Seven Years

The alpha power pumped through his veins, and a heat ignited his senses and made him hunger for life. Lexi was going to see his wolf for the first time, and now that he’d gained the upper hand, he was confident the two of them would mix well.

In the short time they’d spent together, it had been a struggle to suppress a primal urge to claim her in the Shifter way. It was a territorial feeling an alpha possessed in the presence of a worthy female. Feeling her body curled up beside his in Jericho’s bed had awakened those instincts because he was protecting one of his own as a Packmaster should. But it also ignited other unexpected feelings, sending his blood in new directions.

Coupling with Lexi wouldn’t be right, and maybe some of those old feelings were getting all mixed up. It would take something pivotal to force him to make that kind of decision. Only then would he know if she was someone he wanted to pursue as his mate. They’d both changed over the years, and he felt an obligation to watch over Lexi and her family. Messing it up with alpha lust wasn’t the plan.

One of the most important lessons a Packmaster learned was control. He’d seen far too many packs led by the wrong wolf, one who used the old ways of mating by taking the female while they were both in wolf form in front of the pack to not only make her submissive, but to demonstrate to the men who she belonged to. He knew at some point women would come into his pack through his brothers, but he’d never considered how he’d feel about it if one joined their pack unmated.

Her wolf ensnared him. Austin shifted and they ran through the night.

Together.

Chapter 16

I released a long, embarrassing moan as I stretched out my aching legs. I blinked my eyes open and felt my body tucked inside a warm sleeping bag. The sun hadn’t risen yet and darkness swelled inside the tent. Albeit summer, sleeping outside in the deep woods was not always a warm experience. I think I shivered more with my voice than my body.

A zipper cut through the silence and someone stepped inside the tent, a chilly breeze floating in behind him. “I hear someone’s awake. You feeling okay?” Austin asked in a tired voice.

“I don’t remember what happened,” I grumbled. “And I’m naked again.”

“It’s normal.”

“Did you sleep outside?” I asked.

“I didn’t sleep.”

“Is that normal?”

He chuckled and I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “I feel good though. Rested. My feet kind of hurt.”

“You ran hard. Why don’t you get dressed and we’ll head out.”

I fell on my back and disappeared inside the sleeping bag, shivering. “It’s too cold. Wait until the sun comes up.”

Austin crawled down to my feet and then I felt his hands on either side of me. I wrapped my arms around my naked body and froze when the zipper was slowly pulled down.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t see a thing, Lexi. I want you to trust me.”

I believed him whenever he said “trust me.” I’d never had a reason not to trust Austin. So I lay there, fully exposed, and Austin Cole lifted my legs and placed my cold feet against his warm stomach.

He hissed and then quickly covered my toes with his large hands.

“Oh my God, that’s heaven,” I moaned with a sigh of relief.

“I run on hot,” he said in a thick voice.

My nipples immediately hardened, and while I knew it was from the draft, I began to have serious doubts about how true that was. I could only imagine what we looked like—me lying nude in front of him with my feet on his…

“Austin? Are you naked?”

His stomach rocked and his whole body began to shake. A low laugh built up until he opened his mouth and puffed out my fire with his laughter. I smiled and wiggled my toes against his firm abs.

“I put on pants an hour ago,” he said. “Today we’re going to see Ivan of the Kizer pack.”

“What’s your pack’s name? Cole Pack?” I snorted. “Sounds like a compress.”

He squeezed my ankles and I moved my feet around to a warmer spot, mostly so I could hear him hiss again from the chill of my icy toes.

“It would usually go that way, but if the name is already in use, we have to choose another. Cole is an active pack in Houston, so I could either come up with a new name, or have one assigned. The Council was going to give us Skinner,” he grumbled. “I didn’t like that.”

“Is it a big deal or something?”

His voice was low and raspy—that bedroom voice that made me shiver. “It should mean something. We’re the Weston pack.”

I scarcely breathed. The silence became so deafening that sunrise would have sounded like a volcanic eruption. After a few smooth strokes of his hand that warmed my skin, Austin crawled outside to allow me to get dressed. I rolled to my side and felt around for the lantern as he zipped up the tent. When the light switched on, it threw my shadow against the smooth lining, piercing my eyes. I fumbled around in my small bag for some clothes.

If we were meeting a Packmaster today, he was just going to have to accept me in a pair of jeans and my strapless shirt. It was undeniably a cute top with elastic around the edges and turquoise patterns mixed with black flowers. Summertime in the South was nothing to mess around with; I’d just thought we’d be sleeping in a hotel with room service and movie channels.

I didn’t pack for BFE at four in the morning weather.

The hollow note of a wolf’s howl sounded in the distance and goose bumps rippled up my arms. “Austin?”

The tent zipped open quickly. “Get out. Come on, let’s go,” he said hurriedly, grabbing my bag and hauling ass.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, hopping in place and slipping on my sneaker.

“I marked the property and some sonofabitch is on it. There are too many rogue Shifters around these parts, so I’m not about to go after him and leave you sitting in my car by yourself. Lexi, dammit,” he chastised, yanking my arm so hard I stumbled. My left shoe wasn’t all the way on, but I managed to make it to the car in record time.

Once the doors shut, he rubbed his face and I looked around, noticing how quickly the yellow and lavender colors filtered through the branches overhead. The sublime beauty of early morning could rarely be matched in my eyes. I preferred mornings over sunsets because beginnings are always better than endings, even if you don’t know what the day will bring.

His bright eyes were sharp and alert, but more relaxed. “You hungry?”

“Now that you mention it, I’m starving.” My stomach gave an angry growl as if to agree.

He reached in the back seat and handed me a stick of jerky. I tore off the plastic wrapper and nibbled on the end. It wasn’t half bad, although it was a little greasy.

Austin frowned.

“What’s wrong? There’s plenty if you want some,” I offered.

“That’s not what you’re craving, is it?”

I held his glance and his crystal-blue eyes captivated me in the morning light. “No, but it’ll tide me over until breakfast.”

“Why did you buy so much of it?”

I shrugged. Who knew why I bought anything edible from a gas station? “At the time, it sounded really good. What’s the big deal?”

“You’ll know when you figure it out,” he said with a frustrated sigh. “Try to think of what it is you’re craving