Embracing the Wolf

“Not everything,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to turn into the mythical white wolf, or survive the vampires after they kidnapped you.”



The memory of walking to our house after I escaped the vampires filled my head. Chelsea had been surprised to see me, but at the time, I thought it was because I was naked or the change in my eye color. Now, it all made sense. She hadn’t expected to see me again.



“And one other thing,” I said.



“Oh yeah?



“Yeah.” I slowly fisted a handful of dirt into my hand and whipped my arm around to fling it at her face. “You didn’t expect me to break my silver shackles.”



She clawed at her face, trying to rid her eyes of the debris. I shot up and jumped into action. Reaching for her hand, I held it up so that if she fired, the arrow would shoot straight into the air and not into Anthony or me. Chelsea snarled and kicked out, watching me through the slits in her puffy eyes. Together, we went down, me on top of her. I kept a firm grip on the arm holding the crossbow and straddled her stomach.



“Give up, it’s over,” I told her.



Anthony walked over to the two of us and fought the crossbow out of her grasp. He aimed it at Chelsea but she continued to fight me. Fed up, I pinned both or her arms to the ground and growled in her face.



“Stop.” I coated my words with the authority of my wolf, feeling the tingling power seeping through my skin.



Chelsea’s body became still. She closed her eyes and began crying, the sound distraught and haunting.



“Kill me,” she whispered, opening her eyes. They were red from her tears and the dirt I had thrown in them. “Please,” she pleaded. “I don’t want to be a werewolf. My life ended the day I had to walk away from Joel.”



“I’m not going to kill you,” I told her. “You’ll go to a special supernatural prison where you can come to terms with your new life and hopefully enjoy it.”



She began bawling, big sorrowful sobs falling from her lips. “Please … just kill me.”



I slapped the side of her face hard enough to stop her breakdown. “Is losing a boyfriend really worth killing yourself over? Do you think he’ll kill himself over losing you?”



“It’s not just him,” she snarled and spit into my face. “I hate what I have become. Do you understand? I hate it.”



Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and wiped away the spit on my face. I thought about everything she had done, but especially how she almost killed Adam. That was enough to turn my patience into full-blown rage.



“Fine,” I said, jumping off her. “You want to die?”



She didn’t make a move to get up. Instead, she lay on the ground, her arms outstretched as she stared up at the canopy of trees. As I stared at her, I wondered how someone could loathe herself as much as she did—to the point of welcoming death with open arms. She was lost in a sea of pain and loss, and nothing I said would change her mind.



“Give me the crossbow,” I said to Anthony, holding my hand out.



“I’ll do it,” he said.



I turned toward him. “Give me the fucking crossbow.”



He held it out of reach. “You’re angry now, but when that dies down, you’ll regret pulling the trigger. Let me do it, I’m the heartless monster, right?”



We stared at each other for a moment, and then he walked around me and poised the arrow over Chelsea’s heart. My own slammed against my ribcage with the knowledge of what was coming.



“Thank you,” Chelsea whispered right before she closed her eyes.



A whoosh of air sounded and ended in a thump. Chelsea gasped, her hands coming up to grasp the arrow sticking out of her heart. Tears trickled down her cheeks and dampened the ground beneath her. Red stained her shirt, seeping through the fabric, and then her head lolled to the side and the life left her eyes.



Chapter Twenty-Seven



Two days later, and I was packed and ready to leave. I had done my best to avoid Anthony, but he kept popping up. He would send me secret smiles that made me nauseous. The guilt of knowing what those smiles meant ate at me, and lying to Adam didn’t help either. I wanted to tell him, confess to everything, but I was too afraid of losing him. What logical man would stay with me after something like that? Still, I knew the truth would eventually come out, and I had to be ready for it.



After talking with Sage and Leif a few times, I learned that there were stories of having the Chante mark removed. They didn’t know if there was any truth to the stories, but it was enough to give me hope. If ridding myself of the mark that bound Adam and I together meant I could also rid Anthony of his bizarre bond, then I would do it. I knew it wasn’t the sole reason why Adam and I were together. A scar did not determine how I felt for Adam. I had been telling myself that repeatedly, working myself into believing it.



Wade ended up leaving the mountain after I told everyone what had happened with Chelsea. He didn’t say it, but I knew her death and betrayal hurt him. Maybe he felt guilty for not making his move sooner, thinking it could have helped take her mind off her previous boyfriend. Since I had been with her in the end, I knew nothing Wade could have done would have helped. Adam informed me that some werewolves would either commit suicide or go insane from not being able to handle their inner beasts. No matter who pulled the trigger on the crossbow, Chelsea’s blood was on my hands. Her life changed the moment Eve learned she knew me.



I fingered the necklace I had taken off her, a bird emblem made out of mother of pearl. It was a reminder that things are not always what they seem, and the heart can drive a person to do crazy things, but mostly, it was a reminder that I was responsible for an innocent woman losing her life.



“You ready?” Elle called through the house.



“Yeah, just a second.” I headed into my bedroom to retrieve my purse and found Anthony playing with my cell phone.



“What the hell are you doing in my room?”



He held up my phone and tilted it back and forth. “Programming my number into your phone,” he said. “I told you, once the truth was out, there was no avoiding it. Enjoy your trip, and keep an eye out for my messages.” He handed me my phone, moving past me with a smile on his face.



“Anthony,” I said in a harsh whisper, hoping no one could hear us. He turned, crossing his arms across his chest. Again, I thought about how much he and Adam looked alike, and I hated it. “Please, just stop. Just forget about what happened, and let me be happy with Adam.” If there were any truth to the removal of the Chante bond, then I wouldn’t have to plead with him. I yearned for that day.



“You knew the rules before I kissed you, Anna. You cannot deny you felt something, so I will do everything in my power to make sure you remember it.” Without another word, he turned and headed down the hall. My stomach plummeted when Adam stepped into view. He smiled at me, and I felt it like a jab in my chest. He deserved someone better than me.



“You ready?” he asked. “Elle’s having a cow out there.”



I cleared my throat and shouldered my purse, dropping my cell inside. “Yeah, I’m ready.” I held the tears back as I headed down the hall toward the only man I had ever loved. It was just like me to screw something this perfect up. Run away before things get too serious, my inner voice said, reminding me of my relationship M.O. Maybe kissing Anthony was my subconscious way of self-sabotaging what I had with Adam.



As I moved toward Adam, I made a silent vow that I would do everything in my power to rid myself of the strange reaction I had toward his brother. I just hoped New Mexico held the answers.