by Ryan Michele
I lift off his chest, eyes darting around the confined space of the SUV. “We’re here?” I wipe my mouth. How damn attractive is drool? Geeze.
“Yeah. Max went up and got you some clothes. Put them on so we can get you in where it’s safe.” I waste no time putting the fabric on. I pull the jeans up with ease, leaving way too much room in them. I hope my hips will be able to keep them up. He brought no underwear so commando it is. I slip of his shirt and put the new one on. My nipples protrude through the thin material, but at least they are covered.
Xavier pulls me out of the car and then I follow in step with him. We had a moment in the SUV, but we also had a moment when he acted freakish, so truly I’m not sure who I should be yet. Which Zara does he want? Me, or Alpha’s version of me. I believe for now, I’ll stick with Alpha’s. It’s probably the safest.
The den, as he called it, is monstrous, four maybe five stories, but it looks as if it flows into the side of a huge hill or cliff. Xavier pulls me into a luxurious but incredibly homey entryway littered with framed pictures and even kids’ framed drawings. It gives off a very comfortable feel. He doesn’t stop for me to admire anything, just leads me up a set of stairs. We step into what looks like a living room but is at least five times the size of mine. Cream carpet, a giant television, and several couches and chairs fill the space, but that’s not what stops my feet from moving. It’s the amount of wolves staring back at me, some with rage burning, others with malice, and even a few blank stares.
“This is my mate.” Xavier so eloquently states as the mouths of the other wolves gape, but he pays it no attention. “Max,” he says to the shaggy blond. “Lock down everything. All wolves here and accounted for. Fire up the wires and make sure every surface is protected. Meeting with outside crew in twenty minutes. Alert the tower. Eyes everywhere.”
“Alpha, what’s going on?” A wolf with grayish-black hair steps forward and asks the question that is shining in everyone’s faces.
“First. Lock it down. I’ll meet with outside crew. Then we’ll have a meeting. All of us. Right now my mate and I have some things to discuss.” I’m once again pulled away and led down a hall then into an office. A huge redwood desk sits in the center with a sofa and recliners on the opposite side of it. Bookshelves line the walls and pictures grace the open spaces. It is as comfortable as the living room. Nothing like I’m used to. “Sit. Talk,” he instructs, interrupting my musings.
I sit. We haven’t actually sealed the bond between us as mates yet, but I do feel a strong connection, this pull to him, and he says he feels it too. Might as well start at the beginning. I suck in a deep breath and start from the night my life changed.
“WHAT’S YOUR NAME, sweet thing?” My gaze travels from the wolf’s well-fitting jeans to his white t-shirt and then to his face. Damn. Sculpted cheekbones, blazing brown eyes specked with gold around the irises, and dusty blond short hair. I breathe him in and he smells damn good, dirt and man. I have to look up at him so he’s for sure at least six feet as I’m five-ten without heels.
“Zara. You?” I ask, sidling up to the makeshift bar.
My friend Masie brought me to this specific party because she heard that there would be monitors that kept an eye on the males and females so nothing goes sour. Monitors? Can you believe that? I was curious to say the least.
“Seth.” Seth seems reasonable. “And I want to take you in the back and fuck you right now,” his voice rumbles and a roll forms in my belly. One thing I love is when a man tells me exactly what he wants. I love when they take me and give it to me tenfold. Lust and fire flash in Seth’s eyes, and I have no doubt that he’d perform very well.
“Where do we go?” I ask, needing some relief. I look over at Masie and nod my head. She smiles in return.
“Follow me.” He reaches for my hand, leading me through the crowd and down a long hallway. Lanterns along the walls softly illuminate the way, revealing wooden doors lining the walls, each one closed. Men, which I assume are the monitors, walk up and down the hall, giving me extra security that I didn’t know I wanted. Seth stops us near the end of the hall, finding a room open and ready.
He pulls me inside and slams the door shut with his boot. His mouth attaches to mine so fast my breath leaves my body. My back pressed up against the hard door, he cups my ass and lifts. My legs wrap around his tight waist as he kisses me deep and hard, adding gas to the raging ache inside.
“Clothes off. Now,” he orders, ripping his mouth away from mine and setting me on my feet.
It’s fine by me; let’s get this on. I toss my clothes off; he does the same in haste, throwing them carelessly to the floor. His body is lean and muscular and his long cock bobs below his bellybutton, ready for serious action. My pussy floods. God, I need this.
“Hands and knees,” he orders and I smirk. Typical. For most wolves, this is their favorite position because of the simulation of how we fuck in wolf form. It’s where males can let all their power out, which is good because I need it hard and rough. I rush to the bed and assume the position, wagging my ass to entice him, and my inner wolf perks up. He stalks toward me and beneath the lust in his eyes, something else lays, but I can’t put my finger on it. At the moment, all that matters is that he fucks me.
The bed depresses behind me. I look over my shoulder just as he plows his dick into my body, hard and with absolutely no warning. I grit my teeth. Fuck, that shit burned. It’s been too long. I choke it down, focusing as the fire in my belly he extinguished with that punishing blow slowly returns. He doesn’t let up or even sense my discomfort. If anything, his thrusts get harder and my body is beginning to majorly cool.
Seth’s hand wraps around my hair and pulls it back, hard. I resist, but he pulls harder. Heavens, it’s not supposed to be like this.
“Fucking bitch. Can’t wait ‘til we wipe out your fucking Alpha and take over your pack. I’m keeping you as mine.”
I still as every bit of lust left drains out of my body. What the fuck did he say? He doesn’t register my halt, or maybe he doesn’t give a shit because he keeps going, flexing his hips with each word. “I’ll fuck you every second of the day and when I’m not fucking you, I’ll let the pack fuck you. You’ll be our very own fucking chew toy.” He chuckles.
I move quickly, as far on the other side of the room as I can get. The unexpectedness of my movement gave me the edge to get away cleanly, but unfortunately I can still feel a phantom of him inside of me.
“What did you just say?” I ask, inching toward the large red button on the side of the wall. Masie told me that each room is equipped with one of them for safety. If anyone in the room feels in danger at any time, they can push the button and monitors will come into the room. They will assess the situation and go from there. Another serious bonus to this party because I need that shit right the hell now.
“What the hell, Zara? I didn’t say shit,” he growls.
“What the fucking hell is wrong with this stupid bitch?” I hear the words, but Seth doesn’t move his lips.
What in the fuck?
“What pack are you from?” I ask hesitantly. I can fight, but going up against a male would be utterly tricky and more than likely I’d lose. Males are too damn powerful to overtake. I inch closer to the button, keeping my eyes focused on Seth, fearful that the second I take my eyes off of him, it’ll be lights out for me.
“Like I’m going to fucking tell you that shit, bitch.” Again, his lips do not move.
Holy shit. I can hear his thoughts?
“Come here, baby,” Seth speaks, and this time it’s aloud. “Right fucking now before I rip out your goddamned throat.” Shit. I can hear his thoughts. Fuck. Confusion swarms me, not only with what he’s saying but the fact that I can fucking hear him. I need to get the hell away from this guy right fucking now.
I reach over and slap my hand on the red button to Seth’s widening eyes. Within seconds, two monitors step into the room, assessing both of us from head to toe. I keep my eyes on
Seth, too afraid not to. Fucking bastard wants to hurt my pack and I don’t even want to think about what he wants to do to me. Shit, this can’t be happening.
“Ma’am?” a monitor questions.
A small voice in my head tells me that I should not let anyone in this room know that I heard Seth’s thoughts, that I need to keep this to myself. I don’t know where it came from, but I’m following my gut. “I…I just need to go,” I say to the monitor.
“You stupid fucking bitch. I’ll make you pay for this shit.” Seth’s inner thoughts are menacing and quite fucking scary, if I do say so. “What’s wrong? Everything was going so good.” Seth’s calm voice floats across the room and I want to rip his fucking eyes out. How can he be thinking something so vile yet saying words like he doesn’t have a care in the world?
I play it off, careful not to give anything away. “Not into the whole hair-pulling thing,” I lie and Seth’s brow quirks. He doesn’t believe me and I don’t give two shits.
“All right. Sir, come with me,” the monitor calls out and I listen for his thoughts. “Poor fuck. Anyone that had a chance at that would be a complete idiot to fuck it up.” The monitor’s words ring in my head, but one glance tells me they didn’t come out of his mouth.
What the hell is going on? Suddenly, a barrage of voices fills my head.
‘I hope I get laid.’
‘If I don’t get ass soon, I’ll combust.’
‘I should wank one off in the bathroom first.’
I shake my head trying to clear it, but the voices keep coming, one after another, thoughts all mumbling into a big mess of words in my head.
“I don’t know what the hell happened, Zara,” Seth spits out my name, anger impaling it. “You’re going to pay for this, bitch.” The smile on his face is sinister, but my head is swimming with voices. Holy shit. I hear them all. Seth picks up his clothes and follows the monitor out the door, cursing me in his head the whole time.
“Ma’am. Get dressed and we’ll get you out of here,” the second monitor announces, but I hear no inner thoughts from him, not even about how I look. I keep my eyes on him too as I quickly put everything back on. A sudden paranoia sets over me like a white haze. I feel dirty—dirty in a way that I don’t know if I’ll ever get myself clean again. I want to shower for hours, but I’m not sure that it will be enough. I dress quickly.
“This way, ma’am.” The monitor gestures to the door and I follow him through it, heading back to the main room. Thoughts, sounds, and overall pandemonium take root in my head, causing a slice of pain so fierce it’s like a sharp blade’s sawing through my brain. I grip the side of my head before making it into the main room, stopping to lean on the wall, and trying to get all the noises to stop.
‘Damn, it’s hot in here.’
‘God that bitch is hot.’
‘Fuck.’
‘I need another drink.’
Make them stop; please make them stop. The pain and words swirl in my head like a hurricane I can’t stop.
“Ma’am, are you all right?” the monitor asks, his hand lightly grazing my arm. I jump from his touch, gasping for breath, starving for air. What the hell is wrong with me?
I put all of my focus on the man beside me. ‘Shit. I hope she doesn’t pass out.’ Luckily, those are the only words or thoughts I hear, and they are coming from the monitor next to me. The others are there, but they have quieted down and moved slightly into the background. Interesting. This may be the way to control it.
Then it hits me. Holy shit. I have a power. Fucking hell. The power to listen to others’ thoughts.
“GET ME OUT OF HERE,” I tell my brother and he leads me through the crowds toward his car. I called him right after the scene with Seth. Masie wasn’t ready to leave, but I had to get far away from there.
“Are you doing okay?” Zane asks from the driver’s seat as I stare into the night’s sky. ‘What in the hell is wrong with her? She’s going to give me some bullshit excuse and think that I’ll take it,’ he thinks.
I chuckle. He’s not wrong. “I just wasn’t into the scene.” That is so not a lie whatsoever.
“Why do I feel like you’re hiding things from me?” Zane is three years older than I am, and an enforcer in our pack. Unfortunately, he can read me like a damn book. Always could.
I don’t answer; instead, I gaze out the window, thinking. I need to talk to someone about this hearing people’s thoughts business. I need to get a handle on it or my head is going to explode. The farther we drive away from the party, the less I hear their voices, and it’s refreshing. Freeing. It’s the calm that I crave.
“Can you take me to Nana Opal’s house?”
My brother gapes at me. ‘Are you fucking nuts?’ he thinks. “Are you fucking nuts?” he says aloud and I chuckle inside again. It’s strange to hear what he’s thinking before he says it, but Nana O is the only one that can help me. Sure, I could talk to mom, but Nana O has been around for centuries. She knows all and right now, I need her.
“No, please take me to her house.”
Zane looks at the time. “It’s one in the morning, Zara.” The ‘duh’ is right on the tip of his tongue, but he refrains.
“She’ll know I’m coming.” Which is true. She can sense when one of us needs her and is always ready whenever we show up. Doesn’t matter what time of the day or night, she’s always prepared.
“What is going on, Zara?” he asks. ‘Because you’re freaking me the fuck out,’ he thinks. Damn. Last thing I want to do is worry him, but no matter what I tell him right now, he will be. He’ll probably wake Mom and Dad up just to tell them. I should tell him, but I need Nana O first.
“I just need to talk to Nana O and then I’m due to stay over at Masie’s. Either I’ll crash here or head over to her house in a while.”
He huffs. “I’ll take you, but I’m waiting my ass outside and driving you home when you’re done or you’re staying the night. You pick but you are not leaving without me once you get there.”
Heavens, I love my brother. I’ve always been able to count on him for anything and everything. “I’ll stay the night.”
“Fine. But do not leave. Do you hear me?” he demands. ‘Or I’ll skin you my damn self,’ he thinks.
I swallow my giggle. He would never, but it is for the best that I stay. “I will.”
We pull into pack territory, which is two thousand acres in Lakeside, Georgia, full of woods, secluded so we can live our lives without the threat of human attacks. Not saying humans are bad, there are just the select few who are set on destroying our kind.
Then you have the humans that you stand next to at the grocery store, they smile at you and can’t tell any difference between you and them. It’s a very thin balance between wolves and humans, but so far so good.
Zane drives past the main house that is lit up like a Christmas tree. I look down at my phone to find several texts, but don’t open them and instead, shut off my phone as Zane follows the gravel road around the house and through the woods. Five minutes later, he pulls up to the small ranch house of my Nana O. The living room light is shining bright. I knew she would know I needed her.
Zane stops the car, throwing it into park. “Zara. Are you sure you’re okay? You need to let me know what’s going on so I can help you.”
I reach for his hand and squeeze it, doing my best to assure him. “I’m fine.”
‘No you’re not!’ his thoughts scream, but he stays silent and nods.
“Love you.”
As I exit the car, I hear him say, “Love you back.”
I head straight for the porch, the door opening before I even get to it. My Nana O stands in the doorway. Her long black hair twisted up in a bun on the top of her head, her nightshirt hanging down to her knees. Nana O’s deep green eyes sparkle with warmth and a beautiful smile graces her face. Even being centuries old, she looks like a healthy forty-year-old human.
“Baby Zara. Come in, come in,” her comforting voice calls a
nd I move immediately to her, wrapping my arms tightly around her body and squeezing. She shuts the door, reciprocating. Being in her arms is safe, calming, and even though I see her all the time, it’s moments like these that I love the most. Her being there and knowing she’ll always be there.
Her hand strokes my hair and I turn my mind off for a moment, relishing the feel. Giving myself just a second more of calm before I have to tell her.
“Come sit. Tell me everything.” She pulls away and I follow behind her to the living room. Her home is very well kept, with butter cream walls and navy drapery, hardwood floors and the smell of comfort. I sit in one of the two recliners and she takes the other. She doesn’t speak and I hear nothing coming from her.
“I need your help,” I blurt out.
“I gathered that from the early wake up call.” I know it’s one in the morning, but no one else could help me. She grabs the throw blanket from the arm of the chair and pulls it onto her lap.
“Something is happening to me, Nana O. I think I’m getting my powers.” Her face lights up as I tell her exactly what transpired tonight at the party, not leaving anything out. Not even the part about Seth or the words he said to me, nothing. I hear no thoughts from her and part of me wishes I could. Why isn’t it working with her? I scrunch my brows in confusion.
“Because I blocked you, child.” She answers my unspoken question and my body tenses. She’s blocking me. Wolves can do that? “You most definitely have your power and, young lady, it’s a very powerful one. You know that mated couples can communicate with each other without talking.” I nod. This is common knowledge in the community. “What you have is different.” She pauses briefly then continues. “From what I know from hundreds of years back, this select power is only given to a few. The few that have helped our people survive. You, my dear, are destined for great things.”
