Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (312 page)

Sam interrupted our conversation twice more, each time bringing someone to introduce to me. My mind caught on the word “introduce.”

Paul and Henry’s assurance that I would never face the Introduction room clicked everything into place. Sam had started slowly introducing me to the eligible male population of this little community right here, right now—in this room. After the third set left, I caught Sam’s eye.

“Sam, would you mind showing me around outside for a bit?” I stood and made my way to the main door, not waiting to see if Sam followed. After three months, I’d felt sure enough of Sam that I risked a trip to an unknown destination with him, alone. I’d been willing to explain away the little doozy he didn’t mention on the way here; but now, his actions and omissions devastated my confidence in him.

Already familiar with the layout of the Compound, I didn’t hesitate to walk out the front door and stride purposefully toward the dirt lane. Sam didn’t take long to catch up to me. If I told him I wanted to go back to the Newton’s now, would he take me? If he did, then what? I couldn’t stay there forever.

“Sam,” I said when we walked side by side. “I don’t want to be on the streets, but that’s where I’ll go if you think you can pull this crap if I move in with you.” I didn’t look at him; I was too angry. And scared. “I understand the condition of living at your place is that we come up here. But my condition is that you have to be completely honest about our purpose in coming up here. Each time,” I stressed. “I don’t know if I can trust you.”

“I’m sorry, Gabby. You can trust me. I have your best interests in mind. This is another one of those things that is easier to believe when you experience it firsthand.” He kept pace next to me as I led us further from the Compound.

“No, Sam. You need to lay it out for me straight.”

He stayed quiet for a few minutes, and I wasn’t sure he had anything to say until he actually spoke.

“Well, I heard what Paul and Henry told you. That part’s right. We do Introductions for our females in a controlled environment to keep them safe until they find their Mate.

“We learned from Charlene’s time here that you’d need to be handled differently. I told you that werewolves would find your scent interesting. Since we’re branching out into more urban areas, it would only be a matter of time before you attracted attention. So, we wanted to control your Introduction. A formal Introduction without mass challenges was out of the question.

“This is the compromise; they come into the commons, say ‘hello’ to you, then talk to the Elders. Because the level of attraction varies, we interview them. They must formally request permission from me to come see you again if they think of you as more than just ‘interesting’. They are not allowed to approach you while you are on your own. If they were to approach me for a second meeting, I would speak with you first before approving or denying their request.”

The light filtering through the canopy cast the road into dusky shadow. I stopped walking and turned to Sam.

“What you’re saying is, eventually werewolves would find me; but, if I stay with you, you’d be my buffer?” He nodded. I studied him. “And I’d only have to say hi to these guys. It’d be up to me if I wanted to spend any additional time with them?” He nodded again.

I liked Paul and Henry. They oozed useful information and didn’t react to me at all. The others I’d already met hadn’t seemed too interested, either.

When Paul and Henry had mentioned mating duels, I imagined drowning in a writhing mass of hostile bodies, all in various stages of transformation. I still dreamt about Sam shifting. The dreams and my fueled imagination bothered me. But since arriving, everyone had remained in a human form and nothing freaky had happened. The general population of werewolves couldn’t be all bad. I just didn’t like the way I had to meet them. Yet, now that the werewolves knew I existed, trying to live on my own didn’t sound like a good idea. I’d be better off with Sam. He’d keep the others away.

“Fine, let’s go back.”

Paul and Henry were playing cards while they ate their way through a stack of sandwiches set out on the coffee table. They waved me over, and I gladly joined their game and grabbed a sandwich for myself.

Several more werewolves came in throughout the day. Sam led each one to me. Most left after a polite nod of hello. A few asked for a second meeting. Each time, Sam would look at me and, at the shake of my head, reject the request. It relieved me to see him keep his word and restored some of my shaken confidence in him.

We packed up and left Sunday morning. I mostly paid attention to the scenery since I’d missed the majority of it on the way there. While I watched the trees flash by, I thought about the weekend. None of the guys I’d met seemed too upset over any type of rejection. For as much emphasis as they’d put on my smelling good to just about all werewolves, their laid-back attitude didn’t make much sense to me.

“Why did the guys seem okay with their second request being rejected?”

“Although you smelled good to them, they knew it wasn’t just right. When it is, they won’t give up, which is why staying with me is so important. We have laws that control certain aspects of the social side of the pack. One is that unMated human females, like you, cannot be approached without the approval of the nearest Elder.”

“Then, why can’t you just tell them all ‘no’ for me in advance, so we don’t have to mess with this whole Introduction thing?”

“Because I have to give them the chance to see for themselves that it’s not right. Was it that bad? Meeting people? No one treated you the way some human men have treated you.”

I couldn’t disagree. “How often is this going to happen?”

“Once a month.”

I sat up straighter. “No way.” I shook my head for emphasis. It was a cool enough place, but sixteen hours of driving in a single weekend every month would get boring. “Once every two months.”

“Every five weeks, with flexibility to switch weeks if needed,” he said.

“Seven weeks.”

“Six,” he said with a sideways glance at me.

“Fine, every six weeks,” I compromised. Then I threw in another condition. “Until I graduate. Then, I’m going to college and won’t be obligated to take time out of studying for dating—or whatever you want to call this—if I don’t want to.”

“Deal,” he agreed.

I stared at him. He’d agreed too easily. Was that a hint of a smile on his mouth? Why did I feel like I just got the raw end of the deal? I’d have to play my cards carefully so I didn’t find myself hitched in some weird backwoods werewolf custom.

S
am sat at the worn
, oak table in the middle of the sunlit kitchen. He scowled at its dull surface, and when I walked into the room, transferred the glum look to me. I shook my head at him and went to make his morning coffee.

Sam and mornings didn’t mesh well. I’d realized that as soon as I’d moved in. How a werewolf, usually graceful and strong, could stumble and mumble until he had his caffeine still confused me. With his werewolf metabolism, I doubted it really did anything for him. Regardless, I still took pity on him and tried to wake up first to start a pot—even though it wasn’t my drink of preference in the morning.

Today, however, his familiar morning scowl didn’t solely relate to his need for coffee. After two years of almost monthly visits to the Canadian werewolf community, this weekend would be my last, and he didn’t like it. Happily, I hadn’t met a single werewolf who had any type of pull on me.

The way I figured it, I’d fulfilled my end of our deal. Though school had scheduled Graduation for Sunday, I’d opted not to attend. I had no desire to put this visit off for another week. The faculty could mail my diploma. After this weekend, I planned to work as much as possible to save up what I could before going off to college.

I measured out the coffee grounds and reflected back on my time with Sam. I’d kept him company, and his mere presence had kept me safe while he’d provided me with the information I needed about the werewolves and the pack community. Although Sam had shared so much of the werewolves’ life and culture, I acknowledged I still didn’t know everything. It didn’t matter, though. I’d learned enough...and not just about werewolves.

Sam was a great role model for responsibility and planning. It’s what he did for the pack. Because of him, I already worked as much as I could after school. But, it wasn’t just his example that pushed me to become so dedicated to work and financial responsibility. Shortly after I moved in with Sam, I’d discovered that work commitments ensured he couldn’t talk me into going to the Compound more than we’d bargained. He knew I’d need the means to get an education and support myself and never tried to talk me out of working. So, I worked and I tried to bank enough money to hold me over while I went to school.

As an Elder of the pack, Sam was extremely down to earth and wise. He carefully thought through all decisions with a deliberate calm that I admired. He didn’t think of himself when making any decision, only of the pack. Their welfare ruled his life. Thankfully, even though he hadn’t managed to tie me to anyone, he considered me part of the pack. That meant when I talked, he listened with his full attention, which I really did like.

Coffee brewing, I leaned against the counter and openly smirked at Sam.

“Come on, don’t be pouty about this. We made a deal, and I stuck to it. I’ve met more man-dogs than I can remember. Some, even twice.” My made-up term seemed to amuse him.

I pushed away from the counter and walked behind his chair. Resting my forearms on his shoulders, I rolled them outward and pressed down with my full weight. The tension slowly left his shoulders, and I rested my chin on his head. Yeah, I was that short compared to him.

“Tell me you’re going to be okay without me here.” I couldn’t remember my real grandpa, but over the last two years, Sam had filled that role well, despite our rough start. I knew he had managed his own coffee in the morning for years before I moved in with him, but I still wondered what he’d do without me here to keep him company.

He sighed gustily and reached back to pat my cheek, the extent of affection I allowed with him. It had been a gradual progress to work up to it. He knew most physical contact made me uncomfortable. He understood it and never seemed offended by it. I’d held myself away from people for so long, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be completely comfortable with casually touching anyone.

“You know I will,” he said sounding tired. “I don’t understand why you won’t go to the community college here. Out of state is so expensive.”

“No, it won’t be,” I said, pulling away from him. “I have scholarships and aid because of being a foster.” I made my way to the coffee. A warm breeze brushed past the kitchen curtains to swirl around the room. As I poured him a cup, I continued defending my choice.

“Besides, you know very well why I’m going out of state.” It was an old argument. My place in pack society, forever the bachelorette, bothered me. I wanted out. No other female went through such a long Introduction period. Over the last two years, I’d become the one all the guys wanted to meet and hoped to Claim by the end of the weekend. Though they treated me with kind hopefulness, my attitude toward finding a Mate hadn’t changed. I didn’t want one. Besides, two years of being the family disappointment was enough.

“I want my own life before someone else tries to take it over. Sam, I’ve always had to follow other people’s rules. I want to live by my own rules for a while.”

Sam harrumphed. “What rules have I ever enforced on you?”

I gave him a steady look as I handed him the steaming cup.

“Besides insisting on the Introductions...” He dropped his gaze to the proffered cup and accepted it with a lack of enthusiasm. Not meeting my eyes, he blew on the brew and turned the cup in a circle on the table before he began to sip it slowly.

Suspicious, I continued to study his face as I waited for him to look up again. He seemed unexpectedly guilty for such an innocent remark.

Though I chafed at his rules, they were simple enough. Go to the Introductions. Spend the weekends getting to know the pack and the pack laws. Never stay out past dark without a way to get home, which meant a ride from Sam since owning my own car made him uncomfortable. How could he not see he completely controlled my life with those rules?

Though I understood the reason for the restriction, it didn’t make them more palatable. The very real draw men felt when near me had only grown stronger as I matured. It made time alone risky. Sam had insisted I take self-defense classes. Those had been great until the instructor suggested one on one training sessions a bit too loudly in class. Before I bailed on the course, I’d learned enough to keep men at bay...but not werewolves. Despite knowing I had no protection against them other than Sam, I still wanted to try it out on my own. Sam’s rules were simple, however, they weren’t mine.

“It won’t be safe,” Sam said, interrupting my thoughts. He looked up from his half-empty cup. “You know it won’t be safe.”

“Sam, I’ll get a dog.” I could see by his expression that he was gearing up for another round in an old debate. Why couldn’t he understand that I’d rather get a dog than be Mated to a werewolf? I hurried around him for the bathroom down the hall.

“I better go shower. We don’t want to keep the wolves waiting.” I spun into the bathroom and shut the door with a snick to stop any further objections.

J
ust before dinnertime
, I pushed open the door of Sam’s old pickup and, ignoring its groan of protest, climbed out. My feet crunched on the gravel parking area. Not much had changed. Though, still rundown and in need of repairs, to me the familiar buildings exuded welcome. With a twinge, I realized I’d probably miss these frequent visits. I pushed the door closed, reached around to the bed of the truck, and grabbed my canvas bag.

“There a pack meeting tonight?” I asked Sam, looking at the other vehicles.

I couldn’t remember ever seeing so many cars before. Yet, for the number parked in the yard, the Compound was unusually quiet. Typically, before a meeting, groups of people stood outside to talk and renew acquaintances. I glanced at the buildings again. Though quiet outside, thin lines of light escaped from behind thick curtains in many of the windows on the main house. Definitely, a full house tonight. But why stay inside?

Sam just grunted in response to my question, shouldered his own bag, and headed toward the main building.

I studied Sam’s back. He certainly seemed rushed. He’d even sped so we arrived in just over seven hours. We’d only stopped once for a five minute, gas-up, eat, and pee break. I hadn’t questioned why, but it was unusual.

He’d stayed abnormally silent and pensive the entire trip, too. I didn’t mind the quiet, but he generally updated me on current pack activity during the drive. Bored, I’d alternated between listening to my mp3 player and watching the country pass in silence.

I turned a slow circle, studying the area while I breathed deeply, and began to focus. In two years, the area of my sight had expanded so I could see much further in the vast darkness of my mind. It didn’t exhaust me as quickly as it used to.

I closed my eyes and continued to turn a slow circle. At the Compound, focusing was harder. Typically, for humans, some sparks came in strong and glowed bright like a newly replaced light bulb while others were weak, more like a lightning bug’s glow. I didn’t know why; it just was. The lights of the werewolves were different. Their sparks tended to flash in and out of focus regardless of how bright or dim I perceived them. I considered the flashing a false perception. Instead, I believed I was watching the amazing speed in which they moved—there one second, gone the next, then back again. Since I hadn’t yet shared my ability with Sam, I couldn’t confirm my suspicion.

In the darkness behind my closed eyes, I saw the usual flashes of light, but they jumped around in a pattern that made me dizzy. I could see flashes in the Compound and many more in the surrounding woods and beyond.

I stopped turning before I made myself lightheaded. When I opened my eyes, I faced the wood to the right of the Compound just inside the gate. I felt watched. Not moving, I listened. Nothing but silence and my own breathing. I mentally shrugged and turned away from the trees to walk toward the main building. If any werewolves lingered out there, they would show themselves, or not, depending on their nature and if we’d already been introduced.

Several men exited through the main entrance as I stepped onto the porch. Two gave me kind, but dispassionate—perhaps even indifferent—nods of greeting. Mated. The other two watched me alertly and nodded politely. UnMated. I nodded a greeting in return and walked past them, safe with the Mated males nearby. Pack law: Protect unMated females from unMated males. Another pack law: Don’t place yourself in a situation where you’ll be alone with an unMated male or it could be seen as acceptance of his suit.

Inside, further down the long hall that branched from the main entry, more men headed my way. I kicked off my shoes, nodded, and walked past them. Again, a Mated male amidst the unMated.

“You’re early.”

I smiled at Charlene, who walked briskly toward me.

“He drove fast. Are Paul and Henry around?”

“I haven’t seen them, but I’m sure they’re around somewhere. I’ll see you at breakfast.” Charlene didn’t slow. She had a pile of clothes in her arms.

She seemed more hurried than normal. As a Mate to the leader, she tended to be busy, but she usually always made time to talk to me.

With a tingle of apprehension, I hurried toward our assigned apartment. The same one we’d first stayed in, but with big improvements. The once sparsely furnished apartment now made a cozy weekend getaway. A plush rug protected the refinished hardwood floors. Pictures decorated the walls and various knickknacks adorned the room, just a few of Charlene’s efforts to make it homier for those staying here. It also now had a small kitchen, which included a sink, dishes, and mini fridge. It still lacked appliances for cooking since we all took meals with the rest of the pack in the commons. The kitchenettes in the apartments were there for private convenience. Sam and I never used ours, but we weren’t the only ones who stayed here. Though we had priority on the apartment, I knew visiting Mated werewolves used it on our off weekends.

Sam had already thrown his bag on the foldout couch in the living room when I walked through the apartment door. I walked past him, tossed my bag on my own bed, and returned to the living room to watch him and to try to puzzle out his mood. The last few informal Introductions had been less than typical with an unusually high number of unMated males coming to the Compound from greater distances. I figured this one would be no different. Maybe he was worried about the number attending.

“So, when do we get started?” I paced around the room to stretch my legs after the long drive.

“Soon as you’re ready, I guess.” Sam riffled through his bag, looking for something.

“How many this weekend?”

He didn’t look at me. In fact, he seemed to be making an effort not to look at me and had been making that effort since breakfast. My stomach wanted to do a flip, but I firmly smashed down my emotions. I needed to figure out what was going on before I reacted in any way. Emotions around werewolves gave you away. They could smell some and hear others.

“I’m not sure. All of the Elders put a call out since it’s your last one. Ready?” He straightened, with pencil and paper in his hand, and still did not meet my gaze. He kept himself busy by tucking the pencil into the spiral of the notebook as he moved toward the door.

“Yep.” I fell into step behind him. “So, what does that mean?”

“That there are more ears than usual.” He opened the door for me.

A werewolf fun fact to keep in mind at all times: They have excellent hearing. I didn’t say anything more. Sam typically stayed very open with me, but something definitely felt different about tonight. I followed him down the hall. Our footfalls echoed softly on the hardwood floor.

Despite my effort not to react in any way to the oddities I kept noticing, a tension built inside of me. Not about the Introductions. I’d grown used to those. They could throw as many unMated at me as they wanted. I knew it wouldn’t work.

In the past two years, not once had I felt any physical interest in any werewolf. There’d been some nice ones I’d enjoyed talking to, but nothing more. No spark that Sam had insisted I would feel. He’d stressed that whatever I felt, the male would feel infinitely stronger, a compulsion that they wouldn’t be able to deny.