She stared at me for a moment. When she narrowed her eyes at me, I thought she’d tell me no. But then, she reached back and opened the door.
I followed her into the room and inhaled deeply. The bed was in the middle of the room. She had a dresser without drawers shoved to the side and had stacked a few items of clothing there. A few pieces of dirty clothing lay on the floor.
I’d expected more. Humans liked their things. Although what Charlene had in her room was more than any wolf would possess, it wasn’t as much as humans usually kept. The bed had a thin blanket on it with a thicker blanket folded at the foot.
She would freeze in winter. She probably froze now.
“Are you comfortable at night?” I asked, turning toward her.
The lantern lit her face with warm tones, stealing the shadows of exhaustion from her, while the silver light of the moon made her hair glow. Bathed in moonlight, she called to me. Human. Werewolf. Our differences fell away, and in that moment, we were a boy and a girl both lost in our worlds and struggling to survive.
There would never be another female prettier or who I would want more than I did the girl before me. Grey was right. I needed to set aside my hate so I could see what was in front of me. A chance. A possibility. A future.
Her wary expression suddenly changed. Genuine surprise lit her features and colored her scent.
“You want to bite me, too, don’t you?”
Had she really not known? Her naivety made me want her more.
“Yes.”
She shivered, and I heard her pulse skip. My canines lengthened, and my fingers itched to touch her hair. I would fist my hands in it as I tilted her head to the side. Saliva pooled in my mouth as I imagined sinking my teeth into her skin.
“Biting hurts, you know. A lot. So, I’ll pass.” She turned and started to walk away from me.
“I saw you, and I couldn’t breathe,” I said. What idiocy had made me say that? Yet, when she stopped walking away, I kept going. “The world and all of the responsibilities it’s given me fell away. There was only you, and I wanted nothing else.” And a part of me still hated myself for feeling any of it.
She stopped walking but didn’t turn. “And now?”
“Now…”
I ran my hand through my hair. It should have been fur. I was spending too much time in my skin and starting to think differently. I needed to remember why I was here. We were dying.
“Responsibilities never go away. My people depend on me. I want you. But I can’t walk away from my responsibilities to chase you.”
“Chase me? I don’t want to be chased.”
Her words gave me hope that she might not be playing a game.
“Then give me your permission to Claim you.”
She snorted.
“You don’t know the first thing about what it takes to be human,” she said, confusing me.
“What does that have to do with Claiming you?”
“I’m human,” she said in exasperation. “Just what are you going to do with me when you Claim me?”
Surely she wasn’t so young as to not understand what came next.
“Do you think I’d survive a winter in these woods? Are you ready to live in this place permanently? How will you feed me? I’ve noticed your kind doesn’t seem to think vegetables are a requirement in their daily menu. For me, they are. I can get sick from lack of the right foods, from exposure, from… well, a lot. And I don’t heal like you.”
She tilted her head, exposing her neck. I knew she only meant to show me the marks already there, but that much skin was like an invitation. I needed to touch her and tried to move forward. I couldn’t. Winifred’s command kept me locked in place.
“You need to learn what it means to be human before you can care for one.”
My temper boiled as I stared at those scabbed spots. It should have been my teeth. I couldn’t change the past, but I could influence the future.
“While you’re in here hiding, they’re out there fighting. This needs to end. I know you’re the right one.” I waited for her to acknowledge it, but she didn’t. Suppressing my annoyance, I tried again. “With your permission, we could end this chaos.”
“What if you bite me, and it doesn’t work again?” she asked.
“It will work.” I could feel how right she was for me.
“I understand you’re certain, but I’m not. What if it doesn’t work?”
“I’m certain enough for both of us. I smell you, and I know.” Need tightened in my gut as she stood before me, challenging everything I believe in.
She snorted again.
“The other two who bit me thought they knew, too. So, since you’re not inclined to think ahead and plan for more than one possibility, allow me. If you bite me and it doesn’t work, those men out there will become more aggressive. They won’t content themselves with just meeting me because they’ll know I’ve given my permission to you, and each one will want his chance at a little nip. The fighting will escalate. And—here’s the important part—I’ll have another wound to try to keep clean.
“My answer remains a very firm no. If you don’t like it, tell me to leave. I’m not sure this is the right place for me, anyway.”
My chest squeezed at the thought of her leaving. At the same time, a collective howl rose outside.
You need to return now, Winifred sent me. I cannot stop those who are waiting to challenge you, but I will keep it fair.
I looked once more at Charlene then turned and left, lost in thought.
Not long ago, Grey, Gregory, and I had come close to an automobile fueling station. The smell had stung our noses, but I’d wanted to study what the humans did there. A car had pulled in with music blaring from its open windows. I recalled the song’s words about the woman wondering if her man would still love her tomorrow. We’d mocked it at the time. Mates loved each other until death. There was no second guessing the choice, like humans seemed to do. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder. In those few moonlit moments, I’d wanted Charlene. Badly. Would I still want her tomorrow? I hoped not.
When I walked out the main room door, several males were waiting for me. Winifred stood not far behind.
“Keep the challenges fair,” she said. “One to one.”
“That doesn’t seem very fair to them,” Grey said with a cocky grin.
I gave him a look then faced the males.
“You lied,” one said.
“You know I didn’t. I went in there because I wanted to know what game this human was playing. I wanted her gone.”
“And do you still?” Winifred asked, calmly behind them.
I gave a frustrated growl and scratched the back of my head.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. She’s confusing me.”
One of the men barked a laugh.
“Pup, stand aside so a real male can take her.”
I snorted, an echo of noise that Charlene seemed to favor when I was around.
“Take her? I don’t think any of us can. But if there is a line, you’ll be standing behind me.”
The man growled and stepped forward.
Grey stood beside Winifred. Humor lit his eyes as I moved to meet the man. These males were older. They had more experience and had hunted their share of big game. But, I wasn’t big game. I’d studied humans, toyed with bears and wolverines. I’d never held any territory and had spent every day of my life moving. Surviving.
They had nothing on me.
The first man conceded within minutes, as did the second and third. By the sixth man, sweat stung my eyes. More men stood in line to challenge me as they saw it as a sign of exhaustion. They didn’t understand my drive. No matter the occasion, I would be first when it came to the female inside.
Winifred, who had left briefly during the earlier fights, called a halt after the tenth bout.
“It is your right to challenge. However, it is my duty to keep the females safe. Mary and Gregory are returning. If you want to continue these challenges tonight, you must leave sanctuary grounds. Or, you can postpone them until tomorrow after daylight. Charlene needs her rest.”
Sanctuary lands covered hundreds of acres. No one would want to leave for that long and jeopardize losing his place. Those waiting to challenge me walked away.
Grey came over and clapped me on the back. I winced. One of the mongrels had managed to wrench my shoulder.
“That was good, little brother,” he said, holding my chin as he inspected my face. “Tomorrow you might want to dodge more or you won’t be so pretty.”
I laughed. “Tomorrow you can keep your mouth shut and not egg them on.”
“Ha,” he said, letting go and walking beside me. “This proved to them you’re no pup. No one is going to want to challenge you tomorrow because no one wants to be the first of ten to lose.”
I shook my head at his logic and reached out to Gregory.
Winifred said you’re on your way. How soon?
We’re still an hour out. This junk is a pain in my tail to carry.
I grinned.
Grey and I are going for a swim. We’ll be here to help get it inside.
He didn’t need our help, but giving it was a perfect way to see the human one more time before I closed my eyes for the night. When Gregory didn’t comment, I grinned at Grey.
“Gregory’s going to be a while yet. Let’s swim.”
We jogged out of the clearing and headed toward a lake I vaguely remembered. As we ran, I looked over at Grey.
“I think Winifred purposely saved my tail.”
“I think you’re right. I’m still trying to figure out why.”
“Me too.”