by Sky Winters
“What time did you get home last night?” asked Sharpe. Her dad was big and brawny, all alpha. Her mother was long and lean, like Lexi.
She decided not to beat around the bush, to get right into it.
“It was Chad.”
Sharpe scoffed. “It was Chad who made you go out to Marley’s last night?”
“Wait, how did you know about that?”
“Lexi, sweetie,” said her mother. “We’re a big pack, but word gets around fast.”
“I only wanted to go out for one drink,” she said, protesting. “But Chad told me to come over to his place.”
The looks on her parents’ faces let her know right away that this excuse hadn’t done her any favors.
“You...went to Chad’s house last night?” asked her mother.
“I mean, it wasn’t like that. Nothing happened.”
“I should damn well hope it didn’t,” said Sharpe. “You two aren’t even supposed to be talking until the ceremony.”
“And that’s what I said,” Lexi went on. “But...”
She stopped, knowing that what she wanted to say next—what had actually happened—would likely cause a stir.
“Sharpe,” said her mother, a small smile on her face. “They’re kids in love—you can’t blame them for wanting to sneak off and be with one another.”
Lexi had to hold back the bile that rose in her throat at that comment.
“Doesn’t matter,” said her father. “They’re not supposed to see one another until the day of. I don’t care how crazy they are about each other.”
The next words blurted out of Lexi’s mouth, almost as if beyond her control.
“Do I have to do it?”
The expressions of both her parents fell.
“What are you talking about, Lex?” asked her mother.
“The ceremony. I don’t want to go through with it.”
Her father’s face tightened with impatience.
“Kid, we’re not going to have this conversation again. You and Chad are going to be together, and that’s all there is to it.”
“But why?” she asked. “Chad...” All sorts of words came to mind to describe Chad. But she held them all back. “Chad’s not right for me.”
“What do you mean?” asked her mother. “He’s tall and handsome and—”
“He’s an alpha,” her father finished. “And most importantly, he’s Rick’s alpha. You get together with him, and our place in this clan is set. You’ll have cubs, and those cubs will be the rulers of the Thundertooth pack. There’s nothing else that needs to be said.”
“But does it need to happen so soon?” she asked. “Can’t I wait a few years?”
Sharpe let out a frustrated sigh. “Is this more bullshit about going off to college? We’ve been over this again and again—it’s not going to happen. Your place isn’t in Seattle—your place is here with your clan and your family.”
“But...but what if I want more out of life than just popping out kids and being a good little omega wife?”
“There isn’t more to life than that,” said Sharpe. “What do you think, you’ll go off to Seattle and get a degree, and after you’ve wasted four years of your life, then all of a sudden, you’ll be ready to settle down? Who’s to say you won’t want to stay out there?”
“So what if I did?” asked Lexi. “What if that’s where my destiny is?”
Her father’s expression turned even harder, and she knew right away that she’d misspoken.
“Not going to happen,” he said. “I’ve worked too damn hard at making this clan what it is for you to throw it all away because of some stupid idea about what, getting a degree in English? What the hell would that even accomplish?”
“It’d give me a chance to see the world out there. To have some experiences before I settle down.”
“I’ve seen the world out there,” he said. “And you don’t need to. It’s dangerous and violent and full of humans.” He said the word “humans” as if it were the most disgusting thing he could imagine. “And as long as I’m breathing air, you’re not going to have a chance.”
“This is so freaking unfair!” she shouted, getting up to her feet and making her voice as loud as she could.
“You don’t need to yell like that,” said her mother.
Her father stayed calm. “When you’re older, you’ll see that it doesn’t matter what you think is fair. And when you’re together with Chad and have a family of your own, you’ll thank me for what I’ve done.”
“Like hell, I will!” said Lexi. “And I hate Chad! I never want to see him again!”
With that, she stormed off. Lexi scolded herself right away as she left the room, realizing how childish she sounded, how much like a bratty little kid. But she didn’t care. She knew what she wanted, and it wasn’t an eternal imprinting with Chad that would put her life, her dreams, on hold forever before she even had a chance to pursue them.
She slammed the door to her room, put on her headphones, and grabbed a nearby book—a copy of Jane Austin’s Emma. Lexi did her best to lose herself in the book but found her attention drifting over and over again, thinking about her night last night with Chad, how cruel he’d been, how she had no idea what would’ve happened if Rick hadn’t shown up when he did.
Lexi put it out of her head as best she could. But she’d only managed a couple more pages before her phone lit up with a text from Shana.
“Hey! I hope you don’t have any big plans tonight.”
Lexi was curious. “Why? What’s up?”
“Party out in the woods tonight. Everyone’s going to be there. And it’s not just a Thundertooth thing—tons of other clans are coming.”
Lexi didn’t need to hear any more. “When?”
“Starts at around ten tonight. Want to meet Sam and me out by the barn at around then?”
“Perfect.”
A rush of excitement ran through Lexi at the idea. Going out and having some fun with people who weren’t in her clan—especially the older members—was exactly what she needed.
But as soon as she put her phone down, someone popped into her head.
Jason.
She took a slow, deep breath at the thought of him, the image of him that morning so clear in her mind. Lexi couldn’t get over how she wanted to kiss him and slap him all at the same time.
But what she knew for sure was that she wanted to see him. And she couldn’t explain why.
The rest of the day dragged by. Knowing there was fun later made the minutes tick so slowly, Lexi worried she might go insane with anticipation. After dinner, she washed up and helped her mother out with some chores around the house, her parents going to bed soon after.
And when they were gone, she didn’t waste any time rushing to her room and putting her outfit together. Lexi went with a pair of high-cut jean shorts and a short T-shirt, showing off a strip of her milk-white belly. She did her hair up, painting her lips with ruby-red lipstick.
As she took a look at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t get over how she looked like a woman who wanted to mate—there was nothing modest about her outfit.
When the time came, a grin formed on her lips as she opened the window and slipped out, the evening cool and calm, the moon still bright and full above. A full moon meant shifter energies ran high, and there was something in the air that she could never quite put her finger on.
Lexi closed the window slowly, making sure not to cause any commotion. Then she hurried over the campground, making her way to the barn—and old building mostly used for meetings and storage—and ducking around the back.
Sure enough, Shana and Sam were there waiting for her, the two of them talking and laughing about one thing or another. And they looked close—as in, flirting close.
“Hey!” said Shana as Lexi approached. “There you are!”
“Sorry,” said Lexi. “Had to wait for the parents to get to bed.”
“Doesn’t matter,” said Shana. “I just got a text f
rom Winter in the Leafcutters, she said the party’s already started. You ready?”
Sam shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I guess.”
He’d never really been the partying type, and it was clear he was mostly there because Shana wanted him to be.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing Sam’s arm and giving him a soft push. “You know this’ll be more fun than staying in and playing video games all night or whatever.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Shana gave him one more grin before turning to Lexi.
“Come on—shift and follow me. It isn’t too far away.”
“Ready,” said Lexi, eager to get moving.
The three of them shifted and took off, Shana at the front of the group as they hurried through the woods. Shana was right—the party wasn’t far away. After only a few minutes of running, Lexi spotted a massive bonfire roaring among the trees. She wasn’t sure exactly where they were, but guessed it was somewhere between clan territory.
When they were close enough to hear the music and carrying on of the party, Shana stopped and shifted back, Sam and Lexi doing the same.
“All right,” said Shana as they all regarded the party. “Like I said, everyone’s going to be here.”
“Is that going to be dangerous?” asked Sam. “I mean, some of the clans don’t exactly get along with each other.”
Shana waved her hand dismissively through the air. “Come on—all those rivalries and crap, that’s stuff for the pack elders to worry about. Do you care about any of that shit?”
“Not really,” said Sam.
“Exactly,” said Shana. “And if you ask me, hanging out like this is good for the packs. Imagine if we all were friends instead of constantly fighting over turf or women or whatever. It’d make the woods a hell of a lot more fun.”
“Oh,” said Lexi. “So consider this a diplomacy mission?” She grinned.
“Something like that,” said Shana. “A diplomacy mission where you might get laid.”
“Shana!” said Lexi.
Sam’s face went red, and Lexi noticed his eyes flick over to Shana for a brief moment.
“Come on,” said Shana. “Let’s have some fun.”
The three of them made their way through the rest of the woods, eventually coming out and into the clearing.
The party was huge. Lexi guessed a hundred or so people were there, a massive bonfire in the middle of it all. A live band played rock music, the instruments plugged into a generator. A dozen kegs were there, partygoers filling their red cups, some of them already visibly drunk. That woody, earthy scent of shifters was thick in the air.
“OK,” said Sam. “So what do we do when we’re here?”
“Huh?” asked Shana as she waved to a few people she evidently knew. “What do you mean?”
“At a party,” said Sam. “What are you supposed to do?”
“It’s called ‘socializing,’ Sam,” she said as she led them to the kegs. “You have a few drinks, loosen up, and just see where the night takes you.”
“Like, without a plan?” he asked, still confused.
“Without a plan. And that’s the best part. Sometimes you have the most fun when you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen.”
Lexi scanned the crowd as Shana poured them their beers. Some faces were familiar, but others were total strangers.
“God,” she said. “This...this makes me realize how sheltered our parents keep us. I barely know anyone here.”
“No kidding,” said Shana. “Makes you wonder why they do it.”
“Because it’s safe,” said Sam. “It’s good to stick to your own kind.”
“It’s stupid,” said Shana. “Think about it—if there’s a war and you have to fight strangers, it’s easy. But if they’re your friends, then you’re less likely to want to hurt them. By keeping us strangers, they’re preventing us from making actual peace.”
“So, it’s a conspiracy,” said Sam.
“Maybe.”
Lexi kept on scanning the crowd, her heart jumping into her chest when she spotted Chad among his friends.
“Shit,” she said. “It’s him.”
Shana stood up on her tiptoes to see who she was referring to.
“Oh, I knew he was going to be here. Don’t worry about it—he’s more interested in being a dumb meathead than bothering you.”
But all the same, Lexi wanted to get away from him. She spotted a small shed at the far end of the clearing.
“I’m going to, um, get some fresh air.”
“Fresh air?” asked Sam. “But we’re outside.”
“Be right back!” she hurried off before finishing her sentence, weaving through the crowd and turning the corner around the shed.
But the moment she did, she realized she wasn’t alone—and she realized it when she slammed into someone tall and strong, her beer spilling all over her shirt.
“Nice moves, Lex the Loser.”
She wiped the liquid off her shirt as best she could, ready to tear into the person she’d bumped into.
But she gasped as she realized who it was.
It was Jason.
And he was all smiles.
CHAPTER 5
JASON
He couldn’t resist.
“The beer on your shirt really works for you, gotta say.”
At first, Lexi didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. But after a moment of confusion played on her face, she glanced down and figured it out.
The beer she’d been drinking when they’d slammed into one another had spilled all over the front of her thin shirt, totally soaking through. In the low light of the party, Jason could make out the shape of her black bra, her tits ripe and full, her nipples solid and poking through.
His cock shifted as he stood there. All he could think about was what it’d be like to rip off that shirt, tear that bra from her body, and suck on those perfect-looking breasts.
Hell, he wanted more than that. Jason wanted to peel down those skin-tight jean shorts and push her panties to the side, to shove his cock deep into her and feel her tight, wet walls grip him like a vice.
“Fuck!” she said.
Her word managed to snap him out of his spell, and he came to his senses.
“Take that off,” Jason said, preparing to take off his gray V-neck T-shirt.
“What? Are you serious?”
“I’m serious. I’ve got something on underneath. Just take it off.”
“Then turn around!”
He grinned. “Come on, Lex,” he said. “I’m a gentleman—you don’t even need to tell me.”
She narrowed her eyes and let out an annoyed grunt as she took the shirt out of his hand. He glanced around, making sure the coast was clear before turning away from her.
“You’re good to go.”
“Whatever.”
Jason’s cock shifted again as he thought about how, right behind him, Lexi was shirtless. He bit his lower lip, trying to push all the thoughts out of his head, all the thoughts about shoving her up against the side of that shed and pumping her full of his cum.
“OK. You can turn around now.”
She did, and damn, he thought, did she fill out the shirt. Jason had nothing on up top but his black undershirt, and right away, her eyes went to his broad, round shoulders and thick, toned biceps. Her gaze lingered for a bit, and he couldn’t help but bust her chops.
“Uh, Lex? My eyes are up here?” he gestured to his face. “Come on—I’m more than a piece of meat.”
Her face went red and surprised, then her eyes narrowed again. “Oh, screw off. And nice watching where you were going.”
“Hey, I needed some solitude, and I didn’t think anyone else would be back here, let alone that they’d storm around the corner.”
“Fine. It was both of our faults.”
“Sure. But mostly yours.” He grinned
“Ugh!” she let out the noise and gave his shoulder a shove.
/> “Hey, just because you spilled your beer doesn’t mean you need to be spilling mine.”
She shook her head. “God, when I saw you this morning, I actually thought it might be nice to see you again. But you didn’t take long at all to remind me of what a prick you are.”
“Yeah, but the loveable kind of prick. And it’s nice to know you were thinking about me.”
She opened her mouth to say something but appeared to think better of it.
“Come on,” he said. “Let me get you another beer.”
He took her hand, and she quickly yanked it away.
“I don’t need you to lead me there like I’m some five-year-old.”
“Fine, fine—independent as ever.”
He shimmied to the front of the line, mumbling something about an emergency and filling up Lexi’s cup as quickly as he could. A few people made comments about the cutting, but he ignored them.
Jason had more important things to worry about.
“Thanks,” said Lexi in an obligatory tone.
“You’re more than welcome.”
Then her eyes flashed. “‘Lex the Loser?’ Did you seriously call me that?”
He laughed, almost forgetting that he’d said it. “What, it was your nickname back in the day, wasn’t it?”
“It wasn’t a nickname—it’s what you and your shithead friends called me to make fun of me.”
“It wasn’t like that,” he said. “It was...a term of endearment.”
“Bullshit,” she quickly retorted. “You and your friends always gave me shit, called me a nerd, made me feel like I was some awkward little twerp.”
“Come on,” he said. “That was a long time ago. No sense living in the past.”
The look on her face made it clear she had more to say on the subject.
“Whatever. Yeah, it was a long time ago. And now you’re back.”
“And now I’m back. Wouldn’t it be more fun to hear about my life in the city than to rehash shit we both did when we were kids?”
“More like I want to know how you pulled it off.”
“Pulled what off?”
“Got out of here. How they let you leave the pack but, for some reason, I don’t ever get to.”
“Well, the first step is to be really, really, really good at business. And then next is to make a ton of money. And then after that, you have to be able to do whatever you want and not give a damn what anyone says.”
