The sounds of sawing and the smell of freshly cut wood pulled me from my musing. When came into the clearing I found Aaron and Jarren sawing logs to fit into whatever plan Aaron had masterminded for the house. More logs weighed down Aaron’s truck, waiting to be cut to the right length. Jarren looked up from where he was sawing. He propped the saw against the log and came over to me.
“Working off that extra energy?” I asked as seriously as I could. All I received in response was a hard stare. “Yeah, thought so. Zee told me some interesting things about her phone call just now.” I relayed the call to Jarren, who looked uneasy. He started pacing while he listened.
“I don’t get it,” he said, talking quietly. “I have never been seen. I check, double back and take different routes, watch for tails. I have seen absolutely no evidence that I’m notice when I’m checking on her. Most of the time Silas isn’t even with her when I check on her. How could he possibly know that I’m coming around? I know he isn’t a Hunter. I checked his scent thoroughly when they first met. He is human, through and through.” Jarren continued pacing with his fist clenched as he tried to work it all out.
“Have you done any background checks on him?” I asked, assuming he already had, and his nod confirmed it. “I don’t like him much more than you or Zee does. After hearing what he’s telling Delilah I’m even more inclined to say something isn’t right with him. He’s new in town, why don’t you see if you can find out where he’s staying? Maybe that will give us some clues.” Jarren stopped pacing, his face once again a perfect mask of indifference when he looked at me.
“Yes, sir,” Jarren issued his response in his usual clipped tone. I searched his eyes to try to find out where his mind was at, but I saw nothing. Jarren had shut off his emotions after his pacing show. He was back to being the perfect soldier who let nothing get under his skin. I was doubting his façade though. I was positive that Delilah had somehow wormed her way in.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Zee
Ten days. I had been cooped up in the house for ten freaking days and I was antsy. Eli came to check on my daily and praised my improvement, saying I’d be back to my old self in no time. Rest as much as possible was the mantra that both he and Alex fed me. My patience with sitting still in my room had lasted exactly five days. Then, ignoring Alex’s concerns and Eli’s directions, I had ventured to the living room or the kitchen every day to change up the scenery.
The kitchen was my favorite place. Mackenzie always had food that she would push at me, and at this rate I’d gain twenty pounds before I got back to full health. Her adorable little boy, Cody, would sit next to me and chatter about everything. His favorite topic was the upcoming full moon run. He couldn’t wait to fly through the woods as fast as his many comic book superheroes. He regaled me with tales of his hunting prowess much to his mother’s growing amusement.
The day of the full moon Cody was telling me how he could run as fast as Alex could, when a large hand clapped down on his shoulder. His face turned white and he looked up into the twinkling eyes of Alex. Cody let out a tiny whimper, but Alex just smiled and ruffled the young boy’s hair
“I dare say that sounds like a challenge,” Alex tried to sound gruff, and Mackenzie and I both fought to hide our smiles. “Seems that tonight we’ll have to hold a race. Now, what should the winner get?” Alex tapped his chin thoughtfully while Cody looked on incredulously.
“How about a kiss?” I piped up from my chair, and Alex’s eyes met mine. “If a female wins, the mighty alpha can give her a kiss. If a male wins, I’ll do the honors.” Cody beamed at me and then dashed out of the room to tell the rest of the pack about the upcoming competition.
“You do realize that if I beat him now, he’ll be heartbroken,” Alex pulled me gently to my feet and into his arms. He ran his nose along mine, and I giggled as I pushed him away with my good arm.
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll have to worry,” Mackenzie spoke up from the sink where she had returned to washing dishes. “He’s a fleet footed pup. He might just give you a run for your money, especially if it means a kiss from Zee.”
“And now I have competition,” Alex threw his hands in the air in mock exasperation. He glared down at me playfully. “Why couldn’t you have just stayed in bed like any normal person who tries to battle a tree with their car?” I smiled sweetly at him and he pulled me closer to him. He leaned down and rubbed his nose back and forth against mine again while he looked in my eyes.
******
Alex settled me into a comfortable chair that had been moved onto the front porch for me and covered me with a blanket. I had insisted that I wanted to watch them head out on their run, so Alex had insisted that I needed a decent chair to sit in. He tried to get me to let him stay with me, but I was adamant that he go with the others. He had been jittery all day, so I knew he really wanted to get out. I’d picked up on that little tell early on since I’d been staying with him.
Now I watched as the entire pack gathered in the yard, including the doctor who was running with them as a sort of adopted pack member. They all watched Alex for some sign. The full moon broke through the clouds over the trees and I saw Alex break into a grin a second before a black wolf was standing in his place. The rest of the pack shifted quickly and stood tensely watching the black wolf. They were all excited for the race, but none more than Cody. I laughed as I watched the little grey wolf pup jumping around his parents, eager to start the run. Alex tilted his head in my direction for a moment and I gave him a small wave
Suddenly the beautiful black wolf raised his head and loosed a drawn-out howl to the sky. The rest of the wolves followed suit, harmonizing with his note. He cut off the song and gave a series of short yips. It must have been a signal because the entire pack tore out of the clearing as one. I watched the last of them slip into the woods as silent as shadows.
I sat back in my chair, pulling the blanket tight around me to ward off the chill in the air. The moon hung bright over the trees and the sounds of night broke the silence that had been left in the wake of the wolves. I strained my ears for any sounds of the pack, but I couldn’t hear them. I gave up, instead letting my mind wander.
I hated all the work I was missing, but Lane was so excited about Alex and me tying the knot that she didn’t mind. Her son was picking up my hours until I got back. No matter how often I told her that I was just hurt, in a supposed ski accident while visiting Alex’s parents, Lane would reiterate that there better be some amazing wedding and honeymoon pictures when I returned. Just thinking of Lane’s request made me smile.
Then there was Delilah. I called her daily, but Delilah barely spoke for five minutes most days. She would ask about my recover, suggest that I come home, and find a reason to hang up the moment I declined. It hurt me to not be a part of Delilah’s life. We had been close before we both started dating. Now my only source of information was Jarren, and I hated asking because if felt like I was prying into Delilah’s life unwanted.
Even with work and family, the pack was my biggest change. They had accepted me so easily into their home, except maybe Delaney, who still looked at me with barely veiled contempt. If Alex was around, she would act sweet as apple pie, but the moment he left the room she turned her nose up and wouldn’t speak to me. Tegan claimed it was jealousy over Alex, but I wasn’t so sure. I noticed that Delaney was very cold toward Tegan, Jarren, and Eli as well. I suspected that it had to do with something completely different, but I didn’t tell Tegan that.
I loved spending time with the other pack members. Wyatt and Ryker teased me relentlessly. Mackenzie had welcomed me into her life, and Cody had taken to doing his schoolwork wherever I was. Aaron always had a ready smile for me. Even Jarren, who was a hard man, found a way to connect with me. Bit by bit he would loosen up by listening to me talk about growing up human with Delilah. He pretended to ignore me while I rattled on, but if I failed to elaborate on some part that included her, he would question me. Eli seemed to be fairing q
uite a bit the same, and I often wondered about the look of longing in his eyes when he watched the pack laughing and talking over meals.
I tried to imagine what it would be like when I had to leave the little haven that the pack had created. I knew I wouldn’t be one hundred percent for a while, and waitressing with a broken arm and ribs would be an interesting task. I dreaded seeing Delilah and dealing with the fallout of my decision to stay with Alex during my recovery. I had promised Cody drawing lessons, and I knew I couldn’t back out. Not being able to laugh with Tegan all hours of the day seemed impossible.
My biggest reason to want to stay with the pack was Alex. I loved him, and the more time we spent together the more I dreaded going home. I loved watching him lead the pack. He was strong and self-assured. The packed looked at him with a deep kind of respect and love that was hard to fathom. He seemed like a tough guy, but when he snuggled with me or played with Cody, I saw the sweet side of him. He put the pack ahead of everything except for me on few occasions. I had so many reasons to want to be here, and the reasons to leave didn’t seem so important anymore.
I was pulled from my musing when a small grey pup burst from the trees and let rip a magnificent howl that brought answering howls behind him. I laughed and clapped my hands for the happy little winner as he sat down with his tail wagging a mile a minute. Alex burst through the trees and skidded to a stop in front of Cody who was giving him an adorable wolf grin.
Soon the clearing was full of adult wolves all bumping into the small pup playfully. Alex circled Cody and the other wolves sat back in a loose circle around them both. With several yips Alex told them all something that set tails wagging all around, none faster than Cody’s in the center. Cody tipped his little head back and howled again, and this time the pack all harmonized with the little pup, giving him respect for besting them all in the race.
As the song wound down the wolves shifted back to human. Cody stood in the center of all the adults as they congratulated him once more. Alex said something to him, and he skipped towards the house. Alex caught my eye and winked at me as Cody clomped up the stairs to stand in front of me. He ducked his head suddenly shy now that he stood in front of me. I scooted forward as best I could and grabbed his hands in mine.
“That was an amazing race!” I told him excitedly. He looked up at me and grinned from ear to ear. I leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. His eyes got enormous as his little hand went up to rub the spot. I winked at him. “You showed them, huh?”
“Yeah I did, you should have seen how close Alex was, but I put on some speed and blew him away,” Cody was off on a blow by blow explanation of the entire race. He waved his hands around him as he spoke, and his eyes shone brightly with excitement. I knew I wouldn’t leave them. This would be my new home if they would allow it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Alex
As I watched Zee’s easy interaction with Cody my mind oddly thought about how she would be with our children. I snorted at the thought, earning a questioning look from Wyatt. I just shook my head at him, not willing to tell my friend what was going through my head. I walked up the steps as Mackenzie was trying to pry Cody away from Zee with promises of hot chocolate before bedtime. Finally, the little boy ran into the house for his treat. Zee was smiling so happily that I was curious what her thoughts were.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked as I helped her slowly to her feet. She seemed shy to answer. Instead she stood gazing up at the moon for several moments. I didn’t push her, but I did wrap my arms around her and pull her back, so she was flush against my chest. I pressed my nose to her hair and breathed in her scent, loving that I could smell some of my scent on her. She wouldn’t know she smelled like me, but other wolves would.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, and I had to agree. I gazed up at the white disc in the star-studded sea of blackness. Zee tipped her head back on my shoulder and snuggled further into me. “I don’t want to leave here.”
“Don’t worry,” I kissed the exposed side of her neck. “No one’s pushing you out the door.” I expected her to laugh, but instead she turned in my arms and looked up at me.
“I’m serious,” Zee searched my face as she spoke. “Once I’m healed, I still want to stay here. I mean if you don’t mind.” She looked worried that I would say no, and I was shocked that she still had no idea how I felt about her.
“You don’t have to leave, Zee,” I leaned down to kiss her lips. “They all love you. Okay, maybe not Delaney, but she hates everyone.”
“Thanks Alex,” she spoke softly as she threaded her fingers through my hair. I loved how she was curling the strands around her fingers. It reminded me of the first day she saw me as a wolf, and her fingers sliding through my fur.
She tugged me down and kissed my lips gently at first. Her teeth grazed my bottom lip and her tongue followed to sooth it. I parted my lips for her, and she flicked her tongue against mine. A growl rumbled in my chest and I tightened my grip around her waist and deepened the kiss. When we finally pulled apart, we were both panting.
“God, I love you,” I murmured while I brushed a temperamental strand of hair out of her face. It wasn’t until I noticed how still she was that I realized I had spoken out loud. She was staring up at me with her eyes as wide as saucers. I fought the urge to take it back or play it off somehow. I looked back at her, hoping she felt the same.
“I love you, too, Alex,” Zee whispered before she buried her head in my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. We stood holding each other until I felt her shivering against me. I pulled back to see her teeth chattering.
“Come on, let’s get you warmed up,” I said as I shooed her into the house. I took her to the room she’d been using on the first floor. Carefully I helped her pull off all her layers of clothes. She stood shivering in her bra and panties in front of me and I fought the urge to toss her on the bed and make love to her. Instead I checked that her bandages were still wrapped tight like Eli had instructed. Then I helped her pull on a pair of my flannel pants and a t-shirt to sleep in. When I headed to her chair to help her get comfortable, she stopped me.
“I wanted to try sleeping in the bed tonight,” she told me. “My ribs aren’t horrible with all the pain meds and my back could truthfully use a break from sleeping sitting halfway up. Besides, if we lie in the bed, I can snuggle with you.” She pulled me with her over to the bed, and I helped her get laid down in a way that didn’t hurt he ribs too badly. She looked up at me expectantly and I laughed.
“Okay, but Eli will kill me if you hurt yourself,” I told her. “Let me go shower and I’ll come lie down with you.” She smiled and settled back on the bed with her eyes closed. I figured she would be asleep by the time I got back to her bed.
I went up the stairs to my room. As I stripped and showered, I considered Zee’s request to stay with the pack. I wasn’t sure if it was her way of asking to be turned or not. I found myself rushing to get back before she fell asleep. I didn’t wait for the shower to heat, jumping into the barely warm water I scrubbed quickly. I was climbing out before the mirror had a chance to fog over in the cool bathroom. I dried quickly and pulled on a pair of sleep pants and padded barefoot out of my room.
Tegan came out of her room and closed the door softly before turning to see me at the top of the stairs. She froze and her eyes darted to Wyatt’s door before she walked with purpose towards me on the stairs. She held her head high and moved with an air of nonchalance as if she always snuck from her room quietly to go downstairs. I watched her veer towards the kitchen and glance back at me furtively. I laughed quietly as I turned the other way to go to Zee’s room. I suspected my little sister wasn’t planning on sleeping in her own bed that night.
When I opened Zee’s door she was breathing deeply, and I moved through the dark room to climb into the bed beside her. I laid on my side so I could look at her face peaceful in sleep. She shifted a little and grimaced. I slid closer to her and gently eased her t
o her right side so I could cradle her to my chest. She pressed her cheek into my chest and sighed as she relaxed into me. I smiled and closed my eyes.
“Will it hurt when I become a wolf?” she asked sleepily. My eyes jerked open and looked down at her. She hadn’t moved except to press her body more firmly against mine.
“The bite might hurt,” I told her honestly. “But changing is effortless. It’s like you become liquid for a moment and your body just flows into a new form. You know you don’t have to change for me Zee. I will love you as a human as much as I would as a wolf.” I stroked her hair while I spoke.
“I want to feel that freedom,” Zee spoke softly. “Like I’m a superhero who is flying through the woods. I want to run with you, Alex. I was scared of the idea before because I don’t want to lose who I am in the process, but Tegan and I talked a lot. She says she didn’t feel like she lost herself, but more like she gained something more. I want that.”
Zee turned her head and pressed a kiss to my bare chest. She continued kissing my skin up to my neck as she carefully inched up my body. I fought to keep my hands still as her tongue flicked out to taste my skin. My chest rumbled with a growl and she looked up at me with hooded eyes.
“You can’t talk me into things with sex,” I reprimanded, even though every part of me would like her to do exactly that. “Eli said nothing that could hurt you more. You know that.” She rubbed her cheek against my unshaven one a little, before flicking her tongue along the shell of my ear. The small amount of control I held over my libido was just about shredded.
Falling Hearts (Hearts of Wolves Book 1) Page 13
