Undying: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 2) Page 2

  “What?” Landon asked, tilting his head and acting far too cocky. “Cat got your tongue?” His smirk turned into a full-blown smile. He thought he was funny, did he? Well, he had another thing coming.

  “Nope,” she said. “No cats around here. Only a jackass of a wolf who thinks he knows everything.” Being connected with her wolf now made Addie prone to swear a bit more than she used to. Her mother would have an aneurysm if she heard her say the word jackass.

  And even so…she thought she sounded like a child swearing. The word didn’t come out right. It sounded off, somehow. Wrong. A kid trying to sound like an adult—which was so stupid, because Addie was nearly twenty. She was as much of an adult as she could be. Being legally able to drink alcohol when she turned twenty-one? Not her threshold to adulthood.

  Landon did not particularly like being called a jackass, for his expression darkened, the smile falling off his face. He took a step toward her. “What did you just call me?” His chest rumbled with a strange mixture of a breath and a growl.

  And, darn it, if Addie didn’t find it painfully attractive…

  Her wolf wanted to throw herself at him right then and there, but luckily someone else stepped in the hall, munching on a breakfast bar even though it was way past breakfast time. Maze stood, acting as if his burnt arm didn’t hurt at all, chewing loudly as his eyes flicked between Addie and Landon.

  “Am I interrupting something?” Maze asked, his brown eyes taking in every single detail. How Addie stood, how Landon had moved closer to her. Probably noticed the way her cheeks were flushed. “Tell me I’m interrupting something,” he said again when neither of them spoke. “Should I get Dylan? We can both interrupt, if you want.”

  “Why would I want you both to interrupt?” Addie said, glad for the distraction. It saved her from doing anything she might regret later…and anything she might not regret later. Knowing her inner wolf, she wouldn’t regret anything that took place between her and any of her intended mates.

  The same time Addie asked her question, Landon hurriedly said, “Nothing. You’re interrupting nothing.” He backed off, fuming as he stormed down the hall, nearly knocking into Maze’s shoulder—the burnt one—as he disappeared out the front door.

  “Methinks I interrupted something,” Maze said, wiggling his eyes in the most stupid of ways.

  Still, it got Addie to laugh. “Methinks you’re so weird.”

  He finished his snack, his mouth too full to act shocked. Once he swallowed, he gave her an easy, dimpled smile, and the smile sent her insides aflutter, little butterflies scattering in her stomach. “Methinks you kind of like it.”

  “Methinks we should stop saying methinks,” Addie said with a sigh, crossing her arms. “I don’t think he likes me.” She didn’t know why she cared all of a sudden; before she’d found him in the cabin, she was firmly on the side of screw you, Landon. Now…now things were complicated.

  It had to be her wolf. Her wolf wanted him to like her, wanted more from him than just a claiming. So stupid, not to mention ridiculous, because she felt the same way about Dylan and Maze.

  Having the same intense feelings for multiple people was not something Addie was used to. She grew up in human society, not in the pack, and having multiple mates, partners, husbands, whatever they were called, seemed odd to her, even if her wolf was all for it. Since she was staying, it was something she’d have to get used to.

  “Who?” Maze turned his head, following her gaze to the front door, which now sat closed. “Landon? Oh, come on. Isn’t it obvious?” He chuckled, shaking his head. His short blonde hair moved only slightly with the movement, and Addie resisted the urge to run her fingers through its length. It was the perfect length to tug on.

  Okay. That was something she probably shouldn’t have thought.

  Swallowing down her inappropriate thoughts, Addie nodded. Yes, she’d meant Landon. Who else? And what the heck did Maze mean when he said it was obvious? Nothing was obvious to Addie. At least, not when it came to things like this. To her wolf, sure. But her? Nope.

  “Landon likes you,” Maze said, speaking as if it were more than obvious. “That was him showing he cares about you. Following you downstairs like that? He wouldn’t do that for me. Unless I asked him, which, you know, I would never, because I’m a man—but you?”

  She blinked, saying slowly, “I am not…a man?” Addie wasn’t sure why she asked it like a question, because she’d known for quite a long while now she was not a man, but Maze was staring at her like he expected her to talk.

  “Right you are, yeah. Definitely not a man.” Maze stopped his long-winded speech to have a good, hard look at her, and she rolled her eyes. “Believe it or not, Addie, that was Landon playing nice.”

  Nice? That was Landon playing nice? Addie did not want to know what he was like when he was playing mean, or whatever the opposite of playing nice was. Playing dirty? Whatever. Now was not the time to get lost in her own thoughts.

  “And you called him a jackass,” Maze laughed out. “The look in his eyes was priceless. I wish I could’ve recorded it. Mushy-gushy Landon. Who would’ve known?”

  The more Maze spoke, the more Addie felt herself growing confused. “That was not mushy-gushy Landon. That was…he’s a—well, a jackass!” There that word was again, sounding foreign on her tongue, as if it was hard to pronounce.

  The smile Maze wore only widened, his dimples deepening. Though she liked those dimples, she was ready to smack them right off his face. “You like him, don’t you?” When she only glared at him, no words coming from her to deny it, he said, “You like the jackass. Don’t deny it. I can see it. That means you like each of us, yeah? No problem with our mini-pack. Forest will be happy to hear it—”

  Okay, at that, she had to cut in, “Don’t you tell Forest anything.”

  “Why not? He needs to know. Plus, he should have some good news, after all this.”

  Forest was their alpha, but he didn’t need to know how she felt about the others, did he? Yes, they were supposed to be her intended mates, so she supposed it might all work out, but still. Knowing he knew, it was…weird.

  Then again, soon enough the whole pack will know, won’t they?

  “I’ll…I’ll tell him,” Addie said, not sure if she was lying or not. “Where is he?” He’d left the house a while ago, putting Maze and Dylan in charge of watching the basement door to make sure Jack didn’t escape, but where he went, she hadn’t an idea.

  “He’s probably done informing the pack of what happened. He might be back at the clearing, helping to dig up the…” His voice quieted, losing its witty gusto. “The bodies.”

  All of the shifters who’d lost their lives to Clay. Far too many. Addie knew she’d have nightmares about it for a long time. All those crosses, stuck haphazardly into the ground, marking the graves. All done in the name of twisted research. Clay was a madman, and he had to be stopped.

  Addie didn’t want to return to the clearing where the cabin used to be—and then suddenly wasn’t, because of magic—but she could not stay in this house and argue with Maze about it. About Landon, about Forest. About anything. She had to get out, feel the breeze on her back.

  “I’ll go,” she said. Addie started to the door, hating its ugly yellow color, but she was trailed shortly by Maze. Her hand was on the doorknob, but Maze set his burn-free arm against it, holding it shut. She might’ve been stronger than she was before joining with her wolf, but she was still not as strong as the guys. “Maze,” she whispered, “what are you doing?”

  “You know, Dylan ran home to grab his book.” She felt him move closer to her, could feel his body radiating heat behind her. “We are more alone than we might be for a while.” His voice held no traces of the sarcasm it usually did. It was low, serious, almost too deep.

  She shivered, and not because she was cold. Addie managed to say, “What are you getting at?” She wasn’t sure why she asked. She already knew.

  “There are other things we could
do, besides running off to Forest.”

  Running off to Forest was probably the smartest thing to do, considering. Her body had other ideas though, for it responded to Maze’s suggestion. Addie felt her back arching, and she leaned against his chest. Solid, warm, strong. He smelled mainly of aloe vera now, but behind the gel, she knew his scent, knew him more than she’d ever known another guy before.

  Humans, clearly, weren’t her type. Shifters were. Wolves were, because they were one and the same.

  “I thought,” she whispered, her voice far too breathy and light, “you said Forest should know?”

  “He can wait another hour, can’t he?” Maze leaned down, nuzzling the back of her neck, his nose brushing past her brown and pink hair, lips reaching her tender, sensitive skin. How the heck could he flick the switch from sarcastic little twerp to a suave smooth-talker?

  Oh, Addie wanted to say he could, because running off and telling Forest all about her business was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted nothing more than to let Maze keep going, to feel his lips on more than just her neck, but she also knew once she crossed that line, there would be no going back. No putting her feelings back into a box. Once it happened, it would happen fast and strong like a hurricane, and anything subsequent she would never be able to deny.

  No, for everyone’s sake—but mostly for hers—Addie had to nip this in the bud and ignore the warmth flooding the area below her stomach.

  “As tempting as it is,” Addie spoke as she straightened her back and stepped closer to the door, pulling herself away from him. The nuzzling being done on her neck stopped, and she felt its loss heavily. “I’m going to have to pass.”

  “You are too cruel,” Maze said, his arm sliding off the door. “Too cruel.”

  Addie yanked the door open, tossing him a look over her shoulder. “Sorry, but you started it. I just had to end it.” She hoped she didn’t come off sounding too mean, but she would not lose herself to him or his brothers. Not while she had to prepare herself for Clay.

  Maze must not have been too offended, for he only gave her a lopsided smile. “Your willpower—I can see it crumbling. One of these days, I’ll get you.”

  Like she knew it was coming, she said quickly, “Don’t you dare wink.” But by the time she’d said it, he had already done it. Addie let out an incredulous laugh, because who the heck winked in real life? Before she gave him another chance to do something equally as silly, she was out of the house and down the sidewalk.

  Chapter Three

  Addie didn’t make it far. She got to the sidewalk and turned to head toward the lake—her sense of direction was much better now she was united with her inner wolf—but she nearly ran into someone. She jerked back, saying immediately, “Sorry.” It was then she realized she’d almost bumped into one of the pack’s pregnant women.

  A pretty girl, a bit older than Addie by a couple of years. Wild, long black hair almost halfway down her back. Pale skin, a freckle-free face containing the world’s softest, warmest brown eyes. She wore a colorful, Bohemian-style dress, hoops in her ears and sandals on her feet. From the look of her belly, she was ready to pop any time now.

  Did the pack have a doctor nearby? Did they go to the hospital? The pack seemed quite self-sufficient when it came to injuries, but a pregnancy was a little different and required a special kind of touch.

  Then again, women had been giving birth for millennia now. Certain things were instinctual, especially when it came to shifters.

  And the woman before her? Shifter. Definitely. Addie just knew.

  “It’s okay,” the woman said, her eyes studying her intently, as if Addie was a strange specimen. Which, she supposed, she was, since she was half shifter and half witch/warlock and could access the powers of both. “You’re the newcomer—Adeline?”

  “Addie,” she said. At least talking with this woman was getting her mind off of Maze in the house. It wasn’t even their house. It was Forest’s. What was he thinking, suggesting they do stuff in someone else’s house?

  “I’m Caitlin,” the woman spoke with a smile. Unlike the mischievous nature of most of Maze’s smiles, hers was soft, genuine, hiding nothing. It was…refreshing, actually. “It’s nice to finally meet the one making such a fuss.”

  As Addie stared at her, she recognized her. She was the woman on the sidewalk, on her first day, when she’d arrived here. Caitlin had stared at her strangely then, too. “I’m not making the fuss,” she said.

  “Don’t be modest. You’ve created a ripple in a calm lake.”

  Addie wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and she didn’t know how to answer the woman. Not a fan of small talk, she said, “I was just leaving to find Forest.”

  Nodding, Caitlin said, “I’ll walk with you. I doubt they’d want you to be alone, with everything that’s happened.” She cradled her belly as she turned around, facing the same direction Addie was.

  “Who?”

  “Your mates, of course.”

  Now it was Addie’s turn to nod dumbly. “Of course.” It was already a given, then, that she would be with Maze, Dylan, and Landon. She was unsure if it made her angry or not. At this point, she didn’t know what she should feel.

  As she started walking, Caitlin kept her word and went with her. Addie asked, “Getting in your midday walk?” Was that a thing pregnant women did? She had no idea.

  God, that question fell under the realm of small talk, didn’t it?

  “I try to stay active, even if I’m not supposed to shift,” Caitlin said, patting her round belly.

  “You’re not supposed to shift?” It was news to Addie, and she couldn’t say why it shocked her so much. She hadn’t shifted once, but it seemed like something important, something vital to who all shifters were. Being unable to do so for nine months straight? Had to be pure torture.

  Caitlin replied, “It’s not good for the baby, not this far along. I haven’t gone on a run with the pack in months.” She squeezed her eyes shut, as if the thought hurt. Addie supposed it did. “You know, I was in the meeting when Forest told the pack what happened. You haven’t been here a week yet, and you’re already becoming something of a legend.”

  A legend? Addie? “That seems a little extreme.”

  “It’s not. The way Forest spoke about you…it’s like you’re untouchable. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone get his respect so fast.”

  “Forest’s respect?” Addie shook her head. There was no way she had Forest’s respect. She was a newbie, someone he didn’t know. Plus, she’d only agreed to join the pack this morning. She wasn’t one for following rules or respecting authority herself—unless that authority earned it. To hear Forest had spoken of her with respect…Caitlin had to be wrong.

  Caitlin went on, oblivious to the surprise on Addie’s face, “Forest doesn’t give his respect lightly. You must be quite a woman.” She smiled again, her features soft and supple with the added weight of her pregnancy.

  “Oh, you know. I try.”

  As they went, Caitlin asked her dozens of questions. What she’d been doing before this, why she decided to stay, whether she thought she would like it here. They meandered slowly, mostly because of Caitlin, but the meandering walk was a good distraction from everything. Addie found it easy to talk to her.

  Some people—or in this case, shifters—had a way about them. They were easy to relate to, even if they were strangers, even easier to talk to, though she’d never spoken a single word to her before. Past all Addie’s anxieties over everything that was happening, she recognized the feeling Caitlin inspired.

  It was like talking to a friend.

  Oh, how Addie missed it. She’d forgotten what it was like.

  Her first year of college, she and her high school friends had stayed in touch. During holidays and summer break, they visited each other and hung out like old times. Addie didn’t recognize it then, but it was when things began to grow stale between them, awkward. She’d been oblivious, but it’d been cle
ar they were moving on and she wasn’t. Unlike them, she didn’t go out to parties and didn’t make friends with other girls in her dorm.

  She had foolishly thought her friends would remain her friends, regardless of the distance between them. After all, there was Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, a whole slew of other social media platforms, not to mention texting. It wasn’t like she expected a call from each of them every day, but a few texts every now and then would’ve been nice.

  It didn’t matter in the end, though. Addie was left behind, forgotten, tossed aside in favor of shiny new people, shiny new friends, and so she just shoved her nose into her books harder. Second year of college started, and Addie had never been more alone. She had all the Disney movies and microwaveable food she would need in her room. She had studied so much, actually read the chapters in textbooks her professors assigned, and went to bed early every day, never missing a single class.

  Of course, then she got a C-minus on a research paper, and the rest was history.

  The forest around Crystal Lake’s other side was already beaten down with a heavily-used trail. Addie and Caitlin walked along it, carefully stepping over any fallen branches that were in their way. They neared the clearing, and Caitlin stopped them.

  “I’m not sure what you have to talk to Forest about, but it can’t wait?” A heaviness coated her question, an unknown lingering on her gentle tone.

  Addie was struck confused by the sudden question. “Uh, why?” So very eloquent. She had a way with words, so good at using them everyone else was jealous. Even Maze was jealous of her wordplay.

  Okay, that was a huge lie. No one was better at stringing words together than Maze. That boy could go on and on about the stupidest of things.

  Caitlin’s brown gaze fell to her feet. Or the area around her feet. Addie wasn’t sure the woman could see her feet, given the huge belly she had. “It’s really not my place to say, but…we’ve all lost something here, Addie.”

  “Clay took so many of you,” she said. “Why did you stay? Why didn’t you guys pack up and leave?” The question of the day, really. No, of the year. All those crosses, all those bodies underground. A good portion of their population, taken and experimented on by a madman. Addie knew, though, if they had left, Clay would’ve followed or found another pack to torment. There were no good options here, but it was like the Crystal Lake Pack hadn’t even tried.