by Fel Fern
* * * *
Kian was woken by something or someone pouncing on the bed. Not an early riser, he groaned and turned on his side. He reached for his mate, hoping to find Noel waiting for him, but the Alpha wasn’t there. The mark on his neck ached, but it wasn’t that bad. Tentatively reaching for the bond between them, he felt an answering pull from the Alpha. Noel was in the shower.
Another insistent tug on the blanket made Kian open his eyes to slits. He blinked a couple of times, wondering if he was hallucinating. A pretty blonde girl of about seven or eight lay down next to him, watching him intently. Kian gripped the blankets close, glad they covered most of his lower half.
The mischief in those amber eyes looked familiar.
“Ariel?”
“Hello. I was waiting for you to wake.” She flopped dramatically on her back. “Daddy Noel said I can wait here while he finishes showering.”
Kian raised an eyebrow. “What else did he say?”
“That we’re having breakfast. I get to have waffles.” Ariel gave him a look. “Can I have ice cream with my waffles?”
“You need to ask Noel about that.”
She pouted and seemed to think the better of it, and instead, aimed puppy dog brown eyes at him. “Please, Uncle Kian?”
When did he become an uncle? Still, remembering what this little cub had gone through made his heart ache. He reached out, messing her hair. “Sure, kiddo, but only one scoop.”
“Not two?” Those wide, amber eyes again. Kian bit his lip. There was only one way for a shifter to have their animal’s eyes permanently even in human form. It meant Ariel and her brother had been stuck in cub form for a long time before they were rescued.
“Just one scoop,” Noel interrupted, coming out of the shower wearing only jeans. Kian’s mouth watered. In the daylight, his mate looked even hotter. How did he get this lucky? “Kian, you should be more strict.”
“But she’s so adorable,” Kian protested.
Ariel beamed. “I’m going to wait outside, Daddy Noel.”
The little girl bolted out, and Kian could see her already beginning to shift.
“No changing forms,” Noel called after her. “Melody’s going to complain again.”
“I’ll get her.” Kian shucked the blankets away. Since he was naked anyway, he might as well fetch an errant cub.
“Come back soon,” Noel said. “We’re all having breakfast to discuss our next move.”
With a nod, Kian reached for his wolf. Ariel didn’t get far. They were outside the cabin now. Kian glimpsed a black wolf, one of Noel’s, pacing outside. The shifter gave Kian a curt nod. He realized he still had to win over Noel’s pack mates. How would they react to their Alpha mating an outsider Noel had just met?
Seeing him, Ariel let out a mewl, scrambling on her paws. With a few strides, Kian reached her. She pawed at him. Kian played with her for a while. There had been no children in his old pack, but there were a couple of pups in the Darkfall Pack. He’d always gotten along well with kids.
They stopped when Noel appeared on the balcony, coffee mug in hand. Kian carefully scooped Ariel up using his teeth. He deposited her back in the house.
Melody was there in the kitchen. A little boy he assumed was Aaron was already dressed, sitting on the counter. Melody gave the other cub a warning look. “Don’t you dare, buster.” To Kian, she said, “I’ll get her cleaned up.”
Kian padded back to Noel’s bedroom, passing Ryan and his brother, who were having a heated argument in the living room.
Nathan paused, furrowed his brows, and abruptly rose to his feet. “No fucking way. That bastard Alpha mated you already?”
Kian bared his teeth. Not again. He didn’t need Nathan being protective right now.
“More like your brother seduced mine,” Ryan quipped.
“That’s enough, you two.” Noel walked in, stopping beside Kian. Kian let out a happy sound when Noel rubbed his ears. It was then Kian noticed the other two males entering the house. “I want everyone to know Kian’s my mate now.”
“We’re going to be part of another pack,” Nathan interrupted.
Kian shifted back to human. Instantly, Noel brought him close. The Alpha began stroking his back, which calmed his nerves. “I’m an adult, Nathan. I chose this. Noel’s my mate, and I plan to stand by his side.”
“Aren’t you making an impulsive decision?” Nathan demanded.
“No. Brother, I’ve followed where you led my whole life. It’s time I start making my own decisions.” Kian looked to the two other males of Noel’s pack. “I know I’m a stranger, but I’m going to earn your trust and your Alpha’s.”
Russ and Mal studied him for a couple of moments, not saying anything, but Kian knew he’d said the right words. Any relationship took time, even his relationship with his mate. Kian was ready for all of that. Hell, he couldn’t wait to start his new life.
“Baby, you already have that,” Noel told him, taking his lips in front of everyone.
Blood rushed right to his dick. Noel pulled away, although Kian wanted more. He understood, though. Business before pleasure. They had plenty to talk about today.
“We’ll see,” Nathan said, looking tight-lipped.
Chapter Six
Kian left it alone. He knew his brother. Nathan wouldn’t be able to accept it at first, but he would eventually understand Kian’s choices and let him live his own life. Kian retreated to the shower. Not wasting time, he quickly finished up, dressed in the clothes Noel let him borrow, and headed out. The Blood Ruby Pack had two jeeps. They all managed to squeeze into the vehicles. Noel, Russ, Ariel, and he took the first jeep, the others took the second.
“Are you going to be my new daddy?” Ariel asked.
Kian froze in braiding her hair. He noticed Noel giving him an amused look from the rear-view mirror.
“If you like,” Kian said, continuing his task.
“You’re nice. No one allows me extra ice cream.” She beamed at him. Damn, this little cub was going to grow up to be some woman. When that time came, well, Ariel had protective uncles and two dads who would gut any silly boy who came sniffing after her.
He poked at her nose, making her groan. “Only for today, because today’s special.”
“Our first breakfast together?” she asked.
He nodded, tying up her hair with a rubber band. “There. What do you think, baby girl?”
Ariel took out a tiny mirror from her pink handbag and studied the long single braid he’d made. “You pass, but only because you do it a lot better than any other wolf.”
Kian beamed. “Hear that, Alpha?”
Noel grunted. “Fixing hair is harder than it looks.”
They drove up to town, all in a good mood. Noel brought them to a diner Kian had never been in before. They headed in, needing two tables to fit all of them.
“I haven’t eaten here,” he told Ariel. “What’s good?”
“Waffles.” She beamed and pointed at the waffle section of the menu. After the waitress took their orders, Ariel looked at him curiously. “Daddy Kian, have you been in this town before?”
“Daddy?” Nathan choked at the word.
“Nathan and I grew up here,” Kian told her, then entertained her with funny tales of Nathan and him as children. The bad parts, he left out. Ariel had already endured too much darkness in her young life. He wondered how Noel and the others had managed to convince Ariel and Aaron to smile again.
“I’ve been on the phone with your Alpha this morning,” Noel told Kian and Nathan.
“And?” Nathan prodded.
“We understand each other” was all Noel said.
The others looked like they wanted to know more but didn’t press the issue. Sergio Esteban could be intimidating sometimes, but Noel didn’t scare easily. It didn’t matter. Kian would get the information out of his mate once they were alone.
Noel continued, “We’ve agreed to meet on Darkfall soil, but I want some of you here to watch for
movement from the enemy. They may have abandoned the lab, but there’s a chance some of those mercenaries will resurface here.”
“Russ and I will remain here,” Ryan said.
“I’ll stay in Blue River. I might be of help,” Nathan offered, surprising Kian. His brother glanced at Ryan, but the dominant wolf didn’t disagree. There was something between those two, Kian decided, but what? Nathan looked at Kian. “Will you be fine on your own?”
Noel laughed. “Kian’s not alone. He has me.”
Nathan nodded in satisfaction. “Then we’ll hold the fort here.”
“Sergio might have information that will help us find Allie,” Noel told them.
After that, they finished breakfast. “I need to speak with my brother in private,” Noel told Kian in the parking lot. “You and your brother get your things from the inn and move into the cabin. It’s easier that way.”
“Mates share everything,” Kian reminded the Alpha.
Frustration welled up in him. He knew he didn’t expect Noel to share all his secrets right away, but hadn’t the Alpha told Kian he trusted him? Did Noel really have suspicions about Nathan and him?
“I know,” Noel said patiently. “But this isn’t pack-related, but between siblings.”
Kian chewed on his bottom lip. He understood. Ariel tugged at his hand insistently. “I’ll wait in the car.”
“Go on ahead. We’ll see you back at the cabin,” Noel said. Kian furrowed his brows. The Alpha reached out and smoothed them with a sigh. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“Fine.” Kian couldn’t keep from sounding sullen.
Noel grabbed his arm and tugged him close for a quick kiss.
“Yuck,” Ariel muttered.
Noel grabbed the back of his neck, forcing Kian to meet his eyes. “Trust me. Ryan doesn’t adapt to change easily. I’ll tell you later.”
“Nathan’s the same,” Kian pointed out.
“They are, aren’t they?” There was a twinkle in Noel’s eye.
“Are you two finished?” Ariel asked.
Noel ruffled her hair, making her huff. “See you later, runt.”
He led Ariel to the jeep where the others were waiting. Ryan was there, along with Melody, Aaron, and Russ. Nathan told him Mal had gone on four paws to patrol the woods. Aaron had returned to lion cub form and was fast asleep in Melody’s arms. Kian wondered when Ariel would experience carb overload. She had eaten two entire waffles by herself.
The ride back was a quiet one. Kian looked down to see Ariel asleep on his shoulder.
“She likes you, huh?” Nathan asked from where he sat between them. “You were always good with kids.”
“According to Noel, I’m a sucker,” Kian mumbled.
He knew Russ and Melody overheard them, but Kian didn’t mind.
“You’ll be okay here?” Nathan asked, searching his eyes.
“I am. Besides, let’s see what happens next. The first priority is getting Allie back.”
Nathan agreed.
He asked the other two Blood Ruby wolves, “Are Noel and Ryan close to their sister?”
“Very. When their parents died, they took over raising her,” Melody answered.
“Something similar happened to Sergio,” Kian said softly. Nathan gave him a sharp look, but Kian had gotten the attention of the two wolves.
“What do you mean?” Russ asked.
“Sergio’s Beta is also his brother. Their younger sister was the Gamma. She was the one who gave our pack sanctuary.” Kian’s stomach twisted at the memories.
“Was?” Melody asked quietly, to keep from waking the cubs.
“She died saving one of our pack members, Logan.” Kian swallowed the lump in his throat. Michella hadn’t died a clean death. A suicide bomber had finished her off, but he didn’t say it out loud. Besides, it wasn’t a pleasant topic and he didn’t want the cubs to overhear them.
“That’s why we’ll get Allie back,” Nathan said. His brother’s calm voice always gave Kian strength. “Sergio wants to make sure no shifter should ever suffer such a loss again.”
“This Sergio sounds reliable,” Russ eventually said.
“He is. He’s tough but fair. Like Noel, he protects his own,” Nathan finished.
They made a quick trip back to the motel, took their belongings, and checked-out. Retrieving their car from the side of the road where they’d left it to spy on the abandoned lab came next. Nathan got behind the wheel of their car and tailed the jeep. By the time they returned to the cabin, it was midafternoon.
“I’m going to patrol the area,” Russ told their group.
“I could use a run myself,” Nathan pointed out.
“Go on,” Melody said, carrying Aaron.
“We’ll be close by,” Russ informed them.
The two men turned back to wolf form and disappeared into the nearest grove of trees. Kian wasn’t worried. Those two would come running if anything happened. Not that anything would. According to Noel, there had been no suspicious activity sighted since the Blood Ruby Pack moved into Blue River.
During the drive, Ariel had predictably shifted back to cub form, making it easy for Kian to carry her to Noel’s room. Now that he had his cell phone back, Kian saw a number of texts from Logan and the others. He was about to send Logan a message when an incoming call came from Logan.
“Kian, how are you and Nathan doing? We’ve heard from Sergio you guys are safe, but I want to hear it from you,” came Logan’s concerned voice.
“We’re with the Blood Ruby Pack right now.” Kian paused. He’d never been close to Logan, but over the past few months, the survivors of the Blue River Pack had spent more time with each other. Despite knowing they soon would be assimilated into the Darkfall Pack, they would never forget the people they’d lost. So he told Logan about Noel and Ariel, and how Nathan and he intended on helping Noel’s pack find Allie.
Logan’s words were choked with emotion, but that was expected. Logan had inherited the gift of empathy from Sergio’s sister before she passed away.
“Do what you can, Kian.” There was a pause. Logan sniffed, and Kian heard a demanding male voice in the background, asking Logan what was wrong. That was probably Raul, Logan’s mate. Logan’s voice came on again. “I’m happy for you, Kian. This Alpha, what’s he like? I’m also curious about this little cub you adopted.”
“Noel’s frightening and amazing.” Kian glanced at Ariel, tucked beside him. He stroked her fur with a smile. “Ariel’s the same, save for the frightening part.”
Logan chuckled. It was good to hear his friend laugh again. After Logan’s former mate passed away, Kian didn’t think his fellow pack mate would ever find happiness again.
“I’ll see you guys soon then.” Logan ended the call.
Kian flopped back against the pillows. It was only a day ago since Noel mated, yet so many things were happening at once. The old him wouldn’t have expected anything like this. Gone were the days where he wondered if he was doing enough for his pack or if he was doing the right thing.
The little cub beside him burrowed close. Deciding she might prefer fur instead of skin. Kian got up, stripped, and shifted to the wolf before joining her again.
Noel wouldn’t mind his sheets getting covered in fur. Ariel happily snuggled next to him now, tail swishing back and forth. Giving her a suspicious look, he let out a soft snarl. She stopped moving. Certain she was asleep, Kian did the same.
It wouldn’t be long now before his mate came home.
* * * *
When a lone jeep and an unfamiliar car arrived, Von bolted from his position and grabbed his binoculars. He counted the figures coming out. No, he didn’t make a mistake. The Alpha and his brother didn’t return with the rest.
After Von had called his commanding officer last night, the organization had sent out a mercenary for backup. That backup confirmed one of the pack wolves was circling the western part of the woods, far away from the cabin. Noting one of the outsiders and anoth
er of Noel’s wolves shifted and began making a round of the area, Von grinned.
That only left the woman, the other outsider, and two cubs.
Nonetheless, Von wasn’t stupid. He called up the other mercenary. “Jude, I need support. Is that wolf still in the western area?”
“Affirmative, what do you need?”
Oh, he liked this no-nonsense soldier. “Approach my perimeter. There are two wolves in the area.”
“Roger. I’m taking a dosage of L before moving. I’ll contact you again.”
Von used his last syringe and continued watching the house. The female wolf had retreated to her own room with one of the cubs. The other outsider wolf did the same. He gritted his teeth. Why couldn’t both the brats stay in one place?
Half an hour later, Jude contacted him again. “I see the two wolves. They’re two miles from your location.”
“I need you to shoot them with paralyzing darts.”
There was a pause on the other end. “We aren’t killing these bastards?” Von finally heard the first shred of anger from the other man.
“We can’t risk it. You’ll incapacitate those two. I’ll handle these two and bag the cubs. We’ll meet up at the base. There will be a helicopter waiting for us.”
“Fine.”
After Von gave the coordinates for the meet-up, he cut the call and looked through his binoculars. They were all paid mercenaries, despite Alpine Industries calling them a private army. All mercenaries did this for the money, unlike those from the fanatical Order of the Knife. Von was glad the organization didn’t send out one of those cold-blooded killers to assist him. Jude was like him, only interested in profit despite their mutual hate of shifters.
That was why Von was certain the other mercenary would follow through. Still, Von was careful. Taking out what he needed, he shouldered his pack and climbed down the tree. Breaking into the cabin wasn’t a problem. Inside, Von paused and checked for movement. His advanced hearing told him both adults were asleep and would soon fall into an even deeper sleep.
Von took out the woman first. She opened her eyes in shock at the last second, but Von inserted the syringe before she could call for help. The cub woke, but Von was ready for the little brat, too. A full dose of the agent instantly made the cub unconscious. Von checked for a pulse.