by C. D. Gorri
However, to avoid problems with future mates becoming upset knowing that their mate once slept with their best friend, most females were aided by wolves from other packs. He refused to let anyone else aid his mate through her change.
Now that he knew her name, all he had to do was ask around to find out what pack she belonged to. Someone had to know of the tall, shapely, brown-skinned she-wolf who kept company with three mischievous red-headed witches.
*.*.*.*
Iris teleported herself to her bedroom, but her thoughts were still on the wolf she’d left behind. Before tonight, she hadn’t known what her type of man was. She’d stayed up some nights with her sister, Erin, and their best friends, talking about what they liked in a man. She’d always remained quiet and listened to what the others had to say. Her sister wanted her mate to be a vampire.
Sasha, their friend, wanted her mate to be a cheetah. Neither of them wanted wolves. In fact, Sasha, a beautiful cheetah shifter; hated wolves just as much as Erin hated did. Sasha’s mother was the daughter of an alpha and she’d been disowned by her parents when she refused to mate with the guy of their choice.
Her mother had already known who her mate was. She’d even been pregnant by him when the alpha tried to force her to marry someone else. She’d ran away with him when her father disowned her. The witches of Iris’s village had come across Sasha’s parents in the woods.
The cheetah couple was wounded after being attacked by wolves. Sasha’s mother had been bruised, but her mate was badly beaten and barely alive. The witches had formed a circle around him and for three hours, they’d chanted a healing incantation.
At the end of the third hour, the wounded cheetah finally showed signs of healing. An hour later, Sasha’s mother gave birth to her. The witches helped with the delivery then invited the young family to make their home in their village, where no one could ever hurt them again.
The witches hadn’t asked the couple why they’d been attacked by wolves. It was just another secret that members of their village had. Iris had a feeling the witches knew everyone’s secrets. No matter what the secret was, Sasha believed that all wolves were vicious animals.
They would be shocked to find out that Iris’s mate was a wolf shifter. And he was just her type. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn’t sense her sister entering her room and sitting down on her bed.
“Is there a reason your clothes are all over the floor in here and your hair is a hot mess?” Erin asked.
Iris spun around and stared into a pair of eyes almost exactly like her own. Though her sister was a year older than her, they looked a lot alike. Same dark eyes. Same curvy figure. Same long hair. Only Iris wore hers straight and her sister liked hers curly.
“Erin, don’t you have something, anything, better to do than bother me?”
“Not tonight.” Erin laid back on Iris’s queen size bed and examined her recently manicured nails. “I was just in my room on my phone, talking to three lil witches, and guess what they told me. Come on, guess.”
“I’d rather pretend you weren’t in here.” Those little snitches!
Erin rolled her eyes. “Actually, they didn’t have to tell me. I can smell it for myself. You smell like a wet dog. How could I not know that you’ve been around some of their kind.”
Iris shook her head. She was not about to let her sister upset her. Despite their mother being a wolf, despite them being wolf-vamp hybrids, Erin refused to accept her wolf side. Their mother was the only wolf Erin was willing to be around.
And this wasn’t something that had just started. Erin had always been that way. When they were younger, they used to leave their small cottage and go down to the training area of the village to watch the cheetah warrior’s train. When they got older, they asked if they could train also.
When their mom saw their eagerness to learn to fight, she began teaching them how to protect themselves. Erin trained with a vengeance. She would sometimes say she was preparing herself for the war with the wolves. Erin was too filled with hatred to notice how upset it made their mom.
It made their mom feel as if she’d failed in teaching them to embrace the wolf half of their heritage. Unlike most wolf shifters, Iris and Erin didn’t turn into their wolf form when the moon was full. They only turned when they were extremely angry. Well, extremely emotional, period.
Erin thought that was a blessing since she hated being in her wolf form and hated seeing her sister in hers. Iris didn’t blame all wolves for the death of their father. But Erin did. There was nothing Iris could do to change her mind. She’d long given up trying.
“How can you enjoy being in the club with them around? Ugh. Their scent alone would drive me crazy. They’re all perverts, you know,” Erin told her. “They try to blame it on their inner beasts. But you and I both have inner beasts and you don’t see us acting all hot and bothered all the time.”
Iris didn’t bother telling her sister that she was going through the change and feeling pretty hot and bothered right now. She didn’t want to hear the nonsense that Erin would spew. She was having a hard enough time trying to deal with her own emotions.
She didn’t feel like dealing with her sister’s also. Erin had not yet been through the change. According to her sister, if you were strong enough, you could fend off the change. And if she happened to get it, she felt she was strong enough to suppress it.
Iris stared at her sister as she went on and on about why she couldn’t go to a club with wolf shifters. Right now, Iris could really use a little girl talk. She needed someone to confide in.
However, she knew Erin wouldn’t understand. The thought of being turned on by a wolf-shifter would disgust her sister. For now, Iris would keep her thoughts to herself and figure this out on her own.
“There’s no way you were able to relax with those beasts breathing down your neck.” Erin shuddered. “I can’t even imagine.”
“If you must know, I had fun. There were only a few wolves there and they all kept their paws to themselves.” Iris began laughing at her own joke but Erin rolled her eyes and leapt off the bed with the quickness of a wolf... Or vampire.
“Your humor bores me.” Erin faked a yawn. “I’m heading out to meet Sasha at the lake for a swim. Maybe you should come take a dip in the lake with us, wash that stench off.” Erin laughed at her own joke. “I’m funnier than you, sis,” she said before teleporting out of the room.
Iris yawned. Though she was feeling tired, she still had a few hours before her death nap took hold of her. Maybe she should take a swim before she slept. Swimming usually helped clear her mind. Problem was, she wasn’t in the mood to listen to Erin and Sasha bash wolves.
If she swam on the north side of the lake, past the trees, she wouldn’t have to see them at all. No one ever swam on the north side of the lake. Most of the villagers didn’t like the fact that there was a trail there and outsiders passed there often.
Iris didn’t see what the problem was. Thanks to the shroud that surrounded their property, no one could see into their village. The witches had even placed a compulsion spell over the area that caused anyone who considered coming too close to turn and leave.
Only creatures of the Lore who felt abandoned and who truly needed help could enter onto their property. Despite knowing this, some of the beings in their village were still nervous about hanging out in that area. That was the major reason why no one had built their home there.
That was fine with Iris. She was already in the process of working on the blueprint for her cabin. And she knew exactly where she wanted it built. Ever since she was a child, the northern area had been her go-to spot when she wanted to be alone. And right now, she definitely wanted to be alone.
Iris teleported to her favorite secret spot on the lake. She walked to the edge of the water and stuck her toe in. The water was cold but it felt so good. Though she knew no one else was there, she still glanced around to make sure she was alone before pulling her dress over her head.
The fabric glided across her skin, causing her to shiver in the night. She tossed her dress onto the ground then stretched her arms over her head. She loved the night. The moon was still out and she could feel it calling to her. Iris walked out into the water, delighting at how good it felt.
Once she was waist deep, she dove under and swam out farther then turned over to float on her back. The cool water was helping. It cooled her fevered skin down a little, but not much. She knew from talking to Val, that the change would only get worse if she didn’t find someone to help her through it.
Most wolf-shifters her age were already having sex on a regular basis, therefore it meant nothing to them to take a lover or two during their change to help make the transition easier. Iris had never enjoyed being touched. Though she fantasized about it a lot, the actual act had never been anything like her fantasies.
However, the wolf from the club had her thinking about changing her views on sex. Just thinking of him had her heart pounding erratically. How could she possibly be getting wet when she was surrounded by water? Floating on her back still, she lifted one hand and placed it between her legs.
Yep, she was wet and not from the water in the lake. Iris couldn’t resist rubbing a finger over her tiny bud. She felt herself getting wetter. If it wasn’t for the change, she wouldn’t be feeling like this. She was the Ice Queen. The Unfeeling.
In school, she’d been voted the least likely to find a mate because of how frigid she was. If only her classmates could see her now, floating naked in the lake while touching herself. She may only reveal her cold side to the world, but in her fantasies, she was always the dominant one.
Her thoughts drifted back to the wolf from the club. If he was there, alone with her, would he behave as big and bad as he had in the club? Would he growl at her in that way of his that made her knees weak and her mouth water? Or would she, the former Ice Queen, tame him and have him begging for her touch?
If she licked him the way she ached to, would he growl for her? If she rode him the way her beast was pushing her to, could she make him howl for her? Fantasizing about him was causing her to hear things because she could’ve sworn she heard a wolf growl followed by a splash of water.
Chapter Three
Yung left the club early. His brother and cousin were still talking and drinking beers. Yung couldn’t enjoy himself because he couldn’t get his mind off his mate. Tomorrow, he would have to find her. He would not be able to rest until he did. There were so many things he had to get in order and soon.
He would have to find a place for them to live. He doubted she wanted to live with him, his playboy brother, and their bitter father. He had to buy her jewelry. All women loved jewelry. What else did he need? Shit. He didn’t know. Truth was, he didn’t know how to properly take care of a mate.
But he’d learn and fast. With his thoughts full of his mate, Yung knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep anytime soon. But, when his cousin and brother invited him to hang out longer, he passed on the offer. The two of them had found a couple of fox-shifters to party with.
The only woman he wanted to party with was the shifter whose scent was now imprinted in his memory for eternity. Since he’d rode to the club with Hyun but didn’t want to hang out any longer, Yung was forced to walk home. Which was alright with him. It was a nice night.
A perfect night for a midnight stroll. A perfect time for him to figure out how he was going to woo his skittish mate. Caught up in his thoughts, Yung decided to take the long way home. Halfway home, he came to a fork in the road. Normally, he would turn right and continue on home.
The other road simply led to a dead end and a bunch of trees. This night, however, he felt drawn to those trees. Yung stopped and stared at the trees. They were just regular trees, nothing special about them. So, why the hell was he so enchanted by them?
A gentle breeze blew. The leaves swayed. His nostrils flared. A shiver crept over him. That scent! It was her. She was there, behind those trees. Instead of going right, for the first time in his life, he took the path to the left.
He came upon a trail and followed it. To his surprise, it ended in front of acres of trees. Yet, he could still smell her. Yung followed her scent into the forest. The woods thickened. He was scratched by leaves and figs. No matter how hard he tried to avoid the tree stumps, he still managed to trip over them.
He didn’t let that deter him. As a child, he’d been told that these woods were haunted and that those who entered never came out. Most people stayed away. Even the supernatural beings tended to avoid the area. What was his mate doing there? Yung continued walking.
There was no clearing in sight and neither was his mate. Only trees and more trees. Once again, he’d lost her. He was beginning to think he’d never have her and that he would forever be deprived of the one woman who was made solely for him. Yung turned to leave.
Out of nowhere, the scent of arousal hit him so hard that he had to hold on to a tree for support. It was his mate. And she needed him. But why the hell couldn’t he find her? Desperate, he decided to keep searching. He’d search all damn night if he had to.
Yung spun around, determined to search for however long it took him to locate her. He came up short at the change of scenery before him. Well damn. Am I dreaming? The trees that had been there seconds ago were gone. They’d been replaced with a lake.
Floating in the water, with the moonlight illuminating her naked body, was his mate. He knew neither the lake nor his mate had been there just a second ago, but he didn’t care. Yung pushed bushes out of his way and stepped out into the clearing.
He didn’t want to frighten her. Would she be alarmed if he decided to join her? To his amazement, Yung realized that his mate was pleasuring herself. Her moans filled the air. His wolf growled low. Yung couldn’t help but wonder whether or not she was thinking about him as she touched herself.
Or maybe she already had a lover and was waiting in the lake for him to show. His beast growled louder at that thought. He would just have to kill whoever her secret lover was. After tonight, no one else would ever touch his mate. Only him. Stalking closer to his floating beauty, he scanned his surroundings.
The lake she was floating in was huge. He wondered why he’d never seen this lake before. Further in the distance, smoke rose from behind the trees. He assumed that back there was where his mate and her pack lived. Why had he never heard of this village?
His mate groaned. A growl escaped him as his attention returned to her. The water splashed as he strode through it, making his way to her. She must’ve heard him because after he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it behind him, he saw that her eyes were on him. She looked shocked.
She no longer floated but stood facing him with her hands covering her breasts. He knew it was rude to stare, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. His gaze slowly roamed over her. Her hands were too small to contain her voluptuous breasts.
Her waist was narrow and her hips flared out perfectly. She was perfection. Glancing back up at her face, he noticed that she was trembling. Damn. He was making her nervous. First in the club, now, in the lake. She had to think he was a perv by now.
“Tonight is a perfect night for a swim,” he said, trying to calm her and himself.
She didn’t respond, not with words at least. She licked her lips. He hardened. The beast in him was begging for him to touch her, but he didn’t want to scare her. To his surprise, her hands fell from her breasts and dropped to her sides. She began playing with the water on either side of her glorious body.
If it was possible, Yung’s body hardened even more. With her head lowered she spoke softly, “Every night is a perfect night for a swim. I come here all the time. What I want to know right now is, how did you get here?”
Yung was mesmerized by her voice. “I followed the path here when I smelled your scent. I followed it to you.”
His mate looked up at him and smiled. If she hadn’t already stolen his heart, she would’ve
done so with that one smile.
“Ahhh,” she whispered, nodding. “That’s how you got here. You smelled my… scent and wanted me.”
“Yes, I did. It’s strange because I couldn’t find you at first. Then out of nowhere, there you were, like magic.”
It hit Yung all of a sudden. Those witches must have placed a spell on their village to keep outsiders out.
“I take it your village only allows some people in.”
“Very perceptive,” she said, before lowering her head again.
Unable to help himself, he took a step closer to her. She looked up but didn’t move away. He took another step in her direction. Her gaze returned to the water. Still, she didn’t move away.
“I guess you’re not going to tell me much about yourself or your village,” Yung stated, trying to fill the silence.
Once he stood toe to toe with her, he stared down at his mate. His wolf screamed for him to touch her. He wanted to, so badly that his hands shook slightly. But he couldn’t rush her into anything, no matter how wild he was for her. Her fingers danced over the water, creating tiny ripples.
She came close to touching him as she played with the water. He held his breath as he watched her fingers, wondering if she’d touch him. Hoping she would. Her fingers neared him, paused, then retraced their steps back to her. She glanced up at him and smiled then stared back down at the water.
Was she teasing him? If she knew how close he was to losing it, she wouldn’t do that. Still, he couldn’t help but smile. Her teasing him meant she wasn’t afraid of him. He hadn’t scared her off. Great! Moving slowly, he reached up and gently caressed her cheek.
She tensed briefly then leaned into his touch. Trailing his fingers down to her chin, he gently lifted her face so she would stare into his eyes instead of at the water. His mated friends had told him what to expect when he came face to face with his mate.