Amazon (The Ushers 1) (3 page)

Bianca cleared her throat. “Mr. Murphy—”

“Jack,” he corrected.

“Jack—you know we have no officially recognized territory here. As I said earlier, my name is Bianca. My surname is Stone, and I am Guardian of Amazon Pack.”

His jaw dropped again. This beautiful, vulnerable, rare
female
creature was a Guardian? His hand stroked absently at a scar on his face as he pondered what she had said. Guardian of Amazon Pack? He racked his brain, but he had never heard of such a pack. Amazon—rainforest? Were they traveling from somewhere in South America? No, surely a pack would have notified his Alpha before traveling across their territory. And last he’d checked, Mid-Atlantic still lay between South America and New England. As realization dawned over him, the three females began to giggle. Amazon. A pack of females. His wolf rebelled at the idea; he himself rebelled at the idea. How did they procreate? Why would they select an albino as a Guardian? Who was Alpha?

“Our Alpha has remained at her compound,” Ellen answered the question he didn’t ask. “Though the Guide can offer protection, we wouldn’t send our Alpha without knowing more about you. This was Bianca’s order.”

“I’m sorry?” He was taken aback. It was almost as if she had read his thoughts. Only Mid-Atlantic wolves could delve into his mind. Only his pack-mates.

“I am not officially a member of Amazon Pack,” Ellen said. “I’ll be joining them at the next full moon. I have lived among Amazon for several months, but I’ve not yet affiliated. I suppose I am still technically an outlier of your pack.”

His wolf roared. One of his own? How had he not known this? This pack of females was poaching women from his protection?

Ellen laughed. It was a short, bitter sound, lacking mirth. He looked at her curiously.

“No, Jack Murphy—” she threw his name in his face angrily “—I’m no longer under your protection. I’m a ghost-wolf, a mated widow. I’m under Bianca’s protection now.”

Ghost-wolf. A wolf could only survive the loss of a mate if she, or he, were the more powerful of the mated pair. The survivor would then be exiled from the pack, ostracized by superstition.

Ellen looked away from Jack. “I’m here at this table right now, not as Bee’s bodyguard, but because I can read you as a pack-mate, and you can do the same with me. My mate and I were outliers of your pack. Too far geographically to be part of the day-to-day pack operations, but technically, we were under your protection. When he died, I lost protection from the pack. I wanted to die, too, but the Goddess didn’t see fit to call me. Sara came to me, and she told me about Amazon Pack, that I could come here and grieve, and that there would be a place for me. These wolves have helped me when my own pack deserted me. When I shift with them at the next full moon, I’ll no longer be ghost-wolf, and my loyalty to Amazon will be complete.”

Jack felt her grief wash over him. He opened his mind to her, letting her feel his intentions, his empathy for her loss, while allowing his own wolf to mentally sniff at her.

As a ghost-wolf, only the barest tether still held Ellen to Mid-Atlantic Pack. The spirit of her dead mate was close to rest. He felt the other man’s name in her mind, felt her love for him. Jack could see Ellen’s husband lying in the bed they had shared, doctors unable to help him. He saw Ellen praying, begging the Goddess to make her mate strong again. But it hadn’t happened. One of the rare lycanthropic cancers had claimed him. The wrenching, hollow feeling in Ellen’s gut roared to life in Jack for the briefest of moments before Ellen tugged back on her memories, leaving him only the shadowy outline of her grief.

Ghost-wolf. He wanted to throw his head back and howl at what this woman had gone through. There were legends and stories about such creatures. The legends spoke of the wolf separating from the human body to guide the mate to rest. If the human survived the loss of the wolf, they were treated as dead. But there had been rumors of the wolf returning. When that happened, the wolf wasn’t a ghost anymore, and they could rejoin the pack at large. But as far back as Jack could recall, that had never happened, not to his pack. Mid-Atlantic Pack had failed this woman.

“Don’t you dare pity me, Murphy.” She smiled her defiance to him. “I’ll be Amazon soon, a member of Bianca’s staff. And my wolf will be happy here. Already, I feel her strutting and pushing to be let free. She’s only waiting for the moon.”

“I am so sorry, Ellen,” he said. “The loss of a mate is agony. Clearly, you are a strong wolf, if the Goddess is keeping you here to continue her work. I’ll see to it that your mate is remembered by Mid-Atlantic.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “That is really very sweet.” She turned to her friend. “Bianca, Jack bears us no ill-will; his intentions are as he says.”

Jack turned to Bianca, who was studying him with a look of both wonder and understanding upon her chiseled face.

“I understand that what I am, who I appear to be, is startling to you.” Bianca’s voice was quiet, her word choice succinct.

Jack knew he’d have to tread these waters very carefully.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. He scrubbed his hands across his face, a gesture growing all too familiar in the past few hours. “This is disconcerting. You’re
Albina.
You shouldn’t exist outside of a myth. Our childhood stories about the first of the Ushers. A great sacrifice will be made that will trigger changes for all wolves and free our Goddess from captivity. I don’t consider myself a superstitious or even particularly religious man.”

“But you have just met an albino wolf for the first time. Your superstitions and childhood stories are telling you to be wary of me?” She smiled coyly. Bianca looked no more dangerous than a kitten, but she was Guardian, the protector of the pack.

“I mean you no disrespect.” He paused. “Look, I’m not afraid
of
you. I’m afraid
for
you. I don’t understand an all-female pack. I don’t understand your relationship with Sara, or even what she is. I don’t understand if you are the first of the Ushers, fulfilling some prophecy, or if this is a coincidence of nature.”

He swallowed hard, breathed her scent deeply. Her pheromones seemed to take physical form and kicked him in the gut. His wolf nature jumped up within and roared in lust. This was more than a simple attraction. He suddenly wanted this woman down to his soul. His mate? His mind rebelled at the very idea, but his wolf paced and pranced within, strutting for the female next to him. It seemed biology had a cruel sense of humor, sending lust roaring through him at the strangest of times.

Bianca’s nostrils flared, and he could smell the arousal that his leaning close had stirred in her. His wolf was cocky and assured. He could feel his teeth lengthening, and he tugged back on them. Mate, indeed. If her smell hadn’t convinced him, his teeth shifting all on their own did—he hadn’t lost control of his teeth in decades, and never before in lust. In rage, in fear, in war for fuck’s sake, but never in lust. He stared into her lavender-gray eyes with a new recognition. She was his—his woman, mate to his wolf.

“Well.” She raised one cosmetically-darkened eyebrow. Her eyes warmed his. “I have a feeling my relationship with Sara is going to change soon.” She frowned, a sadness creeping into her eyes.

The other females grabbed her hands quickly, offering the comfort of touch. His own wolf paced within, agitated at her distress.

She shook her head.

“We have work to do.” Setting her shoulders firmly, she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “Jack Murphy. You’ve come to parley with Amazon Pack.” She touched the side of his face with her palm, and he thrilled to her touch, even this impersonal touch that she would have given any wolf who’d come for parley. “I offer you my protection, as Guardian of Amazon. You will not be harmed within our ranks.”

His head bowed at her ceremonious words. He recognized them; he had said them many times when wolves from other territories had come to him to parley. It was law, among their kind: when the protection of the Guardian or the Alpha fell upon one not of their pack, the outsider was treated as Pack.

“Thank you, Bianca,” he said. “When may I speak with your Alpha?”

“Soon.” She shrugged. “Monica is busy. The next full moon, we will welcome new members to the pack. She likes to spend time with newcomers before they join us. Plus, she handles a lot of the day-to-day decisions in the pack. By the way, if you are still here at the full moon, you’re welcome to shift and run with us as a guest. Until then, I’m at your disposal for negotiation. We can discuss boundaries and so on. Jack…” She touched his arm. His wolf took notice, rolling toward her touch. “I would hope that when this is done, you will urge your Alpha to recognize Amazon. We don’t seek to compete for land or resources with other packs. We simply choose to band together and seek fellowship among our kind.”

“I can’t guarantee what recommendation I’ll make. This is sudden. I’d never heard of Amazon before tonight. I am beginning to understand that there’s more to you all than meets the eye. As Guardian of Mid-Atlantic, it is my responsibility to protect my pack. Any recommendation I make will be to serve them first.”

“As it should be,” she said, head bent. “I’ll return with you to the inn tonight. I find I have some things to discuss with the Guide.”

“The Guide?” he asked, waiting for her to clarify.

“Sara.” She shrugged. “She’s the Guide—my Guide. She and I are paired.” Bianca saw a flare of something in Jack’s eyes and continued after a hoarse swallow. “Not mated, though we’ve been lovers for some time. But paired. Our fates are intertwined.” A frown furrowed her brow. “Things that were stagnant for a long time are moving very quickly now. I need to speak to her, and my wolf seeks the comfort of her touch.”

“What is she?” he asked. He knew her smell was animal, but he couldn’t identify it.

“She is Raven.” Bianca smiled. “Apparently, the Goddess has a sense of artistic contrast.”

B
IANCA
W
ATCHED
J
ACK
A
BSORB
what she said. She saw a flicker of something like anger—perhaps jealousy—on his face when she explained that she and Sara were lovers. She knew the presence of the Guide wasn’t lost on him. This would answer at least some of his questions. In the mythology and prophecy of wolves, the Ushers were each led by a Guide: a shifter, not wolf, whose fate was tied to the fate of the pack.

A part of Bianca was desperate to touch Jack. Her wolf wanted to rise and preen for him, but she subdued that part of her, at least for now. She took his hand in her own, allowing herself that much. “Jack. This is a lot to take in. Why don’t we talk more tomorrow? I can sense that your wolf wants to run.”

He expelled his breath in a hard sigh. “With the permission of your pack, I would like to shift.”

He knew that since her pack was not recognized, he didn’t need permission to shift in their territory, but at the same time, he offered them the respect he would any other pack. Diplomacy cost him nothing but time.

“I think Kathy and I would enjoy a run, as well, if you’d like company.” She smiled. He was so polite, so in contrast with his gruff wolf exterior. She appreciated his manners—they went a long way toward establishing goodwill.

Jack gaze turned to the petite redhead. He realized he had forgotten her presence entirely. “I’m sorry. I realize we’ve been speaking as if you weren’t there.”

Kathy giggled, and he noted that Bianca and Ellen were both smiling, as well.

“I told you I was sneaky,” Kathy said in her bubbly voice. Then she winked at him, bringing a smile unbidden to his lips.

He shook his head. These women—these wolves—they confounded him. His pack, like most others, was dominated by alpha males. A wolf of Kathy’s size would have been Omega in his pack, the lowest. His wolf was puzzled by Kathy, but not afraid of her. As intriguing as he found her, he found that the moment she looked away from him, the presence of her wolf disappeared from his inner senses. It was almost as though she became fully human to him, and then his wolf disregarded her as irrelevant as any other human in the room. Clearly, more than her size set her apart from other wolves.

He frowned.

“Don’t worry,” Kathy said as she patted his hand. “You have nothing to fear from me, big boy. I’m like your littlest sister.”

His wolf took comfort in her touch, and he felt his head nod slightly, almost without his will. Without conscious decision, he was pledging himself as a brother to her.

“Well, that’s just sweet,” Ellen drawled slowly, drawing his attention back to the other women.

Immediately, Jack felt Kathy slide from his awareness, but he held onto the little connection, not letting her slip away entirely. It took significant effort.
How did she do that?

“Brother, shall we run?” Kathy asked him, bouncing back into his awareness with a splash. She was so like a little puppy that he couldn’t help but be enchanted and amused.

“I would like that,” he said with a smile. “Sister.” He shook his head ruefully.

Somehow, he had given himself as family to this little pup, and he couldn’t help but be glad. She’d won him over just by the force of her personality. Her cheerfulness reminded him of his brother, Ted, his best friend. Her little button nose wrinkled when she smiled at him, freckles bunching together. Then she looked to her Guardian for instruction.

“Check the perimeter, and wait by the edge of the woods. If it’s safe to shift, go ahead, and we’ll meet you out there,” Bianca ordered.

Kathy slid from his awareness as she stepped away from the booth and disappeared into the crowd. This time, he let her slip away.

“Jack.”

His attention fell back to Bianca. Her lavender eyes were so pale, he might have found them disconcerting, but instead, he found them enchanting. He began to wonder, for the first time, what she would look like as wolf. His head had rebelled at the image before. Did she really believe she was the First Usher? Her relationship to Sara seemed to confirm it.
Albina.
A story. A myth that had seemed to have so little to do with modern-day wolves, and suddenly, everything to do with them—and with him. He found her alluring, irresistible, knowing no matter how she’d disrupt his life, he would welcome the disruption if it meant she would be his.

“Ellen can’t run with us. Her wolf hasn’t fully returned. Would you like her to return your car to the inn, and Kathy and I can drive you back?” Bianca asked.

She watched him trying to process her question, still staring into her eyes. He was so effortlessly handsome, his gruff exterior made all the more appealing by the tender enchantment in his eyes when he looked at her. Her wolf was preening, loving his attention on her. She had no doubt that her wolf wanted to be claimed as his mate. She felt a pang, thinking of Sara, waiting for her at the inn, her beautiful body spread out in bed, lush and tempting and sweetly yearning. Her dearest friend, her lover, her Guide.

“I…” Jack cleared his throat. “Yes, that would be fine.” He handed his keys to Ellen.

“Run with me, Jack.” Bianca smiled at him, feeling her wolf trying to surface. Suddenly, in spite of the changes mating with this man would bring to her ordered life, Bianca felt glad that he was here. Glad that her wolf wanted him. She could feel her wolf seducing him, and she couldn’t help but laugh at herself. She, of all people, should know that fate wasn’t something to be shrugged away. The last thing she’d expected was to meet the man who would be her mate today. But his smile was reassuring. He was a good man, and his obvious pleasure at the idea of running was a sensual thrill to both of them. She knew that, as disconcerted as he felt, a run would bring him a measure of peace, and she had to admit it would do the same for her.

They stood, and she watched as he dropped a handful of bills on the table to cover their drinks. She raised an eyebrow. So unnecessary, but she wouldn’t argue with him. Where he was from, males were unused to women questioning them—she’d be stirring enough trouble in his world in the weeks to come that she’d let him pay the bar tab.

“Let’s go.”

He spoke simply, that boyish grin lighting up his face. She could sense his wolf—not the way she sensed her own pack-mates, but just a flicker of it beneath his surface. She got the feeling it was showing off for her, and she let herself be swept into his enthusiasm.

He took her hand. She felt an electric thrill at the contact as he towed her toward the door. He pushed the door open, and they stepped out into the fresh air. Looking up at the dark night sky, she felt her wolf jumping a little inside.

“Not here,” she whispered, as much to herself as to him. She led him around behind the building as they heard Ellen start his car and drive away. Behind the building was another parking lot, this one giving way to weeds and rocks, a field of cleared land, and then woods as far as the eye could see.

“Bianca. Before we shift…”

He turned her to him, looking into her eyes again. She felt a flicker of something—yearning—from him. He lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers. He urged her mouth to open to him, nudging her head in gentle circles. Her breasts swelled, and her nipples hardened against his chest, her body clearly answering his.

Bianca felt his kiss in every cell of her body. He owned the kiss; he mastered her lips with his straightforward want. She opened her mouth to him with a groan, and she felt his hand bury itself in her hair. Tongues teased, tangling together and she pulled her hips hard to his, pressing his heated erection to her. Her body reveled in being wanted so obviously by a man like him, an alpha wolf from a powerful pack. She felt a sharp pleasure as her teeth shifted, and she nipped lightly at his lower lip, feeling a tiny bit of blood flow into her mouth. She licked at it, a little flick of her tongue to soothe him as she pulled back on her teeth.

Jack groaned against Bianca’s mouth, the feeling of her teeth on his lip sending a wave of lust to his already granite cock. He tugged at her hair, tipping her head back so he could angle her just perfectly, the animal within him reveling in the whimper she made. He could feel her breasts pressed hard against his chest through her cotton T-shirt, her hands on his hips, moving up under his shirt. He sighed and gentled the kiss, pulling back.

“Wow,” he whispered softly, the word more breath than sound. His wolf was jumping and strutting like mad, demanding he mark this woman, claim her, make her his mate. They’d be joined as closely as two wolves could be, sharing the bond that was the Goddess’s gift to their kind. But Jack knew in spite of the haste his wolf felt, he wasn’t ready. There were too many questions still unanswered.

“Yeah. Wow.” She flashed a dazed smile back at him. “I think you’re going to make things get really interesting really quickly around here.”

Bianca pulled her V-neck T-shirt over her head, shucking off her shoes and jeans. Jack immediately started shedding his clothes, as well. Growing up among wolves, he’d never really given much thought to nudity. Their bodies grew in size as they shifted, so he was accustomed to stripping down before a run in order to preserve his wardrobe. He glanced over at the Albina as she shook her hair out. Standing in the moonlight, she was stunning. He saw her delicate pink nipples were still hard and aroused from his kiss. The curls of hair on her mound were as fair as her hair, and he saw the delicate pink folds glistening, swollen with arousal, peeking through the white curls. Her beauty was astounding. He saw marks on her skin, leaned closer to examine them. Tattoos, he realized suddenly. All wolves were tattooed after their first shift. Most of them were tattooed in black ink with colors for emphasis, but several of hers were done in white.
As befits Albina,
he thought as he admired the elegant symbols. Her entire back was covered, here and there a shadow in gray or a bit of color drawing attention to some of the more consequential tattoos. Clearly, she was a powerful Guardian for her pack—she’d not have been tattooed so many times without having achieved her place of power by virtue of her skills. As she turned to fold her discarded clothes, he could see some scars on her body, remnants of fights won. The tattoos glimmered in the dark, beckoning him to trace them with his fingers, his tongue. He groaned, and she looked over her shoulder at him with a smile.

“Kathy has changed already. Are you ready?” she asked, turning to stare at his body in the moonlight. Hard and muscled everywhere, his upper body hairy and tattooed all over. She looked at his signs and symbols of strength and honor, a visual representation of his place in his pack. They confirmed that he was a fit mate for her—his beautiful body bore scars of fights clearly dominated, and the tattoos that marked him as a leader curled around them. She smiled, her gaze lingering at the proof of his arousal, standing proudly from the bed of black curls at the top of his legs. She blushed slightly as she realized he had followed her gaze. He grinned back at her with a wink as he sank to his knees.

She had seen many wolves shift before. However, she found herself curiously watching him, to see if her mate—there was no longer a doubt in her mind that he was indeed her mate—would seem different from those others. It was sensual, witnessing his change—his body shook, and he turned his head with a loud cracking noise. He owned his change like only a powerful wolf could—it was masterful, graceful almost, as his black fur grew over his body. Then, he sat, watching her, a huge black wolf with golden-brown eyes. He was resplendent. She knelt next to him, still in her human form, and caressed between his ears. His fur was soft and his eyes kind. He closed them and rolled his head into her hand like a dog seeking a touch from his mistress. His essential masculine scent still surrounded him in his animal form, and as she stroked his head, he snorted and his tongue lolled out between sharp, lethal teeth to lap at her hand. She loved the feel of his fur between her fingers, and he clearly enjoyed her attentions. But then he shook his head, took a couple of steps toward the woods, and whined back at her. If they were mated, they’d be able to read each other’s thoughts, as pack-mates could, and even more than that, they’d be able to share their feelings through their mate bond. But even without that bond, she could sense his eagerness to run. She grinned and let loose her wolf, feeling the change work over her, bringing forward the animal, tucking the woman away inside.

He watched her change from within his wolf, watching as her slender form shook and shivered and her head tossed back. The white fur sprouted from her delicately, like buds unfurling into blossoms, and then she sat before him, a magnificent white wolf. How had he ever thought she might be anything other than magnificent to him? He gave a yip of joy. Her gray eyes blinked at him, and he touched her nose with his own. Then, he turned and ran toward the woods, knowing his beautiful white wolf would be right behind him. He felt her there before she could nudge at him, and he feinted before barreling into her, rolling her with him. Playfully, she nipped at him before jumping up again.

A small red wolf came bounding toward them; Kathy was eager to join in their play. She crouched, tail wagging, and then spun and crouched again.

Silly pup,
he thought, tongue lolling, laughing in the way of the wolf. He reached out one large paw and swatted at her.

Delighted, Kathy jumped and rolled before takin off at a sprint. Bianca followed, and Jack chased them into the woods.

Jack felt the exhilaration mounting in him as he ran behind and beside the females. Their sense of play was evident, though he couldn’t sense them the way he could his own pack-mates. He felt a pang, wishing he could share this with Ted. Then he felt a little nudge at his consciousness.

“Hiya, big boy.”

Kathy!

“How?”
he asked in his mind, slowing to circle the other wolf curiously.

She stopped and watched him, her posture calm and non-threatening.

“You accepted me as your sister, remember? We aren’t Pack, but you’re family now.”