Chapter 7 - Hanson

For the entire day, Hanson's mind reeled with what had happened in the woods. He was sore after fighting those damn wolves that attacked Elena, but that wasn't the main problem. The border skirmishes had become a regular thing on patrol; they were a way of Christopher's pack testing the strength of theirs, he was sure, and so Jack also seemed to be when he reported the latest one to him.

But that wasn't what still had him riled as he lay in his bed that night, staring at the ceiling, at the square of moonlight that danced above his head.

Every time he closed his eyes, his lips started to tingle, and his hands began to ache, both with the memory of her.

She had been so warm, so soft, so desperate. And he had wanted more than anything to bury himself deep inside her. If only he had just done it and left himself to regret it later. Nothing could have been done about it then. He'd have had his release, and he would have made damn sure she did, too.

But she was his packmate's sister. It was wrong. And just imagining how Eddie had changed since she arrived, he couldn't bring himself to defile his relationship with a pack member like that.

Still, he needed a release.

Maybe I should go and find Carly, he thought grimly. The pretty little she-wolf had been buzzing around him for a while now.

He gritted his teeth at the thought. How could he do that to Elena?

What the fuck? he snapped at himself, mentally slapping himself for being such an idiot. He had no need to be loyal to Elena. She was nothing to him. For Eddie's sake, he would stay away from her, but he had no reason to stay away from Carly for her sake. If he wanted a little fun and Carly was up for it, why the hell shouldn't he go for it?

Ugh, no. He couldn't do that. He wouldn't use Carly like that. He was a gentleman. What happened in a moment would happen, but he wasn't about to go looking for that moment just to satisfy his own needs, not with a woman he had no intention of getting closer to.

Since Jack and the others arrived, he had stayed the hell away from she-wolves. The pack was most important now; he didn't feel the need to lose himself in a woman just to feel something other than guilt or anger anymore.

His hand slipped beneath the covers, and he cupped his rock-hard manhood in hand. Maybe if he took care of things himself, he might finally be able to get that damn she-wolf out of his head.

He started to stroke, moaning with how good it felt, but the second he closed his eyes, there she was.

"Fuck!" he snarled, sitting bolt upright in bed, his hand snapping firmly away from his member. Glaring down at it, he hissed, "Just go the fuck away."

It wasn't about to any time soon, not unless he got some kind of release, and so he clambered from his bed and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt from that night.

Shoving his feet into his boots, he headed out the bedroom door and down the hall, adjusting his cock against the zipper of his jeans. He needed a run. Maybe if he exercised his wolf, he might finally be able to clear his mind.

It appeared many of the others had the same idea that evening. As he headed aimlessly down the hill, he smelled the lingering scent of a few of his packmates.

Maybe if he found one or two of them, he might be able to stop himself from going in search of her.

And so he wandered further down the hill, slipping into the woods to remove and hide his clothes so that he could shift.

The relief of shaking off his human form was enough to make him breathe a deep sigh before he continued on down the hill.

It wasn't until he reached the edge of the tree just outside of town that he realized he hadn't been wandering aimlessly after all.

Just on the other side of a dirt road was a line of houses, houses that had been given to those Christopher had turned—those like Carly.

Hanson stiffened. Was his wolf that determined to get him laid?

No, he should turn back, go back to the manor and sort himself the hell out.

But before he could do so, one of the front doors closest to him opened up. A chink of fluorescent light from the hallway blinded him for several moments. He blinked, hearing two awfully familiar voices coming from inside the house.

"Thanks for the drink."

Eddie? Hanson thought.

"You're welcome anytime," came the response, and Hanson would have recognized that sweet, flirtatious tone anywhere. As Eddie stepped out into the darkness of the night, Carly added, "And thank you for listening to my rambling on."

As Hanson's wolf eyes adjusted to the brightness of the hallway, he watched Eddie turn on the doorstep to look at Carly, who stroked her hair back behind her ear, blushing flirtatiously as she glanced down at the floor.

"You weren't rambling," Eddie assured her, and holding out his hand, he squeezed hers as he added, "and, anytime."

Well, fuck me! Hanson thought, realizing suddenly why Eddie had been so damn aggressive toward him lately.

He could see just from looking at the two of them right now how much Eddie liked the she-wolf. He could smell the sexual tension from all the way across the street.

No wonder he had been snapping at his heels these last few weeks. Carly's sniffing around him was likely causing all kinds of discomfort for Eddie.

The territorial nature of werewolves was a powerful thing. Had he known that Eddie had taken a fancy to the she-wolf, he would have made it absolutely clear he wasn't interested because, hell, he wasn't interested at all. Clearly not in the way that Eddie was.

"You know, you don't have to leave so soon," Carly said, leaning against the doorway. Even at this distance, Hanson could see her big old doe eyes and her fluttering lashes as she gazed at Eddie.

Had he been his packmate, he would have been hopeless to resist, especially if she had been Elena.

The mere imagining of it made Hanson shiver. He had to stop thinking of her like that and at every damn turn.

She was just as off-limits as Carly was now that he knew the truth of the matter.

Hanson was about to turn away when Eddie stepped closer to Carly. And though he whispered, Hanson still heard him clearly on the breeze, "I wish I could, but I have to finish my patrol."

Hanson bit back laughter as Carly sidled closer to Eddie and pecked him on the cheek. "Come back afterwards?" she suggested.

Feeling guilty for intruding on a private moment, Hanson turned away and started to head back up the hill to grab his clothes with a brand-new determination.

Carly was off limits. Elena was off limits. Eddie was his packmate and his friend. After months of trying to prove his loyalty and devotion to the pack, he wasn't about to fuck it all up now.

Maybe if Eddie finally managed to get some with Carly he would damn well lighten up a little. Until then, Hanson was sure as hell going to stay away from her and his all-too-gorgeous sister.