The Silent Wolf (#2 of the Grey pack)

The Comeback

Nico’s P.O.V.

6 weeks later

The Ranch house was a bar-s***h club in the middle of our little neighboring human town smack in the middle of nowhere. It was the place where we would come to have a good time, where people could enjoy themselves, drink or dance, or just hang out. Or for me, the one place where I was finally able to feel like a normal man once again. Music was always pumping, mostly way too loud for anyone to have a decent conversation, so it wasn't necessary to talk. When people tried to talk to me, they were usually too drunk to understand that I couldn’t talk back to them, and they would probably have forgotten about it the very next day because they had been too drunk right now. It was also the place that held home to some bands to come and play here every Tuesday and Thursday night, and tonight was no exception at that.

I mean… I would know

I had been here every Thursday night for the past five weeks.

My life inside the Grey pack had slowly gotten into a routine. On my first day inside the pack house, I had walked into my own room, only to feel as if my head had exploded the very next second once the reality had sunk in, that this tiny place inside those four walls, a double bed, a nightstand, a small table, and a single sink, were all very much mine. I had basically shut down and I had forced myself to sit down on my bed to take it all in, and I had basically balled my eyes out for ten minutes straight as the reality of it all had nested itself in my heart and my brain that right now I was a part of a pack again. Knowing that this place, this room, was really mine. f**k… I hadn’t had a place of my own in years, I hadn’t felt at home anywhere for probably even longer before that. I had always been alone, an outcast. And right at that very moment, I had gotten myself a new family, a new job, a new purpose, new friends, hell... a new home. It had taken me quite some time to pull myself back together, but somehow I had managed to walk back into the living room and I had forced myself to mingle with the other warriors and guards living inside the pack house along with me. And much to my surprise, things had worked out and sailed smoothly ever since that first day inside the pack house. And now, 6 weeks later, I proudly called all these men my brothers. And I would gladly die for every single one of them. Without any doubt in my mind. Because for one, they treated me like one of their own, not like the guy who couldn't speak.

6 weeks… 6 weeks since I had started to train my ass off inside the Grey pack. Thank God, it was already showing on my body, my muscles were back in shape and my scars had been reduced into fine lines, mostly. The darkest ones were still on my face, something that would intimidate most people here inside this human bar-s***h club. But then again, being inside a dark country club was an advantage for me, since most people either couldn’t see them due to the bad lighting inside this place, or they were too drunk to care about how scary one cowboy looked standing in the corner of the room.

We were sitting in the corner next to the bar, as I looked up at the stage and saw how three guys were setting up their equipment for the next performance of the night. A beer resting in my hand as I took in my surroundings, something I had not been able to stop myself from doing ever since my... trauma. Always checking out potential threats and potential dangers.

“Hey, how is it going?” Someone asked me, and I looked up to my right, seeing how Bec, the Luna of the Grey pack, looked back at me in wonder, a hand on my shoulder and a friendly smile on her lips as always, while I nodded at her in response. She took the chair next to mine as I saw how my Alpha, Archer, Jason, and Jeremy took in the three other barstools as we arranged them around a big barrel which was placed down to use as a table. Jeremy had left for the bar only to return with a couple of beers which he had handed to everyone, except for Bec, who had an iced tea in her hand, while we sat and talked – well...I just listened- as the place slowly started to pack up for the night. Bec placed her glass down on the table as she leaned forward, placing her elbows on the barrel. The vibe around the table was a friendly one, family-like even, which was something I still needed to get used to after living such a shitty life before ending up here. Everyone seemed so casual around each other, even in front of the Alpha. It was as if I was part of the cast of 'Friends', instead of in the past, I always found myself to be a part of 'Game of Thrones', wondering if it was my episode to die already.

“So, what is the deal with Derek and Jess?” Bec asked as she looked at all of us, eyebrows high on her forehead. Jason and Jeremy groaned at the exact same time as Jason leaned back on his barstool and let his head fall back, all the while I was still looking at the stage and the way the band was getting ready to play and perform. Like a damn dog waiting for his owner to finally show up after a long day of work. Jeremy leaned forward on the table as well, to make sure that Bec could hear him, even though we all had wolf hearing and we were able to hear each other just fine. And I was still amazed at how well all of these guys could play human. It was a role they learned their whole lives, and something I was sometimes still struggling with to do, to be honest.

“Ever since Derek and Jess became fully mated, they can’t stay away from each other… or off of each other, for that matter. I believe Derek has set the goal in his head to get her pregnant as fast as he possibly can.” Jeremy talked, rolling his eyes to which Alpha Archer barked out a laugh, his hand casually draped over Bec’s shoulder as if they were just an ordinary couple, not the leaders of a big werewolf pack.

“Well, I guess he’ll never be able to win from me on that one.” He pulled out a crooked grin before he leaned in and kissed Bec on her temple, her cheeks turning red as she rolled her eyes at his comment.

“It’s not a competition, Archer.” She laughed, shaking her head.

“I don’t care, because I won anyway. Our little pup is growing bigger and stronger every day.” Archer winked at her before leaning in and placing a kiss on her temple again. Bec just rolled her eyes again as she took a sip from her nonalcoholic drink.

“What I mean is, you guys need to find your mates and you need to find them right f*****g now please, I need some extra girl power over here. Me hanging around with just boys, it's getting old.” Bec stated, waving around our little group of almost all males.

“Are you even allowed to be in a bar while pregnant, Luna?” Jeremy asked her, the most childlike grin on his face.

“Jeremy, do you want to go out and guard the borders all night long?” Alpha Archer asked him, his eyebrows going up as his own grin grew bigger, to which Jeremy choked on his beer, holding up both hands in the air as if he meant them no harm.

“No Alpha, I am all good over here. Thank you very much. ” He laughed, shaking his head as he dropped the subject and immediately started to talk with Jason about training and other s**t that I was in no mood to listen to anymore, especially when the band started to come out to perform, and I felt how my body reacted to that knowledge. The not moving- muscles stiffening- breath-catching reaction I always had when I saw…

her.

Strawberry blonde hair falling just over her small shoulders, tonight styled into waves that bounced with every step that she took as she walked out on stage in full confidence like always. Full puffy lips painted in a deep shade of red for tonight, her light blue eyes taking in the audience as her bright smile widened and made my heart squeeze as I saw the lightness of her eyes being framed by black eyeliner to accentuate them even more. She wore a pair of jean shorts and cowgirl boots to match the country vibe that she was going for with the band, showing off those legs for days that already had quite the tan for it being this time of year. She wore a plaided shirt that she had buttoned up around her tiny little waist, and it f*****g made me want to drool all over her…

FUCK. ME.

She is so f*****g beautiful…

She picked up the microphone and looked over at the crowd that had already gathered before the stage by now, a crowd that fitted the band, as I could see more cowboy hats and plaided shirts in here tonight than I had ever seen in all of my years of living before coming here and settling down inside the Grey pack. And somehow, I loved the vibe of all of it. I loved being here, and f**k… I loved looking at this girl and hearing her sing. Just like I would do every single week.

“Hiya everyone, thanks for coming here tonight.” My siren spoke, as she looked around the room. And somehow, I hoped that she spotted me being here tonight as well.

“My name is Taylor, and we are The Comeback.” She smiled wickedly, as she raised a hand and turned towards the three guys who were just setting up the equipment, and who now were each holding on to two guitars and a pair of drumsticks, nodding as they told Taylor that they were ready to go and start the show. And only seconds after, the first guitar strings sounded through the bar and people started to yell in enthusiasm, while the music finally started to fill up the air all around us.

The music was good, the band played mostly covers by other well-known country artists. But God, that voice… the way Taylor sang, it f*****g did something to me and every string that she could pull inside of me.

Hell yes, did it do something all right?

This girl right there

standing on the stage

She was the reason for me to find my wolf again.

To be able to hear him again… finally!

I sighed deeply, as I listened to the band playing, feeling eyes on me and somehow knowing that it was the Luna who was staring right at me. She didn’t miss anything, but I was in no mood to cover up my staring at Taylor either. It had been a f*****g week since I had seen her last, and I was about to look as much as I f*****g wanted to watch right now.

“She is beautiful. Isn't she?” She smiled, speaking just loud enough for me to be able to hear her. I yanked my head to her side and frowned deeply as I looked at her in wonder.

Does she know?

Is it that obvious?

“No worries. I can see why you like her. She is beautiful and quite the persona.” Bec smiled at me, as she shook her head in awe with Taylor, picking up her hand and doing as if she pulled an imaginary zipper closed over her mouth. While all I could do was swallow, before I was forced to stare back at the stage, forced to listen to every note that Taylor was singing. Because God, did I want to hear this girl sing her heart out... And I did. I listened, song after song, second after second. Note after note.

By the end of the performance, the crowd was loud and most people inside the bar-s***h club were drunk. People were dancing and shouting for an encore, as the band was wrapping up their gig for the night. Once the beat of ‘Stay’ from Florida Georgia Line pumped through the speakers, people went wild inside the room. My heart clenched as I listened to Taylor singing the lyrics of the song as if she were singing it to me personally. While I knew for a damn fact that it was not, a man could still dream. Fantasize.

“I’d sell my soul, just to see your face

And I’d break my bones just to heal your pain

And in these times I need a saving grace

But time is running out and I’m starting to lose my faith

But if I told you I love you, would it make you want to stay?”

And in that moment as I listened to her sing those words, even though it was still a cover from another band’s song, the lyrics had never felt so true to me, ever before… But I was bolted out of my dreamy state, as Taylor jumped right off the stage, and landed smack in the middle of a group of drunken ass cowboys, and I went stiff as a board, knowing the potential danger that she might have gotten herself into by doing that. But instead of hurting her, the crowd cheered wildly for what she had just done, and Taylor just kept on belting note after note while she walked through the sea of people. And even though I couldn’t take my eyes off of her for one single second, I could feel Bec standing up from her seat as well, as she started to jump and dance along to the song, and I stiffened even more, as Taylor came right our f*****g way… not just our way, she marched directly towards me like a woman with a damn mission on her mind.

Fuck. me.

She winked at me playfully, as she placed her hand on my shoulder, and just when I started to wonder what the hell she was up to here, she leaned to the side and placed her knee on Bec’s empty barstool, pushing her up on my shoulder as she started to climb on the f*****g table that I was sitting at. She stepped up on Bec’s barstool and then she stood up on the table-s***h-barrel before she started the sing the grand finale of the song and the night's performance, and the crowd went completely wild on her final notes of pure perfection. With both hands in the air, she smiled wickedly as she took in the applause before she placed the microphone back against her red-painted lips.

“Thank you so much! See you next week!” She yelled like she did every week at the end of their performance before she looked down at me and reached out her hand towards me, asking me to help her back down from the table. And my hand automatically went up to help her, to protect her… f**k… to be able to even touch her at this point. And I was f*****g surprised that instead of gracefully getting off the table like any normal lady would, she f*****g jumped me like a monkey, wrapping those legs for days around my waist as she yelped with happiness and probably some post-performance adrenaline, taking me by surprise once again by her actions, by the person that she truly was. Not that I minded what she was doing...

no sir,

not at all.

The crowd cheered again, probably at Taylor for being such a feisty little thing and not about me being the lucky fucker to receive her attention for the night. Even though I had to admit to myself that I had never seen her do such a thing with anyone else during all of the other nights while performing here week after week after week when I had come here to watch her sing. And deep down, my ego took a big rise from that knowledge. My elbows bent as I used one arm to wrap it underneath her perfect little ass, my other hand was splayed open on her lower back like you would hold on to a small baby that was too precious to drop. The feel of her skin made me want to turn f*****g mad and made me feel thrilled at the same time. Because once again, this girl right here in front of me had been able to track down my lost wolf deep inside of me and bring him back out, even if it was just for a couple of seconds. Because even though my wolf was still healing, still trying to get over our previous trauma and most of the time still hiding, he was still strong enough to pop out his head whenever Taylor was near, just for two single words.

MATE

MINE…