by West, Tara
He pushed the boy, who went down the steps and nearly landed on his ass. Hakon didn’t know his own strength, especially when it came to dealing with humans.
“Hakon, don’t hurt him.”
He gave her a hard stare. Let me handle this.
Amara gave him a look that made him feel lower than dirt.
Roy clutched the railing. “Are these men holding you against your will?
“What?” She shrank back. “No!”
“Are they abusing you?”
“Of course not,” she said indignantly.
Roy gestured at Drasko and Hakon. “They’re like a pack of wolves guarding roadkill.”
“Wolves don’t eat roadkill,” Drasko drawled with an edge of fury.
Skunk laughed, startling him into remembering the asshole was there. He was standing in the truck bed, recording the entire exchange on his phone.
Hakon projected to Drasko, Get the phone.
With pleasure. Drasko hopped over the porch rail.
Rone followed his brother, and they both rushed Skunk.
Amara screamed for Drasko to stop as a scuffle broke out. It lasted all of five seconds before Skunk was flat on his back with blood gushing from his nose.
Roy paled, then reddened as his friend rolled around clutching his nose. Drasko pocketed the phone and high-fived Rone, then they stomped up the steps, giving Roy warning looks that would make any human with sense cower.
Hakon tensed when he saw Drasko’s golden protector eyes. Your eyes, brother, he warned.
Drasko gritted his teeth, his eyes shifting back to dark brown but not before Roy saw. The boy’s eyes widened with fear as he stumbled back and raced to the truck. He jumped in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and peeled with Skunk bouncing around in the bed. The bearded man hollered while clutching the side of the truck, but Roy didn’t slow down.
Well, fuck.
“DID YOU HAVE TO TREAT him like that?” Amara asked, falling on the sofa and wiping her eyes.
The weight of her sorrow pressed on Hakon’s heart. He wished things could’ve been different for her and her cousin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice.”
Her eyes dripped like a runny faucet. “He thought of me as his mother.”
“He’s human.” Drasko sat beside her, taking her hands in his. “How would he react if he discovered you have four mates?”
She looked at the thick carpet. “I’m not sure.”
“And that we’re all shifters?” Rone asked, sitting on her other side.
Hakon folded his arms and leaned against the kitchen bar, glowering at Drasko. “He might already suspect something after you revealed your eyes.”
Drasko let out a low moan. “I let that smelly human get the best of me. It won’t happen again.”
“Even more reason for Roy and his friends to stay away,” Hakon grumbled.
“He’ll bug Hakon when he goes back to work,” Rone said.
Drasko and Hakon shared knowing looks.
He needs to be fired, Drasko projected.
I know, Hakon answered.
“What are you two talking about? Don’t leave me out.” Amara shook a finger at Hakon and then jabbed Drasko’s chest.
Drasko said, “He needs to be fired.”
Amara narrowed her eyes at her second alpha. “You heard him, Drasko. He’s paying for my uncle’s nurses.”
Drasko snorted “The uncle who abandoned you until he needed you to watch his kids.”
She folded her arms, her chest and face turning deep crimson. “It’s not Roy’s fault his dad was a jerk. He’s just being a good son.”
She shot Hakon an accusatory look. You guys have treated the poor kid badly enough. You would really take away his job, too?
Again Hakon felt lower than dirt, but his family’s safety came first. “Amaroki are not allowed to make friends with humans.” Hakon paced. “It puts our tribe at risk.”
“But we’re friends with Agent Johnson and Eilea,” Amara pointed out.
“That’s different, and you know it.”
A fresh wave of tears cascaded down her face. “I just feel so bad.”
Hakon ached for her. She had given up so much for them. Now he was asking her to give up even more. Still, there was nothing to be done. The tribe’s safety came first. As the future chieftain of their tribe, it was Hakon’s duty to put the tribe’s interests before his own, no matter how much it hurt his mate.
“You’ll feel even worse if he exposes us. What would society do if they knew the truth about the Amaroki?”
The hopeless look in her eyes was almost enough to crush his soul. “I don’t know.”
“Well I do,” he answered tersely. “1911.”
“I keep hearing that. Will someone tell me what happened?”
Hakon heaved a sigh. He didn’t relish retelling the tragic tale, but he hoped it would make her understand the danger they faced. “A group of miners discovered our ancestors’ secret. They formed a mob and went after them with guns.” He swallowed. “Several protectors were killed defending their families.”
Her jaw dropped. “And the miners?”
Hakon averted his eyes. “They disappeared.” He hoped she wouldn’t ask him to get into the gory details. Suffice it to say, they would never be found.
“Oh.” Her shoulders fell, understanding dawning.
“You don’t want Roy to end up like them,” Hakon warned. “If he comes onto the reservation again, I can’t guarantee his safety.”
Chapter Eight
Roy clutched the steering wheel and stared hard at the road. Once they’d reached a safe distance, he pulled over and let Skunk into the cab, and then he took off again, the pedal pressed to the floor, taking sharp turns on two tires. He had to get the fuck out of there. What he’d seen hadn’t been natural. He wracked his brain trying to remember the monster’s name. Amara had called to him after he’d punched Skunk in the face.
Drasko, that’s it!
Not only had Drasko Thunderfoot’s eyes changed color from dark brown to shimmering gold, but they’d changed shape, too. His nose and brow had widened, and his eyebrows had grown thicker, making him look like a nightmarish beast.
What the fuck was he, and what the fuck had the Thunderfoots done to his cousin?
Skunk implored him to slow down, clutching a bloody T-shirt to his nose. “Somefing ain’t wight wif dem.”
Skunk’s nose had to be broken. Roy wanted to get him to a hospital, but Skunk insisted they drive straight to Anchorage.
Roy worked to unclench his jaw. “I know.”
Skunk hadn’t seen Drasko’s face change, or he would’ve mentioned it. Roy wasn’t about to bring it up. He doubted Skunk would believe him. Roy hardly believed himself. Maybe he should just forget about his cousin and move on with his life. She’d said she was happy. He should just take her at her word. He had a sinking feeling that if he continued trying to reach her, it was the equivalent of smashing open a hornet’s nest.
“Did you see the way they bof wooked at her wike she was their bweeding bitch?”
Roy tensed, wanting to slap the stink off Skunk for calling his cousin a bitch. “Yeah.”
“Do you think she’s fucking all dem bwothers?”
“I don’t know.” Roy grimaced. “I get the feeling she is.”
Skunk let out a blubbery breath. “Dat ain’t wight.”
Roy bit his tongue, though he was sorely tempted to remind Skunk that his cousin’s situation was no different than the one Skunk had with Lacy and his friends.
“So what you gonna do?” Skunk prodded, wincing when blood soaked his makeshift bandage.
“I need to go to the police, but I can’t until I get more dirt on Hakon.” As unbelievable as it seemed, the Thunderfoots were clearly not human. “Henry knows something about Hakon.” He’d thought Henry was exaggerating when he’d said about Hakon “his kind.” “Something bad.” If only Henry would tell him what he knew. Then again, maybe Roy didn�
�t want to know.
“Oh, don’t wowwy.” Skunk licked blood off his lips. “We’ll make Henwy talk.”
Roy swallowed bile. He’d been afraid Skunk would say that.
APPREHENSION TWISTED Roy’s gut as they pulled into the apartment parking lot. Skunk was determined to badger Henry, but Roy had had a while to think about the situation on the drive home. He was ready to drop it. He’d never been the religious sort, but he was convinced the Thunderfoots were demons. He’d already crossed them twice, and his gut told him he wouldn’t survive a third encounter.
Skunk startled awake, drool dripping down his blood-encrusted lip, his half-lidded eyes foggy, most likely from the six pack he’d drunk before passing out after they left Fairbanks.
Roy tried to play it cool when he saw the big man’s nose was nearly three times normal size and bent to the left. Drasko Thunderfoot had really done a number on him.
He helped Skunk up the stairs and banged on the apartment door, not surprised to hear music and laughter inside. Did those people ever sleep?
When Henry opened the door, his eyes bulged. “What happened to you?”
“Dwasko Thunderfoot,” Skunk slurred. “Dat’s what.”
“Jesus.” Henry helped Roy get Skunk to the lopsided recliner.
Wearing nothing but a short kimono robe that was open in front, Lacy ran into the kitchen at the sight of Skunk. She came back with a plastic grocery bag filled with ice. She climbed on Skunk’s lap, not seeming to care that her robe had fallen open, and pressed the ice to his nose.
He leaned back, groaning. “I need a beer.”
“We’re out,” Henry said. “I was gonna make a run, but I’m out of money.”
Skunk glowered at Henry. “You said Hakon had bad burns. We saw him. Not a single burn.”
Henry froze, looking like a rabbit caught in a snare. “M-Maybe he heals fast.”
Roy didn’t want to press him. Honestly, he just wanted to go back to his cabin and pretend the past three days hadn’t happened. When Skunk shot him an expectant look, he felt pressured to question Henry. He had no idea why he cared what Skunk thought, but he didn’t like the idea of the other man thinking of him as a coward. “The other day you said ‘his kind’ heals fast.” He shot Henry an accusatory look. “What did you mean?”
Henry sank to the sofa with a curse. Grabbing his bong off the coffee table, he clutched it like a lifeline. His gaze darted from Skunk to Roy and back again. “They told me I’ll lose my job and everything if I tell.”
Skunk pushed Lacy off his lap, waving her away when she stomped a foot in protest. “Who’s they?”
Henry threw up his hands, accidentally knocking his bong on the floor. “The goddamn feds!”
Skunk arched a bushy brow. “What do they have to do with this?”
Slamming the bong back on the coffee table, Henry jumped to his feet and paced the floor. “They know about Hakon.” He chewed a fingernail, his gaze nervously shooting to the window as if he was looking for spies lurking outside their second-story apartment. “He’s their secret.”
Skunk’s brows drew together. “Their secret what?”
Henry stopped as if he’d hit an invisible wall. Balling his hands into fists, he looked at Skunk as if he was going to charge him. “I ain’t tellin’ you no more, damn you! Can’t you tell I’m scared? I still see his eyes in my nightmares.”
“Golden eyes?” Roy blurted, instantly regretting his words when Skunk narrowed his eyes at him.
Henry clutched his throat, falling on the sofa with a thud. “How did you know?”
Roy gritted his teeth, tension tightening his spine. Why’d he bring up Drasko’s eyes? Now Skunk would demand answers. With a shudder, he slumped against the door. “I saw Drasko Thunderfoot’s face change,” he whispered. “First it was human, then it melted like hot wax and it was a demon’s face.” He shuddered again.
Skunk stood, jabbing a finger in his chest. “You didn’t tell me dat. Da same ting happened wif dat bar slut! Where are dese demons coming fwom?” He bore down on Roy like a hungry bear.
“Hakon Thunderfoot saved my life,” Henry squeaked.
Skunk turned on him. “How?” he demanded.
“Demons don’t save people,” Roy breathed.
Henry clutched his knees with whitened knuckles. “They’re not demons.”
“Then what the fuck are dey?” Skunk bellowed.
“None of your damned business, that’s what.” Henry jumped to his feet and tried pushing past Skunk.
Skunk refused to let him pass.
Not wanting any more confrontations, Roy cleared his throat and tried to infuse a note of calm into the situation. “Look, maybe we should just drop it.”
Henry dragged a trembling hand across his shaved scalp. “Good fucking idea.”
“But dey got your cousin and wook at my nose!” Skunk yelled, pulling the bloody shirt from his face.
“Christ.” Lacy’s hand flew to her mouth. “It looks broken. You should go to a hospital before it sets.”
Skunk swayed and then blinked hard. “That son of a bitch is pwaying my medical bill, and he owes me a new phone.”
“Fine, fine,” Lacy said, throwing on a T-shirt and jeans. “Just let me take you to the hospital.”
Before following Lacy out the door, Skunk flashed Henry a menacing snarl. “You fink I’m dwopping dis? I ain’t dwopping it. You’re talking when I get back.”
TAKAANI WOKE TO THE sound of Mako’s low growl. She shielded her eyes against the glare of high beams that raked the cabin. Holy shit! The owner of the cabin was here. She flew out of bed in a panic. When the truck door slammed, she breathed in the human’s smell, male for sure and strangely familiar. She thought she recognized the scent, but no. It couldn’t be.
Should she shift and run? Since the cabin had only one door, he’d see her leave. If she fled as a woman, he’d be less likely to shoot her—she hoped. If she escaped as a wolf, he’d no doubt fill her full of lead. After living in Anchorage only a few months, she’d learned two things about Alaskan men. First, they all had guns. Second, they were usually horny. Not a good combination for a loner like Takaani. Her safest option would be to greet the stranger as a woman, make up some story about her car breaking down, and thank him for the use of his cabin. Then she and Mako could escape into the forest and find a new place to hide. If he tried anything with her, she could defend herself as a wolf, though she didn’t want to kill another human.
She tightened the drawstring on her borrowed sweats and pulled the stranger’s blanket tightly around her shoulders. Pressing her back against the wall, her breath hitched when she heard the doorknob rattle, followed by a series of low curse words. He’d likely seen the broken window.
She crouched on the floor, clinging to Mako’s collar when the door banged open. Light from the truck’s high beams flooded the cramped room.
“What the ever loving fuck are you doing in my house?” the stranger boomed.
She froze, her heart seizing and then taking off at a sprint. She remembered that voice. What was he doing in Alaska?
She slowly stood, recognizing his silhouette as he stalked her like a shadow emerging from a dream. “R-Roy?”
He stopped. “Annie?”
Chapter Nine
Amara shot into an upright position, clutching Hrod. They’d fallen asleep on the sofa, with him on her breast—Hakon’s plan, for he’d hoped Hrod would show Amara the lone wolf again. The baby blinked up at her, his eyes sleepy. She wiped a drop of milk from his chin and kissed his furrowed brow with trembling lips. Was Annie truly the lone wolf?
“Did you see her?”
She blinked in the dim light. Hakon was sitting in the chair across from her, giving her an expectant look. Rone and Drasko sandwiched her on the sofa. Had they all been waiting for her to wake?
Handing Hrod to Rone, she covered her exposed breast and pulled a woolen blanket over her shoulders. She swallowed hard, then ran her tongue over the dry roo
f of her mouth. “It’s my cousin, Annie.”
Hakon leaned forward, eyeing her intently. “Your cousin Annie?”
Amara nodded. “She’s the lone wolf.”
Hakon scratched his head, sharing startled looks with his brothers. “How can that be?”
“I’m not sure.” Learning Annie was the lone wolf left Amara with more questions than answers. How had she not known her cousin was like her? Surely, she would’ve seen signs. Then again, Amara had left her uncle’s house before Annie reached puberty. Amara hadn’t even known she could shift until her stepfather tried to rape her when she was thirteen.
“Where is she?” Hakon asked.
Amara grimaced. “She’s in a cabin with Roy.”
“He said she left him.” Hakon’s statement sounded more like a question.
“She did,” Amara answered. “They were reunited tonight.”
“Does he know what she is?” Drasko asked.
Amara recalled how startled they’d both been when Roy had shown up at the cabin. “I don’t think so.”
Hakon let out a low rumble. “Things just got a lot more complicated.”
“But Johnson can get Roy’s address,” Rone said, cautiously optimistic, “and he can send Luc in to retrieve Annie.”
“What about Roy?” she asked, worrying a bunch of shifter trackers could possibly expose themselves to Roy or worse, hurt him if he thought they meant harm and tried to put up a fight.
Hakon scowled. “What about him?”
“What will happen to him?” she asked, unnerved when she was met by a long moment of tense silence.
Finally Drasko stood, flexing his knuckles. “Roy’s not our concern.”
Anger shot through her skull like a steaming kettle. “He’s my concern!”
“Calm down, Amara.” Drasko turned to her with a look of apathetic indifference. “Johnson knows what he’s doing.”
She looked out the tinted windows at the dusky summer night sky. “I sure as hell hope so.”