After a weekend of fruitless pheasant hunting and mediocre metal scavenging, Gregory and I watched Winifred pull from the yard. Charlene turned away from the door and went back inside. I could see the restlessness already building in her.
“I’m going to take Charlene out to look at sanctuary land. She gets restless here,” I said to Gregory.
“Mary said the same thing. Charlene seems bored. I’ll keep an eye on things.”
I snorted.
“The only thing you’ll be eyeing is Mary.”
“You have no idea. She’s under my skin and in my blood. I can barely think straight. I just want to touch her all the time,” he said softly as we moved toward the rest of the pack near the edge of the clearing.
“Then you two can stay here and keep an eye on things,” I agreed.
He wouldn’t be much help anywhere else.
After two days with eggs and sausage for breakfast, Anton and the rest of the pack were willing to spend more time trying to catch pheasants. I would have never thought killing them was easier than bringing them back alive. But it was.
As soon as they left, Gregory and I went inside to join the females.
“Ready, Charlene?” I asked.
“For what?” She set aside the plate she’d just dried.
“I thought we’d start with a walk along the north border.”
“Is that far?” She wiped her hands on her jeans.
“Far enough that I’d need to carry you there and back if we don’t want to sleep out there.”
She looked at Mary, who was eyeing Gregory. The mating pull still gripped the pair, and I knew how they would be spending their day.
“Did you need me here for anything?” Charlene asked her.
“No. Go on and enjoy your day. Gregory and I will find something here to occupy ourselves.”
A slow grin spread on Gregory’s face.
Charlene blushed and focused on me.
“All right.”
I motioned for her to lead the way out the door. As soon as we were in the yard, I scooped her up in my arms. Her hand pressed against my chest, distracting me as I ran toward the lake.
What Gregory said about Mary was exactly how it felt when I was near Charlene. I’d wanted her for my own from the moment I scented her. Not Claiming her was killing me. The need to connect with her drove each decision I made. I was trying to be patient and win her affection the human way, but I desperately wished biting would have worked.
She turned her head just then, likely hiding from the cool wind. However, the brush of breath against my chest robbed the move of any innocence as she laid her cheek against my shoulder. I strove to ignore it, to keep going. But when she set her hand over my heart, I had to stop and set her on her feet. She was killing me with need.
She looked up at me, puzzled and uncertain. I reached for her hand and lifted it back up to where it had rested. Over my heart. Did she know she owned it? That she owned all of me?
I brought her other hand up and set it on my chest, reveling in the feel of her skin against mine. It soothed and tortured me. Pleasure and pain. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“I never thought such a simple touch could do so much,” I said. “I understand what Gregory means.”
“About what?”
“Every little thing Mary does drives him crazy. All he wants to do is touch her, hold her close. The waiting is testing his resolve.”
Keeping her palm over my heart with one hand, I reached out with the other to lightly trace the curve of her jaw.
“You tempt me, Charlene. I want to kiss you every time I see you and lay beside you every night. Claimed or not, I belong to you; and the distance you want is getting harder to maintain.”
I hoped honesty would help sway her. Skimming my thumb over the edge of her bottom lip, I listened to her breath catch.
“Thomas, please. I can’t…”
Her lips said no but her body said yes with her scent and the way she leaned into my touch. Which did I listen to?
“We don’t know what will happen when the rest of your pack returns.”
Her gaze pleaded with me to understand and respect her words. Frustrated, I dropped my hand.
“Right.”
I picked her up again and continued running. We passed the lake in no time and moved further out. When we neared the border, I slowed. I didn’t want to set her down, but knew she wouldn’t want to be carried the whole time. So I compromised. I eased her to her feet but kept an arm around her shoulders.
She glanced up at me, a questioning look in her eyes. She wouldn’t let me get away with even a little contact. Disgruntled but determined not to show it, I quickly dropped a kiss on her forehead and released her.
“This is the edge of sanctuary territory. Winifred posted it when she officially purchased it.” I pointed to a sign that prohibited the hunting of any animal on the land. Not far, there was another sign nailed to a tree. Winifred had done everything humanly possible to keep humans from hunting sanctuary lands.
“Beyond this, there are a few parcels of open land and then protected land. It’s perfectly placed for us to roam. But only here are we truly safe.”
I waved to the left, and we started walking.
“My mother and father ran on a stretch of land much further north. I grew up with snow three of the four seasons. When they died, Grey and I decided to head south. We’d heard about this place and were curious why an Elder would waste time with it. It lived up to our low expectations. Still, we stayed in the area.”
“How long ago was that?” she asked.
“Grey was twelve, and I was nine.”
“That’s a long time to be on your own.”
“Not on my own. I’ve had Grey.” Mentioning him made the hollowness ache.
“If Grey’s older, why are you the pack’s leader?”
I laughed slightly.
“If you asked Grey that question, he’d tell you he spent enough time leading me that he didn’t want to do it anymore. And maybe some of that is the truth. He’s always watched out for me. I think pushing me to lead the pack was another way of leading me. If that makes sense.”
She didn’t say more, and for a long while we walked in silence. I paid attention to the sounds around us, listening to and learning about the territory I hoped to hold for a long time. The rustle of small game assured me that there would be food come winter, but I knew we would need to expand our reach if the pack continued at its current size. The lake would help. And from the gurgling sound ahead, the lake might not be our only source for fishy food.
Eventually, Charlene’s stomach started to rumble. I grinned at her and took her hand in mine.
“There’s a creek ahead.”
It wasn’t large, no more than a meter or two across, but I was sure we’d find something edible in its waters. Dropping to my knees on the bank, I leaned over the waters and watched for movement. Something dark skittered beneath the clear surface. With a fast grab, I pulled a crayfish from the water.
I showed it to Charlene, who looked skeptical.
“What is that?”
“Lunch.” I broke off the tail and sucked out the meat to show her how it was done.
She stared at me with growing revulsion. Her gaze flicked to the still wriggling top half.
“Sorry,” I said, quickly tossing it into the water. Her gaze remained locked on the creature as I stood.
“You were fine with the fish,” I said, not quite sure how crayfish were any different.
She tore her gaze from the water and blinked at me before answering.
“It’s fine, Thomas. Just a bit shocking. I’m not that hungry anymore.”
Her pulse skipped at the lie. Still, I nodded and led her away from the creek. It didn’t take long for me to realize my mistake. The fish had been cooked. Humans didn’t eat raw food. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of that. What could I possibly find out here, this late in the season, that she would eat? Nothing.