Runt of the Litter (Halfbreed Chronicles Book 1) (4 page)

Savannah, always the kind one, drops me off in front of
the bar.  She told me that if Avery really turns out to be the one, that I
had her full support, but I don’t even know what I’m feeling.  Avery is so
different than anything my Daddy would have
picked,
it
would be an uphill battle from the start.  But still, knowing I have
Savannah’s support (even if I doubt she’d be able to defend us physically until
she’s come into her abilities), means a lot, and I’ve even enjoyed some
sisterly bonding as she helped me get an outfit put together.  I kept the
biker boots and the black lace stockings (since Avery seemed to linger his eyes
there earlier), but I changed the jacket for Savannah’s, a black cardigan, and
bought a short navy colored flare dress.  It hugs at the waist, and though
it covers the goods, it gives a nice idea of my breast size.  I have every
intention of making sure he knows what’s waiting for him, if he tries to make a
move to get me in bed eventually . . . though how easily I’d fall into his bed,
seems a little strange, since I’ve only talked to the man for ten minutes.

When my sister drives off, I turn to head inside the bar,
and spot about as cute as a scene as I could have imagined.  Avery is in
the back - probably trying to hide in the dark - but in front of him, on the
table, is a bouquet of lilies.  And as if my heart couldn’t melt anymore,
I see how he dressed himself up.  A button up, underneath a vest, with
khaki colored slacks.  He couldn’t fit in any less with the crowd if he
tried.  But I think that’s what’s drawing me in.  That he’s so
absolutely different than any man or werewolf I’ve met.  I can’t imagine
my father dressing like him, or (as much as he loved my mother) bringing her
flowers.  He showed his love in a different way, and so will Avery.
 If I can get him to fall for me that is.  

A part of me should be hesitant, but I can’t help but be
propelled forward by some invisible force inside me.  Like one magnet, to
another, I step forward, certain of where I’m going.  Certain of where I’m
ending up,
“Hello handsome.”

His blue eyes bat up my way, and I’m already ready to
climb into his arms.  There’s an ache in the pit of my stomach, when my
body realizes I’m not listening to it, and instead take my own seat across from
him.  But even now, my knees are so close to his, that it wouldn’t be hard
to brush up against him a little,
“Miss
me?”

Avery smiles, and looks down, and I want to ruffle that
carefully brushed hair a little.  He looks like he just took a shower, and
it dried into a perfect coif with no hint of the slight waves that I adored
earlier today.  I prefer to imagine him au natural with those waves
rocking back and forth on top of me, but I need to keep it together a little
bit.  We are in a public space after all.  When he returns his
attention to me, he almost shyly pushes the flowers towards me,
“I got these for you, I hope you like
lilies.”

I’ve never been a flower kind of a girl, but I could learn
to appreciate it, if he insists on keeping these gestures up.  I take a
whiff, the familiarity surprising
me,
until he
explains that he thinks I smell like them.  

So he had managed to get a whiff of me after all - and I
smelled like flowers?  Not fur, or dog, or even sweat - but flowers?
 
I can barely contain the smile hiding behind the bouquet,
“I love them, thank you.”

The next hour passes so quickly, I didn’t even realize how
thirsty I was.  The bar in town is the kind of place where you order with
the bartender,
ain’t
nobody
coming out to serve you.  The glass of water Avery had in the beginning
had already been emptied a while ago, and I really don’t want to end the
natural flow of conversation we’ve had.  I got to find out, amongst other
things: that Avery is the youngest of triplets, and his older brothers tease
him just like all older siblings do.  His mother didn’t stick around, and
his Dad died about eight years ago.  He’s got a college degree, and I’m
envious.  He’s actually traveled outside the state for his schooling,
while I’ve only gotten to roam the local woods.

On my end, I shared about being one of two, and how dear
Savannah is to me - even if she can’t drive well (which makes him smile so big,
I want to do whatever it takes to keep that smile on him).  I mention how
my mother died young, and I don’t really remember her well, and Savannah, not
at all.  I talk about how much of a leader my father is among his pack of
friends (careful how I word things in case humans are listening).  He
listens to it all, and chimes in with questions here and there, but otherwise,
our conversation is so fluid, that I can’t believe it’s our first time really
talking.  

But my thirst is strong, and my throat a little sore, and
I promise to return quickly, just needing a quick top off with whatever beer is
ready now, behind the bar.  Avery being as kind as can be, offers to pay
for me, and begins to stand up, but I stop him by waving my hand - determined to
keep some sort of independence,
“A girl
can buy her own drink nowadays, but thanks
hun
.”
 
He looks a little unsure, as if maybe I’m just testing him, and
really do want him to take charge, but I leave him to his thoughts, as I head
to the bar nearby.

Of course, because I only had eyes for Avery, I hadn’t
really noticed the other
menfolk
crowding the place,
and as I sneak by for the drink, one of these brutes figures it’s fair game to
hit one me - on a date with somebody else.  Classic.  He tries to get
close, saying all the cheesy
one liners
he can think
of, and at first I ignore him, but then he actually has the gall to put an arm
around my shoulder, as if my ignorance wasn’t enough of a hint.  I don’t
even bother looking at him, instead a low growl deep from within my chest
resonates between us, and without a moment’s hesitation, the stranger backs
off, unsure of what the Hell he just heard.  I smile to myself, fully
appreciative that I can handle whoever tries to invade my personal space, and
grab the beer a minute later.  I figured that maybe Avery would want one,
too, so I ask for a second one, before turning around to head back to the
table.

But suddenly I realize he’s not there anymore, in fact,
the flowers still sit in the chair beside mine - and though I had hoped he had
just snuck off to the bathroom, I spot the
5 dollar
bill under the ketchup bottle.  I got ditched, and I’m so angry, that one
bottle breaks right there in my hand.  However, because of the earlier
growl, no one comes near me, and I stomp out of the bar, snatching the flowers
along the way, as I go looking for Avery.  If anything, he owes me a ride
home.

I shove the door open so hard, it slams into the wall
outside, before swinging closed again - but not before I hear someone behind me
insisting I be careful.  I huff, because I got no time for interruptions.
 I need to sniff Avery out from whatever
hole
in
the wall he fell into.  Too bad the weather is changing, and with the sun
having set, and a light rain coming our way, the air is so damp, I’m having a
hard time picking it up.

I round the corner, hoping I chose the right direction,
and find Avery hiding in the alleyway.  By the way he’s standing, his
nostrils flared, and his hands clenched in fists, he looks about as angry as I
do, but I have no clue why - he’s the one who ditched me,
“Hey Avery, what the Hell happened?”

He doesn’t respond right away, in fact he sort of twitches
upon realizing it’s my voice who’s so irate.  Just from the way he shoots
his glare at me, I can tell he’s defensive, and I’m honestly so confused, that
I don’t exactly know how to respond.  

“What happened was
-,”
he looks away from me, as if it’s too much to see my face at the
moment,
“I wasn’t going to stick around
and watch you leave with someone else.”

Wait, what?  
“What
are you talking about?  I wasn’t
- ,
”
and
then I remember the bar jerk, and realize what it must have looked like from
his point of view.  Seeing some girl put her arm around Avery would have
made me explode, and I can understand why he felt the need to leave.
 Approaching a little more gently now, I carefully step forward, even
though he practically flinches when he sees I’m still aiming to get close to
him
, “Avery listen - I don’t even know
that jerk, he just felt the need to touch me, and I put him in his place.
 I growled at him, and that’s that.  I didn’t even talk to the guy.”
His shoulders relax a little, and he looks - confused.  He must not
understand the hold he’s already got on me, if he honestly thinks it would be
that easy for me to walk away from a date, just because some stranger put the
moves on me in a bar,
“You know why I
didn’t go off with that guy?”
He merely shakes his head, still none the wiser it seems, and I realize that I
just have to be blunt with this guy.  I step forward, merely inches away
from him, and feel the heat radiating between us.  It’s so obvious, I
wonder if our clothes are steaming under the light drizzle,
“Because I was on a date with you.
 Right where I wanted to be.”

I make a move, placing my empty hand on his chest, and I
swear his heartbeat is so
fast,
I can’t even keep up
with the count.  I had been underestimating the kind of effect I was
having on him.  Feeling a little more confident, I inch forward, leaning
in for a kiss, because I’m done imagining what his lips would feel like against
mine.  
I close my eyes, and part my lips ever so slightly . . .

“Wait.”

I want to.  
Dammit
, I want
to so bad, but I can’t allow this to go any further without saying the truth.
 
There’s rules
about sharing what you are with
humans, about us creatures, but I also can’t allow this to continue, and break
both our hearts.  Her hand on my chest, feels like it’s radiating heat
from the center of my being, and straight down to my dick.  I can’t
imagine what it’ll feel like to actually have her touch me anywhere else, and
my cheeks feel hot, even in the cold winter air.  When she leans into me,
actually wanting to kiss me, I want to give in, I really, really do.  But
just as her lips are about to reach mine, I tense up, afraid of what she’ll do
once she finds out I’m a
halfbreed
.  If she runs
in the opposite direction now, maybe my heart wouldn’t completely break in
half.  With a. practically agitated, grunt at myself, I stop her in her
tracks,
“Wait.”

Her eyes flutter open, and I almost hate myself because
she looks like she had wanted to get lost in that kiss, in me.  But I
can’t allow myself to get lost in her, until I know that she knows what I am,
“Riley - I need to tell you something.”
She looks absolutely bewildered, yet waits patiently while I try to gather
enough courage to tell a human not only about myself, but also about the
magical community I belong to.  Deep breath,
“I - I’m a
halfbreed
.”  

Just as I was about to explain what that means, I’m
shocked when she finally pulls her hand away, and shrugs, almost casually,
“Yeah, I know.”

“You know
?,
”
the shock must be on my face, because I can see the
beginnings of a smile forming on her lips, though she’s trying hard not to
laugh.  I have no idea what could be funny in the moment, but luckily, she
doesn’t leave me in suspense,
“Avery, I
knew right away what you are, I smelled it on you.”
I shake my head, utterly confused,
“You
smelled me?”

She nods her head, like it’s nowhere near as big of a deal
as I think it is, and finally she reads my confusion,
“Yeah, I smelled you - wait,
hun
, do you not
realize . .
. ?
”  
She stares at me so
intently, that I realize she’s trying to read whatever she thinks lies deep in
my soul, but I don’t back away, because frankly I have no idea what she’s
trying to get at.

“I’m a werewolf.”

If it wouldn’t have looked so comical, I think I would
jumped in the air from shock, but I stay grounded, at first trying to play it
cool, but then my own nervous chuckle vibrates up from my throat, and spills
out embarrassingly from my mouth,
“You-
you’re a pureblood?”

It’s Riley’s turn to look confused,
“You didn’t realize?  Didn’t you smell me, too?”

I finally lean on the brick wall behind me for support, my
eyes already feeling wild from the surprise,
“Well I did, but I obviously didn’t get a good enough whiff, if I
couldn’t tell that you -
“  
I
look back at her, trying to see the difference from
the Riley I knew just moments before, to who I realize she is now.  But
everything I imagined a werewolf to be: arrogant, crass, and/or hairy, doesn’t
seem to be her at all,
“ - why did you
ask me out?”  
I want to ask if it was some sort of dare, just to see
if the creeping fear starting to form in the back of my
mind,
is right.  Is this a thing that werewolves do?  

“Avery, I thought
you were feeling the same way I did.”

She says it like she’s not so sure I feel anything for
her, and suddenly I realize how wrong we both were - she thinks I’m stronger
than I am, and should have realized what she was, recognized her, and picked up
on her flirtations.  And I thought she was weaker than she is, a human,
who had no idea what she was getting into.  I have never heard of a
pureblood and
halfbreed
mixing, and really don’t even
know what her intentions could be with me, but if she has any feelings for me -
then I’m a lucky bastard.

I don’t even hesitate.

I push myself off the brick wall just enough to reach out
to her and pull her to me.  She had to see it coming, because I catch the
faintest smile on her gorgeous lips just before we close the gap between us.
 When her body collides against mine, it sends us right
back
into that wall, and though any human might have winced at the pain
,
I barely feel it
.  I don’t even register the light
drops of rain around us.  Or
the sound of the beer
bottle crashing at our feet
.  All I feel is her body, flush with
mine, as her one hand braces against my heart, and the other, is already
tangled in my hair.

I’m sure I’m fumbling, because frankly, I have no clue
what I’m doing - but I’m not scared, and I’m not even nervous.  The taste
of her tongue, pressing into my mouth has got me feeling dizzy, and I can feel
her round breasts pressing into my chest.  I want to reach up from her
waist, and run my fingers over the fabric, just see if either the cold, or I,
have made her nipples hard.  But that’s probably being too forward, so
instead I lazily trace her ribcage, as I press into her more.  My hands
roam, but I’m careful not to go to specific areas.  Our emotions, maybe
even our hormones, are getting the better of us, but until she tells me
otherwise, I’m trying to still be respectful.  

I don’t want to be rough with her.  I have the
feeling she hasn’t had enough gentleness in her life.

Luckily, she must have sensed my hesitation, and frees her
hand from my hair, to come to mine.  She guides it up from her bottom rib,
and moves it to her breast, allowing me to get a good feel of just how perfect
she is under that dress that’s getting soaked.  The feel of the wet fabric
has me groaning against her mouth, because I’m desperate to find out if her
panties feel the same.  If I could be doing to her, what she is doing to
me.  My hand cups her breast, and even with me being as big as I am, it’s
still too small to contain those perfect mounds.  My thumb moves across
her nipple, only getting a hint of the raised bud straining for my attention.
 And I’m sure we both wish, that the fabric wasn’t in our way.  My
touch makes her growl against my mouth, and the sound echoes down into my
throat, and makes me moan.

I have never felt so alive in my life.

It’s like every cell deep within my body is coming alive.

My eyes are closed, but all I see is white light.

My skin feels like it’s the only thing keeping me from crashing
into her.

And the sensation of
fur,
grazes me
from the inside out.

My brothers have tried to explain to me what it feels like
to shift, to have this second person, this wolf persona inside of you - but I
had doubted for years that I would ever come into any abilities.  Now,
with Riley’s perfect body against mine, I can sense this wolf, wanting to mount
her and make her ours.  For the first time, since her lips touched mine, I
get nervous.  Not because of her, but because I’ve never had abilities
before, and I’m scared as to how it would play out in the side alley of a bar,
on Sleepy Eye’s main street.

With a mutual whine, I hesitatingly push her away, but
only enough to speak, and never do I let go of her.  We are so out of
breath, with our flushed cheeks, and gasping for air, that if anybody saw us, I
can only imagine what they’d think.  I don’t want to end it before it
begins, but I can’t do this here anyways . . . and so, with the last bit of
self control that I can muster, I look into her blue eyes, that match mine with
their glow and depth,
“Riley - not
here.”

She knows what I mean, and bends down to get the flowers
that were dropped when we reached for each other, leaving behind the shattered
beer bottle.  Then tells me I’m driving her home.

I’m not sure if she means her home, or mine.