More than a Werewolf (Shifty Series Book 1) Read online

  I grabbed my phone and turned on some loud music, since running was apparently out the window. I needed something to distract me from the hurricane that was my emotions, and a hot bath with loud music sounded like the new best option.

  I slid into the tub and shut my eyes, trying to get into the music. Though I usually liked country, for some reason, it was getting on my nerves that day. I swapped channels a few times, finally settling for piano music turned up loud enough that I couldn’t hear my thoughts.

  It sucked, but hey. At least it distracted me from questioning my life decisions.

  I slid back in the tub and shut my eyes, allowing my mind to drift to the most painful day of my life.

  I stood in front of the Alpha, next to the man who insisted I was his. Forrest was his name, and though he was incredibly good looking, he disgusted me.

  “Look, Alpha. Look at the mark on her neck. It matches mine.” Forrest growled, grabbing my arm and yanking me over so the Alpha could see. The Alpha massaged his temples, and I tried not to quiver in fear.

  “Forrest, your cotie would have grown if she was truly yours.” The Alpha tried to reason with him. His hand tightened around my arm, squeezing so hard that I knew it would bruise.

  The twenty-four year old was getting desperate. Once a charming young guy, under the pressure of being a lone male, he was morphing into something much scarier.

  It was especially terrifying for me, given that I was an eighteen year-old who had just graduated high school. I was small and, unless I could get out of Forrest’s grip, powerless.

  “She’s mine.” Forrest snarled, pulling me close and wrapping his arms around me in what I was sure was a death grip. No way would I survive if he lost control. His arms squeezed my shoulders and chest so tight that I couldn’t even think about moving.

  “Let go of the girl.” The Alpha stood up, hitting Forrest with dominance.

  “No.” Forrest threw me over his shoulder and took off running through the pack land.

  I screamed for help, so it wasn’t long before the Alpha and someone else caught up. They knocked Forrest out, and then turned to me.

  “You’d better run.” The Alpha said, blunt and uncaring.

  “What?” I raised my eyebrows. I’d grown up in the pack, and though they weren’t much of a family, they were all I had beside my friends.

  “Get out of here. You are no longer a member of our pack.” The Alpha’s voice was firm.

  “I didn’t do anything!” I protested.

  “You tempted an older male, which is enough for expulsion. You have three minutes to be off our land, so I suggest you shift.” He was cool, calm, and collected, and had no problem throwing me out.

  “You should be ashamed to call yourself Alpha.” I shouted at him, before shifting and running to grizzly land. I had friends of every type of shifter, yet we always gathered on Marley’s family’s land. No matter who we were or what animal we shifted into, her grizzly pack welcomed us in and would protect us.

  When I showed up, Marley threw her arms around me and called the other girls.

  I heard a knock on the front door, which yanked me out of the unfortunate memories. Turning down the music, I wrapped myself in a towel crept over to the door, trying my hardest to be quiet so the person on the other side couldn’t hear me.

  My long hair dripped water to the floor, making noise like a leaky kitchen sink. I put my eye to the peephole, and, rather than finding a bunch of big guys, I found one large black wolf.

  I knew it was Ty; his hair was the same color as his fur. I thought it was a gorgeous color, though I would’ve never admitted it to him (or myself, at the time).

  Remembering that day, the painful day, I walked back to the bathtub and slipped back into the water. He could wait out there all night, but I wasn’t going to let him in.

  He knocked a few more times, but I ignored it. After a while, he stopped, and I figured he had given up.

  When the water was only lukewarm and I got bored of my loud piano music, I climbed out of the tub and threw a big t-shirt on. I towel-dried my hair and padded out to the living room, where I stuck a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

  That would have to be good enough for dinner, I figured. My mind was way too much of a hurricane to make food.

  I flipped the TV on and went to my latest Netflix TV show obsession. My brain wasn’t planning on sleeping anytime in the near future, so it was time for a marathon.

  The popcorn beeped, and I pulled it out of the microwave.

  After burning my fingers on lava-hot butter, I went to start the show. Before I pushed the button, however, someone knocked on my door again.

  I sighed. Then, a piece of paper slid under the door.

  I forced myself to get up and go grab it, though I did so with heavy limbs. The paper said,

  I’m sorry

  I held back a smile.

  The door knocked again, and another paper slid underneath it.

  That smells really good

  I grinned, and when I pictured Ty crouching in the hall, writing notes to me while completely butt naked, I almost burst out laughing.

  The door knocked a third time, and another note slid inside.

  If you want you can let me in…

  I paused when I read that one. When I told him I didn’t want to be his Omega, I was serious. He’d made it clear, after he rescued me, that he wanted me to be exactly that.

  I sat on the corner of the couch, thinking. If I let him in, he’d take it as a sign that all was forgiven, and I was going to be some wishy-washy girl who did whatever he wanted.

  If I didn’t let him in, he’d probably sit outside all night.

  Though I wasn’t against letting him sit outside the whole night, part of me wanted him inside with me. I wanted him at my side, keeping me warm. He was the guy I’d been waiting for since I was a little girl.

  But I had plans. I was going to college, I was going to make something of myself. Being Omega didn’t fit into those plans.

  The door knocked once again, and Ty slid another paper underneath.

  No strings attached. I won’t expect anything if you let me in, promise. Just want to be close to you.

  I hesitated, but my wolf thought that was the perfect compromise, and she took us right over to the door.

  When I opened it, Ty came inside in his wolf form. He was a large wolf, one of the hugest I’d seen, and he carried my shoes and clothes in his mouth.

  He dropped them by the door, then made himself comfy on my couch.

  I shook my head and stuck another bag of popcorn into the microwave. That wolf looked like he could eat me, so one bag wasn’t gonna do to fill both of us up.

  When it finished, I sat next to him, and he placed his head on my lap. He looked up at me with big, brown eyes, and I shook my head at him.

  “You’re sneaky.” I complained.

  He just stared at me.

  “Stop it.” I muttered, shoving his head off my lap and pushing play to turn the show on. A few seconds after the first episode started, the popcorn was gone and his head was on my lap again.

  The show continued to play but my mind was still focused on everything that had happened that day.

  “I’m already signed up for college classes.” I told him, softly.

  Ty picked his head up and looked at me intently. It was the middle of November, and classes started early January. I felt guilty that he was putting his time into me, when I wasn’t going to be around two months from then. As much as I didn’t want to be an Omega, I knew that Ty had been waiting for his mate even longer than I’d been waiting for mine.

  He had been looking forward to the day he found his other half, and he deserved to know why I wasn’t going to be that to him, though nature insisted I should.

  So, despite how much I’d been avoiding him, I finally explained why it had to be that way. It was much easier while he was in wolf form so he couldn’t argue.

  “I want to be someone, you know? I
don’t just want to be the werewolf anymore. I want to do things, important things, to make a difference.” I said, my eyes glued to the screen while my focus was on the dreams in my head.

  Ty somehow managed to turn the volume down with his paws, and he nodded for me to keep going.

  “My friends and I started a YouTube channel where we make videos to teach people about shifters. People want to understand the way we work, there just isn’t enough information out there. Our channel hasn’t been all that successful yet, but I know it can be.” I played with his fur while I talked, feeling a little like I was talking to myself.

  “I’m going to major in communications so I can figure out how to get people to our page. My friends and I are all learning different things for the channel, trying to get it moving. There are ten of us, one of every type of shifter and a human, and I know we can turn it into something great.”

  I couldn’t stop the smile that drifted its way onto my face when I started talking about the future. I was so excited for our channel to grow, I couldn’t hold it back.

  “That’s why I can’t be your Omega. It has nothing to do with you. I want to do important things, to be someone important, and I’ve seen how people are treated in a pack. That’s not the way anyone becomes great, and I don’t want that for myself or any kids we could have or anyone else.

  “I don’t want to be a werewolf, Ty. I want to be a person who has value and meaning and depth. I’d give someone else this cotie if I could, because you deserve it.” I yawned. “You deserve a mate that would be happy to come last to you, but I’m not her. I’ll never be her, and I’m not sorry about that.”

  I settled into the couch and lay my head down on a pillow. I was tired of kicking him to the curb.

  The only time I had any peace that whole day was when I cuddled with Ty the wolf on the couch, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I did.

  He was the other half of my soul, for crying out loud. Had he not been the Alpha, we would’ve been sleeping together on a bed that night.

  Finding your mate is the shifter equivalent of getting married, after all. I guess that makes me the worst wife in the world.

  Chapter 5

  The next morning, Ty left just a few minutes after I woke up. He twisted the doorknob with his nose, and walked out my door like it was his.

  When I drove to the diner at 11 AM, I saw a new car following me. It was two guys in a white truck, and they didn’t seem to be trying to be sneaky like the Rockies always did. They stalked me shamelessly, and I was definitely creeped out.

  They went in the front door of the diner while I went in the back. I headed to my first table a minute later, and unfortunately, it was the stalkers.

  “Why are you following me?” I asked, looking around to make sure no one could hear. The lunch rush was just beginning, so it was loud enough inside to cover the question. “And what can I get you to drink?”

  “I’ll take a hot chocolate.” the first guy smirked. He had spiky, light hair and wore a wedding ring on his left hand, but I saw the cotie on his neck.

  “Water for me.” The second guy smiled a little more nicely. He had dirty blonde hair, longer on the top than the sides. He had a cotie too, though it looked too small for him to have found his mate yet. “Ty sent us to protect you. I’m Kyle, this is Dean. We’ll be Ty’s second and third when he becomes Alpha.” He explained.

  “Oh.” I nodded. “Well, I don’t need to be protected. You can go.” I gestured toward the door.

  “We’re not leaving.” Dean, the spiky-haired one, shrugged. “The Rockies are after you, and will be even more out to get you now that they know you’re our Alpha’s mate. You don’t have dominance, so you can’t protect yourself.” He folded his arms.

  “Right. Well, I’m moving pretty soon, so you won’t be on babysitting duty too much longer.” I said dryly. “I’ll be out with those drinks in a minute.” I gave them a plastered-on smile and went to get the drinks.

  A minute later, I gave them to the guys.

  “Do you know what you want to eat yet?” I checked.

  They gave me their orders, and I turned to go.

  “Ty sends his regards.” Kyle called back. “He said to tell you you’re sexy when you’re asleep.”

  My face flushed as I walked back to the kitchen, and I swore to myself that I’d never let that wolf into my bed (or on my couch) again.

  But that night, when he knocked on the door, I let him in. He knew that I wasn’t going to be his Omega, but came back anyway. I didn’t want to be alone anymore, and he was warm.

  When I fell asleep with his head cuddled up against my chest, it felt a bit like heaven.

  Over the next four days, I didn’t see Ty in person even once. Kyle and Dean followed me everywhere (I tried to lose them in the mall once, just to see if I could, but it was a fail). They were driving me crazy and having fun doing it.

  Ty the wolf showed up every night to sleep with me on my couch, lending his quiet company and his warmth.

  The fifth day, Kyle and Dean followed me to the diner and then drove off down the road. It was a relief to see them gone, but I hated to admit, I’d grown a little attached to them. I almost hoped they came back.

  I guess it must’ve been because I missed my friends back home. I was used to having plenty of support from all the shifty girls, but since moving to Glacier, I hadn’t had anyone.

  Now I had wolf-Ty, a rude mated shifter, and Kyle.

  Yeah, they were quite the support system.

  I didn’t have a babysitter through the whole lunch rush, which was very freeing. However, when the last of the customers left, Ty came strolling in.

  He sat himself at his table in the corner, and since I was the only waitress, once again there was no one else to take care of him.

  I sat across from him and folded my arms.

  I knew this day was coming, and I’d done my best to prepare. My hair was a day dirty, so it smelled more like me than shampoo. I’d washed my shirt the night before, then worn it to sleep. I used only the tiniest bit of deodorant and perfume, so as to let my natural scent shine through. Now, it was time to use it to my advantage.

  “Well, that was easy.” He remarked. “I thought I’d have to talk you into sitting down.”

  “You couldn’t talk me into anything I don’t want to do.” I rolled my eyes. “Talking isn’t your strong suit.”

  “Yeah.” Ty shrugged. “I guess my dominance usually does the talking for me.”

  “Why are you here?” I leaned forward. His nose twitched as my scent drifted over to him, and I hid my satisfied smirk.

  I’d suspected he’d make his appearance that day, and I had guessed right. I wanted to give myself a high-five.

  “You need to come to our pack land.” Ty leaned back. I tilted my head and pulled my long hair to one shoulder, distracting him for a second. His eyes lingered on my face before meeting mine again. “The Rockies have been sitting outside your apartment every night, and when they see Kyle and Dean, they get mad.”

  “The Rockies have been sitting outside my apartment at night ever since I moved here.” I said bluntly, grabbing all my hair and splitting it into three sections to braid it. “They really don’t do much.”

  “Well now you’re my mate, so there’s a price on your head. You’re coming to our land.” He said firmly.

  “I have three problems with this conversation.” I said, still braiding my hair. It was putting him a little off, keeping his sniffer on the lookout for strands of scent. “One, it’s your land. Not mine. I’m not going to your land.”

  I held up a hand to stop his protesting.

  “Two, you’re not my Alpha, and I’m not your Omega. You don’t get to boss me around.” He held his tongue on that one, though it looked like he was having some trouble doing so.

  I resumed braiding my hair, just so I could see how it distracted him.

  “Three, you only know this because you sent your guys to stalk me. Literally, you’re
just as creepy as the Rockies.” I shook my head at him and undid the braid, then held back my laugh when he had to shake his own head to focus.

  Guys have always been more sniffer-sensitive than their females. For a male shifter, one of the biggest turn-ons would be what we call “scenting” his woman. He’d place his nose against her neck so he could smell her natural scent, and then breathe on her so she smelled more like him.

  I always thought it sounded weird, so I had no problem teasing him with it.

  “Would you stop trying to distract me?” he growled.

  “What do you mean?” I taunted. “Are you tempted to force me into submission and scent me, like a good Alpha would do to his weak little Omega?” I leaned forward, challenging him.

  “I get plenty of your scent when we sleep together.” He taunted back. “Believe me, I’m satisfied.”

  “That’s the kind of thing a guy says when he wants to get kicked out, Alpha.” I stood up and blew him a kiss. “Get out of my diner, and keep your nose to yourself.” I strolled back into the kitchen.

  My wolf was quivering. She wanted him, the crazy animal. She thought he was sexy, while I kept trying to insist that he was infuriating.

  She reminded me that a man could be infuriating and sexy, but I hushed her.

  I didn’t have to fall at my mate’s feet just because he was attractive.

  Chapter 6

  I had just decided that making dinner was too much work when someone knocked on my door. When I heard the knock, I groaned.

  I saw through the peephole that it was Ty in his human form, and went back over to my couch. He knocked again. And again. And again. And again.

  “Leah, I know you’re in there.” He finally called out, ten minutes after the first knock. “I brought food.”

  “What food?” I sat up. “Never mind, go away.”

  I reminded myself that I was being strong for the sake of my dreams.

  “I have bacon.” He offered.

  I sat up again, then shut my eyes and forced out the words,