Howl Down the Moon, page 10
“The wolf who pulled my mate from the river was our other mate,” Rand said, unable to stop giggling. He knew he was out of control; hell, he could practically feel himself unraveling, but what did it matter when he’d already wrecked everything so completely? “He told me if I ever come near them again, he’s going to hurt me. As it is, he’s challenged me, formally. I’ll have to appear before the council when challenges are set to be resolved in December.”
“Rand, I can honestly say that this is the most complicated disaster I have ever heard of in my life. It’s going to break your mother’s heart when she learns about this, and don’t be surprised if your father comes out there because you know he will want to fix this for you.”
“Can you please keep him from doing that?” Rand pleaded, wiping the tears from his face. “I did this to myself; the least I can do is learn how to live with it.”
“I’ll do my best, but it might help make things easier if you call them yourself and explain what’s happening,” his dad suggested. “You know I can never keep anything from them.”
“I know, and I will. I promise.”
“I’m going to assume that Doc Washington backed the council’s decision?”
“Yes, and more than that, he’d have fired me completely had he still been in charge,” Rand explained.
“Then don’t you think you should seriously consider moving back home, now that you don’t even have your mentor to learn from?”
“Dad, I can’t. If I resign, I won’t get a letter of recommendation, and I’ll never be able to find work, at least not in my field. At least if I stay, I might be able to prove to the new head physician that I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.”
“You’re an adult, and ultimately, it’s your decision to make,” his dad said. “I’m just struggling to see what kind of future you’ll have when you’ve already burned so many bridges.”
“And I can’t see what kind of future I’ll have regardless. Here or there won’t make any difference in that. Weren’t you the one telling me that I couldn’t rely on a quick fix to solve my problems? If I’m going to have the right to continue to call myself a physician, then I’ll have to earn it. I can’t do that if I tuck tail and run away.”
“No, you certainly can’t, but I will not allow you to go through that challenge alone. I know you haven’t made any actual friends since you’ve moved out there, so I will be your second.”
“Dad…”
“It’s nonnegotiable, Rand. I’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Don’t thank me for this. It’s not something I ever wanted to see happen to any of my children,” his father said. “You understand that wolves have lost their lives in formal combat?”
“Yes, sir, but it’s not as if I can decline to fight.”
“You might wish you had before this is through.”
“I don’t have any room left for wishes,” Rand admitted. “If I did, I’d wish myself back to the night Luka came into the clinic, and I’d hug him instead of kicking him out.”
Chapter Ten
STALKING THROUGH THE snow, Slade was hot on the trail of his mate, who was proving to be far faster than he’d been years before. Of course, the fact that Luka’s wolf had started to thrive over the past week and a half they’d been together had a great deal to do with that. The moment Doc had proclaimed his paw healed, he’d wanted to test it. Cautious with it at first, the memory of the pain made him tread gingerly. Luka had even been hesitant about the first shift, which was how Slade learned that it had been shifting that had turned a bad break into a compound fracture.
Slade had also learned that the best thing he could do for Luka was let him take things at his own pace and build the confidence he needed to take things up another notch. Otherwise, Luka would rush, and things would go sideways quickly. It had been one of several discussions they’d had as they got to know each other. Encouragement, while beneficial and even sought after by other wolves, made Luka anxious, and praise made him uncomfortable. Both had been important for Slade to know, the same as he knew he needed to sit with Luka soon and talk to him about the effects the incoming season would have on his mental state.
Just when he was giving serious thought to doing it after supper, he was pounced on from behind and sent rolling in the snow. By the time he righted himself, Luka was standing a few feet away, tongue lolling out like he was laughing at him.
Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be?
Uh-huh.
Speaking mind to mind was another thing that had grown. They were beginning to pick up on sparks of emotion too, learning to read each other as they played, hunted, cooked, and relaxed together. With a yip, Slade tore off after him, trying to keep his eyes on the flashes of gold from Luka’s tail before all that white blended with the snow. He felt the shift in energy before he saw Luka on his belly, muscles bunched up. Dropping to the ground, Slade silently wriggled up beside him, sniffing.
Mule deer, Slade thought to him. Will fill a big hole in the freezer.
Will you take the lead?
Would you be more comfortable with me doing that, or would you prefer instruction so you can try?
Don’t want to lose it.
We won’t starve if we do.
Silence. Slade knew he was considering what he wanted more. He’d already learned that killing bothered Luka and that he preferred to scavenge or steal eggs, but Slade was slowly trying to teach him the importance of fresh meat and fish, though Luka was understandably wary of being anywhere near the unpredictable river.
I’ll try.
Slade had to stop himself from sending back “good” despite it being the first thing to enter his mind. He was already beginning to suspect that some of Luka’s aversion to hunting, especially bigger prey, didn’t all come from being soft-hearted but rather from a series of early failures when he would still have been too small to bring down game successfully. Slade had to wonder how many times he’d been injured along the way.
Come at it from behind, at the back legs, but not directly behind it, or you’ll risk getting kicked in the head.
That hurts.
Yeah, it does, a lot, so let’s not have a repeat performance, okay?
Have you been kicked too?
Oh yeah, many times, before I learned to get it right. You’ll want to use your weight to try to drag it down or break its leg so it can’t go anywhere. Think you can handle that?
Slade saw the shiver of revulsion shake Luka’s fur, knowing what caused it.
I think so.
I’ll be right behind you, ready to take over if you need me to, but I won’t unless you say the word.
Okay.
Ready?
Yeah.
The deer had steadily been moving closer, the wind in their favor, keeping it unaware. Luka stayed low as he slunk, but the crunch of the snow had the deer’s big ears twitching, and it froze, sniffing and looking about. Luka froze too and waited for the dear to cautiously begin pawing at the snow to get at the vegetation beneath. Only when it had uncovered a patch, lowered its head, and started feeding did Luka strike. His speed meant the deer barely made it two bounds before Luka was on it, sweeping in at the left leg like Slade had instructed. Slade took the right, listening to the satisfying crunch of the deer’s bones beneath his teeth.
The deer’s bleats grew loud and desperate, and that was the moment Luka let go and backed away. Thrashing, the deer wasn’t going anywhere, but Luka looked like he was about to bolt.
If we don’t finish this, he’ll suffer, Slade thought to Luka, keeping to his promise not to take over unless Luka told him to.
Luka let out a shuddering breath, blinked, and looked to struggle to suck in air.
Luka?
Luka swiveled his head to look at him, and the moment that deer bleated again, and Luka flinched, Slade understood.
If you want it to stop, you have to end its suffering, or let me do it.
He saw the look of indecision on Luka’s face, right before his mate dove for the deer’s throat, savagely ripping into it until he’d torn it out. Afterward, the only sound was Luka’s panting, right before he vomited in the snow. Slade could hear Luka’s heart pounding, but as he panted and staggered a few steps away, his pulse began to slow.
It’s the sound that triggers you, not the blood or the act of taking a life, isn’t it? Slade thought.
Luka nodded his furred head. Now that things were quiet, he was much calmer and focused. I’ll go get the snowmobile.
Okay.
Luka turned, gone in a flash, while Slade pondered if he should bring it up later or wait until Luka did. Better to wait, he thought, than to assume something he could be way off base about. They needed to build trust before he could expect Luka to spill all his secrets, especially if he was hell-bent on pulling his own weight. There were moments when he picked up the smallest flickers of fear from Luka, whenever he was worried he’d done something incorrectly. It was one of many things he’d like to get to the bottom of.
It was a good thing he was a patient wolf—though it wasn’t difficult to be patient with Luka with how sweet and endearing he was. Slade had begun to sense a hidden ruthless streak to his wolf, too, something Slade fully intended to help him cultivate. He didn’t want his mate to be mean, but he wanted him to have the confidence to stand up for himself and never allow anyone to put him down, again.
The whir of the snowmobile alerted him to Luka’s approach, his mate having attached the sled and pulled on a full-body snowsuit, boots, and gloves. He’d remembered Slade’s, too, laying them on the sled, where Slade could change without having to stand in the snow. It was adorable the way Luka blushed and averted his gaze when Slade shifted to change, though that was one bit of shyness Slade hoped would go away soon.
Once dressed, he and Luka lifted the carcass onto the snowmobile sled and secured it for the journey back to the house. Slade climbed on behind Luka, unable to resist the desire to nuzzle the side of his neck and place gentle kisses there, feeling Luka shiver beneath his hands. Chuckling against his skin, Slade eased up so Luka could drive them back home and unload the deer.
“I’ll go ahead and get it processed if you want to clean up the sled and work on supper,” Luka offered, much to Slade’s surprise. He would have expected the exact opposite offer, but it looked like his mate was trying to work through something. Far be it from Slade to stand in his way. Besides, it would give him the opportunity to pull together a relaxing little surprise for them.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you inside,” Slade said, kissing the top of Luka’s head before heading in, rolling a few things over in his mind. Breaking down the deer would take Luka some time, so Slade grabbed a quick shower and began going through the cupboards, trying to decide what to make when an idea took hold.
Finger foods. Something they wouldn’t need plates for. Better still, something they could feed each other. Of course, that also meant a dessert, something sweet and a little bit sticky, that might tempt his mate into sharing some more kisses like the ones they’d shared the night before. That first taste of Luka—the way the smaller wolf had hesitantly tried to figure out where hands went and what to do with his lips and tongue, their noses bumping, cute little red spots blooming on Luka’s cheeks—couldn’t have been more perfect.
Slade instructed the digital music device to play Creedence Clearwater Revival while he worked, singing along to the music as he diced green onions and drizzled balsamic vinegar on pieces of flatbread. Making mini cheesecakes was easy, and he topped them with half a strawberry splashed with vanilla cream. Mini pesto shrimp on circles of toast, sandwich squares with fresh turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, and roasted mini purple and orange carrots rounded out the meal. He peeked in on Luka to see that he’d already skinned the deer and broken down most of it, brown butcher paper and twine on the table in front of him, and many of the pieces already stored away in the freezer. It was obvious that Luka had learned this part well, either from his parents before they passed or from Doc Washington and Leo, who doted on Luka the way grandparents would.
Slipping out to the deck, he shoveled the snow off and uncovered the hot tub, turning on the heater so it would be nice and warm by the time they got out there. The sun was fading, streaks of red already beginning to appear on the horizon. Soon the stars would be shimmering overhead, providing them with a wonderful view. It was a calm night, hardly any wind, so he took a couple candles out and lit them. He retrieved some towels, too, making sure to grab an extra one for all of Luka’s long, thick hair.
When he stepped back in, he nearly collided with Luka, who was on his way to the shower so he could clean up, not that he’d made much of a mess of himself. Those thick leather aprons Slade had picked up a few years before did an amazing job of protecting clothing.
“I wrapped the soup bones separately ’cause it’s a pain trying to chisel them apart,” Luka said, flashing him a smile. “I’m gonna go clean up now.”
“When you’re done, join me on the deck. Okay?”
Luka glanced outside, where snow covered the fields and mountains around them, and raised an eyebrow at him.
“I promise we’ll be warm enough,” Slade said.
Narrowing his eyes, Luka studied him intently. “Your version of warm or mine?”
“Warm, warm,” Slade replied, smiling, which made Luka chuckle.
“It better be,” Luka grumbled, a twinkle in his eye as he slid past Slade to get to the bathroom.
Perfect. Getting the warming table to take outside, he got everything set up and slipped into the hot tub to await Luka, whose eyes went wide when he emerged in sleep pants and a T-shirt. Doc and Leo had carefully packed the clothes from Luka’s home, and his sculptures, when they’d returned to take the cast off. The artwork had been amazing, and Slade was already working on plans to have a woodworking shop added on the house come summer, once Luka had the opportunity to decide if he wished to stay or not. God, Slade hoped he would. He couldn’t imagine going back to a solitary existence after finding the wolf meant to be his.
“I think I’m overdressed,” Luka muttered, but his eyes were taking in the candles and the food, and Slade could see the wonderment in them.
“You are,” Slade replied. “I wasn’t sure if you had swim trunks, so I brought out a pair. They’ll be baggy on you, but at least they have a drawstring. Of course, you could get in without clothes. That’s what I did.”
Luka looked from the water and the steam rolling off it to Slade and back to the candles and food before slowly slipping out of his clothes and sliding into the water, flushing a little and shyly dropping his gaze until the water flowed around him.
“Ohhh, warm!”
“Told you it would be.”
“I like this.”
Chuckling, Slade slid closer. “I thought you might. There’s a ledge right behind you. Go ahead and sit on it and get comfortable. I have some treats for you.”
While Luka did as he suggested, Slade picked up a slice of bruschetta, holding it to Luka’s lips the moment he’d gotten settled. The soft, appreciative hum that escaped him once he’d taken a bite was all the assurance Slade needed that this had been an incredibly good idea. While Luka chewed, his eyes roved over the food before he selected one of the pesto shrimps, offering it to Slade, who made a point to lick Luka’s fingers as he took it from his hand.
Maybe it was a trick of the moonlight, but Slade was certain he witnessed a tiny gleam in Luka’s eye before they settled into a slow routine of feeding one another.
“You were right,” Luka murmured, licking traces of balsamic vinegar from his lips. “The stars are beautiful out here. In the forest, I could only ever see a small section of them, but out here, you can see forever. Look at the way they sparkle.”
“I’d rather look at you,” Slade admitted, earning a shy smile from Luka, who reached for a mini cheesecake, slowly feeding it to Slade before chasing the taste of it with his lips, the first kiss he’d initiated between them. Luka kissed with a slow curiosity Slade was coming to enjoy. His fingers worked their way into Slade’s hair as he slid close enough that their knees were touching.
When they broke apart, Luka’s eyes were glazed, and Slade was having a hard time catching his breath.
“Still hungry?” Slade huffed, trying to get his breathing under control.
“Uh-huh,” Luka hummed, the tip of his tongue poking through his lips, but when Slade reached to feed him another pesto shrimp, Luka shook his head. “Not for that.”
Oh…well, damn, he’d have to remember not to make as many next time. “Didn’t you like it?”
“It’s delicious,” Luka replied.
And was that another little blush pinking up his cheeks?
“But what I’m hungry for is more kisses.”
Oh. That Slade could manage. Sliding his arms around Luka, he gently pulled him into his lap, loving the way they fit together, especially when Luka kissed him again, melting against him as they slowly explored each other’s mouths. He heard Luka moan, or maybe it was him. Slade didn’t give it much thought after Luka innocently shifted his weight forward, fingertips dancing up Slade’s back as he molded himself against Slade’s chest. When Luka tipped his head back, Slade couldn’t resist licking up the side of his neck, drawing a whine from Luka, who remained that way, hips shifting again as another whine escaped him. Slade’s wolf howled Claim. At the same time, Slade thought it, the dominant part of him surging to the forefront, urging him on. He sank his teeth into the skin on both sides of Luka’s throat, gentle pressure, the barest hint of a squeeze. Gasping, Luka let out a loud, low moan and whine, fingers scrabbling for purchase on Slade’s shoulders, knees tightening around him, gripping, his lower body rocking more.
“Please…”
Luka’s whine, desperate, needy, with a hint of uncertainty like he wasn’t entirely sure what he was begging for, was so damn hot Slade gave him what he wanted, biting harder. In his arms, Luka shuddered, panting, whimpering, until Slade let go, not wanting to push too far too fast.
