by AJ Skelly
“Hi, Steve. Sam here. We’ve, um, had an interesting turn of events up here at the cabin. Rev asked me to call and check if you could bring some coffee and breakfast over here.”
“Sure thing. For how many?” Apparently, this wasn’t the first time he’d done this sort of errand for Rev.
“Four. Actually, make it six, to be on the safe side. My parents will be coming up.” I suppressed a shudder at the thought. At least the night may have cooled some of Dad’s ire.
“I’ll be over in half an hour, forty-five minutes tops.”
“Thanks, Steve.”
“Absolutely. You need Cade?”
“You know what, I’ll just text him. Thanks.”
“See you soon.”
Rev was bustling around the table getting something laid out. Mr. Carmichael flopped an arm over his head in his sleep. Meg was still watching me, quiet, thoughtful, maybe.
“Do you want a shower?” I offered.
“Is your dad coming?”
I bit the side of my lip and glanced up at her. “I hope not,” I said quietly.
“Sam, thank you. Really, thank you. For sticking up for me last night. In front of your dad.” Her shoulders twitched as a shiver worked its way down her spine. I would always come between her and any possible threat. It’s what I was created to do as her mate.
“You’re welcome,” I said instead. Her eyes darted to the colored rug on the floor, breaking the moment.
“If I’ll be shifting more today, should I put this robe back on after my shower?”
“We’ll get you some of your own clothes today. For now, you can use the robe, or you’re welcome to anything I brought back from the house. Although I’m not sure what’s in there. There’s probably a spare pair of pajamas or a few T-shirts or sweats lurking in some of the drawers in here.” I shrugged apologetically. “I…” I swallowed. “I can quiet your wolf for a little while if you would rather put off shifting until tonight. If you’re more comfortable in regular clothes, though, it might make your shifts a little more intense later.”
“Let me worry about a shower first.”
In the end, she opted for a gray T-shirt with I’m a Dog Person scripted on the front and some black sweatpants we found in a drawer. Both probably belonged to my cousin Tammy, who probably forgot they were here. I found a red zip-up hoodie in another drawer and added it to the pile of clothes for her. I hoped this meant I’d get the chance to taste her lips again today, if only to calm her wolf.
Once the shower was running and steam was wafting out the bottom of the crack in the door, I took the opportunity to fire off a quick text to Cade.
—Hey. Wanted it to come from me. I bit Megan Carmichael last night. As a human. Totally accidental. Fill you in later. Keep it quiet.—
My phone buzzed about thirty seconds later.
—Dude. You okay? Your dad totally ticked?—
I snorted. Was my dad ticked? I’d never seen him so angry.
—Beyond ticked.— I hesitated and then added one more line. —Megan is my mate.—
—Congrats! Seal the deal yet?—
—Complicated. Details later. Got to go.—
Mr. Carmichael finally stirred as I clicked my screen off.
“Oh, these old bones don’t move like they used to.” He groaned as he lumbered to the table where Rev was finishing stacking his papers into neat little piles.
A knock sounded at the door, and Steve was there with coffees and a big handled brown paper bag with the logo of a local coffee shop stamped on the front. I sniffed sausage and eggs, and my mouth watered.
“Thanks, Steve,” I said appreciatively.
“You got it. Anytime.” That was one of the perks of pack life. We always had each other’s backs. He popped his head in the door and waved at Rev.
“You need anything else, Rev?”
“Not at the moment. Thank you, Steve.”
The younger man nodded and turned to me. “You need anything else, Sam? Anything else I can do to help out here?”
“I appreciate it, but no. We’ll call if we do. Tell Cade and Raven I said hello.”
He smiled and nodded his head before leaving. I didn’t stand on much ceremony as Beta, but the pack, all but my dad anyway, treated me with respect. My word carried a lot of weight, and as Beta, I was second in command. Even to those pack members older than me. Sometimes it made me feel awkward, like someone with more experience should be the Beta, not me. But werewolf packs followed bloodlines, not democratically elected members.
Chapter 14
Megan
A shower had never felt better. I let the water run as hot as I could stand it, nearly scalding my skin. I imagined washing off any lingering wolf, though when my thoughts strayed there, the creature inside me would rear its head, nudge me, do something to let me know she was still very much there and active.
I scowled down at my legs. I had shaved yesterday and already there was a healthy layer of stubble. I was definitely blaming that on becoming a werewolf. I made a mental note to make a list and call Rachel as soon as I could. She’d know what to bring.
A frustrated gust of air blew through my lips as I finally shut off the faucet. I wrung my long hair out, twisting it up to get the excess water out. Wet and twisted, it still came halfway to my belly button over my shoulder. It probably wouldn’t hurt me to get a trim.
There was a decent-sized mirror over the sink. I wiped off the fog with my towel, then wrapped up my wet hair in it. I stared at my reflection for a long time. I didn’t look different. Just tired. My eyes were shadowed, but otherwise there was nothing abnormal about my body. It felt weird to stare at my reflection, knowing all my bones had broken and changed shape mere hours ago, and to find nothing out of the ordinary in the mirror. I shrugged and went to put my borrowed clothes on. Ugh. Underwear and a bra were so at the top of that list. I was suddenly very glad to have the red hoodie Sam found. Running around braless in a room full of men, even if two of them had known me all my life, was not something I was anxious to experience.
I emerged to mouth-watering aromas. I knew the sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits smelled good, but having a sharper sense of it was suddenly alarming. I could literally differentiate each ingredient. I knew it was a smoked provolone cheese, eggs sautéed in butter, pork sausage with a bit more caraway seed in it than I liked, all on sourdough biscuits. There was coffee—French roasted. I could distinguish the smells of each fruit in the fruit salad and the two types of scones. My belly rumbled. Rev and Sam grinned while Grandpa smiled his wrinkly smile.
“Better after a shower, Meggie-Girl?”
“A little bit.” I turned my eyes to the food Rev and Sam were setting out. “I can smell all of it,” I said, a little freaked out by this newest wolf revelation. My immediate world was clouded by a haze of smells.
“Your senses are developing,” Rev explained. “Everything will be completely new to you right now, and your senses of hearing and smell might be a little overpowering for a day or two. They will calm back down soon, though. Only a few days or so and then you’ll still have the increased abilities, but you’ll adapt, and they will become normal to you.”
I bit back a sarcastic retort.
Rev continued, though I’m sure he noticed the slight narrowing of my eyes as I kept a rein on my tongue. “Why don’t we all sit down and eat? I believe Mary and Dominic will be up a bit later. He needed to finish some legal business first.”
I tried to gauge Sam, but his face was unreadable. I moved nearer the table and was quickly reminded of my lack of underwear. This was one problem that had to be solved sooner rather than later. I refused to go commando.
“Can I call Rachel first and have her pick up some things for me? There are a few of my own things I really need.”
“Of course. You can step outside for a minute, if you’d rather?” Rev offered.
“Let me show you a good spot for cell reception. It can be a little spotty,” Sam suggested. I nodded, an
d he opened the door for me.
I stepped out into the cool, sunny morning, and my nose immediately found the prickly green scent of lightly frosted grass and the sweet, smokiness of changing leaves. Again, I was glad Sam had included the red hoodie and found a pair of house shoes. The hoodie was already zipped up, but I crossed my arms in case.
“Over here. Reception is generally pretty good in the cabin, and it’s all right out here for the most part, but I thought you might want some privacy. You’ll want to go at least as far as here”—he pointed as we walked toward a sunny patch about five yards from the house—“to be sure no one will overhear anything unless you’re whispering.”
I glanced up into his blue gaze, surprised at his thoughtfulness.
“Thank you. Um…” I hesitated. “Do you think I’ll shift anytime soon?” My face screwed up a little. I couldn’t tell when a shift was coming on until it was right on top of me, based on last night’s schedule. I didn’t want to shift with Rachel on the phone. She’d be out of her mind with worry all over again if she heard me wailing and thrashing.
“It’s hard to tell. It might be in the next few minutes, or it could be another hour or two.”
“This sucks.” It slipped out before I could censor it, and pain momentarily flashed across Sam’s face. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something and then shut it again with a quick shake of his head. I inwardly cringed at my callousness and felt the wolf inside growling at me. She didn’t approve of my insensitive tone to Sam either. I was suddenly aware of her very real presence inside me—not just that the wolf was there, I could tell that—but I could sense a personality emerging. It was me but enhanced and separate at the same time. I shivered. Not from the change, but from an awareness I wasn’t sure I wanted.
“Meg? You’re white as a sheet.”
A gasp escaped. “It’s her. I mean, the wolf. Inside me. She…she has her own self separate but completely linked to me.” My eyes widened, my belly queasy. I wasn’t sure if it was from lack of food or something else, but the sensation wasn’t pleasant.
The wolf inside me paced and then jerked violently, wanting release. I doubled over as the wolf tried forcing her way out. The ferocity, the dominance, scared me. The shift was starting, and I wasn’t ready! I wanted control, not this she-devil inside me!
“Sam, she’s trying to get out,” I whimpered. Not yet, not yet!
“It’s okay. You’re safe here. Safe with me.”
“I don’t want this.” My voice sounded broken to my own ears. I shook my head.
Sam touched my arm, and the heaving slowed but didn’t quit.
“Do you want me to quiet her?” he asked, uncertainty written all over his features.
“Yes!” I gasped desperately.
Not two seconds later, my face was cradled in Sam’s hands and his lips were pressed gently against mine. The wolf settled and went back to a more dormant state immediately. Sensing the stillness, Sam drew back, his hands reluctantly falling away. I was breathing hard, but the tingling had stopped, and I could tell the wolf was momentarily satisfied.
“I don’t know how you did that, but thank you.”
Sam’s eye twitched, and he nodded stiffly. Was it that bad to kiss me? Was that what had stopped him last night at the game? Not that this was actually a kiss, per say, it was a semi-mutual meeting of lips. There was no meaning in it. Just a means to an end.
“That should keep her still enough for a little bit. Definitely long enough to make a quick phone call. I’ll head back in, if you’re okay? I can stay if you’d rather.”
“No. It’s fine. I’ll come back in soon. Save me a scone?”
One side of his mouth tipped up. “You got it.”
I watched his retreating back. He tiredly dragged one hand through his dark blond hair. Once the door was closed, I frantically punched Rachel’s icon on my phone.
She picked up on the first ring.
“Megan, how are you? Are you okay?”
“Well,” I said shakily, trying not to burst into tears at the sudden emotion clogging my throat, “I survived the night.”
I gave her the abbreviated version of shifting and then got to the exciting part.
“But! There may be a tiny ray of sunshine in this whole hot mess,” I said, a note of excitement quivering my voice.
“Sam Wolfe owes you majorly?”
“Ha! Better—it’s possible I might come out of this still human. No more wolf, no more shifting, no more pain, no more mess. Back to normal life! Rev found one documented case, I don’t know, I guess in their werewolf histories or something, about two other women who were bitten by a werewolf in his human form. One of them became fully wolf, the other stayed human. So it stands to reason, I’ve got at least a fifty percent chance of staying human!”
She squealed on the other end of the phone, echoing my internal delight. “So what happens until we find out if you get to keep your skin?”
“I don’t actually know. I have to wait until the next full moon to know for sure. Everything has been so much of a jumble, and so much has happened. It’s crazy. Like, right before I called you, this thing, the wolf, tried to get out of me—to make me shift. Sorry, I’m not explaining this very well. Anyway, Sam offered to quiet her for a little bit. This is so bizarre. He kissed me. Like, not really kissed me, but put his lips on mine. Which, I guess is technically a kiss, but it wasn’t like that at all. It was a little weird. His eye twitched after, and he was all uncomfortable afterward. Honestly. If the circumstances were any different, I’d be a little insulted.” I tried to make my sentences more coherent. I realized I was rambling and probably not making a lot of sense.
“You liked it, didn’t you?”
Only Rachel could possibly pick up on that from the tone of our conversation.
“It wasn’t really a kiss, Rach. It was just making the wolf…go away…for a little bit.”
“Why do you think the wolf reacted to Sam’s kiss?”
I didn’t want to explore that too closely. “I need to get back in. I’m starving, and they have a ton of food set out back in the cabin. But I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything. You name it.”
“Can you please go over to my house and pack up some clothes? Seriously, Rachel, I have no underwear. I am going commando. I cannot express to you the importance of having a pair of my own clean underwear. Also, I’m running around a bunch of werewolf men with no bra on. And one of them is Sam Wolfe.”
“And he’s probably loving every second.”
“We are not going there.”
She had the audacity to chuckle. “No problem. You want your brush, makeup, mousse, toothbrush, that sort of thing, too? I’ll bring nail polish. Nail polish helps everything.”
“You’re a life saver! And for the love, bring me a razor. I swear my legs are walking carpets. And I shaved yesterday!” I knew I could count on Rachel. No matter what else was going on in my life.
“We might actually be going to the ends of the earth together, chica.” She echoed the sentiment that had come to define our friendship.
“Let’s hope it ends in skin and not fur. Thanks, Rachel.”
“Want me to bring them over there today?”
I bit my lip. “Um, yes, but let me double check that I’m safe for you to be around. Shifting gets pretty intense. Call you back in a bit?”
“For sure. I’m grabbing a granola bar and your spare house key as we speak. I’ll get things together.”
“You are the best.” I hiccupped, emotion welling up within me again.
“Meg, we’ll get through this. Together. Just like everything else we’ve ever gone through.”
“Love you, Rach.”
“Love you, too. To the ends of the earth. See you in a bit.”
Chapter 15
Sam
I watched Megan through the back window of the cabin. The feel of her lips was imprinted on my brain. It obviously meant nothing at all to her, but
it meant everything to me. I’d been half in love with her since she’d picked scrawny sixth grade me to be on her dodgeball team. I’d fallen even harder when she’d baked me cookies after I broke my pinky in the same dodgeball game. I thought maybe there was mutual attraction last night at the game. But once the wolf decided she was my mate, that was it. I physically ached to touch her. I didn’t want to put a chaste little kiss on her lips. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, hold her close, and really show her what I was feeling. Which was probably never going to happen. Megan made it perfectly clear she wanted no part in being a werewolf—wanted no part of being with me. My toxins killed any spark that might have been there. Wolf whined inside me. More than I wanted Megan to be my mate, I wanted it to be her choice. I wanted to be her choice, not her regret and not her obligation.
I wasn’t sure what Dad would think of all this from a legal standpoint. There were certain wolf customs and laws that he’d insist we follow. I was happy to do that. Megan wouldn’t be. Then there were human legal ramifications. Dad was a lawyer and had kept the pack under the radar and away from any legal issues the whole time he’d been Alpha. It had come in handy to have a top-notch lawyer in the pack. I cracked my knuckles as I considered possible scenarios Dad might come up with.
I’d broken his trust last night. I hadn’t meant to. And our already rocky relationship was feeling pretty glacial at the moment. I didn’t want to disappoint my father. Quite the contrary. I wanted him to be proud of me. Wanted him to love me as his son and respect me as his Beta. Emotions were complicated things. And I had enough emotions swirling inside to drown me if I wasn’t careful.
Megan waved her free arm around as she talked on the phone, her back to the cabin. She had listened and stayed far enough away that I couldn’t catch what she was saying, but she was clearly giving Rachel an earful. I wished I hadn’t told her to go so far. I was curious what Meg’s take on all this was—what she would tell her best friend but not say to me. A big breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding escaped my lips in a forceful gust.
“Sam, why don’t you come on back here to the table,” Mr. Carmichael called. I took one more glance at Meg and came over to where the old man was sitting.