by K. R. Grace
On top of that, the call from my contact to see what was going on with the Zealots didn’t go as I’d hoped. Apparently Destiny was busy and wouldn’t be able to address my issue for several weeks. I could go over her head and ask to speak to Michael, the head archangel. But, no one liked a pissed off Destiny, so I had to bide my time.
But I’d never been known for my patience. I needed Star and the calming effect she had on me. Since she hadn’t given me her number, I couldn’t call. So, I resorted to sitting at the edge of the clearing behind her house and listened to her sleep. It was becoming sort of a routine.
I felt like a freakin’ stalker. But…she’d become mine the moment I met her. If she was hurting, I had to make her feel better. If she was lonely, I had to give her company. Letting her see me in Wolf form had been dangerous, but the cry of her heart beckoned to me. I had to let her know she wasn’t alone. If her dad hadn’t come out when he had, I’d have walked up to her and let her finally get up close and personal with the Wolf.
I sat in my usual spot just inside the woods and listened to her slow breathing. She was dreaming about the Wolf. It was breathtaking. We ran side by side along a stream in the woods. She was gleaming white. Her green eyes danced with merriment. When we stopped for a break, she nuzzled my neck, and my entire body responded just watching it play out.
Seeing me through her eyes…seeing what could be, made me tilt my head back and howl.
Hell, yeah!
I wanted to strut around and mark every twig and branch within a one hundred mile radius of her house, but instead, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the dream with her.
I’d made my choice. She was mine. Nothing short of death was going to keep me away from her.
Knock it off, Knight. You’ll make all the girls go into heat if you keep walking around like that. Mack growled as he approached me. I’d forgotten he was on Star duty tonight.
Ignoring him, I puffed my chest out and continued to strut. What do you want, Mack?
Mack sat back on his haunches, a sign of trust. Word through the ranks is Fate and Destiny are getting involved.
I’d been the one to contact Destiny, so that part wasn’t news to me, but I shook my fur at the mention of Fate. When the fall happened in Heaven, Fate chose the dark side and was appointed second-in-command. She was twisted, sinister, and heartless.
Destiny, Fate’s identical twin, on the other hand, usually didn’t get involved unless Fate was about to do something catastrophic.
If word was out that the sisters were getting involved, that meant I’d be getting that visit with Destiny sooner than I expected.
What did you hear? I asked him.
Just that. Maybe Fate’s working with the Zealots. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s sided with them.
Who told you the Zealots had been revived?
Meliena.
Of course. She hated Mack, and yet the first chance she got she ran to him. Figured.
Do you think it’s something worse? I shifted uncomfortably.
Mack grunted as he shook out his dark brown fur. It feels like it. Did you get a read on the girl’s friends?
Not really, but if one of them is the leader of the Purists, he or she would know about the mind reading. Mack began to pace. I sat on my haunches and followed his progress.
Crap! I hadn’t thought of that. Mack grunted.
I’m thinking we should do a few recon missions to make sure it’s not one of them. I grumbled.
Mack halted and cocked his head to the side as he looked at me. What do you have in mind?
I was about to tell him I’d meant is as a snide remark, but an idea sparked. Nothing complicated. Just have some wolves try to pick up their thoughts. I’ll send my group inside to see what they can find.
You know, as sheriff, I should be against Wolf wiretapping. A grin spread across his face. Do you think the Skunk can handle the pressure?
I shook my head negatively. Not Sly. Bugsey and Stella. They’re the best in the business for sniffing things out.
Mack nodded. Fine. You talk to your group and I’ll talk to mine. We’ll iron out a plan tomorrow night.
It’s a plan. You going to stay here tonight? He asked. I glanced at Star’s house then back at him.
Yeah, I guess.
Mack nodded. Take care, brother. And with that, Mack ran off into the night. Once I knew I was alone, I crept up to Star’s window she’d left open. The plan had been to shift so I could close the window and quickly shift back without getting caught, but peaking into her brain and seeing she still dreamt of the Wolf sent me into a crazed need to let the world know she was mine.
After I’d marked every tree, bush, and flower around the parameter of her home, I jumped up into her room and curled up next to her on the bed. Not waking from her sleep, she wrapped her arms around me and sighed as she buried her face in my neck.
Right here with Star…this was my heaven.
I closed my eyes, slipping into Star’s dream.
Star ran ahead of me as we raced to the water’s edge. I wasn’t about to tell her I let her win when she turned to give me a proud smile. Right then, I made it my life’s mission to keep a permanent smile on her face.
“Do you get to do this all the time?” The awe in her voice was like a vice around my heart. To be able to share this with her was more than I allowed myself to hope for.
“Not all the time,” I forced out the words.
“I would. Gah, the freedom! I want to stay like this forever!” She sprinted around me, shaking her white head in the wind.
“It’s great, but you have to change back eventually, or the Wolf will take over completely.”
“What happens then?”
“You cease to exist. The animal inside controls and eventually your soul dies, leaving the Wolf. But you’re still aware. It’s weird.”
“That’s too bad.” She frowned, and it was adorable.
“It’s fun to be able to live in both worlds.” I shrugged before making my way to the running water.
Star moved in beside me, lapping the cold water up with her long, pink tongue. Once we were satisfied, I gave her a small warning before I charged her. She giggled before making a half-hearted attempt of fleeing. I collided into her, sending us to the forest floor in a playful, growling heap. She managed to almost free herself before I finally got my jaw around her jugular. She whimpered in submission, sparking a flame deep inside me.
Unable to stop myself, I let out an answering whine. Freed from my hold, she turned her head and mouthed my muzzle. I bumped my body against hers before turning so I could nibble on her fur. Another whine slipped from her before she positioned her body so she could groom my flank in return.
A quick flick of my tongue in the summer air told me she needed me just as badly as I needed her.
Her body was releasing hormones, giving me the all-clear. The Wolf begged me to make her mine. It desperately needed to take care of his mate in her time of need.
But something held me back. I needed more. I needed her human to tell me she needed me too.
I needed the forever ties of marriage. Only then would I know she was mine for eternity.
She moved so that we were face to face. “Please, Drake,” she pleaded.
But it wasn’t Star looking at me. It was the Wolf. I wanted her, ached for her, but I couldn’t take her like this. She didn’t know how real this dream would become. So, instead, I curled up against her.
“Soon,” I promised. “Let’s enjoy the moment for now.”
Her Wolf was reluctant, but I saw the relief in her eyes. We curled up on the ground, letting the sun’s rays and the music of our united heartbeats lull us into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter Eight
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Star
Drake had gone MIA. For an entire week, I found myself scanning the hallways for him even though my brain was telling me to knock it off. I tried focusing on school, but it wasn’t the same without him t
here.
Eight days after the movie, Drake was back. I knew it before I even saw him. He’d filled out. Before, he’d been toned like a soccer player, but now he looked like a Native American version of Thor.
I walked over to where my triangle was without making eye contact with him. That didn’t mean I wasn’t tempted to look at him. Because the boy sure could fill out a pair of faded blue jeans. And the black t-shirt that looked two sizes too small? Yeah, he definitely had some impressive guns.
A black tattoo danced on his deltoid muscle, catching my eye. Had that always been there?
Despite my resolve not to look at him, I leaned forward to study the intricate body art. At first it just looked like a bunch of swirly lines, but the longer I stared, the more I realized it was some sort of tribal symbol: a wolf head in the center of a moon. Some sort of writing or symbols circled the image. It seemed…otherworldly. Sure, people got some pretty cool tats on those reality ink shows, but this was different. It was almost as if he was born with the mark. I found myself wanting to trace it. To memorize every line and curve of it. If I was honest, part of me, a strong part, wanted to lick him. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
I’d been having too many wolf dreams lately.
He glanced over at me, causing our eyes to clash and lock. I gasped and immediately averted my attention to my useless triangle.
I didn’t play. Mr. Thomas told me it was better to be silent than to try to make up for the cue I always missed. I was content to pull a book out of my bag and read for the next ninety minutes.
“I think you missed your cue.” The deep voice almost scared the snot out of me and my book went flying onto the floor. I shot a glare at Drake who towered over me like the Empire State Building.
“I’m not playing,” I hissed.
“You will or I’ll give you a new lesson. Would you like a repeat of last week?”
“Can’t, got grounded.” I smiled triumphantly at him. At that moment, I’d never been so happy to be grounded. Any more afternoons like the one we had on the dugout and I’d be a lost cause. His silver eyes were hypnotizing and already I was falling headfirst into his powerful gaze.
“That’s fine. I’ll just get myself an invite over and we can do the lesson there.”
“Grounded means no one can go out and no one can come in.” I wasn’t sure on the valitiy of my words, but he didn’t need to know that. There was no way he was coming over to my house. Just the thought of the two of us alone in my room was doing something to my body that made me squirm in my chair.
“I think if it’s for educational purposes, your mom would be more forgiving.”
I gave up and bent down to retrieve my book and shoved it into my bag. For the rest of the period I pretended to try, but the entire time I kept wondering what was going on in his head. Why did he care if I could play the dumb triangle? How was I going to protect myself from him in my own home? Would his full lips be as intoxicating as they looked?
What the heck!? Snap out of it, Star!
Once class let out, Drake followed me out to my mother’s car.
“Hello, Mrs. Allistar,” he smiled charmingly at her. I envisioned that smile was the look a gazelle got right before a cheetah pounced on it.
“Hello, Drake. How are you?”
“Good. I was wondering if it would be okay if I came to the house and gave Star a music lesson. It appears music doesn’t come easy for everyone.”
“Why, of course you can. We’re having meatloaf if you’d like to stay for dinner.”
“Well, I think it won’t take that long, but thank you for the invitation.” He smiled broadly, flashing Mom his perfect white teeth. I watched her face melt and knew she was a lost cause. I was going to have a serious talk with her later.
“Would you like Star to ride with you or me?” Oh, he was good.
“I don’t see what riding with you would hurt if you are just coming over to the house. She did tell you she’s grounded, right?”
“Yes, only to the house,” he nodded.
I grudgingly followed him to his Jeep and slid into the passenger side once he opened the door for me. For the first time, I took note of the condition of the inside of his SUV. It was spotless. The seats were black leather and the tint on the windows was extremely dark. Probably darker than it was legal to be. He had it fully decked out with a built-in GPS, Bluetooth capabilities, and satellite radio. I was impressed.
When he started the car, more Native American music filled the air.
“Which song is this?” I asked, enjoying the mournful feel. It suited me.
“It’s the Wolf’s. Not the perkiest of the bunch.”
“Could you tell me more of the story?”
“Well, there is not much more to tell. When the girl came into the picture, the Wolf found a reason to unite with someone. He sucked at love. Never really knew how to act around her. Pushed her away with his possessiveness.”
“Did the Wolf and Bear get along?”
Drake let out a bark of laughter. “No. They almost killed each other in the end.”
“Why would they do that? Wouldn’t they have some kind of loyalty system since they were both shifters?”
“Are all humans loyal to each other just because they’re humans?”
His sarcasm put me in my place. I guess I just assumed they would all bond together for a common good or something like that. Judging by the dark look on his face, I was waaaay off.
“Their fighting had nothing to do with the girl’s decision to choose neither.” He said when I didn’t respond.
“Why’s that?”
“There was a third part of the equation, a Falcon. I think he was the one who influenced her to choose mortality over the life the bear and wolf could give her.”
“Stupid girl,” I muttered. “So, were the shifters immortal or something?”
“Something like that. But it doesn’t make sense why the Falcon would convince her to stay mortal.”
“Why?”
“The Falcon also has the ability to offer…an extended life.”
“You know this from experience?”
“No,” he chuckled and turned down my street.
“I want to know more about this story, like what the songs are saying.”
“There are books on this stuff. You can find it online or at the Reserve bookstore.”
I nodded and made a mental note to look it up once he left. The wolf intrigued me. I wanted to know why he chose to stay alone. The whole “extended life” thing had to be bull crap. I didn’t believe any of it was real, but I was curious about where the legend came from.
Not to mention that every night since we went to the movies, I dreamt of the wolf I’d seen in the woods. Each dream became more vivid than the last. When I woke up, I could swear I still smelled the Wolf on me.
Weird, I know. But in the dream, all my senses were sharper. I could identify something with my nose and ears miles before I actually saw it. I loved the Wolf’s scent. It reminded me of Drake.
Everything about the Wolf reminded me of Drake.
Chapter Nine
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Drake
I pulled into her parents’ driveway and saw her dad standing on the front porch, waiting. The silver hair and deep smile lines were deceiving. There was nothing old about her old man. The dude was huge. If I didn’t have superhuman strength, he’d be intimidating as hell. I gave him a slight nod as I put the Jeep in park and prayed he wouldn’t give me the third degree. Star and I might not be on a date, but I could still tell I had to pass her father’s test of approval. I made damned sure I opened her door for her and let her go up the stairs without taking the opportunity to get a look at her backside. I was going to show him that I’d been practicing manners long before he’d been born.
“Hello, Drake,” he nodded once we both stepped onto the porch.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Allistar.” I gave him my best smile and extended my hand out to him
.
He was quick to shake my hand, squeezing it as hard as he could before motioning us into the house. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. If I’d wanted to, I could turn every bone in his hand into dust. But, that would lose major points with Star.
Kid better watch himself or I’ll introduce him to Smith and Wesson.
I had to bite back a chuckle at hearing his thoughts. If only he knew how useless his gun was.
“I see you’re off the crutches.” Mr. Allistar grunted. I’d forgotten he’d seen me with them the first time I was here. Now I had to get myself out of this mess before he became suspicious.
“Yeah, Doc said my legs are back to normal. No need for the sticks anymore.” Okay, so it wasn’t original, but judging by the look of acceptance on his face, I knew he bought it. At least one Allistar was easy to convince.
My first thought as we walked into her house was that I needed to stay as far away from her bedroom as possible. I knew I wouldn’t play nice if we were behind closed doors. So, I decided the living room was our safest option. We both sat down on the couch and I pulled out the sheet music I’d slipped into my back pocket before we left the band room. It was pathetic that I was using band as a way to get a girl, but it was better than asking her out to dinner or something. That wouldn’t fly with her at all. Not yet at least.
“Okay. We’ll just use our hands today and clap when you’re supposed to ding,” I said as I placed the music between us so we could both see.
He is so wasting his time. God, why does he have to smell so good?
A satisfied growl rumbled in the back of my throat at hearing her thoughts. I almost felt guilty about listening in on her, but the truth was I couldn’t tune her out even if I tried. I’d learned during last week’s hunting trip that no matter where I went, I was connected to her. Just thinking about the trip made the Wolf itch. As great as it’d been to let the Wolf out for a week, it’d hurt like hell to be away from Star. It’d been a necessary trip, but that didn’t mean I liked it. I wasn’t sure the next time I’d be able to hunt like that for a while.
Five minutes into the lesson, I realized she was rhythmically challenged. Seriously. Nothing I did worked. I’d go as slow as possible, counting out each beat and she still missed her note. Every. Time.
