Chapter 1

ETHAN

Three hours. I spent the past three hours with Blacktree’s pack doctor.

It was damn near impossible to keep my mouth shut during the entire meeting because every few words truly showed his incompetence.

Pack doctors were tasked with ensuring their pack remained healthy and physically taken care of.

They needed a certain level of intelligence, and he sure as fuck failed to hit the mark. I was not sure how he became the pack doctor at all. I was fairly certain that I could do his job better than him even though I had no formal medical training. Shifters did not often get sick, but pack doctors still needed to be knowledgeable enough to handle that as well as care for the injured.

Our own, Dr. Goldman, attended an ivy league school among the humans while also keeping up-to-date with shifter combat medicine. Our physiology was close enough to humans that knowledge of both worlds was crucial to ensure we were properly taken care of.    

I had to meet with Blacktree’s doctor, Dr. Fineman or something like that, because rogues had been circling both their pack and ours over the past three months.

The Blood Moon pack was more than capable of protecting ourselves, but there were some unusual circumstances. Thus, Xander sent me to consult with Blacktree.

Rogues were not an uncommon occurrence in our world, but the sheer number of them had been the more concerning matter. There was also an unknown substance found on many of them. We did not take threats lightly after our pack had been attacked five years ago. Part of our pack had been decimated during the attack.

That was why I was here in this dingy small town instead of tossing back a few at a bar in my own territory.

Personally, I thought Xander should have been forced to be the consultant. Alpha, my ass. Sometimes he just used that as an excuse to get out of doing something he did not want to do. It was a good alibi for adding additional work to others’ caseloads. Hell, if I was the Alpha instead of the Beta, I would use it to my own advantage sometimes too. Guess I could not fault him too much for it. It still sucked though. I hated idiots.

Dr. Finefuck had not been able to produce one single piece of usable information regarding the dead rogues or the black substance that was found on them. Either he truly was completely incompetent or hiding something. Either one was a possibility.

I exited the building and took a deep breath. That was singlehandedly the worst consultation I had ever been part of.

My phone beeped, pulling my attention away from my internal grumbling.

Callie – “Want me to come over later?”

Callie was the current she-wolf that I had been spending some personal time with. She was a flexible slender brunette who was up for damn near anything. She knew how to keep things interesting, but she was getting a bit presumptuous. We were supposed to be causal, but the fact that she asked to come over to the packhouse was a no go.

Xander and I never brought girls back to the packhouse since it was our own personal space. It is just him and me that lived there, and we liked it that way. It was our personal bachelor pad and the only place that we could just be ourselves instead of the leaders of our pack.

Things easily got suffocating being around people who wanted to be around us just because it made them seem more important than they actually were.

Neither of us understood, before we took on our roles, how hard it would become to differentiate between who wanted to be around us because of us or because of our titles. We quickly learned it was actually very difficult. That was why we only did casual.

I had yet to offer any of them anything more than a great fuck, and I did mean great fuck. Plus, if I was being honest, the submissiveness was a bit annoying. I craved a challenge, but none of them ever rose to that occasion. It was easy to excite the body, but exciting the mind was a different beast entirely.

I shot Callie a quick text, telling her that I was busy. I still needed to grab food for Xander and me on my way back to our territory and debrief with him. Luckily our land was only about a thirty-minute drive from here.

Unfortunately, this meeting had been a complete bust, and we were no closer to figuring out the rogue situation. We were at a standstill with it until we figured out more shit. There were still other packs to consult with. Oddly, no other southern packs had reported similar rogue attacks.

Another beep pulled my attention downwards.

Xander – “Where the fuck is the food?”

I began to respond to tell him off because of his impatience. He was the one who forced me to come and consult with Dr. Dipshit. He should have come himself if he wanted it to occur faster.

Turning the corner, I hit something and landed straight on my ass. I looked around to see what I bumped into.

“Sorry,” came a soft voice.

So, it turned out to be a who instead of a what. I was surprised that someone so petite had thrown me on my ass like that. A rosy tint blossomed across her cheeks which stood in stark contrast to her fair skin. Her wavy blonde hair hung well over halfway down her back and covered part of her face. I looked at her carefully because she seemed familiar, but I could not place her.

She was trying to quickly stack the books that littered the ground and looked up at me when she realized that I had not moved or said anything. I was struck with how unique her eyes looked. They were a light blue with silver rings around her irises. The rings were a tell-tale sign that our wolves are pressing forward or in control. However, it looked like she was in control, yet the color remained the same and never wavered in or out.

Interesting.

Her blonde brows knitted together when she caught me staring. The eyes that had just struck me narrowed as her body tensed up some, as if readying itself for a fight.

“I get that I knocked into you, but staring is still fucking rude,” she quipped.

She held my gaze, refusing to back down. Well, that was certainly new. I could not help the smirk that formed on my lips from her words.

“Perhaps it is. It’s just a rare day in hell when someone manages to knock me on my ass.”

My response simply made her roll her eyes. “Maybe next time you should pay more attention to where you are walking and less time scrolling through social media.”

She then turned her attention to the files I had been carrying. This she-wolf was certainly snarky. I would give her that.

A true chuckle burst from my lips. “It wasn’t social media actually,” I defended. “Are you okay?” I asked, reaching for the rest of her books.

Why the hell did one person need so many books anyways? I was all for gaining knowledge, but this was pushing it.

She nodded and finished stacking the files I was carrying. “Here, these must be yours.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking the files. The moment that her hand brushed against mine, a wave of static warmth spread across my hand. I had never felt anything like that before.

I looked at her to see if she felt it as well. Her lack of response led me to believe that she had not. Curious.

“Sorry for my rudeness. I’m Ethan.” I offered her my hand to shake, wondering if I would feel the same thing again.

She hesitated for a moment, looking at my hand as if considering the pros and cons of shaking my hand.

“Emma,” she replied, shaking my hand. I supposed the pros outweighed the cons in my favor.

Again, I felt it once her hand touched mine. It was unusual, so I stored the information away for another time.

“Very nice to meet you, Emma.”

It was amusing to watch her trying to balance her oversized stack of books. She could not be more than 5’4, a bit on the short side for a she-wolf. So far, she did not seem like the type to cower to someone bigger than her. Hell, she called me out for staring without an ounce of reservation.

Shifters had specific auras. You could not tell if someone was a ranked member, such as Alpha or Beta. Although their auras were stronger because of their strength of their wolves. Also, the strength of an aura was based on how strong the shifter was overall. It served as an early warning signal to other shifters.

Our pack prided itself on being one of the, if not the, strongest and most dangerous packs in the south. Perhaps even the entire country. We were not cruel to our pack, but we did not extend that courtesy to our enemies. There was a reason why we were feared by others.

However, this she-wolf did not seem fazed by my aura at all. Add another point in the interesting fact category.

I took in her appearance and mentally nodded in approval. Her chest and ass were a bit more curvier than most of the she-wolves in our pack. Her body was very much all woman. Her chest strained against the black long-sleeved shirt that she was wearing. The jeans highly her thighs and ass in the most delectable way.

There was no doubt about it that she was unbelievably gorgeous.

She noticed my gaze and looked at me incredulously. “Again, with the staring.”

Turning away from me, she carried the precariously tall stack of books. Women never turned away from me, so I was instantly drawn towards her. My body propelled me forward until I stood in front of her.

She looked up at me through narrowed eyes, obviously irritated. I knew I was probably coming off as an insistent ass, but I could not help myself. Something was drawing me to her, and I would be an idiot not to figure out what it was.

Since I was a pup, I dealt with getting feelings about things. Intuition if you would. The draw to her was like one of those feelings but far much stronger. I needed to know why.

“My apologies, Emma. You just look familiar, so I was trying to figure out how I knew you,” I explained smoothly, trying to add a little bit of charm that always made the she-wolves swoon.

“Is that so?” she challenged, obviously not believing a word I said.

I crossed my heart, with an expression of sincerity painted on my face. Okay, well I was also checking her out because anyone would be a fool not to, but I had a hunch that was not going to win me brownie points with this one.

The challenge in her eyes was incredible. Never had I witnessed a she-wolf, or many other shifters, challenge me like that. There was not a hint of hesitancy at all.

Your move, Emma.

She let her eyes trail every inch of me from my head to my feet. She did it in such a slow fashion and even bit her lip. What a tease this she-wolf was. Getting annoyed with me checking her out, yet she chose to check me out in turn.

Well played. Well played.

“My eyes are up here, Emma,” I tsked her with amusement lacing every single word. “May I help you with those books? Think of it as an apology for my rudeness. I promise that I was raised better.”

She considered it for a moment. I watched as uncertainty flashed through her eyes before it disappeared as quickly as it appeared before shaking her head.

“No, thanks. I got it. It was nice meeting you Ethan,” she said, stepping around me and continuing on down the sidewalk.

Color me interested in her attitude, or the way she looked, but I was never good with accepting the word ‘no’ unless it was during sex. Unfortunately, I was not entangled with that very alluring body even though I was certain that the rest of her had to look just as good as the packaging did.

Before she got too far ahead of me, I swiftly grabbed half of the stack of books from her hands, much to her annoyance. Her eyes narrowed even further if that were even possible.

“I insist,” I said, smiling at her flustered expression. I never had to try this hard to get a she-wolf to let me help them. “Lead the way,” I motioned her forward.

She hesitated for a moment but sighed and nodded her head to the side before crossing the street. She obviously realized that I could be extremely stubborn when I wanted something. This time, I wanted to know what this pull was to her.

There was not much traffic, which was one thing I hated about how big our pack was. There were always too many cars on the road when trying to get from Point A to Point B. Frankly, it was a waste of time. Sadly, we often had to drive around the territory for one issue or another, and that could take forever. There were times that I would opt to run instead just to avoid traffic.

Emma and I walked side by side in silence for a couple of minutes. I snuck a few glances at her when she was not fully paying attention. She seemed completely unaffected by me. That definitely hit my ego a bit. On the other hand, it was the first time something like that happened.

After another moment, I asked if she robbed a bookstore. Her laughter was light, seeming to relax a bit.

“No, I have a fifteen-page paper for History class on the Red River War. My teacher is a dick, so he gave me a topic he was sure would fail me.”

I whistled low and grimaced. Yeah, that was one topic that would truly suck to write on. Our pack lived it, but it would even suck for me to write about it. There was not as much knowledge that would be found outside of our pack. No wonder he picked if he wanted her to fail.

“Yeah, that’s a very heavy topic. What did you do to piss him off?”

Her plump pink lips curved up into a satisfied smirk when she looked at me. Amusement twinkled in her blue eyes. It was a far cry from the narrowed irritation of before.

“In the beginning of the year, the asshole was spewing some incorrect facts, so I corrected him.”

“What did you correct him on?” I asked, curious to see what warranted such an assignment. 

“He was teaching us about The Third Battle of Kentwire. He proceeded to tell the class about how the battle was won because The Brookwood Coven became involved. I challenged his facts because it was simply a rumor. The coven never actually participated.”

Well, that caught my attention. The Third Battle of Kentwire was not what one would consider to be light learning. The fact that she knew it was a rumor intrigued me because it was not something everyone knew or suspected.

“If that coven wasn’t involved, where did the rumor start?” I asked, wanting to know if she actually knew the answer.

The problem with a lot of people was that they were sheep who followed whatever information their shepherd said without seeking its accuracy. They did not think with the brains inside their head. An intelligent person always sought validity and accuracy. They challenged what they were taught in order to find the truth of whatever matter was at hand.

It appeared that Emma was indeed an intelligent person. I liked intelligent people. I disliked simpleminded sheep.

“The rumors were started by the Mirror Lake Coven. They used it as an opportunity to decimate the Brookwood coven in retaliation,” she matter-of-factly explained.

She offered me a sideways glance as if she was expecting me to disagree. I could not disagree with correct facts. I had a love of history, especially history that was not as well known. Xander called it an obsession, but I called it a passion. Mine at least sounded more poetic.

“That’s impressive. Not many people know that. Why did the Mirror Lake Coven start the rumors?”

Her face scrunched up for a moment as if she did not like what she was about to say. That was an adorable expression that changed her entire appearance but in a good way. It looked much better than the narrowed eyes and irritation. Although, it did not look better than her amusement.

People’s expressions told you a lot about them. The majority of people wore expressions as a façade to hide their horrendous personality. The rest, however, wore expressions as an extension of their personality. The more you studied the small differences about someone’s expressions, the easier it was to see them for what they truly were. Emma, unlike a startling amount of people, was genuine.

“The Brookwood Coven had a corner market on the ancestral slave rings. The Mirror Lake Coven would be able to take the corner market without resistance if the coven was out of the way.”

I understood her repulsion to the topic. Ancestral slaves used to be a hot commodity for witches hundreds of years ago. The slaves were humans, witches, or shifters who had distant witch ancestors from specific bloodlines which carried certain properties within their blood. That blood was used to power and perform very dangerous dark magic.

It was what kept the Brookwood Coven as the dominant coven since they had the greatest access to the ancestral slaves. They were the primary slave traders and were able to pick and choose which covens got access to slaves. It was very difficult for other covens to get their hands on the ancestral slaves if not provided through the Brookwood Coven. Thus, the Mirror Lake Coven decided to eliminate the competition. They were power-hungry bastards.

“He said I had no proof, so I told him where to find the proof. I, then, challenged him by asking where he found the proof for his claim,” she chuckled.

A responding chuckle burst from my lips as well because it was a great tactic for her to use. The burden of proof could be a bitch when used properly, and she certainly knew how to wield it like a weapon. I was impressed yet again.

Emma was hot and intelligent. It was the perfect combination.

“His ego was challenged and never got over it. He’s been riding me all year, trying to make sure I failed. What can I say? I refuse to accept failure. It’s worth fifty percent of my final grade, so I need to ace it to keep my 4.0,” she explained with a shrug.

“So, you’re a nerd,” I teased, looking at her with a smirk firmly in place.

“Perfectionist, not nerd,” she corrected with a stern voice and well pointed glare.

My smirk deepened with her response. Goddess, I could not remember the last time a she-wolf, or anyone not in our very small select group of people corrected me. She certainly was different.

“Perfectionist and resident smartass, it seems. Not everyone is willing to speak their mind. It’s refreshing,” I pointed out.

It actually was indeed refreshing. Only those on Squad One, the group of eight who helped lead our pack, were willing to tell it like it was. Everyone else shied away given our title and status.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, a clear sign that someone was watching me. I was used to people watching me, but it did not mean that I cared for it. I pulled my eyes away from Emma and saw a trio of she-wolves standing on the corner of the street. They were staring directly at us. Well, staring at me, and glaring at Emma. They were also whispering, but it was too soft for me to hear what they were saying, but I did not like that they were glaring at her.

Emma followed my line of sight and sighed softly. She looked away from them quickly and kept walking.

I, however, glared at them and pushed out my aura to them. It was a warning to them to back off. They scurried away with their figurative tails tucked between their legs. Emma’s lips twitched, fighting a smile. She found amusement in their departure.

“I don’t see the need to sugarcoat things anymore. I deal with enough pretentious idiots that it’s just not worth my time or energy.” She tilted her head in the general direction that the girls scurried off to.

I felt like there was more hidden in that statement than just those girls. Her reaction to the glares made it seem like it was a normal occurrence. I did not care if it was because of petty jealousy because…look at Emma… or whatever the fuck their problem was. As long as I was around, I would metaphorical beat the shit out of them with my aura to make them scamper away.

“That’s what makes you very interesting, Emma,” I murmured approvingly. “Well, I do believe you’ve struck gold today. A. I’m a history buff and B. I’m from the Blood Moon pack, so I have firsthand knowledge of the war.”

The Red River War was the attack on our pack five years ago. We lost our leadership and nearly twenty-five percent of pack members. The war changed everything for us all. It caused Xander and I to take up our positions as Alpha and Beta of the Blood Moon pack. We had been able to make it stronger and rebuild, but it still pained us significantly. There were certain events in life that people could not get past. That was one of those events for many of our people, Xander and me included.

Emma looked me over from head to toe, assessing be with a very calculated gaze.

“Blood Moon pack? That’s pretty damn cool.” Her eyes shone with unfiltered interest. Her lips curved upwards, pouring sincerity into her words.

To say I was surprised with her response would be an understatement. Never had I ever heard those words strung together from outsiders when my pack was mentioned. I looked at her sideways and did not even attempt to school that surprise from my face.

“That’s definitely not the reaction I normally get.”

“What reaction are you used to?” she asked, looking up at me with doe eyes.

I stopped walking for a moment before pushing out every ounce of aura I had. Our pack was intimidating in our own right. It was enough to make most of our enemies flee, yet she just stared back at me, unblinking. She looked really damned amused.

“Usually apprehension, hesitation, and obviously fear. Sometimes it combines all three at once. This is the first time I’ve gotten amusement,” I admitted with a legitimate pout.

This she-wolf definitely was different. She did not seem at all intimidated or afraid of me. Outside of our pack, people were always wary of us. Rumors of the ruthlessness of our pack kept other Alphas in line. The Alpha and Beta of the Blood Moon pack were said to kill opposition for the fun of it and decimate entire packs.

Were we ruthless with our enemies? Absolutely. Did we kill for the fun of it? Definitely not. The rumors, half-truths, and full-truths kept the idiots leashed and on the ground with their bellies pointed upwards.

She snorted and rolled her eyes at me as if that was the funniest thing she ever heard.

“People are pussies. Why would someone be apprehensive of one of the most protected packs if they weren’t stupid enough to cross you and try to play in your sandbox? Unless you want me to fear you, that is,” she said with a smirk, challenge twinkling in her eyes.

Well, fuck. I threw my head back and laughed like I had not in quite some time.

People passing by us steered out of our way, which just increased her amusement. Okay, so perhaps I had not lost my touch. I wondered if she would find amusement with the rest of the pack as well. Every part of me was very eager to know.

“Nah, you have no need to fear me, Emma. You are quite a curious thing though. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone entirely new that was so comfortable in my presence. It’s nice,” I replied honestly.

There was something different about her, but I could not quite point to what it was. Either way, I found her intriguing.

Her head tilted to the side when she looked back at me. I could tell she was trying to figure something out, but I was not sure what it could be. What I would not give to see inside that mind of hers.

“I got a good feeling about you, Ethan, and my feelings are never wrong,” she explained, as if it was a normal affair. “So, what are you doing here at Blacktree?”