Embracing the Wolf - Book #2 (Anna Avery) Read online

  “You know eavesdropping is childish, right?”

  I whirled around to find Wade leaning against the counter. I had been so wrapped up in Adam’s conversation that I hadn’t even heard him come in. He cocked his buzzed head to the side and smirked at me.

  “What?” I said with innocence. “They’re talking shit about me. I think I have the right to hear what they’re saying.”

  Wade’s eyes slid from my face to the opening of the living room. “What did you expect? Alphas never mate with anything other than other purebreds.”

  “Yeah, well it’s stupid. What does being a purebred have to do with me loving their son or being loyal to my pack—both of which I take very seriously?” I walked over to the fridge and retrieved a soda. The large window above the sink gave me a clear view of the back yard. Elle was helping Chelsea transform. The first couple weeks of being a werewolf could be scary and painful. Adam had made me change repeatedly until the snapping of bone and thickening of muscle was only a dull ache.

  “What’s up with you and Chelsea?” I looked away from the window and toward Wade. He was sitting at the kitchen table flipping through a magazine. I suspected he was sweet on our new addition, and she was the reason why he stayed behind when the other Leaders left.

  “What do you mean?” He looked up from the page he’d been reading.

  “You like her, right?” When Wade ignored my question and started reading again I stared back out the window. I had met Chelsea in high school and lost touch with her when everyone else went off to college and I stayed in Wyoming. It was pure coincidence that we ran into her at Wal-Mart. I still felt bad that, because of me, Eve had targeted her and turned her. But I was also a firm believer in fate, and maybe Chelsea was destined to be one of our pack all along.

  “You better snatch her up before one of the others do,” I laughed through my nose.

  “That won’t be a problem,” Wade said.

  “What makes you think that?”

  Wade looked up, a grin sliding across his mouth. “I made sure of it.”

  I smiled wide. “I knew you had a thing for her.”

  Wade stood up. “Come on. We have training to do.”

  Downtown Buffalo left a lot to be desired. It was mainly filled with hunting, fishing, and antique stores—one strip of road with shabby boutiques on either side. Wade and I had been going to various thrift shops for my training sessions. At first nothing happened. I would pick up an old antique and feel nothing but the dust that had settled on the item. After a week of doing this, something sparked, and I was able to deduce the past of the item. I was my own personal time machine—able to get a glimpse into the past and see what occurred. It didn’t happen every time, though. Sometimes, no matter how hard I concentrated or connected with the item, it would not speak to me.

  “When is everyone arriving?” I asked as I slipped down a small aisle between tables. Knick-knacks rested on either side of me, but nothing caught my attention. If I was going to see into the past, then I wanted something exciting. Something told me picking up a vintage coffee cup wouldn’t produce an adventurous vision.

  “They should start arriving any day. Some maybe as early as tonight,” Wade said as his eyes roamed over the cluttered tables.

  “And what happens at these conferences?” I asked. “They’re every year?”

  Wade stuffed his hands in the pockets of his green canvas coat and bobbed his head. “Yeah, every year. It’s a way for packs to mingle and talk business. It’s also a great way to find mates and join packs together. There are games … of sorts.”

  I instantly thought of Elle and Sawyer. Nothing would make me happier than to see them mated. Sawyer had kept his distance from me, only speaking to me when I spoke to him.

  “What kind of games?” I picked up a vintage cigarette case. It was made out of pewter and tarnished with age. Floral filigree was embossed on the front. I pushed the snap button that opened it. I imagined some swanky woman from old money had owned it. Maybe she had kept it in her garter belt for safekeeping.

  “Gettin’ anything?”

  I looked up at Wade and then back down at the case. “No,” I told him. “I don’t know why it works some times and it doesn’t others.”

  “You’re still learning. It’ll get easier in time,” Wade reassured me. “As for the games … they’re the usual sort: fights and hunts. They are more competition than for fun. Just another way for the wolves to boast about their pack.”

  “Have you known other seers?”

  “I’ve met all sorts,” Wade said. “We don’t know why some wolves are capable of magic, while others are not. Seers are rare, but there are a couple I’ve met.”

  I perked up a little. “Will they be at the conference?”

  Wade thought for a moment. “Nadia might,” he said. “Last time I saw her she was staying with the Utah pack, but if she moved past the borders then no.”

  In our world, the packs were divided up by territories. Ours was the Western territory, and then there are the Central and East regions. We did our thing, and they did theirs. The Leaders patrolled all of the packs. I eyed Wade as he studied the contents on the tables. A life of traveling all the time didn’t seem all that fun. I liked having a home where I could settle down. Wade and the other Leaders stayed with various packs or lived out of hotels.

  “How long have you been a Leader?”

  Wade looked up at me and noticed I’d been staring at him. “A few years. When my father died, I took his place,” he shrugged. “It’s what I was born to do.”

  I got the impression he didn’t want to talk about it, so I dropped it. I set the cigarette case back down and walked farther down the aisle. A rack of vintage clothing rested against the far wall. A long, flowing white wedding gown was protected behind plastic. I unzipped the bag and ran my fingers along the tattered lace. Spots began to dance within my vision. The thrift store slowly faded as a vision stepped into view. I saw a large park full of green grass and blossoming trees. An arch decorated with pink and white flowers stood at the front of a long aisle. White chairs were set up on both sides and full of excited family and friends. I looked down to find the white dress. It squeezed my ribs and made it hard to breathe. An older gentleman was standing beside me, my hand placed in the crook of his arm. My eyes traveled the aisle to find a younger man waiting for me. His shaggy brown hair brushed the collar of his tux. His eyes widened the slightest bit as he stared down at me.

  And just like that, the vision vanished. The thrift store came rushing back, and I had to grab onto the rack of clothing to steady my wobbly legs. As my eyesight came into focus, my stomach rolled with queasiness.

  “What was it this time?” Wade asked, walking over to me. He braced a hand on my shoulder and cocked his head to the side to see my face. My blonde hair curtained my face as I hung my head.

  “A wedding,” I told him. I sucked in a lungful of air to ease the adrenaline—and my wolf. She always got antsy when we witnessed a vision. “When is the nausea going to stop? We’ve been at this for two weeks now.”

  “It’s not an exact science,” Wade replied. “Everyone’s power develops differently. I don’t remember Nadia mentioning vision sickness. Are you going to get sick?”

  I stood up straight and thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think so.” The first couple times a vision had come on, it had always resulted in me throwing up or passing out. The last handful had only left me nauseous.

  “Well, that’s something.”

  I glared up at my optimistic teacher. “Let me kick you in the balls over and over and see how many times it takes you to withstand crumbling on the floor.” Call me crazy, but having my stomach turn into a sea of wooziness was not what I called a silver lining. The thing was, I wanted to hone my craft. It may have left me sick, but it was one of the coolest things to happen to me. That didn’t mean that I was enjoying the side effects. I just hoped that the more I saw, the less of a toll it would take.

 
“Save the hostility for the pack games,” Wade chuckled, and I reached out to punch him in the arm. He was nice enough to pretend I had hurt him. We both know I didn’t.

  My cell phone rang, giving me something other than my sensitive stomach to think about. I retrieved it from my pocket and instantly smiled when Adam’s name showed up on the LCD screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Get home now. Do not stop anywhere or talk to anyone other than Wade.”

  “What?” I asked with confusion. “What’s going on?”

  “Anthony just showed up, and I want your ass home by my side where I can protect you.”

  I eyed Wade, and he gave me a cautious look. Being a were, our hearing is nearly perfect. I knew he had heard everything Adam had said.

  “Okay, just calm down,” I told Adam. “I think you’re—”

  “I’m not overreacting,” Adam finished. “He tried killing you once; I won’t give him a second chance. Get home.”

  I was saved from having to calm him down further when the click of the phone sounded in my ear.

  “Looks like class is dismissed,” Wade said.

  When Wade and I pulled up, Adam and Anthony were having a standoff in the front yard. Maggie stood off to the side while Donald stood in between his two sons. My wolf bristled at seeing Anthony. She wasn’t the only one who remembered the week of our kidnap. While Anthony hadn’t physically hurt me, he hadn’t exactly been a savior either.

  Wade and I exited the truck. I hung back, hesitating to get closer to Anthony. I wasn’t afraid of him, not anymore. I was worried if I got too close, though, my wolf would tear him to shreds. We were no longer bound by iron manacles, and were itching to get retribution.

  Adam’s eyes found mine. The familiar sapphires were gone and in their place—citrines. His wolf was at the surface, ready to fight should his brother attack. Adam came across the lawn to where I stood and grabbed my hand, placing the majority of his body in front of mine as a protective barrier.

  “I don’t want him here,” Adam told his father.

  “I’ve come to pay tribute to your new alpha and give my sincerest apologies for my previous behavior,” Anthony said. “Love can make you do crazy things. Don’t you agree, Brother?”

  Anthony’s eyes slid past Adam and landed on my face. There was no trace of malice in his gaze, but I didn’t trust his poker face. I knew exactly how he felt about made wolves and their place in pack hierarchy.

  “You’re no brother of mine,” Adam spat.

  Anthony smirked. “You always were one for theatrics.”

  “You tried to kill my Chante,” Adam snarled. “Forgive me, but I don’t think I’m overreacting.”

  “Your brother and I will have a talk,” Donald told Adam. “I will get to the bottom of this.” Donald began to usher Anthony away, but Wade spoke up and stopped them.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Everwood. As a Leader, it is my duty to get to the bottom of this. Anthony and Eve killed humans. That sort of thing cannot go without the attention of the Leaders. It is our judgment that will define his fate, not yours.”

  Golden fire burned behind Donald’s eyes. His lips straightened into a hard line as he glared at Wade. My wolf bristled beneath my skin, ready for a fight. I wasn’t sure if Adam’s father was insane enough to attack a Leader, but his icy glare said he was considering it. What I couldn’t fathom was Maggie and Donald’s complete ignorance to their son’s behavior. Keeping werewolves a secret was not only the Leader’s rule—it was everyone’s. No one wanted the hassle of dealing with frightened humans. It would drum up hysteria, and our mountain would be flooded with hunters.

  Donald’s shoulders relaxed. “Very well, but I request to be present during your questioning.”

  Wade nodded. “Accepted.” He turned toward Adam and asked, “Is it all right if we use your office?”

  Adam tipped his chin in agreement, but didn’t take his steely gaze off his brother. As they turned to head into the house, Anthony smiled and winked at me. Adam took a step forward, but I gripped his shoulder to stop him.

  “Don’t let Anthony goad you,” I said.

  Adam sucked in a deep breath through his nose and turned toward me. His hand came up and caressed the side of my face. My eyes briefly closed, and my wolf eased.

  “As long as he’s here, you’re not to be out of my sight. Understand?”

  “Do you really think he’d try something with everyone around?” I asked. “Besides, Elle’s teachings are proving effective. I took her down in record time today.”

  Adam laughed and slung an arm around my shoulders. “I’m sure that had everything to do with your viciousness rather than the appearance of my parents and me.”

  I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. “You bet your ass it did.”

  We both laughed before Adam’s smile fell, and he stared off into the distance. He looked down at me with concerned eyes.

  “Seriously,” I said. “Everything will be okay, you’ll see.”

  “Anna,” Adam breathed. His arm slipped from my shoulders, and he stood so that we were facing each other. “Anthony isn’t the only thing we have to worry about.”

  My optimistic outlook on Adam’s brother’s visit quickly vanished. What was worse than my boyfriend’s bloodthirsty brother showing up? Not to mention his parents not-so-subtle confession of their distaste of me. I couldn’t imagine what—yet, by the worry swimming through Adam’s eyes, I knew there was something much worse.

  “The conference,” Adam began, “it’s a place to interact with other packs, but it’s also a place for the single wolves to find mates.”

  I puckered my lips to the side in confusion. “That doesn’t seem all that bad.”

  “It is when the wolf is already mated.”

  Realization dawned on me and punched me in the gut. “You mean other females might want to fight me to take my place as your alpha female?”

  “It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen,” Adam said. “I want you to be ready if it does.”

  “Who in their right mind would want to kill someone’s Chante?” I asked. “If I’m dead, then you’ll be destroyed.” That sounded conceited, but it was the truth. We’re each other’s other half—the missing link. We completed each other in a way no other man or woman could. And the same could be said for me. If I were to lose Adam, I would retreat to the dark corners of my mind until death eventually came to claim me.

  “Wolves do not have to kill to win a challenge,” Adam said. “If they subdue you for a full seven seconds they win. When it comes to alphas, no underling should be able to subdue you for even three seconds.”

  He didn’t say it, but I could read it all over his face. He was worried I wasn’t strong enough to win, should I be challenged. Elle had defeated me multiple times, and she wasn’t even an alpha.

  “The ceremony is Friday night,” Adam continued. “When a wolf goes through the alpha ritual, power is transferred from your pack mates, strengthening your wolf. If we can get through it without any challenges, then we’ll be in the clear.”

  “What? No one will challenge me after I’ve received my new alpha powers?”

  Adam gave me a small smile. “Only if they want to check into an early grave. You, my dear, are mated to a man from an extremely strong bloodline. Not only will you receive the power of the pack, but you’ll also gain the power of my wolf.” Adam wrapped his arms around my waist and stared down at me with a smirk on his face.

  “You sound pretty sure of yourself,” I teased.

  “There are three things I never question: the strength of my wolf, my skills in the bedroom, and the unyielding love I feel for you.”

  Adam’s lips found mine and weakened my knees. I sagged against his hard frame, content to stay wrapped in his arms for a lifetime.

  “Besides,” Adam said against my lips, “should any wolf challenge you, they best be prepared for me to challenge them. Man or woman, I will kill anyone who threatens what we have. That is my promise
to you.”

  I was sure if I were to look in the mirror I would see googly eyes staring back. I was a sucker for this man, a fool walking on clouds, a woman suckered into believing in all the mushy things I use to roll my eyes at. I was helpless against the feelings occupying my heart.

  “I find it insulting that you only think someone would challenge me to get to you,” I joked. “What if someone challenged you to win me?”

  Twin rows of teeth glistened in the sun as a large smile spread across Adam’s face. “Those women who try to steal your spot are only after the position of power, not me. If men should want to challenge me for you …” Adam shrugged. “They can try, but it will only result in their deaths. No. One. Will. Ever. Take. You. From. Me.”

  I nodded, speechless to his intensity. My wolf quivered like an excited puppy. She wasn’t the only one who thought a protective male was sexy. I knew that through whatever obstacles were thrown our way, Adam would knock down mountains to keep harm from coming to me. And I would do the same.

  “Sir …”

  Adam and I turned to see Joe standing a few feet away with a clipboard in his hands. I smiled at the thought of him being turned into a party coordinator. He was responsible for event planning and making sure the visiting wolves had shelter.

  “I needed to go over this itinerary with you if you have a moment,” Joe said.

  Adam turned toward me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m going to be busy helping the others get ready for the conference. I want you with someone at all times, understand?”

  When I began to open my mouth in protest, Adam placed a finger over my lips to silence me. I was learning when Adam got something into his head it was nearly impossible to get it out.

  “Promise me.”

  I nodded and Adam removed his finger. He smiled and began to walk away.

  “I still think you’re overreacting,” I called after him.

  He looked over his shoulder and said, “When this is all over—and nothing happens—please feel free to say, ‘I told you so.’”

  He cut across the yard and stopped where Joe was standing. I watched as he pointed off in the distance and then down at the clipboard. The conference was a much bigger deal than I originally thought. Everyone was busy doing something. Everyone except me. Adam hadn’t given me any orders since our bonding, and it felt bizarre. I was used to taking on every little task, and now I had more free time than I knew what to do with.