“We are white wolves, and I am assuming we are the only ones in existence,” he said. “In our world, wolves are the bad guys. This we know. Our families told us stories of how the wolves turned bad many years ago, but the white wolves didn’t. I don’t know why, and I don’t know much more than what I remember from my youth. What I do know is that we are hunted, and if we were to mingle around in a populated area, we might be outed, and a clan like the bears will come back.”
“So, I’m now doomed to a life of looking over my shoulder?” she growled, and he ignored her response. As an alpha, he would calm her, but he didn’t want to do that. It was best she be angry about what he’d done so it would keep her safe in the long run.
“You are not doomed,” Aspen interrupted. “We live a wonderful life here, and I wouldn’t want anything more, but we have to be safe and prepared for anything, Isabell.”
“My…my wolf, or whatever it is, doesn’t want me to leave here,” she admitted with a whisper. “Half of me is scared to death. The other…it feels like I’m at home…like I belong here.”
“You do belong here,” Nash admitted, reaching out to touch her hand, and when he did, the most amazing scent filled the room.
Aspen excused herself and grabbed her coat as she headed for the door. “I’ll bring the bowl back.”
“What is that smell?” Isabell hummed, flipping her hand over so she could squeeze his. “Why do I want to kiss you…bite you?”
He reached for her other hand when she started to cover her mouth. He saw her canines thick in her mouth when she gasped. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll explain.”
Chapter 7
Isabell tried to keep from panicking, but the need to bite and fuck Nash Ward was overpowering everything. As she sat in the chair, her body heated…her lower belly aching with the need to mate with him.
“Our kind is ruled by our animals and a bit of magic,” he hurried to say when she moaned out loud. A warm blush colored her cheeks, but Nash stopped her by leaning closer. “Isabell, when I touched you out in the clearing, something happened. This only happens with shifters.”
“What is it?” she pressed, needing all of the information he was willing to give her. It was hard enough knowing wolves were hunted and that a fucking silver bullet would end her life.
“When we touched, did you feel something? A tingling, and ache, a need?” he asked.
For reference, he took both of her hands into his, holding them on the top of the table. She glanced down at where their fingers were interlaced and closed her eyes. There was a swirling going on in her mind and body. It reminded her of something out of a fairytale.
“It’s magical,” she stated, digging down deep into her mind to understand it more. “My wolf is prowling in my mind. She wants you.”
“That’s the mating connection,” he advised. Nash scooted his chair closer, causing her to break the connection with the wolf when her eyes opened.
“I don’t even know you,” she hesitated, looking down at their conjoined hands. The power and roughness were appealing. Inside her mind, she pictured what those hands could do to her…for her. His protection over her would be astronomical. Somehow, she instinctually knew that information.
Isabell shook the thoughts from her mind. The wolf that took up part of her mind was feeding her human thoughts. There was no way she would have immediately given herself over to a man after only knowing him a few days, but this was different.
And she felt that to her soul.
One moment, she was staring at his hands, and the next, she pushed herself out of the chair, cupping his face. The moment she pressed her lips to his, all of her worries and concerns over her new life vanished.
The wolf growled low in its throat, calling out to his. When their eyes met and their tongues touched, their animals took over.
“Isabell?” he moaned as her fingers grazed his beard. “Your wolf is in control. If we do this, I will bite you and mark you as my mate.”
“And I will bite you,” she snarled, moving her hands to fist the front of his shirt.
At that point, she had nothing to lose. Isabell pushed away the thoughts of her lonely life, living in a cabin her grandfather had given her, with no family…hardly any friends. The only life she’d made for herself was in the forest. The Alaskan mountains and bush were her home, and from what she’d seen of the Ward family, it was theirs, too.
He picked her up, a snarl leaving his lips. Isabell pulled away from him just long enough to tear off her top, leaving her upper body exposed to him. His hands worked to remove her bra as he headed for the bedroom.
“You wolf will know what to do, and you have to let her,” he mumbled around her lips. “Gods, you taste amazing.”
His scent swirled around them, and her body responded, priming itself for their mating. Somehow, some way, she knew exactly what to do. The wolf that had been born inside her only a few days prior told her exactly how to submit to him the moment he set her feet on the ground.
Everything in the room turned a hazy yellow as she dropped her jeans to the floor, kicking them aside. She wanted him…needed him with a passion she had never experienced.
“Do what your wolf tells you,” he ordered as he unbuttoned his jeans.
Isabell wanted to see him, but the wolf’s pressure against her mind turned her body to climb on the bed. She positioned herself on her knees and hands, dropping her chest to the bed as she felt it dip behind her.
Nash’s work-rough hands skimmed up her back, causing a shiver to roll down her spine. His fingers tangled in her long hair, but his warmth against her back changed everything. “Gods, you are beautiful.”
The wolf bucked, begging her to flip him over and bite him. The need to mark his skin with her canines was so powerful. What was happening to her body?
“My touch will calm her,” he explained, running a hand over her ass. When he reached her opening, Isabell cursed low in her throat.
“Touch me, Nash,” she begged.
His fingers found her entrance with ease, rubbing and coaxing her pleasure. It’d been a long time since she’d been with a man, but somehow, she knew this would be different…epic.
His cock pressed against her, and she waited for the moment he slid in deep. Her vocal replies seemed to urge him on, and she had no shame in telling him how great it felt.
When his hand tightened in her hair, it wasn’t painful. Neither was the moment when he pulled her upright, pressing his chest to her back. With his free hand, he reached around and used his finger to circle her clit.
“I need you to come,” he growled, kissing the spot where her neck and shoulder met. “When you climax, I will bite you, Isabell. It’ll be final when you make the same mark on my skin.”
“God, yes,” she moaned as he continued to thrust through his words.
She’d never been so filled…so cherished during sex. His actions were primal, but the way he held her was protective.
And she loved it.
“I’m going to come.”
The magical tingling she felt whenever they touched increased, and her wolf whined. It wanted his bite…his seed. A snarl echoed in the room only a second before his canines sank into her flesh.
Isabell cried out; not from the pain…but from the intense release hitting her like an earthquake. Nash fucked her harder, faster. She begged him for more, and he gave her everything. “Don’t stop.”
“Never,” he growled as his fangs slid free of her neck.
She was helpless against the wolf when it took over, bucking him off. His cock slid free of her body and she pushed him to the bed. Her lips landed on his as she climbed over him, taking his hardness in her hand. She stroked it once…twice.
“You better mark me,” he growled. “If you keep touching my cock like that, it’ll be over.”
“You’re my mate,” she snickered. “It’ll never be over.”
Her playfulness turned into passion as she took him into her body, rising up an
d down until her body relaxed and accepted him. The wolf prowled, demanding she finish the mating. They’d have time for human lovemaking afterward.
With a hiss, she pushed his head to the side and struck the spot like a snake. Nash cursed, tightening his hold on her hips. His vicious roar was the only warning before he climaxed and she released him, tasting his blood on her tongue.
Nash only left the room to make food for his new mate for the next twenty-four hours. He felt the upcoming full moon and he needed to prepare Isabell for the shift at dusk.
“We need to talk more about the wolf,” he announced, setting a platter of food on the bed. She picked at the bites of meat he’d expertly cut just for her tiny fingers.
“What else is there?”
“Tomorrow night is the full moon,” he began, but she surprised him by laughing. “What?”
“I guess all myths are rooted in some sort of truth,” she announced. “So, I guess you’re telling me I’m going to need to shift.”
“Yes,” he replied carefully. She’d taken everything well over the last twenty-four hours, but he wasn’t sure she was ready for her new life just yet.
“I need to know if I can leave,” she sighed. “I understand the magic of being close to you…an alpha, but I have to return to Anchorage. I have a home there.”
“I can’t go with you,” he admitted sadly. “I have to stay here. We have a business to run, but I can send Harper to help you. She knows the area, and she knows how to watch for our enemies.”
“I hate that your family is hunted,” Isabell said while shaking her head. “Well, I guess I am a part of that now, huh?”
“I’m so sorry, Isabell,” Nash frowned. He felt like someone had sucker punched him right in the middle of his chest. The guilt was eating him alive. “I shouldn’t have changed you.”
“Look,” she began, pushing the plate away to rise up on her knees. She took his face between her delicate hands and held on firmly. “I barely know you, but this thing…this animal inside me is finally making me understand how shifters work. I don’t know how or why, but it just knows that I am destined to be here…with you.”
“It’s the way our gods made us, Isabell,” he stressed. “They gave us magic, and that also extends to finding our true mates. I remember my parents telling me that if I touched my mate before I knew her to give it time. Finding your mate is one of the best things to happen to a shifter, but it’s not easy work. You find your mate, and with time and growth, love will come later. I feel guilty because I’ve put you in harm’s way more than once already. I showed you my wolf, and you almost died. Now, I’ve doomed you to a life in the wild. We hide out here to keep ourselves safe.”
Nash touched her face, skimming her jawline with the back of his knuckles, wanting her to feel the connection they shared. When she sighed, he relished the sounds of her response.
“Nash,” she began, laying her hand over one of his. “I’ve been alone for the last few years. My family is gone, and I’m alone in the human world. My home is on a few acres and off grid, outside of Anchorage. My grandfather left me the place so I could still live the lifestyle he had taught me. I’m happier, more myself, in the woods. I’d dedicated my life to exploring everything in this state. If I have to stay here, I’m starting to think it’s the right place for me.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, his eyes wide. She was accepting him and everything that came along with it. “Isabell, I already know I can’t live without you, but I would never force you to do something you didn’t want to do. You are connected to me by the alpha’s magic, but if you want to leave, you have to stay within a few miles of me.”
“I think I’d like to stay,” she admitted with a soft smile. “This wolf inside me…well, it scared me at first, but now that I’ve somewhat adjusted to having her, I think I will like being a shifter. She yearns for the freedom to roam and hunt. That’s something in my human life I’d longed for since I was just a teenager.”
“I’m so sorry about your family,” Nash said sadly. He’d never understand the humans’ ability to harm their loved ones. Isabell had seen too much pain in her young life…much like he and his pack had seen. They were more alike than he’d thought.
“Don’t be,” she replied. “I’ve made peace with that, and I have already forgiven my parents for abandoning me. What’s done is done, and I have to start living my life.”
“Starting with a full moon shift,” he added.
They would all gather in the same clearing she’d been in to take the photos of the northern lights, and shift as a family. Nash couldn’t wait to run with her, letting his mate have the freedom of the woods, shining a new perspective on the beauty of Alaska.
Chapter 8
Isabell stood on the front porch of Nash’s home, looking out at the mountain beyond the runway. It was so beautiful and open. The tops of the mountains were white-capped, signaling the beginning of the cold months. Soon, they would be cast in almost total darkness during the day, and she sat there, absorbing the sunlight as it warmed her skin.
Nash was off, flying a couple to the north end of the trail, and Aspen had asked her to come by the office to sit and catch up. Mason was helping Fury deliver wood to each cabin, preparing for winter. Nash kept his wood pile a few feet off the side of his house. The tall stacks were expertly made between two tall trees, making a barrier against the harsh winds.
She wondered about her own cabin, hoping she wouldn’t have anything frozen when they went to check on it the next day. Then, there was the thought of living with Nash. There was no explaining her decision, because she knew it was the right thing to do.
Over the last week, she’d taken a hiking trip, almost died, and been changed into a shifter. Tack on the fact that she’d found the male who would be her soul mate, and she wondered if life could get any better.
Did she love Nash?
That, she couldn’t answer honestly, but she did know the connection between them was more than the magic that made the shifters what they were. Her wolf didn’t change her mind about being with him; even though it pushed her to touch him…a lot.
The wolf knew they were mates, but it was giving her human side enough time to accept it. Isabell had been confused and scared when she first woke up, but with Nash’s help, she was calming a bit over the new life he’d given her after almost dying.
She went inside, tossing another log in the fire before washing her coffee cup and setting it on the rack to dry. The cabin was small, simple. The building was much like her own. The kitchen and living area, plus another area for storage, made up the base, but off the kitchen, his bedroom with its own small stove sat in the corner. Above the living room was a loft that could hold another bed if necessary.
With temperatures just below freezing, Isabell bundled up and left Nash’s cabin, walking down the hill to the parking lot where her mangled 4Runner sat reminding her of the stupid idea to drive away from Nash and his family when he’d revealed himself.
The wind blew across her face, jolting the morbid thoughts from her mind. She listened to the sound of her boots crunching the gravel under her feet to clear her mind as she crossed the lot. There was only one truck parked down from the entrance, and she was glad there weren’t any passengers inside when she entered.
Aspen looked up from the desk across the room, smiling widely when Isabell approached. “I’m glad you came. I’ve been bored out of my mind. I’m itching for our shift tonight.”
At the mention of the full moon, Isabell’s wolf paced, whining a little at the thought of getting out into the woods. “I heard it’s going to snow.”
“Yeah,” Isabell shrugged. “I don’t know what to expect tonight.”
“You’ll be surprised how well your wolf handles the cold.” Aspen got up from her seat and pulled over another chair. She walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. Isabell refused when offered her own. “I’ve spent the night out there in some crazy subzero temps before.”
/> “The night?” Isabell frowned. “How long do we shift for on the full moon?”
“Well, it all depends on your wolf,” Aspen admitted with a shrug. “We are ruled by the moon phase. If the wolf wants to stay in that form until sunrise, or well…our version of sunrise in this part of the world, then you let them. It’s the one time a month we are forced to give over to the wolf.”
“Forced?” she asked.
“Well, I shouldn’t have said it that way,” Aspen quickly responded, taking Isabell’s hand. “The wolf will push for the shift, and you have to let her do it. If you don’t, it will hurt terribly.”
“Do I know what’s going on during the full moon shift? Like I do when I shift on my own?” Isabell was so confused. There were so many rules.
“No,” she replied. “Your human half will basically sleep, and telling your wolf to shift back or go in a certain direction won’t happen. They like to have a break from our human minds on the full moon. It’s the only time they can be their natural selves, and we have to let them.”
“It’s so strange,” Isabell admitted. “I can feel its anticipation of the moon coming.”
“That’s perfectly normal,” Aspen advised.
“Nash told me some of what to expect tonight,” Isabell added. “We all are meeting at dusk and then we wait for the wolves to do their thing, huh?”
“Yup,” Aspen smiled. “It sounds scary, but I promise you, it isn’t. It’ll be fun.”
Nash landed the plane; thankful they were going to be free of passengers for the next few days. They always kept humans away from the airfield around the full moon to keep their secret safe.
He entered the office to find Aspen laughing over something his new mate had said, and they both stood when he approached. Without thinking, he pulled Isabell into his arms and kissed the mating mark on the side of her neck.
“How are you?”
His Lost Mate (The Ward Wolf Pack Novella Series, Book 1) Page 6
