OK I had just went back to chapter two to look it over and shit and you know what I find? Well this is it, "Ranger work? What have you been doing? Wrestling alligators?" I see alligators instead of "bears?" I was laughing for about ten minutes. None stop. No kidding either! Ha ha c:
Hey guys! So it's been over..two or three months since my last update? I don't really have a reasonable excuse as to my lateness. The last time I updated was three weeks before my end of the year Finals. I was studing. Hard. After my Finals, I got sick. Hospital worthy sick. Which sucked considering I don't like hospitals. Or needles. Or the site of my own blood. Or needles. So, here's Chapter Three to For the Love of Amu :D Bye now, loves!
Chapter Three
The New Moon called to Amu like it did most werewolves. Her mind swirled with lovely images of bounding across the meadows of the mountain valleys. She shuddered from the chill in the air, but it didn't stop her from stripping bare outside the back entrance of her cabin an shifting to her most primal form. A small, sand-colored wolf.
Sprinting across the camp and through the woods, she caught up with her waiting friends; Rima and Nade. Together they raced through the tall grass under the starry sky. She relished the fresh mountain air, even if it is a little chilly. Her thick coar protected her and running pushed warm blood through her veins. There weren't many women left that could shit to their wolf form. When a woman wolf becomes pregnant, she loses the ability to shift forever in order to keep the babie(s) safe in her womb.
Amu would never choose to lose her wolf. She loved the wid edge it gave her as she ran off the stress of the last month. When she found a mate - if she ever found a mate - he would have to understand and accept her need for primitive freedom.
She stilled when she caught the dangerous scent. Blood. Vampire.
Nose to the wind, she followed it cautiously, knowing she was still a safe distance away from the source. Vampires in their territory were dangerous. They prayed on the natural wolf population. The wolve's blood, for some reason, had an addictive effect on vampires - it made them stronger and gave them the high they couldn't find elsewhere. The Northwest pack had been protecting the Grey Wolf population for centuries, fronting as forest rangers.
If vampires were near, the pack needed to know where they were hiding. Amu searched for her friends, but they'd gone and left her behind. She was alone. The scent was strong and she couldn't waist the opportunity to follow it. Plus, the Council couldn't keep writing her off if she proved herself as an asset. And she was no novice when it came to hunting vampires. So she slipped into the thick trees surrounding the meadow.
Her nose led her to a wide stream where the scent died. It was too deep to cross in wolf form. She contemplated in shiting, but crossing the cold river naked in October was suicide. She may not have the best judgment, but she wasn't stupid. And she didn't have a death wish, either. Smart bastards.
She turned around to head back to the meadow then froze when she spotted the midnight black wolf staring at her. Dangerous steel blue eyes withered her with a you're-in-major-deep-shit look. If she was human, she'd have sighed. She knew that look all to well, having been on the receiving end since joining the pack only a year ago. It wasn't her fault. She'd been raised out of pack hierarchy. The adjustment from her liberal, rule-free upbringing was difficult, to say the very least.
A whiff of the air and she withered further. The wolf glaring daggers into her was non other then the pack Beta she'd sparred with a few days ago, Ikuto. Had he been spying on her?
Before their disagreement, she'd admired hi. Her wolf instincts perked up in the presence of any strong, masculine figure - a natural urge to mate with a man who could protect and provide.
Though the human woman in her scoffed, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him, even if he was a barbaric, sexist, arrogant jerk.
The black wolf inclined his head in the direction of the camp then growled. Yeah, yeah she got the message - get your ass out of trouble. young lady. Granted she wasn't centuries old like many werewolves, but she wasn't a child either. She'd just recently hit her prime at twenty-six and stopped aging.
She started forward then stopped when the wolf jumped in her path. They stared at one another for a long, uncomfortable moment. If he though she would belly-up for him, he was barking up the wrong tree. She'd been told she had more guts then sense. It would probably cost her, but she remained standing, averting her eyes, but still on her feet. Finally, he bit her muzzle. Hard. Hard enough to shock her, at least, but not hurt her. It was so vert wolfy. She had the urge to bite him back, but even she knew better.
Chagrined with the chastisement she trudged toward camp, not very happily either, Ikuto escorting her the whole way. She wished he were in better spirits, she sorely needed some fun and would've loved a race. But with his current mood, he'd probably assume it was a challenge, go haywire, and bite her again once he caught her. If he caught her, that is. The temptation to find out was almost to much.
As if he could read her thoughts, he growled; loud and clear as day. What now? He nudged her side and she realized she walked right by the trail up to camp. Whoops. She changed directions and plodded the rest of the way, feeling like a criminal with Ikuto watchful behind her. He even walked her to her cabin and sat down at the bottom of the stairs. If he thought she'd shift naked in front of him, he was surely mistaken.
She waited for him to leave, and she had a feeling he wouldn't. He never budged. She growled. He growled back.
Werewolves weren't modest creature, having grown used to shifting in front of each other frequently. But something about being naked her and now, in front of Ikuto especially, made her feel especially vulnerable.
But unless she planned on to stay furry all night, it appeared she had no choice. A cold ripple effect swept throughout her body as her muscles bent and flexed and then she stood human. She spun around and pulled her jeans and sweatshirt as fast as she could.
"Could you at least turn around!"
He just stared. Tck, annoying.
Dressed and slightly warmer she reached for the doorknob to the cabin. A growl made her spin around again, annoyed. He glared at the porch chair then back at her. A lower, more fiercer growl erupted when she didn't respond.
He wanted her to sit in the chair. With a defeated sigh, she obeyed.
"I've never seen a wolf manage to sound so bossy," she told him. When he continued to stare, she snapped, "I'm sitting in the chair, goddammit! Isn't that what you wanted?"
He grunted at her snappy tone then sauntered slowly into the woods. She pulled on the sockes she'd left under the chair, when was sorta like a swing, then tucked her feet under her butt. Suddenly concerened with her appearance, she smoothed her hair ina messy bun with an elastic from her pocket. When small tendrils of hair fell out in the front, she blew out an exasperated breath.
"Oh, why bother?" It wasn't as if she was trying to impress anyone, anyways.
So she sat, waiting for him to return, already positive she was in for more scolding.
Five minutes later, Ikuto emerged from the trees, dressed in jeans and a tight fitting black t-shirt. She's noticed his muscles when they sparred, but he'd been ontop of her, pinning her to the ground- she'd had hardly any time to appreciate such things, and she was also thinking of some other things as well. Thnigs she could appreciate now, like the way his eyes sparkled with anger and sent shivers down her spine. Or that his midnight blue hair swept back from his face accentuated his chiseled jaw, which was covered with a five o'clock shadow that she suddenly wanted to rub her cheek against.
She shook her head, erasing the titillating images. "You bit me," she accused when he ascended the stairs.
Not an ounce of repentance showed on his face. "You deserved more than a nip on the nose, little one."
There was nothing worse than being talked down to. Her parents had raised her better than to allow that. She stood up, needing to feel taller. "Stop calling me that. I'm not a child and you're not my father."
His gaze swept over her petite body, lingering a moment to long on her breasts. He exhaled a deep breath. "What were you even doing out there?"
"Running, just like everyone else." Her gaze darted to the other cabins, looking for someone to corroborate her story. There was none.
He shifted his body so he caught her attention. "Why were you following the vampire's scent?"
Shit, he knew.
Her heart accelerated and she swallowed hard. The floor seemed like an appropriate thing to look at just then.
"Amu." His low voice, dark and dangerious, weakened her knees. "Look at me."
Slowly, she lifted her head to meet his gaze. He had a beautiful face. Too bad, he can be such a prick. What a total waste of hotness.
Ikuto peered down at her, piercing her with a stern glare. "Have you don't that kind of thing before, Amu?"
Technically, no. She'd never run as a wolf, detected a vampire scent, and followed it alone. But she'd certainly done other things regarding vampires that he wouldn't approve of. Considering it was safer, she chose wisely to stick with a losse version of the truth. "No, I haven't."
His eyes narrowed. She tried to tame the pounding of her heart, but it was exeedingly when he stood so close. His pinewood scent wrapping around her like a warm cover.
Maybe he was satisfied with her half-truth, or maybe he just wanted to get on with the other lines of questioning, but he nodded and stepped back, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "You are to never do that again, do you hear me?"
His tone of voice was mixed with commaned, chaffed her independent streak. "Why?"
His brows quirked. "Why? You have to ask me why? It's not safe. You ridiculous, careless girl."
She pursed her lips, holding back a lot of profanities she'd liked to have screamed. "You seem to be taking an excessive interest in my extracurricular activities lately. Is there a reason?"
"I could name you at least a dozen. Foremost, one of my duties it to keep the pack safe. And you have proven to be a paradigm of bad judgment. And I have a feeling you're not telling me the whole truth regarding your 'extracurricular activities'." He stepped closer, crowding her against the cabin wall. His eyes blazed with fire. "What were you thinking, hunting a god foresaken vampire alone?"
If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought he actually cared about her.
"If you ever do that again, so help me-"
"I wasn't hunting it!"
"Really?" He backed away, and she could breath again.
"I was just. . . .following it. To bring information back to the pack about it's location." She forced herself not to fumble with her hands and show her nerves, which wouldn't be good. "I wasn't sure if anyone else noticed it."
"That's not for you to worry about." He stepped toward her again.
Laughter bubbled up in her throat. She felt like she was in a square dance. Step back, step forward. And, one, two, three. . .
"Do you think that this is funny?"
She shook her head. "No. Sorry. I was. . .remembering a joke someone had told me."
His lips formed a tight line. "Who taught you this blatant disrespect for authority? Who are you parents?"
"You wouldn't know them. They're not pack."
"Who's pack then?"
Oh, here we go again. "None."
His brows shot up. "Rogue? I should've known."
Fury tightened in her stomach. When it came to her parents. she was fiercely protective. No one, not even the pack alpha himself, would get away with criticizing them. "They are not rogue! They're independent and they taught me to be the same way."
She'd grown up in Compton, Los Angeles County where her human mother and werewolf father worked as activists for the aquarium, keeping the ocean clean and the marine life safe. It was an odd existence for a werewolf. Generally, they craved a pack - shared living, lots of children, even the constricting governing system. Amu had craved that too, but she couldn't change her upbringing. She was an only child, but not doted on. Her parents had, and still do, believed in freedom and independent thought. How her father managed to suppress his Inner Wolf was beyond her. But they did pass onto their desire to fight for the environment. It was one of the things that drew Amu to Christian's pack. She'd helped clean the beaches, now she protected the endangered wolves.
Ikuto studied her face. He must have seen the emotion behind her words because he wisely dropped the subject. "Then what are you doing here, Miss Independent?"
Another tough question. How did he know exactly what to ask to make her uncomfortable? Squirm?
"Ah, I see," he said after a quiet moment. "You're looking for a mate."
Her head snapped up in surprise. It's a wonder she didn't get a whiplash.
His lips curled in a half-smile. "You put on a tough act, but deep down inside, you want a man to own you."
Her eyes widened and she clasped her hands together to restrain from striking him. Hold you freaking tongue, Amu. "You chauvinistic pig!" Too late. "I am not a god foresaken pet! Or cattle. I'm an adult and I'm here for the social connection. Not for a mate." Liar, LIAR. Just to put a little sting into it, she added, "How did you get so surly and overbearing? Were you born in the ice age? The Neolithitic era called, they want there caveman mentality back." She could've smacked herself in the forehead. Admittedly, it was not her best joke.
He chuckled, surprising her when he didn't lose his temper at her tirade. "Not just a little girl far from her home, but a little geek too."
She closed her eyes. Must not kick pack Beta. Must not kick pack Beta. A finger under her chin tilted her head up. She opened her eyes.
"What's going on in that head of yours?"
Momentarily, she got lost in his deep blue eyes - eyes the color of a sapphire gem. "I'm convincing myself not to kick you in the shins. Hard."
His mouth formed a smile, flashing perfect straight white teeth. "Yes, it would be very unwise to kick the Beta. Hard."
"That's what I keep telling myself. Unfortunately, my body doesn't agree."
With a mischievous look in his eye, he said, "That's why you need a man. To keep you under control." He chucked her under the chin gently.
Oh, but he sure liked to torment her! She fought back the unintended fire under her skin. "I suppose you're volunteering."
He snorted. "Knowing the trouble you would cause, sweetheart, you couldn't pay me to do the job." Then he turned and walked away. Just before stepping into the trees, he said over his shoulder, "No more Vampire Hunting, Necazuri Mea."
The oldest werewolves had immigrated from Romania. Amu was born and raised in America but had picked up enough Romanian around camp to translate what he called her. My 'd
Ikuto stepped into the woods, saturated in Amu's scent. Wildflowers and salty air. It was driving him mad. She was driving him mad. Why had he called her such an affectionate name in Romanian? Necazuri Mea. My troublemaker. It slipped to easily from his lips. She wasn't his anything.
But the wolf in him clawed to the surface, demanding he protect the woman. The brassy, defiant, sweet-smelling woman that was currently giving him the hard-on of a life time. Maybe he needed to bed her. Maybe that would cleanse his system of her.
Yeah, 'cause she'd certainly go for that. She couldn't even stand talking to him.
He'd never had a problem seducing women before. Of course, he'd never had a problem forcing compliance either.
God, she represented everything he thought was wrong with the modern world! But for some reason, he couldn't get her off his mind. Defiant and passionate one moment, sweet and vulnerable the next. He never thought someone so contrary could get him so worked up. After a frustrated sigh, he headed to his cabin hoping he'd at least get her out of his mind long enough to sleep. With his luck, she'd probably haunt him in his dreams. Dammit.