Page 4 of Secrets and S'mores
It’s ice hitting my overheated skin. Whatthe fuck am I doing?
My fingers are stiff as I release her and take a forcible step back. The cool air washes over me.
“Better pathetic than a psycho,” I mutter defensively. Those startling eyes narrow and then she’s moving, stalking off into the dwindling crowd.
Snarling, I adjust myself, gulping down the night air to try and calm the inferno raging through me.
That shouldn’t have happened. I try to picture her months ago as she viciously slashed a knife against my side and cut into my skin. That’s the woman I just kissed - someone who would gladly gut me.
But now all I can recall from that moment is the way her curves felt in my arms, still naked from shifting. Even then, it had been wildly distracting. That’s how she managed to hurt me, or at least that’s what I tell myself.
What’s wrong with me? That was a fight, not a flirtation. Though I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s exactly my type - feisty, strong-willed, unpredictable.
Acidic disappointment eats away at me. If I had kept my mouth shut, it could still be on her body. I can feel the ghost of her up against me.
Shaking my head, I return to the dregs of the party to find Vale, the last member of our pack at the gathering. Pink lip gloss smudges his chin and I’m too irritated to tease him about it.
I’m not close with the younger wolf, but he’s nice enough. Usually I’d stick with my friends or my twin, Cedar, but he had no interest in attending a party. The two couples headed home when they could no longerkeep their PDA to a reasonable level, leaving me unsupervised to make poor decisions in the shadows.
“Have a good time?” Vale asks.
I grunt a non-answer, stalking toward the truck. “You good to drive, man?”
“Yeah, I was too busy to drink.” His grin is irritating.
Normally, I wouldn’t be angry with a packmate for finding happiness. But after I held a beautiful girl in my arms and then she insulted me and stormed off, I’m not in the mood to celebrate new relationships.
My foot kicks a discarded cup. With a scoff, I pause. The clearing is a mess, with bottles and cups piled by a nearby bin and a few scattered elsewhere.
“Do you know if they have a dumpster or something?” I ask.
Vale shrugs. “I can find out.”
With jerky movements, I gather up the trash liner from the bin and shake it, making room for more cups. It only takes a few minutes to gather up the nearby trash. Vale returns to show me the small dumpster behind a nearby storage building.
It feels good to do something for our allied pack, though it does little to ebb my frustration with Ember.
The door to the truck slams shut behind me with a dull thud. My mood only worsens as Vale chatters about the girl from Raven pack.
As soon as the truck is parked, I leave him behind and head north. My family’s cabin is one of the largest in the compound, rising two stories high with a wide porch. And right now, it’s silent.
Laying in my bed and listening to my brother mumble in his sleep sounds like torture. My thoughts won’t let me rest. I tug my shirt over my head and strip off my sweats, tossing them on the bench beside the front door.
Moonlight streams over my naked body for a split second before I sink into the wolf instincts and charcoal fur sweeps over my skin. Everything falls away, replaced with the animal urges to run, hunt, and protect. With a graceful leap, I land on the pine needles with all four paws.
The night is bright to my canine eyesight. The colors are faded, but every little movement catches my attention. Habit takes over as I lope in a lazy circle around the pack’s collection of buildings and homes. Two of my packmates are on guard duty, but they’re used to my midnight runs.
The wind ruffles my thick coat. Ember’s voice echoes in my mind, breaking through my calm. Pulling back my lips to bare my teeth, I put on a burst of speed and break through the trees into the meadow. Moonlight highlights clumps of swaying wildflowers, with well-worn pathways between them. My paws glide between the newly rebuilt diner and my brother’s garden to the north.
The air leaves my lungs in a defeated sigh. Maybe tomorrow will be better, or at least less dissatisfying. Returning to my human shape, I slip into my home and yank on loose shorts before flopping face down in my bed on the far side of the room from my brother. Cedar grunts and turns his head to blink at me, but he knowsme too well to ask questions when I’m in a dark mood. Rolling onto my side facing away from him, I listen as he sighs and nestles back into his pillow.
Eyes squeezed shut, I beg my mind to rest. Memories of her warm skin and that floral scent force their way into my thoughts. As if punishing me, my brain replays her words and the way she glared at me.
I shouldn’t have liked it so much. There were plenty of nice young women at the party. But none of them made my pulse race like Ember. It was like staring down a beautiful but lethal predator.
Unless I can get my head on straight, it would be best to avoid her. Maybe I’ll stay home with Cedar during the next inter-pack gathering. The idea grates on me.
Despite my angst, sleep finally finds me.
