“Despite the circumstances, I know the difference between a fake and an innocent woman. And she just wants to forget about this whole thing and get to a friend in Mill Valley. She was headed there when the group snatched her from the gas station.”
“She won’t forget. Look at this.” Draven pointed to something on the paper. “She has a law degree. Graduated with honors. Girls like her don’t forget. She has every resource available at her disposable to shine a light on this whole thing. We don’t need that, but she has every right to. I’ll give her that, but innocents will get swept up in the crosshairs just like last time. A few bad rogues are out there making us all look bad.”
“How do we know there’s only a few?” Eddie asked.
Draven shrugged. “Could be a whole pack or it could be a few. That’s the thing about the Black Ridge wolves. They disband when the going gets rough and then they regroup.” Draven closed the folder and turned around. “You said the woman heard one of them address an alpha?”
I nodded. “But I don’t think he was among the slain wolves. She said there were six and I only brought down three of them.”
“And even if you had killed their alpha, there would be another ready to take his place. The Black Ridge crew change alphas just as often as they change underwear,” Draven replied. “They hardly ever recruit. They breed.”
“Violet mentioned that the alpha said that they were going to chase her down and breed her,” I added.
“Why’d they come back here though?” Eddie asked. “And why her? They could’ve taken one look at that Mercedes and seen that a disappearance like that in Arrow Lake would cause mass attention and chaos.”
“Those rogues don’t care,” Treyton stated.
“Also it’s unclear whether they snatched her randomly or was already following her. She’s clearly an out-of-towner, so they knew that much,” I replied. “What makes matters worse is that she kind of didn’t tell anybody where she was going exactly. Just her friend.”
“Okay, I’ve got a hunch about something and you probably won’t like it,” Eddie stated, rubbing his long beard.
“What is it?” Draven asked, his voice laced with caution.
“This bit of information was kept off the records. When the rogues were run up out of here after the councilmen voted to take back the town, they took some people with them. Some humans.”
“That makes sense, though,” Treyton said. “Lots of people disappeared when us shifters were pushed out into the mountains, and in some cases, out of the state. The councilmen persuaded the citizens into thinking the humans who left with the shifters weren’t really humans at all. The truth was, they left on their own accord. They wanted to be with family.”
“Yeah,” Eddie stated. “But you can’t stand here and tell me that some of them weren’t kidnapped. I trust you guys. You keep your pack together and you do the right thing, but those Black Ridge wolves are known for kidnapping. Women especially.”
“You’re probably right,” Draven offered. “But I can guarantee you that not one Timber Rock wolf held any human against their will. We took what we owned and got the hell out of here with our families.”
“The same thing can’t be said about the rogues,” Eddie said. “I mean, isn’t how this all started in the beginning? Our town was once a mess. We weren’t pulling in revenue because our area was deemed unsafe for tourists. Longtime residents were moving out of here. At one point, we even became a popular hide-out spot for washed up criminals and convicts.”
Draven nodded. “The rogues thrive on chaos. They were going to tear this town to pieces just so they could take it over. I think the rogues finally pulled the last straw when they took a councilmen’s daughter and got her pregnant.”
“And that…” Eddie held up a finger. “That is why I think the rogues are back. This whole thing might have started with the Black Ridge wolves going rogue, but it ended personally. Old grievances don’t die, unfortunately. Councilmen Rick’s daughter was defiled in ways I don’t want to even imagine and then she ended up carrying a child.”
“What of the child?” Draven asked.
“Only two years have passed. I don’t even know if she gave birth. People are whispering around town that she had an abortion, but there’s been no proof of that since she hasn’t been seen in town since Councilmen Rick found out.”
“Shit. We’re talking about an unresolved dispute between a councilmen and the rogues,” Draven grumbled. “So this mess might not even concern us, but somehow, just like last time, we’re in the middle of it. Jayce rescued a woman, killed some rogues, and now we have her here on our land.”
“I did what I had to do,” I said, sternly.
Treyton stepped forward. “With all due respect, Draven, we would have been in the middle of it anyway. Let’s not forget that I witnessed one of our own get arrested and carted off to jail last night for no apparent reason. These Councilmen aren’t going to target just one group, they’re going to target all of us until we’re wiped off the Arrow Lake territory for good.”
“Not gonna happen. We helped make this town what it is today. The valleys, the hills, these mountains…the town is ours. We have every right to live here,” Draven said.
We all nodded in agreement. None of us were willing to leave our homes.
“The wolf who bit this woman was a rogue, then?” Draven asked.
I nodded. “He was. And he’s dead.”
“The trail might have gone cold on her, but there are people riled up in the city talking about sightings of shifters and being chased and attacked by them. This isn’t over. If the treaty has been violated, the townspeople need to know who is behind it, because I can guarantee you if we spot any armed men in our neighborhoods on wolf hunts, there’s going to be serious problems,” Treyton stated.
Eddie glanced at Draven. “We can’t have that. No one should die over this.”
Draven shook his head. “I can’t stop my people from doing what they have to to protect their family, their young pups. I can keep them contained on our territory for the time being. However, effective immediately, any outsiders attempting to cross into our parts will be stopped.” He then turned to Treyton and said, “You know the land well. Get a team together, will you? I’m not having none of that shit going down on my territory.”
“I’m on it.” Treyton broke away from the group and headed toward his pickup truck.
Draven turned his attention to the house. There was some movement between the curtains by the window.
“I want to meet her,” Draven stated. “She needs to know that we’re not like the rogues.”
“I’ve talked to her about that. She’s calm. For now,” I said.
“That’s odd.”
“Not odd at all. She’s not afraid of me because her instincts tell her not to be. She carries my mark.”
“A mate mark?”
I nodded.
Draven seemed just as surprised as I was. “She needs to know that she can’t leave until the rogue’s bite has completely healed. If any of that wolf’s essence still lingers in her, they will hunt her down. Especially if they want to finish what they started.”
I growled, my fists tightened at my side. “I won’t let that happen. Not even over my dead body.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. You don’t want to lose her. And I don’t want to lose you.”
Draven started off toward my house. I followed my alpha up the steps. Even before we crossed the threshold, I scented Violet and picked up on the mix of emotions running through her. Confusion. Panic. I wanted to take it all away from her. And I would.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
VIOLET
I laughed nervously, looking between Jayce and alpha of the Timber Rock pack. Eddie, who they had introduced as the ex-Sheriff of the main town had excused himself earlier to check out a few leads in town. Jayce’s cousin, Treyton, never came back in the house, so I assumed he had dipped earlier too.
“Okay, so you’
re saying that you’re going to make me stay here until this…bite has completely healed?” I asked.
“No, Ms. West, we won’t make you do anything you don’t want. However, for your safety, I believe that you will,” Draven, Jayce’s alpha said.
“But I have a life. I can’t just cut off all communication with my family for that long,” I argued.
“Well, isn’t that what you planned to do, Ms. West? Jayce told me all about your plan to run away from your future husband,” Draven countered.
My mouthed dropped as I shot Jayce a disturbed look.
“I was taking a vacation. There is no future husband. That wedding has been called off,” I corrected.
“Called off my who?” Draven asked.
“Me.” Not that it was any of his business about my personal relationship.
“Well then, why don’t you extend your vacation right here for the time being? You won’t have to worry. We’ll protect you like one of our own.” Draven exclaimed.
“I wasn’t planning on staying here…” I glanced at Jayce who looked worried.
“A lesser wolf bit you,” Draven noted. “The bite is already healing, yes?”
I nodded. “But it still hurts,” I said, rubbing the spot on my right shoulder.
Draven looked between Jayce and I. “There are a couple of things we can do about the pain, but mostly you’ll just have to ride it out. We don’t carry diseases or anything like that. My concern is the essence of the wolf lingering inside of you since he bit through the flesh. Even though this wolf is dead, his essence can be tracked, particularly by those who he shares a bond with. Hopefully, the remaining essence will disappear just as quickly as the bite has healed.”
“What’s this essence you’re talking about?” I asked.
“It’s a temporary marking. A long time ago, we used it during mating hunts to claim females of breeding age. We no longer entertain those practices. Our females breed willingly.” Draven cleared his throat. “Of course, when I say we, I mean the Timber Rock wolves—my pack. I can’t speak for other packs. The wolf who bit you isn’t from my pack.”
“Jayce told me that.”
“Then you know we’re not like them. You won’t try to run?”
“Run?” I shook my head. “I wasn’t in a rush to get back to my city. In fact, I had just left. I needed space and time to think.”
“Then you want to stay?” Draven asked.
“I was on my way to a friend’s house. I was almost there before I was attacked. Jayce was there for me. That wasn’t by accident. By fate, maybe. But not by accident. I’ll stay. If that’s what it takes to keep those rogues from following me when I leave, I’ll do it. And especially if it means I get to help with ensuring that this doesn’t happen to other women.”
Draven rose. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that it doesn’t. I understand that you and my cousin have more in common than you think. That helps things a great deal. I’ll leave you both to it and I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”
When the Draven was gone, I was full of questions, but I couldn’t seem to get his last statement out of my head.
“What did your alpha mean about us having more in common than I think?”
He leaned in toward me where we were sitting on the sofa and stretched his arm across my lap, revealing a mark on the back of his left hand. A sun. Just like the one on my wrist.
I gasped and held my wrist next to his hand. “How did I not see this before?”
“It’s always been there. Like I told you, this isn’t just a birthmark. It’s something under the skin and is only likely to appear when in the presence of one’s mate.”
“Oh my God. This is all true?”
He nodded.
I exhaled deeply and ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m just at a loss for words right now. Just recently, I got solid concrete evidence that wolf shifters exist and live like humans and now I’m finding that I literally have a true mate and that we’re fated. This is like a fairytale. I’m seriously contemplating the fact that I fell and bumped my head on a rock or have died and gone to heaven.”
Jayce chuckled. “It’s kind of surreal to me too. Not all of my kind are destined to find their true mates, but when it happens, it’s a big deal.”
I nodded. “This is a big deal. It explains why I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
“The feeling is very mutual.”
“I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed,” I exclaimed.
My hands must have been shaking because he took both of them in his and rubbed. “We don’t have to do anything right away. If you need space and time to clear your head, I’ll give you that.”
“Okay,” I said, my voice almost a whisper. “I just think so much has happened…and I just…”
He cupped my chin gently with his hand. “I get it. Trust me. I’m here for you either way.”
“Thank you for everything. I really pressed my luck coming out here, but I’m glad you were there.”
He grinned. “That’s what mates are for.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
VIOLET
I was in an alleyway running as fast as I could from some faceless, nameless men. I ran as fast as I could, but they were faster, eating up the distance between us like I was their only meal.
Maybe I was.
Everywhere I ran in search of help was devoid of humans. I’d cry out for help and those who I thought would save me would then drop to their knees and turn into bloodthirsty wolves who later joined in on the hunt.
They wouldn’t stop chasing me and I was getting restless. My feet were bare and my soles were bloody and bruised.
‘We’ll take turns breeding you,’ one of the men called out just before he morphed into a wolf.
He pounced on me. I stumbled to the ground. When I opened my eyes, all I saw were sharp canines dripping with saliva.
I screamed.
* * *
I JOLTED upright on the bed, gasping for air. I looked around the room and after gaining my bearings, I tried to calm my racing heart. My whole body was trembling. I wiped my hand across my forehead over a sheen of sweat.
“It was just a dream,” I mumbled to myself.
Right…just a dream. Only my dream had already become a real nightmare.
I swung my feet off the bed and padded my way across the wood floor to get to the door. I slipped down the hall into the second bathroom, filled a cup with faucet water and sipped it as I stared in my reflection in the mirror. I looked like a complete and utter mess. I unwrapped my ponytail holder, smoothed my hair back with the palm of my hand and tied my hair tightly in a bun.
After my heart stopped racing, I slipped from the bathroom, but I headed down the hallway in the direction of the living room. I was surprised to see Jayce lying on the couch fast asleep. He looked so peaceful. He was on his back with one leg hanging off the side. His body spanned the whole length of the couch and then some. He had taken off his shirt and dropped it over the back of the couch. The waistband of his jeans sat low on his hips and his chest rose and fell slowly as he slept. Even now, every inch of muscle on his torso was on display.
I must have been breathing too hard. His eyes opened and he sat upright on the couch.
“Is something wrong?”
“Um…no. I just…I couldn’t sleep,” I said. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“Well, do you need something?” he asked, standing up.
“I guess I’m not used to it being so quiet.”
“I can make some noise if that would help you sleep.” He grinned.
I chuckled. “A little white noise maybe. I’m living in the city, so we have the nearby freeway and even some train tracks behind our subdivision. I’m used to sleeping alone, and I’m ashamed to admit, but most nights I sleep with the TV on. “
Jayce picked up the remote from the coffee table, turned the power on, and then pointed to the ceiling fan overhead. “I’ve got you covered, but sleeping
on the couch probably isn’t as relaxing. I can make it comfortable for you if that will help you sleep better.”
“Okay,” I said, nibbling at my bottom lip.
He handed me the remote. “Be right back. I’m going to go get some pillows and some blankets,” he said, backing out of the room and turning the ceiling fan on with a switch on a nearby wall.
With a heavy sigh, I slumped down onto the couch and tried not to think about the incident that brought me here to begin with—the incident that resulted in a nasty nightmare. It was easy to delve on the fact that I was somehow connected to Jayce and that I was extremely attracted to him, but I still couldn’t forget the mess I got myself into at the gas station. Maybe I wasn’t as strong as I was trying desperately to be. Something like this should have broken me. What mattered is that I had gotten immediate help and had found a support system with Jayce and his cousins.
Jayce returned with some folded blankets and a couple fluffy pillows. We laid them out together and then Jayce went to bolt the locks on the doors. I wasn’t sure if he was sleeping out on the couch initially to ensure that I didn’t take off or if he was making sure he didn’t get any unexpected visitors in the night. Either way, I wasn’t going to run and I undoubtedly hoped the rogue wolves were done with me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. “I’m not always so high maintenance.”
We were standing close, only about a foot apart. I wanted to kiss him badly. My body had never been so responsive to any man and I believed the reasons were more than just the mate marks driving us together. Even if we weren’t connected that way, I’d still have the hots for Jayce Pembroke. What woman wouldn’t? He was sexy and rugged and nothing like the uptight city boys I was used to.
“Sweet dreams,” he said, touching the side of my face and leaned in to kiss me on the temple, sending a warm chill down my spine. As he put some space between us, we made eye contact. His nostrils flared and the look in his eyes became more feral. I wasn’t afraid. I was aroused.
His body turned slightly like he was going to back off and leave, but I didn’t want that. I wanted him.
Jayce: Shifters of Timber Rock Page 7