by Alicia White
“I’ll take her to back to bed.” Josh leaned down and picked Nicole up, pulling her into his arms. Sam stayed on the table, listening as Josh walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. His after-sex high wore off quickly, now that Nicole was gone, out of his arms. He was consumed with doubt and guilt. They had claimed her, slept with her, and she didn’t know the whole truth.
Gabe finally moved, climbing off the table. He grabbed his clothes and got dressed. He walked into his office and sat down in his favorite overstuffed chair, leaning back and stared at the ceiling. He didn’t feel like he was handling this whole situation correctly. He needed to be honest, and he needed to explain what mates were, what the mate-bond was. Things would be so much easier if she weren’t fully human.
A soft knock brought his attention back to the present, and he looked up at Josh. “She’s sleeping.” He smiled, and Gabe nodded. Sam recognized the look on his face. He was content, happy, and it was all because of Nicole. Her presence had changed them, and he was willing to do anything to keep that, to keep her.
“I have a few ideas.” Josh walked into the office and closed the door, giving them more privacy. “Okay, my first idea is that one of us holds her and the other shifts. That way, if she freaks out, she can’t run away. Plus, whoever is holding her can talk her through it. My other idea might be a little scarier...I don’t know. We can take her to one of the pack dinners. Introduce her to everyone and then we both can hold her when the night run begins. We can tell her everything then.” He didn’t want to do anything that could potentially be traumatic to her. He shoved his hands through his hair and leaned back, feeling lost and confused.
He might be the Alpha, but this one fully human woman had the power to completely crush his heart. She could leave, and that was the worst thing of all. She wasn’t like them. She wouldn’t feel the connection that they felt. She wouldn’t turn into a crazed maniac without them. He would. He wouldn’t be able to live without his mate.
“Gabe, you’re freaking out for no reason. Calm down. We should introduce her to the pack, but when it comes to shifting, it needs to be here at home where she feels a little safer. The forest would be too overwhelming, and having dozens of wolves around, way too traumatic.” Josh shook his head, and Gabe agreed. They needed to explain things to Nicole in the privacy of their home.
“When?” he asked. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to wait or not. He was happy with the way things were going, and he didn’t want everything to be ruined. Waiting too long, though, might make Nicole even more upset. Especially if she thought that they were trying to manipulate her.
“Dinner tonight. Contact the rest of the pack and tell them we’re having a barbeque, and make sure that everyone brings something. Tell them that we want to introduce them to our mate. Then tonight, after everyone leaves, we tell Nicole everything.” Gabe closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest and nodded his agreement.
“All right, it’s settled. I’ll pull some meat out of the big freezer in the garage. We’re going to have a full house tonight.” Josh left his office, and Gabe sat in the chair for a long time, enjoying the silence. Staring out the large picture window, he enjoyed the view of the beautiful forest. He wanted to run, but he didn’t want to leave the house. He wanted to stay close to Nicole. He wheeled himself over to the desk and sent out a mass email to the pack, knowing that everyone would be arriving for dinner.
Chapter 8
Nicole stretched and blinked her eyes rapidly. She sat up and looked around the room. She made a face and wondered how she had ended up back in bed. She threw herself back against the mattress, remembering the amazing morning she had. She shivered thinking about the bath with Gabe, breakfast with them both, and then the decadent sex on the table. She was becoming a sex fiend. Every time they were near her, she wanted them to take her, needed them, and craved them.
Climbing out of bed she looked around the room for the first time. The whole room looked like a giant window that looked out over the forest. The view was breathtaking, and she was surprised that she hadn’t noticed it sooner. The bed was gigantic, covered in deep-blue sheets, and the comforter was a simple blue and brown stripe. The room was masculine, all the furniture a deep cherry color that looked rustic. Nicole walked into the bathroom and smiled when she saw the bathtub, reminding her of Gabe and the foot rub he had given her.
They seemed to know her body so well, knew exactly what to do to drive her wild. How did they know what she wanted? How could they read her so perfectly? She shook her head as she walked to the sink. She splashed water on her face and then looked up, staring at herself in the mirror. It took her a minute to recognize her own face. Her skin was clear, perfectly creamy, and she looked flushed. She didn’t have any black circles around her eyes. Instead, they were shining bright. She looked like a totally different person, a better version of herself.
Nicole smiled and bit her lip. She wondered where both Gabe and Josh were right at that moment. She wanted to kiss them. She walked out of the bathroom and grabbed a clean T-shirt from the drawer that Gabe had gotten the clothes from earlier. She slipped the shirt over her head and decided she really didn’t need pants, especially since the shirt almost reached her knees. She felt like she was wearing a dress.
She giggled and walked out of the room, needing to find them. She felt a weird pull to them, as if she couldn’t be without them for long. It was so strange, especially since she had only been with them one night. How could she already feel so addicted to them?
Nicole stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She could hear people talking but didn’t recognize the voices. She felt a little self-conscious and wondered if she should go back upstairs and wait but decided that she really did need to be close to them. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she felt as if she might have a panic attack soon. She was so confused with all these new thoughts and desires. When did this happen? When did she become so dependent on them? Why did she need them like air to breathe? She leaned against the wall, trying to get herself under control. It all made no sense.
She needed them? That wasn’t normal. She shouldn’t be feeling this way. Nicole wrapped her arms around her stomach and slid down the wall, sitting on the bottom stair.
“I can’t wait to meet her. It’s been two years,” she heard a female voice speak, and Nicole strained to hear the conversation.
“I know, our Alpha waited so long, and now they claimed her. It’s so exciting. I can’t wait until I meet my mate. I want to be claimed so bad,” the other girl said in an excited voice, and Nicole arched a brow wondering who they were talking about. What was a mate? Claimed?
“I want to hear the whole story. It’s so romantic,” the girl gushed.
“I’m sure it is, but why did she make them wait two years? That doesn’t make any sense. I mean, really? Gabe and Josh are so hunky. What took her so long to accept them?” the other girl asked.
Nicole froze in place. They were talking about Gabe and Josh. Did that mean that the woman they were referring to was her? She had just met them. How could she have denied them for two years? She heard footsteps and froze, wondering if she could make it up stairs before anyone noticed her. She leaned against the wall, hoping that nobody would see her. Two girls walked around the corner, stopped, and stared at her.
“Hi! I’m Addison, and this is my sister Harper. It’s so good to meet you. Are you looking for Gabe and Josh? I can get them for you.” She recognized the girl right away. She was the same girl that worked at the grocery store, except now she was all smiles and talk where, before, she was a little on the rude side.
“Hi? You work at the grocery store in town,” she said, sounding stupid. Why were these girls here at this house? Were they related to Gabe and Josh?
“Yeah. I do,” Addison said, still smiling.
“You’ve never talked to me. You don’t talk to me,” she accused.
“I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect. I was told not to. You’re human.” Nicole made a f
ace. Human. That didn’t make any sense.
“Told not to? Human?” She was so confused. The girls weren’t actually girls, they were women. Probably around her age, but they looked young.
“Yeah, Gabe wants us to keep our distance from the full humans. They’re kind of scared of us,” Addison said.
“Not all of them, only a few,” added Harper.
“Us?” she asked, feeling the hair on the nape of her neck rise.
“Yeah. I know, right? There is no reason to be scared just because we can turn into wolves. We’re not dangerous,” Addison scoffed.
Her heart pounded so hard she couldn’t think straight. Everything became fuzzy. Wolves. She was surrounded by wolves, which meant that Josh and Gabe were werewolves, the ones she had been avoiding. All this time, she had kept to herself, and now she was in their home. Surrounded.
“Are you okay? You look a little sick,” Harper said, concern coating her voice.
“Fine. Yeah, I–I’m fine,” she stammered, finally able to move. She stood up slowly and walked up the stairs sideways on shaking legs. She didn’t want to turn her back to them. She was scared that they might attack her.
Why now? Why would they bring her here? She knew their secret, but she hadn’t said a word. She never told anyone about that night or about the bite on her arm. She never would. Did they want to punish her, possibly kill her? She walked into the bedroom, closed and locked the door quickly. She ran to the windows, looking for a way out of the house. She needed to get away. None of them opened.
She could hear the voices downstairs getting louder and ran into the bathroom, shut the door, and locked it. She looked for something to block the door, something heavy that might prevent them from coming in. She started pushing a large white cabinet, using all her strength, and was finally able to block the door. She needed to think, but her mind was going crazy, and she couldn’t calm herself down enough to think straight.
Nicole sat down on the floor, pulled her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins. She rocked back and forth, trying to think of a plan. She was only wearing a T-shirt, she didn’t have a phone, and there was only one small window in the bathroom. “How am I going to get out of here?” she whispered frantically to herself. Her head was pounding, and she knew she was on the verge of a major meltdown.
A knock on the bathroom door scared her, and she jumped, biting her lip, trying to prevent herself from crying. The doorknob jingled, and there was another knock. “Nicole, are you okay? What’s going on, baby? Are you feeling sick?” Gabe’s voice calmed her down a little, and she shook herself. He had already gotten inside her head.
“P–please go away,” she begged. She needed more time. She had to find a way out of the bathroom and out of their house. She wanted to be home. Nicole got up and went to the window. The only way out was to break it, and she paced around the bathroom, playing the different scenarios in her mind. She wouldn’t let them kill her. She would rather try to escape and fail than not try at all.
“Nicole? Honey, what’s going on?” he asked, but she didn’t trust him. How could she, when all along they were wolves. Did he know what happened to her two years ago? Nicole stopped and stared at herself in the mirror. Two years ago, that’s what the girls had said. They had been waiting to meet her. Why? She looked down at her arm. The bite mark pulsed, and she wondered why.
“I–I want to go home,” she whispered.
“Baby, what happened? Are you sick? Did someone scare you? Talk to me,” he demanded, and she wanted to. She wanted to tell him everything, but she couldn’t.
“I just want to go home!” she yelled. Nicole picked up a heavy, decorative weight. She scoffed when she realized that it was a wolf. She was such a pathetic fool. Her vision blurred, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Nicole, tell me what happened. I can’t fix it if I don’t know,” he pleaded.
Nicole wrapped a towel around the weight, hoping that the sound of glass shattering wouldn’t be too loud. She stood in front of the window, ducked her face down, and hit the window as hard as she could. Small pieces of glass shot back, cutting her hand and arm.
“What the hell was that? Nicole? Nicole!” Gabe beat on the door, shook the handle, and screamed her name. She didn’t stop. She ignored the pain and the blood. She hit the rest of the glass out, hoping that she would be able to squeeze through without causing too much damage. She dropped the weight, grabbed the towel, and laid it on the windowsill. Jumping, she pulled her weight up and stared at the ground.
“Fuck! Nicole, answer me. I will break down this door. I smell blood, are you hurt?” Gabe yelled, and she knew then that he was a werewolf. Of course, he could hear better, smell better, everything. She didn’t have long. She was scared, but she needed to jump and run. She stared at the ground, wondering how much she would hurt herself. Would she be able to run?
“Answer me now!” he bellowed, and Nicole turned her head. She needed time.
“I’m fine. Don’t you dare come in here! Do you hear me?” She tried to sound tough but failed miserably. The window wasn’t big enough for her to climb out of, so she turned her body, planning to jump feetfirst.
“Nicole, baby, talk to me, you’re freaking me out.” He was panting.
“Nicole. What the hell is going on? Why do I smell blood?” Josh’s voice broke through, and now she realized that she would have to deal with both of them.
“I don’t know. She won’t talk to me. She’s locked in the damn bathroom,” Gabe told him.
“Break down the fuckin’ door. What are you waiting for?” Josh asked.
“I don’t know.” He sounded defeated.
Nicole knew time was running out. She eased her body out the window, going as slow as she could. Blood trickled down her arm, and she looked down, realizing that the cuts needed to be bandaged soon. She was feeling dizzy. Had she lost that much blood already? Nicole held onto the windowsill and stretched her body out, hoping that she would hit the ground without breaking anything.
“Nicole, step away from the door, baby, we’re coming in,” Josh announced, and Nicole dropped just as the door broke open.
* * * *
Gabe had no idea what was happening. The bathroom door was locked. He heard a loud noise, smelled blood, and knew his mate was in pain, not just physical pain but emotional. His heart was in his throat, and he wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want to scare her, but he could feel this wolf scratching to break free, to rush in the bathroom and protect her, help her.
“Nicole. What the hell is going on? Why do I smell blood?” Josh moved fast. One moment he had been standing at the bedroom door and the next he was beside him. He looked as scared as Gabe felt.
“I don’t know. She won’t talk to me. She’s locked in the damn bathroom,” Gabe said, moving the doorknob, proving that the bathroom door was locked.
“Break down the fuckin’ door. What are you waiting for?” Josh looked at him and Gabe rubbed a hand down his face. What the hell had happened? Did she wake up and realize that she didn’t want to be with them? Had they hurt her, been too rough?
“I don’t know.” He didn’t want to scare her or cause her more pain.
“Nicole, step away from the door, baby, we’re coming in,” Josh said, taking it out of his hands. He was glad that Josh was with him, glad that he was going to break down the door. He already had so much guilt. Breaking down the door and invading her privacy wasn’t something he wanted to add to the list. Josh moved back, and he didn’t put much force into breaking open the door. They were far stronger than humans.
He rushed into the bathroom after Josh and frantically searched for Nicole, scanning every inch. He saw glass and blood on the floor, and bile rose in this throat. He started to panic. He ran to the small window and looked out, holding his breath. Nicole was lying on the ground, her scared eyes staring up at him.
“Nicole! Don’t move!” He pushed Josh out of the way and started to run. He hit the bottom
of the stairs in one leap and ran outside. He was shaking, fear pumped through him, and he had no idea what was happening. One minute he had been talking to the pack about Nicole, and the next he was running, hoping that he wouldn’t find her dead on the ground. Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay, please be okay, played repeatedly in his mind.
The first thing he saw was her chest rising and falling quickly and knew immediately that his prayers had been answered. He ran to her side and slid on his shins. He didn’t want to touch her, afraid that something might be broken. She stiffened and cringed, trying to move away, and Gabe closed his eyes, trying to not feel rejected. Did she not want them anymore?
“Nicole? Honey? What happened? Are you okay? Tell me what’s going on,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
“I just want to go home.” She sounded lost and scared, and he shook his head. He couldn’t let her go now. He needed answers. She had jumped out of a window so that she could go home? It didn’t make sense.
“Are you in pain? Can you move?” He heard footsteps and knew that Josh and part of the pack were running toward them. They probably thought she was in danger, that someone had hurt her. The truth was hard to face. She had hurt herself.
“I just got the wind knocked out of me. My arm hurts a little, but I’m fine. I can fix it when I get home.” She finally turned her head and looked at him. Her eyes were red and puffy. Silent tears ran down her cheeks, and he felt like he’d been punched in the throat. “Gabe, please take me home.”
His shoulders sagged in defeat, and he nodded, willing to do whatever she wanted to make her happy once more. What had happened to the sexy, wild woman who wanted him?
“Gabe? Is she?” Josh was panting, his voice broke, and Gabe knew that he was blocking his view of her.
