A Ravenous Pack: Wolf's Hunger 5 Books

by A. K. Michaels

  Hell, yeah, drive on, Momma, don’t stop for the crazy lady in the middle of nowhere.

  And that’s exactly what happened. The driver faltered for a moment before speeding up, one hand leaving the steering wheel to land on her baby’s sleeping head.

  Marissa’s heart sank but she forced her feet to move. “One in front of the other, repeat. It’s not rocket science, girl, just do it.”

  She retraced her steps down to the relative safety of the forest, where she felt more at home anyway, but she also was not freely visible either. On and on she walked, hoping that one of the dang cars would stop already. One measly ride, that’s all she needed right now.

  Ash walked in as Shade joined Royce, newly showered and dressed, he felt surprisingly good. “So, did that idiot live? Or do I have to make a call to his Alpha to break the news?”

  “He’s alive, but Lana says it’s still touch and go. She doesn’t want us moving him for several days.” Ash slumped onto the sofa, shaking his head. “Do you know what the stupid son-of-a-bitch did?”

  Shade raised an eyebrow. “You mean apart from coming here and challenging me over something that didn’t actually happen?”

  “Well, yeah, that too, but no.” Ash sat up, nodding to the Royce. “Better get a phone ‘cause that moron attempted to transform while Lana was working on him. So, he’s mainly human, mostly, but it’s the strangest damn thing I’ve ever seen. Anyway, Lana says he doesn’t have enough strength to do anything else right now, transform fully either way, and because he’s mostly human it’s gonna take longer for him to heal. That’s if he survives the night. Lana was a bit sketchy on that. The other one is on his way back, in Wolf form, to heal with his own Pack, and the third one, is with his brother at Lana’s. He seems genuinely sorry and keeps thanking Lana for helping his brother. I swear, Shade, that little fucking bitch Trixie has a lot to answer for.”

  Royce cursed and Shade did too, a partial shift was never a good condition to be in, for either human or beast. “Did she knock him out with something? And I suppose I should call their Alpha and fill him in on what’s happening. I think I’ll let him know Trixie’s involvement too, she needs to be held accountable for this. She fired them boys up and pointed them in my direction because I told her I had no intention of mating with her. Yeah, I was an ass, and I apologized for that, but this is just wrong. She must’ve known they wouldn’t have stood a chance against me? They’re not even Betas, for fuck sake.”

  Royce fished through Shade’s tattered clothing, found his phone, and threw it to him. “Here you go. After you’ve dealt with that we need to return to our other business.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Shade replied, resigned to discussing what had been found earlier. For now, he had a difficult call to make. “I’ll be back as soon as I’ve dealt with this shitload of trouble.”

  He decided to talk to the brothers’ Alpha from his office, in private. At least that way if things got heated his Betas didn’t need to hear, or get hot under the collar as they were sure to do. They were his friends, but they were also his seconds and that meant when he had a problem they took it to heart. He didn’t need their support for this. Shade could deal with this standing on his head blind drunk, but both Ash and Royce were already hyped up. A private call was the way to go.

  Less than two minutes later it was over and done with and with a better result than Shade had expected. He couldn’t wait to share with his boys. Shade whistled a tune as he joined them in his living room, their heads spinning to stare. “Hey,” he shrugged. “It went better than I’d hoped. Those brothers are in trouble with their own Alpha for taking it upon themselves to come here as they did. Plus, little tricky Trixie is also in hot water for firing them up with lies. He knew I was telling the truth, even though I didn’t even get to that part. His words were along the lines of, ‘That little slut puts it about and then when she doesn’t get what she wants she sends her brothers in after telling them a tall tale. Stupid girl thinks we don’t know, but we do. This is the last straw. She and her brothers are outta here.’ Okay that’s kinda word for word, but he did say he’d allow them to recover first.”

  Royce nodded his head, a grim look on his face. “Harsh, but if she, and in turn, they have done this before then he’s well within his rights to banish them. They’ll have a hard time finding a Pack to take them in now.”

  Ash agreed. “Yeah, but it’s of their own doing so I, for one, have no sympathy for any of them. Especially Trixie. She’s a real troublemaker that one.”

  “She’ll be gone soon enough,” Shade replied. “As far as I’m concerned it’s over and done with.”

  “Right.” Ash crossed his arms, staring hard at Shade. “Have you and your beast had a talk?”

  Shade opened his mouth to answer and his Wolf picked that precise moment to howl in his mind. The same phrase over and over, so loud Shade’s hands flew to either side of his head, pain lancing through him. “Shut up!” he roared, bending forward as his beast continued.

  “Find her. Find her. Find her.”

  His Betas raced over, grabbing hold of him as he fought with his Wolf. Royce’s worried voice whispering. “Alpha, what’s wrong. Ash, what the fuck’s wrong with him?”

  “I don’t fucking know! I didn’t read anything that mentioned anything like this. Maybe we need Lana.”

  Shade managed to raise a hand, gasping. “No, nobody else. Just give me a minute.”

  He focused on his beast, attempting to calm his Wolf. “I can’t do anything if you don’t stop this.”

  One last pitiful word tore through his head, “Please.” Followed by silence. “Thank fuck.”

  “What just happened?” Ash asked as Shade stood, shaking off their hands.

  “My fucking Wolf just happened.” Shade inhaled, filling his lungs to capacity before blowing it out slowly. “I think we’ve got a job on our hands.”

  “Yeah?” Royce bounced away, his face lighting up. “Are we going on a mate hunt? Cool.”

  Ash stayed close to Shade, his eyes searching his face. “Your beast is in agreement? That’s very clear in what I read, that you both have to decide to do this.”

  “I’ve not got a choice, Ash,” Shade admitted. “My Wolf is definitely on board with this insane idea. I’m coming along for the ride to see what happens. Do I believe in old legends and soulmates that need rescuing? No. But I can’t deny what’s going on with me lately, and my beast is pleading with me to do this. So, you two lug-heads, we better get going before I change my mind and decide to just go and get drunk instead.”

  Ash didn’t respond, merely started to undress and leave his clothes on the nearest chair, Royce joining him. “Oh hell,” Shade mumbled as he tore off his own. “How do I do this? Just let this crazy animal take the lead, or what?”

  “Yes,” Ash answered simply before walking outside.

  “Wonderful,” Shade bit out as he followed, wondering why he felt as if he were walking to his doom.

  Marissa jerked awake to find herself slumped against a thick tree-trunk. She couldn’t remember sitting down, far less falling asleep, but exhaustion must have finally overtaken her. But if the way she was feeling was anything to go by, she hadn’t slept long. Her eyes stung with weariness as she rubbed them with the back of her hands, stretching her legs to ease her aches she wondered what woke her. Her thoughts a jumbled mess of what must’ve been a dream, visions of a huge dark brown Wolf, with a silver streak on its chest, tumbled through her mind leaving her feeling . . . unsettled and dare she admit . . . aroused.

  Her beast yipped an alarm in her head at the same moment terror invaded her body, overtaking the feelings she’d experienced on waking. All thoughts of her dream fled as she sprang to her feet, the threat to her safety all encompassing: her father was near.

  “Damn it!” Marissa started to run then stopped, realizing she may just be running straight toward him in her haste. She tried to calm herself, no mean feat when his presence filled her with dread, and sent o
ut every sense available to her. Even her family link, which caused nausea to roll through her belly and a cold sweat to break out over her entire body, quickly followed by her father’s voice slinking into her brain.

  “I can feel you. Don’t think you can escape.”

  “Fuck!” Marissa cursed when she comprehended just how near he was. But now she knew he was south of her position so she turned and took off in the opposite direction, heading deeper into the woods. Her legs pumping as fast as they could, using every part of her speed to race through the unknown land, looking for a hiding place for her belongings and then she’d transform. Hopefully she’d lose her dad, and anyone with him, then be able to return for her meagre possessions.

  If she survived.

  The odds of that were low. Marissa wasn’t an idiot. She was aware that if her father caught her then her chances of surviving weren’t good. Not when she was going to fight him tooth and nail because she was not going to allow him to return her to the hands of her Alpha to be nothing more than a sex slave. Not happening. Not while she had a breath left inside her and the will to fight.

  At least she’d die a free Wolf. Not a slave to her dad or the Pack that treated women as badly as hers did.

  Marissa saw a large oak tree ahead, her eyes catching sight of a large hollow at the base. The perfect place for her to stash her things, so she veered toward it, already pulling off her jacket. Adrenaline pumped through her system as her blood rushed through her like a tidal wave, the noise almost deafening in her ears as she slid to a stop. She threw her backpack into the hole, struggling with her jacket, almost getting it off but she’d been so focused on escaping her father that she’d failed to search her surroundings for any other Shifters. A large bear of a man appearing from behind the tree and grabbing her around the neck, his arm so tight it cut off her oxygen.

  Her feet left the ground, kicking futilely as she scratched at his hands. His foul breath washing over her as he snarled at her ear. “Caught you, bitch.”

  And he wasn’t alone. Two more men appeared, their eyes lingering on her for too long as they raked up and down her body. Oh shit. No. She couldn’t go back. She just damn well couldn’t. Tears filled her eyes, spilling over to run down her cheeks. Despair, anger and fury rampaging through her. Determined to die before returning to a life of hell she made the decision to transform the moment she could.

  She’d rather go down fighting than go anywhere with these filthy mutts.

  “Don’t let go of her,” one of the men in front snapped. “She’ll change if you do. Who’s got the silver?”

  Marissa snarled, her heart sinking further at the mention of silver. Shit, if they managed to get any on her then it was game over. She’d never be able to transform if they subdued her with that poisonous shit. She started to struggle for real, throwing her head back with every ounce of her strength. The resulting crunch and shout of pain from her restrainer gave her a little consolation, especially when his hold relaxed enough for her to draw in some much needed breaths.

  “I’m gonna kill you.” He shook her around in his massive hands, his voice nasal, thick and full of menace.

  “Good,” she snarled back, kicking his shins over and over, hoping he’d carry out his threat.

  One of the others bent over, laughing. “You can’t even take care of one girl.”

  “She’s a fucking bitch,” he answered, shaking her again.

  “Yeah, you’ve said,” the other replied.

  Marissa realized she should know their names, they were from her Pack, weren’t they? But her mind wasn’t working properly for some reason, and she just couldn’t put a name to any of their faces. Why? Fear? Shock? Adrenaline? She wasn’t sure, all she knew was her brain could only focus on one thing: fight or flight.

  “Stop choking her, you dimwit, you’re going to kill her. She’ll be no use to me, or the Alpha, if she’s dead.”

  The voice slid over her like a snake slithering up her body, snaking inside and coiling in her belly. Marissa’s blood turned to ice and for a split-second she thought she was going to lose control of her bladder. The all-consuming terror of her father’s presence did things to her she was ashamed of, her beast whimpering instead of growling, her fight slowing, ebbing from her as he came into her line of sight. The man who should look after her, take care of her, and be the one she ran to not from stood before her, his smirk evil and cold as he ran a finger down the side of her face. She jerked beneath his touch, cringing away from him, her stomach roiling and ready to puke up her fear.

  Marissa slammed her eyes shut, her mind playing tricks on her. Maybe if she refused to look at him she could pretend he wasn’t there, because if he was, and he managed to subdue her then her life was well and truly over. Another tear broke free and slid down her cheek, her heart tearing apart in her chest.

  No. No. And hell no. Marissa shook her head. Refusing to believe this was happening. She couldn’t have gone through this, managing to escape that hellhole only to be dragged back again. Please, no.

  Shade’s Wolf flew through the forest like his tail was on fire. Royce and Ash right behind him as they ran at full speed. His beast seemed to know where he was going and ran with an urgency that spoke of life or death.

  “Alpha, do you know . . .”

  Shade cut Ash off before he continued, small talk wasn’t on the agenda. “No, he knows where he’s going so just try and keep up.”

  His friends struggled to keep up as his beast’s speed increased. He sped along as if Demons from Hell itself were chasing them, a frenzy rampaging through him like nothing Shade had ever experienced before. It was unsettling but he also felt more alive, his heart pumping furiously as his claws threw up dirt and leaves, finding purchase before leaping high to clear any obstacles in their path. On and on they ran, the trio ranging to the outer limits of Pack land where his Wolf veered left, heading along the edge of their land but still seemingly on a course to where, or who, Shade had no idea.

  He could feel his beast’s urgency though, loud and damn well clear. His Wolf knew something he didn’t, his paws scrambling for purchase over a muddy embankment, a snarl escaping as he fought to reach their destination. He tried to communicate with the frantic beast. “What’s wrong?”

  “Needs us, danger.”

  Shade couldn’t help but feel the despair running through his Wolf, mixed in with a large dose of fury, but he had one last question. “How do you know all this?”

  “Goddess.”

  Was his answer. Well, if that were the case who was he to disagree? Shade no longer argued internally with his Wolf, feeling his delight at that as he raced through, around, and over anything that stood in their way. A flash of a vision sprang into his mind of a woman, young with long dark hair and eyes like pools of dark chocolate, her beauty taking his breath away a moment before her fear slammed into him.

  She wasn’t just scared. She was filled with absolute terror, and she wasn’t alone. Who was there with her wasn’t clear but whoever it was had this young woman so scared she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, and he could feel her pain. It was as if her heart were physically tearing apart inside her chest. The agony of it ripping free a roar from his throat to reverberate around the forest, causing limbs in the trees to tremble and leaves to flutter to the ground. His rage consuming him as he streaked onwards in a desperate bid to reach her before . . . he wasn’t sure. But he knew in his gut she was in deep peril and he was her only redemption.

  His beast darted around several large trees, a sweet and tangy aroma wafting toward them, but it was marred with the scent of fear. Shade knew, without a shadow of doubt, that his was who they sought. This scent was her, the woman he’d caught glimpses of, the beauty who was terrified. The one they had to save. This scent that assaulted his senses, settling inside him as if it had always been there was unmistakably the one the Archives spoke of.

  This was no wild goose chase. This was not nonsense, or drivel, or the thousand other words he’d com
e up with. Fuck, no. This was real, she was his mate, and she was in trouble. She needed him. Now.

  The feelings coursing through him were . . . outlandishly scary and he couldn’t begin to understand them. He hadn’t even met this girl, didn’t know her fucking name, anything about her. Yet he knew he’d fight to the death for her. How the hell was that even possible?

  Only hours ago he was dead set against the idea of a soulmate. Yet here he was stampeding towards only the Goddess knew what and ready to battle anything that was a threat to the woman he’d barely had a glimpse of. Hell, he’d tear anything, and anyone, limb from limb for harming a hair on her head, and he didn’t even know her name.

  “Alpha,” Royce interrupted him, his voice growing urgent. “Alpha! Slow down. I can hear voices ahead.”

  Damn it. If he’d not been so focused on his internal thinking, he would’ve heard them too. Their voices loud in the silence of the forest, more than one, and the sound of soft whimpering: his mate!

  Despite Royce insisting he slow down, Shade sped up, crashing through bushes and sliding to a stop when he saw a group of men. One holding the woman he’d seen in his head, her feet dangling off the ground. Her face white with fear but her eyes full of defiance as she spat in the face of an older Wolf standing in front of her. They hadn’t yet noticed his arrival, the man raising a hand to strike the young woman as he snarled.

  “You’re a bitch and you’re coming back with me and you’ll do as you’re told.”

  Shade transformed quickly, striding forward, his voice rumbling a threat. “Stop!”

  All eyes turned to him, five men in total. The oldest, the one who was about to slap the girl, scowled at Shade. “Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?”