it must be like to run a pack without a partner and think the weight of tough decisions must have been difficult to bear on his own. The deep loneliness I’ve felt for the past few years was probably more intense for Roman with a pack depending on him. I reach for his hand. Our connection isn’t complete yet because we haven’t exchanged blood in a true mate bond, but the tingle of possibility rushes through my veins at our contact. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Roman moves quickly to grab my face. “Juliet,” he says with a hint of desperation in his voice.
Intense emotions of need for my mate to be mine fill me, and I think it’s what he’s feeling too. “Roman,” I say with the same desire as I grab onto his shoulders.
Our inner tubes tip up precariously as Roman looks into my eyes with the heat of desire and leans over to kiss me. Water splashes as we fall into the water, but I don’t mind, because the moment our lips meet, he’s everything I need. The current carries us down the river as we both tread our legs lightly to stay afloat and drown in the passion of our love.
We finally break apart when Dean yells, “Hey! We put a deposit down on these tubes!”
Roman and I look up to see he and Byron have our inner tubes, and we both laugh as we swim toward the rest of our group. As I take mine from Byron he speaks softly. “I’m so glad he found you, Juliet. I’ve never seen our alpha happier. Welcome to the pack.”
I smile back giddy with love. “Thanks,” and I surprise myself with my girlish glee when I gush, “I feel like the luckiest girl alive right now.”
Once Roman and I get settled back in our tubes and join the group, he reaches for my hand again, and as I grip his fingers I’m sure I’ll never want to be away from his side. I ask, “What happens now?”
A grin lights up his face. “We spend this week together and make sure you really want to move to Smokey Falls with me.”
“I already know I do. I love you, Roman.”
He squeezes my fingers tight. “I love you too, Juliet.” He lifts my hand to kiss my palm. “I’m your Romeo.”
Eleven
After tubing, the guys stay for dinner. Guilt tugs at me over ruining the plans for Alex to go through the Smokey Falls wolves bonding ritual with Jayden, and since I know she’s ready to go through with it, I propose to Roman we try again. We’re all sitting around the fire when he says, “Alex and Jayden, we’ll do the bonding ritual tomorrow.”
Alex nods at him in thanks, and Jayden squeals as she hugs Alex’s arm.
I say, “Chelsea and Alisha, I know this could be strange for you, so if you don’t want to come, Jayden and I will understand.”
“Are you kidding?” asks Alisha. “I’m dying to watch how it works. Especially if we get to see all of you as wolves.”
Chelsea is quiet, and Jayden reaches over to take her hand. “Is this still freaking you out?”
She shakes her head, and I notice the fire reflected in Chelsea’s eyes, which appear glassy with tears. “No. I want you to be happy, and I can see how right Alex is for you. It’s just—" She sighs. “This is really selfish of me, but I feel like I’m losing my best friend.”
“Oh my gosh,” says Jayden as she wraps her arms around Chelsea’s shoulders. “No! I’ll still annoy you with texts and video calls and—” She glances at me. “Do we get to have a wedding?”
“Of course you can.” I turn to Roman as I realize I should probably check with the alpha. “You do that in your pack for humans, right?”
“We can definitely do that if you want, Jayden,” he says.
“Good.” She gazes at Chelsea. “Please be my maid of honor.”
Chelsea smiles. “I’d love to, and I guess that means I need to be at the ritual.”
“I’d really like it if you were,” says Jayden.
Alex leans over Jayden and says, “I hope you know you’re welcome to visit and stay as long as you want.”
“That’s sweet, Alex. Thanks.”
Alisha says, “Then it’s settled. I can hardly wait to see this.”
Dean clears his throat as he crosses his arms the way guys do to make their biceps look bigger. “I think you’ll like what you see.”
The fire pops, sending up sparks as Alisha scans him with her gaze and shakes her head. “And yet you still don’t have a mate. It’s a wonder.”
Byron spits out some of his drink before he says, “Alisha, you need to dump your teacher and find a mate in our pack. You fit right in.”
“Oh, you’ll be seeing a lot of me. I intend to be the friend Roman wishes would go away.”
A low growl that humans can’t hear makes all of us werewolves sit up at attention. Tiny hairs rise on the back of my neck because that wasn’t a friendly greeting. When more growls sound, Roman holds up his hand so nobody will speak, and I watch as Alex stands slowly. He tilts his head toward the RV and points at my girlfriends.
I think there’s a clan conflict about to go down, and it’s not a place for humans to be. I nod as I ask in a forced, calm voice, “Alisha, do you have more marshmallows?”
She’s quick to get what we want. “Sure. I’ll go get them.” Chelsea and Jayden get it too because
they jump up and follow her into the RV. I glance at Roman as belt buckles jingle while the guys strip down to shift, and he indicates I should join the girls by tilting his head. I shake my head in reply.
My shorts thump softly on the ground as he whispers, “I can’t speak in your head.”
I whisper back, “Imagine that. You won’t be able to order me around.” I shift quickly but not as fast as Roman, and he tackles me to the ground. He holds his open jaw over my throat in a show of alpha power.
Anger boils in me. So much for equal partners. The moment things get dangerous Roman’s as alpha as any cocky werewolf I’ve ever known. I refuse to submit and growl back as I quickly roll my body to scramble to my feet and shake him off. No way is he getting away with this behavior. I make my own decisions. He bares his teeth in another warning growl, but I’m not concerned he’ll hurt me, since he could have refused to let me up in the first place.
Snarling interrupts our argument as four wolves I’ve never seen bound into our campsite, and all come toward me. “What the —”
They don’t get far before they’re intercepted by Dean, Byron, Alex and Roman. I watch in awe as the four firemen fight the four wolves as if they’re rag dolls. Roman steps back when it’s clear Dean, Byron and Alex can handle things. The whines of the losing wolves carry as they beg for mercy, and Roman pushes his snout into me in another attempt to get me inside the RV. Part of me thinks there’s a good reason, but I’m still mad he went alpha on me, so I refuse to go.
I regret that decision when two more groups of wolves emerge from the woods, and one comes at me. I recognize the leader as the female wolf from the other day and briefly wonder why she’s taken her jealousy to such heights. The way her teeth are bared kicks my adrenaline into overdrive. Roman steps in front of me, but there’s no way he can handle four wolves at once, and since the other three from his pack are fighting a group of their own, I move to his side to help fight. I yelp when a wolf bites into my rump, and when I turn, panic sends ice through my veins because even more wolves have arrived.