Tonight, Sawyer met me by the hidden lake where we’d first slept together. The sky was orange as the sun descended over the horizon. The warm wind hugged my body and offered a bit of comfort. I stared out at the still water, my arms across my chest. Sawyer walked up next to me and stared out at the lake too.
Looking over at him, I smiled at the way the glowing sunset highlighted his high cheekbones and dirty blonde hair. He can make you happy. I thought to myself and actually believed it. I’d spent the first week trying to convince myself of this fact, but each day got easier. The more I thought about it and spent time with him, I knew it wasn’t a lie. Sawyer was fantastic and beautiful and unlike Adam, he could be mine. I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around his side. I leaned on his shoulder. Sawyer’s body stiffened, but eventually his arms wrapped around me. I sighed in relief at not getting shunned again, and we watched the world reflect on our special lake.
“Anna, I think it’s best if we stop seeing each other,” Sawyer finally said.
I didn’t move. I knew this moment was coming. “Can I ask why?” I whispered as I watched a crow fly over the trees.
“I think you know why.”
“Adam?”
“Yes,” Sawyer said, his voice stiff.
“Nothing happened,” I told him. That wasn’t exactly true but Sawyer didn’t need to know all the details.
Sawyer stepped out of my embrace and turned to face me. “Perhaps not, but it will. I like you, Anna, but I’ve never seen you look at me the way you do him.”
“Sawyer, please don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s for the best.” Sawyer’s lips lifted in a sad smile. “A relationship doesn’t work when only one person is falling.”
It seemed I was always watching the men I cared about walk away. Maybe I should take that as a hint.
*
Although late, I headed around the back of the house and picked up the axe. My insides were twisted in irritation. I walked to the tree line and swung the axe against the base of a large pine. I needed to hit something, to channel my anger. I struck the tree over and over, Adam and Sawyer’s faces flashing through my mind. I hated this, hated that two men had affected me so intensely I was no longer sure of myself. I wasn’t that girl. I didn’t get caught up in relationships or second guess who I was.
“Hey, lumberjack,” a man called.
I turned around, a scowl on my face and a thick layer of sweat on my forehead. Joe stood on the deck. “There’s been a meeting called.”
“Of course there has,” I mumbled. I was in no mood to see Adam or Sawyer, let alone in the same room together. I swung the axe one last time, left it in the tree and headed for the house.
The living room was full of my pack, me being the last to show up. I glanced at Adam as I shuffled into the room, but he didn’t even gaze in my direction. Eve smirked at my disappointment, and my wolf snarled. Oh to smack that smug smile off her face.
“Okay, now that everyone is here,” Adam began, his voice sending tremors through my body. My wolf whimpered and howled for his attention, just a glance was all she needed. But Adam kept his eyes on those around me, avoiding the space where I stood. I’d spent the last couple weeks telling him no, and now I regretted it. Of course if I would have given into him and then lost him, it would’ve hurt ten times worse. If we ever slept together, there’d be no going back.
“The full moon is tomorrow night and although there haven’t been any more killings, our hunt will be different. We’ll be hunting up at Trigger Lake. It’s further away which will offer us safety should there be hunters in the area. We’re to leave at 7:00 p.m. sharp. That’s all,” Adam finished.
The pack dispersed to the kitchen where dinner waited. I stayed in the living room, leaning against the wall. My home had turned into a torture chamber. Seeing Adam caused me agony. I replayed his last words over and over and had them memorized. Once I was left alone, I headed up to the second floor. I made my way to the office and shut the door. Walking closer to the desk, I ran my fingertips over the spot Adam had sat. The memory of his hunger and dominance caused my need for him to build.
My hands trailed down my body, my fingers rubbing the spot that ached for him. Was it my face you saw when you looked at him? Rode him? Kissed him? His words floated through my mind, my fingers slipping under the hem of my shorts. Did you picture me slamming into you, filling you? A moan escaped my lips as I moved my hand deeper. I envisioned his blonde hair, blue eyes, and strong broad chest. The way those blue eyes lit up when they roamed my body. The way his hands felt against my skin. Licking my lips, I fantasized about his kiss and how he tasted on my mouth. The pressure built, my breaths becoming labored. Did you wish it was me between your legs?
“Yes!” I moaned, the pressure breaking free, sending cascades of pleasure washing through me. When I opened my eyes, my fantasy was gone. Staring back me was an empty office. Get yourself together!
Making my way downstairs, I headed for my bedroom. I wasn’t in the mood to eat. I lay on my bed and listened to the chatter of my pack laughing and talking amongst themselves. In a house full of people, I was alone. Even the wolf was depressed without Adam’s attention. I hated it. I was not a woman who needed a man to complete me. What the hell was wrong with me and when would it stop?
Two soft knocks sounded from my door. “Anna?” Elle peeked her head inside. I looked over at her with a straight face.
“Something wrong?” Elle sat on my bed, her long red hair falling forward.
“It’s not important,” I told her.
“It is if it’s bothering you. You know you can talk to me.”
I regarded her and thought about whether I should say what was abusing my mind. In the time I’d been living here, I never saw her with a guy or even seen any of the guys fight to mate with her. I watched her full green eyes, the sprinkle of freckles across her nose, and her full pink lips. She was beautiful.
“How have you kept the guys from wanting to mate with you?” I spoke before I thought about what I was saying. It wasn’t normal that someone who looked like her didn’t have men going insane.
“Oh, you noticed that, did you?” She looked away, almost uncomfortable.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just you’re very pretty. Surely the men here have tried mating with you.” The main reason I was interested was so she could give me advice. I needed someone with experience to teach me how to survive this feeling.
“The men in our pack can tell what I am, so they don’t want anything to do with me, which is cool. But it does get a little lonely,” Elle said.
“What are you?” I asked dumbfounded.
Elle laughed. My face must have been as confused as my brain. “I’m gay, Anna. The men pick up on it and know that trying to get into my panties wouldn’t do them any good. I must give off different pheromones than other women.”
“Oh,” I said lamely. “I didn’t know.”
Elle shrugged. “I don’t advertise it. Being around a bunch of men who can sniff it out, there’s no need.” She watched me for a few moments. “So what’s bothering you?”
“Sawyer dumped me,” I told her. Of course I was bothered by the fact that Sawyer didn’t want to see me anymore, but the real reason was Adam and the unnatural pull I had towards him. As much as I liked hanging out with Sawyer, Adam was a constant thought on my mind.
“Can you blame him?” Elle said, surprising me.
“What does that mean?”
“I live in the same house. I know Adam has been pursuing you. I see the way you guys devour each other with your eyes. What man would want to compete with that sort of attraction?” Elle smiled.
“I don’t even want to compete with that sort of attraction. It’s driving me insane. I thought it was just because he was my alpha, but the other women don’t act like that around him.” I smiled. “I mean of course they find him attractive, you’d have to be blind not to, but I feel like…I don’t know.”
/> Elle was quiet for a moment. I looked up from the blanket I’d been wringing in my hands. “I sound like a pathetic loser, don’t I?”
“No, it’s not that. There’s a myth about wolves that I heard once, and it makes me wonder.”
“What? What was the myth?” Adam trained me on controlling the beast and hunting, but he’d never taught me the history of the werewolves. Up until now, I’d never thought about it. Becoming an animal kept my mind busy enough without piling on a history lesson.
“Long ago wolves only mated once they found what the Indian’s called their chante. It means heart. Wolves bonded for a lifetime when they found their heart. It’s said they knew this person by the overwhelming pull they felt towards them. Not just attraction, but like your soul is being physically drawn towards the other,” Elle paused. “I’m not saying that’s what’s going on with you and Adam, but what if it is? What if the stories aren’t just stories? Nowadays born wolves are paired up with other packs to form alliances. There hasn’t been a member that I’ve ever heard of who has found their chante.”
I thought about my connection to Adam, and it sounded exactly like what Elle described, but it also sounded hokey. Surely, there wasn’t such a thing as soul mates. I’d spoke a good game in keeping him out of my pants, but I never ceased to kiss him back or push him away quick enough. Inside I wanted him, and my façade pushed him further away. He no longer acknowledged me and that hurt worse than a bear trap around the leg.
“I doubt that’s it,” I told Elle. “Adam doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore—which is for the best, I guess. He’s mated to Eve, and if she ever gets the chance, she’ll rip my throat out.” I had a sneaking suspicion that the only reason I was still alive was because Adam made sure I stayed that way. I saw the bloodthirsty glare in Eve’s eyes every time she looked at me.
“We could find out more about it,” Elle whispered.
“How? I doubt Adam will tell us.”
“There’s a book. It’s been passed down from alpha to alpha, and it holds every bit of information on werewolves. Adam keeps it in his study.” A devious smile curled Elle’s pink lips and a glint of mischief lit her green eyes.
“You want us to sneak into Adam and Eve’s house to find some book about myths that are most likely only stories? Do you have a death wish?”
“We won’t get caught. We’ll do it during the hunt tomorrow night.”
I burst out laughing. “We’ll be wolves. How are we going to break in with paws?” Tomorrow night was the full moon and the change was absolute. We couldn’t switch forms until the sun rose.
“Adam has a doggy door in case he ever needs to get into the house for an emergency. And the book is hidden under the floorboards. With a little effort, we can totally grab it, read it, and then return it when we’re back to our normal selves.”
I considered her words and the consequences should we get caught. We’d be punished, but so long as that punishment didn’t include death, which I knew it wouldn’t, I was game. I needed to know what the story was all about, and if there was a possibility it could be true, as crazy as it sounded.
“You’ve got a partner in crime,” I said, and Elle beamed.
The pack gathered at the house, ready to head up to Trigger Lake for our hunt. Elle and I devised a plan to track back towards the houses while the others were busying stalking dinner. With luck, we’d grab the book, stow it, and be back before anyone realized we’d left. When a full moon approached everyone got a little antsy. I watched my pack shift from foot to foot as they waited to be called by the moon. Once an animal was in our sights, Adam would direct us to circle it until we closed in and took it down. Usually, we killed two larger animals during a full moon so there was enough to go around. My mouth watered at the thought of sinking my teeth into a moose or elk. Elle and I would have to wait for our dinner though; we had to find the book as quick as possible.
“We’re leaving,” Adam called out. He wore a pair of Adidas track pants and nothing else. My eyes absorbed the beauty of his broad chest and the ripples that made up his six pack stomach. My fingers itched to feel those ripples. Snapping my eyes up, I looked at Adam’s face and he was watching me. My wolf yipped in excitement. It’d been almost a month since he shown any semblance of notice towards me. The look in those cobalt pools before he glanced away was warm and hungry. Maybe he did still have a thing for me. My heart skipped a beat. You’re a pathetic loser.
Jumping in my truck with Elle sitting shotgun, I pulled onto the mountain road and followed the rest of the pack. The track to Trigger Lake was rocky and difficult to maneuver, but we’d make it. The twilight sky caused my skin to itch and prickle with excitement. My muscles were tense and my wolf emerged. Glancing in the rearview mirror, my brown eyes were now amber. I looked over at Elle and her eyes had changed as well. She rolled her neck to ease the strain. The moon was a powerful thing. Changing during a full one was a lot more dramatic than changing without one. Our wolves took complete control, the feeling almost sensual as we gave in to our inner beasts.
“Once everyone is ordered to their hunting areas, we’ll break away, and head back,” Elle said.
Nodding, I said, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
She looked over, her eyes almost glowing. “Don’t you wanna know?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then.”
After managing not to break a spring over the large rocks, we pulled in to Trigger Lake. Mountains and pine trees surrounded the area, giving us the privacy we needed. The sky was now dark enough, the moon visible against the purple smeared clouds. Everyone hopped out of their trucks and began shucking their clothing and stowing them. Seeing twenty-four naked bodies shouldn’t have surprised me, but I still got uneasy at seeing my friends in the flesh.
I dragged my tank top over my head and threw it in the cab of the truck. Unbuttoning my shorts, I stepped out of them, and also threw them in the truck. Everyone knew I kept my bra and panties on until I absolutely had to take them off, so when I unhooked my bra and stepped out of my underwear, admiring gazes found my now naked body.
I wasn’t paying attention to the men’s stares though. I was focused on Adam. Our eyes locked, and I swear his jaw tighten.
“Hot damn, Anna, can I get a taste?” Mark teased.
“Like you could handle me.” I laughed.
I caught Sawyer’s gaze, and he winked and smiled in appreciation. I returned his smile, happy he didn’t seem to be pissed at me anymore.
“I’d be happy to prove you wrong,” Mark said.
“Enough,” Adam barked, and Mark, along with the other men, ignored my exposed flesh. A grin lifted my lips.
Elle kept staring.
I laughed and said, “You couldn’t handle me either.”
“Shut up.” She chuckled, her cheeks reddening.
Adam assigned areas, breaking us down in crews of four and five. When we found an elk or moose, we were supposed to alert him, and he’d direct the others to set up the trap.
Everyone’s bodies began to wither and soft moans filled the secluded area. The sky was dark enough for the call of the moon to be too strong to refuse. One by one each person shifted.
I felt the rush of the change and within a blink of an eye I was on four paws. I don’t know about normal wolves, but werewolves see everything in color. A trait I’d been happy to keep. Adam padded through pack so he stood in the middle of the circle and let out a long howl. Eve followed and each wolf joined in according to their superiority. When it was my turn, my wolf joined in on the song to the moon. Adam yipped, and we broke out in teams. Elle and I were lucky enough to be paired together. Running into the tree line with her right beside me, we headed for our designation. Asher and Joe were in front of us, both of their wolves silver. Once they were out of sight, Elle nudged me with her nose. We stopped running and listened for a few seconds before turning around and heading back. We ran like hell. It’d be some time before the wolves got far en
ough into the mountain to hunt, but it was at least five miles back to the house.
Elle kept pace with me, her wolf was a reddish color with black sprinklings. She stood a little shorter than my wolf, but that didn’t distract from her ability to run next to me. I bolted through the wind, my heart hammering in my chest, and my eyes focused on the space in front of me. I was afraid that if I saw an animal, my wolf would take control and hunt rather than flee.
“Your little stunt is going to have all the men pounding on my door to claim you,” Adam’s voice penetrated my mind, causing my hurried steps to falter. Worry pumped through my veins. Did he know I wasn’t with the group? I glanced over at Elle, but she didn’t show any signs of having heard Adam.
“That should make you happy,” I thought back. I guess it took seeing me naked to get a rise out of Adam.
Just when I thought Adam had gone back to ignoring me, his voice sounded in my mind again. “Nothing about you being with other men makes me happy, Anna.” His voice held an edge that caused shivers to radiate through my body. I craved his possessiveness, the power in his tone that wanted me all to himself.
“Sawyer dumped me,” I told him, not exactly sure why. I guess I wanted him to know that no other man would be sampling my goods.
“What a fool,” Adam snorted.
I didn’t respond again. I needed to stop entertaining the idea of Adam being mine. As much as I wanted to be with him, I wouldn’t share him with Eve. I snarled at the thought. I wouldn’t allow myself to get drawn in again just to be thrown away.
I could now see the lights of the houses as I pushed forward, my claws digging into the soft earth. Elle and I headed towards Adam and Eve’s large log cabin. Heading around the back, Elle slipped in through the doggy door with me following behind.
01 Taming the Wolf - Anna Avery Page 8
