A Ravenous Pack: Wolf's Hunger 5 Books

by A. K. Michaels

  Instead she watched as Tilly’s body stilled, her head spinning to look at Ray and then back at her before she let out a loud exhale. But still she remained silent and in place. She didn’t reach for one of her hundreds of ancient books and she didn’t utter a word. Seconds ticked by and Sheba grew anxious as she waited, growing impatient . . . and worried.

  Before she could say anything though, Ray stomped over, scowling down at Tilly. “Healer, can you stop just sitting there like a fish out of water and say something? This is your Alpha that’s in trouble and we need answers. Now.”

  His voice was far harsher than Sheba had heard from him in a long time and never had she heard him speak to Tilly in such a manner. She reached over, hitting him hard on his thigh. “Hey, that’s enough.”

  He turned, his eyes almost closed as he squinted at her, every muscle in his body tense and the scent pouring from him to fill the room was nothing short of pure fear. Hell. Sheba had never, not ever, known her Beta to be scared of anything in his damn life. But here he was scared for her. Shit. “Hey, Ray, I’m sorry. You were right. I should’ve come to see Tilly sooner, it’s my fault, not hers. Calm down, big guy.”

  Ray shook his head, turning away to pace back to the door and returning to apologize. “I’m sorry, Healer, but I’m understandably concerned for our Alpha. If you can please shed any light on what’s going on we would be grateful.”

  Tilly raised an eyebrow, spearing Ray with one of her legendary cold looks before she sniffed loudly and reverted her attention to Sheba. “I’m sorry for my delay in responding, Sheba. It’s just that I’ve only heard of this Hunger, and yes, that word is with a capital H. That’s because it’s written in our Legends of History Tomes. It’s not something I’ve witnessed first-hand but only read about and heard stories from Healers from my homeland when I was but a bairn. I was never sure that it was real, until now, of course.”

  Ray butted in before Sheba had time to draw a breath, far less ask any questions. “What? So you know what this is? This Hunger? Can you help Sheba? Heal her?”

  Tilly didn’t look up at Ray, her eyes locked on Sheba’s and the look was one so serious that Sheba wasn’t sure she wanted the Healer to utter any words at all. However, Tilly opened her mouth and Sheba couldn’t help but hear what she said. “I can’t heal her. Nobody can. But all is not lost, Sheba. You are not ill, not in the sense of a disease anyway. The Hunger you have is . . . not easy to explain.”

  Ray’s hand slammed down on the table, making it shake, the noise loud and causing Tilly to jump back, her eyes wide and angry as he shouted, “I don’t care how hard it is . . . explain now!”

  Sheba reacted instantly, snarling as she rose, pushing Ray away and placing herself between her irate Beta and a just as angry Healer. “Back off, now, Beta! I won’t tell you again!”

  As his nostrils flared, she allowed her Alpha power to flow from her, but seeing him flinch didn’t make her happy. In fact, it hurt her, caused her physical pain as he stepped back, lowering his gaze in submission, she followed, toe to toe with him. Sheba reached up, cupping his jaw. “Ray, you’re my closest friend, but you can’t scare people like that because you’re angry, or worried for me. I can’t allow you to act like that. Not as your friend, nor as your Alpha.”

  There was silence for long seconds that seemed like minutes stretching between them and she worried that his anger was too far gone, but then she saw his muscles relax, slightly. His eyes rose, meeting hers briefly as he spoke quietly. “I’m worried sick about you, little one. You have no idea. I’ve barely slept since this started. Not knowing how to help you has been the worst thing I’ve ever had to endure. I’m your Beta and my job is to protect you, yet how do I do that from something neither of us can understand? I’ve been going out of my mind, Sheba. I can’t stand the thought of losing you to some . . . Hunger.”

  She was lost for words. That was a first. His pain washed over her, leaving her breathless and feeling like the worst friend and Alpha ever. Tilly joined them, gently pushing between them, her hands resting on both as she gazed up at Ray’s giant form.

  “It’s all right, Raylon, I have the solution . . . if the Alpha believes me and is willing to embark on a path that may prove fraught with danger.”

  “What?” Both of them asked at the same time, although Sheba’s voice was a mere squeak while Ray’s was a growl filled with menace.

  Ray’s body thrummed with barely restrained power as he towered over Tilly, his Beta power pouring from him in waves as he glowered at the Healer who shrank back from him in fear. Sheba was too concerned with what she’d said to react to him as she cocked her head, staring hard at the smaller woman.

  “Excuse me? What did you say? Fraught with danger . . . what the hell does that mean?”

  Tilly’s eyes were locked on Ray as his lips curled back in a snarl. “Are you threatening your Alpha?” he asked.

  Tilly’s eyes widened, her hands shooting up in front of her as she backtracked to the table, her ass hitting her seat hard. “No, of course not! Don’t be silly, Beta, I would never, not ever threaten, Sheba. I’m merely stating what I know of the Hunger and what it means when it strikes.”

  Sheba saw her shivering, not something that happened often, shoot, scratch that . . . ever. Tilly wasn’t one to back down from anyone. She’d stand up to any Wolf, toe to toe, and to see her so scared now didn’t sit right with Sheba. Hell. So she turned to Ray, waving him back and raising her eyebrow. “Cool it,” she said quietly before making her way to sit back at the table. “Why don’t we start again and try and do it without the theatrics, Tilly. Maybe that way we won’t have Ray here trying to go all Beta on your ass. Okay?”

  Tilly took a deep breath in, as did Ray when he walked around, attempting to cram his six foot six frame onto one of the chairs which creaked ominously as he lowered himself down. Sheba gave him a slight nod, acknowledging that he was at least attempting to stop himself from going nuts, even if she herself was on the edge of a precipice. One she knew he was aware of. His hand reached under the table, patting her thigh once before their attention was drawn back to Tilly.

  “I apologize.” Tilly sighed. “I was excited and a little over zealous when you spoke of the Hunger, Sheba. I never thought I’d see it for myself after only hearing about it third-hand and even then I wasn’t sure it wasn’t just tall tales.”

  Sheba merely inclined her head, wishing the woman would just get the hell on with it.

  Tilly snuck a glance at Ray before she carried on. “I know it won’t feel like it, not with everything you’ve been feeling, but this is actually a gift from the Goddess. Yes, I know, before you argue with me, please hear me out.”

  Sheba had indeed been about to argue but she clamped her lips shut and allowed the woman to go on.

  “When the Hunger strikes it means your soul-mate, your one true mate is nearby, but it also means they are probably in danger. So, Sheba, you need to go and find your mate and you need to go as soon as possible.”

  At first, Sheba didn’t react. The words taking some time to sink in. A mate. No. That was crazy. Not only did she not want one, but right now was so not the right time. Hell’s fire. They had rogues on their land and she would be out hunting them in the damn morning. She couldn’t go off looking for a man! How the hell would that look to the Pack? No. Not happening. She couldn’t do it. No matter what Tilly said. She’d just have to suck it up and wait until all this shit was dealt with and then, maybe, possibly, she could look for this guy. If there was any truth to all this Hunger shit.

  Ray cursed, loudly. “Fuck!”

  Tilly shrugged. “That’s the truth. I can find the tomes and show you in black and white if you don’t believe me. It might take me a while, but they’re here somewhere.”

  She got up and started to walk away but Ray stopped her with a bark. “No, I believe you, Tilly. There’s no whiff of deceit around you and you have no reason to lie to us about something so important.”

  “Th
ere’s one thing I didn’t mention,” Tilly returned, sitting down and staring hard at Sheba. “The most important thing, Alpha.”

  Sheba flung her hands into the air, sighing. “What? Like what you’ve already said isn’t enough? We’ve got renegade Wolves threatening our Pack, running amok on our land, and hey, I’ve got a bit of an appetite but I’ve got to forget everything else and just go gallivanting off to find some guy? Forget my people need me?”

  Tilly leaned forward, her face serious and her eyes locking with Sheba’s. “This isn’t a game, Alpha. It’s vitally important. You don’t have a choice in this. If you ignore the Hunger it will get worse and your very sanity is at stake. You will lose control of your mind and, well, not to put too fine a point on it, but you’ll end up mad as a hatter and the Council will send Enforcers to come cart you off to their premises because you will be completely out of control. A wild Alpha isn’t something they can ignore, and you’d be just as serious a threat to your people as any rogue Wolf.”

  Ray cursed, again as he got up, pacing back and forth like a caged beast. His hands running over his shaved head as he shook it over and over. “Oh fuck!”

  Sheba couldn’t believe her ears. At the same time, another pain lanced through her belly causing her to wince. She wasn’t about to lose her mind . . . was she? Certainly, she’d felt close to it over the last few days, but to actually lose control . . . hell no. “If you’re being overly dramatic, Tilly, I’ll flay the hide off you before the damn Pack,” she said instead, her lips drawn back in a vicious snarl.

  Ray slammed his hands on the table, but this time his words were aimed at her and not Tilly. “Enough, Sheba. This ends now. You heed what the Healer tells you and you do what you have to do. I am your Beta as well as your friend and I won’t stand by and watch as you lose your damn mind because you’re too stubborn to listen to the Healer.”

  Sheba had never seen him so worked up before. She could feel his worry for her, his barely restrained anger at the whole situation, and his concern for the Pack. Damn it, that last one was the worst of all. It tore at her heart and broke through everything inside her like nothing else could . . . not even the Hunger eating away inside her.

  Her beast was howling inside her head, pawing and making enough noise to wake the dead, acting out like it never had before just as Tilly dropped the biggest bombshell.

  “Sheba, you have to allow your Wolf to take you to your mate. You need to listen to her, truly listen to her with your heart and soul, and let her lead the way. When you do, she’ll know what to do, but you must be ready to give up your control. Can you do that?”

  Hell to the no! Was the first thought that ran through her head and her beast howled so loud her hands sprang to her ears as pain like none she’d encountered before encompassed her brain. She slid from the chair, falling to the floor as her Wolf roared over and over inside her. Ray’s strong arms lifted her up, cradling her against him. She knew he was talking to her but she couldn’t hear his words, her beast wouldn’t allow it, and she had never been at odds with her Wolf before. They were always in sync, never before had she experienced such feelings, been off kilter like this, so out of control and it scared the hell out of her in ways she couldn’t even put words to.

  Finally, Ray reached her through their link. “Sheba, little one, answer me! What’s going on? Are you all right?”

  It took her several more moments before she realized she was now lying on Tilly’s sofa, Ray kneeling on the floor beside her and her Healer hovering over her. “I’m having some issues with my beast. She’s acting . . . strange. When Tilly said I needed to listen to my Wolf, my first thought was no and she went crazy and the next thing I knew I was here on the sofa.”

  She took several gulps of air in, trying to calm her madly beating heart that seemed to think she’d run a marathon. Her skin was damp, her muscles cramping, and her throat dry as a bone, but it was Ray’s next words that had her shocked as hell.

  “Sheba, that was almost ten minutes ago. You’ve been out of it for ages. We’ve been worried sick. You’ve been thrashing around and your fur was coming through on your skin then disappearing. It was fucking strange as hell.”

  Her eyes popped open and she held her hand out trying to sit up. “Hell’s fire! What the heck was that all about?”

  Tilly’s face was white as a sheet as she handed over a glass of water. “I guess your beast wants to fulfil what the Goddess wants her to, Alpha, and I don’t think you should deny her.”

  Ray seemed to agree, his eyes shooting up to the Healer. “We can’t have that happening again. That scared the shit out of me. Now, Tilly, tell us, what does she do now before things get any worse.”

  Tilly came around, sitting down in the armchair opposite the sofa and nodding. “Okay. You need to just let your Wolf know that you know what’s going on and that you agree that your mate is close. That’s the first thing. It should appease it for now and should, hopefully, stop another episode like that from happening. Second, you need to actually allow your Wolf free rein and let it go in search of your mate. It’ll take you to him, Sheba, he must be nearby or this Hunger wouldn’t have started.”

  Ray got up, unfurling his long legs and looking down at her he said. “Then that’s what we’ll do. I’ll tell Dion that we’re going out together to scope the land for rogues. That way nobody knows what we’re up to and you won’t be alone, because one thing is certain, Alpha, you are not going out there without me for back-up.”

  Sheba saw his steely determination, and truth be told she couldn’t argue with his logic. It would be foolish to go out on her own, Alpha or not, if she were caught off guard by rogues she could be in trouble. But it was the love for her that she felt flowing from her friend that was her undoing, tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to disperse them quickly. Ray’s arms crossed across his chest as he stared down at her with his dark eyes as if daring her to disagree, and Tilly sitting holding her breath with a hand at her throat.

  “Shit,” she said quietly, the word slipping from her unbidden. “What the heck will I do with a mate?”

  Tilly snorted, the sound rude as she followed it up with a slap to her knees. “If you don’t know by now then you’re in more trouble than I thought! But I can give you some lessons if you want.”

  Ray’s lips tugged up, smirking as Tilly laughed. Sheba didn’t find it funny, not one bit. “I didn’t mean that, as you well know. I’m just not sure I’m ready for a man in my life. Heck, I’ve enough trouble keeping some of the assholes in the Pack in line, what if this guy is like them? Knowing my luck, he’ll be one of those fucks that think women should be tied to the kitchen sink and pop out kids every year. Hell, that’s just not happening, and if he’s anything like that I won’t be mating with him, no matter what the Goddess thinks. I’ll knock him on his ass and be back here before the sun sets and to hell with this Hunger. I’d rather die than tie myself to someone like that.”

  Sheba’s skin tingled at the thought, and not in a good way. Not with the “a mate for life, love all around” kind of way. No. It was as if she was being strangled and she fought to draw a breath in as she saw herself fighting against the person who was supposed to be by her side and help her, complete her, love her. Shit. What if he was a misogynistic asshole? One who thought he should be in charge ahead of her? She would not stand for that. If he could not stand by her side as an equal he would not be at her side. Plain and simple.

  Thank goodness her beast seemed to be in agreement as she huffed inside. “Yes!”

  Ray held out his hand, chuffing too. “He better not try any of that shit or he’ll have me to deal with.”

  She took his offer of help to stand but not his offer to deal with said mate. “That’ll be my place, Ray. If he isn’t up to the task then it’ll be me that tells him, not you.”

  “I suggest you get some rest and start off early tomorrow, Sheba.” Tilly clapped her hands excitedly. “But also take care . . . there may be danger ahead
so be ready for anything.”

  “I’m always ready, Tilly, you should know that,” Sheba replied, smirking.

  “Plus, I’ll be right there,” Ray said, his voice gruff. “If there’s any danger then I’ll be front and center and I’ll protect Sheba with my life.”

  Sheba shook her head before slapping Ray’s arm. “No need to go all dramatic on me, big guy. If we sense danger then we go around it. There’s no need to go stampeding headlong into it unless we need to. Okay?”

  “Yeah, we’ll see.” Ray shrugged. “Sometimes a good fight is just what we need. And if it’s your mate that’s the one that’s in danger, well, there’s no escaping it. Is there? From what Tilly said, it appears he may be in need of rescuing.”

  A brief vision of a huge, majestic Lion flashed across Sheba’s mind, her stomach filling as if a swarm of bees were flying around inside but the feeling wasn’t altogether unpleasant. It was strange, certainly, and unsettling, but it brought with it a sense of excitement and something else that was new and which she couldn’t quite put a name to. Tilly’s voice cut into her thoughts, bringing her back to the here and now.

  “Before you go, I need to know, as your Healer, have you and your beast come to terms with what you must do? I can’t let you leave until I know this, Alpha. I must know that you are safe from the advanced stages of the Hunger . . . and that everyone else is also safe.”

  Tilly’s eyes flitted to Ray’s before dropping, but in that split-second look, Sheba saw so much. The Pack’s Healer was pleading with her Beta for support in case the Pack Alpha went nuts. Great! Sheba was about to snap an angry retort but thought before she spoke, knowing that Tilly was thinking of her well-being as well as the Pack’s. So she took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly and counted to ten before replying.