A Ravenous Pack: Wolf's Hunger 5 Books

by A. K. Michaels

  “I’m fine and yes, my Wolf and I are both all right.” Sheba looked between the two then back at Tilly. “I promise I’m not about to go all loco on you. In fact, my beast is excited, and I am a little too. Not quite as much as she is to be honest, but that’s because I’m still worried about the renegades and the timing of this sucks. And I’m still saying if the guy is a numbskull then he can go jump off a cliff, that’s not up for debate, guys. But I’ll go with Ray and we’ll see what happens. All right?”

  Both Tilly and Ray visibly relaxed, more so Tilly, who smiled, her eyes twinkling as she cheekily quipped, “And remember, if you need any lessons on what to do with him when you find him . . . come find me.”

  Sheba couldn’t help but chuckle as she made her way to the door, throwing over her shoulder, “If he’s man enough for me, and the right man, then I’ll not need any lessons. I just hope he can keep up with me!”

  Ray’s hearty laughter followed her as she left Tilly’s cabin and walked back home. Now she had to explain to her mother what was going on and that wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to. Hell, maybe she would put it off until they’d found this elusive mate and just spring it on her. After all, maybe this was a wild goose chase and there was nobody out there waiting on her.

  A loud howl in her head pulled her up short, her Wolf disagreeing vociferously. “No! Our mate is there and will need us!”

  Her beast had never been so clear or spoken so long. Usually her beast was a two or three word kinda gal so for her to speak like that to her was, well, unusual wasn’t even close. It was downright weird and definitely a first. Sheba was surprised and shocked at the certainty of her Wolf’s words and she just prayed that she wasn’t heading out on a fool’s errand. Or worse . . . she’d end up finding some guy who just didn’t live up to her expectations.

  Yeah, that would be just her luck. The Goddess would send her some redneck asshole who expected her to wait on him hand and foot. Well, he’d get one hell of a shock when she kicked his sorry ass to the curb and walked away, because she would do that and not think twice about it. Hell yes, she would.

  “What are you smiling at?” Ray asked.

  She jerked, forgetting he was there. “What? Nothing, nothing at all.”

  “Right,” he replied, shaking his head. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine!” she snapped. “Stop asking me that. Go home and leave me be. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll let Dion know we’ll be heading out first thing—alone.” Ray scowled down at her, obviously unhappy. “But he’ll want to send extra men with us, you know he will.”

  “I’m sure you’ll come up with something to stop him,” Sheba retorted. “We can’t have anyone else with us, Ray. I’ve no idea what’s gonna happen so the less people that see it, the better.”

  “I’m aware of that and yes, I’ll make something up. I’ll be here at five but I’ll tell him we’re leaving at six, just in case he tries to have us followed.”

  “Sneaky,” Sheba chuckled. “I like it. See you then.”

  “If you need me just call through the link.” Ray tapped his temple. “And I’ll be right over.”

  “I won’t say it again . . . I’m fine. I’m going home to sleep and then we’ll go a-hunting in the morning.” Sheba shook her head. “I can’t freaking believe it . . . me doing this. It’s surreal, and I’m still not sure about it all, although my beast sure is, so I guess we do it and see what happens.”

  “Indeed we do, little one.” Ray gave her a huge smile before he veered away toward his cabin and she heard him chuckling as he went.

  Damn if she found it funny but she didn’t have time to dwell on his amusement as she saw Ari heading toward her with a face that told her she was definitely not amused. Oh hell.

  “Hi, Ari,” Sheba said with a smile, hoping to try and mend bridges. It didn’t work as her friend stopped, arms crossed.

  “Alpha.” Was all Ari said.

  “Look, I’m sorry about earlier, but I’ve a lot on my mind right now.” Sheba tried to appease her friend.

  “I understand.”

  “Obviously you don’t.” Sheba sighed. “Ari, things are dangerous right now, and I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather so I’m sorry if I snapped.”

  Ari’s face crumpled, worry filling it as she closed the distance between them. “What? You’re ill? What’s wrong? How’s that even possible? You’re Alpha? I didn’t think you could get sick. Tell me what’s wrong? Right this minute, so I can help.”

  Her friend was back! Sheba was smothered as Ari engulfed her, although how that was possible with Ari being smaller than her, she wasn’t sure, but it happened as her friend kept babbling. “Come on! Tell me right now.”

  Sheba extricated herself, holding Ari at bay. “I’m fine. I’ve just seen Tilly and she assures me I’ll be okay. I need some rest and some food, that’s all. Why don’t you come home with me and we can grab something together?”

  “Are you sure? That you’re all right?” Ari leaned in, peering at her with her dark brown eyes. “You look a bit pale to me.”

  “I’m fine. Let’s go eat.” Sheba linked arms and tugged her friend along. “But I’ll be going to bed soon as I’m up early. Ray and I will be heading out on a search before dawn so I’ll need my rest.”

  The semi-lie dripped easily from her lips and she was certain that her friend was none the wiser of their mission. Thank goodness. That wasn’t a conversation she was willing to have with her, or anyone else. All she wanted was some food, light hearted conversation, and sleep. The dawning day would bring what it may and she’d deal with it when it came. She had no choice in the matter. Not if what Tilly said was true, and going by her Wolf’s reaction, it was.

  Ari was prattling on but Sheba barely heard what she was saying, her mind drifting time and again to visions of a regal Lion. What the freaking hell? A Lion? Really? Where the hell was her Wolf? She wasn’t looking for a damn Lion, she wanted a nice big Wolf by her side. One as large as Ray’s, who had the good sense to not challenge her authority, and who would support her as Alpha. Shoot, the Pack was only just getting used to having a female Alpha. What the hell would happen if she trailed back into camp with a damn Lion in tow instead of a Wolf? Would they even accept her having another shifter as a mate?

  Her mind spun around as the images of the dang Lion swam around inside her. Its size was massive, his mane was glorious, his stance was nothing short of royal and . . . damn. Ari prodded her as she almost fell up the stairs to her home. She’d been so engrossed in her daydreaming she hadn’t heard a word, far less noticed where she’d been walking.

  “Sheba! What on earth? You definitely don’t look okay. You look as if you’re miles away.”

  “Got a lot on my mind. You know, what with these rogues and everything else.” Sheba shrugged. “Plus, I’m running on empty and need food.”

  “Then let’s get you fed,” Ari said firmly. Her face serious as she led Sheba inside and straight toward the kitchen where they found her mother who was already laying places for them.

  Again, Sheba wondered . . . how the hell does she do that?

  “Sit down, girls. I’ve got a nice stew and fresh bread all ready. Hope you’re hungry.”

  “Absolutely.” Ari grinned, taking a seat. “And Sheba is starving, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” Sheba agreed. Not wanting to talk so did the next best thing. “So, Ari, want to fill us in on the camp gossip?”

  As her mom fed them, she allowed Ari to talk her head off about all the ins and outs of the gossip mill. Boy, the girl had some snippets of information that had Sheba’s head in a spin, and even her mom raising her eyebrow in places. But Sheba’s thoughts were dragged away time and again as her mind lingered on images of the lone Lion and what it would mean if, or when, she found it.

  “Sheba, you look bushed, honey.” Her mom patted her shoulder as she took away her empty plate. “Why don’t you get off to bed?”
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  Ari nodded. “I just got a text from Dion. I’m on guard duty here in the morning and it’s an early start too, so I better get off as well. Please be careful tomorrow and don’t take any risks, Sheba. I know you’re Alpha, but you’re my best friend and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Sheba said grinning. “I’m tough as old boots, Ari, and I’ll have Ray with me. There’s nobody fiercer than him. Anyone stupid enough to get in his way will soon find out he shows no mercy, but let’s be honest, when they see him, most just turn tail and run.”

  “So freaking true.” Ari giggled. “Heck, I know him and he still scares the heck out of me at times. Anyway, I better get going. But still take care, and I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.”

  “Sure,” Sheba replied, although she wasn’t sure of anything at all.

  As her friend left, her mother gave her a strange look, one that seemed to delve deep inside her and had Sheba rising quickly before her mom could open her mouth and ask any difficult questions. Ones that she didn’t, couldn’t answer. Rushing from the kitchen she mumbled, “I’m exhausted, Mom. I really have to go to bed.”

  Her mother didn’t respond, which in itself spoke volumes. Her plan now changed to slip out without giving her mom the opportunity to quiz her in the morning. So she shouted her excuse as she sped up the stairs. “I’ll be up just after six, but I won’t need breakfast. I’ll just grab some coffee before I head out with Ray.”

  Sheba would be up well before five and she’d sneak out as quietly as possible and pray her mother would still be sound asleep. The last thing she needed was being interrogated by the one person who could see right through her because she didn’t want to out and out lie about where she was going, or why.

  Sheba tossed and turned, visions of the damn Lion were forever in her head. She tried, and failed, to remove them time and again. They were mere glimpses of the animal, but it was enough to halt her attempts to fall asleep for long enough until she had some severe words with her Wolf.

  “If you don’t let me rest then I won’t be fit to do anything tomorrow.” She’d urged it, and finally her beast had settled down and she’d drifted off into a fitful sleep.

  One that was filled with dreams littered with said Lion! Although in her dreams she caught glimpses of the beast transforming and saw the back view of a man. One who was tall, broad, muscular, and had a body that made her mouth water uncontrollably like a bitch in heat. Her core clenched with desire, her hand stretched out to touch him but he disappeared in a misty haze leaving her unsettled and filled with an aching need she’d never felt before. When she woke well before her alarm, she felt far from rested, but restless and agitated.

  At least her mother was still sound asleep. She could hear her soft snores clearly as she pulled on her clothes, sending Ray a message as she did. “Couldn’t sleep, are you up?”

  “Same here, and yes, I’m up and ready.”

  “Good, I’ll meet you in five.”

  “All right, I’ll be waiting.”

  Sheba tiptoed downstairs, closing the door quietly and went to meet Ray, nervous as hell and definitely not feeling like the Alpha she normally was. This morning she felt agitated and uneasy at the thought of allowing her beast free rein. Scratch that. She was terrified.

  But the time had come as Ray’s hulking shape came into view in the darkness, Sheba inhaled sharply, her steps faltering briefly before she straightened her spine, shoulders back and strode forward. “Ready?” she asked.

  “I am. Are you?” he replied, his eyes spearing hers with a look that told her he knew exactly how she felt.

  Of course he did. He was her Beta, but he was also her friend. One that had been by her side since she was still in diapers and probably knew her better than she knew herself. She gave him a brief nod and a small smile. “Not sure if I am but seems I don’t have much of a choice, so I guess we should get started. But I gotta say, I’m not happy about giving up my control, Ray.”

  “I bet you aren’t.” Ray chuckled. “Tilly was clear on that though, so what’s that saying the youngsters are so fond of? Oh yeah . . . suck it up.”

  “Suck it up? You didn’t just tell me to suck it up, did you?”

  “I think I just did, and I think you’re just delaying things, Sheba, so come on, little one.”

  Ray undressed, folded his clothes neatly into a pile beneath a bush, and transformed as she procrastinated, shuffling from foot to foot, putting off the moment for as long as she could. When his immense beast padded toward her, nudging her with his snout, she finally started to undress, at a snail’s pace. Too slowly for Ray’s liking, and he gave her a little nip to urge her on. “Hey, no need for that,” she grumbled, finally laying her clothes in a pile next to Ray’s, then summoned her own beast, with a plea as she did so.

  “Don’t do anything stupid today, please.”

  Its answer didn’t calm her uneasiness. “We find him! He needs us!”

  Before she knew it, they were off and running, tearing through the forest at breakneck speed, the darkness not slowing their velocity as they raced across Pack land. To what, or who, she didn’t know.

  On and on they ran, Ray on her tail, as they zoomed through, over, under, and around anything in their path. The darkness lightened into a murky grey, and then dawn broke, bringing bright sunlight to sprinkle through the trees and lighten their path. As it lit on the dewdrops, it sparkled brightly, beautiful, and if she had a moment she would stop to admire the gloriousness of it all, but her beast careened onward, never slowing, never wavering from her path.

  When the sun rose higher Ray finally asked through their link, “Any idea where we’re going?”

  Her Wolf replied immediately, “Start at waterfall.”

  “Dion, said he saw signs of a Lion there,” Ray replied quickly. “Is it wise to go there?”

  “We go!” Her beast snarled back just as quickly.

  Ray remained silent for long moments before he responded, obviously taken aback at the tone of her Wolf. “All right, I hear you. I was just saying with rogues in the area, I thought it wise not to cross paths with a Lion too. We’ve got enough on our hands to fight off if it comes to that.”

  “No fight Lion.” Her Wolf’s absolute pledge on that point came through in every syllable, causing a shocked rumble to erupt from Ray’s chest. To his credit though, he remained silent.

  Sheba thanked him for that small mercy because she dreaded to think of her beast’s reaction if he uttered the wrong thing. She had visions of her beast turning and pinning him to the ground, her fangs at his throat if he dared to say a word against the Lion she’d been having visions of. Shit, wouldn’t that be just the damn thing. With renegades on the prowl and she’d end up fighting her own dang Beta. Priceless! Way to go, Sheba.

  On and on they ran. Her Wolf’s paws eating up the ground and showing no signs of tiring, no signs of easing up her pace, her goal was set and she wasn’t giving up for anything. Not even when there were scents of rogues off to their left, she didn’t falter, didn’t veer off to check them out. No. She stayed on her course until finally they broke through the trees and they saw the waterfall before them.

  At last! Her throat was burning from the hours of running. Ray’s huge hulk ran ahead, scanning the area before dropping his snout and lapping up the cool water to quench his obvious thirst. And what did her Wolf do? Did she join him? No. She circled around an area where the remains of a carcass lay and many paw prints and scents abounded. But above them was the most glorious of all . . . one that assaulted her senses and sent her into a frenzy. One that had both Sheba and her beast reacting to it like . . . well, Sheba had no words.

  It was intoxicating, exquisite, and downright out of this world. Her heart soared with emotions, so many that she couldn’t even name them all, but first and foremost was pure and adulterated love. How could that be? How could a lingering scent invade her being with an emotion as powerful as love? It was impossible . . . wasn’t it?<
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  Unless this was the one thing she’d never believed in before this moment. This was the scent of her mate. The one sent to her by the Goddess. The one meant to be by her side forever. In this world and the next. The one that made her whole. The one that completed her and . . .

  “Sheba, what’s going on?” Ray tore her out of her wondrous revelation, bringing her back to the here and now.

  “My mate, Ray, his scent is here and we have to find him.”

  “Is that you, little one? Or is your beast still in control?”

  “It’s me, big guy. I’m back, but I’ve got a sense of urgency coursing through me. I feel he’s in danger. We need to hurry.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  “Ray, I have to tell you something first . . . he’s not a Wolf . . . he’s a . . .”

  “A Lion, yes, I kinda figured that out earlier, Sheba, but if he’s your mate it makes no difference. He’s your mate, that’s all that matters, now let’s go find him.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, never loving her friend more than she did right at that moment. Her nose raised, using her enhanced Alpha power to hone in on her mate’s unique scent, then took off after it as quickly as she possibly could.

  Fox had slept fitfully, hunger lapping at his belly, and dreams of a sleek white Wolf with emerald eyes haunting him throughout the night. She was always running before him, but whenever he drew close enough for him to touch, she’d disappear in a hazy fog. It was so damn annoying and he’d woken in a foul mood.

  “Food, I just need to eat,” he spoke aloud. Something he did often. Being alone didn’t mean he liked silence all of the time. He would have conversations with himself, even argued at times, although those never ended well. But food was definitely the first thing on his agenda, after his woeful blunder yesterday, when he was so focused on filling his empty stomach and he’d allowed those filthy mutts to creep up on him, well, he’d not make that mistake again. No siree, he’d keep his wits about him and hunt down some prey and bring it back here to eat in peace.