by Sky Winters
“I did,” Marissa said, “but they weren’t words…more like…feelings."
“Feelings,” Savannah said, thinking that sounded about right.
“Yes.”
Marissa and Savannah stared at each other for an awkward moment. Marissa was the first one to break the gaze. “I wanted to say…thank you,” she said tentatively, “for saving me from…for saving all of us.”
Savannah had not been expecting an apology, and she was at a loss for words.
“I also want to say…I’m sorry,” Marissa continued. “For how I treated you and for what I did to get back at you.”
“I.. that’s okay,” Savannah managed.
Marissa nodded and then she left the room quickly, leaving Savannah and Xander alone.
Xander gave Savannah a smile.
“You still haven’t told me what happened after Marissa stabbed me,” Savannah reminded him.
“I told you: the spell…potion…whatever it was, broke,” Xander said. “And when it did, Abel and Dominic were caught by surprise. We were able to attack them, and they were completely outnumbered.”
“How?”
“More than half of Dominic’s pack abandoned him in the end,” Xander said with a small smile. “Some of them didn’t know he'd aligned himself with a witch. When they realized what he'd done, they took the first opportunity they could to leave. We cornered Dominic, but when it was clear that we had won--”
“What?” Savannah asked, though she sensed Dominic’s fate as a result of Xander’s aura.
“He killed himself,” Xander said. “To avoid being taken captive.”
Savannah and Xander were silent for a moment. “And Abel?” Savannah asked after she'd taken a moment to process Dominic’s death.
Xander’s face turned hard. “Abel was harder to corner--he is a witch after all. We were all in our wolf forms. Elvira and Malick had him cornered, and Elvira had him by the leg.”
“And then?”
Xander sighed. “He was badly wounded,” Xander said, “but then he used some sort of magic on Elvira, forcing her to let him go. By the time the smoke had cleared and we could see again, he was gone.”
“So he’s still out there somewhere?”
“Yes, but he’s not in Grey Mountain any longer,” Xander said, hastening to assure her.
“How can you be sure?”
“We scoured the forest in search of him. The cabin he used to occupy was completely empty, except for the body of an old woman.”
“His grandmother,” Savannah said quietly. “There was nothing else?”
“Nothing.” Xander shook his head. “The place was completely bare. There was no trace of magic remaining. I don’t think Abel will ever return to Grey Mountain.”
Savannah nodded. “Are the rest of the pack okay?” she asked, concerned.
“Everyone has minor injuries,” Xander replied, “but no serious damage has been done.”
“But there so easily could have been,” Savannah said. “Xander, I’m so, so sorry."
“Don’t,” Xander said. “You don’t have to apologize to me. It’s because of you we’re all still alive and in control of our own minds.”
“It’s because of me that we were even in that situation in the first place,” Savannah said. She grabbed Xander's arm. “I should never have gone to Abel.”
“Maybe not,” Xander conceded, “but you were forced to go to him because I wouldn’t listen to what you had to say or believe you. If you hadn’t felt so alone then you would never have turned to him. He was right about that--I should have taught you better. We all should have.”
“You had other things to worry about.”
“Nothing is more important than protecting your pack,” Xander said firmly. “We all forgot that shifter or not, you are now a part of our pack.”
Savannah’s hands went instinctively to her stomach. “Our baby is strong.”
“I know,” Xander said. He put his hand on top of Savannah’s, bent slowly down, and kissed her softly on the lips.
“How did you know about the lake?” Xander asked after a moment.
Savannah shrugged. “I'd felt its magic before, but I never connected the dots. It wasn’t until I remembered my vision that I realized what it all meant.”
“Marissa running toward you with a blue bladed dagger,” Xander said.
Savannah nodded. “It wasn’t until we were all standing in that clearing that I realized the vision I'd seen wasn't what I thought it was. I hadn’t seen my death--I'd seen my salvation, but I was the only one who knew what to do. So I cut off the world and relied on my sense.”
“How did you know Marissa would get your message?”
“I didn’t,” Savannah said. “I just… followed my instincts.”
“That’s a good way to life your life,” Xander said. He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled softly. “I’m going to need your help when I’m alpha. I’m going to be counting on those instincts of yours to guide me through my life and my duties as a leader.”
Savannah leaned in and kissed Xander gently on the lips, then she whispered into his ear, “You can count on me. Always.”
Xander placed his hand protectively over Savannah’s belly. He slipped in beside her on the bed, and his lips closed around hers. It was a gentle kiss at first, but then it deepened, and Savannah felt the burning heat that lay just underneath.
They were finally free to live their lives without having to look over their shoulders. They were finally able to be together without fear or worry. Xander slipped his hand under her shirt, his fingers warm against her naked skin. This was the start of their real adventure together. Savannah was finally ready to take her place by Xander’s side, as his wife and as a true member of the pack.
Xander began teasing off her clothes, and Savannah gave herself over to him wholeheartedly, reveling in the intoxicating need for their bodies to become one.
- The End –
Wanted by the Wolf
“Alright boys. Who’s ready for another round?” Jennifer whisked around the room, cheerfully dropping fresh pitchers of Bud, and clearing out the old ones. The bikers stayed tame as long as they didn’t run dry.
Jennifer Armstrong only had another month before she had to return to college, which meant she only had one more month of dirty old men pinching her ass, and listening to them talk about how they “love a woman with meat on her bones,” or how they wanted to see what her “Double Ds looked like t-shirt free,”as if she couldn’t hear them. She hated the attention, but she made bank so she put up with it.
She looked down at her watch; it was nearly midnight. She would be done soon, and she was so ready to just be home. The night had been slammed and she was exhausted. Some stupid bike festival was in town. The extra tips were nice, but her shifts wore her down. At ten minutes to twelve her best friend Tiffany sashayed into the bar wearing a low cut pink tank top, and skin tight jeans.
Jennifer had told her a hundred times to not come and tempt the regulars by dressing like that. They were wonderful sober, but Jennifer warned her about their behavior after drinking a few.
She just shook her head this time. Tiffany was a big girl, and she knew what she was doing. She loved a bad boy and being the center of attention. A few of the younger bikers noticed and started elbowing each other and pointing at her.
“C’mon, girl. You ready to get out of here or what?” Tiffany propped her elbows on the bar and dragged a bowl of stale pretzels closer to her to pick through. She turned up her nose and started flicking them out of the bowl one by one.
“Yeah, I’m done. Just let me close out these tabs and have the other girl start those new ones.”
The noise all night had been overpowering. As she ran around to pick up the checks, a hush fell over the bar. She looked up at the doorway to see what was going on.
Her breath left her as the most beautiful man she had ever seen crossed the threshold. His head nearly scraped the top of the doorway as he ent
ered he was so big. The man had a presence that commanded attention and respect. The men in the room were weary.
The newcomer wore a fitted leather jacket that accentuated his lean torso and broad shoulders. His piercing, sky blue eyes scanned the room as he entered.
Those eyes locked in on Jennifer; he said nothing, just stared. For a moment she got caught in them. She could feel the heat of self-consciousness creeping up her cheeks as her pulse raced.
Tiffany turned to her and mouthed, “Oh my God,” before grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Jennifer blinked and broke eye contact, “Alright, Tiff. Let’s go. Back door,” she dragged her friend around the bar and through the kitchen to leave. To hell with the money, she thought. That man sent shivers up her spine.
“Okay, now I know you saw that gorgeous specimen walk in to your bar. Why are we leaving? He seemed like he recognized you. Do you know him? And if you did why did you not tell me?” Tiffany babbled on and asked a million more questions, but Jennifer had tuned her out. She felt intimidated and uneasy, and really didn’t want to talk about it.
Of course she noticed how he looked, anyone with eyes could see the man was stunning, but the way he looked at her is what shook her up. The look he gave was one that spoke of possession, and was rife with danger. Jennifer felt like a sheep that had been targeted by a wolf.
“You need to go back and talk to that guy. He looks like a man that could toss you around in the bedroom, and Lord knows you need that.” Tiffany giggled behind her hand.
“Yeah, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one sharing that man’s bed. No thanks,” Jennifer shook her head and climbed in to Tiffany’s car. Men like that didn’t care for girlfriends or monogamy. In Jennifer’s experience, men like that only used and disposed of women.
Tiffany jumped in on the driver’s side. “Jennifer, I’m going to say this as the voice of reason, you need to get out and start saying hello to people. Jason is a bad memory and a distant one at that. Not every guy you meet will be a skeeze,” Tiffany started the engine and pulled away from the curb, “Besides, you don’t have to get involved in a relationship. A one nighter might be all you need to get yourself back together, and that mountain man certainly looked interested.”
“Thanks for the pointer, but I’ve sworn off men after that asshole cheated on me with half of my dorm and my best friend. Forgive me, but I’m really in no hurry to spend any time with the male species, in any capacity at all right now,” Jennifer sank back in her seat and tried to slow her racing heart.
Tiffany didn’t say anything for the ten minutes it took to get back to the apartment, which Jennifer was thankful for. What was troubling was every time she closed her eyes, even for a second, she got caught in his stare all over again. The look he gave her sent a little thrill up her spine. Every instinct in her body was setting off alarm bells to stay away, but she had to admit to herself she was a little curious.
That man had zeroed in on her in a bar packed with people. It was almost as if he was seeking her out. She was spooked now, but a little part of her hoped she would see him again for her next shift.
“Rise and shine, lady. We have brunch plans remember?” Tiffany shook Jennifer who groaned in protest. She hadn’t slept well the night before since tall, dark, and broody had been haunting her thoughts all night.
“Come on now sleepy head, I can practically taste my mimosa,” Tiffany yanked the covers off, and chucked them in a corner. Jennifer’s exposed body shivered at the draft. Tiffany sped around the room on a mission to get Jennifer up, opening curtains and pulling clothes out of drawers.
“You’re a sadist you know that?” Jennifer asked as she whipped her pillow at her friend, “I’m up. I’m up. Just let me get ready,” She staggered out of bed and into her bathroom, “Whoa!”
The reflection in the mirror had seen better days. She spent ten minutes wrestling with her paddle brush in an attempt to get things under control. It would be a ponytail day for sure. The bruises and bags under her green eyes were another matter entirely. She said to hell with it. She just couldn’t summon the energy to cover them up.
Everything about being conscious made her whiny and irritable, especially the thought of wearing a bra. She moaned and stamped her foot at the drawer full of the stupid slings. Jennifer turned and stared longingly at her bed. If she hadn’t had these plans with Tiffany on the books for the last week she would just crawl back in and blow the whole thing off.
With a sigh, she acquiesced, and got dressed in her dingy white t-shirt bra. She slipped on her favorite worn in jeans. They were patched and fraying at the leg hems, but she couldn’t throw them out. An Iron Maiden baseball tee from a concert she had caught a few years prior and flip-flops completed her brunch look. She was by no means a fashion plate, but omelets don’t care.
“Alright, Tiff. Let’s go,” Tiffany as usual took her time to get ready. Her dark skin shone in a baby pink sundress that fell to just above the knee. French manicured toes peeked out of a pair of gladiator sandals. Even in minimal makeup Tiffany was stunning. Jennifer looked down at what she was wearing and shrugged, “You’re just showing off, you know that? Nobody rolls out of bed looking like you do.”
Tiffany laughed and hooked her arm through Jennifer’s, “You can just be my boyfriend for the morning then,” Jennifer finally lightened up and giggled at her friend. She loved that girl, but man did she need coffee first.
Tiffany’s blue Hyundai pulled up to the curb at The Egg Shack, a slightly shabby looking establishment that sacrificed looks for quality. The building looked like it should be a seaside shanty rather than in the middle of downtown traffic. They had never had a bad meal, no matter what time of the day they visited. Every ingredient was fresh and sourced locally, and the coffee was from organic sources and tasted like heaven.
The scent of hash browns and sausages in the air made Jennifer’s mouth water. Quickly climbing out of the car the two women dashed towards the entrance. They could practically taste the delicious bitter liquid on the back of their tongues.
The rule was seat yourself, so the pair slid into a booth near the window to people watch. It was the last day of the festival and the diner was bustling with activity and teeming with hung over bikers in sunglasses.
“What can I get you ladies started with,” a slim, hipster with black and blue hair sidled up to their table. Her cheery attitude and welcoming smile cleared the last of the sleepy haze around Jennifer. Who could be cranky around someone so warm?
“Coffee,” Jennifer and Tiffany said in unison, “Ha! Mimosa for me,” Tiffany ordered
“Orange juice for me, please,” Jennifer already knew what she wanted to order, but held off because Tiffany was still looking. The server left to fill their drink orders.
“So sleepy head, rough night?” Tiffany raised an eyebrow and Jennifer’s shabby state, “Last I checked I brought you home and you went straight to bed. How come you look like a truck hit you? Some tall, leather clad hunk keep you up last night?” a wry grin tugged at her lips.
“Actually yeah. Every time I closed my eyes that look he gave me would be waiting for me. It’s creepy,” after tossing and turning for several hours, she did manage to finally drop off, but she watched the sky turn pink first.
“Sounds better than creepy to me. That man was beautiful. I don’t like long hair on a guy, but even I wanted to take down that man bun and play,” the server swung by and dropped their drinks. They gave their orders, pumpkin pancakes for Jennifer, Denver omelet and breakfast potatoes for Tiffany.
“I agree, but he was weird,” Jennifer poured creamer into her cup.
Tiffany closed her eyes and savored the aroma of her coffee. When she opened them she grinned, “You may want to go ahead and tell him yourself,” Jennifer’s eyes popped open and turned to look where Tiffany was pointing.
The mystery man strolled in wearing ripped jeans and a black t-shirt. He scanned the floor for a place to sit, when he spied Jennifer looking h
is way.
“Shit,” Jennifer ducked her head down, “I think he saw me. Did he see me?”
“Hi,” a male voice chimed, “I’m Luke Robertson. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself last night”
Slowly, Jennifer raised her eyes to acknowledge him. His height was intimidating, easily six and a half feet tall, but his eyes and smile were inviting and friendly, putting her at ease.
Tiffany looked on, grinning like an idiot and nodding her approval.
“Can I join you?” Luke asked. He was fully in control and relaxed, a stark contrast to the roiling of Jennifer’s belly and sweaty palms.
“I, uh, well. That is we’re…” Jennifer couldn’t get the words out. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to say yes or no.
“Of course you can!” Tiffany interrupted. The server dropped their food in front of them. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the man chatting with them, “Excuse me, sweetie? Can I get a to-go box? I just remembered I have somewhere to be,” Tiffany slid out of the booth.
Jennifer shot her a look of death. She was mortified at the thought of being alone with this man. Didn’t she just finish telling her how creepy she found this guy?
Tiffany picked up her plate, “Sit, Luke. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll just deal with this at the counter,” she winked at Jennifer before taking off. She made a mental note to deal with her later.
Luke squeezed into the booth; the worn red vinyl creaked under his weight. He winced as his knees bumped the legs on his way in. Jennifer giggled a little behind her hand at the face he made.
“You have such a pretty laugh,” Luke commented. Jennifer was bowled over by the sweetness of his smile. Boyish charm erased the hard façade his mountain man looks gave off, “What’s your name?”
“Uh,” Jennifer had to think about it. She was so enamored with the man in front her she almost forgot, “Jennifer. I’m Jennifer Armstrong,” consciously she reminded herself to shake his hand. What is wrong with me? He’s just a guy. No man has ever made you goo goo eyed before. Get a grip.
