Wolf Marked by Alexis Calder

21

“I’m eating,” I said.

The mood at the table around me shifted. It was like I could feel the tension in the air and I was pretty sure my companions were holding their breath.

“This can’t wait,” he said.

“It’s going to have to wait,” I countered.

He growled.

“Lola…” Sheila elbowed me.

“Unless someone is dying, I am going to finish my dinner.” I wanted to speak to Alec, but his actions weren’t giving me confidence that he was going to react any better to me than he had earlier.

I took a bite of my hamburger. After my last experience leaving Wolf Creek and going without food for several days, I wasn’t about to waste a good meal.

To my surprise, Alec sat down on the bench next to Sheila. Tension hung thick in the air but I went back to my dinner, pretending I wasn’t bothered by him.

“I’m sorry,” Alec said.

All heads turned to him, then I felt their eyes on me. My cheeks burned. “You’re sorry?”

“I had no right,” he said.

I wasn’t expecting an apology. Sure, I sort of hoped he’d see how much of a dick he’d been, but I didn’t think he’d admit to it. Let alone do it in front of other people.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Are we okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I wasn’t sure that was true, but I wasn’t in a place to work through my emotions right now.

He nodded, then rose from the table. “I’ll come by tomorrow morning. You should get some sleep tonight.”

“Alright,” I said.

Without another word, Alec left us sitting there in silence. I looked down at my food but my appetite was long gone. Dammit, Alec. He ruined a perfectly good hamburger.

“Who wants pie?” Mario asked, breaking the long silence.

“I definitely want pie and if she’s not having any, I’ll take hers,” Sheila said.

“Pie sounds great.” I forced myself to eat the rest of my food, knowing it was going to be a long day tomorrow. I wasn’t sure if breakfast was part of our preparation for breaking into my old home and eliminating a mating bond.

I managed to participate in casual conversation, but my head and heart weren’t in it. As soon as it was socially acceptable to say goodnight, I excused myself from the group.

Tomorrow I was going to return home. It felt surreal to consider voluntarily going back to Wolf Creek. Greta had been clear, though. I had to face my past and figure out what I really wanted. I think going back was the only way I could move forward.

The worst part of the whole thing was that I had to trust Alec. I had no clue as to how we were going to get in and out undetected. He’d mentioned that I needed to be close to Tyler, but I didn’t know what that meant. At least he’d be there with me.

Despite everything with Alec, he had stood up and helped me every time I needed it. Things were different between us now, and while I wasn’t sure what was coming next, I supposed I did trust that he would help keep me safe.

If only I had managed to figure out how to shift before going back. I’d feel a little better if I could be more on par with the strength of the others. Alec was going to have to be enough.

I knew I needed to sleep, but I was still awake when Sheila crept into the tent. I kept my eyes closed and pretended I was asleep. Soon, I heard her slow breathing.

Crickets chirped and a breeze rustled the canvas sides of the tent. The calming sounds of the night should have lulled me to sleep, but I was far too restless.

Finally giving up on sleep, I sat up and pulled my boots on. Maybe a short walk and some fresh air would help.

The common area was empty and the moon was a sliver giving very little light. I’d never seen darkness like this. Wolf Creek wasn’t a large town, but there were always lights on somewhere. Streetlights, signs on shops, even windows in people’s homes. Someone was always awake whenever I went out, no matter the hour. Crossing my arms over my chest against the cold, I kept walking.

I was pretty sure I was the only one awake right now. My heart ached and my throat felt a little tight. I’d been lonely my whole life. When I was younger, I was desperate to belong. I wanted friends just like anyone else. As I got older, I convinced myself I was better off without them. Spending a week here might have made everything worse. I had a brief shining moment of feeling like I fit in. I was welcomed here. Nobody treated me like I was contagious or pushed me around just for existing.

My feet had carried me to the woods and I hesitated as I stared into the darkness of the trees. Without the sun, it was pitch black in there. While my sense of direction had improved, it probably wasn’t a great idea to try to navigate in the dark.

I turned and took a few steps before I heard a twig snap. Heart racing, I turned around, half expecting to see a bear or some other bloodthirsty creature.

“It’s just me,” Alec said.

“What are you doing out here?” My eyes widened when I realized he was naked. “Without clothes?”

“I went for a run,” he said. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Naked?”

“I shifted,” he said.

“Of course you did.” I felt like an idiot.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked.

“It’s hard when I have no idea what to expect tomorrow,” I said harshly.

“I was going to talk to you about that earlier tonight, but I got the sense you didn’t want to see my face,” he said.

“I didn’t. I did. I mean, I don’t know what I wanted,” I said.

“Look, about the mark, I didn’t expect to see it.”

“The part that bothers me is the fact that you think I’d lie to you about it,” I admitted. “You and your friends saved my life. I know the risk you took bringing me here. I wouldn’t disrespect you that way. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”

“I know,” he said.

“You have to know that I’d rather take my chances in the woods alone than bring harm to anyone here. If I knew they were after me, if I knew about the toxin…” I sighed. There wasn’t much I could change now.

“Tomorrow, we’ll drive to the edge of Wolf Creek and hike in. You said your mom lives in the trailer park, right?”

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“While you go there to retrieve whatever you can find, I’ll prepare what we need to break the bond. Is there a place we can meet that has strong community ties but isn’t too crowded?” he asked.

“There’s an old barn on the south end of town. They have most of the ceremonies there, but it’s not used during the day,” I said.

“Good, we’ll meet there once you find what you need,” he said.

“How do we do it?” I asked. “Break the bond, I mean.”

“Greta gave me some tips, things we can try while you’re closer to him.” He moved closer to me and I held my breath. I could see him better out of the shadows of the trees. Even in the darkness, seeing him naked sent a wave of lust through me. I still wanted him.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m trusting you with this.”

“I know,” he said.

“After the bond is broken, do you think they’ll stop coming after me?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“Good.” I was too afraid to ask about what would come next. Would I be welcome back here? Would Alec and I ever get beyond this awkwardness between us? Part of me was still confused while the rest of me was ready to jump on him right here.

“I should go.” I couldn’t trust myself to stay any longer. There was too much at stake tomorrow. Once we did what needed done, I would figure out what was going on with Alec.

“Try to get some sleep, Lola,” he said.

“You too.” I turned and walked back to Sheila’s tent without looking back.