Wolf Moon (7 page)

Nick checked us all out
while I loaded our things into my car. Meanwhile, Jackson and Vince headed over
to pick up the van they were using to transport the bikes since the condition
of the roads was still questionable. When they returned, we headed out. Nick
drove a little more carefully as he navigated the icy streets.

“We’ll need to get you a
set of winter tires,” he said. “Or a car that’s better suited to Canadian winters.”

“That’s probably a good
idea,” I agreed, cracking my knuckles and fidgeting. I’d only been in the car a
short time and my restlessness had returned. Claustrophobia wasn’t something I
ever really had to deal with before, but ever since I was bitten in Chaparral
Park over a month ago, confined spaces put me on edge. I’d hoped my morning run
would relax me, but apparently being cooped up in a hotel for three days and in
a car the one before that had gotten the best of me.

In an effort to keep my
mind off of my increasing agitation, Nick let me be in charge of the music, but
I couldn’t settle on any one thing for long, so I eventually gave up. I was
like a child who was on a family road trip, unable to sit still or keep busy
long enough to help the time pass more quickly.

The highway was pretty
busy with people who’d also been grounded by the storm, but we still managed to
make excellent time. When we got to the Canadian border, I handed over my passport,
and then we were on our way. Only a few more hours, and we’d be at our final
destination. This made me nervous, but there was a flicker of excitement as
well.

I watched out the window
as we drove the rest of the way, the peaceful scenery helping me relax a little
more. The mountains were absolutely amazing against the bright blue sky, and
there was barely a cloud in sight. I know I said I loved the desert, but I had
no idea how beautiful the mountains were.

Any photo I’d ever seen
just didn’t do them justice. Sure, it looked cold outside, but the beauty took
my breath away, and the temperature and snow-covered ground didn’t even faze me
anymore. This was what I needed; the open space and quiet that only living
outside any major city could bring.

“We’re here,”
Nick
announced as we rounded a corner off onto another road.
We drove a few yards before stopping at a large wrought-iron gate with stone support
columns every six feet. I couldn’t see much since the driveway seemed to
stretch on, but I tried as Nick rolled down his window to punch in the code to
open the gate.

Driving down the circular
driveway, we approached the house, I gasped. It was amazing. No wonder Nick
said he couldn’t do this place justice. It was beyond words.

First of all, the
mountains were
right there
. I mean,
it would definitely be a trek to reach them, but I wouldn’t doubt if the Pack
went for several runs a week in and around them. If they didn’t, they were
crazy. I imagined it would be exhilarating, and I would run every chance I got.
I looked forward to shifting for the first time since all of this started,
which, in itself, was a huge development.

Then I saw the house…if
one could even call it that.

It was huge. Bigger than
anything I’d ever seen except in movies. Made of light gray and tan colored
brick, it stood at least two stories high. The windows above the second
storey
hinted at either an attic or an upstairs addition to
whatever rooms they topped, and there were at least three balconies off the
front of the house—
who
knew if there were more
in the back. There were trees everywhere on the huge plot of land as well as
right in front of the house, some of them bare and covered in frost and snow
given the cold winter months while the pine trees remained green. Off to the
right of the house was an addition almost the size of the main house with a terrace
on the roof.

I couldn’t wait to
explore this place.

“Wow,” I breathed as Nick
rolled to a stop in front of the house.

“Told you. Come on.” He
opened his door and rushed around to open mine since I was still sitting there,
dumbstruck.
      

He grabbed our bags as I
crawled out, breathing in the crisp winter air and strangely reveling in it. It
was so
clean
compared to back home.
Nick led the way up to the front door as we heard the guys pull into the
driveway and park behind us.

Inside, I picked up the
unfamiliar scent of several Pack members as well as faint traces of the ones I
already knew, and I stopped in my tracks, completely blown away by this place.
It was like something straight out of a movie—
Gone with the Wind
, actually.

“Holy shit,” I murmured
as I let my duffle bag fall to the floor heavily, and Nick chuckled behind me.

The foyer was stunning,
the off-white walls accented by the deep mahogany color of the banisters and
wood trim of the
two
curved staircases
that shared a main platform at the top. From there, the
hall
curled around either side, disappearing and leading to where I assumed the bedrooms
were
. Below the stairs was the entrance to what looked like the formal
sitting room, and it had floor to ceiling windows that showcased the Rocky
Mountains in all their miraculous glory. Four structural columns only added to
the ambiance of the home between the foyer and the sitting room. Everything was
so bright and open, and it was so elegant and welcoming—which, if I was
being honest, I didn’t expect from a pack of werewolves.

I couldn’t imagine what
the rest of the house looked like if this was just the front entry.

We weren’t in the house
very long, Nick having just barely closed the door before hurried footsteps
echoed through the house and a loud voice was heard.

“You made it,” the deep
voice called out, coming from around the corner of the sitting room. Soon, a
man about six feet tall with shoulder-length black hair and dark blue eyes
approached. Even though his hair was several shades darker, the sides graying
in that sophisticated way, I saw a lot of Corbin in his features, and I
immediately deduced he was Marcus.

His eyes fell on me, and
his already wide smile broadened, his eyes sparking with recognition. “You must
be Brooke,” he said warmly, opening his arms and pulling me into them as if we
were lifelong friends.

It caught me off guard,
but I went with it, hugging him back quickly. “I am,” I said with a slight
smile. “Marcus?”

Marcus laughed, releasing
me from his greeting hug and holding me at arm’s length by my biceps. “She’s
much prettier than you’d described, Nick,” he goaded, shooting me a quick wink.
He was friendly, and I could see myself being able to open up to him easily,
but behind this warm welcome, I sensed he was the Pack Alpha for a reason.
There was
a hardness
in his eyes that only a leader
would have, and his posture was strong and confident.

The door opened behind us
as the rest of the Pack filtered in. Marcus dropped his hands, his eyes
drifting to the guys. “Welcome home,” he said as Corbin walked past and hugged
his father. My stomach twisted as I watched this heartfelt reunion between
father and child, and I found myself looking away and wishing I
was
with my own parents.

“Where’s Mom?” Corbin
asked, piquing my interest. There were other women living here? I guess that
explained the elegance of this place.

“Your mother’s in the
kitchen, preparing dinner with the others,” he said. “Why don’t you go say hello.
She’s been missing you terribly.”

Something told me that
this was the first time Corbin had been away on a mission.

Corbin dropped his bag on
one of the Victorian-style chairs that sat along the wall in the curve of the
stairs and went into the room on the right. Curious, I looked after him and saw
there was a formal dining room, the walls painted a rich terra cotta color and
adorned with some classic art pieces. The kitchen must have been straight
through.

The other guys greeted
Marcus before retreating upstairs. As several doors closed, Marcus turned his
focus back to me, and this time he met me with a solemn expression. “Nick
filled me in on what happened, Brooke, and I just want to extend my greatest
sympathies to you.” My chin quivered and tears stung my eyes as I nodded. “If
you need anything—and I do mean
anything
—please
come to me. I’d like to help.”

I sniffled, straightened
my posture, and held my head high. “Thanks,” I said, my voice wavering
slightly. I could feel the tears welling up, so before they had a chance to
fall, I turned to Nick. “I’m a little tired. I think I’m going to go and
freshen up before dinner, if that’s all right?”

Nick looked from me to
Marcus
,
then back again. “Yeah, of course. I’ll come
with you.”

“It’s okay,” I said with
a reassuring smile. “You two should catch up on everything. I’ll be fine. Come
get me when you’re done.” I grabbed my bag from the floor and slung it over my
shoulder before taking my suitcase from Nick. I had just stepped onto the first
stair when Nick approached me.

“At least let me show you
where it is,” he offered softly, eyes concerned.

I placed my free hand on
his cheek, chancing a glance at Marcus as I initiated our charade. Did he know
we weren’t really together? If he did, did he care, or did he understand why
Nick wanted to carry on with this pretense?

“I’m sure I’ll find it.
I’ve got this uncanny sense of smell now,” I joked, leaning forward and kissing
him lightly. Nick’s breath caught as though he hadn’t expected the gesture, and
before I could pull away, his own hand came up to cradle my face. His long
fingers curled around my neck and into my hair as he kissed me a little firmer.
My lips tingled beneath the pressure, and when he pulled away, I smiled. My
head was a little fuzzy as I continued to climb the stairs, and when I reached
the top, I turned to find him downstairs, still watching me.

Butterflies flourished in
my belly, but they turned to ash when my guilt about David returned. It was too
soon to let myself feel this way. It was disrespectful to David’s memory…right?
Just because Nick and I had a past and it was easy to fall back into old habits
didn’t make this right. I couldn’t rush into anything. I was still far too
fragile.

At the top of the stairs
was a set of double doors, which I assumed led to Marcus and his wife’s quarters.
Down each curved hallway were three sets of doors along the outer wall and then
another set of double doors at each end. I inhaled deeply, catching the subtle
notes of Nick’s familiar scent before turning left to follow it. There were
several other scents down this hall—Zach, Vince, and others I didn’t
recognize. One more
sniff
, and I found them to be
distinctly
female
. I passed the room
next to the central one and knew it to be Zach’s. Vince’s was next and where one
of the female scents came from. The other unknown female’s room was after,
which meant that the set of double doors at the end of this hall was Nick’s
room.

Excited about the idea of
a little time to myself, I opened one of the doors and let myself in. However,
the sight that greeted me forced my previous plan to relax to fly through the
glass French doors on the other side of the room and then throw itself over the
balcony.

I
stood there, stunned
into silence, the door wide open as I watched the naked woman scramble off the
bed, embarrassed. Up until the second she realized I wasn’t who she was waiting
for, she’d been lying on the bed seductively, her right leg folded in exactly
the right way to cover her lady-bits and her arms folded just enough to emphasize
her breasts.

“Sweetie,”
she said as she grabbed a black silk robe and pulled it on. She lifted her dark
auburn tresses from the back—a color she got from a bottle, I might add.
“I think you have the wrong room.”

Sniffing,
I took a quick look around, recognizing a few of Nick’s belongings from when we
were together, and then turned my glare on her. “
Mmm
,”
I hummed, taking a slow, calculating step into the room. My vision went a
little wonky for a minute and my hands trembled. “Nope. I was looking for
Nick’s room, and based on the Matt
Leinart
autographed football on his mantle—the football
I
got him for our first anniversary—I’d say I’m in
exactly
the right room.” I dropped my
things, stopped in my tracks a few feet away from her, and crossed my arms. “So
I think the question remains… Who are
you
,
and why are you in here?”

Another
sniff, and I could tell she wasn’t human; she was wolf, and it was her scent
I’d picked up from the room next door. Nick’s scent lingered on her skin. I
wasn’t sure if it was because they were involved previously or because she was
just rolling around on his bed naked. Either way, it enraged me, and every
muscle in my body started to tighten.

I
shouldn’t have been this worked up—knew that. I was in no way ready for a
relationship, and Nick and I hadn’t spoken in seven years. I tried to tell
myself I was just acting the part; that I was playing the character of Nick’s
girlfriend who just stumbled upon a naked woman in his bed.

I
was damn convincing. Even to myself.

Then
she inhaled deeply, and I saw what she must have seen in my eyes: a spark of
recognition. Her blue-gray irises brightened around the edges, and a deep, guttural
rumble started in her chest as her hands clenched at her sides. “His scent is
all over you,” she snarled, her lips curling back. “Why is his scent all over
you?”

The
hairs on the back of my neck rose and a prickle of alarm raced up my spine, but
I stood my ground. She rounded the end of the bed, eyes looking me up and down
as if wondering how capable I was at defending myself, trying to see if she
could find the chink in my armor. She wouldn’t.

“I
asked you a question,” she demanded a little more forcefully.

I
took another step forward, showing her that I wasn’t afraid of her. “I asked
mine
first
.”

Her
rage and jealousy thickened the air as much as my own did, the only difference
was that I could hear the telltale beginnings of the change working its way
through her body, whereas I was nowhere near shifting.

Perhaps
she would find that weakness, after all.

Loud
footsteps thundered up the stairs and down the hall before Nick burst in,
red-faced as his eyes darted from me to this woman. I could see the panic in
his expression, feel it in the way he looked at me apologetically.

“Nick,”
the woman said. “What the hell is going on here?”

He
looked at me. “Brooke, can you give me a minute alone with Roxanne?”

I
looked her up and down. She was tall—five foot nine, probably—lean,
and muscular. Her hair was long, hanging down to the curve of her waist, and
her skin slightly glowing and tanned, despite the winter weather.
Roxanne.
Yeah. She looked like a
Roxanne.

“You
want me to leave
our
room?” I
demanded incredulously, purposefully throwing that information out there. I was
being petty, and I didn’t give a rat’s ass.

Roxanne
looked as stunned as I had been upon finding her. Her brown eyes widened, eyebrows
shooting up behind her perfect bangs, and her mouth dropped open. “
Excuse me?
”

I
inwardly smirked—okay, maybe a little outwardly, too. I’d hoped my
comment would feel like a kick to the balls. Mission accomplished, based on her
sour expression.

“Roxy,”
Nick said, almost pleadingly. “Can we talk?” He glanced at me, and I crossed my
arms, resolute about not leaving the room. “In the hall?”

With
a huff, Roxanne followed Nick out into the hall, but not before “accidentally”
slamming her shoulder into mine. I was knocked slightly off balance, and she
glared over her shoulder.

I
caught my footing as she pulled the door mostly closed behind her and muttered,
“Bitch,” under my breath.

Now,
I knew eavesdropping was wrong, but I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t like they
took their conversation away from the door, and how was I supposed to block it
out when my hearing was so acute? It wasn’t like I pressed my ear to the door
and listened that way…at first.

“Brooke? Are you fucking
kidding me, Nick? You couldn’t have called and told me?”

“
Rox
,”
Nick said,
“You and I were never serious.”

“Are you fucking her?”
she
interjected crassly.

“Jesus, Roxanne,”
Nick
mumbled, and I imagined him running his hands over his face in frustration.

“Are you?”

There
was a moment of hesitation.
“We’re together.”

“Together?”

“Mated,”
he informed her, his tone confident.

Even through the door, I
could sense her fury as it burned the air. Nick said they were never serious,
but did
she
know that?

“You’re not fucking serious.”

The mouth on this woman
was unbelievable, and I wondered what it was he saw in her.

“It’s true,”
he confirmed.

Another pause fell
between them, and then I sensed a shift in Roxanne’s mood. It went from angry
to smug in a heartbeat.
“Does she know
about us?”

“She walked in on you in my bedroom. I’m sure she’s
connected the dots.”

I took another
involuntary step toward the door, listening a little more closely as she
lowered her voice. I blamed the detective in me for being overly curious. Their
voices were clearer now, and through the slight crack in the door, I saw that
there was only an inch or two between her and Nick. She stared up at him seductively,
running her finger up his chest and toying with the collar of his sweater. I
instantly saw red. Even though I imagined ripping her limb from limb, I held
back because Nick didn’t look the slightest bit interested.

“Does she know how rough
you get? She doesn’t look like the type who’s into that sort of thing.”

Nick shoved her hand away
angrily, and she laughed.

“Well, I’m right next
door when you get bored and need a proper release.”

The second she turned and
walked away, I moved away from the door, breathing heavily. I was angry and
confused about what the hell just happened. With every breath, I caught her
scent, and I couldn’t stand it any longer. I went over to the bed and began
pulling the
pillow cases
off, tossing everything into
different piles before I stripped the blanket off the bed.

Nick reentered the room
just as I tugged at the corner of the fitted sheet, and I looked up to find his
curious eyes on me. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m not sleeping in this
bed as long as it smells like
her
.”

Nick leaned against the
post at the end of the bed—it was the first time I noticed the exquisite
solid wood, four-post bed frame.
Funny how a naked harlot can
draw your attention from anything else.
He crossed his arms and smirked
while I fought with the far corner of the sheet, and it annoyed me.

“What
exactly
do you find so amusing about
this entire situation?” I demanded, finally wrestling the sheet free and
bundling it up wildly before throwing it at him.

He slapped it aside and
laughed. “Are you jealous?”

Nerves caused my stomach
to roll, and I froze. “Jealous?” I scoffed. What a ridiculous thought. I was
playing a part. Nothing more. “Hardly.” I was starting to sound less convincing
to myself as I realized he might be right.

Considering this for a
minute, he finally pushed off the post and rounded the bed. “I beg to differ,”
he argued, sitting on the edge of his bed in front of me. He didn’t reach for
me, but he held eye contact with me and sighed. “Roxy and I have a history.”

“No shit,” I retorted,
and this seemed to irritate him.

His eyes narrowed
slightly. He looked like he was getting defensive as he crossed his arms in
front of him. “Look, you didn’t exactly have any trouble finding someone to
keep my side of the bed warm,” he shot back, his words like a punch to the gut.

I took a few unsteady
steps back, suddenly nauseous from the sting of his words. “How
dare
you,” I seethed, the words coming
out strained as I struggled for breath. That hole in my chest suddenly opened
up again. Tears fell from my eyes without warning, and Nick shot to his feet,
his eyes pleading for forgiveness. He reached for me, but I smacked his hands
away. “Don’t touch me!” I shouted, backing against one of the large windows and
feeling the chill against my body.

“Brooke, I’m sorry. I
didn’t mean—”

“
You
left
me
, remember?”
He shut his mouth to let me finish, but I couldn’t because the truth of it was
I
was
jealous…and I had absolutely no
right to be. I had no claim over Nick before and even now.
Especially
now.
I should have still been torn up about David being gone, and here I
was acting like a jealous girlfriend meeting her boyfriend’s ex. What the hell
kind of person did that?

The guilt of momentarily
forgetting about David hit me harder than Nick’s earlier words, and I panicked.
“I-I need some air,” I mumbled, pushing past Nick and leaving the room. I heard
him right behind me, but I didn’t stop. I ran down the stairs, right past
Corbin and some dark-haired girl who looked to be a little younger than him.

“Brooke?” Corbin called
after me.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured
as I continued on my way.

“Brooke, wait!” Nick
shouted as I pulled the door open and fled.

Once I was outside, I
didn’t know where I was going. It was cold, but it didn’t seem to affect me the
way it did when I was just a human. Plus, I didn’t care. There was no time to
stop, because if I did, Nick would catch up with me, and I just wanted to be
alone. Apparently, I sucked at dealing with shit when the wounds were fresh. I
much preferred to keep them exposed and let them fester.

I went right, following a
path around the side of the house that was made by someone else. As I ran, I
passed a snow-covered tennis court and lost my footing on a patch of ice. After
regaining it, I kept on going. Straight ahead, I saw a copse of trees in the
middle of what looked like a pond—of course this place had its own little
island. Why wouldn’t it?

I decided I wanted to go
there. I knew Nick could track me, and I was actually surprised to not hear him
behind me. I found the wooden bridge that led to this little island and crossed
it. Hidden amongst the frost-covered trees, there was a tiny gazebo. Sitting
down, I imagined how beautiful this place might look in the spring and summer
when the trees were green and had birds chirping in their nests. I wasn’t sure
which I liked more.
This winter wonderland, or my imagined
green paradise.
They both held appeal.

What didn’t hold appeal
was my current situation.

I buried my face in my
hands and shook my head. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. When the crying started, I
pulled my feet onto the bench and hugged my knees to my chest. The pain in my
heart hurt less like this—not much, but a little. It was a temporary fix
;
a patch. “David, I’m sorry for everything that happened.”
The wind whistled as if in response, and I smiled softly, brushing my tears
away. “I miss you so much, and want nothing more than for you to be with me.”
Another sob broke free. “But you’re not, and I feel guilty.
For
not being able to save you.
For throwing myself at Nick as a means to
forget about the pain your absence has left. It was wrong, and I’m a horrible
person.”

“No, you’re not,” a voice
spoke up, startling me.

I stood up, muscles
tensed and the hairs on the back of my neck on end. Slowly, Jackson stepped out
of the trees, and I growled defensively.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to
interrupt,” he said with a shrug. “I was out here trying to escape the family
reunion back at the manor when you showed up.” Even with so much space between
us, I swore I smelled cigarette smoke.