Scarred Wolf by Charlene Hartnady
17
Everleigh
I don’t know why,but there’s a swirling sensation in the pit of my belly that I can’t identify. It should be rage, which kind of makes sense, but there’s more there. I don’t want to admit it, but I’m pretty sure it’s lust. And right now, it’s aimed squarely at the man leaning too damn casually against the back wall of the elevator beside me.
Why?!
I want to shout and scream and spin around and then pummel him with my fists. Problem is, I also want to climb him like a flagpole and grind against him like an animal in heat.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I’ve never behaved like this in my life! I’ve always thought of sex as part of a healthy relationship, and while I haven’t had a lot of those, I’ve never had much trouble in the bedroom department. Sex is okay. I’ll admit, it’s never blown my hair back, and I don’t see the big deal attached to the big ‘O’. But right now, the thought is all-consuming. I want him deep inside me, and I want it now.
You can’t always get what you want.
It’s a well-known song, and it rings true right now. I can feel him standing beside me. His heat is rolling off him in waves. I know he wanted me. I’m pretty sure he still does. There’s a scent about him. Something primal. It’s better like this. I don’t like him. I need to ignore my body. He needs to go.
“Pull yourself together, Evie,” I mutter under my breath.
“Sorry, what?” he asks, and I shake my head.
I’m pretty sure he knows exactly what I said. Asshole!
The elevator doors are dinging open, and I stride out ahead of him, not looking back as I repeat, “Just get your stuff and go,” between gritted teeth. “Your babysitting assignment is over.”
“Everleigh, I—” he begins. But I don’t want to hear it. I raise my hand in a gesture to shut him up as I unlock the front door and barge through the apartment. I need to do something. Get out of here. Run. I need to run. That’ll help. Running always helps.
I’m tugging down the zipper of my dress before I reach my bedroom door. I don’t care if he catches a glimpse of bare flesh. He’s an ass. And he can bite me.
Or I’ll bite him…
Oh god. The thought of sinking my teeth into his flesh is doing strange things to my insides and I slam my door shut behind me before I can turn around and look at him. That would be my undoing. It’s not going to happen. Not now! Not ever!
I block out the sounds of him moving around the apartment as I step out of my dress, reach for my sweats and a pink jogging top, before pulling on socks and my old sneakers. I distract myself with some half-hearted stretches before bounding out of my room. He’s standing in the living room with his duffel bag, his eyes narrowing when he catches sight of me.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“Running. Not that it’s any of your business,” I snap back, pulling my hair into a ponytail without pausing as I head for the door. “Lock up behind yourself and leave your key under the mat when you leave. I’ll reimburse your rental deposit this week.” I have no freaking idea how I’ll get that right, but I’ll make a plan somehow. Maybe I’ll take up Di’s offer of a loan. It burns me to borrow money, but right now, I can’t tolerate the thought of looking at this man for one more minute, let alone living in this space with him. I want him and I hate him in equal measure.
You don’t hate him, that stupid voice inside my head says.
“Everleigh, you don’t understand! You can’t—” he starts again, but I don’t want to hear it.
“Don’t understand what? Can’t what?” I practically shout back. He won’t explain a damn thing to me about what’s going on. Just talks in circles about wolves and other crazy crap without actually giving me a scrap of information to understand what the fuck is going on with me right now. I don’t need him! I can deal with this myself. I’ve been in worse situations. I glare at him for a moment, waiting for him to open up and tell me more. He sets his jaw and I toss my head. “Right. You’re still not telling me anything. I’m out of here.” I storm out the door before he can say anything more.
I’ve had enough of this shit.
* * *
Jaxon
I watch that sleek,swinging ponytail as she slams the door behind her. Okay, I’m not watching her ponytail. I’m watching her ass. Damn, she’s fine! But that kind of thinking is going to get me into all kinds of trouble. I’m supposed to get rid of the enemy, not sleep with her.
My phone vibrates and I all-out growl. I know who it’s going to be without looking at the screen.
“Father,” I reply and then wait for the onslaught.
“It’s not done,” he grinds out. “We can still sense it. What the fuck are you doing out there?”
“It’s under control,” I bite back. It’s not, but I’m not telling him that.
“It’s not under control,” he responds. Dammit. “The wolf has changed. We felt the power surge, and it’s getting stronger. That fucker is a double-alpha, it has to be.”
“There’s still time,” I say, knowing it’s futile. “I have the antidote—”
“We already told you it’s too late for that,” my father interrupts me. “That shit’s not going to work anymore. You have to kill it. Tonight, Jaxon!”
It. She’s not an it.I want to growl, but I don’t say a thing. He ends the call abruptly, which suits me fine. There’s nothing else to say. Reaching for the door, I make my way out, locking it behind me, then stepping into the elevator. I’m stuck in a complete fucking crapstorm and I have no idea what to do next.
I hit the button for the lobby level. I’m not ready to head to my car yet. I need to think things through, and I don’t want to stray too far. There has to be a way around this. There has to be, dammit!
I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk grimly along the sidewalk. I’m guessing my expression speaks volumes because people are dodging out of my path. It’s almost midnight, but the streets are still bustling with post-dinner strollers and partygoers heading out to hit the clubs. I keep walking, covering the ground in broad strides that eat up the distance between the apartment building, and a nearby kids’ play area dominated by swings and slides. It’ll be empty now, and I need a bit of space to breathe. There’s a bench at one end and I flop onto it and rub my face with both hands.
Why does she have to be so goddamn stubborn?I want to growl out loud. Though deep inside, I know exactly why. She’s confused, she’s afraid, and the only person with any answers – namely me – won’t tell her anything. I’d be pissed too if I was in her shoes. But what the fuck am I supposed to do? Explain her history? Her parents’ role in my pack’s devastation years ago? She’ll know something’s up, for sure. Then she’ll be in the wind, and we’ll never catch her. Because she’ll start to suspect my real reason for hanging around. My mission to end her reign before it begins. And it’s a mission I’m increasingly beginning to realize I’m not cut out for. The more I think about it, the more certain I am that I’m not going to be able to go through with it. But if I abandon the job, Dad’s just going to send someone else to do it. Someone who doesn’t know her like I do. The need to protect her surges to the forefront. It hits me so hard that I growl. My chest vibrating with the sound of it. Primitive. Rough. Mean.
I’m so fucked.
I lean back on the bench and exhale sharply. The small playground is unlit, but the full moon sheds a silvery glow, and I look up at it, watching as a single cloud creeps across the bright circle of light. I feel my senses tingle, my body tightens as I drop my head back and fight back the urge to let loose a low howl.
And then I hear it. A plaintive call that connects to every cell within me. Except it’s not me howling at the moon.
Fuck!
I’m on my feet and spinning to look around myself. The howl rings out again, and then there’s screaming. I hear sharp cries and calls of horror coming from somewhere behind me. I set off at a sprint in the direction of the sound. It doesn’t take long to reach the source of the commotion. People are scattering in a dozen directions, all away from a central point near a small square surrounded by coffee shops and restaurants.
A woman runs past me screaming, “Wolf! Oh, my god! It’s…it’s a wolf!”
In the middle of the square, I spot her. I swear she’s taller than before, more powerfully built; her pelt gleams like quicksilver. Tangled around the beast’s heaving torso is a bright scrap of pink lycra.
“God dammit, Everleigh!” I mutter beneath my breath. She won’t be happy that she ruined her last pair of sneakers. The thought makes me want to laugh despite the situation.
The wolf is padding in a small circle, head swinging low, glowing blue eyes panning the rapidly dispersing crowd. At the sound of my voice – as low as it is – her head swings in my direction, and I’m transfixed by those blue eyes. I stand my ground, barely daring to breathe as she bounds over to me, eating up the distance in smooth, easy leaps.
“Run!” I hear someone shouting out, probably trying to warn me to get to safety. But of course, I can’t run. I won’t. I drop my bag at my feet and stand dead still, hands at my sides as she stops in front of me. She’s definitely bigger, her head almost chest high as she tips her head slightly to the side, her mouth dropping open slightly as she sucks in my scent.
I hope to fuck she doesn’t bite me, but I put out my hand and touch her pelt anyway, stroking her like she’s an ordinary dog. Like hell! “Everleigh,” I whisper, and I’m answered by a low, rattling growl that should have my blood running cold, but the sound vibrates straight to my crotch. I swallow hard and murmur, “Everleigh, let’s go home.” I stroke her again. “Um…” I say to the crowd. “It’s just a dog.” Who the hell in their right mind will buy this? “Everything is okay.” I pet her some more, stroking her around her ears.
The growl morphs into something different; a soft whine as she coils and gathers herself, and then she’s on her hind legs, front paws against my chest. Her breath is on my face, teeth gleaming white in the artificial light of the storefronts around us.
“It’s attacking him!” I hear someone scream out from somewhere, but still, I don’t move. She could kill me in an instant if she wanted. In my human form, I’m practically defenseless against a beast like this, but I’m not going to shift in front of this stampeding crowd and have everyone raving about two rampaging wolves.
Besides, who am I kidding? Even in my wolf form, she could be stronger than me. I’m not going to take that chance right now; I have to appeal to something else within her.
“I’m fine,” I say, shocked at how calm my voice is. “Evie,” I say again. “Let’s go.” I grab a handful of her thick pelt and lead her away. “Sorry for the trouble caused.”
I can see that the small crowd has dissipated. Thank fuck!
“Hold on,” I whisper as I lead her to a thicket of dense bushes and shrubs. Suddenly my hand is on smooth, bare skin. I wrap my arms around her before she can fall. Yet again, I have my arms around a very warm, very naked Everleigh Moone. And fuck, I’ve never seen a wolf shift that fast.
“Jaxon?” she whimpers against my throat, and I feel a wave of protective instincts unfurl within me. Though god knows, I’m probably the one who needs protection right now – not just from the creature I’m holding, but from my own traitorous heart. What the fuck is going on with me? My head is spinning, but there’s no time to delve into my thoughts.
“It’s alright, princess, I’ve got you,” I murmur, not sure where that came from. I’ve never been one for terms of endearment. Just seems right, though, somehow. Bending awkwardly, I reach for my bag and haul out a jacket I’d packed at the top of it. I drape the oversized thing around her shoulders, grateful that it swathes her entirely, almost reaching below mid-thigh. I keep an arm firmly around Everleigh’s shoulders and start for home. I spot a few hands raised holding phones, screens alight as people snap pictures and film clips. That’s the last thing I need, and I duck my head, keeping a palm over Evie’s, scooping her against my side.
“Nothing to see here, folks; all good,” I say abruptly. In the distance, I can hear sirens, and I pray they haven’t been called to the scene.
“What’s going on?” someone says, and the question is followed by a murmur of voices. Fortunately, there aren’t many people around – the crowd has pretty much left the area, but as always there are a few die-hards determined to get something good to put up on social media.
“Where’s the wolf?” a young guy calls out. By now, I’ve managed to get Evie toward the far edge of the square. She’s walking blindly ahead, allowing me to guide her. From her numb expression, she’s partially in shock. The onlookers are peering around in confusion.
“There was no wolf,” I say out loud, hoping to raise doubts among the crowd. There’s a couple standing nearby. The woman looks at me strangely. “Where’s the dog?”
I ignore her.
“Is she okay? What happened to the wolf?” another onlooker asks. Evie is still staring blankly ahead.
“It wasn’t a wolf,” I say firmly. “Just a dog. My girlfriend got a really big fright when it ran at us – she had a bad experience as a child.” I’m making this up as I go, but it seems to satisfy the woman.
“Oh, you poor thing,” she’s tutting sympathetically at Everleigh, who’s completely oblivious. “You know, I got nipped by a spaniel as a teen. I’m still afraid of them.”
I nod, but don’t stick around to jabber. I can hear her telling someone else nearby that it was just a stray dog. With any luck, pretty soon nobody there will have a clear recollection of anything that happened. Unless someone managed to get it on camera. Shit. I’ll deal with that if it comes up. Right now, I have to get Evie back home.
