“You told me she had feelings for me,” Jack says. “You said you sensed a bond between us.”
“Excuse me?” I say. “That is not true.”
Jack walks away from Lucas and stands next to me. “You can challenge her if you want, but I say we vote.”
“Vote, vote, vote,” the chant rises from behind me.
I glance over at Carter. I’m rusty on my rules and I’m not sure what’s happening.
“The pack can decide to follow you since you’ve got a claim. You’re not a normal challenger,” he explains.
“You’d take her over me? She’s a half breed,” Lucas snarls.
“She’s not a murderer,” Jamie says.
I growl, the sound surprising me as it rolls through my chest. “Try me, Lucas.”
His nostrils flare and I think he’s going to shift.
“I don’t need any of you,” he says.
“Your stuff better be gone from her property by morning,” Carter says. “And I’ll be sending lawyers to return her inheritance.”
I look up at Carter, stunned.
He shrugs. “Law school drop out.”
I laugh. “I can’t wait to learn everything about you.”
He puts his arm over my shoulders and pulls me in close to him. “Same, gorgeous. Same.”
“You all realize that if you do this, our pack is done. Her mate is the alpha in Coventon. Our pack will be swallowed up,” Lucas says.
“No, our pack will be stronger,” Kyle says.
I look behind me at Kyle and smile. He nods. “You’ll do great, kid. Just like your old man.”
“Last chance,” Lucas says.
“Bye, Lucas,” Jamie says.
“Jasmine, let’s go,” he says.
Jasmine runs past me in a blur of permed hair and strong perfume. She doesn’t look back and neither does Lucas as they fade into the darkness.
The rest of the pack closes in around me and I go from hug to hug as everyone gives me words of congratulations and pats me on the back.
“It’s almost midnight,” Jamie says.
“What happens at midnight?” I ask.
“We run,” she says with a grin. “You ready, alpha? You get to lead.”
I should be afraid. I should question all of this. But it feels right. I start running away from the fire, pulling my shirt off and tossing it to the side. Carter keeps pace next to me and he shifts quickly, running alongside me in his wolf form.
I shift next then stop and howl into the night sky.
Dozens of howls rise up in answer.
With the pack behind me, we run.
11
Carter
Lucy leads the run like she’s been doing it her whole life. We take off through the fields, across a stream and into a grove of trees. After an hour of blood pumping sprinting, she slows and howls.
The others match her, howling with her. She waits a beat, letting everyone know they’re free to run on their own.
The pack scatters, breaking into smaller groups and some of the individual wolves go off alone. Everyone has a different way they want to run and after the pack run, they’re free to do so.
I know that in Coventon, Mikey’s taking care of things while I’m gone. I also know I will never run alone on a solstice again.
Lucy nips at me and I nip back, giving her a low growl before pouncing on her. She growls back and nips at me playfully again before pulling away and taking off again.
I chase her, through the trees and into the darkest part of the woods. The moon barely reaches here and I slow down when I see her come to a stop.
She shifts again, back into her human form and I don’t hesitate to join her.
“Thank you for your help back there,” she says as she walks toward me. Her perfect breasts bounce with each step and my brain is fuzzy trying to think about anything other than sex.
“You did all the work,” I say, forcing myself to stay present in the conversation. I can smell her arousal and I know I’m not the only one who has other things on my mind. My cock is already at attention. I can’t help it. She’s just so damn sexy.
“I knew you believed in me,” she says. “And that made all the difference.”
She’s so close now I can feel the heat rising from her and I know she wants me just as much as I want her. I close the space between us and pull her into me. Her breasts press against my chest and my cock is against the soft skin of her hip.
She rises onto her tiptoes and I lean to meet her in the kiss, our lips together in harmony as if we’ve been kissing our whole lives. Our first kisses were hunger and passion and lust. This kiss is something else. It’s gentle and sweet and confident.
A cold breeze blows past, sending a shiver through her and goosebumps rise on her skin. But she’s hot to my touch. The shifter in her keeping her warm.
She slips her tongue into my mouth and I stroke hers with mine as my hands explore her body. I work my way to her breasts, cupping them in my hands before rolling her nipples between my fingers. She moans into my mouth.
I break the kiss and move my lips to her throat, then down to her chest, finding her nipples with my mouth. I suck a nipple in, then lick it before moving to the other.
Her hand grabs hold of my cock and I groan. Her touch is intense, sending a rush of desire through me so strong that I know I have to have her now.
The ground is covered in rocks and leaves and is freezing cold. There’s only one option. With a growl, I grab her hips and turn her so her ass presses against my cock. It’s throbbing now, aching for release and her perfect round ass is just begging me to fuck her.
She’s panting and she reaches a hand for my face, pulling me in for a kiss. I kiss her roughly, then push her down so her ass is in the air and she’s grabbing her ankles.
My cock finds her entrance and she’s so slick I slide right in. She moans, pressing back into me. I hold on to her hips, digging my fingers into the softness of her curves, pulling her closer with each thrust.
She moans as I pick up speed, pounding her with savage need. Her moans turn into cries of pleasure and she’s gasping for air. I know she’s close, her wetness is soaking me now and it’s only making me more turned on.
After just a few more thrusts she screams, the sound unlocking something inside me that pushes me over the edge. I pull her hips closer to me, pushing myself fully inside her as I come.
Sweaty and satisfied, I pull out of her and help her to standing. Her skin glistens and she’s breathing heavy. Then she gives me a mischievous smirk.
“Last one back to the bonfire makes breakfast,” she says.
She’s back in her wolf form, running at full speed.
I grin. I’m the luckiest man in the world. I shift and chase her out of the woods. I know I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to keep up with her and I can’t wait for the adventures ahead.
Epilogue 1
Three Months Later - Lucy
Heavy metal blares from the speakers in the shop and the familiar scent of motor oil and gasoline sets me at ease. It’s the smell of home in a lot of ways. It’s what I remember my dad smelling like from his long days working here.
“Hey, Lucy!” Kyle calls, setting down the wrench in his hand. He’s got a smudge of grease on his face and his coveralls are stained. He looks exactly as he should. He grabs a towel and wipes his hands then turns to face me with a smile on his face. “How’s everything going in the big city?”
“Good,” I say. “I got my test scores back.”
Someone turns down the music. “Did you say you got your test scores?”
I hold up the letter. “Passed with flying colors.”
The shop erupts into cheers and several people come to pat me on the back or pull me into hugs.
“So you’re doing it, then?” Kyle asks. “Sending in those applications?”
“I am,” I say. “And I have something for you.” I hand him the folder.
He takes it from me and opens it.
His brow furrows as he reads it a few times. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s yours,” I say. “The whole shop. I never wanted to run an auto shop.”
“But this was your dad’s dream,” he says.
“But not mine,” I say. “I am keeping his cars, though.” In the back of the shop was a long garage with six classic cars that belonged to my dad. While I never dreamed of fixing cars for the rest of my life, I did have a love of them and enjoyed working on them.
“I’ll keep them safe for you,” he says. “You sure?”
“I’m sure,” I say. “I know you’ll take good care of it.”
“Your dad would be proud of you, Lucy,” he says.
“Thanks.” I think he’s right. All this time I’d been too focused on not being able to shift to pay attention to the other things I was great at.
Kyle stepped in after Lucas fled town, taking on all the responsibilities of the shop. He has a head for business and cares about the legacy my dad left behind. I feel good about passing it on to him.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” I say.
“See you for Sunday dinner,” he says.
“I’ll be there,” I say.
Some days, I still split my time between the duties of the two different packs I have responsibilities with, but Carter is amazing at bringing us all together. Each Sunday, we meet at my dad’s old house, now my house, and eat together. It’s never forced but we usually have near a hundred guests. Everyone brings food to share and we eat and have fun.
It’s everything I always wanted pack life to be like. Though our combined pack spans two cities, we are one pack now.
My phone rings as just as I start the engine of my car and I pick up. “Hey, babe.”
“Hi, beautiful, you on your way home?” Carter asks.
“Yeah, be there soon, just leaving the shop now.”
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he says.
I grin, feeling just as giddy about him as the day we met. Aside from the Sunday dinners at my dad’s old place, I am usually at Carter’s since I’m planning to apply to the university in the fall. I still get chills when he calls it home as if I’ve lived there my whole life.
“Can’t wait,” I say.
“Love you,” he says.
“Love you too,” I say, then I hang up.
The drive doesn’t take long and before I know it, I’m parked in the driveway in front of Carter’s simple two-bedroom house.
I walk into the living room to find Carter waiting for me. He’s as handsome as ever. The dark five o’clock shadow dusts his strong jaw and he smiles at me with those kissable lips. His blue eyes sparkle like a kid who can hardly contain a secret.
I narrow my eyes. “What’s going on here? Should I be concerned?”
He walks over to me and sets his huge hands over my eyes. They’re warm and comforting. “Okay, walk.”
I laugh. “Is this necessary?”
“Don’t ruin my fun,” he says.
I’m smiling so hard my face hurts. But this is how Carter is. He’s full of life and humor and love. Everything he does is thoughtful and kind. I am seriously the luckiest woman in the world.
We come to a stop. “Okay, ready?” he asks.
“Ready,” I say.
He drops his hands and I gasp. The second bedroom, the one that had been full of random junk, has been totally converted. The walls are now pale gray with white trim. Along one entire wall are custom built bookshelves and up against the window is a beautiful white desk. A comfy blue chair sits in front of the desk, just begging to be sat in.
“You need a place to study and write all those papers,” he says.
“I haven’t gotten in yet,” I say.
He pulls me in for a hug, wrapping his arms around me. “You will.” He kisses my cheek.
“Carter, I don’t know what to say.” The room is beautiful and peaceful and I can see myself spending a lot of time in here. “It’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“You deserve it,” he says.
I turn so I’m facing him and stand on my toes so I can give him a kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you,” he says.
Epilogue 2
Winter Solstice - One Year Later - Carter
She’s my mate, we’re meant to be, I know that. But I’m still sweating with anticipation as I pace the bedroom. Tonight is the solstice and it marks one year since we met. Since we fell in love.
I know I’m likely overthinking this whole thing and I stop and sit on the edge of the bed. Chuckling to myself I think about what Lucy would say. She’d tell me to stop freaking out. She’d tell me to pull it together.
But she isn’t the one with the one-carat antique diamond ring in her pocket.
When I saw it in the shop, I knew it was the exact ring I needed for her. I even took it to a friend to check to make sure it wasn’t cursed. You never do know with antiques. I’d also had them add a spell to it so it would stay on her finger during shifts, magically shifting with her so it didn’t get lost.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Lucy calls, slamming the door behind her.
I jump to my feet. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t even hear her car approach or hear the door open. That isn’t like me at all. I feel my pocket to make sure the ring is still there.
I’m sweating bullets.
Quickly, I duck into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. As I’m drying off, Lucy peeks her head into the bathroom.
“You okay?” she asks, her brow furrowed in concern.
“Yeah, good,” I say.
“Should we go?” she asks. “I got the marshmallows and cleaned out the graham cracker section at the store.”
“Great,” I say. Lucy had this idea to invite the kids from the pack this year. In the past, it’s always been adults only. Deemed too dangerous for kids in case any of the wolves got too wild. We came up with a compromise and the kids will hang out till ten, then they’ll go into Jim’s trailer for a slumber party.
So, therefore, we need s’mores.
Lucy really is the most amazing woman.
“Let’s go,” I say.
She cocks her head to the side as if searching me for something but doesn’t say a word. I’m sure she can sense my nervousness through our bond.
It’s dark by the time we arrive and we unload a few lawn chairs from my truck. Also Lucy’s idea. She’s full of them. Great ones.
Six kids run around with glow sticks playing some kind of nighttime game of tag. I feel an odd tug in my gut. I never considered if I wanted to have children but now that I had Lucy, it felt like a matter of when rather than if.
She was waiting to hear back on her grad school application but she should get in. So kids would be a few years away.
But that didn’t mean we couldn’t get married. I patted my pocket, feeling for the ring. It was still there and I was getting nervous again.
Chairs are set up and people pass out beer and other drinks. Someone made popcorn and some of the members of Lucy’s pack brought hot dogs to roast. It’s more like a campout than what I’m used to but it’s homey and nice.
We talk for a while and Lucy makes the rounds, complimenting everyone and asking about their families. She’s great at this alpha stuff. A real leader. She’s considerate and kind, not just an asshole. And I’m grateful we get to do this thing together as a team.
Finally, she takes a seat and everyone seems to relax. We’ve got hours before the midnight run and most of the pack is waiting till then to shift. A few of the younger guys are missing so they might already be out, but most of us hold it together for a while.
The ring feels like a weight in my pocket and I know I have to do this before we shift. Now or never.
I stand and move in front of Lucy. She looks up at me, concerned. I know I must look terrible and before I can freak her out any more, I drop to one knee.
Her eyes widen.
“Lucy Crow,”
I say, reaching into my pocket for the ring.
The other shifters around us gasp and a few of them say, aww. I smile, now that I’m in the moment, it’s not as scary.
“Will you do me the honor of being my wife?” I finish.
Her eyes shine with tears and her lips are pressed together. She looks like she’s about to lose it completely.
For a moment, I panic.
Then, she nods and her lips part. She makes a choked sound that is somewhere between a laugh and a cry. “Yes.”
I slide the ring on her finger and then take hold of her hands, pulling her to her feet.
She jumps, wrapping her arms over my shoulders. I catch her, lifting her off the ground as I pull her in tight. Our lips meet and I can taste her tears as we kiss.
Around us, people clap and cheer.
“Thank you,” I whisper in her ear.
“I love you,” she whispers in mine.
It’s the best moment of my entire life. One day soon, I will marry the most amazing woman in the world. Every day, I thank the universe for bringing us together.
Thanks For Reading!
Check out the rest of the stories from the Paranormal Underworld!
Captive Vampire by Anne O’Connell
Captive Angel by Scarlett Donovan
Captive Dragon by Demi Dumond
Captive Demon by Laney Powell
Captive Witch by Fiona Starr
Captive Mage by Payton Rome
XO,
Alexis
About the Author
Alexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.
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