consumed

To all my readers who enjoy quirky characters with unconventional endings.

Chapter One

Ava Lesarris readjusted her grip around the leather-covered steering wheel and relaxed against her seat. A faint dusting of snow dotted the ground, frosting clumps of dead grass and crunchy leaves like cake icing. The foothills of southern Indiana resembled a fairyland in late November, which suited her just fine.

Over her cell phone, the hold music clicked off and the Midwestern nasal voice of her boyfriend, Mike, replaced it. She grinned as she built white-picket-fenced dreams in her head; he was that kind of guy. “Okay, I’ll see you around midday Thanksgiving. If I leave early in the morning tomorrow, I should be able to make good time.”

She waited while he confirmed her plans and said his goodbyes. “Can’t wait. Bye.” Snapping the phone shut, she tossed it onto the seat beside her. Did it bother her that neither she nor Mike had ever said the “L” word during their six-month relationship? Not overly much. She’d steered the mood of their dates. He’d followed her lead. She’d done the asking out. Mike couldn’t manage to tear himself away from his job as a sports reporter to initiate things.

“That’s okay.” She needed to reassure herself, except she’d never been in love. Probably wouldn’t know the first thing about wanting to give up everything for another person. But she intended to try with Mike.

Only because he’s the man of the moment.

Ava ignored her wolf. The purpose of spending the long holiday weekend with him at his parents’ house in Bloomington, Indiana was to find out if there could ever be anything more between them.

At least, that was the plan. The on-again, off-again relationship with Mike had lasted the longest of any she’d had during her dating life. It wasn’t something to write home about, but the chance to spend the holiday with other people drove the decision. She’d been by herself for too long.

Her smile faltered. Of course, she didn’t exactly get the warm fuzzies for him when they were together, either. Once again, she was probably too strong-willed for him. Most normal guys ended up ditching her the moment she mentioned anything risqué in the bedroom. Not that any of it mattered. She and Mike hadn’t had even mediocre sex for a while. They hadn’t been alone for weeks and hadn’t gotten a chance.

You haven’t had sex because he bores you, and you are not compatible with him in all other aspects of life.

At times, she wished her wolf was less chatty. “No.” Ever since she took the job as a pharmaceutical rep at one of the leading national drug companies, she’d been on the road more than she’d been home. So had he with his own career.

They were a nice, normal American couple, right?

You know exactly why your dating life has hit the skids.

That voice in her head was the reason nothing ever worked.
Shut up. I didn’t ask for comments from the peanut gallery.
On top of being a career-minded woman, she also had the misfortune of being a latent wolf-shifter.

A big freak, actually. What was the point of having a heritage in the paranormal if she couldn’t use it? The wolf inside gave her a competitive spirit and an aggressive desire to excel in everything she attempted. It also meant she had a tendency to question authority figures, especially when they were pain-in-the-ass alphas who thought their word was law.

Not only that, but life in a wolf-pack hierarchy didn’t sit well with her. Having to bow and kowtow to the males in the pack went against everything she believed in. When she’d voiced her opinion that a woman should be allowed in a leadership position or even have the option to choose not to marry within that pack—hell, or not marry at all—she’d been kicked out before the statement died in the air. So be it. They were entitled to their opinions. So was she.

You’re just bitchy because you’re getting ready to ovulate.

“Damn hormones.”

She wanted to climb the corporate ladder, and if she performed well at this gig she had a shot at being promoted. Wasting time with pack politics didn’t leave much time for that. In a way, they’d done her a favor by deciding the next step her life would take. Corner office, executive assistant, expense account, company car, it could all be hers in a few years if she kept her nose to the grindstone. So what if her love life’s roots withered before they could take hold? Somehow, the idea of just being some guy’s wife or just being some kid’s mom didn’t appeal to her like it had in her twenties. Now, a few days past her thirty-first birthday, she wanted to be on equal footing with a man in a relationship—as long as he wasn’t a wolf or wouldn’t tell her what to do. Shared responsibilities. Shared domestic duties. Shared bliss.

No man in his right mind would take you up on that offer.

Ava snorted at the dorky way it sounded.
Maybe so, but I can still think about it. Besides, I don’t need a man to justify my existence.

Tell me something I don’t know. You have no natural aptitude for choosing a mate.
In her head, her wolf counterpart paced in a fair amount of agitation.

“That’s right, wolf-girl.” Ava grinned. Though it must suck to be a wolf with no way to express that side, she wouldn’t want it any other way. Having the wolf inside kept her company, told her that her decisions were sound—or not, depending. “I don’t believe in soulmates.”

And it beat talking to the GPS unit all the time.

You’ll never have offspring at this rate. You excel at wasting perfectly good eggs.

Thanks
. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t need them to define me.” Choosing to have a good career over marriage had been a gamble, but it wasn’t like she’d ever wanted to have kids. Somehow the thought of wiping snotty noses and cleaning up messy diapers didn’t appeal to her. Yet, late at night, rolling over in an empty bed with no one to talk to and knowing she’d never hear anyone call her “Mommy” held little charm as well. She’d chosen the job, and she loved it. She’d made peace with the fact that she’d never shift into her animal. It didn’t make her a reject. It made her unique with a living conscience. “I’m happy with my life.” Meeting people, traveling, and learning about new up-and-coming drugs that could potentially save millions of lives made the sacrifice worth it. If someone took issue with her life, that was their problem.

There’s more to life than a career, human.

“Maybe, but until I find something or someone to convince me of that, this is what we’re doing.” Deliberately shoving thoughts of the future from her mind, she concentrated on the gray strip of road. There were two stops to make, a few people to call on and give the speech for the new “wonder” drug her company was peddling, then she could kick back in her hotel room. It had already been a long day.

“Ten miles to destination on right.” The weird British-accented voice of her GPS device cut into her thoughts.

“What the hell? I’m not anywhere near my destination.” By her estimate, she had a good hour of driving still to do. She’d pass through Bloomington and continue south through the hills—or the Little Smokies as the locals called them—without incident. She’d get down to Bedford, do her thing, then circle back. Poking at the navigation unit, she didn’t find anything wrong with the calculations.

Heavy silence reigned in the sedan for long moments. Her wolf even remained quiet, which would have been a relief if Ava hadn’t been concerned at the GPS’s odd behavior. Minutes later, the city of Bloomington came and went, and heavy woods swallowed up the land. The great thing about this area of the country was the coziness of the settlements. If you blinked an eye, you’d miss them, but a new one would always be waiting down the line.

“Arriving at destination.” The electronic voice spoke the statement with firm authority.

“No, I’m not!” All around her, the scenery looked much the same—forest on both sides, broken only by the empty gray ribbon of the roadway. Jabbing a forefinger at the GPS screen, she re-entered her original coordinates. “What part of take me
here
do you not understand?”

Inside, her wolf growled.
Having trouble dominating an electronic device?

Nope, I think I’ve got it.

Ava grinned, but her victory was short-lived as the device said, “Recalculating. Destination ahead.”

Hot anger shot through her body. “I am so getting a refund on this piece of junk.”

That was the last time she bought something just because the sales guy had a cute smile.

Steep ravines lined both sides of the road, and making a U-turn would be tricky since the curve up ahead meant she’d be doing it blind. Not to mention she wasn’t familiar with the turning radius of the rental car. “Fine, you win. I’ll get my bearings in the next town. While I’m there, I’m throwing your malfunctioning ass in the trash.”

Slowing her speed, she guided the car around the sharp bends. At some point, she passed a tiny, wooden sign saying
Welcome to Destiny
in blue-painted letters. She rolled her eyes. Really,
that
was the name of a legitimate town?

Sounds interesting.

“Oh no.” She shook her head even though her wolf couldn’t see. “Every time you say that, something bad happens in my life. The last time was in a bar when that pink drink caught your eye.” Once she’d finished the cocktail, she’d been so drunk she still wasn’t sure how she’d made it home. “Don’t get any ideas, wolf.” Ava wrapped her fingers tighter around the steering wheel. “We’re not staying.”

After the last set of curves, a ramshackle exit ramp came into view on her right. Another sign bearing the name of the town sat beneath the number zero. Ava clenched her teeth and pulled off the highway. The ramp headed down a semisteep incline and wound its way through a heavily wooded area. Finally, it emptied into a typical Main Street of any small town in the country.