Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
RAMONA
W hatever I’d thought a pack meeting was going to look like, the actual thing was way more pleasant than I had imagined. I kinda just pictured Wolves sitting in the woods surrounding a fire in the ground, eating from a deer they all just killed or something. With my mother barely acknowledging that part of herself at all, and my lack of ability to shift altogether, my firsthand knowledge of Wolf customs was slim.
I recrossed my legs, careful to not bunch up the blanket I sat on. We, actually. Delaney did indeed want to sit with me during the pack meeting, and he had made a beeline to sit beside me. Now, he was leaning forward, hanging on every word that was spoken by my brother.
The meetings rotated locations, to give all who wanted the honor of hosting an opportunity, apparently, and we were now in the sprawling backyard of a Wolf named Tina. Her place was pretty swanky, and the large fire pit we all sat around crackled.
Not every meeting was mandatory, so I didn’t think this was everyone, but there were about fifteen members in attendance tonight and about five pups that were running around and playing in the soft grass. Another Wolf named Bill had taken the reins on grilling for everyone—regular burgers and hotdogs, no deer carcasses—and I lifted my own cheeseburger off the paper plate beside me to take a bite.
My brother, Orion, sat on the other side of the fire with his mate, Sylvie, beside him. The bright yellow and orange flames of the fire and the pink tones of the sky above made his pale skin and hair look blushed. I knew from photos and old memories that his father had been more my complexion, but my brother inherited the fair coloring from our mother.
“Now that we’ve all settled with our food, it may be best to give introductions to welcome our newcomers, as well as to give pack members opportunity to get to know them better.” Sylvie shot him a bright smile while my stomach clenched at the thought of having to stand up and speak. “Unless, of course, you all don’t want to. I must admit that I’m not the biggest fan of meet-and-greet activities.”
A few members chuckled, but no one opposed.
My brother nodded and briefly met my gaze before doing the same with Delaney on my right. I heard him suck in a breath as if Orion was going to lunge or something, and he let loose a relieved exhale when Orion dropped his gaze to the fire. “I am Pack Leader, but you may call me Orion. I’ve been Leader for three years following the resignation of the previous leader. My father’s family led the establishment of this pack, and I am grateful to be given the opportunity to follow in their footsteps. I’m also a professor at Antler Pointe College in the English department. You may come to me with any concerns you have?—”
“Just don’t call him unannounced unless it’s an emergency!” A teenaged Wolf shouted and received another round of laughter. My brother’s disdain for talking on the phone was pretty much legendary, and apparently everyone in the pack knew it, too.
Surprisingly, my brother’s lip twitched as he rolled his eyes before continuing. “My mate will formally introduce herself, and our pups Dahlia and Oliver are over there playing. All right, who’s next?”
The teen that teased my brother scrambled to his feet and stood like he was giving a presentation at school. “Hey! My name’s Harrison…” and one by one, the pack members introduced themselves to me and Delaney. It was a bit overwhelming, having the attention on me, but it was nice sharing it with someone else. And, at least, I had something else to occupy my headspace. My fingers pulled anxiously at my sleeve cuffs as I tried my best to nod along to the group of elders that ended the exercise. The reverent hush that befell the circle for them made the expectant turn of every eye to Delaney and I that followed even more terrifying.
A nervous hand clutched mine, fingers squeezing almost painfully but not quite, and I felt my near-panting calm. When I found my brother’s light green eyes over the flames, they were planted somewhere on my face, but the small nod of encouragement combined with Sylvie’s smile my way made my stomach relax even more.
Just as I opened my mouth, Delaney cleared his throat and started, fingers still holding mine, “H-hi everyone. I’m Delaney, and I’m a student at APC. I wanted to thank all of you for allowing me to attend this meeting. I’ve been wanting to find a pack again, and I’m very happy to be here.” My eyes scanned the gathered Wolves and their mates, taking in the many smiles that returned Delaney’s sunny demeanor. Well, fuck , how am I supposed to live up to that?
I was panicking, worried I would say the wrong thing or make an ass out of myself, and it wasn’t until a reassuring squeeze of my hand brought me back to the present. All eyes were on me.
“Um…” I wiped my free palm on my bare thigh, felt sweat prickle at my temples. “Hi everyone. My name’s Ramona. I’m staying with my brother and his family,” I gestured a hand to O and Sylvie, “and am grateful to be here.” That was enough, right?
Judging by the nods and redirecting of attention toward Orion, it was. I sighed. There was no fucking way I was going to remember everyone’s names, so their faces and scents would have to do.
My brother took a pull from his beer before continuing the meeting. The sky had continued to darken, the last tangerine rays of the sun just a sliver on the horizon now, and I batted at a mosquito that landed on my ankle. “Before I turn it over for other matters, today, we welcome Ana and Jasper to our meal tonight, following their first run since their punishment has been lifted.” Something about the ticking in my brother’s jaw and the solemn nods of two Wolves in particular told of a much larger story that no one piped up to explain.
Add that to the running list of things I needed to ask Sylvie about.
“Lastly, myself and a few of the elders are meeting with representatives from the Serafim Group next week. It should just be a courtesy introduction, as they are looking to engage in business on our territory. But we will update you at the next pack meeting.”
A middle-aged Wolf with thinning red hair and a barrel chest sat forward, “Any word on that Jaguar? I’ve seen him down at Vinny’s a few times.” A few Wolves began murmuring to each other, but the excited lurch and hammering of my heart made it difficult to parse through all that they were saying.
My fingertips tingled with wisps of electricity, calling back to my first evening living in Antler Pointe. Black eyes and the harsh glint of facial piercings were interwoven with the scent of dense brush and spice. With heated nights that were just as likely to intoxicate as they were to heal.
My weeks had been filled with gardening, reading, and family time, so I hadn’t caught another glimpse of the shifter. Sure, I could’ve gone to Vinny’s at any point to see if I’d be lucky enough to see him, but then what would I have done?
What was one touch? One—barely—interaction that was even more brief than the quick intimate touches and conversation with the male who was still holding my hand.
“No word to me, though I don’t know if others have had interactions with the Jaguar,” my brother replied. When Sylvie, Dahlia, and I had returned home from picking up pizza that night, Orion had been mildly curious about the new shifter in town, but that’d been it.
The red-headed Wolf gave a grunt that was one of the most wolf-like sounds I’d heard all night. “I don’t like it. He should come pay respects, at least.” Ah, there was the territorial nature I’d been expecting. Not that I thought all Wolves would be mindless, but there was a reason packs had the reputation.
When the male looked me up and down with a confused frown, I realized that I’d been scowling at him, eyes narrowed as he insinuated something unsavory about the jaguar shifter. Who I didn’t even fucking know . I broke our stare to watch my smaller hand being swallowed by Delaney’s. When I raised my head, he appeared to be hanging on what my brother said next.
Without so much as a flinch, Orion addressed everyone, including Delaney and I, “We can keep tabs on him, but so far, he’s done no harm. Should he wish to join the pack or run permanently on our land, we will establish a more formal connection. I will not punish another shifter for just existing here.” A wash of dominance settled over my skin, and it made my spine straighten. It wasn’t fear, but a response at a cellular level to take notice of the decision being set.
I stared at my brother, wondrously. Though I couldn’t change into a Wolf, the threads of otherness within me hummed, and the urge to bow tugged at my muscles.
With me, Orion was dry and teasing. With his mate and children, he was quiet and sweet. I was more than a little ashamed to admit that I hadn’t quite been able to visualize my brother as a Leader, in the shifter sense.
His pinning green stare and the scent of Leader coming from him erased all of that. And I felt a new sense of pride at the stance he’d taken. He’d not only found his place but stepped up to take charge of a whole group of people. All these pack members looked to him for support and guidance, something I could tell that he took seriously.
And they not only accepted him—they embraced him for who he was. With the way they all responded to him tonight, leaning in with their attention and familiarity.
Shit , I wiped at a tear that threatened to spill over. If out of love for him or envy, I wasn’t so sure.
The Wolf that’d spoken up dropped his gaze with a curt nod, and the air around us thawed. The sound of excited pup-babbling and chirping crickets filtered back in as the meeting continued with all the relaxed attitude of a summer barbecue. After the pups got bored playing their own games, they wandered over to us, and while Dahlia caught the attention of Sylvie, going on about some game they’d made up, Ollie came to me, dirt-caked hands outstretched.
My first pack meeting didn’t have a formal adjournment, but the mood palpably moved from meeting to casual gathering. Some stood to mill about the yard with their beverages in hand, some called their goodbyes, and some reclined in their seats, content to continue socializing.
With my nephew in my lap, I felt at least more certain about what to do with my hands, and though my hold on Delaney was broken, he remained close. O had stood and began speaking in quiet, respectful tones to one of the elders who remained seated.
My new acquaintance blew out a breath while offering his finger to Ollie who grabbed it with the iron grip of a one-year old. “That wasn’t so bad. Right?”
I tickled my nephew’s little belly and hummed my agreement. “Nah, it was good. I think. Not sure how these things are supposed to go.”
Delaney rested his elbows on his knees, curling his back inward to make himself smaller. “Well, in my experience, this was great. There’s nothing like having a pack to depend on, but it can… go bad really fast.”
Ollie cooed happily while I took in this guy that I’d just met today who’d all but decided we were BFF’s. Or was I misreading things? Was he attracted to me? Was I attracted to him ? If I was asking, maybe not. Right?
Ugh.
“Never been in a pack before.”
He looked horrified, “Wha—really? I mean, I know we can’t shift, but you’ve got one shifter parent at least, right?” When I nodded, he continued after a quick glance at O, “Your brother seems like a good Leader. Why haven’t you been in the pack before now?”
My brow hung low over my eyes as I contemplated the question. Really, I wasn’t opposed to the pack life. It was my mother who’d been determined to keep me away from that side of myself as much as possible. And with my abilities leaning more toward strength, healing, and heightened senses, there wasn’t that much to hide.
“Ah… it’s complicated. But I grew up with our mom who is… weird about it.” Ollie started wriggling in my arms, pulling at my hold toward Sylvie who was coming our way. When she rounded the fire pit and plopped down in front of us, my nephew abandoned me without a thought.
Delaney didn’t ask me to explain more, for that I was grateful, and turned to my sister-in-law with so much gratitude in his brown eyes that they almost glazed over entirely. “Thank you so much for inviting me, Sylvie. I missed this so much.”
My sister-in-law, dressed in a swishy dress and sandals, waved off Delaney’s words. Without a stitch of shame or propriety, she pulled down the neckline of her dress and guided her pup to her breast. Ollie quickly climbed into her arms, and she gently ran her fingers over his tawny cheek. “Oh, pfft . It’s no trouble at all. Having new faces is a welcome change.”
“Is there anything you need me to do?” I took note of more people heading out, parents carrying sleepy pups toward their cars as nighttime descended upon us.
Sylvie caressed the soft black curls on her son’s head while he breastfed. “Absolutely not. You’ve already helped so much. Is there anything we can do for you?”
Though she was kind, Sylvie was also astute as a motherfucker, and the way she eyed me, as if peering under my skin to the taped-together heart underneath, threatened to let loose memories of staunch white and loud, overstimulating entertainment rooms.
The two of them said nothing, waiting for me to reply, but all I could muster was a weak, “N-no. I’ve got everything I need.” That didn’t feel like a lie.
Did it?
If I were being honest, the thought of returning to the guest room at Orion and Sylvie’s cabin, with only the relief of a book or TV binge to knock me out, was making me feel like I was going to suffocate. My skin had been buzzing with restlessness tonight, after hours being crumpled up on my brother’s sofa with a book in hand until it was time to pick up the kids. “Actually—do you know when that skatepark closes?” For some wild reason, I’d slung my skates over my shoulder when I fled my apartment in New York, and they’d been sitting at the foot of the guest bed. Apparently, there was no skating rink in Antler Pointe, and my brother’s gravel driveway was impossible to practice on.
Sylvie’s lips turned down. “Not sure, but I think I remember seeing people there even late into the night. You should be fine. Do you want one of us to go with you?”
“No, I’ll be okay. Probably won’t be out there long. It might be closed, anyway.”
She began to gather her feet beneath her, maneuvering to stand without jostling Ollie who was looking like he’d fall asleep any moment. Delaney and I followed, gathering our things, and he made to start folding up the blanket. “Thank you again for having me. I don’t have much going on outside of school, so I’ll be at the next meeting—if that’s okay?”
My sister-in-law softly rocked her torso from side to side. “Well, we were hoping so! And, I know you’re busy at the school and all, but we could always use an extra set of hands with the garden. Ramona and I are there quite a bit.”
I couldn’t help but snicker, “Don’t fall for it. She’ll rope you into doing the grunt work while she and her witch friend use their powers for the cool stuff.”
Sylvie’s face broke into a massive grin, her laugh a lilting melody in the warm night. My lips twitched, but when I caught my brother drifting over like a moth to a flame, a full chuckle bubbled up from my chest.
O put his arms around Sylvie from behind, kissing the top of her head. He’d started sporting a short, trimmed beard since he started as Leader, and the fact that it still remained on his face was a shock I was still getting over. For all of my life, he’d had the same haircut, wore the same sort of clothes, and changed as little about himself or his surroundings as possible. Granted, his haircut and clothes were pretty much the same. But the beard and the look he gave me was like a new version of my brother that I was still just getting to know.
Delaney, who’d joined Sylvie and I in laughing at my joke, had curled even more into himself and cast his eyes downward. What was all that about?
Sylvie craned her neck to get a kiss from my brother, who returned it with a softness that felt too intimate to witness, however quick it might’ve been. When his eyes met my face, I tried to give a subtle jerk of my head in Delaney’s direction, hoping he’d do something.
Orion sighed and straightened from embracing his mate. “We hope you come back, Delaney.”
My new… friend sucked in a quick breath, frantic eyes darting back and forth on the grass at his feet. His skittishness was freaking me out a little, and Orion seemed similarly bewildered. His fingers tapped in their usual rhythm at his sides, a tell of when my brother was feeling some surge of energy or overstimulation. By the tightness around his mouth, this time, it was discomfort.
“Um, yes, I was just about to accept your mate’s invitation to keep attending. And m-maybe help with the garden, too. If that’s okay.” I knew that he’d been nervous before, but this was a whole new level. What the fuck had his last pack been like?
Orion frowned. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Delaney bowed his head even further, seemingly panicking at how to approach the question. As if he was worried it was a trick. Before anyone else could answer, Sylvie stretched out a hand. “Honey, do you mind if I touch you?”
That got him to look up, though it was with more silent questions. I already knew what was coming, but his growing trust in my family, despite his hesitance, was clear when he shook his head, blond hair flopping around his ears. Sylvie cupped his face with the barest of touches, and my own body felt the phantom sensation of when she would do the same to me.
No one had bothered to explain the full extent of my sister-in-law’s powers, but she’d brought me into a state of grounding calm more than a few times. I knew it was working when Delaney’s entire posture relaxed, and tears shimmered around his eyes. My brother watched Sylvie, reverence and love abundantly clear in his scent. Bright and rich like chocolate covered strawberries.
“We’re not the sort of pack that thrives on fear, honey. I know it’ll take time to get used to, but we want you here. Both of you,” she glanced at me, and I felt my own throat get choked up. Fuck, I needed to get out of here. There were too many feelings happening inside and outside of me for comfort.
Delaney stuttered a nod as Sylvie retracted her hand. He ducked his head, muttering a reverberating, “Thank you,” to both my brother and his mate. “I’m gonna head out now, but this has been great. Really.”
He gave us all an individual smile that had more of that sunniness, and I found myself shuffling my feet back and forth, trying to figure out how to excuse myself, too.
Orion beat me to it. “I heard you saying you wanted to go to the skatepark. Have fun.” His dry tone might’ve sounded like a dismissal to anyone else, but I knew it was a gift to save me from getting dragged into more conversation with the pack members that weren’t subtle in their eavesdropping on everything that just transpired.
He tossed me his keys, and I muttered something about seeing them back at the cabin before trying to calm my feet from a full on retreat. With the windows down, I drove the dark streets to the cabin to retrieve my skates before running back outside to drive to the skatepark. Though it read Closed at this time on Google Maps, when I pulled up, the white fluorescent lights were still on, illuminating the concrete and colorful graffiti that decorated it.
With my headphones draped around my neck, I kept my head bent toward my task of lacing up and selecting my usual warm-up playlist.
The park was bigger than I’d thought it’d be, with a large bowl in the center, a few ramps of varying sizes, and a multitude of ledges that were waxed and scuffed from use. I rolled over to an open area that was flat and felt the tightness in my muscles and lungs release. Though it’d been months since I’d skated, my body remembered, easily switching to skating backwards and forwards, creating my own path to follow. I crouched low, stretching my thighs, then started up a pattern of pivoting one-footed over and over. The soft indie song drove me, and the rewarding trickles of sweat trailed down my temples and the back of my neck.
Time ceased to matter, and neither did the other skaters that joked and whizzed through the air.
At least, until a familiar spice caressed the edges of my mind, like a tantalizing pass of a firm hand against my spine. Trying not to look like a thirsty idiot, I kept my gaze uncaring and casual while I made another revolution around my little area.
Was I drooling? Shit .
It was him. The Jaguar.
I was failing at feigning nonchalance, but who could blame me? He had his head thrown back, laughing at something his somber counterpart said, and his mischievous mirth lit up the air around him. Instead of up like the last time I’d seen him, his hair was down and framing his striking face like the most luxurious of curtains.
Without a care in the world, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. I swallowed and forced myself to do a couple spins to make it seem like I wasn’t ogling him like a creep. When I righted myself, he and his friend were over near the bowl, clasping hands with some other skaters and chatting with their boards at their feet. What really caught my eye, though, was the extensive collection of intricate tattoos over his whole body. Skulls on the backs of his hands, a flower on the side of his neck, a detailed tree line wrapping around his arm. With his back and shoulder to me, I could see a large, black dragon scaling his spine like the golden-brown tower that it was. Which then made me think of doing the same, and I nearly choked.
Such a strong and immediate attraction to someone never happened to me. If I’d questioned for a second whether I wanted Delaney, nothing could compare to the way this shifter was short-circuiting all my mental faculties.
But it wasn’t just his body that was calling to me. As solid and loose as it was. No, the way I could still see the glint of dark amusement in his black eyes, despite the distance of concrete between us, left me nearly panting for more. He’d been locked down at Vinny’s that night, but as he shared a beer with his friends, I wanted nothing more than to be over there, to be… seen by him.
And when he turned over his shoulder, meeting my stare head-on and refusing to look away, I nearly fucking tripped over my own skates. The Jaguar grinned, white teeth looking blunt without a hint of the fangs I knew that he had. With a wink and a nod, he went back to his group, but for the rest of the few hours I stayed at the skatepark, I felt that same caress running down my back, my cheek, my neck.