I caught my breath. Beau may have been kind and sweet, but he was still an Alpha, and that meant everything about him was Alpha too. Including the sizable cock I could feel pressing against my thigh. I knew that men sometimes got hard-ons in their sleep, so I tried to tell myself it wasn’t for me.
But a small part of me wanted it to be for me.
No, no no. Bad idea. Terrible idea. If we got involved, what then? I would be banished from the Pack forever after the ritual, and if either of us tried to see each other we would be killed.
But I couldn’t stop the slow insistent tingle that was building between my thighs. It had been a long time since I had been with a man. And having him pressed against me was like waking up again. All of my cells felt alive, and they all wanted one thing: Beau.
I had to get out of here or I was going to do something stupid. Think, I ordered myself. Then it hit me.
I took a deep breath and then let out my best b-horror movie scream, and it had the exact effect I had hoped for. Beau shot upright so fast he almost hit his head on the tent ceiling. The tent flap flew open and I thought I heard the zipper rip, and Jasper and Mal peered in. “What?” Jasper demanded, his eyes darting around, looking for the danger. “What is it?”
“I thought I saw a spider,” I said.
“For fuck’s sake,” Mal said, rolling his eyes.
Beau groaned. “Next time just wake me up quietly, ok?”
Jasper glared at me, then shook his head. “Get up,” he said. “We leave as soon as we eat.”
I crawled out of the tent, secretly pleased with my silly solution. Well, if you could call pissing off three werewolves a solution. But it beat the alternative.
* * *
After a breakfast of fresh fish from the stream, I packed up my stuff under Jasper’s impatient stare. No more smiles from him. Maybe I had imagined yesterday’s slight friendliness.
Finally, I was ready to go. I was pleased to find my blisters of the day before had faded completely, but I put a few protective strips on my heels just in case. I was determined to break in those hiking boots before they broke me.
“Beau, you scout ahead today,” Jasper said. “Mal, you’re with Alyssa.”
Mal nodded and swung the extra pack onto his shoulders.
Beau reached for the hem of his shirt, then grinned at me. “You might want to turn around.”
I’d forgotten. I quickly turned to look at the stream, trying to keep myself from picturing Beau as he stripped down behind me. Jasper moved silently and efficiently, as ever. Part of me wondered if he wasn’t trying to separate Beau and I. But he wasn’t acting any different this morning, except for being annoyed at the whole fake spider incident.
“It’s safe now,” Mal drawled, his mocking tone telling me exactly what he thought of my modesty. I turned around to see Beau and Jasper wolf-formed. Beau’s fur was the golden-tinged white of fresh cream, echoing the pale blonde of his hair. He wagged his tail when our eyes met, and I had to smile. I always envied how beautiful his wolf was. But Jasper gave him a look, and Beau turned obediently and trotted off down the faint path.
Jasper prowled around us like a sheepdog with two sheep as Mal and I began to walk. He hummed quietly to himself, a song I didn’t recognize. The silence stretched out between us, broken only by the whisper of the trees, the faint sound of the stream, and the soft crunch of pine needles beneath our feet.
I watched Mal out of the corner of my eye as we walked. His dark red hair gleamed copper in the morning sun. This close, I could see a sprinkling of freckles across his nose like tiny constellations. He must have felt my gaze, because he glanced over at me, his pretty mouth twisting into his usual sarcastic smile. “Like what you see?”
As much as he irritated me, I had to admire his confidence. I ignored the question, countering with one of my own. “You don’t like me, do you, Mal?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say that, Princess?”
“The sarcasm. The smartass nickname. That little smirk you have.” I counted them off on my fingers.
He chuckled. “I do those things to everyone. Don’t I, Boss?”
The black wolf ignored him, padding on in front of us with his tireless pace.
“Well, he’ll tell you later. It’s just how I am.” He shrugged, flashing me a grin.
“Why?”
“Why?” he echoed, laughing. “Why is anyone the way they are? Why does Jasper have a stick up his butt? Why is Beau sweet? Why do you have a perfect…” He trailed off, making a show of glancing down at my butt before meeting my gaze again. “…Personality?”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring his burst of laughter. The man was impossible. But behind his teasing, I could sense something else. A wariness, maybe. Like he didn’t like me questioning him. I decided to switch to a different tactic. “When did you join the Silver Grove Pack? I don’t remember you being there when I was growing up.”
He shrugged again. “Dunno. Three, four years ago?” He glanced off into the trees but didn’t elaborate.
Yeah, my instincts were telling me he was definitely hiding something. But I didn’t get the sense he was dangerous in any way. There was a sadness behind his eyes, even as he laughed and teased.
“So,” he said, interrupting my thoughts. “Since we’re playing twenty questions, what’s the deal with you and Beau?”
“There is no deal,” I said. “We’re friends. That’s all.”
“You looked pretty cozy in that little tent of yours.”
“We talked. He told me about how things were in the Pack since I’d been gone. And I don’t need to justify anything I do to you,” I added, which came out a little harsher than I’d intended.
Mal just grinned. “True, you don’t, yer highness. But you can’t blame a wolf for being curious. Or jealous.”
That caught my attention. He had to be kidding. A man who looked like Mal could have his pick of women, and he certainly had no use for a half-breed like me. I decided to treat his comment like the joke it was.
“Well, if you’re jealous of the conversation Beau and I had, you and I can have a longer, harder one today.” I deliberately imitated his flirtatious drawl and fluttered my eyelashes at him.
He looked genuinely shocked, then burst into a guffaw. “You do have a sense of humor!” he said, sounding delighted. “Well, that’s a fine discovery.”
“Stick around, maybe I’ll tell a knock-knock joke.”
He chuckled, still gazing at me. “Those are well and good, but everyone knows that puns are the height of humor. Just ask that dead writer guy.”
I blinked. “Dead writer guy?”
“You know. Human. Big forehead. Fancy neck thing.”
“Are you talking about Shakespeare?”
“Yeah, him. His books were chock full of dick jokes and they teach them to human children as art!” He grinned and shook his head. “Now that guy had it made.”
I had to laugh. Seeing Mal like this felt like he was a different person. The coldness behind his smile had vanished, and a genuine warmth took its place. When he smiled at me, I felt an echoing warmth start in my center. “Are you a reader, then?” I asked.
“Me? Nah. Someone I knew a long time ago.” And just like that, the walls came up behind his eyes again, locking me out.
I wanted to say something to fix it, but a low growl from Jasper made me look up.
The black wolf froze, his eyes fixed on the woods to our left. In one swift movement, Mal stepped in front of me, putting himself between me and the trees. My heart began to pound. I squinted into the forest, but my limited human senses revealed nothing out of the ordinary. But if Jasper and Mal saw trouble, then I knew it was out there.
“Show yourself,” Mal barked.
Silence, then a flicker of motion caught my eye. Two wolves stepped out of the dark underbrush, keeping their distance. Strangers, both with dark grey fur and gaunt hungry looks. As I watched, the larger of the two transformed. His fur rippled and retracted
into his skin, and his bones crackled as they reformed into his new shape. He stood up and stared at us, and there was something in his eyes that I immediately didn’t like.
In human form, the stranger was so thin I could count all his ribs. His brown hair and beard were shaggy and streaked with grey. But the thing that made me the most nervous was the desperate way he stared at me. I was glad for Mal and Jasper’s strong presence between us.
“Why do you trespass on our land?” the stranger demanded.
“We’re just passing through,” Mal said. His tone was amiable enough, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. “We have no issue with y’all, and we ask that you have none with us. Fair?”
There was a long silence. The stranger’s eyes locked on me again. “Leave us the human and you can go free.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Mal said, all the humor fading from his voice. “And you happen to be addressing the Princess of the Silver Grove pack, so I’d advise you to show a little respect.”
The man squinted at me, then guffawed, showing his rotting teeth. “She’s a princess? No. No way. I’d believe Earl here was a princess before I’d believe she was.” The other stranger, still wolf-formed, bared his teeth in a fanged grin.
I could see the muscles in Mal’s jaw clench, and I put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t care,” I murmured. “It doesn’t matter, Mal. Let’s just leave.”
“If you ain’t going to give her up, we’ll just take her,” the stranger said. “Two on two, that seems like a fair fight.”
“Count again, asshole,” Mal drawled, pointing over the man’s shoulder.
While they were talking, Beau had come up behind them, silent as a white mist. His teeth were bared in a snarl, and his muscles tensed to pounce.
The wolf-formed stranger immediately backed away, tail going between his legs. The human formed one looked from Beau to Jasper to Mal, then seemed to think better of it. He spat on the ground. “Get outta here then,” he snarled. “But if I catch any of y’all out here you’ll be sorry.”
Jasper had been frozen throughout this whole exchange, his eyes never leaving the two men. He growled, so low I could barely hear it. The wolf-formed stranger broke and ran, weaving through the trees.
Finding himself alone, the human-formed stranger spat one more time and then turned to go.
“Wait,” I called, surprising myself.
The stranger paused, looking at me warily as I reached into my pack and pulled out the extra rabbit I had wrapped up to save for later. I tossed it to him, and he caught it, and sniffed hungrily. Then, without saying thank you, he turned and vanished into the trees. I could hear him crashing through the underbrush long after he was lost to sight.
Mal turned to look at me, frowning. “Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Why give him food?”
“Only desperate people do things like that,” I said, looking at the spot where they had vanished. “They were starving. Maybe this will help.”
Mal looked dubious, but Jasper watched me, golden eyes unblinking.
“Thank you for protecting me,” I said, addressing Mal and Jasper.
Mal grinned, good humor restored. “Just doing my job, Princess.”
The white wolf padded up, and I smiled at him. “Good timing, Beau.”
He wagged his tail at me again before glancing at Jasper. The black wolf was still watching me in silence. “We should move on,” Mal said. “In case those two hillbilly idiots get any ideas.”
Beau nodded and loped off ahead of us. Mal and I set off again, and this time Jasper stayed close to my side. Now that the encounter was over and the adrenaline was leaving me, the reality of the situation hit me.
If my guards hadn’t been here, those strangers surely would have dragged me off and… I didn’t want to think about what they would have done. I wasn’t silly enough to think one rabbit would have changed that. The fact that they taunted me proved that I was no threat to them.
I could handle myself in the city, around humans. But among wolves, I was helpless, useless. A burden. The realization made my heart sink. No wonder they all knew I would be a terrible Queen.
“You ok?”
I glanced over. Mal was looking at me, curious.
“I just realized that if you all hadn’t been here I would have been helpless.”
“Well, that’s why we’re here,” Mal said, as if it was obvious.
I shook my head. “I don’t want that, though. I don’t want to hide behind you all. It’s not fair to you.”
Mal frowned. “Fair? That’s such a human idea. It’s not about what’s fair, Princess. It’s about doing the right thing. And if some people have to sacrifice themselves so that happens, well, that’s how it should be. It’s how the Pack survives.”
Jasper had been padding silently along beside us during this whole conversation, but he looked up at Mal, and I could have sworn I caught a flash of surprise in his golden eyes. Mal must have seen it too, because his old smirk snapped back into place.
“Yes, I do sometimes listen to what you say,” he told Jasper. “Shocking, I know.”
“I didn’t think that sounded like you,” I said to Mal.
“You’re starting to figure me out then, huh?” He winked at me. “That’s why Jasper’s in charge. He has the good ideas.”
We walked for a few more hours to put distance between us and the strangers. Beau came trotting up in the late afternoon and led us to a clearing to set up camp. I was grateful to set my pack down: the afternoon had been warmer than usual, and the lack of breeze made the forest feel like an oven.
Beau and Jasper slipped off into the woods to hunt. Mal helped me set up the tent before going to gather some firewood. I went in search of water, knowing that Beau would have picked a spot that had a source close by.
Sure enough, I found a little pond in the next clearing. It was a pretty place, with lilies floating on the surface and dragonflies skimming overhead. It wasn’t that deep, probably 4 or 5 feet, and when I dipped my hand in the water was deliciously cool.
I glanced over my shoulder but didn’t see any sign of my guards. I quickly kicked off my hiking boots and socks, shed my clothes, and slipped into the water.
I gasped at the chill, but my body soon got used to it. My toes found the muddy bottom, and I ducked under the water to wet my hair. After two days of hard hiking, washing off the sweat and dust felt decadent.
I decided as I splashed around that I would talk to Jasper tonight and see if he would give me some training. Even if I could never match the raw strength of my guards, there had to be some way I could be useful in a fight. And if anyone would know how, it would be the Guardian. And if he refused, I would talk to Beau and Mal.
Even if I wouldn’t stay with them, it would be useful for being back in the city.
I knew I should get out and put my clothes back on before everyone returned, but the cool water felt so good after the hot afternoon that I decided to give myself five more minutes. It was only after I leaned back against the bank and let my eyes drift closed when a huge splash hit the water, spraying me and making me sputter.
Mal popped up beside me, shook out his long hair, spraying me again, and grinned. “Mind if I join you?”
I yelped and crossed my arms over my chest. “What the hell?”
“It’s more than big enough for two of us,” he drawled. “What, you think because you’re a princess you get the whole pond to yourself?”
“Being princess has nothing to do with it,” I managed. Judging by what I could see in the rippling water, it was obvious that he hadn’t bothered with clothes either. I could feel my face heat up, and I cursed my stupid human modesty.
Mal seemed to know exactly the effect he was having on me. He lounged against the opposite bank, muscular arms propped on the shore. He really was obscenely good looking. They all were, come to think of it. “Where are Jasper and Beau?” I asked, forcing my eyes to focus on h
is face instead of the glistening line of his abs. Or anything below that.
“Back at the camp,” he said. “Jasper told me to find you and keep an eye on you. So I am.” Mal let his gaze trail down and linger on my crossed arms, and it made my breath catch in my throat. Damn him.
Men like him, cocky and arrogant and over the top, usually irritated the hell out of me. But something about his complete unabashed flirting got to me in a way that nobody had managed to before. He made me feel desired, and I realized with a start that it wasn’t entirely unwelcome.
“So,” he said, breaking my thoughts. “Do I get to share your tent tonight?” His eyes, a startling pale blue, found mine, held them.
“I… what?” I was having trouble forming a coherent thought.
“Beau did last night,” he said. “So it stands to reason that it should be my turn tonight.” He sounded so calm, like it was a perfectly logical thing.
I finally found my voice. “I told you before, all we did was talk.”
“I remember,” Mal said. “But I also remember you promised me you’d talk to me… what was it? Oh, right. Longer and harder.” When he said it in that deep, teasing voice, my silly joke from earlier became something very different.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, trying to ignore the sudden spark of desire that had ignited low in my belly. “And if you don’t mind turning around, I’d like to get out now.”
Mal chuckled. “As my princess commands. But just so you know, you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”
I rolled my eyes and made a twirling motion with my finger and he grinned and obediently turned away. I watched him for a moment, wary of peeking, but he didn’t move. Even as I climbed out of the pool. Even as I wiggled into my clothes, tugging hard to get them over my damp skin.
“I’ll see you back at camp,” I said, picking up my hiking boots.
He looked up at me and smiled. “As long as you think about it.”
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I headed back to the clearing. Jasper and Beau were in the woods a few yards off. As I drew closer, I could see them cleaning a deer that they’d brought down. My mouth watered at the thought of fresh venison. Beau waved at me, his arms stained red to the elbows. “Did Mal find you?”
Princess of Wolves: A Reverse Harem Romance Page 5
