by E Hall
“I know. You lay there thinking...” And I always wonder what she’s thinking about.
“About my old life and my mom, but mostly I tell myself stories in my head—like daydreaming. I’ve always wanted to be a writer.”
“I wanted to be a professional rugby player.” I chuckle.
From a nearby bookshelf, I grab a photo album. Like the map, it’s also yellowed with age. Setting it between Kenna and me, I open to the sepia image of a young boy holding a rugby ball. My father, nearly twice my size at the time, stands beside me with his hand on my shoulder.
“You were cute.” She lifts her head. Her lips quirk. “Still are.”
My ears heat. I turn the pages past more pictures of me as a lad. Then I land on one from a school dance the year I graduated, just months before I left home.
She leans closer. “You should see my prom photo.” She laughs.
“Did you have a date?”
“Yes. Robbie Burke.”
“And?” I can’t ignore the warmth coming from her. Tension tightens between us.
She lifts her eyebrows.
“And did you leave him back in the states with a broken heart?”
“If you’re wondering whether he was my boyfriend? No. He went home on prom night with Samantha Brown. That’s okay. He smelled like stinky cheese.”
We both laugh.
“What about your date? Did you dance or—?”
“Remember, that was a long, long time ago.” The memory of those years is relatively vague at this point.
We both laugh.
“I know this kind of life differs from what you were used to, and I don’t want you to miss out on anything, but if you...” I wasn’t planning to say this and fall silent.
“But if I—?” she says, edging me on.
“But if you want to stay longer, you’re welcome as long as you’d like.” That was not exactly what I wanted to say, but it’s close enough for now.
“Thank you.” She smooths a piece of hair.
“Do you want to run?”
The tension snaps between us.
“If by that you mean shift and take to the trail together, then yes.” She bounds to her feet, unbuttoning her shirt.
My wolf grins inside. I’m in so much trouble.
Chapter 19
Kenna
Once outside, under the starry sky, the shift is intense but effortless. I puff up my chest, proud, and maybe a little cocky as I prance around Corbin in my wolf form.
He watches, fascinated, awed, or both, I can’t tell. “You got the hang of it.”
I’m about to reply, but then remember I can’t speak as a wolf.
Corbin tosses his clothes by the front door to his house and leaps, shifting midair.
This time, I’m impressed.
He nudges me with his shoulder then eyes the trail ahead. I let him lead the way, but soon catch up, loping beside him. Then with a glance at me, he takes off. He pads silently even as his massive paws kick off the ground.
As my legs pump and my lungs fill with the cool night air, he was right. This is the epitome of freedom. It cleanses my mind, brings me peace. A howl grows in my throat.
We race up a hill then another. The climb is easy with four legs as I maneuver over rough rocks and pebbles, experiencing a tug toward Corbin that rises from my tail to my chest and fills my head like candlelight.
When we get to the top of a hill, Corbin gazes out across the valley. He gruffs. High summer is coming. Imagine long sunny days at the lake, rugby, barbequing... I hear his voice in my mind.
His muzzle nudges my neck and then taps mine. The wolf equivalent of a purr escapes.
In his comment before about being welcome here and now this, I gather he wants me to stay. I keep these thoughts to myself.
We sit quietly in each other’s company for a long time. I watch the stars blinking above and Corbin surveys his territory below.
We’re quiet, still, catching our breath, until he surprises me by nipping my muzzle, then tackling me to the ground in wolf-play. I don’t mind one bit and am starting to like the idea of sticking around.
Training fills the coming days, as I hone wolf skills, hunting, moving silently, and fine-tuning my senses as well as drills in my physical form to get stronger.
Corbin has commented more than once that I’m a natural and is surprised at how easily it comes to me, considering I only learned about the wolf-world weeks earlier.
When training as a wolf, I feel fully embodying that form of magic. However, when training in physical form, my power randomly surges. I struggle to keep my focus on my wolf. Instead, I have seemingly random moments of incredible strength and speed thanks to my vampire. Other times, I accidentally release flares of magic, blasting trees, singeing shrubs, and almost freezing a pack member when the shimmers of power exploded from me alternating between ice and heat. I wonder about how to go about replacing a rosebush I scorched.
The evenings skip by with large meals with the rest of the pack in the lodge and helping as Camilla organizes the barn dance and solstice celebration.
Inga pulls me aside one night, leading me to her room.
“I’d say we go to Intherness and get you a dress, but there isn’t time. We’re about the same size. Let’s see—” She pulls open her closet, revealing a wardrobe that defies the usual outfit of jeans, T-shirts, and flannels most of the wolves wear—male and female alike.
Even though the shifters are pretty laid back in appearance, from what I’ve seen and been told by Inga and Camilla, all people with magical blood, whether they’re shifters, fae, vampires, or mages—also called witches—are exceptionally good looking. They have something extra like sparkle but without the glitter, a glow but without the bronzer.
“You look surprised.” She already has a handful of hangers and holds a selection of sundresses in front of me. She shakes her head. “I was interned for many years. A battle wolf of the north. I had nothing but rags to wear while in human form and dirt to sleep on.” She gestures to the bed draped with gauzy fabric and covered in the softest and coziest pillows I’ve ever seen. “I now appreciate these simple pleasures.”
“A battle wolf?”
“For the war. Almost two hundred years ago now.”
“How old are you?”
Her face hardens.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t polite.”
Her expression cracks into laughter. “I’m joking. I’m two-hundred-thirty.”
“And you don’t look a day over eighteen.”
“That’s thanks to synthesizing with my wolf magic.”
“So Corbin hasn’t always been your Alpha?”
She shakes her head. “Before the Accords, I was imprisoned as soon as I shifted. Poachers would wait for new wolves who were unfamiliar and untested to shift and then capture us. I even met many raised in captivity.”
“By who? Why?”
“Tyrants, including Greyson Slade.”
I gasp.
“I don’t hold you accountable for something that happened in the past. I’ll admit that I was wary of you at first, but almost immediately saw your connection to Corbin, even if neither one of you felt it. It’s one of my gifts.” She winks.
Guiding me to a full-length mirror, Inga holds out a dress the color of goldenrods and with cream, gray, and slate blue flowers. “This is the one. Perfect for you and your coloring as well as the solstice. Tomorrow night, we’ll get ready together.”
Later that night, just as I drift off, Corbin sneaks in and settles in his usual chair by the window. He watches for danger outside and keeps an eye on the door at the same time.
Questions pile up on my tongue about this life, the past, and the future, but to my surprise, I quickly drift to sleep.
The following evening, I get ready with the girls. Watching them transform from tough female wolves who typically wear tank tops, flannels, and jeans into feminine beauties is a blast. Camilla styles my hair in soft waves and I apply make
up to several of the other girls. Amanda is noticeably absent. There are groups of friends, but not cliques. Everyone seems to mingle with everyone else. Well, except Amanda and a few others. She seems like an outsider which is strange because if anyone is, it should be me.
Amidst preening and giggling, we all walk to the barn on the west side of the property as the sun sets. It glows warmly from within, strung with twinkle lights. A live band, consisting of several of the wolf shifters, plays. We parade in to actual wolf whistles.
Soon, the girls pair off with guys. I look for a lone Alpha, standing off to the side, but don’t see him. The band plays an upbeat song so I dance by myself. The moment I step on the dance floor, the song changes. A wolf with shaggy blond hair approaches, but Corbin appears, cutting in before the guy can even ask me to dance.
I sense jealousy and wait for him to man up. Or rather, Alpha up.
He doesn’t hesitate. “Kenna, will you dance with me?”
I take his hand in mine. He places his other on my low back and we move together, easily and gracefully as if we’ve been doing it all our lives.
When the music changes to a fast song, we dance together. Despite his large and muscular stature, Corbin has slick moves.
“You’re good at this,” I say over the music.
“Being over a hundred years old has given me time to practice,” he says.
“What other secret skills do you have?” I tease.
His lips quirk with amusement.
We continue to dance until the song slows again.
Corbin draws me closer this time until our hips and chests touch. A blaze comes alive inside me. He leans close until the fine hairs around my face are sure to tickle him. He doesn’t seem to mind.
As we move as one, he whispers into my ear, “Kenna, you’re a contradiction. A storm and a rainbow. Strong and soft. Fierce and graceful. Determined and willing.” He takes my hand and leads me through the door outside.
The music mutes slightly but the crickets chirp loudly. His woodsy, wolfy scent fills my nose.
We sit down on a stone partition wall and our knees bump. My hair is messy from dancing, and I know my cheeks are rosy.
“I don’t want to have to pick between the pack and you. Loyalty and love.”
Love? It’s impossible, but my cheeks heat more. “Do you have to? Can you have both?”
Corbin tips my chin up, prompting me to meet his copper eyes. “Can I?”
I nod.
A frown forms at the corners of his mouth, and he drags in a breath. “I want you, but I can’t have you.”
“Says who?” I whisper.
At my words, his eyes flicker as if he lets his guard down.
My wolf pounds at the door of my heart, demanding that I let him in. I lean a fraction closer.
He traces a path of kisses from my bare shoulder to my collarbone then up behind my ear. He pauses.
I fist his shirt, pulling him closer still, demanding that he doesn’t stop.
“Tonight you belong to me,” he says.
I worry about what that means. Only tonight?
Then his lips are on mine, sending sparks showering within me, numbing my mind. Making me forget all thought and I fully inhabit the moment. We move fast, hungrily, the Alphas within demanding more from each other.
My hands drift from his strong shoulders to his back, and then grip his neck, deepening the kiss.
It’s as wild and free as two wolves running together.
Chapter 20
Corbin
Kissing Kenna is reckless, but I cannot and do not want to pull myself away. I can’t deny my wolf’s heart or the one that beats in my physical chest. I desire her more than anything ever.
My hands tangle in Kenna’s hair as I lose myself in her embrace, in her mouth, in what’s pulsing between us because it’s bigger than the barn, the mountains at our backs, and the world we live in. It goes beyond the boundaries of anything I’ve ever known. It is the truest thing that exists.
The air crackles between us and under my skin as Kenna curls into me, kissing me harder. The wolves within us meet and beg to howl.
We part for a moment, and she looks up at me through her long, dark lashes. It’s then I know. Or was it when I saw her on the street in Intherness? When she first shifted? Or when she arrived at the barn dance wearing a pretty sundress with her hair loose around her shoulders, and her lips stained like cherries.
I’ll never be the same. She’s wrecked me in the best way. Before, I knew loyalty to the pack. Now, I know devotion to an individual. To her.
I brush my thumb under her jawbone, feeling the softness of her skin, the pulse beneath, and the fires inside us burning hot. Once more, I press my lips to hers in a kiss so hungry and so deep, I intend never to stop.
Kenna’s pulse increases and mine rises to meet it. Her skin warms and mine follows. Our Alpha wolves match each other in every way as the kiss continues, sparking promises for all of time.
When we part, the energy continues to flicker between us.
She bites her lip and whispers, “Talk to me about what happens when an Alpha finds a true mate.”
I’m about to answer that I don’t know, but I do now. “For me, the fated mate is the one who can tame me when we’re together and challenges me to be true when we’re not. She owns my heart, and it won’t ever belong to another...because I trust her so much, I let her in to know the real me and can let down my guard. But if an Alpha who’s also a Council member seals with his fated mate then,” I draw a deep breath, “he loses his position. Conflict of interest. Attention divided and all that.”
Kenna’s smile falls. “So if we seal this bond between us, you’re no longer a Council member?” Her hand presses softly to her lips, the ones I was just kissing. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
“That we’re fated mates?” I can’t believe I just said it either. It makes it real. “But we’re also forbidden for multiple reasons. Namely, my pledge to the Council, but also—” Also who she is.
“But that can’t stop love.” Kenna tugs on the hem of her dress. “I never felt like I belonged anywhere. I was always an outsider. But I feel connected here. Connected to you.” The inside corners of her eyebrows lift, pleading.
“The wolf bonds are complicated, some say archaic. But the idea is we belong to each other. Not like one of us owns the other or is dominant. Rather, it’s a partnership, built on trust and respect. Making me willing to relinquish my position.”
She takes my hand, sending a jolt through me. “I want that.”
“Me too,” I say.
“I wasn’t done. I want it but not at the expense of what you’ve worked for.”
It’s then I know the Council has nothing to worry about with her lineage. We were cautious for no reason. She didn’t come here to destroy the magical world with her tri-magical of power. She came here for me. My wolf practically purrs.
“One cannot deny the call of the mate,” I say.
I pull her to her feet and we go back to the barn to dance again. This time it’s different, like a weight that sagged between us has lifted because we acknowledged the connection we share, but something else stretches tight now. How will I show the Council they have nothing to fear? A second question pushes past the first. Although, if the Klave got ahold of her, with her untested magic, that could still spell disaster.
Nonetheless, I’m light on my feet as Kenna and I spin and dance to several songs. I will figure out solutions later. For the first time in ages, I let my wolf take control when in my human form and have fun.
When the mood turns slow again, I take Kenna in my arms, keeping her close. I nuzzle my head into her hair, inhaling her unique cherry-wolf scent. It’s a fragrance for me to claim. She is mine as soon as we perform the sealing ritual of fated mates.
We’re dancing, and I’m on a high, practically floating from the kiss, from expressing my feelings for Kenna, and the possibility of us when someone edges into our space.
Negative energy makes my wolf snarl.
Amanda pushes between us with a sneer on her lips. Her hair with its purple tint catches in the twinkle lights of the barn.
My wolf’s ears prick.
Kenna doesn’t step aside. Her glare suggests she’s possessive of me, and it thrills my inner wolf.
Amanda cocks her hip, assessing us. Her brows lift as though she realizes what Kenna and I share. “Fine. Don’t leave, mutt. I was going to warn Corbin, but things being as they appear, this can be for you too.”
“Warn me?” My voice is flat.
“Never mind. Truth or dare, Kenna?” Amanda asks.
I sense a spike in her energy, like the fae, vamp, and wolf within bristle at the question.
“Truth,” Kenna replies.
“You’re the daughter of Greyson Slade.”
Kenna glances at me as though asking how to answer the question. “What does it matter?”
“It’s true isn’t it?” Amanda wears a smug smile.
“It’s no secret. But I’ve never met him,” my mate says.
“Likely story. But it doesn’t matter. As soon as the other council members expose that Pack Hjalmor’s leader has been hiding you, it’s over.” Amanda smirks at me. She circles us, trailing her finger over my shoulder and across my back. “In fact, Corbin here was supposed to eliminate you, weren’t you, Corbin?”
I force myself not to flinch at the truth in her words.
But Kenna does.
“True or false, Corbin?” Amanda says, instigating a very uncomfortable conversation I wanted to avoid.
Kenna draws away slightly and takes with her the warmth between us. I fear not answering said enough about my original intentions.
Regret pierces me.
Amanda steps into Kenna’s space. “We know who you are, but tell us why you’re here, mutt.”
“Because I’m Corbin’s true mate. Fate drew us together. Life fated me to this place, right here right now,” Kenna says boldly.
Amanda narrows her eyes. “Is that so? In that case, how about a dare, Kenna?”