Sacred Bond: A Human Mate for Beta

Chapter Four

EVERLY

The signal came. Well, my personal signal. I know nothing good ever happens after Carly kicks her shoes off. Standing on a wobbly leg, she tucks her finger in the back of her snakeskin print boot and attempts to slide her foot out. “Eh. Its stuuuck.” She whines to no on in particular. Her “friend”, Jackson, was on the dance floor with everyone and I was getting my third glass of water from the bartender.

“Here, let me help you.” I say, firmly pushing her shoe on more securely.

“Everlyyyy, no I want them offf. Not on.” Curtains of her black hair fall forward as she slumps on a bar stool.

“No, it’s ok! I am calling our ride. Just a few minutes and we can get changed and all comfy.” I say reassuringly patting the top of her head.

I got a text:

Diego will be there in 1 minute

Perfect. I turn back to Carly and the bartender. “She will be right here. I gotta get my other friends.” I say to him patting the bar top.

He nods at me in acknowledgement. He was tall and lean. He seemed similar to the other massive dudes in here, but look more agile. His black vest over his printed button down was a nice touch. The rolled-up sleeves of his shirt exposed several tribal looking tattoos and an emblem thag looked like a wolf on a mountain peak against a crescent moon. Huh, that’s neat.

He smirked at me as I turned to the dance floor.

“EVERLY! One more dance! C’mon! Please??!” Bianca shouted over the music. She was grinding on a long hair, blonde guy who was ever so grabby with his hands.

“B, we gotta go. Diego is here probably!” I shouted back, scanning the crowd of obnoxiously tall people for my shortest friend. I spotted a flowy sleeve in the air. “Go with Carly. She’s at the bar and tell Diego we are on our way.” I started gently shoving towards Jordan as Bianca turned with a pouty face. She formedformed a heart with her hands in “Love You” before walking towards the bar. I moved my way through the crowd, getting groped throughout. What was this music? It was like putting people in a trance or something I thought.

“Oh, there you are. Did you get drunk at all?” Jordan asks, while shaking her hips and tossing her hair back. “I did but it’s time to go! I’m tired and Carly has her shoes off.” I shout over the music.

“Ahhh, man! The shooooes! Ok, I’ll be right there.” She abruptly turns and grabs the sexy stubble and chiseled jawline face of the guy behind her. I see her press her mouth on his and he smiles against her lips before enthusiastically returning her kiss.

“Thank you, Johnathan.” She slurred and pat his cheek.

Looking a little disappointed he murmured, “it’s-its Jake.”

Jordan linked her arm and mine and said, “Let’s rally the troops.”

“Yea, they are rallied already! Did you have fun?” I bounce my eyebrows at her and nod towards the dance floor where disappointed Johnathan-Jake tries to find out what to do with his hands now that they are empty.

“Pffft, oh him?! He was nice, a bit handsy, but that’s what I wanted. Now, I want a bed.”

We walk through the front door of the club and a group of girls pass us. They were a bit taller than average and with cute figures. There must be something in the water, I think to myself.

A girl with dark short cropped hair is covered in an oversized flannel. As she walks past, I get a whiff of the most amazing cologne I’ve ever smelled. Like a mix of cedar wood and light campfire with a touch of designer scent. My heart flutters and I stop with a my breath caught in my throat. I turn to look at her, just as she is looking at me.

“Cedarwood, mm.” I whisper to myself with a soft smile on my face. Her eyes go wide in alarm. She just stares at me for a beat before grabbing the flannel posseively closer around her body. “Sorry! I just—your perfume or something just smells—so good.” I say a little embarrassed. She doesn’t move and the girls with her are whispering in her ear and each other’s. One of them said, “c’mon, Jess. It’s ok. It’s going to be fine.”

They were comforting her? What in the world? I questioned internally. I turn to herd my drunken besties inside Diego’s car. I glance back at the group of girls as the open the bar door. “Jessss!” The club cheered. Jess tucked her hair behind her ear and gave a little embarrassed wave as she stepped in the door.

“Everly! Get in!” Jordan’s muffled request came from the backseat. I turned and laughed at what I saw. All my gorgeous friends pleasantly drunk and in disarray, crammed in the back seat of the Uber. I opened the front passenger door and got in. “If they throw up, that will be extra.” Diego was not amused.

“Sorry, they should be good. You have the address, right?.” I clicked my seat belt.

“Music! We need music!” Carly said loudly in my ear.

“May I?” I let my hand linger in front of the radio. “Sure.” Diego replies.

After 10 minutes of driving towards the outskirts of town, and lots of off key singing, we arrive back at the cabin and begin the unloading of limbs, jackets, and purses. Although I drank water, all the mixing of drinks still has my head a little fuzzy. Bianca is shivering with her arms wrapped around herself. “I got the door code.” She marches to the front door and I hear beeps as she enters the code.

I’ve put my arm around Carly as I help her towards the door. “Hurry! I gotta pee!” Jordan says to Bianca, tapping her toes in place with urgency.

“Thanks, Diego!” I wave over my shoulder towards the car. He beeps in acknowledgement as he drives away. The front door opens and Jordan shoves past Bianca who laughs, tipsily, “Don’t pee your pants again!” Jordan runs through the open front room and rounds a corner out of sight. “We aren’t mentioning that!” Her muffled shout comes from the bathroom.

I look around the cabin for the first time. It’s cozy with a wide mouth fireplace with white painted trim. The couch was a gray sectional with plush, overstuffed cushions. Various fleece lined throw blankets and pillows were strewn about. The ottoman was meant for feet, but had a hard top for glasses and items. The huge front windows looked into the front of the cabin. Through the room was an open kitchen area with shiplap lining the wall. A whole wall of windows that looked out into the dark woods. There was a windowed door that led to the back deck. I opened the door. And stepped outside. It was so quiet. I took a deep breath of chilled mountain air, pulling my long sleeves over my hands. I titled my face up at the moonlight. This is heaven, I smiled to myself. The wind blew strong across my body. A massive shiver coursed through me as my hair whipped across my face. I turned to go back inside as I heard a really deep and REALLY close howl. I froze on the spot for a second before I rushed to the door to scramble inside.

That was scary! I huffed in the kitchen. Suddenly, my mouth felt really dry and I felt creepy crawly all over, like someone was watching me. I hurried to the deep white sink with black accent faucets. A framed note stated:

Enjoy some mountain spring water courtesy of our private well.

Curious, I grabbed a glass from the open air shelf and filled it with water straight from the sink. I was bringing the glass up to my mouth when a howl startled me.

I dropped the glass and it shattered in the sink.

“s**t!” I scrambled to pick up the broken pieces out of the sink.

Another howl.

I jumped again and I looked around the kitchen.

“You ok in there? What broke?!” Bianca was shouting from the other side of the cabin.

“Yea-yea. Good! Just broke a glass!” I stammer back as a sweat started to bead on my forehead.

“Clutz!” Jordan cackled from the same area as Bianca.

“Come, please.” I jerk my head up and look right out the window over the sink to the dark woods. I’m freeze in place, expectant but of what? Oh now I’m hearing things? Must be the altitude.

Movement has grabbed my attention on the edge of the trees. Slowly a figure comes out of the trees. My eyes adjust and the most beautiful wolf I’ve ever seen is staring right at me!

“What the f**k?!” I yell.

I stood there, enchanted by this creature with his white, shiny coat that illuminates it with the moonlight reflecting off the snow. It’s eyes look like silver orbs, reflecting the light. I feel a longing, like I want to run to it. It was an incredible creature. It’s light wolf eyes were somehow—-sultry as they stared at me.

“Wildlife.” I mumbled to no one.

“Did you need any help—ahhhhh!” Jordan screams, scaring the s**t out of my and breaking whatever trance I was just in.

I shrink down a sec and look back at her to see if she is ok.

“Wolf! Holy s**t! There’s a massive wolf! Lock the doors!” Jordan starts scrambling to the door to make sure it’s locked.

“Wha—?” Carly and Bianca come into the kitchen.

I look back out the window and the wolf is gone.

I don’t know why, but I feel disappointed. I want to see it again. It was so majestic.

“It’s ok! It’s ok!” I say putting my hands up. “That was so weird and so cool. I’ve never seen one up close like that.” I say. They all look at me like I’m crazy.

“What if it broke in?! He and his little friends could have eaten us!” Jordan insists.

“He didn’t mean any harm.” I say immediately.

“How do you know? And how do you know he has friends, Jordan?!” Bianca crosses her arms in discomfort.

“Duh, everyone knows wolves travel in packs.” Jordan says, matter of factly.

“Let’s just go to bed. Im tired.” Carly whines from the couch.

“Yea! We should wake up and go on a little hike tomorrow. Goseman Trail!” I say excitedly.

The three drunk girls in front of me exchange whines, pouts and eye rolls.

“I can’t think about hiking right now. I’m already hungover.” Carly moans.

I laugh and run to my room to change. I feel so pumped for tomorrow, I don’t know why. I’ve always loved hiking but this crazy feeling this will be a perfect day hike adventure.