From the Ashes (Force of Nature #1)

by Amber Lynn Natusch

  “More lies,” he tsked, walking around to stand before me in the open doorway, framed by the pitch black of night behind him. “Let's make a deal, shall we, Piper? You don't lie to me anymore, and I won't take offense at the ones you've already told me. Sound like a plan?”

  “I don't want to lie about things, it's just that—” I cut myself off before I dug the hole I was already in any deeper.

  “Finally, some honesty. Now we're getting somewhere,” he said with a sigh. “Go on.”

  “I can't.”

  He cocked his head at me, his expression pensive.

  “That's actually the truth. Interesting. Not helpful, but interesting. At least I know you're capable of it now.”

  Without another word, he slid past me, heading for the kitchen.

  “Might as well load your plate while you can, chicken legs. I'm about to release the hounds. They're probably starving by now, so there won't be a morsel left if you don't claim it.”

  “You're...you're just going to drop it? Just like that?”

  He shrugged ambivalently as he scooped a mountain of potatoes onto his plate.

  “You've got some heavy baggage of some sort. I get it. Most of us came here to leave something behind. If you want to keep your reasons to yourself, I can respect that. But if trouble is headed my way, I need to know.”

  I gulped hard.

  “Okay. I think I can handle that.”

  His eyes narrowed.

  “See that you can, Piper. This pack is my family and my responsibility. I don't take it lightly.” He gestured to the island chock full of food and resumed filling his platter. With a deep breath, I made my way down to join him, bending over to pick up the pieces of the shattered dish. “Leave it. Foust is a big boy. He can clean up the mess he made.” He shouted for them to join us and let Foust know he'd be on cleanup duty before he got to eat anything. I was certain he'd be angry with me, but when he stood before me, he looked so contrite it was almost pitiful.

  “It's okay, Foust. Really. I just...it's just that...I get a little paranoid sometimes. That was really my fault.”

  “It was my bad, Pepper—”

  “Oh yeah!” Knox shouted, interrupting everyone. “Pepper's name is really Piper. Carry on.”

  Foust looked at me strangely for a second, then laughed.

  “Guess I hit the nail a little too hard on the head, Piper?”

  “Something like that,” I mumbled, grabbing a few things from the buffet-for-giants and disappearing into the corner of the room. I dragged a seat along with me and sat cross-legged on it, balancing my plate in my lap. With my head down, I ate in relative silence, just listening to the pack. Learning their dynamics. It was important to know who they were and what they were about. I needed to know I could trust them.

  Trust hadn't worked so well for me in the past. To say I was gun shy would have been an enormous understatement.

  “Hey, Pepper—Piper! I meant Piper!” someone stammered as he pulled up a chair to sit next to me. I looked up to find a smiling freckled face beaming at me. “I'm Jagger. Really sorry about the mishap tonight. Totally didn't mean to stress you or anything.”

  “Yeah. We're good. No worries.”

  “Sweet. Glad to hear it. I don't want you scared off the second you show up. It's kinda nice having a chick around for once.”

  “That's me, the token estrogen, at your service.”

  His bright hazel eyes went a wee bit too wide as his mind went wild with the subtext of my statement. To his credit, he managed to rein his excitement in quickly. When he realized that I knew what he was thinking, his skin flushed as red as his disheveled hair. It was oddly endearing.

  “Jagger, you're not hitting on our guest, are you?” Knox asked as he approached the blushing ginger. “Because I thought I'd made myself pretty clear—”

  “We were just chatting about me crashing the bro-party you guys have going on here. I think Jagger likes the change of scenery.”

  “I bet he does,” Knox said, staring at me with a little more heat in his gaze than I'd seen there before. “I wanted to show you around if you've had enough to eat.”

  “Sounds good,” I said, uncrossing my legs to stand.

  “I'll put that away for you,” Jagger offered, taking my plate.

  “Thanks.”

  “You ready for the dime tour?” Knox asked, ushering me through the kitchen toward a series of hallways. For what seemed like an eon, we wound our way through the massive house, finally stopping at the end of one corridor. “So, this is what I really wanted to show you.” His demeanor was off for some reason. He seemed hesitant. Reaching across me, he opened the door to unveil a small, quaint room with a double bed. There was a mirror framed by an intricate pattern of antlers and a bearskin rug in the center of the floor. It looked exactly how I expected a room at a hunting lodge to look.

  “It's nice. Very rustic. Very 'hunting chic',” I joked, looking up at him. His brow furrowed slightly.

  “You don't like it.”

  “No, that’s not entirely true. I think it's got a certain novelty kind of charm to it. I guess I'm just a bit uncertain why you're showing it to me.”

  His expression softened slightly but still held a note of seriousness.

  “Earlier...when you went to leave,” he started, visibly struggling to find the right words, “you stopped when you saw it was dark. I just...you didn't seem to want to leave because of it. Like it was holding you back.” When I didn't respond, he rubbed his hand through his hair in frustration. “Listen, I meant it when I said I don't need to know your past. I don't, really. I just thought that maybe you'd feel better crashing here sometimes rather than staying by yourself.” Still I remained silent, doing my best to keep my raging emotions in check. He took my hand gently in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You looked so haunted by the darkness, Piper. All I'm trying to say is that you're not alone. That you have options. That's all. Nothing more. I promise.”

  My gaze drifted back to the guest room he was offering. I told myself that it was because I wanted to look it over again, but it was really to hide the tears welling in my eyes. I begged them not to fall.

  “That's really sweet,” I managed finally. “Really, it is—”

  “But you're good on your own,” he interrupted. “Wouldn't want you to have to break our 'no lying' agreement so early on, so I'll give you an out. You can just nod.” I did. “So...you want me to take you home?”

  No. I didn't.

  I was tired of solitude. Tired of the stress living on the run had caused. The thought of relaxing for even a few hours, surrounded by a pack of werewolves with their own tarnished pasts sounded perfect.

  It also sounded safe.

  “Didn't you mention something about a movie after dinner?” I said, my voice still weak and small from my emotionally tight throat. Knox had the good form not to comment on it. Instead, he laughed.

  “I did indeed. Let's go see if the boys are up for a little PG-rated entertainment for the evening.”

  * * *

  In the wee hours of the morning, the sun started to peek over the trees on the horizon and through the windows. The boys were strewn all about the living room: on the floor, the couches, and the chairs. I don't think there was a surface in that room not draped with werewolves. I had claimed a recliner (which seemed a bit selfish since most of the boys were nearly twice my size and crammed together wherever they could) and fallen asleep at some point, pure exhaustion taking me over. I'd been running for a couple of weeks, spending only a few hours during the day to rest. I had been long overdue for a stress-free slumber.

  But my recurring dream of the boys detaining Merc ruined that in a flash. I'd had it every night since I'd escaped the mansion. Apparently a piece of my mind remained there.

  Once I calmed my frantic heart, I pushed the footrest back down into the chair and gazed across the room, trying to map out a path through the sleeping werewolves. It proved a tricky task. Doing my best not
to rouse any of them, I tiptoed my way through the living room and into the kitchen where I'd left my keys. Collecting them quietly, I sneaked my way to the front door, sparing a glance back at the sleeping pack. The sight made me smile. Delicately opening the door a bit, I squeezed through it, closing it behind me as quietly as possible.

  Then I turned right into Knox and screamed.

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! You scared the shit out of me!”

  “If you get scared by people standing harmlessly on a porch, I think a lot about your past is coming into focus for me.” He was kidding, judging by the gigantic grin on his face. But still, there was an assessment to his gaze. “Sneaking out? You know that's not really necessary, right? The bears won't judge you for your walk of shame...”

  “I was awake. I didn't want to disturb anyone, so I thought it best to just see myself out.”

  “And right into me.”

  “Apparently.”

  “Well, since I'm awake too, you might as well let me walk you home.”

  “Why are you awake, anyway?”

  He shrugged.

  “I like to watch the sunrise. It's kinda my thing. You?”

  “My internal clock has been messed up for the last couple of weeks,” I replied, squirming a bit under his heavy gaze.

  “I'm not sure moving this far north in the summertime was a good choice if you're looking to get your circadian rhythm back.”

  “Yeah,” I hesitated. “I guess I didn't really think that through.”

  He opened his mouth as if to say something, then slammed it shut, giving a jerk of his head toward the tree line before heading that direction.

  “The bears won't likely be a problem for you between our place and yours, but I'll have the boys mark it up a bit more just to be sure.”

  “Mark it up?”

  “Don't ask.”

  “I won't.”

  “I was wondering about something yesterday...after the grizzly incident,” he started, fading off a bit as he spoke.

  “About what?”

  “It's really bugging me that I can't tell what you are.”

  “Can you always tell what type of supernatural someone is?” I asked casually.

  He nodded.

  “You're the first one I can't wrap my head around.”

  “That seems to be a common problem where I'm concerned,” I replied dryly. “I don't really know how to answer that question other than to say that I'm a Magical, or so I've discerned over the years, but I don't really have any powers. Not defensive ones, or ones that I have any control over, for that matter. All the other magical groups I know of won't have anything to do with me. And the warlocks—” I cut myself short, realizing that it was far too easy to share things with Knox, and I was doing so far too freely. My loose lips were going to get me in trouble if I kept it up.

  His eyes narrowed as he looked at me, halting me so he could see me better.

  “The warlocks what?” he asked, his stare boring through me.

  “They'd like to see me dead,” I replied with a sigh.

  He growled.

  “Not a lie.”

  I shook my head. I could practically feel his desire to ask if that's who I was running from, but it seemed his demand for truth had put him in a tricky situation as well. He didn't want to back me into a corner and force me to lie when it was apparent that my past was dire indeed, and I wasn't willing to trust him with it. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

  “If they come, we will protect you,” he said, harshness in his tone.

  Then, without another word, he started back toward the cabin.

  “Will you?” I muttered under my breath, still standing where he'd left me. He stopped and turned, his piercing green eyes searching mine.

  “Let me make something clear, Piper: I'm no saint. Like I said before, those of us here—in this pack—chose to come and live in the middle of nowhere for a reason. I understand what it's like to have a past that haunts me. So do the others. But I've learned from mine and have changed because of it. Become a better man, so to speak. And I have zero intention of letting anything wander into my territory and threaten anyone residing here. Do you understand?” I nodded frantically. “Good,” he said with a touch more heat to his words. “Then let’s get you home so that you can start putting the shit you were packing up away. You're not going anywhere, Piper. Not until I'm confident you can defend yourself, and that's sure as hell not going to happen unless you can figure out what you are and how to use whatever powers you think you have.”

  Again he turned and headed through the brush toward my cabin, not waiting for my reply. In truth, he didn't need to. I didn't have one for him anyway. Instead I silently trailed him, trying to make sense of all he'd just said (and not said, for that matter). Knox had a past; I got that point loud and clear, but it left me wondering just what had happened. What had molded him into the alpha he was now. I wondered about that for the better part of an hour while we scurried around my cabin, stocking it up with the few provisions I'd gotten on my way through town. Knox had reverted back to his playful, charming self, showing no trace of the intense wolf he'd revealed to me back in the woods.

  Then he left.

  Not long after, I found myself standing in the tiniest kitchen I'd ever seen, hovering over the sink, trying to make sense out of all that had happened. In my attempt to tuck myself away in the middle of nowhere, far away from the reach of the supernatural world, I had managed to move in next door to a pack of werewolves. A pack of all male wolves, at that.

  Well played, Piper. Well played...

  I stood there for an eternity, staring out the window. Too many thoughts to count ran through my head. Could I trust these wolves? Would they turn on me as everyone else had? Was it still possible that they already knew who I was and who was after me, and were just biding their time until the enforcers could arrive and they could collect their bounty? There was a reward for my return, of that I had no doubt. Maybe the werewolves were looking to make some easy money by handing me over to the vampires hunting me. Maybe Knox's behavior was all an elaborate act, and a damn good one at that.

  Every question that sprang to mind remained unresolved, leaving that annoying sense of dread to rise up within me again.

  “What in the world have I gotten myself into?” I whispered aloud, clutching the worn laminate countertop tightly.

  That question, too, went unanswered.

  14

  I spent the morning scrubbing the tiny one-bedroom cabin down from top to bottom; I doubted it had ever been so clean. It was just about noon by the time I finished. I stood in the center of the common area, scanning it to make sure I hadn't missed anything. When it was clear that there wasn't a speck of dirt to be found, I grabbed a beat-up paperback from the mantle and flopped down in the ratty old armchair.

  After about ten pages, I threw the book aside.

  Jumping out of my seat, I strode over to the front door and made my way out to the porch. The sky was overcast, the sun hidden from sight. The dullness looking down upon me did nothing to inspire my mood.

  I picked at the long blades of grass encroaching upon the stairs, weaving them into an intricate braid. It wasn't long before I had made a length of rope out of it, which I wound around the top of my head to make a crown.

  Man, was I bored.

  “Does that make you Queen of the Forest?” a voice called from the tree line. I turned to find Knox standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and a wide smile on his face.

  “I was just—”

  “Ready to go batshit crazy without anything to do?”

  “Something like that,” I replied, pulling the makeshift tiara off my head. “I guess I didn't really plan ahead for this whole seclusion thing very well.”

  “No. I don't think you did,” he agreed, making his way toward me. A slight breeze picked up when he approached, blowing his scent my way. He smelled fresh, like spring. I inhaled deeply, not realizing that I probably looked like a tot
al spaz. His laughter let me know that I did. “I think you should leave this on,” he said, taking the bright green crown from my hands and placing it on my head. “It suits you.” I smiled awkwardly at him, unsure of what to say. “So listen, there's a reason I stopped by to see you.”

  “To check up on me?”

  “Well, that too, but I wanted to see if you had any pressing plans for the evening.” He managed not to laugh when he asked me that, but I could see he was fighting back the urge with great difficulty. I made a grand gesture of looking around and behind me before giving him my best “are you kidding me?” face. That seemed to push him over the edge, his laughter coming out in a sharp exhale. “I didn't want to assume,” he said with a shrug, trying to regain his composure. “All joking aside, the boys and I will be heading into Anchorage tonight to blow off a little steam.”

  “And how do you do that exactly?”

  “Ummm...we drive?”

  “No, not how do you get there! What do you do once you're there?” I explained, sounding put-upon. His smile widened.

  “Dinner. Clubbing. The usual.”

  “Like dancing?” My heart raced at the thought.

  “If you want to. The boys aren't usually into that, but I'm sure we can convince them...for our guest's sake.”

  I wanted to scream yes, throw my arms around his neck in gratitude, then ask when we were leaving, but a niggling in the back of my brain gave me pause. I'd been played before. Not once, but twice. There were still too many unknowns regarding Knox and his pack. Too many to so easily drive off with them just because he'd asked nicely and smiled at me.

  Judging by the downturn of his expression, my thoughts were playing out in my expression.

  “You're still unsure about me, aren't you?”

  He'd backed me into a corner with that one.

  “Yes.”

  “You don't trust easily, do you?”

  “No,” I said quietly, turning my gaze to the trees surrounding the cabin.

  “What is it that you think I'm going to do, Piper?” His question was much kinder that time, his tone more gentle.