Howls of the Lost

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

            The ceiling of Logan’s bedroom had become incredibly interesting over the previous hour. My leg only needed to be wrapped, but I still had to stay off of it for three days before it was completely healed. At least being a shifter was good for one thing: we healed fast. The only bad thing about all of this?

            I had to stay on bed rest in Logan's room, because he said there were no other available rooms. I called bullshit.

            If I didn't kill him it would be a miracle. My eye was already beginning to twitch and I had only been around him for an hour. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the company. It was just that I didn’t particularly like his company.

            "Ma vie, your eye is twitching," Logan pointed out, tracing a finger across my cheek.

            "I wonder why that is.”

            "Why?" he asked.

            "Probably because there is a certain annoying mutt sitting on my bed," I snapped, attempting to hit him.

            A slow smile spread across his face as we both realized he was lying just out of reach of my arm. "Sorry to break it to you, but this is my bed."

            "Not while I'm in it it's not."

            "Yes it is."

            Turning my head, I met his gaze. "Logan, if you are any kind of a gentleman, you will respect my wishes and sleep on the floor while I'm here," I said in the sweetest voice I could manage.

            "Alright, ma vie. I'll sleep on the floor," he relented, faster than I had thought he would.

            Offering him a small smile, I turned my attention back to the ceiling. "Thank you."

            All of a sudden I heard a bunch of elephants tramping into the room.

            Alright, elephants may have been an exaggeration, but seven anxious shifters filled up the small room. The four from Logan's pack stayed close to the door, but Ashlyn, Michael, and David all came over and knelt down beside me. My gaze never strayed from the ceiling, despite the now incessant chatter – mostly coming from Ashlyn.

            "What’re you looking at, Tor?" David asked me, moving my hair out of my face as he kneeled down beside the bed.

            A slight smile tilted my lips upward. "A panda in a tutu riding a giraffe in a zebra shirt, who's balancing on a – No I'm pretty sure I'm just looking at the ceiling."

            David just rolled his eyes and ruffled my hair. "Very funny."

            "I know right?"

            He poked my cheek. "So how are you holding up?"

            A sigh slipped out of my mouth. "Bed rest for three days. And I have to serve it here." I hooked my thumb in Logan's direction. "With him."

            "I think you'll survive. We'll come visit you every day,” he said, chuckling.

            "Yeah," Ashlyn threw in. "Wouldn't want you to have to deal with him all by yourself."

            Logan’s irritated growl caused me to attempt to stifle a giggle. Someone else in the room didn't succeed as well as I did. "Rikki, shut up," he told the red-headed girl from his pack. "And you," he said, pointing to Ashlyn. "Stop with the remarks about me."

            Ashlyn sneered. "Why, I think they're quite comical. Wouldn't you agree, Tor?" she questioned, forcing a fake accent.

            This time I couldn’t hold it in and a small laugh bubbled out of my mouth. Logan glared at me and I just shrugged. "Why yes, Ashlyn, I certainly do," I answered her in the same accent, a smug smile fitting itself onto my face.

            "Me too! Me too! I find it extremely comical," the red head from Logan's pack said, jumping up and down with her hand in the air.

            "Rikki. Shut. Up," Logan said between clenched teeth.

            She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh hush, Logan. It's just fun."

            "Rikki, right?" I asked.

            She smiled at me. "Yes, ma'am!"

            "I'm Torian. I like you already,” I said, stretching across Logan to shake her hand.

            She took my hand and grinned. "Ashlyn said you would."

            The she-wolf in question shrugged when I shot her a questioning look. "We got to talking outside. She's awesome," she explained.

            Looking back at Rikki, I saw that she was intently watching a point beyond me. Following her gaze I noticed that David was looking into her eyes with the same intensity. Mated! I thought. The elation for David coursed through my veins. He had waited so long for his mate to come along. My hand reached over of its own accord and pulled at his hair. "Finally met your match, Dave?" I asked.

            He blushed and looked away. Biting my tongue barely contained the ‘aww’ I wanted to spill when he said, "Shut up, Tor."

            My excited clapping ended up gaining the attention of every person in the room. David gave me a death glare and I just shook my head at him. Turning to Rikki, I narrowed my eyes at her. "You take good care of my little brother here. Got it, Rikki?"

            She blinked and let what I had said sink in. When it registered she blushed and looked at the ground. "Thanks for the announcement, Tori," she said, raising her head and giving me a playful glare.

            A cheeky grin overtook my face. "Anytime!"

            "You're brother and sister?" Logan asked me.

            "Not literally." I looked past him to the three shifters I was clueless about. "Are you going to introduce me?" I asked Logan, nodding towards his pack.

            He smiled and nodded, seemingly pleased that I was curious about his pack. He pointed to the little blonde in the corner with blue eyes. She looked skeptical of the newcomers in the room. Her mouth was firmly closed as she made eye contact with me. "That's Brooke. She's a little antisocial at the moment because she doesn't like new people, but she might come around." He pointed to a guy with spiked up hair and brown eyes a few shades darker than David's. "That's Troy, he's the quite one. You already know Rikki," he said glaring at her. Troy smiled at me and waved as Logan pointed to the final person.

            The boy's hair was shaggy and with his angular features he looked strikingly like Logan. Except for his eyes, which were dark blue instead of green. He grinned at me and ambled over to the bed. Logan rolled his eyes when I gingerly shook the boy's hand. "And this is my little brother, Dalton. You can pretty much ignore him."

            "Jeez, Logan. Be a little more inconsiderate why don't you?" Dalton said, a frown pulling down the corners of his lips.

            "Did I happen to mention his sarcasm problem?”

            "Dalton?" I asked, grinning before I could stop myself.

            "Yeah?" he replied, turning towards me.

            I winked. "I think we’re going to be real good friends."

            Dalton pumped his fist in the air. "Eat it, Logan! Your mate likes me more than you!" he said, sticking his tongue out.

            My heart dropped into my stomach as his words sank in. How did he know I was Logan’s mate? Had Logan told him? I hadn’t even told my own pack, and now it was out in the open before I was prepared.

            Logan punched Dalton in the arm and rolled his eyes, turning to me. "Your turn to do introductions."

            Turning to face our small pack, I forced a smile to conceal my unease.  "That's Ashlyn; she's sarcastic and won't hesitate to give you her opinion." I motioned to Michael. "That's Mike, our Muscle Man and Ash's mate. He's pretty quiet but he's really just a big ol' teddy bear." I winked at him as he rolled his eyes at me. Finally, I pointed to David. "And this is David. He's just well . . ." I trailed off trying to think of a good explanation for him. He raised an eyebrow as I shrugged. "He's David," I finally said.

            David rolled his eyes and mock punched my arm. "Thanks so much, Tor."

            "Torian?" Brooke called, gaining my full attention.

            "Yeah?"

            "You're their Alpha, right?"

            "Yes,” I said.

            She came over and sat at the foot of the bed. "How's that possible? I'm not trying to be rude or anything . . . I just thought only men could be Alpha."

            My body tensed. I really didn’t want to answer that question. David and Logan noticed my anxiety and they each laid a hand on my shoulder. Relaxing a little, I forced out another fake smile. "It's a long story . . . let's just say it runs in the family."

            Brooke gave me a small smile. She seemed to know there was more behind the story than I was willing to tell, but she took my hint and didn't press the subject further. My pack all knew my story, but it had been a while before I actually confided in them. Logan’s pack was all new to me and I probably wouldn’t be comfortable enough to tell them my story for a while.

            If ever.

            Logan poked me in the side and I jumped. Luckily I didn't mess up anything with my leg, but I turned to frown at him. "What was that for?"

            "You zoned out there for a little bit, ma vie."

            Scowling, I chucked a pillow at him. It smacked him right in the face and I stifled a giggle. Turning my head, I glanced out the window. To my bewilderment, I saw stars twinkling back at me. When had it gotten to be so late? As if on cue, a yawn escaped me.

            "Alright guys, file out. Torian needs her sleep," Logan said, softly chuckling.

            "Love you guys,” I called to my pack as they left.

            "Love you too, Tor." David, Ashlyn, and Michael all chorused before walking out.

            Snuggling down into the covers, I was only mildly shocked to feel the bed dip beside me. "Floor, Logan," I ordered in a soft voice.

            "Aw. C'mon," he whined.

            Opening one eye, I saw him pouting, an irresistible puppy-dog face adorning his features. I scowled at him. "How'd you know I can’t resist puppy-dog faces?" I asked.

            "I guessed," he said, grinning as he slipped under the covers next to me. Slowly, he dared to snake an arm around my waist.

            "Logan, get on your own side of the bed or I'll rip your arm off," I murmured, not sounding the least bit threatening.

            "You'll love me one day, ma vie,” he commented, his deep voice causing a shiver to slide down my spine.

            "Stop calling me that. It's not likely."

            I could almost feel his smirk in the darkness. "I like it, ma vie. And it's a promise, you'll fall for me. Our mating wasn't a mistake."

            "In your dreams,” I whispered on a yawn.

❃         ❃         ❃         ❃         ❃

            Torian was asleep just after she spoke, so she never heard Logan's soft, "Every night now, Torian." Nor did she feel him scoot closer and pull her against him as he fell asleep as well.