I pulled on shoes and went outside. The rental truck was still in the driveway and now there was also an obnoxiously huge truck next to it. I headed around the back of the house and found a wooded backyard with a huge patio and a fire pit. A well-worn trail led from the patio through the woods and up the mountain. I could hear music and some sort of buzzing in the distance, so I started up the path, figuring I'd turn around if I didn't find Axel. I didn't need him, I could go to the grocery store and find some food myself, but it seemed rude to take off without telling him.
The morning air was crisp and cool in the cover of the forest and the rich scent of earth and growing green things made my wolf stretch and whine for a run. The music and the buzzing got louder as I continued up the trail and I stopped caring if Axel was at the end of it, I was just curious to find the party.
The trail ended in a small meadow that contained an enormous building, bigger than Axel's house. A path of paver stones led back to it and along the path were enormous metal sculptures, bears and unicorns, dragons, and wolves. They were almost as tall as me and they were amazing. The detail, down to the scales on the dragons and the strands of fur on the wolves, was out of this world and they were decorated with brilliant rainbow-colored stones and gems. A weird crackling sound was coming from the huge building. I followed the sound, not at all sure what I would find. The door was open, so I walked in. To the right was a fully outfitted gym with free weights, and smith machines, as well as kettlebells and medicine balls. There were two guys working out, both wearing only shorts, one old enough to be my father, the other old enough to be my grandfather. They smiled and waved and I waved back.
I turned to the left, the source of the crackling, buzzing sound, and saw more sculptures like the ones outside, as well as tables full of smaller sculptures. In the center of it all, was Axel, shirtless, his nipple rings flashing in the light from a welding torch as he worked on something metallic and huge. His face was covered by a mask and his skin was shiny with sweat. I just stood and watched him for a moment, watched as his muscles bunched and flexed as he worked. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, and I'd seen a lot of beautiful men.
I wiped a bit of drool from the corner of my mouth and turned back toward the door to force myself to stop staring at him like a crazy stalker. Food. I needed food. But first, I needed a workout, so I needed to change—
The crackling ceased and I could feel Axel walking up behind me more than I could hear him. He dropped a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said, his rough voice grating over me and making my panties instantly wet, my body pulse with desire. It made me angry how much I wanted him, how addicted to him I'd become in such a short amount of time. “How'd you sleep?”
I spun to face him, moving away from his touch. “I slept great, but I'm starving. I couldn't find any food inside.”
His cheeks reddened. He gripped the back of his neck and ducked his head. His sweat-darkened hair tumbled across his face. “I threw out all the food from the ladies. Didn't seem like you were too happy about it.”
I shrugged. Damn, he was annoying. “Why should I care about anything any ladies give you? That was a waste of perfectly good food.”
He looked up and grinned like I'd just given him a gift. The man made zero sense. “We can get something from the diner. Stop by the grocery store after.”
“I don't want to keep you from your work.” I gestured to the hunk of metal he'd been working on.
“I could use a break.” He patted his belly. “Could use some food, too.”
He grabbed a t-shirt from a table near the door and pulled it over his head. “Be back in a bit, guys,” he called to the two men working out.
They nodded, both with their hands full of weights. I turned for the door and headed down the path, Axel right behind me. “Did you make all these?” I asked.
He stepped up so he was walking by my side. “Yeah. It's just something I do for fun when there's no real work to be done.”
I crossed his path to study the unicorn. There was a bit of pink worked into the metal of her single horn and it glittered in the late day sunlight. “This is amazing.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the unicorn. “Thanks. Come on, let's eat.”
I let him drag me away from his sculptures, down the mountain, and to his front yard. “I'll be right back,” he said.
He disappeared inside and returned a moment later with his wallet and keys. “We should take the truck back to the rental shop while we're out. I'll call Clarissa to give us a ride back.”
“How far is the nearest rental shop?” Far as I could tell, there was nothing within a fifty-mile radius of here.
“Couple hours,” Axel said, like he was telling me it was just down the road.
Axel drove us into town and parked in front of the building with the words Hot Food on it. “This the only restaurant in town?”
He nodded. “Gonna be a lot of people in there wanting to meet you. Don't feel you need to do more than say hello. We're just here to eat.”
“Okay.”
He opened the door and ushered me in ahead of him, which seemed a little strange, since he was the alpha and knew everyone. I stepped into a large, well-lit room that looked more like a high school cafeteria than a diner.
“Just sit wherever,” Axel said.
There were people seated at maybe about half of the tables and every single one of them was watching me. “Really? You don't have a clique you normally hang with?”
“What?”
Shaking my head, I pointed to the nearest table. “Let's just sit there.”
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me tight against his side. “Come on. I might as well introduce you around. We won't be able to eat in peace otherwise.”
My stomach grumbled in protest and I wanted to slip out from under his arm, but I didn't know these people or their customs, so I had to follow Axel's lead.
He walked me around to meet old, young, and tiny babies, none of whose names I'd ever remember. He introduced me to each and every one of them as “Julie Jacobs, my starburst.”
Finally, I'd met everyone and we'd gone through the food line and filled our trays, just like in a high school cafeteria, although the food did seem to be much better quality.
“Why did you call me your starburst?” I asked once we were seated.
He concentrated on his food so intently, I knew he was about to lie to me. “It means you're as powerful as I am, sort of a co-alpha until you find your own pack.”
“Huh.” I could call him out on his lie, but I kind of liked being able to tell when he was lying. If I gave it away now, he might figure out how to cover. I'd just ask someone else what it meant.
“How about dessert?” I asked, after we'd finished eating.
“Sounds good to me.” He leaned across the table, his expression wicked. “Let's get out of here.”
I rolled my eyes. “I mean real dessert. That other kind of dessert needs to end now that we're back. For all I know, the other wolves can smell sex on us, and I don't want to become the latest town gossip.”
“You already are the town gossip. We haven't had a new resident, much less a newly turned werewolf in town since…Well, a long fucking time. No one cares if we're having sex or not.”
“You're telling everyone I'm your equal, your alpha partner or whatever. We need to keep our relationship professional.”
“It's not that kind of-”
I stood. “I'm tired of this conversation. What kind of dessert do you want?”
“Fruit is the closest to sugar you should get.”
I took a moment to mourn the plethora of restaurants and good food I'd left behind in LA, not to mention the loss of sugar from my life. I walked back over to the serving line and fixed us each a chocolate ice cream cone. I was feeling rebellious and angry about the change in my situation and my loss of control. It was stupid to choose a sugary treat, I knew it was stupid, but I needed
to do something that was my own choice and I could use a moment or two of escape from myself. It was a childish act of rebellion, I was fully aware, but it was all mine.
Licking the drops of ice cream as they melted down the cones, I walked back to our table and didn't see the woman sitting next to Axel until I'd taken my seat. She had fire engine red hair and eyes such a brilliant green they shone from several feet away. She was leaning in close to Axel, her chin in her hand, and batting her eyelashes like a cartoon mermaid.
I swallowed hard against the sudden knot in my throat. The ice cream was clearly affecting me already. I straightened my shoulders and smiled. Axel looked over at me and the crazed panic in his gaze did a little bit to calm me. He didn't look too happy about the woman sitting next to him.
“Is that my ice cream, sweetheart?” he asked, reaching across the table like a drowning man reaching for a life preserver.
“Nope.” I took a big bite from the top of each ice cream in turn, compounding my stupid. But I hated how much I hated seeing that woman next to him, how much I wanted to rip her hair out. “You should have told me you wanted one.” I looked over at the red-head who was staring at me and frowning. “This wolfy metabolism is the best. I can eat whatever I want and not gain a pound.”
I expected her to make some scathing comment so I could insult her back, but she smiled, her eyes brightening. “Isn't it? I've been a wolf all my life, so I've never known any different, but I've seen all those programs on the tee-vee about weight loss and diet pills and I just cannot imagine.”
“Can't live without sugar, can you?”
Axel's eyes widened as I took a big bite of cone and ice cream. “Maybe you should slow down,” he said.
Now that just made me want to go faster.
“Well, I can,” the redhead said. “I've been clean and sober for two years now.” She lowered her eyes demurely. “I had a bit of a problem. But French fries are my vice now, and I just can't imagine giving them up.”
“You really should consider it,” Axel said. “Even though you can't gain weight, your heart can only take so—”
The woman slapped his shoulder. “Aw, Axel, you are so cute to worry about me, but I don't over-do it. I promise.”
Axel did not look amused. “Ella Mae,” he said. “I don't believe you've been properly introduced. This is my girlfriend, Julie Jacobs.”
Ella Mae, maker of the most wonderful lasagna in the entire world, froze. Her pretty mouth pursed and tears formed in her eyes. “Your girlfriend?”
Axel looked over at me, begging me with his eyes to lie for him. Dammit. The only humane thing to do was to carry out the facade. “I am,” I said, forcing a cheery tone. Which wasn’t too hard, because the sugar was starting to kick in and everything was looking rosy as fuck. “I am Axel's girlfriend.”
Ella Mae stuck out her chin and squared her shoulders. “I'm happy for you, Axel,” she said with only the faintest wobble in her voice. “I've always told you to find a woman who can make you smile. I'm glad to see you've found her.”
I looked over at Axel and he was smiling. He was smiling at me with this weird, sort of fond, sort of grateful, look in his eyes. I shook my head. “I'm sorry,” I said. “This sugar is hitting me all wrong.” I got up from the table, threw the cones in the trash, and walked out of the building.
CHAPTER SIX
“Julie, where are you going?” Axel was in his truck, driving slowly beside me as I walked. I had no idea where I was going, I just wanted to be away from him.
“I'm looking for a new place to stay. Somewhere I can have my own bed.”
“Sounds lonely.”
I glanced over at him. He had one hand on the wheel and was leaning out the window wearing a smug smirk. The wind was blowing his messy hair into his face and I didn't know how he could even see where he was going. Gah! He was so obnoxious, and ridiculous, and…Ugly. I picked up my pace to a jog and then to a sprint. I needed to be away from him. Far, far away.
The road ended in forest. It called to me in some weird way. I'd never been much of an outdoorsy girl, but I wanted to be in those woods, with the leaf-covered ground under my paws and the — paws? I shook my head. There was a dirt path leading into the forest. I sprinted for it and ignored Axel yelling after me. A car door slammed and I picked up my pace. I ran as fast and hard as I could, considering I had to duck tree branches and leap over tree roots. This was nothing like running in Darius's backyard, it was way more fun. Staying on my feet and not getting beaten up by tree branches was a challenge that allowed me to forget Axel and his obnoxious behavior. I could hear him behind me, his feet pounding the trail, but I pretended he wasn't there. I was sure he could catch me if he really wanted to, but he kept his distance. It made me madder that he was being considerate, that he wasn't crowding me, that he seemed to sense what I needed.
The path curved upward and I ran at the small hill as fast as I could, enjoying the hard work of my legs climbing the hill and my lungs and heart working overtime. It felt good, but I knew it could feel better. I stopped at the top of the hill, stripped off my clothes and tossed them in a pile. I shifted to wolf and everything became brighter and clearer. Everything was simpler in wolf-form. I knew Axel was still behind me, knew he'd shifted, because I could smell him, could smell his wolf.
Wolf-Julie liked him being there. Wolf-Julie wanted to turn and rub her scent all over him, but human-Julie still had enough control to prevent wolf-Julie from following her instincts. I raced away from Axel as fast as I could. I moved so much more quickly and easily in wolf form and I loved the feel of the wind through my fur, the multitude of scents, the seemingly boundless energy that rushed through me. It felt so good that I kind of forgot all the reasons I was angry at Axel.
When the trail widened and he ran up next to me, I wolfy-smiled over at him. He yipped with a happy sound and raced ahead. I took off after him and we raced each other to an open field dotted with wildflowers. I threw myself into the grass and rolled around, drowning in the scent of the flowers, the grass, and the clean mountain air. Axel stood to the side, watching me, wary.
His hesitation was wrong. I raced at him, full-speed, and knocked him to the ground. I nipped his ear, leaped off him, and raced away. He chased me, but I dodged and darted and avoided him, making him growl with mock-annoyance. Finally, he knocked me to the ground. He rubbed my face with his own, covering me with his scent, and wolf-Julie growled in pleasure. Human Julie slapped wolf-Julie and kicked Axel off with all four legs. He flew through the air pretty damn far, but landed on his feet. I took the advantage and raced for the trail we'd come up. I sprinted back down the path, Axel right on my heels, until I'd reached my clothes.
I shifted and grabbed my bra, but a human, and very naked Axel, grabbed it and tossed it back on the pile. He growled and wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling my neck. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I've been trying to think of a way to let Ella Mae down gently for a while and telling her you're my girlfriend just sort of popped out.”
“Maybe you could have shown a little backbone and just told her you aren't interested.”
He dotted kisses along my jawbone. “I should have, but she's so sweet and—”
“She makes amazing lasagna, so you've just been stringing her along.”
He nipped the delicate skin behind my ear and pressed his body against mine. I could feel his hardness against my belly and it was making my brain turn to mush. “I've told her as kindly as I can that I'm not interested in a relationship, that I'm not going to date anyone in the pack, but she seemed to think she could change my mind. I saw a chance to end it by claiming you, but it wasn't fair to you and I'm sorry.”
“Good, you should be. I'm not your girlfriend. I don't even like you. Right now, I hate you a little.”
“I hate you a lot,” he said. Except the way he said hate, it didn't sound like hate, it sounded like…Well, it sounded like something I didn't want to think about, because he was pressing his lips to mine, pulling me
closer against him. Awareness and desire pinged over my body from the top of my head to my toes. I kissed him back, wanting to be closer to him, to feel him everywhere, to have his scent all over me.
He groaned and turned me and I was pressed my hands against a tree and popped up onto my tiptoes, using the slope of the hill to get the angle right as he drove into me and obliterated all my thoughts in the absolute best way possible.
We dressed and he walked back to his truck with me, holding my hand all the way. “Want to get some groceries?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Okay.” Even though I knew all the damn werewolves would smell him on me, would know what we'd been doing in the woods.
We got in the truck and he put his hand on the key to start it. I put my hand over his, stopping him. I wasn't ready for this, but I wouldn't be guilty of what I'd accused him of, I wouldn't string him along.
I waited until he'd spun in his seat to face me and took both of my hands in his, like he knew what I was about to say was important. “My father was a big guy,” I said. “And he used his size to manipulate and control and hurt me and my mother.” I swallowed hard and he reached over and pushed a stray curl behind my ear.
“Did he hurt you?”
“Physically? Only a handful of times. Emotionally? Verbally? Every hour of the day. Even when I was at school, he'd send me text messages, reminding me how worthless I was, how…It doesn't matter. He was a horrible person, but I loved him. I loved him and I was desperate to make him love me, to be worthy of him, to make him proud of me. He was a powerful business man, well-respected in the community. Everyone loved him. Only I knew he was a monster. I knew he hit my mother, but I…Maybe I just thought it was normal, because it was all I'd ever known. He told me that if my mother and I could be better, he wouldn't have to hurt us, that it was for our own good.”
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