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

  I clasped his hand and shook it once before dropping it. Now, more than ever, I would have to keep my shields up, play the game of strong alpha female for two important reasons: keeping the threats at bay and not embarrassing Adam. Finding out he was somewhat regal in the werewolf community made me feel like I was some sort of rebellion he’d decided on—kinda like when a rich girl dates a bad boy just to piss off Daddy. It was a silly thought, I know. Adam and I weren’t merely ‘hanging out,’ we are each other’s Chantes. Still, I couldn’t help the small insecurity from skipping through my mind. I could feel everyone’s eyes judging me as they decided whether I would succeed or tank as an alpha.

  “Nice to meet you …”

  “Anna,” I supplied.

  “… Anna. I’m Everett of the Windsor clan.” His eyes slipped from mine and traveled down my neck where they settled on the swell of my cleavage. I was used to walking around the house in whatever, without a second thought, until now. I would have to invest in some turtlenecks and parkas until the conference was over. My wolf growled within me, disliking the lack of respect Everett was showing us. Without a thought, my knee snapped up in one swift motion and landed between Everett’s legs. He bent over; his hands went to his crotch and he coughed a few times.

  “Everett, you may be a guest in my home but, while you’re under my roof, you will show me the respect I deserve. Keep your eyes off my chest.” I knelt down so I could look him in the eye. With my pointer finger, I tipped his chin up. “As a matter of fact, unless I speak to you, do not speak to me.”

  The rush of adrenaline from my anger quickly dissipated and left me breathless. My hands shook, and I looked over at the remaining men. Their eyes were wide, eyebrows arched in shock. Embarrassment caused my cheeks to redden. Without another word, I headed toward the stairs and took them two at a time until I slipped around the corner, out of view. I leaned against the wall, listening to the men below tease Everett about his chiding. I inhaled deep breaths through my nose, holding them for a few seconds before exhaling through my mouth. My wolf calmed down, and the edge of anger disappeared, leaving me confused.

  What the hell just happened? I’d been known to stand up for myself, but publicly attacking someone for just looking at me was a bit extreme. So much for making a good impression. I was sure, come tomorrow, the story of how Adam’s new mate assaulted one of his visitors would be on the lips of everyone.

  I cut across the hall and disappeared into the office. A large mahogany desk jutted out from the left wall. Two bookcases rested on the other side of the room, filled with various volumes. An arched window overlooked the backyard and had a swath of hunter green fabric framing it.

  I walked over to one of the bookcases and lifted a pewter statue of a moose. Turning it, I slid a secret compartment open and retrieved a key. Heading over to the desk, I sat down and stuck the key into the center drawer. When the key turned, I opened the drawer and retrieved the Everwood pack book. Adam had placed the book in the main house while guests were visiting because he didn’t want outsiders finding and reading it. Not that it held super-secret information, but packs tended to be protective of their history and heritage. It was in this book that I learned that Chantes were an ancient wolf legend. Elle and I had stolen the book from Adam and Eve’s house just a few short weeks ago, and now it was mine to browse through as I pleased.

  I ran my fingertips over the aged leather and settled into the large chair, pulling my feet up underneath me. Flipping the book open, I examined each page. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I’d know when I found it. The book was hand-written by each prior alpha. Adam’s father had handed it down to him and when Adam had children, he would do the same. I paused and thought about kids. While I didn’t have anything against them, I also couldn’t see myself as a mother. Would time change my mind? If Adam found out I didn’t want to carry his offspring, would he feel differently for me? Now that I was bonded to Adam, so many questions filled my head. Before the only question on my lips was whether Adam would leave Eve. My wish had come true, and Adam was mine, but I was finding out, it wasn’t a walk in the park.

  I sagged against the soft leather of the chair and stared off into space. Though Eve was a psycho, I could now understand where her attitude came from. As the mate of the alpha, she had an appearance to uphold. I frowned as I thought about her and her tough exterior. Could I mimic that attitude to scare off power hungry werewolf women, and would I be any good at it? I had a feeling I would have to work twice as hard as Eve did being branded a mutt. Without alpha blood running through my veins, people would assume I’d be an easy takedown. I had to do everything in my power to prove them wrong. I would train with Elle all day every day if that was what it took. Being responsible for someone other than myself had me almost in a panic, which is where my fear of having kids came into play. I couldn’t allow another woman to take my spot because I knew it would destroy Adam. Being tied together sounded sweet in theory, but it was wreaking havoc on my nerves. I was sure Adam didn’t share my dilemma since he came from one of the strongest bloodlines. Our union was only as strong as its weakest link. Unfortunately, I was it.

  I snapped out of my thoughts and resumed browsing through the book. Elaborate drawings of past alpha ceremonies were charcoaled against the parchment paper in great detail. Every time I looked at them, the pride of my wolf swelled inside of me. There was something magical about being a werewolf. The bond between packs was an invisible force tethering all of us together. Adam and I may be bonded, but I’m also attached to the rest of the wolves. They are my family now, and I would do everything in my power to not let them down.

  I flipped to the next page right when the door to the office opened. My head snapped up, and my eyes met with Maggie Everwood’s.

  “What are you doing in here?” she said it as though she found a vandal snooping through her son’s things.

  “Reading,” I replied. I decided keeping my responses as minimal as possible was best when dealing with Adam’s parents. They didn’t need any other reasons to hate me—my dirty bloodline did that for me.

  “Does Adam know you’re reading that?” She nodded toward the book in my hands. I looked down at the book and then up at her, stupefied for a response. It dawned on me right then that, though she didn’t like me being mated to her son, she also didn’t think I was even good enough to read a book based on our pack.

  “He’s sleeping,” I told her. “I didn’t wake him up and ask, if that’s what you mean.”

  Maggie walked farther into the room. Coming around the desk, she rested one hand on her hip and held the other out to me.

  “I think it’s best to wait for Adam. If he wants you going through the book, then he can help you with it.”

  I stared at her outstretched hand and ground my teeth until my jaw ached with the pressure. Attacking my boyfriend’s mother was tempting, but I didn’t think Adam would appreciate it. It sucked having to force a smile while biting my tongue. Standing, I handed her the book and stepped around her.

  “Do you love him?”

  I spun around and met Maggie’s crystalline eyes, surprised by the question. “He’s the only man I’ve ever loved.”

  Maggie walked the short distance to me and reached for my hand. Turning it over, she stared at the upraised scar on my palm. I watched her face as she examined the mark. Her lips curled down in a frown while her jawline stretched tight.

  “You would put him above yourself?” Her eyes slid up to meet mine.

  I nodded. “Of course. I would do anything for him.”

  Her mouth rose in a small smile as though I said the right thing. “Then you should leave Wyoming.” I began to speak, but she held up her hand to stop me. “I know how cruel that sounds,” she continued, “and I know you and Adam think this mark is a testament to your destiny—it’s not. It’s a target on my son’s life. When word spreads that an alpha from a superior bloodline is branded by the Chante mark, and to a mutt no less, rivals will c
ome to take him out and claim his spot.” Maggie dropped my hand and crossed her arms. She looked away, but I didn’t miss the blur of tears in her eyes.

  “Our enemies will take one look at you and know just how easy it’d be to kill you and, by doing so, ruin Adam. Once you’re dead, what possible threat would Adam be to them? You are his weakness, Anna, the one thing that can undo everything he’s accomplished.” Maggie looked at me again. A lone tear slid down her peaches and cream cheek. “If you love him—truly love him—you have to let him go. So long as you guys are together, Adam’s life is in danger.”

  Maggie gave me one last look before stepping around me and heading toward the door. She turned around and said, “Think about it, Anna,” before she left me speechless.

  I was wide awake when Adam woke up. After the conversation with Maggie, I had crawled back into bed with Adam, but hadn’t been able to fall back asleep. I didn’t notice he was even awake until he spoke.

  “You look entirely too serious for six a.m.”

  I blinked, his voice jarring me from my thoughts, and looked up to find him propped up on an elbow watching me. His hair was ruffled, and his face still held the relaxation from sleep. He was gorgeous all of the time, but mornings he was divine. I tried for a smile, but it felt awkward on my lips.

  “How did you sleep?”

  “Really well, considering…”

  I pursed my lips in question.

  “I woke up last night and felt an extreme case of anxiety.” He brushed my hair away from my face. “I knew it was coming from you, but I wanted to give you space. I don’t want our bond to make you feel like I’m smothering you.” Adam smiled. “What happened last night? Where’d you go?”

  I looked away and stared out the window on the other side of the room. I couldn’t tell Adam about what Maggie had said. He would only try to convince me it wasn’t true, and I knew it was. His life was in my hands just as much as mine was in his. The only difference was, Adam was completely capable of keeping me safe. I couldn’t say the same for him.

  “Just nerves about the conference and the alpha ceremony,” I told him. It was half-true and, by the look on Adam’s face, he bought it.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” Adam said. “You’re tougher than you look, and someone challenging you is the worst case scenario. I doubt anyone actually will.” He winked, causing me to smile wide.

  “What’s on today’s agenda?” I asked, wanting to change the subject. Though I was nervous about being challenged, it wasn’t what was tormenting my mind at the moment, and lying to Adam didn’t help.

  “The rest of the packs will be arriving,” Adam said, rolling over and positioning himself between my legs so that he was lying on his stomach. He peeled my tank top up to expose my stomach and placed a kiss just below my navel. “There will be a group dinner.” Adam wound an arm around my leg, his fingers squeezing my flesh as he tugged my thigh closer to his mouth. “Today will be low key. The fun stuff starts tomorrow.” He looked up the length of my body at me. A strand of blond hair fell across his hungry eyes. Gold was already starting to bleed through his sapphire irises, a sure sign he was turned on.

  My wolf came alive, revving my own sex drive into motion. I could spend day and night in bed with Adam and never tire of feeling his skin against mine. I held my breath when he hooked his fingers in the hem of my shorts and began tugging them down. He knelt up and drew them off my legs, tossing them over his shoulder. His lips spread into a big grin when he lowered himself back down.

  “It looks like the fun stuff is starting right now,” I breathed.

  “Indeed,” Adam replied, bringing his mouth closer to my sweet spot. Speaking against my center, he said, “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been getting out of this bed every morning?” His tongue seared a path all the way up to my clitoris. A sweet shudder worked its way through my bones. “I find myself thinking of the sounds you make when I’m inside of you.” Another slow, languid stroke. “How wet you get for me when it’s my dick filling you.” He flicked his tongue against my clit and then slid two fingers into me. I moaned as I watched his hand move in and out. My eyes fell to the tent of his boxers, causing another hungry shudder.

  “I want you all the time, Chante,” Adam said, pressing a kiss to my inner thigh while his he moved his hand slowly, his fingers teasing my center. “In every possible position. Pounding into you. Making you cry out for me.” The thrust of his fingers increased, punctuating each sentence. “Fuck, Anna, you’re so wet for me.” Then he did one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen. He withdrew his fingers from me, brought them to his lips, and sucked them into his mouth. He watched me as he licked my wetness from his fingertips, his gaze hungry and predatory.

  “Turn over,” he ordered. Happy to oblige, I flipped onto my stomach, anxious for more. I felt the bed shift and then clothes hitting the floor. When he crawled back onto the bed, he slipped a strong arm under my stomach, lifting my behind into the air. My legs trembled. A sweet throb pulsed between my thighs, craving Adam’s fullness.

  “Spread your legs for me, Chante.”

  I lifted up, supporting myself with my hands while I spread my legs. I felt hair tickle my inner thigh, and then Adam was lying on his back, in between my legs. Curling his hands around my thighs, he tugged me down so that I was poised right over his mouth. I held my breath, realizing what he wanted me to do.

  “Ride me, baby.”

  I don’t know why, but my shyness kicked in right at the moment. I’d done virtually almost everything else with Adam, but the thought of riding his face gave me pause. What if I suffocated him? I could just see it now: Alpha female smothers her Chante between her thighs.

  Adam noticed my hesitance and prodded me with a series of kisses, flicking his tongue. His hands gripped my behind, moving my hips back and forth while his mouth enticed me. It took exactly two seconds for my hips to move on their own accord. I stared down at Adam, thrusting myself against his mouth and devouring the ravenousness glint in his eyes. A delicious pressure built, tightening and pulsing with need. My movements became harder, faster. Moans slipped from my lips as I tiptoed the edge of ecstasy.

  “Come for me, Chante.”

  As if my body reacted to Adam’s command, the floodgates opened and my body was dizzy with the high of the orgasm shooting through my center. Adam’s tongue didn’t stop until my body slumped, exhausted. I smiled down at him—amazed at the way he was able to work my body into a pile of goo.

  He rested his hands on either side of my waist and lifted, positioning me over his erection. I bent down and kissed him, needing to taste his lips, only to gasp when he thrust deep inside of me, pausing before repeating the process.

  “You feel so fucking good wrapped around my cock,” he all but growled. Adam’s colorful language was new to me, and I was surprised to find how much it turned me on. He thrust his hips upward, driving faster and harder into my wetness. Bracing myself on his chest, I dug my nails into his skin.

  Adam sat up, wrapping an arm around my waist to hold me in place. His mouth clamped around my breast, his tongue stroking my erect nipple. I worked my hips against his and moaned when his teeth worried my nipple. That delicious heat was building again, causing exciting tingles in my stomach. When Adam gripped my hips and moved them against his in hard pulls, that yummy heat spilled forward in yet another earth-shattering orgasm. I could feel Adam coming at the same time; the slight pulsing of his dick amplified my own pleasure.

  Our movements slowed, and I rested my forehead against his as we caught our breaths. Adam guided his mouth to mine, kissing me slowly.

  “I will never get used to how fucking good you feel, Chante.”

  “You better not,” I teased.

  Sounds echoed from the kitchen, alerting us that the house was starting to wake up. Outside my bedroom door, the world was waiting for us. Adam and I sighed in unison, both wishing we could stay wrapped around each other’s bodies instead of dealing with our responsib
ilities.

  “We’ll pick this back up tonight,” Adam promised.

  I’d just gotten into my truck when Anthony stepped out of the house. Our eyes met like two magnets pulled toward each other. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel in a death grip, and my wolf bristled inside of me. I still couldn’t believe he’d just popped up after what had happened. The sun played across his face, highlighting his blond hair and eyes. He started forward, and I fumbled to turn the key and start the truck. My hands trembled with my anger, and the keys fell from my hand to the floorboard. I reached between my legs, retrieved them, and let out a shriek when Anthony’s face appeared in my driver’s side window. This wasn’t Wade’s idea of “playing it cool”.

  “Oh, hey,” I said, trying to pull off nonchalance. The slight bend in Anthony’s lips told me he wasn’t fooled.

  “I heard you were going into town,” Anthony said. “Do you mind if I tag along? I need to pick something up.”

  I could learn a thing or two about nonchalance from him. How could he stand in front of me and act like he hadn’t kidnapped me and watched as Eve abused me? His face was slack and free of emotion, but his eyes couldn’t shield the truth of our history together. Silence settled between us as I thought of what to do. On one hand, Adam would flip the hell out if he found out I was alone with his brother, but on the other, Wade wanted me to get close to him and find out the truth. I stared ahead, almost hoping one of the busy pack members would look in my direction, tell Adam, and I’d be saved from having to make the decision. When that didn’t happen, I turned toward Anthony and hesitated to speak. The answer was on the tip of my tongue, but my wolf was wary to voice it. Maggie’s comment about me being the downfall to everything Adam had worked for stuck in my head. If I agreed to take Anthony into town, it could be a ploy to try to kill me. The best way to take his brother down was through me, and he knew it. But how would I know if I didn’t try to get a vision? Maybe Anthony’s sights were set on Adam. I would never forgive myself if I could have prevented his death.