We came to a clearing where Fallon’s nest sat. I was about to call her when the doors creaked open and she stepped outside. She was wrapped in a blanket with mascara rimming her eyes like smudged coal. John’s scent was faded and cold.“Did he hurt you?” I growled, shifting into my human form. My claws and fangs were slow to retract.Fallon smirked as fresh tears filled her eyes. “I wish. That would make this easier.”“Then what?” Even my beast was confused.“Tell me you don’t hear them.” She motioned with her chin to the valley looming below.I did and I wished I hadn’t.The howls of frustration and desire were growing louder as a sense of urgency sharpened the colors of the night. Even the moon was shining brighter despite not being entirely full.“Where’s John?” I looked over my shoulder to the nest I’d left behind. I couldn’t see it in the distance, but I could sense it like true north.“He went to get his nieces and bring them up here until someone figures out what to do this seas
To be determined.But my beast was riding me hard and demanding I stake my claim.“Unless you don’t think I’m cut out to be your Luna.” Yes, I heard the earlier words he’d said, but I was giving him a chance to explain. If we were going to be together forever, we might as well figure out our communication styles now.The rumble in his chest was a primal warning as he caught my wrist and pressed my palm against his heart. “Are you going to stand there with my handprints on your ass and my spit between your thighs while challenging me?”He remembers, my wolf preened.It was like an hour ago. I rolled my eyes.“Gross.” Fallon put her fingers in her ears. “You know we can still hear you.”Beau shook his muzzle with a huff and trotted to her side.My eyes widened as I looked to the trees.“I ripped the cameras out when I first woke up,” Fallon explained, sensing my nervousness.I tried to take a step back and regain control of the situation, but Ranger held fast to my hand.His deep laught
My feisty girl swiped at his nose before she took off running out of reach of his massive paws.I gave her a mental fist bump as I dried my metaphorical eyes. No more ‘woe is me’ for me.I may not have had the mentorship to be a great Luna, but I was a quick student and mostly self-taught anyway. Screw Nuva Pack and their backwoods ways.Ranger’s wolf watched my wolf as she trotted ahead of him like she hadn’t just challenged his beast. I swear I could hear his human side laughing.That made me smile.He was my Alpha now and if he needed a Luna, I was going to be the best dang Luna the world had ever seen.16RangerI don’t like this.I’m not the biggest fan either.The snarls and yips of wolves rough-housing grew louder as we raced down the mountain. I shouldn’t have left them alone, but I’d thought they could contain their urges for another night. It was my fault for assuming things would occur in their natural order since I’d gotten us here so fast. The show did the damage they int
“Apologies, Ranger.”My wolf growled as he glanced over to the Alpha who tossed the other Alpha on the ground. He held his hands up, showing he was calm. A naked female sprinted from behind him clutching the shirt of the standing Alpha while wearing the scent markings of the one crawling to his feet. Her desire lingered like a trail behind her, making both Alphas scramble after.Moaning came from behind the log laying on the sandy shore. My wolf continued past, ignoring the female lost to the male’s head between her thighs. The shadows of the woods obscured more couples, but that wasn’t what made my wolf’s fur bristle.We continued toward the pyre of burning wood stacked garishly high near the inlet where the sand softened and backed to one of the Tulia female’s nests. Chad sat on a throne made of logs surrounded by his little friend group. I counted extra heads in the dark hovering close by which would’ve been his and Brett’s security detail. They hadn’t moved since I set paw on the
I still wasn’t used to it.With all the male testosterone, I was surprised to find the female scents stronger as I walked around the fire. Panic fluttered in my chest. I hadn’t checked Aspen to see if she was in heat when I left. It wasn’t time yet, but I hadn’t expected the rut to be pushing at the males this early either.I glanced up at the moon as I approached the circle of powerful Alpha’s offspring, sending a silent request to the Goddess for patience.Edith and Meghan brightened at my arrival. The latter slipped off Brett’s lap as both girls stood and smiled. They were both wearing swimsuits as if this was some beach party with sheer coverups clinging to their sweat-coated skin. Cindy was there too, holding Chad’s arm protectively as she sat beside him with her long legs crossed. Poor Lilith was off to the corner looking uncomfortable with the pheromones pulsing in the air.I stared at Chad.He grinned. “Nice night for a run.”“That’s what the rest of them want.” I rubbed the b
I followed Ranger’s scent as we continued along the beach and reached Beau just before the huge bonfire at the inlet. He was emptying one of the extra bags of food Ranger brought with him.Provider. My wolf hummed her approval.She loved that Ranger had been prepared.Trenton was leaning against a tree, lost in conversation with Colton and Tucker when I approached. He looked up and nodded. Being on the show had aged him somehow. The circles under his eyes were deeper and there were lines on his forehead that weren’t there before.“Ranger is going to lead the run?” he asked me through our link.I nodded, looking around as a few of the females came prowling from the woods in the distance. Sarah, Kimberly, and Ismelda weren’t here but Hillary caught my eye and smiled.“Alright. I’m going home when it starts.”I’m sorry… “What?”Trenton gave me a sad smile. “I need to figure things out with the pack before I bring a Luna to it. Take care of yourself, okay?”What is happening?I’m not sure
Ouch. It hurt worse because I agreed about the stupidity of the run, but Edith made it obvious who was the lower-ranking wolf in this circle by the sympathetic smile she gave me.Let her be jealous.I kept my chin raised high and turned to leave, only stopping because Ranger was an immoveable log when he wanted to be and he was still holding my hand.“If you won’t respect my Luna then you aren’t welcome to run with us.” There was an Alpha bark to his tone I’d never heard before and I realized he wasn’t bluffing when he said he didn’t use it.Hearing it now made even my wolf want to turn belly up, so I didn’t blame the women when they all bent their head to the side and nodded.Ranger pulled me down the beach, not letting go of my hand. I wasn’t short, but I had to hurry to keep up with his long legs. My head was spinning from the encounter by the fire. He’d stood up for me.An Alpha stood up for me.Well, he’s our mate. So…He didn’t stop his brooding march until he’d dragged me into
“We’ll play it by ear,” I said, full of fake confidence as I leaned forward to kiss him again.He caught me by the chin, staring into my eyes with his brows furrowed as if trying to make sense of my words. “Play it by ear?”“Oh, you know.” I shrugged, hoping he wouldn’t hear the rapid beat of my heart or sense the pulse of fear running through my veins. “If you can catch me and all that ceremonial stuff.”His laughter echoed through the night as he leaned closer, feathering his lips across mine in the ghost of a kiss as he whispered, “Are you going to make me chase you?”Well, when he put it like that…Yes, please.18RangerI was so painfully hard that my bones ached and the muscles were shaking in my lower back. I’d have fucked Aspen against the tree, pressing myself into her tight and eager cunt, if my cock-blocking sister hadn’t cleared her throat behind us.“We have an audience,” I spoke through clenched teeth, half-hoping Aspen wouldn’t care.As expected, her body tensed like a
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