Chapter 4 - Logan

I was already on my way back to take care of the wolf's body when Moors called me. I was surprised he even called. I wasn't surprised but fucking angry to find his son poking the wolf with a stick.

I swear if we'd been alone if my mate wasn't standing right there, I'd have ripped his head off and blamed the poachers. The world would be better off without inconsiderate little punks like him. The only positive was being near my mate.

I liked how she looked at me, and I liked it even more when she glared at the female counselors for trying to be flirty. She hasn't shifted, so she hasn't connected with her wolf to know I'm her mate. But she's close enough to her first shift, and if I can smell her to know she's my mate, there must be part of her that feels this pull. 

And fuck, it was hard to reel Jericho in, hell to keep me in check when I smelled her arousal. I need her to leave before I do something I shouldn't. 'She's our mate. Completing the bond is our nature.’ Jericho reminded me.

'She hasn't even had her first shift. I don't think she even knows what she is. So, she will probably see our age difference as an issue.’ I countered. I love that she wants the wolf to be taken care of with care and respect. 'She's born to be a Luna.' Jericho whispered in my head. 

I felt a shiver as she used my name. I like how it sounds from her lips. I want to hear her repeat it, moan it, scream it in pleasure, and whisper it in need. But that won't be happening. I remind myself I don't want a mate. I don't need a Luna. No one can take Suzu's place in my heart.

I'm by no means celibate, but no woman has been in my bed. Always bedding them at their homes or hotels and never more than once. I never let them get close. And if I accept this, accept her, she'd be in my life, in my bed, and meet Hana. She seems too young to take on such roles. 

I watched her leave, waiting till her scent had faded before I set to collecting the wolf's remains. "I'm sorry that I failed you. I will do whatever I can to protect your remaining pack members,” I whispered. I carried him closer to my cabin, where I dug a grave and silently laid the noble creature to rest. I glanced up at movement by the tree line. 

Standing watching me were three adult wolves with six pups. His pack, probably his mate, and maybe those are his pups. My hand clenched the shovel handle crushing it in my grasp without a thought to the splinters.

"No more wolves will die,” I swore. Tossing the broken shovel aside, I went back to the cabin and sat at my laptop, making the call to Silvercloud.

My delta was quick to answer my video call. “Yes, Alpha?" he greeted as his face came onto the screen. He was young, only seventeen. Some of the older pack members were not pleased when I selected him to be my delta after his first shift. But fuck them. Silvercloud is an impressive wolf, no matter his age.

The kid’s undoubtedly more intelligent than me. Hell, he’s even more brilliant than Chuck and John too. For fucks sake, he already has a master’s degree in engineering. Fuck I don’t even have a bachelor’s degree. 

This makes him the perfect person to help me with what I’m thinking. “I need you to do some things for me. Things you aren’t to tell John or Chuck about,” I stated. I love my brother, and Chuck’s my best friend, but neither would approve of what I have planned and would try to talk me out of it.

A sly smile spread across Silvercloud’s lips that matched the dangerous twinkle in his dark brown eyes. I had piqued his interest. “Of course, Alpha. What would you have me do?" he asked, setting down the bowl of cereal he’d been eating. “Two things, make that three,” I sighed as I started to pick splinters from my hand.

“First, I want you to hack into a satellite. I want to get whatever imaging we can from over the camp and the surrounding forest. I want to find these bastards before they kill any more wolves,” I growled, thinking of the wolf I just buried outside. 

“Right away. And the other two items?" Silvercloud asked without hesitation. That’s what I like about this kid. He has a level of moral flexibility that John and Chuck both lack. But their robust and steel-like morality is what made them perfect balances to Silvercloud and me. 

“I need everything you can find out about the campers, counselors, and the director here at the camp. While I doubt the campers would have anything to do with this, the staff has been here for a couple of weeks preparing, and the director, well, my gut says he’s not to be trusted,” I answered. 

“And the third, Alpha?" he raised an eyebrow. I contemplated if I should even do this. But I need to make sense of her before her upcoming shift.

“I want everything, and I mean everything about one camper in particular. Her name is Aurelia. I don’t know her last name. But I want to know who her parents are and what pack they are from. I want her parents and the Alpha of that pack to call me. I don’t like finding wolves in my territory without my permission,” I explained, leaving out that she was my mate.

Silvercloud blinked. “Wait, there’s a wolf at the camp? What kind of werewolf sends their kid to a human camp? She’s not a rouge, right?" he asked. “That’s what I couldn’t understand either. And no, she doesn’t smell like a rogue,” I shook my head.

No, she didn’t smell like a rogue. She smelled like perfection. “I think she only recently turned sixteen. So hasn’t shifted yet, as she’s not reacting as a wolf would to my scent or seeing me both in my wolf and human forms,” I explained. 

“The fuck!? They sent their unshifted daughter to a human camp a week before a full moon!?" he said, outraged and dumbfounded. “Exactly. Now get to work and report back to me immediately. Also, overnight me some security cameras. I want to set up some here in the forest and near the camp to see who might have anything to do with these poachers,” I instructed. “That’s a lot of ground for you to cover, Alpha. How about I send a team to install the cameras?" he offered. 

I shook my head. “Can’t do that. One, I don’t want to arouse suspicion by having more strangers showing up. And I also don’t want someone from the pack to come across Aurelia and do something stupid,” I explained. Like, look at her. I don’t need to start killing my pack members for unknowingly checking out my mate.

Even if I don’t know for sure, I’ll accept her. I can’t shake the protective feelings the bond triggers. Silvercloud raised an eyebrow at me. Damn it. He’s too observant of a kid. It’s a good thing sometimes. But not right now. 

“There a particular reason you are defensive of this unshifted female? Is there a reason that your wolf might have tried to come forward?" he questioned. I had felt Jericho trying to come forward. I thought I’d kept him at bay. “It’s nothing,” I shook my head.

“If you say so, Alpha. How about a compromise. There’s a small group; Scott, Kurt, Mikali, and Tanner I could send to the nature preserve,” he suggested. I growled at the idea of him sending four young unmated males. 

He laughed. “I see… so the unshifted girl has caught our Alpha’s eye. Noted,” he snickered. I glared. “Don’t worry. I would tell them to stay far from the camp to avoid detection. You can handle setting up the cameras near the camp,” he assured. “I should kill you,” I grumbled. “Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. But can’t and won’t,” he shrugged. 

I hate that he’s right. No matter how angry I am, I won’t kill him. I promised to watch out for him when I accepted him into my pack. Back when he was six, his mother had crossed into my territory half-dead, having survived a rogue attack that decimated her pack. 

“Don’t go thinking you’re too special, kid,” I grumbled. “But fine. I will agree to let the boys set up the cameras deeper in the forest as long as they stay clear of the camp,” I sighed.

“Thank you for seeing things my way, Alpha. They’ll be there tomorrow and be under strict orders to stay away from the camp and all the campers,” he assured me. 

“Good,” I nodded. “Am I allowed to tell Beta John and Gamma Charles that I’m sending the guys and surveillance equipment?" he asked. “Yes, you may tell them that part. Now get things ready. I’m going to try and sleep,” I sighed, cutting the video off.