Daddy Dragon (Nanny Shifter Service Book 1) by Sky Winters (22)

Savannah had expected the water to be cold and sharp, but despite the sun’s failing rays, the water was warm and soft. It rushed at her from all sides and draped itself around her like a caress. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Savannah felt the stress that had been gripping her for the last few days slip away. She turned into Xander and kissed him passionately, thrilled to find her mind released of worry, no matter how short the reprieve would be. 

“This feels amazing,” Savannah whispered, her lips pressed against Xander’s neck.

She clung to him as Xander’s hands wrapped around her, and they turned together in the melding mists of color. There was a slight chill of magic in the air, surrounding both of them, tickling their skin lovingly.

They kissed in the water, long and slow, and then they moved out onto the bank, unwilling to put their clothes on just yet. Xander pushed Savannah back onto the soft grass gently and then he moved on top of her. The chill clinging to her body died instantly as Xander’s body came over hers, his skin filling her with new heat.

They kissed under the fading light of day and as Xander entered her gently, Savannah looked up at the bright stars twinkling in the faded midnight-blue sky. There were still edges of color clinging stubbornly to the clouds, but a few rabid rays of moonlight were quickly extinguishing them.

Afterwards, Xander rested his head against Savannah’s chest and they lay entwined and completely content in the comfortable silence.

“I wish it could always be like this,” Savannah said quietly.

“It will be,” Xander assured her, and he kissed her breasts. “Once this is all over, all we’ll have left to do is swim, eat, and make love under the sky.”

“That sounds perfect.” Savannah sighed. “But what about the pack?”

She felt Xander tense instantly. “I thought we agreed not to talk about the pack today.”

“You’re right,” Savannah said slowly. “Forget the question.”

Xander propped himself up on one elbow and gazed down at Savannah as his fingers traced the contours of her face. Every so often he would bend down and place a kiss on her cheek, brow, or forehead. They lay there until they were both completely dry, and then they dressed slowly, as though they had all the time in the world and no place to go.

Savannah had just put on her shirt when a flash of light coursed through her field of vision, and she knew a vision was imminent.

“Savannah?” Xander’s voice sounded worried.

Savannah ripped her hearing aid off quickly, and closed her eyes. “Something is coming,” she said, concentrating on the wave that was about to hit.

Savannah gasped when the vision finally came over her, the clearest one she'd ever had. She froze into place, willing herself to ignore everything else and pay attention. She was only mildly aware that Xander was standing next to her, but the moment the next flash of light came, she forgot where she was and whom she was with.

She saw herself standing in the clearing close to the lake, but the lake was cast in bright sunshine. Savannah could tell the sun she was seeing in her vision was a few days older than the one that had just set. Then she saw Marissa. Her face was contorted in a scowl, and her eyes were ablaze with fury. She was running towards Savannah, a stick in her hand raised in attack.

Savannah watched in shock as Marissa ran toward her, double-time, and plunged a fiery blue dagger straight into Savannah’s heart.

“Savannah?”

Savannah shook herself out of the last remnants of her vision. Even though she was currently herself gazing into Xander’s sad, grey eyes, she could still see Marissa’s fierce beauty as she ran ahead.

“What did you see?” Xander said.

Savannah read the words on his lips. Even though she couldn’t hear him, she could sense the concern that was virtually dripping from his aura.

“I saw what I always suspected would happen,” Savannah said at last.

“What did you see?” Xander said. Savannah slipped her hearing aid back in.

“I saw my future,” Savannah said, “clear as day.”

Xander fell silent and waited for her to continue.

“I saw my death,” Savannah went on slowly. She glanced at Xander’s eyes, willing him to believe her, fearing that he wouldn’t. “I saw Marissa plunging a knife into my heart.”

Chapter Eight

 

“What?” Xander said blinking at her in shock.

“Marissa,” Savannah said, her voice colored with anger and bitterness. “I saw her run toward me with a dagger in hand…she plunged it into my heart!”

Xander stood before her as though he were carved in stone. His eyes turbulent and filled with disbelief. “Say something.” Savannah begged. “Say something.”

Xander looked her head on, and Savannah knew he was choosing his words carefully. The magic that had engulfed them only moments before seemed to have abandoned them, and Savannah could feel only fear and unease and anger.

“Savannah--”

“I saw it!”

“I know you did,” Xander said calmly as he took a step forward. “I know you think you saw it–"

“Think?” Savannah repeated as she cringed away from Xander. “Think?”

“You’re pregnant, and sometimes, that can influence your visions,” Xander said trying to calm her.

“Don’t do that,” Savannah said angrily. “Don’t treat me as though I was some jealous idiot who can’t control my raging hormones. This has nothing to do with my pregnancy. It’s what I saw and it's what's going to happen soon.”

“Marissa would never hurt you,” Xander said adamantly.

Savannah turned and started walking away from him.

“Savannah,” Xander cried as he ran after her. “Wait! Please stop and talk to me.”

“You don’t believe me?” Savannah demanded and she turned around to face him again. “And yet you trust her?”

“I’ve known her my whole life--”

“And you’ve known me for a fraction of a second in comparison,” Savannah interrupted him. “I know that as well as you do, but it doesn't change what I saw.”

“What if what you saw was a mistake?” Xander demanded.

“A mistake?” Savannah asked incredulously. “How can you think that?”

“Because you yourself have told me that your visions are rare, and when they do come to you they aren’t clear. What if you simply saw what you wanted to see as opposed to what actually is?”

Savannah stopped short and stared at Xander. “Which is it?” She asked in a thick voice. “You don’t believe me, or you don’t trust me.” For a split second Savannah found herself thinking of Abel and the fact that he would have believed her vision without second thought.

Xander sighed in frustration. “I do believe you and I do trust you--I just think that, in this instance, I have more information than you do.”

“And what information do I have?” Savannah demanded.

“I think you're scared and that fear's clouding your judgement,” Xander said, trying to reach for Savannah’s hand.

Savannah shook him off and started to walk away from him. Xander followed close behind, imploring her to stay and talk to him. “Savannah please,” he said, “I’m on your side.”

“Really?” Savannah said, coming to another stop. “Are you really on my side? Because it doesn’t feel that way to me. In fact, it feels like you’re on Marissa’s side.”

“You don’t understand,” Xander said desperately. “I know Marissa.”

“Maybe you’re the one who’s blind,” Savannah said hotly as she continued on the winding path down the hill. It was harder to move in the darkness and walking downhill was always more treacherous than walking uphill. Savannah slipped a few times. The last time Xander grabbed her just in time.

“Slow down Savannah,” Xander cautioned. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine,” Savannah snapped, pulling from herself from his grip and resuming her pace.

When they reached the bottom of the hill, Savannah stood beside Xander’s bike and fixed him with a cold stare.“Just take me home,” she said.

“Savannah--”

“Please,” Savannah begged tiredly. “I don’t want to talk anymore. I just want to get home.”

Xander stared at her a moment longer and then shook his head in defeat. “All right, I’ll take you home,” he said.

The ride back to the house was filled with a dark silence and Savannah felt every beautiful moment she'd experienced in the last few hours melt away. She felt as though she were alone again, which only served to strengthen her resolve. She was right to have taken matters into her own hands. She was right to have sought help.

When Xander stopped the bike in front of her house, Savannah got down without saying a word, and started toward the house.

“Savannah,” Xander called out before she reached the door, “please.”

Savannah turned around to face him. “Give me some time,” she said. “I need a break.”

Xander looked at her forlornly for a long moment, and then he nodded once. “If that’s what you need.”

Savannah turned her back on him and walked into the house. She closed the door on Xander, and for some unfathomable reason, Savannah found herself thinking about Abel as she climbed the stairs to her room.

 

Chapter Nine

 

Savannah woke early the next day, after a night of shapeless dreams and hidden monsters. She felt the dark circles under her eyes before she saw them, and longed for the soft, cushy pillows of her bed, wishing that she could have just a few more hours of dreamless sleep.

She put on her oldest and most favorite pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and her most comfortable hoodie, grabbed her backpack, and headed down the stairs.

“Savannah?” her mother called from the kitchen.

“Hi, Mom,” Savannah said as she stuck her head in the door. “I’m going out for a bit.”

“It’s early,” her mother pointed out.

“It’s not too early for hiking,” Savannah said with a small smile.

“Wow! You're really into this hiking thing, aren’t you?” her mother said.

“I know--it’s surprising to me, too,” Savannah replied.

“Maybe I’ll join you one day and see what all the fuss is about,” her mother said.

“That would be nice.” Savannah nodded and attempted to leave the kitchen.

“Hey,” her mother called, “what about breakfast?”

Savannah stuck her head back in. “What are we having?”

“Waffles.”

Savannah went to the table and took a waffle from the plate. She crunched into it and gave her mother a smile. “That should do it,” she said, and then she waved goodbye as she left the kitchen.

She drove the car to the foot of Grey Mountain and stared up at the steep hill. It looked familiar to her now, despite the fact that she'd only made one journey there before. All of the smells that had been foreign to her the day before were starting to make sense now. She began to climb, glad that her pregnancy still allowed her to be active and limber.

She was half way to the cabin when she heard a voice behind her. “Hello Savannah,” it said.

Savannah rushed around and found herself face to face with Abel. His brown-gold eyes were on her and his expression was unreadable.

“Abel,” Savannah gasped, feeling a shiver jerk through her body. She was uncertain why Abel’s presence affected her so much. Maybe it was because it made her feel as though she had no control. “I didn’t sense you there.”

He smiled a slow smile, which opened up his face and accentuatd his good looks. “That's the point of being protected--no one is supposed to sense me.”

“Whom exactly are you protecting yourself against?” Savannah asked as she fell into step beside Abel.

“The wolves, of course,” Abel replied. “If they could sense us then it would be easier to track us down in order to destroy us.”

Savannah felt discomfort flood through her. “I don’t think Xander would want to harm anyone…not even someone he considered his enemy.”

“Then you don’t know your future husband very well,” Abel said without humor. “The wolves hate us, and if we were to set one foot on their territory, they would rip us to shreds.”

“Does that mean there are lands within Grey Mountain that you can’t enter?” Savannah asked.

“The town is neutral ground,” Abel replied, “but the mountains have been cordoned off. The witches get the tiniest portion of it, while the wolves get the lion’s share.”

Savannah hesitated a moment. “Are there many other witches in Grey Mountain?”

Abel glanced at her with his burning gold eyes. “My grandmother and I are the last ones,” he said. Savannah detected an edge of sadness in his tone.

She reached out and placed her hand on Abel’s arm drawing him to a stop. He looked at her in surprise, and she read the question in his eyes. “Abel,” Savannah started, removing her hand from his arm rather quickly, “I can speak to Xander. I can make sure you and your grandmother need never fear the wolves.”

Abel looked at her and smiled. “That’s kind of you.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Savannah said adamantly. “You didn’t have to agree to help me. In fact, you have absolutely no reason to.”

“The reason I had was in your eyes,” Abel said softly. “I saw the fear there. I saw the worry. How could I turn you away when you were desperate? When desperate people do desperate things, chaos is sure to ensue.”

Savannah nodded. They kept walking toward the cabin. She was more grateful than she could say to have Abel by her side, giving her the hope she needed.

“You have something to tell me?” Abel said.

Savannah glanced up at him in shock. “How did you know?"

“I sense these things,” Abel said with a small smile. “And I am a witch, and there's magic all around us.”

“Have you been to the clearing?” Savannah asked abruptly, remembering the magic she'd thought she'd felt yesterday, when she and Xander had been in the lake.

“We can't go there,” Abel said. Savannah detected an edge to his voice. “That's the wolves' territory.”

“I'll take you there, one day,” Savannah said. “When all this is over and things are peaceful again.”

Abel laughed, but it was without humor. “You are very naïve.”

“I’m not. I just choose to believe in the best possible outcome.”

“That's a nice way of saying you're naïve,” Abel said as they approached the cabin. “Now, tell me what you came here to say.”

“I had a vision yesterday,” Savannah admitted. “It was the clearest vision I've ever had.”

“Which leads you to believe what, exactly?”

“I’m not sure,” Savannah said. “I think it means the threat is real and imminent.”

Abel nodded and then opened the door of the cabin to let Savannah pass through. The moment she entered she was hit with several different scents, each of them were pleasant in their own way, but Savannah’s senses spun with the onslaught of olfactory signals she was receiving.

“Hello, Savannah,” Elena said from her chair by the covered window. “You have come to see us again.”

“Yes,” Savannah replied as she moved closer. “I know what’s going to happen, but I’m not sure when it’s going to happen.”

“Is that so?” Elena said. Her filmy, silver eyes turned to her grandson. “Sit down, both of you, and we shall talk.”

Savannah and Abel sat down in front of her and beside one another, and Savannah told them about the vision she'd had just after swimming in the lake.

“You are sure it is this girl?” Elena asked. “Her name is…Marissa?”

“It is,” Savannah nodded. “I'm a hundred percent sure she was the one who tried to kill me, or at least, she's the one who will try to kill me.”

“Did you tell your mate what you saw?” Elena asked pointedly.

“Yes,” Savannah said trying to keep the hurt from her voice. “He didn’t believe me.”

Elena’s eyebrows rose. “He didn’t believe you?” 

“Or maybe he did and he just thought I was mistaken,” Savannah said trying to justify Xander’s reaction. “He’s blinded by…oyalty.”

Elena nodded and stretched out her hands, palms up, towards Savannah. “Place your hands over mine,” she instructed. “Close your eyes and think of the vision again.”

“I can’t bring it back,” Savannah said. “I can’t control my visions.”

“You don’t have to,” Elena said easily. “You just need to give me a helping hand so I can bring back the vision.”

“Can you really do that?” Savannah asked in amazement.

“I am a witch,” was all Elena said.

Savannah extended her hands and placed them over Elena’s palms, wishing for a short, irrational moment that they were Abel’s, instead. The older woman’s hands were soft as silk, though Savannah could feel the clawing of age wrapped around them. She closed her eyes and thought about that moment in the clearing, when the vision had taken over, and the world had faded away around her.

Suddenly, Savannah felt a grasping pull from deep inside her. She was vaguely aware of Elena’s presence on the periphery and then a flash of light overcame her as the vision came forward. This time Savannah realized she was not watching the future alone. Elena was standing next to her, watching silently as well. Both watched intently as Marissa ran toward future Savannah, her arm raised in the air just before she plunged the knife into future Savannah’s chest.

When the vision faded into blackness and Savannah blinked her eyes open she knew that Elena had all the information she needed.

“That vision was very clear,” Elena said softly.

“Do you think it will happen?” Savannah asked.

“The future is unpredictable and ever-changing,” Elena replied. “What you see today could change tomorrow, based on the choices and actions of yourself and others. You cannot hope to predict or alter the future because you might end up bringing about the very future you fear.”

“So you’re saying there is nothing I can do about it?” Savannah asked. 

“I did not say that,” Elena said. “What this vision has told you is that Marissa is a threat to you and to the pack that you have aligned yourself with. She wishes to destroy you so that she and her mate can take over. Your vision has given you a clear warning, and now you have the means to protect yourself against it.”

“How can I protect myself?” Savannah asked.

“You can’t,” Elena turned to Abel, “but we can.”

 

Chapter Ten

.

“Will you help me?” Savannah asked

“I gave you my word, and I will stick to it,” Elena replied. “Abel wants to help you and I have decided to support him in this choice, but you must follow our instructions to the letter.”

“I will.” Savannah nodded. “Of course, I will. What could you tell from the vision?”

Elena’s silver eyes seemed to cloud over with a layer of film. When they focused again, they were gazing straight at Savannah. “The future event you saw will take place three days from now, in the clearing that is forbidden to us, which means we cannot be there to help you physically.”

Savannah felt her body tense, but then Abel’s hand fell on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “We can help you in other ways.”

“How?”

“By doing what witches do best.”

Savannah raised her eyebrows and thought about all the things that witches could do. “By casting spells?”

“Precisely.” Abel nodded. “We cast spells and make potions. Those are the gifts granted to us, and we shall use them today to protect you.”

Abel turned to his grandmother, who turned to look at a table of strange objects and even stranger ingredients. “We will brew together a potion that you must drink in seven sips. It is a protection potion.”

“Will it protect my child?” Savannah asked. “Will it prevent Marissa from hurting me?”

“It will do both,” Elena said as she rose from her seat and walked to the long, narrow table at the center of the cabin.

Savannah eyes zigzagged across the table as she tried to distinguish between all of the ingredients was seeing. There were jars filled with small moving beetles, jars of liquids in a range of colors, a rope that seemed to glow gold, and daggers with adorned hilts. There were also books in strange handwriting, and boxes filled with the entrails of dead animals.

Savannah pushed back her nausea and glanced at Abel. “This is quite a collection,” she said, trying to appear as if this wasn’t all new to her.

Abel smiled. “We need ingredients for potions and spells,” he said, “some of which are easy to come by, while others are not.” He picked up a little tin can, overflowing with green herbs. “We call these mountain herbs. They're very common, growing all over the forest, but these,” Abel pointed to a bottle with what looked like round bluish dead eyes inside, “are the eyes of a very rare fish. They're harder to come by.”

“You need fish eyes for potions and spells?” Savannah asked.

“It depends on the kind of potion or spell,” Abel explained, “but yes, sometimes we do.”

Savannah walked the length of the table, wondering if she were allowed to touch the strange collection of objects that sat before her. At the end of the table was a dagger with a clear blade and a beautifully ornate hilt. The hilt seemed to be encased in stone that glittered and shone even under the muted light of the cabin.

“This is beautiful,” Savannah said gesturing toward it.

“You can touch it if you want,” Abel said. “Do you notice the difference in the blade?”

Savannah nodded. “It seems to be colorless, but then--”

“It changes color,” Abel said. “It’s an imbibing blade.”

“A what?” 

“An imbibing blade,” Abel repeated. “The blade has been enchanted so that it can be infused.”

“With what?” Savannah asked.

“With whatever you choose,” Abel replied. “Witches have carried imbibing blades as protection for years.”

“How are they used?” Savannah asked.

“If I were to take a vial of poison and drench the blade in it, the blade would be imbibed with that poison,” Abel explained. “If someone were to attack me and I used the blade on him, he would not be cut--he would be poisoned.”

Savannah stared down at the dagger in amazement. “I could use one of those daggers, then.”

Abel smiled. “Maybe one day you'll have one of your own.”

Savannah looked at Abel in surprise. “Don’t you have to be a witch to own one?” she asked.

Abel gave her a small, secretive smile that seemed to say a lot, but Savannah could not for the life of her figure out what it meant. She appreciated the fact that he was taking the time to teach her, though, as it made her feel like she wasn’t such an outsider.

“Things are not always what they seem,” Abel said. He went to the other side of the table, putting an end to the conversation.

“Abel,” Elena called. “Bring me my cauldron. It is time we started brewing.”

Abel went to the back of the cabin and through the hidden door at the side of the room. He re-appeared moments later carrying a small black cauldron that looked as if it were made from black lead, and he set it down in front of his grandmother.

“What else do you need?”

“Hollyhocks from the garden, snake tongues, and red nightshades,” Elena replied. “And you, Savannah, bring me some water.”

Savannah rushed to do as she was told. When she returned with the water the pot was already bubbling with smoke, even though nothing seemed to be inside.

Elena’s eyes were closed and she seemed to be muttering something under her breath.

“Elena?” Savannah said softly, unsure if it was okay to interrupt.

“Put the water in and stand back,” Elena said without opening her eyes.

Savannah did as she was told. A plume of hot resembling clouds danced upwards from the little black cauldron. Savannah had to cover her eyes from the smoky haze, but she desperately wanted to see every detail of the potion making.

A few moments later, Abel returned with the ingredients that Elena had asked for. One by one he put them into the cauldron and they disappeared into the smoke wafting out of it. After a while, Savannah realized that the smoke had changed color, turning from a silvery-white to a greyish-blue.

Once the smoke had settled somewhat, Elena opened her eyes and looked from Savannah to Abel.

“Is it done?” Savannah asked.

Elena shook her head. “Not yet. It will take an hour to brew, and then it needs to sit overnight.”

“Overnight?” Savannah said. “I want to drink the potion as soon as I can.”

Elena’s voice was low and clear. “The young are impatient, but anything of quality requires time to work. You will have the potion tomorrow, and once you drink it you will be protected.”

“I don’t know if I can come here tomorrow,” Savannah told her.

“It does not matter,” Elena replied. “Meet Abel in the town tomorrow and he will give it to you.”

Savannah nodded. After a pause she said, “I have another favor to ask.”

Elena’s eyes turned cloudy again and she fixed Savannah with a penetrating stare. “What is it?” she asked in a voice that was anything but friendly.

“I want Xander to be protected, too,” Savannah managed. “I want him to drink the potion, too.”

“You ask us to help our enemies?” Elena asked in a cold voice.

Abel turned to Savannah. “It was one thing to help you as you are not directly involved in the enmity we share with the wolves, but to help a wolf directly? They would do no such thing for us.”

“Xander would,” Savannah said. “Xander would if I explained everything to him. He'd understand why I went to you, and he'd appreciate that you helped me despite everything.”

Elena glanced at Abel. “The girl is naïve.”

“She is young,” Abel said as though he were years older.

“Please,” Savannah said, ignoring both of them. “I love him. He's the father of my child, and the future of his pack.”

“His future spells death for both of us,” Abel said, mimicking his grandmother’s tone.

“What if I can get him to grant you immunity from the wolves and freedom to roam the forests?” Savannah asked desperately. “Would you help him then?”

“We will never trust the wolves,” Elena said.

“Then don’t trust them,” Savannah said. “Trust me.”

Abel and Elena exchanged a glance and Savannah thought they might be were considering it, but then Abel turned his eyes on her, and Savannah had her answer before he could speak the words. “No,” Abel said firmly. “We will not help your mate. The potion is for you alone to drink, and no one else.”

Savannah was disappointed, and she nodded in defeat.

“You have asked much of us Savannah,” Elena said. “Now go home and rest. I shall send Abel to town tomorrow with your protection potion.”

Savannah nodded and left the cabin with Abel’s eyes on her back. As long as her child was inside her she could protect it. Protecting Xander, however, was a completely different task, especially because he didn’t think he needed to be protected at all. Savannah remembered how they'd left things yesterday, and it left a hollow darkness in the pit of her stomach.

She hated that she kept comparing Xander to Abel as it was unfair to both of them. The truth was that she missed Xander and she knew he missed her, but she also knew that it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough for him to miss her and love her. He needed to trust her as well. He needed to believe her.

Chapter Eleven

 

Savannah drove into town early the next day. She had three missed calls from Xander on her phone but she ignored them. All she wanted to do was drink the potion and once she had she would face the storm she knew was on its way.              

She found Abel standing outside the bakery, leaning against a lamppost in an absurdly casual way. Savannah was struck by how handsome he looked, framed against the backdrop of the quaint little town, even though it was extremely obvious that he did not belong there. She approached him and he nodded to her and started walking down the lane toward the forests.

“Where are we going?” Savannah asked.

“Somewhere private,” Abel replied. “The potion has an aftertaste and its best people don’t see you gagging in public.”

They found an alcove by the trees, far from watchful eyes, and Abel took out a small, clear vial filled with purple liquid that shone brightly in the noon-day sun. He unstoppered it and passed it to her.

“Drink it in seven sips,” he told her. “Whatever you do, don’t stop until you’ve finished the seventh sip.”

Savannah took the little vial and stared at it curiously for a moment. There was an aroma wafting from the top of the vial, but she couldn’t figure out what it reminded her of. “How bad is the taste?” she asked.

“Tolerable,” Abel replied. “If you don’t think about it too much.”

“That’s not comforting at all.” She prepared herself to drink it.

“Quickly, now,” Abel urged.

Savannah took a deep breath, and with a silent prayer of hope, took the first sip. The liquid burned her throat as she swallowed, and she had to fight desperately not to throw it up. Tears formed in her eyes as the burning in her throat became almost unbearable, but she kept going, knowing what was at stake.

It felt to her like she had swallowed seventy-seven sips instead of only seven, but finally the little vial was empty, and the burning sensation, along with the acrid smell, had disappeared. Savannah felt a little lightheaded and she felt herself sway where she stood.

“Here,” Abel said, taking her hand and guiding her to a rock so she could sit down for a moment. “Rest for a while.”

“I feel strange,” Savannah admitted.

“Give it a few minutes,” Abel said. “The feeling will pass.”

Slowly, the fog that seemed to surround Savannah disappeared and she was once more able to think and speak clearly. “You said it was bearable,” she said accusingly.

He smiled sardonically. “If I had said otherwise you wouldn’t have drank it.”

“I would have still drank it,” Savannah said, “but it would have been harder.”

“Exactly.” Abel nodded. “You’re welcome.”

Savannah shot him an annoyed look and shook her head. “You’re right, there's an aftertaste.”

“That’ll last a few hours.” 

“Can I eat or drink anything?”

“You can do both, but it won’t help,” Abel said. “That aftertaste won’t go away until it's good and ready.”

“Joy,” Savannah said.

“How are you feeling, though?” 

“I don’t know,” Savannah said. “There’s this burning feeling…in my gut. Is that normal?”

“It’ll settle, don’t worry,” Abel said. “Until then you just need to get some rest.”

“Okay.” Savannah nodded. “Thank Elena for me.”

Abel gave her a small smile, and Savannah started walking back to her car. Within fifteen minutes she was back home, but her senses told her that something wasn't quite right. She was able to sense Xander’s powerfully bright aura and it was brimming with fear and anger.

Savannah looked around for him, but he was out of her line of sight. “I know you’re there, Xander,” she said out loud. “Just come out here and say what you need to say.”

After a moment she heard the rustle of leaves and then Xander stepped out from behind the aged trees that ran up the hill next to her home. His face was surly and unhappy, but Savannah could tell he was doing his best to stay calm. She sensed what was coming and she prepared herself.

“Are your parents at home?” he asked in a subdued voice.

“Not at the moment.”

He nodded and Savannah saw his jaw clench. His good looks were more pronounced as a result, but it also made him look severe and foreboding.

“Xander?” Savannah said.

“Gordy saw you in town, today” Xander practically spat. 

Savannah felt her body tense. “I didn’t see him.”

“Apparently you were otherwise occupied,” Xander said through clenched teeth.

“Abel is my friend,” Savannah said—there was no point denying it. It was one thing to keep things from Xander, it was another thing entirely to lie straight to his face, and she'd made the decision to tell him the truth if he ever asked the question.

“Your friend?” Xander said incredulously. “Your friend?”

“That’s what I said,” Savannah said, standing her ground.

“He is a witch,” Xander's eyes seemed to contain fire at their centers. “I thought the rules were clear.”

“They’re your rules, not mine.”

Xander took a step back, as though Savannah had slapped him. “You’re my life partner, you’re carrying my child, and one day, when I'm alpha, you will stand beside me.”

“That doesn't mean I'll agree with every decision you make,” Savannah said calmly. “Nor does it mean I'm bound by the same rules as the pack. You’ve made it very clear that I'm not a shifter, which means I’m not really a part of the pack, and that the only thing that connects me to it is the child I’m carrying.”

“And what happens after you’ve had the baby?” Xander demanded. “Are you trying to tell me you want out of this relationship?”

“I never said that,” Savannah said angrily. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

Xander was seething, but Savannah knew he was struggling to keep his temper under control. She still felt the intensity of his aura, however. It was burning hot and fierce, but Savannah could tell that it was just his way of masking his fear.

“Savannah,” Xander said in a calmer tone. “What were you doing with him? What have you told him about us?”

“The truth,” Savannah said after a small pause.

“Which is what?”

“Which is that we’re being threatened by a rival pack that’s headed by your half-brother,” Savannah told him. “I told him that a battle was on the horizon and that I needed to protect my child.”

“Is that it?” Xander asked. “You wanted to protect the baby?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t understand: why on earth would you go to the witches? Why wouldn’t you come to me? I can protect you and the baby.”

“How can you protect me when you’re blinded by loyalty?” Savannah demanded. “You’re still convinced Marissa isn't a threat to me, even after I told you what I saw. When I told them about my vision, Elena and Abel believed me right away.”

“Elena and Abel?”

“Elena is Abel’s grandmother,” Savannah said, “and they were willing to help me, even though they mistrust the wolves.”

“They mistrust us?” Xander said incredulously. Then he shook his head. “You’ve put your trust in the wrong people and now? Now I don’t know what they've done.”

“They’ve done nothing but help me,” Savannah said emphatically. “They helped me.”

“Tell me how. How they helped you?”

“They brewed me a potion,” Savannah said, “so that no harm will come to me, should my vision prove to be true.”

“They said this potion would protect you?”

“Me and the baby,” Savannah nodded. “You’re wrong to hate them. They're  not what you think. They just want to live their lives, the same as you.”

Xander looked at her as though he were at a loss for words. “What they gave you was not a protection spell Savannah. They tricked you.”

“What are you talking about?” Savannah said. “How can you possibly know that? Your hate for them is blinding you.”

“Maybe you’re the one who’s been blinded, did you ever think of that?” Xander shot at her.

There was the sound of a howl, and Xander and Savannah broke off their conversation and looked up toward the trees. “What was that?” Savannah asked, feeling a new pain creep through her body.

“An alert call,” Xander replied. “Dominic and Marissa are coming, and they’re not alone. I have to go.”

“I’m coming with you,” Savannah said.

“It’s too dangerous for you to be in the clearing,” Xander said. “Stay here.”

He turned his back on her and ran into the trees without another word. Savannah bit back the burnt taste in her mouth and waited until he had disappeared before she started to follow behind him. There was no way she could just sit idly by while all hell broke loose. She thought back to her vision and pictured the moment when Marissa had stabbed her in the chest with the flaming blue dagger. She wasn’t sure if she was about to walk to her death, but she knew she could not stay behind.

She and Xander might not be in agreement at the moment, but that was completely immaterial, because even when he'd been screaming at her, even when he'd been angry and frustrated, Savannah still sensed the love beneath the emotion. Xander loved her purely and nothing was going to change that.

Savannah knew she couldn't let him enter that clearing without her.

 

Chapter Twelve

 

Savannah peeked through the trees and out into the clearing. The whole pack was gathered there, including Marissa’s friends, and the elders. Savannah was surprised to see Principal Harris standing among them. She looked a little worse for the wear with dark circles beneath her eyes, and the stain of worry etched across her face. The pack had not shifted into their wolf forms yet, and Savannah wondered why that was.

“What are you doing here?” Johnny demanded from behind her.

Savannah whirled around to face him. "Did all of you think I was just going to stay home?"

 

“You should have,” Johnny said in a hard voice. “You won’t be able to help us.”

Savannah regarded him stubbornly. “I don’t care,” she said. “I refuse to be treated as though I’m not a part of this pack. I have just as much a stake in what happens here as you, and I’m staying.”

Johnny grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the clearing. “Xander!” he yelled, and Savannah saw Xander turn toward them from across the clearing. His eyes narrowed slightly, but Savannah sensed he wasn’t surprised.

He approached them quickly, but his eyes were searching the landscape, as though he were looking for something. The pack converged around Savannah, the elders watching her with weary eyes.

“Savannah, why did you come?” Elvira asked in her deep, authoritative voice.

“I had to be here,” Savannah said loudly, so that everyone could hear her. “I'm at least partly to blame for all of this. Marissa wouldn't have betrayed the pack if it hadn’t been for me. I’m not going to sit safely at home while all of you are in danger.”

“And what about your child?” Malick asked pointedly. “It's noble of you to want to share the fight with us, but you’re risking your child in the process.”

“She’s taken measures to protect the baby,” Xander said dryly as he went to stand beside Savannah.

Savannah could tell that Xander was still upset about her involvement with Abel, but she also knew he'd never leave her alone to defend herself against the pack, and his stance beside her proved that no matter their differences, they were going to stick together.

“Taken measures…how?” Principal Harris asked. 

Xander glanced at her. He was about to speak but she beat him to the punch. “I went to the witches,” she said.

There was a murmur of fear that ran through the pack as they exchanged wide-eyed glances of horror with one another. Then Malick took a slow step forward. “Did you drink anything they gave you?” he asked, sounding deadly serious.

“Yes,” Savannah said, nodding. She felt panic inexplicably rise within her. “It was a protection potion.”

Malick closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he said, “It was not.” 

“What do you mean?” Savannah asked. “How do you know?"

Malick didn’t answer her. Instead his gaze fell onto Xander. “Haven’t you told her…about our past, about our legends and our histories?”

“I have not been able to tell her everything yet,” Xander said, his voice wracked with guilt. “She doesn't know the complete legend of the witches--the history books do not account for them.”

Malick looked around the pack. His green eyes were piercing, and Savannah sensed sorrow rise within him. “Savannah became a part of our pack the day we found out she was pregnant with the next generation of shifters,and yet we have not treated her as such. Xander: you should have taught her what it means to be shifter. You should have educated her in our customs and way of thinking. If that had been done she never would have gone to the witches.”

Savannah looked around in confusion. “You don’t understand,” she pleaded. “They were trying to help me.”

“They were trying to enslave you,” Principal Harris said. “They were trying to enslave us all, and now they might have succeeded.”

She looked into Principal Harris's eyes and realized that she cared little of Savannah's fate. Her thoughts were only of her daughter, and the only worry she was able to muster was for Marissa. Savannah suddenly realized that her pain weighed heavily on the rest of the pack, as if they were somehow connected. Before another word could be exchanged Gordy burst through the trees, his eyes wide, and his stance purposeful.

“They’re coming,” Gordy said, panting hard. “The rival pack is coming! Ten minutes and they’ll have breached the clearing.”

“Marissa?” Principal Harris gasped. “Is she with them?”

“She and Dominic are heading the pack,” Gordy said in a slightly lower voice. “I think… I think she will be fighting with them today.”

“No,” Principal Harris said and her knees buckled.

Malick swung forward and caught her before she could fall. He held onto her and whispered something into her ear. “Stay strong; we may be able to save her still,” he said a little louder to the rest of the group.

“We can save her,” Principal Harris said with a sob in her voice, “but it is not up to you or me to take her back, Will the new alpha allow her back into the fold after this betrayal?”

She glanced at Xander and Savannah realized the weight of Xander’s responsibility. She expected him to assure Principal Harris, she expected him to tell her he'd take Marissa back in a heartbeat if they succeeded in saving her from Dominic’s hold, but he didn’t. He stood there for a moment and then he glanced at Savannah.

“I will make that decision when the time comes,” he said, promising nothing. “With my partner.”

She recognized the apology in Xander’s tone. He was telling her that he was sorry for shutting her out and refusing to listen or believe her. He was telling her that from this day forward, they were going to work together, they were going to act together, and that he was not going to put anyone else’s feelings before hers.

She sensed the enormity of the message from his aura rather than his words, which meant the world to Savannah, and for the first time since the pack had split she didn’t feel as if she were alone in the situation.

“What do we do?” Gordy asked.

“There’s nothing we can do but fight,” Xander said, stepping forward.

“We'll have to fight to kill,” Gordy said.

“No,” Xander said quickly. “Defend yourselves well, but if death can be avoided then avoid it.”

“They will not do the same for us,” Johnny pointed out. “They will kill us all if they win.”

“They have to kill us to take our land,” Xander said, “but aside from that, we are better than they are, and we must prove it. We will defeat them. We’re stronger than they are because our bonds are pure, and our ties to each other are strong.”

“And Marissa?” Principal Harris demanded. “What about my daughter?”

Xander glanced at Savannah and she saw the question in his eyes. He was giving her the choice to decide what was best based on the vision she'd had. If Savannah said that Marissa should be banished with the rival pack, she knew without a doubt that Xander would stand by her decision.

“You have to save Marissa,” Savannah said, her voice a little shaky.

“Are you sure?” Xander asked.

“You’re right: loyalty is important, and from what I’ve sensed about Marissa, she's nothing if not loyal. Her hate for me clouded her loyalty causing her to run to Dominic. Maybe she'll take a second chance if she's given   it.”

Savannah felt relief wafting from Principal Harris, and she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. She was still a mother, standing opposed to a daughter who had made independent decisions. She momentarily wondered if Principal Harris had ever been tempted to join her daughter.

Xander walked toward Savannah and took her hand. “Thank you,” he whispered to her.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Savannah whispered back.

The burning sensation she'd experienced when she'd taken the potion was beginning to return, clawing at her belly, and making it impossible for her to concentrate. Savannah felt a chill pass over her body.

A moment later, Malick's voice echoed around their loose circle. "They are here," he said, and everyone turned in the direction of the trees opposite the lake. 

 

Dominic and Marissa were the first to enter the clearing, followed by more people. Savannah counted, desperate to determine which pack outnumbered the other.

“Eleven,” Malick said, “including Marissa and Dominic.”

“And we have ten,” Xander said under his breath.

“We can win this,” Zanna added.

Dominic walked forward with as if he were welcome by all in the clearing. He was naked to the waist, wearing nothing but a pair of faded trousers. Savannah understood he was ready for the fight, ready to shift at any moment. He was good-looking, but his features were severe and threatening. It was impossible to imagine that he and Xander had shared the same father.

Marissa followed Dominic close behind. She was just as beautiful as Savannah remembered, with her golden hair and bright blue eyes, but Savannah sensed the undercurrent of fear that lay just beneath the surface. Marissa wanted to appear calm, but Savannah knew she was far from it.

“Hello, little brother,” Dominic said in a good imitation of friendliness. “I see you've gathered your pack together to welcome me.”

Xander ignored him completely, turned to Marissa, and said, “Marissa, what have you done? Why did you do this to us, to your friends, to your mother?”

Marissa bristled at his words and Dominic shot her a look. She kept her eyes trained on Xander, and Savannah could tell how painful it was for her to see him again. “What have I done?” she demanded. “You’re the one who betrayed us all.”

“Betrayed you?” Xander asked. “How, by falling in love with Savannah?”

“She was never meant for you,” Marissa said.

“Then why is it our child has shifter blood?” Xander demanded. “If we were not meant to be then the child would be human, and I would never have been allowed to marry Savannah.

"Please, Marissa, you’re letting your personal feelings cloud your judgement. This is not the way.”

Dominic looked amused as he looked between Xander and Marissa. “She’s made her choice, Xander,” Dominic said. “She’s chosen the stronger brother.”

“You realize that in order to take this land he has to kill us all, don’t you, Marissa?” Xander continued to ignore Dominic. “Are you really going to help him kill us?”

“Of course not,” Marissa said immediately. “No one needs to die. As long as you are prepared to move your allegiance moves to Dominic and I, then you will all be welcomed into our pack.”

“And what if no one is willing to change allegiances?” Zanna asked, stepping forward.

“You have to,” Marissa said. Savannah saw wild fear pass through her eyes as she considered the possibility the pack might choose to die fighting than submit to Dominic’s rule.

Principal Harris stepped forward. She looked hard at her daughter. “You have made a mistake, Marissa,” she said, her voice low with pain. “You acted impulsively because you were hurt, but you didn’t stop to think it through. You thought the pack would change loyalties if they were faced with death, but you thought wrong. We would rather die than accept Dominic’s authority here.”

Marissa’s eyes filled with panic as she stared at her mother. Marissa gasped. “Don’t say that.” She took a step forward. Dominic reached out to hold her back. “Please,” Marissa pleaded, “don’t say that!”

“Looks like the decision has been made, Marissa,” Dominic said, a confident smile playing on his face. “Time to say goodbye.”

“No!” Marissa screamed. “I will not hurt any of them.”

Dominic’s eyes narrowed. “Then it was a foolish mistake to partner with me, but it's too late now.”

“No, it’s not,” Xander said, stepping forward. “Marissa can choose to break ties with you.”

Dominic nodded. “She can, but that won’t change much. She's still created the bridge that's allowed us into Grey Mountain, and we can still challenge you for this land.”

“But you won’t win,” Xander said matching his half-brother's confidence.

Dominic laughed. “I beg to differ.” He changed his gaze so that it fell onto the trees a short distance from where the packs stood. “Welcome, Abel.”

Savannah felt her body grow cold when she heard the friendly way Dominic had greeted Abel. She stared at the line of trees as Abel emerged. His brown-gold eyes glittered in the sun as he approached them to stand between the packs.

A hiss went through the root pack, and a few of the boys actually bared their teeth. Xander’s eyes narrowed. When he finally spoke, his tone was cold and quiet.

“This is not your territory,” Xander said, full of venom.

“How is it possible you're even here?” Elvira asked. 

Abel smiled politely at her. “I'm here because of my dear friend.”

“Dominic?” Elvira asked, confused.

“No.” Abel shook his head. “Savannah.”

Savannah felt the gaze of everyone in the clearing turn toward her, and she wished for the ground beneath her to open up and swallow her whole.

Chapter Thirteen

 

“Abel,” Savannah said, her voice shaky with horror. “What did you do?”

“It’s not what I did,” he said calmly. “It’s what you did.”

“I came to you for help,” Savannah said desperately. “I came to you because I didn’t have options.”

Abel turned his calm smile on Xander. “I suppose I have you and your pack to thank for that. Prey is usually caught through isolation and you lot did a great job of pushing Savannah out.”

Savannah felt the burn in the pit of her stomach. “What was that potion you gave me?” she demanded, trying not to clutch her stomach.

“Do you know what the real problem with isolation is?” Abel asked. “It's that you have no one around you to help or advise you, no one there to explain things to you or to teach you.”

“What did you do to me?” Savannah gasped as pain shot through her stomach.

“I took a page from the history books,” Abel said simply.

Savannah looked toward Xander and saw the devastation in his eyes. “You remember the legend of Kato and Alais?” Xander asked softly.

“Yes?”

“The history of their story is incomplete,” Xander explained. “The books detail the part where Kato and Alais employ the witches help Alais take on a wolf’s form, but the price of that help was that they could never leave Grey Mountain.”

“I know the story--”

Xander shook his head. “You know the story that's been written down, but that's not the whole story.

"The witch tricked Alais and Kato. Not only were they tied to Grey Mountain forever, they were also under her control.”

“You mean…”

“The witch had complete power over them,” Xander said in a hushed voice. “She could make them do whatever she wanted.”

Savannah stared at Xander without really seeing him, the words, what have I done? repeating in her mind.  When she looked back up her eyes fell onto Abel. “So that means the potion you gave me…”

“It wasn’t a protection spell,” Abel said, calmer than the situation would seem to warrant. “It was a spell that allows me to control you and the rest of your pack.”

“How can it control the rest of the pack?” Savannah demanded scrambling to understand.

“Because a pack is connected by bond,” Abel said. “You are carrying the future alpha in your belly, which means that you are the source.”

“Oh God,” Savannah gasped feeling her knees buckle.

Abel opened his coat and drew out a blade gleaming with the promise of a thousand colors. It shone for a moment and then it turned a nearly colorless silver-white. “Oh, God,” Savannah said,  “an imbibing blade.”

Abel’s smile went deeper. “You see how much she knows, Xander?” he asked sounding a little too familiar. “It's because she was taught. I was the one to teach her about imbibing blades." He turned to Savannah and said, "Now it's time to finish the lesson, Savannah, with a demonstration of its power.”

He reached into his coat and withdrew a small vial, much like the one he'd handed Savannah when he gave her the potion. He pulled the tiny stopper out with his teeth and raised the bottle in his hand for all to see.

“I didn’t teach you about potions, did I, Savannah?” Abel asked conversationally. “If I had taught you the art of potion-making then you would have known something was not right, and you would have known not to trust me. But then again, you weren't taught, were you?. Do you want to know what this potion does?”

“Yes,” Savannah said breathlessly.

“This potion will kill every elder in your precious pack while retaining their knowledge and their skill, so it may be used at a later date.”

Xander turned to Dominic with fury in his eyes. “You're a fool if you believe he's your ally,” Xander said angrily. “He has aligned himself with you now only because he can use you. Do you really think he won’t betray you once he has power?”

Dominic smirked at Xander. “He cannot control me or my pack--Savannah’s connection is to you and your pack alone."

“He has magic,” Malick spat as he came forward, “and he will use it against you.”

“I am no fool,” Dominic said calmly. “I have made sure my pack and I are protected in all this. The only fool here is my dear brother."

To Xander he said, "You refused to step down and give me my land and my rightful pack, and then you chose a weak and ignorant human who enslaved you all without even realizing it as your mate.”

Savannah heard Xander’s jaw grind together, and the burn in her stomach and the growing feeling of discomfort she sensed from Xander’s pack had her attention. 

“What’s happening?” She shivered as she spoke. “Something's happening.”

Abel focused his brown-gold eyes on her. “What you're feeling, Savannah, is the potion spreading. It will infect every part of you, and once it travels to your womb it will infect your child. Once that happens, the whole pack will be under my control.”

Savannah felt the urge to rip the alien substance straight from her veins. She knew Abel had well and truly betrayed her and there was no way out of this.

“How could you do this?” Savannah exclaimed with sorrow. “I trusted you.”

“You were a fool to trust me,” Abel said without feeling.

“I should have listened,” Savannah said weakly. “I should have listened when everyone told me that witches were not to be trusted.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Abel said. “You should have been taught, but your partner and your pack isolated you. You were desperate and alone, and that makes for easy prey.”

Savannah felt Xander slip his hand into hers and squeeze it slowly a moment later. Savannah didn’t dare look at him because she knew that if she did she would break. She felt the poison spreading and she knew there was nothing she could do about it.

“Now,” Abel said enthusiastically, “I think that’s enough talk for one day—time to set things in motion.”

Abel tipped the contents of the vial onto the silver-white blade of the dagger which instantly turned a rich, fiery red that seemed to exude heat. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Abel said, looking at the imbibing blade with fondness. “Now, it’s time to take what I need.”

“Wait,” Dominic said, stepping forward. "Does it matter who uses the blade?"

 

Abel cocked his head to the side. “No.”

“Good,” Dominic said with a small smile. “Then I think there's someone here who needs to prove herself.” He slowly turned his gaze on Marissa.

“No,” Marissa said, shaking her head. She took a step back.

Dominic reached out, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her violently toward him. “You're the one that came to me.”

“You told me you would spare them,” Marissa said.

“If they joined me,” Dominic said. “If they bent to my will--which they did not.”

“No,” Marissa pleaded. “They're my family.”

“No, they’re not,” Dominic replied coldly. “If they truly were your family, you never would have betrayed them in the first place.”

“I only did it because–"

“You wanted to hurt Xander like he hurt you,” Dominic interrupted. “But you didn’t think things through, did you? You made a choice, and now it's time you stand by it.”

Dominic turned to Abel who stretched out his hand and passed the blade to Dominic. Marissa looked at her mother helplessly, as though she were silently begging for help.

It happened all at once. Savannah felt a flash of pain scream through her body. This was followed by Xander and his entire pack screaming in pain, their bodies bent over as though they were being electrocuted. Savannah looked around her helplessly, her eyes meeting Marissa’s for a moment.

“What’s happening?” Savannah gasped, dropping to her knees beside Xander.

“The poison in your body is spreading,” Abel said calmly. “Its hold is extending to the rest of the pack. That's what they're feeling now, the loss of their autonomy, the destruction of their free will.”

“No!” Savannah begged. “This has to stop.”

“There's no stopping this,” Dominic said calmly as the rest of his pack watched on, half horrified, and half amazed.

Dominic held the blade out to Marissa. She stared at it in disgust, shaking her head. “I will never use that on my pack.”

“The only pack you belong to anymore is the one standing behind you,” Dominic reminded her threateningly. “It's time you embraced that and put an end to the pack kneeling in front of you.”

Savannah looked around her in desperation. She could see the nightmare unfolding in front of her, felt Xander's body shivering uncontrollably beside here, and she was powerless to do anything about it.  His pack was halfway gone and she was the only one left. Savannah glanced up and her eyes met Marissa’s once more.

There was fear in Marissa’s aura. Savannah sensed nothing there but fear, pain, and sorrow. She was looking for a way out, too, a way to reverse every action she'd made in the past week, as was Savannah.

“Take the damn blade!” Dominic said, his voice rising in anger.

He forced it into Marissa’s hand but she was shaking so hard she dropped it. The blade fell mere feet away from the glistening water of the lake, its bright red sheen disrupted by a bolt of silver-blue streaming across it.

And then it hit Savannah. It was entirely possible that the legends about the lake were as true as the legends about Alais and Kato, which meant the waters were healing, just like Xander had told her. The waters had the ability to save lives and make magic, magic that was good and strong and enabling. Savannah knew the lake was their last hope.

“Pick it up.” Dominic’s voice echoed through the clearing. “Pick it up now, or be the first to die.”

Savannah didn’t know what was driving her instincts, but she knew they were all she had left. She pulled out her hearing aid and the world went instantly silent and still as the night. Though Savannah couldn't hear a sound, the world seemed to open up a little, as if by magic.  She closed her eyes in the next breath and her world seemed to expand a little more.

She felt the rustle of movement next to her and knew, instinctively, that it was Xander. Savannah held up her hand and the movement ceased, seeming to edge further away from her. Blind and deaf, Savannah concentrated on Marissa’s bright and terrified aura echoing with fear, with which she was able to perfectly relate. She reached out, and a part of her could almost feel that delicate aura.

“Marissa,” Savannah sent her thoughts in waves, desperate to connect with the girl she'd thought would be her murderer. “Marissa, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I really, really need you to.”

There was a strange bristle from Marissa’s aura, as though Savannah’s thoughts had been transmitted and reached their target through sheer force of will. 

“Pick up the dagger. Pick up the dagger and plunge it into the lake. The blade will absorb the lake’s water. Then, come toward me. Come toward me and…stab me in the chest.”

Savannah kept repeating the words, unsure if she was imagining the connection between Marissa and herself, or if she was just desperate and delusional. Unable to keep her eyes closed, Savannah opened them a fraction, just in time to see Marissa’s unsteady hand reach out and pick the imbibing blade up.

Savannah could see in Marissa’s eyes that she'd heard the message through her aura, and that she'd listened. Savannah straightened up and took a step toward Abel and Dominic, who were staring at Marissa in satisfaction.

“That’s right,” Savannah, read Dominic’s lips as it formed the words she could not hear. “Pick it up and walk over to your mother.”

Savannah moved closer to Principal Harris who was on her knees next to Malick, staring at her daughter in desperation, her eyes shrouded in misery and pain. Marissa held the blade uncertainly in her hand. She glanced at Savannah for a split second before looking toward Abel and Dominic.

“Do it,” Savannah read Abel’s lips. “Do it now or die.”

Marissa turned back to her mother but her eyes were on Savannah. She took a tentative step forward and then another, and then another.

“Yes, that’s right,” Dominic encouraged. “Do as you’re told.”

Marissa started walking faster and Savannah could see the resolve on her face. She was inches from her mother when Marissa veered suddenly right, and plunged the dagger into the clear waters of the lake, as if she were cracking through solid ice. There was an abnormal ripple. The dagger glowed hot. As fast as the red drained from its blade it was replaced with a warm, yet icy blue.

Marissa didn’t hesitate as she pulled the dagger from the water, turned around, took one leaping step forward, and plunged the dagger straight into Savannah’s chest.

The moment the blade made contact with Savannah’s skin she experienced a strange explosion of sorts, but it felt as if it were happening inside of her, and she was thrown back with a blast of light, the burn in her stomach was instantly extinguished, and she registered blue sky and silver clouds before her world went black.

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

The first thing Savannah became aware of was the shape and feel of Xander’s hand ensconced in her own. She opened her eyes slowly to see Xander’s face hanging over hers in concern. He looked the same, except for a long scar that snaked from just below his eye almost down to his chin.

“Savannah,” Xander said, but she was unable to hear the sound of his voice.

She sat up slowly, with Xander's help. A moment later he handed her the hearing aid she'd taken out in the clearing. She looked around and realized they were in a bedroom in Xander’s family's cabin.

“Savannah,” Xander said again, and this time was able to hear him.“The scar,” Savannah said. She reaching out to touch it.

“It’s only a surface wound,” Xander insisted, brushing aside his concern. “How are you feeling?”

“Tell me what happened,” Savannah insisted, ignoring his question. “What happened after Marissa stabbed me?”

“It broke whatever hold Abel had on us,” Xander said. “The pain, the loss of control we were all feeling--it just disappeared, and we were ourselves again.”

“Savannah…”

Savannah turned her head to the door at the sound of the soft voice. Marissa’s blue eyes were subtle and calm and she no longer looked angry or scared, and her aura was calmer and more controlled than Savannah had ever experienced. She edged into the room looking as though she would rather be anywhere else.

“Hello, Marissa,” Savannah said.

“Was it you?” Marissa asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Marissa claimed that she just…knew what to do,” Xander said, sounding baffled, as if he didn’t quite understand what had happened.

“I was completely lost,” Marissa said. “I had no idea what to do. Just as I thought it was all over, suddenly I knew what to do. It was like there was a voice in my head guiding me, but it wasn’t a voice so much as a feeling.”

“You didn’t hear me speak to you?” Savannah asked.

Marissa's face lit up with realization. “It was you.” 

“It was,” Savannah said, nodding. “I've always been sensitive to other people’s auras, but this was the first time I ever tried communicating with anyone. I thought you might have heard me.”

“I did,” Marissa said, “but they weren’t words…more like…feelings."

“Feelings,” Savannah said, thinking that sounded about right.

“Yes.”

Marissa and Savannah stared at each other for an awkward moment. Marissa was the first one to break the gaze. “I wanted to say…thank you,” she said tentatively, “for saving me from…for saving all of us.”

Savannah had not been expecting an apology, and she was at a loss for words.

“I also want to say…I’m sorry,” Marissa continued. “For how I treated you and for what I did to get back at you.”

“I.. that’s okay,” Savannah managed.

Marissa nodded and then she left the room quickly, leaving Savannah and Xander alone.

Xander gave Savannah a smile.

“You still haven’t told me what happened after Marissa stabbed me,” Savannah reminded him.

“I told you: the spell…potion…whatever it was, broke,” Xander said. “And when it did, Abel and Dominic were caught by surprise. We were able to attack them,  and they were completely outnumbered.”

“How?”

“More than half of Dominic’s pack abandoned him in the end,” Xander said with a small smile. “Some of them didn’t know he'd aligned himself with a witch. When they realized what he'd done, they took the first opportunity they could to leave. We cornered Dominic, but when it was clear that we had won--”

“What?” Savannah asked, though she sensed Dominic’s fate as a result of Xander’s aura.

“He killed himself,” Xander said. “To avoid being taken captive.”

Savannah and Xander were silent for a moment. “And Abel?” Savannah asked after she'd taken a moment to process Dominic’s death.

Xander’s face turned hard. “Abel was harder to corner--he is a witch after all. We were all in our wolf forms. Elvira and Malick had him cornered, and Elvira had him by the leg.”

“And then?”

Xander sighed. “He was badly wounded,” Xander said, “but then he used some sort of magic on Elvira, forcing her to let him go. By the time the smoke had cleared and we could see again, he was gone.”

“So he’s still out there somewhere?” 

“Yes, but he’s not in Grey Mountain any longer,” Xander said, hastening to assure her.

“How can you be sure?”

“We scoured the forest in search of him. The cabin he used to occupy was completely empty, except for the body of an old woman.”

“His grandmother,” Savannah said quietly. “There was nothing else?”

“Nothing.” Xander shook his head. “The place was completely bare. There was no trace of magic remaining. I don’t think Abel will ever return to Grey Mountain.”

 Savannah nodded. “Are the rest of the pack okay?” she asked, concerned.

“Everyone has minor injuries,” Xander replied, “but no serious damage has been done.”

“But there so easily could have been,” Savannah said. “Xander, I’m so, so sorry."

“Don’t,” Xander said. “You don’t have to apologize to me. It’s because of you we’re all still alive and in control of our own minds.”

“It’s because of me that we were even in that situation in the first place,” Savannah said. She grabbed Xander's arm. “I should never have gone to Abel.”

“Maybe not,” Xander conceded, “but you were forced to go to him because I wouldn’t listen to what you had to say or believe you. If you hadn’t felt so alone then you would never have turned to him. He was right about that--I should have taught you better. We all should have.”

“You had other things to worry about.”

“Nothing is more important than protecting your pack,” Xander said firmly. “We all forgot that shifter or not, you are now a part of our pack.”

Savannah’s hands went instinctively to her stomach. “Our baby is strong.”

“I know,” Xander said. He put his hand on top of Savannah’s, bent slowly down, and kissed her softly on the lips.

“How did you know about the lake?” Xander asked after a moment.

Savannah shrugged. “I'd felt its magic before, but I never connected the dots. It wasn’t until I remembered my vision that I realized what it all meant.”

“Marissa running toward you with a blue bladed dagger,” Xander said.

Savannah nodded. “It wasn’t until we were all standing in that clearing that I realized the vision I'd seen wasn't what I thought it was. I hadn’t seen my death--I'd seen my salvation, but I was the only one who knew what to do. So I cut off the world and relied on my sense.”

“How did you know Marissa would get your message?”

“I didn’t,” Savannah said. “I just… followed my instincts.”

“That’s a good way to life your life,” Xander said. He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled softly. “I’m going to need your help when I’m alpha. I’m going to be counting on those instincts of yours to guide me through my life and my duties as a leader.”

Savannah leaned in and kissed Xander gently on the lips, then she whispered into his ear, “You can count on me. Always.”

Xander placed his hand protectively over Savannah’s belly. He slipped in beside her on the bed, and his lips closed around hers. It was a gentle kiss at first, but then it deepened, and Savannah felt the burning heat that lay just underneath.

They were finally free to live their lives without having to look over their shoulders. They were finally able to be together without fear or worry. Xander slipped his hand under her shirt, his fingers warm against her naked skin.               This was the start of their real adventure together. Savannah was finally ready to take her place by Xander’s side, as his wife and as a true member of the pack.

Xander began teasing off her clothes, and Savannah gave herself over to him wholeheartedly, reveling in the intoxicating need for their bodies to become one.

- The End –

Wanted by the Wolf

“Alright boys. Who’s ready for another round?” Jennifer whisked around the room, cheerfully dropping fresh pitchers of Bud, and clearing out the old ones. The bikers stayed tame as long as they didn’t run dry.

Jennifer Armstrong only had another month before she had to return to college, which meant she only had one more month of dirty old men pinching her ass, and listening to them talk about how they “love a woman with meat on her bones,” or how they wanted to see what her “Double Ds looked like t-shirt free,”as if she couldn’t hear them. She hated the attention, but she made bank so she put up with it.

She looked down at her watch; it was nearly midnight. She would be done soon, and she was so ready to just be home. The night had been slammed and she was exhausted. Some stupid bike festival was in town. The extra tips were nice, but her shifts wore her down. At ten minutes to twelve her best friend Tiffany sashayed into the bar wearing a low cut pink tank top, and skin tight jeans.

Jennifer had told her a hundred times to not come and tempt the regulars by dressing like that. They were wonderful sober, but Jennifer warned her about their behavior after drinking a few.

She just shook her head this time. Tiffany was a big girl, and she knew what she was doing. She loved a bad boy and being the center of attention. A few of the younger bikers noticed and started elbowing each other and pointing at her.

“C’mon, girl. You ready to get out of here or what?” Tiffany propped her elbows on the bar and dragged a bowl of stale pretzels closer to her to pick through. She turned up her nose and started flicking them out of the bowl one by one.

“Yeah, I’m done. Just let me close out these tabs and have the other girl start those new ones.”

The noise all night had been overpowering. As she ran around to pick up the checks, a hush fell over the bar. She looked up at the doorway to see what was going on.

Her breath left her as the most beautiful man she had ever seen crossed the threshold. His head nearly scraped the top of the doorway as he entered he was so big. The man had a presence that commanded attention and respect. The men in the room were weary.

The newcomer wore a fitted leather jacket that accentuated his lean torso and broad shoulders. His piercing, sky blue eyes scanned the room as he entered.

Those eyes locked in on Jennifer; he said nothing, just stared. For a moment she got caught in them. She could feel the heat of self-consciousness creeping up her cheeks as her pulse raced.

Tiffany turned to her and mouthed, “Oh my God,” before grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Jennifer blinked and broke eye contact, “Alright, Tiff. Let’s go. Back door,” she dragged her friend around the bar and through the kitchen to leave. To hell with the money, she thought. That man sent shivers up her spine.

“Okay, now I know you saw that gorgeous specimen walk in to your bar. Why are we leaving?  He seemed like he recognized you. Do you know him? And if you did why did you not tell me?” Tiffany babbled on and asked a million more questions, but Jennifer had tuned her out. She felt intimidated and uneasy, and really didn’t want to talk about it.

Of course she noticed how he looked, anyone with eyes could see the man was stunning, but the way he looked at her is what shook her up. The look he gave was one that spoke of possession, and was rife with danger. Jennifer felt like a sheep that had been targeted by a wolf.

“You need to go back and talk to that guy. He looks like a man that could toss you around in the bedroom, and Lord knows you need that.” Tiffany giggled behind her hand.

“Yeah, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one sharing that man’s bed. No thanks,” Jennifer shook her head and climbed in to Tiffany’s car. Men like that didn’t care for girlfriends or monogamy. In Jennifer’s experience, men like that only used and disposed of women.

Tiffany jumped in on the driver’s side. “Jennifer, I’m going to say this as the voice of reason, you need to get out and start saying hello to people. Jason is a bad memory and a distant one at that. Not every guy you meet will be a skeeze,” Tiffany started the engine and pulled away from the curb, “Besides, you don’t have to get involved in a relationship. A one nighter might be all you need to get yourself back together, and that mountain man certainly looked interested.”

“Thanks for the pointer, but I’ve sworn off men after that asshole cheated on me with half of my dorm and my best friend. Forgive me, but I’m really in no hurry to spend any time with the male species, in any capacity at all right now,” Jennifer sank back in her seat and tried to slow her racing heart.

Tiffany didn’t say anything for the ten minutes it took to get back to the apartment, which Jennifer was thankful for. What was troubling was every time she closed her eyes, even for a second, she got caught in his stare all over again. The look he gave her sent a little thrill up her spine. Every instinct in her body was setting off alarm bells to stay away, but she had to admit to herself she was a little curious.

That man had zeroed in on her in a bar packed with people. It was almost as if he was seeking her out. She was spooked now, but a little part of her hoped she would see him again for her next shift.

 

 

“Rise and shine, lady. We have brunch plans remember?” Tiffany shook Jennifer who groaned in protest. She hadn’t slept well the night before since tall, dark, and broody had been haunting her thoughts all night.

“Come on now sleepy head, I can practically taste my mimosa,” Tiffany yanked the covers off, and chucked them in a corner. Jennifer’s exposed body shivered at the draft. Tiffany sped around the room on a mission to get Jennifer up, opening curtains and pulling clothes out of drawers.

“You’re a sadist you know that?” Jennifer asked as she whipped her pillow at her friend, “I’m up. I’m up. Just let me get ready,” She staggered out of bed and into her bathroom, “Whoa!”

The reflection in the mirror had seen better days. She spent ten minutes wrestling with her paddle brush in an attempt to get things under control. It would be a ponytail day for sure. The bruises and bags under her green eyes were another matter entirely. She said to hell with it. She just couldn’t summon the energy to cover them up.

Everything about being conscious made her whiny and irritable, especially the thought of wearing a bra. She moaned and stamped her foot at the drawer full of the stupid slings. Jennifer turned and stared longingly at her bed. If she hadn’t had these plans with Tiffany on the books for the last week she would just crawl back in and blow the whole thing off.

With a sigh, she acquiesced, and got dressed in her dingy white t-shirt bra. She slipped on her favorite worn in jeans. They were patched and fraying at the leg hems, but she couldn’t throw them out. An Iron Maiden baseball tee from a concert she had caught a few years prior and flip-flops completed her brunch look. She was by no means a fashion plate, but omelets don’t care.

“Alright, Tiff. Let’s go,” Tiffany as usual took her time to get ready. Her dark skin shone in a baby pink sundress that fell to just above the knee. French manicured toes peeked out of a pair of gladiator sandals. Even in minimal makeup Tiffany was stunning. Jennifer looked down at what she was wearing and shrugged, “You’re just showing off, you know that? Nobody rolls out of bed looking like you do.”

Tiffany laughed and hooked her arm through Jennifer’s, “You can just be my boyfriend for the morning then,” Jennifer finally lightened up and giggled at her friend. She loved that girl, but man did she need coffee first.

 

Tiffany’s blue Hyundai pulled up to the curb at The Egg Shack, a slightly shabby looking establishment that sacrificed looks for quality. The building looked like it should be a seaside shanty rather than in the middle of downtown traffic. They had never had a bad meal, no matter what time of the day they visited. Every ingredient was fresh and sourced locally, and the coffee was from organic sources and tasted like heaven.

The scent of hash browns and sausages in the air made Jennifer’s mouth water. Quickly climbing out of the car the two women dashed towards the entrance. They could practically taste the delicious bitter liquid on the back of their tongues.

The rule was seat yourself, so the pair slid into a booth near the window to people watch. It was the last day of the festival and the diner was bustling with activity and teeming with hung over bikers in sunglasses.

“What can I get you ladies started with,” a slim, hipster with black and blue hair sidled up to their table. Her cheery attitude and welcoming smile cleared the last of the sleepy haze around Jennifer. Who could be cranky around someone so warm?

“Coffee,” Jennifer and Tiffany said in unison, “Ha! Mimosa for me,” Tiffany ordered

“Orange juice for me, please,” Jennifer already knew what she wanted to order, but held off because Tiffany was still looking. The server left to fill their drink orders.

“So sleepy head, rough night?” Tiffany raised an eyebrow and Jennifer’s shabby state, “Last I checked I brought you home and you went straight to bed. How come you look like a truck hit you? Some tall, leather clad hunk keep you up last night?” a wry grin tugged at her lips.

“Actually yeah. Every time I closed my eyes that look he gave me would be waiting for me. It’s creepy,” after tossing and turning for several hours, she did manage to finally drop off, but she watched the sky turn pink first.

“Sounds better than creepy to me. That man was beautiful. I don’t like long hair on a guy, but even I wanted to take down that man bun and play,” the server swung by and dropped their drinks. They gave their orders, pumpkin pancakes for Jennifer, Denver omelet and breakfast potatoes for Tiffany.

“I agree, but he was weird,” Jennifer poured creamer into her cup.

Tiffany closed her eyes and savored the aroma of her coffee. When she opened them she grinned, “You may want to go ahead and tell him yourself,” Jennifer’s eyes popped open and turned to look where Tiffany was pointing.

The mystery man strolled in wearing ripped jeans and a black t-shirt. He scanned the floor for a place to sit, when he spied Jennifer looking his way.

“Shit,” Jennifer ducked her head down, “I think he saw me. Did he see me?”

“Hi,” a male voice chimed, “I’m Luke Robertson. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself last night”

Slowly, Jennifer raised her eyes to acknowledge him. His height was intimidating, easily six and a half feet tall, but his eyes and smile were inviting and friendly, putting her at ease.

Tiffany looked on, grinning like an idiot and nodding her approval.

“Can I join you?” Luke asked. He was fully in control and relaxed, a stark contrast to the roiling of Jennifer’s belly and sweaty palms.

“I, uh, well. That is we’re…” Jennifer couldn’t get the words out. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to say yes or no.

“Of course you can!” Tiffany interrupted. The server dropped their food in front of them. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the man chatting with them, “Excuse me, sweetie? Can I get a to-go box? I just remembered I have somewhere to be,” Tiffany slid out of the booth.

Jennifer shot her a look of death. She was mortified at the thought of being alone with this man. Didn’t she just finish telling her how creepy she found this guy?

Tiffany picked up her plate, “Sit, Luke. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll just deal with this at the counter,” she winked at Jennifer before taking off. She made a mental note to deal with her later.

Luke squeezed into the booth; the worn red vinyl creaked under his weight. He winced as his knees bumped the legs on his way in. Jennifer giggled a little behind her hand at the face he made.

“You have such a pretty laugh,” Luke commented. Jennifer was bowled over by the sweetness of his smile. Boyish charm erased the hard façade his mountain man looks gave off, “What’s your name?”

“Uh,” Jennifer had to think about it. She was so enamored with the man in front her she almost forgot, “Jennifer. I’m Jennifer Armstrong,” consciously she reminded herself to shake his hand. What is wrong with me? He’s just a guy. No man has ever made you goo goo eyed before. Get a grip.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Jennifer,” his huge hand swallowed hers up for a shake; his touch struck the flint inside of her. Feelings of intrigue and more than a little bit of lust caught her by surprise.

“Are you just here for the festival or…?” Come on brain. Work!

“Yeah, but I live about twenty minutes away in Chico,” Luke was trying to figure out how to put Jennifer at ease. She sat on her hands and he had never seen such a curvy body look so tense and rigid before. He tilted his head to catch her gaze. Luke figured he’d address the 800-pound gorilla in the room and get it over with, “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“A little bit,” she shifted her body off of her tingling hands, “Last night was really weird. You kind of freaked me out,” she decided being honest was probably the best course of action, “I mean a gorgeous giant walks into a bar – wow I feel like I’m starting a joke - and singles a girl out. How is she supposed to feel?”

“Gorgeous am I?” Luke relaxed against the backrest and crossed his arms.

Jennifer’s eyes widened and a cold sweat trickled down her back. She felt like the awkward teenager she thought she left behind when she went off to college in Arizona, “I have working eyeballs, you know and you’re kind of hard to miss.”

Leaning his elbows on the worn Formica of the table, he significantly shortened the distance between them and sent Jennifer’s pulse racing, “Well if it helps, I think you’re pretty gorgeous yourself,” he grinned at her. His face showed no malicious intent, just sincerity that sent Jennifer’s heart racing and put color in her cheeks. He was attracted to her and he really wanted her to know it.

She covered her face with her hands, too embarrassed to answer. An overwhelming shyness swept over her. She suddenly wanted the floor to swallow her up and she had no idea why. It’s not like she had never been complemented by a man before and she was by no means a virgin, but Luke had a quiet intensity and charisma that drew her in and threw her off.

“Don’t ever do that,” Luke ordered as he removed her hands from her face, “As long as you’re with me don’t ever hide. You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” his hand lingered on her wrist. The silence hung between them, waiting for one of them to say something or make a move.

The server cleared his throat, breaking the strange spell that had settled over the pair, “Uh, is everything alright here? Can I get you guys anything else?”

Luke let go and turned his attention to the server, “Yes, sir everything is fine. Just the check, please.”

“Where are we going?” Jennifer remained silent as Luke had paid the bill and escorted her out of the restaurant. As a precaution she texted Tiffany, so someone would know her last known whereabouts and what direction they were traveling in.

They approached a white 1970s Harley Davidson. Jennifer lagged behind as Luke climbed on and tied his hair back. She watched with apprehension as he tried to pass her a black helmet, “Get on.”

As badly as she wanted to go with this man, every news story and cop drama about abductions she had ever seen flooded her imagination. The fear was enough to root her feet to the ground, “Not until you tell me where we’re going,” she had to be firm about this. Yes, she was drawn to him, but Luke Robertson was still a stranger, she had literally just met him an hour before.

“I’d like to spend the day with you. I’m only here for a few more days, and would like to spend time with you and get to know you some,” he gestured with the helmet, indicating she should take it.

“Where are you planning on taking me? I’d like to tell Tiffany at least since we just met and all,” she had her cell phone at the ready, poised to shoot off a text message or throw it at him if needed.

“Butte Creek Canyon. And feel free to tell her you are not going against your will, rather a ‘gorgeous giant’ has seduced you into trekking with him outdoors for the day,” settling the helmet in his lap he chuckled a little.

“You know, everything about this scenario screams serial killer, right? A large imposing man picks up a helpless coed and lures her into the woods for an afternoon of ‘fun’. I can see the headline now,” Jennifer quipped.

“Trust me, if I wanted to just abduct you I would have by now. Get on the bike,” his tone went flat. Repeating himself grated his nerves a little bit.

Jennifer sent the text and approached the bike. The gap between her body and his was only a few inches; she was so close she could almost feel his body heat. Reaching for the helmet between his legs she cracked, “Don’t be too confident about it. They say fat kids are harder to kidnap.”

Luke gripped her wrist again, a firm gesture not meant to hurt, but to get her attention, “I won’t tolerate you putting yourself down. Please, don’t say negative things about your looks. You’re a beautiful, woman.” He loosened his grip and brushed his hand over her skin as he released her, sending a rash of goose bumps up her arm and stirring the butterflies in her belly.

Jennifer, momentarily struck dumb, just nodded in agreement. She had been told over and over by friends and family not to make fun of herself. Apparently it wasn’t attractive to the opposite sex either.

She knew that a size 12 was by no means fat, but she had always been self-conscious about her butt and thighs being a little curvier than average. So she built a comedy act around her insecurities as a means of deflection. It never dawned on her that maybe some people interpreted that behavior as an attention grab and fishing for compliments until her cousin Joe, who was two years older than her, mentioned it. By then the habit was so ingrained it would slip out occasionally when she got nervous.

Climbing onto the leather seat behind Luke, he wrapped her arms around his waist and glanced over his shoulder at her, “Hang on tight.”

He fired up the bike and pulled away from the curb. Luke picked up speed when they turned on to Honey Run. To Jennifer, the wind in her face lifted her spirits and washed away some of the apprehension she was feeling about taking off for the day with a random guy. The thought still sounded weird in her head, but the exhilaration of being on the back of a motorcycle on such a beautiful day felt too good to question. Maybe being with Luke wouldn’t be a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Pulling off the road and parking the bike put a pout on Jennifer’s face. The ride was just too short. Luke let her linger attached to him for a moment longer before attempting to get off the bike, “Alright. Let’s go,” Luke untangled Jennifer from around his waist and unstraddled the bike, offering a hand to help her.

After undoing the helmet, Jennifer accepted his hand in getting off. Her feet didn’t quite reach the ground, and she was not too keen on how graceful she may have been attempting to dismount on her own. As it was, Luke had to reach in to almost lift her off the seat. She may have gotten really well acquainted with the ground otherwise.

“Follow me,” Luke set off towards one of the trails that ran along the edge of the canyon.

Jennifer had been to Butte Creek Canyon a few times before as a child, but her memories paled in comparison to how beautiful the landscape looked in person. Trees, several stories tall, blanketed the countryside, shades of green and yellow decorated the hills. The open air allowed for the breeze to circulate, allowing for a little relief from the summer heat.

Jennifer and Luke walked along the trail in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the landscape and fresh air until Luke seized Jennifer’s hand and veered off the path into the forest.

“Is this where the serial killer part happens?” she teased, only half joking. Her stomach knotted up with anticipation and butterflies. Instinctively she knew she was fine, the alarm bells weren’t going off and she was so hyped up being out in nature for the first time in ages, she just wanted to enjoy it.

“Ha ha, funny girl. This is a shortcut to what I wanted to do today,” he turned back and flashed a heart-stopping smile at her, distracting her long enough to stumble over a tree root, “Whoa!” She had pulled Luke down to the ground with her.

Mud caked the knees of her jeans and she cradled her right arm, the one she was being led by; she had wrenched her shoulder on the way down. Luke landed on his ass, completely uninjured, and was quickly back on his feet, “You okay?” he knelt down beside Jennifer.

The slightest movement brought tears to Jennifer’s eyes and made her wince, “I think I may have dislocated my shoulder,” she gently probed the affected area to discover that indeed the shoulder was out of joint, “It happens sometimes if I’m not careful… The remnants of an old volleyball injury,” she shrugged her good shoulder. It had been months since the last time this happened. She recovered quickly, but it didn’t make the feeling suck any less.

“Stay still. I’m going to put your joint back in place, okay?” gently Luke laid his hands on Jennifer’s arm and shoulder to feel for where the socket was, “This is not going to feel good. You want my belt to bite down on?”

“Nope. I’m an old pro, just get it over with,” she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head.

Luke adjusted her arm into position, “On the count of three. Ready? One… two… three,” he popped her arm back into place.

Jennifer screamed through her teeth. The initial wedging of the joint back in to socket hurt like hell, but the pain quickly subsided and she could breathe again.

“Thank you.”

“Maybe we should go back. You really need to rest that arm.”

“No. Let’s keep going. I’ll be fine. This arm has given me nothing but problems since the tenth grade anyway, I’m not gonna let it slow me down. I just need to wear a sling for an hour or so, so it doesn’t dislocate again.”

Luke peeled his shirt off over his head and fashioned a make shift sling around her neck.

Jennifer’s breath hitched as he touched the sensitive skin around her neck. Luke looked like he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Her eyes explored over the planes of his chest. Luke was not overly hairy, but he did have fair amount of light brown hair covering his chest and arms. In a moment of what she deemed as lapsed sanity, she stroked her hand over his forearm, indulging in the contrast of the soft hair and the solid muscle.

Luke went totally still, like a deer in a hunter’s sight, and just watched. Her touch was feather light, almost as if she was wary about making contact.  What was surprising was how Luke felt his stomach flip. He chose her, but something in the back of his mind made him think maybe there was some type of design he wasn’t aware of in making that choice.

“C’mon, kid,” he kissed her cheek. Just a chaste expression of comfort, nothing more, “We’re about half a mile from our destination. Stick close,” he helped Jennifer to her feet and guided her to his left side to protect her injured shoulder.

His senses were on high alert. Her falling normally would have been no big deal, but Luke wasn’t exactly the best liked of individuals, and having someone injured with him may prove a liability. There were so many people from his community gathered in the Paradise area that had expressed ill feelings toward him in the past that it was likely some of them had made their way over to the canyon for a run. Most of them wait for the cover of darkness to make their mischief, but it never hurt to be wary anyway.

“So tell me about yourself. We still have time to kill,” Jennifer was gazing up at him patiently waiting for a response.

“There isn’t much to tell,” Luke shrugged, “I have lived my entire life in Chico and the surrounding areas. I went to San Francisco for a couple of years in my twenties with my band and when that didn’t pan out, I came back and became a welder.”

“What kind of music did you play?”

“Really bad heavy metal. We wanted so badly to be Judas Priest, but none of us had any actual talent,” he laughed, “A heckler heaved a beer bottle full of piss at my head and screamed that I couldn’t sing. Five stitches and a bender later, I finally believed him.”

“Gross. So you were the singer then?”

“Sing is really too strong a word for what I did. I would politely describe it as a midnight howl serenade.”

Jennifer giggled. Her laugh was so sweet, Luke thought he would do anything to keep hearing it, “What about you? Outside of volleyball what is there to know about Jennifer Armstrong?”

“Well, I don’t play volleyball anymore. Apparently you really need grace and coordination to play the sport and those are two skills I seem to have in short supply as you can see,” she pointed to her shoulder.

“I’m only here for the summer. I grew up in Paradise, but I go to college at Arizona State. I’m finishing up my Bachelor’s in Animal Sciences. I’m getting ready to apply for med school to become a vet. I want to work with injured wildlife,”

How appropriate, Luke thought.

“Ambitious. I like it. It’s a good field to get into.”

Jennifer appreciated that he didn’t say he was impressed or looked at her surprised when she explained her chosen career path. Too many people in Paradise and even in Arizona always look shocked when she would tell them she wanted to be a doctor and not a dental assistant or a teacher. His tone conveyed respect as opposed to skepticism, which was refreshing.

“Why wildlife?”

“Excuse me?” she was still lost in thought.

“Why wildlife? You’ve chosen such a specialized field, I was curious as to why.”

“I find wild animals fascinating. Every summer we would road trip down to Lancaster to visit my grandparents. I would drive them crazy when we would get there to go to the sanctuary in Rosamond at least once a week.

I would spend hours talking to the handlers and vets about the animals – mind you I was ten at the time – and I wanted to know everything I could. That summer they had gotten in a rescue named Teddy, a wolf, and he became my favorite. He was sleek and powerful, everything about him came off as being Mr. Cool. I was so sad when he died a few years ago.”

Luke was giddy inside. He couldn’t believe his luck. He stared at this woman he just thought was intensely beautiful with her bright green eyes and breathtaking curves. Fate, heavenly design, whatever you want to call it, put him in the path of this woman. There was no way he was letting his perfect mate go.

“We’re here,” Luke announced. The falls stretched out before them, the river it fed snaked through the landscape, parting the trees, demanding its space to run before turning a corner and disappearing.

“Come with me,” Luke guided Jennifer to the grotto under the falls, “Mind the rocks,” the ground was slippery with algae beneath her flip-flops.

Luke sat on a boulder and removed his boots and socks. As he stood to undo his jeans Jennifer stopped him, “Are we going swimming? Is that even allowed here?” Luke was dangerously close to being naked, a thought that both enticed and freaked Jennifer out. She had to stall.

“Technically, no we aren’t supposed to go swimming, but does that matter? No one else is here. It’s just you and me. You can swim, right?”

The two of us alone, that’s what’s freaking me out! “Yes, but I don’t have my bathing suit,” suddenly gripped by modesty, she became concerned by what he would think if he saw her without any clothes on. All of her goddamn summer camp and gym class insecurities came back and flooded her system. She hadn’t ever had sex with the lights on and now her date for the afternoon was all gung ho about skinny-dipping.

“Neither do I,” Luke’s eyes twinkled with mischief and mirth. He turned his back to Jennifer and dropped his clothes.

Jennifer choked and became more than a little turned on at the sight of his bare body. His naked torso was simply the sneak preview; she just got an eyeful of the entire fucking feature presentation.

“Last one in is a ‘fraidy cat” Luke teased and dove in. He broke the surface of the water a moment later with a whoop and a shake of his head, “That’s cold, whoa,” he wiped his face and blinked the water from his eyes, “Get in!”

Jennifer hesitated, but the sight of Luke naked in the clear spring was too tempting to pass on. She kicked off her flip-flops, tossed her makeshift sling to the side, and quickly shed her clothes down to her white cotton bra and underwear. She crossed her arms over her stomach, to cover herself and dipped a toe in.

The shock of the chill shot up her leg through the rest of her body, “You’re nuts! The water is freezing!”

Luke disappeared under the surface again for a moment and quickly materialized in front of her, “What did I tell you about hiding in front of me?” The water near her feet was the shallowest, maybe three feet deep, allowing Luke to get close and grab Jennifer around the waist, playfully tossing her in the water.

Jennifer squealed as she soared through the air and landed a few feet away ass first into the water.

The chill momentarily stunned her, taking her breath away. Her head came out of the water, “You shit!” she scanned the area and found Luke treading water a few yards away, laughing his head off. She dipped beneath the water and kick paddled her way over to him. Not quite trusting her arm, she relied on her legs to do the work.

Coming up in front of him she splashed water in his face with her good arm, “You jerk!” she said playfully before laying on her back and kicking up a powerful spray of water in his face before taking off.

Luke chased after her and the two spent the afternoon swimming and playing in the creek, just enjoying each other’s company and the warmth of the Northern California summer.

The sun had sunk low, casting the sky in shades of pink and orange. Rays of light bounced off of the water’s surface around Jennifer. causing it to sparkle and twinkle, drawing Luke’s attention to the warm coloring of her skin. His eyes traced along the wet tendrils of Jennifer’s hair. She reminded him of the water nymphs of Greek legends, enamoring and mysterious, she drew him in to her by just existing.

“What?” Jennifer asked, “Do I have something on my face? Is there a bug?” she stopped talking, Luke’s staring unsettled her, “What?”

Luke allowed impulse to take over as he closed the space between them and bent down to kiss her.

Jennifer stiffened in surprise and then allowed her body to respond. The kiss started gentle, testing the connection between them, but the softness of his lips and the scratch of his stubble brought her body to attention. She had felt something pass in the air between them last night, and for sure this afternoon. It was dangerous, yes, but in the way that her vow to swear off men had been put in jeopardy, and maybe her heart as well.

Luke buried his hands in the hair at the nape of her neck, drawing her in and deepening the kiss. The gentle exploration was fading and was being replaced by lust and possession.

Pressing closer, Jennifer allowed that possession to happen. Luke was not her type at all, maybe that was a good thing since her type hadn’t worked out so far, but her response to him was stronger than to any other man she had been with.

The softness of her body pressed against him quickly stirred Luke’s arousal. His tongue brushed over hers, stroking and teasing a response from her mouth.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, running her hands over the damp hills and valleys of his back. Feeling bolder, she drew her nails gently down his skin, “Jesus, that feels good,” he purred.

Luke’s hands drifted down her neck and over her chest to cup her breasts. Her nipples strained against the soaking white fabric, begging for his touch. He ran his thumbs over the sensitive flesh. Jennifer moaned and dropped her head back allowing Luke to taste her neck. The kisses and nibbles drove her crazy, almost to the point of losing control.

“Excuse me! There are children in the park. Take your shenanigans elsewhere!” A tourist and his family had stumbled on the scene in the water. A woman – presumably the mother – was covering the eyes of two children, and a very angry bald man stood on the bank with his arms crossed over his polo-clad chest.

“Sorry, sir!” Jennifer called out. She and Luke swam back to the grotto to dress. Being caught had knocked all of the excitement out of their almost rendezvous. She felt a little bit ashamed of herself for letting things go as far as they had.

She struggled to slip her jeans over her damp legs. The racing of her heart made her clumsy and irritable, “Can you take me home please? It’s late and I need to get back.”

Luke didn’t push the issue; he tied back his dripping hair off his shirt, “Of course. When you’re ready we’ll go.”

Jennifer finished dressing quickly, “I’m ready.”

They walked back to the bike in awkward silence. Jennifer had never been caught getting busy before. Despite getting busted, she had an amazing afternoon. The spontaneity of the whole thing was just what she needed to shake her from the morose spell she had been under for months.

Luke mounted the bike first, passing the helmet her way as he did before. Jennifer buckled it on and slipped in behind him, wrapping her arms around him without prompting. He fired up the bike, the vibration of the engine hummed between her legs to remind her of the unsatisfying conclusion of their swim. He pulled onto the road and drove back towards Paradise.

She wanted to see him again, that much she knew. He was only going to be in town a few more days and she wanted to make the most of it. Maybe a fling with her handsome stranger was enough to get her back on the horse. She had nothing to lose he would be gone and in another month she’d be back at school. No muss, no fuss.

Luke drove up to the restaurant and parked, letting the engine idle. He got off and went to help Jennifer off the seat, “Can we exchange numbers?” she blurted out, wincing at her own inelegance.

“Of course,” Luke pulled out his cell phone and set up a new contact before handing her the phone. Jennifer quickly plugged her number in and shot off a text to herself and handed it back to him.

“Thank you, for today. I had a really good time,” she swung her hands at her sides, unsure of what to do with them.

“Me too. The pleasure was all mine, Jennifer. Really,” he reached out and pulled her towards him for a goodbye kiss. It was swift, but by no means chaste. He smiled at her before climbing back on and taking off.

Jennifer watched the bike shrink in size before disappearing down the road, nearly panting with lust.

Her phone rang, Tiffany was calling, “Hey, Tiff. I was just about to call you.”

“Hey! Where are you? I was beginning to get worried.”

“I’m at the restaurant, can you come pick me up?”

“You been there all afternoon? It’s nearly seven!”

Jennifer chuckled a bit, “No I haven’t. You won’t believe me. Come get me and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Ooo! I’m on my way!” and the line went dead. Jennifer tapped her phone against her hand and smiled to herself. Tiffany was going to die when she told her what happened, and what nearly happened.

 

“You’re right. I don’t believe it. You? No offense, but you’re a little tightly wound, girl,” their apartment complex came into view. Jennifer had spent the ten-minute drive excitedly spilling every detail of her day.

“Thanks, Tiff!” Jennifer wasn’t offended. Tiffany was right. She had been beyond an uptight stick-in-the-mud all summer.

“Well, you can be! I’m proud of you for letting yourself have a little fun; and with a strange man no less,” Tiffany waggled her eyebrows at her.

“Cut that out. You look like Groucho Marx,” Jennifer said with a laugh, “I really want to see him again, Tiff. I think a little fling will be just what I need to finally get over Jason and the entire spring semester.”

“Atta girl! Like I’ve been telling you since May, the best way to get over a guy is to get under another one,” both girls broke out in peals of laughter. It was so nice to laugh again. Jennifer hadn’t noticed how deep she had slipped into her funk until now.

“What do you say to renting a bad horror movie and getting Chinese?”

“I think that is an amazing idea. You call China Palace while I run to the Redbox, Okay?” Tiffany suggested as she unlocked the front door.

“Works for me. What do you want?”

“Boneless spare ribs and fried rice, but add in some of those fried egg roll things. They were amazing last time,” Tiffany shouted as she shut the door behind her.

Jennifer called and placed the delivery order. As she hung up a text message came through:

I want to see you again. Tonight. Can you meet me somewhere?

A tingle went up Jennifer’s spine. Of course she wanted to meet him. Even rehashing their make out in the car with Tiffany got her hot and bothered. She decided to wait until Tiffany got back to answer. She had made plans and didn’t really want to bail.

Twenty minutes later Tiffany had come home, “I got some real Oscar winners here, girl. How does Cheerleader Zombie Hunters and American Werewolf in Tennessee sound?”

“American Werewolf in Tennessee?”

“Yeah the synopsis said it was kind of like American Werewolf in London, but set in the Appalachian Mountains. I looked up the lead actor and he was super cute so at least there’s eye candy if it’s lame.”

“Let’s start with that one. The food should be here any minute so go set the movie up while I go change,” she had been so distracted she forgot how filthy her pants were.

Closing her bedroom door behind her she peeled her damp clothes off and changed into a black lace bra and panty set, she had every intention of seeing Luke again tonight and she wanted to be ready. She fired off her response before fully dressing,

 

I’d love to… later. I have movie plans with Tiffany. I’ll text you when we’re done.

 

She threw on her silky pink pajama shorts and her favorite Butcher Babies tee just as Tiffany hollered that the food had arrived, “I’m coming!” she checked her phone, no response, shrugged and chucked it on the bed. She wanted him badly, but she wasn’t going to come off as overeager or desperate.

“This movie is ridiculous!” Jennifer shouted. American Werewolf in Tennessee was proving to be a riot. The acting was the worst. The film was supposed to be set in the mountains, but it looked like it was filmed in someone’s backyard in Palm Springs.

“Yeah, but I told you the actor was cute. Look at his butt as he runs through the woods. Mmm. Mommy, like.”

Jennifer laughed, but something in the next scene had caught her attention. The lead had been attacked by a wolf earlier in the film and had shifted during the full moon. He had woken up, covered in blood and in the middle of the woods, his girlfriend’s corpse on the ground next to him.

An ominous shiver went up her spine. The movie was hokey as hell, but it did remind her that her chosen career path was really a dangerous one.

“Poor bastard. That is so sad,” Tiffany slouched into the sofa, “Can you imagine being cursed like that and killing the person you loved the most?”

“I’m sure it would destroy me.”

The next scene immediately obliterated the heart-wrenching kill scene with a poorly rendered wolf puppet and an Appalachian witch doctor.

Jennifer was getting a bit antsy, and excused herself to her room. She wanted to so bad to play it cool, but cool was not her M.O.

She woke her phone up to see she did indeed have a message received only ten minutes before,

 

I want you.

 

That’s all it said. Jennifer’s stomach clenched in anticipation, she had tried to pretend she hadn’t been hot and bothered since she got home, but she couldn’t keep up the charade. In a flash she had sent him her address. She didn’t want to wait.

“Hey, Tiffany?”

“What’s up?”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve got a guest coming over in a bit.”

“Oooo a booty call!” she squealed, “Well, far be it from me to cock block my girl,” she glanced at the clock, “It’s only nine o’clock. I’ll go see if I can’t get a little for myself.”

She leapt off the sofa quick as a dog, and hugged Jennifer, “Now remember, sex is cleaner with a packaged wiener.”

“Ugh! You are such a dude!”

Tiffany howled all the way to her bedroom, no doubt to change into one of her “man catching” outfits.

Jennifer stood, shaking her head. That girl did nothing to ease her awkwardness.

Her phone buzzed again.

 

I’m outside. Which apartment number?

 

She responded and then wondered where he was staying. It only took him five minutes to get to her apartment. Then she chided herself, this was a small town, and it only took five to ten minutes to get anywhere.

A knock jolted her from her thoughts.

“I’ll get it!” Tiffany paraded out of her room in a patterned mini dress that barely covered the tops of her thighs.

“No! No, no. I’ll get it,” she was too slow. Tiffany had already opened the door and invited Luke in. Jennifer froze in the foyer. It had only been a few hours, but she had nearly forgotten how huge he was.

“Hey there, big man. She’s waiting for you. I’m on my way out so go ahead and make yourself at home.” Tiffany winked as she let herself out.

“Oh my God,” Jennifer whispered.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Can I get you a drink? I have beer, wine, and a bottle of Johnny Walker Black I’ve been saving for when Tiffany finally drove me to drink.”

“The scotch please. One ice cube.”

 

Jennifer ended up having three glasses of whiskey and was feeling a happy buzz. Luke had a few more than she did while they sat on the sofa and talked for a bit. They had casually touched each other, a stroke of a knee, or a hand resting on a forearm. Innocent gestures that made Jennifer feel anything but.

Luke had the same idea. He took her glass from her, and set it on the table before crushing his mouth to hers. He had been driven just as mad with lust as she had been. Waiting any longer to have her wasn’t an option.

Jennifer returned the kiss with the same fervor and need. She probed his mouth with her tongue drawing him into her with each fevered motion. Forgetting herself she threw her arms around his neck and held on.

There was no tenderness, nothing gentle about that kiss. Her need fueled Luke, and he let all restraint go, “bedroom,” the word came out husky, a demand that dared not be refused.

Jennifer grabbed his hand and led him to her room. Her queen size bed was nowhere big enough for the length of him, but then again she had no intentions of sleeping.

She ran her hands up his shirt, caressing his muscled stomach before edging the hem up, a hint for him to take it off.

Luke tossed his shirt away and made quick work of his belt, shoes, and socks, “Strip,”

Fueled by liquid courage, Jennifer ditched her pajamas and ponytail. She watched as his eyes ravaged her body. The navy blue lace was a stark contrast to her milky skin and green eyes. Her light brown hair hung in wild waves down her back. Luke’s reaction made her feel sexy. She tossed any insecurity she may have felt about her body to the side.

Hunger flashed in Luke’s stare when Jennifer crooked her finger at him. She grabbed him by the waistband of his jeans, and pulled them both to the edge of the bed. Seating herself she undid the button and fly of his pants, and pushed them down his legs.

She took a pause. He was completely in proportion for a man six and a half feet tall, and completely aroused. She wasn’t sure she could handle it all.

Luke saw her surprise, “I won’t hurt you. Scout’s honor,” and he bent to kiss her again, his hand slipping into the cup of her bra to fondle her.

She became wet almost immediately. His capable hands turned her to putty. Without breaking the kiss he knelt in front of her, pulled the front of her bra down, and drew a nipple into his mouth. Jennifer thought she would howl with pleasure.

Luke’s hands found their way to the front of her underwear. He started rubbing her through the delicate fabric, and he teased her nipples.

“Oh, that feels amazing,” Jennifer gripped Luke’s hair as he worked her, holding him to her breast. Very quickly the cloth of her underwear was soaked through.

Luke chuckled, “I’m so happy to oblige.”

Jennifer coaxed Luke to stand. She needed a breather or she would cum before getting started. Sitting on the edge of her bed put his manhood right in her sightline. She ran her hands up his thighs, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

Tentatively she licked the sensitive tip. She would have to ease her way into this or she may get hurt. She ran her tongue up the back of the shaft before taking him in her mouth. Luke moaned as she sucked, slowly working him inch by inch.

He tangled his hands in her hair. The head felt so good. He closed his eyes and just enjoyed it, “Oh, baby. That’s perfect,” he moaned, stirring Jennifer’s arousal further.

She stroked him with her hand, moving to give attention to the rest of his manhood. She ran her tongue over his balls. Luke sucked air through his teeth, the sound encouraging Jennifer to keep going. She closed her mouth slightly around one testicle, sheathing her teeth with her lips and sucked gently.

“Oh, Christ,” he couldn’t take it. He moved her hand away and lay her back on the bed. In his tipsy state he fumbled a bit unhooking her bra and pulling her underwear off, “I want to fuck you,” he buried his face in her neck kissing and nibbling the delicate skin, “I’ll try not to hurt you, but I’m not going to go slow.”

Jennifer nodded and positioned herself towards the headboard and spread her legs. Luke crawled between them and rubbed his head against her, “I’m wet enough. Go ahead,”

He thrusted into her, with a commanding strength. Her insides stretched to accommodate all of him, but he was nearly uncomfortably big.

“You are so tight. Oh, God,” he began to thrust harder. The first few he forced himself to slow down. Then she started moaning and rocking her hips. He went animal and began to fuck her harder than she had ever been fucked. He had to claim her, rock her, and make her his. His thighs slapped against her ass as he picked up the pace. He reared up and pulled her leg to his shoulder for a better angle.

He teased her clit with his thumb, “Luke,” she moaned.

Jennifer rocked her hips in rhythm with his, he felt so good she didn’t want to stop. She was high on arousal, on pure animal power and didn’t want to come down. She came hard and fast. She tipped her head back and cried out his name, to hell with the neighbors.

Her orgasm pulsed around him sending him over the edge behind her, “Fuck!” he groaned as he emptied himself into her.

Each slowing thrust and the extra slickness sent one last shockwave over Jennifer, leaving her body spent.

Luke dropped on the bed beside her, sated and happy. He gathered her up into his arms, cuddling her to his chest.

She could feel him nuzzle her neck through her hair, and backed up into him so they were skin to skin. Within minutes she could feel his breathing and pulse slow as he dropped off to sleep.

His body heat mingled with the lingering effects of the alcohol lulling her into a sleep of her own.

 

 

 

Jennifer was woken a few hours later by her bladder. As she finished up in the bathroom she could hear voices coming from the living room. One she recognized as Tiffany’s. The other was a man’s voice. She tied her robe around herself and checked that Luke was still sleeping before going to investigate.

“Hey, sex kitten!” Tiffany was curled up on the couch with a glass of red wine. Her male companion was one of the bikers that she caught the attention of when she went to pick Jennifer up. The leather jacket attired man had a week’s work of dark blond beard growth and sleepy blue eyes that swept over Jennifer’s body.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check on you. Hi, I’m Jennifer,” she waved at Tiffany’s guest and pulled her robe tighter around her.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m John-Paul; JP for short,” he made no move to get off the couch, just waved at her. He could see she was uncomfortable and didn’t want to make things worse.

“Well, you two have fun. I’m just gonna go back in my room now.”

“Is Luke still here?” Tiffany’s eyes twinkled in excitement.

“Yeah. He’s sleeping.”

“I’m proud of you, girl.” Tiffany flashed a brilliant smile at Jennifer before turning her attention back to JP.

Jennifer closed her bedroom door behind her as Luke came out of the bathroom, “There you are. I was wondering where you went,” he wrapped his arms around her, pressing their bodies together.

“I woke up to use the bathroom and heard voices so I went to see what was going on. Tiffany’s out there entertaining some guy named JP.”

Luke stiffened, “JP? A little smaller than me, scruffy brown facial hair?”

“Yeah that’s him. Why?”

Anger flared in Luke’s eyes. He picked his pants off the floor and jammed his legs into them, “He’s a dangerous guy, Jennifer. He runs with a gang of sh… he’s just not a good dude.”

Luke threw open the bedroom door and growled at the man on the couch, “You need to leave.”

“Well hello to you too,” JP put his beer bottle down, “Fancy seeing you out among the civilized, Luke. I see it took a piece of tail to draw you out of your cave.”

Tiffany’s eyes went wide with shock, “Hey wait a minute. Don’t talk about my friend that way!”

“I’m sorry, I mean no offense to your friend,” JP amended, “I mean only to offend this piece of shit here.”

“Look, I don’t know what beef you two have, but you need to not have it under my roof,” Tiffany stood, “You should probably take off, JP.”

“No problem,” he turned his attention to Luke and Jennifer before leaving, “I’ll be seeing you soon, and hopefully your girlfriend sooner,” JP announced before leaving.

Luke had gone red in the face and kept clenching and unclenching his fists. Every muscle in his body was tensed for a fight. He breathed deeply, willing his temper to cool. He couldn’t afford to lose it in the tiny apartment.

“Care to explain or should I just make something up in my head,” Jennifer crossed over the couch and sat next to Tiffany, “I’ll wait.”

“I’m part of this group in Chico. You could say we’re a biker gang, but really that’s not it. We sort of help out the cops and hire ourselves out as protection to abuse and stalking victims. We do what we can to maintain a noble cause in the community, I guess.”

“And what’s the deal with JP?” Tiffany asked.

“He’s the head of a different group just on the outskirts town. They bully business owners and extort money from innocent people, they run their own sort of mafia type business.”

“So he’s like, the biker Al Capone?”

“That may be the easiest way to describe it,” Luke slid down the wall to sit on the floor, “He killed my second last year during a standoff up in the mountains. I haven’t pursued anything because it was a fair fight, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hate him.”

“That’s awful,” Jennifer empathized. She couldn’t imagine what losing a friend would be like, “You had to have gone to the police, right?”

“Uh… no. My kind can’t go to the police when there is trouble. We handle it ourselves and try to keep as many people out of it as possible,” his face fell, “and now he knows we’ve been involved with each other,” realization struck him. The woman he’d been searching for his entire adult life was now in front of him, and he had to let her go. He promised himself he wouldn’t, but things just spun out of control, “I can’t see you anymore; I need to be going.” Luke shuffled to his feet and went back into Jennifer’s room to gather his things.

“You just gonna let him leave like that?” Tiffany asked, speaking in hushed tones.

“I don’t know what to do! This whole thing is so weird,” Jennifer’s heart sank. She didn’t want to not see him.

“Get in there and talk to him, then,” Tiffany nudged her off the couch.

Jennifer nodded and got up.

“Hey, don’t go.” She begged as she closed the door.

“It’s really not a good idea to be around me. I’m no good for you, especially now that JP has seen us together.”

“Shouldn’t I get to decide that? What kind of nonsense are you trying to pull?”

“Don’t you understand? JP is a killer and he’s had it out for me for years. All he’s needed is a weakness to exploit and I can’t give him one or my crew is toast,” Luke moved to stand and front of her. He cupped her chin, tipping her face up and gently kissed her, “It’s been fun. Take care, Jennifer.”

He cut through the bathroom to get out and avoid Tiffany. Jennifer was left standing in a mess of confusion and more surprisingly, hurt feelings.

A knock came from the bedroom door, “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“So he left, then?”

“Yup. He fed me some bullshit about being bad for me and bailed.”

Tiffany put her arm around her friend, “I’m sorry, Jennifer. Rejection sucks and that was a bitch move he pulled.”

“It’s not a big deal. He was supposed to be a fling anyway. Thankfully, we only had one day so no attachment,” it was a half-truth. She definitely did not care for him in a romantic way, to say that happened in twenty-four hours would be stupid, but she did like him and his rejection stung. She’d be nursing her bruised ego for a while.

“There you go! That drama wore me out, I’m off to bed. Sweet dreams, baby,” she kissed Jennifer on the cheek and left her alone.

It was nearly three in the morning, but she needed a shower to unwind. She disrobed and started the hot water. Steam poured out of the showerhead and settled on every surface of the bathroom while she waited. Jennifer waved her hand through the thick fog, watching it swirl and break through her fingertips before stepping into the tub.

The hot water felt amazing on the stress knot forming at the base of her neck. She lost herself in thought as the droplets beat down on the tension.

Luke definitely served his purpose. The whole point was to feel alive and attractive again, which she did and she was so grateful for that. As she lathered up her bath pouf with lavender scented body wash, she silently thanked him for giving her the most fun day she had had in a long time.

She swished the pouf down her chest, rinsing away all traces of his scent from her body. She swabbed between her legs to wipe away the semen that had dripped down her leg. Then it hit her like a baseball bat. She hadn’t heeded Tiffany’s condom advice.

She and Luke had had polished off a bottle of scotch between the two of them so neither had the sense to wrap it up, “Fuck!”

 

Part Two

Two. More. Weeks. Two more weeks and Jennifer Armstrong could finally get out of her shitty job, hell hole town, and lousy life situation. She swat at one of the dirty old men who thought it was okay to pinch her ass; every time she walked past him. And in the narrow bar, it happened frequently.

Jennifer whirled around. “Cut the shit, Monty!” She pushed her way through the crowd and slammed her tray down on the bar. The tell-tale prickle in her eyes drove her out the back door to cry in peace. She dropped down in the dirt and cried in her hands.

As if the stress wasn’t hard enough to deal with, the ghost of a mysterious stranger haunted Jennifer’s thoughts. She only had one day with him, but that one day – and very active night – left an impression on the young girl.

The way he left bothered her. Yeah, he was supposed to be a fling to get over her scumbag ex, but she hadn’t expected to be the one being dumped. The rejection stung and she’d been a little off since it happened.

A female voice broke the stillness, “Girl. What are you doing out here?” Her best friend, Tiffany appeared around the corner of the building. She grew concerned when she saw Jennifer’s face. “Oh no. What happened?” She hurried over and sat down next to her tear-stained friend.

“Just the usual. The perverts inside are getting under my skin.” Jennifer sniffed and wiped the tears of her cheeks with her sleeve.

“Just quit. You don’t have to put up with those guys touching you at all.” Tiffany wrapped her slender arm around Jennifer’s shoulders and hugged her close. “You only have two weeks before you go back to college, enjoy yourself.”

Jennifer opened her mouth to argue, but Tiffany was right. She had been putting up with disgusting pigs grabbing her ass and making comments a lot longer than anyone should have to.

She leaned over and kissed Tiffany on the cheek. “Thank you.” She replied as she got up and turned towards the door. She was going to march herself up to her manager and end the nonsense once and for all.

“Go get ‘em, girl. I’ll be in the car.” Tiffany stood and headed towards the parking lot. She was proud of her friend for finally standing up for herself. There were way too many nights spent crying over a stupid job.

 

Jennifer yanked at her apron string and tossed the wadded fabric into the server’s alley. She found her boss, Steve was traying up a food order, and marched right up to him with all the swagger and rage she could muster. “Steve, I have to talk to you.”

Steve was a thirty-five year old stereotypical California guy. He had the blond hair, laid back “whatever” attitude, and spent all his free time out in the mountains. “What’s up, babe?”

Jennifer winced. Steve insisted on calling all his female servers babe, a terrible habit.

“Listen. It’s been… something working for you, but I’m done.” She counted out what she owed from the cash tables. “I’m sick and tired of all these pigs thinking they comment on my looks and pinch my ass whenever they feel like.” She raised her voice to make sure the patrons could hear. “And you do nothing about them, no reprimand no nothing. I quit, Steve.” She slapped the cash down on the stainless steel table and stared her manager down.

Steve’s eyes grew wide. “I would be lying if I said I was not surprised. You’re my best server. I’d hate to see you go. Are you sure?”

Jennifer scoffed. “Are you going to throw those assholes out?” she drummed her fingernails against the cold metal.

“Come on, Jennifer. I can’t just throw them out because they get a little friendly! Besides they tip you well don’t they?”

Jennifer’s jaw hit the floor. She had worked for Steve for three summers and she couldn’t believe he could be so cavalier about his employee getting groped. Without another word, Jennifer turned on her heel and stomped out of the building.

As soon as she was outside, she slowed down. Emotion was building again and a flood of relief tears poured down her face. It was as if the boulder on her chest was lifted and she could breathe again.

Tiffany’s car came into view and she jogged over to it. She slid into the passenger seat with the biggest smile on her face.

“Please tell me you did it?” Tiffany stared at Jennifer in anticipation.

“I did. And it feels amazing.”

Tiffany squealed and threw her arms around her friend. “I am so proud of you! I hope you gave those bumpkins a piece of your mind.” She started the car and put it in drive.

“Actually, I was so stunned by what Steve said I didn’t know what to say.” She told Tiffany her account of how Steve took the customers’ sides.

“That’s bullshit.” She patted Jennifer on the knee as she drove. “So how are you going to enjoy the rest of your summer vacation?”

“That’s easy. However I want.” Jennifer laughed. “I think tomorrow I’m going to go for a hike at Butte Creek tomorrow. Maybe pack a lunch and go swimming or something.” She had been itching to get back there since her day with Luke, but the bar had taken up most of her time. She hoped maybe if she went, he’d show up there too.

“Hiking? Why in the hell would you wanna do that?” Tiffany turned up her nose. The only outdoor activity she liked was lying out on a chaise.

“Because I like it. You want to come?” Jennifer only asked to be polite. She knew Tiffany would never go for it. She was actually glad about that.

“Hell no. You are on your own my little hippie. You can get in touch with nature if you like. I’m gonna get myself in touch with the couch and a Property Brothers marathon.”

“Ha! Since when do you care about home improvement?” Jennifer asked.

“I don’t, but have you seen those boys? Oooh, so delicious.” Tiffany answered. She grinned at Jennifer. “Besides have you seen the picture of them in their kilts? God was having a good day when he made them.”

Jennifer cackled and wondered if boy watching counted as a hobby.

Tiffany became serious. “You’ve been moody and a little off lately and I want to make sure you’re okay. There isn’t something bothering you is there?” She peered at Jennifer in her periphery. “Did Luke do anything to you?”

Jennifer did a double take. Did she hear her correctly? “No, why?”

“Because you’ve been funny since that night. I don’t know anything else beyond that drama in my living room. You aren’t pregnant or something?”

Jennifer thought for a moment. “Everything we did was consensual if that’s what you mean.” Jennifer froze. She suddenly remembered they didn’t use protection. She started counting backwards in her head. Shit! “Except…”

“Except what?” Tiffany’s voice was firm and tinged with wariness.

“We had had a little – okay a lot to drink that night and I think we forgot to, how did you put it? Package his wiener.”

Tiffany slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street. “Are you kidding me?” She shouted. “You don’t know where he’s been! And you could have got yourself pregnant!”

Jennifer stared at her hands. “I considered it, but I couldn’t check yet.” She murmured. Pink bloomed in her cheeks. Up until then she had tried to put it out of her mind.

“Well, it’s been, what? Three weeks now? We’re going to Walgreens.” Tiffany slammed the car in reverse and spun the car around. Enough time had gone by that Jennifer could find out.

Within minutes Tiffany pulled into the parking lot and switched off the car. “Go on now.”

Jennifer’s eyes grew wide. “I, I, but…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I’ve never done this before. Please come with me.”

With a sigh, Tiffany snatched her keys and got out of the car. “Let’s get this over with.” Tiffany loved her friend and would support her no matter what happened, but she was surprised at her carelessness and stupidity. She always thought of Jennifer as being more sensible than that.

The two women stood in front of the pregnancy tests. Boxes of pink, blue, and white stared back at them. The choices were overwhelming. “I don’t know which to get.” Jennifer blanked out in front of the shelves. Her breath started coming more fast and shallow and she had to wipe her palms on her jeans.

“Just grab one of the pink ones and let’s go. I’m starting to get twitchy standing here.” Tiffany pointed at the First Response boxes.

Jennifer snatched one off the shelf and grabbed a bottle of water. She wanted to get out and home before they ran into anyone they knew. The town was small and rumors spread like wildfire.

She quickly paid and the two women sped to the car and took off. Jennifer read the direction slip and chugged her water on the way back to their apartment. This would be the longest three minutes of her life. 

Jennifer sprinted up the stairs and locked herself in her bathroom. She set the timer on her phone and followed the directions to the letter.

Tiffany sat in the hallway opposite the bathroom door tapping her hands against her knees. She was almost as anxious as Jennifer was. Granted, she wasn’t the one who may be carrying a giant’s baby, but this was her bestie and Tiffany was worried.

A muffled alarm went off in the bathroom. Tiffany rose to her feet as Jennifer came out. “Well?”

Jennifer looked at Tiffany with a strange mix of relief and fear. “Oops. I’m pregnant.” She announced sarcastically. She stood in the doorway holding the test as her side. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. She had no idea how to feel. She was thrilled, scared, and totally confused all at the same time.

“What are you going to do?” Tiffany stood stock-still. She wanted to hug her friend, but she wasn’t sure if that was the right move.

“Nothing. I’m going to be a mommy.” Jennifer answered with a shrug. There was no doubt in her mind how she wanted to handle this.

“Are you sure?” Tiffany wasn’t so sure this was the best choice for Jennifer. Tiffany knew there was still so much Jennifer had wanted to accomplish before becoming a mom.

“Yeah. I’ll figure it out. Luke and I made a baby. It’s not the baby’s fault. I planned on having kids eventually, this one just wanted to come ahead of schedule.” There was no way she could give up or abort this child. She became attached as soon as the results popped up on the damn pee stick.

“You are way calmer than I would be if I were in your shoes.” Tiffany was confused. Jennifer should be either dancing around the room or in hysterics. This coolness was almost supernatural.

“Get back to me when the shock wears off.” Jennifer replied. “I’m going to bed. I still want to take that hike tomorrow and I still have a lot to think about.”

You’re still going to gallivant around a giant crack in the ground in your condition? If you insist then, crazy.” Tiffany threw her arms around her friend. “Congratulations, mama.” She whispered in her ear. She gave Jennifer a kiss on the cheek before heading back to her own room.

 

 

 

The sun was shining a little brighter the next day. The birds sang a little sweeter, and the colors of the canyon stood up a little brighter. Something about taking control of her life had made Jennifer stand up straighter and completely changed her outlook.

The scent of the woods made her almost light headed and giddy. Being in touch with nature fed her soul.