The Wolf's Choice

by Inge Saunders

  He flew out the door before she could stop him. Rebecca put her hands over her face. Confronting him hadn’t gone well.

  She took deep breaths to calm herself.

  A small crowd waited for her downstairs. She needed to pull herself together.

  She went to the bathroom, washed up, and reapplied her makeup. She wore a pastel-pink suit with a white silk blouse and her favorite string of pearls. In hindsight, the outfit hadn’t been the best choice for a small-town librarian. She looked like she was off to have tea with the first lady at the White House. It was as if she still held onto her old life, the old Rebecca her father wanted her to be. She had to find a happy medium and tone down her sophisticated city wardrobe.

  In her bedroom, she shrugged off the smart jacket and left on the chemise. The A-line skirt stopped above the knee and went well with the shiny passion-pink stilettos she wore.

  That morning, she’d rolled her hair into a classic bun to show off her pearl earrings. She took out the pins, shook her chestnut curls loose, and pinned the wildest flyaway wisps while leaving some to frame her face. Satisfied, she turned away from the mirror.

  A weight lifted from her shoulders. She had shed her old style and her old self. Thrilled or not, Dad was going to have to live with her being here.

  She came to an abrupt stop. “Blaine.”

  He stood in her living room, gazing at an oil painting on one of the walls. He seemed like he’d been there awhile.

  “I hope you aren’t spying on me again.”

  “I heard you in the bathroom and thought I’d wait.” He faced her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to congratulate you on a successful grand opening.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Grand?”

  “Everyone’s been in and out of here all day.”

  “You noticed?” She crossed her arms.

  “Are you mad at me?”

  Rebecca flicked a lock behind her ear. “No. Why would I be?”

  “Ryker kept me busy.”

  “You don’t have to report to me.” She shrugged and wanted to kick herself for letting her neediness show.

  He moved toward her, stopping a mere arm’s length away. “You look lovely, Becca.”

  “Thank you.” Maybe Becca belongs more in Los Lobos than Rebecca. She liked the idea.

  He reached for her hand, and their fingers laced together, the only connection between them, yet more intimate than when he’d kissed her at the swimming hole.

  She met his stare and got drawn in. His eyes glowed, his wolf looking at her for the first time. The intensity left her weak. There, in the bright depths, a deeper bond called to her.

  Maybe he could be the bridge, the final step in letting go.

  He pulled her to him and crushed his mouth to hers. She didn’t hold back. She wanted him, wanted this.

  “Blaine,” she whispered as he kissed a hot trail down her throat. She held on for dear life. This was what she’d been missing.

  “Mine,” he groaned.

  She traced his jaw with her lips, then the nook of his neck. With one hand, she gripped his shirt, and, with the other, she pulled him in for another kiss.

  He possessed her, dominated her. She moaned as he sucked on her tongue. Her head spun, dizzy from what he was doing to her.

  Mate. The word echoed through her.

  Blaine moved them, and she bumped into a flat wood surface. The door, her brain registered as she tasted him. Hot and addictive as sin, he stroked and owned every part of her mouth with his tongue. Blaine’s hands left her waist to cup her bottom and lift her so she could anchor to him.

  As he settled between her thighs—her skirt having long since ridden up, exposing her to him—she moaned against his mouth. He held her body so snugly to him she could feel the rising and stiffening of his jean-covered cock pressing into her stomach.

  Her body on fire, she ached and hungered to be filled. She wanted him badly, as in the world could cave in and she wouldn’t care.

  “Mate.”

  This time, the word hadn’t come from her. The importance should’ve jerked her out of the drunken needy haze, but she wanted him to make the yearning stop.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  He ground into her, and she rocked against him, the friction incredibly necessary. The boldness of how she responded to him didn’t frighten her. His strength, his size, his maleness; she desired everything about him.

  He nuzzled her neck, his mouth hot on her skin. She angled so he could have better access. Submissive.

  “Mine,” he growled.

  She was his; she always had been. Rebecca let him set the pace. But he didn’t seem to be in a rush as he made slow love to her mouth as if they had all the time in the world. And they did. She was staying.

  She sighed with satisfaction as Blaine squeezed her bottom, her panty-clad cleft riding the hardness of his shaft as it rubbed against her nether lips. Her clit pulsed and swelled at the unbearable pleasure of rubbing along the length of Blaine’s cock.

  Damn his pace was killing her. He scraped his teeth above the pulse point at her throat, nipping.

  “Blaine.” His name came out as a complaint. She wanted him inside of her to the hilt. Filling her. Making her his. This was—

  A loud bang caused her to abruptly pull away from him. Seriously? The knocking didn’t stop. She swallowed. Her heart raced.

  Blaine drew her to him, and, with a last nibble on her bottom lip, set her down. Her legs were jelly. She hadn’t come down to earth yet.

  “I like this look on you better.”

  “What look?”

  “Me on you.”

  “Ha!” She didn’t have the energy to berate him.

  She straightened her clothes. Whoever banged at the door had become insistent. She stepped aside, and, with an irritated glare, Blaine opened it.

  Niq stood there with a cheeky grin. “Drew wants to talk to you.”

  “Me?” Blaine asked.

  “No, Rebecca. He said you should come by the office after we close.” Then he disappeared down the hallway.

  “I left everyone downstairs!”

  Blaine grinned, making a grab for her.

  “No!” She had become so lost in Blaine, in kissing and touching him and relishing the feel of him rubbing against her, she’d forgotten where they were, let alone how important today was. She rushed after Niq and hoped the wolves in the vicinity wouldn’t guess what she had been up to.

  Who was she kidding? Blaine’s scent coated her. They could smell it a mile away.

  But, thankfully, wolves were open about their sexuality and probably wouldn’t comment on it.

  Everyone was still enjoying browsing through the collection of books she had selected when she circled around.

  She let out a breath. Now she needed to work on not worrying about why Drew would want to talk to her.

  ***

  Rebecca hadn’t been to her childhood home since the first day she had set foot in town. Her father hadn’t been accommodating. She’d planned ahead and hadn’t needed to stay with him anyway.

  If anything, her father had taught her to be resourceful.

  Rebecca slammed the car door, taking out her frustration on it. She would have to tone down her anger. Raising her voice wouldn’t get her anywhere with him.

  The three-bedroom cabin hadn’t changed, and she imagined she smelled cedar as she approached the porch. She ran a hand through her hair, some of the curls bouncing to her forehead. She’d taken out the rest of the pins and left her locks to flow down to her shoulders.

  Rebecca reached to turn the handle but decided against it and knocked. Heavy footfalls came from the hallway.

  “Drew told you.” Dad gestured for her to come in.

  “You can’t go ahead with this.”

  Rebecca stepped into the living room, the interior neat, everything in its place. Even the worn wine
-colored leather sofa appeared pristine. A matching chair and ottoman stood near the fireplace. No frills of any kind, not even pictures.

  “You left me with no choice.”

  “You would kill him because you don’t want me to be part of the pack?” She voiced the destructive revelation.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” She couldn’t beg anymore; she demanded to know the answer.

  “What if I told you by becoming his mate you would be ending your own life?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  He strode to the fireplace, not appearing his normal put-together self. His shirt hung out of his pants, and his hair hadn’t seen a comb in days. She’d been so distracted by resentment she hadn’t picked up on the tension rolling off him in waves.

  He had dark circles under his eyes, a stark contrast to his waxy complexion. He didn’t look tired; he seemed stressed.

  “Is it worth killing my mate?” There, she said it. The knowledge had settled in but hadn’t brought on the level of guilt she had thought it would.

  She could forgive herself for not loving Conrad the way he loved her.

  His head whipped around. “He will be the death of you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Your mother died because of me.” Pain marred his face.

  “You killed her?”

  “Becoming my mate and transitioning into a wolf killed her.”

  “You said she died while giving birth to me.”

  “I lied.”

  The comprehension of what he said slammed into her.

  “Giving birth to you was the final…. I left the Blue Wolves Territory in Mexico because my brother, the alpha of the pack, found out I’d started a relationship with a human with latent were-genes. I told him your mother was my mate, I couldn’t let go of her. But it was pack law. There had been instances in the past.” His jaw tightened. “Mating had led to mental instability. Some with the latent genes, according to the stories, can’t handle the duality of being a werewolf. They reject the wolf. I didn’t want to believe them.”

  Her heart broke into a million pieces. Rebecca didn’t want to hear the rest, but she had to. “What happened?”

  “We moved to the States. We didn’t join a pack. I wanted her to become comfortable with her wolf, but your mother struggled with coping. Then we found out we were pregnant. The stress of dealing with shifting and the pregnancy put a toll on her body. We feared we’d lose you. She made me promise if you lacked the gene, I must keep you from mating. She wanted you to have a chance, a normal life. Even if it meant being human. She was determined to have you, even if it meant she might not make it. My selfishness to have my mate be a wolf cost her life. ”

  “Did she regret being with you?” With her voice thick with tears, she struggled to hold back her emotions.

  He stared at her. “No.”

  “Then she didn’t have the right to have you make a promise I can’t fulfill because I’ll never regret being Blaine’s mate.”

  “When you die, you’ll leave him to raise a child alone.”

  She gasped. “What makes you sure I will die?”

  “It’s a miracle she carried you full-term. Her health deteriorated at a rapid rate. Her heart weakened, couldn’t handle the mental stress. It stopped working while she gave birth to you. I had asked for help from a nearby pack, and they did the best they could, but they couldn’t save her life. They had to cut you out of her…. You’re a quarter human. Your were-gene’s latent. Mating with a dominant wolf like Blaine can bring it to the forefront.” He paused. “I’m doing this for the both of you, Rebecca.”

  “How considerate of you,” she said, but all the fight swept out of her. She’d been so confident he was wrong.

  “I will always choose life for you, Rebecca. You’re my daughter, and your mother had to pay with her life for my selfishness. I won’t let you die like she did. And there’s something else.” His gaze pinned her in a way that caused her shiver. “Your mother, before she was pregnant with you, used to shift on a full moon. She would’ve remained in her wolf form because she didn’t have control over her wolf. I didn’t know how to help her. No one I asked did. If I listened to my brother, she would be alive today.”

  “This is the reason you didn’t let me know about Drew taking over the pack. You wanted me to stay away,” she whispered.

  “It is what’s best for you.” His eyes glistened.

  Present tense. Her head hurt. She finally knew, and the truth left her desolate. “Then don’t fight him.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Her voice came out hoarse. “I’ll leave.”

  ***

  This was the first time Rebecca had visited the alpha’s home. She wiped a few tears away and noted the neat and modern décor. Since Drew became alpha, many of the cottages had gotten an overhaul. Even in her emotional state, though, she was a bit surprised Drew would be okay with the liberal amount of lavender-and-periwinkle colored furnishings.

  “Are you sure about this?” Betty asked her. Rebecca hadn’t known what to do after she left her dad’s house. Her mind spiraled. Distraught, she stopped her car on the roadside. Betty had found her there, slumped over her steering wheel, bawling her eyes out. She had lost so many things in one single afternoon that an ocean of tears flooded out of her.

  She more than cared for Blaine, and she wouldn’t want him to live with the level of guilt her father had. She would make the sacrifice.

  “To be honest, I’ve never heard of latent wolves being impacted in such a way, but I can appreciate why you’re taking this seriously,” Drew said before she could answer. Magnum had been Drew’s father after all. He knew firsthand what mental illness could do to a wolf.

  “This could be superstition to keep wolves from mating with humans,” Betty countered.

  “You should’ve seen Elijah earlier, and he challenged Blaine.” Drew’s voice echoed in her mind.

  “We have to work something out. Rebecca’s pack.”

  “I will.”

  “Do you think there’s a solution?” she asked him, the cup of tea Betty had given her still in her hands.

  “Don’t make any rash decisions, Rebecca. I’ll talk to Gee.”

  She thanked them both then left. Drew’s words of reassurance had carried her to her apartment. If he came up with a solution, then maybe she didn’t need to leave and there wouldn’t be a confrontation.

  By the time she reached the library, her skin felt dry, and she knew her eyes were puffy. Making a decided effort, she headed upstairs to the bathroom to clean up.

  Chapter Nine

  Blaine ran in wolf form through the woods, sniffing along as he went. As one of the pack protectors, he needed to be on constant lookout for different scents in the area. He scouted down the river’s edge to ascertain potential weaknesses. His wolf loved scenting the territory, chronicling each one. He backtracked to ensure he hadn’t skipped over unfamiliar scents, though that would’ve been impossible. But he didn’t want the pack’s enforcer asking him if he’d double-checked.

  No unfamiliar smells assaulted his muzzle.

  Ryker hadn’t been on his case as much, and Blaine could finally say he didn’t distrust the enforcer. Ryker understood how outside and inside threats could harm a pack. He couldn’t fault him for carrying out what Drew required of him.

  Satisfied, his wolf turned away from the river and headed to patrol another trail. As he sprinted into a clearing, he skidded to a halt, almost colliding with Alanna Kemp. The she-wolf tracker was pretty good at what she did. It also helped that she possessed the rare gift of mind control.

  She blocked his path and indicated for him to shift. In human form, he towered over her.

  “Alanna.”

  “I don’t have time for pleasantries. Elijah challenged you, and, from what Drew tells me, you’ll be more than willing to accept.”

  He raise
d an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you have a problem with that.”

  “I’m not the only one. You’ve just returned to Los Lobos. Elijah’s been here the whole time. He is one of the respected elders of the community—

  “He’s keeping me from claiming my mate.”

  “If Rebecca decides to leave, it’s her choice.”

  He stilled. “Rebecca’s not leaving.”

  “Look, I came to warn you. Drew’s consulting Gee on this. You’ll—”

  “You’re not making sense. What happened?”

  She glared at him. “Interrupt me one more time, and I’ll have your ass. Do you understand me?”

  Her dominance washed over him but didn’t affect him. This was about Rebecca, so no way would he concede to Alanna.

  “Drew wants to talk to you at The Den. He wants you to avoid Elijah when you come into town. Something happened between him and Rebecca. I’m the one warning you to exercise caution.”

  Blaine shifted. He hated being in the dark. As he sprinted toward town, he let the others patrolling know the alpha had summoned him.

  He had known claiming Rebecca would be difficult, but he hadn’t thought the whole town would be involved in the saga.

  Maybe that was a good thing. They would keep him from ripping Elijah’s head off—his mate would probably appreciate that.

  Blaine went to The Den. Drew and Gee waited at the bar. The alpha occupied one of the stools while the burly werebear stood behind the counter.

  Drew indicated for him to sit down next to him. When he complied, Gee set a beer in front of him.

  Blain raised a brow. “It’s that bad.”

  Drew grimaced then went into what Rebecca had told him.

  With each word the alpha spoke, the higher his ire rose and the harder his wolf fought to be released. He focused on the cold surface of the bottle in his hand, the bustling sounds coming from the kitchen, the background noise of patrons chatting, the tone of Drew’s voice as he related Elijah’s challenge in spite of Rebecca’s promise to him to leave town.