Filed to story: Luna Lovette and Alpha Kodak Story
So Nick led everyone back inside the house and begrudgingly did just that, which led to a lot of cursing and shouting-they all found the idea as repugnant as Derren and Nick did. Then, naturally, he received a lecture from Shaya for not telling her sooner. But after some apologizing, neck kissing, and soothing touches, she eventually forgave him…though she did inform him that he should think twice before keeping something from her ever again because she knew where he slept and she had a nifty bat. “I need to go for a run,” Nick then told her, winding a curl around his finger. “Come with me.”
Shaya led him to the rear of the house and outside. Reaching the small cluster of trees at the end of the backyard, she started to remove her clothes as Nick began to remove his. “See the little gap in the fence? I made that so I could go run in the little wooded area here in my wolf form.”
“You know that I’m going to chase you, don’t you?” said Nick, smirking. “I’m going to chase you, catch your ass, and mount you.”
“Not a chance,” she chuckled, now totally naked. Then she let her wolf free, enjoying the familiar pleasure/pain that came with the shift.
Nick smiled down at the graceful red wolf and went to pet her, but she bounded off into the woods-it was a challenge. He shifted seconds later and loped after her.
For hours the wolves played: chasing, ambushing, mock fighting, and jaw wrestling, making up for the time they had lost due to the behavior of their human halves. When the sky started to darken, the large gray male wolf ushered the red she-wolf through the fence where they entered.
Once they were back in their human forms and fully dressed, Nick kissed her hard and deep, leaving no doubt in her mind that he believed she was his. Patting her ass, he said, “Come on, let’s go inside. I need food. And I have to make sure Derren doesn’t cook dinner again. The guy could burn water.”
“A little like me then,” admitted Shaya as she began pulling on her clothes.
“Then it’s a good thing I can cook.” As they were walking up the path toward the house, the door opened and a familiar figure came strolling out. Nick wasn’t surprised when Shaya tensed beside him.
“Oh, hi,” said Amber with a bright smile, “I was just about to come and hunt you both down. We’ve all decided to go out for dinner.” She cocked her head as she regarded Nick. “You look a little more relaxed now.”
“You can thank Shay for that.”
Catching movement in her peripheral vision, Shaya spotted Roni sprawled on the grass by the small shed.
“Sometimes she likes to go off and be alone,” explained Amber before turning and heading back into the house.
Shaya looked up at Nick. “I’d like to talk to Roni alone for a minute.”
“She’s not being bitchy by not shifting to talk to you, Shay-“
“Hey, I know that,” she assured him. “I’d just like a minute alone with her. I know her wolf won’t understand the words, but she will.”
Shrugging, Nick said, “Sure, if that’s what you want. I’ll be inside.”
Cautiously, Shaya made her way over to where Roni lay. Sitting beside her, she smiled. “Hi there.” The wolf didn’t react other than to briefly glance her way. “Guilt’s a funny thing, isn’t it? It lingers, even when it doesn’t make sense to feel it. I was a t win, you know. She died in the womb. I know it’s not my fault, and I know I couldn’t have helped her and that for me to survive when she didn’t isn’t an awful thing. But I hated myself for a long time. Even now, I know
I shouldn’t feel guilty. Mostly, it’s gone…but a tiny bit still stays. Whenever the guilt and the sadness got too bad, I’d stay in my wolf form for days on end. Because though the guilt’s still there, it’s dimmed when you’re in that form, isn’t it? Staying as a wolf…it was my escape. And it’s yours too.” She had Roni’s full attention now.
“I know that really I have no reason at all to feel guilty. None of it was my fault…just like what happened that day in the woods wasn’t your fault. Nick doesn’t realize you shift to escape the guilt. He thinks you stay in this form a lot because you’re escaping the memories of what happened, that he traumatized you. Maybe if you guys talked…maybe you could help each other out with the unnecessary guilt you both feel.” Giving Roni one last stroke, Shaya got to her feet. “See you soon.”
Entering the house, Shaya found that Amber was doing her best to lounge over Nick, and Lovette was therefore throwing peanuts at her. Of course Amber’s attention quickly switched to Lovette, ridding Shaya of the need to march over there and make it clear that Nick was hers. Shaya observed with a frown as Nick dodged Kathy’s touch in the same way that he dodged Amber’s; his mother didn’t appear surprised or offended by how uncomfortable he seemed with her attempts at affection. It occurred to Shaya then that Nick wasn’t just like that with Amber, or even just with Kathy. He didn’t seem to like being touched in general, which was pretty odd-as odd as him disliking company, in fact.
“He’s always been like that, according to Kathy.”
Derren’s voice snatched her from her contemplations. “What?”
“He’s never been particularly affected by social touching. Kathy said that even when he was a baby, he didn’t like to be cuddled much or rocked to sleep or anything-he always liked his space, liked to sprawl on the bed like a starfish. Even now, he hugs Roni and Kathy, but that’s pretty much it. It’s only you I’ve ever seen him be truly affectionate with.”
“In other words, I don’t need to worry about Amber. Does everyone buy her sweet friendly-friendly act? I see a lot of deviousness there.”
“Yup, a lot of people buy it.” He sighed. “She’s very cunning. A word of warning: She’ll try her hardest to become a close friend, but you can’t let her get friendly with you-not even to humor her. If you do, you’ll make it possible for the communication between you and Nick to become triangular with her as the go-between. I’m sure you know as well as I do that if that happened, she’d be passing on messages to both of you that would be twisted or false.”
“Ah, and then it would make Nick and I upset with each other, and we’d both turn to her for advice, enabling her to interfere in a big way.” Sneaky. So sneaky it was almost worthy of respect. “That won’t happen. You’re on my side, right?” She had the feeling that Derren was a good person to have on her side.
“Are you planning to hurt Nick again?”
“No.”
“Then yes, I’m on your side.” As Roni butted his leg, Derren reached down and petted her. “And you’ll have Roni on your side, too. She can see right through Amber’s act. Unfortunately, Kathy can’t, but she wants Nick to have his mate-and that’s you.”
“I guess all I can do is ignore her. If that fails, I have rat poison and a shovel.” As Nick then came over and locked his arms around her, Shaya smiled and sank into his arms. Over his shoulder, she noticed that Amber was watching her from the far side of the room. The female shot her a friendly smile, but Shaya hadn’t missed the anger that had momentarily sparkled in her eyes. Still, Shaya returned the smile while at the same time tightening her hold on Nick, conveying a clear message that he was hers. That wasn’t enough for her wolf; she wanted Shaya to bite him. So Shaya did, right on his pectoral.
Nick winced, peering down at his mate, who was grinning in self-satisfaction. “Did you just bite me, baby?”
“Yep.”
The possessive glint in her eyes made him smile. Leaning down, he bit Shaya’s bottom lip hard and then licked across it to soothe the sting. “You’re never going to get away from me, you know. You’re mine. I’m keeping you. For good.” He’d expected her to snort at him or maybe look wary, but she surprised him by relaxing slightly in his arms. His wolf growled in contentment, convinced that his mate was coming around to the idea of being claimed. But Nick often found himself wondering if it was something she would ever be ready for.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?