Connection flowed between them. As one, they turned and trotted deeper into the forest, farther away from the noise and stink of the highway and the town.
Ah, the smells! So much richer and more complex than her poor human nose could appreciate: moss and leaf rot and the spoor of squirrels. The taste of coming rain on the wind.
Marcus nipped her, saying Hurry up without words. She gave chase, and they ran and played in the forest. Marcus showed her his special spots, places Chloe, despite all her rambling and hiking, had never seen.
A stump that looked like an old man’s face.
A mossy fallen log.
A rill running over a jumble of stones, and the clear, cold taste of its water.
Chloe’s wet muzzle came up sharply, her ears pricking at a sudden noise. Not natural. Human.
She and Marcus exchanged glances, then in perfect agreement went into hunting mode: keeping to the shadows between trees, timing their movements with the gusts of wind. Instinct made them steal up on their target from downwind, though humans wouldn’t spook like deer did.
Humans had guns.
Chloe’s wolf shrugged the thought away. They were clever and quiet, and the humans wouldn’t see them unless they wanted to be seen. They were Pack.
Three men walked among the tall firs and pines of the Preserve. A sweaty, pot-bellied man made notations on a clipboard, while a second stranger with fur on his face talked and gestured expansively with his arms.
The third man was Nathan Frayne.
Why would the Alpha bring strangers into the Preserve? Curious, Chloe cocked her ears and made an effort to listen to the human speech.
“—prime bit of timber you got here,” the furry-chinned man was saying. “Old growth, never been logged, DBH over 20 inches … If it’s all like this, you’ll make a pretty penny. We’ll need to build a road in, of course, which will take a bite.”
Loggers! A bolt of surprise transfixed Chloe. The men were from the logging company raising such a controversy in town. But what were they doing in the Preserve? And why was the Alpha listening to them instead of driving them away?
Chloe suppressed a whine. It didn’t make sense. It felt wrong.
She’d always loved going for cross-country hikes in the Preserve, but it was different as a wolf. She needed the untamed wilderness like she needed breath and blood. Something in her would die without it.
It was the Pack’s sacred trust to hold and defend the Preserve, to keep it safe from humans.
Her wolf couldn’t read facial expressions well, but the Alpha’s body language bothered her. His shoulders were tense, and the logger’s words made him flinch. But most of all he smelled of … Chloe sniffed again. Could that be right? Could the Alpha smell of defeat?
Why?
Marcus nudged her, and they silently trotted away from the men. Her pleasure in the morning ruined, Chloe headed back to the house.
The Change from wolf back to girl proved easier, if still unpleasant. She gritted her teeth through the pain, then quickly looked up. Had Marcus—?
Good. He was a boy again.
A naked boy.
“Uh, your clothes are in the house.” Chloe turned her back and dressed. The hoodie felt blissfully warm.
Marcus had pulled on the sweatpants, but not the vest, by the time she came into the house. He quivered when she automatically engaged the deadbolt. Most people in the country didn’t bother, but after junkies broke into her dad’s vet practice, her mom had insisted on having one installed and getting in the habit of using it.
“Does that bother you?” Chloe asked. “No exits?” She unlocked the deadbolt and opened the main door, leaving just the screen door in place. So what if the house got a bit cold? Marcus was more important.
A glance at the clock told her they’d exceeded her mother’s two-hour rule, almost doubling it. Whoops.
“Lunchtime. What would you like to eat?” Chloe asked. “How about grilled cheese sandwiches?” They were her speciality.
Taking his silence as a yes, Chloe went to work. Eyeing his protruding ribs, she slapped some deli ham in between the slices, too. While her back was turned, frying them up, Marcus wolfed down the rest of the ham package. She caught him stuffing the last bit in his mouth and couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess you’re hungry, huh?”
And thirsty, apparently, because he turned on the kitchen faucet then stuck his head under and started gulping the water down.
“You know, usually we drink from glasses,” Chloe said. Puzzled and dismayed, she poured them both a glass of milk. Had he forgotten how to behave properly? But he knew how to turn on the taps. Maybe he just didn’t care about etiquette.
In a few moments she slid the grilled cheese sandwiches onto two plates. “Careful, they’re hot,” she warned him, before nibbling at her own.
Marcus imitated her, picking the sandwich up by the crust. He sniffed at it, took a cautious bite, then immediately spat it out.
“Too hot?” She clamped her lips together to hide her amusement—until he did the same thing to the milk. “Lactose intolerant?”
Marcus shook his head, nodded, then shrugged. Not helpful.
While she cleaned the mess with paper towels, he ran water from the sink again. He didn’t seem to care that the water splashed down his neck and chest.
Chloe pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Kyle. Does M have allergies? She’d eaten over at his place numerous times, visiting Abby, and didn’t remember Marcus having any special dietary requirements, but maybe she just hadn’t paid enough attention.
She offered him the sandwich again. “It’s cool now, I promise.”
He curled his lip.
“Well, you must still be hungry. What do you want to eat?”
He ate two crackers, but refused the rest. He stared longingly at the hamburger defrosting on the counter.
“No,” she said firmly. “That’s for supper.” Opening the fridge, she scrounged up another package of deli meat. That seemed to do the trick: he happily scarfed down the corned beef.
She texted her mom, asking her to pick up some cold cuts.
Kyle texted back: No allergies. She invited Kyle over after school and dutifully asked him to bring her homework.
When she finished, Marcus had Changed into a wolf again.
Chloe swore as Kyle, Dean and Judy all piled out of Dean’s junker car at four-thirty in the afternoon. Only Brian was missing; he must have had to go home and babysit his siblings.
She shoved Marcus, who was dozing, off the living room couch. He yipped at her reproachfully, and she threw his sweatpants at him. “Change, right now! Judy is the Alphas’ daughter. We need her to give a good report.”
The screen door squeaked open, and Chloe hurried down the hall to intercept everybody, arriving in the entryway slightly breathless. “Hey!” She raised an eyebrow, pretending surprise. “Does it take three of you to carry my homework?”
“Ha. Ha. Ha,” Judy said. From her resentful expression, the fact that Chloe wasn’t a Dud didn’t impress her.
She thinks I’m still at the bottom of the Pack hierarchy.
We’ll see about that.
“We came to see Marcus. Obviously.” Judy tossed her ponytail and took a step forward.
Chloe blocked the way from the porch into the hall. Marcus needed more time—at least she hoped he was Changing and getting dressed. “Not so fast,” she stalled. “This is my territory. Nobody comes inside until I get an apology.”
An instinct to protect Marcus had spurred the words, but once they came out, they rang true. She wasn’t going to let them get away with just pretending the last three months of snubbing hadn’t happened.
“Really?” Temper fired Judy’s eyes. “You’re going to invoke that rule after you stomped all over it, barging into my house and stealing something?”
“Borrowing,” Chloe corrected. “And I apologized for my actions and have been assigned a punishment for my transgression.” She crossed her a
rms.
Kyle broke the deadlock. “I’m sorry for calling you a Dud. I should have known you’d break through your block. You’re a werewolf through and through.” His tone held rueful admiration.
Chloe granted him a regal nod and turned to the side. “You may come in.”
“I’m not sorry.” Dean flashed her a cheeky grin. “Coach told us to give you a hard time, that it would push you to Change, and he was right.”
Chloe reeled. “Coach ordered you to give me a hard time?”
“Pretty much,” Kyle confirmed.
Her teeth ground together on a surge of hatred. If Coach had been standing there, she would have slugged him.
“I am glad you Changed,” Dean added more seriously. “Welcome to the Pack.” He gave her shoulders a quick pat and moved past her into the kitchen, already reaching for the jar of cookies her mom kept stocked up.
That left Judy still in the porch. She glared at Chloe.
Chloe waited.
“You never once asked for help Changing,” Judy said abruptly.
Chloe blinked, taken aback. “I wanted to do it on my own.” For it to be her own accomplishment. And by the time she’d grown desperate enough to ask for help her so-called friends had turned nasty, and she wouldn’t have asked them for a cup of water while dying in the desert.
“And that, right there, is why it took you so long to Change,” Judy said. “It’s not the Pack way to do it alone.”
Was Judy right? Chloe’s insides churned. She’d assumed that once she Changed everything would go back to normal, but what if it didn’t? What if there was a deeper problem?
“So no, I’m not going to beg your pardon,” Judy said. “Are you going to let me in or not?” she challenged.
Her question hung in the air. Chloe considered it. Resentment simmered inside her, an ugly stew. Her wolf didn’t want to let it go, wanted to force Judy to grovel.
But if she did, they’d never be friends again.
Did she want to be friends with Judy? Chloe didn’t know. It was easier to forgive the boys, because they hadn’t been as close. On the one hand, Judy had been pretty nasty to her. On the other hand, they’d known each other since birth. Judy and the boys were part of her Pack. They smelled right. Pack squabbles were family squabbles, and a permanent quarrel with your family could mean moving far away.
She didn’t want that.
“You’re not forgiven,” Chloe told Judy—which made Judy’s eyes flash with anger as she hadn’t asked for forgiveness, “but you’re Pack. You can come in.” She walked into the kitchen.
“So where’s Marcus?” Dean asked impatiently.
The fine hairs stirred on the back of Chloe’s neck as Marcus moved up behind her. Relief blew through her: he’d Changed into a boy. Turning, she caught his wrist and drew him forward.
“Good thing your parents don’t have a no shirts, no shoes, no service policy,” Dean said, snickering.
Had he always been so thick? Chloe glared at him.
“Hey, Marcus.” Kyle approached with his gaze diffidently down, careful not to challenge. “It’s good to see you, bro. I missed you.”
Marcus tensed, pressing his arm closer to hers. He watched Kyle carefully. Surely, he recognized his best friend?
Kyle glanced at her. “Rumour is he can’t talk?”
“No,” Chloe said reluctantly. “At least not yet. But he can understand speech and nod yes or no. Though he doesn’t pay as much attention to words as we do,” she admitted. “And he gets upset if you ask about the crash. So that topic is off limits,” she said with a stern warning glance.
“But—” Judy started.
Chloe understood the grief on her face, the longing for a second miracle. She shook her head. “He’s the only survivor.”
“So what can we talk about?” Judy demanded.
“I’m so glad you asked,” Chloe said sweetly. She took pleasure in the wariness that furrowed Judy’s brow. “We can talk about how we’re going to help Marcus regain his human half.”
“I’m in,” Kyle said.
“Not sure what you think we can do,” Dean said around a mouthful of cookie.
Kyle elbowed his big brother. “Ignore Mr. Negative Thinking here. He’s sulking because he broke up with Ilona.”
“Hey,” Dean said defensively. “She’s hot.”
Kyle didn’t back down, getting up into his brother’s face. “Well, excuse me, but I think my best friend’s life is a little more important than whether or not you get laid!”
Instead of getting angry, Dean patted Kyle’s back. “Okay, you have my help. For what it’s worth.”
Two down, one to go. Chloe turned to Judy again. “No offense to your parents—I know they have to consider the big issues—but they only gave Marcus a week to improve. I’m not going to just let that time drift past and hope for the best. Everyone needs to help.”
Judy bristled. “There you go, giving orders again. You’re not the Alpha, Chloe. Just because you Changed doesn’t make you boss. That would be my parents.”
I know I’m not Alpha material, but you’re not top wolf either. The words hovered on the tip of Chloe’s tongue.
“Ooh, Dominance fight,” Dean stage-whispered.
Chloe ignored him, gaze still locked with Judy. She was stronger. She could Dominate Judy and force compliance. She could do more than that—she could make Judy grovel—but doing so would just make Judy hate her more.
She’d hated it when the others Dominated her. Bullied her. I won’t let them push me around, but I don’t want to turn into a bully.
At her side Marcus’s lip lifted in a snarl. Worry spiked through her—what would Marcus do if she and Judy fought? She put a hand on his shoulder, and took a deep breath. She could compromise. “I didn’t mean to boss you around. You said Pack asks for help. Well, I’m asking for yours now. All of you,” she glanced at the room before facing Judy again.
Judy blinked, looking off-balance and a little relieved at this de-escalation.
“I don’t know if we can be friends again,” Chloe continued, “but we were both friends of Abby’s. Marcus is Abby’s brother. He’s Pack, and he needs our help. Will you help him, for Abby’s sake, if not for mine?”
Judy’s eyes filled with tears. She gave a quick nod.
“What do you need?” Kyle asked.
Deep breath. “For starters, I’d like to know his favourite foods.” She grimaced. “So far, he’s shown a strong preference for meat.”
Judy wrinkled her nose. “Raw meat?”
Surprised, Chloe laughed. “No! Deli ham and corned beef. Last night he ate Mom’s stew, vegetables included. Maybe because they were in gravy? Anyhow, so far he’s turned up his nose at cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches and crackers.”
“Kyle, what were his favourite foods?”
“Pizza,” Kyle said after a moment. “Potato chips.” He shrugged. “You know, the usual.”
“Abby loved taco chips with extra hot salsa,” Judy said wistfully. “And Peanut Butter Cups.”
“And Snickers bars,” Chloe added. “Anything chocolate, really.”
“You could have put chocolate on chicken, and she would have eaten it,” Judy agreed.
Marcus whined.
Chloe squeezed his hand. “Sorry. Okay, let’s plan a pizza and junk food party Sunday afternoon. Everyone, keep talking. What did Marcus like to do?”
“Hiking,” Dean said.
“I think we can scratch that one,” Chloe said. She doubted Marcus would hold to human form for more than a minute if they went into the forest. “Any hobbies?”
Kyle snapped his fingers. “Model planes. When we were younger, he’d make epic things out of Lego, not just following instructions, but doing his own thing. Oh, and he loved hockey.”
Chloe glanced at Marcus to see how he felt about being referred to in the past tense, but he was staring at Dean. Not with hostility, just in the wolf way of keeping an eye on the biggest predator.
&nbs
p; “He was really good at getting the puck out of corners,” Dean said.
Unfortunately, Pine Hollow only had outdoor rinks, and it wouldn’t be cold enough to skate for at least another month. Well past their time limit.
“Pizza party and hockey night,” Chloe said. “Any other suggestions?”
Silence. Judy fidgeted. “I need to get going. I promised I’d be home by five to start making supper.”
They said their goodbyes and trooped out. Kyle lingered a moment. He squeezed Marcus’s arm. “Hang in there, bud. No going feral, okay?”
Marcus didn’t nod, but allowed the touch.
Kyle suddenly grinned, making his resemblance to Dean much more pronounced. “Hey, I have an idea to help Marcus stay human. Offer him an incentive.”
Chloe sensed a trap. “Like what?”
“Yourself. Tell him if he eats his vegetables, you’ll give him a kiss. Staying human for a full day earns him a cuddle on the couch.” Kyle winked at Marcus and sauntered off.
Boys. “Har de har har.” Chloe glared after Kyle then shut the door.
Marcus stared at her with hopeful eyes.
“Forget it,” Chloe told him. “You’re Abby’s little brother.” She kept her voice firm, but she couldn’t help but remember their exuberant kiss when they were both naked and freshly Changed. The tips of her ears heated.
What would Abby have said if she’d been alive? Would she have been outraged? Protective of Marcus? Grossed out? Amused?
If Marcus had still been a wolf, his ears would have drooped. He’d Changed to be with Chloe, but she didn’t want him.
At least that’s what her words said. Her body had said differently. She’d smelled eager when she kissed him.
It was a she-wolf’s right to change her mind, but he didn’t understand why she had. She didn’t act interested in the other males, even though one of them—Dean—was bigger and stronger than Marcus. Was it just because he was Abby’s brother or was it something he’d done?
Was it because he couldn’t talk?
He grunted, trying to form words, but they died inside him. His chest locked tight like a metal box. Speaking meant answering questions, and questions brought pain.
He wasn’t ready to talk about his family yet.
Feral Page 11