Revocation (The Canyon Wolves) (5 page)

When
Jeffery had finished his report and turned to leave, Harper purred, “It was so
nice seeing you, Jeffery.”

She
gave a slow wink, knowing it was probably overkill. Harper could feel her wolf
snort at the gesture. She wasn't amused. Jeffery froze on the spot, his eyes
darting to Axel. Oh boy, her mate was livid. His wolf didn’t try to mask his
jealousy and anger, instead letting it flow through the bond in a choking
force.

“
Out,
”
he commanded Jeffery.

Harper’s
wolf knew the order would be impossible for a lesser wolf to
ignore
.
She felt guilty for an instant because she didn’t mean for the man to get in trouble.
Jeffery couldn’t have scuttled out any faster than he did. Axel slammed the
door shut behind him.

Taking
slow steps until he was within reach of her chair, he leaned against the desk
and said, 
"Come here, Harper."

She shook her head, too nervous to move.

"
Come here
.” Even though
Harper couldn't tell the difference, her wolf could.

Axel was issuing an irresistible command.
She still held her ground stubbornly.
Wolf
whined, the noise in her head high and sharp. She couldn't avoid it any longer
and was forced to stand.

Harper's approach was slow with defiance.
Wolf was uncomfortable at resisting the pack leader like this, but Harper
pushed her protests aside. Axel's eyes narrowed with annoyance, but that was
the only piece of visible emotion.

"There are many actions of yours
that I put up with, Harper, but attempting to make me jealous has never been
one of them."

Harper wanted to point out that she
didn't just 'attempt', she succeeded. Now probably wasn't the best time to
mention that, seeing as she could feel his anger and possessiveness flowing
through the bond like a tidal wave. They were nose to nose before the command
released its hold on her.

“Kiss me, Harper.” His breath stirred her
bangs as Wolf leapt up and down with glee.

“No,” she said, refusing to be forced
into a kiss.

“
Kiss me,”
he whispered the
command like a poison. The words snuck down her limbs as they forced her
compliance.

“No,” she repeated futilely while leaning
forward.

"Perhaps this will spark your
memory," Axel said as he closed the distance between their lips.

Harper’s heart beat wildly, and she felt
her control slipping over to Wolf.
The
kiss had definitely sparked something, just not her memory. His lips were soft,
gentle, and at complete odds with his dark emotions. Harper growled, half wolf
and half human. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer, and he
answered by further opening the bond between them. His emotions were hers and
her emotions were his.

From far away, a light knock sounded on
the door. They both ignored it for a moment until the person knocked again.
Axel growled softly, pulled away, and gently returned Harper to her chair. She
was glad he had sat her down, because otherwise she might have fallen to the
floor.

Before
opening the glass door, Axel glanced at her to make sure she was okay. Harper
nodded back dazedly, and Axel said,
This is Randel.

A
tall, dark skinned man entered, giving Harper a swift nod before telling Axel,
“We’ve found another one a few miles out of town. He was killed a few days ago,
same bite marks as Ben, but this time there was a note.”

“What
did it say?” Axel looked so controlled, and it bothered Harper. She was sure
that her faced was flushed and her clothing askew. Her mate, one the other
hand, looked as perfect as usual.

Axel’s
satisfaction from the kiss morphed into guilt at the news, and his wolf’s
unhappiness pulsed clearly through the bond.

‘It
cannot be stopped,’ Randel announced. “The message was typed out and taped to
his mouth. The police got to him first, and right now they are trying to figure
out what animal is responsible.”

Axel
cursed under his breath before saying, “Get Conner. We need to schedule a pack
meeting.”

“Yes,
sir,” Randel said before exiting the office.

Axel
returned to Harper’s side, and she immediately asked, “What’s going on?”

He
sighed while taking her hand in his. “There is a new group that insists we
should go public. They have no idea of the implications, of how much humans
truly fear us. Fear is always countered with violence.”

“Did
they form a pack?”

“Not
yet, although I’m afraid that’s coming soon. They are mostly rogues and the
occasional member. Even our pack has a few who believe we should go public, but
it has never been a problem until now.”

“So
in order to expose their own kind they’ve been staging murders? Won’t that just
make the world hate us once they finally figure it out?”

Axel
admitted, “I believe that’s what they want. They want humans to fear us.” He
pulled Harper to her feet. “You know what, it’s been a long day and I need to
make some calls. Would you mind if we call it a day?”

It
had only been an hour, but Harper was exhausted. She nodded and followed Axel from
his office and into the elevator. He hadn’t let go of her hand, which made her
secretly pleased. People were staring, and most of them were a part of the
pack. She wasn’t sure how she knew who was pack and who wasn’t, but it had something
to do with her wolf.

||||

The
ride home was filled with silence. Harper stayed worried about Axel because she
could feel his guilt and pain, but there was nothing she could say that would
help him. When they arrived at the house, he made sure she didn’t need
anything, and then he immediately went into his office.

She
rummaged through the entertainment center in search of a good movie. Finding
the perfect flick was easy; figuring out how to work the expensive DVD player was
not. After ten minutes of fiddling, the opening title finally appeared on the
flat screen.

She
watched the movie for a good forty minutes before checking on Axel through the
bond. He was feeling frustration, guilt, and sadness. Deciding that he needed a
distraction, she paused the movie and peeked her head inside the office.

Axel
had his feet propped on the desk and was talking on the phone. As soon as he
spotted her, he ended the call and gave a weak smile.

“I
was just about to watch a movie. Want to join me?”

He
hesitated, and she said, “Oh, come on. It’s a good choice. I promise.”

Axel
smiled. “Only if there’s popcorn.”

Seven
minutes later, bag of popcorn in hand, they were laughing at the ridiculousness
of
Blue Werewolf Moon.
She had felt like having a good laugh, so an old
werewolf horror story was obviously the best movie for the job.

Halfway
through the film, Harper’s stomach growled. Axel paused on a bloody werewolf
leaping in midair and ordered pizza.

“You’re
not much on cooking, are you?” she asked after he ended the call.

“You’re
to blame; I’ve always had you to cook for me,” he replied.

“You
did not just say that!” She grabbed a pillow off the couch and flung it at him.

He
caught it and threw the pillow back, hitting her squarely on the head.

She
laughed and picked up another one while jumping onto the couch. “You’re so
sexist! I can’t believe I’ve put up with you all these years.”

Axel
deflected the second pillow and then launched himself at her, swinging her back
on the couch. They fell in a heap, and Harper couldn’t quit giggling. Axel held
her hands together with one of his and tickled her side. No amount of
screeching or wiggling could get him to stop.

Harper’s
stomach hurt from laughing. Finally, she pried one of her hands free and used
it to shove him aside. She sprinted into the kitchen and put the island safely
between them. She was panting and laughing, and so was he. Axel feigned to the
left and she flinched, making her socks slip on the tile.

Her
balance was askew, so began falling in a tangle of long arms and legs. Axel
lunged and caught her before she could hit the ground, but it only made her
laugh harder.

Harper
had a sudden sobering thought. “Hey Axel? Am I different than before?”

He
laid his head on her thigh. “Yes, you are.”

“How,
exactly?” She was afraid of the answer. It was almost as if the woman she used
to be and the woman she was now were two different people.

“You’re
happier. I love hearing you laugh like that.”

She
smiled. “So have I earned the end of our bonding?”

“You’ll
owe me a kiss or two,” he said.

Harper
didn’t even have to think about that one. “Deal. You couldn’t have driven a
harder bargain?”

He
laughed, and sent her the memories until they were playing in her head like a
movie.

The
bond had formed, and Harper’s emotions crashed through him. Fear. Excitement.
Nervousness. There was twenty feet between them, but it felt like a thousand.
She took a few steps forward while watching Axel nervously. He strode towards her,
and they met each other in the middle. Harper didn’t stop until less than a few
inches separated their bodies. Axel held out his hand and tried to keep the
idiotic grin off his face. The pack was still silent, watching their every
move.

“I’m
Axel, Alpha of the Canyon Wolf Pack,”” he said. His wolf had insisted on adding
the title so she would know exactly who her mate was.

“Harper,”
she replied, smiling and shaking his hand.

Nice
to meet you, Harper,
he whispered through the bond.

Her
eyes widened with surprise before she hugged him tightly.

It
was like a match made in heaven.

As
soon as Axel had the thought, he remembered their fight three weeks ago, and the
memory slipped just enough for Harper to see.

“Well
you’re wrong!” Harper screamed. Her expression was hateful. “You don’t
understand, Axel, and you never will!”

“Harper,
don’t say that. I understand you better than anyone else. Just tell me what’s
going on! We both know you’re hiding something, and I don’t care what it is.”

Axel
shut off the memory, but Harper dove deeper into his head.

Axel
leaned against the wall in the foyer. The grandfather clock chimed midnight,
and a few minutes later the front door opened. Harper stumbled inside, yelling
a goodnight at Gabby. It was too dark for even her improved vision, and she
didn’t notice Axel standing there. Harper took a few drunken steps, but on the
third one she stumbled and fell. Axel had to force down the desire to catch
her.

Instead
he said, “Where the hell have you been?”

She
looked up from her position on the floor. “None of your business.”

“Harper,
I’m your mate, not some strict parent.”

“My
head hurts,” she complained.

Axel
sighed as he helped her stand. “I know it does. Let’s get you to bed.”

Axel
forcefully shoved Harper out of his memories and sealed their bond. She didn’t
know what he was feeling, but part of her didn’t care. She was too embarrassed
by her past actions.

“Axel,
I’m-” she began to apologize.

“Don’t
say it; you don’t even remember.”

His
words stung, but they were true. Was it really her fault if she didn’t remember
her mistakes? Then again, that would never be a liable excuse for a drunk.
Harper probably hadn’t remembered that night when she awoke the next morning,
but it was still her fault.

The
doorbell rang and Harper jumped. She really needed to work on relaxing.

Axel
returned with the pizza to find her still sitting on the floor. He grabbed two
slices and took a seat beside her. She didn’t feel like eating but took it
anyways and looked at the pepperoni chunks with distaste.

After
Axel had finished his piece he scooped Harper into his arms and dumped her on
the couch so they could continue the movie. It took longer for her to get in a
good mood, but the outrageous scenes soon had her giggling again.

She
rested her head on Axel’s shoulder and he held her hand softly. It was almost
like a first date. Harper felt a pang of sadness at the realization that she
could no longer remember their first date or their first kiss. It had only been
one day, so surely her memories would come back soon. She would just have to
wait a while.

Before
long, her eyelids drooped shut and she fell fast asleep.