Reid and Ted were both watching my back. It gave me a moment to look at the rest of the fight. There were no humans left. There were wolves everywhere. Some of them were more than two, tangles of furry bodies mingled into a mess of fur. I was the only one not fighting, and if felt helpless.
There was power in the air, so thick I had to concentrate on breathing. Panting made me feel lightheaded, like I was getting too much oxygen instead of too little.
Suddenly there was a shock wave that spread through the clearing and made the water in the lake ripple. My hair blew back and the fighting came to a stop. It was as if everything had frozen. The wolves were breathing hard, some were bleeding, I noticed a few stayed lying down. I didn’t know if any were dead.
But no one was fighting. I looked around. Something felt awful. Like a part of me had been ripped out. I searched the bodies, and saw Reid lying on the ground. Ted was by him, nudging him with his nose.
My heart stopped and my throat constricted. I ran to Reid, stumbling as I went and dropped down next to him.
“Reid,” I said, putting my hands on his face. The wolf was injured badly. The golden fur was full of blood, and this time I knew it was his own. He bled from his flank, his ribs somewhere, a deep gash in his chest, and there was blood in his face.
“Reid!” I shouted and I couldn’t stop the tears. My eyes burned and I cried, shouting his name.
“Give him power!” I shouted to his wolves. They’d all stepped closer. If Reid died now the war was over. They’d won.
And I would die, too.
“Give him power, dammit, he’s your alpha!” I shouted.
But they couldn’t give it. I knew that. He had to draw it. And if he wasn’t doing it, it meant that he was too far gone. He wasn’t strong enough.
He was going to die, and I was going to watch him bleed out without a way to save him.
Ted nudged me with his nose and wagged his tail. He looked at me and then at Reid. I buried my face in the warm fur and cried. I felt like I was going to die.
“Don’t leave me,” I wailed. “Not now. You can’t go, you have Kurt. He needs you. I need you. You can’t go, dammit, Reid.”
I felt a sudden surge of power, and it was strong enough to pull me out of my spiral of misery. It was hot, and it felt like it came from everywhere at once. I closed my eyes and focused on it. I clung to Reid’s body. I could feel blood soaking into my clothes, getting into my hair, and I didn’t care.
I took that power like cord and I pulled on it. I sucked it into me, and there were seven lines of power, all attached. I pulled on it, focusing on it. It became stronger and stronger, swelling inside of me until I felt like I was bursting. That same feeling came again, where I felt like I was going to change, like a wolf was going to rip out of me. And I gave into it. I felt a howl build up, even though I would never howl, and I drew from that power until it consumed me.
All around me I was aware of our wolves, felt them through the bond, felt their fear, their concern, their determination that the alpha live. And I felt Ted. And outsider, but somehow I felt his power, too. And I took it. I took as much as he was willing to offer.
When I felt like I was going to rip apart, like the power was so strong I was going to explode, I turned my attention to Reid and shoved it into him. It was like a blowtorch, blasting into his body. I heard a scream, loud and long, and it wasn’t until I’d run out of breath that I realized it had been me.
The power in the clearing suddenly died down, and a silence took over. A silence so intense it almost had its own sound. It hissed and hummed and flowed through each and every one of the pack, and I was sure at that moment I knew what death tasted like.
But it wasn’t welcome here.
I bent over and put my forehead against Reid’s. His fur tickled against my skin. My eyes were closed. I heard a whimper, and when I opened my eyes he was squirmed. His blue eyes were open he was looking at me. His tail lifted and fell once, an attempt at a wag.
I sat back, and suddenly I felt like I was going to faint. It felt like I’d been the one to lose so much blood.
“Allegra,” a voice said behind me, and when I turned it was Sarelle. She had blood on her face and in her hair, and I noticed her hands were trembling. I didn’t stand up. I wasn’t leaving Reid’s side. She kneeled in front of me.
“You deserve to be his mate. You deserve your pack.”
I shook my head and frowned. My ears were ringing and I was struggling to stay awake, struggling to keep up. I realized none of the wolves were fighting, and some were in human form.
“I didn’t know. That kind of power… you’re not human. We surrender the war to you. Any couple that would do that for each other deserves to remain the alpha couple. You have my respect.”
The alpha appeared behind her and nodded. He was still in wolf form, and bleeding, but he could walk. It wasn’t an apology but it was as close as I was ever going to get. I nodded, and they wolves retreated. Reid wagged his tail again, once, twice, before he dropped it.
I felt lightheaded, and white spots danced before my eyes. I was aware of Ted forcing a change back to human form, but I didn’t stay conscious long enough to witness the whole change.
Chapter 9
Reid made it through. No one knew how I’d done it. I didn’t even know. But I’d managed to draw the pack’s power the way Reid usually did, and I shoved it into him. Amelia had said that if I’d waited a second longer we would have lost him.
Reid was in hospital for almost a week – a record for a werewolf. There was a lot of damage. After the war we were both taken there to the medical center and they treated me there, not only like a wolf, but like an alpha.
Kurt was fine. He’d enjoyed his time with Amelia and she offered to watch him as long as we were still in bed. I was up after three days and I spent the rest of my time playing with Kurt at Reid’s bedside.
When he finally woke up he smiled and reached out his hand to me. I took his hand, and the power that flowed through us was pure and complete. There were no barriers anymore. We were one.
“We won the war,” I said to him. Kurt was coloring on the floor. Reid shook his head and pulled a face like it hurt to do that.
“No, sweetheart. You won the war.”
They’d given in because of what I’d done. Because any wolf that could draw that much power, Ted had said after, would be alpha. And I wasn’t even a wolf.
He’d stayed until we were all okay, but he wasn’t pack and he didn’t want to be.
In the fight we lost one wolf. Maria was scared to begin with, and she didn’t make it through. I cried for her. My heart ached like a part of me had been ripped off.
As soon as Reid was healthy we all gathered in our power circle. They howled for her. It was a ceremony that tore me up all over again. I didn’t know her well, but I would miss her, and I was in her debt. She gave her life of the pack.
It took Reid a full month to recover. Not just physically, but mentally. Being that close to death left a mark. I knew, I’d felt death, and I had that mark too. But I also know that we’d defeated it.
Reid was leaving for duty again. Life was going back to normal, like nothing had happened. Sometimes life threatening things would try to tear our family apart. But we would fight, all of us. Even me, even though I wasn’t a wolf. And we would beat the odds because we’d done it before.
When Reid walked toward the bus Kurt held my hand. He didn’t cry, he didn’t run after Reid.
“You’re being a big boy,” I said to him. He smiled up at me. He was only five, but his eyes showed the wisdom of an adult.
“You’re here, mommy. We’ll just wait for daddy to get home, and then we’ll be whole again.”
I nodded and fought the urge to cry.
My life would always be chaotic. I was married to an Army Ranger. I was married to a werewolf. I had a werewolf for a son, and things like knitting and baking just didn’t cut it in my life.
But I didn’t want
it any other way. I may have been the only human in this little family, but sometimes it felt like I was the more animal than they were. And that was just fine by me.
THE END
STRATTON: A COLLEGE BAD BOY ROMANCE
A Bad Boy Romance Book 1
BY AUBREY SLADE
Prologue
He’s a jerk. I hate him. I never want to see him again.
Unfortunately, that’s not possible. Because we live together.
Yup, that’s right – Stratton Müller, German native and perennial campus playboy, is one of my housemates for the year.
I never thought that we’d have anything in common…
So what if we banded together against the other housemates that night? That doesn’t mean anything at all.
After this year, we’ll just go back to hating each other. Right?
There’s no way I could ever fall in love with someone so arrogant and promiscuous.
So why can’t I stop thinking about him?
Sure, he’s gorgeous. And he’s amazing at soccer, and he speaks three languages. But that doesn’t even slightly make up for what a jerk he can be. He sleeps with a new girl practically every day, and expects women to drop at his feet. Plus, watching him carry on with his friends is a nightmare. It’s like all they can do is think of new ways to embarrass and horrify the female sex. I always swore that I’d never fall for that, but Stratton turned to be pretty different once we actually lived together...
Chapter One
Leda
I wiped the sweat from my brow as I hauled the last one of my boxes out of my beat-up Subaru wagon. Even though it was the beginning of September, it still felt like the middle of July. It always amazed me how much different the climate in Virginia felt from home, upstate New York. Staggering on the incline of the driveway, I put my hand over my forehead and looked up at the big house with wooden siding and a sloped, chalet-style roof.
The asphalt felt squishy below my feet and I frowned when I saw that it was melting in patches and sticking to my shoes.
“Auspicious start to the year,” I grumbled under my breath as I grabbed my purse and the smallest box from the pile. There weren’t any other cars in the driveway and I wondered how many of my roommates were home. I lived with 4 other guys, and they were pretty cool roommates because they all kept to themselves. My parents had been horrified to learn that their little girl was going to live with beastly men, but it had been the best decision I’d made since coming here for graduate school. Male roommates didn’t borrow (steal) your clothes, or get pissed with you if you skipped weekly brunch. Besides, my best friend Megan lived a couple of blocks away. If I ever needed girl time, I’d go hang out with her.
“Hello?” I called out as I entered, peeking around the foyer at the massive shoe pile by the front door. There was no answer, but I heard something squeaking in the kitchen. “Hello?” I repeated, dropping the box and my purse on the ground. The box landed with a crashing sound and I winced.
Turning the corner, I saw a tall, shirtless guy kicking around a soccer ball in the kitchen. He had an amazing body, and I felt my mouth go dry as I shamelessly checked him out. He was deeply tanned, with light brown hair that was tousled and messy. I felt my stomach plunge as he turned around. Shit, I thought. Stratton.
“Hallo!” He greeted me with a slight German accent. “You are Leda?”
I nodded. “Right,” I said. “Hi, Stratton.” It took every ounce of my willpower to look away from his body and enunciate correctly. “How was your summer?”
Stratton grinned boyishly, his blue eyes twinkling. “Fantastic,” he said, nodding enthusiastically. “It was the World Cup.”
“I know,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “We heard about it here, too.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I didn’t think you cared about such nonsense, Leda,” he said, raising his eyebrow at me. “Sports are for idiots, right?”
I felt a slow blush creep up my face and cover my cheeks. “I never said that,” I protested.
“Yeah, sure,” Stratton teased. He kicked the soccer ball straight up in the air with his toes and bounced it off his knees, alternating his right and left leg. There was a beat in the conversation and for a moment it seemed like he’d forgotten that he was talking to me. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and sighed loudly.
“Who are you staying with?” I asked. Stratton didn’t hear me. He kept tapping the ball up into the air with the slightest touch of his knee and the occasional headbutt.
“Hm?” Stratton turned to me, the ball captured safely in his hands. “What was that?”
I frowned. “I asked who you were staying with,” I repeated. “Which one of my housemates?”
Stratton grinned. “Oh, Leda,” he said, clucking with his tongue. “I live here!”
My stomach dropped. “What?” I cried out, squinting at him. “Are you sure?”
“Of course,” he said nonchalantly. “What, you think I’d be naked in your kitchen otherwise?”
I blushed hotly as the image of Stratton naked flashed through my mind. “Forget it,” I mumbled. “I have to go grab my stuff.”
“Bye, Leda!” Stratton called, thumping the soccer ball against the ceiling.
I didn’t answer; I was too furious. How could he have moved in? The landlord didn’t even say anything to me about it! Ducking into my room, I pulled my phone out of my purse and dialed Megan. She answered before it even rang once.
“Hey,” she said by way of greeting. “Are you back? Want sushi?”
I shook my head. “No,” I said. “But yes, I’m back.”
Megan laughed. “And you sound so happy to be here, too!”
I rolled my eyes and used my free hand to hold my mass of dark brown hair off my sticky neck. “Stratton moved in,” I said quietly, facing the wall so he wouldn’t hear me through the closed door. “I just got here and he was shirtless in the kitchen, kicking a soccer ball around.”
“Ohmygod,” Megan said in a rush. “Stratton Müller?”
“How many other Strattons do we know?” I asked in irritation. “Of course it’s Stratton Müller.”
“He’s so hot,” Megan gushed. “I wonder if he’ll hang out shirtless all the time?”
“I don’t care,” I said in exasperation. “I hope he doesn’t. I hope he moves out right now.”
“Hey, what’s so bad?” Megan asked. “He can’t be that annoying.”
“It’s not that he’s annoying,” I replied. “It’s that he’s such a slut. I hate the idea of girls coming over here all the time. It would be so distracting!”
“I get that,” Megan said. “But really, that’s why you’re so mad?”
I sighed. It was obvious she’d forgotten what happened at the beginning of last year. “It’s just annoying,” I said. “And I don’t want to deal with it. I liked my old housemates.”
“Yeah, because they were boring as eff,” Megan retorted. “You looked like a social butterfly next to those dudes.”
There was a muffled crash in the hallway and I heard Stratton’s charming accent call out, “Sorry!”
I shuddered. “I changed my mind about sushi,” I said darkly. “I’ll meet you in thirty.”
“Deal,” Megan replied before hanging up.
I decided to abandon unpacking and just go have a fun night with my best friend. I hadn’t seen her all summer, and I knew that we had a lot to catch up on. I checked my reflection in the glass hanging on the wall; it was both disappointing and relieving to see my slightly crooked oval-shaped face with wide gray eyes and pale skin. My mass of dark hair was working its way out of the sloppy bun that I’d carelessly fixed this morning, and I stuck my tongue out at my reflection for emphasis.
Oh, well. It’s not like Megan cares what I look like. But Stratton does, I immediately thought, blushing. Why couldn’t I have picked a cuter outfit for today?
The house was curiously quiet as I grabbed my purse and slunk down the hallway. The kitc
hen was empty and I heard music pulsing faintly from the basement. When I got in my car, I felt a huge sense of relief wash over me. I realized that although I hadn’t been home for more than half an hour, I’d spent the whole time thinking about Stratton. That had felt like a very, very long half hour.
The familiar scenery filled me with a sense of nostalgia as I drove through the sleepy outskirts of Charlottesville. Megan lived in her own apartment (lucky brat) on the other side of town, but it still only took me about fifteen minutes to get there. “Our” sushi place was a little café near her apartment complex. We’d been going there weekly since we first started as grad students the year before. The staff knew us by name, and it was kind of a retreat. Megan and I had made a pact never to take anyone else there.
As usual, Sushi Maki was completely empty. The waitress nodded at me and gave me a friendly smile, and she gestured for me to take the usual spot in the back booth. A few minutes later, Megan walked in.
“Girl!” Megan yelped, running over to me and wrapping her arms around me. She smelled like her usual blend of Prada Candy and cigarettes. Her fragrance was as soothing to me as that of my own room, and I was so happy to be around my best friend again.
BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) Page 128
