Embracing the Wolf - Book #2 (Anna Avery) (2 page)

“You ready?” Elle asked. Her long copper hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. The sprinkle of freckles over her nose darkened with her tan, and her wide green eyes caught the sunlight and sparkled like emeralds.

“I’m always ready to have my ass handed to me,” I half joked. Elle was a skilled fighter, and it was the reason I chose her for my teacher. The other wolves would help me out, but they were too afraid to hurt me so they held back. Either Adam had warned them to take it easy, or it was their wolves recognizing me as their alpha female, and they didn’t want to hurt me. I needed someone who wasn’t afraid to give me everything they had, and that someone was Elle.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Elle said. “You’re better than you think.”

“It’s your fabulous teaching skills, sensei.”

Elle laughed. “Come on, young grasshopper.”

We headed down the steps of the back deck. There was a large clearing lined by tall pine and birch trees. Our normal spot was a meadow through the forest, but Adam was gone, so he couldn’t stop us. He was a little over protective of me. It was understandable, but also annoying.

When I stopped walking Elle smiled and quirked an eyebrow. Though she respected Adam as her alpha, she also liked breaking the rules. She knew he may come down hard on her, but she would leave with her throat intact.

She began undressing, and I did the same. I could change fully clothed, but I was fond of the capris I was wearing, and if I changed in them, they would be shredded. Though I didn’t care for the lingering looks of my pack mates, I was losing my shyness at the prospect of nudity. That didn’t mean I would traipse around in my birthday suit on a daily basis, but for moments like these, it was okay. Besides, I was the alpha’s mate. If any wolf came sniffing in my direction it would be the last thing he ever did.

My wolf came to the forefront of my mind. She was anxious and excited to be released. Her power rushed through my veins like a tidal wave, giving me a boost of energy. My skin stretched as my bones contorted and rearranged themselves. White fur began to grow on my arms as my nails lengthened and sharpened like daggers. I fell to my knees, my hands spaced in front of me as the beast overtook my body. Within seconds, my wolf emerged, and she was ready to spar with the ruddy wolf in front of her.

Whoops and hollers sounded from the deck, causing me to take my focus off Elle. She chose that moment to pounce. She hit my ribs, and I went sailing across the hard ground. I shot up in a fury, a growl ripping through my throat. Elle’s eyes glistened liquid copper as she waited for me to make my move. I circled her, looking for a clear opening. The first to get their teeth around the jugular was the winner. So far, the scoreboard read: Elle-5, Anna-3. I lunged forward, taking Elle’s tail in my teeth and shaking my head back and forth. She snarled and whipped around just how I wanted her to. I used the movement to my advantage and ran for her other side. By the time she realized I wasn’t behind her anymore, it was too late. I tackled her onto her back, and together we rolled down the small incline of the yard in a ball of snarls, teeth, and claws. Her tooth scraped against my muzzle, causing a searing burn in its wake. I snapped my jaws at her as I tried to reach her throat, but her paw connected with my gut and knocked the wind out of my lungs. Elle sprang up, and I did the same. We regarded each other as we circled one another. My wolf was giddy with the excitement of the fight. She dug her claws into the hard earth as she charged toward Elle. Elle went down without so much as a fight. She didn’t move or even snarl, even after I began biting her ear to prod her. My wolf didn’t care, she struck for the throat, applying enough pressure to subdue, but not hurt. When Elle began to whimper I began to worry I had really hurt her. I shifted back in a snap. My wolf disintegrated back within me and left me my old nude self.

“Elle, are you all right?” I pet her fur, searching for an injury that would explain her lethargic state. A throat cleared behind me. I shot up, whirled around, and came face to face with Adam and an older couple. The man had salt and pepper hair with deep-set green eyes and a roadmap of wrinkles across his face. His thin lips were set in a hard, disapproving line. The woman standing next to him watched me as though I were nothing more than a stain discoloring her favorite Chanel blouse. Her blonde hair was twisted up, and not a single piece dared escape its hold. Her right eyebrow crawled up her forehead as her steely blue eyes observed me with distasteful scrutiny. Both of them exuded power. Their presence demanded respect and caused my wolf to whimper in response. The excitement from the fight dissipated and left her nervous. Her instincts to bare her stomach soaked through me and had me on the verge of rolling onto the ground. Something told me that if I did that, it would only lower their impression of me—if that  was possible. I knew who this pair was before Adam even spoke.

“Anna, I would like to introduce you to Maggie and Donald—my parents.”

I walked into the living room to meet Adam’s parents … after getting dressed, of course. You’d never be able to tell that a fight broke out in here just a couple weeks ago. Adam had his construction crew on the job non-stop and their efforts had paid off. When I returned home from fighting with Eve, the house had been in near shambles. The drywall was busted and crumbling on the floor, and the television had been thrown through the window and broken to pieces on the front lawn. Now, though, everything looked as pristine as Maggie Everwood’s cream dress and coiffed hair.

Adam stood up when I entered the room, coming to me to place a hand on the small of my back. We shared a look before he turned me toward his parents and introduced me.

“Mom and Dad, this is Anna Avery,” Adam said. “My Chante.”

Maggie and Donald shared their own look, one that would make a cobra cower in the corner. Internally, my wolf twisted with anxiety, causing my palms to sweat and my heart to race. Like the fictitious cobra, she too wanted to cower. I made brief eye contact with the pair before looking at the ground. I didn’t think these two would appreciate my ability to withstand their alpha gazes. And something told me Mrs. Everwood would take it as a challenge and gladly put me in my place.

“And what of Eve?” Maggie questioned, ignoring me completely.

“Eve was sent to her father in Montana for burial,” Adam replied. He squeezed my hand and gave me an apologetic smile. “It is only out of my respect for him that I returned her to her home. She didn’t deserve an honorable burial.”

Maggie gasped as though Adam had just punched her in the stomach, and Donald’s jaw tightened. His power rolled off him and slapped me in face. I could feel my wolf whimpering inside me. Taking a deep breath, I shrugged off the effects of his influence. I hadn’t let Adam’s alpha status intimidate me, and I wouldn’t allow his parents to either.

“We need to speak to you alone,” Donald said. His eyes graced my face before he stared hard at his son.

“Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Anna.”

“I do not wish to include her in our affairs,” Donald said.

Adam was about to respond when I spoke up. “It’s okay,” I said. “I need to speak with Wade any way.” I squeezed his hand one last time before turning and leaving the room. Truth was, I was just as happy to leave as Mr. and Mrs. Everwood were to get rid of me. I leaned against the interior wall of the kitchen and took a deep breath. Regardless of meeting my boyfriend’s parents in the nude, they wouldn’t have liked me had I been dressed to the nines.

“I find it insulting that you’re parading that mutt around and treating her as your equal.”

Maggie’s voice filtered through the kitchen and stung my ears. I cringed, but couldn’t move from my vantage point. I needed to hear what they had to say about me. Call me a glutton for punishment, if you will. I knew whatever came out of their mouths would hurt, but that didn’t stop me from leaning in closer to capture the tiniest of whispers.

“Mother, I advise you not to come into my home and insult my mate. She is more of my equal than Eve ever was.”

“Adam, do not speak to your mother in that tone,” Donald said. “Anna is a made wolf, and therefore not acceptable to be an alpha’s mate. Do you have any idea how much money I had to pay Eve’s father for your betrayal?”

“
My
betrayal?” Adam asked with surprise. “I never asked you to pay him off. And what of Eve’s killings? I suppose we’re to overlook those, simply because she was an alpha? Had we not stopped her, our secret would have been revealed to the humans. And let’s not forget, Anthony was involved. My own flesh and blood mauling humans, yet you look down your noses at Anna.”

The room grew quiet for a moment. “We know that your brother was involved, and when he arrives for the conference, we’ll be sure to talk to him,” Maggie said. “As for Eve, it was your responsibility, as her mate, to get her help. Instead, you shack up with some underling and convince yourself that she’d make a good mate. You’ll make us the laughing stock of the packs.”

“You know eavesdropping is childish, right?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That won’t be a problem,” Wade said.

“What makes you think that?”

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

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

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

* * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Gettin’ anything?”

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