Forbidden Hope: A Werewolf Wars Prequel Novella (3 page)

Emily’s heart throbbed against her ribs. She nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile. “It’s okay.”
I can be his friend. It will be better and easier than avoiding him. And maybe if I talk to him, it will make that overwhelming desire to seek him out go away.
Mind made up, she asked. “How do you like the movie?”

“It’s alright. Hollywood’s take on werewolves is interesting, to say the least.”

Emily laughed, drawing her knees toward her chest.

“What kind of movies do you like?” Marcus asked.

“Not the kind my brothers would ever rent for me. I usually wait until they come out and order them on TV.”

“But what do you like?”

Emily giggled. “Romances, dramas, comedies. Things my brother’s hate. They like the action and suspense. And horror—ugh—they love gory, scary movies.”

“There is nothing wrong with scary movies,” Vincent defended as he came in. He plopped down on the couch next to her, causing the cushion to hiss. “My favorite part is coming up. You’re going to love this, Marcus.”

Emily sighed, chancing a glance at Marcus. He sat, relaxed in the plush, green chair. She leaned back and tried to focus on the movie, but every so often her eyes drifted to the wolf on her right. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

***

E
mily tiptoed down into the kitchen. The house was quiet and dark; all the occupants were sound asleep. She’d developed a routine long ago of stealing a few moments to herself, and now, she couldn’t sleep until she took advantage of the freedom. For a few precious moments every night, she could wander about the house and not have her every movement tracked. Usually, it was her brothers who followed her around, but she craved time just to herself. She grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge and crept outside.

As she stepped onto the front porch, the crisp air touched her skin, sending a chill up her spine.  She pulled her plush purple robe tighter, slightly regretting her choice of a cold beverage in this weather.  But only slightly.  Coke is worth it.  The she-wolf popped the tab on her soda and took a long gulp of the bubbly liquid.

Headlights bounced in the distance as a car turned down the long gravel drive. The tires crunched over the rocks and she could make out a green Civic in the distance.  The garage door opened, filling the quiet night air with a soft hum.

She watched as Devon’s vehicle pulled into the building. A moment later, a door clicked shut and she could hear Marcus and Devon talking as they left the garage. Devon veered to the left toward the guesthouse while Marcus made his way toward the main house; the newest pack member was now staying in the quarters of the large guesthouse.

Emily took another sip, watching curiously as Marcus jogged up to the porch.

“Did you forget where your room is?” she teased as he clamored up the wooden steps.

Marcus paused, his eyes darting to her. “I didn’t see you there,” he smiled.

She shrugged. “Just enjoying the night air. Did you have fun tonight?” She regretted the question as soon as she asked. She didn’t want to know. It was obvious that her twin had enjoyed himself—and still was since he hadn’t returned home.

“It was okay. It’s nice to get out and unwind a little.”

“I bet,” she blurted, rolling her eyes, she would give anything to have a night out of the house. He hadn’t meant any harm by his comment, but it reminded her that she couldn’t go out and just chill. A part of her understood the reasoning, but it didn’t take away the craving for freedom.

“I was going to run inside and get my laptop. I left it in the front room. I like to check up on things before going to bed. It’s how I unwind,” Marcus said after a long moment.

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Her mother had mentioned something about Marcus doing work for Emmett. “I heard my dad is letting you balance his books and work the stock market.”

“Yeah,” he grinned.

“You like that type of thing?”

“It’s what I was going to school for. And I’m really good at it. It’s always a pleasure to watch your earnings grow and know that you were responsible for it,” Marcus explained with a toothy grin.

Emily nodded. She understood what he was saying, even if she had no idea how stocks and bonds worked.

“What are you doing up so late?” he asked. He finished climbing the steps and strolled over to the swing, sitting next to her. A chill of anticipation ripped through her. He was so close—too close. She needed to distance herself before her body reacted even more to his.

“Couldn’t sleep.” She stood up and suppressed a yawn.

“My mom used to always make me a tall glass of warm milk when I was a kid and couldn’t sleep.”

“My mom read to me.”

Marcus used the heels of his feet to sway the swing back and forth. “I could make you a glass of milk.” He looked pointedly at the red can in her hand. “I doubt that will help you sleep.”

Emily laughed. “Probably not.”

“So do you want that glass of milk?”

She should say no. “Sure.”

***

M
arcus poured the steaming milk into a mug and handed it to Emily. “It should put you right to sleep.”

“Thanks.” She blew on the cup before placing it to her lips and taking a sip. “Tastes good.”

“It was my mom’s recipe. The nutmeg helps calm you.”

“You didn’t mention your parents before,” Emily commented.

Marcus licked his lips and sighed. “They died when I was about twelve.” After his parents deaths, he and his brothers had been inseparable. Now, they were gone too. A tick formed in his jaw and he swallowed hard, not wanting to appear weak in front of Emily. He drew in a quiet breath and composed himself.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, glancing down into her mug.

“It was hard. My mom was sick for a while. She kept getting worse and worse, but our pack doctor couldn’t figure out what the problem was. After a few months, she died. My dad didn’t last long after that. Losing them both so close together was difficult, but, at the same time, knowing that they loved each other so much...” he trailed off.

“A true love match. My mom told me about them once. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an actual one. It all sounds so romantic. To live and die for each other. To have a physical and mental connection with each other.”

Marcus stared at her. She looked away, her emerald eyes darting anywhere but him. Everything seemed to click all at once for him. She was his true mate. It was the only possible explanation for the way he felt. The desire to claim her was as powerful as the yearning to spend time with her. Her lilac scent intrigued him, drew him in right from the start.

He looked up and saw the slight part of her lips. Her breathing quickened and red crept over her face as if she were having a similar revelation.

“Thanks for the milk,” Emily stammered, setting the empty mug in the sink. She played with the purple sash on her robe for a moment. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Emily?” his hand shot out and grasped her wrist. “I...”

She swallowed as she moved closer to him, her eyes blinking rapidly as her breath puffed against his face.

His hand reached up to graze across her soft cheek before threading in her hair. Her tongue darted out to wet her pink, plump lips and he tilted his head to the side, entranced. Their lips grazed against each other, lightly touching at first before Emily deepened the kiss. He nibbled her bottom lip, pulling her flush against him. She melted into him for a few precious seconds, before she froze.

Emily’s hands pushed on his chest and she turned away from him. “We can’t do this,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Why? I know you feel it too.”

“You know how our world works, Marcus. I’m to be mated to another alpha to ensure the peace amongst our neighboring packs. If we go down this road, it will only end in heartbreak. I can’t do that,” she said hoarsely.

“So don’t think about the future. It’s not set in stone. Things can change. I can prove myself to your father. Just give me the chance. I can’t ignore whatever this is and I want to—
need
to see it through,” Marcus encouraged. He would show the alpha he was worthy.

Emily shook her head. Tears shone in her beautiful emerald eyes, and her bottom lip trembled as she suppressed a sob. “You don’t know my father.” She gave him one last fleeting look before bolting out of the kitchen.

***

M
arcus’ fingers flew across his keyboard, pulling up the stocks for the day. He might not be as aggressive as the other wolves here, but he’d impressed Emmett McKinley with his knowledge. The alpha had given him three months to dazzle him, and he wanted to do just that.

Maybe if he were in the alpha’s good graces, it would help his chances of potentially pursuing a relationship with Emily. The feelings weren’t one-sided. He had smelled her arousal numerous times, caught her looking at him on more than a few occasions. She was the alpha’s daughter, and he understood that she might not get to choose who she would mate with, but he wasn’t ready to give up hope yet.

“Hey,” Devon said as he bolted into the room. “I need your help.”

Marcus set his laptop down and stood up. “What’s wrong?”

“There are outsiders on our land and Em is out on her run. We need to find her,” Devon rushed.

Marcus gulped, fear lacing its way around his heart.

“She usually runs the perimeter of the property. There aren’t a lot of men here because of Emmett’s trip. We will have to move quickly to find her. Daniel has men setting up a perimeter around our property to make sure no one leaves our land with her,” Devon explained as they hurried downstairs. “But we need to find her. If they pick up her scent there is no telling what they might do.”

“We’ll find her,” Marcus replied, gritting his teeth.

Devon threw the front door open and they ran outside.

“Vincent is already checking the clearing she lounges in. You take the South side and make a loop, I’ll take the North and we’ll meet up in the middle,” Devon asserted.

Marcus nodded, setting off at a grueling pace into the trees. A flock of birds flew up from the thicket, startled by his frantic run. He shielded his face from them as he bolted through the swarm.

The tree branches whipped at his skin. His feet crunched against the dead leaves that blanketed the forest floor. Sweat beaded on his brow and his legs felt rubbery from running too hard for too long. It didn’t matter how sore he was or would be he had to find her.

A loud scream rang out through the forest. The noise ricocheted off the trees and Marcus slowed, trying to figure out what direction it had come from. He closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings.

He could hear the branches swaying slightly in the breeze. An animal scurried across the ground on his right. And then he heard the soft moan of pain that could only be made by a human.

Marcus’ eyes flew open and he sprinted toward the noise. He heard a male voice shout something, followed by a series of snarls. Two men raced off into the woods with three wolves hot on their trail. He turned back to the spot from whence they’d come.
Emily is over there.
He darted in that direction, following their path. Pale, creamy skin met his gaze. He rushed toward the shaking woman lying on the forest floor. Emily was naked, covered in dirt, and her long chestnut hair covering her face. Her right arm was in mid-transition. The shoulder was set back at an odd angle and he assumed it was dislocated. Reddish-brown fur sprouted out of her almost human
-l
ooking arm. The claws and long nails of her paw were balled up unnaturally like a fist.

“Emily?” he called, sliding to a stop next to her on his knees.

But she didn’t respond. Her emerald eyes were open, staring at something in the distance. Her breathing came in shallow pants. Gently, he touched her shoulder and rolled her onto her back.

“Emily?” he yelled, panicked. She had to be okay, but the longer she lay unresponsive the more terrified he became.

Blood covered her shoulder—a few rivulets had rolled down toward her breasts. He searched her skin for signs of injury but couldn’t find any. Marcus inhaled; the blood was hers.

“I’m cold,” she whispered.

He rocked back on his heels and lifted his sweater over his head, laying it gently over her naked body.

“It’s okay. I’m going to get you back to the house. Where are you hurt?” The last thing he wanted was to hurt her worse.

She blinked up at him, focusing on his face. “Shoulder. I had already started to shift,” she said, her teeth chattering. “I couldn’t stop the transition after they began to attack. They jabbed something into my shoulder. My whole arm...it’s frozen. I can’t move it,” she slurred. Her eyes closed and opened slowly, unseeing.

“Emily!” Vincent called as he raced toward them with Daniel on his heels.

Devon burst through the brush, darting forward and coming to a stop as he crouched down next to Emily.

“Are you okay?” he asked, pushing hair from her face.

Emily blinked, her eyes rolling back in her head. Devon clutched her chin lightly. “Stay with me, Em.”

“I’m so cold,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as her head lulled to the side.

“They did something to her arm. I don’t see an injury, though. She told me she can’t move her shoulder or arm,” Marcus said his voice shaking with fear. He picked up her uninjured hand and held it firmly against his chest. She was going to pull through this.

Devon brushed aside some leaves and dirt and held up a syringe. The needle was covered in blood. “They gave her a sedative,” he growled “She was probably fighting them and they jammed it in in a hurry. Her shoulders dislocated too.”

Daniel stood up his hands balled into tight fists. “Dev, you and Marcus get her back to the house. Vincent, you and me are going to get these wolves,” he instructed.

***

E
mily tried to focus her vision as the world bobbed back and forth. Anxiety filled her as she tried to recall what had happened. Her memory was fuzzy, but Devon and Marcus were with her. She let out a relieved breath, staring up at the sky. The yellow, orange, and red leaves jumped above her head, and it took her a minute to realize she was moving—well, she was being carried. Her shoulder was on fire. The jostling tore at her muscles with each bump, causing her vision to blur. She tried to move, but her body was weighted and sluggish. Why can’t I move, she thought horrified.