by Lynn Howard
As Ryanne led them to the cabin, Charlie and Campbell pulled up in Charlie’s little car. The back seat looked like it was full of duffel bags and a couple of pink suitcases.
She raised her hand to greet the women while Lola and Nova stepped inside.
“See? This is what we should have instead of those tiny homes. How the hell did those big ass men think those little places would be big enough for two people? Or three in our case?” Lola said.
“They weren’t thinking about having mates. And they especially weren’t thinking about having cubs in there. I think they all thought they would be perpetual bachelors. Or bachelorettes in Emory’s case,” Nova said.
“How did Emory end up in a Pack full of men?” Ryanne asked as she led the way down the hall to the two bedrooms.
Penny wasn’t too happy about not having her frilly, pink room, but the fact she had her favorite toys and her sandbox made up for that disappointment.
“She and Reed found them or something like that. The two of them have been besties for years,” Nova said. “They joined the Pack a little later. Emory mated with Eli, what, something like two or three years ago?” Nova said.
“Longer than that. It was before I joined the Pack. Before I got pregnant with Grace.”
“They started the Hope Pride after that,” Nova said.
“Yeah. Daxon told me a little about it.”
“Do you guys need anything while you’re here?” Nova asked.
“What is your obsession with buying stuff for people?” Lola asked. She sounded stern but the smile belied her emotions.
Nova shrugged. “It’s my love language. Don’t try to change me. You guys all got used to it. So will she.”
Ryanne chuckled. “We’re fine. Thank you. If we need anything we didn’t bring, I’ll just go back home to grab it.”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Lola said, flipping her pink hair over her shoulder.
“What do you mean?”
“The guys won’t let you head over there by yourself while the crows are being buttholes,” Lola said.
“Peyton has one of the meanest wolves around and Tristan is still protective of her. I don’t think he wants to admit she could kick his ass,” Nova said.
Ryanne barked out a surprised laugh. She couldn’t help it. These people were so silly and funny. She hoped she could get to that point one day, where she felt relaxed and wasn’t scared of someone around every corner trying to take Penny from her.
There was a knock on the door, then the door swung open. “Where are you?” Campbell called out.
“Back here,” Ryanne answered.
The three women made their way back to the living room. There really wasn’t much else to see. The kitchen was connected to the living room like her house. There were two bedrooms and one bathroom. Again, like her house.
But it was way nicer and smelled like cedar.
“You get unpacked?” Campbell asked.
Ryanne shook her head. “Only the main things like our toothbrushes. I don’t want to get too comfortable or make a mess, then leave a couple days later.”
Campbell and Charlie exchanged a look like they knew something.
Apparently, they had.
Three weeks later, Ryanne, Daxon, and Penny were still staying in the cabin in Morse Pack territory.
“Why can’t we go home?” Penny whined as tears streamed down her face.
She’d had fun at first, but was bored. Bored of the toys she had brought, bored without her movies, and downright crabby.
“We need to stay a little while longer,” Ryanne said as she tucked her sister into bed.
“But I want to go home,” she cried.
It broke Ryanne’s heart. She wanted nothing more than to give Penny what she wanted, but Daxon and the Pride were certain it was a matter of time before the crows came for them.
Daxon blamed himself. He was convinced Black Feather Crew – that was the name of the Shifters who had been visiting her – would go after her to mess with Daxon and his Pride. They had, after all, screwed up their business.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall a second before Daxon peeked his head around the door.
“Don’t you like my friends?” Daxon asked. Every time she had gotten upset, he’d been able to distract her with how cool his friends were, and, when that didn’t work, bought her a new toy.
As did every member of Ravenwood. They were happy to have a kid in the Pride to dote on since no one had begun a family of their own yet.
Her little bottom lip poked out and tears stained her temples and had soaked into her hair and pillowcase. She nodded her head but didn’t say anything else. It was only a matter of time before her favorite guy wasn’t even able to calm her.
Ryanne and Penny had been in that tiny, rundown house since the day after their mother had died. Ryanne had gathered the small amount of money she’d saved, along with the amount left over from their mother’s life insurance – the fact her mom even had a policy had shocked Ryanne – and bought the property and house. She’d planned for years to fix it up, but with the money slowly dwindling and hardly any knowledge of home repair, things had fallen to the wayside.
Still, it was their home. It was the only home Penny remembered. The only home she knew. She’d had two traumatic events in less than two months. She wanted comfort and stability.
Staying in a Pack full of wolf Shifters, people neither of them really knew, was far from stability for her.
“What if we go shopping tomorrow? Or we can go to my friend’s place again for lunch. I’m sure Hollyn will show you another cool trick,” Daxon bargained.
Penny sniffled as she studied Daxon. “Promise?” she said softly.
“Promise.”
She sat up and held her hand up, extending her pinky. “Pinky swear?”
Daxon chuckled softly, walked further into the room, and offered his pinky, wrapping it around her tiny finger. His one finger was almost the size of her entire hand, but Penny didn’t seem to notice or mind.
“I pinky swear we’ll get out of the house tomorrow. What do you think? Lunch at Moe’s?”
“Can Charlie and Campbell come? And Uncle Brax? And Uncle Mason? And Uncle Aron?”
For a minute there, Ryanne wondered if she was going to name every single person they’d met over the past three weeks.
But she stopped at the Pride members. No matter how much Ryanne tried to tell the guys they didn’t have to be anything more than Penny’s friend, they all insisted they were not only her uncles, but each one argued over who would be her favorite uncle.
“We can invite whoever you want. But they might be busy. So don’t be sad if someone can’t come with us.”
“I won’t,” she said, lying back in bed and wiping the tears away.
If only it was that easy to calm an adult.
Daxon tucked Penny in then kissed her forehead. And Ryanne was pretty sure her ovaries did a little dance of seduction in hopes of getting his attention.
Even though Daxon had no idea of the thoughts floating through Ryanne’s head, she still felt the heat rush her cheeks and ducked out of the room.
Did she seriously just think about motherhood with Daxon? Okay. She didn’t technically consider it. But it was hard not to think about when he was so sweet and gentle with Penny. And she wasn’t even his biological child. She was merely the baby sister of his mate.
How would he act with his own cubs?
And would he push Penny to the side if and when the two of them decided to start a family.
No way. Daxon wasn’t like that. It was obvious by his large group of friends the man had so much love in his heart, and he’d have enough to give Penny when he became a father.
Ryanne sat on the front porch when Daxon came outside. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.
They’d had zero time alone since coming to Morse territory. They couldn’t exactly have sex outside since anyone could see them. And Daxon wasn’t comfortabl
e fooling around inside in case Penny caught them. Their bedroom was directly across the hall from Penny’s, and Ryanne promised Daxon they could be quiet, but he wouldn’t go for it.
“You’re so good with her,” Ryanne said as Daxon settled down beside her.
“She’s a good kid,” he said, but even in the dark, Ryanne could see the pride and love in his eyes.
Ryanne leaned her head on Daxon’s shoulder and watched the lightning bugs flash here and there. There were a whole lot less around since she was a kid. But she still loved to watch them.
“How much longer do you think this will go on for?” Ryanne asked softly. It wasn’t late, but she didn’t want to disturb anyone relaxing in their homes, especially with how nice everyone had been to her.
Daxon rested his head on top of hers and sighed. “I don’t know. I’m sorry –”
“Stop apologizing,” she said, lifting her head to look at him. “Once again, you didn’t even know me when they found us in the woods. There’s no way to know whether they’re just trying to finish what they started. Do you blame us for them coming around?”
“Of course not,” he said, his brows low.
“And we don’t blame you. I blame those jackwads. I blame the people who think they have the right to steal women from their families. I blame the people who don’t think women should have the right to choose who they mate with or what kind of lives they lead.”
A bird chirped somewhere in the distance, probably an owl. That didn’t stop both Daxon and Ryanne from tensing. It seemed every single sound they heard these days sent anxiety spiraling through their systems.
But Daxon was really good at hiding it. He was always the epitome of calm and collected.
A TV played somewhere to their right. Music hummed softly from another house. The smells of different meals floated on the air. All was peaceful.
But for how long?
Would the crows wait until everyone had a sense of security? Would they wait until Ryanne and Penny returned to their home and was alone? Or was this simply a way to torture them all?
It sure as hell was torture for Ryanne. She found herself constantly watching the trees, watching for the crows to sneak up on them and wait until no one was looking so they could sneak away with Penny.
Daxon’s eyes roamed Ryanne’s face then dipped to her mouth. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, holding there, showing her so much love and emotion with that gentle touch.
She lifted her hand and pressed her palm to his cheek, the stubble prickling her skin. He pulled back slightly with a sexy smack of his lips, then moved in for another taste. She loved the way his jaw felt under her hand, the way it felt as he opened his mouth and teased the seam of her mouth with his tongue.
Parting her lips, she opened for him and teased his tongue with her own, sighing at the connection. She loved the feeling of him, the taste of him, the smell of him. She loved everything about this man.
And she’d fight tooth and nail to keep him in her life. She wouldn’t let him sacrifice himself for her or Penny. She was a Shifter, too. Even if her cat was submissive, Ryanne was still in control.
She would push her lynx to fight for their mate, to protect him the way he protected them.
****
Daxon had fought his damn libido after their little make out session on the porch. Didn’t matter how much she tried to assure him they could make love silently; he didn’t want to risk Penny either hearing them or walking in on them naked when she had a nightmare.
Which had happened a few times a week since Black Feather had paid a visit to her home.
As the night had grown cooler, Ryanne had beckoned him to bed. And they’d fallen asleep curled in each other’s arms the way they had for the past three weeks.
At least it was in a bed and not on the ground like the first night they had slept together.
“Daxon,” a whisper broke into his dreams. “Daxon. Wake up.” Ryanne. That was Ryanne’s voice.
His eyes shot open and he sat straight up in bed. The tone in her voice was full of fear and panic.
“What? What’s wrong?” he whispered back.
“Someone’s here. They’re outside talking to Koda. And Koda sounds pissed.”
“Call the Pride.” He jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans, forgoing a shirt or shoes. If he had to Shift, he would have to strip, anyway.
“They’re out there.” She was already dressed he noticed when he made his way to the front door with her on his heels.
“Stay in here and watch over Penny.”
He didn’t have to ask twice. Ryanne alone was no match if more than one male came into the house, but it was better than leaving Penny unguarded. And she would be able to hear if someone tried to sneak in another way and could call out for help.
Daxon checked the windows first, looking up into the trees to see if the entire flock was there. No way would he walk out and leave Ryanne and Penny alone if this was some form of sneak attack or ambush.
The trees were empty as far as he could tell.
With one more glance back at Ryanne, he nodded at her then slipped outside.
Male voices rumbled quietly at the first cabin. Koda’s cabin. Whoever was there had approached the Alpha first.
Daxon waited before making himself known, although if anyone was paying attention, they would have already scented him.
“I’ve given you the options. Take it or leave it. Jacob doesn’t really give a fuck which you choose. Either way, he’ll get what’s his.”
Clint. The fucking Second of the Black Feather Crew was there, less than twenty yards from Daxon’s mate and Penny.
His body trembled with the need to Shift as he stalked closer. This ended tonight. He’d pull that fucker’s heart out through his mouth. He’d rip his throat out and watch him drown in his own blood.
A hand slammed against Daxon’s chest and kept him from going any further.
“Wait,” Brax said so low Daxon almost missed it. He was keeping his voice quiet so the members of Black Feather, the same assholes who’d been hanging around Ryanne’s home, wouldn’t hear him.
Brax’s eyes were as bright as the rest of the people standing around, and Daxon knew his eyes were shining bright golden green, as well.
What was that fucker doing there? What options was he delivering? And how many of his asshole Crew were hiding in the trees surrounding the territory? Because Daxon knew damn well Clint wasn’t brave enough to come without the small group standing behind him.
“We could kill you here and now,” Koda said. Even from the distance between Koda and Daxon, Daxon could see the way he struggled to retain his skin.
Clint chuckled. The sound was humorless and grated on Daxon’s nerves.
“You really think you can do that?”
Daxon inhaled deep, trying to detect anyone hiding nearby, but flight Shifters didn’t carry the scent of fur the way other Shifter groups did. Those assholes could be watching them now and none of them would have a clue.
Not true. Koda and anyone else familiar with Black Feather knew those fuckers were cowards. No way would they wander onto someone else’s territory without a small army behind them. The way they had at Ryanne’s.
A full flock of them had been watching a small female and a tiny human girl. That right there showed the lack of honor in that Crew.
More people stepped out onto their decks and watched the interaction between their Alpha and the Second of Black Feather. Daxon’s Pride stayed near him. Rather, they stayed near his mate and Penny. It wasn’t lost on him that Charlie and Campbell stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the cabin.
Clint raised his head and looked around at the people watching. Then his gaze settled on Daxon and a smirk pulled up one side of his mouth.
Fuck.
Daxon knew why Clint was there. He knew that fucker was there for Ryanne. But why? She was mated. She was off the market. And Penny was too young to be of any interest to the crows.<
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The scent of fur hit his nose. He looked around wondering which of the Morse Pack or his Pride was close to Shifting.
And then he realized that scent was coming from a different direction.
The fucking rogues. The ones who hadn’t been killed by Ravenwood and their friends were there. There couldn’t have been enough of them to do any harm to the large number of people living in Morse Pack.
Wait. Where the fuck were Jamie and Beth? He hadn’t seen them all day. Did those fuckers take off with them? Or could that be the scent he was picking up? Maybe they’d circled around and were watching in case this turned into a fight. The element of surprise could help them.
He really hoped that was who he smelled and that poor girl hadn’t been taken again. She’d gotten through the last incident unscathed. The next time, she might not be so lucky.
Ryanne’s voice met his ears from inside the cabin. Daxon could hear her talking to Penny, comforting her, giving her instructions to hide.
He hated this so much. Why couldn’t his girls have a normal life? Why couldn’t they get through a single fucking year without some asshole messing with them? After the life they’d had with their mother, they deserved nothing but happiness.
If they all got through this in one piece, Daxon would do everything in his power to make sure they had the best life ever. He would make sure both girls were happy. He’d save up to send Penny to any college she wanted. He’d save up for a wedding…for both of them.
“Since this involves you, feel like joining us?” Clint said. His arms were crossed over his chest, but he was the picture of confidence and looked relaxed even with so many wolf and panther Shifters around him.
“Call the cavalry,” Daxon heard Brax tell either Campbell or Charlie.
Daxon didn’t want his friends in harm’s way, but there was a good chance they would need the numbers.
Especially if the fur he smelled belonged to the rogues and not any friends. A flock of crows could dive bomb all of them. They could take to the air while the wolves and panthers were stuck on the ground. The crows could go for faces and eyes and there was only so much the predator Shifters could do to protect themselves and each other.