20. No Butt Sniffing Allowed
20
No Butt Sniffing Allowed
My legs moved before I could think about it. I shot forward, relishing the way my new body responded instinctively to my command. Samuel loped beside me, matching my pace as we headed for the tree line. The rest of the pack followed, their excited howls filling the night.
I thought turning into a wolf would freak me out. Yet I couldn’t think of a more thrilling moment than the one I was experiencing right now. Running as a wolf was nothing like running as a human. It was freedom. It was joy. It was?—
Oh my God, is that a rabbit?!
I skidded to a halt in a shower of dirt.
Yes. Samuel stopped beside me, his breath misting in the cold night air.
I groaned. My wolf really wanted to chase that rabbit.
Samuel’s amused huff beside me suggested he knew exactly what I was thinking.
I shook my head and told myself to focus. I was a sophisticated supernatural being, not some common?—
Another rabbit darted across our path. My wolf’s instincts took over.
What happened next was not my finest moment as the new luna of the Hawthorne pack. I’m pretty sure even Samuel’s wolf snickered.
I shot after the rabbit like a furry bullet and ended up skidding in packed dirt and sliding on my belly as I failed to control my supernatural speed. I jumped up, found my balance, and barely touched the ground as I weaved between trees and leapt over fallen logs.
To my surprise, I wasn’t just fast. I was ridiculously fast.
Samuel’s surprised yelp echoed behind me as he and the rest of the pack gave chase.
I left them in the dust. Right now, my wolf was in charge of our body and I was just a passenger riding along.
The rabbit darted left. I followed, my wolf responding with impossible grace.
The rabbit zigged. I zagged. It jumped. I lunged.
The thrill of the chase made my senses buzz with delight.
It felt like we’d been doing this our whole life.
The hunt ended when the creature dove into its burrow. I skidded to a stop, panting happily despite my failure to pin it down.
I stamped my paws. That was amazing!
You’re a natural. Samuel’s wolf emerged from the trees, the rest of the pack following. His voice held a tone of pride and his eyes shone brightly in the night.
I spotted Hugh among the pack behind him, his dark wolf a fraction smaller than his older brother’s. He came over to greet me.
Hi.
I huffed an acknowledgment and stiffened when he sneaked behind me. A growl worked up my throat.
Sniff my butt and I will tear your throat out.
Hugh’s wolf rolled his eyes at the threat and moved away.
Caroline’s thoughts reached me then. No newly turned wolf should be able to move like that . Her russet-colored wolf studied me with sharp eyes.
Kent’s hulking brown wolf watched me just as cautiously.
I understood their wariness. As pack enforcers, they were probably assessing whether I was a threat.
James’s smaller gray form bounced toward me excitedly, oblivious to his parents’ concerns.
That was so cool! Can you teach me to run that fast?!
Even Amanda came closer, her wolf’s eyes shining with awe.
More of the pack’s thoughts crowded my mind as they gathered around me, a jumble of excitement and confusion that made my wolf’s ears flatten for a second.
Enough. Samuel’s commanding tone cut through the mental chatter, silencing them. His wolf moved to stand shoulder to shoulder beside me. We’ll talk later. For now, let’s hunt.
We started running, the pack spreading out in formation like a well-oiled machine. I found myself falling naturally into step beside Samuel, our movements fluid as we moved through the preserve like shadows.
In the two hours that followed, the Hawthorne pack showed me how to track scents, check territorial boundaries, and hunt prey without killing them. My wolf learned quickly, like she already knew all this from memory.
A herd of deer watched us warily from a ridge when we stopped to drink at a brook on the edge of the moonlit forest. I gazed up at the starry sky and closed my eyes, savoring the night air.
Crisp with the dazzling smells of winter, it carried untold stories of the woods on the wind that soared through the treetops. The call of an owl. The bark of a fox. Herbivores rustling in the undergrowth as they came out of their burrows to look for food.
This is what it means to be a pack. Samuel’s wolf pressed his flank against mine. To move as one. To know our lands. To run together. It means trust and loyalty. Family and belonging.
I looked into his mesmerizing amber gaze and felt something I had never experienced before. He huffed when he sensed my feelings and licked my face tenderly.
We returned to the clearing when the moon reached its zenith.
Shifting back to my human form wasn’t anywhere as challenging as transforming into a wolf had been. Not being naked was an added bonus.
To my surprise, the Hawthornes brought out a veritable feast and we sat on blankets on the grass having a picnic under the stars. Ellie’s baked goods were a hit and Hugh practically had half my Gatorade to himself.
It wasn’t until we were getting ready to leave that Victoria’s expression turned serious.
“The Council of Elders is going to want to meet Abby.”
The rest of the Hawthornes exchanged strained glances. A low growl rumbled through Samuel’s chest. Even Hugh looked annoyed.
“Don’t give me that look,” Victoria told her sons sharply. “You know what being a luna means, let alone one who also happens to be a white wolf.”
I frowned. “Okay, what exactly is the deal with white wolves? And who is this Council of Elders?”
“White wolves are incredibly rare.” Victoria hesitated. “Doubly so for white lunas.”
I scratched the back of my head. “So I’m some kind of unicorn werewolf?”
Aunt Lucille chortled. Several pack members grinned.
They sobered at Victoria’s stare.
“Please.” Hugh wrinkled his nose. “Those bastard unicorns can’t even begin compare to a werewolf.”
I was about to question the existence of unicorns when I saw that Hugh meant what he’d just said. I filed this in my things-to-freak-about-later mental folder.
“White werewolves are born leaders,” Victoria explained. “They are natural alphas with abilities far beyond normal werewolves, including the power to control multiple packs.” She hesitated. “The last recorded white wolf was my great-great-grandmother. She was a luna who united not just all the packs in New England during the Shadow War, but also convinced other supernatural clans to work with the werewolves.”
My scalp prickled as the ramifications of what she’d just said sank in. That explained a few things. Why I was adapting so fast to being a werewolf. Why I’d managed to outrun even experienced pack members after my very first transformation tonight. Why I was, as Samuel had essentially described, a natural at this.
Caroline’s gaze turned calculating. “The question is, why did a white wolf manifest in Abby? She wasn’t even born a werewolf.”
Uncle Frederick squinted at me. “Any chance one of your distant relatives was a werewolf?”
“Nope,” I replied succinctly. “So, the Council of Elders? Who are they?”
Samuel’s face darkened. “A bunch of old busybodies who should keep their noses out of everyone’s business.” He paused. “No offense, Mother.”
“Still, there’s no avoiding them,” Victoria said curtly. “We may be a group of middle-aged women, but our words are often treated as law in the supernatural community.” She pinned me with a pointed look. “I shall make the arrangements and contact you.”
I had a nasty feeling my life was about to get even more complicated than it was.
Samuel was still frowning by the time we pulled up outside Parkside. Movement at the living room window of my apartment had us both looking up.
Ellie and Bo had their faces squished against the glass.
Samuel relaxed, his expression growing amused. “They look like they’ve been there a while.”
From the condensation steaming up the window, I had to agree.
“So what did you think of your first pack run?”
I turned to see him watching me closely, his amber gaze behind his glasses carrying a heat that made my insides tingle.
“Bar Hugh trying to sniff my butt, I thought it was pretty damn cool.”
His mouth curved into a smile that made me blink.
“I’m glad,” he drawled.
My wolf acted before I could stop her.
Samuel’s breath caught when I leaned across the console and kissed him. He froze for a heartbeat. Then he was moving, his hands finding my face and his body gravitating instinctively toward me.
He deepened the kiss with a groan that made my toes curl.
By the time he pulled back, my heart was racing, my blood was on fire, and I was biting down the urge to rip his clothes off and have my wicked way with him, witnesses be damned. Judging from the way he was looking at me and his chest was heaving, he was entertaining similar thoughts.
I swallowed hard and reached for the door handle. “I should go.”
Samuel recovered his composure. “I’ll bring lunch tomorrow for everyone.” A low chuckle escaped him as I darted out of the car. “It seems my luna is a chicken, so I’ll make sure to get some.”
His laughter followed me as I made a run for the lobby, my face hot.