Authors: Ella Celestine
Chapter 4
The next morning I rolled out of bed before Nate could pull me back in. He grinned. “You’ve got a cute butt.”
I glanced at the clock and groaned. 10:00.
That’s what I get for being up until 4:00 in the morning having sex.
I smiled just thinking about it. Although, I wasn’t too sure I’d be feeling great today, if you know what I mean.
It had been five times last night. Five wonderful times.
“What do you say you come back to bed.” Nate raised an eyebrow.
“No. I’ve got to get dressed. Anyways it’s probably best if we’re not fucking when Nikki gets here.”
He stared at me for a couple seconds. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “You’re mad at me for that.”
Of course I was. “I get it.” And that was the truth. I did get it.
“No you don’t.”
I turned away from him as I made my way over to the suitcase. It almost felt silly to keep it out and not just pack my shit into a dresser, but on the other hand I wasn’t sure I was ready to admit I felt at home enough to do that. So I just pulled out a pair of jeans, the pair that made my ass look the best, and a tank top. I picked my simple black lace bra, not wanting Nate to think I was trying to look too hot knowing that Nikki was coming over, but I did want to make sure I looked better than her.
Bitch.
The wolf said.
I should kill her. I should show her who is dominant.
The wolf wanted to, but I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. It wasn’t the mature thing to do. I needed to let my human side win out and just be mature. I needed to prove it wasn’t a big deal if he’d checked out another girl.
“It wasn’t something I ever wanted. But her father… he was hoping I’d be of use to the pack, you have to understand her father’s getting old. He’s a traditional alpha, he doesn’t believe in females being alpha.”
I scowled. I couldn’t believe how common it was for old wrinkly men to think a female shouldn’t be alpha when in reality a lot of actual wolf packs
had
female alphas. I pulled my clothes on and grabbed my makeup bag. I didn’t feel like putting much makeup on but I did go for lip gloss and some eyeliner.
I grinned as I turned to face Nate. “What do you think?”
“Your ass looks really good in those.”
I laughed as my cheeks warmed. The wolf loved the compliment more than I did. My head snapped towards the window as I heard the crunch of gravel.
“That must be Nikki.” Nate pushed himself to his feet. “Are you coming?”
“I’ll be right there.” I didn’t want to admit why I was staying in the bedroom for a couple minutes so I was thankful when Nate didn’t ask. Maybe he knew, maybe he just thought I needed to pee or something. Either way he left me alone to myself.
It wasn’t until he’d closed the door behind himself that I made my way towards the window. I tried to stay out of her line of sight, or at least not make it obvious what I was doing as I glanced out the window to get a good look at her. Long brown hair, high heels and skinny jeans that made her ass look better than mine. She strutted towards the house, a Gucci bag in her hand and a friend at her side. The look on her face told me she’d come for a fight and nothing more.
I took a deep breath and tried to relax myself. The wolf didn’t want to.
She wants to fight! Let’s fight! Let me show her why Nate picked us.
No. I fought with the wolf. We had to appeal to the human side of everyone. We had to show we were better than her.
She came for a fight and I wouldn’t give it to her. When I looked down I realized my hands were shaking.
My heart skipped a beat as I heard the door open.
“Hi Christine.” Nikki sounded happy to see Christine. Had I misread Christine last night? Were they friends? Was Christine playing with me?
“Hi Nikki.” Her voice sounded strained. Maybe she hadn’t misled me.
Only one way to find out.
Let’s get this done and over with, and if something goes wrong I’ll kill her.
I promised the wolf she could have her chance if it came down to it, but no killing. That was not how my mother raised me.
My shaky hands reached for the cold handle and I pulled the door open. I left it open encase she wanted to look around. I wanted her to see that I hadn’t taken the guest room.
I forced a bit of a strut into my walk as I made my way down the hallway. As everyone came into view they fell silent. Dead silent. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone but Nate. A smile touched my lips as I made my way over to him and reached for his hand. He pulled away and wrapped his arm over my shoulder.
“Nikki, have you met Britanee?”
Nikki and Britanee. How cute. I forced a smile over my face, as hard as that was, and reached out to shake her hand. “It’s nice to-”
“This is what you picked?” She cut me off raising her eyebrows. “I thought you could have done better.”
“Trust me,” I spoke before Nate could. “He couldn’t.” I smirked letting her think whatever she wanted. Maybe she thought I meant in bed, maybe she thought I was that full of myself; hell maybe she thought I was special in some way. I didn’t care. All I cared about was the fact that she was staring at me speechless.
She still hadn’t shaken my hand so I pulled it away from her and went back to standing beside Nate. “Was there a reason you stopped by?” Nate asked.
“Yes.” Her eyes didn’t move away from me.
My heart flipped realizing what she meant.
Nate and I still hadn’t married. We, we hadn’t sworn ourselves to each other, that meant there was still room for someone to step forward and challenge. Nikki wanted to be the one to do that.
I cracked my neck letting out a deep sigh I was hoping she would take for annoyance.
“Nikki.” Nate spoke in a low voice. “I-”
“Let’s get it over and done with.” I said cutting him off. I mean really, what choice did I have? I was the alpha female here and I needed to establish that. The wolf wanted to show she was strong. She needed to show she wouldn’t back down.
There were some things the human side of me needed to deal with, and somethings I had to let the wolf take care of, otherwise my wolf would go mad.
Before anyone could say another word I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. Most people might think twice before doing that in front of a group of people, but honestly when you’re raised around it you learn pretty quickly not to worry about it. My pants came off next, falling to my ankles as she slipped out of her shoes.
“At least you’re not going to make Nate fight your battles for you.” She smirked.
“Why? Is that what you planned to do?” Okay, I’m not the best at trash talking but at least I thought of a comeback. My bra and panties slipped off me quickly as the change started to take place. She was still in the process of taking her clothes off by the time I was in full wolf form. I sat down in front of Nate and stared at her. She didn’t break eye contact as she changed.
Chapter 5
We circled each other for a couple of seconds. She waited to see if I was going to make the first move and I wanted to see if she would.
She wouldn’t so I did.
My wolf lunged towards her. She dodged jumping at me. I yelped as her teeth touched my hind leg. I spun to face her snapping. Blood trickled from my mouth. I’d nipped her ear.
She growled.
I lunged for her again. She dodged me again but wasn’t quite quick enough. My teeth sank into her leg and didn’t let go. Our eyes locked.
I didn’t want to kill her. I didn’t want to waste my time on this.
I did something I never should have done.
I dropped her leg and jumped for her throat. My teeth dug in gently. Just enough to show her I could kill her if I wanted.
She wined, letting me know she submitted. I pulled away, my eyes locked on her. She refused to look at me as she turned on her heel and ran out the door. I watched her every move until I couldn’t see her any longer.
Then I shifted back.
“Are you okay?” Nate grabbed my panties and bra; he held them out to me.
“I’m fine.” I glanced down at the cut on my leg. Yea, I was going to be fine. It would heal in no time.
“So, looks like you’re the top bitch now.” Christine smirked as I glanced at her. She held her hands in submission. “I have no desire to challenge you. I’m happy right where I am on the food chain.”
~
By the time my parents finally came around to see us I actually felt at home here. I felt like this was my home. Not my parents, but mine and Nate’s. We’d been expecting them which meant that we avoided a make out session that whole day; something that had been very hard for me and the wolf in me. My dad pulled me into a hug and took a deep breath.
“You smell… like part of the pack.” As my life changed, as I became the alpha female, as I become Nate’s, the smell was bound to change. “But you still smell like my daughter.” A smile spread across his lips.
I wore the necklace my best friends had given me as a parting gift today, a sign that they would always be part of my pack.
My mom pulled me into a hug. Her eyes already red from crying. “We miss you so much.”
“Then come visit more often.” I tapped her on the shoulder lightly. “You’re always welcome here.”
Nate didn’t object. We weren’t that kind of pack.
The End
Stacey rolled over. Slowly, she smiled. There was no hustle and bustle of the city, no rush to grab her morning coffee then dart out of the door. Instead, she was snuggled beneath a heavy blanket in a tiny cabin tucked away from civilization.
The cold, Michigan night was giving way to a muggy morning. Stretching, Stacey sat up in bed and looked around. The cabin was small; a narrow gas stove, a small twin bed with a nightstand, a little couch and tv were across from her in front of a dining table that only sat two. To the right, she knew there was a small bathroom with a shower stall. She sighed.
Slipping out of bed, she pushed her feet into a pair of pink slippers. She walked over to the bathroom, turning on the shower to let it warm up. It felt good to finally be on vacation. Stacey had worked for her ad agency for six years without taking a single day off. Finally, she told her boss that she was taking a vacation. Matt had practically shooed her out of the door. He was always telling her to stop overworking herself anyway.
Stacey turned on the coffee pot. Her outfit was already laid out for the day. Shorts, a pink tank top, hiking boots and her backpack. She wanted to explore nature, sit with it for a while. A smile on her face, she shed the long t-shirt she was wearing before she stepped into the small shower stall.
The warm water hit her brown skin making her moan. Her fingers worked at a tense muscle in her neck. Her thoughts drifted, as they often did, to what it would be like to have a man massage her neck, or do anything for her. Stacey had been on her own for six years now, it felt impossible that she’d ever fall for someone again after the fiasco with her ex husband.
That was just part of it though. Since the divorce, Stacey had put on weight as well. She’d never been thin, but now she was curvy all over. Round hips, thick thighs, voluptuous breasts and butt. She pinched a bit of her thigh between her fingers and sighed.
“I need to get back into yoga,” she mumbled.
Stacey pushed the thought out of her head. There were more important things to think about right now. She finished washing up before she stepped out of the stall, wrapping herself in a thick, pink towel as she went. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a bushy bun, flyaway curls tickling the back of her neck.
Once she was dressed, she poured herself a cup of coffee before depositing the rest of it into her thermos. She took her time drinking it, puttering around the house, glancing out of the steamy windows. Her earlier self doubt had disappeared again. Stacey was eager to get outside.
She finished the cup of coffee before she made a couple of sandwiches. Wrapping them carefully, she slipped them into her backpack, but left one out to eat on her walk. Stepping outside her door, sighed.
The air was clean, crisp. No smell of beat down cars and truck smoke. No cigarette smoke all around as she was stuck on the highway. There was nothing but fresh air and beautiful silence. Stacey picked up a large walking stick off of the porch. Opening her map, she traced where she wanted to go with her finger before she headed out.
It was late summer, the leaves were on the verge of changing. Her boots crunched through a thin layer of them. The earth was soft beneath her feet, every few feet she would sink or slide, catching herself before she went down. Stacey loved the challenge though.
After an hour of walking, she found a wide lake. Tagging a nearby tree with one of her red marker ribbons, Stacey settled down on a boulder. She drank down some water and pulled out another sandwich as she watched the sun’s rays bounce off of the surface of the lake. It was comforting, almost enough to make her want to fall asleep.
Stacey shook herself back awake. Packing up the leftovers of her food, she threw her backpack over her shoulders and headed out again. She was all set on following her planned path, when she heard something loud crash through the trees. Instantly, she stopped moving as her ears tried to pick up the sound again.
When she heard another crash, Stacey ran towards it. She wasn’t sure what compelled her, but she couldn’t stop herself from finding out what had caused the noise. Maybe it was because the sudden sound had jarred her out of serene calmness, or maybe it was because she was naturally curious. Either way, she found herself shoving aside branches, jumping over logs as she approached the source of the sound.
Stacey froze. Her breathing was heavy as she peered through a few trees into a clearing. There was a cave nearby. Something was shifting, moving inside of the entrance. Stacey peered closer, moving up bit by bit to get a better look. Holding her breath, she almost screamed when something came stumbling out of the entrance of the cave. Then she saw what it was.
A man, naked, shivering, injured, lay on the ground. He’d stumbled out, looked around wildly, then collapsed into a heap on the leaf strewn ground. Stacey pushed her way through the bushes and trees before she kneeled at his side. Carefully, she pushed long, chestnut hair out of his face. The man’s eyes were closed, but he was breathing, even if the sound of his breathing held a jagged, pain filled quality to it.
Stacey briefly wondered what could have done that to him. The man wasn’t exactly small after all. He had to be at least six-two, with heavily muscled arms, chest and legs. His face was covered with a thick, brown beard. Nervously, she glanced over him to the cave. Whatever was in there, she’d seen the hulking figure in the entrance of the cave, had to be powerful.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” Stacey whispered.
The man groaned, but he didn’t reply. Stacey glanced up and down for some way to support him. Finally, she wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lifted. Bit by bit she was able to stand him up. Slowly, she began to make her way back to her cabin.
By the time she had reached the front door, Stacey was hot, sweaty, out of breath. She kicked the door with her foot, the sound of the wood smacking against the wooden wall making her cringe. Carefully, she laid the man onto her blanket before she pulled out a bottle of water and downed it all in one go. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she glanced at him as she tried to catch her breath.
She gazed at him, wondering what to do next. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She was alone in her cabin with a strange man. Anything could be wrong with him. He could be a murderer! Stacey quickly dug into her backpack for her phone. Holding it up, she watched it struggle to get a single bar before it quickly disappeared again.
That was no help. Glancing at the man on her bed, she stepped outside of her front door before closing it gently. Over and over she tried to dial out, adjust her position, but nothing happened. Frustrated, Stacey finally gave up. She shoved the phone back into her pocket.
When she stepped back inside, the bed was empty. She glanced around, looking for him anxiously. In Stacey’s mind, he was crouched down, behind something, waiting to pounce on her the first chance that he got.
The sound of running water alerted her that he might be in the shower. Carefully, she walked over to the bathroom. Steam poured from beneath the door. Stacey pushed the door open slowly.
The man who had been so heavily unconscious before, was rifling through the medicine cabinet. He picked up a bottle before setting it back on the shelf. Then, something strange happened. He sniffed the air, turned in her direction and uttered a deep growl.
Stacey jumped back, throwing her hands up. The man walked towards her slowly, making her heart thud against her chest wildly. She was suddenly rethinking her vacation plans.
I should have gone to the beach. The beach doesn’t have dirty, half-naked, growling men.
The man stopped when he was close to her, took another sniff then stopped. Stacey didn't realize that she’d been squeezing her eyes shut until she peeked out of one. The man was looking her up and down, studying her it seemed. Stacey cleared her throat.
“I’m just trying to help you,” she said nervously.
“You carried me,” the man said gruffly, still studying her.
Stacey nodded slowly. “Yeah, I did. You were injured.”
The man glanced down at himself as if seeing the myriad of scratches for the first time. One area, on his lower abdomen, was particularly bad. It looked like an animal had clawed him, a bear or a wolf perhaps. Stacey walked around him carefully before she stepped into the bathroom. Beneath the sink, she pulled out the white first aid kit.
“Sit here,” she said, closing the lid of the toilet.
The man seemed to hesitate before he moved to sit down. Stacey took her time, not wanting to alarm him. Slowly, she pulled out a bottle of pain pills, some antiseptic and bandages. Leaning forward, she examined the wound a little more closely to make sure he wouldn’t need stitches, her eyes avoiding drifting lower.
“What’s your name?” She asked casually as she poured a bit of antiseptic a square of gauze.
“Nathan,” the man said finally.
Stacey nodded. For a long moment, she hadn’t thought that he would actually respond to her. Still, she wondered how he’d gotten himself in this position. Where were his clothes, food, gear? Stacey wiped the wound off carefully, Nathan sucking in his breath at her every touch. She mumbled apology after apology.
“What happened to you?” She gathered up the courage to ask as she began to clean his other cuts.
“I was attacked,” Nathan said, an unsure quality to his voice.
“It looks like a bear or a wolf,” she mumbled.
“Something like that. Thank you.”
Stacey gave him an uneasy smile. “You’re welcome.” She closed the first aid kit, sliding it back into place before she straightened up. “Um...where are your clothes, by the way?”
“Oh that,” Nathan said, glancing down at his naked body. “I guess I don’t really remember. I hit my head.”
“That’s okay. I think I at least have a robe you can wear,” she mumbled to herself as she rifled through her clothes.
“Do you always just help strangers?”
Stacey paused. “Only if they need my help,” she said as she passed him the white robe.
“Thank you,” he said as he slipped it on, “again.”
Stacey shrugged. The man really was handsome. Chiseled, tall, strong. She had fleeting thoughts of being in his strong arms, feeling his arms circle around her. Quickly, she pushed the thought out of her head.
“I hate to bother you,” he said as he tied the robe closed, “but do you have any food?”
“Let me see what I have,” she said as she turned to rifle through her cupboards. “So, what were you doing out there? I mean, where are you staying?”
Nathan shrugged. “Not far.”
Stacey cocked an eyebrow. “In a cave?”
“There are other cabins.”
“I see,” Stacey said as she pulled out eggs, but she didn’t quite believe him. Something was gnawing at her, begging for her attention. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Instead, she finished up the scrambled eggs, threw a few pieces of bacon into the pan and passed him the plate.
Nathan tore into the food so quickly that by the time she’d poured him a tall glass of water, the plate was almost empty. When she blinked at him in amazement, he gave her a crooked grin. He polished off more food and drink before he helped her clean.
“Do you need help finding your cabin?” Stacey asked as she put away the dishes.
Nathan shook his head. “No, I should be able to find it. Thanks for everything, again.”
The man waved before he was out of the door. Stacey opened her mouth to ask him to wait, but he was gone before she could utter a word. Stacey bit her lip. He was strange, that was for sure, but certainly not a killer.
As she slipped out of her hiking boots, she finally realized what didn’t feel right. The direction that Nathan was heading, the same place she’d picked him up, was isolated. Quickly, Stacey pulled out her map. Her finger traced over it, until she tapped the spot where she’d found Nathan. There were no cabins, not that she could tell from the map anyway. Around the area there was nothing but caves and trees. She wondered why he’d lied?