Haughty display
Brinley
The sun had gone down several hours ago, signaling the end of one of the most stressful days of my life.
Shortly after Coal and I mated, the group decided to seek assistance from the vampires, and Langdon and I returned to the woods. My Wolf whined and fussed at having to leave her mate, but she understood our imminent danger. Every minute spent with Coal was a potential for disaster if Alpha found out. So, as much as we hated to be apart, it was safer to wait in the cave.
Although, the waiting was excruciating.
Coal and Ryder hadn’t been able to leave until Alpha checked in on Coal and debrief him at five o’clock that afternoon. Their meeting had gone surprisingly smoothly. Langdon relayed the details to me courtesy of his mindlink with Amber.
Lying in bed, carefully covered with a blanket to hide his completely healed body, Coal had relayed the events of his trip to Alpha Mason. Coal left out their interaction with the vampires, preferring not to bring up the subject with Alpha until he spoke with Aatos regarding my exit plan.
It was ten o’clock at night now. Given the three-hour drive each way to the vampire’s hotel, Coal and Ryder probably wouldn’t be home for at least another hour or so.
Langdon and I had left the cave and were now traveling in wolf form, hypersensitive noses pointed in the air, nostrils flaring. We drank in the scents floating on the wind, woodsy earth and pine, a crisp northeastern breeze wafting down from a nearby mountain, and the warm blood of small creatures, scurrying to hide from the predators they sensed close by.
We were hunting. Langdon hadn’t said what he hoped we’d catch. It was winter, so not as much big game roamed the familiar woods, just foxes and rabbits for the most part, and the occasional squirrel, although, they were nearly just a mouthful, hardly worth the effort but entertaining when our Wolves needed a distraction.
Which, I suspected, was precisely the reason Langdon had insisted we scout the furry animals. Our expedition was a diversion, a lure to keep my attention away from much more critical matters, small details, like my life being in imminent danger.
However, as well-meaning as they were, Langdon’s diversionary tactics weren’t particularly successful. My brain still churned over and over, the events of the last twenty-four hours tumbling through my mind like wet clothes in a dryer.
Spinning
Turning
So much had happened, so much revealed. The list was long:
I now had a face to go with the horror of the man who raped me.
The terrible images I couldn’t get out of my head of Coal’s ravaged body.
The delicious and shocking pleasure when Coal and I became one!
Fear of the unknown. How with the vampires respond to Coal’s request?
When Coal called Aatos earlier, the vampire had insisted they meet in person to discuss the matter...with the condition that Ryder accompanied Coal, of course.
Coal’s mouth had tightened into a hard line, his displeasure at subjecting Ryder to the close proximity of the vampire, evident. But Ryder wordlessly nodded his acceptance of the arrangement.
However, even though the vampires were willing to talk, and Ryder was on board to go with him, Coal still hadn’t left easily.
Our bond remained incomplete. More couplings were required which meant I was still vulnerable. It wouldn’t be easy for another male to destroy Coal’s claim on me, but it could be done if the Wolf were powerful enough and took me by force.
Coal’s Wolf knew this as well, and his Alpha possessive side was in high gear, growling to finish every step of mating before I left his sight. But we couldn’t risk spending any more time together than we already had. And when our bond was final, our scents would mingle, making it impossible to deny I belonged to him.
So after much convincing and some heavy-handed shoving, Jax and Amber were finally able to get Coal out the door.
A shiver ran down my spine. Vampires were arch enemies of wolves and yet, as mind-boggling as it was, I might be running to them for safety. The irony was painful to wrap my brain around.
But if Alpha cut my tie to the pack, turning me rogue, I would have no choice. Every Wolf that crossed my path, regardless of who they were, friend or foe, would feel compelled to destroy me.
Another cold shudder ran down my spine.
Up ahead, Langdon’s Wolf snorted to get my attention.
My Wolf’s head popped up, snout covered in dirt and leaves. I realized she had just been burrowing aimlessly in the large crevice under a fallen log, pawing at the damp earth, going through the motion of shoving her nose into the small hole to coax out hidden prey, but not really focusing on it. From the absence of scent, I wondered if there was any prey there at all. Her lack of concentration and disinterest with the task at hand was as severe as mine.
If it were possible, I swear Langdon’s Wolf rolled his eyes at her disheveled and confused expression. My Wolf shook her head, forest debris flying off her face, and stuck her nose in the air in an attempt to regain a semblance of dignity.
Another snort came from Langdon’s wolf, unimpressed with her haughty display. He knew he’d caught her acting ridiculous.
However, as we stared at each other, the wind shifted, and his Wolf’s expression abruptly changed. Gone was his amusement. In its place, a snarl curled his upper lip, revealing razor-sharp canines.
Head snapping in the direction of packhouse, the regal animal stood perfectly still, body rigid, not a muscle moving, listening to one of his pack mates. I was sure of it.
His Wolf’s aggressive reaction caused butterflies to explode in my stomach. Not the sweet and pretty kind of winged insects. No. These butterflies were dark and ominous, waiting for bad news to be revealed.
Abruptly, Langdon shifted and stood before me in all of his naked glory, the luminescent rays of the moon reflecting off of his smooth skin. His sudden shift caused my anxiety to ratchet up another notch, making my shift a little less smooth than normal, but it had to be done. It was clear we needed to talk.