Martine, Missy - Denying His Wolfen Heritage [A Wolfen Heritage 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Denying His Wolfen Heritage

  Remus walked over and hugged Ariane so tightly her feet left the floor for a moment, causing her to release a small squeak. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to squish you.” His voice was laced with humor. “Are you ready to hit the road?”

  “Absolutely, the sooner I’m back on the mountain, the happier I’ll be.”

  “Come on then, let’s go home,” Maddie said.

  On the long drive back, Ariane filled them in as much as she could. She gave them an abbreviated version of what had happened, simply telling them that the longer she stayed, the more clear it had become that she couldn’t fit into Michael’s life in Houston, and he’d never be happy living on the mountain. She didn’t tell them about Cynthia or about hearing Michael talking to Peter. She’d never do anything to make Maddie think badly of her brother.

  “What are you going to do now?” Maddie asked.

  “I’m not sure. I know my uncle wants me to give Mali a chance. He’s anxious for me to mate and have pups.” She looked away from Maddie’s eyes. “I can’t do it though. My parents made each other miserable. There was never love in our house. My father resented being forced to take my mother as his mate. He’d had plans to go out in the world and find his true mate.”

  “I don’t understand,” Maddie said. “Why were they forced? Was your mom pregnant?”

  “No, nothing like that. Their Alpha was a firm believer in females mating as soon after puberty as possible. He always chose the mated pairs. He gave them an order and they had no recourse.” She glanced at Maddie. “He was getting ready to choose a mate for me when I requested to come here.”

  “That’s barbaric.” Maddie smacked Remus on the arm. “How can he get away with it?”

  “An Alpha has absolute control over his pack. A lot of them believe the only way to stay strong is to increase the numbers of the pack, and the only way to do that is through mated pairs and pups.” He glanced at Maddie. “It’s not illegal, but it is immoral.”

  Ariane sighed. “Maybe I should rethink my position. I guess I’d make a lot of people happy if I mated. Maybe I’d grow to love Mali, in time.”

  “Ariane, you can’t.” Maddie was cut short by Remus’s voice.

  “Maddie, you need to stay out of this. It’s Ariane’s and Michael’s lives.” Remus caught Ariane’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “She has to do what she believes is right.”

  “What I believe is right,” Ariane whispered. “What’s right would be to be with my mate.” She sighed. “But I want it to be right for him.”

  * * * *

  Michael paced back and forth in his living room, watching the clock move at a new, slow pace. He’d not been able to sleep, content to wait up until morning when he could get on a plane. He tried to figure a way to get Ariane back but couldn’t decide on the best approach. Maybe it was time to get some help. Picking up the phone, he called his sister for advice.

  “Hello?” Maddie’s voice clearly sounded like he’d wakened her.

  “Hey, Sis, I’m sorry if I woke you. I didn’t even look at the clock.”

  “Michael, are you okay?” She snorted. “Of course you’re not okay.”

  “Okay, I’m guessing by that statement you’ve talked to Ariane.”

  “Yeah, we picked her up from the airport and took her to her uncle’s cabin.”

  “Was she all right?” Michael could hear the fear in his own voice and didn’t know how to mask it.

  “No, honey, she’s not all right. She’s hurting, and I don’t know how to help her.” Maddie hesitated for a moment. “What happened, Michael?”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore, Maddie. It was all a misunderstanding that she didn’t give me time to explain. She left here thinking I didn’t want or love her. She had good reason to believe it, thanks to an ambush from a former employee of mine, and now I have to get her to listen to me.”

  “So she’s wrong, you do care for her?” Maddie asked.

  “No, I don’t care for her, I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her.” He had to pull the phone away from his ear when his sister squealed. He could hear Remus’s voice asking what the hell was wrong.

  “Nothing’s wrong, Remus. Everything’s great. I’m talking to Michael, and I’ll fill you in tomorrow. Michael, are you still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here, but I may be deaf now.” He snickered.

  “Very funny! Ha ha! You’re a real comedian. So you want to spend your life with Ariane. What about the fact she said she didn’t like Houston?”

  “Not a problem anymore. I told Peter I was leaving the partnership. Then I asked Melissa to move to Wyoming with me so I could open my own office near you and so Ariane could live with me near her family.” Once again he had to pull the phone from his ear to avoid permanent hearing loss.

  “Oh, my God, I can’t wait to see her face when she finds out you’re on your way.”

  “Maddie Wind River, don’t you dare say one word to her. I want to tell her this myself. Do you understand me?” Michael was adamant that his sister was not going to steal his thunder.

  “Yeah, I understand. But you’d better understand something, too. You’d better get here quickly. On the drive back, she was talking about pleasing her uncle and maybe giving Mali a chance after all. Michael felt the horrible pain in his stomach again, nearly dropping him to his knees. He had to grit his teeth and breathe deeply before he could respond. “She won’t do anything about it before tomorrow, will she? Hell, I’ll be there by lunchtime, and I can explain everything to her then. I’ll make her believe that I love her.”

  When Maddie spoke, her voice was low and sad. “What about your wolf, Michael? Did you find him? Did you ever come to believe he exists? I know Ariane was hoping for a real mating.”

  Michael sighed and struggled with the pains and tremors he was feeling in his stomach. “Maddie, I’m sorry, but I just don’t have a wolf in me. Ariane knew that before we came here, but she came anyway. I know I can make her happy.”

  “All right, Michael. The pack is having a big party tomorrow at the pack house. Everyone’s going to be there, including Ariane and Mali. What time do you think you can get here?”

  “If I don’t hit a lot of traffic, I can be at your house around noon,” he replied.

  “Okay, one of us will be here to meet you and escort you over. I hope you know what you’re doing, bro.”

  “So do I, Maddie. I can’t lose her, I just can’t.”

  “Try to relax, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow, and everything will work out the way you want.”

  “Thanks, Maddie, for everything. Tell Remus I’m sorry I woke him. See ya tomorrow.” Michael hung up and glanced at the clock. Just three more hours and he could leave for the airport. The pain in his stomach seemed to be rolling around, and he briefly wondered what he could have eaten that made him sick. He was going to find Ariane as soon as he arrived and do whatever it took to convince her of his love. Then, once she agreed to spend her life with him, he planned to redden her ass something fierce for even considering giving Mali a chance. Laughing, he rubbed up and down his tingling arms and then grabbed his bag and headed for the door. He’d spend the last few hours pacing at the airport. There was a lot more room to move around there than in his apartment. Ariane, I’m coming, love. You’d better be ready because you’re never getting away from me.

  * * * *

  Michael turned onto the winding dirt and gravel road that would take him up to the house he had designed for Maddie and Remus. He was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. The flight had been long and difficult for him. His stomach continued to cramp, although not as bad as the day before. Excitement or trepidation at seeing Ariane had kept him in a nervous state with skin tingling and itching. He couldn’t wait to see her. She had to be willing to listen to him. He’d make her believe in his love if it was the last thing he did.

  When he pulled up to the house, he was surprised to see Remus sitting on the porch. His brother-in-law came down and met him as he go
t out of the car.

  “Hello, Michael. It’s good to see you again.”

  “Hey, Remus, what’re you doing here? I thought you had a pack party today. Where’s Maddie?”

  “She’s at the party. It’s kind of a picnic atmosphere, and she got a notion she wanted to sit by the river to eat lunch.” He laughed. “She’s having a rather hormonal day, if you know what I mean. Anyway, she sent me back here for a blanket to sit on and told me to wait a little while to see if you showed up.”

  Michael laughed even though he had no idea what having a hormonal day meant, and he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know. “Well, you didn’t have to wait for me, but I’m glad you did. I remember where the pack house is, but I never liked traipsing through the woods by myself.”

  Remus snickered and then frowned. “Are you okay?”

  “Sure, why do you ask?”

  “Man, you’re scratching like you have fleas.”

  Michael glanced down and sure enough, he was scratching up and down his arms again. Immediately, he stilled his hands. “Sorry, I’ve just been really anxious about seeing Ariane. I’m finding out I don’t handle anxiety well.”

  Remus narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  Michael snorted. “Itchy and tingling skin, upset stomach, and who knows what else I haven’t even noticed. Hell, that woman is driving me crazy.” He stared at Remus. “She is at the party, isn’t she?”

  Remus studied him with a strange expression on his face. “Uh, yeah, she’s there. You want to get going?”

  “Great, but didn’t you say something about getting Maddie a blanket?”

  Remus started and ran back up to the swing. He turned around with a sheepish grin on his face, clutching a gray blanket. “Thanks, bro, Maddie would have skinned me alive if I’d come all this way and forgot to bring her blanket back.”

  Michael chuckled. “Six months ago I would have laughed that statement off. I’d be careful if I were you. She’s got the ability to do it now.”

  Remus laughed. “Come on, let’s reunite you with your woman. I promise to protect you while we’re in the big, bad woods.”

  “Asshole,” Michael grumbled.

  * * * *

  Maddie kept glancing at the path through the woods, hoping for a glimpse of Remus and Michael. She knew Michael was here because Remus had sent word through their mating link. She looked over to where Ariane sat with her uncle at one of the picnic tables. The poor woman seemed miserable. She knew that Ariane loved Michael, but she wasn’t sure that she would be willing to accept life with a non-shifting mate.

  As Maddie watched, Mali walked over and bent down to speak to Ariane’s uncle. She watched carefully, wishing she was close enough to hear their conversation. After a few moments, Ezra nodded, and Mali smiled. Wonder what that was about? Maddie’s eyes widened when Mali leaned over and whispered to Ariane. The woman grimaced for just a moment, and then a weak smile appeared on her face. She stood and walked away with Mali. Oh, hell, this can’t be good.

  “Alpha Femm, may I speak with you for a moment?”

  Maddie looked up into the face of Nanita Wind River, the woman she once had to fight to keep her place as Remus’s mate. She smiled at the radiant young woman. “Hello, Nanita, please call me Maddie. You’re looking positively wonderful. What can I do for you?”

  Nanita blushed and took Maddie’s offered hand. “I wanted to thank you, Maddie.”

  Unable to help herself, Maddie frowned. “Whatever for?”

  “If it wasn’t for your kindness and wisdom, I wouldn’t be mated to Zebron.” She beamed at Maddie. “We’re expecting our first pup, Maddie.”

  Maddie stood and hugged her. “That’s wonderful, Nanita. Is Zebron happy?”

  “Oh, my God, he’s delirious and driving me insane. He’s so afraid I’ll hurt myself, he’s waiting on me hand and foot. You’d think no other wolf in the world had ever given birth before.”

  Maddie laughed. “Enjoy it while you can, it probably will only last through your first pregnancy. You be sure and tell him I said congratulations.”

  “I will, Maddie. Thanks again.” She started to walk away and then turned back. “If I can ever do anything for you, or for Alpha Remus, please don’t hesitate to ask.” She bowed her head and quickly walked away.

  Maddie sat back down smiling, pleased at their encounter. She checked on Ariane and was dismayed to see her standing by the trees, Mali’s hand on her shoulder. Michael was going to pitch a fit when he arrived.

  * * * *

  Michael and Remus were getting nearer to the pack house, and Michael was beginning to be in real distress. The pain in his stomach was getting worse, and he couldn’t stop scratching his arms. He was also getting an uncontrollable urge to rub on his legs. He’d never been so nervous in his life. All he could hope for was that it would disappear once he got his hands on Ariane.

  “Michael, are you sure you’re okay?”

  He looked up into the obviously concerned eyes of Maddie’s mate. “Not really. I guess I’m just extremely nervous about seeing Ariane again.”

  Frowning, Remus stared at him. “Well, the picnic is just around the next bend, so you’ll see her in just a minute. You can already hear the pack. Try to calm down, bro, I’m sure everything will work out.”

  “Nobody but Maddie has ever called me bro.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, don’t be. I like it. Makes me feel more like we’re family.”

  Remus put his arm around Michael’s shoulder. “We are family, Michael. We always will be because Maddie and I are going to be together forever.”

  They rounded the bend in the path, and Michael got his first glimpse of Remus’s pack. He turned to Remus when he heard him gasp and then tried to spot whatever had upset him.

  He glanced around, looking for Ariane, and spotted her almost at once. Rage blossomed in his body when he saw Mali’s arm draped across her shoulders. Suddenly, he doubled over when a sharp pain in his abdomen nearly sent him sprawling on the ground. He was shocked when Remus grabbed his arm.

  “Michael, listen to me carefully. Undress, now!” Remus had his arm in an iron grip, and his voice left no room for disobedience.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Michael groaned. He was trying to breathe through the pain and was having a great deal of difficulty.

  Remus sighed. “Michael, do you remember the story of how Maddie found her wolf?”

  “Yeah, I remember.” He thought for a moment. “I remember she said she thought her wolf found her when she needed help.”

  Remus snorted. “Yeah, well your wolf is about to find you because it’s pissed that another man has his hands on your mate.” He reached down and lifted Michael’s chin. “You’re about to shift, bro, and unless you want to ruin your clothes and have to be bare-assed after everything is over, you’ll strip now.” He laughed. “I really don’t wanna have to pull jeans and a T-shirt off a wolf today.”

  Michael gave him a long look, fear stealing over his body. “You’re serious? I’m really going to turn into a wolf like Maddie?” He couldn’t keep the fear from his voice. “Will it hurt?”

  “I’m serious, and you don’t have much time. It won’t really hurt, but the first time is uncomfortable. It gets easier each time. Hurry and get out of those clothes.”

  Michael began pulling off his clothes quickly, the fear keeping him from being embarrassed. “What do I do to change back?” He was terrified of becoming a wolf and not being able to be human again.

  “When you’re ready, just concentrate on your humanity, your human self. Your wolf will understand and back down, letting your body change again. While you’re in wolf form, his instincts will be in control, but you will keep your thoughts and memories.” He cleared his throat. “I know you’re angry at seeing Ariane with Mali, but remember that they’re only talking in public. They’ve not been alone together, so you don’t have to do any harm. You’re her true mate, and he’ll back away once
he knows you are a true member of our pack.”

  Michael was about to respond when the pain hit so bad he did drop to the ground. He felt his bones pop, the sounds loud in his ears. His skin felt as if it was being pulled from his body, and he could see fur sprouting on his arms. He heard a scream and was shocked to realize it came from him. He could feel a calming presence in his mind and realized that Remus was talking in his head.

  Accept your destiny, my brother. There is nothing to fear. The pain will leave soon, and you’ll stand proud as a male wolf searching for his mate. Approach her, stake your claim, and then take her somewhere private for the mating. The guest cabin you stayed in before is empty. I welcome you, brother, to the Wind River Pack.

  Michael opened his eyes and found himself lying on the ground. He pulled himself up and tried to stand. It took a few moments for him to balance and remain upright. He looked down and was amazed to see four furry legs underneath his body. Oh, fuck, what the hell do I do now? He suddenly remembered Ariane and looked out over the pack. He was shocked to see them all staring at him. Huh, guess they must have heard me when I yelled.

  Maddie came running up, startling him. “Michael, oh, my God. It’s really you.” She had tears in her eyes.

  “Stay back, Maddie,” Remus ordered.

  Remembering Ariane, Michael turned to stare at her across the compound. Her eyes were full of shock, and Mali’s arm was still across her shoulders. Michael’s hackles rose, and he growled deep in his throat. He took a step toward his mate and stopped to watch when Mali took a step away. He ripped off his clothes and shifted into his own wolf then took several steps away from Ariane.

  Michael stalked slowly toward his mate, keeping his eyes on Mali’s wolf. He was prepared to fight for her if he had to. As he drew near, he was surprised when Mali dropped down to the ground and rolled over to present his belly. Instinctively, Michael knew that he was signaling that he was no danger. He turned his back on the other wolf to show he didn’t consider him a threat and continued stalking toward his mate. He stopped in front of her and growled low.