His Mating Mark

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HIS MATING MARK

Copyright © 2012 by Alicia White

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-240-2

First E-book Publication: September 2012

Cover design by Harris Channing

All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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His Mating Mark
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The wolves howled in the distance, and Nicole Bell shivered. It was always the same. Every night they came but, during full moons, they seemed wilder. She moved through her small one-bedroom cabin, closing and locking the iron shutters over every window and door. She clicked the locks into place and moved to sit by the fire. Leaning down and grabbing her shotgun, she checked it once more to make sure it was loaded. Laying the gun across her lap, she stared at the fire as it danced before her.

Nicole had moved to the cabin when her grandfather passed away. She didn’t know him very well, but for some reason he had left his only grandchild everything. Her mom ran away from home when she had only been a teenager, wanting fame and fortune instead of a life in the snow and cold. Nicole understood that she had big dreams, but she was the opposite. She wanted to live in a small town, craved being close to the other people in the community. When she learned that she inherited a cabin, she immediately packed her things and left the city life in California.

She had been living in a small town named North Ridge located in Northern Minnesota for almost five years, and every year the full moon seemed to be able to make the wolves crazier, more blood hungry. Rocking back and forth, she remembered one awful night in particular. She grabbed her right forearm, feeling sick. She still remembered being scared, shaking so bad she could barely breathe, frozen in place. She also remembered all the blood, the heat, and staring straight into the wolf’s eyes.

She closed her eyes, listening to the wolves in the distance, and remembered what happened that awful night almost two years ago.

Nicole ran through the house, locking doors quickly. She lost track of time, and the sky was already dark, the moon full and bright. She could hear the wolves, running together, howling. They were getting closer, and she had a hard time breathing, her heart was pounding hard in her chest. She had no idea why the wolves banded together and ran so close to town or why the people seemed to let them. No one objected. This became a normal occurrence.

It still scared her, though, not knowing if the wolves would come too close or if they knew she was scared. Did they have that good of hearing? Could they smell fear dripping off her? Her hands were shaking as she clicked the last lock into place and moved to the center of the room. She grabbed her gun, made sure it was loaded, and aimed it at the front door. She knew she was being paranoid, never before had a wolf actually broken down someone’s door. She felt a little safer with the cold steel in her hands as she silently waited for the night to be over.

It seemed that the wolves would howl and hunt every night, but the full moon seemed to affect them more. Once a year, it seemed to be a free for all. Nicole had heard that the aggression was tied to some sort of mating ritual that happened yearly. At least that’s the only answer she got when asking some of the locals. Why weren’t there any hunting parties? Why not try to at least stop the wolves from running through town? She seemed to be one of the only people freaked out by these events, and maybe it was because she wasn’t from around these parts.

Nicole stood in the middle of the room, listening, as the sounds from the outside world seeped into her home. They were getting closer. She could actually feel it, and could barely swallow around the lump in her throat.

An unfamiliar noise caught her attention, and she moved closer to the front door. Straining to hear, she pressed her ear against the thick wood in between the iron bars and closed her eyes, needing to focus. She could hear a quiet voice crying and realized instantly that it was a child. She put her gun down and bit her lip, not knowing what to do. Her heartbeat picked up, and she knew that she only had a minute to make a decision. Should she go outside with the wolves so close? Could she really leave a child unprotected?

Pushing her hands through her hair, she knelt by the door, saying a quick prayer, knowing that she would do whatever it took to save a life. She silently started to unlock the iron bars then went to the door and flicked open the remaining locks. She stood there for another minute, listening, trying to pinpoint exactly where the child was. Who the hell would let their kid roam around after dark? She cursed the parents, scared to even open the door while it was dark outside. Taking a few deep breaths, she gave herself a quick pep talk.

“Okay. You can do it. Please Lord, protect me.” Nicole opened the door and peered outside, she looked around in the pitch black, hoping to find the child. Her home was located in a small valley, and she could hear everything around her. The howling was getting louder, and she was running out of time. She heard a shuffling noise not too far from the front door followed by a child’s cry. She ran toward the bushes that surrounded her home, hoping she would be able to locate the child and then run back into her house.

She almost cried when she found the child. He looked cold and scared. She gathered her strength, not wanting to cry at the sight before her. A little boy lay on the ground, trembling and naked. She leaned down, pulling her sweatshirt off over her head and immediately covered him.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m here to help. What’s your name? Where are your parents?” Did his parents do this to him? That question popped in her mind almost immediately. “My name is Nicole Bell. I–I’m going to pick you up now and take you inside. I have lots of blankets and food. We can’t stay out here.” She knew she was babbling a little, but she wanted to get them both inside to safety.

“No. Leave me here. You go inside.” He said and she had a hard time understanding why he would want to stay outside.

“Absolutely not. I can’t leave you out here. The wolves are coming.” She was starting to freak out, and without further thought, she picked him up and ran for her house. She barely reached the front door when three larges wolves came up behind her. Nicole screamed, putting her back to the front door and taking slow baby steps backwards. She was so close. The wolves moved as one unit, growling and snarling. Nicole held onto the boy tighter, as her vision started to blur.

Not wanting to cry, she couldn’t stop herself. She took another step back and realized that she was almost inside her house. Different plans ran through her mind. If she could just get closer, she could drop the boy and close the door. He might get hurt, but at least they would be alive.

The growling got louder, and she stared at the wolves. They were huge, more like horses. Two of the wolves looked more aggressive than the third. The hairs on their backs stood tall, teeth bared, and heads ducked down, exposing the huge muscles on their backs. The third surprised her. He was pacing in front of them, looking at her. She noticed an intelligence in his eyes as if he had a plan as well.

“Listen, lady,” the boy whispered, getting her attention, and she nodded once, not taking her eyes off the three wolves. “Nicole, you need to put me down.” She shook her head a little. Why did this kid keep telling her that when she was trying to protect him? Didn’t he see the danger they were both in.

“Trust me. Put me down.” He said the words firmly, and she looked at him. His eyes were glowing and Nicole couldn’t breathe. She thought that maybe the moon was playing a trick on her, but then she realized that wasn’t possible.

“I know you think you’re protecting me, but you’re upsetting the wolves more. Put me down.” She was upsetting the wolves? That had to be the craziest thing she ever heard. She looked from the boy to the wolves and back again. She just needed to get inside the house. Everything would be fine if she could just lock the damn doors.

Nicole looked down at the boy and saw his features change and then reality dawned on her. He was right, she needed to put him down and save herself. His face distorted, fur growing over his skin, eyes bright silver. She immediately let go of him, moving back quickly, trying to slam the door shut. He wasn’t a boy after all. No, he was a wolf, and that meant that all the wolves were actually people. Fuck, they were werewolves.

She tried to slam the door, but the adult wolves charged, throwing the door open and knocking her to the ground. The two aggressive wolves from earlier stood over her, and she knew in that moment she would be dead. She closed her eyes and braced for pain, but none came. In fact, the wolves started to back off, moving out of her house. She couldn’t move, just stayed where she was. She could hear them breathing and knew that they weren’t gone.

She felt something sharp on her arm and screamed as pain coursed through her body. Her eyes flew open, and she looked at her arm. One of the wolves had bitten her. Blood streamed down her arm, dripping onto the floor, creating a small puddle. She grabbed her arm, wanting to protect it, and started crying, hysterically crying, her whole body shaking. After the pain subsided, a heat, stronger than anything she had ever felt, burned through her veins.

She screamed loud, unsure of what was happening to her. She looked into the wolf’s eyes, needing answers. Had he just changed her? Would she now become a wolf? Nicole watched as his long tongue came out of his mouth, he swiped it across her arm, and instantly the bleeding stopped. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, and Nicole didn’t know what to do.

The wolf backed away, howled loudly, and ran off, the others following him. Nicole moved, slamming the door, and clicked all the locks back into place. She paced the small room, wondering if what happened had been some sort of dream. She looked down at her arm. The bleeding had indeed stopped, and in its place, a perfect set of teeth prints. She went into the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit, ripping it open. She grabbed the bottle of alcohol and poured it across her arm, scrubbing herself. She tried to remove all the blood and the teeth marks from her skin.

Nicole sat on the floor and cried. She was still shaking and realized that she should probably get into bed and keep warm. Trying to sit up, she realized she couldn’t, so instead, she crawled toward her bed. She was tired, her body exhausted. She climbed into bed, threw the covers over her head, and closed her eyes. She could still hear the wolves howling in the distance and realized that they were probably talking to each other. That was her last thought before passing out.

Nicole took a deep breath, holding her forearm a little tighter. That night was still so clear in her mind, even after almost two long years. Since that one incident, she never opened her door after dark, and she never would. She should be glad that she was alive, but having teeth marks scarred into her skin was a horrible reminder. She never wore short-sleeve shirts, she never talked about that night, and she tried to avoid the people in town. She didn’t know who was a wolf and who was human. For the most part, the folks in town left her alone, and she was grateful for that.

Nicole felt a strong pull toward the wolves. She would listen to them and find herself at the front door moments later. She wanted to open it and find them. She couldn’t understand why. It was almost as if an invisible force was pulling her, coaxing her into the night to be with them.

During these moments, she had to take control and shut that desire out completely. She had an unbearable craving to leave the safety of her home and find the wolf that bit her. It made no sense. Why did she want to search for him? Why did her body betray her? She wanted him more than she was willing to admit.

The howling grew louder. Nicole rocked herself back and forth, pulling the blanket tighter around her body. She let the fire seep into her, warming her. She hated and loved full moons. This particular time of year, when the nights grew longer, scared her more. Every night she heard noises and had the horrible feeling that she was being watched. Sometimes she would hear whining at her door and soft growls. As if the wolf that bit her was trying to coax her to open the door, and she wanted to obey him.

She scoffed and shook her head. Maybe all this time alone wasn’t good for her mind. She was starting to imagine that a wolf was stalking her. She heard lows growls coming from the front door and stood up. She walked to the center of the room, gun in hand. The front door creaked, and she imagined the wolf pushing against it, trying to get inside. Maybe he wanted to finish the job he started two years ago, or maybe he had the same cravings she did.

When the whining sounds got too loud that they drowned out her thoughts, she chambered a round in her shotgun. The loud noise echoed in the small room, and the noises stopped. She took an unsteady breath, thinking that maybe the sound scared the wolf away from her home. She didn’t dare go near the door or any of the windows, not wanting to see the wolf that marked her.

After a few hours of silence, Nicole went to her bedroom. Long nights like this weren’t good for her sanity, and she knew that she couldn’t stay locked away forever. She climbed into bed, putting her gun next to her. She felt safer somehow, knowing that if there was an emergency, she could at least protect herself. She closed her eyes, loving the silence.