Michael laughed darkly. “I don’t think I have an inner wolf, Remus. I don’t feel the yearnings Maddie talks about or any indecision with my life. She may be my sister, but we’re definitely on different life paths.”
Remus looked at Maddie and felt sad. He knew how much she had hoped her brother would join her in her new life. “Michael, what about Ariane?”
Michael’s face reddened. “That’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. I like her, a lot. She makes me feel things, well, let’s just say I’ve never felt this way before. I guess I want to know what mating means. What does it entail besides the obvious?”
Remus thought hard about what to say. “Mating is a joining of two souls for life. It does involve a sex act, but it also involves a mating mark. When you want to bond yourself to your soul mate, you have sex. During the height of the act, the male’s canines lengthen, and he bites his mate on her shoulder, up near her neck. This does several things. First, an enzyme passes from his body to hers, and he ingests a small amount of her blood. This is an exchanging of DNA, and it’s what links us spiritually, physically, and psychically for life.”
Michael looked puzzled. “Psychically? How does that work?” He glanced over at his sister. “I don’t see any scars on Maddie’s neck.”
Remus chuckled. “Your canines are very sharp and only leave small puncture wounds. There’s an agent in your saliva that can close a wound quickly. It’s merely a matter of licking over the bite when you’re done. It heals almost immediately. The psychic bond is a little harder to explain. Mating causes a conduit to develop between the two consciousnesses. Plainly speaking, it allows me to hear Maddie’s thoughts and for her to hear mine.”
“That’s impressive, but could become annoying at some point.” Michael seemed intrigued.
Maddie gave an un-ladylike snort. “You’re telling me? Remus knows how to shield his thoughts but hasn’t bothered to teach that little trick to me. Consequently, he always knows what I’m thinking, and I rarely know what he is.”
Remus groaned. “You haven’t asked me to teach you. I’d be happy to show you how to block thoughts. We can work on it later.” He looked over at Michael. “Did that answer your questions?”
“My questions, yes, but I have a request also.” Michael looked wistfully at Maddie. “You asked if I wanted to see your wolf, and I walked away. I wasn’t ready and didn’t think I could take anymore that night.” He paused for a moment. “I think I need to see it now, Maddie. Don’t get me wrong. I know you didn’t lie to me. I just need to see you change with my own eyes to make it right in my head. Does that make any sense? Are you still willing to show me your wolf?”
Maddie looked over at Remus. Before he could say anything, she spoke up. “If you see me change into a wolf, will that let you accept everything I’ve told you Grandfather wrote?”
Without hesitation Michael answered. “Yes, I believe it will.”
Maddie looked at Remus and spoke to his mind. Is it safe?
What do you mean, safe? I’m not afraid of your changing in front of your brother, but what about getting naked? Remus knew that was always her biggest complaint about shifting with the pack.
No, I mean safe for the baby?
Remus was momentarily shocked by the thoughts running through his head.
“Look, guys, if it’s a problem, then forget I asked. I’m not trying to cause you any trouble,” Michael said.
Remus spoke through their link. It’s perfectly safe, baby. She looked over at her brother and smiled. “You’re not causing me any problems, and I’m happy to shift for you if it will help you understand me better. I have to warn you about something, though.”
“What’s that?” Michael asked.
“You better prepare yourself because you’re gonna be embarrassed. I have to be naked to shift.”
Remus couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Michael’s face.
“Uh, we don’t have to do this, Maddie. I don’t want to embarrass anybody,” Michael pleaded.
Maddie stood and began unbuttoning her blouse. “Get a grip, brother dear. I have a strong feeling it will embarrass you a lot more than it will me.” Maddie turned her back and quickly took off the rest of her clothes. All Michael really saw was her naked back.
Remus watched as Maddie closed her eyes and called forth the magic that would bring her wolf. He glanced briefly at Michael and then turned his attention back to his beautiful mate. As he watched, her body began to shake, and hair began to sprout on her arms and legs. Her bones began to pop, and Remus knew she was grimacing inside. She hated the feeling of her body frame reshaping. She dropped to the floor as her legs shortened, and her jaw and face began to elongate. He looked back over to Michael and prayed he wouldn’t have to pick the poor man up off the floor. He was pasty white with his gaze glued to his changing sister. By the time he looked back around, a small brown and gold wolf was standing on the floor watching them. Remus smiled. “Isn’t she beautiful, Michael?”
Maddie padded over and rubbed her head against Remus’s thigh. Chuckling, he reached down and scratched behind her ears, then ran his hand down her back through the silky hair. She growled softly and cuddled closer to his legs.
“She did it. She’s a wolf.” Michael sounded like he was in shock.
Maddie raised her head and sniffed the air, then padded over toward Michael’s chair. When she got close enough for him to touch, Michael pushed his chair back like he was afraid. Maddie whimpered, and then lay down on the floor on her belly. She crawled slowly toward her brother. Remus could hear her thoughts. I don’t want him to be afraid of me, Remus.
“Relax, Michael. She won’t hurt you,” Remus told the distraught man. He watched as Maddie steadily crawled closer until she was right at the foot of his chair. She whimpered one more time then turned over and lay on her back, exposing her belly to her brother. “Michael, what Maddie just did is a surrender move. She’s exposing the most vulnerable part of her body to show that she’s not going to hurt you, and she doesn’t think you’ll hurt her either.”
Michael hesitated and then swallowed hard before gradually lowering his hand to Maddie. Slowly, he rubbed along her belly and then laughed. “Her fur tickles.” For several minutes he continued stroking her and then jumped when she rolled over and stood up. She put her head on his knee and looked up at him with dark, soulful eyes. Michael smiled and began rubbing her head. “Maddie, just look at you. You’re so beautiful. I was so afraid you’d never have a life after your accident, but now. You’ve made such a wonderful life for yourself, and I’m so proud of you.” Michael brushed the tears from his eyes. “Okay, I’ve seen enough. You can change back now. Thanks, Maddie. Your willingness to let me see this means a lot to me. I love you.”
Maddie looked at Remus. “Maddie says she loves you too, but she’s going to go shift back in the other room so she can get dressed.” They watched as she scurried out of the room.
Michael stood. “Thanks, Remus. I appreciate your patience with me in all this. I think I’m going to head on out while she’s changing.” He laughed. “I’m sensing an emotional scene between the two of us coming, and I’m not up for it right now. I’m heading over to the site, and I’d just as soon not show up with teary eyes, if you know what I mean.” Michael held out his hand.
“Sure, Michael, I understand.” He stood and shook his hand. “I doubt my crews would be the most sympathetic of people with your tears,” he teased.
Michael walked over and opened the door. “Tell Maddie I’ll talk to her later today or tomorrow. I’m having lunch with Ariane, and I’m not sure about our plans for tonight.”
“What are you going to do about Ariane?” Remus asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t believe there’s a wolf in me, so I know I can’t mate with her. But something inside me won’t let her go, at least not yet.” He gave Remus a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “See ya.” He hurried out the door, closing it behind him.
Re
mus stood and stared at the closed door for a few moments and wondered how long it would be before Michael remembered everything that had happened with Dr. Constantine. Then he smiled broadly. “It’s just possible that it’s your wolf that won’t let her go, my friend.” Whistling, and feeling better than he had in a long time, Remus went in search of his expectant mate. He had some groveling to do to get back in her good graces.
* * * *
Michael was sitting in the construction trailer with Mali going over the plans for the kitchen. It was their first difference of opinion on the design, and Michael was determined to come out the winner.
“I understand what you’re saying, Michael.” Mali sounded frustrated. “But, surely you can see that it would be better to change the cabinets over to the east wall and get rid of the island all together. It would increase floor space and open up the southern wall to put an arch between the kitchen and living room.”
Michael sighed, trying to hold onto his patience. “I’m not disagreeing with you, Mali. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t matter what you think or what I think. Maddie specifically asked to have the kitchen changed to this layout. It’s what she wants. Haven’t you ever heard the expression, ‘The customer’s always right’?”
“She’s your sister, can’t you reason with her?” Mali asked.
Michael snorted. “Reason with Maddie. Right, I’ll get right on that.” He looked at Mali closely. “Have you ever had any personal dealings with my sister?”
Mali looked uncomfortable. “Of course not. She’s the Alpha’s mate.”
Michael smirked. “Well, I tell you what.” He leaned over the desk, closer to the fidgeting man. “You have my permission to talk to her, hell, reason with her. Just let me know when you’re going to do it.” He paused dramatically and gave Mali a grin. “I’ll sell tickets.”
Mali laughed, and both men’s heads turned when the door opened.
“I’m sorry, am I interrupting an important meeting?” Ariane asked.
Michael watched as the other man’s smile disappeared and his back straightened.
“No, I was just leaving.” Mali stood and picked up the plans. He looked at Michael. “I think I’ll skip the reasoning session with the Alpha Femm, if it’s all the same to you. We’ll just do it her way.” He smiled, nodded, and walked toward the door. “Nice to see you, Ariane.” Then he was gone.
Ariane walked the rest of the way into the trailer. “Did I run him off?”
Michael laughed as he walked around the desk and took her into his arms. “No, we were done.” He looked at her closely. “I don’t think he was too anxious to stick around and watch us together.”
Ariane blushed. “Michael, there’s never been anything between us.”
“But he’d like to be closer to you.” Michael watched for her reaction.
Ariane glared at him. “It’s not what I want.”
Michael studied her for a moment longer then nodded. “Okay, if I remember correctly, you’re supposed to have brought me lunch today.” He smiled at her.
She laughed. “I did, the basket is outside. I thought we might walk down to the river and have a picnic.”
“Sounds great, let’s go.” Michael put a hand on her back and guided her toward the door.
* * * *
Michael lay back on the blanket and stared up at the clear, blue Wyoming sky. “I’ve never seen a sky this beautiful anywhere else.” He glanced over and watched Ariane packing up their leftovers.
She smiled. “Yeah, I agree. It was nothing like this in Canada with my old pack.” She frowned. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful there, but different.”
“I know what you mean.” Michael sat up and watched her for a moment. “I talked to Maddie about finding her wolf this morning.”
Ariane’s head jerked up, and her eyes met his. “What did she tell you?”
He sighed. “Pretty much everything you did. She said she didn’t really find her wolf, it found her. Then she shifted for me.”
“What did you think?” she asked.
“That it was scary, looked painful, beautiful, I couldn’t decide.” He snickered. “She scared the crap out of me. She made a beautiful wolf, though. I can’t begin to tell you what it felt like to run my hand down that animal’s back and know it was my sister.” He gazed into her eyes. “I bet you make a beautiful wolf, too.” He watched as the color rose in her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze to the blanket. “Ariane, you have no idea what it means to me to see Maddie so happy and healthy.”
“I don’t understand.” Ariane sounded puzzled.
“She spent most of her life in a hospital. At least it was a hospital to me. The doctor who owned it called it a clinic.”
Ariane couldn’t hide the shock on her face. “Her whole life?” She asked incredulously. “Can I ask what happened to her?”
“I happened to her,” he said grimly. Michael braced himself for some sort of shocked response, but she just waited for him to explain. “When she was little, I was trying to teach Maddie to water ski for her birthday. I was driving the boat. I swerved too close to the dock, and she paid the price. It took me a while to find her under the water, and by then she was nearly dead.” He looked up when he heard Ariane gasp. “She was in a coma for a long time. When she finally woke up, she’d changed in a lot of ways. She wasn’t able to cope with living outside the hospital by then, so my father left her in there.” He shook his head. “If it wasn’t for me, she’d have had a full life.”
Ariane crawled across the blanket and curled up against his side. “She has a full life now, Michael.” She placed her hand against the side of his face and then pressed her lips to his.
Michael allowed the gentle caress for just a moment, and then he turned her in his arms and devoured her mouth. She willingly accepted his tongue, their kiss going deeper than ever before. He savored her unique flavor and breathed in her scent. Gradually he pulled back from their kiss and buried his face in her hair. “God, I want you so much.”
He lowered her to the blanket, partially covering her body with his. Trapping her legs with his own, he gazed into her eyes. The flame of desire there took his breath away. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he lowered his lips to hers. Gently, he pressed their lips together, once, twice, and then froze when he felt her tongue slide into his mouth. Recovering quickly, Michael crushed her lips beneath his, his mouth taking control. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss and invaded her mouth with his tongue. Her taste and scent filled his senses and enveloped him in a haze of desire.
Breaking off the kiss, Michael buried his face in her neck and nibbled at her throat. He could feel her trembling in his arms. He raised his head and smiled. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
Ariane took a shaky breath. “I’m not afraid of you, Michael. I think I’m more afraid of myself, of how much I want this.”
Her words inflamed him as he kissed her savagely once more, then lowered his lips to her throat and brought his hand to the buttons of her blouse. One by one he released them, going slowly to see if she made any protests. He felt her breathing quicken, but she made no effort to stop him. Once he had them all undone, he ran his lips down her neck and covered the valley between her breasts in wet kisses. He traced the taut tips through her lacy bra with his finger and then closed his hand around the soft mound, cupping and squeezing gently. Ariane’s entire body shivered in response. Overwhelmed, he gripped her shoulders and pulled her close. The feel of her hardened nipples against his chest took his breath away. Michael let his hands slide up under her shirt to the soft skin of her back and then froze as he heard her voice.
“I love you, Michael.”
Her words knifed through him, causing him to freeze up in terror. His hands stilled on her body, and he slowly lowered her back to the blanket. He smiled but didn’t allow his eyes to meet hers as he quickly buttoned her blouse.
“What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”
Michael hated the hurt tone of her voice but didn’t know how to reassure her since he was so confused himself. He didn’t want her love, and he didn’t want to love her. Why the hell did I let things go this far? “No, absolutely not. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just, well, we’re not exactly in a private place. Anybody could come along, and I’d never want to cause you any embarrassment.” He glanced at her face and winced when he saw moisture shining in her eyes. Before he could say anything else, he heard his name being called.
“Michael?”
He looked up to see Mali walking down the path from the work site. Ariane gasped when he quickly pulled away from her and got to his feet, leaving her to pull herself together. “Hey, Mali. What is it?”
The other man looked embarrassed and didn’t make eye contact with either Ariane or himself. “I’m sorry to intrude, but your cell phone has gone off three times. I ignored the first two but then decided to answer it the third time in case it was an emergency. I hope you’ll forgive me, I wasn’t trying to nose into your personal business.”
“No, it’s all right. Who was it?”
“Someone named Melissa Rogers, and she said to tell you it’s important that you get back to her ASAP. She also said you would have the number.” Mali walked closer and handed the cell phone to Michael.
“Thanks, Mali. Melissa is my administrative assistant, and if she says it’s important then it must be an emergency. That woman doesn’t rattle easily.” Michael was relieved when they all chuckled at his description.
“No problem,” Mali said. “I was heading off to take a walk for lunch anyway. I’ll see you back at the site.” He turned and walked swiftly back down the path, quickly getting out of sight of the silent couple.
Michael turned and glanced down at Ariane. “I need to make this call, but I should get back to Maddie’s so I have a land line. Sometimes I can’t get a very good signal up here, and if it’s an emergency, well, I need a better connection.”
Martine, Missy - Denying His Wolfen Heritage [A Wolfen Heritage 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 11
