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Authors: Diana Castle
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much for all those movies she’d seen.
He grimaced. “It was her own damn fault. She was always reckless and wild. Like Caleb. She liked tweaking Everett’s nose. I think it got into her head, being the last female shifter. Normally, we’d all have our own mates. Naomi should have been Everett’s alone. She was an alpha female so they had to be mated. But he was forced to share her or risk us, or I should say, Caleb constantly challenging him for her.”
“Share her? You mean sexually?”
“Yeah.” He looked embarrassed then he shrugged. “Like I said it went to her head. She liked playing us against each other. Anyway, after she was killed, Everett just kind of closed up. I don’t think it was because he was in love with her. He and Naomi were like oil and water. Watching them two fuck was like watching two porcupines having sex. Prickly as hell. But she was Clan and she was the last female. Without her....” Avery shrugged and looked glum. “...we’ll die out. No more pups, get it?”
She nodded.
“We're a long-lived race. Not only do we age slower we also heal faster. We’re immune to most diseases. None of us has ever had a cold or the flu. But if we're damaged enough, whether from a bullet or some other injury, we still die. And we still need young if we’re not to die out altogether.”
“How old are you?”
His smile was gently teasing. “How old do you think I am?”
“You look like you’re in your early twenties. Twenty-three?”
He laughed, but softly. “I’m fifty-seven. So is Caleb. Everett’s seventy-one.”
“But...that’s incredible. And you’ve lived up in these mountains all that time?”
“Yeah.” He tilted his head. “I have to admit, you’re taking it all rather well.”
Her eyes widened. “I am taking it well, aren’t I?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am. I suppose I shouldn’t be so calm about it.” She almost told him about her dreams. About the Wolf-God and the strange urges she sometimes had about sex and, most especially, about this part of the country. This wasn’t her first trip to these mountains. She’d been here before. She’d always felt drawn to this place, though she could not have said why.
“What about your family?” she asked. “What happened to them?”
“My father was killed on a hunt. By an elk. My mother died giving birth to my sister. She was stillborn.”
“I'm sorry.”
He shrugged. “It's the way of things. That's why Everett is the way he is. He blames himself. For everything. For all the deaths. He’s the alpha. It’s his duty to protect the Clan. But the world changes and when men hunt with high-powered rifles and shoot from helicopters and make laws that say one day you can’t kill a wolf and the next day you can...”
He shook his head. “When we shift there are places where it’s safe to run as the wolf. But those are fast disappearing because more people are moving up here. That's why he went out after Caleb. We always run together. We weren’t due to shift until later in the week.”
“Due to shift? You mean, like when the moon is full?”
He nodded. “I wish we had the power to shift whenever we wanted to. You know why?”
She shook her head.
Avery looked solemnly over at her, his hazel eyes grave. “Because I wouldn't shift at all. I hate being the wolf. But not Caleb. He loves it. We don't remember much when we shift, but we remember enough.”
“What about Everett? Does he like being the wolf?”
Avery stared at her. Long enough that Jane began to feel uncomfortable. Then he broke his gaze and sighed. “Don't know. Sometimes I think he hates it. But then, sometimes…” He shrugged. “I just know I don't like it.”
He looked over at the window. Jane followed his gaze. It was still snowing.
“During the week before the moon becomes full,” he went on, “is when we're most vulnerable to shifting prematurely. Certain things can trigger it. Too much stress.
He grimaced. “It was her own damn fault. She was always reckless and wild. Like Caleb. She liked tweaking Everett’s nose. I think it got into her head, being the last female shifter. Normally, we’d all have our own mates. Naomi should have been Everett’s alone. She was an alpha female so they had to be mated. But he was forced to share her or risk us, or I should say, Caleb constantly challenging him for her.”
“Share her? You mean sexually?”
“Yeah.” He looked embarrassed then he shrugged. “Like I said it went to her head. She liked playing us against each other. Anyway, after she was killed, Everett just kind of closed up. I don’t think it was because he was in love with her. He and Naomi were like oil and water. Watching them two fuck was like watching two porcupines having sex. Prickly as hell. But she was Clan and she was the last female. Without her....” Avery shrugged and looked glum. “...we’ll die out. No more pups, get it?”
She nodded.
“We're a long-lived race. Not only do we age slower we also heal faster. We’re immune to most diseases. None of us has ever had a cold or the flu. But if we're damaged enough, whether from a bullet or some other injury, we still die. And we still need young if we’re not to die out altogether.”
“How old are you?”
His smile was gently teasing. “How old do you think I am?”
“You look like you’re in your early twenties. Twenty-three?”
He laughed, but softly. “I’m fifty-seven. So is Caleb. Everett’s seventy-one.”
“But...that’s incredible. And you’ve lived up in these mountains all that time?”
“Yeah.” He tilted his head. “I have to admit, you’re taking it all rather well.”
Her eyes widened. “I am taking it well, aren’t I?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am. I suppose I shouldn’t be so calm about it.” She almost told him about her dreams. About the Wolf-God and the strange urges she sometimes had about sex and, most especially, about this part of the country. This wasn’t her first trip to these mountains. She’d been here before. She’d always felt drawn to this place, though she could not have said why.
“What about your family?” she asked. “What happened to them?”
“My father was killed on a hunt. By an elk. My mother died giving birth to my sister. She was stillborn.”
“I'm sorry.”
He shrugged. “It's the way of things. That's why Everett is the way he is. He blames himself. For everything. For all the deaths. He’s the alpha. It’s his duty to protect the Clan. But the world changes and when men hunt with high-powered rifles and shoot from helicopters and make laws that say one day you can’t kill a wolf and the next day you can...”
He shook his head. “When we shift there are places where it’s safe to run as the wolf. But those are fast disappearing because more people are moving up here. That's why he went out after Caleb. We always run together. We weren’t due to shift until later in the week.”
“Due to shift? You mean, like when the moon is full?”
He nodded. “I wish we had the power to shift whenever we wanted to. You know why?”
She shook her head.
Avery looked solemnly over at her, his hazel eyes grave. “Because I wouldn't shift at all. I hate being the wolf. But not Caleb. He loves it. We don't remember much when we shift, but we remember enough.”
“What about Everett? Does he like being the wolf?”
Avery stared at her. Long enough that Jane began to feel uncomfortable. Then he broke his gaze and sighed. “Don't know. Sometimes I think he hates it. But then, sometimes…” He shrugged. “I just know I don't like it.”
He looked over at the window. Jane followed his gaze. It was still snowing.
“During the week before the moon becomes full,” he went on, “is when we're most vulnerable to shifting prematurely. Certain things can trigger it. Too much stress.
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