by Ava Benton
“No. I would rather you concentrate on me, too,” I said.
Drew cleared his throat, making me blush.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” I added, cheeks burning.
“I know what you meant,” he teased.
I decided to let it go instead of digging myself deeper.
Carter pointed out the windshield. “There’s Roan and Slate.”
And Jordan. He left that part out.
All three men were smiling, even laughing.
Jordan shook Roan’s hand and clapped him on the back.
As we pulled up, I heard them talking about babies and not being worried.
Roan looked visibly relieved.
“Alice!” I turned as I climbed out of the car, surprised to even hear my voice.
Three girls ran to me and when I saw who it was, a smile broke out over my face.
They almost tackled me.
“I was so worried about you! Are you all right?” Nia looked me over with all the concern of a doctor.
“I’m fine!” I laughed. “I promise, I’m fine.”
“Now everything’s perfect,” Layla declared, throwing an arm around my neck. “We have everybody back where they belong.”
“I belong here?” I asked, looking around.
“What do you think?” Daniela asked with a laugh. “You’re one of us, girl.”
Nia leaned in, almost touching her nose to my skin. “In more ways than one,” she remarked, winking when our eyes met.
“What’s that mean?” I asked, suspicious.
“You’ve been with him, haven’t you? Carter.”
“Shut up!” Layla smelled my hair. “Oh, my God. You have.”
“This is unnerving,” I said, wincing.
“It’s great! Are you kidding? This is awesome. You seriously needed to get laid.” Nia glanced over at Carter before her eyes fell on Drew. “I wonder if his brother’s half as good as he looks, myself.”
A flash of wickedness blazed through me, and I giggled. “Well, they look a lot alike. Maybe you’ll get lucky, and they’ll be alike in other ways.”
“Jealous!” she laughed before hugging me tight.
“Will you go hunting with them?” I looked up at Carter, who was pacing in our cabin.
It was nice of them to let me stay in one of the few available cabins. I had the feeling it was all because they thought I was weak and vulnerable to any animals prowling through the campsite at night.
And they were right, obviously.
One of the few times I’d be happy to use my human privilege.
He glanced at me with a half-smile, then shook his head.
“Why not?” I asked. “You must want to. It’s been days, at least. Right? We’ve been here for three days, and there were a few before that, even.”
“Yeah.”
“So? You’re not worried about leaving me here on my own, are you? I’ll be fine. You go out sometimes to walk around, and I’m perfectly safe here.”
“No, I’m not worried.”
“What is it, then?” I crossed my legs on the bed.
A pretty comfortable bed, all things considered—and much better than the ground, no matter how thick and fluffy the sleeping bag. Sleeping outdoors was never something that interested me.
He took a look out the window he had just looked out not twenty seconds earlier. “I don’t feel comfortable doing it.”
I folded my hands with a sigh. “Just tell me the truth, please. Is this because of me?”
“No.”
“You’re sure.”
He didn’t move, but his eyes did. I could feel him sizing me up from where he stood. “Maybe a little bit.”
“I knew it.” I sank back onto the bed. “I’m holding you back.”
“You’re not.”
“You won’t be hunting with your family because of me. Something that’s literally in your DNA, and you’re not doing it because of me. I don’t know. Sounds like I’m holding you back.”
“I can’t imagine what you must think of it.”
“Of you shifting, you mean.”
“Yeah.”
I turned my head to see him. “It’s who you are. I would never, ever expect you to stop being who you are. What, do you think it’ll scare me?”
His shoulders fell. “Scare you, freak you out, make you wish you never met me.”
“I could never feel that way.” I patted the bed, encouraging him to join me.
He was slow in walking across the small room, with its “rustic” décor and plank floors. The bedsprings creaked when he sat down.
I sat up with one hand resting on his back. My heart hammered out of control. “I need to tell you something I think you should know.”
“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
“Eh. I hope you think it’s good.” I took a deep breath and silently begged my courage not to give out on me when I needed it most.
“What is it?”
Here goes nothing. “I love you.”
His eyes widened, almost bulged.
I couldn’t breathe.
Damn it, I shouldn’t have said anything.
“You do?” he asked.
“Yeah. Pretty sure it’s a terminal case,” I chuckled, wishing to God he would let me know either way if he was a fan of the idea.
“Even though I’m a little rough around the edges?”
I nodded. “Even though.”
“Even though I…” He flailed around, looking for the words, then finally curled his fingers into pantomimed claws and let out a growl.
I giggled, then nodded again.
“Even though you do that. I know now. I know why I was waiting all that time for somebody special to finally see me.” I stroked the back of his head, loving the feeling of his thick hair under my palm. “I was waiting for you. I’m glad it’s you I was waiting for.”
His smile was almost heartbreakingly sweet. “I would lay down my life for you. I would mow down dozens of guys, hundreds, if it meant getting through to you. I would never stop looking, fighting, working to keep you safe and happy. I never want you to be anything but happy, ever again.”
“As long as I have you, that shouldn’t be a problem.” I leaned in, and he leaned in, and we kissed on it.
We kept kissing and kissing, longer and deeper, until I found myself tearing at his clothes and he did the same to mine.
I had his pants around his ankles in a flash and rolled him onto his back.
“This is what being in love does to you, huh?” he muttered, kicking his pants the rest of the way off before helping me pull off my shirt.
I leaned down to let him devour my breasts as I mounted him.
“It’s what you do to me,” I whispered just before lowering myself down his thick length.
We both groaned as our bodies locked together.
I started moving right away, taking him the way he usually took me—I loved the all-night-long love making, the nights we spent exploring each other from head to toe, but I also loved the hard and fast fucking, when we both unleashed our animal side.
He sat up and held me close while I rode, his face pressed against my throat as he whispered about loving me… needing me… wanting me more than life… and how good it felt when he was inside me.
I leaned back to give him access to more of my quivering body, hands locked behind his neck while he licked everything his tongue could reach.
I ran my fingers through his hair and ground my clit against him for a quick first orgasm.
“I love you,” I gasped, eyes closed and head thrown back as wave after wave washed over me.
After, when we finished panting and sweating, and the bed was a wreck, once I could think clearly again, I asked a question which weighed heavy on my mind. “What do we do now?”
He looked over at me from the foot of the bed. “Now?”
“Now, as in how that we’re all together here and there are still bad people after me.”
He sat up and turned to me. “I’ve been talking it over with the guys—and my father,” he threw that in as an afterthought, but I knew it wasn’t an afterthought. “And the general consensus is that this can’t go on. The group can’t run forever, and you can’t run with them forever. The only way to pull that off would be to end it all. We’re not sure yet what that means, but it’s what we have to do.”
“I’ll help. I’ll do whatever it takes.” I got out of bed and threw on a robe.
“What could you do?” he asked.
I made a face. “Honey, I have the press. Remember? A newspaper. I’m going to start writing my new piece right now.”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute.”
“You go on your hunt.” I looked out the window, and the sun had indeed set while we were screwing each other’s brains out. “And I’m going to start writing.”
“They might be able to trace where you send it from.”
“I didn’t say I would send it just yet, but I can get started.” I stopped rifling through my shoulder bag and shrugged. “I need to feel like I’m doing something.”
He nodded. “Understood. I’ll leave it up to you.” Then, he stood. “I guess it’s now or never.”
My knees went out. I plopped down on the bed, unsure what I was about to see. But I wanted to see. I had to.
I couldn’t spend the rest of my life imagining what it was like when he shifted into his dire wolf form. I twirled a strand of hair around my finger, chewing my lip.
He stripped down to his bare skin and looked at me one more time. “You’re sure about this?”
“I’m sure.” I wished he would get it over with, just the same, but I gave him a smile I hoped would reassure him.
This was my life. Our life.
I had to get used to it, just like I had to get used to being happier than I ever thought possible. And more loved.
He nodded, then the change began. It couldn’t have taken more than five seconds—the way his skin seemed to shimmer and ripple. Then it all happened to once.
The lengthening face, the way his hands and feet grew. He fell on all fours and in the blink of an eye, thick, black fur replaced smooth skin. His eyes still glowed the same warm color when he looked at me once it was over.
I was breathless over what I’d just seen, but still smiling.
“You’re a beautiful wolf.” And a massive one. Absolutely gigantic. His paw was roughly the size of my head.
When I got up to open the door for him, his head dipped and his tongue swept across the back of my hand.
My gentle wolf, who could easily tear me to pieces.
“Have fun,” I said, opening the door so he could go out to hunt.
I watched him lope out across the campgrounds before he disappeared into the forest—there were other figures joining him, dozens of them.
His family.
My family.
And I would do anything in my power to keep all of them together.
It was time to start writing.
I hope you’ll join Nia, Drew, and the rest of the gang on the next part of the journey. Coming soon! Turn the page to see Drew’s cover!
Afterword
I hope you enjoyed Carter’s story! I can’t wait to bring you the next book in this series! Keep an eye out for Drew!
You may need to turn the page to catch a glimpse!
Will there be more ? Yes!
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Copyright © 2017 by Ava Benton
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