Mark of the Wolf

  “Well, what then, there’s just werewolves? Nothing else?”

  “Oh, there are a few other things I know of,” Gareth murmured. He was looking out the window now. They were sitting together in the Camaro, a few miles away from her cabin in a gravel turn-off at the side of the road. He was leaning back in his chair, slouching casually, one arm propped up on the window, the other resting in her lap. His hand was on her knee.

  She shifted, wanting him to remove it, though they both knew she really didn’t. “Like what?”

  “Most of the old Native American legends, you could say… shape-shifters, people who turn into animals. I met a man once — only once — somewhere in these mountains. He could turn into a bear. Other than that, werewolves are the most common.”

  Maddy nodded again wordlessly. Part of her still couldn’t believe that she was having a serious conversation about this. “Okay, so you’re a werewolf,” she said slowly. “So... was it you who saved me last night from those men?”

  He nodded. His sunglasses were on again. It unnerved her – made it hard to see where he was looking and what he felt.

  “And you… killed them?”

  He nodded again. She supposed the idea of it should have bothered her, and it was a little disturbing, but then again those men had been about to rape and kidnap her, so she couldn’t feel too bad. She remembered the state of the corpses, however, and couldn't help but gag a little.

  Time to change the topic. “Okay, so what about wolf packs and stuff like that? I mean you’re pretty much part man, part wolf right? So you should have a pack.”

  He shrugged, and she saw his shoulders become tense. He turned his head farther to look out his window, the light from outside reflecting off of his dark shades. His lips were firm and hard.

  “Had one,” he said briefly. “Don’t anymore.”

  She frowned, sensing his discomfort. “What happened?”

  He was silent, as though considering what to tell her, or maybe considering no answer at all, but she waited. Finally he let out a breath. “How much do you know about wolves’ natural behavior?”

  “Hardly anything.”

  “Well then, let’s just say I picked a fight with the wrong wolf, and when I lost, they ran me off.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Ran you off?” she asked slowly. “What do you mean, wrong wolf?”

  He shifted, definitely uncomfortable. “When a werewolf makes a play for power inside the pack, usually he challenges the pack leader, the Alpha. Our situation was different – our Alpha was killed in a car crash, so there was a face off, me and another wolf called Kane. We fought, he won, so I had to leave.”

  Maddy frowned. “That’s it? You lose one fight and so you lose your entire pack?”

  Gareth turned to look at her, though she couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses. “That’s how it works, babe,” he said. “I let my guard down. He didn’t fight fair.”

  “How do you mean?”

  A sigh of resignation ripped from his throat. “There is a drug called wolfsbane that gives a werewolf heightened strength and for a period of time. Wolfbane it outlawed in Alpha fights because it gives an unfair advantage… but Kane used it anyway. I realized too late. So he won, and I left.”

  Maddy was frowning and trying to figure everything out. Her eyebrows drew down and she sat for a long moment, thinking, digesting everything she had been told. It was fantastical, but she had seen the werewolves in front of her own eyes, seen the man next to her turn into a giant black wolf. Seen him rip apart flesh with his teeth. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “So what now?” she asked.

  He sat back, slouching deeper into his chair. “Nothing,” he said. “Go back to work. Live out my life.”

  “That’s it?” she demanded, now fully turning to him. For some reason she didn’t like hearing this attitude, especially from a man like Gareth. It seemed uncharacteristic. “You’re just going to give up after that jerk cheated you?”

  Gareth looked at her. He seemed surprised. It made her feel good, like she had finally broken through some barrier and was delving into the man beneath. She was a little surprised at herself too – it really wasn't her business, and she didn't know anything about werewolf customs. But it wasn't right that he should live out the rest of his life with no purpose, no past. She knew what it was like to lose things. “Look, if all this stuff is true – and after what I saw today, I think I’d believe anything right now – then you just can’t give up! Kane cheated. Can’t you just… rechallenge him, or something like that?”

  Gareth’s mouth turned down into a bitter frown. “Maybe,” he growled low. “But there are preparations I’d have to make… and in order to challenge an Alpha, I’d have to get at least some sort of backing by the pack, otherwise they won’t follow me anyway.”

  “Well I’m sure we can figure something out,” she said thoughtfully. It occurred to her that she had said “we” — as in, herself included. She kind of liked the idea of it. Helping this man was natural after everything he had done for her. It was obviously important to him.

  His hand squeezed her leg and she met his gaze. “You’re not afraid,” he murmured. It was more of a statement than a question, and she wondered if he could sense fear on her, which would explain how he could read her so easily. It made her blush – she wondered if he had other heightened senses. Smell, perhaps? Hearing? Sight?

  She shook her head. No, she was scared of many things, but the idea of this didn’t make her afraid at all. Strange, but true. She wanted to help him.

  Then another thought occurred to her. “So... if those other werewolves weren’t the same scumbags from last night, why did they attack me?”

  Gareth looked out the front window at the surrounding forest. “They were from Kane’s pack,” he said quietly.

  “But why would your pack go after me? It’s not like I’m a werewolf or anything….” She wondered if she could become a werewolf by kissing one. Probably he would have told her that by now.

  “I don’t know,” he murmured. A shiver ran across her skin, and she got the distinct feeling that he wasn’t telling her something, maybe something that he didn't know how to explain.

  “If I'm in danger, I need to know,” she said bluntly.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Everything is dangerous in the feral world. Our laws are brutal, maybe even barbaric.” He glanced at her. “Are you sure you want to run with a wolf?”

  Maddy nodded. She didn't know what she was agreeing to — only that she trusted him. She couldn't imagine 'running' with anyone else. And it seemed like he wanted her around. She looked outside, thoughtful, her eyes searching the trees blindly.

  “It's getting dark,” she finally said, after a few more minutes passed. The sun was finally sinking behind the mountains. Dusk was well underway, slowly slipping into a shadowy twilight.

  “You need to eat,” Gareth said, sitting up and starting the ignition. The car rumbled to life, vibrating through her seat.

  She cast him a sideways glance. How had he known she was hungry? Did he smell that on her too?

  “So what do werewolves eat?” she asked casually.

  Gareth turned back onto the narrow, two-lane road and turned on his headlights. Hit the gas. He removed his sunglasses, his lips pulling into that sideways smile. “Meat.”

  * * * *

  She shivered. He could see the prickle run over her skin, the flutter of her pulse in her throat, the slight quickening of her breath. And her smell – god, intoxicating. He wanted to grab her and drag her into his lap and kiss her senseless; tug at her clothes and take one of her sweet, little nipples into her mouth. Put his fingers into her cunt and make her moan, make her squirm and cry out for him. He wanted to hold her by the lips and impale her on his cock, bounce her, make her pant and whimper and scream his name.

  He forced himself to focus on the road. It was either drive her back to town or take her virginity right there in the car, and he d
idn’t want her first time to be like that. Well maybe, but he was sure she wouldn’t appreciate it later.

  His mind turned to her last question; it bothered him as well. He recognized Gordy and Tony from before; two of Kane’s cronies that must have followed him here. But why had they attacked Maddy? Obviously they had been keeping tabs on him, which he had expected – lone wolves were always watched by local packs. Was Kane doing it purely to spite him? Or was it more serious than that? Could the new Alpha feel threatened?

  Gareth knew he could conceivably begin a new pack with Maddy, one that might rival Kane’s someday. Honestly, he would rather issue a rechallenge, just as Maddy had suggested. It would be easier in the long run, even if the stakes were high. Kane wouldn't be able to refuse the rematch... but if Gareth lost, it would mean his death. Werewolf law dictated it. They couldn't let him walk away twice.

  But he had to protect Maddy first and foremost. She was his lifemate – but she was also the promise of a new future. Everything in his life depended on her; at her accepting him and their bond, though he hadn’t told her of that yet. He didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much, but soon he would be forced to claim her, his body wouldn’t let him refuse much longer… and then she would have to learn the truth. That small nip to her lips had been more than just a love bite. It had marked her as his. He hoped she would understand.

  He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was looking out the window, playing with a lock of her mussed auburn hair, her blue eyes focused somewhere far away. She had beautiful, delicate features, though he could tell that she didn’t see her own beauty. That fact made her even more attractive.

  He could see the lights of Black River in the distance. They were almost in town, and then he would find a place for them to eat; the bacon from that morning had been the last thing in his fridge, unless the six-pack of beer counted, but she was a bit young to drink.

  He grinned to himself. She was staying at his house tonight. Right where he wanted her.

  * * * *

  The burger joint was crowded by all the wrong people.

  She sat across from him in the booth, shifting uncomfortably. Pretty much everyone in the restaurant was turning to look at her, or to point and whisper “There’s the girl who was on the news!” or “I thought she got eaten by a wolf!” Ironic, if only they knew the truth. She glanced at Gareth, who was sitting casually across from her, hunched over his burger. He had discarded the bread and pickles for just the paddy and cheese, and he had ordered a side of bacon to go with the sandwich. She poked at her own hamburger, taking small bites and chewing slowly. She was hungry, but the attention made her too nervous to eat.

  And then there were her three blond enemies sitting in a booth across the room. Out of everyone, they were the ones that stared the hardest, though they were thankfully not looking at her – instead, their greedy gazes were focused on Gareth. She wasn’t sure whether to be jealous, annoyed, or deviously happy. Gareth didn't seem to have noticed and was watching traffic through the window.

  His knee brushed against hers.

  It was the third time; just enough of a touch to seem accidental, but it lingered in a way that she knew wasn’t. A shot of electricity went from her toes to her head. She was so sensitive and aroused that the lightest touch from him made her damp. It had started in the cabin in the woods and had grown steadily worse; her arousal wasn’t going away, but rather increasing, with seemingly no effort on his part at all. She wondered if he had done something to her, worked some sort of strange wolf magic to seduce her senses and control her body. She smirked at herself. Don’t be silly, Maddy, she told herself. He’s just fucking hot... plus she had fantasized about him since puberty.

  She shifted, and this time it was her leg that touched his. There was a pause. He continued to look out the window, but then his foot moved, sliding until it rested alongside her foot, pressing the length of their legs together. She squirmed, trying to break the touch, hoping that no one was looking, but he locked her in place with his knees. She tried another tactic, and he blocked her again from wiggling her foot away. One more time, and he covered her toes with his shoe, once again pinning her foot down.

  She raised her eyes, flustered, and met his gaze. He was smiling and she realized he was playing with her. She couldn’t help but grin.

  “Playing footsy?” she asked teasingly.

  He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t play games.”

  She giggled at this, surprising herself. He sounded so serious. “What, too old?”

  “Older than you.”

  She wiggled her eyebrows. “How old are you, then?”

  “Twenty-eight.”

  Wow – ouch. Ten year difference. Suddenly Maddy felt shy; she was talking casually and teasing someone who – though not old enough to be her dad – was definitely as old as some of the teachers she’d had, and definitely older than anyone should be allowed to date at her age. She blushed at the thought: a date, was that what this was? He kept kissing her, touching her, doing these things to her… but he hadn’t exactly asked her out yet, had he? How did these things usually work, anyway? It seemed to be a stupid question to ask someone after everything they had been through in the last twenty-four hours. “By the way, would you go out with me?” Somehow she couldn’t imagine him saying that.

  Or maybe he was just taking advantage of her? A girl couldn’t be too careful. She told herself it was a stupid suspicion – he had saved her life several times, he probably wasn’t just ‘fooling around’ to get into her pant. Besides, he’d had plenty of opportunities to do that and had pulled back each time.

  Thinking this way was making her nipples hard. She glanced at him and was even more unnerved to find him staring at her, an expression in his eyes that made her think of a wolf stalking a deer. She hoped her analogy wasn’t too accurate.

  She grabbed her glass and slurped down the rest of her milkshake, staring resolutely at the table.

  “So what’s our next move?” she asked, referring to their plan to reclaim his pack.

  He sighed, as though he’d been putting off talking about this on purpose. “I need to find a Beta,” he said, his voice soft, for her ears only.

  “A Beta?”

  “A second-in-command to back me if I challenge Kane. If I already have a Beta, then the rest of the pack will align with me much easier.”

  “Alright, so who will this ‘Beta’ be?”

  “I have someone in mind,” he took another bite of his burger meat. Chewed. Swallowed. “He lives in Davenport, though.”

  Davenport. Where her father always gambled and wasted away their money. Probably that was where he had run off to. She wasn’t sure, but she guessed that Ron’s Pawn and Loan was probably located there as well.

  “Great,” she muttered. “Is that where the rest of the pack is?”

  “They’re spread out around the area, but yes, that’s where the main population lives.”

  She nodded without further comment. Her mind was once again on her father; she wondered if she should call the police and report the bodies that were decomposing in her house, but she figured it would be useless. All they would find were two wolf corpses in the morning, and then they’d probably call off the beast hunt, figuring the animals had killed themselves while fighting over food or territory.

  “We should travel there in the morning,” she said, her foot brushing against his again under the table. “I mean, the sooner you talk to this Beta guy, the sooner you can issue your challenge, right?”

  He was quiet and she noticed his inquisitive expression. Like he couldn’t quite figure her out.

  “And your school?” he asked.

  “I can take a week off for trauma reasons,” she said nonchalantly. She hadn’t done that in a long time, not since two years ago when her father had hit her so hard that it was impossible to hide. She’d blamed it on grief over her mother passing and had taken a week off of school. She could do the same thing now.

&nbs
p; His expression told her that he didn’t like it. She squirmed a little in her seat; it was nice to have someone finally care about how she was doing in school, unlike her stepfather, who always told her it was a waste of time. “Quit and work full time,” he would say. “Your grades are all fucked up anyway, it’s not like you’ll ever graduate.”

  “And your work?” Gareth prompted.

  “Same story,” she assured him. He was giving her a searching look, one that clearly said he thought it was a bad idea, but she didn’t let him say it. “Look, do you want to reclaim your pack or not? Maybe I don’t know anything about werewolves, but isn't that like losing your family? We should do this before you have the chance to second-think it. You won’t be happy unless you at least try.” She didn’t know where the little pep talk came from, and to be honest, she didn’t really know why she was so focused on helping him. He hadn’t told her he wanted to fight Kane, but she could tell it was really important to him — if so, then it was important to her. She wanted to repay him for all the years that he had rescued her from the forest. For all the times he had shown her kindness in a world that was nothing but cruelty.

  Her second reason was to escape this town for the time being until everything settled down. She felt like an outcast in her own home. This way she could put off the confrontation with her father (whenever he decided to turn up), and avoid another attack by Ron’s goons.

  “Alright,” he finally conceded, finishing his burger. “We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

  Her face split into a grateful smile, one that she couldn’t contain, and after a moment his lips curved in response. The waitress took that moment to pass by and leave their check on the table, and Gareth took it without hesitation, pulling out his wallet. Maddy turned away, somewhat ashamed that he would have to pay the bill by himself since she didn’t have any money, but he acted as though that had been the plan all along. It made her feel sweet and squirmy on the inside, and when his leg brushed hers again, he pressed it against her knee firmly, deliberately. She glanced up and met his gaze.