“How do you know her?” Torren asked. “Have you ever…”
Jaxon shook his head. “We were never intimate, but she was my friend. She refused to come stay with me, saying it wouldn’t be fair. I gave her what I could, but her circumstances… She needed a miracle.”
“She’s not your mate?” Torren asked.
“No,” Jaxon said, his voice breaking. “There has to be something… What if she’s the mate to someone else in the pack? It’s possible, right? They could bite her, and she’d heal. She doesn’t have to die, right? Or what about a witch? Maybe a witch could heal her?”
“Jaxon.”
“Please,” the Omega begged. “You have to save her.”
Torren focused on the young woman again, leaning a little closer. He breathed her in, trying to get through the scent of death and blood, looking for the subtler scent that would be uniquely hers, the one he’d smelled earlier. He found it, barely, but it was there. The closer to death she got, the fainter that smell became. His vision shifted as his wolf came closer to the surface, his beast distraught over the broken woman. The wolf inside of him whined and whimpered, pawing at him and urging him to do something.
His wolf had never shown any interest in a female before and it baffled Torren. Not even when he’d been mated to Gwen had his wolf cared one way or another about the female in his life. Why did the beast react to this small human? His fangs lengthened, making Torren jolt. Fur sprouted along the backs of his hands and he felt his muscles swell, nearly bursting the seams of his shirt and jeans.
His Omega moved closer, his gaze locking on Torren’s extended fangs. Excitement flared in the other wolf’s eyes.
“Bite her, Alpha,” Jaxon said. “You can save her. And maybe she’ll save you too.”
He focused on the other wolf and saw hope blazing in Jaxon’s eyes. Was it possible? Was Olivia his mate? His fated mate? Yes, he’d claimed Gwen, but it had been an arranged mating. They’d never actually bitten one another, but had a mating in name. They’d been intimate on occasion, but there had never been any true passion between them. When she’d gone into heat, she’d practically begged him for relief, and he’d granted it. But not once had they ever touched one another out of more than obligation. At the age of thirty, he’d assumed he’d never find the one female meant to be his, the one who called to his wolf, so he’d settled when the opportunity presented itself. It seemed impossible that after all this time, he’d found his mate. And she was dying.
Torren leaned over Olivia, lapped at the blood along her shoulder, and growled as her taste exploded on his tongue. His vision sharpened and his pulse quickened. Mate. His beast became excited, nearly spinning in circles in Torren’s mind, like an overenthusiastic pup. If he’d had any doubts, he didn’t now. Without any hesitation, he bit, his fangs digging deep until they hit bone. His saliva entered her body, mixing with her blood. Torren growled again and released her. He licked his lips as he sat back and looked down at the woman who now belonged to him. For however long she’d live.
It was too soon to tell if she’d survive both her beating and his bite. Torren realized he may have claimed yet another female destined to die, but he hoped the fates wouldn’t be that cruel. All he could do was wait and see if she began to heal. His enzymes would bond with her cells, and her body would have slight alterations from his claiming, as well as rapid healing. But only if she lived through it. It wasn’t often his kind claimed a human, and he’d heard tales of the females not surviving the bite. He could only hope that Olivia was a fighter.
“Take your mate home, Alpha,” Jaxon said softly. “She should be in your bed when she wakes.”
“If she wakes,” Torren muttered.
“She will,” Jaxon said. “She has to.”
Torren nodded and stood. Slowly, he reached for his new mate and lifted her into his arms. He had no idea how she’d react if she woke in a strange place with a strange man, but it couldn’t be helped. Jaxon was right. She needed to be in his bed and not the Omega’s. If she truly knew about wolf shifters, then maybe she wouldn’t completely freak out. He didn’t know if she’d feel the mating pull since she was human. If she’d been a shifter, then she’d have sensed that he was her mate when she woke up. As a human, she’d likely be scared. He’d just have to prepare as best he could, and hope that things went well.
Torren wasn’t sure he could handle losing another mate.
Chapter Two
Olivia felt like her body was burning from the inside out. Her skin was tight, and her mouth was incredibly dry. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get her eyes to open, and she struggled to force her body to work. She fought, but she couldn’t get so much as a finger to twitch. Panic welled inside of her and she felt her heart start to race. A deep voice murmured to her and someone placed a cool, wet rag on her forehead. It soothed the heat raging inside of her and she settled a little.
“Rest, sweet one,” the voice said. “No one here will hurt you.”
No one here? Where was “here”, and why did he make it sound like she’d be hurt if she were elsewhere? Olivia tried to remember what had happened to her. The last she recalled, she’d been in her apartment, about to make dinner. But something had happened… Pain. There had been intense pain, and she’d been certain she was dying. Her neighbor had broken in and beaten her. He’d hacked at her with a knife and left her for dead. Jaxon! She’d called Jaxon. Did that mean she was with the wolf pack? Had they somehow healed her?
But it wasn’t Jaxon in the room with her. She knew his voice, his scent. The male murmuring to her had a deeper, huskier voice. And his scent was all spice, fall leaves, and crackling fire. Nothing like the young wolf who had befriended her. He’d been incredibly kind to her, and she couldn’t think of anyone else as she’d lain on her apartment floor, knowing the end was near.
Olivia drifted in and out of consciousness for what felt like days before she was finally able to open her eyes. A large man was in a chair nearby, sleeping. A short beard shadowed his jaw, and dark circles were under his eyes, the skin puffy as if he’d been up for days before passing out. He was also the sexiest man she’d ever seen, even if he did look quite a bit older than her. She took her time examining him, taking in his broad shoulders and admiring the way his T-shirt clung to his muscular form. His feet were bare, and for some reason, that amused her. Even rumpled and sleeping, he had an air of authority about him.
His eyes opened and when he focused on her, he smiled slightly.
“Welcome back,” he said, his voice gravely from sleep.
“What happened?” she asked.
“You almost died. Jaxon brought you to our village, but you didn’t have long before you’d have breathed your last. Your ribs were broken, you had a punctured lung, various broken bones in your face, cuts and bruises everywhere. How do you feel?”
“Surprisingly good,” she said pushing herself upright. Then she frowned as she studied her body. Her clothes had been replaced with a men’s T-shirt, his she presumed, but there wasn’t a mark anywhere on her. Her heart started hammering again as panic started to surface once more. “How long have I been out?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
“Few days. The slight changes in your system helped your body to heal.”
“Changes?” Her gaze met his, and she saw a hint of guilt there. “What changes?”
“The only way to save you was to bite you.”
She took a shuddering breath. “Does that mean I’ll turn into a wolf now?”
His lips tipped up on one corner. “No. But your eyesight will be a little better, you won’t get sick as easily, and you’ll live a bit longer. Possibly a lot longer.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.” She narrowed her eyes at him as he looked away. “What’s the catch?”
He cleared his throat and looked a little uncomfortable as he shifted in the chair.
“The only way to save you was for a wolf to claim you.”
Olivia blink
ed. Then blinked again. “Claim me? You mean like…”
He stared at her and her cheeks flushed.
“I’m someone’s mate?” she asked softly. “Really?”
He gave a curt nod.
Olivia looked around the room, clenching and unclenching her hands on the bedding. Ever since she’d found out what Jaxon was, she’d wondered what it would be like to live in the village he called home. Had wondered what it would be like for a wolf to claim her, to make her his… to love her. Olivia had lived for nineteen years without love, and she’d thought she would be doomed to never be loved.
“Where’s my mate?” she asked, turning to look at the man again.
He was silent for so long she didn’t think he would answer.
“I am,” he said. “I’m your mate.”
She blinked, thinking she must have hallucinated for a moment. Surely he hadn’t said that he was her mate. Someone like him could have anyone. Why would he choose her? Power radiated off him in waves, even though he seemed perfectly relaxed and calm. She could almost sense his beast lurking just under the surface.
“My name’s Torren,” he said. “I know all of this is new to you, and I’m not going to rush you. It will probably take another few days for your body to adjust and the change to be complete. It’s been so long since one of my kind mated a human, I’m honestly not certain what to do with you. By all rights, you shouldn’t know anything about shifters, but Jaxon said you knew about the pack.”
“Is that a bad thing?” she asked. Was she in trouble for knowing about the wolves?
“In this case, it worked out well enough. Typically, we don’t broadcast what we are to the human population. It hasn’t ended well for us in the past. Thankfully, all those tales of werewolves have become campfire stories over the years.”
She smiled a little. “More like romance novel fodder. Do you have any idea how many books are out there about werewolves, other shifters, and vampires? There have even been some really popular shows on TV about werewolves.”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen some of them, but they don’t really get very much correct. Those shows aren’t a threat to my people.”
The way he said “my people” made her think he wasn’t talking about werewolves in general, but this specific pack. She scanned over him again from head to toe, and nearly jolted with awareness when she realized exactly who he was. Holy crap! She wasn’t mated to just any wolf. Torren was the Alpha. Panic welled inside of her. If he was the Alpha, then… did that make her the Alpha female? She couldn’t help lead a pack! Olivia had done a piss-poor job of taking care of herself, much less other people.
Torren moved closer and eased onto the side of the bed, reaching for her hand. “Easy. I don’t know what you just thought about, but your heart rate spiked and your breathing is shallow and way too fast. If you don’t calm down, you’re going to pass out.”
She focused on him, cataloging his features. At first she’d thought his eyes were brown, but they weren’t. The outer rim was a dark chocolate, but there were striations of honey, pure gold, and a softer brown. Rather striking.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I’m sure you have questions,” he said.
“I won’t turn into a wolf, but you do. What does your wolf look like?”
His lips twitched as if he fought back a smile. “You want to see my wolf? You realize I have to get naked in order to shift?”
Olivia’s cheeks burned and she cast her gaze down before looking up at him again. Was it wrong that she wanted to see him naked? Maybe even more than she wanted to see his wolf. If she was his mate, then it was only a matter of time before they were both naked together, and doing things she’d only ever dreamed about. She didn’t even know how to properly kiss a man, much less how to do anything else. All she knew was what she’d seen on TV and read in books, and she doubted much of that was based on fact.
His eyes narrowed. “Just how innocent are you?”
Olivia felt her blush intensify, and she murmured a response. “I’m a virgin.”
She heard his indrawn breath.
“Is that a bad thing?” she asked. “I just never found someone I trusted enough to sleep with. Most of the guys I know are either too immature, not interested, or they’re into the same stuff as my parents.”
Olivia knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t seem to stop. She’d never thought of her inexperience as a bad thing, but what if Torren wanted a mate who knew what she was doing?
“Jaxon said you left home when you were seventeen,” he said.
She nodded.
“That must have been hard. I’m glad my Omega was there for you, and was able to help in some way. I don’t like the fact you were in danger though. It sounds like you lived in a rough part of town.”
“It’s not like I could afford a better place. Not unless I wanted to whore myself out, and I’d never do that.”
“It would have been an easy way to make money,” he said. “It’s commendable that you didn’t go down that path.”
She snorted. “Yes, because most women just can’t wait to turn themselves into whores. You must not think much of human females. Would your wolf females do something like that?”
“No.”
“Well, neither would I.” Her chin jutted out stubbornly. “I’d rather starve than sell myself.”
His hand rested across her abdomen and her stomach clenched.
“It seems that’s exactly what you were doing.” His gaze darkened as it clashed with hers. “But we’re going to fix that. You won’t be hungry anymore. All of your needs will be met. I want you to be happy here, Olivia.”
For the first time in her life, she had hope, and yet -- she’d struggled for so long. It would be too easy to just lie back and let him take control of her life, and maybe she would to some degree. But she’d been independent for far too long, and giving up complete control wasn’t going to be easy. Even if the wolf did mean well.
* * *
Torren hadn’t slept much since bringing his new mate home. It would have been easy enough to slip into bed next to her, but he’d refrained. While she was his, they were still strangers. The fact she was an innocent thrilled his beast, but it also meant he needed to move slower than he normally would have. Not only had she led a troubled life where she likely trusted few people, but she was completely inexperienced when it came to men.
The last few days, he’d let her remain in his bed, regaining her strength and letting the transition become complete. The little he’d slept, he’d either passed out on the couch in the living room, or slept in the guest room. Baxter had taken over most of the pack duties to give Torren time to bond with his mate. Except little bonding had happened. They’d spoken, and of course she had questions, but he didn’t feel like they were really getting any closer. She seemed nervous around him, and he wondered if she’d ever accept him.
He sat at the kitchen table, sipping his morning coffee, when he heard soft footsteps heading his way. His beast perked up, like it did every time Olivia was near them. She entered the kitchen, wearing nothing but his T-shirt and looking adorable with her disheveled hair and her eyes still puffy from sleep. There was a crease down one cheek from the pillow, and yet he was captivated by her.
“If you drink coffee, there’s still some in the pot. I don’t have any of that fancy creamer stuff though,” he said. So far, she’d not asked for anything other than water.
“I like caramel syrup in my coffee,” she said. “But I can learn to like it black.”
If she wanted caramel syrup, he’d see that she got some. Hell, she was going to need quite a few things. Jaxon had only brought Olivia and none of her belongings, not that it sounded like she’d had any left. She was going to need clothes, shoes, and whatever else a female required to be comfortable and claim a place as her home. But the thought of her going into town made his beast rumble. He hadn’t th
ought much of what she’d need to purchase since she’d been in the bed this entire time. But if she was up and moving around, he’d have to rectify the clothing issue.
A growl escaped him and she froze, her eyes going wide. The coffee she’d been pouring, overflowed the mug and splashed across the counter.
“Coffee,” he said.
She blinked and seemed to come back to herself. “Sorry!”
Olivia grabbed some paper towels and cleaned up the mess, then joined him at the table. She sipped her coffee, but couldn’t quite hide her wince at the bitter taste. His lips twitched as he fought not to smile. The last thing he wanted was for her to assume he was laughing at her. Watching her try to drink coffee she obviously found distasteful because she didn’t want to be a burden made him realize that they had a lot of ground to cover if they were ever going to trust one another.
His gaze caressed Olivia, taking in her glowing skin, and way her golden hair shone brightly in the sunlight.
“You’re going to need some clothes,” he said. “Not that I have a problem with your roaming the house in my shirt, but there’s no way you’re going outside like that.”
She smiled faintly and took a sip of her coffee.
“Jaxon said your apartment was trashed. Anything you owned was destroyed. Is that right?”
Olivia shrugged. “They were all just secondhand things I picked up at the thrift store. But you’re right. I’m going to need some clothes. Jaxon knows what I like to wear. I could always give him my sizes and let him pick up a few things for me. Assuming I have any money left in my account. I’m sure the asshole who beat me stole my purse.”
“You don’t have to worry about money,” he said. Which was apparently the wrong thing to say. Her eyes narrowed and her cheeks flushed. Her lips thinned out and compressed tightly together. She practically vibrated with anger and frustration before she shot up, knocking her chair to the floor.
“I’ve taken care of myself for a damn long time. I’m not some kept woman. If I’d wanted to sell my body for money, I’d have never bothered leaving my parents’ home.” She pointed a finger at his face, which his wolf wanted to nip. And lick. And suck. Down, boy. “I will pay my own damn way.”
Alpha's Second Chance (Harvest Moon Wolves 1) Page 2
