by Ryan Michele
Lily grabs my hand and even with the fear of death looming, she calms me. I’m thinking I might have to keep her near me so I don’t go totally nuts.
Kenly
LILY LEADS ME THROUGH a massive amount of corridors. The smell of animal, that I now recognize as wolf, permeates the surrounding air. It’s not a bad smell at all, but it’s definitely different than what I am used to. The fluorescent lights above cast a glow through the walkway, illuminating the space. Wood paneling lines the walls, with doors on each side every so many steps, though they’re closed. I wonder what’s behind them.
I follow up two flights of stairs. Are we underground? Two large wooden doors stand in our path and Lily stops, turning to me. The sound of voices fills my ears. Lots of voices. Shit, and these are all wolves?
“Kenly, I sense you’re scared and you have every right to be, but Alpha has ordered the other wolves that no harm will come to you. You need to trust in his authority, and that Beta wouldn’t allow a hair on your head to be hurt.”
Trust in men I’ve never met that happen to lead a group of wolves? Uhm…not really on my to-do list. I nod but say nothing. At least that’s not truly lying. Right?
Lily opens the door and steps inside with ease. I follow more hesitantly, each step tentative, my hand holding up my oversized pants. The chatter in the room ceases as I take in everything. We stand in the most exquisite kitchen I’ve ever seen. Stainless steel appliances, rich Mahogany cabinets, and a beautiful black and gold-speckled marble countertop line the room. A huge kitchen island sits in the middle with an enormous spread of food. My stomach rumbles, but I pay it no mind.
Six or so massive tables that probably fit twenty to thirty people are lined up, bringing to mind my middle school cafeteria. But these are not those plastic ones like back then. No, these are solid wood with bumps and dings in them that I’m pretty positive have been around for a lot longer than I have. They are absolutely beautiful. Chairs surround each table, filled with several men and women, their focus directed on me. Wolves. My legs shake as Lily places her hand on my arm, sending me the calm I so desperately need at this moment, and I breathe out. The fear subsides, and thanks to Lily, I can stay upright.
“Hi.” I wave my hand quickly then put it back down. I mean, really? How the hell do you greet a pack of wolves for the first time? Some snarl, some smirk, and some are assessing me from top to bottom, eyes lingering a bit too long. Some gasp, no doubt from all the dressings covering my exposed skin. Fuck it. I have to be me. “Do ya’ll have any Diet Coke? I’m a bitch until I have my fix.” The wolves stare at me. “The caffeine and all.” I wave nonchalantly.
Several beats pass and I shuffle my feet in an attempt to stop the butterflies that form when no one speaks. Any one of them could turn wolf and kill me flat out. Chuckles, snickers, and full-out deep laughs fill the wide open space. My body relaxes a bit at the sound. At least they don’t want to eat me.
A beautiful woman with long blonde hair barrels up to me. “Hi! I’m Jewels and over there,” she points to one of the wolves, who in turn raises his hand in a wave, “is my mate Ross. We’re all kinds of nervous about your change, so bear with us.”
“Why would you be nervous?” That statement leaves me uneasy. They are all powerful creatures, why would little old me make them any sort of nervous?
“Well, in my little over a hundred year life…” These wolves look damn good for as old as they are. Will I be the same? “…I’ve only seen one human try to change.” She looks away sheepishly and my stomach drops. That human didn’t come back either. Fuck. “It’s just, we’ll all be here to help you.”
“Thank you?” It comes out in a question rather than a statement. While I appreciate all of their help, I’m not sure what any of them can do in this situation. Well, other than Lily, of course.
“Everyone this is Kenly,” Lily announces to the men and women who begin to rise. I step back automatically, their sizes very intimidating. “Everyone have a seat,” she continues. “She’s already not sure about all of this. We need to give her time.” Some nod and sit back down, some just sit. Thank God.
“Here.” Jewels hands me a plate. “Grab some food and come have a seat with us.” Jewels is very nice, same as Lily. Very welcoming and I feel very safe around them. I give her a small smile and start to look at the food. There are several meats: bacon, sausage, steak, hamburgers, it’s like everything a meat lover would want and more. “And I’ll get you a Diet Coke. We always have them in stock for Zara.” Jewels says before bouncing off. Zara? Who’s that? Lily stays next to me as I place food on my plate, not letting me even a few feet away from her.
“Come on,” Lily says, and I feel every eye staring at me as I walk to the table. Something stirs inside of me and I almost feel sick. A male rises and I halt, watching him. He pulls out a chair and motions for me to sit. Gentleman wolves? Hell, I don’t even get that from humans. Listen to me, still calling myself human. How much longer can I claim that? Maybe I’m just going seriously crazy.
“Thanks.” I place my plate down and sit, and he pushes my chair in just a touch.
“No problem, darlin’. I’m Sam.” Sam is so very tall and has a charming face. A t-shirt stretches across his broad shoulders, covering what I assume to be a muscular chest considering his arms are ripped. Short brown hair and deep green eyes roll him up in a nice little package.
“Nice to meet you.” I pick up my fork and dig into my food. The entire time, I sense eyes on me, watching, but try to shake them off and focus just on the food. It is seriously strange to have a pack of wolves sniffing the air and know that they are sniffing you. Lily sits right next to me, and God knows what would happen if I really freaked the hell out right now.
It’s like none of them want to talk, like I’m the one they are scared and unsure of. I know Jewels said they are nervous, but not that much. Are they? I’m just a human, no superpowers to change into a wolf like these guys, so shouldn’t this be the other way around? I pop the top of my soda and drink long and hard. Damn, I’m thirsty. I look over to Lily and raise my brow and she shrugs. The dark liquid dances in my stomach and I feel a slight bit of normalcy.
Okay. I breathe out, looking around, and suddenly feel the urge to say something. “Ya’ll can talk or whatever it is you do. Surely you’re not this quiet all of the time.” I sweep the room and can see the tenseness in their postures. Their shoulder muscles are bunched and their brows are drawn in confusion. Am I really that much of an unknown?
“All right, precious. I’m Gary.” A very handsome man—or wolf, what the hell do I call them? Anyway, Gary, with his light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, is waving to me from the end of the table. “And these are my boys, Greg and Garret.” He points to two handsome men that resemble their father, but younger. Damn. Is there like a must be hot to be in this pack clause or something?
“Hi. Nice to meet you.” I’ve never had problems in social situations, talking to people is really my thing. So, why allow what is happening now to change that. Sure, I’m fucked in a lot of ways, but according to Lily, I’ll probably die here in the next couple of days. Why not live them to the fullest? With that sound resolve, I straighten my shoulders and engage the table in conversation. It’s nothing in depth, just learning names and who is whose parents, not that I will remember all of it, but it’s friendly and they are all giving me the same courtesy. Some of the wolves’ apprehension of me seems to drift away as our conversation flows.
The air in the room suddenly changes, and I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s something deep that reverberates all the way in my bones. It’s a very strange sensation, unlike any I’ve ever experienced. Everyone around the table rises to their feet, and my dumb ass just sits still, in shock with brows furrowed. The large doors that I entered through earlier open and three massive men step through them. Men. Okay, maybe not men. Maybe gods is a better term for them.
“Holy shit,” I gasp, taking in all that is magnificent. Tall,
so very tall, well above six feet, shoulders and chests that rival pro football players but seem more like they were custom made just for them. They all exude power, but the one that captures me is the blond. There is something about him that is pulling me in, and I have no clue what the hell it is.
Shit. I rise to my feet, not really understanding what’s happening, but for some reason feeling like I’ve done the wrong thing. The dark-haired man nods and everyone around me sits back down and I scurry to follow suit. “No need for such formalities,” he says, sounding almost amused, but the gruffness of his voice almost hides it.
Blond man breathes in deep, sucking in all of the oxygen in the room, and I swear his eyes light up from whatever he smells to the point that they are white. His eyes lock with mine and his breathing picks up, his chest rising and falling rapidly, but I don’t feel nervous or scared around him. Why don’t I? I break the spell and look away to Lily, hoping she will give me something—answers, hell I don’t know.
“Are you controlling my emotions right now?” She shakes her head. Holy shit. My eyes fly back to his brilliant green ones. Heat sears my veins and I can feel it in every part of my body. It’s as if I’m attuned to him in some magical way. How is that possible?
The three men stride up to the table and my heart picks up in rapid beats, though it’s not exactly nerves. I think I’m actually turned on? But how can that be?
“What’s your name, little one?” The gorgeous blond with the striking emerald eyes asks. His gravelly voice slides over me like a warm coat, a cocoon, making me feel utterly safe. And confused.
“Kenly.” My name comes out breathy, in a tone I’ve never heard from my own lips. Even in my best moments at a bar flirting with guys, I’ve never sounded this way.
He smirks, tilting up the corner of his mouth, showing me a sexy dimple. My stomach twists in a knot. “Hello, Kenly. Welcome to the Raber pack. I’m Max, beta of the pack.”
“Hi,” I say softly, trying to not act like a teenager seeing a hot guy for the first time. Hello, confidence, where the hell did you go?
“This is our alpha, Xavier.” He nods his head to the strong, dark-haired man on his left. This man has so much power oozing from him that I’m surprised he hasn’t combusted. “And the gamma, Thor.” He nods to a man with light brown hair on his other side.
“Hello.” Their penetrating gazes make me want to fall into myself. They stare at me and I feel like they’re invading my innermost thoughts.
The three men fill their plates quickly and come back over to the table. Xavier sits at the head with Max and Thor on either side of him. “Found you when you were being attacked. I know that this is a lot to absorb, but I’m counting on the fact that Lily filled you in on a lot of what is going to happen to you in the next few days.” Max looks over to Lily expectantly.
“I told her, sir.”
“Good. Do you have any questions?” Max asks, digging into his food. Xavier and Thor do as well.
“I have a ton of questions. But I’m not sure where to start. This is all a bit much. Had you asked me yesterday if I’d be sitting with a bunch of wolves at a table talking about the possibility of my impending death, I’d have laughed in your face.” His face loses its easygoing quality and becomes tight, hard, and a bit scary. Even Xavier and Thor stop mid-bite at my words to glare at me.
“You will not speak of death again,” Max commands, and I feel like a two-year-old getting scolded by her parents. The air in the room shifts, growing thick and congested. “I will not hear those words come out of your mouth again.”
“So, what would you call it then?” I do have a mind and he may be Beta—whatever that is—but I’m still me. That is one thing that will never change. I’ve made sure of that my entire life.
“Transferring. You will transfer or shift into a wolf then back to human.” Max’s tone is clipped and stern, like what he says will for sure, one hundred percent happen. And while I’ve only had a few hours to adjust to this, I hope that he’s right. I’m really not ready to leave this life yet.
“But you don’t know that for sure. Lily tells me I’ll be in a hell of a lot of pain, among other things. It’s really not something I’m looking forward to. No offense,” I counter, and Max’s jaw ticks.
“We do not turn humans into wolves. But this has happened and now we deal.” The sizzle I felt from Max blows into a cloud of dust. He has to deal with me. Great. Just what I want to be, a burden. “You will stay here until the transfer is complete, and since you don’t have a home pack, you’ll be allowed to join ours with Xavier as your alpha.” Wait a minute.
“I thought I could go home after all of this was said and done.” I sit back in the chair and cross my arms over my chest, feeling the cuts as I do. They’re different than before, not so painful.
“You can if you choose, but wolves need to be around other wolves. Need to interact, transfer whenever they want, and run together in the woods. Also, to fight and stand by one another’s side. If you choose to go back to your old life as if nothing happened, then…” His voice trails off like he wants to say something but doesn’t.
So, I prompt him. “Then what?”
“Then we deal with that when the time comes.” His hand clenches around his fork, bending the metal. Holy crap. My eyes widen and he looks down at the utensil. “Jewels, please get me a fork.” She does so immediately and he acts like it never happened, or maybe it happens all the time.
The door flies open and a beautiful woman and a small child enter, exuberant and full of energy. Xavier rises immediately, picking the young girl up and wrapping his arms around the woman. He kisses her hard then rubs his nose against her cheek and temple.
Well, that’s kind of sweet.
“We’re hungry!” she exclaims. “Aren’t we, Natalie? Let’s get food.” The little girl smiles, nodding her head.
“I’ll take her,” Jewels says cheerfully, and the woman’s eyes come to me. They are warm and inviting. I instantly like her. She makes her way to me, holding out her hand, and I take it.
“I’m Zara, Xavier’s mate. It’s nice to have you in our home. Please, let me know if we can do anything to make your stay more pleasant.” Then she barrels off to the little girl like she doesn’t want to leave her side for too long. Interesting.
Max
MINE. MINE. MINE. Mine. Mine. My inner wolf is growling, pacing, and clawing inside my head, demanding to come out to mark this human as ours. Never in my hundred and fifteen years have I smelled such a delectable female, and I’m very close to losing my shit and going for it. The only thing that is stopping me from claiming her as mine is all of her bandages. If I do this now, right after she was attacked, I’d be setting myself up for disaster. She’ll see me as an animal like those motherfuckers that hurt her. I never want her to see me that way.
Her beautiful caramel hair flows down in waves with a swoop of hair on her forehead. Her eyes remind me of the sea, blue with a bit of green. Her face is utterly breathtaking, reminding me of a heart, and her pouty lips were made to be kissed.
I’d been searching high and low for the crystal necklace that Zara’s Nana O gave her, and it led me right to Kenly’s door. I only tracked her for a day, but had no clue those bastard wolves would attack her. I was lucky to be there. But I can’t help but be pissed. Not only did a human get hurt by our kind, but to have this stabbing impulse that she is your mate? This shit just does not happen. Humans are not wolves’ mates. Only another wolf can be a wolf’s mate. But the pull is so damn strong to her. She thinks she’s been thrown curveballs today? Hell, I’m in the same fucking boat.
The stench of lust from the unmated wolves at the table reeks, no doubt they smell the sweetness that is her. No. Not fucking happening. I stare each wolf directly in the eyes, letting it be known without words that she is mine, and each bows their head in understanding. They can’t smell us since she’s not a wolf, but I’ll be damned if one of them touches her. She has no idea what I’d do to prot
ect her, what lengths, even without really knowing her. I do know that humans have a different way of being in relationships and I need to keep that close to mind. And unfortunately, time is not on our side. Fuck.
“So, when is this going to start?” Kenly, what a sexy name to go with such a gorgeous woman. She doesn’t direct the question to anyone specific, and I’m too enthralled to discuss what she will have to go through. I’d do anything to go through the pain for her.
“It will start soon. Alpha?” Lily calls, and his attention moves to her.
I know he is apprehensive of Kenly, and since I feel that she is my mate, Xavier is fearful for me. If she doesn’t make it through the process, I may not either. Mates have a connection even without being marked. Breaking it would be less painful, but still harsh. The loss eats at the survivor and it doesn’t usually end well.
“More than likely. Max will be seeing you through the process,” he answers, angling his head to me. I am grateful that he put me in charge of her. I’m the only one that should be, but I need Lily to help keep Kenly calm.
“Do you know how much longer Doc is going to be?” Lily asks me instead of Alpha. Once he gives the directive that I’m in charge of Kenly, all of Lily’s focus comes to me. She’s already so damn protective of her and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I nod to Thor. “Call him.” He pulls out his phone and waits for the connection.
“How much longer?” He’s terse and to the point, not out of disrespect but out of impatience. We really have no clue what we’re going into here and it is setting everyone on edge. He disconnects. “Five minutes.”
“We need to get you ready downstairs for when he comes,” Lily tells Kenly.
I nod in understanding to Lily. Her being an emotional healer will help with any discomfort or turmoil that I’m sure Kenly will face.
