by C. M. Steele
“It’s easy. They’re all doing well, or at least close to well. Most of the unmated members are the ones who are less content. Speaking of content, I’m worried about Max.”
“I sense a change in him as well.”
“He’s restless.” I sigh. I’m worried about my brother.
“Maybe he needs a change. He’s barely eighteen and learning his place in life. This is why male wolves take longer before reaching their mating age.”
“I didn’t have that issue.”
“No, but that is because you’re the heir. Your path has been laid out since the moment you were born. Your footing has been steady. Now, when you have a mate, things might change.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, your behavior may become more erratic, irrational as you do all you can to protect your family.”
“You weren’t—aren’t—like that with us.”
“It will settle as time passes. You don’t love your mate or your family any less, but the danger feels less striking and around every corner.”
“I guess that’s good to know.”
“It is. Now get some sleep. I’ve kept you up long enough. I love you, son.”
“I love you too,” I say, ending the call.
I check the clock on the microwave. Shit. It’s just after midnight.
I climb up the stairs and then my head finally hits the pillow. The cool feel of the material immediately sends me to sleep.
Her eyes—chocolate and sweet—focus on me with such wonder that I fear she’ll be afraid of the truth, but then they switch to pain and then anger. She’s thrashing against me, but I’m not sure why and I sense I’m losing her. “No. You can’t leave me,” I cry out, and my world goes black.
Waking up in a cold sweat with beads of perspiration dripping down my face and back, soaking my sheets, I toss the covers off, wondering when I actually pulled them on. Hopping off the bed, I pace back and forth, hating and loving the nightly dreams. Who can she be, and why am I dreaming of her? Is she my mate? She must be, but why the premonitions? I don't have them for anything else; I would have known some dumb young pup was going to make a move on my sister and that Max would try to kill him. Instead, I'm left to get the information afterward.
"What the hell is happening to me?" It's not like I can ask anyone. I don't have friends close enough who have experienced anything like this. Even my pack members, Beta included, would think I was nuts to be having these dreams, passionate, vivid fantasies filled with hot, sweaty sex and multiple orgasms.
Thrusting my hands into my short, dark brown hair, I tug on the wet strands, hoping to pull myself out of this endless torture.
I need a run. I step out into the icy night air in just my boxers, shucking them off, and dash through the trees, shifting as soon as the forest gives me cover. The shift is seamless; years of transforming has created nothing more than a blur as if it's just your imagination that I was anything other than a wolf when my white paws land on the freshly fallen blanket of snow. I close my eyes and breathe in the cold, loving the smell washing off the trees. Nothing but fresh pine as winter arrives early. The hooting of a nearby owl reminds me of my mission to shake off enough energy to fall asleep.
Beautiful, I'll find you and once I do, there will be nothing to stop me from making my dreams a reality. I howl and sprint, racing through an open pass and then back into a thick forest up the side of the mountain. It's perfect for this week, I think. The snow's ready for skiing, or at least it will be in two days or so. I feel it under my paws and itch to get on my board. It's one hell of a benefit of being a winter creature. I live for these days. I hope my mate will feel the same way.
I run for miles, ending up on the other side of the ridge, looking over to the town that holds my empire. Will I have a mate to continue that future? That thought brings me back to the vision in my dreams. The whole purpose was to shake her from my mind so that I can get a peaceful sleep. I run harder and faster, racing back to the house until I'm practically panting. I finally make it to my porch and pick up my boxers with my teeth before nudging the door open with my nose.
I smell the air, making sure I'm alone, and then I shift. No one should be in my home, but you can never be too sure with hikers who get lost and seek shelter. It's happened only once, and thankfully I'd been out working and came home in my human form to a couple on my porch, cuddling up on the blanket on my bench. I gave them something warm to drink, let them sit by the fire, and then drove them back into town. Since then, I've been a little more careful, installing security. It doesn't go off when I’m coming and going because it has both my human and wolf form saved, but it does for everyone else.
2
Maria
I wake up from a cold sweat, my body tingling in ways that are hard for me to explain. It’s as if I’m being devoured by ecstasy and freed by pleasure. Every morning I wake up the same way: flushed, sweaty, feeling exhausted and craving more of him and those eyes. I feel like I’ve seen eyes like that before, but I haven’t. Many of the men in this town have similar eyes. Bright, determined, shining with something different, but they aren’t his—my nightly dream lover.
I whip the covers off me and swing my feet onto the cold floor of my bedroom, feeling stupid. Eyes. Seriously, I’m losing it. I think this town is getting to me. Everything is too damn mysterious and cliquey.
The Wolfe family seem to rule everything, and even the sheriff, Erik Smith, follows their lead. It's not that I don't like the Wolfes, but they give me a supernatural feeling that makes me think I've gone completely insane. There's no way that things like that exist, but I feel like I've stepped into some film with a bunch of large, handsome men with a lot of secrets and a love of growling. I think the wilderness has gotten to most of them. Maybe that’s what happens when you end up where people live around the woods like the animals.
I’m off today after a long day yesterday of patrolling the Wolfe Creek area. Most days there's not much to do, but randomly there's a fight or two between teenagers or guests at the hotel who have had too much to drink, or not enough. There hasn't been much trouble in the past few years since I started here, but there were a few incidents that took me by surprise, like the shooting of the sheriff. Erik miraculously survived being shot in the head, which made me wonder more about the whole superhuman thing. I'm not sure why, exactly, I am convinced there's something strange going on. Maybe it's all the television shows and movies that have me on edge.
Still, if I'm honest with myself, it has more to do with my dreams than anything else. For nearly six months, I've felt the pull to the same man. He's more than a man. It's written in his eyes and in his build. He's not as large as Hunter or Erik, but he's not small either. He's around six foot two, which still towers over my whole five two stature. Every night he visits me in my sleep, kissing and worshipping me until we’re both too exhausted to continue.
My entire life, I never expected to need a man, but this man, whoever he is, has created a hole that I know only he can fill.
I like working for Erik, but I can’t stand the nagging feeling that I’m being left out. My entire life I’ve been left out, mostly because of my size and sex, which only made me more determined to prove them all wrong. Although I’m not sure who I’m still trying to prove anything to; everyone around here actually respects me. I hadn’t gotten that reception initially, but then Mr. Wolfe put his foot down and everyone seemed to just go by his word. He appeared to have more pull than the sheriff himself.
The front door slams open, and my roommate, Jacob, enters. "Oh my God. What the hell happened to you?"
"Nothing. I got into a fight. I'm fine. I thought you would be at work right now,” he barks out at me. I know this is only because he got beat up, and when someone tough gets hurt, they take it out on others. He needs to chill out, though, or I’ll add to the bruising. I’m only trying to be nice.
He says it with an accusatory tone that pisses me off. I took the guy in when he needed
a place to live. “No. I'm not. Today’s my day off.”
A knock follows, and in comes Hunter with Erik behind him. "Crabtree. We need to have a word with you in private,” Hunter orders.
"Maria, please excuse us." They walk right past me and into Jacob's room. Whispers start, and I can't hear anything. How the fuck can they even hear each other?
Since they don't care to share, I go into my room and get changed so I’m not just in my pajamas in front of my boss. Fuck it. I'm living with a young man because they said it was the best place for both of us, and it has been. Jacob's a good man, so it pisses me off that he's injured, but if he doesn't want to tell me what happened, then there's nothing I can do.
I come out after a shower and get dressed, and then Hunter and Erik walk out into the living room. “How’s Jacob? What happened?”
"He's going to be fine. Boys fighting over girls kind of thing."
“Okay. How’s the other guy?” I question. Obviously, this must have been some serious issue. I’ve never seen Jacob act that way with females. He doesn’t even seem to notice them.
“Same.”
“Well, I hope it’s over with.”
“It better be,” Hunter snarls. I’m taken aback by his tone as he looks towards Jacob’s room as if he’s the supreme authority in Jacob’s life. He grabs the door, yanking it open, and leaves with Erik following behind without another word. I sigh as I lock the door behind them and walk into the kitchen to get a drink, only to be caught off guard by Jacob sitting at the table.
"Are you okay?" I’m worried about him. He’s become a little brother to me, and I’d hate to see anything happen to him.
"I'm going to be fine. It's nothing. Please try not to worry about me. I swear it's nothing."
"I didn't even know there was a girl you liked,” I say.
"Well, it doesn't matter because I don't plan to see her for a long time." He runs his hand through his slicked-back black hair.
"Why were they here? To take a report of the incident? Where did it happen?" As a police officer, I can’t help but ask questions.
"It happened out of town. They were just worried about me because the girl’s father is the mayor."
"What were you doing out of town?" He never mentioned leaving, even for a short trip. Not that he has to say shit, but it would be considerate since he always keeps tabs on me.
"No offense, Maria, but I've had enough questions for the day. I just want to go to sleep,” he says.
"I understand. Take some meds and go to bed." He nods and walks out of the kitchen. I’m sure he’s exhausted. He’s been patched up, so he sought medical treatment somewhere. Ugh, I feel helpless, and it’s not something I care for.
I make some coffee and attempt to get over someone else’s problems. I should go and talk to Erik and see if there’s anything I can do to smooth things over, maybe talk to this little viper of a girl who thinks she can turn Jacob’s world upside down and leave him broken.
I’m in the middle of my first cup of coffee when I get a call from Erik. “Hey, Doug just called in sick. Can you cover for him?”
“Sure, but you know that’s going to put me at time and a half, right?” I remind him.
“That’s fine. Thanks to the added revenue in town, we can afford it. See you at the station in an hour?”
“Sure.” I guess today’s not my day off.
“Jacob, I have to go in. Do you need anything?”
“No. Thanks. Have a safe day, Maria,” he mumbles. The brush-off isn’t what I expected, but given the events of the past hour, I suppose that’s all the send-off I’m going to get.
I’m ready to go in ten minutes since I’ve already showered. I go out and drive to the station in my new Chevy Silverado. It’s the first time I get to have my own nice new vehicle, and I love it. It drives well in this area and it’s perfect for any snowfall we may get. It’s all black and has all the fancy tech I’ve never had before. I turn on the music, listening to the Beatles Station on XM because I’ve got an old soul. I barely get through Can’t Buy Me Love when I’m already at the police station. Boo. It makes me want to take a road trip, maybe visit some family down south. I do have a vacation coming in two months. Perhaps I can go to Texas and see my parents. It’ll be close to Christmas time then. I’m the only one in my family who hates the heat. They don’t mind burning up, wrinkling faster in the Texas heat.
“Good morning,” I say, entering the station.
“Wow, we’re surprised to see you back so soon,” Darren says, taking a bite out of a donut from the bakery down the street.
“Yeah, well, you know I’ve got nothing else to do in this town.”
“We need to find you a man.” Normally, I’d just ignore that, but in the back of my head, I feel like even talking about dating makes me feel uneasy. As if I’m betraying my nightly visitor. It makes no damn sense.
“Maybe I will.” I have a body that has all the right curves despite my athletic yet short physique, and I have a pretty face, or so I’m told. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I’m not the stereotypical, overly unfeminine female cop. I’ve got a lot to prove, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like looking like a girl. My hair’s a mix of curly and straight, but some days, I straighten it or I let it go all natural. Since I didn’t have time to prepare, my hair is pinned up in a tight ponytail, but it will get fluffy as it dries. Genetics.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Gretchen, the dispatcher, says.
“So where am I supposed to meet men?”
“I’m not sure, but maybe you should stop by the resort one of these days, and there will be a lodge full of men who can’t take their eyes off you. You are pretty damn hot,” Tony says. He’s been here as long as I have, and we both work patrol most days.
“He’s got a point. You could probably have any single guy that caught your eye,” Gretchen adds while filing her nails. I’m not even sure why they need me here. There isn’t much to do even with the growth of the town. It’s still pretty calm most days. It’s the nights that get a little unruly, but even so, I don’t take night shifts. Erik is extremely clear on that.
As the only female patrol officer on the force, he doesn’t want me to be alone. A lot of people are tourists, and so something could happen to me and no one would know who did it. He has a point. I dared him once, and he had me go to the mat with some of the larger men at the station. I held my own for a minute, but I’d always been taken down in the end. I might be a tough cookie, but not when going up against a brick wall. I learned my lesson and held off asking to patrol at night.
“Well, it hasn’t happened yet. I won’t hold my breath. So is there anything that needs dealing with, or am I just going on a cruise?”
“They could use someone to handle traffic up at the exit off the interstate. There are a lot of travelers headed this way, and it’s chaotic. I’m taking the next two hours. I don’t know if you’ll be my replacement.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need me,” I say. Tony nods and walks out of the station, stealing a donut from the box on the counter. He’s a good guy, works hard, and never misses a shift.
“So the boss man called you in with nothing to do. Come over here and let me do your nails while we have time to kill.” I try to dissuade her, but honestly I could use a little pampering.
“I’d usually say no, but I need a spa day.”
“Yes. How about we go after work? We only have to be here until four. The salon at the resort is open to eight. I’ll book us for five.”
“That sounds so good.” I could really use it. I sigh.
Just then, someone calls. There’s a car accident, and I’m needed. I jump up and grab my keys to the patrol car and head out to take the report.
“Ah, this is just what I needed,” I say, relaxing in the middle of my massage. Slowly I start to fall asleep, and then my dream guy pops into my head. I flip out and jolt awake.
“Whoa! Are you okay?”
“Yes. Sorry, I guess I
didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep.”
“Who is Turner?” the masseuse asks.
“What do you mean?” I ask, lifting my head off the table and tilting it slightly to see her.
“You called out his name. I don’t know anyone around here with that name. Could it be from where you lived before?”
“No. I don’t know a Turner.” Then it surprises me that it’s the first time I’ve made it out of my dream with his name. I guess there has never been anyone to hear me say it, and I’ve never remembered it before. Turner, I repeat to myself, loving the way it rolls off my tongue.
“Well, maybe you were just dreaming about turning over or something. I could have heard you wrong.” Maybe, or that’s really his name. I’m betting it’s the latter. Goodness, my pulse picks up and I wonder what else I said in my sleep.
“Thanks. Am I done now?” I ask, feeling incredibly relaxed.
“Yes, your nails are next on your list for the day. You can cover back up in your robe and take this hallway down and then to the left.”
“Thank you.” I wrap up in the nice fluffy robe after she leaves the room. I’ve never had this type of luxury. I feel spoiled, but this is not going to be a common occurrence because I can’t afford it on my salary. Still, a girl could use this treatment every six months at least.
By the end of a relaxing day, I run into the owner of the hotel and his lovely wife, Hunter and Catherine Wolfe. “Hello, Deputy Arroyo.”
“Hello. I have to say your spa is magnificent,” I gush over the fabulous treatment.
“Thank you. I hope you enjoyed it. I spent months improving it based on Cat’s suggestions,” Hunter says, seeming less angry than before.
“Us women know what women want,” she says with a conspiratorial wink.
“Have a good night.” I walk out and hand my ticket to the valet. My truck is brought around within a minute, and then I’m off to relax.
