Page 7 of Country and Clove
“Him.” Brona twisted around, sending her unsteady body tumbling toward the floor. Clove reached out to catch her, but a large body swooped in even faster than she could and caught the drunken witch.
“Easy there,” a familiar voice spoke. “Have a bit much to drink, did we, little witch?” The Australian accent was a dead giveaway. Lucas was one of Gideon’s inner circle. Clove had seen him around with Dane. The gorgeous blond lifted Brona with ease, supporting her small frame like she weighed nothing.
“Want a cookie?” Brona offered, and Lucas grimaced, politely declining the phallic dessert.
“What happened to her?” Lucas asked Clove.
“Aria made us all take shots. Well mostly just us two. I’m not sure how many Brona’s had.”
Lucas shook his head. “Let’s get you home, love.” He moved to leave. Clove’s hand shot out, gripping Lucas’s arm, her protective instincts flaring even behind the thick veil of alcohol. Lucas peered down at her hand on his sleeve with a look of amusement. “Relax, she’s in the best possible hands and she’s got her own place at the complex now. I’ll get her back there safely, wolf’s honor.” He smiled, his features warm and sunny.
She’d seen Brona and Lucas together a lot. The two of them were always huddled in corners or staring at each other across the room when they thought the other wasn’t looking. Clove nodded. It wasn’t like she could do any better for her friend at the moment.
As Lucas turned to leave, the room started to spin. Clove glanced back at their section only to find the girls had vacated the couches. Lark had Aria pinned down on the table while they made out with a ferocity that said they didn’t care where they were or who was watching. Damn those mated pairs and their endless PDA.
Clove’s own body hummed with a newly awakened need. The air was thick and humid as it pressed in on her from every side. It was getting hot in here, again. Her skin felt sticky in the sweltering club. She needed air. The exit was just down the hall from the bathrooms. Clove headed that way, opting not to interrupt Aria and Lark’s make-out session to say her goodbyes.
The cool October breeze blew through as she opened the door. There was something so magical about living in the mountains. The air felt cleaner, easier to breathe, and nature surrounded you at every turn. Even here in the most popular part of town, the trees were just a few feet away. The moon was nearly full and the forest glowed in that silvery way that only happened this time of month. Clove trekked deep into the forest, heading for the mountain lake she knew lay just past the clearing. An evening swim beneath the light of the moon was just the thing to ease a night of heavy drinking.
Clove was sore and bruised by the time she found the lake, having stumbled, fallen, and bumped into everything imaginable during her inebriated hike. Lycan healing was slower when there was alcohol in the system. The forest opened up around her, leading to the lake’s edge. The water’s surface was glassy and still. Glimmering moonlight shone down on it, illuminating and dotting the reflection with twinkling stars. The cool night air danced across her skin as she undressed, haphazardly tossing her clothes aside. She dipped her toes in. The water was warm despite the chilly weather.
A prickle of warning skated up her spine and she froze. Her wolf surged toward the surface and she was forced to stop her inner animal before it could initiate a shift.What was that all about? The forest was quiet and unmoving. And then she felt it, eyes upon her from somewhere in the darkness. She turned, peering into the tree line.
“Come out,” she called to whoever was lurking in the shadows.
Footsteps crunched across the forest floor and two luminous eyes appeared in the dark. Clove’s wolf was going practically feral as the stranger came closer. He breached the tree line, stepping out into the moonlight. Clove gasped as that dangerously beautiful cowboy strode into the clearing. Her thoughts were still murky, but through the fog, she was able to discern one word from her animal within.
Mine.
CHAPTER4
Another beer, another night out, another nameless female clinging to his arm. This routine was getting old.
“Are you even listening?” the blonde human asked, peering up at him with dull blue eyes. He nodded, taking another swig of his drink as she droned on. Every time the boys invited him out, he thought it was a great idea. And every time, things always turned to shit. Nothing excited him anymore. He still hadn’t answered her question when the blonde whispered something else in his ear as she trailed her fingers up his thigh. The second she got near his dick he released a snarl that surprised even him. Her eyes went wide and she snatched the arm of her friend, dragging her off of Dane before they both darted away. ‘Psycho,’ she mouthed over her shoulder as she stormed off.
“What the hell was that about?” Dane grumbled as he watched his date disappear into the crowd. Aaron snarled again.
“Woah, mate.” Lucas stepped in front of him, planting a hand on his chest. “Not the time, not the place. You need to get your wolf settled.” Lucas was making it sound so easy. As if Aaron hadn’t already done everything in his power to be normal again and to stop his wolf from keeping him on edge so often. He was practically crawling out of his skin.
“That’s the problem, it’s never fucking settled anymore. Every second I keep it contained beneath my skin is a miracle.” He downed his beer and immediately ordered another.
“Maybe you need to get laid,” Dane offered. “Wolves are physical creatures, they need touch to stay balanced.”
“I’m fine,” Aaron spat. Just the memory of that girl’s hands on him made his wolf huff irritably.
“The Aaron I know would never turn down a chance to get laid. You got something to tell us? You cheering for the other team now?” Lucas grinned. Aaron’s fist flew straight toward Lucas’s stomach. The other lycan doubled over, coughing and sputtering. Dane laughed loudly. Lucas followed suit as soon as he caught his breath. “Just a joke, mate. We know you’re crazy for the ladies.”
“Asshole.” Even Aaron cracked a smile. He ordered a round of shots for the group and paused as an unusual sensation shivered up his spine. He turned and lifted his chin. His breath hitched a moment as he found himself staring at a unique pair of mismatched eyes. One eye was a vibrant green, the color of the forest after fresh rain. The other was gold, it shimmered like honey set aflame. The woman staring at him was beautiful in a way Aaron had never witnessed before. Her large eyes led down to a pert nose and a pair of lips so plump and shapely that his own mouth parted with the mere thought of kissing them. Her hair was jet black with two thick royal-blue strips framing either side of her face. It was cut into a severe slant, with the back of her hair rising up above her shoulders, and the front part falling down past her breasts.
There was something dark and alluring about her. His wolf perked up, sensing another animal nearby.Lycan? Everything about this woman felt familiar, but surely they’d never met before. He would remember a girl this fucking stunning.
Aria appeared by her side, gripping her by the arm and dragging her off. His wolf growled petulantly as the woman walked away. She was clearly a close friend of Aria’s, so she must be a member of the Ulric pack. Aaron’s eyes tracked her every movement. She ducked into a VIP section with Aria and several other girls from the same friend group. His gaze burned into her back, taking in the way her ass filled out her jeans. When she glanced back at him he felt a fire in his belly that had him practically sweating. Maybe Aria would introduce him.
“Yeah, right,” he grumbled under his breath. Why did it have to be Aria? There’d been a rift between the two of them since she had announced Lark as her mate. That was just before all hell broke loose and his life changed forever. A sting of pain burned through Aaron’s chest as the attack surged to the forefront of his thoughts. The blood, the screaming, the bodies dropping from the sky as his entire group of trainees perished before his eyes. His pulse ticked faster and sweat beaded on his brow. All those bodies…
Two hands landed firmly on his shoulders. “Aaron. Snap out of it. You’re here, you’re safe.” Lucas gripped him hard enough to bruise. The shock of pain pulled him back to reality. The scene of horror faded before his eyes and the colorful lights of Luna + Lupine reappeared. Lucas was studying him, green eyes filled with concern. “You good? We can leave if it’s too much.”
“I’m good. Thanks.” He clasped Lucas on the shoulder. “A few more rounds of shots and I’ll be great.” Aaron signaled the bartender, then passed the shots around. His gaze flicked back to Aria’s table, seeking out the unusual woman. She had her back to him as she tossed back shots of her own.
