A Wolf's Tail Ch. 06

Hi everyone,

This chapter (and the rest of the story) have been a long time coming! First I want to apologise for the long wait between posts, it is not always possible to get things done in the time frames we wish.

I want to thank my readers who have been writing to me in both comments and emails- you have really helped push me into gear.

I hope you like the 6th instalment of Wolf's Tail. More to be coming soon (I hope).

As always, don't forget to comment and rate

<3

Shadowsung

~~~~~

~ Chapter 6 ~

Velvety lips caressed hers, her breath fast and shallow. From deep within herself she felt her wolf howling in triumph from her lair deep within their conscious. The white wolf leapt forward from her body and Anna felt her mate's wolf do the same.

Energy rose around the couple; the air humming like a cloud of bees. Outside the gazebo, Lance felt the power build in the air, sending the hair on the back of his arms and neck on end. It wasn't uncomfortable, just different. He felt his wolf stirring within himself, answering the call of the energy. Humans, Lance knew, would not be able to sense the power humming in the air; it probably just looked like a couple kissing in reunion after years apart. Lance felt his pager vibrate on his belt, reminding him he was still on duty. Quietly, he left the couple to get to know each other.

Anna could feel his wolf and see him through her wolf's eyes. They were not physical yet they were together on a metaphysical level shared by their human hosts. The human side of the couple was pulled into the space with their wolves, watching from inside like viewers of a play, whilst still feeling their own physical bodies locked in a passionate kiss.

The two wolves pranced around each other in greeting, sniffing and poking, caressing and pressing. His wolf was a copper brown colour with black tipping his features. He was on the larger size for their kind, and his form dwarfed hers in a pleasing way. He was built solidly and the wolf side of Anna knew that he would make a fine mate, father and protector for her and any pups they made together.

Playfully, the white wolf in front of him pranced around him, nipping at his ankles and pulling on his ears. She was quick and spritely like a forest nymph; her eyes twinkling in mischief. Her pure white fur was unusually long yet strangely suiting her small frame. She was small for a wolf, but she gave the impression of enormous energy hidden in her every movement. She flowed with speed and grace that he had never before seen in any of their kind. Her long fur gave her the appearance of white clouds in strong wind; it was mesmerising and he found he couldn't take his eyes off of her. The smell of arousal filled the air as her movements became seductive as she crouched in front of him, presenting herself.

The wolves' frolicking grew lusty as the brown wolf pushed his dominance. He pounced on her and pinned her to the ground as she submitted to him. With a howl they began rutting, their pants filling the air. Anna felt through her wolf his knot pushing inside her, bringing them closer to completion.

Anna dimly felt her real self in reality whimpering with arousal as her hips pressed into his obviously straining member. He was resting against a pole and holding them both up as they kissed fervently while their wolves copulated. It felt as though they were having sex too, without moving from the embrace. Anna could feel his hips bucking into hers while she responded in kind.

With a triumphant howl, the wolves reached their climax, drawing a moan from Anna as she felt an orgasm sweep through her body. Scott groaned as he completed with his wolf, his seed spurting into his jeans. His knees threatened to buckle with the pleasure flowing through his body.

The couple were panting as they separated. Anna blushed heavily when she saw the patch on the front of his jeans. The couple looked around, embarrassed, but Lance had disappeared and there was no one in sight.

"Wow," said Scott, panting a little. Anna could only nod in agreement while thinking, what was that?

~~~

Nathaniel still didn't feel like going back to the compound. There was no light to be felt there. Instead, he found himself back at Emma's house. The rooms were blackened and silent. Picking the lock to her window, he levered himself inside. Overpowering scents of perfume hit his nose making his eyes water.

She tried to drown out my scent with it, he realised, hurt seeping through his being. He tiptoed around her room, wishing he could make things up to her. Sniffing around the room he caught a smell that seemed out of place. It had a tang with an aftertaste of copper. Blood.

He raced from her room, following the smell. He found himself in the roommates bedroom, the smell of Were was thick. He found small pools of blood around one side of the bed and a rather large one on the bed. He sniffed closer, with a howl he realised it was his mate's blood.

Fury boiled in his stomach; something had hurt her and he had not been there to protect her. He roared in frustration, his form slipping. Light, sparse fur grew as his nose lengthened slightly and his ears became pointed. He raced out of the house, using his heightened senses to track down his mates scent. He could smell her roommate as well.

He traced their path through the streets, keeping out of sight as much as possible. Drops of blood marked the footpath every few paces. After a while, Nathaniel noticed footprints begin to appear on the trail. Curious he stopped to scent it out. They belonged to her roommate, outlined in blood. Apparently she had been running barefoot carrying Emma.

Panic rose, his chest tightened. What had happened that caused her roommate to run through the streets barefoot. His pace quickened as he guessed at their destination. He raced across the carpark, making sure that his human form was complete. He burst through the doors to the emergency ward. He raced over to the information booth.

The nurse typing on the computer looked at him wordlessly. "Please," he said, panting slightly, "I am looking for a girl, admitted last night."

"Name?" she asked dryly.

"Emma," he replied.

"Last name?" she sighed.

With a start he realised that he did not even know his mate's last name.

"I don't know."

"What happened to her? Why was she admitted?"

"I don't know." He admitted sheepishly.

The nurse gave him a sceptical look and rolled her eyes, "then I can't help you." With that, she returned to her typing as if she had never been disturbed.

Nathaniel was most upset at his lack of knowledge in his mate's life. He kicked himself and kicked himself again at his continued failings towards her. He vowed to himself that he would set things right and make amends to her in any way he could. His wolf howled in misery at that thought of spending their long and surely miserable life knowing their mate was out there and refusing to be by their side.

He moved through the hospital ward quietly, trying not to attract attention to himself. He focused his will and heightened the sense in his nose. He focused on it just enough so that his form was not altered.

His wolf was not impressed with the almost overpowering smell of bleach, blood infection and death. It took him a moment to detect his mates scent underneath it all. He followed his nose through the corridors, dodging doctors, nurses and patients alike.

He came to a closed door in a busy ward. He paused for a second before opening the door and entering the darkened room. A pale light permeated the room from a single exit light.

She was alone, her face pale and glowing in the faint light like a ghost. She was asleep, her features drawn in a frown. She mumbled quietly and a whimper escaped her lips as she shook her head. He sat down in the chair next to her and held her hand. She was cold and clammy, but she settled once he touched her; her face smoothing back to a peaceful state.

Nathaniel sat back and breathed in deep his mate's presence. Her perfect scent was been tainted and he had to know why. He pulled back her covers gently and began looking for the problem. He noticed that she did not wear a gown but a top and bottoms set. The top had not been pulled down completely and he saw a corner of bandage dressing poking out. Gingerly he pulled up her top, revealing a generous amount of dressings.

There were two straps going behind her that held the pressure on whilst still making it easy for the medical staff to access and remove them. He unlatched the straps and reluctantly pulled back the dressings. Three ragged gashes ran across her chest and abdomen, stitched neatly. He instantly knew that a Were had done his.

Rage built inside him, burning his insides like a tidal wave. A call over the hospital speakers brought him back to the moment. It would not do for him to lose control and shift in so public a place. He took a few calming breaths, feeling his rage built away.

Emma groaned in the bed before him, shifting and wincing as he saw her stiches move and pull. He was filled with sympathy and gently stroked her face.

He slowed his breathing and called forth his wolf. Knowing his plan, his wolf responded, coming to the surface. He focused particularly on his face, as he lowered his snout to his mate. Delicately, he began licking along her wounds, tasting her blood on his tongue. Running his long tongue up and down, he gathered all the saliva he could manage and ran it along the cuts.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked a serious voice from the door.

Nathaniel hadn't heard anyone come into the room. Still slightly crouched, he spun around, snarling and ready to defend his mate against the intruder.

Standing in the door, his arms folded across his chest and a severe expression was-

"Lance?"

"Nathaniel?" he asked incredulously, "what the hell do you think you are doing?!" He closed the door behind him and locked it.

Nathaniel looked down at Emma's peacefully sleeping form, "She's my mate." He said simply, stroking her cheek.

"Hmm," mused the doctor, "What is with this human? Her roommate is one of us; they're blood sisters."

"I know. I have met her." He replied, watching her wounds heal before his eyes with satisfaction.

Lance moved up to the bedside, sighed and rubbed his head, "You know you have just made my job harder, right? There are about 25 medical staff who witnessed her state of arrival and progression of care. How on earth am I to convince anyone that she has been miraculously recovered?"

"She was in pain," he replied, as if it was the answer to everything. "What happened to her, Doc? Who did this?"

"Her roommate," he replied, "It was an accident, she was having a nightmare and Emma tried to wake her. She lost a lot of blood- those wounds ran very deep. Luckily all organs were missed- it was just a lot of tissue damage."

Nathaniel looked down at his foolish mate. He felt angry at her roommate for not protecting her better. He looked up at his friend, "Can I take her home? She is clearly all healed up. I think it would be better if I got her home and comfortable. There are things she and I need to discuss. To be honest, I screwed up and I need to apologise."

Feeling sorry for his friend, Lance sighed again, "ok. I will get the paperwork sorted out and organise the removal of her now useless stitches. I shall also have to let her roommate know what is going on," he warned.

"Maybe leave me out of it- I am probably not her favourite person right now. I will take Emma home, make sure she is safe and settled and hopefully have a chance to talk to her."

"Ok, I will let you know," said Lance as he picked up Emma's chart, made a few notes and left the room with a nod of his head.

Nathaniel took Emma's hand, sat down on the side of the bed next to her and settled in for a long wait.

~~~

Anna felt heat rush to her face as she stared at the wet patch on his jeans. Her wolf lay down back inside her, grooming herself smugly.

An awkward silence hung between them as they both tried to think of something to say.

"My name is Annalise," she said finally, "but everyone calls me Anna."

He smiled a breathtaking smile, "Scott."

She grinned in return, "nice to meet you. Did you want to go get a coffee?"

"How about I buy you lunch instead?" he asked, wanting to spend more time with her.

"I'd love to," she replied. Together they left the gazebo, hand in hand, strolling together leisurely.

They bought lunch at a small café and sat outside in the sunshine, both unable to keep their eyes off each other. They played 20 questions over their meals, enjoying the time together.

Anna talked about her college and her courses, making Scott feel guilty that he had never considered furthering his education. She also talked about her best friend and the woes with her new mate.

"Do you know his name?" Scott asked with a frown,

"No, actually," she realised with a start, "I never got it."

"Well, I'm sure it is not anyone I know; no one I know would treat his mate so badly." He stared at Anna, making promises to himself that he would never treat her with anything but love and compassion.

Anna blushed under his stare and focused on her coffee. Her mind wandered to Emma and she felt a twinge of guilt that she was out here with a guy and having fun while she was in hospital.

Her appetite disappeared and although she loathed to admit it, she knew she had to go. She was about to say something when a car pulled up and a Were got out and approached them.

"There you are Scott! I have been looking everywhere for you! You finished your delivery and here you are slacking! The Alpha has been breathing down my neck to get back, not to mention my mate so get your ass in the car and let's go."

Scott suppressed a growl at being addressed as such, but he let it slide in front of his mate. He looked at Anna apologetically, "Sorry Anna, looks like I have to get going."

"It's ok, Scott, I understand. I had better get back to Emma anyways. It was nice to meet you and spend time with you."

"I know we will see each other again," he said as he kissed her hand and breathed in deep her scent for the last time. Rick honked the horn and gestured angrily. With a sigh Scott hopped in the car, ignoring his wolf, who was howling. It wanted him to go back and mark her before some other male did. The only thing that made him able to get in the car was knowing that she felt the same.

Anna's wolf was definitely of the same thought. It took all her effort not to run to the car window. Within seconds it had sped off down the road and turned out of sight. She sighed and walked slowly back to the hospital.

~~~

"What do you mean she is not here?" Anna asked incredulously, "the doctors told me she would be here for a few more nights at least!"

"I don't know," said the nurse clacking away on the computer, "She is no longer in the system, so I would say she has been released or transferred."

"Where is Dr. Lance?"

"His shift finished half an hour ago- he has gone home. I will do my best to find her file and when I do I will give you a call. All you can do now is go home and take care of yourself. I saw those feet of yours when you came in- they must be hurting you still."

Deep throbbing in her feet reminded her about them. She had been walking on them without realising. It was only until the nurse mentioned them that she noticed the pain. With a sigh, she nodded and left. On her way out, she realised that she didn't bring her purse, so there was no money for a taxi.

She sat on a bench outside and focused her will on her feet. Shifting them slightly, she felt her shoes grow uncomfortably tight before turning them back to normal again. Standing up gingerly they felt a bit better, she decided.

With that, she set off for home, trying not to limp.

~~~

Emma woke up groggily, expecting to feel the pain in her chest. Each time she had woken up the pain had been extraordinary until they knocked her out again. To her surprise, she felt fine. Taking in a deep breath, she revelled in the welcome absence of it.

"Ah you're awake. Good," said Nathaniel.

Emma gasped and stared at him, "What are you doing here in... my room?" she had not even realised she was no longer in the hospital.

"I healed you and brought you home. I figured you would much rather be here." He said sheepishly, "I didn't want to leave you alone, and I was hoping I could talk to you. I want to apologise."

Anger at his presumptions raged through her, and she considered telling him to leave. To her dismay the thought of watching him leave brought back a different pain in her chest.

"What do you mean 'healed me'?" she asked curiously, putting her anger aside.

"A Were's saliva contains coagulants and healing properties. Basically? I licked you," He admitted, "I couldn't stand to see you in pain."

She steeled back into her pillows and looked at him carefully. He had dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks looked gaunt. He was pale and still wearing the clothes that he had been wearing when he first met her 2 days previously. Guilt stabbed at her heart. Clearly he had tortured himself over his accusations.

"I want you to understand why I said what I did. It is no excuse, and I don't expect forgiveness but I need you to know. You see, in my past, I was used terribly. I don't want to bore you with the long story it is, but my entire childhood was one big lie. Since finding out the truth, I have abhorred lies and deceit. The words that came from me that night came from that place where anyone is capable of anything. Since then I have been tormented by my words to you. I know that I am asking a lot, but I would like another chance to get to know you. Start a fresh?"

The look he gave her melted her heart and she knew only a monster could refuse him. She took his hand and gently squeezed it.

"Why don't we have a shower and then we will talk?"