Six Months

by Dark, Dannika

  Someone hollered and they both turned their attention toward a group of men out front who were pointing as a wolf ran by. Austin slid his jaw to the side. “They know better than to shift,” he said in a gruff voice. “That’s a big fucking rule of a peace party.”

  Shifting created too much opportunity for the wolves to attack one another and instigate conflicts among the packs, so it was against the rules whenever Packmasters were present. Shifters had to stay in human form at all times during a peace party.

  Another wolf sprinted by, his paws kicking up tufts of grass.

  “What the fuck?” Reno said, stepping out in the open. “Austin, you need to get this shit in check before it gets out of hand.”

  A man lying on his back flopped around, laughing hysterically. No one seemed to get the joke, but after a quick scan of the crowd, other people were acting peculiar.

  “Let me find out what’s up,” Austin said, briskly stalking away.

  “You boys got it under control?” a voice said coolly.

  A Native American with long, silky hair and high cheekbones that intensified his dark gaze strolled up. Lorenzo Church. Personal enemy to Austin, but not technically a foe.

  Not a friend, either.

  But to keep up civilities, all neighboring packs had been extended an invitation. Lorenzo had once had a thing for Lexi, but she’d lost interest after finding out they were related. Not by blood, but through marriage. Plus, he’d made the mistake of trying to cut in on Austin’s action. Lorenzo’s pack was established and wealthy, making him one of the most eligible Packmasters in town. While he had a few women in his pack taking care of his needs, Lorenzo wasn’t mated. Nor did he have children, which was extremely uncommon for someone of his status. No woman could tame that wolf.

  “We’ve got everything under control,” Reno said in a flat voice, not showing any signs of incompetence. “Anyone who shifts will be escorted off the property and reported to their Packmaster.”

  “Hmm,” Lorenzo purred. “Seems easier said than done.” A smile hovered on his lips as he watched a black wolf taking a piss on a nearby oak tree. “You should have invited more single women. There never seems to be quality bitches at these functions, and I deeply enjoy selecting new blood for my pack,” he said, his tone arrogant.

  Reno had to agree with him for the most part. Women balanced things out, and a bunch of men getting together became nothing but trouble. Packmasters were attracted to large gatherings so they could strengthen alliances and the pack could find new mates. But it sounded more like Lorenzo was looking to add to his personal collection.

  Reno paced the grounds, shoving a few guys who were acting sketchy. It smartened them up for a fraction of a second before they trailed off again. Beneath the aging oak tree on the front lawn, Ivy stood on the new swing that Austin had put up for Maizy. It was one of those old-fashioned rope swings with a flat board to sit on. She had decorated it earlier with a strand of ivy and battery-operated twinkle lights wrapped around the ropes. Her shoes sat at the base of the tree and she gracefully swung forward, gazing at the canopy of branches overhead.

  “What’s going on out here?” Reno asked.

  “A beautiful sky that’s been smiling over us for a billion years,” she said in awe. “An old tree that’s putting up with me tugging on its arm. The wind giving me a breath to float on.”

  The branch creaked above as she continued pulling and pushing on the ropes. Ivy had a way with words, but this wasn’t Ivy talking.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  A gust of wind lifted her dress at the hem, showing a little leg. She smiled as she glanced down at him, looking like an enchanted being out of a fairytale. Strands of mahogany hair had come loose from her long braid, not that she cared. Reno didn’t know what to make of it and turned around to see where Austin had gone.

  “Is everything under control?” Lorenzo interrupted, slowing his stride until he stood beside Reno.

  “You can’t control life,” Ivy interjected, her eyes wide on the night sky above.

  Reno noticed Lorenzo watching her in a way that made his wolf want to bite him in the ass. Had Lorenzo been anyone but a Packmaster, Reno would have knocked him down for looking at his pack sister that way. He had no problems confronting a rogue alpha male, but rules were rules, and you never put your hands on a Packmaster.

  “Who is this woman?” Lorenzo wondered in low words.

  “My sister, so if you would respectfully back the fuck off, I’d appreciate it,” Reno said, warning him through clenched teeth. At least, as much as he could warn a Packmaster.

  “I’m the tree fairy,” Ivy sang in a beautiful voice, the swing really going now and the wind undoing her braided hair. “I’m here to grant you three wishes,” she said to Lorenzo. “Don’t tell me what they are, just think about them, and if it’s something you truly want, then it will be planted in my heart. It will grow branches and leaves and bear fruit.”

  Lorenzo’s jaw slackened as he was completely enthralled by her words.

  “Tell me,” she said, her eyes fixed on Lorenzo. “What do you think trees dream about?” Her hair blew forward and backward with each soft swing, one tendril getting caught on her full mouth. “Do they miss their acorns when they fall to the ground and are scattered away from their reach? Trees are strong and immovable, but they sway. They are rough, but their leaves are as soft as kisses. I think they dream about love. I think they’re jealous of free spirits who can run, and that’s why we fall from their branches. We think they are protecting us because we are beneath them, but their arms do not wrap around our bodies.”

  Reno grabbed Lorenzo’s jaw and turned his head. “You need to help us get some of your pack under control,” he said firmly. “One of yours just took off behind the house.”

  That snagged Lorenzo’s attention and his eyes darkened. Lorenzo had zero tolerance for insubordination.

  “Who?”

  “Handlebar mustache, tats on his hands, and his wolf just ran by. White with a black leg.”

  “Saul,” he said with a scowl.

  Three seconds later, Lorenzo spun on his heel and stalked across the grounds to kick some Shifter ass back in line.

  “I think he’s an old oak,” Ivy said in a distant voice, watching Lorenzo with an enigmatic gaze.

  ***

  “Who listens to Pink Floyd anymore?” I said with a laugh, staring at a poster on the wall. It seemed to be shifting colors all on its own.

  “Blasphemy,” Jericho replied, still kissing on the blonde he had pushed up against the wall in his bedroom. The chesty girl with the leather pants was on the bed, engrossed in a magazine.

  Meanwhile, I sat in the beanbag chair after having invited myself in to escape from the men ogling me in the hall. Okay, maybe I was hiding.

  When Trevor had come knocking, Jericho had slipped out of the room and told him someone had given me a ride home. I felt rueful when I heard him running down the stairs. Poor Trevor, always trying to save the day, even if it meant raining on my picnic. For some reason, I wasn’t as upset about it as I should have been.

  “Where are my shoes?” I whined, glancing at my bare feet and wiggling my toes. Then my head fell back and I stared at the ceiling, searching for shapes and faces. It was the first time I’d ever sat in a beanbag chair and I had to admit I liked it. Might consider getting one. Pink, or maybe purple.

  Where would it fit in the trailer? Hmm, conundrum.

  I lifted my head when I heard the sound of buckles. Jericho was pressed up against the blonde’s back and a low growl rose from his throat as he kissed the nape of her neck. I couldn’t help but stare. It was an erotic visual, and nothing like my ex who did everything under the covers with all the lights off. Never any spontaneity, although I’m sure he had plenty with my friends.

  Jericho lifted her skirt, yanked down her black panties, and the next thing I knew, his hips were moving in a steady rhythm. She moaned, reaching around to hold on to his neck with
her hand.

  Movement caught my eye and I turned around, planting my knees into the beanbag chair as I stared at the red lava lamp. Melting, misshapen blobs rose to the top and it seemed never ending.

  “Cool lamp.”

  Two hands were on my hips, rubbing in slow circles. “Little girl, you just don’t have a clue what this does to me.”

  I kind of did. It had quite an effect on Denver.

  “Tell me if you want to play,” he asked, doing nothing more than softly touching my hips with his fingertips. “I’m going to lie down on the bed and you can stay right here if you want, or join in.”

  The door swung open, hit the wall, and his hands instantly came away from my hips. I glanced over my shoulder and my eyes played tricks on me as two men moved like the little blobs in the lamp.

  “Reno?”

  He punched Jericho with a hard fist and I gasped when something unbelievable happened. Jericho transformed into a beautiful brown wolf with sea-green eyes.

  Everything was magical.

  Floaty.

  Bubbly.

  I crawled on the floor toward him. “Pretty puppy!”

  “April?” Reno appeared in front of me and pried my eyelids up. “Fffuck,” he hissed. “I’m going to kill you, Jericho.”

  Then I leaned in and kissed Reno on the mouth.

  Soft. Wet. Familiar. Why did Reno seem so familiar to me? His delicious cologne filled my senses and he tasted like sin.

  Reno pulled back, hooked his arm around my waist, and hauled me off the ground. He gave me a hard shake and speared me with his eyes. “You’re stoned.”

  Something licked my hand and I petted the wolf. Reno smacked him on the nose and the wolf leapt on the bed, letting the blonde stroke his cream-colored ears.

  “Why did Jericho change? Is he a magician?”

  Reno bit his lower lip and I touched his smooth face. “We’re Shifters, April. That’s what we are. You’re coming with me; it’s too dangerous for you to be alone right now. Austin’s clearing out the party. Jericho, your ass is dead meat,” he reiterated, staring at the wolf. “You can hear me in there and I know you were behind this. Think it’s funny? Well, one of the Packmasters got into your cupcakes and his mate is not happy. This is damage control I don’t even want to deal with,” he muttered.

  I wriggled free from his grasp and flew out the open door, dashing down the hall in my bare feet.

  “April!”

  “Catch me if you can!”

  I hurried down the stairs with a giggle on my lips and… Oh, another pretty wolf!

  “Hi, sweetie,” I sang, stroking his soft grey fur. When I heard Reno drawing close, I flew out the door with a flurry of laughter, cutting straight across the lawn until I tripped in the grass.

  When I rolled over and glanced up, I saw Dolly Parton looking down her nose at me. “Hi, Dolly. Didn’t get lucky with Reno Machino?”

  She looked mad enough to spit nails. I stared at her cheap shoes and noticed she had a corn on her toe.

  “He didn’t give me the time of day. Every man gives me the time of day,” Dolly huffed. “That can only mean one thing. Is he gay?”

  I sat up with a deadpan expression. “Flaming. You didn’t know?”

  She looked up at the sky and flapped her arms once, slapping them against her hips. “Figures. It just figures! You can never tell with Shifters.”

  Dolly stomped off and engines revved in the distance along the private road. I fell back against the high grass on the edge of the property. I’d never seen such a serene sky as what was blanketed above me. It made my life seem miniscule in comparison to the infinite depths of the universe.

  A black wolf trotted up to my side, tongue hanging out and panting. He bent down, sniffed, and licked my neck. I stroked my hand down his side and in a fluid movement, he inexplicably transformed into a man.

  A very naked man.

  And there I was, stroking his side. Horror swept over me and I realized that Reno was right—I must be hallucinating. But was the wolf real, or the man? Before I could formulate a word, he covered my mouth with his hand.

  “Shhhh. I just want to look at you. I’ve never seen a human up close.”

  He was stoned. I could see it in his pale eyes. I knew that look because I’d seen it in my mother’s face a million times. He twitched his pudgy nose and tilted his head, studying me like a bug beneath a microscope. My extremities were numb and I felt glued to the earth.

  “I can’t breathe,” I mumbled against his palm. Couldn’t anyone see? No, because after a quick glimpse around, all I could see through the high grass were wolves, naked men, and people dispersing from the property. I was too far from the crowd.

  He settled his weight on me, looking deep into my eyes. “Shhh, pretty pet. Pretty little human pet.”

  When he lifted up in the air, I barely registered what was happening. It was as if he were elevated by an invisible force.

  I gasped, able to breathe again. I couldn’t see Reno’s muscles through his white shirt, but I knew they were sculpted and hard like granite. He had a dangerous look on his face and his hand was clamped around the naked man’s throat. “Tristan! Get your mutt before I kill him myself.” Then Reno knocked him in the jaw, causing the man to spin around and hold his mouth.

  “I just wanted to look at her!” the man whined. “I didn’t break any rules.”

  Reno stepped forward, every muscle tensing. “You broke my rule.”

  A man with long blond hair jogged over and looked between all of us before he grabbed the naked man by the hair. The man immediately shifted, and Tristan slapped the wolf on the snout before they walked off.

  My hands trembled as I sat up, disbelieving what I’d just seen. What kind of drugs did I take? Everything seemed so vivid and I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t.

  Reno flexed his fingers, making fists and then opening his hands again.

  “Reno?”

  “Yeah,” he said in a cracked voice.

  “I’m scared. What’s happening to me?”

  And then his arms were beneath me, lifting me, holding me. Reno cradled me protectively against him and made his way to the house.

  “You’ll stay in my room tonight. No one will come near you. No one.”

  I believed him. There was a promise in his voice, and I remembered he was a man who had guns.

  “Why didn’t you kill him?” I asked, remembering how easily he’d aimed the gun at the car of men for simply calling me a name.

  “Because of pack rules I’m bound to,” he ground out. “Had he been a rogue, his ass would have been mine.”

  I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but I quickly became distracted. “I’m hungry.” I’d never been so hungry in my life. I snatched a bag of chips from a table we passed and pulled out a triangle dusted in orange cheese.

  Crunch, crunch. Mmm.

  Chapter 12

  I opened my weighted eyes and glanced around a bedroom blanketed in darkness. A filter of dim light trickled through a curtainless window to my right. The sheets were cool against my hot skin and my memory drifted back. I’d thrown up after eating two hamburgers, and then Reno had forced me to drink water. I didn’t know if people could die from water overdose, but on the second glass, I spit it in his face.

  Which had officially murdered my chances of ever seeing him again. My inner voice was too irritated with me to complain about it, so she gave me the silent treatment.

  I began crying, overcome with emotion.

  Reno emerged from a small chair in the left corner. “Go back to sleep, princess.”

  My arms flew out at him angrily, slapping at him as he tried to touch me. What did it matter? He’d never want to see me again after an embarrassing display from a woman stoned out of her mind.

  He caught my wrists and held them. “Settle down,” he said in a thick voice.

  “You let this happen to me!”

  “Dammit,” he roared. “I tried to run afte
r you and lost track. I would have been there sooner if—”

  “Not that! My mother.”

  He sat on the edge of the bed and his voice softened. “What are you talking about?”

  Reno still held my wrists as tears spilled violently down my cheeks. “I said I’d never do drugs, Reno. I’ve spent my whole life trying to be a better woman than that. Going to school, working hard, paying my bills—but none of it matters. No matter how much I try, I’m no different. I’m just like her.”

  But my words failed me somewhere in the middle and broke into pieces. Maybe it was the drugs still in my system, or maybe it was almost twenty-three years of pain causing my heart to shatter. Maybe it was the realization that I was my mother’s daughter after all, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

  He let go of my wrists and turned away. Then he kicked his shoes off and crawled in bed beside me, wiping my tears with the pad of his thumb.

  “Listen to me, and listen good. You’re not your mother, so erase that thought out of your head. One time isn’t going to make you an addict any more than one beer makes someone an alcoholic; that comes from a weak person who’s not willing to face their problems, and you’re not weak. We all hit a rough patch and sometimes need to disconnect from the real world and get our head together. But a user is someone who can’t live in the real world anymore. You’re a strong woman.”

  “You barely know me. How can you say something like that?” I gasped three times, having one of those terribly embarrassing cries.

  His hand came away from my face and he rubbed his chin. “Crying doesn’t make you weak. I have a good sense about people. You’re a shy girl, but you’ve got a strong will.”

  “But not someone you want to dance with.”

  Reno inched closer to me until I felt his entire body against my left side. “You were busy with my brother.”

  He had me there. “Sorry, I didn’t know the protocol for ungluing your eyes from mammary girl.”