by Ava Frost
“What the fuck are you doing here?” she barked, standing with the kettle in her hand.
“Is that how you welcome your mate?” he smirked and pushed away from the wall stepping closer to her.
She clung to the kettle, weighing her options. She could throw it at him and burn that smirk off his face or she could pretend to be the innocent housewife, preparing tea for the love of her life. The latter was discarded the moment he rounded the nook. Raven launched the kettle in his direction. Maddox must have read her mind, because he ducked even before the kettle left her hand, and as the metal crashed against the opposite wall he had her pinned up against the counter top.
“That’s not very nice of you; I’ve killed people for less,” he said with his corners of his mouth turned up and laughter dancing in his eyes.
“Let me go!” she yelled and shoved him aside, taking a few controlling breaths.
“Easy tiger,” he said holding his hands up, “I’m not here to drag you away like a Neanderthal, I had time to think.”
Please let him cut his losses and set me free, she pleaded silently as she reached for a rag to dry up the water spilled all over her kitchen floor.
“Think about what?” she asked curiously as she knelt down.
Maddox bent down and pulled her up to her feet, “I’m going to move in here, that way you can keep your cozy little home and you don’t have to feel like a prisoner in mine.”
“You’re what?!” she gasped, “Have you completely lost your mind!”
Maddox shrugged and crossed his arms, “It’s not only my pack who needs to see the evidence of our union. The sooner your people realize what is going on, the easier it will be for them to accept the fact that we are here to stay.”
“Over my dead body, they will label me as a traitor, I can’t allow that,” she whispered under her breath.
This wasn’t happening, she hadn’t even thought of what to tell everyone about her union with the shifter. Her first step was to get the mating process over and done with, at most she figured a quick fuck and draw would do, but then he insisted she move in. Keeping this whole scenario under wraps was starting to get far more complicated than she had anticipated.
“You have no choice sweetheart. Look…” he took another step towards her, “I have given you my word, I won’t touch you unless you ask me to, but for show, the pack has to believe that our union is genuine.”
“Why is this particular union so important to you?” she asked locking eyes with him.
“It’s complicated, but in time you’ll figure it out.”
Raven swept her hair from her face and glared at him, he was insufferable. Why couldn’t he just tell her why he wanted her to be his mate, he could have any other woman on the face of the earth.
“I’m a pro when it comes to complicated matters, so why not just tell me and get it over with.”
Maddox pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit down. Hesitatingly she sat and then he pulled a chair up, flipped it around and straddled it.
“Bottom line is, as long as I am an unmated Alpha the pack won’t respect me…”
“So why not mate one of your own? Oh my god, mating is such a beastly term, for fuck sakes, I’m not an animal like you!” she interrupted angrily.
“Shut your trap and listen woman,” he scolded her, “If I picked anyone from my pack I would not be able to ensure your safety or the safety of any of your people. I’m doing you a goddamn favor.”
Raven was gobsmacked, the plot thickened. Why would her safety or any other human’s safety matter to him. He was a walking five-thousand piece jigsaw puzzle, and she’d hated jigsaw puzzles since she was a kid.
“Why would you even care?” she bit back, “It’s been three years since the curtain of myth was shredded, your pack has been in our town for over six months. We were holding our own quite fine.”
“Only because I am still the Alpha, if I don’t have a mate by the next waning moon I will be challenged, and then you can kiss your town goodbye.”
Maddox stood up and shoved the chair away from him, startling Raven. His brows were drawn together as he planted his hands on the table in front of her, he didn’t speak, simply looked at her. Her heart was racing, whether it was because of his anger or because he was so close she could see the fire-like flecks that spread out from the center of his eyes to the dark chocolate rim that surrounded, but she needed to get back in control, and fast. Her nails dug into her palm as she stood up, planting her hands on the table in front of his.
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take!”
Maddox rounded the table too fast for her to react and before she knew it, he was in her face, and she was back up against the kitchen counter, caged between his strong arms. She turned her face away from him and held her breath, but he caught her jaw, forcing her to look at him.
“Look at me woman, what do you see?” he demanded.
She tried to turn her head, but he wouldn’t let her.
“What. Do. You. See?” he ground out.
“What do you want me to see?” she said through gritted teeth. His grip on her jaw was so hard, she was sure to have bruises. “You’re hurting me, let me go.”
He didn’t, he kept his gaze pinned on her, “I am flesh and blood, I bleed when I get injured, I have experienced loss, just like you. I’m not a brainless dog out to bury bones and shit on lawns. And by rejecting me, you’re committing suicide, and that, sweetheart, is something I won’t be able to live with.”
He let her go and without a word marched out of the kitchen, leaving Raven lost for words and feeling like utter shit. As if mechanically driven she picked up the rag and walked to where the kettle still lay on its side. She dropped down on her knees, her mind was flooded with a tirade of questions and thoughts, which she was unable to stitch together. All she knew for a fact was that she was going to have to stick to her promise, be his mate and see this through. The answers to her why’s and how’s would have to make their appearances on the stage of life sooner or later.
Chapter 6
The rage that engulfed Maddox at that very moment was overwhelming, and as he reached the borders of Abingdon his agonizing howl tore through the silence. He had held it back long enough and now was as good a time as any to let go. He could only hope that the humans were all tucked away in their homes. Once he shifted he would have no room for pity, only blood lust. On the other hand an unsuspecting snack having lost his or her way would be welcomed at this point, anything to distract him from Raven.
He sprinted across the open field as the beast within forced its way towards the surface of his skin, stretching it beyond anything imaginable. His bones crunched as his body contorted, his face elongated and his fingers twisted and knotted, while fur sprouted all over his body. The power of his transformation was so visceral that he hardly felt the pain he used to feel; and as his wolf broke free from its human conscience, Maddox landed four-pawed in the clearing just outside the town borders. He raised his nose to the night sky and a guttural howl sent birds sweeping up into the air, leaving behind the safety of their nests. Then there was a deadly silence. Not even a cricket dared screech.
The pack had heard his call and one by one the wolves appeared in the clearing. Kiara, black as night arrived first and out of habit, came to sit beside him as if she belonged there. Jackson and Ryan arrived too, and one by one Maddox took stock of his pack members. Caleb was the last to arrive, but the way he sauntered into the clearing, as if there was no urgency, irritated Maddox.
[What took you so long?] Maddox asked telepathically.
[I was fucking a woman; you have a problem with that?] Caleb’s sneer infiltrated Maddox’s mind.
He bared his canines and snarled. Caleb had been at his throat for months now, pushing him closer and closer to an inevitable challenge of power. The moment Maddox towered over him; Caleb lowered his head and flattened his ears. At least there was still a fragment of respect left in him.
[I have
an announcement to make,] he communicated to the rest of the pack and they all huddled closer. Some leisurely laying down, others sitting perched on nearby rocks, twenty-nine of them in total, [I have chosen a mate.]
And tirade of voices flooded Maddox’s mind as his pack started whispering amongst themselves and asking him who the lucky lady was, but it was Kiara who stepped closer.
[It’s a human,] her tone dripping with vehemence.
That had their minds reeling, they all asking who, when and where, this was one question he was not willing to answer just yet. Some pack members were pleased while others were suspicious, but the one who had the most to lose growled loudly, causing all the other wolves to silence.
[Why did you pick a human of all creatures?] He asked bitterly.
[That is none of your business; the union has been completed,] Maddox scowled.
Caleb would have none of it, and as he planted his paws into the ground and lowered his stance, he challenged Maddox. Maddox was more than ready to take on the challenge, but two of the pack members barricaded him in behind them, and stood up to Caleb, their loyalty obvious.
[There will be no challenge today,] the grey wolf said as he stood with his paws apart, glaring towards Caleb.
It was obvious that Caleb was angry, and without a word, he spun around and sprinted off into the forest. Maddox knew that he won’t go far, and he also expected that Caleb would not be leaving matters unattended. He had been the one to push his luck, press on for the title of alpha, but his failure to lead left him at a disadvantage.
Maddox turned to the others and communicated, [If there is anyone else wishing to raise their displeasure, do it now.]
Like sheep in a pen, the rest of the pack lowered their heads in obedience to Maddox. No one but Caleb would dare challenge him now, which meant that the humans were safe from his pack.
He glanced across his pack and noticed Kiara was missing, [Kiara!] he called to her, but there was nothing. The communication link to her was severed, just like the link to Caleb. She had run off with him and he hadn’t even noticed it. Irritated by her disloyalty he dismissed the rest of the pack, and instructed the two wolves who stood by his side to join him. If Caleb was going to cause an uprising, it would mean he would have to find another pack, and if he did, which was quite possible, Maddox may have a bigger problem on his hands.
Maddox, Aiden and Josiah headed into the forest in search of Caleb and Kiara; they followed their scent up to where it crossed beyond the border of their own territory.
[We’ll have to patrol our borders until we know for sure what their plans are,] Maddox said.
[We’ll set up a perimeter and ensure that they do not cross,] Aiden responded.
In the distance they could hear the howling cries of Caleb and Kiara, and an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Maddox’s stomach. If Caleb and Kiara team up with another pack, there will most certainly be a fall out sooner or later.
Maddox looked into the distance, while Aiden and Josiah headed back to the rest of the pack, then he slowly turned around and sprinted back through the forest, leaping over logs and rocks. Even with the looming dangers, Maddox enjoyed the freedom of being in his true form, something he never thought he would ever fully embrace when he first realized what he was.
It was during the Bluff war in 1915 where he fought alongside the Navajo tribe, and it was at the battle of Cottonwood Gulch when he found himself trapped in a skirmish. He woke up days later with a high fever in one of the tribesman’s huts. It was shortly after that, when they drugged him with wolf’s bane and he underwent his first transformation. He was scared shitless. According to the tribe, he was chosen by the Great One to teach people how to live in harmony, Mai-Coh, they named him. As time passed he soon learned what his purpose was in life, and with the increase of werewolf legends and the hype Hollywood created around the once fictional creature, soon had him accepting his fate. After years of fighting his transformations, he finally embraced it and became the Alpha of his pack.
Chapter 7
Raven wasn’t sure when Maddox would return, after he had left in the mood he was in, she was hoping he would change his mind about moving in. But in case he did return, she had stacked some blankets and pillows on the sofa, and fled to her room. She refused to face him, refused to have anything to do with him in the privacy of her home. Outside among his kinsman she would keep up the façade, pretend she was his mate, after all that was all he needed. Her biggest concern now was to share the news of their union with her own people.
Driven by fear, she could only imagine how hard it would be for them to accept it, but this was for their own good. If sacrificing herself to keep them safe was needed, she would do it again and again.
Her front door squeaked as it was opened, and she waited with bated breath to see if Maddox would be attempting to talk to her, but instead there was a soft rustling in the living room. She let out a relieved sigh as she crawled under the covers, tugging them right up to her chin. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that sleep would evade her, and unlike other times, where she so boldly walked the streets at night without fearing the dangers that lurked in the shadows, she wouldn’t dare to set foot out of her room.
She must have fallen asleep at some point, as images of wolves and nocturnal creatures started to dance in her dreams. She was amongst them, not a wolf, but a skin walker, clothed in the skin of a grey wolf, whose eyes shone like the blood moon. She was seated on a throne, and at her feet laid other wolves, all of them in reverence. In her dream, this place was her domain. An eerie fog had filled the air, and a creature with a silver coat, and the face of a man entered her throne room. It was Maddox, in his natural form, or at least that is what it looked like. As the fog started to swirl around them, he transformed into his human form and took her away. Suddenly she found herself in a clearing, one she did recognize, vaguely. There were purple flowers surrounding the clearing like a wall, never ending and as high as the sky, with no way out. Trapped with Maddox who stood naked in the moonlight, she had dropped to her knees. Forced to submit to his command, and although he made no attempt to touch her, she could feel his power reverberate through every fiber of her being. The scene changed rapidly and they were running, Maddox’s coat was thick, he was grey with flecks of black and yellow, and another wolf by his side was as black as the night, with eyes the color of metallic periwinkle, almost purple. She was nowhere in sight, but as the two wolves leaped across the plains realization dawned on her that the black wolf was her. She moved alongside him in choreographed motions, unable to break away, somewhere in the recesses of her mind, it was her Alpha who kept her going as if he controlled her brain. Raven fought the bond, she struggled against the chains that held her prisoner to this dark force, but the harder she tried, the weaker she grew. Maddox stopped in his tracks and turned to her, hunkered down and baring his canines, Raven, he growled and she shook her head.
Raven, he said again and again she whined like a dog being reprimanded by his owner.
“Raven, wake up!”
Raven shot up, her hair plastered to her skin, Maddox was leaning over her, his hands firmly gripping her shoulders.
“You’re having a nightmare,” he said and released her.
She looked around, almost frantic at first, until she realized that she was still in her room and in her bed, with no wolves threatening her.
“I-I…” she started, but had no clue what to say or do.
She studied him as she sat with her blankets hugged tightly around her, “What color are you when you transform?” she asked curiously.
“Grey, why?” he said as he pulled up a chair to sit next to the bed.
“I had a dream, you were in your wolf form,” she said, still confused by what it all meant.
“And what happened in the dream?” he asked quietly as he rested his elbows on his knees.
“It was just a dream, it’s probably this whole debacle I’m caught up in that’s playing with my mind,”
she lied, but she knew that somehow this dream was not just any dream.
She was a wolf in her dream, and it was strange for her. Her familiar animal was a crow; it had always been that since she could remember.
“Dreams always have deeper meanings, you should know that Raven,” he said as he rode back on the chair, “So why don’t you tell me exactly what the dream was about.”
Raven sighed and gave him a brief rundown of her dream, omitting the fact that she had turned into a wolf too.
“So the other black wolf, who do you think it was?”
“You’re the wolf Maddox,” she mumbled, “You tell me.”
Maddox laughed and crossed his arms across his bare chest, “My take is that the black wolf was you, it’s the only logical explanation, and it makes sense, since our union is complete.”
Raven threw her blanket back and got out of the bed, storming past him, “Our union is only physical, so don’t fool yourself.”
He was insufferable, and hot, and just unbelievable in all ways possible. She both hated and wanted him. The way his muscles bulged when he crossed his arms was her reason for fleeing the sanctuary of her room; it had nothing to do with the dream or his analysis of the meaning of it. She frantically dug in her cupboard for the bottle of Vodka she had stashed away from almost two years ago. She was going to need it.
“Numbing your sense with alcohol wouldn’t make the inevitable go away,” Maddox said behind her as he reached above her taking out the bottle of Vodka.
She grabbed it and unscrewed the top, “What I drink and why is my business,” she retorted and took a big gulp. The liquid burned its way down into her stomach and she coughed uncontrollably, gasping for a breath.
“You’re my mate, so that makes it my business,” he said flatly and took the bottle from her, “Besides, it’s a lot better with some lemon.”
“Oh for fuck sakes, I’m a bartender; I know what mix works best, and right now, I’ll go for neat.”
