Runt of the Litter Read online

  “You’re being serious.”

  “Yes, I’m being serious. I’ve found my mate, and it wasn’t a teacher after all, Marshall. No, my mate may not even make it past her eighteenth birthday.”

  Jack watched as Marshall moved to sit on the top step of his home. “Do my mom and dad know?”

  “I don’t know. I think so. I’m going with her at the end of the summer.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve got to talk to my dad about it, but seeing as Tori’s my mate I’m sure he won’t object to me spending some time with her.”

  “You’ve got to tell me everything that’s going on.”

  Jack took the time to explain everything that her Uncle Paul had told him. He didn’t like talking about her training or the fact she was at risk of dying because of her weakness. When he finished he watched as Marshall shook his head.

  “I never even thought about the transition, man. I’m sorry. Is there really no hope?”

  “Think about when we transitioned. Not all of us came out of it alive, remember? Some of us died, and we weren’t considered weaker than anyone else.”

  “Shit, man. I’ve got to talk to my dad about this. He’s got to know something of how to stop it or at the very least, find a way to help. You do know what happens to a wolf who loses his mate, right?”

  “He goes insane, crazy, rabid, and has to be put down. I know what’s at risk for me just as much as Tori.”

  “If you survive the loss it will be a long life without your mate.”

  Jack smiled. “Marshall, if Tori doesn’t come out of the transition alive, I want you to kill me. I don’t want you to wait for me to go rabid or anything like that. My father would try and bring me back from going insane.”

  “You’re asking me to kill you?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can’t do that, Jack. You’re my best friend.”

  “Imagine life without Scarlett.” He saw Marshall’s eyes go cloudy with despair. “That’s how I’ll feel all the time. Even if you can get me back from going rabid and trying to kill everyone. Would you really condemn me to a life of mourning for the woman I love?”

  “Jack—”

  “No. I don’t want to talk about this. I want you to understand what I’m going through all the time.”

  “What if she’s not your mate?”

  “There’s no doubt that she’s mine. We only get one chance at a mate. I’m asking you as my friend, not my alpha. We promised each other that if anything ever went wrong, we’d handle it together.”

  “I never thought of having you kill me.” Marshall rested his head in his hands. “This is completely insane. I can’t believe you’re mated to Tori. A teacher would be far easier.”

  “There’s no one else I want more than Tori.”

  “This explains why you were always drawn to her even before the transition.”

  “Yes.”

  “And why you went into a mood when she left that summer after you almost hurt her.”

  A lot of questions had been answered with regards to Tori.

  “Will you do it for me?”

  “You want me to kill you?”

  “I want you to handle your friend. I’ll never mate again. If Tori dies, I want you to kill me.”

  “This has to be the worst day of my life.”

  “Tell me you’ll do it.”

  “Fine, I’ll do it, but I don’t actually agree with it. This is fucking crazy. I thought I had a struggle with Scarlett being human. For fuck’s sake, why can’t anything be easier?”

  Sitting down beside his friend, Jack let out a sigh. “I can’t believe I’m having to make these kind of deals.”

  “Does Tori even have an inkling of what she means to you?”

  “Nope. She doesn’t have a clue at all. It’s crazy, insane, and not fair at all.”

  “I’m sorry, man. This is what I went through with Scarlett.” Marshall pressed a hand to his chest. “She’s in here now.”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “Do you love Tori?”

  “Yeah, I do. How strange is that? The moment I saw her again everything became blurred, and as I spend more time with her, everything is clear.”

  “It’s the bond, or at least that’s what my father says. We’re all bound to each other, and the bond between mates grounds us.”

  Silence descended, and Jack stared out over the street. The sun was high. It was too fucking hot, but being in the pack felt right.

  “She’s training herself, Marshall.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Her uncle has been training her so she’s ready for the transition. At the end of the summer when she leaves, I’m going with her.”

  “To what? Train her?”

  “Think about it, Marshall. If she doesn’t survive the transition I’ve only got two years with her. I’m not going to give up, no matter what anyone thinks.”

  “Two years away from the pack?”

  “I’ll be back for holidays and vacations. When Tori comes back, I’ll be back.”

  “That’s a great deal of devotion.”

  “Wouldn’t you do the same for Scarlett?”

  “I would. Shit, man, this is fucking harsh.”

  “We’re all handed different things in life.” Jack slapped him on the back. “Come on. They’re going to start thinking we bailed on them when we didn’t.” They walked through the house, and Jack stopped as he took in Tori’s laughing face. Her head was thrown back, and she looked completely relaxed.

  “Are you okay?” Marshall asked.

  “I can’t lose her. I’ve only just found her, and I can’t lose her.”

  “There’s nothing you can do until she becomes of age. You know that.”

  “I hate this. I hate waiting.”

  “We can’t do anything about it right now. Let’s go out and enjoy them.”

  Exiting the house, Jack went to Tori’s side. Snagging the soda from her hand, he took a sip. “What’s so funny?”

  “Hey, that was my drink.”

  “And I’m sharing it.”

  “I like Scarlett,” Tori said, whispering the words into his ear. Her breath fanned across his neck.

  I’ve got to protect her.

  “I like her as well.”

  Tori rested her head against his shoulder as they watched Marshall hold Scarlett close.

  She’s got to survive.

  He couldn’t survive without her. There had to be something he could do.

  Chapter Five

  “Why are we trekking through the forest again?” Tori asked. She followed behind Jack as the sun beat down. It was too hot, and she was so hungry. It had been five days since she’d met Marshall, and every day since then, Jack had shown up at her door at the crack of dawn. Each day they’d gone into the forest for hours at a time.

  She was sweating so badly that her clothes were soaked.

  “I’ve been talking to Paul.”

  “Why are you talking to my uncle?”

  “He wants you to continue your training, and I’m in agreement with him. You need to keep up your strength.”

  “And here I was thinking I was going to get a vacation.” She tried to tease, but Jack had turned into a right stick in the mud. He no longer laughed or messed around. He was becoming way too serious in his old age.

  Old, he’s only two years ahead of me, maybe three.

  “I thought you were taking this seriously?”

  “I am taking this seriously. I’m here.”

  “You want to be strong enough to handle the transition.”

  “Trekking through the forest is not going to help me.”

  “Why?”

  “What?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t see how this is going to help me.”

  “It just goes to show how little you know about the world that surrounds you.”

  “What do you mean?”


  Jack didn’t answer right away. He stopped, and she watched as he looked up to the sky, turning in a circle.

  “You’re not a dog you know. I don’t see a tail.”

  He walked past her, slapping her ass. “Stop with the jokes.”

  She yelped, rubbing her rump. “You’re an ass when you want to be.”

  “Most other wolves would have hit me back for slapping their ass. They don’t like it.”

  “Maybe I do.” She gasped, pressing her hand to her mouth.

  He burst out laughing. “You’ve got a smart mouth that’s going to make people question what you like.”

  Her cheeks were on fire. “I can’t believe I said that.”

  “So, you like your ass slapped.”

  “You do realize I’m sixteen.”

  “Hey,” he held his hands up in surrender. “I’m not the one who said anything about liking it.” He dropped his backpack to the floor.

  She couldn’t look away as he pulled out a blanket and a thermos.

  “What are we doing here?”

  “You’re going to attune yourself to the forest.”

  “We’ve been walking for the last couple of days, and now you’re only doing this?” she asked.

  “I needed to find the right spot, and you needed to get over your fear.”

  “What fear?”

  “I sensed your panic each time we came into the forest. You’re scared of hurting yourself. Today, you were no longer scared. I figured you were ready to know more now.” He spread the blanket out over the uneven ground. “Come on.” Jack tapped the blanket. “Have a seat.”

  Reluctantly, she dragged herself over to the blanket. “I’m not a dog.”

  “Get comfortably. You must be boiling in that shirt.”

  She removed her soaking wet shirt, tying it around her waist. The vest top didn’t exactly help with the heat, but she kept that on. She wasn’t ready to go down to her underwear in front of Jack. He was a handsome guy, and she’d always liked him. The last thing she wanted to do was make him uncomfortable by showing him her attraction.

  Glancing around her, she locked her fingers together as she waited for Jack to get set up. The scent of coffee filled her senses. She hummed in approval.

  “Why are we here?” she asked, finally forcing herself to look at him.

  “You’re going to listen, to open up all of your senses, and become part of the forest. Your wolf is already awake, so we’re going to start getting to know her.”

  “She can’t come out of the cage.”

  “I know, but it doesn’t mean we can’t try to lure her to the surface.”

  “I can’t transition.”

  “Again, I know, but it doesn’t mean we can’t try something.” He took a sip of the coffee, tossing a soda toward her. “Drink and we’ll get started.”

  “You’re so bossy. When did you get so bossy?”

  “Just do it.” He was smiling, which was a good sign.

  Tori gulped as he removed his shirt. He was ripped in all the right places. She’d never seen so many muscles on one man. Licking her lips, she took a sip of the cold soda. He’d brought a small cooler with him to keep the drinks cool even though he was drinking coffee.

  “Earth to Tori.”

  He was waving a hand in front of her face.

  “I’m so sorry. I zoned out there for a moment.”

  “Do you want to tell me why?”

  “No, I don’t. I was just thinking about the forest. The green trees, the messy ground, frogs, spiders, yay.” She was rambling now, trying to cover up the fact she was eyeballing him.

  “Do you like what you see?”

  “No.” She snorted, lying very badly.

  “You do?”

  “No. I don’t. You’re gross, eww.”

  He raised a brow.

  “Okay, fine, you’re hot to look at but whatever.”

  “If you got any redder you’d be on fire.”

  She threw some of her soda at him. “Stop it. You’re hot, and you know it. You’re just trying to embarrass me.”

  “You think I’m hot.”

  “Will you stop? You’re supposed to be helping me, not doing this.” She waved her hand between them. “You’re trying to torment me on purpose.”

  “You’re really easy to torment.”

  “Well, stop. I don’t want you to torment me. It’s not fair.” She took a sip of her soda, trying to look elsewhere.

  “We’ll come back to that little discussion another day. Right now we’ve got to focus. Your parents don’t like me taking all of your time.”

  “You are around a lot. I’m surprised you’ve not been sent away, far away.” She crossed her legs, handing him her soda. Their fingers touched, and her wolf lifted her head.

  Mate.

  Her heart started to race, and she didn’t know what to do.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “Nothing. It’s nothing.” She tried to smile, but the single touch had her shaken. “We’re here to be attuned to the forest.”

  He frowned as he looked at her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I’m fine. Honestly, I’m fine, perfectly fine. There’s nothing to worry about with me.” Running her fingers through her hair, she couldn’t look away from him.

  Mate.

  Mate.

  Mate.

  The word chanted through her mind, but she shook it away.

  “What are we doing?” she asked.

  “Not much right now.”

  Tilting her head to the side, she glared at him. “I’m being serious now. I’m here, and I’m ready to get all attuned.” She shook her body, resting her hands on her knees.

  “Close your eyes.”

  “You’re not going to try anything frisky, are you?”

  “Close your eyes, Tori.”

  Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes, wishing there was something else they could be doing. She liked being with Jack but did he really want to be with the runt.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing,” she said.

  “You’re lying.”

  “Yes, I’m lying.”

  “Tell me, Tori. No secrets between us.”

  “I was wondering if you were wishing you were elsewhere doing something else.”

  “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I like spending time with you. I’m here because I want to be.” He took her hand. “You’ve got to learn to trust me.”

  “I do trust you.”

  “Good.”

  She’d kept her eyes closed, and when he touched her hand, she sensed her wolf was closer.

  “Your wolf gets like this whenever I touch you?” he asked.

  “Can you sense her?”

  “Yes. Answer my question.”

  “She does. Only when you touch me. My family can touch me, but she doesn’t answer. It’s like she’s dormant. Why do you think that is?”

  He was silent for several seconds. “I don’t know.”

  There was something strange in his voice when he said that.

  “Are you lying to me?”

  “No. Your wolf must like me.”

  Mate.

  Mate.

  Mate.

  “Yes, she does.”

  “Moving on. Keep your eyes closed.”

  She gripped her knees tightly, biting her lip as she strained to listen to him.

  “Relax, Tori.”

  “It’s kind of hard to do.”

  “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I’m here to protect you. Do you trust me?”

  “Yes, I trust you.”

  “Then relax for me.”

  She took a deep breath.

  Relax. Relax. Relax.

  In and out, she took several deep breaths. Very slowly she started to relax.

  “That’s it.”

  Rolling her head from side to side, her wolf started to pace her
small cage. Everything seemed to stand still as she listened to the forest around her. The sun beat down, and suddenly her senses awakened.

  The forest came alive with sound. She heard the trees swishing in the slight breeze, the insects on the forest floor. Far off to the left was a warren filled with rabbits.

  “Do you hear the forest?” he asked.

  She bit her lip as she became attuned to Jack. His heart was pounding against his chest. He wasn’t in a panic, and her wolf howled in her mind.

  A growl escaped Jack, and she opened her eyes to see his eyes were a deep amber.

  “Jack, your eyes.”

  “Your wolf is calling me, Tori.”

  “What do I do?”

  “Nothing. Just let it pass.”

  She couldn’t help but lean a little closer to him.

  Mate.

  “What are you?” she asked.

  “Don’t, Tori.” He sat back, moving away from her.

  Jack took several deep breaths, panting with each indrawn breath.

  “I don’t know what’s going on.”

  “You can’t know what’s going on.”

  “I don’t understand. Why can’t I know what’s going on when my wolf seems to affect you.”

  “Tori, just give me a minute.”

  “Something’s going on here, isn’t it?”

  He was hiding something from her.

  “What happened to no secrets between us?”

  “Tori.” He held his hand out to her as if to ward her off.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  She stayed quiet, and after several moments passed, he turned to her. The amber in his eyes was gone. “I want you to close your eyes—”

  “No, you’re not going to get away with—”

  “I’m asking you, Tori. You don’t want to know what’s going on. Just do as I ask, and close your eyes.”

  “You’re not going to let me know what’s going on?”

  “I’m here to help you. We’re close to the full moon, and your wolf is trying to get noticed. It’s nothing.”

  She stared at him for some time before accepting his explanation. “You’d tell me if it was anything different?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay.” Tori smiled at him. “Thank you so much for helping me.”

  “Close your eyes, and we’ll continue.”

  Settling back, she shuffled her shoulders and settled her hands on her knees. Nothing was going on. She was an idiot to think otherwise.