Jackson didn’t know if he wanted to hear the rest. There were few that could take on a Hunter.
“The girl realized right away. So did he, of course. There was a challenge, and she was hysterical. She had to be sedated.” Summer’s eyes took on a far away look. “The Hunter won, but it caused a lot of turmoil. People suddenly wondered about their own bonds, and there was this great big rift between the woman and her pack. She grew up with those people and it was a blow. The Hunter took her away. I don’t know what happened to them.”
Jackson felt triumph on behalf of the Hunter for winning his mate, but he doubted Summer shared the feeling. He turned so she couldn’t see his reaction, which had to reflect more than his agreement with the Hunter’s action. He’d do the same in his position.
The idea that a werewolf would bond with someone who was not his destined mate was deeply disturbing. Worse that someone in his pack may have done so; it was the most horrible of taboos. Bonding with a woman, that one particular equal, bordered on sacred. He remembered the old tales told around the fire when he was a cub. Stories of the gods deciding to create a perfect counterpart for the werewolves, a match that would become so important to them that the old ways of fighting and bickering were forced under control. The mate bond served to tame some of their more primitive natures.
If Wyatt had bonded with a woman who was not his destined mate, Jackson would be forced to act. In what capacity, he had no idea. He’d never heard of or witnessed such a thing. His wolf side wanted to let Billy handle it, knowing it would come to a death challenge and sure of the outcome. The human side that had to control a pack of three hundred was less sure that was a great idea. Later he would contact the Elder of the Council and seek advice, but he was tempted to say fuck it, give in to his animal nature, and deal with the consequences.
Shaking his head, he decided nothing could be determined without collecting a lot more information. There was an elder werewolf in the village who may be able to help, and he could use the opportunity to take his witch around to meet the locals while he was at it.
She still sat in the chair, pensively staring out the window. He recognized her as his mate the way his species was supposed to—she existed in him down to his very marrow. She had to feel it too but, after hearing the story of the Hunter and his mate and the little he knew of her grandparents, he was beginning to understand her reticence. Dreaming a dozen possibilities of the future couldn’t help her state of mind. He’d probably made it worse by keeping her locked up in the house. She was safer here, but she resented being treated like someone who needed to be protected. She’d have to get over that; it was one area that he couldn’t bend.
“Find your jacket and let’s get out of here for a little while.”
Waiting for her decision, he held his hand out to her, and his heart stopped beating. It slammed back into life when she placed her long, delicate fingers in his and slowly rose from her seat. Her eyes were wary, but a smile tugged the corners of her mouth.
“Is it cold out?” Her low, husky voice almost made him reverse the spur-of-the-moment invitation. A fire and a day spent in bed sounded a hell of a lot better.
“It’s not too cold.” He looked her up and down. She was wearing a cream-colored high-necked cable knit sweater, jeans, and brown, short-cuffed boots. “You should be okay with a windbreaker.”
Slipping her hand from his, she walked into the bedroom and rifled through the end of the closet she’d taken over. She came out with lightweight pale blue jacket and pulled it on. They went downstairs and her expression lightened as they walked outside. She walked down the front stairs to the driveway and stood still, spreading her arms wide and tilting her face back to catch the sun. He leaned against the porch rail and watched her, not trying to hide his stupid grin. She was magnificent. And she was his.
When she straightened, she grinned up at him, her body language a complete one-eighty from ten minutes ago. Rolling back on the heels of her boots, she joked, “So now what? Laps around the yard?”
He laughed. She might be happy with that. For about a minute. Walking down the steps, he took her hand and led her around the corner of the house. Under a wide stone arch, a dirt path led down the side of the mountain.
“I thought we’d visit the village. It’s about a mile and a half. Think you’re up for it?”
Pulling her hand loose, she took off down the path.
I’ll take that as a yes. He caught up and walked at her side, enjoying the quiet moment and watching her reaction to his domain. After a half mile, she started to slow down and pay attention to their surroundings. The next turn coming up was a popular stopping place, with a huge boulder several people could lay across on one side. She stopped and leaned against it, accepting with a smile of thanks the water he brought along.
“So what do you look like in your other form?”
Squashing down a surge of adrenalin-filled joy, he joined her on the rock, wondering how to answer. In the normal course of events, he’d expect a mate’s curiosity about his wolf form to be a step toward acceptance. But Summer was hardly normal. It could be that step he yearned for, or her scientist’s inquisitiveness. Either way was in his favor, he decided. Maybe the way to lure her out of her shell was through her work.
“I have no idea.” He grinned. “I’ve never seen myself in a mirror as a wolf.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, watching him thoughtfully. He wondered if she’d ask to see him change?
“Have you seen the change before?” he asked.
She shook her head. His wolf clamored at him, wanting the freedom of the animal side, needing to stretch its legs after days of confinement. He made a split second decision and started stripping. When he was naked, he rolled everything into the small backpack he habitually left the house with and handed it to her. Eyes wide, she accepted it and broke into a reluctant grin.
“You’d do that for me? Let me see it?”
“For both of us,” he said. He nodded at the backpack and grinned. “Hang on to that. I need clothes where we’re going.”
Stepping back, he embraced the transformation already beginning in his body. His bones and muscles contorted, changing to those of the wolf, and he dropped onto four paws. The wolf threw its head back and howled.
Chapter Five
Awe froze Summer in place. The wolf’s call was a claiming of the land he stood on, of all that lived in it, including her. He was huge; his shoulders would reach her hip if he stood at her side. His coat was thick. Black and gray on his back and face blended into brown and white down his sides and belly. At the end of his cry, he sat on his haunches and watched her. She almost wept for her lack of camera.
She’d always been drawn to wolves; found them majestic and spent years studying them, trying to figure out what their hold over her was. Her past rushed at her and when she took her first step toward him, she knew this was a continuing part of her lifelong journey. Her whole life led to this moment, this choice. She paused when she reached him, yearning to dig her fingers through his fur but unsure if she could take the final plunge into a murky future. Sinking to her knees, not touching him but within easy reach, she looked up to meet his eyes. The longing there that mirrored her own would have knocked her on her butt if she wasn’t already there.
She gave into temptation, pushing fingers through the hair around his muzzle, and the memory of one of her first dreams of him rose in her mind. Not this scene, but one like it. She and the wolf on a path in the woods, surrounded by the pure white of new snow. He licked her face, startling her out of the reverie, and she laughed. Even in the form of a wolf, he gave her the look she was coming to associate with his annoyance at her silence.
“You expect me to talk to you like this?”
He gave her a big-toothed wolfy grin, and she giggled.
“I’m suddenly getting this whole Little Red Riding Hood vibe.”
The wolf made a sound between a snort and a grunt that she took for laughter. She sat in the
dirt and laughed with him. It was surreal. She had always wanted to be able to do a more in-depth, personal study of a werewolf. But being bonded to one, though it gave her the exposure, threw a major wrench in her plans. With her world spinning way out of her control, she laughed until she cried. The wolf nuzzled her face, licking away the tears in a gesture she found oddly comforting. Shaking off the weird emotional outburst, she rose to her feet. They started down the path, her hand buried in the thick fur at his nape. Switching back and forth down the mountainside, she was surprised at how quickly they reached the bottom.
He took the bag between his teeth and stepped behind a clump of trees, while she looked around. The village lay nestled between mountain peaks. She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but the rustic Alps-looking scene wasn’t it. Jackson joined her on the path, dressed again with the bag across his back. Taking her hand, they set off down Main Street, Jackson pointing out businesses as they went. A grocery store, a general store, post office, health and vet clinics, hair salon and clothing store, a pharmacy—it was a preserved slice of small town America. The town bustled with activity, and Summer was charmed. People nodded and said hello as they passed but no one asked for an introduction, and she wondered at their restraint. Was this some cultural aspect she’d never been aware of? Was there a required procedure for introducing a mate? Her stomach twisted. It better not be some kind of public ceremony. She didn’t do crowds.
“Um, Jackson? Is there a reason no one is speaking to me? Some secret new mate ceremony I don’t know about or something?”
She cast a suspicious gaze at him when he laughed. He sobered immediately. “No. No, there isn’t. You’re just getting a...call it a free pass, since it’s the first time anyone’s seen you. Next time you’ll be the center of attention.”
Since they’d cleared the tree line and entered the town, she’d felt gazes following their progress. Shivering a little under the watchful sensation, she cut her eyes at him. “We’re already the center of attention.”
They came to the end of Main Street and turned down an ally with a large house sitting at the end. He glanced back up the main thoroughfare, then met her gaze, nodding slowly.
“Yeah. I guess we are. I’m so used to it, I don’t notice it anymore.”
She bit her bottom lip. She was such a private, solitary person, she doubted she’d ever adjust to it. Her witch’s perception made it worse. Looking up, she brushed the worry aside and concentrated on the house they approached. It was a long ranch-style, with a deep porch stretching across the entire front.
“Who are we going to see?” she asked.
“One of the pack elders,” he answered. “Nolan French. I thought he might be able to add to the whole mate conversation. Maybe he’ll have some kind of solution.”
“Why would he?”
“He’s kind of the keeper of the lore, ya know? The pack historian.”
Summer nodded. Other packs had someone who performed the same function. They walked up the wide steps, and Jackson leaned on the doorbell. It seemed incredibly rude, and she reached over and swatted at his hand. Meeting his surprised gaze, she arched her eyebrows, silently daring him to say anything.
“Impolite, don’t you think?”
He leaned against the doorframe, ankles and arms crossed, and grinned down at her. “He tends to ignore you if you aren’t insistent.”
Several minutes later she gave up and didn’t protest when Jackson held the doorbell down again. Finally she heard loud, angry footsteps approaching the door. Not sure what to expect, she was shocked when the door flew open. Nolan French didn’t meet the curmudgeonly elder image she’d been building in her mind. Oh no. She guessed he was around fifty, but he was the nicest looking fifty she’d ever seen; tall, broad, well-muscled. His face was lined with age, but in the way only men seemed to pull off. He looked stately and distinguished. His hair was silver with streaks of black. He must be beautiful as a wolf. He paid no attention to her at all, and cut off his angry greeting mid-stride when he noticed who the male werewolf on the porch was.
“What! I’m—Jackson! Sorry. What can I do for you?”
Jackson just shook his head and grinned. “You can start with a Miss Manners’ lesson, Nolan.” Jackson grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. “This is Summer Lambert. My mate.”
Nolan’s entire demeanor changed, morphing from pissed off to pleased in an instant. He stepped back and gestured for them to enter. “Come in, come in.”
Once inside, he shook her hand before turning back to Jackson. “What’s up?” He smiled at Summer. “As thrilled as I am to see you’ve finally settled down, you don’t have these elusive things called manners anymore than I do. So I doubt this is a friendly neighborhood introduction.”
Jackson looked wounded and spread his arms. “Summer, help a guy out here, would you?”
Enjoying the banter, she grinned and set her hands on her hips. “Oh, I really don’t think you want my help on this one.” She paused before adding sweetly, “We could tell him how I ended up here.”
Jackson grinned back at her. “He’d applaud my ingenuity.”
Nolan barked a laugh. “I already heard. It’s the talk of the pack.”
She must have looked as horrified as she felt at his announcement. Offering comfort, Jackson pulled her up against his side and whispered in her ear, “Hey, it’s okay. They’ll have something else to talk about in no time.”
Resisting the urge to turn her face into shoulder and hide, she lifted her chin to meet Nolan’s curious gaze.
Obviously not understanding what the big deal was, he changed the subject instead of asking. “Let’s go to my study. I was going to come see you today, anyway.”
They walked through a large living room that stretched from the front door to back wall and was bisected by hall. The room was pristine and looked unlived in. Turning to the right, they walked down a short hall that ended at another door. Summer followed Nolan and Jackson and smiled when they entered. This was not a leather and wood study like Jackson’s. It looked more like the kind of place you’d find an alchemist or sorcerer hanging out in.
The two men chatted about acquaintances while she wandered around. The room appeared to take up the entire end of the house with a set of French doors leading to an outside deck. The remaining walls were lined with shelves. Two sides were crammed with books, and a desk sat in front of it. The other two sides were filled with object; everything from rocks, to animal skins and bones, to sketches and photographs. Long workbenches stretched in front on them. Delighted, she realized who he was and whirled around to question him.
Both men sat in the sitting area in the middle of the room and another realization struck. This man could be Alpha. Why isn’t he? Damn the witch’s intuition. And her own confused heart. The thought of someone taking Jackson’s place filled her with dread, and she approached cautiously. There were two couches and two chairs, with a long table in the center. She sat next to Jackson and took his hand, ignoring his surprise that she felt more than saw. There was something odd going on in the Appalachian pack and well, he needed all the help he could get. If only he would take off the damned talisman. It had served its purpose, and it confused her senses. She would have hissed at him to remove it if Nolan hadn’t been watching them so carefully.
“Why were you going to come see me?” Jackson asked curiously.
Nolan’s eyes turned hard, the affable man disappearing in an instant. “My daughter. She mated to someone outside the pack, and he doesn’t let her see us. Me and my mate.” He clarified for Summer. “Usually she calls us every couple of days, but she’s gone silent.”
Jackson looked sympathetic as he answered. “Outside the pack there isn’t anything I can do, Nolan. You know that.”
The other man nodded. “I know, but it’s not like Wyatt went anywhere, and one way or the other he means to cause problems.”
Jackson’s eyebrows shot up. “Your daughter is bonded to Wyatt? Chloe… I should have re
alized.”
“What?”
“You aren’t the only one worried about her. Billy mentioned she’d sort of disappeared earlier. That’s why we’re here.”
“Billy Cagle?” Nolan looked intrigued and nodded slowly. “She always had an unusual interest in him. That’s a match I can see.”
“So can he.” Jackson frowned. “I can’t afford to have him this distracted, but he’s positive she’s his mate. Until the matter is resolved in some way, he’s sidetracked.”
“I can see how that would happen,” Nolan answered.
“I’ve never heard of a case where a werewolf bonded with the wrong woman. But if this is one of those cases, I need a solution. And an explanation.”
“The explanation is simple enough. Wyatt wants the pack and assumes I’ll support him since he is essentially holding my daughter hostage.”
She felt Jackson’s tension at the possible threat though his expression didn’t change, and she squeezed his hand in silent support.
“There’s only one solution. And there is precedence. There was the Panhandle case a few years ago, and the records mention a few other times.”
“You know about the Florida situation?” Summer asked. “Do you know what happened to them? The couple?”
Nolan gave her a steady look. “I know. I wonder how you know?”
“I was there. For some of it at least.”
He nodded. “You’re that Summer.”
Jackson’s tension strummed through the bond between them. “What do you know about Summer?”
Nolan shook his head and smiled. “You know I’m not a threat to you or your mate.”
“It’s part of my charm,” Jackson growled.
“I’ll keep what I know to myself. Part of my job, isn’t it?” Nolan assured him. “I know she studies wolves, and she’s pretty well known in the field. She has several friends in the were community. And her grandfather was a Hunter.”
Lunar Mates 3: Chasing the Moon Page 5
