by Kimber White
Fire poured into me, shocking my system. Hunger ripped me apart and the air went out of my lungs. Luke’s hand snapped up, closing around my wrist. When he looked at me, his human eyes were gone and the wolf came alive behind them. Impossible as it seemed, Luke’s heartbeat seemed to surge through me, beating alongside my own. He was in me somehow.
Staggering backward, I pulled myself away from him, nearly doubling over as I struggled to breathe. I wanted more. I craved it. A new pulse beat inside of me, settling low in my core and making my sex throb. It was carnal lust. Burning desire unlike anything I’d ever experienced. God, I wanted this man. What had he done to me?
“Patricia.” Luke’s voice was ragged as he said my name.
I tried to recover. Sweat beaded my brow and I wiped it away, trying to catch my breath. “What happened to her?” I asked, afraid of the answer. I don’t know why, but at that moment, I needed to know.
Luke sighed. He grew heavy-lidded as he looked at me. His shoulders dropped but he finally answered. “I couldn’t save her. I wasn’t fast enough.”
“How. You’re...I mean...you’re strong. I don’t know about shifters, Luke. But, I can feel you. You’re as strong as they come, aren’t you?”
Luke let out a bitter laugh and looked skyward. “Sometimes my strength isn’t enough. Sela was strong too.”
Sela. The name held mystery and magic just like Luke did. “She was like you?”
Luke nodded. “The twins’ mother was a shifter, yes. As fearless as any woman I’ve ever known. She died protecting her children. Now, it’s my turn to do the same.”
“I’m sorry. I know what that’s like. I mean, the grief of it. That’s why my father is how he is. You saw it yourself. He wouldn’t hurt your children. We won’t let him. He just doesn’t understand. Somehow, we’ll make him.”
I couldn’t believe what I was saying. I hadn’t made a conscious decision. It was crazy. I had only come out here to make sure my father hadn’t come back or tried to do something stupid. And I came to see for myself that Luke kept his promise. Because they had to leave. Everything I’d said to Harold was true. This wasn’t our fight. I didn’t need to understand the details to realize that if something was strong enough to put Luke at risk, it was strong enough to destroy everything around me. But at that moment I knew I didn’t care. I knew I would try to help him. I was supposed to, somehow.
“There will always be men like your father who act out of fear. People like me have been hunted by them since the beginning of time. And they’re winning, Patricia. There aren’t many shifters left in the world. That’s why Lucia is such a prize to some.”
“No. Not men like my father. I’ve told you. He’s more like you than you realize. He lost his wife too.”
Luke gave me a wry smile. “Sela wasn’t my wife, Patricia. Oh, I loved her. Don’t get me wrong. But she and I...well...she stayed with me because she believed I was the strongest shifter she could find. That’s who she wanted to father her children. But, we weren’t fated.”
“Fated?” The word hung between us as if it had a specter all of its own. There was a different kind of magic and meaning in it. For the second time since Luke touched me, the air went out of my lungs.
Fated.
“Who are you?” I whispered. Three little words. I don’t know why I asked them. A voice seemed to rise up inside of me, echoing beside my heartbeat. The same heartbeat that somehow beat in time with Luke’s. Impossible. All of it. As I stood before him, I knew I’d asked the wrong question. Because I knew who he was. The right question seemed to linger in the air, and I saw the answer in the silvery glint of Luke’s eyes.
Who am I?
Turmoil raged inside of me as Luke brought his hand up. He held my face in his palm. The heat of his fingertips seared me. With each breath I took, a new, raw hunger flared within me. The words beat strong along with my roaring pulse.
Fated. Fated. Fated.
Who am I?
Luke’s lips. Luke’s eyes. A groan of desire escaped my lips and it took everything in me not to throw my arms around him. I didn’t though. I stayed strong and still as I went to pieces inside. But, as Luke stood before me, caressing my jaw with the rough pad of his thumb, I felt a little of what it must be to live as a shifter. Because my bones, my heart, seemed to remake themselves into something new.
Who am I?
The answer came to me, loud and true even if I couldn’t accept it then.
Yours. You’re fated.
Then I tore myself away from him and staggered down the rocky path toward Rascal.
Chapter Eight
It was full dark before I had Rascal untacked and I slipped in the back door. The house was cool and quiet save for the rhythmic snoring of Grandpa from his hallway bedroom. I checked on him anyway.
“Heaven’s sakes, old man, you’ll sweat to death like that.” Grandpa lay on his side with his comforter pulled up to his chin. He had both windows shut and I quietly moved around the bed to open them. Grandpa Bonner believed the same superstitions as my grandmother had. He claimed you could wake up paralyzed if you slept under an open window. Dad said it had something to do with a polio scare that came through Wild Lake when he was a kid, but Dr. Bodine said it was nothing but an old wives’ tale.
I cracked the window and let the cool breeze lift the thin eyelet curtains. Grandpa snorted and twitched, but didn’t wake.
Rascal had been the only horse out of the barn, so my breathing eased as I took gentle steps up the stairs. Dad was home still, hopefully. I hadn’t run into him on the way back, so I hoped that meant Harold talked him out of hunting wolves tonight.
I was bone tired and covered in sweat. I needed a shower and a good night’s sleep. But, the light under Harold’s door caught my eye. He was waiting for me. I took a steeling breath and gently rapped on the door with the back of my hand.
“Hurry up,” Harold whispered.
I went inside. He sat on the edge of his bed, fully dressed and with his shoes on again. “Going somewhere?” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Well?” Harold asked. He was darn near jumping out of his skin and tapping his left heel against the wood floor.
“Well what?”
“Patsy, don’t be dense. What did you decide?”
I crossed my arms in front of me and then sank slowly on the bed next to him. He reared back and scrunched up his face. His eyes darted over me, and I didn’t like the expression on his face one bit. He looked accusatory. Only I hadn’t done anything wrong.
“You going to keep giving me the stink eye, or are you going to say something?” I said.
Harold leaned forward and drew in a sharp breath, sniffing me. Panic shot through me and I had to stop myself from leaping off the bed and rounding on him.
“You smell like…”
“Like what?”
Harold’s eyes got big then a slow smile started to spread across his face. “Ya smell like a wolf, Patsy. But not just any wolf. Holy cow, Pats, you smell like him!”
I shot back to my feet and squared off, facing him. “You’re nuts, you know that? Nuts.”
“Nope. No way. You can’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’ve been around that pack long enough to pick up on a few things. And you do smell like him. Did he do something to you?”
My heart raced. How could Harold possibly know any of that? Everything and nothing had happened between Luke and me. And yet, Harold seemed to see right through me.
“You’re losing it, baby brother. I went back down to the cabin and I talked to your Luke McGraw. I still don’t know what to make of any of this.”
Harold wasn’t buying it. His face hardened and he stood up. “Patsy, you need to be careful. Guys like Luke are…”
“Are what? And what do you mean guys like Luke? Exactly how many Alpha werewolves do you know, Harold?”
“I told you, shifters. And let’s just say I’ve met a couple since the McGraws started coming around.”
I flapped my hands in exasperation. “You’re something, you know that? A few hours ago you were begging me to let Luke and his pack hide out here. Now, you’re telling me to be careful around them. Make up your mind, will ya?”
He sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just, well, I saw the way Luke looks at you. He’s interested, okay?”
“Well, thanks for the warning. But, in case you were wondering...and I can’t believe I’m saying this...but I’m on your side. At least, I think I am.”
“Good. Wait. What do you mean?”
I rubbed my brow with my thumb. Harold was giving me a headache. “I mean Luke and the others can stay. For a little while, anyway. Only I have no earthly clue how we’re going to deal with Dad. I can’t look after Grandpa, manage the farm, and run interference between Dad and a pack of werewolves...er...shifters.”
Harold’s grin widened and he slapped his hand to his thigh. “See, you can be taught. Also, this is why I need to stay home for the next few days. You need me.”
“I need you not to end up in juvie, Harold. That’s what I need. That won’t do any of us any good. But, I think I made Luke understand that Dad’s no real threat to him. I think if he can do a better job of staying out of sight, we’ll be okay. You think those boys are capable of laying low for a few days?”
Harold shrugged. “I suppose they don’t have a choice.”
“Good. And for your information, I didn’t say anything to Dad about you skipping school. You better just hope he doesn’t run into Gil Masur or any of your teachers for the next few days. I can keep him busy enough around here to keep him out of trouble. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get the urge to run off again.”
Harold came to me and put his hands on my shoulders. His lopsided grin was infectious and I had to fight off the urge to smile back at him. He made it impossible to stay mad at him sometimes.
“You’re the best, Patsy. Did you know that?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. Don’t you forget it.”
Then Harold pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. Laughing, I hugged him back. Then I squealed when he held me tight and tried to give me a noogie. Slapping at his chest, I spun away from him.
“Cut it out!”
But when I straightened and fixed my hair, Harold’s expression was serious again. “I meant it though, Pats.”
“About what?”
“You know what. Luke. I’m glad that you’re on board with helping them. Luke and the others...they really are the good guys. Promise. But, that doesn’t mean I want my big sister getting too involved, you know?”
My cheeks heated with a blush I couldn’t stop. I stepped backward, trying to put myself in the shadows so Harold wouldn’t see. It was already too late. “You’re letting your imagination get the best of you,” I said.
Harold didn’t press, but I knew that look in his eyes. He wasn’t satisfied. But, I’d be damned if I’d let my kid brother give me grief about Luke McGraw’s intentions. Before he could read anything else in my face, I raised the back of my hand to my mouth. I didn’t have to fake the yawn that overtook me.
“Get to bed,” I said, heading for the door. “And don’t get any funny ideas about running around with the pack tonight. You just leave them be, Harold. I said they could hide out here. That doesn’t mean we need to get any more entangled in their business than we already are. The sooner Luke figures out another place to go, the better it’ll be for everybody.”
My words rang hollow even to my own ears. The idea of Luke leaving sent a fresh kind of pain searing through me. The question I’d asked and answered for myself back at the cabin rang through me again.
Who am I?
His. You’re his.
I forced a smile then closed Harold’s door behind me.
* * *
I dreamed of Luke McGraw that night and every night that week. He came to me in vivid color and stinging heat that left me breathless and twisted in the sheets. Each time, I woke gasping, my sex pulsating with the echoes of pleasure I couldn’t quite reach. Twice, I went to the window and looked out toward the lake. A full moon hung low over the horizon and I thought I could make out the faint silhouette of his wolf against the purple sky. I might have thought I’d imagined the whole thing, but then a twin flash of silver would catch my eye and I’d know it was him. He was out there, watching, waiting.
Things settled into our normal, hectic rhythm on the farm. Whatever silent grief had drawn my father away from the farm last week seemed to have dimmed. He set about fixing the fence along the west pasture and arranging to re-shoe half the horses.
Harold behaved himself for the most part and kept going to school. The last days of April faded into May. As much as I knew he wanted to run out and catch up with Charlie and Marcus and the rest of the pack, he owed me six more weeks until school let out.
Each morning, after I gathered the eggs from the chicken coop, I made quick breakfast for Grandpa and Dad and discretely set two plates aside. After Grandpa had settled in to watch his game shows and Dad headed off to town, I made my move.
Jarred and Lucia slowly started to trust me. In Jarred’s case, his stomach led the way to his heart, just like most males I knew. I made him cornbread biscuits and apple jam. I met him on the trail near the woods a few yards away from the cabin. He gobbled half the things from my picnic basket before he even made it back into the cabin most mornings.
Lucia had been shyer with me at first, but she was smitten with Rascal. The feeling was mutual. She fed him sugar cubes and found his sweet spot just behind his left ear. She wanted to ride him, but I wouldn’t let her without Luke’s permission.
Most mornings, he wasn’t there. My heart didn’t want to start beating until I knew for sure. But Luke spent most of his time guarding the perimeter of our lands. I learned that from the other members of his pack. Charlie and Marcus usually patrolled near the lake. With them was another teenager, Joe Jordan. I learned those three were the youngest of Luke’s pack save for the twins.
Luke was the oldest of the pack at twenty-eight. Next was Pete Davies, a stocky red-headed fellow with cool green eyes. He didn’t say much but gave me a hard stare and kept his distance. More friendly were Roy Jordan, Joe’s older brother, and Victor Cleary. Victor was Luke’s oldest friend. He was nearly as big as Luke with the same silver eyes. Victor had a white shock of hair running along his temple. It’s how I learned to recognize his wolf. Rounding out the pack was Jody Canton. Harold told me Jody was the newest member of Luke’s pack and the one Luke trusted the least. Jody stayed in his wolf every time I saw him. He was all black with golden eyes and he usually stayed half hidden in the brush.
“Don’t eat so fast, you’re gonna choke,” Lucia scolded her brother. The pair of them sat cross-legged in the middle of the cabin. A spring rain misted the trees and Jarred had been pouting all morning. His father had apparently told him he couldn’t go fishing in the lake today. Though he wouldn’t tell me straight out, I could sense why. Last night, just past midnight, I heard a fresh round of howling that I knew hadn’t come from any of Luke’s pack.
There were other packs nearby, but no one would tell me how many. What kept them from crossing over to my father’s land I could only guess. Luke was strong and he’d at least temporarily staked our farm and the surrounding woods as his territory. No one would say it, but I wondered just how long the other packs would respect that boundary and what might happen if they breached it. I kept my ears open in town, but none of the other men were talking about a wolf problem.
I reached out to muss Jarred’s hair. “Don’t worry, Loosh. He can’t choke on bread and jelly. At least, I don’t think he can.” Jarred shot his sister a scowl that made me swallow my laughter. They reminded me a lot of Harold and me before my mother passed away. Back then, we were at each other’s throats constantly. Afterward, Harold wouldn’t leave my side. He’d only been six years old when we lost her...the same age that Jarred and Lucia were now.
; “Stick close to her, Jarred,” I said, smiling. “Lucia will always look out for you.”
Jarred snorted. “Then I’m done for. She’s too scatterbrained to do me any good.”
“Oh behave,” I said. “And look, I don’t know about fishing, but maybe if I can get away, we can go digging for nightcrawlers. Would you like that? I saw some big fat crappie swimming near the dock the other day. As soon as your dad gives you the go ahead, we’ll catch some. Then I’ll fry ‘em up for you. They melt in your mouth.”
Jarred smiled. “What about chocolate cake?”
I raised a brow. “Well, I’ve never tried it, but I think we’d have better luck with the nightcrawlers.” Lucia knew I was teasing and she laughed past a mouthful of biscuit.
Jarred had to think about it for another second, then he shot me a sheepish grin too.
“Miss Bonner,” Victor Cleary’s deep voice raised the hairs on the back of my neck. For as big as he was, the man was as stealthy as the Invisible Man. “Joe and Charlie spotted your father heading back from town. He’ll be up at the house in fifteen minutes or so.”
“Thanks, Victor,” I said. “And I told you. Nobody calls me Miss Bonner. Pat or Patricia is fine.”
Victor’s serious expression didn’t leave his face. I knew the reason why. He’d been charged with looking after the twins while Luke was gone.
“If you hurry, you can make it back before he does.”
Dusting off my jeans, I got up off the floor and shot Victor a smile. “I suppose I could. But, I was actually on my way to town myself. If I’m going to make a chocolate cake later, I need some supplies.”
Jarred gasped with delight then quickly tried to cover, fixing his hard expression back in place. I couldn’t help but smile as I leaned forward to run my fingers through his thick, dark hair again. He didn’t try to pull away and I took that as progress.
I gathered Rascal’s reins. Victor came behind me and gave me a boost into the saddle. Patting Rascal’s neck, I clicked my tongue and winked at Victor. Then, I gave Rascal his head and let him break into a gallop back toward the wooded trail. I stayed along the western edge of the property until we hit the main road. It was a longer trip, but I hoped to avoid my father heading back the other way. It would give me one less opportunity to have to lie to him if he asked me where I’d been.
