Running with Wolves Ch. 11

His brother came slightly forward, addressing himself as well. "My name is Storm Five Rivers. I am the second highest ranking Beta of the Five Rivers Pack, and guard to our Alpha." The way they spoke about their rank was full of pride. They were proud of what they did, and how they were the ones that protected their leaders.

Samantha couldn't help smiling a bit. She had once known a man that had that kind of pride as well. "My name is Samantha Fletch, and this is my daughter, Penny."

Both men smiled broadly as she introduced herself. "It is wonderful to meet you both."

As they stood in the clearing, a light breeze went through and brushed against Samantha's skin, causing her to shiver. She had been dressed for bed in a pair of shorts and a tank when Sol had come to get them, so she was not adequately covered up for the time of year. It didn't seem to affect the two men, but they took notice of her discomfort. "You are cold."

Storm ran off without warning into the trees surrounding them, returning with a large T-shirt, sweats, and a sweatshirt. She blushed as he handed the sweatshirt to his brother and knelt down, holding the pants like a parent would for a child. She was about to object, but another breeze came through and there was no way to get the pants on herself without giving up Penny or doing a very awkward dance in front of the twins. So she gave in and stepped forward.

Bracing herself on his shoulder, Samantha felt her skin heat up once again as the big man pulled the fleece up her legs. His thumbs brushed up against her, giving her goose bumps all over her body. It was like a spark went through her every time they made contact. He was so close she could smell his skin; it was earthy, like basil, and clean brook water. It got stronger as Storm stood completely up and worked to cinch the sweats up so they wouldn't fall. His chest was just inches from her nose. His bare, masculine, hairy chest.

Once the cord was tied in a neat little bow Storm stepped back, taking his scent with him. Samantha almost asked if he would come back, but he was soon replaced by Thunder. He had the hoodie ready, just like his brother had done with the pants, but unlike those she would have to put Penny down in order to put it on.

"I'll hold her." Storm came forward again. Samantha gave him a look. She didn't like the idea of handing her baby over to basically a stranger, a werewolf stranger at that. He noticed her reluctance. "I will not harm her, I swear it."

Again the air pushed her to make a decision. Samantha looked Storm right in the eye as she handed him her child. "You stay right there. No funny business."

Storm's expression was serious as he gently took Penny. Samantha was a bit surprised how her daughter settled right back down. For being held by a complete stranger she was doing remarkably well. She hadn't liked Augustine much.

Thunder held out the sweatshirt and without much fuss Samantha was helped into it. Like his brother, Thunder's fingers gently brushed against her sides. It was sensual, without being perverted or molestive. Once he had it pulled all the way down, he actually grabbed her arms and pulled the sleeves up so she could use her hands, then pulled the hood up. He explained it was to keep your ears warm. His smile made her heart flutter again. Oddly enough, the clothes she wore smelt like basil.

Now completely covered up, the twins worked together to wrap the T-shirt around Penny, sheltering her from the cold. She held out her arms and Storm easily returned her baby to her. When all was said and done, both girls were sufficiently warm.

Samantha could feel the wind picking up, and took notice of how exposed the brothers were. "What about you two? Aren't you cold?"

They both chuckled. "No. We are Were, so the cold doesn't affect us as much. We should hurry now. Your pack is waiting for you."

Samantha assumed by pack they meant her friends, and agreed that they should hurry along. Dominic would be coming to look for her soon.

They were almost out of the circle when Samantha tripped and almost fell on her face. She shrieked in surprise and fear, clutching Penny securely to protect her from the ground. She was almost to the dirt when two pairs of strong arms stopped her decent.

Thunder and Storm had caught her just in time. They stood her up quickly and released her, but she was off balance because she had lost her shoe. The flip-flops she had been wearing had snapped when she tripped. Catching her breath from the near disaster, she was a bit peeved. The gravel would hurt her feet if she walked on it barefoot, but there was no way to salvage the shoe.

The twins stood silently one either side of her, staring at one another. Samantha was about to ask what their problem was when Storm took a step back, grabbed his shorts and promptly pulled them down. Samantha squeaked in surprise. It wasn't nearly the first time she had seen a man naked, and she was far from shy, but the fact he had done it without any reason threw her through a loop. Plus, she had gotten a pretty good look at what had been hinted at when he had the shorts on. Sweet Lord, the air didn't seem nearly as cold as before.

Thunder came up behind her, placing his hand on her hips to help her keep balanced. "Don't be scared."

His words were the only warning Samantha got before Storm began to change.

Storm was standing in front of her completely naked, watching her face when he slowly began to lean forward. As he did, his bones and muscles started moving under his skin. His feet grew longer, the heel rising to create a second joint while his hips shifted higher up his pelvis. His torso narrowed and stretched, the ribs coming in at the sides and thrusting forward.

Nails became thick claws as Storm's fangs hit the ground, the fingers arching up and pulling back to create paws. His face elongated to become a muzzle while the teeth inside grew and sharpened into dangerous points. Samantha watched in fascination as Storm's ears moved up to the top of his head to become points of fluffy fur, and a long bushy tail sprouted from his tail bone. He was covered in bright, gold colored fur, sleek and glossy in the light of the torches and lanterns.

He was huge, easily reaching her chin. It all happened fast, lasting maybe a handful of seconds. She expected to feel fear, seeing a wolf so close after what had happened at the warehouse, but there was none.

"Wow." Samantha broke the hold Thunder had on her hips and stepped closer to the beast. He didn't move expect for his eyes. He was watching her very closely, his head slightly lowered and ears forward.

Samantha very slowly reached forward. Her hand made contact with Storm's muzzle, his whiskers tickling her hand. "Wow."

Storm's tongue darted out and grazed Samantha's palm, causing her to squeal and pull her hand back, laughing as she did. Storm made a little jump, play bowing with his butt high in the air, releasing a yip from his fierce maw. He then darted to her left, nipping at her ankle. She laughed like an exited child, jumping away and falling back into Thunder arm's. Storm continued his assault, darting to and fro, running behind his brother to surprise Samantha on the other side. She was pressed up against Thunder, trying her best to keep her eyes on Storm as he covered her in light nips and slobbery kisses. Penny thought the game was great, and Storm was especially careful as he sniffed and licked at her tiny hands and feet.

Thunder was also laughing, keeping Samantha steady while his brother played his game. After a few more minutes of chase, he finally calmed his brother down. Both he and Samantha were panting heavily, while Penny giggled happily with Storm's nose sniffing at her face. She even attempted to taste his nose at one point.

After a minute or two of fun Thunder decided it was time to head out. "Alright, time to get you back to the Den." Samantha gasped as he crouched down and buckled her knees, catching her with little effort and lifted her with less. Without time to even catch her breath, Samantha found herself riding on Storm's back as they made their way down the path.

It wasn't as easy as it seemed to ride a giant wolf while holding a baby. Storm tried his best to walk smoothly, but the rocking back and forth while trying to keep Penny upright was a challenge.

"May I?" Thunder, who had been walking silently beside them, held out his hands to Penny. After a short internal deliberation, Samantha decided there was no real danger to letting this man hold her daughter.

"She may fall asleep on you." Penny was already dozing off with the steady rocking of their ride. Thunder had the same serious look on his face as he took the tiny baby into his arms and placed her similarly to how her mother had held her. Penny was asleep within a minute or two.

The journey back was taking suspiciously longer than it had before. Samantha guessed it wasn't an accident, but she found that she didn't mind. Neither the man nor the wolf had taken any serious liberties with her so far, so she felt secure enough not to say anything.

They had been walking for a few minutes when Thunder broke the silence. "Samantha, may I ask you something?"

Samantha smirked with a shrug. "You can ask whatever you like, but don't feel I am obligated to answer." Her voice was teasing, but she was serious. There were some things you just don't tell a stranger.

Thunder chuckled, and Storm's body vibrated underneath her as he gave a wolfish laugh. "Very well. I will start easy. How did you come to be with Dominic's pack?"

Samantha sighed. "That's not as simple a story as you may think." She paused, contemplating whether or not to tell them the story. "The short version is that I was working out of the same place Dominic was. When I got into some trouble, he took me in. That was almost nine months ago. I've been living with him ever since."

"What were you doing for work?" The tone of his voice told her that he had a pretty good guess. It was no secret what Dominic had done for his income.

"Living isn't free, especially when you have a couple nasty habits to go along with it. Escorting was the easiest way to get a lot of cash quickly, not that I got to keep most of it."

Thunder's voice hadn't lost any of his edge. "You are an addict?"

She nodded. "I got hooked not long before I started going on dates. Downers to dull the pain, uppers to help me get the job done, and alcohol to even it all out during the day. I quit though. The second I found out my life wasn't my own anymore I quit cold turkey and haven't touched anything since. Dominic and Garrett had their hands full keeping me alive." She stopped there, not liking the memories flashing through her head. It was a dark time in her life, darker than most

"It sounds like you have had quite a life, sweet Sam."

"Don't call me that." Samantha's words were harsh, laced with disgust and pain. She quickly realized what she had done, the surprise on Thunder's face and the pause in Storm steps reminding her that they didn't know her past, about the men in her life. She took a deep breath to steady her pulse. "Please. Don't call me that. Someone else used to and I just can't..." Her words were choked off with a sob. The memories she had for so long held back were beginning to rush forward. The tears came spilling down her face, even as she bit her lip to keep quiet.

A strong arm encircled Samantha as she wept, the hand pressing her head so that it rested on a warm shoulder. Beneath her, a soothing hum vibrated through Storm and into her, soothing the pain just as the heartbeat in her ear was. Neither judged or asked questions. They just allowed her to let out her feelings. She felt silly and a bit awkward allowing herself to be comforted by two men she did not really know, but a small voice deep within her heart told her that it was all going to be alright.

After a while, Samantha's sobs became hiccups, the waterfalls of tears a light mist over her eyes. Feeling much better she disengaged from Thunder, blushing profusely and apologizing for getting him all wet with her tears and snot. Thunder simply smiled, opening his mouth to say something when his entire body froze.

Both he and Storm unleashed terrifying snarls, moving with a synchronicity that made her head spin to move her and Penny off Storm and behind their backs. Beyond them, in the dense forest of trees, a snarl answered them back.