01 Taming the Wolf - Anna Avery

by Stephanie Nelson

  I flinched at hearing him called her his mate.

  “As for the dream, it was not me with her when she attacked you, it was Anthony. My brother went rogue when I took my father’s place as alpha. He always thought packs should be made up of purebreds. That’s why my father didn’t choose him to rule. When we were in our early twenties, before I was alpha, Anthony and Eve hooked up from time to time at our semiannual summits. Of course I didn’t know this until my father named me his successor and announced that Eve would be my mate. Anthony held that against me, even more than taking the position of alpha,” He stopped talking to reach for a cup. He filled it with water and poured it over my hair, his fingers caressing my scalp as he massaged shampoo into my dirty locks.

  “He loved her and love can make you accept things about another person that you thought you never could. Eve was always a little more aggressive than normal. She and my brother shared the same frame of mind when it came to purebred packs. I suspected they still met up from time to time, but all I had were speculations. And in all honesty, I didn’t mind. I didn’t love her and my brother did. I guess it was my way of giving him something he wanted.”

  It was a lot to take in. I never heard him, or anyone else in the pack, talk about a brother. Part of me understood Anthony’s fury. He’d wanted to become alpha, but it’d been giving to his brother. He loved Eve, but she was given to Adam. I could see how his resentment could grow from disappointment and heartache to something more bitter and dangerous. Did that mean I had sympathy towards the man who held me prisoner and treated me like something he’d stepped in? No, I still hated him, but I understood him better.

  “But you acted like you knew something when I asked about Eve killing humans,” I told him.

  “I’m sorry if I made you think that. I didn’t know for sure, that’s why I wanted you to come back and tell me what happened. Maybe we could have formed a coherent piece of evidence between the two of us,” Adam said, his voice calmer. “Anthony once told me Eve had a dark side, a side he wasn’t sure he could tolerate. He didn’t tell me what it was, but I think I know now. When everyone thought you were killing humans, I asked myself the same question: could I handle that darkness within you?”

  “And?”

  “It’d be hard to refuse you, Anna.”

  Silence settled between us as Adam washed my body and hair. I felt more like myself in his presence and better now that I knew Adam wasn’t involved with Eve and the killing of humans.

  “Do you feel like talking about it?” Adam asked.

  I owed him the details of my stay with Anthony and Eve. If it were him who’d gone through it, I’d want to know what happened. I told him about everything, starting with the car crash and how I thought it was him in the middle of the road to Anthony fooling me into thinking he melted the scar off of his hand. I also told him about the torture of hearing him and Eve having sex. By the time I finished, Adam’s body was rigid and made of stone.

  “How about we get out and get you something to eat,” Adam said, standing and helping me up.

  He tried very hard to rein in his temper and stay calm around me, and I hated it. I needed the fiery passion of his words and anger. That spark ignited something within me and helped me react.

  “You don’t have to watch yourself around me,” I told him as he slipped a robe around my shoulders. “Everyone’s walking on eggshells, treating me like I’ll crack under the pressure. I need normalcy and you holding your tongue and smiling is not normal.” I caught his gaze in the mirror.

  His body relaxed a little. “You’re damn frustrating,” he said. “Is that truth enough for you?”

  I smiled and nodded.

  “Now, let me take care of you.”

  As we made our way out of the bathroom, I stopped. The house was loud. It looked like the entire pack was here.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing that concerns you,” Adam said, his voice serious. Tugging me down the hall, we stepped into my bedroom and he closed the door. Walking over to my bed, he turned down the covers and pointed. “You need to rest.”

  “For fuck’s sake, Adam. I’m not a little girl. If something is going on, don’t shield me from it.”

  Adam’s jaw set, and his teeth clenched as he stared daggers at me. It may have been the wrong timing, but he was sexy as hell when he tried to be the oh-so-powerful-alpha.

  “Nothing’s going on. They’re here to show their support. You don’t need to entertain them. We planned to play cards tonight anyway,” Adam said, resting his hands on his hips and arching an eyebrow.

  “See, why do I think you’re lying to me?”

  “Let it go, Anna, and get into bed,” he ordered.

  Inside I was doing cartwheels. Though my body was still weak, I felt like myself. I was so happy to be away from the dark place in my head I couldn’t help but goad Adam a little.

  “No, I don’t think I will.” I turned, reaching for the door when Adam’s arms wrapped around my waist. He lifted me into the air with ease, turned around, and deposited me on the bed.

  “If you move an inch, I’ll strap you to that damn thing, understand?”

  I smiled. Adam’s stony face softened, his lips lifting into a grin, and his eyes lighting with an emotion I came to recognize as want. As delicious as he was, my body wasn’t up for any frisky business. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to me, his lips velvety smooth. His warm breath blew against my mouth, a seductive caress that promised more. All of my resolve disappeared as my focus settled on the delectable tightening in my stomach. Would Adam always affect me this way? I hoped so.

  “Now,” Adam spoke against my lips, “go to sleep and dream of me. I’ll see you in the morning. If you need anything, ring the bell.”

  “Bell?”

  Adam picked up a small, brass bell from my nightstand and shook it back and forth. “I’ll hear it.”

  I didn’t doubt it; our hearing was very sensitive, even in a house full of rowdy werewolves. I nodded and settled down, but frowned a little so he’d know that even though I was doing what he wanted, I wasn’t happy about it.

  A smirk lifted one side of his mouth. Reaching towards me, he pressed another soft kiss to my mouth. I curled my upper lip inward to hide my smile.

  “Get some sleep.”

  I watched him leave, closing the door behind him. I half-hoped he’d come back in and lay beside me. After staring for five minutes, I yawned and flipped over, hugging the blankets. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was very tired. It didn’t take long for the plush comfort of my mattress to ease me to sleep.

  The loud chattering of voices stirred me from my sleep. Rolling over, I glanced at my alarm clock—1:00 a.m. Yawning, my mouth was dryer than a desert; I swung my legs over the edge of my bed. Stumbling, still half asleep, I opened my door and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Anna is not to know about this,” Adam said, stopping me in my tracks. I was awake now. I pressed against the side of the wall, making sure I wasn’t visible by the men sitting at the table.

  “You don’t think she’ll figure it out?” Wade replied with a snort.

  “If she does, it better not be from one of you,” Adam warned.

  What the hell are they talking about?

  “You forget your place, alpha,” Nicholas snapped back.

  The rest of the house was still abuzz with a few members of the pack, far less than before.

  “I don’t mean any disrespect,” Adam started, “but I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep her safe. They’ll use her against me to get their way. I’m not going to let that happen.”

  There was silence and then Jeff spoke. “It was a surprise to see how quickly they gathered a following.”

  Grunts of agreement circled around the table. “We’ll need to call surrounding packs to assist with the take down.”

  “That’s the problem, isn’t it? We don’t know who they have on their side,” Jeff commented.

  “Anna, did you need
something?” Joe asked, coming around the corner and arching a knowing brow at me.

  I gave him my best please-don’t-rat-me-out face, and he nodded, a shallow movement but relief washed through me.

  The talking at the table ceased, a chair squeaked and Adam walked up behind Joe.

  “What are you doing out of bed?” Adam asked, coming around Joe and gripping my shoulders.

  “I was thirsty and—.”

  “Didn’t I explain what the bell was for?” Adam said incredulous.

  “I also needed to go to the bathroom,” I added. “Are you going to do that for me too?”

  Adam smiled, a sexy glint lighting his eyes. Ignoring him, I slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. Walking over to the mirror, I gawked at my reflection. My hair was all kinds of chaos, and Joe and Adam had seen it. That’ll teach me to go to bed with it wet again. Fishing a brush out of the drawer, I ran it through my frizzy locks a few times. When enough time had passed, I walked over to the toilet and flushed, hoping I’d fooled Adam. His conversation with the leaders nagged my mind. What were they talking about? I hadn’t asked him what happened to Eve and Anthony. I hadn’t questioned him about that day at all. Would he even tell me? There seemed to be secret plan underway and he was doing his damnest to exclude me from it.

  Opening the bathroom door, I came face to face with the man in question. Adam leaned against the wall, a glass of water in his hand. As I watched him, I noticed how pale his face was and how bloodshot his eyes were.

  “When was the last time you slept?”

  “I don’t know,” he said with genuine confusion. I took the glass; clasping his hand I led him to my bedroom.

  “I know you’re planning something,” I told him, straightening the blankets.

  He scowled, realizing I heard at least part of his conversation.

  “And it’s not going to work if our pack has a sleep deprived alpha leading them.” I smiled, finding it funny that Adam and I had reversed roles and now he needed to be persuaded to rest.

  “You need to sleep.” I nodded toward the bed.

  “I’ll sleep,” Adam said, dragging his T-shirt over his head. My eyes soaked up the beauty of his chest and abs. “But lay with me. You still need to rest too.”

  I flicked a glance to the door, anxious to snoop into Adam’s secret plan.

  “Nothing out there concerns you, Anna,” Adam said, catching onto my idea. He shuffled into bed, inching over so there was room for me. Propping himself up on his elbow, he stabbed the mattress with his finger, and his I-mean-business stare pinned me in my place.

  “Get. Into. Bed.”

  I spared one more look at the door. If I disobeyed him, he’d be out of that bed and hauling my ass back before I made it down the hallway. Declaring defeat, I climbed into bed. Adam slung an arm around my waist, guiding me against the hard plains of his body. He was so warm, my muscles immediately relaxed against him. Being held prisoner had taken a lot out of me. It could have been worse. Eve and Anthony could have really tortured me.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Hmm?” Adam mumbled, his nose buried within my hair.

  “At the place where you found me,” I paused, a new question occurring to me. “How did you find me?”

  “I tracked you,” Adam said.

  It was a bit surprising, but not all that out of the ordinary for a werewolf. “And?” I fished.

  “And nothing. You’re home, you’re safe, and you’re in my arms. That’s all that matters.”

  His dodging knew no bounds. Frustration and anger overthrew my nonchalance. Where did he get off keeping things from me? Especially when those things involved me.

  “What happened to Eve and Anthony?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  Adam released a breath through his nose, a subtle sign he was just as annoyed and frustrated with me as I was with him.

  “They fled,” he admitted. “But they won’t hurt you again. Now close your eyes and go to sleep.”

  *

  When I opened my eyes and saw my bedroom, I frowned. I planned on sneaking out of bed after Adam fell asleep and doing a little recon. I guess becoming a spy was not in my future. Still, I vowed that I’d find out what Adam was hiding.

  Sitting up in bed, I looked over my shoulder. Adam was gone, and because he thought he was clever, he sat the brass bell on top of his pillow. Did he expect me to stay cooped up in my room all day? Week? I’d spent six days being held against my will, and I wasn’t going to become a prisoner in my own home. Getting dressed for the day, I slipped out of my room and headed, with purpose, to find Adam. Though still weak, I was stronger than before. I wasn’t 100%, but I was sure after eating some more I’d feel even better. Adam wouldn’t be able to use my frailty against me.

  “Good morning, Anna,” Wade said, looking over the top of the newspaper. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better. I think the twenty hours of sleep helped.” I smiled. I swiveled my head, looking around the house. The pack was still here. Some were sleeping, their bodies strewn all over the living room floor. I guess with the leaders each having a spare bedroom, the floor was the only option for them.

  “Is Adam around?”

  “Ah, I think he ran into town,” Wade said, his eyes traveling back to the print in front of him.

  I sat down at the table across from him and glared at the newspaper that hid his face. “You know, you could say congratulations,” I snapped, annoyed not just with Adam’s absence, but with Wade’s evasiveness. I knew damn well Adam wasn’t in town, and if he was, it wasn’t for shopping.

  Wade bent the newspaper down so he could see my face. “Excuse me?” he asked, arching a brow.

  “Well you guys spent all that time trying to convict me of murder, and it turns out I’m innocent.” I smiled smugly.

  Wade’s lips turned up, setting the paper down and resting his arms on the table. His dark hair looked like he’d just gotten out of the shower.

  “Do you have proof that Eve and Anthony killed anyone?”

  My mouth dropped to the floor, my heart stopped, and the air in my lungs thinned. They were still accusing me?

  Wade chuckled. “Kidding, Anna, geez. Did you lose your sense of humor while you were away?”

  I frowned, not in the mood to make light out of my latest near death experience. If Adam hadn’t rushed in like a white knight and saved me, my body would’ve been delivered on his doorstep.

  Wade had the decency to look ashamed. “The fact is, you’re off the hook, but now we have an entirely bigger mess to deal with—one that you may be able to help with.”

  I sat up straighter, my eyes widening and a smile growing on my lips. Adam wouldn’t be happy about it, but could he do anything if my orders came from a leader?

  “Have you had anymore visions?”

  I pursed my lips and shook my head.

  “I see. Would you be up for some experimenting?”

  I shrugged. “I guess, but I still don’t think they’re visions. Maybe they’re just relapses of the dreams. Being accused of murder takes a toll on a girl, maybe the stress made me bonkers.”

  Wade laughed, a smooth rumbling coming from his chest. “Perhaps, but I’d still like to test the theory.”

  “Are there a lot of psychic werewolves?”

  “I said seer, not psychic.” Wade took a sip from his coffee cup.

  “What’s the difference?” I stood up, deciding I should eat something before Wade ran tests on me. I needed all the energy I could get. Opting for a microwavable breakfast sandwich, I opened the film and heated it.

  “There’s not much difference, most believe they mean the same thing. But the term I used—seer—means a person capable of reading a person’s history. They’re able to see the past, not the future.”

  The microwave dinged, and I removed my plate. “The past?” I asked with skepticism as I sat down. That didn’t sound as cool as predicting the future. “How’s that helpful?”

 
“In a lot of ways, all of which you don’t need to worry about until we prove you are in fact one. Eat up. We should leave before your alpha gets back.”

  *

  “Close your eyes,” Wade ordered.

  We snuck into Adam’s house, and Wade handed me Eve’s stuff, hoping I’d be able to discern something useful from the items. I was starting to believe Wade was a wackadoo and all this hoodoo malarkey was just that—malarkey. I kept my opinions to myself though, it was better than being locked up at the house.

  I closed my eyes, per Wade’s instructions, and hummed the theme song from The Twilight Zone.

  “What do you feel?”

  Like you’re using me for entertainment and laughing at my expense. “Nothing,” I told him.

  “Are you concentrating?”

  No. “Yes,” I lied.

  A rumbling sound came from Wade’s chest. Snatching the shirt out of my hand, he said, “Open your eyes.”

  He stomped out of the room, disappearing around the corner. I eyed the king size bed against the wall, a vision of Adam and Eve’s naked bodies twisted in passion popped into my head. I so did not want to be in here. My eyes traveled around the room past the log walls, wood plank floors, the oak dressers, and then stopped at a corner shelf that held pictures. Walking over, I bent down and studied the photographs. Some were of Adam holding up impressive sized fish, teeth gleaming in his smile as he showed the photographer his catch. Another one was of Adam in wolf form, pitch dark except for his citrine eyes, perched atop a rocky cliff looking out onto the horizon. Even in the picture you could tell how powerful he was. His alpha status exuded from him, demanding respect. The last frame was on the bottom shelf, hidden and covered in a layer of dust. Adam, Eve, and Anthony stood with their arms around each other’s shoulders in front of a building that looked like a ski lodge. Upon closer inspection, I noticed Anthony’s hand was wrapped around Eve’s waist, his fingers gripping her hip.

  “Anna,” Wade called, scaring me.

  I placed the frame back on the shelf and set out to see what other ridiculous items he wanted me to “read”. I thought about the picture as I made my way through the house. Most families have baggage, it’s just life, but I couldn’t imagine being in Adam and Anthony’s position, of course I didn’t have siblings to rival with. But I couldn’t imagine allowing my mate to sleep with my brother. Sadness filled my chest as I thought about how lonely Adam must have been, pretending to be united as the alpha couple when he was miserable behind closed doors. Eve had Anthony. I hated her, and I didn’t understand him. Anthony looked like Adam. What did she find in one brother that she hadn’t in the other? I guess I should’ve been happy. If Eve and Adam were in love, then I’d be the pathetic loser admiring him from the sidelines. I smiled because that wasn’t the case.