Wild Hearts_A Wild Lake Wolves Prequel

by Kimber White

  “Harold, what do they have to do with us? What’s going on? And I swear, Harold Lloyd Bonner, if you tell me it’s complicated, I’m going to brain you with the stock of this gun.”

  Harold let out a sigh. “Okay, okay. I won’t say that. Even though it is.”

  “How? Why? I mean...how did you get mixed up with them?”

  My brother spun a blade of grass between his fingers as he searched for the words he wanted to say. “I met Charlie and Marcus in town. They weren’t...that is...they were normal. Not, uh...wolves. Well, we started hanging out. Eventually, they told me they needed a place to crash and I brought them back here to the lake. I found out what they were later. They trusted me with it and they asked for my help.”

  “Help with what?”

  “I take it you’ve been out to the cabin. You’ve seen the little ones.”

  I crossed my arms in front of me and tapped my foot on the ground. “Yes.”

  “It’s not easy for them, Pats. Look, Luke’s their leader. He’s the pack Alpha. Now you’ve met the others.”

  “Met? Is that what you’d call it? Those wolves looked like they were about to eat me.”

  Harold smiled. “Yeah. Well, they were trying to figure out whether you were a threat to their Alpha. I can’t really blame ‘em.”

  “Harold!”

  “Okay, okay. But Luke wasn’t going to let them hurt you. Anyway, Luke’s pack is in a little bit of trouble. There’s another pack, a bigger one trying to challenge him. As fierce as those guys are, it’s dangerous for them around here. Finding good hunting ground and a place where they can live in peace isn’t so easy.”

  I swallowed past a lump in my throat as I remembered my own father’s plan to set traps and try to drive Luke and the others away.

  “The little ones at the cabin,” I said. “They’re part of Luke’s pack?”

  “Yeah. Actually, they’re Luke’s kids. Twins. Jarred and Lucia.”

  Luke’s kids. Luke was a father. That meant they had a mother somewhere. An emotion I didn’t expect blazed inside of me. Jealousy. Harold’s eyes narrowed as he saw my own expression change. I quickly covered, shifting the weight of the shotgun across my shoulder.

  “Look, I don’t claim to understand shifter pack politics,” Harold went on. “But, the rival pack is after Lucia. See, the way Marcus and Charlie explained it, female shifters are kind of rare. As soon as a bigger pack caught wind of her, they’ve been trying to get to her. I offered the pack a place to hide her. Patsy, if they catch her...well...Marcus wouldn’t come out and say it, but they’ll do things to her when she gets old enough. Make her do stuff against her will. Ya know. Breed with her. They’ll hurt her. Badly.”

  I felt sick to my stomach. I took a staggering step sideways and clutched my hand to my heart. Lucia. She couldn’t be more than five or six years old. The idea of anyone trying to hurt that adorable little girl caused me physical pain just to think about.

  “Patsy, we can’t turn the McGraw pack away. Luke’s strong and brave, but he’s got nowhere else to go. Other packs claim the territory all along the Canadian border and coming in from the south too. There’s only eight of them against a larger and older pack. We have to let them stay here and hide out until he can figure out what to do. We have to.

  “Rival packs.” My head spun. I walked away from Harold and started to pace along the shoreline. “Shifters. Harold, this is nuts. This sounds like horrible trouble we don’t need. And you already got in the middle of it, didn’t you? Is that what happened the other day? It’s how you got hurt?”

  Harold shuffled his feet and wouldn’t meet my eyes when I turned on him. “One of the guys from the rival pack came into town spoiling for a fight. He was one of the smaller ones and he was all alone. I thought I could take him.”

  My heart dropped. None of this made sense to me yet, but I knew one thing just by instinct. My skinny fifteen-year-old brother would have been no match for a full-blooded werewolf...er...wolf shifter. Though I hadn’t seen him in action, I could sense the superhuman strength Luke possessed just by the power of his shift.

  “You could have gotten killed!” The realization hit me in the center of the chest with the weight of an anvil.

  “Patsy.”

  “No, don’t Patsy me. What were you thinking? You tried to take on one of those...shifters all by yourself? Where were your so-called friends Charlie and Marcus?” I let my temper get the best of me. I went up to Harold and shoved him with my hands flat on his chest.

  “They tried to stop me. It wasn’t their fault. I was being stubborn and foolish. But, Patsy, if you heard the things they said. If they ever do get a hold of Lucia. If their Alpha takes out Luke...well...they aren’t going to leave the rest of the guys alive. They’re my friends.”

  I shook my head and walked away from him again. It was all just too much. “It’s not our fight, Harold. They’re not our people. Good Lord, Harold. Don’t we have enough trouble of our own without borrowing...this? I mean, I don’t even know where to start.”

  Harold planted his feet wide and stared me down. I hated that he towered over me now. “Patsy.”

  “Don’t.”

  “Patsy!”

  “Harold? Are you serious?”

  “Yes. I am. Now, Luke’s stubborn and proud, but he needs us. He’s not asking for much. Just time. And those are his kids. Can’t we just look the other way for a few more days until he comes up with a better plan?”

  Harold made it sound like the most normal thing in the world. Sure. Why wouldn’t we put ourselves in the middle of a wolf pack war?

  “Harold. We can’t…I don’t...there isn’t…ugh!” Defeated, I flapped my hand against my thigh and turned back toward the water.

  Harold came up to me and put his hands on my shoulders. I still wouldn’t turn back to look at him. “Pats, come on. It’s two little kids.”

  “Two little wolves, Harold. Do you know Dad saw them today too?”

  Harold let out a sigh. “Yeah. That’s how I knew to come looking for you out here. Charlie and Marcus were watching from the woods. They saw Dad come up. They were out there guarding the cabin. If you hadn’t shown up when you did…”

  I turned toward Harold. My jaw dropped. “If I hadn’t shown up when I did, Charlie and Marcus would have protected those pups. Is that what you’re trying to tell me? They would have killed our father?”

  Harold’s face went white. He backed away. “No. Patsy, no. Luke was in control the whole time. Just like you saw a few minutes ago. The rest of them won’t kill or hurt anyone without Luke’s permission. I swear to you, they’re the good guys.”

  The good guys. So far, I’d seen the good guys nearly get my brother killed. Now, he was telling me the good guys were inches away from tearing my father apart. The truth was plain as day even if my brother couldn’t see it.

  “Luke was right,” I finally said. “His pack has caused enough trouble for our family. They don’t belong here and we don’t belong in the middle of their fight.” No sooner had I said it when I saw my brother’s face changed. I knew that look. He had no intention of doing anything I said.

  I felt awful for those two little kids out at the cabin. The idea of anyone or anything hurting Luke sent new fear churning through me. But none of that mattered. Luke was trying to protect his family, but I had to protect mine first. The cut hadn’t even begun to heal along Harold’s temple. I knew my brother. If danger came to Wild Lake, he’d stick himself right in the middle of it.

  Adjusting the shotgun across my shoulder again, I set my jaw in a hard line and headed toward Rascal.

  “Where are you going? What are you going to do?” Harold asked. He knew me well enough to answer his own question without me telling him. I did it anyway.

  “I need to have a little chat with your new friend,” I said.

  “Patsy, wait.”

  I turned on him and raised a finger. “Harold, you’ve done enough. It’s my turn to deal with this now. Plus,
I need you. Dad’s back home and he’s fixing to set traps out here tonight. You’ve got to find a way to keep him out of this. It’s not that I think his traps will do someone like Luke any harm, but I saw Dad’s face today. He’s liable to try and hurt one of those wolves if he comes across them again. See that he doesn’t. I think we both know what would happen to him if he tried. Am I wrong?”

  Harold’s shoulders dropped and he shook his head. “No. As usual, you’re not wrong.”

  “Good,” I said. “Hurry back to the house. And don’t wait up for me.”

  I mounted Rascal and clicked my teeth, turning him toward the cabin. I knew the best thing would be if Luke had already cleared out before I got there. But as Rascal picked up speed, I found myself hoping he hadn’t.

  Chapter Seven

  I let Rascal have his head as we tore off toward the cabin. Branches whizzed by, pulling at my hair. I felt free, wild, like I could fly. What it would it be like to command my body the way Luke and the other wolves could? There was magic in the energy of his shift. It crackled all around him and made my ears buzz. He was fierce and feral. Sensual. God. I leaned down, pressing my cheek against Rascal’s neck. The horse’s muscles rippled with the call of his own nature. He was born to run. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine I was part of him. Strong. Superhuman. Magic.

  I knew Luke was there that night at the lake. Why had I acted like I did? Why hadn’t I been afraid? Everything around me should have stopped making sense. Except, it didn’t. Deep inside, I felt like the opposite was true. My nerves hummed with excitement. Wild Lake itself seemed different.

  Rascal skidded to a halt a few yards away from the cabin. It was quiet and dark. Anyone just happening by might have thought it was empty and abandoned like always. I knew better. My blood warmed as I slid off Rascal’s back and patted his flank. He’d wander toward the apple trees again to fill his belly, but he wouldn’t stray far.

  I approached the cabin cautiously, clearing my throat and making as much noise as I could, stepping on twigs and crunching fresh leaves beneath my feet. Of course, it didn’t matter. I knew on instinct that Luke or any of the other wolves would have sensed me by now. Rascal let out a sharp neigh as if he too didn’t want to catch anything off guard around here.

  The door to the cabin swung open and a scruff of dark hair came into view. The little boy, Jarred, tried to fill the doorway, putting his hands on his hips and taking a wide stance. He looked at me with sharp blue eyes, his full lips in a threatening scowl, but even with that, the deep dimple in his cheek puckered. God, he looked just like Luke. I don’t know why I didn’t see it immediately. I took a tentative step forward and extended my hand to him.

  “Hello. I’m Patricia. A lot of people call me Patsy. You can too if you’d like.”

  His little face stayed hard and fire came into his eyes. I could feel the effort it seemed to take him not to shift into his wolf. He was scared of me. Behind him, the little girl called out. “Jed, is it Daddy?”

  He looked over his shoulder and gave her a sharp answer. “You stay inside, Loosh.” Then Jarred trained his eyes back on me, ready to put up a fight if I gave him one. My heart cracked. Lucia was his sister. He’d try to stand between her and me if I came here to hurt her. We had that in common. I’d been doing the same thing for Harrold since I wasn’t much older.

  I squatted down to his eye level but kept my distance. “I think you know my brother, Harold. Do you?”

  Jarred’s cold eyes didn’t so much as flinch. He wore a white t-shirt slightly too big for him and cutoff jeans that frayed just above his knobby knees. His left sneaker was untied and I had to resist the urge to offer to fix that for him.

  “You shouldn’t come any closer,” he said.

  “I won’t. Not if you don’t want me to. Are you two hungry though? I live up in the big yellow house at the bottom of the hill. It’s on the other side of the lake. You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

  Jarred shifted his weight. “Is that your horse?” His eyes darted toward Rascal, who was busy munching on an apple.

  “That’s Rascal. He’s kind of ornery. Do you ride horses?”

  Jarred snorted, but he didn’t take his eyes off of Rascal. I had sugar cubes in my pocket. I pulled one out and held it out for Jarred. “You can feed him a treat if you’d like. Do you want me to show you how?”

  Rascal knew we were talking about him and he took a step toward me, spying the sugar cube. I took another cautious step toward Jarred and plopped the sugar cube in his dimpled hand.

  “Do you have one for me?” Lucia came out from behind the door. Fire and ice. Light and dark. Little Jarred was coiled fury as he stood in the doorway. Lucia’s eyes sparkled with wonder as she came to his shoulder. Her honey-blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders. It curled like mine and was just as unruly. If she’d let me, I’d braid it for her to keep it out of her eyes. She fixed those on me as I reached into my pocket and pulled out another sugar cube.

  “Just keep your palm flat so he doesn’t accidentally munch on your fingers instead. He’ll come right to you.”

  Jarred curled his hand into a fist and shot a look over his shoulder to Lucia. “You think I’m scared of a horse biting me? I’d bite him back.”

  To prove his point, Jarred bared his teeth. Just a hint of fang glinted, but he quickly clamped his jaw shut. I couldn’t help but laugh.

  Lucia pushed past him. Jarred tried to stop her, but his sister was defiant. She stepped toward Rascal and put her hand out just like I’d told her. Rascal eyed her suspiciously, but his stomach won the day. He grabbed the cube with his long, pink lips and went back to the apple he’d dropped on the ground.

  “His whiskers tickle,” Lucia laughed. “I like him. Can I ride him?”

  A shadow fell across the doorway and Jarred’s eyes widened. Lucia’s face went still and she quickly scrambled back behind her brother. Electricity tingled along my spine and I didn’t have to turn to know who stood there.

  Luke.

  “Go back inside,” he said, his deep voice vibrated between my shoulder blades and made my breath catch. “You can feed the horse later if you’re good.”

  “I didn’t let her in, Dad,” Jarred said, truculent. “I wouldn’t let her get near Loosh.”

  “It’s all right,” I said. “I didn’t come here to hurt her or you. I’m a...a friend.”

  Brushing a hair out of my eyes, I turned to face Luke. He jerked his chin toward his son. Jarred pursed his lips and went back inside, slowly shutting the front door. Crossing my arms in front of me, I stepped away from the threshold of the cabin and closed the distance between us. Rascal neighed a warning, and took a safer position downwind of us.

  “I’m sorry we’ve made trouble for you,” Luke said. He took a stiff posture with his legs slightly parted. The resemblance between him and his young son warmed my heart and brought a giggle bubbling up through my chest. I faked a cough to cover it.

  “Trouble,” I said. “Trouble. I just...I don’t even know how to describe what you’ve made for me, Luke.”

  His nostrils flared and that glint of fire flashed in his eyes. Here was a man standing before me, but I could feel his wolf simmering just beneath that. Danger. Power. Magic. It sang to my blood in a way I couldn’t fully understand. I wanted to get closer to him at the same time I knew I should run far away. Something was happening inside of me when Luke fixed his gaze on mine. A pulse beat near his temple, but it echoed through me, almost as if he could command my heart to beat. Or stop...the way it did when he moved toward me.

  “Like I told your brother, we’ll be out of here by tonight. You’ll never see my pack again.”

  The air in my lungs went cold at his words. “No,” I heard myself say.

  “No?”

  “I mean...Harold tried to explain. He said you’re trying to protect your little girl. I can’t even imagine...where will you go?”

  Pain shot through Luke’s eyes. He balled his fists but not before I s
aw the nails on his left hand darken as he held back claws.

  “Who’s coming for you?” I asked, growing bolder. I took a step toward him, refusing to tear my eyes away from his. On some preternatural level, I knew this was a challenge to him. Harold had called him an Alpha. I couldn’t begin to understand what all that meant, but I felt the power pouring off Luke in waves. It heated the air and covered me in gooseflesh as I stood close enough to feel his breath on my face. How could this man be in danger of anything? He stood so strong and tall, but with a predatory grace to every move he made.

  “You were right what you said to Harold. This isn’t your fight and I’ve done a selfish thing putting you and your family in the middle of it.”

  “You’re fighting for yours. Harold made me understand that. I know what that’s like.”

  A grin lifted the corners of Luke’s mouth. “I guess maybe you do. It seems you’ve been surrounded by old men and boys for a very long time, Patricia. Who takes care of you?”

  I swallowed hard past the stinging tears that threatened to spill. No one had ever asked me that. “I take care of myself. I’ve been doing that for a very long time.”

  Luke nodded, a flash of wisdom lit his eyes. “I can believe that. Your brother is a good kid. But, I think he has an uncanny knack for finding trouble.”

  This got a genuine laugh out of me. “You don’t know the half of it.”

  “Jarred is like that.” Luke snorted. “His mother said he’s too much like me.”

  My throat went dry and I blurted my question with a clumsy stammer. “Is she nearby? Your wife?”

  Luke set his jaw to the side and his eyes narrowed as he regarded me. “No. She’s gone.” For the first time since he came out of the woods, Luke McGraw dropped his eyes and wouldn’t look at me. Pain etched new lines on his face. I did something bold and maybe a little careless, but something about his expression tore at me. I took one last step toward him and reached for him, trailing my fingers along his jawline.