Hunger of the Heart (Wolves of Ravenwillow Book 1) (8 page)

She could hear Eric’s voice droning on about the dangers of being alone with strange men. Looking at the eternal brand on her skin, she knew she would never make the same mistake she did years before.

“I’m a big girl, Eric. I can take care of myself.”

“I need to see you tonight.”

“Not happening, Eric.” Shaking her head at his persistence, she shoved her arms into her sleek blouse, buttoning it up as high as needed to conceal her wide scars. Pulling her hair out of the collar, allowing the chocolate strands to fall over her shoulders.

“Where is he taking you? Is it public? Just don’t get in the car with him. I’m sure women like you prefer driving yourself, so he doesn’t know where you live. Right?” his questions sot reassurance; whether for Rebecca or him was undecided.

Unwilling to answer any of his questions about her date with Damon, she mischievously replied, “Oh look at the time…got to go!” without another word she quickly hung up and tossed it on her bed, Smiling impishly at how she’d hung up on him and envisioning him snarling in rage at being ignored.

Take that, wolf man!
Looking at the time; she raced from her room, slipping her black heels on as she went. This was one date she refused to be late to, especially when it would annoy Eric endlessly.

* ~ * ~ *

Eric’s elongated claws bit deep in the armrests of his brown leather recliner. Staring at the far empty wall, his sport’s program playing on the widescreen in the corner was all but forgotten. At this very moment; Rebecca was on her date with some unknown man. He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t understand why he felt such rage at the thought of Rebecca with another man. He supposed somewhere he’d become possessive of his human. He was more than willing to deny that she was anything to him. She wasn’t his mate. He couldn’t explain why she had his wolf all riled up.

However that didn’t mean that he would willingly step aside and let another have her. He couldn’t stand the thought of her sharing her warming smile and laughter with another male. With every image of her with someone else that floated in his mind, he could feel his beast rising higher and higher to the surface. If he didn’t get more control over his emotions, Rebecca would find an unrestrained werewolf crashing her beloved date.

Rebecca may just work for him, but somehow he’d imagined her as a permanent fixture of his home. His children loved her and though he wouldn’t admit it; he loved the fire that would flair in her eyes when her temper rose. She had somehow wormed her way into his mind and he wasn’t beginning to see her as a simple human nuance any more, she was simply…his.

What did that even mean?

Just as he was seconds from leaping to his feet and searching out his wayward human, the phone hanging on the kitchen wall began its high-pitched ringing. Striding quickly from the living room, he nearly jerked the entire stand off the wall with his urgency. Jerking the phone to his ear, he answered with bated breath. “Rebecca?”

“‘Rebecca’? Have you been holding out on us, Alpha?” Chris’s voice floated out with mischievous waves.

Sighing heavily, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “This better be good.”

“Actually; I just wanted to tell you about an interesting development that I just discovered as we speak.”

“Is it about work?”

“No…” Chris said hesitantly.

His breath huffed out with irritation. “Is it about Pack business?”

“No.”

“Good night, Chris.” Pulling the phone away from his face, Chris’s rushing voice assailed his lupine ears.

“Wait! Wait! Wait! You’ll
want
to hear what I have to say!” rolling his eyes, Eric pulled the phone back to his ear, waiting patiently for his Beta to continue speaking. “Anyway; I stopped in Divinity, the old Italian restaurant in town and I saw Damon all fluffed up for a date.”

“Damon has dates all the time; it’s really not that special.” He mumbled undaunted.

“
And
when I casually chatted him up about who he was meeting he—very smugly might I say—told me he had a date with—and I quote, ‘Eric’s human’.”

All at once, Eric felt everything inside him go still. Deep inside his wolf rose up, growling dangerously at this new information of his rival. Damon? Of all the shifters and humans, she’d chosen Damon, the Casanova of all the wolf packs? Or should he say; former Casanova, because after tonight there would be nothing left of him to attract the most desperate of women.

“I guess she’s not as off limits as you said.”

Snarling loudly into the phone, he felt the plastic crack under his harsh hold. “Call the Alpha of the Black Cliffs pack.”

“May I ask why do you want me to call Damon’s Alpha?”

“Because he’s going to need a new second Beta after I tear him limb from limb.”

              Completely shattering the cordless phone beneath his hands, Eric ignored the sound of plastic crunching under his bare feet as  he walked across the tiled floor and out onto the porch. Gazing out over the spacious yard that led into the luscious forest that surrounded the back of his property, the scents of forest delimited the air around him, the chirping of the insects and the rustling of meager wildlife called his inner beast to the surface. It was then that he freed the untamable wolf inside him.

              Eyes glowing in the darkness, flames licked under his tight skin as he allowed the change to overtake him. Mist shrouded his body as his human form blurred. His body shrank, melting his human form away as bones broke and reshaped. His nose and lips morphed and extended into a black, fur covered muzzle. As the searing heat faded from his changed form, his powerful legs propelled him forward. In the form of the wolf, he navigated quickly over the earthy forest floor.

              Darting over fallen logs and around heavy underbrush, the primal nature of his wolf became unbearable and undeniable. The instinct to reach his mate and destroy all that kept her from him was in the forefront of his mind.

              Each stride took him deeper into the woods and nearer to town, nearer to
her.
The moonlight filtered through the towering trees, the light sung through the darkness against the softness of his pelt. The exhilaration that came from running free in his true form couldn’t compare to happiness that filled his heart at knowing Rebecca would be his tonight.

              Too long had he been alone. Simply existing in hopes that he would find the female meant to complete him and it had turned out that she found him instead. Pack law be damned! He didn’t care if she was human or that she was forbidden to him. No one had the right to hold his mate from him, not even himself.

* ~ * ~ *

              Walking through the propped open doors of the local Italian restaurant; Divinity, the entrance opened up into a wide and welcoming environment with vaulted ceilings and polished columns. Circular tables covered in white tablecloths, accompanied with large tea candles and small vases filled with flowers were spaced across the white marble floor. At the end of the entrance archway was a long red oak bar. Soft classical music played in the background as mouth watering scents floated in the air around her.

Rebecca found her hands going to her waist, making sure her blouse wasn’t wrinkled and displayed as less skin as possible. Who was she kidding? She wasn’t built for this “dating” thing. Her idea of a good time was cuddling up on the couch watching a movie with her nose tucked in a perfectly steamy romance novel. Why had she ever agreed to this in the first place?

“Rebecca!”

Hearing her name called from across the spacious lobby, turning her head her eyes fell on Damon as he stood from his seat, one arm raised in the air, waving her towards him. Navigating around nearby tables and moving patrons, she made her way to him with a nervous smile on her face.

Walking around the table, without a word; Damon lifted one of her hands to his lips. After brushing a soft kiss over the top of her hand he still retained possession of her hand even after raising his head. Damon was obliviously taking this date more seriously than she was. Dressed in a royal blue silk shirt; the first two buttons undone, displaying his muscular chest to her eyes. His dark blue dress slacks had to have made specifically for him only.

“I can tell that this was a bad idea.” Her eyes jumped to his in surprise.

“What do you mean?” her hand shot her the gaping collar of her blouse, fearful.

“Look at you.” he indicated with an open hand, a soft smile on his face. “You’re breathtaking. How am I supposed to eat anything tonight with a sight like you before me?”

Laughing softly, she shook her head in disbelieve. This man was unbelievable. “Isn’t it a little early in the evening for you to be throwing lines like that out?”

“You misunderstand me. I only speak the truth where you are concerned.” Turning he pulled out a padded chair for her, waiting for her to be seated comfortably before he returned to his seat. Almost immediately a waitress came and took their orders and left them alone once again. The look in Damon’s eye’s as he ordered their wine and his food as well as his teasing words were not missed by Rebecca. He may be attracted to her as a woman, but he clearly had his sights set other where.

“So why did you ask me out?” she asked folding her arms over her cool plastic menu.

“Do I really need a reason? You’re a beautiful woman. Why wouldn’t I want to ask you out?”

Rolling her eyes, Rebecca leaned back against the soft cushion of her seat. “Oh come on. You really expect me to believe that? I saw the looks you were giving that waitress. You look like you could have tackled her to the floor and licked her skin off.”

A chuckle rolled through his chest, “Nothing that drastic, I promise you.”

“So, Why then?”

“Why not let us enjoy the evening and if you still want to know when I take you home I’ll tell you.”

Leaning closer, her eyes narrowed suspiciously at his smiling face. “Are you hoping to distract me?”

Also leaning closer, his firm lips curved teasingly. “Only if you want me to,”

Smiling at him, she couldn’t fight the soft laughter that escaped her red colored lips. As his hand reached toward her face, she froze. Only did she relax when he was simply tucking a long strand of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered a few seconds more to caress the side of her face.

“So; tell me about yourself.” his eyes flashed questioning at her as he settled comfortably against the back of his chair.

She shrugged her shoulders, indifferently. “There’s nothing interesting to tell.”

“I should warn you, I can always sniff the truth out.” He flashed his white teeth at her in a teasing grin.

“You’re welcome to try. But I think you’ll find I’m more stubborn than even Eric.”

A look of confidence flooded his features as his lips curved into a wolfish grin. “We’ll see about that.”

Leaping down from a low hanging rocky ledge, Eric’s strong body flew over the soft earth and vegetation. The moonlight flashed and danced over his jet black fur with every flex of his muscles, each that burned with every movement that his lupine body took. Every ache and resistant movement only served to push him forward endlessly. Nearing the end of the dark, dense forest, smells and sounds assaulted his senses; declaring that he was coming closer and closer to having Rebecca in his grasp.

Stepping out from the cover of the heavy laden maple trees, his eyes feasted on the sight of the small collection of buildings of Main Street. He found himself stepping out into someone spacious back yard; the back of a small house hindered his view of the rest of the main square. Taking in his surroundings he spied a filled clothes line tethered between two trees, he quickly returned to his human form. The darkness of the night cloaked his bare form as he stalked across the cool grass covering the ground beneath his feet.  Taking a pair of large black drawstring sweats from the white corded line, he quickly covered his nakedness. He highly did not doubt that Rebecca would appreciate him standing before her in nothing but his skin, nor would the town folk.

Moving around the side the simple one level home, he moved cautiously, making sure he was seen by no one. How would anyone go about explaining sneaking around in the dark with no clothing to speak of? Though most of the population of Ravenwillow was shifters, it was essential that human’s remained ignorant to the existence of his kind.

Moving like a shadow in the night, Eric remained unseen until he stepped out beneath an illuminating street lamp. The main square was filled with people, families, friends and couples leaving the old fashion movie cinema, restaurants and local shops. Moving along the sidewalk, his nose fought to find Rebecca’s scent trail as his eyes also searched for this all important restaurant that she was likely to be at. An unending variety of sounds and scents bombarded his senses making it impossible to locate his human’s whereabouts.

How in the world was he to find her in a place like this? His wolf was becoming agitated and at any moment wouldn’t be as compliant. But then, teasing scent from a distance, he caught it. The sweet, rich smell of his human that lingered beneath the lavender perfume she always wore. Uncaring about how many passing people he nearly plowed over, Eric took off. His wolf urged him forward, moving fast with hard desperation to reach her. With every stride he took, her scent intensified. Sliding to an abrupt halt he found himself looking up at the florescent lit word; “
Divinity".

Satisfaction filled his chest, tonight he would lay down the rules to his wary doe. His wolf was more than ready to battle Damon for the right of her. Her resistance mattered little. For some inexplicable reason, his wolf recognized her as his one and only true mate and for the time being he was more than happy to treat her as such, at least until they both came to their senses. But he refused to tolerate her gentle eyes looking to another for comfort. He couldn’t deny that his wolf as well as himself was hoping she would put up a fight against his claim on her. The chase was always just as sweet as the victory.

Fighting the heat behind his glowing eyes that signaled his form shifting, he shoved his wolf deep, preventing him from fully emerging as he longed to do. Striding through the bolstered doors, he walked around the wooden podium and past a panic stricken waitress that tried to prevent him with a stalling hand from entering the exquisite dining area.

Searching through a sea of faces his sharp eyes finally fell on Rebecca. She looked stunning—No, not stunning; beautiful, hauntingly so. Why had she never dressed like
this
for him? 

              Being around more brazen females, Eric couldn’t help but notice how modest she dressing for her alleged “Date”.  Her blouse was far from enticing, the cloth was too loose against her torso with buttons done up to the slope of her swan-like neck, but the illuminating color made her pastel skin glow against the candle light. The dark slacks she wore fitted loosely to her shapely legs.

              The musical note of her laughter filled his ears as she laughed at something her traitorous companion said. Just as he began to move toward their table to render Damon into little confetti pieces, Eric found himself halted by a tap on his bare shoulder. Turning his head, he glared down at a very nervous looking waitress as her shaking hand pushed her loose red curls behind her ear.

“Excuse me, sir; you can’t be in here without a shirt or shoes.” She softly remarked, her blue eyes hesitantly flickering at his nearly bare form.

“Mind your own business.” He growled out, before he could take a step a body stepped in his path. Eric’s anger filled eyes fell on the owner Paul Delagari. Paul narrowed his dark eyes at Eric like he was bug at a picnic.

“Is there a problem?” his voice growled out, his bear-shifter temper shifting just below the surface.

“Stay out of this, Paul. I came to retrieve something of mine and won’t be leaving without it.” As Eric moved to step around Paul, he moved as the last instant blocking his path. Both males glared at each other in an unspoken battle of dominance.

“I will not have you causing problems in my place, Daniels. Look at yourself; you’re on the verge of shifting in front of over thirty humans. Whatever has you riled up, go shake it off before you retrieve what you’re after.”

Narrowing his eyes, Eric refused to be shoved aside like some submissive pup. “Get out of my way, Paul. Before I make you wish you had.” He growled, no longer fighting to restrain his inner beast.

“If that’s the way you feel, we could always include the elder council. I doubt they’d take kindly to you risking exposure of our kind. I believe a few of them are here tonight.”

Eric’s wolf snapped and growled at the challenging Alpha before him, but Eric knew Paul would follow through on his threat if Eric continued to be an issue. Growling threateningly in the back of his throat, Eric fixed Paul with a killing glare.

“One of these days you won’t be able to hide behind the elders, Paul. And when that day comes I’ll make you sorry for tonight.”

Spinning around, he held his shoulders tight as he exited the way he came. But; not before his eyes found Rebecca again. He nearly went feral at the sight of her red lips curving around a spoon that Damon held out to her, her eyes closing with delight at whatever she’d tasted. Snarling; Eric strode from the restaurant.

This wasn’t over; tonight he’d make that sneaky traitor eat his own heart for even glancing at Rebecca. With that thought in mind, Eric began pacing the parking lot, laying in wait for his unsuspecting prey.

* ~ * ~ *

“Wow.” Rebecca gasped as she licked her lips after Damon had withdrawn his offered spoon from her mouth. “That’s incredible.”

“Told you this place was the best.” Damon grinned as he returned his attention to his plate. “So; tell me about yourself.” he inquired, seeking to spark a conversation with is quite date.

“Trust me there’s nothing remotely interesting about me you’d want to know about.”

“Are you purposely trying to prevent me from getting to know you, Rebecca?” he teased. Rebecca just smiled teasingly as she returned to her dinner. “You don’t want to tell me about yourself? Alright, why don’t we just skip that and cut right to you telling me about how you came to know about my kind?”

              Rebecca’s heart stopped dead in her chest as heavy fear settled in her stomach. Forcing her bite of food down her constricting throat, she tried to slow her racing pulse. Looking fearfully at Damon’s smiling face she hesitantly looked around.

“Your kind?” her voice shuddered with apprehension.

His eyes locked, unrelentingly with hers. “You know that I’m a shifter; a werewolf.”

“W-What do you mean? I’m not sure I know what you’re—”

“Come now, Rebecca. Did you really think that such a secret like this would stay secret forever?”

Suddenly feeling like a deer in headlight, her destruction nearing closer and closer. Feeling anxious, she shot him a pleading look. “Are you going to hurt me? Is that why you asked me out? So you could expose what I know?”

Bracing his elbows on the table top, Damon clasped his hands together. “You misunderstand, Rebecca. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t have chosen to take you to a public place.”

Her heart began to race impossibly faster with fear. “I beg you, at least give me some time to get out of town, I swear I haven’t told a soul—nor will I ever. Please don’t kill me, I haven’t done anything wrong.” her words rushed from her lips coated with icy terror as tears filled her eyes.

Sympathy filling his eyes, Damon reached across the table clasping her hand, though she flinched at his touch. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Damon made soft cooing sounds of comfort while he brushed her fallen tears away.

“Shh. Calm down. No one is going to hurt you, I swear this to you.”

Her breath hitched with emotion. “Then; why did you…?”

“It wasn’t hard to see how you purposely ignored things that others would have questioned. I had to discover how you came by this information, before the others discover what I have. Because trust me, they would kill you without hesitation. If you confide in me, Rebecca, I swear to you, I will do whatever I can to protect you from others that would seek to harm you.”

“Why?” her red, swollen eyes flashed suspiciously at him. “Why would you care what happens to me?”

Leaning back in his chair, Damon’s face turned very serious for the first time all evening. “I have known Eric all my life, Rebecca. Not once has he shown such protective and possessive emotions toward anyone, until you. Deep down I believe that you are Eric’s true one, he’s just too thick headed to admit it.”

“‘
True One’
?”

“I’ll explain later, first I need you to tell me everything you know, so I can figure out how to protect you. I’m not sure if you’re aware but half of the people in this place are shifters and many are ruling council members that would end your life with a snap of their fingers.”

“Is it safe to talk here?” her eyes widening with fear.

Nodding slowly, Damon folded his arms over the table. “Tell me.” He pled.

Taking an unsteady breath, closing her eyes, Rebecca took a moment to calm her rattled nerves. Slowly opening her eyes, Rebecca flicked her tongue over her suddenly dry lips. For years she’d dreaded this moment. The moment when a shifter discovered her story and made her paid for it.

“About five years ago, I was home from college on break the night it happened.”

“What happened?” His voice whispered as her eye began to glaze over in memory.

“When I met a monster…”

* ~ * ~ *

Five years earlier

“Mom, you really don’t have to go to all this trouble.” Rebecca insisted franticly as she watched her mom working on; what seemed to be, a five course meal. “I’m only here for a few days. I would be happy with just a simple pizza.”

“Oh, hush.” Mary St. James scolded her daughter with a wave of her elegant hand, “I want to. Besides your father won’t complain about having a full stomach tonight.”

              Shaking her head, Rebecca slid from her position on the kitchen bar stool at the kitchen counter. Coming up behind her; Rebecca watched as her mother vigorously stirred the contents of her mixing bowl.

Leaning her hip against the pale green kitchen counter, Rebecca found her eyes shifting out the pitch-black kitchen window. A heavy weight of weariness weighted heavy on her shoulders.

“Anything I can do?”

After the countless hours spend driving from her dorm in New York to her parents home in Ravenwillow, Virginia, more than anything; sleep was taking precedence over food. Not that it would stop her mother from her dominating plans of a large welcome home dinner for her only daughter.

Shaking her head, Mary concentrated on pouring her chocolate cake batter into her prized baking pan. “No. Go visit with your father until I’m done.”

              Not bothering to argue, she grabbed her open soda can, left the kitchen, following down the short hallway leading into the family room. There her father sat in his regular seat in the dark leather recliner. His worn eyes rose from his spread out news paper, flickering gently over her face as his thin lips curled into a slight smile.

“Hey baby-girl, what’s your mother up to?”

“Cooking the Christmas feast for the White House.” She mumbled, taking a slip from her cola.

Her father’s hearty chuckled filled the air around them. “Never take a dog’s favorite bone. First rule of women that I learned my first year of marriage, baby-girl, your mother is going to do whatever she plans regardless of what you or I think. Best to just let her be.”

Letting out a deep sigh, she slunk down onto the couch. Tiredly rubbing her eyes, her body relaxed into the plush cushions. As her father went back to his evening ritual of reading his newspaper, they sat in silence, for how long; she didn’t know.

Releasing a tired sigh, Rebecca allowed her head to fall back against the back of the couch. Just as Rebecca had begun to drift off, a loud sound of banging on the front door; startled her awake. Seeing her father struggling to remove himself from under his spread out newspaper, Rebecca quickly rose from her relaxed position.