by Knight, Gwen
“If my memory’s working correctly,” he said, “there’s a homestead a couple miles from here.”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was staring off to the side, away from the fort.
“Who does it belong to?”
“I don’t know, but the main house and outbuildings are all empty.”
“How do you know?”
“Because it’s part of our territory. We stopped from time to time and drank water from the creek that runs through it. I remember it smelling like chickens, so they must have had a henhouse at some point, but no humans were living there.”
“Okay. I’m up for a walk.”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips and gave her a half-smile. “Good.”
They started off through the woods toward the homestead, walking in silence for several minutes.
“I have a weird question,” he said.
“Just one?” she asked with a laugh.
“Well, I’ve got about a million of them, but I was just wondering how the plants are still alive. There’s no sun. But the woods look the same after a year with no sunlight.”
“I wondered that myself. The consensus is that whatever the cause of this was, it had the power to change even the biochemistry. Plants grow in the moonlight now, and daytime is still warmer than night. Almost like the energy comes entirely from the moon.”
“Did no one know it was a curse?”
“Some people questioned if it might be magic, but here’s the weird thing.”
She stopped walking and he turned to face her. “What?”
“There aren’t any witches left. Like anywhere. It’s as though everything went dark, and all the magic disappeared with it too.”
“It was Zara,” War grumbled. “Had to be. She’s the only one I can think of who’d pull off a stunt like this. But she had a coven, and there were quite a few witches all over the world. How could they all be gone?”
Zara. Emma sighed and shook her head. She’d always wondered if the woman who’d interrupted their ceremony had something to do with all this. War had been trying to warn her about the witch when this supposed curse struck. “No one knows. In the beginning, people begged for the covenhood to do something. To fix this mess. But no one ever spoke up. No witches revealed themselves. You’d think if there were any witches left that they would have reversed the curse,” she said, chewing her bottom lip.
“Exactly. I don’t know much about magic, but I know a curse this powerful needs some serious mojo. More than Zara has. More than any witch I ever met. Maybe to accomplish this, she convinced the witches to join her cause? Or hell, maybe she drained them of their powers.”
“That’s awful.” Emma shivered.
They continued walking. She had no idea where they were going because it all just looked like woods to her. Glancing over her shoulder, she couldn’t see the fort anymore.
She could feel him occasionally tense, his hand gripping hers a little tighter. “What’s wrong?”
“I can feel the pack. It caught them off-guard when I shifted so suddenly and they ran away. They aren’t afraid any longer.”
“You’re still their alpha.”
“I was before the curse, and during the curse. Now? I’m not the same as they are. They’re like natural wolves. I don’t think they’ll trust me if they even recognize me.”
That thought was unwelcome. Her stomach churned. “If they treat you like any other human, then they’re not following us because you’re their leader. It’s because they’re feral, and we’re human.”
“I’m afraid so. The truth is I don’t know, but I have to get you to safety first, and then we can figure the rest out.”
She nodded. They walked faster. She wanted to run, but the first thing she’d learned about wolves was that when they were in their shifted form, the last thing you wanted to do was act scared. Cowards ran. And she wasn’t a coward.
Her legs were burning by the time they reached the homestead. She was so happy to see an end to their walk, and not just because her thighs were screaming for a break. She’d been worried about the pack. Being back with War had restored the connection to the pack she’d had before the curse. But while she felt the connection to the pack, there was no way to know if the pack felt a connection to her.
Her feet hit the front porch of the cabin, and she let out a relieved breath.
Turning, she faced the woods. The moonlight made the trees glow, and she inhaled quietly.
War put his arm around her. “Can you feel them?”
“Yeah. I can’t see them, but I can feel them near. Geez, it smells so good here.”
“Oh?” He looked down at her, and she lifted her face and smiled at him.
“The fort smelled too much like people.”
“How do you mean?”
She shrugged, looking back into the woods. She couldn’t see the wolves, but she knew they were out there in the shadows. “There were always people around. There was never any quiet, never any nature smells, just cooking food and body odor because there were definitely people who didn’t bathe regularly.”
He chuckled softly. “There’s no electricity, is there?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No. When the government collapsed, the infrastructure went with it. Some people hoarded things like fuel, ammunition, and food, but those guys seemed to end up in charge of the militias. They established forts, fences went up, and they assigned us to housing. I live with my bestie, Luna, and her mom, Marianne.”
“I remember you talking about her before the curse. Shall we?” He gestured to the front door.
Emma stared into the woods a little longer. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she could see the mostly white fur belonging to War’s high-ranked male, Snow. His brother, Ice, would have been near him for sure, assuming they were both still alive. Sad suddenly, she walked with War into the large, two-story home. The front door creaked as he shut and locked it behind them.
It was pitch black inside. She pulled her flashlight from her pocket and shone the light around. “I’m sure there are candles.”
“How are you sure?”
“I don’t know, aren’t farmers always prepared?”
“I think that’s the Scouts, but it’s worth a look.”
Using the flashlight, they made their way to the kitchen. They found candles and matches in a drawer, and after lighting them, they discovered several battery-operated lanterns in the pantry.
Emma set a candle on the coffee table. “Too bad it’s too hot for a fire, it would lend a lot of light to the room.”
War moved around the family room and opened the curtains. As Emma’s eyes adjusted to the additional light in the room, she saw War at one of the windows, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
He was still naked.
She didn’t want to snicker, but she couldn’t help it. Shifters had a high comfort level with nudity. He probably forgot he was naked again.
He looked at her when she wasn’t successful in covering her giggles.
“Something funny, Em?”
A smile spread across her face. He was the only person she ever let call her Em. She didn’t need a term of endearment like honey or baby. She liked Em just fine because it belonged to War alone.
She sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. “You’re naked. I promise I’m not peeking. Too much.”
“Woman,” he said, shaking his head with a smile.
Leaving the window, he joined her on the couch. He faced her, stretching one arm over the back of the sofa, his fingers playing along her shoulder. “Maybe there’s a first aid kit somewhere, so I can bandage up your shoulder.”
“I’m fine. I’m just so happy to see you. Everything else is secondary. You’re back. You’re really back.”
He put his hand on her neck, running his fingers through her hair. She shivered at the touch.
“Tell me what it’s been like, Em. I need to know what I missed.”
; Nodding, she started at the beginning, when she stood alone in the clearing, abandoned by the pack and confused. “I tried to follow you. I didn’t understand what happened. But the pack just raced away. I went to our home, hoping you’d show up.”
“I didn’t, though.” His brows furrowed, his lips a thin line.
“No. Thankfully, I had Luna and her mother. After a few days of darkness, the news reported that wolves were attacking humans. Of those attacked, only a quarter survived, but they became wolves. No one was allowed to touch dead bodies for fear of contracting lycanthropy, as they called it.”
Luna and her mother had joined Emma at her place, thanks to a secret storage room in her house that could protect them.
“The militia established the forts and sent organized rescue parties to find survivors and bring them to the safe zones. I was thankful for the fort and that Luna, her mom, and I were together, but I never really felt secure there. I missed you.” Tears stung her eyes.
He cupped her face with his big, warm hand. “I missed you too.”
She sniffled and choked on a laugh. “You did not, you big liar. You were fully wolf and didn’t even remember me.”
He grinned. “Okay, okay. I was trying for a romantic moment there.”
“I appreciate it.”
His smile disappeared. “Did you date while you were in the fort?”
She blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Did. You. Date.” His voice dropped an octave, and a shudder raced down her spine. He was using his alpha voice.
“Of course not. You’re mine. The other half of my heart. My alpha mate. No human can compare to you. I never even wanted to be with anyone else, it would’ve been like cheating on you.”
The fury dropped from his tone, and he exhaled. “I thought I’d need to kill someone.”
“You don’t, I promise.”
“I would try to understand,” he said. “You didn’t know if I’d ever be human or if I was even alive. If you’d moved on…”
His voice trailed off and her heart cracked a little bit. “I couldn’t move on. You’re it for me. If I was going to be alone for the rest of my life, then I was really lucky to have the time we had together, and I cherished it.”
“I have some other questions,” he said. “But I don’t want to talk right now.”
Her heart started to race. “You don’t?”
“Even if I didn’t know it because I was a wolf, I missed you, Em. You’re not half of my heart, you’re the whole damn thing.”
5
The second War finished his sentence, Emma slid into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He grinned up at her, enjoying the feel of her warm body pressed against his. It might have been a year since they’d last been together, but he remembered every nuance and every curve. Like how her ass always fit perfectly in his palms, much like it did now.
Perched above him, she ran her fingers through his mussed hair as she studied his face. Almost as though she meant to recommit him to memory. He couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for her. To spend a year not only living in fear but also alone. She’d mentioned having Luna and her mother, but it wasn’t the same as living with your mate. The one person in the world fate decided was yours.
From the sounds of everything, the world had become a miserable place where everyone lived in a state of near panic. All because of Zara. To think a witch had destroyed the world for a taste of revenge. It was ridiculous.
“Where’d you go?” Emma whispered, her fingers still combing through his hair.
War nearly purred with contentment. In all his life, she was the only one who could evoke such a reaction from him. He was War, the Alpha of the Pinelands Pack—he purred for no one. Except for Emma.
“Sorry, love.” He slid his hands up her back and cupped her neck. “My thoughts ran away from me there. I was thinking about how horrible this past year must have been for you.”
“Mm. But that’s the past. We’re together again. That’s all that matters, right?”
He didn’t want to admit it, but there were other things he had to worry about. Like his pack. They were his to protect, as was Emma. And as much as he wanted to ease her back on the couch and show her how much he’d missed her, he couldn’t. Not until he knew his people were safe without him.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t first enjoy a little time alone with his mate.
Perhaps spending the last year trapped as a wolf had been a blessing. At least he hadn’t understood how much he’d missed her. She must have been so strong. He couldn’t imagine being parted from her for so much as a day. And to think of everything she’d survived, like the initial attacks, the contamination, and the forts. Not to mention how lucky they were to find one another again.
Zara’s curse had kept them apart. Well, he refused to let that stand. He and Emma weren’t the only separated couple. He could think of three or four wolves in his pack alone who must have been separated from their mates. One of them had been together for a decade prior to the curse.
He couldn’t allow this to continue.
“You’re far away again,” Emma whispered. “Here, let me help.”
With a wicked grin, she leaned down and stole his mouth in a burning kiss. War groaned, his eyes slipping shut as he sank into her embrace. How he loved the feel of her mouth against his. It was such a simple thing, but her kiss always made him feel whole. Burying his fingers in her hair, he ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth, demanding entrance. The instant her lips parted, their tongues joined in a heated dance. Every inch of War ignited, his entire body inflamed with desire. Almost like his body hungered for her.
Growling, he pushed off the couch and guided her back, resting her head against the cushions. Seeing as he was naked, he couldn’t hide his desire for her, not that he wanted to. He wanted his mate to know everything about him, including how he felt about her.
He nipped at her bottom lip, then pulled back. The sight of her flushed cheeks and dazed eyes made his heart flutter. She was everything he ever wanted. The only one he wanted in his life. And he was desperate to prove that to her.
“Mm.” She arched her back, bringing their bodies flush, her center brushing against his erection.
War gave a slow hiss, his eyes fluttering shut as he basked in the pleasure she wrought. “You’ll be the death of me one day, I think.”
“But what a way to go,” she teased, rising to nip at his jaw. “Now, less talking, more kissing.”
Grinning, War brushed her hair back and claimed her mouth in another searing kiss. But this time, he took a few extra liberties. While enjoying the taste of her mouth, he ran his hands up under her top, his fingers stilling when they found her perfect breasts.
He drew back with a smirk. “No bra?”
“Who has time for bras when it’s the end of the world,” she said, laughing.
“I’m not complaining.” His fingers grazed her pert nipples. “But it makes me wonder…”
She chuckled and swatted at his shoulder. “Tomorrow is laundry night, all right? I wasn’t expecting to go all stealthy in the woods to save your ass.”
With a cocked brow, War moved his hands south and dipped his fingers beneath the waist of her pants. “I wonder what I’ll find under here.”
Emma squealed and batted his hand away. “Excuse me, sir!”
“Just a peek, I swear.”
Laughing, Emma pushed against him and rolled to the floor. “Keep those hands to yourself!”
“That’s not what you were saying a few minutes ago,” he said, waggling his brows. “Come here.”
“No!” Another peel of laughter escaped her lips when he rolled off the couch and pursued her. “War!”
With a playful growl, he lunged at her and eased her to the floor. She squirmed against him, laughing the entire time, her cheeks pinked with excitement. The sight of her like this did more than amuse War—it downright turned him on. He’d always loved Emma’s playfulness.<
br />
“Do I get to peek?” he mused while toying with the button of her cargos.
When he popped them open, Emma’s laughter turned to a quiet gasp. A gasp that turned to a moan when his fingers slipped beneath the elastic band of her panties. He honestly didn’t give a damn what she wore beneath her pants. She could have been wearing the ugliest pair of granny panties, and he’d still believe she was the most beautiful woman alive.
Fueled by desire, War leaned in and claimed another kiss, pouring his entire heart and soul into it. His fingers moved of their own volition, settling between her thighs when a sharp howl broke through his passion-induced haze.
Reality sliced through him, and War lifted his head, peering out a nearby dusty window.
“The pack,” Emma murmured.
War nodded, regret dousing the flames within. As much as he wanted to be alone with Emma, he couldn’t. Not tonight. His pack was likely in chaos, lost without him, maybe even terrified. And panicked wolves tended not to think clearly.
Retracting his hand, War stood, then helped Emma to her feet.
“You need to go find them, don’t you?”
He nodded. “It’s my duty.”
“I know.”
He caught her gaze, silently noting her grim expression. “Hey. I just need to make sure they know I’m still their alpha.”
“What if they don’t trust you? What if they attack?”
“They’re my pack. It might take a bit, but I’ll remind them of who I am. They won’t hurt me.” He wasn’t sure if he even believed that, but he needed Emma to. “Come on, let’s take a quick look around. See if we can find any clothes.”
She nodded, then grabbed her flashlight and led him upstairs. By the end of their exploring, they’d found a pair of sweats that were a smidgen snug around his hips and a black T-shirt that emphasized his physique more than he would have liked. Unfortunately, they hadn’t found any shoes, but he’d deal with it. It wouldn’t be the first time trekking through the woods without any footwear.
They stood at the back door, peering out into the darkness. Thankfully, the full moon provided them a fair bit of light to work by, regardless of the actual time.
