by J. L. Berry
Both males seemed to consider that option for a split second before Autumn growled at them. Their expressions turned to appear apologetic but it was clear the argument was far from over.
“You’re right Autumn, shouting isn’t resolving anything, I’m sorry,” Drake responded.
“But it does need resolving, he needs to know he’s not your mate,” Elijah added.
Autumn scowled at him, “That remains to be seen as you well know.”
“Look I get it; you need a strong Alpha to stand at your side right?” Elijah asked his eyes twinkling with challenge. “So let’s see who’s the strongest, winner gets dinner with you alone?”
Autumn’s eyes flew wide at the idea of being a prize in what was a very chauvinistic and pointless contest but before she could protest Drake intervened, “Deal!” Elijah smirked and held out his hand to shake on the deal. Drake met his steely gaze, took his hand and squeezed, hard.
“For Goddess’ sake, do I really have to stand around and watch this pissing contest,” Autumn complained but no one was listening to her anymore. The entire gym was buzzing with excitement. The wolves secretly loved any chance for a competition, but given they all knew each other so well they often knew what the outcome would be before a challenge even started. Elijah was a complete unknown which made this the most exciting match in decades.
“Given you’re recovering from an injury why don’t you pick the challenge?”
Drake’s nostrils flared in anger knowing that Elijah had heard about his injury. He couldn’t deny it hurt his pride. He may be broken right now but he could still show this nobody how strong a male he was. “You’re not fooling anyone you know,” Drake told Elijah, “If she was your mate she’d know by now. But if it makes you feel better then sure I’ll pick... deadlifts.”
Everyone in the centre migrated over to the matted deadlift area. Plates were brought forward and stacked ready for the contest. The bar was racked with a starting weight of 150kg which to a normal human would already be a decent weight but for a shifter it was child’s play. Autumn knew this was a warm-up weight for Drake but she had no idea about Elijah. Drake was certainly more muscular to look at but it wasn’t like Elijah was small and he had definitely packed on muscle since his arrival.
He wouldn’t have challenged him if he couldn’t win her wolf argued.
Those gathered to watch started to make bets as Drake stepped up first. He placed his hands on the bar and crouched before easily lifting the bar to an erect standing position. Releasing the bar to the mat with a satisfying smack he stepped back and gestured for Elijah to take his turn. Elijah stepped up to the bar but kept his eyes on Autumn as he lifted the 150kg easily. Autumn swallowed as his icy eyes seemed to burn into her. She couldn’t look away and he knew it as one side of his lips curved up into a smirk and he broke the contact gesturing to a bystander to increase the weight.
The weight was increased by 50kg each time as they worked upwards following the same routine. More and more wolves were flooding into the gym to watch as word clearly spread around the pack. Once the weight hit 500kg it was clear the males were starting to put effort into their lifts as sweat was gathering on their foreheads and under their arms. Elijah lifted the hem of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead and Autumn unwittingly squeezed her thighs together as she got a glimpse of his now prominent six-pack. She had been right about him putting on muscle since he arrived and her wolf hummed in approval. He caught her gawking and raised an eyebrow as he slowly and deliberately licked his lips.
The crowd of onlookers were starting to get rowdy as the competition heated up.
“What is going on here?” The authoritative voice of Alpha Grey rang out across the centre and the crowd parted to make way for him.
“Just a healthy bit of competition Alpha,” one of Elijah’s guards informed him.
Alpha Grey looked doubtful now he could clearly see Drake and Elijah stood behind the bar but he wasn’t one to interfere in such things without a good reason. “Continue.”
As the weight increased Autumn started to worry, she knew Drake’s personal best was 625kg which made him one of the stronger wolves in the pack but Elijah had been matching him every step of the way. He was definitely a dark horse and more powerful than he appeared. Or just highly motivated her wolf reasoned. Autumn allowed herself to consider what having dinner with Elijah would be like, just for a second. Her fingertips tingled with nervous anticipation and she wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing.
With 600kg on the bar Drake braced himself and lifted, he reached the locked position successfully but for the first time his legs trembled with effort. The crowd roared with encouragement at such an impressive weight. Silence fell again when Elijah stepped up, his eyes zeroed on Autumn, his prize. Taking a deep breath he crouched and braced himself before lifting and locking his position flawlessly. He dropped the bar with a resounding smack on the mat, winked at Autumn and stepped back. There were a few isolated claps from spectators but every seemed unsure whether they should be impressed, or loyal to Drake at this stage. There were flickers of eyes and unspoken words passing through the crowd as everyone sensed the end in sight.
The weight was increased to 650kg and Autumn held her breath, this weight would be a personal best for Drake if he could do it. Cheers of encouragement sounded from all over the room as Drake gripped the bar, his face the epitome of concentration. He lifted the bar his jaw locked and the strain coursing through his bulging muscles. He issued a low grunt as he wavered for a second before finding an extra reserve of strength, standing and locking his position before dropping the bar. The room erupted with cheers and even Alpha Grey smiled clapping along with them. Drake fist pumped the air at his achievement catching Autumn’s eye and smiling at her.
Elijah to his credit didn’t look worried and even applauded along with the rest. For the first time when he stepped forward and gripped the bar he closed his eyes and appeared to be talking to his wolf. Silence settled as he braced his legs, inhaled, then exhaled as he lifted the bar and locked his position.
As the bar slammed down into the mat no one moved or made a sound. Ordinarily such an impressive feat from two pack members would result in camaraderie between the participants but Drake did not acknowledge Elijah’s achievement. His eyes were dilated with worry for the first time as he spoke up his voice gravely, “Load 25kg.”
Drake circled his arms loosening his shoulders before taking his stance yet again. He gripped the bar and crouched to lift. His muscles strained hard enough to cause his veins to stick out as sweat poured off his body. The bar was bowing under the weight at either end as it rose a few inches off the ground. Drake let out a strangled cry as he urged his legs to push. His arms and legs shook with exertion as he lifted the bar another inch but it wasn’t enough. Exhausted his hands slipped from the bar and it hit the ground.
Hands clapped him on the back for his herculean effort. Everyone knew he had achieved a personal best today and that was nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn’t over yet though, if Elijah couldn’t lift the bar then they would need to drop the weight and find a winner.
“Load another 25kg,” Elijah ordered calmly.
There were gasps as well as scoffs of derision from the spectators. Does he really think he can lift 700kg? If he could then he would match the gym record which was currently held by Alpha Grey and Beta Morgan. The tension in the air was palpable but Elijah remained composed as he took his position and once again lifted his eyes to watch Autumn.
Dinner with mate alone his wolf paced with longing.
As he inhaled Autumn held her breath, he’s going to do it isn’t he? Elijah gripped the bar, his forearms and biceps flexed in preparation as his legs exploded with force to lift the ungodly weight. Autumn could see his quadriceps strain with the effort as his muscles bulged but Elijah didn’t make a sound. He stood, locking his position as his eyes scorching into hers. The bar dropped from his hands, slamming into the mat but no one applauded.
&
nbsp; Elijah turned to Drake in the silence and offered his hand, “Well met.”
Drake shook his hand begrudgingly accepting his defeat and not wanting to appear a sore loser. His eyes were filled with sorrow as Elijah strode towards Autumn. She licked her lips as he approached, sweat soaked his t-shirt causing it to grip to his now sculpted biceps and chest. “It appears you’ve been working out since you’ve arrived,” she remarked.
“Not a lot else to do since your visit and between Beta Morgan’s questioning.”
She smirked at his answer. He has a point her wolf agreed.
“Dinner, tomorrow at eight,” he told her before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.
Mine! His wolf howled.
She gasped at his public display of affection inhaling his scent of sandalwood mixed with sweat. Her wolf purred as her own eyes dilated and tingles spread across her cheek where his lips had caressed her skin. Elijah left the training centre with a grin on his face seemingly unaffected physically by the challenge and filled with joy at what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter 18:
Autumn had a restless night sleep. Her dreams were filled with thoughts of a mouth worshipping her body as hands caressed her, meeting her aching needs. She tried desperately to move her head to see who it was bringing her such pleasure but every time she tried she woke up. Tired and frustrated she gave up trying to sleep at 6am and headed out for a run to clear her head. When she reached the entrance to the forest she stripped and removed her necklace, placing everything in the wooden crate. She quickly shifted into her wolf stretching her limbs. Automatically it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and her wolf howled in joy before charging into the forest.
Man, we should have done this sooner she thought. Her wolf felt free from responsibility and was just living in the moment as she snapped at birds and squirrels. She charged around like a maniac letting of some steam before taking a short break. Her wolf was lapping water from a nearby stream when all of a sudden her nose shot up in the air and her ears pricked.
Mate! She howled with jubilation.
She pelted off through the trees in search of the source. Autumn was aware of wolves moving in the distance but her wolf was so in control right then she couldn’t see clearly through her eyes. Her wolf cried with desperation and picked up her pace trying to get closer but the wolves were too far ahead and getting further away.
Damn they must be fast Autumn thought. In her urgency Autumn’s wolf tripped over a root and sprawled to the forest floor. Bereft at the loss of finding her mate she was inconsolable and Autumn had to shift back into her human form because her wolf refused to move. Autumn could feel the sorrow dragging in her mind as she walked naked back to the forest entrance. A niggling thought bothered her.
Wouldn’t you have known if it was Drake? She asked her wolf. Her wolf however didn’t reply as she sobbed in the back of her mind.
Autumn dressed and headed back towards home for breakfast. She passed several pack members along the way greeting them all by name. Although they nodded in acknowledgement she found people had been treating her differently since the gym challenge yesterday. The pack was wary and it was clear the uncertainty of the future Alpha was weighing on everyone’s minds. She needed to have a proper discussion with Drake as much as it pained her to do so. But first she had to get through a dinner with Elijah.
AS 8PM NEARED AUTUMN found herself more nervous than she anticipated. She’d showered, shaved her legs and dried her hair but was still undecided on what to wear. If she dressed too nicely she was worried she’d give Elijah the wrong message that their dinner was a date. But then the other side of her argued that the dinner was a date and she shouldn’t feel guilty because Drake had agreed to the challenge in the first place. Did that mean they weren’t together anymore? Or was this a onetime pass?
Groaning with frustration Autumn flopped backwards on her bed. It was times like these she wished she had a close female friend to console and advise her. A wave of sadness passed over her as she thought about all the pups the pack had lost. It was strange being one of the oldest, it was like they were missing an entire generation between them and their elders.
With five minutes to go, Autumn flipped a coin and decided on a forest green skater dress which she paired with black slip on flats. She exited her room to head downstairs and was greeted with the smells of cooking from the kitchen.
“Mom I’m heading out for dinner so you don’t need to save me any,” she reminded her.
She turned towards the kitchen to check her Mom had heard and stopped dead in her tracks. Elijah was behind the stove stirring a pot, a blue and white gingham apron tied around him. He turned as she approached his blue eyes alight at the sight of her. “Hi, I thought you’d be more comfortable if we ate here tonight,” he explained.
Autumn nodded, dumbstruck as he gestured for her to take a seat at the table. The table was set with placemats and silverware but what caught Autumn’s attention was the vase of wildflowers beautifully arranged to one side. Elijah smiled at her, “I picked them for you this morning.”
“They’re perfect thank you.” She had always loved wildflowers, it fascinated her how they could grow from nowhere no matter the conditions they were given, they adapted and carried on. Elijah preened at her praise and his wolf purred.
“Dinner will be ten minutes.”
“Great, what’s on the menu?”
“A very unimaginative meal I’m afraid..... Spaghetti bolognaise with salad but we do have chocolate cake for desert!”Autumn laughed and Elijah’s eyes dilated in delight at the sound. It was music to his wolf’s ears. More he demanded.
“I happen to like Italian so don’t worry that’s good with me.”
“In all honestly it’s one of the few meals I know how to cook... I’ve not really had much opportunity to cook a lot before.”
“So you didn’t cook meals for your old pack?
“Erm,” Elijah wasn’t sure how best to answer her question, “It was more to do with lack of available ingredients really. There wasn’t a store or anything locally to buy things so we pretty much lived off the land and bulk bought items with a long shelf-life.”
“Wow! That’s actually impressive; living off the land is hard. Oh my goddess so does that mean you’ve never had a movie night with popcorn?”
It was Elijah’s turn to laugh now and Autumn smiled in response. It made his typically serious face seem carefree and much younger. “No Autumn, I’ve never had a movie night with popcorn.” He didn’t have the heart to tell her he’d never even seen a movie.
She loved the way her name sounded coming from his mouth, it made her heart jump in her chest. She frowned, she shouldn’t be feeling this way about him, not when things were still unresolved with Drake. Elijah’s face filled with concern at her frown, “What’s wrong?” He rushed to her and knelt on the floor.
She stared into his deep blue eyes. Lie her wolf commanded. “I just can’t imagine what it must have been like growing up that isolated?”
Elijah’s expression softened as he tucked her hair behind one ear with his fingers. Autumn sighed at his touch, her breath flowing down onto his face like a light breeze. He inhaled her cinnamon apple scent and felt his groin twitch in response.
“Oh shit.” The sizzle of water on flame interrupted the moment. Elijah sprang up to turn down the heat from the boiling pasta. He glanced back at Autumn an apologetic grimace on his face, “See I told you I wasn’t the best cook.”
She laughed again, her thoughts of Drake forgotten for the moment. Elijah served dinner and they chatted easily as they ate. Elijah asked about her favourite books and films and she asked about growing your own food. The future Luna side of her couldn’t help but analyse how she could implement some of Elijah’s advice into her own pack.
After they finished eating Autumn automatically went to clear the dishes but Elijah stopped her, “Here let me do that.”
“How about we do it togeth
er?” She compromised.
The atmosphere in the house was calm and very domesticated as they cleaned the kitchen and the dishes. Elijah handed the final dish to Autumn to dry, her fingers grazed his sending electric tingles shooting up her arms. Did he feel that too? Her hands shook as she dried the plate and placed it back in the cupboard. She sensed Elijah step up behind her as she closed the door and froze. He lightly ran his fingers down her arms causing a shiver to pass up her spine. He swept her long hair over one shoulder inhaling her cinnamon apple scent before bending to place a feather light kiss on the side of her neck.
“Thank you for having dinner with me.”
Autumn sighed as his breath fell on her exposed neck. Her wolf hummed in contentment which was confusing. How was she supposed to feel? Although they’d talked a lot tonight, Elijah was still a stranger. But she’d be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t curious. “You’re welcome, thank you again for cooking.”
She could feel him smile against her neck as they stood still, soaking each other in. When Elijah placed another light kiss on her neck Autumn shivered with pleasure tilting her head further to the side to give him more access. Taking that as permission to continue Elijah placed a hand around her onto her stomach pulling her into his now broad and muscular chest. He trailed kisses up and down her neck as he traced her arm with his free hand.
Autumn’s wolf was going crazy in her mind as her eyes flashed black. Unable to contain herself any longer she turned around to capture Elijah's lips with her own. Despite being initially surprised Elijah was quick to respond as he moved his lips in synchronisation with hers. He sucked her full lower lip in between his teeth and grazed it eliciting a strangled whisper from her. Releasing her lip he slipped his tongue into her mouth to stroke hers. He wrapped her long hair around his fist and tugged her head backwards causing her to groan.
Mine! His wolf growled possessively as he devoured her mouth.
