Blood of the Wolf

by T. L. Shreffler

  “Stop!” Surprisingly, it was Maddy who called out. The girl leapt up from her chair and held out her hand, as though she might actually jump between them. Gareth watched her in alarm.

  “Why stop?” Jaime demanded, her voice rising. “Why side with this bastard? He's ruined my life! He's done nothing but make me suffer!”

  “Because he's your lifemate!”

  Jaime's mouth gaped; she turned to Maddy, her ears ringing, no longer able to think.

  Maddy's eyes widened. “Can't you tell? There's so much energy between you! Just look at him!”

  The word echoed in Jaime's head, deafening. “No!” she screamed, blinded by rage; it overtook her in a sudden wave, sweeping away her senses. She roared and leapt against the handcuffs, lunging toward the human. She hadn't wanted to attack the girl, exactly — just the words, just the pain that exploded inside of her.

  Sirus grabbed her around the waist and flung her backward, so powerfully that there was a startling crack! and the chain snapped between them. Jaime hit the couch hard, almost toppling over it, winded and disoriented. She sat up, adrenaline coursing through her veins, the wolf roaring to life inside of her. She flexed her wrists impulsively, realizing with a start that she was no longer confined. She could move — the cuffs had been completely destroyed.

  “Aargh!” she screamed again, incoherent with rage. She launched herself off the couch, straight at Sirus, fingers outstretched and ready to claw out his eyes out.... She remembered a similar time she had launched herself at him, as a child.

  But this time he didn't catch her. A sudden force knocked into her side, bowling her over sideways. A firm hand gripped her neck and then wham! She was slammed up against a wall, hefted high into the air by the throat. She wheezed and kicked, her hands flying up, struggling against the grip of powerful fingers. She could barely breathe.

  Then Gareth's scent clogged her nostrils, bringing her somewhat back to her senses. She thought... just for a moment, she could smell it....

  “Slow down,” he growled to her, his voice low and dangerous. He stared at her intensely, his eyes brilliantly green. “Sirus is your lifemate, Magnus killed your family, and I would suggest coming to terms with it quickly. You have made a mistake.”

  The words were hard to hear, but she listened anyway, knowing deep down that he was right — the words reeked with truth. The way he spoke, the way they all looked at her. Even a human could see it.

  She had to get control of herself. Jaime took deep breaths, forcing herself to clam down, to feel the air in her lungs. It took a long moment for her mind to clear, but finally she was sane enough to notice the warmth of Gareth's body against hers. It was as though he were on fire, his energy capturing her, playing with her senses and teasing her into a frenzy. His muscles were powerful, his chest rock solid. Her blood coursed to life, switching quickly from anger to arousal... if anything, her adrenaline rush fueled her desire. She gazed at him suddenly, her face flushed, feeling the heat of her wolf-moon fog her thoughts.

  She knew her body was in full arousal; her scent flooded the air, spicy sweet, impossible for the males in the room to ignore. She saw Gareth flinch, his muscles suddenly tight, his eyes dilating. She watched his fangs elongate. A streak of pleasure shot through her, taking her breath away... he was too intense, too devastatingly handsome.

  Then suddenly he dropped her. She landed on the ground in a quivering pile. Gareth turned and strode away, returning to his lifemate across the room. Maddy frowned, looking up at him, but she didn't seem upset... in fact, she seemed completely oblivious to the silent exchange. Of course she would be — she was human and didn't have their sense of smell. All Jamie could do was stare after him, her cheeks flushed, wondering what had come over her....

  Then her gaze turned to Sirus, and she couldn't move.

  His eyes were pale and eerie, gazing at her with familiar intensity. He was pissed – he had to be! Of course he could read her body's response to Gareth. It left her nervous and chilled. She was suddenly reminded of their night on the bus together, of the feel of his mouth against her, of his fingers bringing her to a shuddering orgasm. She grimaced, confused, wrapping her arms around herself. Was Gareth really telling the truth? Had she somehow made a huge mistake? It made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't believe him, and yet....

  Briefly, oh so briefly when Gareth had held her, she had smelled... home.

  Without saying a word, Jaime climbed to her feet and ran the few feet to the doorway, dodging past Isak out of the room. The Nordic wolf went to grab her, but Sirus' voice called out, “Let her go!”

  She didn't care, and she wasn't planning on going far. She crashed through the brightly painted kitchen, slamming through the back door and down the steps into the yard, an overgrown, urban meadow surrounded by low fruit trees and shady corners. Everything was dark green and dense, faded with the twilight and the heavily clouded sky, but she couldn't appreciate the natural beauty. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, clogging her throat, forcing her to choke and sob.

  She stumbled to the side of the yard where a large tree crouched low to the ground. She threw herself at its base, curling up against the trunk, facing away from the house. Now she was close to the back fence, hidden by dirt and ferns, the only bit of privacy she could hope for.

  Pulling her knees to her chest, she cried long and hard, each tear drop burning its way to the ground.

  Chapter 11

  Sirus watched her leave.

  He didn't follow because it didn't matter. He would never leave her. Never, the wolf in him growled. He knew that she was upset because she had felt truth in that word — lifemate. He couldn't blame her, considering what she had been through.

  Maddy took a step forward. “I'll go talk to her,” she said quietly. Sirus opened his mouth to protest but saw the look on Gareth's face. Jaime had almost attacked the Alpha's lifemate, after all. The larger wolf looked like he would speak, but they both watched silently as Maddy stepped past, disappearing around the corner of the hall, red hair tossing behind her. When he turned back to the Davenport Alpha, he found the wolf looking at him closely.

  “You really didn't tell her anything?” he said quietly.

  Sirus shrugged uncomfortably, wondering if maybe he had made a mistake. “Too late now,” he muttered.

  Gareth regarded him for a moment more, then walked over to the chair that Maddy had deserted, sitting in it casually. He leaned back, his green eyes shadowed.

  “Well?” he said. “What is all of this really about?”

  Sirus cleared his throat, turning his full attention on the fellow Alpha, realizing that he was completely at his mercy.

  “Jaime and I are bound to each other,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “But I can't offer her the life of a wolf with no territory. As you well know, the Seneca pack is made up of countless lost wolves, derooted by Magnus. I would like to join with you to get her territory back.”

  “I see,” Gareth murmured. “Well.” He paused for a moment. “How shall we divide the territory? I'm not helping you for free.”

  “Not even for family?”

  “My family is my pack.”

  Sirus smiled slowly. “Straight to the point.”

  Gareth didn't return the smile, tapping his finger impatiently on his armrest. Sirus continued quickly. “Magnus the Gray is a problem. He has sent a few of his pack after Jaime. It seems that he hopes to abduct her and mate on her wolf-moon, solidifying his hold on her land. It's well known that he has been having trouble controlling the size of his pack, especially those in Paxton. Now would be the perfect time to strike.... I don't think Jaime knows any of that, either.”

  The shadow of a smile passed over Gareth's face. “He doesn't know she already has a lifemate.”

  “If he does know, it hasn't changed his plans.”

  “So what do you plan to do?”

  “Kill him.” Sirus glanced at Darren and Aiden, who both nodded, their eyes glinting. “Kill him and r
estore the Paxton territory.”

  Gareth was studying them, and Sirus saw him share a look with Isak. “You're not strong enough to defeat Magnus,” he said quietly. “You want my help taking him out.”

  “I could take him,” Sirus spoke casually — the honest truth was that he wasn't sure, but he couldn't admit to that. Magnus was a wolf of a different breed, his strength having accumulated with age. “But why risk myself when the two of us together could overthrow him easily? And his pack is five times the size of mine. With your help, they will be under control.”

  “And the territory?”

  Sirus paused. “We'll split it. Twenty-eighty.”

  “How about... fifty-fifty?

  “Ah. Thirty-seventy.”

  “Fifty-fifty, or I'll rip your fucking throat out.”

  A brief silence filled the room. The two Alphas considered each other, sizing the other up. Sirus had heard the story of Gareth's climb to power; he had fought an Alpha on wolfsbane and won, a feat unheard of. His bloodline was apparent in Jaime's abilities as well – the Paxton lineage was strong, perhaps one of the strongest. Still, he wasn't too concerned. He was a Tracker, after all, and had killed his share of Alphas, and had dismantled more than a few packs. Besides, the taller man couldn't refuse. It was too good of an offer.

  Finally Gareth said, “It's difficult for a wolf to control so much territory.”

  Sirus raised an eyebrow. “Could be. I'm willing to try.”

  Gareth returned to his contemplation, obviously considering the situation from every angle. Finally he nodded slowly. “Alright... I'll help you, but on one condition.”

  “Oh? What?”

  “That you make everything right with your lifemate.”

  Sirus blinked in surprise; it was the one thing he hadn't expected. “What makes you think that I won't?”

  Gareth shrugged. “I don't know, maybe you would... but I'd gladly give you some motivation. I'll beat the living shit out of you if you make that girl cry.”

  Sirus smirked. “Is that so?”

  Gareth grinned; it was not a friendly look. Sirus glared at him, his hackles rising. He could use a good fight, let out some frustration.... They stayed like that until Isak finally cleared his throat. “I take it the girls are still in the garden,” he said. “Maybe we should order take-out, and start planning how exactly we're going to corner Magnus into a fight. As I recall, aren't his whereabouts hidden?”

  Sirus sighed, sinking back against the couch, the tension running out of him. “Yes, there is that,” he murmured. “I haven't been able to track him down yet... but we'll think of something.”

  “In the meanwhile, how does Chinese sound?” Aiden suggested.

  Sirus cracked another grin, unable to resist the humor in the situation. A casual dinner with his new ally. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. He would alert the rest of the pack tomorrow, tell them to hop a plane to Paxton. Next stop: a territory of his own.

  “Shall we split the bill?” he murmured.

  * * * *

  She jumped at the sudden feeling of a hand on her shoulder.

  “What?” she snapped, turning back to her folded arms and sobbing into them, unable to control the tears. She didn't look up at the person next to her; she could already smell who it was, even through her stuffy nose.

  Maddy sat down next to her, silent and calm in the evening air. She put an arm around her shoulders and stayed like that, not saying a word, offering quiet support. Jaime didn't say anything more, just sat there, letting the tears run their course. There was nothing else she could do. She was confused, hurt, and so knotted up inside that she didn't think she would ever be able to untangle herself. Had her entire view of the world been wrong for the past four years? Had all the hatred and pain been for nothing?

  Finally the tears slowed to a stop, becoming less and less over a course of several minutes. By the time she was done, she felt exhausted and drained, sniffling into the sleeve of her sweater. Her legs were cold and numb against the ground. Maddy rubbed her back gently, still quiet. The day had darkened and storm clouds were moving in; the sun was sinking in the West. It would be night soon.

  “It's not so bad,” Maddy murmured, still rubbing her back, her voice soft. “He's very handsome.”

  Jaime snorted with an unexpected laugh, then let out a tiny sob.

  “Look, this whole thing has been a huge misunderstanding,” Maddy insisted, trying to look into her face. “Do you have any idea what it means to be a lifemate, Jaime? I mean, I'm human and I know it's a feeling like no other. He couldn't have been the one to kill your family. A wolf could never do that to his lifemate.”

  “How do you know?” Jaime muttered, feeling confused and defeated. All of the anger had left her in exchange for empty resignation. “How do I know? How do I even know who he is? Lifemate? That's just a word to me. I don't feel anything for that bastard but hate. I wish he would die.” I tried to kill him earlier today, she didn't add. She shook her head slowly. “And if it's all just physical attraction, well hell, I can get that anywhere.”

  “You two are more alike than you realize,” Maddy said rationally.

  “You don't even know us.”

  “I don't need to know you—you're lifemates! You think the same, probably you balance each other perfectly.”

  “What if he's not my lifemate?”

  “Impossible. He's already Marked you.”

  “What?” What was that supposed to mean? Jaime turned to stare at her, eyes clearing. She wanted to feel angry, because angry was safe... but she just felt tired.

  “Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds!” Maddy held up her hands.

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well...” the girl paused. “Basically... when a male wolf finds his lifemate, he bites her lip. They share blood. It's like a signature. To any other male, you belong to him.”

  Jaime was frowning, taken over by dread. She didn't like the sound of this... she was suddenly remembering all of the moments that Sirus had bitten her, especially while they were kissing. Even their first kiss, so many years ago, had ended in a bite.

  Maddy nodded, looking down at her hands, a secretive smile on her face. “I remember it was scary as hell when I first met Gareth. I didn't even know werewolves existed.”

  Jaime resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I can't imagine,” she said. “Gareth's not just any werewolf.”

  Maddy smiled again, her eyes softening in a look that made Jaime want to squirm. “At first, I guess... but you now, I was in far worse condition before. He saved me.”

  “Saved you?”

  “Yeah,” Maddy's face flushed. “He knew I was his lifemate... males have a way of knowing, I don't know what it is. He always took care of me, ever since I was young.”

  Jaime glanced away, biting her lip bitterly. “Right... my lifemate slaps handcuffs on me and stitches me up on bus rides.”

  “Sounds like he can't stand to be away from you.”

  “Oh, let's not make it sound charming. He's a sick bastard, you know it's true. I mean, I don't know all of the packs in the area, but I know he's powerful. The most powerful Alphas are always the most cruel.”

  Maddy looked uncomfortable; she was staring at the dirt intently, studying her shoes. “Maybe,” she finally said. “But you need that in the feral world, Jaime. That's how you guys survive. I'm only just coming to terms with it. Gareth definitely isn't just any wolf—and neither are you.”

  Jaime sat in silence, surprised by the girl's words. A human was telling her this? She sighed, looking at her feet. Of course she was attracted to a powerful mate, her body responded readily to Sirus in any situation... though now she wondered if that was because he was her lifemate. She grimaced at the thought. It felt foreign. Really? My lifemate? A fairytale!

  What Maddy wasn't saying was the direct truth—that Sirus was a crazy bastard. That there was something just a little off about him, something enough to make her want to run from
him. He had a certain lack of... boundaries; at times it was downright terrifying. Jaime swallowed hard, considering it. He was everything a werewolf was supposed to be... brutal and wild, ruthless. And yet he had stitched her when she was wounded, fed her, cared for her the whole time they were together. And he had Marked her. She knew he had. She couldn't deny the truth when she felt it so obviously in her body.

  Jaime shook her head again. He was just as capable of blowing up an apartment building as Magnus the Gray. She couldn't trust that.

  Maddy touched her arm gently. “It's going to be okay, Jaime,” she murmured. “You two will figure it out. It's been a long misunderstanding. You just have to listen to each other. Open up a bit.”

  Jaime sighed in agitation. “Great, my lifemate is insane,” she groaned.

  “Not insane... just crazy for you.”

  Her eyes widened and she whirled around, looking behind the tree and feeling her stomach drop. She knew that wry tone anywhere — and there the bastard stood, a plate in one hand stacked high with what looked like chow mein and barbecue pork.

  “Hm,” Maddy grunted next to her. The girl patted her shoulder and moved to stand, brushing off her pants. “I take it that's my cue to leave. Just talk to him, Jaime. Give him a chance to explain himself.”

  Jaime tried not to sigh. Give him a chance. Such conveniently ambiguous advice.

  Maddy walked away from the tree and across the yard, just as the first drops of rain began to fall. Sirus watched her silently as he passed her, and Jaime saw her shoot him a warning look.

  “Don't be a dick,” she said, her eyes narrow. “She's mad enough as it is.”

  “Oh good, so nothing's changed,” he muttered back.

  Jaime turned back around to face the fence, gritting her teeth. If he was just going to be sarcastic with her, then she was going to make him regret it.

  Maddy didn't respond, but continued to the back door, disappearing inside the house. Jaime heard the screen slam shut. She was alone with him now. The sudden intensity of the silence made her shift uncomfortably. She didn't know what to expect.