Read Saving Serena: The Alpha Wants Curves Bk2 Online

Authors: Arwen Rich

Tags: #werewolf romance, #plus size, #paranormal romance, #erotic romance, #rubenesque, #bbw, #werewolf erotica

Saving Serena: The Alpha Wants Curves Bk2 (2 page)

BOOK: Saving Serena: The Alpha Wants Curves Bk2
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The night had become alive. Darkness was barely an impediment to my senses now – I could smell, and hear, everything in the vicinity. I could smell people, insulated in their houses, and their dogs, bored in their yards. I could smell freshly-cut grass, and the comfortable scent of wood-fire smoke drifting on the wind.

And beyond that, I could smell the forest. Full of life.

Still adjusting to my new senses, I looked up to see the rising moon. It was enormous and tinged with red. Like the crimson moon from my dreams.

My hackles stood up, and a shiver ran through me. I had seen blood moons before, but it still unsettled me.

But not for long. It was soon forgotten as Heath and I trotted along the road together, silent as shadows. Within five minutes, we were outside of suburbia and in the farm-land which opened up to the national forest. We both relaxed then, shaking loose the animal anxieties associated with civilization. The open land was calming, the air sweet and soothing.

We were soon inside the forest, beneath the canopy of towering pine trees. Now that I was in wolf form, this place felt like home.

Heath stopped for a moment and howled, alerting the pack to our presence. Return calls echoed through the forest, high-pitched and brimming with excitement. Heath and I ran towards the sounds, weaving between the trees, pounding our paws to the rhythm of the forest.

I could soon smell the pack, one cohesive scent that quickly became a tapestry of interwoven personalities. And threaded through it, the smoke from the bonfire, speaking of warmth and light.

Heath and I entered the clearing together, and then transformed back to human form.

As usual, the pack were milling around the bonfire, some as human and some as wolf, hanging out and chatting amongst themselves. Heads turned and nodded respectfully towards Heath and I as we entered the crowd. Heath acknowledged each person with a friendly smile and nod.

He had settled well into his new role as Alpha. The power, and the responsibility that came with it, no longer made him uncomfortable. Each admiring set of eyes that we passed stirred a sense of pride inside me.

He was a natural leader.

Heath quickly made a path to his second-in-command, Aaron. After a quick hello, the pair began an earnest discussion about territorial security, which wasn't exactly my cup of tea. But I always enjoyed watching Heath interact with the members of our pack. He had a way of involving others in his plans, drawing ideas from them and increasing the sense of community.

Aaron was in charge of patrols and territorial security. He was huge and muscular – larger even than Heath, I realized for the first time, as I watched them converse. Heath's commanding aura had a way of making him seem bigger even than his tall frame was in actuality.

Aaron and Heath had been good friends for years. I remembered Aaron from high-school – a boisterous jock, more interested in girls and football than anything else. He had struck me as a bit vacuous and shallow at the time, and we had rarely interacted. But he and Heath had always gotten along, so I accepted him too.

But in recent weeks, I felt that something had changed in the relationship between Aaron and Heath. And it made me uncomfortable.

It was difficult to put my finger on exactly, but now that I was watching the pair speak, it finally clicked.

Aaron didn't like Heath being in charge of him. He didn't like being his subordinate.

The pair had always been equals, good friends, and now Heath was Aaron's superior. Their dynamic had changed, and I could see now, in some near-imperceptible expressions on Aaron's face, that he didn't like it. Each time Heath delivered an order to him, I caught a glimpse of distaste on Aaron; a minute delay before his acquiescent nod.

I wondered if Heath had noticed.

Aaron's eyes left Heath's for a moment and settled on mine. I blushed, realizing that I had been staring at him – not to mention judging him! – and I averted my eyes, feeling rude. It was silly of me to judge the man – after all, I didn't know him very well.

I was probably just being paranoid. Of course it would take a bit of time for two friends to adjust to new roles.

I excused myself from the pair, and took a walk around the bonfire, trying to find Jala. I weaved through the friendly crowd of people for a few minutes, but I couldn't see her anywhere. I gave up and turned around to go back to Heath, and Jala was standing there.

“Looking for someone?” she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

“I think you know,” I said, smiling back. I always enjoyed speaking with her. At first I had been intimidated by her powers of foresight, and even thought she was a little bit imperious. But since getting to know her, I had learned that she was anything but. A sense of childlike joy emanated from her, and even spilled into me, every time we spoke. It was as if she knew everything I was going to say, and she looked forward to hearing me say it. And what I had mistaken for imperiousness was actually an honesty, a frankness. She stated her visions of the future bluntly, because she was not attached to them. They were not her own ideas. They merely came through her.

“Come,” Jala said, and led me to a quieter part of the clearing. She took a seat on a roughly-hewn log near the edge of the firelight, and patted the log beside her.

“What's bothering you?” she asked.

“My dreams,” I said. “Ever since you told me that I have the same ... gift that you have, I can't stop thinking about them. Some show scenes of violence.” I thought of the dream where the naked man stood at the foot of my bed. “And I can't tell which are prophecy, and which are meaningless.”

A warm smile played on Jala's lips as she studied me. The firelight illuminated her cheekbones.

“Not all dreams speak of the future,” she said. “But none are without meaning.”

I was feeling more puzzled each moment. “How do I tell which ones predict the future?”

“Only time can tell,” she said. “The best you can do is prepare yourself for what you think may be coming. The dreams will become clearer in time, and easier to decipher.” She placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You will be a great seer. But you need, above all, to trust your instincts.”

We lapsed into silence as I digested her words. Though I was no closer to understanding any of my recent dreams, her advice and her presence were comforting.

We sat together for a while, watching the fire and the people and wolves milling around it. The pack was happy. I could see it on their faces, and smell it on their collective scent.

I felt at home. I was glad that I had decided to move back here, to my hometown, to live with Heath. What had originally been a short trip back had become something permanent. I'd only been back a month, but I was sure I was here to stay.

The murmur of intertwining conversations around the fire lulled me, along with the dancing flames. I jumped when Heath put his warm hand on my shoulder. I hadn't seen him approaching.

“Off with the fairies again,” I said, smiling. He leaned down and kissed me.

“Fairies don't exist,” he grinned. “Werewolves either.” He gave Jala and I a hand each, and lifted us to our feet. “The pack's about to run,” he said. “Are you guys ready?”

The pack spent the next few hours as wolves. We all transformed together in the firelight, before descending as one into the dark, inviting forest paths.

Heath and I led the pack, air streaming through our fur as we flowed between the trees. I forgot my troubles as the vestiges of my humanity faded away, leaving only the joyful pounding of heart and paw. Power surged through me. Beneath the glittering stars and the gleaming, red-tinged moon, the pack coalesced into the night.

After a time, I found myself alone with Heath, running side by side. By now, the rest of the pack had either fallen behind, or gone their own way.

As much as I enjoyed running with the entire pack, I always loved to run alone with Heath the most. And I knew that he felt the same way. We played as we ran, racing and nipping at each other, weaving between trees and ferns. It reminded me of our youth, when we were eighteen and only just beginning to control our wolf forms. Discovering the freedom and pleasure of becoming one with the forest. And the immense crush that I'd had on him.

But as we ran, something began to unsettle me. A familiar and disconcerting scent.

Plastic and perfume.

I stopped, and Heath did too. We both stood in the forest, sniffing the wind, our ears pricked. My hackles raised uneasily. Although the scent was faint, I knew who it was.

Athena.

She was out there somewhere. Exiled.

Was she watching us now?

I remembered again the way she had attacked me in wolf form, pinning me to the ground and trying to crush my windpipe. And her final threat. The vehemence with which she had spat it, with venom on her breath, made me sure that she had all intentions of following through.

It was just a matter of when.

Heath and I continued on for a short while longer. But the mood had changed; I was uneasy now. I realized how tired I was suddenly, and slowed my pace. Heath saw the shift in my mood, and kindly turned us around to head home.

I fell into bed exhausted. Heath kissed me goodnight and took me into his arms. With his heart beating against my ear, I sank into a deep and dreamless sleep.

But a sharp rapping at our door tore me from my slumber. Heath quickly sat up beside me and drew the covers, and the rapping came again, urgent and hard. My heart began to beat nervously in my chest, and through my fog of sleepiness, I had the sick feeling of impending disaster.

“Don't worry,” Heath said, seeing my expression. “It's probably nothing.” He climbed from bed and left the room, and I heard him open the door to let somebody in. They conversed for a moment, two deep, subdued voices tinged with urgency. And then Heath came back into our room, with Aaron, his second-in-command in tow. Aaron was naked, having probably just transformed from wolf-form. I sat up, still half-asleep. A strange sense of unease stirred inside me.

“There's been a breach of security,” Heath said. “Some exiles have entered our territory. I have to apprehend them before they cause trouble.” He was alert and brisk. “Aaron, I want you to stay here and look after Serena for me. Will you do that?”

Aaron looked directly into Heath's eyes and nodded, and I felt that stir of unease again.

“I have to go now,” Heath said, coming over to me. “Don't worry, you'll be fine with Aaron here to protect you. I'll be back soon.” He kissed me on the mouth before I could say a word, and then turned and quickly left the room, leaving me shocked and alone with Aaron at the foot of my bed.

Finally the veil of sleep slipped away, and I knew why I felt uncomfortable.

It was the same as my dream. The naked man at the foot of my bed was Aaron. The only difference was, he didn't hold a snake in his arms. But as I looked at him, I noticed a tattoo on his forearm that I had never before noticed.

Coiled around his wrist and forearm, a green viper with glowing red eyes.

Horror gripped me. I knew that the dream of him was connected somehow to my visions of violence. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I tried to formulate a plan. I had to get out of here. I had to get away from him.

Aaron must have seen the expression on my face. “Don't worry,” he said. “Heath will be fine.” He sat on the end of my bed, and I coiled away from him.

And then his expression shifted. He knew that I knew something was wrong. His face lost all facade of innocence and he leaped forward across the bed, trying to grab at me.

I shrieked and flinched backwards, letting fly a kick that landed squarely on his jaw. Aaron fell backwards onto the floor, bellowing with pain, and I took the opportunity to jump out of bed and run.

I nearly made it to the front door before he caught me. He wrapped his thick arms around me, enveloping me in a bear hug. I struggled and tried to yell for help, but his hand clamped over my mouth.

“You're coming with us,” Aaron said dangerously in my ear. “Whether you like it or not.”

Us?

As the question came, the front door slammed open to reveal two lithe, mangy-looking young guys I had never met before. Beneath the unwashed and filthy scent of their bodies, I could smell that they were shifters too.

Exiles.

“Quickly,” Aaron said to one. “Leave the note on the table over there – ” he gestured back with his head, and then said to the other, “Did you bring the chloroform?”

The second man gave a sick smile, revealing yellow, jagged teeth. “Right here,” he said, lifting a cloth. I realized what it was for and began to struggle again. I bit down on Aaron's hand and he yelled out in pain. As I writhed in his grip, the guy with the cloth came forward  and clamped it onto my face.

An overwhelming stench of chemicals, and then the world went black.

I woke sitting in an uncomfortable position, my head pounding. I opened my eyes, and saw that I was inside a dimly lit, dank structure, like a basement. I was bound to a chair, facing a door which was guarded by the two ratlike men who had helped Aaron kidnap me.

I smelled her before I saw her. Sickly-sweet and artificial.

“Good,” her voice emanated from the darkness. “You're awake.” Her slender form slipped from the shadows and came towards me. The beauty of her face was twisted into an ugly hatred.

“Athena,” I said. “What the hell are you doing?” I struggled at the ropes that bound my wrists, but they only bit more deeply into my skin.

“I'm keeping my word,” she said, bringing her face close to mine. Her scent made me nauseated. “And I'm taking what's mine.”

“You're trying to take Heath from me? Because you're going the wrong way about it.”

“I don't want him any more,” said Athena. “I've found someone else. Someone stronger than Heath, and more willing to do what it takes to rule.” She beckoned into the darkness, and Aaron came out of the shadows to stand obediently beside her. “No,” she continued, “I'm not trying to take Heath away from you. When he gets here, we are going to kill you both. And then claim this territory as our own.” She crossed her arms, and tapped her foot impatiently. “We kindly left a note at Heath's house; he should be here any second.”

BOOK: Saving Serena: The Alpha Wants Curves Bk2
12.44Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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