Forbidden Hope: A Werewolf Wars Prequel Novella (2 page)

“You won’t be meeting with Devon,” she corrected. Marcus lifted an eyebrow and she motioned for him to sit down. Her family’s hierarchy was unlike many other packs. The last thing she wanted was for someone like Marcus, who was rightfully confused, to be punished because of an assumption that would normally be correct. Wolves could sense their alpha’s it was a part of their nature, but her pack ignored typical pack hierarchy. “You’ll be meeting with my father and his eldest son, my brother Daniel.”

“I must have hit my head harder than I thought,” Marcus mumbled, scratching his head. “I could have sworn Devon was an alpha.”

“Oh, you didn’t hit your head that hard. I mean you did, but...” she trailed off, trying to gather her bearings so she didn’t sound like a blubbering idiot. She knew how to talk to people, she just wasn’t used to talking to people she didn’t know. Ever since her heat cycle started, she’d been stuck at home, forbidden to leave. Being a prisoner in her own home seemed to be taking a toll on her social skills. Marcus cleared his throat and she blinked.

She smiled briefly before continuing. “Devon is an alpha—well he has alpha blood, but he isn’t the future leader of the pack.” Emily sat down in the chair and folded one leg over the other. Marcus’ brow furrowed and she gave him a sheepish smile. She inhaled sharply as she thought of how to explain. “Devon’s father was killed when Devon was three. My father was given control of the pack and mated with my mother, who is a true alpha. My father is training Daniel to be his successor, even though neither of them have the alpha gene.”

“I see.”

“Devon isn’t interested in leading the pack.”
At least that’s what he says.
“My dad can be a little gruff at times, but I think he’s a fair alpha...as long as you don’t get on his bad side,” she chuckled, hoping he didn’t hear the slight edge to her voice. She’d never been on the opposite end of his fury, but she’d heard it wasn’t pleasant.

She leaned back in her chair and smiled. If she didn’t change the direction of this conversation, then he might decide this wasn’t the right pack for him. The thought of him leaving was too much to bear. Why? She didn’t know.

“So, are you in school?” she asked quietly.

“I’ve been working toward my business degree.”

“Oh? I just finished my first semester of college courses. I’m not sure what I want to do...”
or if I’ll ever be allowed to leave the homestead to do it.
“...but at least I’m getting the basic classes out of the way.”

Marcus stood up from the bed and stretched. Emily blinked up at him, watching as he strode toward the door.

“I’ve been cooped up in here all day. Do you mind going for a walk?”

“I’d love to.” Emily jumped up, her pulse quickening as she inhaled his mossy scent. Her stomach clenched tightly and heat rushed through her core.
Why am I having such a reaction to him?
She hurried past him, hoping he wouldn’t notice the shift in her mood. “I’ll take you for a walk outside.”

They descended the stairs in silence. Emily took the time to try to regain control of her raging hormones. She’d been around male wolves—some of whom were very attractive—but had never had this kind of a response before.

“This property is huge—at least, from the little I saw of it.”

“It is,” she agreed. “We like our space here. We have just over fifty acres. The edge of our property is marked off so you know where not to go. We haven’t had a problem with hunters for a few years, but it’s best to be careful, especially with hunting season in full swing.”

“I’d like to stretch my legs and explore. Maybe later we could go for a run around the property.”

Emily grinned as they walked out onto the front porch. “I’d like that.”

***

I
t had been two days since Marcus had woken up and started feeling like himself again. Things were different here—not bad, just different from what he was accustomed to. He had more time and space to himself, and he enjoyed being able to kick back and relax. Like today, he’d just finished his run and still had over an hour until he had to report for his watch duties. His only wish was that his brothers could be here with him. They had always spent their free time together. He sighed, willing the sadness and angsts of their death away.

He laid down in the grass, staring up at the puffy white clouds. His body was relaxed, the tension in his muscles gone after a good hard run in wolf form. The land here was much larger than what he was used to. It was nice to be able to really stretch his legs.

He inhaled sharply, breathing in the earthy grass scent. The smell of lilacs was on the air too.
Emily!
He sat up and looked around. The smell was too strong for her not to be near. A speck of light blue stood out in the bushes a sharp contrast to the yellow and red leaves of the fall foliage. Marcus watched as the beautiful she-wolf pulled her hair loose from its ponytail and fluffed the long strands out.

She was truly exquisite. Her hand went to her blue jacket as she shrugged the garment off. She wore a light green tee underneath that hugged her curves perfectly. Emily shuffled—probably kicking off her shoes. Marcus held his breath. She was going to shift right in front of him, and he knew that he should warn her of his presence. It wouldn’t be right to sit and watch without her knowledge.

“Hi,” he called.

Emily’s head snapped in his direction. She smiled, bending down to collect her belongings, and headed towards him.

“I didn’t realize you were out here.”

“Went out for a run,” he explained. “I wish I would have known you were almost done helping your mom. I would have asked you to join me.”

Emily plopped down next to him. “I’m usually done earlier, but we ran out of flour and I had to wait until my mom got back from the store to finish preparations.”

“What is for dinner?”

“Chicken and dumplings. One of my favorites.”

Marcus leaned back on his elbows, looking back up at the sky. He’d only known her a few days but couldn’t deny that he craved her company. There was something about her. When he was with her he felt at ease—like he was home.

“Vincent invited me out to the city tonight. Would you like to join us?” Marcus asked, holding his breath.

“No,” she sighed.

Marcus’ shoulders slouched and he blinked up at the bright sun, not wanting to look at her. He’d thought they had a connection. Maybe he was wrong.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” she whispered, touching his hand. “It’s just, my dad, he’s very protective of me. I’m the only female wolf in the pack and he doesn’t let me leave the property. He’s too afraid something will happen to me.”

“You’re not allowed to leave?” Marcus questioned, turning to her. He frowned as anger surged through him. He understood they lived in a dangerous world, but it wasn’t right to hold her prisoner here either. Hopefully, he’d misunderstood what she meant.

“I got to do odds and ends when I was younger, but after my heat cycle started, my dad forbade me from leaving the grounds. There is too much unrest amongst the packs in our area.”

Marcus opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. He’d just lost his pack because of the tension amongst their kind. “You can’t even leave if Vincent and Devon are going to be there?” Surely if she had protection, the alpha would allow her some freedom.

Emily shook her head sadly. “I would love to get out—believe—me but I know he’ll never let me. I’ve asked, screamed, and shouted until I’m blue in the face and his answer never waivers.”

Marcus placed his hand over top of hers in an effort to comfort her. Arousal rolled through him at the innocent gesture, causing his cock to throb against his jeans. He gritted his teeth and inhaled a deep breath; he was not some horny teenager. “Maybe we could find something here to do then. A movie or a run? Something fun
—j
ust the two of us.” Hell, he’d even offer to rake leaves if it meant spending time together.

“What? Like a date?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Yeah.”

Emily pulled away from him and stood up. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

“Why?” he asked, standing up next to her. The fear laced stench of soured milk mingled in the air accompanied by her natural lilac scent.
Is she afraid of me? But why would she be aroused if she was scared?

Emily opened and shut her mouth. “It just wouldn’t. I need to get going. My mom is expecting me back in a bit anyway.” She turned on her heel and sprinted into the brush.

“Emily!” Marcus called, taking a step toward her fleeting form, but she was already gone.
What the hell just happened?
He looked down at his feet’ her jacket and shoes still set in a tidy pile next to him. Scooping them up, he set off to find her.

***

E
mily breathed heavily as she dressed. Her run had been grueling and, instead of providing relief, it had only made her tension worse. Her body ached and muscles clenched painfully as she moved.

Marcus wanted to date her. She’d hoped the attraction had been one-sided. It would have been easier. As a girl amongst a sea of men, she’d had more than her fair share of crushes, but this was different. Whatever
this
feeling was, it was more than a crush. She physically yearned to be near him—to touch him.

Stop! Your feelings don’t matter. You’re the alpha’s daughter and you have certain obligations.

“Emily,” Marcus called.

Emily twirled around as he came jogging up to her. She ran a hand through hair and willed her body not to betray her true feelings.

“You left these behind,” he stated as he handed her coat and shoes to her.

“Oh. Thanks.”

“I’m sorry if I made things awkward. I thought...” he paused clearing his throat. “I just feel this pull towards you and I don’t know how to explain it. I thought you felt the same way too, but that was my mistake.”

He feels it too?
Her heart swelled, but it was almost immediately ruined by the chill of anticipation that shot down her spine.
No. No. This is bad. Dad will never let you mate with anyone but an alpha. Get it together and stop this before it consumes you.

Emily swallowed, nodding.

“I just want to get to know you,” Marcus explained.

“I think we should just be friends,” she blurted.

Marcus blinked. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

“Okay,” she said, forcing a smile. “Thanks for bringing these back to me.” She slid her jacket on and tried to ignore the way Marcus’ smile wavered. “I have to get back to help my mom, but we’ll talk again later.” She shoved her feet into her shoes, waved goodbye, and took off back to the house.
Friends—it’s for the best.

E
mily brushed her hands on her jeans as she left the kitchen. Dinner was in the oven and dessert was chilling in the fridge. She’d already shifted today, and since Devon and Vincent were hanging out with Marcus—who she’d been actively avoiding the past week—she didn’t have anything to do but go up to her room and read.

Or, she could see what Daniel was up to. She wasn’t as close to Daniel, but she didn’t feel like being cooped up in her room either. Her stomach twisted with indecision. She knew what she wanted to do, but keeping distance from Marcus was best. The draw to him was undeniable. Regardless of her feelings, they could never truly be together. Her best bet was to visit Daniel.

She wandered outside towards the field where Daniel trained the younger male wolves how to fight. The gravel crunched beneath her sneakers as she made her way over the drive.

“She finally emerges from her dungeon,” Vincent called as he came out of the massive, twelve-car garage that sat adjacent to the house.

“Hey,” she said, greeting her twin.

“We got beer and a few movies from the store. Want to watch something with us?” Vincent offered, holding up a six-pack.

Emily hesitated watching as Marcus and Devon appeared from the garage. “What did you get?”

“Marcus has never seen
Teen Wolf
,” Vincent smirked. “I told him it’s a must-see movie for us. You know you want to watch it with us and crack jokes about how wrong they get it.”

Emily giggled as Vincent wagged his brows at her. They’d watched the movie at least a dozen times before, each time finding new things to laugh about. It was one of her favorite things to do with her brothers.

“It will be fun,” Vincent added.

Emily chanced a glance at Marcus, who was now only a few feet away. Butterflies fluttered in her belly as their eyes met. She held his gaze a long moment. “Okay,” she heard herself say.

“Fantastic,” Vincent grinned, wrapping an arm around her and leading her inside.

***

E
mily fiddled with the seam of the green leather couch arm as she attempted to watch the movie and not look at the handsome wolf to her right. About an hour into the movie, Devon got called downstairs to help with an injured wolf, and, shortly after that, Vincent had gotten up to go to the bathroom.

“Vincent said there is a sequel to this movie,” Marcus said, taking a swig out of his beer bottle.

“There is. He’ll probably insist on watching it after dinner.”

“I’m not sure you could call what we are doing watching,” Marcus chuckled.

“Vincent likes to make everything into a joke.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Silence enveloped them as they both stared at the screen. Every few minutes, Emily slid her gaze to the right, taking in Marcus’ form. His blue-grey eyes were glued to the screen and she wondered if he was having as hard of a time focusing as she was.

“How have you been?” Emily asked, instantly regretting her words. She should not be making conversation with a man she was avoiding.

“Good. I haven’t seen you around since the other day.”

“I’ve been busy with my mom. My dad is going out of town tomorrow and she’s been finalizing his plans, so I’ve been in the kitchen.” It wasn’t a lie—she had been doing just that. But she could have maintained her regular schedule.

“I wanted to apologize about the other day. I didn’t mean to upset you. I must have misread things,” Marcus stated, turning to her. “I’m new here and trying to fit into a new pack. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”