HAILEE STEINFELD Photographed by Connor Franta for V Magazine | May 2020

Anna Camp in The Lovebirds (2020)

Anna Camp photographed by PJ Spaniol III for The Cut (2017)

The Howl pt 16

A/N: When this started I really thought I would knock it out in like 6 chapters…ha! what a dummy. 

thank you thank you thank you thank you to my bestie who does all the things that i refuse to do with posting and beta editing @chloes-yellow-cup and special thanks to @antiquesoul83, @annakendrick4ever, @kate-siegel and @kimmania for always encouraging me even when i throw tantrums and complain about not wanting to finish this beast.

and a really special thank you to @nailbiting-fangirl who never complains when i shut down the outside world to write. thank you for your patience with me lovebug.

16.

Stacie watched Aubrey and Angus drive off toward the forest, the grin wide on her face. Her vampire hadn’t expected the sudden kindness and truthfully neither had she. But maybe she should have, maybe she should have trusted her pack to see the truth from very start. She gave a soft grunt and placed Aubrey’s weapon on the hood of the Jeep she still hadn’t finished with. Stacie worked the chain pulley to lower the garage door and sighed in relief when she was cut off from the outside world and all its sounds and scents.

The moon was already calling to her, the power of it making her restless and twitchy. The Alpha stretched her hands over her head and groaned as her muscles pulled and relaxed. Tonight was the night and the lingering worry that something would happen to Aubrey, so disadvantaged against the pack, haunted the very human side of her. Long callused fingers trailed over the machete’s sheath and she couldn’t help but slide it free.

It was a gorgeous piece, and just the weight of it in her hand made her feel closer to Aubrey. It was more than just the magical bond between them, what they had was solid and tangible like the machete she held. Magic had led them to each other but what had kept them together had been something else, something deeper. Stacie took a deep settling breath and slipped the blade back into place before carrying it upstairs to place it on the bed. Their bed.

It was still new, sharing her life, her pack…her whole world. But with Aubrey it didn’t feel new, it felt familiar and right. Like the blonde had always been there in her home and in her heart. Stacie worked to undress quickly, letting the wolf in her rise to the surface. It was usually more of a struggle than this, her human mind fighting to retain control even as the beast took over her body. Today was different, something had changed in her and for the first time there was no struggle between human thought and wolfy reflex.

Before Aubrey she had rejected this hunt for all it represented and all it was. She knew that the wolf would win out and it would be all need driven instinct leading her, which would be fine if she spent her days as a wolf. But she was human too, and the human side of her would have to live with the consequence of whatever mate the wolf had chosen and the suffocating bond of ritual pack law. It would have trapped her in a life she didn’t care to lead but would be unable to change.

A part of her still resented that they had to do it all. She knew Aubrey was right, that this was their choice now, they could make it how they wanted but it still bothered her deep down. Stacie eased her jeans over her hips and down her legs, stepping out of them just as her animal burst forth and pushed her into a full shift with lightning speed. It wasn’t just the call of the moon that had caused the rush of magic that tipped her over the edge, it was the cool edge of Aubrey’s power flowing through their connection, urging her beast forward.

The wolf shook her body, kicking off the last bit of her pants still holding her to her human world. She sneezed and padded to the stairs, taking them in one huge leap. Nails clicked on the yellowed and worn linoleum floor of the office as she moved around to get to the partially open window. She had left it open earlier already knowing that once she shifted to wolf she wouldn’t be able to shift back again until sunup. It was the only time her hard -earned control failed to bring her back from that edge at will.

Stacie pushed the window wider with her snout and squeezed her body through it. The wind picked up as she landed on the hard ground and whistled through the empty places between buildings. She tipped her head up to give the now setting sun a baleful glare before running off toward the Tongass National Forest. The ground raced by under her thundering paws as she sped over it, leaping over obstructions in her way with the excess of energy the shift always gave her.

She was well into the woods before the sun finally sank past the horizon and the moon rose high. The strength of its pull beckoning the animal further and faster. Rage like a torrent spilled into her connection and she tipped her head back to answer for it with a resounding howl. A fine dusting of snow shook free from the trees above her, covering her in a light layer as she considered her options. The pack would come now, they would follow her song until they found her and trapped her with their rules and their challenges.

There was just enough of her left in control to remember that she wanted someone to find her. She wanted and needed Aubrey to reach her before any of the others. Distantly she heard the pack howling back and it was all the impetus necessary for her to turn and run further away from them and deeper into the darkness. She weaved between trees, intentionally letting her heaving sides brush a trunk here and there, loping in an ever-tightening circle that would leave them frustrated and confused before sending up another challenging howl.

They expected her to keep moving and calling for them, expected her to be waiting to be found. But they definitely would not be prepared for the wild goose chase she was leading them on. Stacie huffed in amusement and carefully picked her way free of the clearing she had baited with her scent and tufts of loose fur caught on rough bark and branches. Aubrey wouldn’t be so easily fooled by the false trail but without wolf senses she might not pick up on Stacie’s movements as easily and that would cost them precious time. Time that Redmond would use to his advantage, she was certain of that. A low snarl eased out of her at just the thought of him trying to force a mating on her.

It would be easier if she could seek out the vampire using their connection, meet her halfway and ensure their union but that would be cheating in a way that ruffled her fur. The wolf hesitated in her path unsure where to go from there or how to reach out to her mate without playing on the bond between them. She settled herself with a wide yawn and irritable snort before finally deciding that leaving Aubrey a blood trail was no different than the one she’d left for the pack. Stacie growled and bit at her own paw, savagely ripping into the fatty pad to draw blood. It welled up in a rush, the strong coppery scent overwhelming and familiar.

If it had been a hunt for food her wolves would have picked up on the scent almost immediately to seek out what wounded creature they could, but this was a hunt that would end in a mating. Food would be a distant thought with the lure of sex and power clouding their judgement. Stacie ran into the night, no longer conflicted on where to go or what to do. Blood and sex were too closely aligned for vampires and Aubrey wouldn’t miss the signal. It was in her nature to seek it out with only the faintest of trails and that was what the Alpha was hoping for.

Her body moved without conscious thought, pulling her forward from shadow to shadow until she charged into a clearing. Stacie sniffed at the air with her ears pinned flat to her head, searching the open space for threats. She felt a tingle of recognition when her gaze landed on the scar of turned earth and snow. The wolf crept forward and snuffed at the area; any scents now long gone. Not that it mattered, her mate was close enough to sense and if she could just control herself long enough not to break cover it would all be over soon.

The snap and rustle of movement alerted her that Aubrey wasn’t the only creature searching for her. Her pack was still far out but Redd was not, his scent thickly filling the air the closer he got. She growled low in her throat realizing that he would have kept to Aubrey’s trail, letting her lead him to Stacie. Anger and pain pushed down the thread of her connection and she tipped her head back in another baying howl. The sounds of a struggle made her back into the darker space at the base of a tree just outside the edge of the clearing.

The cold fire of pain lanced through her making the slight throb in her paw seem like a distant dream. It staggered her where she stood and Stacie whined softly trying to see past the dense woods separating her from her vampire. The sounds abruptly cut off with a yelp and a hiss that echoed in her soul. Stacie pranced from paw to paw searching, hoping…waiting. The shuffle of feet brought her ears forward to swivel and twitch, tracking the soft scuffing sound.

The moonlight fell on Aubrey’s blonde hair with ethereal light as she limped into the clear space between them and sagged to her knees. She watched as the vampire crawled forward and gave a soft, tired chuckle at her discovery of where they were. Howls and barks rebounded off the woods around them and Stacie stalked forward, spurred on by the nearness of the pack.

“Hello, Puppy.”

The low burr of her voice was as much of a lure as the nickname Puppy was an annoyance. Stacie growled deeply as she padded forward, lips pulling back to flash her teeth angrily. She struggled against the power of the wolf, struggled against the hunger that kicked up at the scent of Aubrey’s blood. A hunger she had never known before she had bonded to a vampire. The woman met her gaze steadily, silver eyes glowing feverishly bright as she settled into a wary crouch.

“Hm…hungry, are we?” Stacie’s tongue lapped out at her chops and she snapped at the air between them as they faced off. If she had thought that her wolf would just accept a mate she had been mistaken. The moon hit its apex high above them as they lunged forward toward each other, fangs bared for a fight. Stacie struggled to the surface of her wolf conscious, pulling on every bit of power and control she had. And it hurt. Oh God did it hurt. But her need for Aubrey was greater than the sway the moon’s power had over her.

But that hurt that only made her lash out as the shifting hulk of her body collided with Aubrey’s taking them both to the snowy ground in a thrashing tumble. Bones and muscles twisted and stretched painfully making her strike with snarling bites to free herself of the strong arms wrapped around her. Dimly she was aware of the spaces between trees filling with the presence of the pack and she growled as much a warning to them as the woman fighting to sink her teeth into a neck no longer protected by a mane of thick fur.

There was a moment when their eyes met and the connection between them throbbed with intensity and it was the last thing Stacie saw before the flash of fangs sunk into her flesh. Her body stiffened and arced up under the vampire pinning her down. Power raced back and forth between them in rolling waves that crested and ebbed more fully than it ever had before. She knew something had changed from one heartbeat to the next when the power they had built spilled over and Aubrey’s head reared back; Stacie’s blood dripping from her chin as she warbled out a ragged howl to the full moon. The pack echoed it in concert but Stacie barely heard them, all she saw, all she knew, was the woman above her and the power that drew them together with desperate need. Aubrey let her head drop, her eyes a startling bright silver with a deep ring of gold surrounding the iris.

The Alpha wrapped her arms around the other woman, still clawed hands pulling her down further to meet in a searing kiss. Wolf song rose up around them, marking and honoring the hunt for what it was. They were one, bonded and mated. In this life and whatever ones would follow.

Aww @tiny-maus-boots thanks and thanks... 🐺❤️️🦇  🖇

Who is your dad, now?

AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The Howl pt 15

A/N: thank you thank you thank you to everyone still reading and all that comment and kudo. special thanks to bestie beta person @chloes-yellow-cup

15.

“It’s time Bree.”

Aubrey nodded and peeked her head out of the garage, blinking at the still bright sun before pulling herself back inside. The pack would be there any moment and she was sure they had picked this time specifically to put her at a disadvantage. Stacie rolled her shoulders and rotated her head trying to work out of the tension of the coming full moon. She was doing her best to try and stay calm but Aubrey could feel her eagerness to run and howl singing through their connection.

She turned and pulled her mate close for a soft kiss. This was the night that would make them whole in the eyes of the pack but they were already one in her heart. Nothing was going to stop her from getting to Stacie, not even Redd. The taller woman smiled into the kiss; her normally warm hands already fever hot with the rush of wild wolf power rising to the surface. Aubrey watched as Stacie’s eyes bled to a rich golden glow, the muscles in her face twitching as she controlled her shift to keep it at bay.

“Are you ready?”

“Was just gonna ask you the same thing. You have a lot of competition tonight, Angus said even the outliers are choosing to run tonight.”

The vampire dipped her head in a short nod. She was aware that the pool of contenders had grown since news of the parley had been confirmed. They all had a vested interest in seeing how this hunt would end and she was sure most of them were hoping for a wolf to be the victor. Aubrey brought her hand up to trace a cool fingertip along Stacie’s furrowed brow, smoothing it gently.

“I was ready to be yours the moment we first bonded. You just run and keep running. I’ll find you.”

The touched foreheads, Stacie’s breath coming in short shuddered pants as the wolf in her struggled to get out. They didn’t need the formality of vows or even real words for her to know that they were choosing each other. The hunt would be all the final word they needed anyway.

“Knock knock.” They turned at the sound of Angus’ low rumbling voice. He stood just inside the doorway a solid mountain of muscle and swirling restless energy. “Ready to run with the wolves?”

There was a slight tick in his cheek, as he leveled his gaze at her. Aubrey gave a slight nod, squaring her shoulders in response. She was ready for whatever would come to pass once the sun fell and the power of the moon called to them all. The blonde vampire shrugged out of her machete harness and placed it carefully in Stacie’s hands. She wasn’t worried about another vampire taking it, they wouldn’t be able to use it anyway, but she was reluctant to let it out of her sight.

“I’ll put it somewhere safe. I promise.”

Aubrey gave her a mate a soft smile and stood on her toes to give Stacie one last kiss on the chin and turned to follow Angus outside. He stopped her with a hand and held up a full faced helmet with tinted shield. The vampire looked at it for a long moment and raised her brows in question.

“The sun is still up, I thought…”

He shrugged unsure how to say whatever he had been thinking. It was a kindness she hadn’t expected and Aubrey took the helmet gratefully. She opened her mouth to thank him but Angus gave a soft grunt and gestured for her to follow him outside, perhaps uncomfortable with her gratitude. A ghost of a smile flitted across her face as she pulled it on and stepped out into the sun after him. She hoisted herself into the passenger seat of the large truck and shut the door quickly to avoid more exposure than necessary.

“Buckle up.” Aubrey turned her helmeted head and blinked at him through the dark tinted mask. Angus blinked then nodded as it dawned on him that buckling the seat belt was completely unnecessary. “Right. You’re uh already…well. Okay then.”

She turned back to face the front sensing her attention was making him feel awkward. Aubrey didn’t want to count him as an ally because alliances were made and broken easily in life, but that he showed concern for her said much. The vampire wasn’t likely to forget any time soon and appreciated it none the less. There was only one road out of town and he followed it, the truck tires cutting furrows in the thin crust of already muddy snow.

It didn’t take long to reach the gathering of pack wolves, surrounded by parked cars and trucks. Angus pulled up alongside the others and parked. He took a calming breath and gripped the steering wheel in his big hands. Aubrey waited it out sensing that he had something he wanted to say but not wanting to push. And if she were being honest with herself, she wasn’t quite eager to step back out into the swiftly lowering sun just yet. Protected or not the demon in her was still afraid of the relentless power of the sun.

“He’s gonna try something, man like Redd doesn’t much like losing. Not especially losing his chance to be with Stacie. Whatever happens, whatever you hear or see, you keep running. Understand?” If he could see her face he would have noticed the surprised widening of her eyes. Angus shook his head slightly in disappointment as he continued. “Not everyone here is on his side, but you can’t count on anything out there aside from your own ability. I’ll do my best to watch your back, getting to her is on you.”

“Why are you helping me?”

Angus turned his head to stare at her, his pale blue eyes clouding with a soft golden hue as his beast rose slowly. A soft knock on the window drew her attention away from him and Cynthia Rose cautiously opened the door for her. Aubrey slid out of the truck and removed the helmet just as the sun dipped past the horizon. The power of her demon flared to life within her, filling her with cold resolve.

Some of the wolves had already started to undress knowing that the full moon would rise quickly. Redd stood apart, chest bare and puffed out in prideful arrogance. She would have ignored him if he hadn’t swaggered up to the truck with the wolves that followed him trailing in his wake. Cynthia Rose stepped between them; her full lips curled back in a snarl that held a promise of violence. He stopped with a smirk on his face, amused at her response to his proximity.

“Guess you’ve chosen a side. Not smart for you when I take my place at Stacie’s side. And you Angus?”

The burly man yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it into the truck but he kept his gaze trained on Redd and the rest of his supporters. Wolves were starting to crowd around them and Aubrey realized with a start that many of them were drifting toward her. For a moment she wondered if she would have to fight them all before the hunt even started but there no one appeared ready to attack.

“Stace is my Alpha, the only side I’m choosing is hers.”

Redmond looked as though he had expected it but it still didn’t sit right with him. He gave a slow nod and looked over the wolves assembled, dismissing Aubrey’s presence like she didn’t matter. When he turned back to her his eyes were full of fire and power and she knew without a doubt that he would kill her if he could. The pull of the moon hit them then, the weakest already dropping to their knees as the pain of the shift tore through them. Redd stood there calmly watching her as one by one the pack twisted and changed. It was a standoff between them, him showing her how strong he was to resist what others couldn’t hold back.

“This ends tonight blood whore. Without your little weapon you’re as good as dead.”

“Oh Rover, you silly mutt. I’ve been dead since before you were born…and I still stole your girl.”

Her lips quirked once as the cold of the grave consumed her. Aubrey flung off the long leather duster and let it drop to the side, hissing as her fangs lengthened fully. She didn’t need her blade, she was dangerous enough on her own. He watched her a second longer before the wolf could not be denied and he dropped to the ground with all the others. She carefully pulled off her heavy boots and left them with her jacket. She didn’t have to get naked like they did but she wanted as little to slow her down as possible.

The moon rose high over the tops of the trees and a loud baying howl shook the snow from their limbs. Stacie. She knew it was her mate without thought, she could feel her mate’s call through their connection and it pulled at her with desperate need. The wolves tipped their heads back and howled out a response, some of them already darting toward the tree line. Aubrey lunged forward no longer caring about the wolves at her back, or the threat at her side. She had one goal, to get to her mate, and she wasn’t going to waste a second more thinking about anything else.

It was easier than she thought to get ahead of them. The weight of their great furred bodies made them sink into the drifts that she was able to speed across without much effort. Aubrey ducked and weaved but as the trees grew closer and tighter she found herself struggling against claw like branches that snagged at her tank top and yanked at her hair. It slowed her down and she could practically feel the hot breath of the wolves at her heels.

A heavy shadow matched her stride, bounding along over felled trees and small boulders just on the other side of a strand of trees. Aubrey spared a quick glance that was almost her undoing when the wolf unexpected cut directly into her path, the weight of it taking her to the hard ground. Teeth snapped viciously at her face as they rolled, the shaggy beast getting the upper hand and pinning her down. The air shifted suddenly above her and the crushing force on her chest lifted with a pained yelp.

The vampire rolled to her knees and took off in a sprint, her legs pumping furiously as she worked to cover the ground she had lost in her brief tussle. A wolf with fur as dark as midnight leapt from the underbrush with a short yipping bark. She tensed waiting for an attack but the wolf kept pace alongside her, tongue lolling out as they ran. Another joined them, loping with the easy grace of an animal used to the wilderness.

Cynthia Rose and Evan.

Her mind supplied the information before she even had time to question it. Aubrey ducked a low hanging branch and kept going. More of Redd’s chosen tried to intercept her and slow her down but there always seemed to be an unexpected ally ready to level the playing field. She didn’t waste time or effort by looking around for potential threats, she simply followed the call of her mate. Her body moved on autopilot, leaping to avoid collision, lashing out to knock her opponents back when they got too close for comfort.

She could sense Redd out there, watching as he raced her to Stacie’s side. He was smart keeping himself hidden and letting his wolves try to bring her down and wear her out. An outright fight between them would end the hunt before it had even begun because she would win and he understood that. It made her re-evaluate how she viewed him; he was by no means a stupid man. If he had been a vampire a few centuries more of experience would have made him a much deadlier enemy to underestimate.

Another echoing howl boomed out and the pack turned en masse to the sound, cutting a path through the snow that veered sharply away from the track they were on. Aubrey skipped to a stop, and waited, her head tipped to the side following the sound of the howl. If she were following just the sound, she would have turned with the pack but a tug on the tether of her connection pulled her forward in a different direction. Stacie was on the move, calling her pack had been an intentional misdirect and she could practically feel the defiant amusement her wolf felt at making the hunt all the more difficult.

Aubrey broke from the path she was on and barreled into the deepest part of the forest. The vampire slowed and raised her head sniffing lightly at the air in a gesture that was more Stacie’s than her own. Blood. It wasn’t much, just the faintest aroma. Her lips pulled into a wide smile, her mate was leaving a trail she was best suited to follow. The trees around thinned, moonlight finally filtering down to the ground from above. She slowed again and pushed her awareness out, searching the darkest spots of the woods around her.

Stacie was close but so was Redd. She had lost track of him when the pack diverged and splintered off and it had been stupid to think he was as easily mislead as the rest of the pack. Of course he was there, he had probably been following her the entire time. A rustle from her left was the only warning she had before his body plowed into hers. Aubrey rolled with the impact and brought her feet up to kick him off her. Claws slashed down her arm as he tried to cling to his prey despite being lifted and tossed away back into the thicket of frozen twigs and brush.

The vampire glanced down at her arm with a low growl of her own, the feeling of it foreign yet familiar. Redd answered, his body darting out low to the ground to take her out at the knees the second she righted herself and tried to stand. The ground came up hard and fast and she had to twist quickly to avoid the bone crushing jaws that tried to close on her throat. Stacie howled again, her call so much closer than ever before. It wouldn’t take long for the pack to find their way to her and she was wasting time wrestling in the snow.

Teeth dug into the forearm she only just managed to get up in time. Redd growled triumphantly and shook his head trying to yank the arm right out of the socket. It hurt. Pain like acid raced down her arm and into her shoulder and she was dragged back further into the woods, further away from Stacie. Power flowed through her in a cold wash, Aubrey slammed her free hand into the ground, her clawed hands digging deep past the layer of permafrost to anchor her to the spot.

“I am SO over you.”

Redd snarled and pulled harder but she flexed, curling the arm still caught in his grip to slowly drag him closer. He tried again, jaws loosening briefly so he could get a better angle. It was all she needed and the second the pressure let up she lashed out with her anchoring hand in a blinding punch that knocked him sideways. The wolf rose unsteadily but she was on him before he could process her movement. Rage took over her good sense for a moment and she had to fight the urge to end him then and there. Only the sharp barks and searching yodels of the pack coming up fast prevented her from sinking her fangs into his soft belly to tear at his flesh.

Aubrey gave another hissing snarl and brought her fist back to punch him again and felt bones crack when it landed brutally against his jaw. He wasn’t dead, and he wouldn’t die. At least not this night and not by her hand. She stood and stumbled forward; Stacie’s pull on her more insistent than before. Her feet were sluggish, her balance unsteady but the more Stacie urged her on the stronger she got until she was running once more. The vampire burst out of the tree line into a clearing and dropped to her knees.

She scanned the area quickly, recognizing a half-buried boot poking up from a small drift of snow. Aubrey crawled to it and ran bloodied fingers over the black leather. Heavy paws padded across the ground and she raised her head to meet the golden eyed gaze of her Alpha. It was only right that they end this where it began.

“Hello, Puppy.”

I tried to do some artist meme thing but turns out I’m boring but here’s a little sketchy drawing of me that I kinda like.

The Howl pt 14

A/N: I know I know. It’s been forevah. In my defense I was working on that Linchpin collab and I just lost all track of time. Anyway. Here is this thing. If you’re still reading along, biggest thank yous. And as always a special thank you to my beta and bestie @chloes-yellow-cup for always doing the thing.

y’all will find a lot of typos and errors because when i post here it is always the unedited, pre-beta’ed version. sorry ‘bout it. 

14.

A beam of sunlight splashed over a tanned forearm as Stacie leaned over the engine of car. The front bay door was pulled up leaving a narrow swath of shadow in the corner across the end of the work bench where Aubrey perched; leaned back against the wall one leather clad leg hanging down just watching her mate work. The wolf had offered to lower the door, but Aubrey declined and settled on the worktop with curiosity bright in her eyes. Despite her natural resistance to the sun she had never found a reason to be up during the full light of day before.

But watching the sun play over Stacie’s smooth skin, lighting her dark hair in multi-tonal highlights gave her a new appreciation for daylight living. Her mate gave a soft growl of annoyance at something Aubrey couldn’t see from her spot. Those growls were becoming more frequent and much easier to rise to the surface as more time passed with no word from the coven. The wolves were getting impatient, especially Stacie who had been dealing with controlling the pack perceptions of what was actually happening. Stacie’s growl deepened and she turned and flung a long-handled screwdriver across the room.

Aubrey watched and lazily reached up to pluck it out of midair before it could sink into the wall of the garage. She placed it down on the workbench alongside the other various wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers that had been chucked in frustration earlier that day.

“Goddamn fucking shitball stupid engine!”

Stacie slammed the hood down and kicked at the front end of the Jeep making it skid back a few inches despite the wheel blocks tucked behind the tires. Rage roared through her like a forest fire and she frowned at the depth of it. The blonde vampire pushed a little of her own deep pool of calm through their shared connection, a hint of a smile tugging her lips at the sigh of relief from the other woman. Gold flecked green eyes rose to meet hers and the bond between them pulsed with affection.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Sorry, just a little cranky. The moon is rising soon.”

Aubrey gave a slow understanding nod. It wasn’t just waiting for the coven to agree to meet. There was the mating hunt weighing on the brunette’s mind. She could feel Stacie’s reluctance to proceed with the plan even though it was already set in motion. There was a lingering guilt that tinged their connection every time they spoke of it. She didn’t understand it honestly, this wasn’t something thrust upon them. They had chosen this path together and in choosing it they changed what it would mean to them, and to the pack.

“Are you worried I won’t make it?”

Stacie said nothing and Aubrey nodded a bit at that. She slid off the tabletop, sticking close to the wall as she edged out as far as the safety of shadow would let her. It was still too far from Stacie for her liking but close enough for the wolf to focus all her attention on her. The other woman sighed softly and looked away.

“I’m worried that Redd or one of his buddies won’t play by the rules. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Well I’m already dead so they can’t do much damage there.” Stacie gave her an unamused look and Aubrey shrugged. “Okay, I see your concern. However, as I understand things, there are no real rules to a mating hunt, save no weapons. The goal is to get to you first, by whatever strength or strategy at my disposal.”

“Yeah but this isn’t you against humans, Bree. They’re strong wolves and they’ll be drunk on all that power from the blood moon. Redd has a lot riding on this hunt, he’ll do anything and everything he can to stop you and…if something happens to you…”

She wasn’t taking it lightly at all. She understood the consequence of losing, she just had no intention of letting anyone get in her way. Stacie rested her hands on the hood of the Jeep and leaned heavily as the weight of all her worry bore down on her. Aubrey started to speak, to reassure her but Stacie’s raw voice stopped her.

“If something happened to you, nothing would matter Aubrey. Not the pack, not the coven, not even all the innocent humans that’d get caught in the middle of a war. There would be nothing left inside of me to care.” Stacie dropped her gaze and let out a pained sigh. It was clear that she was struggling to find the right words to explain why she was still fighting the idea of a hunt. “For my entire adult life, I couldn’t imagine ever loving anyone, now…I can’t imagine not loving you. I can’t lose you now that I’ve found you, okay?”

The slow sluggish beat of her heart stuttered in her chest. Nothing in this world was certain, not even a final surrender to a peaceful death. She couldn’t promise Stacie anything and they both knew it. Aubrey took a step forward, but the wolf pushed off the truck and moved out of the direct sun, blocking the light from hitting Aubrey. The care in the gesture made her smile and she tugged the other woman closer with a finger hooked into the belt loop of her jeans.

Stacie wrapped her arms around Aubrey’s waist and the vampire nuzzled into her mate’s neck to take in her scent. She slid her hands under the hem of the other woman’s shirt to stroke the smooth soft skin of her lower back. They stood in silence, each contemplating a life without the other. This was the only real home that Aubrey understood, even if home was just a shadowy corner in a dusty garage. Home was anywhere Stacie was.

“I know he will try his hardest, and I am very aware of the strength your wolves will possess that night. But believe me when I say I have no intention of making it easy for them. I have survived more than six hundred years with a nest of enemies. I think I’ll survive one night with my furry in-laws.”

A laugh bubbled up and the arms around her waist tightened. “I’m being serious, Bree.”

“So am I.” She pulled back enough to catch Stacie’s still worried gaze. “I can do this Stacie, I can meet them as an equal and if they will not respect me, then they will fear me. But I’m not giving up and I’m not going to lose.”

Aubrey’s eyes flashed silver as her power flared and Stacie bit her lip in response. Stacie wanted to believe; she could feel it in the anticipatory tension humming through their connection. “Not sure that’s how families work, love.”

“In my experience, that is exactly how families work.”

Stacie’s back stiffened and she whirled around to face the owner of the quietly amused tone. He wasn’t a vampire but the scent of them clung to him from centuries in their company. Aubrey molded herself to her mate’s back, arms wrapped around her to hold her steady and soothe back the rumble already forming in the brunette’s chest.

“Easy, he’s here from the coven.”

Erasmus tipped his head to one side, evaluating them both for long minutes before he stepped into the shop and let his curious gaze wander over the interior. Stacie huffed and reached out to tug the chain that raised and lowered the bay door. The cold metal links rattled as the other woman quickly dropped the metal door down to give them a measure of privacy from any passersby.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding, quite unlike you Aubrey.”

She gave a slight nod at that and eased out from behind Stacie, nudging her mate gently behind her. The brunette ran her hand down Aubrey’s back in gentle caress, showing her support without ever having to say a word. Erasmus watched them with interest then smiled something soft and bittersweet. They had never been close exactly, she and Erasmus. But they had understood each other, respected one another, even cared about what would happen to the other.

“I have never felt more myself than I do here, with the pack.”

He raised a dark brow at that but didn’t comment. He didn’t have to; she knew it was a surprising statement. Their difference in interior design wasn’t the only thing he was referring to and she knew it. However distrustful the pack may be toward her, they were still more of a home and family to her than her own people and her own blood relation.

“You know why I have been sent?”

“Yes, I sensed the scouts in the woods that night. I assumed that they were only too eager to report back to my aunt all that they had seen.” The question was, did they report back everything or just the parts that painted Aubrey in the worst light possible? She crossed her arms over her chest already anticipating how this would play out.

“Indeed. Luca and Katya, Nisha and Udaya, and of course Massimo.”

Just hearing his name irritated her and Stacie gave a soft growl behind her when she picked up on Aubrey’s annoyance. But it was to be expected, he was her aunt’s most loyal ally and he above all would have enjoyed dragging Aubrey back to the cabin to suffer Tante Amélie’s wrath. It was the same with Luca and Katya, they had been her torturers for as long as she could remember. They were vicious and brutal on a good day and she had no hopes that they would not have told the coven that Aubrey was a blood traitor. But Nisha and Udaya…that was interesting.

“Night and Day? The twins never leave the cabin…”

He hummed softly in agreement and clasped his hands gracefully behind his back. “Nisha had a vision and they volunteered. The Lady could hardly refuse in front of the coven. It was surprising for us all.”

They hadn’t been allies in any way but Nisha and Udaya had not been her enemies either. It was curious and she frowned slightly wondering what exactly this vision was. “And what news did they bring home?”

“That the threat of revenants is real. That the pack mourns one of their own. That wolves can be turned revenant too…”

Stacie’s growl was a deep bass that rattled the thin metal door of the garage bay. It was a wound that wouldn’t heal any time soon and Aubrey reached a hand back to lace fingers with her. Erasmus watched it all with that same sad smile as if he understood things she had yet to figure out.

“And what else?”

“According to Luca, that you have turned against your kind. Udaya, however, claims you were doing your duty to our coven by dealing with the new revenant threat. Surprising support on your behalf. More so surprising that Massimo agreed.”

There was a trap in the words that she could feel but could not yet see. Massimo did nothing without cause, and she wondered what game he was playing at now. Stacie’s warm hand squeezed hers in a gentle reminder that she was there with her.

“Then they know how important it is to find the source of the infection.”

He gave a curt nod at that. “Yes. She wants you home so that we may deal with this as a family.”

“No offense but your family isn’t doing dick to solve the problem and now the pack is at risk. Wade’s blood is on your coven’s hands.” Stacie pushed forward, her anger riding the air like a cresting wave. “I demand justice for our people, and if I don’t get it willingly then…”

It was skirting a line with the threat and Aubrey sighed softly. Erasmus gave a quiet grunt that could have been agreement or offense. The tall man took a breath and closed his eyes, head lowered as if in deep thought. When he raised it again and opened his eyes, a dull silver ringed the normally deep brown eyes. Aubrey took a step back, tugging Stacie with her and dropped to a knee.

“My Lady…”

“Rise, niece.” It was Erasmus’ voice but the clipped tone was all her aunt and it echoed weirdly in the closed garage. She stood slowly, ignoring the confused and questioning look she was getting from her mate as Erasmus circled them both with a sway in his hips like he was balanced on heels rather than soft leather loafers. “So. This must be the girl.”

Aubrey said nothing, it was wiser not to give more information than absolutely necessary. “She speaks for the pack.”

“Then I suppose it is a good thing you defied my order to kill her.” She could feel Stacie turn her head to look at her, but Aubrey didn’t dare turn away from Erasmus. There was no telling what her aunt could control while wearing his body like an expensive suit. “So. We have a problem, do we not? Revenant wolves cannot be suffered to live.”

“And yet the source remains hidden.” Her jaw clenched tightly at the implication that wolves were the real threat to them all. “This is not a disease of wolves and mortals. This is our doing, and our failure in controlling.”

“Your failure, Aubrey. For it is was your job to find the source and terminate it. Yet all you have done is kill off the wretches left behind. You will come home at nightfall to give report in full before the coven. If we cannot take comfort in the end of the threat at least we can take pleasure in your punishment.”

Aubrey opened her mouth but it was Stacie that spoke first, her voice dangerously low in a tightly controlled growl. “Lady…you might wanna rethink that choice.” Erasmus’ head swiveled slowly toward Stacie, her aunt’s calculating gaze trailing up from her feet to her head as she took in everything about the wolf. His head tipped back in a laugh too feminine to be his own, and far too cold to be genuine.

“And why would I do that, dog?”

“Because right now, Aubrey’s word is the only thing standing between you and a war with the pack. You’re outnumbered, and easily surrounded out in the middle of nowhere.”

It gave her aunt pause and the older vampire focused all her attention on Aubrey. “Is it true?”

Aubrey dipped her head once in a nod. “They wish to meet, My Lady. Make it so and we can resolve this together, deny them…”

“And we’ll tear every vampire apart until we’re sure there’s no threat left.”

Erasmus’ eyes closed and he stumbled backward a step as the force of her aunt’s power left his body. He shook his dark head to try free himself of the lingering feeling of her control over him. Aubrey took a step forward cautiously but stopped when he gasped out a ragged breath and held his hand up to ward her off. It took him a minute or two of breathing before he righted himself and stood tall again.

“The coven accepts parley. Name your time and place.”

Aubrey looked at Stacie for final confirmation and the brunette gave her a slight nod. “Very well. The next full moon, at the cabin.”

“The Lady would wish to meet alone and in private with the Alpha.” His voice was slow and thick, her aunt still using him even though she wasn’t directly speaking to them anymore.

“Yeah that’s not happening. This ends one way or another on the full moon, that means in front of the coven and pack.”

He gave a slow nod of agreement at Stacie’s terms then pinned Aubrey with a hard look that was all Amélie. “You are to come home until the full moon.”

“I am home.”

Erasmus smiled but it twisted at the last second when her aunt’s anger flooded through him. “You will come home, Aubrey. She demands it.”

“Nah, we’re keepin’ her. Consider it incentive to come to our appointment.”

He flicked his eyes toward Stacie, the smile pulling at his lips once more. But it was his smile, not her aunt’s and it held a hint of pride at the bold tone her mate had taken. He nodded and slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks, once more just a man and not a vessel.

“So it shall be. Until the full moon, Aubrey.”

“Until then. Be well, Erasmus.”

He glanced at the closed door and Stacie tugged at the chain to bring it back up. Erasmus stepped out into the light and gave them one final look before strolling away down the street. She watched him until she started to feel the heat of the sun across her face then stepped back into the garage.

“So…about how you’re supposed to be killing me…”

Uh oh. Aubrey blanked her face and shrugged lightly the picture of innocence. “I thought she was kidding.”

Stacie didn’t buy it for one second and as the heavy door fell into place once more silence swallowed them up. There was only a beat of time before Stacie lunged for her taking them both to the ground in a flying tackle. Aubrey laughed even as her hands were drawn up over her head and her body pinned by Stacie’s weight.

“What am I gonna do with you, vampire?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

“On how much time we have before someone walks in the office door…”