“Think he’s going to be a problem?” John chewed the side of his thumb as he stared at the schoolyard posturing across the fire.“I don’t know what to expect.” Ivan’s worry about the filming bothered me. I shifted my foot, startling Beau who let out a rugged snore and cracked an eye open. I patted his head until he went back to sleep.John watched me for a moment. “Are you thinking he won’t uphold his promise?”I was thinking I’d been a fool to think the Tulia Pack would do anything the right way. Chad made the bet and I was hoping it was the end of it, but now I wasn’t sure. Political games had never been my forte. But I couldn’t let them know that.“If he knows what’s good for him, he will,” I spoke loud enough that there was no doubt Chad heard me.I didn’t know how I’d get him to repeat his promise to the cameras, but I would figure it out. Tulia Pack needed to pay. I wasn’t the only one in the region with a vendetta against their family, but I was the only one strong enough to do
Like now. Why wasn’t I that hungry?We will be. Let’s go hunt.Shouldn’t Ranger be the one hunting? I stretched out my arms over my head, enjoying riling my wolf. She had no issues waiting for a man to come save her.I still hadn’t decided if I wanted to stay… Wherever here was. But I needed to figure it out fast before I had to ride out the heat–potentially alone.Or with Ranger.I wasn’t sure if I wanted that either.One thing was certain, this heat would suck if I didn’t at least have a vibrator. If I wasn’t waiting for Ranger, then I needed to hike off this mountain, find a nearby town, and hope they had a cheap hotel and a sex store that specialized in wolf shifter toys.Oh, no. My eyes widened as the realization dawned on me.The team Ranger sent to move our belongings from the trailer would’ve packed up my bedroom. I bolted upright and clasped my hands together, praying harder to the Moon Goddess than I’d ever done before.Please don’t let my papa have seen my dildo collection.
8RangerI stared at the paler fur on the back of John’s right shoulder as we trotted toward the bridge, wondering how I’d missed the slight curve of a mating mark. He didn’t smell like a mated wolf so the bond must’ve not been completed.The river continued to rush below us. Even in the daylight, it was too treacherous to cross. Jones and Foster arrived early this morning having found the hiking bridge.“Tell me again what I’m missing.” I mind-linked my pack as we crossed the rickety structure over the white-water rapids below.John had taken a fist to the face before my guys showed up to lead us here and he still hadn’t explained what happened. “I’m not one to kiss and tell,” he’d said.Someone had better start talking soon before I lost my mind. It was bad enough with the protective worry pummeling my beast and the aggression building from the coming rut. I didn’t want to be more paranoid than I already was. I needed to know who I could trust.Beau stepped into that role. “Jenna sa
I could smell her arousal in the air and decided it’d be rude to point that out.“My wolf would not release me. I was fighting for control and it was like she was possessed or something. Then his snout went between her legs and she lowered, about to present.”Whatever color was left in Fallon’s face drained as she lowered her voice to a whisper. “He shifted to human so fast, scrambling away. My wolf was pissed so she chased him down and bit him. She wanted to claim him. But what if…” With wide eyes she looked around, “What if he didn’t want to be claimed?”“Has that ever happened before?” I rocked back on my heels, handing Fallon the skewer of cooked meat. “Do our wolves even make claims outside of mating season?”I hate to tell you–Stop making everything about you, I snapped. This is Fallon’s story now.“It was probably the stress.” Fallon sunk her teeth into the meat and chewed fast before wiping the grease from her lips. “Or she’s going feral. Yeah, that’s it. I can’t stay here fo
I could practically see the noose tightening around Fallon’s neck and rushed to intervene. “How is your uncle as pack Alpha? Do they respect him?”Danielle gave Amber a knowing look.Amber cleared her throat. “He joined the Marines right out of high school and was stationed with the shifter grunt unit. We didn’t think he’d come home to stay, but when he was visiting our grandma on leave, the old pack Alpha Oscar got drunk and challenged him. Uncle John tried to get him to sober up, even held him down, but in the end, his wolf took over. It was a clean kill.”Fallon gasped, smacking her hands over her mouth.“The old Alpha was shit anyway. Oscar always had a chip on his shoulder and didn’t like letting any of us leave. Especially the young ones,” Danielle explained. “Uncle John turned things around after his honorable discharge. He encourages us to go to college. I just finished my associate’s degree in business and came home for the season. I think I’m going to stay.”“And we both con
RangerAfter rechecking the printed maps in human form, we made our way deeper into the White River National Forest traveling as a pack of angry beasts. We’d only passed one hiker the entire day. The bird shifter took flight after one look at us, leaving his binoculars behind.Our muscles were burning, but we were running on pure adrenaline. This pace wasn’t sustainable for long. Alpha instincts had me wanting to slow down and check on the wolves at the back of our herd, but I forced myself to focus on what lay ahead of us.These wolves are not my concern.I know.My wolf was on a mission. Some primitive drive had taken control. He saw this as a test. A way to prove his devotion and earn his mate. I’d call his devotion “sweet” if every mile we traveled didn’t make me want to kill every single production member of this show.The drones were a pest that refused to die. I’d assumed they’d run out of batteries or range, but it was like they were fueled by magic.I wouldn’t put it past the
“I thought you were the Alpha here,” Trenton tossed back over his shoulder as he melded in with the rest of the males, making himself a harder target.I will get him to break his own neck from how hard he’ll bend it. My wolf was growling.I pulled him back, knowing a mocking challenge from a lesser wolf when I heard one. But I couldn’t understand why he was baiting me.“I am not your Alpha.” There was enough bark in my voice to make the men closest to me whine as a camera drone buzzed closer to my face. I turned my fury on the device. “I owe you nothing.”They could tear each other apart for all I cared. This show wasn’t getting any more from me.“They’re just as lost as we are,” John said as I marched past him. He didn’t seem to know what to do about that either based on the defeat in his tone.“It’s not my problem.”“Mine either.” John sighed as he walked back up the hill. “Hopefully I can get my girls to leave.”His girls… Was my sister included in that statement now?I glanced at
There was a small brown wolf with short fur poking her snout through the trees followed by a taller golden wolf with light red streaks down her fluffy tail. I sniffed the air, recognizing them just as Amber’s and Danielle’s wolves bounded forward. The sisters bumped into and rubbed against Ismelda’s and Kimberly’s wolves.“Great. We’re running a daycare now.” Fallon shooed the younger females, herding them back up the mountain and away from whatever was going on down by the pond.“They’re not that much younger than us,” I said. But the way their wolves tumbled together didn’t add weight to my point.A chestnut-colored wolf was standing on the knoll past the thicket of aspen trees. I hesitated at seeing her, resisting the urge to call the other females back like dogs.Fallon sniffed the air. “I was wondering where she’d gone.”“Who?” I didn’t recognize the newcomer’s scent, but Kimberly and Ismelda raced over to her side.Before Fallon could explain, the brown wolf shifted. Pale human
I reached up and turned the TV off manually, scratching the back of my head as the room quieted and eight pairs of eyes looked my way. “Can someone tell me what’s going on?”“Wasn’t he on the show?” The coyote shifter looked at Aspen. “I swear I saw him there.”“You can be on the show and not have a clue what’s going on. Ask me how I know.” Aspen giggled, leaning back so her head rested against Ranger.He affectionately squeezed her shoulder as he pulled out his phone and scrolled. “It’s true. They finally got enough dirt to bring her in. Took them long enough. It’s been almost three months since our settlement against the network.”“Thank the Goddess.” Aspen sighed. “Wait, this doesn’t mean we have to go back to court, does it?”Ranger pocketed his phone. “No. They have her on a technicality and the feds are involved with the interstate gambling. Jesse’s testimony should be all they need. It’s bigger than us now.”We all glanced at the cheetah shifter. Jesse laid back on the leather
My beast thumped his tail as she smiled at me.“Are you ready to go?”I finished off my beer and tossed it into the trashcan, moving around Andrea as she tended the bar. Crossing the hardwood floors, I met the owner of the bar halfway, then scooped her up into my arms. “You missed my show.”I didn’t care if I sounded pathetic; Fallon was the one who insisted I put on a festive performance each Thursday night for the month of December. “We need more fun in this territory,” she’d said. “Make them want to stick around.”Fallon was a tough Luna, but she had a vision. It was something beautiful to watch it come alive. Because that’s what she’d done. Slowly but surely, she’d brought more life into this pack.A public playground sat by the new elementary school. She’d recruited some small businesses and created a boutique shopping center right outside the resort. Shifters were coming back and bringing their families with them. Especially now that Chase and Kimberly Williams were running the
“Well. I didn’t think…” Tim looked around the room as he stuttered. “She just…”“Come on, man.” Bryant laughed as he clapped the old man on the back. “Did you lose a nut or two back there?”“I need you to leave. Now.” John growled.Tim scrambled out the door.Bryant sighed as he followed him. “We’re going to have to burn this table.”“Out.” John’s Alpha strength washed over me, giving my wolf a heady rush as it mixed with my own power.I gave him a seductive smile, practically tasting his pheromones and desire pulsing in the air. “What seems to be the problem, Alpha?”“That was so fucking sexy.” He moved me over so I was standing in front of him, spreading my thighs apart with his knee. I was bare under the makeshift dress I’d made from his flannel shirt.Bare and already aching with need.His hand slid up between my legs and he groaned at what he found waiting there. “How did I get so lucky?”“Ask the Goddess,” I teased, gasping as he pushed me back so I lay flat on the table.He mad
I placed her scent as soon as I’d shifted and entered the lodge through the back door. The widowed Luna of Williams Pack. It was only a matter of time before she showed up. I pulled on one of John’s flannel shirts from the hooks in the mudroom and cinched it at the waist with one of his belts, grabbing my spare thigh-high black boots from the mat in the hall.Reminder to self:Leave more clothes easily accessible here.Especially if we’d be hosting representatives from the neighboring packs at random times.“Fallon.” John smiled at me as he came out of the bathroom. His eyes traveled hungrily up my thighs as I zipped my boots.“Later.” I put my hand in his. “Do we know what Janice Williams wants?”“Probably something about the debt from the show and my bargain with Chase.” A menacing aura pulsed around John that made my beast purr in delight. We hadn’t seen him in his dominant stance yet. He’d been mostly cinnamon roll around me and the pack. But this version of him was definitely get
“Are you going to let your Alpha in on these plans?” I asked as I tossed the towel into the laundry basket.“There will be signs,” she said mysteriously.And like a love-sick pup, my beast wagged his tail, ready to do whatever she asked.“Come on.” Fallon grabbed my hand and dragged me off the bed.“Where are we going?” I hobbled after her, realizing I’d probably be doing this for the rest of my life. Which didn’t sound all that bad.Fallon pulled open the front door as the cool spring breeze entered the warmth of the cottage, blowing a gust of her intoxicating scent around me. The morning sun shone down on her raven-black hair, giving her an ethereal glow. Her fangs descended through her smile.“My wolf needs her apology now.”11FallonBits of green sprouted through patches of muddy snow that crunched under my wolf’s paws as she raced through the quiet forest. The morning sun peeked down past the branches overhead. My beast’s lungs burned deliciously with the exertion. She was fast–
With my hands full of plastic bags, I jumped out of the truck onto the dirt road to the lakeside resort. I had a feeling she’d like it here. Her own little safe haven, especially when it was off-season and the pack stayed inland where the hunting was better and the air was less cold. Come summer, they’d all be out fishing and swimming and soaking up the sun. Fallon could have full range of the lodge then.I tapped into our mental connection, not wanting to disturb her if she was sleeping. Her emotions washed over me. The anger. The loneliness. It squeezed at my heart.My beast whined as I sat down on the front porch, putting the bags beside me.“What’s your favorite type of candy?” I rested my arms on my knees and waited. Back at the show, I’d gone through so many questions and she never answered. But maybe, just maybe…“Dark chocolate with salted caramel.”My beast howled his triumph as I looked into the plastic bag. Hopefully milk chocolate with caramel filling was a close second. O
“But you won’t because, despite your tough exterior, you aren’t a complete asshole.”“I…” I didn’t know what to say to that.“Listen, I know you and Ranger had a shit life. And we’re wolves. We’re used to fighting for what we get. But it’s different when it comes to you and your mate–especially one who is the Alpha. He’s going to protect you. It’s in his nature. You don’t have to fight every battle alone anymore.”“But–”“No buts. It’s biology, girl. Your wolf could only be tamed by the male strong enough to be an equal, but being equal doesn’t mean you do the same type of work all the time. He’s supposed to protect you in his way. You’re supposed to protect him in yours. He’ll take care of you when you’re sick and when you can’t do something. Just like you’ll do the same when he falls short. You don’t have to prove your worth anymore. If you did, then he wouldn’t be your perfect mate.”“What if fate got it wrong and he’s not perfect?” I swallowed down the lump of emotion in my throat
I shook my head. “How did you do it?”“Do what?”“One second everyone was talking shit. The next, they were eating out of the palm of your hand.”“Not everyone,” she huffed.“More than half the pack.” I started to unbutton my shirt, loving the hungry look in her eyes. “It was magic. Princess magic.”“I’m serious.” She licked her bottom lip as I dropped my shirt to the ground. “Don’t call me that.”“If you want me to stop, I’m going to need your passcode.”Her fingers traced the neckline of her shirt. “Passcode? I prefer the light system for safe words. Green to keep going. Yellow means slow down. Red is–”“Damn it, woman.” I groaned as I held my cock through my jeans with one hand and waved her phone with the other. “Your passcode.”Her eyes narrowed. “Give that to me.”“Are you hiding something?” I teased.She better not be.“It’s none of your business if I am.” A dismissive tilt of her chin had my beast growling.“I think everything about you is my business.” I caught her by the ank
“But the dams sure think so.” Aiden nodded.“It’s not your fault though.” Alice patted my hand. “You can’t help being a pampered city girl.”Did she just call us…I guess she did.I burst into laughter, laughing even harder at the horrified expressions on their faces. This was great. More than great.The O’Neil Pack thought I’d left my comfortable position in McCaw, with my own house where I made all my own rules and had more money than I knew what to do with, for a life like this?They were all high as a kite.8JohnIt took a massive amount of liquor for shifters to get and stay drunk, but that didn’t stop the O’Neil Clan from testing the limits. Pitchers of beer and jugs of homemade apple pie moonshine were passed around the picnic tables out front of the lodge. The far tables were laden with potluck casseroles and Shirley’s kitchen creations.Young pups came running through the maze of adults, causing chaos as I searched the crowd, looking for Fallon. My mate. It still had a ribbo