01 Taming the Wolf - Anna Avery Read online

  “Thank you,” I told them. “That is very gracious of you.” What I really wanted to say was it was about time and the old way was asinine. Luckily, I bit down on my tongue before my thought could slip through.

  “So, chores?” Wade asked and I nodded.

  “What does that entail?” Nick, Michael or Jeff asked. I couldn’t be sure which man was which.

  I shrugged. “Just depends. I chop wood, mow the lawns, and anything else that needs to be done. Today, I’m trimming a couple tree branches that are too close to some of the houses.” I smiled. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s my life.”

  Wade smiled and nodded. “I’ve had my fair share of those not so glamorous times.”

  “That was before his daddy claimed him and stuck a silver spoon in his mouth, or a platinum spoon rather, silver would torture,” either Michael, Nick or Jeff said with a smile. The three of them laughed, but Wade shifted his eyes and clenched his jaw so tight I could practically hear his teeth grinding.

  “Well, if you’ll excuse me,” I said and began to leave the room. It was clear the three older leaders didn’t show Wade the same respect, and I had enough problems without standing in the middle of their ribbing.

  “Hold up,” Wade said, following me down the hallway. “We may not be the hard asses you originally thought, but we were serious when we said you’d be kept under a watchful eye. I’ll tag along with you today.”

  Oh goodie! “Elle can watch me. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

  “Elle’s your friend?”

  “Yes.”

  Wade nodded. “And that’s why we can’t trust her to really watch you. Go get dressed, and I’ll be waiting out front.”

  I stared at the back of his head and pretended if I blinked just right, it’d explode. Unfortunately it didn’t work. Once in my bedroom, I shut and locked the door. Elle and I stored the book underneath my bed and knowing it was there with the leaders just outside caused my skin to itch. Personally, I didn’t mind borrowing it without Adam’s knowledge, but my wolf was a nervous nelly. Her feelings soaked through me and made me anxious. Bending down, I grabbed the book and placed it under some shirts in my dresser. I figured that’d be a better hiding place, unless the leaders decided to raid my room.

  Once dressed in shorts and a blue tank top I headed outside. Wade leaned against my truck, his ankles and arms crossed. This sucks! I walked around my truck, opened the door, and hopped inside. Wade followed suit and soon we were driving.

  “When were you turned?” Wade asked.

  I looked over, but he stared straight ahead with one arm propped on the door. His profile was beautiful and hard; he was definitely leader material.

  “It’s been four months now,” I told him. “I was jogging and a wolf attacked me. Adam found me and took me in.” I flexed my fingers against the steering wheel and rolled my neck to ease my nervous muscles.

  “And the wolf that attacked you?”

  “What about it?” I looked over again.

  “Did you figure out who it was?”

  I sucked in a deep breath. “No, but Adam thinks it was a rogue. He said there were other attacks shortly before mine. I was the only one who survived.”

  Wade was quiet for a while, and I used the time to think about my attack. The memory was foggy, but I’d been trying to remember and little bits became clearer. I remembered falling off a cliff and the wolf pulling me back onto solid ground and its teeth sinking into my throat, but that was about it.

  “The others died because they weren’t strong enough,” Wade finally said.

  “What?”

  “The magic that turns one into a werewolf only seeks out those strong enough to accept it. If the other victims died, it’s because they weren’t as strong as you. You should feel grateful that the magic saw something within you.”

  I snorted. “Considering I could be six feet under right now, I am grateful. Then again, I could be six feet under by the end of the week if the leaders convict me of murder.” I stared at him trying to capture an emotion that’d tell me where they stood on my conviction.

  “If you’re innocent, you have nothing to worry about,” Wade replied with a serious face.

  “That’s the problem, I don’t know if I’m innocent,” I said, pulling into the driveway of my first stop. I didn’t wait for Wade’s response. Instead, I hopped out of the truck, grabbed the pruning shears from the bed, and headed towards the tree.

  I stopped short when I rounded the corner and came face to face with a man. A human. My wolf bristled causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. Don’t freak out while I have a leader with me! The man was bent down checking the gas meter, but stood when I approached him. His brown eyes shot wide at my aggressive demeanor, and as I stepped towards him, he stepped back.

  “Who are you?” I all but growled.

  “I work for the energy company, just making my rounds,” the man said a little shaken.

  “There a problem?” Wade asked from behind me. I closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths to calm myself down. I prayed my eyes hadn’t changed, but from the look on the man’s face I’d say those prayers would go unanswered.

  “No problem,” I told Wade and reined my wolf in. Taking a couple steps backwards, I put distance between me and the human.

  “Sorry, you must have startled my sister,” Wade said and the man nodded, but still looked frightened. After he left, Wade grasped my arm so tight I cringed from the pain.

  “What was that?” he snarled.

  “My wolf doesn’t like humans, I guess…”

  Wade loosened his grip, but didn’t let me go. His eyes turned into stones as he glared at me and his cheeks tightened in a scowl.

  “Have you always acted like that with them?”

  “I haven’t been around a lot of humans since turning. Adam kept me here because he thought it was safer.”

  Wade released me and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s unusual for werewolves to have such distaste for humans. Of course we think of ourselves as superior, but that doesn’t mean we want to kill them.” He paced back and forth. “Let’s hope that man thinks he imagined the change of your eyes. If our secret gets out to the humans, you and the rest of us will be as good as dead.”

  I didn’t think I’d acted as bad as Wade implied, but I still felt embarrassed. Sure I’d stalked towards the man and been a little rude, but it wasn’t like I growled at him or even tried to bite him. If anything, he’d think I was a bitch. Of course that didn’t explain why my eyes went from brown to gold, but the sun had been in my face, so maybe the man didn’t notice.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to control it.”

  “I think what you need is more interaction. By alienating you, Adam has made the change harder on you.” Wade rubbed the stubble lining his jaw. “I’ll have to talk with your alpha.”

  Uh-oh. I thought but then smiled. Adam getting reprimanded could be fun to watch, especially since he’d spent the last few months doing the same to me.

  *

  After finishing up with my chores, Wade and I headed back to the house. When I pulled into the long driveway, the three other leaders stood outside with the rest of the pack.

  “Which leader is which?” I asked Wade as I shut the truck off. I felt silly not knowing how to address them.

  “The one with the crew cut is Jeff,” Wade pointed to a man with brown hair. He was stocky and around five-foot-ten. “That’s Michael,” Wade pointed to the next man. Michael was taller, around six-foot-one, with shaggy reddish brown hair. “And that’s Nicholas.” Wade nodded in the man’s direction. Nicholas was the same height as Michael, but had a more dangerous feel. His jet black hair hung to his stubble lined jaw and his piercing blue eyes burned as he appraised the females.

  “I’d stay away from Nicholas,” Wade warned, and I nodded. I could practically feel Nicholas’ sexual energy in the cab of the truck. While I’d been lucky that Adam hadn’t forced me to have sex with him
, I wasn’t so confident when it came to Nicholas.

  Exiting the truck, Wade and I headed over to the rest of the members. The scent of grilled meats hung in the air and awakened my appetite. Various members held beers in their hands and chatted amongst themselves. Adam was talking with Joe and Asher, but looked up when I got closer. I gave a short nod and shifted my gaze. I want you, I’ve always wanted you. Adam’s previous words sounded in my mind, and my wolf bristled with lust. The few times Adam and I touched were enough to make me hungry to experience all of him. Sighing in frustration, I headed inside the house. My libido couldn’t take much more of Adam’s torture, and my mind wouldn’t allow my cravings to be sated. Why in the hell did my alpha have to be mated?

  “So, how was your day with the babysitter?” Elle smiled.

  I snatched a potato skin and stuffed my mouth. The one thing I loved about being a werewolf was the fact that I could eat anything I wanted and not gain a pound. Food was a different kind of lust for us, one that was causing me to purr in delight.

  “It was okay…whatever. I may have blown my chance at winning the leaders over when I snarled at a human today.” I began to grab another potato skin when Elle smacked my hand.

  “Hey! I’m hungry.”

  “Too bad,” Elle snapped. “What’s this about a human?” She placed a hand on her cocked hip and waited for me to explain.

  “It was nothing,” I told her. “Just a man checking the gas meters. My eyes may have changed, but nothing else happened. Wade was pretty pissed.”

  Elle released a heavy breath. “Just when I start liking someone around here, she’s gonna get herself killed.”

  “Elle!”

  “I’m joking…kinda. You have major issues when it comes to humans.” Elle turned to grab something off of the counter, and I took the opportunity to snatch more food.

  “Hey!”

  I smiled and popped the food in my mouth then turned and headed towards the shower.

  The hot spray pounded against my back and eased my sore muscles. My chores today hadn’t been all that tiring, but Wade put me on edge. He’d watched me very closely after I snapped at the human. I’d just lathered shampoo in my hair when the creaking of the door alerted me I wasn’t alone. Each wolf gave off their own scent, and I knew each member of my packs like the back of my hand. The person in the bathroom with me was not of my pack.

  Footsteps sounded closer, echoing on the tile. My heart hammered in my chest as I anticipated the intruder. Grabbing the towel hanging over the shower bar, I wrapped it around my naked body.

  Fingers curled around the shower curtain and whipped it back quickly. Nicholas stood in front of me, a grin on his lips, and his eyes roaming the length of my body. Sexual desire scented the air and smelled like sharp spices.

  “Excuse the intrusion,” he said. His voice reminded me of velvet, soft and sensual. My wolf perked up from his attention—the slut.

  “I…uh was just getting out,” I lied.

  He spanned his arms against either side of the wall blocking my escape and smiled. “Don’t let me stop you,” he said with a cock of his head. “I’d love to wash your back.”

  Before I could refuse his offer, he pulled his t-shirt over his head revealing a tight, rippling stomach. A shiver danced through my body as I imagined him and I intertwined and moaning. He looked to be in his forties but that didn’t hinder from his good looks.

  “Really, that’s okay,” I told him and stepped out of the tub. Without warning, Nicholas lifted me up and sat me on the counter with a hard thump.

  “Stop,” I demanded, but he didn’t seem to hear me or care that I had objections.

  “Come now,” he said softly as he squeezed between my legs and leaned down to the crook of my throat. His warm breath caused goose bumps to flit along my skin and my bones to turn to mush. “You’re a beautiful woman, and I’m a willing man, don’t act like you don’t want it. I can smell your desire.”

  I was turned on, then again it didn’t take much being a werewolf, but I’d made it four months without giving in to every dog that sniffed my way, and I wouldn’t give in now. The problem was, since sleeping with Sawyer, my body craved intimacy now. Sex was like a drug that gave off the most exciting high. The sheer raw sexuality of our kind called to me, and I found myself opening my legs wider to make room for Nicholas.

  “That’s a good girl,” he whispered as he pressed kisses along my throat. A moan escaped my mouth, and it seemed my hands had a mind of their own because they were currently raking down his chest.

  “How’s about we get rid of this pesky thing?” Nicholas said as he unwrapped the towel from my body. I had a split second to think that I should stop him when his mouth found my nipple and all thoughts ceased.

  “Anna?” Adam knocked and smacked the lusty thoughts from my mind. I shoved against Nicholas, and he growled. The door opened and Adam froze as he saw me perched atop the counter and Nicholas between my legs.

  Nicholas smiled. “Until we meet again,” he told me and then pushed past Adam. The look on Adam’s face was enough to turn my veins to ice. He slammed the door and paced back and forth, his hands fisting at his sides. When he looked at me, his eyes were citrine and blazing with anger.

  “What the hell was that?”

  I fumbled to wrap the towel back around me as tears filled my eyes. Looking away, I wanted to crumple to the ground and bawl.

  “Hey,” Adam said softer as he approached me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s not your fault.”

  I stared up at him. “I didn’t stop him, and now you probably think I’m a whore.”

  Adam placed his hands on my shoulders and brought me towards his body where he hugged me to him. “I do not think you’re a whore, Anna. Nicholas has a sort of superpower. He can influence women. His sexuality is so strong it’s almost impossible for females to say no to him, and believe me, he takes advantage of it. He’s already slept with two of the women here. I’m just happy I walked in when I did, and you didn’t end up number three.”

  What he said made me feel better, but I wasn’t completely sure whether Nicholas’ sexuality made me act that way or if it was just me. “Still, I feel like a piece of shit right now—dirty.”

  “As do the other woman he tricked into bed, I suspect. I’m sorry and if I could rip his heart from his chest, I would.”

  We were quiet for a while before I asked, “What did you want?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Why’d you knock, what made you come to the bathroom?” I wiped the tears that fell from my eyes and sniffed. I felt like a complete idiot and of course Adam was witness to my embarrassment.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said, and stepped away from me. “Get dressed, dinner’s almost ready.”

  When he turned to leave, I hopped off of the counter and walked to him. “Tell me.” Placing a hand on his arm, I tugged him to a stop. When he turned around he wouldn’t look at me. He really does think I’m a whore.

  “I… wanted to see you,” he admitted. “This past month has been difficult.”

  My breath caught in my throat and my heart pounded in my chest almost painfully. “Oh,” I breathed.

  “I’ll make sure Nicholas leaves you alone,” he said before he slipped out of the bathroom.

  *

  We ate outside. The deck was set up with three long tables and piled with food. The pack ate like starving hyenas, but my appetite had waned. The episode with Nicholas turned my stomach sour. Sure I had trouble controlling my urges, but I’d never considered sleeping with a man I didn’t even know. And I’d never given in so easily. I kept my eyes on the untouched food on my plate, so I wouldn’t catch Nicholas’ gaze. The pack chatted about this and that, but I tuned them out and thought about Adam. His admittance that he’d missed me was like a weight being lifted off of my heart. As much as I craved sex, Adam was the one man who I needed. If I were a flame, then he was the oxygen I needed to burn. I hated it and loved it at the same tim
e. Even though he was close, he might as well have been halfway around the world for all the good it did me. It didn’t matter how much he missed me, it wouldn’t change his relationship status.

  “I plan to take Anna to town tonight.”

  My head snapped up when I heard my name. Wade spoke to the other leaders and Adam. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I guessed this was his solution to integrating my werewolf with humans. Or maybe he was baiting me into attacking one so they’d have a reason to kill me.

  “I believe that by keeping her up here on this mountain, you’ve hurt her. The beast within her only associates with other wolves, and therefore isn’t sure how to handle humans,” Wade said to Adam. Multiple pairs of eyes turned towards me. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I excused myself. I’d gotten a lot of shit about being the pup around here, but I didn’t need almost thirty people focusing on my incompetence.

  Heading into the house, I cut across the kitchen and living room and went out the front door. Just as I made it down the first two porch steps, Sawyer came around the house.

  “Hey,” I said to him. Tonight he was dressed in dark jeans and a gray T-shirt. His dark blonde hair was spiked, and his eyes seemed to glow as he watched me. He was beautiful, and I was an idiot for allowing my feelings for Adam ruin what we had.

  “Hey,” he said back casually. “Want some company?”

  Not really. “Sure,” I told him deciding it was better than being alone. “I was going to go for a walk.” I wasn’t sure why I’d left the table so abruptly, maybe seeing Adam reprimanded in front of his pack wasn’t as fun as I thought it’d be. I didn’t want to see the leaders belittle the man I cared about or see the look of humiliation on his face as they questioned his methods.

  “Lead the way,” Sawyer said, extending an arm towards the road. I began forward and Sawyer followed.

  “So, you wanna tell me why Adam has me watching you?”