7. Marie

SEVEN

MARIE

I was in the middle of the bedtime routine, tucking Belle in and reading her a story, when a sudden disruption shattered the tranquility of our evening. The motion sensor lights outside flickered to life, casting an eerie glow through the bedroom window, making both Belle and I jump. There was something weird about it, a strange energy that we all picked up on.

“Wait a moment,” I murmured to Belle with my heart hammering in my rib cage. “You just stay here for a moment.”

She gripped tightly onto my arm. “I don’t want you to leave me,” she pleaded. “This isn’t my home, and I’m scared.”

I tried my best to put on a reassuring smile, brushing a strand of her golden hair away from her worried face. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be right back, I promise.” I kissed her forehead gently and tucked her in a little more securely before making my way out of the room. “One minute, I swear. I will only be a moment.”

My father, always vigilant and protective, had noticed the disturbance from the living room. He approached the window and peered outside, his expression turning pale as he witnessed something.

“I’m just headed out,” Dad told me, but I couldn’t ignore the slight tremor in his voice. “Stay here and make sure Belle is okay.”

His worry made it harder for me. I swallowed back the giant ball of terror that had lodged itself in the base of my throat and nodded hard, letting him go. But I wasn’t going to just leave it. I peered through the living room window, watching as Dad scanned the area outside, his gaze darting back and forth. He was tense, on high alert, and it made me uneasy. I couldn’t help but think about the recent killings on the mountain, and a sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

I would have to keep Belle safe. She was my top priority, no matter what.

After a few tense moments, my father returned, his face even more pale and his movements cautious. He didn’t say anything immediately, which only deepened my anxiety.

“What did you see?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

Dad’s eyes met mine, and he spoke in a low, hushed tone. “There’s a strange wolf outside, Marie. Probably a shifter, but it’s alone. And it’s acting… odd.”

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. “A wolf? Here? That’s unusual. Did it seem dangerous?”

Mike nodded, his expression grave. “It seems to want something. I don’t know what. I can’t put my finger on why I feel all weird about this, but I do.” He shuddered violently. “There’s something off about it, Marie, and I don’t like it.”

Fear clawed at my chest as I thought about the implications. Could this wolf be connected to the recent attacks? My mind raced, and I knew I had to tread carefully. We all did so no one got hurt. “What should we do, Dad?”

Mike’s jaw tightened. “I’m going to grab my pistol, just in case. You stay here with Belle. Make sure you’re with Belle no matter what.”

I nodded, watching him disappear into his bedroom to retrieve his weapon. The air in the room felt charged with tension as I stood there, my thoughts a whirlwind of worry and uncertainty. Something strange was happening in our peaceful little hamlet, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that our lives were about to change in ways we couldn’t yet comprehend.

I couldn’t resist the urge to see for myself, so I cautiously made my way to the window once more, careful not to make any sudden movements. As I peered outside, my eyes locked onto the figure of the lone wolf. She was there, just staring right back at me. Oh my God! And she was an unusual sight, too, with an unmistakable diamond-shaped white splash on her chest. It was a striking and distinctive marking that set her apart from any wolf I had ever seen.

Our gazes met, and for a moment, it felt as though time had stopped. The wolf’s eyes, filled with a curious intensity, bore into mine. It was as though she had caught me watching her, and she held my gaze for what felt like an eternity.

Then, without warning, she returned to sniffing around the porch. I watched as she moved about, her behavior oddly familiar. It was as if she had detected something of interest–a scent, perhaps–that had drawn her to our home.

“Hey!” I heard Dad call out, anger rolling off his tongue in waves. “Get the hell out of here, will you?”

I held my breath as the wolf turned to look at him. Time seemed to stand still while there was a standoff, the wolf staring at my father, and him holding his shotgun right back at the creature. But neither of them acted. Neither of them made the first move.

Come on, Dad, I pleaded silently because I didn’t want anything to happen. I didn’t want my father to get hurt. Come back inside, please. Don’t do anything silly.

But he didn’t move. He continued to stare the wolf down, acting like he was going to shoot at any given moment. My heart was absolutely hammering against my rib cage. So, when someone touched my hand, I let out a yelp and jumped in the air.

“Oh, sorry.” Belle recoiled, snatching her hand backwards. “I didn’t want to be on my own anymore. I’m scared.”

I embraced her, brought her back to me, and held her against me for a moment. I could also hear poor Belle’s heart drumming against her rib cage. She must have been terrified. I felt dreadful for leaving her on her own. “Don’t worry,” I whispered. “Everything is going to be okay. Dad is just out there at the moment, making sure we’re okay.”

Dad returned from the outside, thank goodness, a hint of concern etched across his face. He placed his pistol carefully on the table and stood there, his mind clearly racing just as fast as mine. “It’s gone,” he said a little sadly. “I don’t know what scared it off, but it’s gone at last.”

I nodded in agreement, the uncertainty of the situation hanging heavy in the air. “Do you think it’s connected to what’s happened on the mountain?”

Dad sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t say for sure, but it’s definitely suspicious. We need to be cautious, Marie. There’s no telling what this wolf’s intentions are.”

I glanced toward Belle’s room, concern for her safety weighing on me. “Should we call Jesse or the pack? Maybe they can help. I know they’re already out there on patrol, so we can probably get hold of them somehow.”

Dad looked at me, determination in his eyes. “I’ll take Belle back to bed. You stay here, keep an eye on things. If anything happens, call for help. We’ll decide what to do in a minute.”

I nodded, grateful for his reassurance. “Okay, Dad. Goodnight, Belle. I will come and check in on you in a moment.”

He offered me a reassuring smile and quietly made his way to Belle’s room. I remained in the living room, my gaze fixed on the window where the strange wolf had appeared. The seconds felt like hours as I waited for any sign of what might happen next. There was definitely going to be something, I could feel it.

The tension in the house was palpable, and the feeling of vulnerability was unsettling. I knew I needed to stay vigilant, ready to protect us if necessary. And in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think about Jesse, hoping he’d return soon and bring his strength and knowledge to help us face this unexpected threat. I would much rather him just come so I didn’t need to call him. I didn’t want to pull him away from whatever he was doing.

But just when it seemed that the situation couldn’t get any more bewildering, a new figure entered the scene. In a blur of motion, a massive black wolf arrived in a hurry, his arrival so sudden that it left me breathless. I recognized him instantly–it was Jesse, and he was in his wolf form. It was as if my prayers had been answered. There he was! Only he wasn’t stopping at our door. It looked as though he was chasing something. Probably the lone wolf from before.

Please don’t get hurt, I wanted to scream out in desperation. Don’t you die, too!

I practically pressed myself up against the window trying to see him, but the motion lights had clicked off now so I couldn’t see a thing. Only my own breath steaming up the window in front of me. My chest actually hurt because I was so worried. What had happened to Jesse? Could he tackle the strange wolf with the diamond shape? I didn’t think my heart could take another tragedy, especially not if it involved Jesse!

“Marie.”

I jumped back as I heard my name through the door. But it was Jesse, so I raced over there and peered through the cracks of the door. Although, that was another shocking sight, because I could see that he was naked. Just casually standing outside my house with no clothes on. There was no way I could open the door and look him in the eye nude. All the desire I had looking at him covered up would come flooding to the surface tenfold.

“Jesse,” I just about managed to rasp back. “What’s going on?”

“I tracked the rogue wolf here. It’s dangerous, Marie. We need to be prepared for anything. I don’t know what’s going to happen and what that wolf is doing here, but we do need to keep our minds sharp, okay?”

“Is it the wolf linked to the attacks?”

I wanted to take this seriously, I really did, but my stomach was flip-flopping with desire. I could see his thick, muscular thighs, the curve of his ass, and his muscles. My God, his torso was taut, and his abs were to die for. My mouth ran dry as I stared at him, his handsomeness causing butterflies to flap violently all the way through me. My knees might as well have been as weak as jelly as I stared at him. It was some kind of miracle that I was still standing upright.

“I think so.”

I nodded, my heart pounding with fear. “What do we do, Jesse?”

He took a deep breath, his expression grave. That much I could see. “First, you need to tell me everything you know about the rogue wolf. Any details you can remember.”

“The wolf had lighter colored fur and a diamond shape across its chest.”

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself. I could see him hanging his head low. I didn’t know what this meant, but it was troubling, to say the least. “Okay, well I will be back in the morning. Are you okay with Belle until the morning?”

I pressed my palm up against the door, half wishing that he would just come in here to hide away with us, so I knew that he was safe too. But I also knew I wouldn’t feel safe if it wasn’t for Jesse out there fighting for us. “Of course. I will keep Belle here. Please, be careful.”

He nodded just the once before he took off. I watched through the cracks in the door as Jesse hurried away from the house, his steps quickening until he burst out of his human form and transformed into a magnificent wolf. His fur glistened in the moonlight, and he moved with a grace and power that left me in awe.

My heart ached with worry as I saw him disappear into the night, heading toward the danger that lurked in the darkness. I couldn’t help but feel a mix of fear and admiration for him, knowing that he was risking his life to protect us.

“Belle is asleep.” My father’s voice made me jump once more. “I didn’t know she would go to sleep. She must have been shattered.”

I nodded slowly. “Well, Jesse has just been here. They’re after that lone wolf now. I guess that wolf is the one behind the attacks.

Dad’s lips pursed together. “Well, I think you should get some sleep as well. I’ll keep watch for a while. I’m wired and I would much rather wait up just to check that the wolf doesn’t come back again. We don’t know what it wants.”

Yeah, that was true. We didn’t have any idea what this wolf was after. It obviously liked killing, but then my dad was right there, and he didn’t get killed, so maybe there was something else that the wolf wanted. The only new person in this house was Belle, but I couldn’t imagine anyone being after her. That sucked. I had to shake my head to get that out of my mind before it overwhelmed me completely.

“Are you sure?” I asked, the weariness overcoming me. I really did need sleep, and I guessed my father could see that.

“Yeah.” He ran his eyes curiously all over my face. “You look shattered.”

I rolled my eyes and left the room. I sighed as I headed to my bed, the events of the evening weighing heavily on my mind. I knew I should try to get some rest, especially with Belle asleep in the next room, but sleep seemed elusive. The image of Jesse, determined and fearless as he transformed into a wolf and raced off to confront the rogue, replayed in my thoughts. Plus, his naked body right outside of my home was obviously going to torment me. I’d been too horny to sleep for ages, so this was only going to make me a million times worse. I didn’t need to imagine how good his body was, because I had seen him with my own eyes.

I slumped down on the bed, absolutely exhausted, but my mind refused to quiet down. Thoughts of Jesse and the dangerous situation he was in consumed me. I couldn’t help but worry about his safety, even though I knew he was a skilled and capable shifter.

As I lay there in the dimly lit room, I wished for the reassurance of Jesse’s presence, the comfort of his strong arms around me, his lips brushing against my cheeks, trying to kiss me, his hands exploring my body, while I touched him all over also.

Despite my exhaustion, sleep remained elusive, and I spent the night tossing and turning, my thoughts consumed by the wolf I couldn’t help but care for way too deeply.