A Witch's Journey

by Tena Stetler

  Her hand pressed against his arms, she teasingly commanded, “Stay.” Well, I’m surprised that worked. Sitting up, she tore open the package and slipped the condom over his impressive length. Hands braced on his arms again, she lowered herself until he was pressed to her entrance. She wiggled a bit, took in a little more, squeezed, then rose up and slowly slid down taking his entire length inside her.

  He moaned and swore as she moved until he pushed her hands away and grabbed her hips and held her in place. “Don’t,” he growled.

  Too late. She felt him struggling for control and shifted, wiggled, and smiled at his groan of defeat.

  He reared back and flipped her, exchanging positions, thrust into her until waves of ecstasy throbbed through her body. With one final thrust, he threw his head back, and howled as pleasure washed over him. Spent, he rested on top of her, the majority of his weight on an elbow. He rolled to his side and cradled her in his arms as she snuggled against his chest feeling the beat of his heart as their legs entwined. Lathen buried his face in her thick hair and nuzzled her neck. “Next time,” he murmured.

  “Next time what?” she asked sleepily.

  “I’ll make you mine.”

  ****

  A sliver of moon cast very little light before dawn when Lathen and Pepper met Elijah and Amy at the truck. The bright dome light of the truck came on as Amy opened the door and held the seat forward allowing Pepper to clamber in as Lathen did the same on the other side. Amy swung into her seat. The neckline of her sweater shifted to reveal a fresh bite mark between neck and shoulder.

  “Couldn’t wait until after the wedding,” Lathen cajoled.

  “That, my son, is none of your business.” He paused for a beat. “Well, at least I didn’t howl without leaving a mark,” his dad shot back with a devilish grin.

  “Touché,” Lathen said. “Where are we heading this morning?”

  “Wait a minute. Someone mind telling me what’s going on?” Pepper asked, heat creeping up into her cheeks.

  “Have Lathen explain it to you—later,” his father said gruffly, narrowing his eyes at Lathen in the rear view mirror. Amy punched Eli in the arm, glaring at him. “Okay, okay, it’s a wolf thing,” he grumbled and glanced back at Pepper and Lathen. “What part of the six million acres of Denali would you like to see today? After we see the park from my special place.”

  Driving the Park Road, Eli suddenly steered the truck into a pullout. “We need to walk from here. This morning is absolutely perfect, don’t get many of these.” They hiked for a bit and he said, “Here. Look east.”

  An orange ribbon covered the eastern horizon, then spread out in shades of gold, pink, and orange. Pepper put her hand to her mouth and sucked in a breath. “Wow, it’s absolutely—breathtaking.” She swung her camera up and focused in on the spectacular sunrise.

  “Just give it a few minutes, then look toward Mount McKinley. The clouds aren’t going to obscure the mountain today, what luck.”

  “Isn’t McKinley the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet on the south side?” Pepper asked.

  “Yes. What’d you do, check all the fun facts of Alaska before you came?” Eli winked at her. “Look west now.”

  The sunrise reflections sparkled pink across the majestic snow-covered peak. Pepper switched her camera lens and begin shooting pictures of the mountain.

  As they wound their way down the path to the truck, her stomach gurgled loudly. Pepper put a hand over her belly. “Didn’t eat much last night.

  Eli chuckled, “Figured. Let’s find something to eat. Then we’ll catch the tour bus and relax while we enjoy the tour.”

  “Good plan. Bet we’re all hungry.” Lathen smirked, scraping the mud off his boots on the running board before stepping into the truck.

  “It’s the werewolf metabolism, as you’re well aware.” Elijah paused for a beat, glanced up at the sky. “I’d hoped the aurora borealis would make a rare appearance while you were here. But it’s a bit early. Viewing season is from September to March.” He clicked his tongue. “I checked around. The consensus is that she’ll be a no-show.”

  “That’s too bad.” Pepper sighed.

  “You’ll have to come back early spring.” Eli shot a sideways glance at Lathen.

  “Dad, you’re incorrigible.”

  “September through March, we’ll keep that in mind,” Pepper said.

  Elijah parked in front of the Glacier café. Red and white checked curtains adorned its windows along with a sign proclaiming “All You Can Eat Breakfast.”

  “This establishment is about to lose money on you three,” Pepper joked, climbing out of the truck following the others into the restaurant.

  “The food is delicious, and ol’ Pete’s a shrewd businessman. His prices compensate for the locals’ appetites.” Eli waved at a thin man with a long gray braid standing at the counter. “Pete, you know Lathen, and this is—Pepper.”

  Pete’s eyebrows shot nearly to his hairline as he glanced at Lathen, then turned his attention to the women. “Never figure out how the Quartz men garner such gorgeous women.” He winked a pale blue eye at Amy. “Have a seat anywhere. Need menus?”

  “The girls will,” Eli said sliding into to a red upholstered booth beside Amy. Lathen waited for Pepper to slip in on the other side, then joined her.

  She watched wide-eyed while the others scarfed down copious amounts of breakfast meats, eggs, and pancakes. She was the last to finish one egg, bacon, toast, and juice.

  “Ready to head out?” Eli asked, “Can’t wait to ride along on a tour and give the guide grief.” His eyes sparkled with mischief, lips turned up in a devilish grin.

  Shortly after everyone was seated on the bus, Bill bounded up the stairs and stopped, cocked his hat, and stared for a moment. “Well, what luck. You have two guides for the price of one.”

  Eli shook his head vigorously, holding his hand forward, palm up. “Not today. I’m playing tourist.”

  The other people on the bus twisted in their seats to look at who the guide was talking about.

  “Okay, but…no funny business.” He narrowed his eyes at Eli.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” A devilish grin spread across his face.

  Bill began with what they could expect to see. During the tour, he asked for a few minutes of silence so they could appreciate the tranquility of the area. A bear sow and her cub ambled several yards out during a stop for pictures and viewing. Mt. McKinley, Wonder Lake, and the Alaskan wildlife were a few of the tour highlights.

  Pepper felt like a sponge soaking in all the information Bill provided about the six million acres of Denali divided by only one ribbon of road. The guide was good, but in her opinion, Eli was better.

  Bill suggested before snapping a photo. “Turn around 360 degrees to observe all that surrounds you, from the semi low-elevation taiga forest, to high alpine tundra, snowy mountains, culminating with the tallest peak in North America, Denali at 20,310 feet. Which, by the way, is the third most topographically isolated summit on Earth after Mount Everest and Aconcagua.”

  “Wait, wait, just a second,” Pepper cajoled. “I thought Mt. McKinley was the highest.”

  “Well…” Bill eyed Eli suspiciously. “It’s the same mountain. You see in 1975 the Alaskan Legislature asked the U.S. Federal Government to officially change the mountain’s name from McKinley to Denali. Alaskan people had always called it Denali. It was a gold prospector in 1896 that called it McKinley and started the ruckus. In September 2015, the president of the United States announced the official renaming of McKinley to Denali.”

  Eli held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. “Pepper’s a walking facts of Alaska brochure. I had nothing to do with this.” He chuckled.

  Bill gave him a dubious smile. “We’ll discuss this later.”

  Thanks to Eli’s specially arranged request, the tour took them to the old gold town Kantishna, a place most visitors never got to explore.

  For lunch, they stopped at the ex
clusive Kantishna Roadhouse, which Pepper thought was a good thing. She’d heard Lathen’s stomach growl several times on the tour, even though light snacks and drinks were provided.

  The Roadhouse offered several interpretive activities. Lathen and Eli drifted toward the gold panning presentation, while she and Amy watched the Alaskan dog sled demonstration.

  At the end of the nearly twelve-hour tour, Eli stopped Bill and slipped something into his hand and slapped him on the back. “Great job. Thanks.”

  “Any time. See you at the wedding.” Bill grinned and strode off toward another knot of tourists.

  Walking back to the cabins, Pepper suddenly stopped and hugged Eli tight. “This was wonderful. Thank you so much.”

  Appearing a little uncomfortable with the sudden show of affection, Eli returned the hug and released her. “You’re very much welcome. Amy and I needed a break from the wedding crush. Thanks for the idea.”

  Pepper looked dubious for a beat, then smiled and intertwined her fingers through Lathen’s, leaving Eli and Amy at their cabin. “Anytime. Goodnight, Amy, Eli.”

  Lathen echoed her good nights.

  ****

  After a quick breakfast Wednesday morning, Lathen and Pepper brought the bags out to the truck. Eli already had Amy’s stuff packed inside the storage box in the bed of the truck, lid still opened.

  “Thank you for an unforgettable experience, Eli,” Pepper said giving him a big hug. “The trip was a dream come true.”

  Lathen nodded as he hefted the bags up into the storage box and closed the lid. “Thanks, Dad, I really appreciate it.” He walked around to the passenger side of the truck where Amy held the front seat forward. He clambered into the back seat. Sitting behind Amy gave him more leg room.

  Eli held the seat back, while Pepper crawled into the back seat. “Anytime.” He climbed into the truck, closed the door, and started the engine.

  Pepper leaned back in the seat. In a couple of hours, they’d be back in Half Moon Valley. How would the pack handle an outsider in their midst, let alone a witch? She wiped her damp palms on her jeans. The unknown had always been one of her greatest fears.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Go North, the Wedding’s On

  —After the Damage Is Repaired

  After stopping for dinner, they arrived in Half Moon Valley in early evening. When Lathen got out of the truck, he wrinkled his nose. “Smells like the whole pack stopped by while we were gone.” His father’s nostrils flared as little lines creased his forehead.

  “Had a lot of visitors while you were gone. Well-wishers for your wedding?” Lathen asked.

  “Doubt it. Probably people looking for you,” Elijah grumbled. “Word’s out, you’re back. At least we had a few uninterrupted days together. Denali was a great get-away. Now, business as usual.” He unlocked the door and pushed it open.

  “Sorry. We could lie low out of town, till the wedding,” Lathen offered, walking through the door, Pepper close behind him.

  Eli tossed his keys on the table by the door. “Don’t be ridiculous. Kolby and Hayley will be here Friday for the celebratory dinner the whole pack is preparing. It’ll be held at the community center. Don’t see what all the fuss is about.”

  “Tradition,” Lathen said. “You were the most eligible male for years, the Alpha to boot. Then you fall for a woman from a pack in the lower forty-eight. Bet that broke some hearts.”

  “S’pose so.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of the center, I better go take care of the Todd situation. Get him out of there, since that’s where the wedding and reception will be held. The women of the pack probably aren’t too thrilled with me as it is.” He shrugged. “Nothing to be done about it. There’s plenty of time for them to put up the damn decorations.”

  “Elijah, you promised.” Amy cooed, sitting on the sofa and taking her shoes off.

  “I know, I know, but I don’t have to like it. Never liked people fussing over me or my boys,” he said, voice gruff. “Lathen, you want to ride along?”

  “Probably not a good idea,” Lathen said, shoving a few logs into the fireplace and crumpling several sheets of newspaper. “Where’s the matches?” His fingers ran along the smooth surface on top the mantel. Nothing. He turned around and jumped back as flames raced up the pieces of wood. Staring at Pepper, he raised an eyebrow, tilted his head in question.

  She shrugged. Pink patches bloomed on her cheeks.

  He was as surprised as she appeared to be when she sidled closer to him.

  With her lips close to his ear, she whispered, “I didn’t intend…thought about it, but…Sorry.”

  Amy’s gaze flicked from Pepper to the fireplace and to Lathen, but she said nothing.

  Oblivious to the situation, Eli continued, “Why not? It’ll confirm the rumors, set the record straight. You’re only visiting. Then maybe people will quit driving by and beating a path to my door.” Eli snapped his fingers. “When are you going to introduce Pepper to the pack?”

  “Probably at the dinner. But don’t give anyone the wrong idea. We’re not engaged or anything.” Lathen looked over at Pepper, who’d now followed Amy’s example, ditched her shoes, and tucked her feet up under her on the sectional facing the fireplace.

  “No…but it looks pretty serious to me. And will to the pack too,” his dad said. “Your scents are mingled.”

  “Understood. I’ll handle it,” Lathen said. “Pepper, you okay with me introducing you to the pack? I don’t have to—right now.”

  “I’m part of your life, and if that requires some kind of introduction, I’m fine with it. Can’t be any worse that your intro into my world.” She laughed. At Elijah’s questioning look, Pepper added waving a hand dismissively, “It’s a long, convoluted story that’s best left untold.”

  Eli raised an eyebrow. “Well, let’s get this over with.” He jerked his chin toward the door. “We’ll be back in a few, ladies.”

  When they arrived at the Community Center, Dave was waiting outside and walked up to the truck. “Did you have a good time?”

  “Sure did. How’d things turn out with Todd?” Eli asked, stepping out of the vehicle and walking toward the center.

  “Well, as it turns out, Jason refused to press charges. The sheriff was willing to let us handle his intoxication, with the warning, if it happened again, there’d be no intervention on our part.” He grimaced. “Before you go in, there’s something…”

  Eli yanked open the center door and was slammed with a strong bleach smell, barely covering up other less inviting scents. Pieces of sparkly white paper hung torn in the corners along with ripped streamers of maroon and black from the ceiling. Face flushed with anger, his jovial voice of a few minutes ago dropped to a deadly calm. “What the hell happened here?”

  “Had a little trouble containing Todd in his drunken rage. Finally, had to stun him when he started to phase. I probably should have shifted to contain him. The damage to the common room would have been less. But it was date night for Lori and—just didn’t want to destroy—” He shrugged. “Had to cancel the plans anyway.”

  “Hazards of the position,” Eli said flatly. “Should have phased and knocked him out cold. You will next time.”

  The splintered door at the far end of the large common area caught Lathen’s attention. He walked over and peered in. Traces of food stains covered the walls along with several fist size holes in the walls. Todd was inside with drywall tools and spackle, repairing the damage.

  Todd eyed him. “You back, huh?”

  “Only for the wedding.” Lathen blew out a breath, joined his dad and Dave. “Lot of work to do before the festivities.”

  “You got that right,” came a female voice from the doorway. A stout sable-haired woman stood, hands on hips, with two large bags on the floor beside her. “You’re going to make Todd pay for the decorations he destroyed. Right? I just got back from replacing what he tore up. Thank goodness the custom decorations we ordered weren’t up yet.”

  �
��Hello, Lynne,” Eli said.

  When Lathen turned around, her eyes shifted to him. “Well, I’ll be damned, it is you.” She strode over and wrapped an arm around his neck. “It’s about time. Things better with you?”

  “Yes, they’re great. Thanks for asking.”

  “I gotta get home. Welcome back, Lathen.” She crossed the room and pushed the door open letting it bang shut.

  Eli rubbed the back of his neck, lips set in a thin line. “So what’s the plan?”

  “We’ve been working to get the placed cleaned up. Todd is repairing the room, and the new door is due to arrive tomorrow morning. We’ll finish taking down the torn decorations and paint tomorrow morning, so Lynne and the girls can get the place decorated. We should be ready for Friday night’s dinner. He didn’t get as far as the kitchen.”

  “If you need a couple extra hands, Pepper and I will be happy to help. We can be here tomorrow morning,” Lathen offered.

  “Amy and I are available,” Eli said grudgingly.

  Dave was quick to answer. “No, Eli, you and Amy don’t need to be here.” He paused, scrubbing his hand over his face. “But, Lathen, we could use your help and your lady’s, if she is so inclined.”

  “If you refer to Pepper as my lady, she’ll probably pop you one. It’s Pepper,” Lathen said. “See you in the morning.”

  Eli grunted strode to the door. “The first time I—should have stayed and handled Todd myself.” He jerked open the door and climbed into the truck.

  “Cut Dave some slack. You can’t always be here.” Lathen jumped in the passenger’s seat.

  “I have been up till now.” His father shot back, starting the truck and shoving it into gear.

  “You’re not going to cancel the honeymoon to watch over him.”