The Wildflower Series

by Rachelle Mills

  “Starving, I need to be fed. We didn’t stop for dinner.”

  “Do you want to hunt up some food, let the wolves out?” That’s all he needs to say as I’m up and off him in a flash. The wolf inside me wants to show him how she can eat.

  Running hard, I feel fingertips trying to grab onto flesh before I’m out the door, shifting in a giant leap. Skidding to a halt, she turns to face him.

  He’s standing naked in the doorway, looking at the wolf who is standing proud and fierce. She is nothing but sinew and muscle under of fur. She’s not the inexperienced wolf that left; she’s in league with the wild.

  The Wild stares into his before she takes off fast, paws pounding into the rain-soaked soil, leaving her paw impressions behind, dirt kicking up behind in grit behind her.

  Dusk slowly creeps in, the moon starting to ascend in the sky.

  She runs hard and fast until hot breath is felt. Giving a sideways look, she stretches out her body to the fullest, nose pointing forward, tail stretched out. She runs as he takes the lead easily, his body still not stretched out completely.

  The Wild bumps into his shoulder, trying to roll him onto his back. He gives a slight playful growl, bumping into her shoulder, stumbling her sure steps. Again she bumps into him, trying to gauge his strength, nipping at his ears.

  He nips back before actually rolling her, exposing the soft underbelly. He playfully bites into it, biting into her neck. She tries to stand, but he’s quicker, and she can’t react as fast as he can.

  He allows the Wild to get up off the ground. She leaps at him, trying to pin him down, but every time she tries, his head goes against hers as she’s tossed sideways. A huff of annoyance as he decides to lick our muzzle.

  Nose to the ground, she stalks toward the trail for food.

  A shift in wind alerts her to a deer. Running toward the prize, he pulls ahead. She could lose him in the shadows of the setting sun, his fur blending in with the night.

  The Wild rubs herself against his side, letting her smell saturate him. Her tail curls underneath his chin. She’s acting slightly off, starting to roll on the ground on her back, pressing her scent into the earth. She does it against a tree next, then she’s on him again. This time instead of nipping, she’s licking inside his muzzle before getting behind him, trying to mount him, rubbing the inside of her legs on him.

  He gives a low growl out, biting her neck. She wiggles her bottom toward his, getting underneath him, her tail angling away. His wolf starts to rub against her. With a swiftness, he bites into our neck so there is no escape. Front paws going around her chest, he mounts her quickly. Pushing into her, she gives a low rumble in her chest. They are locked into place once he’s spent. Our wolves looking into each other’s eyes, cheek pressed against cheek until he’s able to slip out.

  Running once again, they find the meat trail. It’s a two year old. It’s fast, but not faster than Dallas’s wolf, who kills it easily.

  A ravenous gluttony takes over as she tears into the fleshy underside of this welcome prize. Crimson drips off the muzzles, saturating the forest floor.

  Chunks of meat start to expand her stomach in a fullness of misery, yet she still continues gorge on this feast fit for kings. The pregnant moon looks on at her children underneath the darkening sky.

  After the carcass is almost cleaned bare, her stomach is so engorged it’s hard to trot home. I want to throw up with this feeling, yet it’s deeply satisfying to eat so much.

  Coming into the house, my stomach is distended, protruding out almost like the soft curve of a newly pregnant female. I touch it, letting my hand go over the roundness of it before my shoulders hunch slightly with the fact I could never produce offspring of my own.

  Dallas goes to my room, picking his clothes off the ground, going to get dressed.

  “Do you want to have a sleepover with me? We could go out for a good breakfast in the morning. Maybe go to that cool place you brought me before?” I give him my eyes, flashing my lashes his way.

  “You want me to stay the night with you?”

  “Yes, I do. I missed you and I want to lay next to you.” This is easy to say. I have needs and I make them known to him.

  “All right, but I have to get up early in the morning to train. I’ll be back once I’m done.” He drops his clothes and runs into bed, bouncing off the mattress before getting into the blankets and pulling them back for me to step into. I drop my robe to the floor getting in.

  “Could I come with you in the morning? I’d like to watch you, if that’s okay?”

  “Sure, if you want. I just have to stop at the house to change my clothes.”

  Getting into bed with him, I press my ass into his hips, wiggling myself slightly into his ever expanding manhood.

  Turning me on hands and knees, he positions himself like a wolf taking their mate. He holds me with his teeth, not enough to break the skin, but enough to know that a male is taking me hard.

  Throughout the night, he takes me in all kinds of ways, over and over again until we can no longer stay awake. Falling asleep wrapped up in each other’s arms makes me feel loved and cared for by this male.

  Chapter 10

  Symptoms Undetected

  Rya

  Peaceful.

  The way early morning hangs in the air, with its barely there breeze.

  Individual drops of dew cling to the blades of grass, sparkling, before lazily sliding down to moisten the dirt. Dallas is inside his house, getting changed.

  Clayton is settled down deep into the chair, his head resting on his shoulder. Arms hanging down off the chair, his fingertips almost touch the empty bottle that’s been dropped once finished. He feel asleep outside. The fire is no more; nothing but ash remains. Cold and grey.

  I wait for Dallas to get changed so we can go on an early morning run, just as Cash and I did.

  Leaning against the hood of the car, I don’t look away from the sight in front of me.

  I can tell exactly the moment he startles awake, his fingertips twitching, body stiffening.

  I watch him straighten up in the chair. He doesn’t turn around. Instead, I see his hands grip onto the armrests, squeezing them as if trying to hold himself in his spot.

  I don’t look away.

  He continues to stare straight ahead; I continue to stare at his head. Until he turns around, getting off his chair.

  Glacier blue meets forest green.

  The way our eyes connect, wind chimes tingle my spine.

  Tingling.

  Vibrating.

  Strumming.

  His lips turn up in a smile. I can’t return it because I’m focusing too hard on maintaining my composure.

  Magnetic, the way this bond tries to pull me. Whispering the deep desires into my marrow.

  He moves forward, one step, then the next, the space between us growing smaller.

  “How are you?” My skin shivers with the mirage of his voice.

  “Good.” Looking away, I hope Dallas comes out soon.

  Arms go around my chest, and I hold myself against the waves of desire crashing against me, threatening to drown me in a tidal wave of indecent wants.

  Why?

  I don’t want him. How come I’m reacting to him this way?

  “Rya.” His silver-tongued voice lashes against my internal bindings, trying to free my self-imposed restraint.

  Looking at him blankly, I ask him the question I want to know the answer to.

  Think.

  Watch.

  Listen.

  “Your last voice mail, did you mean it?” I watch his answer.

  Eyes looking away for a fraction of a second, heart rate increasing, a hesitation. He licks his lips that still hold the smell of the whiskey he was drinking the night before.

  “Yes, I meant it.”

  He looks away again.

  Liar.

  Pushing off the hood of the car, I can’t help my shoulder hitting him. It should be my fist. I can’t help the way
my wolf wants to surface and take the competition away from her mate.

  Her anger tries to completely take over. She has a mate already, and this male in front of us is not hers.

  The eyes of my wolf stare at him, assessing the threat in great detail. He needs to be taken out in her simple mind.

  Barely able to turn us around, I need to go into the house and find Dallas to calm her down.

  I pull the door open and stand just barely on the inside looking in. Scents mingling together, a small pup mixes in with every other wolf’s.

  “Excuse me.” As if trying to gently move me out of his way, Clayton’s slight flicker of his hand, the pad of his thumb runs along the side of my hip.

  Flesh against flesh, a jolt of electricity has my heart fluttering, eyes widening. His nose is so close, I feel the tip of it against my head.

  This is all done is mere seconds, but to me, it’s slow motion.

  Deep, grumbling vibration shakes my body, the wolf not pleased he touched us.

  Watching him, he fills a glass with water, drinking it down greedily. He looks parched. A few drops escape his mouth, landing on his shirt. Pulling out a jar of peanut butter, he takes a spoon, dipping it in. Taking a giant scoop, he puts it in his mouth and swallows it down.

  The silence between us is blank static.

  He continues to eat out of the peanut butter jar, one spoonful at a time. His eyes stay on me. I feel the burn heating my body, reddening my cheeks.

  Can he tell what his eyes do to me?

  I let my eyes travel the rest of the room. Carson is belly down on the couch. He’s trying not to wake up, putting the pillow over his head. He’s just in boxers that are tight against his thighs.

  One arm dangles over the cushions as his fingertips touch the floor. One leg is bent, the other leg in the crack of the couch.

  A frantic morning cry of a pup has my eyes traveling down the hallway. It sounds like it’s hungry. The cry grows more demanding until it’s replaced by soft sucking, mewing sounds.

  Caleb opens a door and comes out into the kitchen.

  “That’s sick. Put some in a bowl if you’re going to eat out of the jar.” I watch as this wolf goes into the fridge, opening the milk carton, drinking it all down before putting the empty container where he found it.

  “Rya.” Caleb gives me a giant welcoming smile.

  “How are you?”

  He approaches closer, eyes trailing up and down my body, nose taking in my scent. He takes a step backward, looking slightly off.

  “Good, how are you, Caleb?”

  “Never better.” He gives a stretch, his shirt rising to show off his tight abdomen.

  “How’s Cash doing?” His voice sounds slightly strained. Caleb sits down on his brother’s back, bouncing up and down until he wakes up.

  “He’s managing. It’s hard for him.” Looking toward Clayton, I see the spoon deep in the jar. His knuckles have a smudge of peanut butter on them.

  He pulls out the spoon, licking the spots where it’s dirty. He catches me staring at him as his tongue is tasting the last of the peanut butter. I need to look away.

  “Get off me.” Carson elbows Caleb in his side before shoving him off. Sitting up, he sways slightly, rubbing his eyes. He looks like he had a rough night.

  Dallas comes out of his room, just a pair of shorts on. I actually lick my lips at the feast of flesh. The wolf’s fur settles down with his presence.

  She relaxes slightly.

  Going up to him, I run my bare arm against his, my cheek pressing into his chest for just a fraction of a second before pulling away.

  His head dipping low, he kisses the top of my head before squeezing me close to him.

  “Are you ready?” There’s a gleam in his eye.

  “Where are you going?” Caleb tilts his head slightly.

  “Rya wants to train with me today.”

  Both brothers are up off the couch. “We’re coming.” Before Dallas can say anything, both of them are running into Caleb’s room to get changed.

  Dallas is laughing at his brothers, and in this moment, I realize how much I adore this wolf.

  The heat of his eyes are burrowing into my back. When I look at Clayton, he can’t look away.

  Dallas looks toward Clayton. Eye contact like this between males is very dangerous. A rumble from Dallas lets Clayton know he is not appreciative of him looking at me.

  Clayton does not look away, instead glaring right back at Dallas.

  Kimberly comes out of her room carrying her small male.

  She looks exhausted, eyes puffy as if she’s been crying all night long.

  She hands her brother this joy, taking him easily as if he’s comfortable with holding a tiny form. Bringing him to his shoulder, I watch as he lifts his head, looking around wide-eyed.

  “Kimberly, he’s beautiful.” I go to take a step so I can see him better. She stands in front of them, looking at me.

  She’s posturing toward me, riled up for some reason.

  “Is something wrong?” My head angles her way. Clayton puts a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

  “No, nothing’s wrong.” Her eyes are taking in the length of me. A male walks into the kitchen with black messy hair and presses a small kiss to Kimberley’s forehead. Taking the pup from Clayton, he kisses the young one’s mouth before tucking the pup into his arm. He stands beside Kimberly, looking at her.

  The way her eyes look at this male holds a depth of sadness that hurts my chest.

  She looks away, only for her eyes to turn on Carson as he and Caleb come out of the bedroom dressed in workout wear.

  I can see her fists clenched, a snarl showing her small juvenile canines.

  Carson tenses at the sight, looking at the male with his bed head hair.

  “I told her,” this male says, who must be her mate.

  “You had no right.” Carson’s finger points toward the male.

  “She’s my mate. It would come out anyway when I mark her.” He gives Clayton the pup, squaring his shoulders toward Carson, who looks completely broken. He almost looks as if he could cry.

  Carson walks out the door, heading down to the lake. Dallas follows him out, trying to figure out what’s wrong.

  Caleb shrugs his shoulders, not knowing what’s going on.

  “What’s going on, Kimberly?” Clayton’s voice is hard against his sister, who wilts by the force.

  “Jake—” The words strangle in her throat.

  “When I was away at college, Carson and I were together.” Laughter of disbelief comes out of Caleb’s mouth. “Not possible.” Caleb wiping his eyes of tears.

  “Carson?” Confusion etches in the lines of Clayton’s face.

  Jake doesn’t hang his head; he meets his eyes. “You cheated on my sister with a male?”

  “Yes.” Jake’s voice is trying not to shake. Caleb’s mouth is hanging open with the confession of words.

  “Carson never knew I had a mate. I never told anyone. It wasn’t his fault. It’s all mine.”

  The quiet intensity of Clayton’s rage seeps slowly out. The little one in his arms starts to scream, throwing its head back, fists raised, actual tears coming out of its reddened, toothless face.

  Kimberly takes her male out of her brother’s arms, trying to calm him down with a rub of his back, a coo in his ear.

  “How could you do that to my sister, your own mate?” There’s a lethal edge to Clayton’s voice.

  “I’m no different than you. My tastes are just different,” Jake fires back at his mate’s brother.

  “That was different.”

  “How?” Jake’s arms cross over his chest as he waits for an answer.

  Clayton can’t answer back. It’s true. He had a mate, but he continued to screw someone else.

  I give a little huff of breath.

  Kimberly points a finger at me. “You’re no different than them, coming into this house with him all over you, so my brother can smell that. How do you
think that affects him? So huff all you want, but you’re no better.” I see it now, the absolute contempt she has for me.

  Looking out the window, I see Carson wiping away the tears that can’t stop falling. Dallas pulls him into a hug, whispering words in his ear that make his head nod up and down.

  Walking away from Kimberly’s judging eyes, I’m not going to justify my actions to a juvenile female who knows nothing about what I’ve been through.

  Before I go out the door, Clayton tries to hold my eyes in some form of communication that I don’t understand. Maybe if I were Kennedy I would know his look better, but I’ll never be Kennedy…that will never be.

  Dallas makes his way toward me, one long step at a time.

  “I’ve got to cancel this morning. How about I take you out for dinner tonight? Just me and you, on a date. If that’s okay with you? Carson needs me right now, and I want to be there for him.”

  “No problem, I completely understand. Besides, I have so much to do at home anyway. I’m just going to run home. You don’t need to drive me. I’ll see you around what time?”

  “I’ll pick you up at five thirty. Thanks for understanding.” He kisses my forehead before walking back to Carson, who’s facing the lake. The wind has picked up slightly, rippling the once-tranquil surface.

  Running back to the house, I’m touching every tree branch that’s close to the road. I have this compulsion to leave my scent everywhere.

  Walking up the driveway, I’m flushed with the exertion. My body has heated up so much I contemplate running into the lake to cool off.

  Sweat saturates the fabric I have on. Usually, I don’t get so sweaty, but it’s getting hotter outside.

  Drinking down glass after glass of water, I can’t seem to quench my thirst.

  Looking into the fridge, pulling one of those containers out, without even warming it up, I take a spoon and fill my face with the delicious casserole. I eat the whole thing over the sink looking out the window toward the lake.

  Kimberly’s words play over in my mind. I just don’t see it the same way. For me, it’s different, and that’s what I tell myself. I’m not cheating on my mate because he was never my mate in the first place.