Pride's Run (17 page)

“You can’t flinch.”

I step over a fallen log and hurry along the
path. “I won’t.”

Logan uses his free hand to push a branch out
of our way. “You’re also going to have to pretend you like it.”

I nod and as my blood rushes quicker, I
suddenly wonder how much pretending I’ll have to do. “I can
pretend,” I assure him.

As we get closer to the fire we pick up our
pace to catch up to Taylor. He drops his lumber and steps up to the
group who are all seated around the campfire.

He waves his hand behind him and says, “We
have company.”

Curious eyes turn on us and my entire body
tenses. Logan drops his wood on top of the pile and grasps my hand.
When he gives it a reassuring squeeze I force myself to relax.

“Looks like they had their things jacked as
well. They’re out here with no supplies.”

Just then one of the girls jumps up from the
log she’d been sitting on, her dark ponytail bouncing from side to
side as she shakes her head. “You’re kidding me.” She puckers her
lips and gives me a once over. “Look at you,” she says, her voice
laced with concern. “You’re underdressed and a complete mess.” She
makes a tsking sound and grabs a blanket from her tent. Mumbling
under her breath she says, “I’d really like to get my hands on the
thieves who stole your gear.”

Not really understanding their genuine
kindness my heart crashes hard against my chest. And when this
stranger comes to drape a heavy blanket over me, I’m speechless.
She runs her hands up and down my arms to warm me and I try not to
flinch at her touch.

“Hey pal, what size are you?” one of the boys
asks.

“Twelve,” Logan answers.

“Will an eleven do?”

“You bet they will.” The boy tosses Logan a
spare pair of boots and he drops to a rock to haul them on.
“Thanks, man.”

Once we’re warmed we sit around the fire and
as I adjust myself on the log, Taylor does the introductions. I
learn that the girl who jumped to my rescue is Andrea, and the boy
who gave up his boots is Jack, her boyfriend. After we exchange
pleasantries, Taylor introduces Danielle and Trey, Michael and
Brittany, and then he introduces his own girlfriend, Janie. I try
to remember the names, four couples in total, as I greet them
all.

We get comfortably seated and Logan initiates
conversation. There is something about the soft lilt of his voice,
his alpha charm and the way he presents a calm demeanor that draws
the hikers in and puts everyone at ease. I have no doubt if we were
normal teens, Logan would be the most popular boy in high
school.

“What are you all doing out here?” Logan asks
as shrewd eyes size up each and every one of them.

Taylor grabs two beers from his cooler and
says, “Having one last party before we all go off to college in a
few days.” He tosses the cans to Logan, who opens them and hands
one to me.

I think about turning it down, but the look
on Logan’s face changes my mind. I smile to hide what I’m really
feeling as the bitter scent stings my nose.

“Where do you all go?” I ask and take a small
sip from the can in an attempt to fit in. As the amber liquid
slides down my throat I try not to show a reaction.

“We’re going all over,” he explains, and I
note the sadness in Andrea’s face as she leans into Jack. I don’t
need to ask to know that they’re going in separate directions.

As her sadness reaches out to me, curling
around me like a heavy cloak, I find myself leaning into Logan. At
first he seems surprised by the uncharacteristic gesture, but then
he wraps his arm around me to offer his comfort, assuming I’m doing
it merely for show.

When Andrea reaches for her beer can a flash
of orange light from the blazing fire dances on her ring. As I
stare at it, taking in the pretty diamond stone, it instantly
reminds me of my mating dress. Unease moves through me as I think
about the elders, the puppies.

When she notices my interest she looks at me
and smiles. “Pretty isn’t it?”

“It’s gorgeous,” I say to cover my sudden
discomfort.

A smile lights her face and travels all the
way to her big brown eyes as she holds it out in front of herself
to examine.

“It’s a promise ring. We’re going to get
married when we graduate college.” She turns to Jack and they
exchange a kiss.

“Get a room will you,” one of the boys blurts
out and everyone laughs.

As I stare at the diamond I can’t help but
think how much I long to be a normal girl, long to love someone,
long to be loved, like Andrea. But I’m not a normal girl, I quickly
remind myself. And I never will be.

“It’s a small diamond,” Jack says almost
apologetically.

“Don’t be silly. It’s not small.” Andrea
wiggles her slim fingers. “It’s perfect for my hand.”

Jack shrugs it off and says, “But when I
become rich and famous she’s going to need a wheelbarrow to carry
her engagement ring around.”

With that everyone laughs and Jack turns his
attention to us. “So what about you guys? You both off to
university in a few days, too? Getting one last party in?”

Instincts take over and I lean toward the
fire to warm myself as I recite my standard story. “No, I’m a
junior at Olympic High and Logan is a senior. We were on a nature
hike until our things got stolen.” I smile at Logan and when I look
at him expectantly, he takes the cue.

Logan winks at the group then growls as he
plants a warm kiss on my cheek. His tone is light and
conversational when he says, “Well actually we’re just getting away
from the parents to have a little…
quiet time
…if you know
what I mean.”

When the boys let loose a cheer and raise
their drinks, I clue in to what Logan means by
quiet time
.
My cheek burns where he kissed it and my spine quivers as I think
about such an intimate act with this big bad alpha.

Taylor winks back. “Hell yeah, we know what
you mean. And don’t worry. I have a spare pup tent you two can
borrow. Very small, if you know what I mean.”

As I think about sleeping in such a confined
space with Logan, my heart misses a beat, my stomach flutters
strangely, and beads of sweat break out on my body.

A cool breeze fans the fire and the flames
lick the sky. Needing to think of something else, I glance upward
and take in the stars. Just then a low howl rents the air and
everyone tenses.

“Hey did you hear about the wolves on the
loose?” Taylor asks.

I lower my head and work a strip of bark free
from our makeshift bench as Logan plays it cool and says, “No,
never heard.”

“Yeah, we ran into some gaming officers who
warned us. They also left us a card to call if we catch sight of
them.” He pulls out his blackberry and holds it up. “Not that we
could get a signal out here.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about,” Logan
says and brushes it off, but I can feel his tension and hear the
strain beneath his words. “They’re probably more scared of us than
we are of them.”

As everyone nods in agreement, Taylor relaxes
a bit and says, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Trey, a very nice looking boy with midnight
shoulder-length hair and a somewhat stocky build reaches for a
cooler. His voice is rich and deep when he says, “You guys must be
hungry.”

I inhale the lingering scents around me and
despite the grumbling in my stomach I say, “We don’t want to take
your food.”

“Don’t worry. We have plenty.”

When I offer him a grateful smile, his brown
eyes widen and I get this strange vibe from him. He’s not
dangerous, but he has this hyper energy about him.

“How do hot dogs and s’mores sound?” he
asks.

Hot dogs sound great but I’ve never had
s’mores before. I wonder if that’s the deliciously sweet smell
that’s been teasing my hunger.

“Sounds great,” Logan answers in a possessive
voice that I’ve never heard before. As Trey approaches, Logan
shuffles closer to me, until our bodies are practically meshed
together. I hear a low growl in his throat but can’t figure out
what’s threatening him. Alpha or not, I jab him in the ribs to calm
his wolf.

Trey grabs two long skewers and comes closer.
He plunks himself down beside me and passes out the sticks.
Danielle, his gorgeous girlfriend who looks very much like the
bubbly cheerleader type, reaches for another beer and I notice the
way she wobbles slightly as she watches us from across the fire
pit.

I place my can of beer on the ground beside
me and Logan takes it and moves it to the other side of him. We
exchange a knowing look and it becomes clear to me that with each
passing moment we’re getting better and better at reading each
other.

Logan takes a small drink from his can, then
when no one is looking pours the rest out. I guess he doesn’t want
to run the risk of lowering his inhibitions either because we need
to keep awake and alert if we want to survive out here.

After we take our skewers, Trey tears open a
new pack of hotdogs. He holds the package out and Logan grabs one
to put on the end of his stick and as I’m about to follow suit,
Trey closes his hand over mine.

“Here let me help you.”

I’m quite capable of doing it myself but I
don’t want to offend anyone so I let him. He shifts a little closer
to me and keeps his hand over mine. He pierces the hot dog and
holds it over the fire.

While I cook my food the boys strike up
conversation, but I don’t miss the tension emanating off Logan as
he watches Trey. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was about to
shift and pounce. Something about Trey threatens his wolf, but I
can’t quite figure out what it is.

Keeping one eye on me, and the other on the
group, Logan joins the conversation. The girls look bored as the
guys talk about cars, recent movies, sports, and some ultimate
fighting show they all watch on TV. As I listen, I’m not at all
bored. What I am, however, is surprised by how much Logan knows.
I’m also surprised by the possessiveness in his glance whenever he
looks at me.

Once my hot dog is cooked, I begin to nibble
on it, taking my time so I don’t come off like a starved dog. When
Danielle clears her throat loudly, Trey slinks back to her, leaving
the package of hot dogs behind. Danielle speaks to her boyfriend in
whispered words, but with my trained ears I’m able to hear them,
and what I hear startles me.

Flirting with me?

Is that what she thinks he was doing? When
hunting for my master, I’ve flirted with guys to gain their trust,
but a guy has never flirted with me before. I turn to Logan, who
has also been listening. He nods his head at me and he seems highly
agitated when he whispers, “What you were sensing was his interest
in you.”

Before I can respond, Brittany, a pretty
petite blonde, who appears to be the same size as me, jumps up and
her green eyes are alive with laughter when she says, “Time for
more s’mores.”

“Haven’t you eaten enough?” Janie asks,
laughing. “Not that it matters, you skinny bitch.” Then she rolls
her blue eyes and turns them on me. “I suppose you can eat all you
want and never put on a pound either.”

I know she’s teasing, but I’m not sure how to
respond. Brittany comes to my rescue.

“Ignore her. She’s been on a liquid diet and
it’s making her insane.”

I look Janie over. She is tall, gorgeous, and
curvy in all the right places. She’s everything I’m not, everything
I long to be. I frown, confused by such behavior. “Why would she be
on a liquid diet?”

“Because she thinks she’s fat,” Brittany
explains.

My eyes widen and before I can help myself I
blurt out, “She’s gorgeous.”

“Okay, Pride, you’re my very new best
friend,” Janie says and the girls all laugh.

Brittany steps behind Logan to grab another
cooler. She pulls out supplies, hands them around and takes a seat
next to him. She punctures her marshmallow, warms it over the
flames then wraps it in chocolate and graham cracker.

As we watch her eat, Logan stabs a
marshmallow with his skewer and follows her lead. Within seconds it
goes up in a burst of flames. He pulls it away and tries to wrap it
in chocolate, only to end up with a hot mess on his hands.

Everyone is laughing and I can’t help but
smile at him. This skilled hunter who can slay a deer with his bare
hands and chase off a mother bear is actually having a hard time
building a s’more, which smells so amazing that I’m ready to scarf
it down without even bothering to cook the marshmallow.

When he hears me make a noise that resembles
a laugh, he turns to me and runs his fingers over my face, coating
me in chocolate. Everyone laughs harder and I stick my tongue out
to taste the sweetness.

My stomach howls for more. That has to be the
most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I look at Janie. Why she
would deprive herself of this is beyond me. Then again, I’ve been
caged my whole life and don’t understand ‘high school girl’ way of
thinking.

As Logan licks his fingers clean, I look
around at the group. Everyone is having such a good time it has my
heart swelling in my chest. Once again I’m reminded that the young
teenage girl inside me wants this, wants the normalcy of it all.
Friends. Camaraderie. Laughter.

But my gut reminds me of my mission. One I
might not come back from. And I’d be smart to remember that
emotions play no part in my game of survival. I sober at that last
thought and Logan turns to me, sensing my mood shift.

Brittany drops next to him. Still laughing
and genuinely sincere she shoves another marshmallow onto his stick
and gives him directions as she holds it over the fire.

“Put the chocolate on the graham cracker and
hold the sides open,” she directs.

When Logan obliges, I watch Brittany lean
close, her body is only inches from Logan’s and the clean scent of
her skin wafts before our nostrils. I think of my own body, and how
filthy I must look in comparison, and for the first time in my life
I feel the sting of something new, something that could be
jealousy.