Hidden Destiny (Redwood Pack)

by Ryan, Carrie Ann

  She turned in his arms. “Is that not okay?”

  North shook his head then leaned down to lay a kiss on her nose. “No, it’s fine. I thought you’d want to be with others for your first shift, but then I thought better of it. You’re afraid something will happen so you don’t want to hurt them. I get it.”

  She swallowed hard. “I know it’s selfish, but I want you near me though. I know if something goes wrong, I’d rather you not witness it, but I need you by my side anyway.”

  He growled softly then cupped her ass. “I wouldn’t be any other place tonight.”

  “Then let’s go.” Her hands were shaking, and she didn’t know if it was because of the stress or whatever was happening to her body. Honestly, it was probably a bit of both.

  He took her lips, and she sank into him, knowing they both needed the touch, and then he led her outside to his backyard. Each Jamenson house led into the tree line so it would be easy for any of them to shift and run. While most of the others would meet at the circle tonight to run as Pack, North knew Lexi needed to be apart from them right now. The Pack needed that solidarity after what had happened, what was happening. North might have wanted to join them, but he’d stayed away for her.

  She would just have to add that to her ever-growing list of things she owed him for.

  A slight breeze slid through her hair, and she inhaled, the forest seeming more vivid, alive. She raised her face to the night sky, the moon pulling her even stronger than it had when she’d been fully trapped within her skin.

  She took a shaky breath.

  At least she hoped her wolf wasn’t still trapped within her skin.

  She turned at the sound of rustling as North stripped off his shirt. The sight of his washboard abs and filled-out chest never failed to make her pant, and she gave a soft smile.

  He grinned back at her as he thumbed the button on his jeans. “No thinking about that now. After the shift, when we’re back to being human and our emotions are running high, we can act on any dirty fantasy you have in mind, but stop looking at me like I’m your feast.”

  She licked her lips, unable to hold herself back. She just wanted to run her hands over his skin, over the dusting of chest hair that marked him, and down to those sexy lines on his hips that went straight to his cock.

  “Lexi,” he growled, the sensation rumbling over her skin, blending with the moonlight and forcing a shiver down her spine.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, not sorry in the slightest.

  “Get naked, woman. The quicker you do that, the faster we can shift and hunt. Then we can act on whatever sexy thing is going on in your mind.”

  That fear she’d tried to hold back slithered in like a snake on its own hunt. “But what if…”

  Her mate stepped out of his jeans and prowled toward her naked. She blinked and forced her gaze up, her cheeks heating.

  He pulled up her shirt, and she raised her hands, letting him take control. He stripped off her pants, and she placed her sweaty palms on his stomach, needing his touch.

  He cupped her face and forced her gaze to his. “You will be fine. If you go in thinking of the worst, then you’ll just make it hard for your wolf to come out. My wolf can already feel a difference in you. It’s like your wolf is closer to the surface, not like mine, but at least there. Before, I had to really search hard for her, but not anymore. She’s ready, baby. Trust us.”

  “I trust you, you know that.” It didn’t mean she trusted herself…or fate though.

  “Then trust your wolf, baby. She’s there.”

  Lexi slid her hands to his back, the new scars there fresh, but healed. North stiffened for a moment then relaxed as she ran her hands up and down the indentations and hard ridges that marred his flesh. Caym might have marked her mate, but he hadn’t taken him from her.

  She had to remember they were stronger than others thought.

  She was stronger than others thought.

  “I love you, North.”

  He brushed her lip with his thumb. “I love you too. Now get on your hands and knees.”

  Lexi snorted. “I thought you said I had to wait to act on my urges.”

  North rolled his eyes. “It’s how you shift for the first time. Do you want me to shift first to show you what I do? Or do you want me to hold you through it?”

  “I’ve seen people shift before.” Hundreds of times. She’d spent hours watching her brother and others shift so she could replicate the movement. Growing up, she’d thought that if she just tried harder than anyone else, she’d be able to find her wolf.

  It hadn’t worked then, but she hoped to the moon goddess it would work now.

  “Okay then, I’ll hold you through it, baby.” North’s words were gentle, as if he was afraid he’d push her too far and she’d break.

  She hated that feeling.

  Lexi pulled away slightly then knelt on the ground, her fingers digging into the grass and dirt. North got on his knees beside her and ran a soothing hand down her back then up again, the motion calming her even though she hadn’t thought the action possible.

  “Now call up your wolf, Lexi.”

  “How?” She’d asked her brother and others countless times, but she’d never been able to feel her.

  “You sense that manic energy beneath your skin? Take that and pull it out. Imagine it’s a thread that you know is connected to something important. You can’t pull too quickly, or you’ll break the thread, but you still need to grab on.”

  She shook her head at his description but did as he was told. She closed her eyes and imagined the aching feeling in her limbs and under her skin was a thread. She pulled on it slightly, a little tug to see if she could do it. The resulting flare of energy made her elbows buckle, and she would have fallen to the ground if not for the strong band around her center.

  North held her close, her back arching against his chest as he murmured sweet words that she couldn’t decipher over the pain radiating through her body. She pushed against him, not knowing if she needed space or him closer, and he just held on tighter.

  “Pull that thread,” North repeated.

  She nodded, or at least that’s what she thought she did. She wasn’t quite sure because she felt as though she wasn’t inside her body at all, but outside looking in. Lexi tugged on the tread, the energy piercing through her as she closed her eyes even tighter, praying that it would be over soon.

  Come on, wolf, come out and play. Please.

  It was a soft echo, like a train off in the distance rushing toward her at full speed. She screamed as it crashed into her, the full impact making her body buck against North. His answering yell made her remember she wasn’t alone.

  Dear goddess, it hurt.

  She could feel her bones breaking, the tendons and ligaments stretching and tearing. She could feel her muscles reforming. The bones in her face crushed then shaped into another form. Fur sprouted from beneath her skin, receded, then game back fuller.

  She threw her head back against North’s shoulder and screamed until she didn’t hear herself anymore. Instead, an anguished howl erupted from her throat.

  Her throat.

  Lexi panted and looked down at her paws and fell to the ground.

  Her paws.

  “I’ve been waiting to meet you,” a voice said within her mind, and she froze.

  Was that her wolf?

  “Yes, I’m your wolf. I can’t wait to get to know you even more,” the soft voice said. “Go hunt with your mate, and we can talk more soon. Run on four paws, Lexi, feel the ground beneath them and have the moon dance along our fur.”

  She could feel her wolf step away, as if the other soul sharing her body knew Lexi needed to get ahold of herself first.

  So. Freaking. Cool.

  “Lexi?”

  Lexi looked up at her mate and tried to smile. As a wolf, though, she wasn’t sure how that looked.

  North threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, baby, you’re smiling in wolf form. I love it. Y
ou are so beautiful.”

  She tried to ask what she looked like and realized she couldn’t speak. How on earth did wolves communicate in this form? She tilted her head at her mate, and he grinned.

  “Your fur is blonde like your hair and your eyes are the same hazel. It’s as if your wolf was so close to you but hidden for so long, that you have the same features. It’s pretty cool, actually.”

  He ran a hand through her fur, and she nuzzled into his palm. Her wolf guided the motion, showing her how to move like the canine rather than the human. She looked down at herself as best she could and saw the blonde fur he was talking about.

  She was a wolf.

  Finally.

  She yipped up at her mate, surprising herself with the sound.

  “Okay, okay. We’ll go hunting. Let me shift.” He stood then and shifted, faster than her by far, faster than most wolves.

  Her mate was strong, amazing, and her wolf liked that.

  His fur was a mixture of gray and tan, identical to Maddox’s. He was also bigger than she was in wolf form, but that wasn’t surprising.

  He nudged along her neck then circled her body before moving, locking his jaws around her neck. Instinctively, she lowered her head, submitting to him.

  This was her mate, her other half. Even without the bond, she would want this man and wolf in the age-old dance of mates and the hunt.

  He moved backward, his gaze on hers. She looked down at her paws then up to him and took a step toward him. Or at least tried. She stumbled on four paws and hit the ground. North came to her, nudging and licking along her muzzle.

  “Let me take care of the walking and running,” her wolf said on a gentle laugh.

  That sounded like a better idea. Lexi did what came naturally—something that surprised her—and let her wolf take over. Lexi, the human, was still there, in control, but her wolf led the movements, as if showing her how to walk.

  Lexi took a few steps then sped up, running around her mate, who looked as pleased as a wolf could be. She went to his side and burrowed into his body. She felt the happiness of her wolf being able to feel North’s wolf, at least in body.

  The bond would come once Corbin was gone.

  No, she wasn’t going to think about that now.

  North nuzzled her one more time then tilted his head up before taking off in a run. She yipped and took off behind him, letting her wolf lead the action so she wouldn’t fall on her face. Again.

  She rushed around the trees as she followed her mate, knowing and trusting that he’d lead the way and keep them safe. That reminded her that she’d have to learn to fight in wolf form now.

  Oh my God, I’m a wolf!

  She squealed inside like a teenager at a boy band concert and ran after her mate, wanting to play, to hunt, to just…be.

  North jumped over a fallen log, and Lexi let her wolf take more control to show her how to jump as well. When she landed on four paws, North stood in front of her, gazing.

  She yipped at him, wanting to tell him how much she loved him, loved this moment, but didn’t know how to communicate it.

  She could have sworn he winked at her, and then his ears perked. Hers did the same a second later.

  Padded steps along the soil.

  A jump and a hop over a fallen branch.

  North tilted his head, as if asking her if this is what she wanted.

  Her wolf nudged her, and she sprang, the hunt already in play. She followed the sound of the rabbit, its scent changing to fear of a predator.

  She pounced quickly, ensuring its death would be painless. As she ate her reward, North padded toward her, a rabbit of his own dangling from his mouth. They ate together in silence then took off again on another run. Moonlight shone from between the tall trees, bringing her closer to the moon goddess and her Pack.

  She sensed the others around her, their hunt almost over as they moved off into pairs and groups to finish hunting…or change back and enjoy the other things that came with the hunt. North stopped then, his ears perked, and then he started to change back to his human form. Lexi pulled on that thread again, this time, allowing her human self to come out.

  The change back was just as painful as the first one, but this time, she was a little bit quicker, the transformation becoming something she could get used to, rather than something that would make her scream each time.

  In human form, she looked up at her mate and smiled. He growled then pounced on her. Their mouths collided, their tongues fighting for dominance as he pinned her to the ground, his body settled between her legs.

  “You’re a fucking beautiful wolf, my Lexi, but right now, I want to fuck my human hard.”

  She licked and nipped along his jaw, the scruff of his beard sending shivers down her spine.

  “In me, now.”

  He grinned a feral grin, positioned himself, and then thrust into her hot channel in one movement. They both gasped at the feeling, but he didn’t stop moving. She was already wet just from the adrenaline and fact that she’d wanted him since before they’d changed.

  He fucked her hard, and she lifted her hips, meeting him stroke for stroke.

  “Rise with me, Lexi. I’m too close,” he grunted then moved his hand between them, flicking her clit with his thumb.

  She came on his cock, the scream ripping from her throat matching his own growl as he came with her. Their bodies slid against each other, sweat from their exertions only making her want him more.

  “I want your ass, my Lexi.”

  She gasped as his hand reached around, sliding between her cheeks, teasing her hole. “I’m ready for you, but we don’t have any lube.”

  He lowered his face and nipped her lip. “I’m pretty sure between the two of us, we can take care of that.” He grinned then kissed her hard.

  She moaned as he slid out of her then turned on her stomach so she could get on her hands and knees. This would be an easier position for both of them, plus she liked when he took her this way since he could go deeper.

  Over her shoulder, she saw North kneeling behind her, the gold in his eyes flowing from arousal. She wiggled her ass, and he grinned.

  “Damn, I love you.”

  “Back at‘cha. Now, are you going to fuck me or what?”

  He raised a brow. “I’m pretty sure I just did that. You have a dirty mouth now, my little wolf.”

  “I’ve always had one, and you like it.”

  “True.” He slapped her ass hard, and she yelped, the pain and pleasure seeping through her, entwining as one.

  She wiggled again then sighed as he prepared her with one finger then two. Soon she was panting, needing to come, but not wanting to without him.

  She felt him move behind her and then the head of his cock at her entrance. Her back stiffened, and he ran a hand down her.

  “Shh, baby, just relax.”

  She forced herself to, even though she wanted him in her right then. She felt him enter her slowly, past the tight ring of muscles, and she pushed out against him. The action made him slide in farther, and she felt him gather up her own juices to make it easier for them. He slowly worked his way inside her until she felt his thighs flat against hers.

  “You feel so fucking good, Lexi,” he grunted, and she moaned, unable to speak.

  “Ready for me to move?” he asked, his voice strained.

  She nodded quickly, needing something, anything. “Please,” she rasped out.

  He pulled out partly then thrust back in slowly, doing it over and over again as he picked up the tempo. She lowered her head, the feel of him so freaking good, so full, that she could barely breathe.

  He squeezed her hips, and he slammed into her, and she screamed, the sensation a fiery pleasure that she wanted more of.

  “Touch your clit, Lexi. Come for me. I’ll hold you up.”

  She nodded then moved so she could rub circles over her clit. The feeling of his cock in her ass and her hand on herself was too much.

  She came on a yell and felt No
rth jerk behind her then growl her name. His seed filled her up, and they both fell to the ground, a pile of limbs, sweat, and heat.

  “I think you killed me,” North grunted.

  “Ditto,” she whispered, too tired to say more than one thing at a time.

  North ran a hand over her hair, his chest to her back, their bodies still connected. “You’re a wolf, baby,” he said then kissed behind her ear.

  She smiled then and felt her wolf settle down for a nap.

  Yes, she was a wolf.

  Finally.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Something is coming, North thought to himself. Something bad.

  He ran a hand over his arms, that feeling of something…off… not quite going away.

  It had been two weeks since he’d woken up in bed and found his father and Lexi talking beside him. He’d known his father loved him, believed in him, but he hadn’t quite known the extent of it.

  Apparently, North hadn’t been as good at hiding his wolf as he’d thought.

  The Alpha had always known and always felt safe with North by his side. North never should have doubted that.

  Now, though, now something was off, and he didn’t know what.

  For a moment, he thought it could be his mate, but he wasn’t sure what about her would be wrong. Lexi was flourishing as a wolf and was even, right then, in her wolf form with Logan learning some fighting maneuvers. Parker was also in wolf from, learning a little bit as well.

  North would have joined them but had to patch up a couple scrapes from a fight between a couple of adolescent boys. Ever since the circle where Patrick had tried to mutiny, those boys and parents who had acted against North’s new family had started to warm.

  He wasn’t quite sure he was ready to forgive and forget.

  Nor was he sure Lexi was.

  Parker, however, was as soothing as ever and wanted to be done with it.

  That, though, North thought, wasn’t the problem either.

  His cell buzzed, and he picked it up off the counter.

  “Yeah?”

  “Get over to the circle,” Kade ordered. “Bring the Andersons. The Talons are here, and they said that they are only the first.”

  The Heir hung up, leaving North with that sickly feeling of dread slashing through him. Shit, if the Talons were here again so quickly, that meant something was up. Kade hadn’t told him which Talons were there or why they were there, only that North and his new family were needed.