Chapter 12
My dreams were a scattered mess of a big, bad wolf with southern charm.
I wanted to strangle my brain for it. Most of it, at the very least, comprised random moments of us having sex.
He was attractive. I realized that. I could deal with sex dreams. What I couldn’t deal with, or rather, didn’t want to deal with, were memories of fueled fury.
The night had become a contest of who could annoy the other most, via those near us, rather than each other directly.
I’d grab Ricardo’s thigh. Harkin would slide his hand up his partner’s skirt.
I’d nibble on Ricardo’s earlobe with my fangs.
He’d scrape his canines down her fucking neck.
My usual icy skin lit on fire, chest rising heavily, and I forced myself awake, sitting up and hissing.
I turned to shove my fist into Harkin’s shoulder, to call him an asshole for that night.
Details he probably wouldn’t have even remembered.
But he wasn’t on the bed. Disappointment dulled my rage to a passive simmer, and I sat back on my haunches.
Wait. This wasn’t right. He said he couldn’t leave my side until the threat was gone. Did that mean—I smiled and gasped.
Two heavy boots clambered down the cellar stairs. I drew the covers up to my chin as if I were naked. My heart would have fluttered at the sight of Harkin rounding the corner in nothing but jeans and a white t-shirt.
“You’re finally awake.” The wolf flashed me that gooey grin of his before extending a steaming mug to me.
The iron scent floating from the cup eased the rising tightness in my gums. “Is that blood? Warmed?”
“Yeah. Grabbed the first bag. Not sure if you preferred certain types when you first wake up or—”
I snatched the mug and held it under my nose, letting the warm vapors coat my skin. “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing—” Harkin peered around the cellar like someone else would be there to answer it for him. “—what?”
“You technically made breakfast for me. Why are you being so nice?” Sipping the blood, I moaned as the rich liquid coated my throat, revitalizing me.
Harkin huffed a laugh. “This a trick question? Or is this the female thing where you want to say something to me, but are askin’ me something to get me to say it instead?”
With a frustrated snarl, I shoved the blankets away with my feet and sat cross-legged. “Is the threat gone? Are we free of this binding deal?”
“Are we free of—” Harkin grabbed his head. “Oh, shit.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I lowered the mug. “Oh shit? Harkin, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Listen.” The wolf sat on the bed’s edge, making it dip, a similar action to what my stomach did. “You are still in danger, the bind is still there, but I may have exaggerated about how close we have to be.”
I slow-blinked at him. “What?”
“Aurora, before you go off on a pissy tirade, listen to me.”
“Tirade? A tirade? Harkin, you’re saying I didn’t even have to come to the Falls with you.” I did a quick scoot across the enormous bed, leapt to my feet, and stormed toward the stairs.
The wolf caught up with me in three strides. He gently put a palm to my chest and pressed me against the wall, pinning me. “Listen to me.”
I did, but it wasn’t because he used his alpha voice. When he did use the voice, my brain puttered like mice ran over it.
“My instincts panic when I can’t sense you. Even the few minutes I was upstairs warmin’ up that damn blood for you, I had to fight back the urge to splinter the door to make sure you were alright.” Harkin had one hand above my head. With the other, he raised a finger between us.
I kept listening.
“So, I didn’t specify the range that needed to be kept in order to protect others. The only reason I even left in the first place is because I know you wanted to see the pack run. You slept hours past moonrise. We’re gonna be late if we don’t leave now.” He pushed away, giving me space.
It was a confusing jumble recalling everything that had unfolded over the past few days. He had never specified how close we had to be, only that not taking me out of his sight was what a protector did. What his instincts would drive him to do.
Why was I as pissed as I was flattered?
I fixed my eyes on him, fluttering my eyelashes. “Splinter the door?”
“Not sure you’d ever wanna see me at that level. There’s my wolf form and then there’s—well, something else.” Harkin balled his hands into fists, cracking his knuckles.
Like hells I wouldn’t.
“Let me get dressed and feed Waffles, and we’ll go.” I started up the stairs.
“Already fed him.” Harkin followed close behind, his scent folding around me like a tender hug.
“You did? With what?”
“A rabbit.”
When I reached the main floor, Waffles was in the middle of licking his bowl. He got a whiff of me and immediately scurried to greet me, his lips still stained with blood.
“A rabbit? From outside?” I squatted to pet the pug.
Harkin chuckled and stretched his arms above his head as if he were preparing to exercise. “Yeah. I’m a pretty expert hunter.”
My core clenched.
“Of course,” I mumbled. “How silly of me.” After snatching clothes from my duffel, I dashed to the bathroom to change.
Harkin waited all of five minutes before he barked through the door, “Let’s go, Apex. The pack’s alpha shouldn’t be late for a run.”
With a snarl, I bumped open the door, hopping on one leg to slip my last shoe on. “Alright, alright.”
Harkin had already stalked to the exit, barefoot and in only his jeans and shirt.
“Don’t you need to put some boots on or something?” I asked, finally shoving my heel into the rebellious back of my shoe.
“No need. I’ll be shifting.” The wolf motioned for me to follow, prowling out the door into the night.
Shifting. My stomach turned queasy suddenly. “You think you’d show up naked then.”
“Don’t tempt me,” he yelled, the pace he kept nearing half a mile away from me now.
After ruffling Waffles’ ears and kissing his head, I vampire-flashed to catch up with Harkin, appearing at his side.
Harkin arched a thick brow at me. “Forgot you could do that.”
“Not all of us can.”
“Makes you unique.” Harkin’s eyes were especially topaz tonight, more like glittering cognac, the moon’s glow energizing his wolf.
I shrugged away any personal spin he put on those words. “Guess so.”
Harkin led me through the woods, dozens of howls, yips, and friendly growls bouncing off the trees in the near distance.
Many members of the pack had already shifted into their wolves.
Others were fully nude, having a casual conversation while some were in mid-shift as we approached the central bonfire.
“Thought you’d change your mind,” Phelan said, grinning and locking arms with Harkin.
“I’m here, everyone. Shift. Have fun.” The alpha wolf raised his hand to the pack.
My throat started closing in on itself at the sight of so many shifters. The gracefulness of the way they changed from human to wolf.
“Hey,” Harkin said, dabbing my arm and making me snap to attention. “The full moon doesn’t force wolves to shift, but when we do, we’re in that form until the first night ends.”
“I understand. Aren’t you going to run with them?” I nudged my head at the sprinting wolves.
“Oh, I’ll shift with them.” Harkin tugged his shirt off, the bouncing flames of the fire beside him accentuating those damn abs. “I’m here, but—” He turned his back to me, the sound of his zipper coming undone sizzling the fresh blood in my veins. “—not going anywhere.”
“In wolf for—” I’d confirmed, but he answered by yanking down his pants. He teased me with only a peek of his rounded, muscular ass cheeks before he appeared in his wolf form.
Harkin was massive. The intimidating height matched his human form, only I didn’t mind craning my neck back as much to soak him in now.
The wolf’s dark brown fur with streaks of red mirrored Harkin’s wavy locks.
Those glowing amber eyes I’d grown so fond of stared at me above a wolf’s muzzle.
Harkin made several circles, his long, bushy tail swaying as if he was showing himself off.
“Yeah, yeah. Even your wolf’s form is gorgeous, you asshole.” I plopped onto my butt by the fire, hugging my knees to my chest.
Harkin shook his head like a wolfish version of a chuckle. He turned a few times, his gigantic paws positioning the dirt before he took a seat next to me.
“This is amazing,” I uttered softly, my throat numbing at the sight of forty-something wolves playing through the forest trees. Three of them chased each other, dodging trunks, and play- fighting and biting when one would catch them.
Harkin adjusted, lying now with his forelegs propped almost regally.
“I—” Blood tears blurred my vision. I gulped them back. My hand lifted toward Harkin, but I re-coiled my fingers. “Is it weird to pet you?”
Harkin bumped my open hand with his head, encouraging me to do just that.
As I stroked his fur, those blood tears still threatening to escape, I whispered, “I miss this,” while peering longingly at the pack run.
Harkin’s head shot up, his ears drawn back.
“Shit.” A blood tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away with the hem of my shirt. “I’m talking to you as if you can’t understand me.” He sat up again, his nose sniffing the stained blood on my cheeks. “You’re just easier to talk to like this. No distracting muscles or jerky comebacks.”
Harkin shoved my leg with his paw.
“We’ll talk about it at some point.”
Harkin bumped me with his paw again.
“Soon, alright. Soon.”
The thing was, I’d never told a soul about my past. There was never a reason.
Although Harkin might have left his human muscles and dopey smile behind, his scent as a wolf was diabolical. I bent closer to him, letting my nostrils fan out to take in more of the aroma. Harkin turned his head, rubbing his neck under my chin and blanketing my skin with that scent.
I let my forehead press against his furry chest. “What are we doing, Harkin?”
The wolf gave a quick lick to my cheek.
Moving away, I slid my fingertips across his saliva, still damp on my skin. Attempting to maintain a serious expression, despite a clear failure, I uttered, “Gross.”
Harkin sat up tall again, his head tilting from left to right.
There was so much shining in that unchanged, honeyed gaze, an equal mix of Harkin and his wolf that were always one and the same. Suddenly, his eyes turned feral and predatory. His lips curled back to bare his canines, and he leapt to all fours, the fur along the length of his spine spiking.
“Harkin?” I breathed out.
There was a streak of grey from my right, something sharp scraping over my exposed shoulder from my tank top.
I unsheathed my fangs, ready to strike back, swiping my nails skyward.
Harkin jumped over me, colliding into the grey thing and sending a yipping, yelping wolf spasming to the ground.
I pushed back on my heels, peering over my shoulder, catching the three grazed bite marks healing.
The grey wolf tried to get up, but Harkin sunk his teeth into their shoulder, making them yip again.
Harkin let go, and the grey wolf rolled onto their back.
Harkin growled, widening his stance. With their tail tucked between their legs, their ears pinned back, and their head lowered, the grey wolf scurried off.
Harkin gave a final snap at the grey wolf’s tail as they left.
On alert, Harkin lifted his nose and sniffed until he was satisfied the grey wolf had truly left.
Harkin returned, his alpha bravado softened once he neared me. He repeatedly licked the spot that the grey wolf had tried to bite.
“It’s fine. It’s already healed.”
Harkin didn’t care what I had to say and continued to lick, so I let him.
The night passed in blissful quiet. Never lying down, Harkin stayed near, his head snapping at broken twigs, ears rotating toward bird calls. The wolves might have been able to go until sunrise, but the solar-pull called to me far earlier than that.
With eyes narrowed at the night sky, which was gradually becoming brighter, I patted Harkin’s back. “I need to get to the cellar, Harkin.”
Harkin whimpered, rose, and twirled, as though he was uncertain of his next move.
“I can walk there, just let me lean on you?”
Harkin immediately turned to my side and allowed me to put half of my weight on his back. With a wolf as a crutch, something I never imagined uttering in my eternal existence, we journeyed back to Harkin’s loft. And shit, we had a lot to talk about tomorrow night.