by Sarah Stein
Her body was altering, and she needed help to figure it out. When looking in the mirror, she noticed her eyes glowed a sea blue instead of the electric blue they usually did. Her strength intensified when doing something someone her size would typically struggle with.
But, the thing that caught her attention was the chapter about instinct. Her instinct was what guided her throughout life. She accepted it for what it was, useful help. Her parents wouldn’t know what she was dealing with and she was terrified to tell them of her altering body.
The book may be her only answer to the many questions she had about what was happening to her, even though she wasn’t a wolf she could figure out what else could be wrong by giving her more insight. She finished reading the chapter on instinct, and then promptly shut the book before taking a sip of her coffee. Her mind was in turmoil. It was clear that she had witnessed a werewolf. Not just any werewolf, one that seemed to think he was mated to her according to the book.
In a section of the book, Analyse read that the beasts in Northern Alaska were known as Alaskan White Wolves. There wasn’t much else she’d gathered from the book about Worwick’s background. It just spoke of werewolves in general, their way of living, and how food helped sustain them to hold their wolf form longer.
If she wanted to know more, she had to seek him out. That was the last thing she wanted. What if she became weak again by falling under his spell? She didn’t want him to see that side of her too soon, yet her nipples hardened at the idea of him having his way with her. The image of him fucking her against the tree was playing tricks with her mind; her senses were heightened as if she still felt the lingering graze of his touch. There was no denying the chemistry between them. Analyse decided to go for a trek into the woods later that night.
Before she did, she remembered that her parents required help with their massive new barn they were building. Of course, she was a girl so they wouldn’t want her per se. So when she arrived at their home, her father questioned her appearance. She shrugged her shoulders in response because she was stronger than most of the men who were there.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t show any of them her true strength lest she was called out.
“Need any help?” she questioned her parents when she observed a worker struggling with an elongated piece of cypress wood.
“I think you should sit this one out baby girl,” her dad answered with a wink, “We have enough workers here. Go see if your mother needs help in the kitchen.”
He had kissed her cheek before she walked towards the door to her parents’ home. It irked her because she knew she could help but he wouldn’t see her reasoning. And she had no way of explaining it to him without making herself seem crazy. She found her way into the kitchen and offered her assistance, but her mother smiled and shook her head no. There wasn’t much else she could do other than watch her mom stir lemonade for the workers or head back home where she was out of their way.
She chose the latter. If they didn’t need her assistance, then she’d visit them tomorrow. What good was it to hang out where she wasn’t required? Instead, she said her goodbyes to both her parents after promising to visit soon.
Once back home, Analyse decided to make a few phone calls to schedule a couple of appointments for interior designing as soon as her days-off ended. She had chosen to take a two-week vacation so she wouldn’t feel like her work was too much to handle. It did well to know she could create her own hours considering she owned her business. She sought to get some answers about Worwick before work started in full swing. It would be fantastic to find out exactly what was going on before focusing solely on her career.
Tonight was the night she’d find Worwick and demand he explain what the hell happened last night. It was completely out of the ordinary especially for her. He left an imprint she couldn’t seem to shake. The feeling of being owned had stayed with her all day.
After she’d dialed the prospective customer’s number, she showered and dressed cozily for her trip into the woods. It would be frowned upon if she froze to death due to minimal clothing. Although she despised the required large amounts of apparel, she loved the cold weather.
This time she loaded a backpack with the proper essentials: food, water, extra clothing and a knife. She hooked the flashlight on her belt loop like last time and looked around her house for anything she might’ve omitted. Last night she forgot her way home, so she wanted to be prepared if she lost her way again.
She’d lived here for years and not once had she yearned to traverse through the woods alone. On second thought, Analyse rummaged around her office desk for a compass to bring on the trip, just in case.
To be honest, she was anxious to see what she’d find. Would wolves be walking through the forest searching for food? Would they be more human or animal? She was confused on how it worked.
As she reached the line of trees outlining the forest, Analyse switched the flashlight to the on position before walking with bold steps into the forest. Her eyes sought the moon hoping it wouldn’t be full since it wouldn’t be a good idea to provoke them any further. Upon reading the book, Analyse had discovered that the full moon meant the werewolf had minor control of its body. She wanted to find out for herself if the book had any truth to it. And according to what happened to Worwick, he clearly didn’t have control of wanting to mark her.
Analyse’s eyes darted left then right once she passed through the majority of the large trees that blocked the lining where the woods started. She wasn’t scared, just curious. Her boots sunk into the snow with each step but it wasn’t deep enough to get stuck.
If it weren’t for the vastness of snow covering the trees and ground, the scenery would spook her. Somehow the snow lessened the eeriness. There were no awkward sounds other than the occasional hoot of an owl or crunch from her foot stepping on snow.
She was surprised at the lack of wildlife moving around. Was it because a lone wolf was running around hunting prey? She wasn’t sure. The further into the woods she traveled, she didn’t detect him or any other living creature. It was odd.
A watch would have been useful, she reflected as she trudged through the snow, she felt as if she’d walked for hours. No sign of Worwick, or any other weird animal for that matter. She perched onto the large tree stump not far from where she stood and removed the packet of sliced apples she’d brought for nourishment. There were other foods packed, but she didn’t want to exhaust her supply early on in the night.
As she sat on the stump eating her apples, she was aware of how vulnerable she looked. Her first thought was hoping nothing out of the ordinary spooked her. Although, she couldn’t help but feel that she would have brought it upon herself by being in the woods.
She sat in silence noticing how her hearing and vision were escalated. She’d always had better than average senses. In school, they would test the students’ vision and hearing, and she would exceed the other students. That was just one of those oddities that Analyse noticed at such a young age, but never questioned.
Finishing off the last of the apples, she saw two squirrels hounding one another atop a large spruce tree. With each step the squirrels took, snow would fall from the branches. There wasn’t much to see since it’s dark, and the one thing Analyse lacked was a heightened sense of sight in the darkness. But still, she was in a trance watching the small animals play.
Her head snapped at the sudden racket not far off. About a mile from where she sat, voices had started bickering. If she had to guess, she’d say a crowd of people gathered at a rally. Only no one was in sight. Her heart thumped at the possibility of Worwick being closer than she thought and chastised herself for being so reckless by not paying attention to her surroundings.
Would he be angry at seeing her?
One way to find out was to grasp her backpack and following the high-pitched sound of heated voices. She was weary with each step, but her fear didn’t deter her advances.
The tones grew louder. Any minute Analyse wo
uld be upon them. She needed a game plan. It wouldn’t be safe to walk up to an angry mob of people. Or wolves, as could be the case.
As soon as she came close enough, she crouched behind a nearby juniper bush. It was large enough to hide her appearance from the crowd.
It didn’t take long for her to recognize Worwick. The sight of him caused her heart to skip a beat. He was divine, standing there as if he ruled all those before him. Her pussy ached from remembering the last time they were together.
She shook her head from the haze and focused on the other details before her.
There were about twenty people including men and women. She didn’t see children, but they could’ve been in the tents asleep nearby. Although she wondered how anyone, specifically children, could sleep with that type of noise.
They were angry, that much she could tell. Their arms were flailing, as their voices grew louder. She knew she should leave before she was spotted, but her nosiness got the best of her, so she stayed low and eavesdropped.
Chapter Seven
“You can’t even find the missing clan members. What makes you think we trust you as our leader? If you can’t guide us without a mate, what makes you think you can, even with a mate at your side?” one voice from the crowd spoke.
Everyone voiced his or her opinions at once. Worwick barely heard anything over the noise. He needed to calm the crowd and reassure them that he was their rightful leader and that when he took his oath as alpha, he meant it. Protecting the White Stealth Clan was first on the list, and above all, it was necessary to assure them that he would find the rest of the clan members.
“Listen up!” he bellowed over the noise.
There were only a few people who were still expressing their opinions, so he hit the closest spruce with a loud crack to get their notice. It swayed, but didn’t collapse.
“I understand you are scared by what’s happening. We have lost some valued members of the White Stealth Clan, and I vow to rescue them. It may take time but don’t lose faith in me at this point. My mate will come forth sooner or later, and help regardless if you believe so,” he promised.
Some cheered while others remained angry. Those few still didn’t believe Worwick’s promise to rescue the kidnapped members. To reassure them he needed strength, and to do that he needed to find his mate again. That would prove his seriousness as leader. With Analyse by his side, he would be stronger physically, and mentally through their connection. And he needed to show Analyse a reason to stay with him, to fight for their clan. He understood she was terrified, but she needed to face her fear to protect those he cared about.
He would make them pay, the rogue wolves. Their group had never faced anything this dire before, and he would prove to them his worth as a leader. He would find their members and destroy the rogues. First things first though, getting Analyse on their side.
“I’ve always respected you, but I don’t feel like you’re giving us hope with finding our members,” one woman announced.
With that statement, Worwick replied, “How have I ever let this clan down? No matter what we’ve faced in the past, we always came out on top. Give me some credit. I made a promise and I will deliver.”
There was a mixture of opinions that Worwick could hear. It didn’t make the situation any better. He was pissed at the notion some rogue bastards would dare to kidnap his members. There was no way he’d let them off with just a warning when he found them, and he would locate them.
“I’d have to agree with Marcy. I think there are many other members of our clan who can do a better job. Take me for example. I know I can provide for this clan by tracking down those fuckers and serving justice,” one man interrupted.
Worwick searched the crowd trying to put a name to the voice. It was Silas. He was surprised Silas had waited this long to express his belief. For years he’s been looking for any weakness to call Worwick out. Guess he finally got the chance to point out that Worwick wasn’t alpha enough for the clan.
“Why don’t you join the search party if you’re interested in serving the rogues justice?” Worwick suggested.
“No. It’s not good enough. What this pack does need is a new leader. One who has sat on the sidelines observing the mistakes of their current leader,” Silas warned.
Worwick smirked at the audacity, “And you think you can provide the pack with such an alpha?”
“I know this pack would do better with me as alpha,” Silas sneered with confidence.
He circled Worwick as he spoke making sure he understood the implication of his statement. If he didn’t calm Silas down, there would be hell to pay. Everyone would suspect Worwick of being weak because he didn’t put Silas in his place. He couldn’t have that kind of thinking in his pack and Silas knew it.
Without warning, Silas rushed at Worwick. Their bodies slammed against one another. No one was going to back down. This was a fight to the death unless Worwick could show Silas reason. Fists were ready, and punches were thrown. The crowd stepped back from the action so they wouldn’t become part of it.
Silas’ beast came forth before tearing his canines into Worwick’s neck. Worwick was pissed at the sudden change and called forth his own beast, a speckling of blood coated Worwick’s white fur, but he didn’t back down. His claws scrapped at Silas’ snout in an attempt to keep him from biting down again.
He would not allow Silas to win. Their dance continued long into the night as the strength from both beasts showed equal standing. But Worwick knew that Silas was lesser and didn’t deserve to run this pack.
It was as if Silas had grown stronger within the years, because he dared to challenge his alpha. Worwick worried for just a split second, because with every step or punch he threw, Silas returned as if it had not fazed him. Worwick dodged almost every blow, but felt as if he couldn’t keep up with Silas’ swift maneuvers.
No one risked disengaging them. Claws raked at one another while bodies slammed together. There was no cheering from those observing, no noise other than the rustling between them.
Worwick’s body ached, but the adrenaline kept pumping. He needed the upper hand if he were to beat Silas. Out the corner of Worwick’s eye, Silas tried to strike at his face, but he sidestepped and threw his entire body atop Silas, pinning him to the ground.
He lay beneath Worwick. The white snow resembled the fur of his wolf marred only by the red streaks decorating it from the many gashes.
“Give up, Silas,” Worwick managed to threaten past his snout.
He hoped, with everything in him, that Silas would give up. Would he be able to trust him again? The simple answer was no, but he didn’t want to kill someone if he didn’t have to. He would make sure Silas knew his place. But he also knew that he would have to keep an eye on Silas from then on.
A loud snort escaped Silas’ snout before he shuddered his head up and down, proof that he’d given up.
Before Worwick returned to human form, he managed to remove his body from atop Silas’, turned towards the crowd and then announced; “We all have our doubts, especially with what’s going on. No one expected a capture to happen, and I, for one, meant everything that I promised. There will be justice, but if anyone else is feeling gutsy and thinks they can take my place as alpha, then step up and face me.”
His eyes darted left then right before releasing an exasperated sigh. He fretted about going up against another opponent, surprised at how good of a match Silas was.
“Get him out of my sight,” Worwick directed towards Tomkins, Dan, and Zeus.
Just as the others were walking towards where Silas’ human body lay, Worwick was dragged back. The three weren’t quick enough. He had a good inkling it was Silas and wished he’d just given up. Why did it have to end up that way?
Silas held Worwick by the neck with the crook of his right forearm. His other arm held in position to strike anyone who came near.
“Stay back,” he yelled towards Tomkins, Dan, and Zeus, “I’ll kill him, and you all know it. Th
e only way he will live is if you all recognize me as alpha. You know I can do a better job of running this pack than him!”
His actions were that of a maniac as he clutched Worwick’s neck with the majority of his strength. Worwick had no choice, but to stay still, and let Tomkins and his men handle the situation. Unfortunately, Worwick was never one to be patient when it came to his life. With every swallow, Silas seemed to tighten his grip on Worwick’s throat causing a lack of oxygen. Dizziness settled in, and his head started throbbing. Worwick thought for sure that he was done for.
“Don’t!” a voice suddenly yelled from the woods, “Leave him alone!”
Everyone’s head turned towards the sound, but no one saw whom it was. Without looking, Worwick knew it was Analyse and wished she’d leave before getting herself in a situation that she won’t be able to escape from. His pack was in turmoil, and this wasn’t the way for them to be introduced. She had no idea what the situation was yet his heart leapt at the gallant way she strode in to protect him. He was worried but also proud of his mate.
Her interruption was all he needed to get Silas’ attention. He used his arms and swiftly ducked from Silas’ hold and switched it to where he was holding Silas’ neck with the crook of his forearm. He knew all the right maneuvers. All he needed was Silas’ arms to slack off so that Worwick could duck from under them.
It was wrong to use Analyse as a distraction, but he didn’t plan on her showing face.
“What the fuck!” Silas had yelled before Worwick cut off his air supply.
With one quick movement of his right forearm and left palm, he snapped Silas’ head sideways, making it a clean break. One less problem he needed to deal with.
The crowd quieted as all eyes rested on their alpha. They knew at that moment Worwick meant business. No one was going to challenge him and get away with it. He showed them a lesson that the clan would never forget.
