The Bite (Book 1)

Original Edition - Chapter 31: The Valley

Thank God I met Andrea. She joked and teased with me along the way. She was like an older sister or a fun aunt that I never had.

We soon made camp in a little clearing near a brook that our wolves drank heartily from. Derek and I built a small fire with Andrea while Evan dug out some sandwiches that Derek had packed us.

I was full and warm by the fire that crackled through the quiet of the forest. The group was scattered around into many smaller groups. Evan, Ryder, and Jake decided to come to ours, mostly because Jake and Ryder loved giving Evan a hard time about Andrea.

"What did you do in your old pack, Andrea?" Jake asked as she ate a large red apple.

She swallowed her bite and wiped her mouth, but missed a little bit of apple, which I pointed to her. "I was a pack warrior."

"Figures, you're dad want you to do that here?"

She scoffed. "Obviously, who else will keep you boys in line?" Jake rolled his eyes as a cocky gleam flashed over his eyes. Andrea wasn't a fan of that. She was a shewolf to be feared on the topic and let her wolf rumble, shutting Jake up, just to prove that to him. "You can be first in the ring Jake, seems like it would do you good."

"What did you do before Charlotte?" Jake asked quickly, trying to shake off his clear embarrassment.

"Jake," Evan warned.

"It's ok Evan." I smiled gently. I wasn't ashamed of myself or where I came from. I looked back at Jake who was holding his friend's hard gaze for a moment before snapping his eyes to me. "I was a human and shifted."

The group went quiet. Well, everyone but Derek and Andrea who were trying to bite back laughter. Jake looked at Ryder and Evan, almost like this was a joke. "I smell the alpha female on you Thorne, very funny."

"Call Levi yourself, he'll tell you how he saved my 'tiny ass' from two rogues then saw me through the shift." Jake was holding my gaze, waiting to see if I would tell him that it was in fact, a joke.

"That' impossible, I smell your blood just as much as I smell her's," he said while nodding to Andrea.

Evan just shook his head then rolled onto his side and laid his head on his saddlebags. Jake looked at Evan, who smirked at him a little. "It's true Jake. Lander told Thomas and me about it around a year ago. You should let her take you in the ring too, would do you some good."

Andrea chuckled at Jake whose face looked like he just watched us eat some dirt as I yawned. My wolf was tired. The physical toll of the run shouldn't have worn us out as much as it did, but our emotions were drained. It felt like we had been through a meat grinder.

"Sleepy?" Derek asked a little while tucking a hair behind my ear. I nodded before he reached into my bag and pulled out my blanket. My wolf growled in contentment, we loved nothing more than cuddling up under our bear.

I pulled the blanket around my neck and snuggled into Derek's chest. Jake and Ryder were both eyeing my skin approvingly, with desire. "Where'd you get that?"

"I killed it." My beast growled low in pride.

Both the boys looked over at Evan who had his eyes half closed. "There's a video you can watch later," he yawned out.

Ryder let out a low whistle and shook his head. "Gonna have to watch my ass around you, Thorne."

Derek chuckled and pulled me closer. I turned to meet Andrea's curious eyes. She was amused at these young males and their current behavior that was making them act like mere pups.

I lifted the edge of the blanket a little, inviting her. "There's plenty of room, come on."

She chuckled and scooted in next to me then rested her head on her pack. "I think you and I are going to be good friends."