“I got us some snacks.” She smiled hopefully. “I hope you like what I picked out.”
Hunter looked in the bag and smiled at the bottles of water and the assortment of crackers, chips, and candy bars.
“Looks good. How did you know Milky Way was my favorite?” He kissed her cheek lightly.
Chelsea lifted one shoulder. “You just look like a Milky Way kind of guy, I guess.”
They drove back onto the highway, and before they had gone three miles Chelsea was fast asleep with her head resting on Hunter’s shoulder. He shifted his weight so her head would be nestled just under the joint. He felt a contentment that usually only came when he was wandering his property alone, enjoying nature and his solitude. Now he wasn’t alone. Even if the pack rejected Chelsea and left, he would still have her, and that was just fine.
When they finally arrived at Graves Mountain Lodge, it was just past five; two hours past check in time. Hunter kept his fingers crossed that there was a room available. The woman behind the desk had horn rimmed glasses and a hairstyle reminiscent of a bee hive, but she seemed nice enough.
“Well, I can put you in Poplar. I have a couple rooms there.”
“Is that building near this one?”
“About a mile and a half.”
“Perfect.”
Hunter and Chelsea stayed at the main lodge until dinner was served. It was an interesting affair which reminded him of dinners with the pack. At Graves Mountain, the dining room had long tables, enough to seat at least eight, and you were likely to be eating with strangers. But the cooking was down-home style, served on dishware that reminded him of someone’s grandmother’s china, and it was tasty. The main course that night was grilled Rainbow Trout or meatloaf with several sides, and a nice apple crisp for dessert.
“Wow that was good!” Chelsea beamed as they walked to the truck.
“It certainly was.”
The road that led to the Poplar was really just a glorified narrow dirt path, but Chelsea was exuberant over every stretch of it. Every twist in the little road brought a new exclamation from her, especially if she glimpsed the creek or saw an animal.
The Poplar came into view sitting on a low hill, its dark wood exterior and wrap around porches clung to the dying sunlight with both hands. Their room could be accessed from within or without and Hunter was pleased it was on the second floor and looked out over the sloping back lawn.
Chelsea didn’t seem disappointed that it was small, and she didn’t care there wasn’t a TV. The walls were actual wood logs, and she touched them in wonder.
“King size bed, oh yeah!” Hunter said and flopped down on his back. He looked up at Chelsea and saw her blushing. Aww, she’s nervous! He didn’t know why, but the thought touched him.
“I’m going to take a shower.” Chelsea said and took the book bag she had brought in with her, disappearing into the bathroom without waiting for a reply.
Hunter could feel his excitement building and hoped she wouldn’t be in there long. He walked out of the door and onto the long porch that extended past every other room on that side of the lodge. The air was a refreshing seventy five, the sun already dipping low in the sky. He stood for a long time waiting for his bride.
Hunter came back to the room, making sure the blinds on the door were closed tightly and the room door was locked. He took his shirt and jeans off, folding them carefully. Not a sound issued from the bathroom. He settled himself on the bed and waited some more.
Chelsea took one last look at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t a virgin, Jude had taken care of that, but she was feeling as nervous as one. It had been nearly two years since she had been with a man. Hunter was the first she had allowed to even kiss her since Jude.
She touched the silky fabric of the wedding gift Amber had tucked into her bag the night before. A nightie of soft pink satin that tied loosely at the center of her breasts. There were matching panties, but Chelsea dared to even call them that. They were basically a triangle of fabric attached to a string. She smiled sardonically. She had always made fun of Amber and Karlee for owning such things. She had just never felt sexy enough to wear them. Tonight was different.
Chelsea cut the light off and opened the bathroom door. The room was nearly dark, slits of low light shone through the blinds. She thought Hunter was asleep and hesitated until she saw the gleam of his eyes. She walked slowly and slid onto the bed facing him.
Hunter’s face was unreadable as he pulled her to him. His need outweighed his patience.
“You look beautiful.” He said, pulling the string holding the nightie together. With a strong arm he pulled Chelsea onto her back and flicked the fabric away from each breast. She wasn’t large breasted, but she wasn’t small either. He gazed at her feeling the heat rising over his body, before cupping each breast and lowering his mouth to her nipples.
Chelsea allowed a sigh to slide past her lips. He worked the flesh of her breasts until both nipples were taunt and hard. She watched his dark head move in the dying light to her navel, stopping only long enough to work the small amount of fabric over her hips, tossing it aside. He flicked his tongue playfully just above the bikini line and along the insides of her thighs until Chelsea moved her hips, forcing his head to where she so desperately wanted it.
Hunter removed his boxers in a hurried flourish, his flesh pulsating and throbbing. He would attempt longer lovemaking as the night drew out, but for that moment he needed her, and judging from the dripping wetness between her legs, she needed him too. He moved his hips, bumping each of her thighs open further, and plunged into her. Chelsea cried aloud from the surprise of his size but also from the searing pleasure. They moved together in perfect harmony, Chelsea crying out minutes later just before Hunter’s voice, pure animal and wildness answered her.
Chelsea laid awake in the darkness listening to the steady breathing of her new husband. She was happy, truly happy for the first time in….for the first time ever. Her body was sore and satiated in a way that she had never known. It was almost perfect in that moment. Only one thing she wished, the thing that would have made it completely flawless: she wished he had told her he loved her.
“Do you have everything?” Hunter asked, as he loaded his duffle onto the bed of the pickup.
“I think so.” Chelsea smiled.
Hunter felt his body draw to hers like a moth to the flame. She was his perfect mate. He had heard stories of other wolves experiencing that kind of attraction. He had thought they were full of crap. Now that he had experienced her, actually been part of her, he knew better. He would have laid her in the bed of the truck and devoured her again if there weren’t laws forbidding indecency.
Chelsea picked up on the vibe he was sending out. She advanced on him coyly, enjoying the dark look in his eyes. It made her feel powerful. She patted his chest.
“We need to get going. The pack awaits.” She spoke with more bravado than she felt. That was another vibe Hunter was sending out. They were both uncertain about the pack.
Chapter 5
Oscar watched the winding road that lead to Hunter’s property. He had assembled the rest of the pack to welcome him back, and so they could welcome his mate Chelsea. Oscar allowed his mind to fantasize about her. Would she be pretty? Would she be a strong leader like Hunter? Of course she would be. Hunter would never chose someone who wasn’t good for the pack.
The familiar rumble of Hunter’s truck began faintly, then gained momentum as Oscar heard the downshift of the engine pulling up the steep incline.
“Hey! They’re coming!” He shouted. His cowboy boots clunked heavily on the wood of the porch as he went to the screen door and threw it wide. Olivia and Megan were placing the last of the welcome home food on the dining room table. Oscar smiled at the fresh wildflowers sitting in a vase in the center of the table. It was a nice touch. He hurried back to the porch and made sure the pack was lined up and looking their best. He couldn’t help but feel like they were getting ready to meet the pac
k mother.
Hunter’s truck came into view. He parked under the maple tree, where it sat on any other day. Chelsea gazed at the mismatched group of people standing on the porch. They looked like some kind of gathering for the United Nations. There was an Asian man with his arm draped loosely around the shoulders of a Hispanic woman. An African American couple stood near them. Three young men stood in a tight line together. One blonde, one with brown hair, and the third of an unknown origin. The last man came down the steps and stopped halfway. He was tall and barrel chested with dark curling brown hair.
Hunter looked at her and smiled softly. “It’s fine. Don’t be nervous.”
Hunter got out of the truck and came around to her side and opened the door, holding a strong hand out to her. Once her fingertips touched hers, she thought it could be fine after all.
Oscar watched as Hunter brought the woman around the back of the truck. She was small, but strikingly beautiful. He could see crystal blue eyes, even from where he stood. His face began a slow grin as the breeze shifted, blowing cool mountain air straight in his face. Cool mountain air that smelled like wolf and…human. The smile disappeared, his eyes widening.
Hunter stood at the bottom of the steps, ignoring the heads turning to look at one another. He grinned up at them, also ignoring the fact that Oscar seemed frozen with a foot on the step behind him and a foot on the step in front.
“This is Chelsea.” He said plainly, motioning to her with a flat hand palm up. No one spoke.
Oscar leaned towards Hunter, his eyes holding a fierceness he had never directed to his Alpha before. The hazel around his pupils seemed to shift and darken.
“What have you done?” The words hissed out for all to hear.
Hunter narrowed his eyes, positioning his body in front of Chelsea’s. He could feel her body begin to tremble as she peeked out from behind him.
“What have I done?” Hunter jutted his chin forward, and stepped directly in front of Oscar, not quite matching his height, but towering over him anyway. His head tilted as he spoke softly. “I did what I damn well pleased.”
The other males watched the confrontation with unease. Hunter was their Alpha, but Oscar was a close second, and although the younger wolves wouldn’t admit it openly, they had a strong attachment to Oscar.
The two women broke away from their husband’s protective grips and trotted down the steps. They exchanged a look with Hunter, and he moved aside. The African American woman spoke first, her hair was pulled back tightly and when she smiled, her almond shaped eyes gave her an almost Asian flair.
“I’m Olivia.”
“And I’m Megan.” The Hispanic woman said through a strong accent.
Olivia watched Chelsea nod her head to both of them.
“Why don’t you come inside? You must be exhausted.”
Chelsea nodded again and found her voice. “Yes…yes I am.”
Olivia and Megan flanked Chelsea as they walked her up the stairs. Chelsea could feel all eyes on her as she was ushered into the house.
“We need to talk.” Oscar growled.
“Let’s talk then.” Hunter replied with an icy smile.
Oscar jerked his head to the side for the younger boys to follow.
Hunter began walking as Jameson and Franklin took a moment to peek through the window at their wives. He laughed out loud.
“What? No one wants to get my throne chair?”
“Maybe you won’t need that anymore.” Oscar threw over his shoulder.
Hunter shook his head and looked at Jameson and Franklin. Both men looked a little sick.
“Why don’t the two of you make some little babies, huh?”
Franklin licked his lips nervously, his slanted eyes darting from Hunter’s face to Oscar’s back. “We’ve tried.”
Jameson’s baritone voice spoke close to Hunter’s ear. “Olivia and I are trying too.”
“Well, good!” Hunter smiled, and smacked each of them on the back. He let his hands rest on each man’s shoulder as they walked. “That takes some pressure off of myself and Chelsea!”
Oscar had stopped under a thick canopy of pine trees. “Yeah, laugh it up, Hunter.”
The other men formed a semi-circle around him. He looked at each of them in turn. The younger ones were mimicking Oscar’s anger. Bradley was barely twenty years old. What did he care?
Hunter held his arms out and shrugged. “What do you want me to say? I went looking for a mate. I found Chelsea instead. End of story.”
Oscar pointed a finger at him. “You knew why it was vital!”
“Yeah, so you horny bastards could end up with mates of your own before your seventieth birthday. I get it.”
Oscar dropped his body and put his arms out in front of him in a fighting stance. Hunter shook his head and took his shirt off. Hard muscle rippled with every movement. Jameson and Franklin broke free from the semi-circle and stood on either side of him, also in a fight stance.
Hunter shook his head and rolled his head from side to side to loosen his neck. His voice was deadly when he spoke, his eyes locked on Oscar’s.
“So, this is what it’s come to?” When Oscar didn’t answer, Hunter lifted his lips and growled. “Know what you’re doing old friend.”
Chelsea tried to smile as Megan placed a cup of hot tea in her hands. “Thank you.” All three women jumped when they heard the first faint roar.
“So, how did you and Hunter meet?” Olivia asked as if nothing was happening outside.
Chelsea’s gaze wandered to the windows again. “He saved me from being raped in an alley.”
Olivia and Megan exchanged a startled glance.
“He did? That must have been terrible!”
“It was.” Chelsea turned her attention back to the women. They seemed nice enough, and were trying to help, but she didn’t see any help in the situation. She slid her tea onto the table. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here.”
Olivia shook her head. “Hunter is an Alpha, but what the single men of this clan are demanding he do isn’t right. He has every right to choose whomever he wants for a mate.”
Megan nodded her head in agreement, black hair spilling over her shoulders.
Chelsea shook her head. “What will happen if they can’t work it out?”
Olivia shrugged, sitting back in her chair. “They will accept his decision, or the pack will split.”
“You say it so calmly.”
Olivia leaned forward again and patted Chelsea’s knee. “Hunter is a true Alpha. He was born that way. Our husbands will stick with him.”
Megan nodded her cascading tresses again. Her crooked smile reminded Chelsea of a small child.
A crash sounded on the outside of the house and all three women ran out of the front door to see what had caused it. The whole pack was coming out of the woods, some laughing and smiling, some looked serious. Oscar and Hunter were nowhere to be seen, but snarls and snapping teeth could be heard just below the porch. Chelsea leaned over and saw Hunter in his Werewolf form fighting another Werewolf she assumed was Oscar.
This is my fault.
Something snapped in Chelsea. She marched down the length of the porch and jumped from the top step to the bottom. All attention had left the fighting Werewolves, now rolling around on the ground, to Chelsea who went straight to Franklin and pointed above his head.
“Break that limb off for me please.”
Franklin’s eyes enlarged to an impossible size. “What?”
Chelsea pointed again, her patience wearing thin. The day had been too stressful. “I want that thick limb”
Franklin nodded quickly and reached up, breaking it off easily. Chelsea took it, realizing it was too long, and stomped on it until it broke in half. She marched towards the snarling beasts with the now pointed end ahead of her.
“Hey, I wouldn’t go near them!” The younger wolf of indeterminate origins warned, grabbing her by the crook of the elbow.
Chelsea jerked her arm
free, glaring at him.
Both Werewolves were bleeding, and from the looks of things running out of steam. Chelsea jabbed the Werewolf that was nearly black, causing him to snap at the stick and snarl. She jabbed Hunter next, her own lips pulled back in a sneer. A collective gasp was heard from all the others.
“What’s wrong with you? You fight because of me?”
The dark Werewolf lunged halfheartedly. His impossibly human eyes pinned on Chelsea. She shook her head and threw down the heavy stick in disgust.
“What are you people…a bunch of bigots?” She turned in a wide circle, her eyes scanning the group of men watching, before looking at the panting Werewolves. “You all look like the United Nations! All different skin colors, yet you don’t want me because I’m a human? News flash…you’re human too! No matter what you can make your flesh do!” She marched back to the porch and yelled one final sentence over the yard of startled faces. “At least your women are nice!” She opened the front door, slamming it behind her with enough force to break one pane of glass. Tears pooled rapidly and streaked down her cheeks as she mounted the steps with no idea where of where she was going.
Olivia and Megan looked at each other, slow smiles spreading across their faces. They crossed their arms simultaneously and looked down at the now naked human forms of Oscar and Hunter. Olivia shook her head, her eyes on Oscar.
“Now tell me she isn’t the perfect Alpha mate?”
Chelsea found a bedroom that she assumed was a guest room and locked the door, pushing a straight backed chair against the doorknob for good measure. She fell across the bed sobbing into the handmade quilt, thinking the guest room was perfect since she would leave as soon as she could reach her father. A knock sounded at the door and she could hear Olivia’s muffled voice.
“Chelsea? Chelsea are you ok?”
“No!”
There was silence before Olivia spoke again. “Just let us know if we can do anything for you. We’re staying on the property tonight.”
She Wolf and The Detective: (Suspense, Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy) (Book 1-3) Page 17
