Bound (The Onyx Wolves Book 1) (5 page)

Rubbing my back Rowan pulls me in tighter as I lose myself in a fit of sobs.

He had been the first one I had ever told that story to.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to say goodbye, Parker. That was wrong of his family to do in the first place, especially if you had formed a bond with him.” Rowan sighs softly.

Suddenly he growls. “Go away, Gage. Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

I bury my face deeper into his chest not wanting to deal with anything else involving Gage at the moment.

“I heard what she said, Rowan, and this time this is something I can fix. I’ll be back in a few days. Take care of her, okay?” Gage states gently.

Rowan nods beneath me. “Of course I will, Gage, but what will I tell the others?”

“Just tell them I had something important to do. I’m an alpha after all, I can do what I want, can’t I?” Gage laughs.

Groaning Rowan pushes me back to look into my eyes. “He’s going to get me into a ton of trouble, but you want to know a secret?” He asks and I nod before he continues. “I would do anything for him, even if it was just to teach him a lesson. He’s my brother, my family, and someone you would probably like if you got to actually know the real him.”

I shake my head in denial but he stops me. “You two really aren’t all that different, he too had his heart broken once but that’s his story to tell you one day.”

Closing my eyes I bow my head and lean into Rowan’s comfort once more.

My thoughts wonder over who could have broken his heart and if he truly had gone through the same pain as I had.

If he had then maybe what Rowan had said was true, that we weren’t so different after all.

W
alking slowly into art class, I sigh sadly as I take a seat at my lonely desk across from my, once, friends.

They whisper softly as I sit down and pull my headphones out of my bag to work.

Since Gage had left none of the guys had even been to school, let alone taken one class with me.

They were all keeping their distance, or at least that’s what I kept telling myself.

They were absent everywhere, even at home where I figured they would be crowding around me for some reason or another.

The only reason I knew they were still even living with my father and I was the awkward dinners we would all share around the table with my father’s pack.

Penny, my father’s second’s wife, and mate, had even commented on how awkwardly silent everyone had been.

Our pack was never quiet around the table.

Opening my sketch book I begin working on the drawling of a pack of wolves, a pack that I had never known.

Night after night the same images of this young pack would flood through my mind until I woke up and I would begin sketching them.

My room was full of these sketches.

Out of all the wolves, only one was really familiar.

I was in each and every sketch, but so far I hadn’t deciphered their meanings.

“Oh, my, god, who is that sweet dose of hotness?” Harley suddenly gasps drawing my attention to her.

As my eyes shift to what caused her to gasp and I in turn gasp as my pen falls from my hand while tugging off my headphones in disbelief.

It couldn’t possibly be.

My mind had to be playing tricks on me.

As I stand to my feet my hands begin shaking.

My chair squeaks back against the floor as one word, one name, leaves my lips. “Derek?”

He nods and in an instant I’m running through the classroom and into his outstretched arms.

I bury my nose deep into his neck as I take a long deep breath of the scent I could never forget.

It was my Derek.

He was really here, after all these years.

Pulling back from his embrace I search his deep blue eyes. “Is it really you?”

He nods with a smile before picking me up and twirling me around in a circle before placing me back on my feet. “I’m really here, Parker, but only for a short time.”

My heart sinks at his answer.

Why couldn’t I just have him forever like I wanted?

Even with the time we had spent apart I could still feel that same pull towards him, our special connection.

“Come on, Parker.” He states pulling me back to my desk.

The classroom remains silent as I watch wordlessly as he gathers my things before grabbing my hand and leading me out of my classroom.

Down the hall I pause. “What are we doing, Derek?”

“We are going to spend some time together before we have to say goodbye for good, Sweetheart.” He answers sadly.

I nod biting my lip to stop my tears before I’m once again rushing outside behind him.

Quickly motioning towards my bike Derek grabs the keys from my outstretched hand getting on it and starting it as I hop on behind him.

We take off in a blur, and I hold onto him tightly as I snuggle into his back while taking in deep breaths of his scent to remember this moment by.

It wasn’t going to last, I knew that.

But I didn’t want to forget one bitter sweet moment I had left with my old love.

Once back at home Derek stops the bike, nearly having to pry my hands from him before he changes into his light brown wolf form.

I take him in as he hops around me in a playful manner before I too join him in my thick black coat.

Playing around for a moment I forget all of my earlier troubles.

The fear of being alone, the hate that I held for Gage, and the stress I felt at being forced into something I didn’t truly want.

All of my stress melts away.

And all my mind can focus on is the wolf before me.

He was the only one I wanted, the only one that I still loved.

“You can’t think about me like that, Sweetheart. You know I have a mate now.”
Derek states inside my head as we pant together.

“Why can’t we just run away together? I’ve heard of others doing it.”
I reply hopeful.

Derek circles around me for a moment.
“We can’t, I can’t because I fell in love with her, Parker. We have little ones together now. I have a life outside of here.”

Bowing my head my wolf silently cries.

I should have known that he would have eventually moved on.

But it still stung to hear it come straight from him.

His muzzle taps mine lifting my head.
“Don’t cry, Sweetheart. We have right now together thanks to your future mate.”

I tilt my head in confusion.

“And who exactly is that?”
I question in his mind.

“Gage, he’s the one who arranged this after all, he’s the one who talked to Alana, he said that he wouldn’t be able to win over his mate without this request.”
Derek answers honestly.

Growling angrily I stomp my paw into the ground.
“I hate him, and I would never become his mate.”

“Why, what did he do to you?”
Derek asks as he nuzzles his nose into my fur.

“He’s been hurtful, he made me appear weak to the others and he cost me my friends.” I sigh as I change form.

Derek changes too before leaning up against a nearby tree. “I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”

I grin and throw a clump of grass at him.

He dodges it as he rushes forward picking me up around my waist again before setting me back down on my feet before him.

“I’ve missed you.” He whispers softly.

“I’ve missed you too, every day, and every night I miss you.” I whimper softly leaning my head into his chest.

After a few more playful romps in our wolf forms, and a few more tears from me in human form we sit together in an open grassy area of the forest surrounding my home.

We watch as the sun sets and the moon rises over the treetops.

Holding onto his hand I felt our time coming to an end.

My heart hurt.

“Will I ever see you again?” I ask quietly.

“Maybe, but I won’t promise you something I may never be able to give you.” He answers truthfully.

I nod leaning my head on his shoulder.

“Do me one favor, Parker. Let your heart open to someone else. I don’t think I could live knowing that I was the reason you were never able to allow yourself to be happy with another.” Derek states abruptly.

I raise my brow to him.

He chuckles lightly. “Don’t give me that look. Just promise me that you’ll give someone else the chance to love you like I did.”

Nodding I close my eyes to hide the hurt in them.

The warmth of his hands brings my eyes to open once more as he cups either side of my face. “I still love you, Sweetheart. I probably always will, but we have to make difficult choices sometimes.”

I nod again as my eyes fill with tears.

Before I can react any further his lips are suddenly on mine in an intense moment of passion and want.

But oddly it felt wrong.

My wolf didn’t at all enjoy it like I had imagined she would.

Pulling away Derek smiles softly. “See you’re already falling for someone else.”

Sighing roughly I nod and look away from Derek. “My wolf loves someone else, but I still hate him.”

Chuckling Derek rises to his feet. “That’s usually the way love goes, Parker. One day you hate them and the next you can’t figure out a single reason why you stayed away for so long in the first place.”

Holding his hand out to me I take it and rise to my own feet.

Arm in arm we stand still watching the moon in all its glory.

“I’m going to miss you, Parker.” Derek whispers.

“I’m going to miss you too, Derek.” I sigh softly.

With a kiss on my cheek he turns into his wolf form before running just a few feet and turning around to face me.
“Goodbye, my lovely, Parker.”

“Goodbye, Derek.” I whisper in response before I watch him take off running through the trees before disappearing completely from view.

Changing into my wolf I allow her to howl out her sorrows.

I let everything I felt in that moment fill my song in the wind.

My heart may have been broken but I knew saying goodbye was the first step to placing those broken pieces back together.

Lying down in the soft grass I whimper as I continue to stare at the moon until a familiar presence joins me.

Gage lies down just a few feet from me in his wolf form.

Surprisingly, his presence was comforting.

“You’re welcome.”
He sighs into my head.

Crawling over to him I place my muzzle under his as I align my body with his.

His warmth soothes away my heartbreak as I begin to drift off to sleep.

“Thank you, Gage.”
I mumble just before sleep completely takes its hold on me.

T
he next day in school I walk into the cafeteria and sit down at a secluded table in the back corner that no one really used.

I had been hoping to hide there for lunch instead of being out in the open like I had done the day before.

Too many eyes had been on me and it had made it difficult to eat.

I was hoping today of all days would be different.

Holding my sandwich to my mouth I’m startled when Ariel and Harley sit their trays of food down on the table across from me.

“Do you care if we sit here with you, Parker?” Harley questions.

I shake my head and bite into my sandwich to avoid speaking.

Both of my former friends sit down silently and begin eating their food before Harley stops to speak. “I’m sorry about the things I said, Parker. Gage told us what really happened. He explained to us why he did what he did.”

My mouth stops chewing as I stare at her in surprise.

“He did?” I mumble with my mouth still full.

Ariel and Harley nod.

Cursing softly, I finish chewing and swallow my bite before shaking my head with a small smile upon my lips. “He’s really making it hard to hate him now.”

“Why would you hate him, Parker? Anyone can see he’s totally head over heels in love with you.” Harley laughs.

“He’s been a jerk to me, Harley.” I sigh.

“But he’s making things right, and that should be worth something, right.” Ariel states softly.

“Do you forgive us for being the worst best friends on the planet, Parker?” Harley adds with a pout.

Sighing roughly while glancing between them I smile and nod before we all reach over the table to give each other quick hugs.

“I could never stay mad with my two best friends.” I answer happily as I sit back down in my seat and raise my sandwich back up to my mouth.

Just as I’m about to take another bite another mouth swoops in to take it from me.

Gage grins from his place beside me as he chews his bite up.

Rowan sits on my other side snatching the rest of my sandwich from my hands before literally inhaling it all down in just a few bites.

I huff as I look between the two. “You couldn’t have at least left me a few small bites?”

“No, we couldn’t let you eat that silly little sandwich, not when we got you something better.” Rowan mutters around another bite of Ariel’s lunch.

Looking to Gage I raise my brow. “What did you guys bring me?”

He shrugs before looking away from me towards London, Brock, and Dillon who were carrying a huge cake towards me.

“How did you know?” I ask softly.

I thought no one but my father had known when my birthday was.

It wasn’t something I enjoyed celebrating since my birthday was also the day my mother had died.

The memory was too much for me to want to celebrate.

When I closed my eyes I could still hear her voice singing the lullaby as she lay down next to me in my little bed.

She took her last breath as I fell asleep that night.

“Your father told me, and I figured I would give you a birthday that would bring good memories instead of the bad.” Gage answers as the others place the cake down in front of me.

Searching Gage’s eyes for a moment I silently thank him.

The last few days he had gone above and beyond.

He hadn’t at all been the cruel and harsh person I had come to know. This side of him was thoughtful and tender.

This side was what had my inner wolf clawing to fall in love with him.

I just couldn’t completely fall all the way though.

Not yet.

There was something more I needed to see out of him, I needed to know him a little better before I could just let my heart go like that.

“Thank you, Gage.” I whisper with a kiss to his cheek.

“You’re welcome, Parker.” He grins.

“Alight, Darling, make a wish and blow out the candles.” Brock states beside me, where Rowan had been, bringing my attention back to the now lit candles in front of me.

Glancing towards Gage, I grin and close my eyes before blowing out the tiny flames.

Everyone around claps and begins talking amongst their selves as Rowan and Dillon begin the task of cutting the cake, handing it out to our close group first and then to the few students who were brave enough to join us.

Gage leans in to whisper into my ear. “What did you wish for?”

I grin as I turn my face to look directly at him. “I can’t tell you that, but you may find out later what I wished for.”

His brow scrunches in confusion as I chuckle lightly.

My answer leaves him baffled just as I had wanted.

I grin widely taking a slice of cake from Rowan’s outstretched hand.

Across the table Harley raises her brow to me nodding slightly towards Gage before mouthing ‘what was that about’ to me.

Shrugging I place a bite of cake into my mouth so she couldn’t have the chance to question me further.

I didn’t honestly know what the flirting was about.

I mean, I guess I was beginning to warm up to Gage, but I still didn’t like him, sometimes.

L
ater on in art class, Ariel and Harley corner me before the guys could join us.

“What’s going on between you and Gage?” Harley questions.

I shrug. “There’s nothing really going on.”

Taking a step to my right, Harley does the same blocking me. “He likes you, you know that, right?”

“I don’t think he does, he’s just been trying to make up for all the problems he’s caused.” I argue.

Ariel shakes her head. “No, he likes you, as in likes you likes you, Parker. Anyone with two eyes can see that.”

Nodding over my shoulder we all watch as Gage, Rowan, Dillon, and Brock all funnel into the class room.

Gage’s eyes meet mine in question.

“See, he likes you.” Ariel whispers softly as Gage grins and sits down in the seat next to mine.

“Yeah, but so does Brock, and Rowan.” Harley adds motioning towards the other two who were staring at me in question.

Groaning softly I roll my eyes. “It doesn’t matter, I’m staying single forever.”

“Uh huh, that’s what they all say until you find yourself falling head over heels for the tall dark and handsome boy over there.” Harley giggles as she walks away from me to join Dillon at her table.

Glancing to Ariel I beg her with my eyes to say something else but she doesn’t. “No one would blame you for at least having a little fun with him, Parker.”

With that she walks away, leaving me alone with a deep warm blush on my cheeks as Gage stares at me with heated eyes.

I knew he had to have heard what she had said, and the look in his eyes alone cemented the words that Harley had said.

He did like me.

And, oh god, maybe I did like him back.

Moving slowly over to my table, I quietly sit in my seat and begin taking out my pens and sketch pad.

I had no idea what to say to Gage.

His eyes were glued to me even as I ignored him, the heated tension between us was almost too much to handle.

All I wanted to do right now was kiss him.

And at the same time I wanted to run away from those feelings.

Just as Mrs. Martin walks in I stand up from my seat and rush out of the room without a word.

Every bone in my body had just reacted on its own.

I just kept asking myself what was I doing as I practically run down the empty halls and into the janitor’s closet behind the stair way.

Closing myself in the dark room I take in deep heavy breaths.

I was quickly becoming overwhelmed with need for him.

Instead, of calming me, they only heightened my feelings.

Closing my eyes I could practically smell him next to me, feel his thick hair between my fingers.

Opening my eyes wide I shake my head roughly trying, and failing, to rid my mind of those images.

But I was lost in a fog of desire.

Holding my head in my hands I begin to pace the small dark area.

What was I going to do? How would I face him? All questions I couldn’t answer.

I stop abruptly with my back to the door as it squeaks open and I brace myself for the trouble I would be in by whatever teacher had caught me.

Instead the door shuts again locking me and another presence inside the room together.

Turning slowly I focus my eyes to see who was in here with me.

It was Gage.

Realizing it was him and that we were completely alone my heart picks up speed.

He moves closer, so close that I could feel his warm breath fanning across my face, his boots just barely touching mine.

His proximity sends a shiver up my spine.

Again, his eyes heat and before I know what I’m doing my fingers find their way into his thick hair as my lips crash against his in a passionate kiss.

Losing myself in him, we don’t hear the door open or the tapping of my best friends shoe against the concrete floor.

But we do hear her clear her throat.

“It’s about time you two came up for air.” Harley laughs before becoming serious. “You need to take this somewhere else. Brock is on a warpath to find you two, he’s pissed about something.”

Gage curses softly before looking towards me. “Do you want to skip?” He grins.

I nod and he begins pulling me from the closet and out the door.

Harley giggles and waves to me as I follow along helplessly. “Don’t worry, Parker, I’ll cover for you.”

“Thanks, Harley. I owe you.” I yell back.

She waves me on. “No, you don’t, this is what best friends are for after all.”

Turning back forward Gage tugs me through the main school doors and out to the parking lot and towards his sleek red car.

Looking around as he searches for his keys, I groan noticing my father’s guards closing in.