Chapter 4

Keyah was breathing hard as she shifted back to her human form. It had been quite a while since she had shifted. In fact, after she had turned thirteen and had been able to control the change, she hadn’t ever shifted to her wolf form, mostly because it upset her mother.

Although she had been prepared for resistance from Aaron Lobo going by what Charlie had told her, she hadn’t been prepared for the pleasure or the thrill of changing into her wolf form. It had felt like she had finally been able to breathe freely, had finally rid herself of a heavy weight. It had felt like an intense, toe-curling, mind-numbing orgasm after a really energetic bout of sex. She had been forced to deny this side of her for far too long, and she had only been able to do it because she was half-human. From what she had read, the pureblooded werewolves simply wouldn’t have been able to stop themselves from shifting at least occasionally, not for ten whole years.

Reaching for the pile of her clothes on the grimy kitchen floor, she began dressing herself quickly, keeping an eye on the door for Aaron. Her little stunt where she had made him believe that she was about to tear a chunk of his throat had been unnecessary, but it had been so worth it! She’d had enough of his condescension and his arrogance. Perhaps it had been a little foolish of her too, she thought with a sigh as she pulled out a bottle of water from her tote bag and drank deeply. One never challenged an alpha. He might be a self-exiled alpha, but he was still an alpha. Besides, she needed his help.

She had come too far, worked too hard to jeopardize the plan.

When she had first lain her eyes on him just a quarter of an hour earlier, her heart had sunk. He couldn’t be the notorious Aaron Lobo, she’d thought. He’d looked so dejected and depressed. Breath-takingly, darkly handsome even with the wild, unkempt look he was going for, but definitely dejected. Like the fight had gone out of him and he had set himself on a self-destructive path. A path from which he didn’t want to turn back.

Sure, he was still big and muscular and intimidating, and she kinda dug the tattoos on his forearms peeking out from underneath the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt; and sure, the wolf in her had responded to the proximity of an attractive alpha, but it had all been bluster. She’d had difficulty holding on to her belief that he was the only one who could get the job done, till she had practically yelled out his secret.

It was then that she had seen just how dangerous he was. She had visibly cowered under his scrutiny, and it was only then that she had felt hopeful again.

She would have to apologize to him for scaring the daylights out of him, she thought as her lips twisted into a smirk. But then again, it would perhaps be best to not address it at all. Better not draw attention to his bruised ego again, she thought as she opened the door.

He had certainly lost some of his swagger, she noted with satisfaction as he walked in.

For interminably long minutes, he simply stared at her unblinkingly, as if he had seen a ghost. But in a way, he had seen a ghost. Her breed was supposed to have died out, and yet here she was in flesh and blood.

“How is it possible?” he finally whispered.

“My pack has been living in hiding for the better part of the last several centuries.”

“Why?”

“As you might be aware from the stories, the pelt of a Silver Wolf is made of pure silver. Once it was clear to the pack that they would be hunted to extinction for their invaluable pelt, they decided to live in secrecy.”

“How big is the pack?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? How? You are a Silver Wolf!”

“I have never lived with the pack.”

She watched as some of the wariness crept back into his sapphire blue eyes.

“Is that right?” His voice had gone dangerously low again, and she suppressed a shudder. It was fear, she told herself and not attraction that was making her skin tingle. But there was no denying he was attractive. She might even have secretly checked out his denim-covered ass when he’d walked out of the kitchen earlier. Boy, he had a really fine ass. The hint of underlying danger only served to make him more desirable. Her mouth had suddenly gone dry and she licked her lips nervously. She had never had sex with a wolf-shifter before, much less an alpha! How would it feel to give herself to an alpha?

Her eyes widened and color rose high on her cheeks when she smelled her own arousal in the air, unbelievably mingled with his. It seemed inevitable that they would mate. Just as well, she supposed. It would lend credibility to her plan.

“I have never lived with the pack, because I am half-human. My father was going to introduce me to the pack when I turned thirteen. But he was murdered. And I want to see the person who murdered him punished.”

Even after all these years, she couldn’t talk about her dad without feeling a lump in her throat.

“I am sorry.”

He pushed himself away from the kitchen counter and walked towards her. She was standing by the window, gazing at Boulder Mountain. “But I don’t see how I can help you.”

“It was one of the pack members that led the killers to my father. My father was the alpha, and by rights, me and my fated mate will be the leaders of the pack. I want you to pretend to be my fated mate. It’s the only way I can take control of the pack and have their complete cooperation. It’s the only way I will be able to gather evidence against the traitor.”

“Do you know who betrayed your father?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I think it was my uncle. My dad’s younger brother. I think he’s the alpha now. But he’ll have to step down once we show up. Those are the rules of my pack.”

“How do you plan on getting the evidence?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Will they even let you into the pack?”

“They have to. I’m a Silver Wolf!”

“What if they think you’re an imposter?”

Keyah made a sound of frustration and threw up her hands. “Do you even hear yourself?”

Aaron looked sheepish for an instant, before the smirk was back on his face.

“You might be able to prove you’re a Silver Wolf, but how will you prove you’re who you say you are?”

“I have photos of my uncles and grandparents.”

“That still doesn’t prove anything…”

Keyah tugged at her hair in frustration.

“Look, you don’t worry about how I prove my identity. Just tell me, are you going to help me or not?”

She could see the internal battle reflected on his face as she held her breath, her fingers crossed tightly behind her tote bag.

“I don’t see what’s in it for me.”

Keyah’s heart sank.