Yeager trotted off and I followed. He went purposely and it didn’t take long to see he was picking a path that wouldn’t be too hard for me to follow. At times, the wolf scouted ahead, sniffing the ground and exploring the forest but never so far I lost sight of him. We wandered uphill through the trees for a while. I had to admit, walking nude out in the open, even if I was sure no one was around and it was night, was exciting. After about ten minutes, however, it got so much better.
We happened upon a broad meadow and on the far side above the tree line, the full moon showed itself. It wasn’t quite like daylight, but it was bright nonetheless. I could see well enough as Yeager promised. The wolf that was Yeager stopped and turned to look back at me. He couldn’t speak but he didn’t have to. The wolf clearly had a look in its eyes that said, “I told you so.”
“Yes, you did. This is wonderful, Yeager,” I said. The wolf tilted his head toward the meadow and then looked at me expectantly. “You want to run? I’ll try to keep up,” I told him. Yeager’s tongue lolled out and his tail wagged. “Or maybe you can try to keep up with me,” I shouted, breaking into a run before I even finished my challenge.
I dashed past the wolf, running through the grass and laughing. I was utterly elated to be here, nude in the moonlight with my mate. Suddenly, Yeager ran past but didn’t continue ahead. Instead, the wolf turned and ran a wide circle around me. I could hear his ragged breathing as he took long strides through the meadow. He was beautiful, his fur thick and glossy, his eyes bright and intelligent, and he was all mine.
I tried to keep up, not really built for speed but enjoying the freedom. What a rush! I couldn’t help letting my mind wander, however. I wondered about the future. If we were mates, then we would build a life together. I wanted that more than I could comprehend but how and where? What would that life be like? Would it be a mundane life punctuated with moments like this or would this be the norm? I made no judgments as we ran. I just pondered the possibilities.
But as I thought of the future, I couldn’t help but consider the present. This was simply a respite from reality and that reality was filled with danger. Dolan and his gang, according to Yeager, were likely still after me. I was safe for now but we couldn’t hide forever. I wondered why the dark bearded biker was so interested in me. Was it simply revenge or was there more? I didn’t know but in any case, we had to confront Dolan and settle this once and for all.
Yeager dashed past looking back over his shoulder at me. That brought me back to the here and now, my thoughts fleeting and never tarnishing the magic of my run with Yeager. I chose to forget about my troubles and just exist in the moment. I chased after Yeager but he easily remained just out of my reach as he ran circles through the meadow. I laughed and giggled, truly enjoying a childlike moment of complete abandon. Nothing could intrude on this that I didn’t permit. I stopped running and bent with my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath. I wasn’t sure how far we’d run or for how long. As I rested, I saw a stick at my feet and had a thought.
“Hey!” I shouted and the wolf came to a stop ahead of me as I picked up the stick. “You want this?” I said and threw the stick. The wolf watched it fly until it fell back to earth and then looked at me, it’s amber eyes narrowed as if to ask, “Really?” I laughed at Yeager. “Would you prefer a tennis ball?” I yelled. The wolf turned to face me and lowered its head. Amusement and determination showed in his eyes for a moment before he charged. I shrieked despite myself and backed up meaning to turn to escape but it was too late. The wolf slid to a stop before me, bumping into my legs with its body just hard enough to put me off balance. I tried to stay on my feet but a moment later, I was on my ass in the middle of the meadow.
“Very funny,” I said. The wolf almost looked as if he was smiling as he came to me and nuzzled my breasts. I scratched Yeager behind the ears and set his leg digging at the air again. This time, however, Yeager flopped onto his side and presented his belly to me. I rolled my eyes and scratched his belly instead. That leg churned again as the wolf’s tongue lolled out and he threw his head back enjoying my attention and looking so cute. “You think you’re so damned irresistible, don’t you?” I asked.
The wolf’s head snapped up and stared at me as if to agree. “Wolves!” I joked in mock frustration and moved so I could lay my head on Yeager’s furry belly. The moon had traveled higher and the meadow almost glowed in its light. The wolf put a paw on my belly and I covered it with my hand as I reached behind my head with the other and lazily stroked the wolf’s belly. We lay like that for a while. Yeager seemed to enjoy being the wolf. I definitely liked him this way. Lying with him there in the meadow was so peaceful and calming.
I was living some kind of fairytale. Here I was laying in an empty meadow with my wolf, my mate, nude in the moonlight. He was my lover, my friend and my protector. I turned so I could look into the wolf’s eyes. Yeager was looking at the moon but shifted his gaze to me. I found him there in those eyes. The man may have appeared to be a wolf but he was there, always, in those eyes. I felt compelled to express my feelings but I didn’t. This wasn’t the place. It was too perfect to ruin with words. Instead I just stared into Yeager’s amber eyes with a smile I couldn’t get rid of even if I’d wanted to.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how I got to this point. Not the run in with Dolan and his gang but how I came to have such deep feelings for Yeager. I couldn’t deny how I felt but I wonder if my emotional attachment was a natural extension of our situation, a fondness born from Yeager’s protective role, or were my feelings caused by the bond he spoke of. He’d told me I was made for him and he was made for me. Was it fate that I would feel so strongly for this man, that I was to fall in love with him? I guess I had to assume it was destiny.
And knowing that made it feel that much more special. The thought that someone was waiting for me, the he was searching for me and only me, was deeply satisfying. But as I got to know this man, I had the feeling that he was the one I was looking for too. Any notions of what sort of man I might want to marry and spend the rest of my life with were supplanted by this man, by Yeager. I was left with the feeling that he was the one, the man I had been searching for even though I wasn’t really searching.
However, we faced a common obstacle, Dolan. The evil man, and I was sure he was evil, desired revenge for some perceived wrong. Exactly what that was, I didn’t know and it probably didn’t matter. Dolan was bent on extracting that vengeance. I wondered if maybe this was part of my destiny, part of our destiny, Yeager and I. Maybe this was a test of sorts, a trial of our pairing by fire that we must pass so fate would allow us to be together.
I must have drifted off while I tried to make sense of all that had happened to me because when I awoke, I held Yeager’s hand instead of his paw. I found him watching me. “Did I fall asleep?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he answered. The moon was high overhead now. I must have snoozed for several hours.
“And you just laid there?” I wondered.
“Where else would I rather be than here?” he asked. I smiled at him and squeezed his hand.
“Why can’t we just go somewhere and do this forever?” I replied. I knew that even without Yeager, life wasn’t so simple but it was a nice thought.
“I’ve decided we need to get in contact with my friends. With them, we can confront Dolan and end this,” Yeager told me. I knew this couldn’t last forever.
“In Gold Canyon?” I pressed.
“Yeah. I hope we can end this without a fight but I don’t see that happening. Dolan’s got an axe to grind. He’s an alpha and he won’t quit without at least a good ass-kicking but I’m afraid it might take more than that,” he explained.
“An alpha? I wondered.
“There’s always a leader. Most of us remain alone until we find our mate. When a man like me finds his mate and starts a family, he creates a pack. You and I are a pack now, a family. But Dolan’s a renegade. He’s not interested in finding a mate to start a pa
ck. He’s interested in power. He’s joined with other renegades and formed a pack of a different kind, a pack he uses to consolidate power and bend others to his will,” Yeager told me.
“And he’s angry over what happened to his father?” I asked.
“Apparently. I guess I can’t blame him for being upset but he’s upset at the wrong people. He’s got it out for the Sheriff too but it was his father that raped that girl and he seems to be following in his father’s paw prints. I believe you’re involved because he knows what you are. He knows you’re my mate and through you, he can hurt me more than he could otherwise,” he said. I guess that made sense but I still felt there was more but I didn’t think Yeager knew what it was any more than I did.
“Tomorrow then?” I said as much as asked.
“Yeah. It’s the last full day of the run. If we wait, my friends might be gone and we’ll have no allies,” Yeager told me.
“Better to get it over with, I suppose. I’m worried though. I’m worried about you,” I said.
“I can take care of myself. It’s you I’m worried about,” he told me.
“I guess I don’t have teeth and claws, do I?” I added.
“Exactly. We’ll head into town in the morning. We’ll call my friends and have them meet us at the edge of town. I don’t know how this will go down, but we’ll settle it one way or another. Life isn’t worth living if you can’t live free and without fear,” Yeager told me. I was glad that we were going to deal with Dolan and his gang but I was scared too. I didn’t want anything to happen to Yeager. I was falling hard for him. Apparently, I didn’t have a choice in the matter but I was sure I would have fallen for him anyway.
“I trust you. I know you’ll take care of me. Just don’t get hurt, OK,” I replied.
“Promise. We should head back. Tomorrow is likely to be eventful,” Yeager said. His words would prove to be prophetic. Yeager and I walked back to the cabin, both of us nude. He didn’t shift so he could hold my hand as we hiked back. I appreciated the gesture. It seemed so much easier to travel as a wolf than a man. The wolf ran circles around me and never seemed to tire. I appreciated it too because I was afraid and having Yeager with me as a man lent me strength.
A half hour later, sometime in the wee hours of Saturday morning, we made it back to the cabin. We didn’t dress. Instead we lay in bed together, Yeager’s arms wrapped around me. I felt safe and wished we could stay there in the cabin and forget about Dolan and his vendetta. But that wasn’t possible. It was a pleasant fiction though.
I lay awake in Yeager’s arms as he slept. I’d already slept for several hours that night and even though I was tired, my mind was a hive of activity. It wasn’t just Dolan either. It was Yeager too. Despite my feelings for him, the entire situation was unsettling. I had come to accept the truth, even more now that I’d run with the wolf that was Yeager’s alter ego, but how this might affect my life I couldn’t know. If Yeager was to be my mate, how would we deal with that?
We lived in separate places, we had distinct lives that would have to merge in some way. Change was coming and even though I welcomed it, the upheaval would be a challenge. But more than that, I still found my connection to Yeager somewhat strange. I’d known him for mere days but I was already thinking about a life with him. The unexpected feelings didn’t disturb me but the fact that I accepted them so readily was a bit surprising.
I should have been worried that I’d developed such strong feelings for this man so quickly, but I wasn’t. I found his story somehow soothing. When he told me we were mates, fated to be together for life, I didn’t recoil in fear. I was drawn to the idea. I suppose that’s how it was meant to be. But why? How could I so easily embrace a world that I didn’t even know existed a few days prior? Even Yeager, though he hadn’t said so, seemed to be a bit amazed at how quickly I accepted the truth.
I fell asleep still wondering about it. I wasn’t going to answer all those questions laying in that cabin next to Yeager, my mate. I would find answers in Gold Canyon tomorrow if there were answers to be had. Maybe there weren’t any and this was all to remain a mystery. I sensed, however, there was more to this than even Yeager knew but maybe that was just my need to fill in the blanks. In any case, morning would bring answers and hopefully, this would all work out for the best.
~~O~~
Yeager made us breakfast, more dry, doughy pancakes, as I dressed and tried to do something with my long, raven-black hair. I eventually just pulled it into a ponytail again but even then I wasn’t satisfied and redid it several times. I guess I was nervous and needed something to occupy my mind. We choked down the pancakes and then made ready to head back to town. We never made it, however.
“Ready?” Yeager asked as he took me into his arms near the door of the cabin.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied.
“You’re brave and strong. Everything will work out. You’ll see,” Yeager assured me and then kissed me. I hugged him tight to me as his lips lingered against mine. I didn’t want to let go. Yeager had become my rock, my protector and so much more. I was so afraid for him even though I was the one that couldn’t defend myself.
“I hope so,” I told him as the kiss was broken. Yeager slipped his hand into mine and opened the door. There standing ten paces from the door was Dolan and behind him his gang of black wolves roamed the forest. I gasped in horror as Yeager squeezed my hand.
“There’s no place you can run, gray!” Dolan announced. Yeager moved between Dolan and me protectively.
“So be it, Dolan. We settle this here and now but let Cassie go,” Yeager said. I tried to protest but Yeager shook his head and whispered, “Be ready to run. Don’t argue, just do it. Get to town, find a man called Murphy and tell him what’s going on.” I couldn’t go but Yeager’s eyes told me there was no other choice. I knew what he was going to do. He was going to hold off Dolan and his pack so I could escape. He was going to sacrifice himself for me. Dolan didn’t seem prepared to play along, however.
“Why would I let my prize go? After I tear your heart out and eat it, Yeager, I’m going to take her as my mate,” Dolan replied.
“She’s done nothing to you. Let her go and you can have me,” Yeager replied. I watched the exchange, full with dread. I couldn’t see anyway this would end well.
“I can’t leave you,” I told Yeager.
“I can take care of myself. You just bring help. It’s the only chance,” he told me in a harsh whisper. I didn’t want to go but he was right. It was all I could do to affect the outcome. I had to bring this Murphy, whoever he was. I nodded assuring Yeager I would do what was needed but I cursed my inability to do anything but run away.
“She’s a black! Look at her. That dark hair, those green eyes. She belongs with us, gray! You killed our father, Yeager. You’ll pay for that and she’ll take her rightful place at my side...whether she likes it or not,” Dolan said. His wolves continued to circle the cabin to guard against our escape. I looked at Yeager wondering exactly what the big biker was talking about.
“Your father, like you, was a renegade. He ignored the code and he deserved to die,” Yeager shouted. Dolan growled in anger.
“It’s your kind that is the trouble. You live by their rules. We should be ruling the humans but you and you’re kind would rather be their pets. I take what I want because I’m better than them. Just like my father took Cassie’s mother,” Dolan said. I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Bullshit, Dolan,” Yeager replied and then looked at me as if to reassure me it wasn’t true. But I knew it was. Something told me Dolan wasn’t lying.
“That black haired bitch wasn’t my mother but Cassie is my half-sister. She belongs with us. She’s the key and I mean to have her. You can try to stand in the way, gray, but you’ll die,” Dolan warned. I had no idea what the big shifter was talking about and I didn’t want to find out. Suddenly, Yeager shifted. It took only a few seconds and must have cost him greatly by the howl of pain he let
out. The gray wolf bolted from the cabin, wiggling from the clothes he wore moments earlier as he went, and Dolan never had a chance.
Yeager leapt and took the big man to the ground. He would have had Dolan’s neck in his jaws if they hadn’t tumbled down the slope in a jumble of gray fur and black leather. The other wolves followed and for a brief moment, I had a path to escape. I wanted to see what had become of Yeager but I steeled my resolve and ran away from the cabin. I had to save my mate!
I ran as fast as I could, wearing shoes now so I didn’t have to pick a careful path. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going but I figured if I headed downhill, I’d eventually find the highway. For ten minutes, I ran through the forest, stumbling and almost going down several times. I expected a black wolf to appear and end my escape but none did. I was thirty miles from Gold Canyon but I tried to remain optimistic. I’d find the highway, catch a ride and bring back Murphy. But as more time passed and I found myself in the middle of nowhere, desperately lost, I lost hope.
Wolf's Den - A BBW Shifter Romance Novel Page 6
