Limitless: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 1)

by Candace Wondrak

  Addie forced out a smile. “I’m going to miss you.”

  It was so stupid, because it was only a week. She was sure she wouldn’t want to stay, and a week wasn’t nearly as long as a semester in college. But, somehow, this seemed more important. This was different. This could, theoretically, if she were to choose the pack—which she wouldn’t—change her entire life. Getting an expensive degree was not the same as finding out you weren’t human and had a family out there, waiting to meet you.

  They weren’t comparable.

  Sarah went to hug her, wrapping her up tight. “I’m going to miss you too, honey. So much. But I mean it,” she added when the hug was over, “don’t make any decisions based on me. Do what makes you happy. Soon enough I’m not going to be here, and I want you to have a good life. If it’s with the pack, I’m willing to set aside my feelings about them and be happy for you. Do you understand?”

  She knew her mother would not let up until she responded, so Addie said, “Yes.”

  “Good.” Sarah took a step back. “Call me as much as you can. I don’t care if I have appointments. I’ll answer when I see it’s you. Text me lots. Keep me updated. And don’t let anyone strongarm you into making a decision you’ll regret. Do what makes you happy, Addie, not what’ll make others happy.”

  “I get it, Mom,” Addie said, stopping herself from rolling her eyes.

  She could not believe she was doing this, could not believe she was really going to go. In the span of twelve hours, her entire life had changed. Shifters were a thing—who knew? And they were nothing like the werewolves on TV and in the movies. Double who knew? Addie had discovered a new world existed, had always existed, and she’d never known.

  She supposed she could’ve been angry at Sarah for keeping it from her, but Addie knew why she’d done it, and she couldn’t blame her. If the roles were switched, Addie probably would’ve done the same.

  After Addie finished packing, she zipped her suitcase and started to roll it out of her room, her mother quick on her heels. The moment she stepped onto the first step, Sarah had thought of something else to say, something super mortifying, as mothers often did.

  “Oh, remember when I said have fun? Well, promise me you won’t have too much fun,” Sarah said, all motherly and disgusting.

  Addie wanted to gag, knowing exactly what she was talking about. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Maze and Henry stood near the door. Henry was busy looking at his watch while Maze was stuck with a stupid smile, probably having heard what her mother said.

  Great.

  “All ready, then? Great. Let’s get moving,” Henry said, going to the door as he reached for the knob. Apparently not one for sentimentalities.

  “Hold it,” Sarah said, running into the kitchen. She returned a second later, handing a small piece of paper to Maze. “My phone number, should anything happen. I trust that you will call me if something happens while my daughter is there.”

  Maze took it and shoved it in his front pocket, giving her a serious nod. No smart-alecky reply, for once.

  Sarah grabbed the suitcase from Addie’s hand and shoved it toward Maze. “And, for God’s sake, be a gentleman. Hold the doors for her. Keep any stray wolves from sniffing around her. Don’t let anyone force her into any decision, because you have my word—I’ll make you all regret it.”

  “Understood, sir,” Maze said. “I mean ma’am. I mean…” The ever-talkative one was suddenly tongue-tied. It was actually kind of funny. “Yes,” he finally finished, shooting Addie a look that said help me.

  All she could do was laugh. Maybe this week wouldn’t be so bad, as long as she stuck by the idiot.

  Near the door, Henry said, “Yes, yes. May we leave your wonderful home now? Or do you plan on keeping us here until the moon hangs in its zenith?” For such an old man, he was a snippy guy, one Addie still didn’t like. “You sure you don’t want to come with us? The pack would welcome you back, even after your abandonment—”

  “No, I’m fine here, Henry. Go on. I hope it’s a long while until I see you again,” Sarah spoke dryly, turning her gaze upon Addie. Another hug, and a kiss on the cheek. “Good luck, honey. And remember, call me. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Addie said, returning the embrace. “And I will. See you in a week.” She was so sure as she said it, but as she moved to the door, following Henry and Maze out, she met her mother’s stare. It was at that moment she knew: Sarah didn’t think she’d come back. She thought Addie would choose pack life.

  She’d prove her mother wrong.

  She hoped.

  Henry was the first out the door, and Maze gestured for her to go next. Was it his first gentlemanly gesture, letting her go before him? Addie wasn’t about to argue with the whole suitcase thing, but letting her go first, so close to Henry, who she didn’t particularly like? She could’ve done without it.

  “You’ve made the right choice, Adeline,” Henry spoke, sliding in the front passenger’s seat. “After meeting the pack, you will forget all about this ridiculous human life you’ve had.” He sounded so sure, so certain. Addie wanted to sock it to him just to be an a-hole.

  Maze hurried around her, beating her to the car’s back door, opening it with a bow and a stupid, “My lady.”

  “Keep it up,” Addie muttered, “and I will punch you. Hard.”

  He grinned and went to put her luggage in the trunk.

  Addie turned her gaze to the front door, meeting her mother’s stare as she got into the car. Sarah stood with her arms crossed, watching with a stern expression. She was not happy about letting Addie go, but what she’d said before was true; Addie had to make her own decision. She might’ve already been leaning a certain way, because her mother’s prejudices couldn’t have been apparent pointlessly. Sarah felt the way she did about the pack for a reason. Hopefully Addie would see it for herself, and whatever weird curiosity she had about her not-so-human half would be quenched.

  Once Maze was in the driver’s seat, they got going. Addie waved to her mother as they backed out of the long driveway, and then they were off.

  It was a mostly boring drive through the neighboring states, across state lines. For all the running her mother did, they didn’t go too far away. A day’s drive, nothing more. And since Maze was wide awake, completely chatty, much to the chagrin of Henry, they drove through the night, only stopping for gas and bathroom breaks.

  It was a road trip with strangers, two people Addie hadn’t met twenty-four hours earlier. It still blew her mind to think how quickly everything had changed. She was so against the possibility magic was real, that she’d hallucinated the darned floating book, and suddenly she found out she wasn’t even human. Half human, really. She swore to herself she wasn’t going to debate or think on anything Henry said, yet here she was, riding in the backseat, hours from meeting the pack her mother had run away from.

  When night fell, Addie knew she should try to sleep, try to get her mind to shut off and relax, but she couldn’t, no matter how hard she tried. Her mind would not stop running. Like a marathon runner, her thoughts were fast and steady.

  What if she ended up liking the pack? What if she wanted to stay? She would not give up her mother for the pack, no matter how much like family they made her feel. Honestly, Addie wasn’t even sure what it would be like, and that thought scared her the most. Having grown up with only her mother around, she didn’t know what it was like to have an extended family.

  And Maze…she didn’t want to think about him, about what it could possibly mean for her. The more she looked at him, even from the angle she was at in the backseat, the more Addie found herself liking him.

  It had to be the fact they were both wolf shifters. He was too handsome, too muscular. In high school, he definitely would’ve been a football player or something. Not her type, so it had to be the wolf. Addie would not let herself think otherwise, because if it was something else, she’d be royally screwed.

  Oh, God. Wait. If it was b
ecause of the wolf, what if she felt the same toward other wolves in the pack? What if she made up for her quiet high school years now by throwing herself at any cute shifter she met? The thought was mostly mortifying.

  A wee bit enticing, but mostly mortifying. Her embarrassment would win out.

  Addie really should learn how to shut her mind off. Overthinking this was not going to help her; it would only make things worse. As it was, she kind of already regretted agreeing to go, because of all the sheer possibilities that could happen.

  The darkness of the night sky slowly morphed into the pinks and oranges of sunrise. Dawn took the land; a not so gentle reminder Addie had stayed up all night. Her first interaction with the pack would be one of pure exhaustion. Which was great. When she was tired, she was either noncoherent or just plain clumsy. Neither of which would make a good first impression.

  Hold on. Addie didn’t want to make a good first impression, did she?

  Ugh. This was too complicated. She felt too many different emotions inside; it was hard to figure out what was what.

  Maze took an exit off the highway. The scenery was much the same as she was used to, though the trees were less pine and more evergreen. They took a two lane road, seemingly going nowhere, down a long, straight stretch where they saw not another car.

  “Dead-ends into Crystal Lake, which is now a privately-owned area, so we don’t get much traffic,” Maze said, his dark eyes flicking to the rearview mirror to meet hers. “Mostly just pack business, with the occasional family trying to get a peek at the lake.” He shook his head. “You humans.”

  Addie smiled to herself, but she did not respond.

  “When we arrive, Maze will show you where you’ll be staying,” Henry spoke, his old gaze watching the road ahead. He radiated none of the warmth Addie had imagined a grandparent would. “I’ll find Forest and let him know to arrange a pack meeting. You should spend the day resting, Adeline.”

  As if the old man had any right to tell her what to do. She’d rest if she felt like it, and she’d rather fall over from exhaustion than do as he suggested.

  So she said nothing, preferring her silence.

  Turned out, the Crystal Lake pack had money, because as the forest slowly broke apart, nice houses came into view. Actual houses, not cabins. Not shacks. Not tents. Addie wasn’t sure what to expect, since apparently they were so behind when it came to technology. The houses were at least two stories, sometimes three, all with pristine outsides, trimmed bushes, even white picket fences.

  A gas station, a grocery store, a few restaurants. They pretty much had anything they could want with as little outside involvement as possible, save for when the trucks came in to refuel the gas or restock the stores, and snail mail.

  What the pack was named after, Crystal Lake, Addie didn’t see. Maybe after she unpacked, she’d beg Maze to take her. The wolf would probably like that, her begging him. He was…an odd one for sure. An odd one she kind of liked, but oh well.

  As Maze parked in front of a two-story house, its siding a light grey with bright white trim and a yellow front door, Addie muttered, “Do you guys just have empty houses lying around?”

  Would they put her in a house with strangers? These people, these shifters, were supposed to be like her family, but she didn’t know them. She was the first one out of the car, turning her gaze away from the house, staring at a woman walking by on the sidewalk.

  She was a few years older than Addie, and judging from her looks—okay, mostly her rounded belly—she was super pregnant. As prego as a lady could be. Wild black hair, but pretty nonetheless. She nearly stumbled to a halt when she spotted Addie with Maze and Henry, and then she spun on her heel and hurried off the other way, tossing concerned looks over her shoulder as she went.

  Hmm. Not the best person to have seen first, huh?

  Across the car, Henry glared at Maze. “I’m trusting you with her, pup. Don’t disappoint me.”

  Maze only nodded, silent for once as he went to get her luggage out of the back. “No, we don’t have empty houses,” he answered her previous question, starting to head to the yellow front door. “For the next week, you will be seeing a lot of me. In fact, I just might never let you out of my sight.”

  Addie followed him, stepping inside the house to see new, pristine furniture. Metal wall decor dotted every wall, abstract shapes, contrasting with the tan paint. Maze was right behind her, moving straight to the stairs.

  “This is my house, actually,” Maze said, almost hesitant. “Well, my brothers and I share it, so I guess you’ll meet them soon enough.”

  She blinked, her heart skipping a beat. “What?” Addie asked.

  “Well, Landon’s not really my brother, but we’re our own little mini-pack, so…”

  As if that explained anything.

  “Why am I going to stay with you and your…brothers?” Talking about people who really weren’t related as if they were related would be something that would take her time to get used to. And sharing a house, even if it was only for a week, with multiple strange guys?

  Not okay.

  Maze looked like a deer in headlights then. “I don’t think I’m supposed to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?” Addie demanded, stepping closer to him. His easy smile was long gone, his cheeks flushed. “What aren’t you supposed to tell me, Maze? So help me, if I have to wring it out of you, I will—”

  “If you decide to stay, you’re…well, you’re supposed to be ours. That’s what Forest wants, at least.” The more he spoke, the angrier Addie became. “Look, I—”

  “Stop,” she said. “I don’t want to hear anything about…that, because I’m not staying. And if you keep this up, I’m going to ask to leave right now.” Addie stormed up the stairs, aghast and upset. “Now show me where I’m going to sleep, because I could sure use a nap right now.”

  Really, she wanted to murder him, kind of like how she felt when she got that stupid C-minus, but a nap would do, since murder was illegal and there were no floating books to save her this time.

  So that’s why her mother ran.

  Not just to be with her true love, as temporary as it was, but because the pack chose its pairs. And, Addie put it together, since female shifters were so rare and prized, they had multiple—ew—mates.

  Hell to the no. This would not fly.

  She’d have a very calm and very adult discussion with Henry, maybe yell at him a little bit, since he neglected to tell her during the dinner with Sarah the day before that her future had already been chosen in the pack.

  How archaic. How insulting. How…

  Screw these wolves.

  Not literally.

  Chapter Eight

  Maze had wanted to stay with her, but Addie had gotten him to go find his brothers, or packmates, or whatever they technically were, because she needed some alone time. Time to think, time to unpack a bit. Mostly time to fume to herself at how stupid she was for wanting to come here, but he didn’t need to know that part.

  “All right,” Maze said, not needing too much encouragement. “I’ll go find them. They have to be somewhere around here. I’ll be right back. Don’t move a muscle—kidding, kidding. You can breathe and unpack, maybe blink a few times, but that’s it.” With a wink, he was gone.

  And Addie was alone.

  So the pack chose pairs? Or…quartets? Or whatever a relationship with three guys and one girl was. It shouldn’t have surprised Addie, considering everything she’d been told of the pack and how it worked, how shifter women were so rare, but it did. For some dumb reason, she thought things would be different, better. She’d thought, hoped, these people would welcome her like a family and not a prized horse they only wanted to breed.

  Maybe she was overreacting.

  Maybe not.

  The more Addie thought about it, the angrier she became. Was it the only reason Henry and Maze found her? Did they not care about her at all and only want her for her belly? How rude. There was no way she was going
to choose this pack now, no possible way she’d ever want to stay here instead of returning to her old life with her mother. College degree or no, anything was better than having her future chosen for her.

  And three guys? That was…just…

  How would that even work? There were logistical things that couldn’t…well, if a girl got pregnant by one dude, needless to say the other two would just be around for the sex. All of which would not happen where Addie was concerned.

  Were these wolves okay with sharing women like that? Sure, if they were so frigging rare, it was pretty much all they could do, but still. Three? It was…a nightmare, not a dream come true. No girl grew up hoping she’d be destined to have three boyfriends, at the same time. A shifter girl, maybe, but only because she was brought up that way.

  It was too weird, too confusing. Addie could hardly wrap her head around it.

  Her brashness took over, and after sitting in her room for a few minutes—a room that was scant of any decorating, simple and plain in every way—she decided she could sit no more. Addie had to get up and move. She had to find Maze and tell him she’d made a mistake, she wanted to go home, back to her mother.

  She didn’t belong here.

  Addie left the bedroom, rushing down the stairs and exiting through the front door. The sun was warm on her back, through her jean jacket, and she felt the urge to scream. How could she have been so stupid?

  Maze was nowhere to be seen. The sidewalks were empty, the road bare. What the heck did these wolves do during the day? Where did they get their money from? Addie had so many questions, but she would face the fact she’d never get answers, because as soon as she found Maze, she would hightail it out of here faster than a cheetah on a chase.

  All that driving…for nothing.

  The wind caressed her skin, and Addie turned her head to the opposite direction from which they came. She should at least see the darned lake, after this colossal waste of time.