by Dannika Dark
I laughed because he was serious. Then in the quietness of the cab, it just struck me funny and I laughed some more. When I felt him giving me the “what the hell is wrong with you” look, I completely lost it.
I went into Beaker mode.
Austin smiled wide with warm eyes that crinkled around the corners. He chuckled as I let out an exhausted sigh and rested my head against the seat.
“I’ve missed your laugh,” he said.
“Only you, Austin. Only you.”
“Wes said it was the very best thing about you.”
I teared up and smiled, curling up on my side to look at him. “Why did he say that?”
Austin shrugged and rolled up his window. “He said it was uniquely you, and he was right. Wes didn’t have plans after school and that’s why he took the job with your dad. But he always knew you were going to be somebody. He also said you made the best chocolate-chip cookies and could bake your ass off.”
“I still can,” I bragged, lightly touching his arm and smiling. Baking sweets had always been a passion—I just never had any opportunities to show off my skills outside of Naya’s parties. I had perfected my cookies down to an art.
“Maybe you should do something with that,” he suggested.
The thought lingered. “Maybe.”
“I called Church and requested that he back off.”
“Why would you do that?”
Austin turned the radio down. “You don’t understand the pack dynamic. Bringing him in only complicates things. He’s going to feel a sense of entitlement if he finds her.”
“It’s not a race,” I reminded him. “It’s not like the winner gets a prize.”
He regarded me with serious eyes. “For some, it is. Anyhow, he’s not backing down. I can’t go above him since he’s the Packmaster. If he finds your mom before we do, it could get very sticky.”
“I can handle sticky. I work in a candy store.”
“You have a lot to learn, Lexi,” he said, patting my leg. His hand remained there for a moment before he put it back on the steering wheel. “I need to teach you some of the rules before you get yourself in deep trouble.”
I glanced outside. “Are we here? That was fast.”
“Detour,” he said, making a right turn. We drove up an old dirt road with only the headlights illuminating our way. “My parents bought some land out here years ago as an investment.”
“Not to be the little black cloud on your picnic, but most horror movies usually begin this way. Couple goes down a dark road into the woods and the next thing you know, a guy with a chainsaw is chasing them down.”
“Only when they start making out,” he said. His eyes searched the dark woods, looking more alert. “You need to let your wolf run. We’re camping here for the night. We’ll head out in the morning to the Packmaster’s house, but this is a safe place where you can shift.”
I got nervous at the suggestion. “And why do I need to do that? You’re not telling me everything, Austin. What’s the worst that could happen if I choose not to?”
“There are some things in life you have to do, and letting your wolf out is one of them. Their spirit grows restless. They pace and get angry. If you don’t let them run once in a while, they’ll force you to shift and you won’t be able to switch back until they’re ready. This is a way of life, Lexi. It’s not a choice.”
“What if I can’t?”
He bellowed a laugh. “Girl, if you can’t figure it out, then class is in session. Every Shifter has to learn how to control their animal and that includes summoning it.”
“Maybe I don’t want to summon it,” I said in a low voice.
“Chicken?”
I wrinkled my mouth. “I hope not. I’d look awful with feathers.”
Austin laughed so loud that he turned his head away and coughed into his shoulder to muffle the sound.
After we turned off the road, we got out and he walked up to a storage shed and unlocked the door. I waved off a mosquito and cupped my elbows as Austin hauled some equipment to a clearing on the left and began assembling a tent.
One tent.
The jury was still out on whether or not it was a tent or a sombrero, because it was too small to fit the both of us. Once it was set up, he placed an electric lantern inside the flap and held my hand, leading me through the woods to a grassy area.
“Austin, I don’t know about this.”
His grin was nothing less than devastating. “Lexi, I promise you it’s not as bad as all that. I know you feel your wolf pacing in there—I can tell by your restless behavior. We all feel it with our animal. Establish a relationship with her. She wants out, and that means you’ll have to let her take over once in a while so her spirit is happy. You are two halves that make a whole. When she’s hungry, feed her. I once knew a guy who didn’t shift; he was one of those who lived in denial of what he was. He caged a wild animal, Lexi. He became aggressive, and eventually the wolf broke free and he didn’t shift back for a year. What we are isn’t like what you’ve read in books or seen in movies. Most Shifters can’t remember what happens in their animal form, but the animals within us are always aware of what’s happening. They’re the source of our instincts.” He tucked his hands beneath his biceps and lowered his chin, looking down at me. “It’s easier than you think. Just relax and call to her.”
“I don’t know her name,” I countered, kicking the toe of my shoe on the ground.
His smile faded and he stepped forward. “I can make you shift, but I’d rather you learn to do it on your own. I thought you were always the girl who wanted to do everything herself, without any help?”
Boy, did he put me in my place. That’s exactly the kind of girl I was. I’d gotten better about it in recent years, but not much. Life kept throwing me in situations where I had to step up to the plate and swing.
And right now, I was up to bat without a clue of how to play the game.
“What if I run off?” I asked.
“Then I’ll track you down,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“Austin, I’m scared.”
He cupped my face with his hands and moonlight glittered in his eyes. “No, you’re not. You’re Alexia Knight; you’re not afraid of anything.”
I studied the dark woods nervously, and a restless shadow paced beneath my skin, making me hop from one foot to the other. I finally shook it off and blew out a hard breath, staring down at my shoes and allowing every muscle to relax. I wasn’t sure how to call my wolf, so I did something quite silly.
In my head, I whistled and said, “Here, girl.”
And then I blacked out.
***
Austin’s breath caught when Lexi shifted, just as it had the first time in her bedroom. Her wolf was magnificent.
Silver fur with a snowy-white face, black nose, and the tips of her ears looked like they had been dipped in ink. She was just a little bit bigger than most of the females he’d been around, which was surprising considering how slender Lexi was. But no one could explain the magic behind shifting. He admired her as she pawed the wet grass and lifted her nose, taking in the wild scent of the wilderness for the first time.
She was also showing him every white tooth in her mouth.
“Easy, girl,” he said in a soothing tone. Austin summoned his alpha voice, the one laced with enough power to make the betas submit upon command, regardless if they were in animal or human form. He had to teach her to obey or else she could wind up in serious trouble someday by tangling with the wrong alpha.
Lexi’s wolf lunged and snapped ferociously.
Austin stepped forward, never looking away from her fearless eyes. She hesitated for a moment, appearing uncertain of what he was going to do. Austin knelt down on all fours and looked her dead in the eye, throwing out all the power he could.
“Submit,” he commanded in a heavy voice.
Something flashed in her pale brown eyes and her lips uncurled just a fraction. Austin didn’t want to frighten her by
shifting, so he waited her out—something he’d done with his own brothers when they formed the pack so everyone knew who was in charge. Surprisingly, Reno was the most obedient and Denver proved to be the most challenging. They’d fought until Austin caught hold of his throat and held down Denver’s wolf. In human form, Denver couldn’t be more opposite than his animal.
That wolf had issues.
“Come here, beautiful.” Words he never thought he’d say out loud to Lexi, but she wouldn’t remember this. He’d always thought she was a captivating creature, but nothing like now. She was once a young girl who wanted the world to see her, who craved love in ways that only young girls could understand. Lexi really looked at the world and noticed it. She was far more stunning now than ever before because of the womanly fire in her gaze, the subtle curve in her hip, and the compassion for others in her heart. She was fiercely protective of her family, and Austin admired her courage through adversity.
It’s what did him in.
The truth of the matter was—Austin had loved Lexi for more years than he could count.
That bright-eyed little girl used to have stars in her eyes when she looked at him. Austin grew up thinking she was human, and most Breeds didn’t associate with humans. His feelings for her began to change when they were teenagers, and by then, it was hard for him not to notice her. She was lovely with her long hair and sun-kissed skin. Lexi had an endearing wide smile, but even that didn’t hold a candle to her glowing expression when she went into one of her fits of laughter.
Wes had been his best friend since they were tying sheets to their shirt collars and pretending to be superheroes. He considered him a brother, because Shifters bonded that way and blood made no difference in who you considered family. As attracted as he was to Lexi, friends didn’t do that to each other. So Austin had kept a respectful distance from his best friend’s little sister. Wes did a great job keeping the boys away from her, but he also kept a close eye on Austin. He looked out for Lexi because her father didn’t.
What a bastard he was too. Austin had never seen a man less compassionate toward his daughter, but he had all the affection in the world for Wes. It should have made sense back then, but Austin just figured Nelson—their dad—didn’t relate to girls.
One night after a party, Wes lost his keys and they had to sneak in through Lexi’s bedroom window. She had tagged along with them, but they hadn’t let her have anything to drink; she just had the giggles. Nelson was waiting for them, and he was drunk. He threw Austin and Wes into the hallway and locked himself in the bedroom with Lexi. Austin never knew what happened in that room, but he’d heard a smack.
That was the night Wes discovered what Austin really was. Rage funneled through his body and caused him to shift uncontrollably in the hallway. He was ready to tear her father apart.
Austin had some explaining to do. After that, Wes became obsessed with their world and wanted to be a part of it.
Lexi had become a handful when she started dating. That didn’t sit well with either of them. Especially in high school when some of the boys started calling her Sexy Lexi and then Austin found out why. One of her best friends revealed to him that Michael Hudson had deflowered her. He went after Michael’s group and did some damage to their faces.
Rage didn’t quite encapsulate the feeling that coursed through Austin’s veins. Michael was evasive and hard to find, but Austin knew he had all the time in the world.
That’s how deep his respect for Lexi went; that’s how much he revered this girl who didn’t have a clue how he felt about her. She never had. Each time she entered a room, he tensed and felt a thrill move through his body as well as a fighting instinct to protect her.
A mockingbird sang in the distance and the night air called out to his wolf. Austin’s eyes never left hers as she bravely stared him down in wolf form. It was a proud moment watching her shift for the first time, even though she destroyed her bedroom and tried to take a chunk out of his arm. Man, what a fierce heart, and that’s something you never break.
“Come on, Lexi,” he coaxed. “You got these woods to run in and no one will hurt you. I need you to trust me.”
No longer baring her teeth, she snorted and stepped forward—tail high and proud.
Not a good sign.
He stiffened his shoulders and leaned forward on his knuckles, staring at her intensely. She whined a little and her tail went lower.
“I’ve known you for years, and this is how it’s gonna be?” he asked, a little playfulness in his voice.
Lexi’s wolf cautiously took another step, her silver-and-white coat even more exquisite in the moonlight. Recognition flashed in her brown eyes the closer she got to him. Maybe she knew his smell, but Lexi began to submit. She stretched out her neck and nuzzled below his chin. Just a few taps before backing off.
He smiled and sat back, hands on his legs, watching her nose lift in the air.
“Wanna go for a run?”
Her eyes glittered with excitement, fear, and all the wonder one would expect to see in a new wolf.
Austin stood up and stripped away his shirt. If you were careful shifting, it wouldn’t become tangled around your head, but he didn’t feel like worrying about things like clothes right now. He smirked when Lexi’s wolf turned away and howled a haunting note that stilled every living creature within earshot.
The alpha power pumped through his veins, and a heat ignited his senses and made him hunger for life. Lexi was going to see his wolf for the first time, and now that he’d gained the upper hand, he was confident the two of them would mix well.
In the short time they’d spent together, it had been a struggle to suppress a primal urge to claim her in the Shifter way. It was a territorial feeling an alpha possessed in the presence of a worthy female. Feeling her body curled up beside his in Jericho’s bed had awakened those instincts because he was protecting one of his own as a Packmaster should. But it also ignited other unexpected feelings, sending his blood in new directions.
Coupling with Lexi wouldn’t be right, and maybe some of those old feelings were getting all mixed up. It would take something pivotal to force him to make that kind of decision. Only then would he know if she was someone he wanted to pursue as his mate. They’d both changed over the years, and he felt an obligation to watch over Lexi and her family. Messing it up with alpha lust wasn’t the plan.
One of the most important lessons a Packmaster learned was control. He’d seen far too many packs led by the wrong wolf, one who used the old ways of mating by taking the female while they were both in wolf form in front of the pack to not only make her submissive, but to demonstrate to the men who she belonged to. He knew at some point women would come into his pack through his brothers, but he’d never considered how he’d feel about it if one joined their pack unmated.
Her wolf ensnared him. Austin shifted and they ran through the night.
Together.
Chapter 16
I released a long, embarrassing moan as I stretched out my aching legs. I blinked my eyes open and felt my body tucked inside a warm sleeping bag. The sun hadn’t risen yet and darkness swelled inside the tent. Albeit summer, sleeping outside in the deep woods was not always a warm experience. I think I shivered more with my voice than my body.
A zipper cut through the silence and someone stepped inside the tent, a chilly breeze floating in behind him. “I hear someone’s awake. You feeling okay?” Austin asked in a tired voice.
“I don’t remember what happened,” I grumbled. “And I’m naked again.”
“It’s normal.”
“Did you sleep outside?” I asked.
“I didn’t sleep.”
“Is that normal?”
He chuckled and I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “I feel good though. Rested. My feet kind of hurt.”
“You ran hard. Why don’t you get dressed and we’ll head out.”
I fell on my back and disappeared inside the sleeping bag, shivering. “It’s too cold. Wait
until the sun comes up.”
Austin crawled down to my feet and then I felt his hands on either side of me. I wrapped my arms around my naked body and froze when the zipper was slowly pulled down.
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t see a thing, Lexi. I want you to trust me.”
I believed him whenever he said “trust me.” I’d never had a reason not to trust Austin. So I lay there, fully exposed, and Austin Cole lifted my legs and placed my cold feet against his warm stomach.
He hissed and then quickly covered my toes with his large hands.
“Oh my God, that’s heaven,” I moaned with a sigh of relief.
“I run on hot,” he said in a thick voice.
My nipples immediately hardened, and while I knew it was from the draft, I began to have serious doubts about how true that was. I could only imagine what we looked like—me lying nude in front of him with my feet on his…
“Austin? Are you naked?”
His stomach rocked and his whole body began to shake. A low laugh built up until he opened his mouth and puffed out my fire with his laughter. I smiled and wiggled my toes against his firm abs.
“I put on pants an hour ago,” he said. “Today we’re going to see Ivan of the Kizer pack.”
“What’s your pack’s name? Cole Pack?” I snorted. “Sounds like a compress.”
He squeezed my ankles and I moved my feet around to a warmer spot, mostly so I could hear him hiss again from the chill of my icy toes.
“It would usually go that way, but if the name is already in use, we have to choose another. Cole is an active pack in Houston, so I could either come up with a new name, or have one assigned. The Council was going to give us Skinner,” he grumbled. “I didn’t like that.”
“Is it a big deal or something?”
His voice was low and raspy—that bedroom voice that made me shiver. “It should mean something. We’re the Weston pack.”
I scarcely breathed. The silence became so deafening that sunrise would have sounded like a volcanic eruption. After a few smooth strokes of his hand that warmed my skin, Austin crawled outside to allow me to get dressed. I rolled to my side and felt around for the lantern as he zipped up the tent. When the light switched on, it threw my shadow against the smooth lining, piercing my eyes. I fumbled around in my small bag for some clothes.
