Love Among Shadows Read online

  “Uh,” he moaned, as he cut the shower off. The water felt good. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He walked into his bedroom. He could hear Zen downstairs in the kitchen. He removed the towel from his waist and put a pair of loose pajamas on. “Zen,” he called, out as he laid down. She entered the room and immediately crawled into bed and straddled him.

  He stared up at her. She looked soft. Delicate. Her light brown hair tousled just right. She moved it to the side and bent down to kiss him. Aesir grabbed her by the hips. “Where’s your underwear?” he joked, as he rubbed between her legs. Zen raised up and grabbed him. She held him then slowly sat down on him. Aesir closed his eyes. The warmth of her insides had him in a trance. He wasn’t ready to move. He wanted to feel her first. The shower had cooled him off just enough to feel the intensity of her heat.

  “Uhh,” he moaned, as he helped move her exactly how he wanted. Zen moaned softly. She leaned down and kissed him as she moved her body. Slowly at first, as Aesir grunted and looked up at admiringly. Aesir allowed her to control him. He would let her, before he flipped her off of him. She understood that once he was ready, he would show her no mercy. This was her chance. And she took her time enjoying every inch of him. She loved his rough way of lovemaking. But this was the greatest part of their intimacy. Where they got to look at each other. Enjoy each second. Take in the smell of one another. Their heat. The wetness and the feeling. It would be a long night.

  “Blake!” Eshram shouted, as he watched Blake leaving Ashe’s cabin. Blake continued walking. His anger was obvious. Eshram ran to catch up to him. He wanted to ease the tension. There was nothing to be angry about. A successful hunt was a good thing. There were women and children to feed. Blake had neither yet. And Eshram felt he was being selfish and unreasonable. He believed Blake’s problem was jealousy of the newcomer. Legend was getting the attention he wanted. And Eshram could see where it was going. It would eventually cause problems. Unwanted problems.

  “Hey. The crew is talking about going into town for drinks. Maybe going bowling. You game,” he said. Blake growled. Eshram walked quickly to keep up. Blake was in a hurry to get to his cabin. “Fucking show off,” he mumbled. Eshram frowned. Blake was being Blake again.

  “Come on man. We gotta eat. He’s training Aesir to get the bigger bucks. What’s your issue?” he asked. Blake shot him a look. “Training his brother. When there are other able bodied Harou who could also use training. Young males with inexperience taking down the big ones. I smell Archaeus all over this shit. His father sent him here to run Cedar Falls. My father sent me here to run Cedar Falls. One of us won’t be getting Lou’s position, when he passes on,” he said.

  Eshram stopped. He stood, staring in contempt. Blake stopped and turned around. “What!” he shouted. Eshram stood defiant. He hated when Blake let his jealousy cloud what was best for the pack.

  “Lou could live another fifty years. What are you saying? Why worry about that, when it’s pointless. They haven’t named a successor. Just because he’s old, doesn’t mean he’s nearing his expiration. You don’t know. Nobody knows how old he is,” he said. Blake walked to him. He got in his friend’s face. He was closest to Eshram and Osimi. He expected them to understand him. He expected their loyalty.

  “I’ll tell you what. You stay at the bottom. Forced to live by rule’s, others set for you. Do you want to live by the rules, or do you want to make the rules? Me…I want to make the rules,” he said, staring Eshram fiercely in the eyes.

  Eshram swallowed hard. He didn’t want to be on Blake’s bad side. He could be a bully. But Eshram respected his drive. Blake wanted to lead. And he refused to let a newcomer stand in his way. Legend was an outsider as far as he was concerned. And although he was superior in every aspect of being a werewolf, Blake refused to acknowledge it. His jealousy at what looked like Darr’s selection of the next leader, had him up in arms.

  “Darr has not said anything. You are slated to rule next. Darr knows you want it. He sees your efforts. Everyone does,” Eshram said. Blake smirked and turned around. He shook his head. Eshram didn’t see things the way he did. Politics were at play. And there was another reason for his dislike of Legend; Trinity.

  L

  egend walked to his window and looked out. He could see Blake trying to make small talk with Trinity. He took a sip of black tea. He looked around at the other males as they were greeted by their mates. Some of the children ran up to their fathers. Legend watched their interactions. The happy looks on the women’s faces. The pride of the men as they showed off their kills. The men envied Legend for his power, and he envied them for their families. It was something he dreamed of but it seemed out of his grasp. He longed to feel the connections he saw as a child. He watched as humans related to one another. They were a compassionate species. Earthy. Sensitive and vulnerable. And their women were desirable.

  Legend walked away from the window. He was deep in thought. His life was not his. He was one of the elite. A pure alpha. And with that came duties. There was no time to fall in love. No time to find a mate. He felt ridiculous wanting love. It wasn’t what they did. Wolves mated and stayed together out of familial duties and animalistic drives. The word love was a silly hearts dream, that only human’s felt. Legend thought it was ironic. From what he saw, wolves did love, they just were calling it something different. Mated was in fact, loving. Because the choice was theirs. And he believed they were choosing with their hearts. Defying the word love because it was thought of as a human word and emotion.

  No matter what they called it, Legend wanted to feel it. He was open to it. But he felt nothing for the women of Cedar Falls who pursued him. Something was missing. And his mind was elsewhere. He was becoming anxious. He was awaiting word from his father. It could come by messenger at any moment. His father Archaeus was careful. He hated phones. Messages were sent by letter delivered personally by a travelling Harou messenger. Legend had been there for many months. The time was near. The spirits would be revealing his mission soon. He was sure it was another kill order. And it had him on edge. It could be anyone. They could be anywhere. It could even be someone in the village. He didn’t know. And pressure was beginning to mount. Legend wanted to know. He was curious. He believed it was someone within Cedar falls.

  Legend made himself tea and got comfortable on his couch. He laid back on the pillows and put his feet up. He thought back to when he was young. How difficult his life was, and the conflicted feelings he felt for his father. He was from a long line of kings. Their father Archaeus was king of the eastern world. He was responsible for the lives of many. Archaeus and his brothers Montaan and Sierbin, had divided the kingdom of Valkan and Harou wolves among them.

  Archaeus was very influential and a lot of decisions were made by him. He was strong. A force to be reckoned with. And many feared his wrath. The spirits seemed to show him favor. His words were powerful. His strength unmatched. He was busy running wolves around the world. Something Legend had resented until he became a man. It seemed everyone had a piece of his father except he and his brothers.

  Legend and Aesir were close as young children, but eventually grew apart. Torn apart through jealousy and envy. They had another brother named Reed, that neither knew existed back when they were young wolves. Archaeus didn’t stick around to raise Reed because of his mother’s low status. Alpha men didn’t create families with omega women. It was a source of shame. Reed was born without a father and he resented it his entire life. He eventually showed up at Cedar Falls, to the shock and surprise of Aesir. Legend never got a chance to meet him even though he expressed a desire to do so. Reed wasn’t interested. He seemed more jealous of legend than Aesir. But legend still tried to meet him. He was still his brother.

  His arrival to Cedar Falls came with some controversy. Like Legend, he refused to adhere to the rules. And Aesir felt the heat. He tried to keep the youngest Wilde heir out of trouble, but Reed was stubborn and Aesir kept his distance. The brothers never bo
nded, and in fact grew further apart.

  Aesir believed Reed was envious of him and insanely jealous of Legend, for things not their fault. He hated their father for favoring them over him, since he was not born of royal blood. He felt abandoned by Archaeus. And never forgave him and took out his feelings on his siblings.

  Eventually Archaeus reconnected with him and when the young boys grew to be men, Aesir and Reed were introduced to each other again. Legend stayed in Africa, refusing to leave the extended families and wolf families that had treated him as one of their own. By the time he was ready to travel, Reed had left. Legend was then asked by his father to go to Cedar Falls and await the next message.

  Legend was the only son born to an alpha female, and so it was obvious he would naturally replace his father as king. Aesir’s mother was a beta wolf and Reed’s was omega. Her low status did not change the fact that he was still an alpha. Just not a pure alpha. And not being from a beta wolf like Aesir, meant that he wasn’t even royalty. A major source of his jealousy because it meant he could never be king. The only way he would be king was if both Legend and Aesir abdicated their right to the throne or died.

  Aesir didn’t want a leadership role. Being king was a daunting task and with it came huge responsibilities. And Legend left that question unanswered. Whatever the case, Archaeus had the last word. He could choose any one of his sons. And it looked as though he had made his choice long before the young boys were men.

  Archaeus had shown young Legend favor over his other sons and they rebelled in return. Even Aesir, was jealous of the attention he thought Legend was receiving. But he was wrong. Archaeus had become obsessed with power. He travelled the world seeking fame and fortune. Soon he was the most wealthy and powerful of all the Wilde men. The young Legend was shunned by his father, as his father sought greater success. His absence had emotionally damaged Legend, who was left to fend for himself at an early age. Legend found himself drawn to human children. They seemed happy. They were always laughing and playing. They were free. He craved the same life. He wanted to be like them.

  And so, the only way to capture their essence, was to go around them. Inject himself into their play. Legend soon learned how to fit in. How to blend into his surroundings. And he excelled at things they struggled with. He gravitated toward them naturally. And without his father there to steer him away, he became comfortable around them. He began to feel human. Shelter and clothes were made available to him. He began making himself useful to several families, and in return, they gave him access to clothing and a place to sleep. Unaware that he came from wealth.

  As Legend grew older, his natural instincts began to dominate. He returned to his roots and hung around his kind more. But he never forgot the kindness bestowed upon him by humans. He returned to the Wakapa Village in Africa. His wealth and bloodline made him a popular teen. But some of the males despised him because even as a teen, he was sought after by the women of their world. Over time, Legend grew into a massive and powerful man and as even more powerful wolf, And the villagers looked to him to feed the large pack of five hundred members. He took down huge prey, alone. Something he did out of spite to prove his abilities and rub in the faces of those who wished for his failure. And with his new found skills came jealousy and envy. Even from his friends.

  He took on the same responsibilities when he moved to Cedar Falls. Taking down large prey to feed the entire village. Just as he did in Africa. But only here, the males were more than a little envious. They seemed to wish for his downfall. They tried to shun him and make him feel unwanted, but Legend fought back. He arrogantly continued to dominate the hunting. Even Aesir alienated him at first. He only relented, and opened up to his brother, when Legend began to allow him first kill. After a while, the tension ceased, and the brothers grew closer. But Legend was missing something in his life. He sought more. His roots, heavy in rituals and chants, was no longer enough. But he was tied. Like vine to branches. It was his duty to live the life of a pure Valkan. To make life better. To hunt and to provide. He was superior. And this was his new family pack.

  When his father surfaced, he entered Legends life and dominated his world. Legend was a full-grown man. He was stronger. Faster. He was now blessed by the spirits and he appeared ready to follow their command. Legend had special skillsets like his father. They hunted rogue and ruid wolves. But Archaeus had aged and had slowed his activity. And when it was discovered that there were still rogue wolves living abroad, Legend had to step up. He was inducted into a world of assassins. A secret world. He naturally thrived in it. And the spirits were pleased.

  Cedar Falls

  “Uh, Uh, Uh,” Zen moaned, as Aesir released his pinned-up aggressions on her. Zen opened her eyes and looked up at him. Aesir was somewhere else. “Aesir,” she called out as he continued pounding away at her. He laid his head in her neck and smelled her scent. He growled as he cupped her backside in his large hands. Zen felt conflicted. The sex was good. Great even. But Aesir was normally more attentive. This felt like a fuck. Not at all what he gave when they made love.

  “Aesir,” she said, hoping he would stop and look at her. “What?” he said. His voice rough. It correlated with his energy. With his movements. He stopped briefly then jerked hard, holding her tightly, as he released himself inside of her. Zen moaned, her mouth open, as she tried to catch her breath. Aesir raised up and looked her in the eyes. Zen forced a smile. He kissed her on the mouth then rolled off of her and went into their bathroom. Zen rolled on her side. She felt used. Aesir was her husband, yet she still felt like his dumping ground. Somewhere to ease his tension.

  Zen sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. She held the sheet against her body, staring out the large window. The Denali Mountain sat hugely in the distance. It felt powerful. Her view was stunning. She loved Alaska. She loved Cedar Creek. It was a great place to raise her babies that she hoped to have. Her and Aesir hadn’t been mated and married that long. It was time. It was the season. Her body felt different. And she felt she would be pregnant soon. But Aesir wasn’t as excited as she was for the future. He had a lot of unfinished business with his father. A lot of pinned up anger. And she wanted it to end so they could start their lives together.

  “Aesir,” Zen said, as she burst into the bathroom. He stood under the cool running water, his body heat still high. The affects still somewhat uncomfortable. “What Z,” he replied, his voice sounding exhausted. Zen sighed loudly. “I wanted to lay with you. Under your arms. Talk. You just jump up like you’re paying me or something. I’m not some whore you know. I’m your wife,” she said. Aesir took a deep breath, then opened his mouth so the water could enter.

  “Zen please! Can’t I take a shower in peace. I’m just taking a shower. I will be out soon. We can talk then. About anything you want,” he replied. Zen pulled the shower curtain back and groaned. “What?” he said, staring deeply in her eyes. Zen could tell he was unhappy. He wanted more. Things she couldn’t give him. She knew his secrets. His desire to live a more dark and forbidden life. He had a natural taste for the unnatural and the lewd. Their marriage was the result of him being caught in the act. His secret taste for humans. A secret she kept from everyone. Their marriage bought her silence. But now, his true feelings were showing. And Zen was holding on for dear life.

  “Don’t get angry. I just wanted more time that’s all,” she replied, her eyes watering from her pain. Aesir wiped the water from his face. He grabbed Zen by the hand and gently pulled her in the shower. “You know how I get. Sometimes I need a moment,” he said, holding her face. Zen smiled. This was the Aesir she fell in love with. The handsome, sexy and dynamic heartthrob that chose her above all others. Zen was living every Harou females dream.

  She had one of the most sought after bachelor’s in their world. The son of a king. His father Archaeus, was king of the eastern continents. A powerful and impressive position to be in. His rule covered Africa, Europe, Australia and Asia. Aesir was wealthy beyond measure. But something tro
ubled him. He seemed empty. Zen worked hard to keep him above water. Yet he always seemed to be drowning in something murky. She had a lot to learn about him. She hadn’t scratched the surface.

  She dropped to her knees. Aesir smiled then touched her face. He used his thumb to open her mouth then helped himself to her warm orifice. He had showed her how to give head. It was unnatural for their women. He was sure Zen was the only one who partook in such activities. It was thought of as disgusting among their women. But Zen was desperate to please him and keep him from straying.

  He dropped his head back as she took him in. It was his guilty pleasure. She was still learning and wasn’t as good at it as he hoped her to be. But she was doing it nonetheless. A start. She only attempted because it was what she saw a human woman doing to him in the back of his pick up truck. And so, she had been doing it ever since. She hoped it would keep him home. Keep him away from humans. It didn’t.

  “Fuck,” Legend blurted, then took a sip from a tall glass of water. The stresses of the evening had him feeling sexually charged. It was exhausting. And he had no one to release him from his own heat. He needed to go into town. Hit the bar. Find a human woman, to copulate with. It was safe. It was unlikely he would produce a half breed. Human women had trouble carrying wolf offspring. It usually ended in a miscarriage. And they weren’t as fertile as werewolves. He couldn’t chance sleeping with a Harou female. It was mating season. They were in heat. And there was a good chance they would get pregnant. Legend tried keeping from the women of his pack. They were playing for keeps and he was their main target.