Wolf, Shifted by Rebecca Ethington
Nova
‘You were right. I wanted to lick him. I need answers. Now.’
I had typed that message only minutes after I had been escorted back to my room by a very angry Kat, and a freshly bruised Hank. Neither said anything, they just scowled as they threw me into my room and once again locked the door.
You would think that since I had been officially invited to stay that they would stop locking me in, I had behaved myself at the party after all. But, no, they had locked the door and jiggled the knob so loudly you would think they had just discovered how to use locks for the first time. That didn’t exactly help this whole ‘trying to trust the guy who wanted to kill me for twelve years thing’.
Although, thankfully my wolf stopped with her love sick pining after they had left me here. First, I wanted to lick him. Then, I had fascinated about him fucking me. Neither of those were normal. Now, I just needed Hiss to answer the damn text. I would have just called her, I had tried it before, but she never picked up. I guess that was another check in the ‘Hiss is really a hairy dude’ department. Which, again, I didn’t care, right now they were my only chance of getting answers, and I needed them.
When my phone rang I practically dive-bombed for the thing, sending all the throw pillows that were stacked on the couch to the floor.
‘You met him! Oh god! Isn’t he so hot? I told you he was so hot.’
I rolled my eyes and speed typed back, ‘Yes, he’s so hot. What can you tell me about him?’
My heart tightened as the message zoomed off and was instantly replaced by those damn blinking dots that said that she was typing. And typing…
And typing.
‘Come on, Hiss. I need an overview, not a life story.’I typed while still watching those lights flicker. Her answer came only a second later in the form of a wall of text.
‘Greyson Dillon is not only the hottest male I have ever seen, but he is probably the most caring and kind, too. I mean, when he took over the packs twenty years ago he not only did so by convincing the Alphas to stop the war, but he gave all the banished wolves a second trial. He brought most of them into his own pack. There was even an old man who had been banished since he was a kid, he never knew a pack and Greyson helped him. He also took out some of the more violent Alphas and replaced them with wolves who would lead their pack the right way. My parents talked a lot about how it was before he came along, how everyone would fight. It’s better now. He’s made us better.’
I blinked at the novel Hiss had sent me, reading it a few times as I just grew more confused. I had heard that story before, but I had heard a completely different version.
‘My father said that when he took over there was a war, that he killed the Alphas…’I quickly sent the message, laying back on the couch as I waited for Hiss’s answer.
My father had told me that story again and again so that I would know what I was up against. I would know what was hunting me.
There was a war when Greyson took over, Alphas were executed. Our pack was one of the few packs that didn’t submit to him, and look how that turned out. My father had never said Greyson was responsible for the massacre that killed everyone, but I knew. We had originally gone to one of the others, but they had turned us away, I guess they were scared of Grey and after what happened to our pack, submitted to him anyway.
It had all seemed like something a tyrant would do, and I had never questioned my father. Now, I was questioning, and I hated it.
Why wouldn’t my father just submit, he wasn’t the Alpha so why did it matter? Why did we have to go on the run and hide from a guy who was just rebuilding packs?
‘Well, if you challenge an Alpha it’s a fight to the death, so I guess in a way he did. I mean, there’s always a war with a change in power, right. Wolves love to fight. ;)’She had a point, which just made everything worse.
Grey actually seemed like a good guy. Like, a really good guy. I mean, he had shown that in the brief time I had met him. Well, except for punching Hank, but I wanted to punch Hank so I would let that one slide.
None of it helped, though. If anything it made it all more confusing. Greyson was the exact opposite of what my father had spent all of his life warning me about.
‘So tell me about him? Did you guys have your first sparring lesson? He’s always at those. Is that where you saw him?’Hiss plunged right back into what she really cared about, Greyson Dillon’s lickable abs.
I rolled my eyes and settled back into the couch, my mind still raging over everything she had said.
‘No, I got pulled into his office.’
‘You.’
‘Got.’
‘Pulled.’
‘Into.’
‘His.’
‘Office?’
‘?!?!?!?!?!?!?’
‘Details. Now.’
They all came in as individual messages in pure over-dramatic Hiss fashion. I started typing, only to freeze, how the hell was I going to explain this without giving away who I was. I mean, she knew I had been kidnapped and brought here, and thought it was the greatest mating call ever for some unknown reason. I guess I could just stick with that.
‘Well, he brought me here right? I’m pretty sure he wants me to be his mate.’Typing it out didn’t make my stomach heave as much as I would have expected. In fact, it just made me all warm and bubbly like some god damned love sick teenager.
Hiss’s answer came almost right away, but I didn’t even look at it. I sat straight up, staring out the window as my wolf growled, the low sound vibrating through me as something clicked into place.
Ho-ly shifter balls.
Not only had Greyson Dillon sprayed his pheromones all over the place, I had fallen for everything he had done hook, line, and sinker. This wasn’t me. This… this girl wasn’t me.
I had told him I was a lone wolf, because I was. What the hell was I doing?
“Screw this!” I jumped up, darting into my closet where all my clothes were and putting on the darkest pair of jeans and jacket I owned. There was no way in hell I would be able to get all of my hair in a hat, so I pulled it up in a high bun before tucking my blade and phone in my pocket. I didn’t even care that I had only tried to get out of this hell hole hours before. I was done. Plus, after that party I was sure that everyone was either sleeping or fucking. No one would even notice my departure.
I could have sworn that Kat had locked me in, but the door swung open easily. Chances were high that she had another stupid bet with Hank about if I would run, so I had to be careful.
The phone in my pocket continued to buzz as I made my way down the stairs, my wolf on high alert for the scent of any other wolf.
All I could smell was Greyson. The sickly sweet smell of his wolf was everywhere. He was like a prepubescent boy with an obsession with Axe body spray, you could always tell where he had been. Dude was asserting his dominance, hard.
The smell of him led right into the large ballroom where a few dozen wolves were still partying, their scent of arousal mixing with Greyson’s.
Instead of running right out of the front doors like I oh-so-stupidly did last time I turned left, racing through the hallway in search of an open window. Which is what I should have done in the first place.
Years of being in hiding and I go through the front door. My dad would be rolling in his grave.
Running down this hall made me realize just how big this damn place was. Miles of expensive tile and windows covered with crushed velvet was really making me start to wonder if I had accidentally found myself in some kind of pimp's paradise. It took me almost five minutes of running before I found an open window.
The heavy velvet curtain was down, sagging in the breeze like an elephant's ear. The smell of trees and a distant stream assaulted me as I climbed through to the night air, my wolf perking up in her own desperation to get out of here.
I had spent years in concrete jungles on the instructions of my father. Perched here in the window, I finally understood why. My wolf was alive. I could feel her more acutely than I had felt her in years. I could feel her pulse, her need, her soul; part of me, but so distinctly different. Where I felt powerful, defiant and strong; she was cunning, feisty and perhaps a little dangerous.
Let’s go, she said, and I was not about to argue.
I practically threw myself out the window as I bolted across the grass toward the trees, the scent of them growing as my wolf howled, the sound loud in my ears even though I was sure it was only audible to me. The moon shone bright overhead, a mocking crescent that glimmered behind grey clouds. I winked at it as I let the trees swallow me and slammed right into something.
“What the hell?” I shrieked as I fell back, landing hard on my ass and sending dirt and pine needles everywhere.
I knew I was excited to go running in the forest and get the hell out of here, but I wasn’t so stupid as to slam myself in to a tree.
It wasn’t a tree.
“Oh god, I am so sorry, are you okay?” A panty melting voice I had heard before fluttered over me as hands reached down to grab me. Strong wide hands that gripped my shoulders and planted me right on my feet, bringing me face to face with Greyson Dillon for the second time in an hour.
“Fucking hell,” I snapped, my wolf snarling as his hands warmed against me, those emerald green eyes of his widened.
“Nova? Oh god, are you okay? What are you doing out here?” His hands didn’t move as he studied me, his palms warm and comforting as zings of energy moved up and down my spine. It was the same feeling as before, but stronger.
“I’m fine, just failing at running away from you twice in one night,” I snapped as I stepped away from his hold and patted the dirt off my ass. “Decided not to send your henchmen this time?”
“They are not my henchmen,” Grey smiled, his voice kind as he shook his head. “They do come from more wild packs, however and I don’t always agree with their methods. But they are learning.”
I stopped my ass smacking to stare at him, everything Hiss had texted me rattling in my head. God, she was right, wasn’t she?
“Well, they are doing a crap job of it,” I snapped, my wolf still pulling me towards the trees. I took a small step to the left, wondering if there was a way past this guy.
“It takes time to relearn things, to feel like yourself in a pack.” Greyson smiled as he countered my step, that damn sexy smile still in place. It was crazy the way it pulled his features just right, emphasizing all of that rugged handsomeness just right… I stopped myself before I admitted there was another thing I wanted to lick and crossed my arms.
“It will take time for you, too, Nova,” Greyson continued, holding his hand out to me. “I am assuming that is why you keep running. Being here…”
“Being brought here,” I interrupted him, glaring at his hand which he thankfully dropped.
“Yes, being brought here has not been easy. I am sure being around others is not easy. I will make that up to you.” Grey ran his hand through his hair, giving me another one of those smiles.
“You could let me go.” I figured it was worth a shot, but Grey just smiled and stepped closer. Being this close to him made me realize that he didn’t smell like Axe body spray at all. He smelled like trees. Moss. a running river… I sighed, my wolf basking in the smell of him as he just continued to stand there smiling.
“I’m not going to do that, Nova, we had a deal after all.”
I rolled my eyes, “Is that why you are out here? To make sure I keep up my end of the deal?”
“No.” He stepped even closer, his hand reaching up to run down my arm. “I’m out here because of this.”
His finger traced a line down my arm, the touch so soft, so warm. But it wasn’t just the faint tickle of his finger that sent me gasping, my back arching. It was the feeling his touch gave me.
Like lidocaine exploding over my skin. Numb heat that fanned through me, pooling right into my core in that same panty melting power as before. Sex god might have been an understatement.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt when I met you. When my skin connected with yours for the first time. I was hoping you felt it too,” he whispered, that warm tingling exploding over my arm as he wrapped his hand around it, pulling me closer to him.
“Felt what?” I stammered as I forced myself to step back, stomach swimming in panic at being so close to my enemy even as something else, something louder, begged me to just lean into him and let him take me away. My wolf whined and snarled at the retreat. Well, at least I wasn’t the only person who was on the fence about this guy.
“The beginning of a bond.” Even just the flick of his thumb against my arm nearly sent me to my knees.
“A bond feels like a shot from the dentist?” I raised my eyebrows. That was exactly the opposite of what I had been expecting, not that I knew much in the first place. Most of my information about wolf culture came from YA books, it’s what happens when your father refuses to tell you much about where you came from. Every time I tried to get him to talk about it he would just look at me like I had sprouted three noses and change the subject.
“I guess it does,” Greyson chuckled before he stepped back, plunging his hands in his pockets as he began to walk, beckoning me after him.
I stood there, staring at the forest one last time before I turned and followed Greyson, knowing he would catch me before I got too far anyway. That is of course if my wolf would have let me throw myself into the forest, she was pulling me toward Greyson like he had me on a fishing lure. Damn it all, I had been so close to getting out of here.
“I have to be honest with you, Nova. I had Hank and Kat bring you here because I was hoping that your wolf would be strong enough to mate with mine.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed, “Really? I couldn't tell. It’s not like they put me in a giant room and kept telling me how much you are going to love me. Besides, you marked all over the place. You weren’t subtle.”
“Yes, I suppose I could have gone about things better. I couldn’t help it, I’ve never done this before. I’ve never felt this before.” He glanced at me, his eyes sparking before he started forward. It took me a second to realize that he was actually leading me deeper into the forest and not out of it.
He better not have some sexy-time picnic planned up here, because I was not interested.
“Well, tone it down next time or you’re gonna scare all the pretty wolves off.”
“Maybe that’s been my problem.” He shrugged, that alpha that had bowled me over before nowhere to be seen. He was just him. Just a handsome guy in the woods. A guy with mistakes and flaws. Why did he have to be so different from what my father had told me?
“When we first found you two years ago my wolf sensed the power in you, he has wanted you since then, but I knew you were a nomad, and I wasn’t sure I could tame you. But after two years…”
“You had me kidnapped,” I said, folding my arms as we came to a stop in a clearing, which was thankfully void of picnic blankets.
“I sent two overzealous wolves who wish very much to please me,” he corrected, like that somehow made it any better. I rolled my eyes, but he continued on. “I had to try, Nova. I’ve been looking for my mate for so long. There have been so many who my wolf has reacted to, but they were never right. Their wolves were never strong enough to be with me. I hope that you are. I feel that you are.”
His hand wrapped around my forearm again, sending zings up my spine as I gasped. I fucking gasped, like some love sick wolf from the damn romcom that I was now one hundred percent sure I was trapped in.
“You sure you didn’t just scare them off with your musk?” I was prodding, but he just smiled at me with the panty melting grin.
“Can you forgive me, Nova?” he whispered, his hand moving up my arm and over my shoulder as he moved my hair back. Every touch of him against my skin sent those same numbing waves over me, my wolf whimpering in pleasure. “I have searched for my mate for so long. I don’t wish to be alone anymore, and know that you don’t want to be either.”
I looked at him, still trapped beneath that buzzing energy that his touch was filling me with. Holy shifter hell, this better not be some Stockholm Syndrome type shit. I did not sign up for being possible mates with Greyson Dillon.
I don’t know which I was hating more, that my wolf was all buzzy, happy with him; or that everything I had heard about him had turned out to be a lie. So much for running away.
“I can forgive you. But one more kidnapping and I’ll cut off your balls,” I warned, finger in his face as he chuckled.
“That I can agree with.” He was staring at me, his eyes all glowy in the dark as his warm hands continued to make their journey up my arm. Oh god, I knew that look.
That was a kissing look.
In a flash that image of him claiming me over the side of the table consumed me again. My body flooded hot and cold as my wolf whimpered. All of the warmth was settling between my thighs, begging me for him. To feel him. That image of him taking me over the table repeated and I swallowed, wanting it.
I wanted to feel him and his lickable abs…
Lickable abs? What the hell was I doing?
“I need to go.” I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t know him well enough to want anything like what I had just fantasized.
I clearly needed to get out of here.
“Before you go, I have something for you. So everyone knows that you are my guest.” He moved his knuckles over my jaw again before he stepped back, pulling something from his pocket.
Before I could stop him, he grabbed my hand, clasping a diamond bracelet around my wrist. It sparkled in the light of the moon as I moved my wrist, inspecting the row of diamonds that were each the size of small seeds. They were linked in a silver chain, the clasp hidden somewhere along them.
When I looked up to him in question, he only smiled, his lips soft as he leaned in and planted them against the hollow beneath my ear in a swift kiss that sent me gasping. His arm snaked around my back as he pulled me against him, his alpha protective and strong as he held me there, as he whispered in my ear.
“So that everyone knows that you are mine.”
Hot damn. I didn’t know if I should be flattered or pissed. One look from his bright green eyes however, and I was really glad there wasn’t a table handy.