Bound to the Pack (Bound to the Pack, #1) Read online

  She’s going to get an earful when I see her.

  I was about to ask Liam why Kris had never talked to me about any of this, when he began talking. “There is a shifter form of all mammals, save for apes and humans. We have never been able to determine why that is, it has always been so. It simply is. Perhaps at some point in the distant past there may have been an ability for you to shift to ape and vice versa, but you lost your connection to nature. The theory is only philosophical, our scholars have found nothing concrete. Apes now are one with nature, but in all the world humans are the true oddities. Forcing the land to bend to their will instead of finding their place within it.”

  “Wait, there are werescholars?” In spite of everything else this ridiculous night, this was the craziest.

  “Shifter. Of course, why wouldn’t there be?”

  “I don’t know, I just thought...” I trailed off.

  He stopped walking and turned to regard me. “That we would be savages? Monsters?”

  My question, or more probably my tone, had offended him. “I don’t know anything except superstition.” I glanced over at him, but had trouble meeting his eyes. “Human superstition.”

  “Then you will have much to learn. I will do my best to educate you as we attempt to stop Kris.” He turned back to the trail and set off again.

  Sighing at the pace he demanded, I increased my own, a sudden realization coming to me. “At least now I know why you talk so weird!” Though Kris never had. Why does every answer bring more questions?

  He looked at me, then back to the trail we were following, without commenting.

  My legs were already starting to burn.

  ****

  This was the longest day of my life.

  Liam set a pace I could barely keep up with, though he was clearly trying to stay at a speed I could handle. We stopped infrequently for short rests, mostly at streams to refill the water bottles I continually seemed to be draining. My legs were on fire, even the light weight of the backpack had felt like an anchor pulling me down before he had taken it from me hours ago, slinging it over his shoulder beside the pelt with his own provisions.

  We ate the meat, venison apparently, while we walked. I offered some of the snacks I had in the pack to him, but after a sniff at each he shook his head.

  “That isn’t food,” he said simply.

  He talked to me constantly throughout the day, teaching me about the secret world everyone but me seemed to have known about. I learned of the different tribes from all over the world, how they were made of different clans, and that the clans were composed of different packs.

  “The clans are groups of the various shifter types. The tribe here is mostly bear, deer, and moose. Though there are representatives of all that find this area their natural home. We wolves have only recently returned and as of yet we don’t have a very strong presence. Clans are made of multiple packs, each led by an alpha. I will be given permission soon to start my own pack,” he swelled with pride.

  I learned of the clan councils, made of each pack’s alphas, that controlled the day to day matters. There was also a council of elders that directed the tribe as a whole which was made up from the oldest alpha from each clan. More disturbingly, I learned that there were shifters in every aspect of human life. Doctors, police, bus drivers, politicians, even accountants.

  “And retail too... Kristen.” It hurt to think she had kept something as massive as this a secret from me, but I was also starting to see why she had.

  “Yes. She was always fascinated by human fashion and requested the position. It made sense since human fashion changes seem to occur every other week or faster. Kristen did her job well, making sure we all blended in whenever one of us needed to come down to the town for one reason or another.”

  Looking at his massive form, taking in his gorgeous features, I smiled. “You’d stand out no matter what you wore.”

  His return smile made my heart miss a few beats.

  For my part I did my best to keep up with him as we followed the trails up into bigger and bigger hills.

  Just what I needed, more hills.

  The constant flow of information from Liam definitely helped. It was amazing. Delivered with the soothing rumble of his voice, I often forgot how sore I was becoming. I was surprisingly relaxed around him, even knowing he’s a werewolf. He hadn’t tried to maul me, he’d only tried to seduce me. Tried? Definitely succeeded, there.

  My mind drifted to an entirely different type of mauling and I watched him as he spoke ahead of me. Taking in his broad shoulders, sure strides, and raw masculinity fantasies began to play through my mind, far more real now that it seemed likely they could come true. Thoughts of how easily he could sweep me off my feet, taking me in his arms. Slowly, aggressively, doing exactly as he pleased. Exactly what I wanted.

  Last night could have gone so very differently. I closed my eyes and for a brief moment I could feel his hand on my breast again, causing my nipples to harden, and I could feel his cock pressing against my thighs...

  Oh god. I wanted to be taken right then.

  Liam

  This was the longest day of my life.

  The scent of Jen’s arousal had been washing over me for what felt like an eternity. It came every time the wind blew from behind us, carrying her scent to surround me tantalizingly. There had been a section of trail we had walked for the better part of an hour where the wind had never ceased alerting me to her readiness.

  It had nearly been my undoing.

  What type of hypocrite would I be to take her as my mate without first getting approval? I’ve already started and clearly she is willing.

  Distractingly so.

  I kept talking. Partly to educate her, but mostly to distract myself from her presence. It was futile.

  Night comes early in the hills and though I could have easily shifted to navigate the terrain without fear, she could not. I wouldn’t risk her injuring herself.

  Fortunately it was a clear night, the nearly full moon seeming as bright as the sun, which helped her see without needing the flashlight. If she had needed it, it could have given our position away easily to anyone looking.

  We had to continue well into the night in order to close the distance between us and our quarry. When I finally reached an area I felt would make a suitable camp, Jen collapsed, curling into herself, all sense of readiness replaced by exhaustion.

  The wolf wanted me to take her right then, anyway. Thankfully I was still able to control the urges.

  “There will be no fire tonight. I will wake you early. We’ve made up some ground but if we are to have any hope of catching them, we must leave as early as possible. Sleep now.”

  I didn’t mention that Kristen and Troy had most likely already made their way to the sacred site. They didn’t have a human slowing them down and would have both shifted and ran to make it there.

  Hopefully a patrol had caught them.

  Hopefully a patrol wouldn’t catch us.

  Glancing down, I wasn’t surprised to see her fast asleep on the ground, half covered by her blanket. Covering her up, I marveled at how confusing my life had become in just a few days.

  I turned and walked away, needing to shift. I had to be able to see if I could find my sister’s trail. I needed to know exactly how far behind them we were and if there was still any hope of getting to them in time.

  I also needed to make sure no patrols stumbled over the vulnerable human behind me.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jen

  It was still pitch black when Liam’s soft touch and low voice woke me.

  “We must leave now. I have found their scent on a trail ahead. We’re lucky, they’ve been taking their time.”

  I sat up with a groan, my everything hurt. I felt filthy and I couldn’t even brush my teeth. I disgusted myself.

  Standing up with a grimace, I folded the blanket and packed in the bag. The movement helped relieve some of the soreness. After a few pieces of cold
venison I was as ready to continue this crazy journey as I would ever be. “How far ahead are they?” I asked, wincing as I followed Liam down to the trail.

  “If they continue at the same pace they have been setting, we should catch up to them before evening. Too close for my taste but it is what we have.”

  Great. Another full day of trying to keep up.

  “And if they speed up?” My legs forcing me to ask the question.

  “I would prefer not to think about that possibility.”

  We progressed in silence for the rest of the morning. Surprisingly, once I had begun moving, most of the soreness left my body. I was able to keep up even better than I had expected. Maybe I should start exercising. I grinned. Yeah right.

  Just after sunrise, a turn in the path left me with a sudden view of a valley below. There was a massive hill, maybe a mountain, across from where we stood. When does a hill become a mountain? Are there rules for that? “Is that where they’re heading?” Looking at it, I decided that if I had to hike up it, it was definitely a mountain.

  “Yes. There is a sacred site somewhere on the mountain that will serve their purpose.”

  “What exactly are these sacred sites? How do you choose where they are?” In every direction, as far as I could see, was beautifully pristine nature. It all looked to me as if any spot would be able to be called sacred.

  “Chosen? Sacred areas just are. We do not create them as you humans do. Either a place is sacred or it is not.”

  “Well, what makes a place sacred then? How do you know?” The thought of scouring a mountain for a place I had no idea how to identify was not at the top of my list of things to do.

  “Humans,” he shook his head in annoyance, “though I won’t hold you to fault for your species' lost ties to nature.” He sighed and turned to face me. “Sacred sites are areas that occur naturally which exemplify that particular aspect of nature. A stand of trees, a pond, an outcropping of stone. When you are in, on, or even near one you cannot help but feel a profound connection to the natural world and your place within it.”

  “That sounds beautiful.”

  “Nature is beautiful.” He stared at me for a moment before turning back to the trail, starting off again. “I spoke of my story yesterday. If I may ask, what is yours?”

  “It’s not very interesting. You don’t want to hear it.” And I wasn’t really sure I wanted to tell it.

  “And yet, I asked.”

  “Fair enough,” I sighed. He did tell me his story yesterday. “But I warned you that it’s boring, remember that. No magical beings dancing in the moonlight.” He grinned back at me and gestured for me to start.

  As if his movement had opened the flood gates, my story began to pour out. Slowly at first, then before I knew it I was telling him everything. I told him in a way I had never told anyone before.

  My awkward childhood that turned into my awkward teen years, never quite fitting in. The few friends I’d had before meeting Kris.

  How drastically my life had changed for the better when she had entered it. She had broken down most of my defenses, bringing me out of my shell, to let me actually live life for the first time.

  I talked of going down to D.C. to attend George Washington University, and meeting Mike in a class we had together.

  How odd I had felt at first, and then the new feeling of the unbridled passion of a late bloomer’s first love. I spoke of Mike’s betrayal, every detail, something I had never told anyone and had even been avoiding in my own mind. Talking about it relieved a pressure I hadn’t know was even there.

  For his part, Liam was an excellent audience, though he often responded differently than I would have expected. He laughed at parts that weren’t meant to be funny, had no reaction to parts that were, and was generally just offbeat.

  Until it came to Mike’s infidelity.

  “And when I walked into our apartment, there they were. Completely naked, fucking on our couch.” I walked right into Liam’s back. Surprised, I looked up.

  He was looking back down at me, noticeably upset. “He betrayed his bond to you with another?” His voice dripped incredulity.

  “We weren’t married, just engaged...”

  “He betrayed his bond to you! He is no man!” Liam was definitely angry.

  “It’s ok, I’m over it now.” And, surprisingly, I wasn’t lying about that anymore. I really was over it.

  “This is far from ‘ok,’ though you will be fine. You are free to choose another as you will. But him! He will have to live with himself for the rest of his life.” Liam turned back to the path, growling under his breath.

  “Um... thanks?” I didn’t need, or even want, some White Knight charging in to ‘save me,’ but it was somewhat comforting in a Giant Werewolf Wants To Tear Up My Ex kind of way.

  My smile was the most genuine I’d worn in a month.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Liam

  Looking towards the sun, I realized we were quickly running out of time. If I shifted... No. I glanced towards Jen, sitting on a boulder to rub her feet. She smelled of contentment, undercut with a hint of pain and exhaustion.

  She also smelled strongly of my own scent. It was the scent of possession. I hadn’t even taken her, yet. Still, she was covered so strongly, marked as mine to any shifter who came across her. That brought new problems, ones I wasn’t ready to face yet. I hadn’t received permission.

  Can I continue the pursuit of my sister while having thoughts of transgressing in an even worse way than she was? It was a troubling concern.

  I will continue on as I have been, properly addressing this situation after I find Kris. I must.

  “We will make camp part way up the mountain.” I was distracted, thoughts tumbling through my mind faster than I could keep up with. There should be a suitable camp well before sundown. I could then shift to race up the mountain and hopefully find my sister before she completes the rite. It would be cutting it close.

  Too close. All I could do was try.

  Movement beside me said that Jen was ready to continue, so I started off, leading the way forward. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly as we crossed the valley. An easy comfort had settled between us, the hike spent with small talk about everything and nothing.

  I marveled at our differences, the stark reality of how at odds our worlds were. Things I took for granted as just common knowledge would widen her eyes, yet she could talk easily about the way humans flaunted their disconnect from nature.

  She had, apparently, flown half way around the world in a single day to an island I’d never even heard of. She had then swam under water and was able to breathe. All to look at some fish! Human machines were truly unnatural.

  The land began to tilt upward as we climbed well onto the base of the mountain, giving us an ever expanding view of the valley and hills around it. The power of the place thrummed around me, Jen seemingly unaware of the energy.

  A suitable camp presented itself with plenty of time still left before dusk, I set about making it ready for her. There would be no fire tonight, fortunately it was unseasonably warm and we had not gone far enough up the mountain that the trees had thinned. There were thick stands all around us that sheltered the camp from the worst of the wind.

  She was already wrapped in her blanket and I felt her eyes on me as I worked. Somehow managing to ignore the distraction, I was able to prepare a small camp within minutes.

  “I will hunt after I stop Kristen. You still have some of your food remaining, I believe. I will return as soon as I am able. Do not wander, not that you have yet, particularly here. I only stress this for your own safety.”

  I removed my shirt, prepared to shift. I turned towards her for one final warning but the words died on my lips. She stood close, staring at me, mouth parted slightly. The wind shifted, I was filled with the scent of her, her arousal, and the scent that claimed her as my own. Unbidden, I dropped the shirt and moved closer to her. The wolf fully in control.

 
And I couldn’t build up any desire to fight back.

  Jen

  I stood transfixed as he approached me, a predatory gleam in his eyes. I was his prey and we both knew I wasn’t going to say no this time.

  The blanket fell to the ground, forgotten, as I lifted my hands to touch his chest, tracing the well-defined muscles there as he slowly closed the last few inches between us.

  His eyes shone brightly in the light as he reached up and traced my jaw softly with a finger, slowly moving his hand back behind my neck before pulling me into a kiss so full of raw desire I felt my legs grow weak.

  Our tongues darted back and forth, tasting each other, exploring our desires. His free hand reached up and unbuttoned my coat, a faint growl escaping him as he found a zipper beneath them. Wrapping my arms around his neck I grinned against his lips. “Stupid human inventions,” my mouth whispered against his own, coaxing out a smile as he unzipped the coat.

  “Perhaps. But I shall greatly enjoy unwrapping my gift.”

  I let my coat fall to the ground, heedless of the cool air since a fire had been lit within me. My sweater followed shortly after, Liam pausing his mouth’s ministrations only long enough for the fabric to pass over me before attacking my neck with gusto.

  His hands traced over my body, leaving lightning in their wake. Every touch left my flesh burning with desire for more, a pale imitation of the blaze growing between my thighs. Reaching behind myself I unclasped my bra, saving him the frustration of figuring it out. Plus, frankly, I needed to feel his well-muscled body crushing against my tits and I wasn’t going to let him tease me there.

  Liam’s mouth left my own to kiss a trail down my chin to my neck and collar bone, his hands caressed my now freed breasts as the bra joined the growing pile of discarded clothing. His light touch skirted around my nipples but never quite reached them. They grew firm with desire and impatience as I squirmed to get even a glancing touch.