01 Taming the Wolf - Anna Avery

by Stephanie Nelson

  *

  “Anna, calm down,” Elle said, resting her hand on my shoulder to stop me. I’d been pacing my room for the last two hours. Nicholas left his duty as guard and Michael had taken up post in front of my bedroom. He wouldn’t allow me to close my door, afraid I’d sneak out of my window.

  “How am I supposed to calm down?” I shrieked. “You’d be freaking out too if you knew you were going to die.” I picked up pacing again. My fingernails were chewed down to nubs, and I was sure I’d worn a trail into my carpet.

  “Are you psychic now?” Elle asked with sarcasm. “Have you seen the future?”

  “Shut up,” I told her. “This is serious….as in deadly serious!” I trailed a finger across my throat to mimic a beheading. If I did die, at least it’d be quick—or at least I hoped.

  “I am being serious,” Elle snapped back. “You’re acting like you already know you’re guilty and there’s a headstone waiting for you. Besides…” Elle glanced over at Michael whose back was turned towards us. Stepping close to me, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, “You know Adam isn’t going to let anything happen to you, even if you are guilty, which I doubt.”

  Michael turned around at our sudden silence. Elle backed away and smiled at him. He didn’t return the friendly gesture. Once he turned back around, I whispered back to Elle.

  “I’m not going to let Adam kill himself for me.”

  “Like you could stop him,” Elle replied and then mumbled, “or me.”

  “What?” I asked a little louder than intended. Michael looked over his shoulder and glared at both of us. His eyes were baggy, as if he hadn’t gotten any sleep. When he turned back around, I grabbed a hold of Elle’s arm.

  “Please tell me you won’t interfere with my sentencing.” I couldn’t deal with the fact that two people might die because of me. As much as Adam and Elle thought they could save me, it’d only get them killed.

  “If it were me, would you sit by and watch me die?” Elle asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head in question.

  “That’s not the point,” I told her. “It’s not you, it’s me, and I say to stay out of it.”

  “Well,” Elle drawled out. “Look whose growing into her big girl panties. It’s about damn time.”

  I shook my head, my frustration levels too high to form an argument with my friend. Instead, I ran my fingers through my hair and paced again. Even my wolf was agitated. I could feel her squirming underneath the surface, making my skin itch and my temper short. My reflection from this morning flashed into my mind. Red splatters coating my face and debris in my hair. What in the hell happened? Closing my eyes, I thought about the previous night. Sure I had the dream, but I couldn’t remember one solid memory of killing anyone. The not knowing was driving me insane.

  “I’m going to get you some tea,” Elle said, flipping her red hair over a shoulder. I watched as she sauntered out of the room and disappeared down the hall. Michael turned to look at me, his eyes shooting towards the window.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere,” I told him. “I’m just as curious as you guys to find out what happened.”

  “Correction,” Michael stated, turning so that he was facing me head on. “We already think you’re guilty. The only reason we’re running the test is to please your alpha. It may surprise you, but we don’t like killing people.”

  “You guys seem ready to kill me,” I retorted.

  “That’s different, you’re a threat—Adam isn’t. It’d be a shame to lose an alpha.” Michael smiled and turned back around, leaning a shoulder against the wall. I sneered at his back and wished I had a silver bullet.

  Sitting on my bed, I eyed my alarm clock. It’d been two hours since Adam and Wade left. What was taking them so long? Granted they wouldn’t have the results for a couple days, but I needed to speak to Adam, to find out what, if anything, they found out. Looking around the room, my gaze settled on my dresser. Inside was the book we’d stolen from Adam and never put back. If the leaders decided to search my room, they could add thief to the charges against me. The thought of Adam and the events from last night popped into my head. He said those three terrifying words, words that had never been spoken to me. I didn’t know how I felt about him, but having the alpha confess he loved me was just another problem I faced. He knew we couldn’t be together, so what was the point in telling me how he felt? It only complicated how my feelings and left me lost on what I should do. It was a sick twisted game of torture where there were no winners.

  “Here you go,” Elle said, bringing me out of head. I looked up and reached for the cup of hot tea. The scent was harsh and caused my upper lip to draw up on my teeth.

  “What is this?” I held the cup out as far away from me as possible.

  “It’s tea,” Elle stated.

  “Uh-huh, this doesn’t smell like any kind of tea I’ve ever had before. What’s in it?”

  Elle cocked a hip and crossed her arms, giving me a look that said I should shut up and down the nasty smelling liquid. With an arched eyebrow, Elle nodded towards my cup and waited until I took a sip.

  Bringing the mug to my lips, I allowed a drizzle to coat my tongue and almost gagged. The taste was worse than the smell.

  “Seriously, what is this?” I asked around a cough. My tongue tingled and my wolf retreated, if that made sense. I could feel her presence almost cowering, her strength waning.

  Elle walked over to the bed and sat beside me. Holding onto the bed with both hands, she leaned forward, her copper hair spilling over her shoulders. With a sideways glance, her green eyes glinted as her lips whispered, “Wolfsbane.”

  “What?” I shrieked and dropped the cup. The brownish green liquid soaked into my carpet, and I edged back onto my bed. Michael turned around and eyed both of us before his gaze found the stain on the floor.

  “She’s a bit shaken up and clumsy,” Elle lied. Michael rolled his eyes and turned back around. Elle grabbed my arm and tugged me towards her until our faces were touching.

  “You need to drink it,” she bit out. “It’ll help you calm down and get out of your head for a while.

  “It’s poison,” I hissed, knowing why my wolf shied away from it. The herb was deadly to werewolves, and I’d ingested some of it.

  “It’s only poisonous in large quantities.” Elle slipped off of the bed, bent down and retrieved my cup. Walking over to my dresser, she lifted a kettle and refilled my mug. Looking over, she raised her cup towards me and then downed its contents.

  I watched her with wide eyes, worried she’d just sealed her fate, and I’d be burying my friend come morning.

  After drinking the tea, she filled the cup up again and walked back over to me. “Don’t you trust me?”

  Biting my lip, I looked up and then down at the glass. When it seemed Elle was fine and what she said must be true, I clasped the mug.

  “You’re sure about this?” I asked as I stared at the liquid.

  “It’s like puffer fish,” Elle said and I frowned. “It’s poisonous, but when it’s sliced just right, it can be eaten. The same goes for wolfsbane. A little is harmless.”

  Her comparison left a lot to be desired, but I believed her. Slowly raising the cup to my lips, I allowed a small portion to flood my mouth. My tongue tingled and my wolf scurried away. Swallowing the tea, I took another drink and then another until the cup was empty. When I finished the last of the drink, I felt strangely at peace. The burden of whether I was a killer, my complicated relationship with Adam, and the fear of possibly dying all vanished.

  “See, isn’t that better?” Elle asked as she tugged the covers back and helped me slip into bed. The warmth of my blankets surrounded me like serene cocoon. My eyelids grew heavy and drooped closed. I snapped them open. Elle’s red hair glowed as she blocked out the light from my ceiling. Leaning over me, she pressed a kiss to my forehead and whispered, “Goodnight, Anna.”

  Flashes of forest raced through my mind as I tried to outrun the wolf. My
legs were tired from my earlier jog, now burning and growing weak. Still, I kept running.

  I was falling over a cliff. The air whooshed my hair out and into my face. A sharp, searing pain shot through my arm, causing me to cry out. Like the event was on fast forward, I was on the ground listening to two people talk. Tilting my head back, I stared at the two naked bodies and shock grabbed ahold of my lungs and squeezed.

  My eyes shot open. Reaching a hand up, I rested it over my beating heart that seemed on a mission to bruise my ribcage. Sitting up and hugging my knees to my chest, my eyes darted around my bedroom. The dream was a vivid replay of when I’d been attacked by the wolf, the day my life changed forever. Those events were fuzzy at best and revisiting them was discomforting. In my dream, I’d seen Adam standing next to Eve, or at least I think it was Eve. Her hair was longer and a darker shade of brown. Even Adam looked slightly different. His hair was to the middle of his chest and his eyes seemed more hazel than blue. Although sorrow smothered his face, a trace of ominous rejoice was also there. I imagined the whole thing. It’s just my brain’s way of dealing with all of the drama in my life.

  Two loud bangs startled me. The visitor didn’t wait for my invitation, instead the door swung open and Wade stood on the other side. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for the news. Did he already have the results of the test and was he coming to kill me?

  “Get up,” he ordered. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was still the same day only later. The wolfsbane tea knocked me out, and I’d slept for nine hours. Now the sky was dark and the crickets chirped. I could see the glow of a fire in the backyard and hear the strum of Sawyer’s guitar. Bonfires were a common thing in the summer, something I loved.

  “What are we doing?” I edged out of bed, grabbing a rubber band off my nightstand. Now was not the time to worry about whether my hair was presentable or not. My entire body trembled as I thought that I could die tonight. There was so much I wanted to do, so much I hadn’t said to a particular alpha. I finally found a group of people I considered family, and now I’d lose them—or rather they’d lose me.

  “Meeting at Adam’s,” Wade said, his tone lacking any semblance of emotion. His face was stony and his eyes serious—not good. I glanced at my dresser, the place that held the stolen book. If I were going to die, I didn’t want Adam finding it later and thinking I was a thief, even if I was. Getting it out without Wade seeing was going to be a problem.

  “Could you turn around?” I asked and was rewarded with an annoyed groan. “I need to change shirts,” I lied. Wade’s eyes went to my window and then he turned around. Being treated like a criminal was getting old. Did he really think I’d make a break for it with him only a few feet away?

  Opening my closet, I dug around until I found my messenger bag. Moving quickly, I opened my drawer and shuffled the large book inside. After I was sure the book was securely hidden, I changed my shirt quickly.

  “Okay,” I said as I slung the strap to my purse around my chest. Wade eyed my accessory, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he moved to the side and held out his arm as a sign that I should go first.

  Having him walk behind me was being led to the gallows by the undertaker. My muscles were tense and the hairs on my arms stood on end. Even my wolf was silent, either scared or still loopy from the wolfsbane.

  “So…what’s the verdict?” I looked over my shoulder, but kept walking towards the living room. Out of my peripheral I saw the gang circled around the fire going on with their lives. I desperately wanted to be part of their carelessness. I wanted to hear Sawyer sing, listen to Joe’s jokes, and eat large amounts of grilled meats. Unfortunately, fate had something else in store for me.

  “We’ll discuss it at Adam’s,” Wade responded. Would they set up a time and date that Adam would have to fight for my freedom, or did they plan to kill me without the knowledge of the pack? Not that any of them would put up too much of a fight, except Adam and maybe Elle. If I was responsible, I put their lives in danger. The secret of our kind could not get out without serious repercussions. That meant if I was the wolf strolling around attacking humans, I needed to be put down.

  As Wade and I climbed into his SUV, I stared out the window and thought about my dream. It’s not easy trying to decipher whether there’s any truth to a hallucination. The fact that all my other dreams had come true was a bit alarming. Was Eve the one killing humans and Adam knew it? The short drive seemed to last forever. I couldn’t stop fidgeting, wondering, and worrying about what I’d learn tonight. When Wade pulled to a stop outside of Adam’s house, he got out while I waited in the car. Adam’s house, once normal, now scared the hell out of me. Inside the leaders and my fate waited for me. I thought for sure I’d be strong and accept whatever verdict they came to, but now that I was about to hear it, all I wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare.

  “You coming?” Wade asked, tapping on the passenger side window.

  I nodded, clasping the door handle and slowly opening it. The air in my lungs thinned as I tried to suck in a deep breath. I was sure that if I looked down, I’d see my shirt pulsating from the violent beat of my heart. I couldn’t help but think that I was supposed to die three months ago. I was obviously in the right place at the right time for fates sneaky plan to work, although it hadn’t. I’d survived my attack and now death had circled back around to claim me again. As Wade and I walked up to Adam’s house, I saw the life I’d reclaimed slowly slipping out of my grasp. Flashes of my bloody reflection, the dreams, and how I reacted to humans bombarded my mind. The puzzle pieces slipped together. The wait no longer felt unbearable because I knew I was to blame. This whole time the signs were smack dab in front of me and my denial made me blind to them.

  Wade stepped through the front door; I was hesitant to follow. I could hear the leaders clamoring inside and Adam shouting back. My name was the topic of their heated discussion, a fact that didn’t help my feet move forward.

  “Come on,” Wade said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and guiding me into the house. “We’re here,” he called out and the argument ceased.

  As we rounded the corner to the dining room, everyone’s heads snapped up, their steely eyes pinning me in my place. The only person I could focus on was Adam. He sat at the head of the table, his hair messy and his eyes tired. The atmosphere of the room was thick with tension and anger. My skin tingled with the sensation of unease as my wolf gauged the situation. No matter if I accepted the guilty verdict, my wolf wouldn’t bow so easily.

  “Sit, please,” Wade instructed as he pulled out a chair at the end of the table. Glancing down, I slid into the seat and closed my eyes for a split second. When I looked back up, my gaze found Eve’s. She sat on Adam’s right, her hands clasped in front of her and an evil smirk on her lips. Now that I was in the presence of both of them, my dream seemed more real. Though Adam claimed he didn’t love Eve, he stood beside her. I wanted to believe that he felt something for me, possibly loved me, but that was just me being foolish. If he’d really loved me, wouldn’t he have left Eve for me? Wouldn’t he have made a proclamation to the leaders that he wanted to have me as his mate? I knew there was a lot of political crap, but I also knew that those kinds of things didn’t, or shouldn’t, pertain to matters of the heart.

  “Anna, we received the test back early,” Wade said as he sat down to my left. A red folder lay in front of him on the table, his fingers peeling back the flap to reveal the papers inside.

  “I need a minute,” I interrupted. “Sorry…I just…I’ll be right back.” Slipping out of the chair, I raced to the bathroom. Shutting the door, I braced both hands on either side of the sink and hung my head. Maybe I wasn’t as at peace with the news as I thought I’d be. What normal person would be?

  Looking up, I caught my reflection and shook my head. If my parents were alive, what would they say? Would I even be in this mess? I cringed at what they’d think of me now. How they’d look at me knowing I killed three people. I could barely lo
ok at myself without repulsion. The beast I thought I had under control, controlled me all along.

  Two soft knocks sounded at the door. My head snapped in the direction and then at the small window over the toilet. The prospect of running was so damn alluring. But being on the run for the rest of my life was not.

  “Anna?” Adam said softly.

  My entire body sagged at hearing his voice. Clasping the handle, I opened the door and swallowed around the lump in my throat. Adam watched me with caution, almost sorrow. The expression on his face told me all I needed to know. Why would he look so sad if I were innocent?

  Stepping inside, Adam closed the door behind him. His arms went around my body as he hugged me to his chest. Resting his head on mine, he said, “I love you.” The words were so soft I barely caught them. I wanted to forget about the leaders waiting in the other room and lose myself in his embrace, but my dream wouldn’t allow me to. Adam’s arms no longer felt welcoming. All I could think about was the vision of him standing next to Eve while I lay dying in front of them and all the times he pretended he didn’t know who attacked me.

  Stepping back, I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the floor. I couldn’t gaze into those sapphire eyes without crying or getting so angry I would attack him. The confliction of emotions was enough to drive me insane.

  “What’s wrong?” Adam asked, stepping forward.

  I held out my hand to stop him and took a step back. “Do you know who changed me?” I decided to ask again so I could watch his facial expression closer this time.

  Adam’s brow arched in confusion. “No, why?”

  I didn’t respond right away. I studied his face and body language. He didn’t tense or look away from my hard stare. For all intents and purposes, he seemed legitimately confused by my question. So why did I still feel uneasy towards him? Did it even matter if I was going to be sentenced to death? Maybe it was my way to hold onto hope. Part of me had faith that my life wouldn’t end, and Adam and I had a future. Stupid, I know.