Embracing the Wolf - Book #2 (Anna Avery) Page 14

  In the distance, one of the packs howled. Adam was instantly on his feet, quirking his head to the side. The rest of us followed suit, tilting our heads to gauge their distance. Wolves howl to communicate with each other. Its instinctual and universal for every wolf. When another round of howling echoed through the tall snow-covered mountains, Adam’s voice filled my head.

  “Do not wander from my side, Anna. Stay close, and follow my instructions to the T, understand?”

  Whatever had the other pack riled up wasn’t good. Their calls warned of a threat, and I had a sneaking suspicion it was the same person who had shot Adam.

  “Anna!” Adam growled when I still hadn’t answered him.

  “Understood.”

  “Good,” he replied and then began ordering the rest of the pack. “I don’t know which pack that is, but it sounds like it’s coming from Trigger Lake. Joe, do you agree?”

  Just then another round of howling bounced off the mountains and trees, and then another pack joined in, singing their warning to the rest of us.

  “I can’t be sure,” Joe said. “It sounds like it’s coming from all around us.”

  He was right. With the way the mountains amplified their howls, we couldn’t be sure which direction the pack was.

  “We should split up,” I added.

  “I agree with her,” Joe said.

  It took Adam a split second before he too agreed with my decision. “Anna, you’re with me. Joe and Asher take eight wolves each. Joe head south, Asher west.”

  They got to work at picking their teams. I made sure Elle and Chelsea were with me and because Chelsea was with me, Wade was, too. It gave me peace of mind to know that he was looking out for her. Together, we ran through the mountain. I kept pace with Adam, flanking his right, while the others flanked me.

  Another round of howls filtered through the trees.

  “Stop.” Adam’s voice filled our heads, and we all halted. His head swiveled around, his body turning in a circle as he took in the landscape.

  “That one was close, but there’s something else …” He lifted his head in the air and sniffed. A deep rumbling growl vibrated up his throat as his lips curled over sharp teeth. “Stay close, Anna. The rest of you fan out.”

  “What’s going on?” I’d just asked the question when the stale scent hit my nostrils; the same scent I had smelled the night of the ceremony. There was someone or something close. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as my eyes roamed over the inky darkness. There was a small clearing, enough to allow the glow of the moon to illuminate a portion of trees. The rustling of leaves drew my attention to the left, but I couldn’t decipher if it was the breeze or something else.

  “Up ahead.” Wade’s voice filled my head, taking me by surprise. I was still new to this alpha thing. I suspected that only my pack could talk to me while in wolf form, but now that Adam had pledged himself to me, making me an alpha, I was open to all other alphas telepathically.

  Adam and I turned our heads at the same time. A lean body shrouded in darkness stepped out of the forest, its movements unhurried. My hackles rose while my lip curled up in a snarl.

  “Vampire,” Wade and Adam said in unison.

  Adam moved closer to me, his ebony fur meshing with my ivory. “Do not make rash decisions, do you hear me? Now is not the time to ignore my warnings.”

  Since I’d never dealt with a vampire, let alone met one, I wasn’t about to run off halfcocked. “Don’t worry,” I told him. “I have no plans to die tonight.”

  “Such a pretty, pretty wolf.” A raspy feminine voice carried across the open space and to my ears. My wolf perked up in anger, itching to charge forward and take down the new threat.

  “Three more,” Elle called.

  I spared a glance behind us and found three more bodies emerging from the forest. Why were vampires in the forest on a full moon? I was sure their sudden appearance on our mountain was more calculated than coincidence.

  “Keep a ring around Anna,” Adam ordered.

  “Adam!” I snapped. “No one person in this group is more important than the other. No one will die protecting me because you are overprotective.”

  “I swear to God, Anna,” Adam responded. Even his inner voice has a growl to it. “Just remain with the group and let me deal with this.”

  Dealing with it was the problem. Since it was the full moon, we couldn’t change into our human forms and communicate with the vampires. Then again, being in our wolf forms offered more protection. We were stronger, faster, and more lethal on four paws, and something told me we would have to be. I didn’t think these bloodsuckers showed up to rub our bellies.

  “Anna Avery?” the female vampire asked, pointing a finger toward me. Now that she was closer, I could make out her features: tall and thin with shoulder-length dark hair. She wore skinny jeans with knee-high boots and a cropped leather jacket. I don’t know what I was expecting, but she wasn’t it. If it weren’t for the stale odor coming from her, I wouldn’t have even known she was supernatural.

  Adam growled, pushing into me so that I had to step back. I bumped into another body and noticed the wolves had listened to his orders and formed a circle around me. I might have had insecurities where fighting was concerned, but since transcending into an alpha, those uncertainties had vanished. Now, all I worried about was those around me. Chelsea was barely two weeks old. It should have been her we protected.

  “We can do this two ways,” the female vampire said. “You can either surrender yourself, Anna Avery, or we can take you and kill your wolves in the process.”

  “Asher, Joe, head back toward us,” Adam ordered. “Don’t even think about moving, Anna.”

  I thought about the wolves surrounding me, putting their lives on the line to protect me, and it made me sick to my stomach. Knowing I could return the favor and save their lives tempted me to step forward. If the vampires were on the mountain just for me, then I would make sure that no one got hurt on my account.

  Ignoring Adam, I took a step forward. Adam whipped his head around and full out growled in my face.

  “Get. Back. Now. It’s not the time to play the hero.”

  My steps faltered only because I knew if something happened to me, it would ruin Adam. Had it not been for our bond, I would have pushed forward and surrendered myself.

  “What’s it going to be puppy dog?”

  The vampire was answered with growls, snaps, and snarls. Her cherry red lips curled up in a sinister smile.

  “I was hoping you would say that,” she said right before she disappeared. I blinked, staring at the empty space she’d just occupied. A whimper tore through the still night. Whirling around, the other vampires had attacked our small pack. When I began forward, something snagged my tail and halted me.

  “Don’t,” Adam said. “They’re more than capable of taking care of themselves. Just stay close and wait for Asher and Joe’s group to get here.”

  I looked back at Adam’s black wolf with disbelief. Another whimper burned my ears, drawing my attention back to the fight. A vampire—a man with a shaved head—had Wade by the throat and was lifting him off the ground. Another man was taunting Chelsea, tapping her muzzle and then disappearing when she snapped at his hand.

  “We have to help them,” I said before ripping my tail from Adam’s sharp teeth and charging forward. My tail would probably have a bald spot, but that was the least of my worries. I couldn’t stand by and play spectator while our pack was being attacked.

  Leaping, I landed on the vampire that had a hold of Wade. My teeth sunk into his shoulder until a warm spray of blood flooded my mouth. He dropped Wade and began flailing back and forth to throw me off, but my teeth were firmly locked into muscle. If I was thrown off, a little piece of this vampire was coming with me.

  “Son of a bitch.” I heard the echo of Adam’s voice in my head, but was too concentrated on the vampire. I yanked backwards, angling my paws against the vampire’s back. More blood filled my mouth,
its staleness coating my tongue and teeth. The man fell backward right before I jumped off his back. Just as I was about to strike his throat, Adam’s large body shoved me out of the way. With a feral growl, he struck the vampire’s jugular and yanked his head to the side, ripping out his throat.

  I didn’t have time to admire his lethal move; something hit my side hard and knocked the wind out of my lungs. I skittered across the rough ground, my vision blurry for a moment. When I regained my footing, the first vampire was heading toward me. A smile still on her face, she flashed her fangs. My wolf was pissed, her anger causing our entire body to shake with it. She charged and so did the vampire. Right before we hit each other, the woman winked.

  I never got the chance to tear her to shreds, though; Adam stepped in and did that for me. I wasn’t sure if I was still reeling from the adrenaline-laced fury, or annoyed that Adam was playing white knight and treating me like a damsel in distress. Either way, I was pissed off.

  My eyes cut to the other wolves and the vampires they were fighting. I was just about to help Chelsea when more wolves broke through the tree line, rushing toward the attacking bloodsuckers. I recognized our pack, but couldn’t identify the visiting wolves. A big silver wolf headed toward me, his paws beating against the dry earth as he surged forward. His citrine eyes burned into mine, angry and determined. He wasn’t a wolf from the Everwood pack, that was for sure. When he reached me Adam’s voice filled my head.

  “Anna, go with Anthony and take Chelsea with you.”

  That surprised me, not just because Adam was willingly letting me go with his brother, but also because he wasn’t coming with me. I eyed the huge silver wolf with trepidation, unsure if the sudden vampire population was because of him. They were here for me, and if there was one person who wanted to hurt Adam, it was his brother. Was he going to lead me to safety or into a trap?

  “I’ll stay and help you fight.”

  “No you won’t. Go. Now.”

  Chelsea appeared by my side, and I had a split second to decide if I was going to ignore Adam or go. What made my decision easy was the idea of Anthony and Chelsea being alone together. If Anthony was up to no good, then I didn’t want her in the middle of it again. She had already been turned into a wolf because of Eve’s beef with me.

  “Let’s go.” I sent the message to Chelsea and began to run. She fell into stride beside me. Unfortunately, so did Anthony.

  Once we were back at the house, Anthony, Chelsea, and I paced the front lawn. We were stuck as wolves until the sun rose. I was itchy in my skin, nervous about Adam fighting without me. The man was lethal for sure, but I still didn’t like the idea of him being in danger while I was cowardly hiding at the house.

  “How are you doing, Chelsea?”

  Chelsea’s wolf had a mixture of gray and black fur. Her face was lighter than the rest of her body, and her tail was tipped in white. Her wide yellow eyes squinted when she looked at me.

  “Fine, considering. Why are they here for you?”

  I eyed Anthony. He was pacing back and forth, his eyes on the forest ahead. He was either anxious with the thought of the vampires following us or keyed up from the attack. He hadn’t stopped moving since we arrived at the house.

  “That’s a good question,” I said. “Anthony?”

  He turned his head to look back at me. “You think I summoned the bloodsuckers?”

  “Fits your M.O. You made it clear the feud between you and Adam wasn’t over. So what’s your plan, to kill me because Adam killed Eve?” I mentally snorted, knowing the sound would transfer through my thoughts, and he would hear it. “I think I lost some respect for you for hiring killers rather than having the balls to do it yourself. Not that I had much respect for you before.”

  Anthony looked away, a snarl resonating in his throat. “Believe me, if I wanted you dead, you would be.” He was quiet for a moment and then resumed pacing. After a long while, he stopped again.

  “You seem to forget I’m the reason you’re even alive. I assume you asked Adam about the day he found you in the mountains?”

  “You still left me for dead, so don’t pretend to be a hero. What if Adam hadn’t come out and searched for me? He’s the reason I’m alive, not you.”

  “So, I guess I should have let Eve finish what she started seeing as how it didn’t make a difference?”

  The ball of nerves churning in my stomach amplified into fury. He seriously thought he was my savior. The idea of this vile man thinking I owed him something revolted me.

  “Don’t pretend you are any better than she was. You stuck beside her while she murdered innocent humans. You helped her kidnap me and watched as she smacked me around. You are just as screwed up as she was. You two belonged together.”

  Anthony quit moving and stood as still as a statue. My heart slammed in my chest as though it was trying to escape my ribcage. A prickle of energy ran across my skin as I readied myself for his move. I may not have alpha blood running through my veins, but the power coursing through me gave me courage. If Anthony attacked, I would be prepared.

  Slowly, he turned, taking calculated steps toward me. His eyes were aflame as he stared me down. His shoulders were enormous as the muscles worked with his movements. Everything inside of me tensed the closer he got. I felt more than saw movement to my right, and I knew Chelsea was flanking me. As confident as I was, having her backup lent me extra peace of mind.

  “I’m only going to say this once,” Anthony began. “I loved Eve before I knew of her shortcomings, and when I learned of them I continued to love her. Love is not particular. It does not favor the good things while hating the bad. Those two emotions cannot dwell in the same heart. You either love or hate someone. I stood beside her, yes, but had it not been for me, your kidnapping would have been ten times worse. You may have trouble seeing my good through all the ugly, but whether you see it or not, it’s there. Eve is dead, and I will not continue to pay for the things she did. I justify my actions to no one. Get off your fucking high horse, Anna.”

  “Why did you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “If what you say is true, and you stopped Eve from killing me on the mountain and supposedly going easy on me—which I don’t think she did—while kidnapped, why did you do it?”

  I had a theory that I was not comfortable voicing. Just the idea of it made me cringe, but it was the only thing that made sense. Anthony had knocked me out after I crashed my truck, but afterward, he hadn’t laid a finger on me. My subconscious kept urging me to believe he wasn’t as bad as everyone suspected, but I tried to tune those thoughts out.

  “I have my reasons.”

  “If you want me to trust you and stop judging you for the things Eve did, then I need to know why?”

  Anthony’s golden eyes glinted. “Adam and I are twins …” He let the sentence trail off, but it confirmed my thoughts. I had always heard that twins were connected. Some even feel when their sibling is being hurt. Though Adam and Anthony weren’t close, did they share each other’s feelings?

  “So … are you saying you feel connected to me, and that’s why you stopped Eve on the mountain that day?”

  I thought back to the day Eve attacked and changed my life forever. It took me almost four months to remember what had happened, and at first, I thought it was Adam with Eve. I remembered the look of compassion and remorse as he looked down at my bleeding body. Now, I knew it wasn’t Adam at all. It was Anthony’s eyes I saw the compassion in.

  “Maybe … I don’t know,” Anthony said. “I have a strong urge to …”

  The rest of the pack and the visiting wolves broke through the trees. Both our eyes went to them. A rush of relief flooded me at seeing Adam’s large black body running toward me.

  “Urge to what?” I asked Anthony, anxious to get the answer before Adam arrived.

  Anthony’s eyes cut to me and then back to the arriving wolves. “Protect you.”

  After the full moon, wolves tended to sleep all the nex
t day. I lay in bed, running my fingers through my hair as the rest of the house slept. My thoughts kept running from what Anthony said, to relief that Adam was lying next to me. I hadn’t forgotten about the vision of him dying. Sometimes, it feels as though life is picking on you. The only thing I’ve found that kicks life’s ass is standing up and fighting back. I needed to figure out who summoned the vampires and worry about Anthony’s confession later.

  My mind wandered to Maggie. It wasn’t a secret she wanted me out of Adam’s life, but killing me wouldn’t be smart. She knew my death would affect her son’s wellbeing, which is why she had been trying to coerce me into leaving on my own. Giving up on Adam’s overbearing mother, I thought about Chloe. If there was a line of mates for Adam—which I still had to ask him about—then Chloe could be a realistic suspect.

  Frustrated, I turned and faced Adam. After he arrived back home last night he told me that none of the wolves were killed. Some walked away with injuries, but nothing that they wouldn’t heal from. I lifted a strand of honeyed hair from his forehead and ran it through my fingertips. I watched his parted lips as he breathed evenly, lost in sleep. Bringing my hand up, I stared at the big solitaire diamond on my finger. The ring had double bands encrusted with smaller diamonds. Each one sparkled like a star. While a lot of little girls plan their wedding day, I wasn’t one of them. I never got googly-eyed over gowns or diamond rings. A lot of my friends from high school had gotten married, and I remember thinking: suckers. I guess I was the sucker now. I’d fallen head over heels for the man lying beside me and spending the rest of my life with him still wouldn’t be long enough. He had the power to turn me into a sappy mess. Maybe that’s what I’d been missing all along—a man capable of touching my heart. No other man had come close. Then again, none of them were my Chantes.

  Tucking my sappy thoughts away, I climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. When I was done with my shower, I made my way down the hallway in search of food. Two men slept on the large sectional in the living room, their arms dangling off the cushions.