Chapter 16 #2
“I’m telling him we can’t claim a woman who doesn’t understand what that means.” His eyes held a pained intensity. “I’m telling him he’s a damned fool who’s about to ruin everything.”
Her heart softened. “You’re not a fool. You’re trying to do the right thing. But you can’t make decisions for both of us.”
“Harper—”
A collective howl rose, a wild, joyous sound that vibrated through the floorboards.
It was the sound of freedom, of release, of the wolf claiming its dominion under the full moon.
The pack moved as one, a flowing river of fur and muscle, pouring out the large double doors at the back of the great room and into the night.
“What’s that?”
“Moonrise. I have to run with them. You’ll stay with Irene. She’ll keep you safe.”
“I’m not scared.”
“I know you’re not,” he said, a ghost of a smile touching his lips.
“But I am. The run is… intense. And I’m not in full control tonight.
” He took her hand, lacing their fingers together.
The contact sent a jolt of electricity through her, a primal claim that was both terrifying and deeply comforting.
“Don’t talk to anyone except Irene or Coleman. I’ll be back for you.”
He gave her hand a final, possessive squeeze and then turned and followed the others. Soon, the room was empty except for her and a few older wolves who remained by the fire, their expressions peaceful. The heavy silence descended, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of moments before.
She stood there, Adrian’s last words echoing in her mind. I’ll be back for you. Not “I’ll see you later.” A promise. A commitment.
Irene came over from the refreshment table with two steaming mugs. The older woman’s expression was calm, but her eyes were sharp, missing nothing.
“I thought you could use this.” Irene held out a mug. “Chamomile. It helps with… overwhelming evenings.”
“Thank you. But you don’t have to stay with me if you want to join the run.”
“The run is for the young,” Irene said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “My running days are long over. Besides,” she added, her gaze softening as it rested on Harper, “someone needs to keep an eye on the human.”
“I’m not going to get into trouble.”
“I know. But Adrian isn’t the only one who feels protective.”
Her heart ached at the simple kindness. She had spent so long being self-sufficient that she had forgotten what it felt like to have someone worry about her for no other reason than they cared.
They sat in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds the crackle of the fire and the distant, joyous howls of the pack running wild under the moon.
She found herself staring out through the still open doors, watching the moonlight spill across the lawn, looking for a glimpse of a dark wolf with golden-brown eyes.
“He’ll be back,” Irene said quietly.
“I know.”
“But you worry.”
“It’s a full moon,” she said, trying for a lightness she didn’t feel. “He said his control is frayed. What if he… finds someone else? “
“The full moon doesn’t create something that isn’t already there,” Irene said calmly. “It simply amplifies it. No other female would satisfy him.”
Some of the tension in her shoulders relaxed.
“How long will they run?”
“It varies. Some of them simply want a brief run to satisfy their wolf.” Irene shot her a quick glance. “Those who are… fighting themselves may run for many hours.”
“Like Adrian, you mean?”
“Yes. I’m not sure he’ll trust himself to return before daybreak.”
“Then I suppose I should go to bed.”
“You mean take your laptop to your room and pretend to work?” Irene said dryly and she laughed.
“I guess I’m kind of predictable.”
“Indeed. But come along. I’ll escort you to your bedroom.”
“That really isn’t necessary,” she argued but Irene ignored her. They returned to the main house and collected her laptop, and then the older woman accompanied her all the way to her bedroom door, even going so far as to sniff the air before allowing her to enter.
“Did you really expect someone to be hiding in my room?”
Irene gave a half-shrug. “Not if they value their life. But I’ve learned never to underestimate the stupidity of a male wolf on the night of a full moon.”
She laughed, then gave the older woman a quick, impulsive hug, startling them both.
“Thank you.”
Irene patted her back a little awkwardly. “You’re welcome, dear. Now get some sleep. You look exhausted.”
She was. As soon as she was alone, the adrenaline drained away, leaving her hollowed out. All the emotion of the last few days—the professional challenges, the political maneuvering, the frustrating, terrifying, wonderful kisses—had taken its toll.
Her room was quiet. Too quiet after the energy of the party.
Outside, the distant howls continued, a wild, lonely sound that seemed to call to something deep within her.
She closed her balcony doors and drew the curtains, blocking out the moonlight and the reminder of what Adrian was doing out there in the forest.
She changed into a t-shirt—another one from her vast collection of band shirts, this one a faded tour shirt for The Cure—and crawled into bed. Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to shut down.
She kept replaying the scene in the great room—Adrian’s possessive anger, Jared’s easy charm, the raw, primitive energy of the pack. She thought about what Adrian had said about claiming, about not being able to give her what she deserved when he was fighting for control.
Her body was achy, restless, and she finally climbed back out of bed and opened the curtains.
The brilliant moonlight called to her and she quietly opened the balcony doors and stepped outside.
The forest was much quieter now, only an occasional howl still echoing across the mountains, and the silence felt heavy and portent.
And then she saw them, a pair of familiar golden eyes glowing from the shadows under the trees.
“Adrian?” she whispered, barely audible in the night, but she knew he heard her. The wolf stepped out into the moonlight, the darkness of its pelt making it almost invisible, except for the gold flecks in its fur that shone like a treasure trove of stars.
It was him. She knew it with a certainty that bypassed all logic.
The wolf padded silently across the lawn, its movements fluid and powerful. It stopped beneath her balcony, looking up at her with those golden eyes.
She sank down next to the railing, her knees suddenly weak.
She was wearing nothing but her t-shirt and a pair of panties, the cool night air raising goosebumps on her exposed skin.
She should have been scared, a human female alone at night with a predator.
But looking into those intelligent golden eyes, she felt nothing but a bone-deep sense of safety.
Adrian’s wolf was breathtaking. Up close, she could see the muscles rippling beneath his dark fur, the raw power coiled in his frame. He was enormous, perhaps even taller than her, and every line of his body spoke of wildness, of freedom, of a nature that could never truly be tamed.
“You’re back,” she said softly. “Irene said you might be gone all night.”
He looked up at her and then in the space of a single breath, he transformed back into a man—a huge naked man.
“Couldn’t stay away,” he growled. His voice was barely intelligible and his eyes were still solid gold. Her heart started thumping against her ribs.
“I didn’t want you to stay away.”
Their eyes locked for a long moment, and then he leapt. He caught the edge of the railing and swung himself over with a grace that defied physics.
Her breath hitched. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body, smell pine and earth and his wild, masculine scent. He took a step towards her, and another, and then he was standing directly before her, a solid wall of muscle and power that blocked out everything else.
She stared up at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. This was it—the point of no return. The moment where she had to decide whether to trust him, to trust this wild, impossible connection between them, or to retreat back into the safety of her solitary life.
But there was no safety in retreat. Not anymore. The thought of spending the rest of her life without him—without this terrifying, exhilarating intensity—was more frightening than any risk he posed.
Slowly, deliberately, she reached out and laid her hands on the powerful muscle of his chest, just as she had the very first time. He froze at her touch, a low rumble building in his chest.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she whispered, meeting his golden eyes without flinching. “Make me yours, Adrian.”