Wolf Bonded (Wolfish 1)

“May I speak with you a moment, Kaleb?”

Romulus’ voice is measured, but there’s no hiding the fury hiding beneath.

Kaleb nods once and follows his father out, but not before catching the tips of my fingers in his and giving them a gentle parting squeeze.

“You okay?” Marlowe asks as soon as they’ve left, seeing my obvious flustered state.

“Yeah,” I answer, but I have to take a deep breath. The tension there for a moment was so palpable that I thought Kaleb was going to attack Romulus.

“Come on,” Marlowe says as he offers up his hand for me to take. “I want to show you something.”

“Is it one of the other four libraries?” I ask, teasingly. I feel my hands still and the anxiousness begin to pass. Marlowe has a way of doing that. Of easing things.

“No,” he laughs. “I want to show you the garden.”

As soon as we step out into the back, I’m blown away by the sight that spreads out in front of us. It’s like a sea of color, wildflowers, mosses, and plants that I’ve never laid eyes on before.

“How can all of this grow in this cold weather?”

“Lydia’s pretty adept at gardening,” Marlowe says with a smile that tells me there’s something more to it. “I thought you might like it.”

“It’s beautiful,” I say in a hushed tone. There’s a sanctity to the space that demands it.

We sit down on a lush patch of thick grass where flowers sprout up all around us. I feel like I’m in Wonderland.

“Do you like it here?” Marlowe asks. “I mean, not here in the garden, but here, on the property. I know the cabin is a little small.”

“Yeah,” I say. “It took some getting used to the outhouse, but it’s quiet down there. I like that.”

Marlowe laughs. “Well if you ever get tired of the quiet, or that outhouse, I hope you know you’re welcome to come up here to the house anytime you’d like.”

“Thanks,” I say, smiling. I highly doubt I’ll start making a trek up to the big house every time I’ve got to take a shit, but I appreciate the sentiment. Also, with all their warnings of rival packs and reckless shifters … I doubt I’ll be trekking around the woods on my own any time soon.

A cool breeze rustles the top of the grasses. Somewhere, behind us, I can make out the sound of muffled voices from back inside the house.

“Kaleb mentioned that you guys were all preparing for some big ceremony or something. Is it happening soon?”

“Nah,” he shakes his head. “Not for a few more months.”

“Wow, it must take a lot of preparation then.”

“It’s not just that, it’s the timing. The ritual can only take place on a solar eclipse. There’ll be lots of wolf packs coming, some traveling a great distance.”

I sit back and take him in for a moment.

It’s Marlowe’s turn to look uncomfortable. “What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”

I shake my head. “I guess I’m just not used to getting straight answers yet.” I let out a little laugh, which Marlowe matches with his own. “So, this ceremony,” I continue, “It’s for a new shifter joining the pack?”

When Marlowe gives me another strange look, I explain how Kaleb was telling me about some of their rituals while we were in the library.

“Sounds like he gave you a pretty solid mini-lesson,” Marlowe says. “He didn’t tell you who it was for though?”

I shake my head.

“Typical. It’s for him, the dummy.”

For Kaleb?