by Meg Ripley
Audra studied the bushy tail and the muscular shoulders, wondering if this was one of the shifters who’d been attacking their pack. It was certainly no one she’d seen before. Her heart hammered inside her ribcage, and if she’d been a human in that moment, she wouldn’t have had a choice but to shift. She brought her sharp teeth down on her tongue to stop the whine that wanted desperately to emerge from her throat. She couldn’t give her position away.
And she must not’ve, considering the wolf she was spying on suddenly stood up on two legs as those legs became those of a man. He writhed and shook in the dim light as one body took over another, his hair receding, his shoulders rippling, his fingers flexing.
Audra leaned heavily against a boulder. It was Flint.
7
Flint cringed as a muscle in his neck tightened into a knot. It happened sometimes when he shifted too often, a result of all the parts of his body trying desperately to realign themselves. But he’d tried multiple times to get a hold of Drake and the others ever since he’d found Nate and Richard in the woods, and apparently, no one was in their animal forms at the moment. He’d kept himself busy enough setting up camp, with several of his tools still hanging from his belt loops.
That’s what I get for avoiding their calls, he thought to himself as he ripped open the Velcro strap that held his phone to his arm. He’d maintained his radio silence as long as possible. Now that he had something significant to say, it would’ve been much easier to do it through their psychic link. There was no connection more secure than that, no matter what Hudson wanted to say about his cell phones and their upgraded technology.
He called in to headquarters, staring out over the valley that opened up below him. If nothing else, he was getting to do this mission in a beautiful place. “Hey, it’s me,” he said when Garrison answered.
“God damn it, Flint! Where the hell have you been? I was just about to send Drake in there to see if you were still alive, figuring he could get to you first. You know better than to go completely off the radar like that.”
Flint held the phone away from his ear against the onslaught. “All right, all right. I’m sorry. I just haven’t had a lot to say.”
“Tell me you at least made some progress,” Garrison grumbled.
“Yeah, a decent amount.” Flint told him of his partial membership into the pack. “I get the feeling they’re a little suspicious of me, but I can’t say I blame them. At the very least, I’m staying in their pack house for now.”
Garrison let out a sigh of relief. “Good. What’s next?”
Looking out into the darkness of the valley below him, Flint wondered the same thing. “Originally, I was going to get out and try to meet members of the other packs and see what they might be able to tell me. Nate, the Alpha here, only mentioned the attacks that we already knew about and that he could use someone with my skills.”
“And how, exactly, have they utilized your skills?” the dragon wanted to know.
“They haven’t yet. And don’t worry, I know I can’t get that involved in their business. Anyway, I was going to head out and find some other packs when I ran across the Alpha and his second talking. It turns out that this pack is the one perpetrated all these incidents. They’re trying to run the other packs out of business.” Even as he said it, he couldn’t quite believe it.
Garrison let out an exasperated sigh. “I wish I could say that was crazy, but it’s always something like that, isn’t it? What’s their beef with the other packs?”
Flint sat down on the edge of the bluff, letting his legs dangle over the side. He could see why this pack had settled in this area way back when, and in that day, it had probably been even less civilized than it was now. “I don’t think they have any actual grudge. It sounds more like it’s all about money and power. Nate is charging membership dues like some fucking country club, and he’s using all the funds to buy up land and do remodels and god only knows what else.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone else doing that,” Garrison mused. “I’ll be sure to tell Drake and see what he thinks. It’s so odd.”
“Agreed. He’s just a power-hungry Alpha, which isn’t all that much of a surprise. They get in over their heads and they just don’t know how to stop.” Just like his cousin, who cared more about curating Flint’s hometown pack into what he wanted it to be instead of just making sure the wolves in the area were taken care of.
“Okay. I’ll let you know if we hear of any more incidents in the area that might help you keep track of what’s going on. I mean, if you plan on actually communicating with us.”
“Yeah, yeah. Honestly, though, I plan to keep things as quiet as possible for a while. There are quite a few shifters in residence here, and it’s been hard to get away by myself.” Even Randy made it difficult, although he didn’t mind that part as much. Still, that plus the overheard conversation had been enough to let Flint know he needed to keep his options open, and he’d spent the last couple of hours preparing for the worst. “I’ve already been working on setting up a camp further into the wilderness. I have a feeling I’m going to need it. And there’s no telling what kind of cell reception I’ll get out there.”
Garrison groused some more, but he, like everyone else in the SOS Force, knew that was just how Flint was. “All right, but you’d better make sure you keep in touch if there’s anything important. If you need backup, we’ll need time to get out there.”
“I’ve got it for now. I’ll see ya.” Flint signed off and hoped he really meant it. There was a lot at stake. While Flint had only been a ‘member’ of the club for a short time, he could see that this was a big pack that had been established for a long time. There were entire families involved, families with children like Randy.
And then of course there was Audra. An image of her swam before his mind, as clear as if she were standing in front of him. Flint had been attracted to plenty of women before. He was a red-blooded American man, after all. But none of them had ever been quite like this. Flint wanted her physically, but he felt such an intense pull toward her that he knew it had to be more than that. Of all the times for something like that to happen, why did it have to be while he was on a mission?
Leaves rustled behind him. Flint turned, unaware that anyone had been nearby. He’d made sure he was alone when he’d dialed Garrison, but he’d been focused enough on the call that he clearly hadn’t been paying attention.
As though he’d summoned her out of his thoughts, Audra emerged from the woods. Her hair was as dark as the night, a part of the shadows that detached and clung to her pearlescent skin. Those mystical eyes drilled into him. Her shoulders were thrown back as she marched toward him. “I can’t believe you!”
“Audra.” Even her name on his mouth had some sort of power, making his lips tingle. He stood quickly, putting his phone back in its holder on his arm, just in case. “What are you doing out here? And by yourself?”
“I could ask you the same thing, asshole.” She charged up and smacked her hand across his face.
Flint grabbed her wrist and held it firmly before she could do it again, because she certainly looked like she wanted to. “Why do you say that?”
Audra pulled against him, but she stopped struggling as soon as she realized she wasn’t going to get out of his grip. She was a clever girl, conserving her energy for some later effort, no doubt. “As if you don’t know! I heard that conversation. You’re not here because you’re looking for a pack. You’re here as a fucking spy! Tell me who you work for, Flint. If that’s even your real name.”
The sparks that shot out of her eyes fell white-hot onto his skin, and Flint felt the flame of her touch ignite his entire body. It didn’t matter that she was pissed at him, she still made his inner wolf go insane. He was practically rabid inside as he fought the urge to shift back. “It is,” he said calmly, holding her gaze. “And there’s a lot more going on than what you’ve just overheard.”
“Why should I believe you?” she challenged.
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He took a step closer, putting his face only a few inches from hers. “Because I’m not here to hurt you or your pack. I’m here to help everyone. I just have to figure out everything that’s going on and take care of it. As a matter of fact, you can help me.” Audra was exactly who he needed to recruit to his side, now that he thought about it. Nate was the perpetrator. She was his sister, and considering that Nate cared about her and worried for her, she might be the perfect person to convince him to change his ways.
Audra finally broke his gaze, angrily turning her face so that she looked out over the valley. “I’m not interested.”
“You should be. What Nate’s doing is putting your entire pack at risk. He’s giving everyone the impression that he’s looking out for your best interests, but I can tell you right now that if he keeps going on the path he’s on, you won’t have a pack at all.” Flint could easily see it unfolding that way.
“What, because he’s charging dues? Look, I’m not saying I necessarily agree with it, but it’s not like he’s hurting anyone.” She yanked on her arm once again.
Flint was ready for her. He tightened his grip and pulled her close once again. “If this was just about money, then it wouldn’t make any difference to me. A pack’s finances are their own businesses. But inciting attacks against other shifter groups and then blaming them? Hurting and killing people? That’s a problem.”
Audra tossed her head back, causing the black curtain of her hair to fall back over her shoulders. Even with her chin in the air, she was sexy as hell. “I can’t believe you’d make such ridiculous accusations against my brother and then expect me to just go along with it.”
“I saw him in the woods earlier tonight. I heard the entire conversation between him and Richard.” It was Flint’s word against everyone else’s, but there was no mistake in Flint’s mind that Nate was bad news.
“Who are you working for?” Audra demanded. “The Woodland Park Alpha? I’d expect him to send someone in just to make us fight amongst ourselves.”
“No.”
“Then who?”
His cover was blown as it was. She knew, at the very least, that he wasn’t who he said he was. He was screwed either way. “The SOS Force.”
“The…” Audra trailed off, her wrist going limp in his grip. “You’re shitting me, right?”
He pressed his lips together. “Can’t say that I am?”
“But…” She was speechless for a moment, and Flint got the impression that Audra always had something to say whether the other person wanted to hear it or not. “This is big enough that they called in the SOS Force?” she finally asked, her voice quiet. “I wasn’t sure you guys even existed.”
“Understandable. We don’t exactly advertise. But we’ve gotten plenty of phone calls about this area, enough that we had to do something about it. Now, are you going to help me or not?” He sure as hell hoped her answer was yes, because she wasn’t going to like the alternative. Neither was he.
She braced her free hand against her forehead. “I don’t need this shit right now.”
“Well, this shit is here, whether you like it or not.”
Audra took a deep breath. “I care about my pack. I don’t want anything to happen to them. I guess the right thing is to get you out of our territory.” She yanked on her arm.
The tug was hard enough that Flint felt her elbow joint pop when met with the resistance of his grip. She’d tried to fool him, thinking she could get him to let go, but that would’ve required actually trusting someone. He didn’t know Audra that well, and she clearly didn’t know him, either. “Damn it, don’t do that! I don’t want to hurt you!”
“Then I suggest you let me go, before I start fighting you for real,” she growled.
Flint had done his best. He’d been caught, and he’d given her a chance to help him. There was nothing left for him to do. Still holding her wrist, he shoved her backward. She stumbled away from him, and he used his free hand to catch her and keep her from falling to the ground. When he pulled her back upright, she was pressed against his body with her back to him. Her arms were crossed in front of her, her wrists pinned tightly to her sides with his grip. “If I were you, I’d find a way to be a little more cooperative.”
“Fuck off.” She stomped on his foot.
A shot of pain traveled up his leg, but Flint had been through worse. He wrapped an arm in front of her chest and arms, pinning her more tightly against his body. Her hair smelled of lavender and night air. His gums ached where his sharp teeth longed to break through the surface and nip gently at the back of her neck. The core of his body shivered in delight to finally get some of what it wanted.
Fortunately, the preparations Flint had been making for setting up camp meant he was also more prepared for this mutinous woman than he might’ve been otherwise. He whisked a length of rope from his belt loop and quickly wound it around her wrists as she fought and struggled against him. Just to be safe, he wrapped it around her torso several times as well. He didn’t mean to notice the way her hips curved underneath his hands or the way her waist tucked neatly in. He didn’t mean to brush against her or hold her so closely. Her certainly didn’t mean to notice the roundness of her backside as he whisked her cell phone out of her back pocket. She’d created a situation, and he knew he needed to take care of it. That was it. That was all.
But his wolf had other ideas, and it was hard not to think about just what the two of them could do when they were alone in the woods together.
“Flint,” she growled, reminding him that this wasn’t exactly a romantic getaway, “I suggest you let me go. Now. You won’t like the consequences, otherwise. Whatever it is you think about my brother, I can promise you that he won’t tolerate this and neither will anyone else in the pack.”
“Your brother. Right.” Shit. He had to find some way to get Audra on his side. Admittedly, tying her up like a hog at a rodeo might not be the right way to go about it, but neither could he let her just run back to the clubhouse and tell everyone who he really was. All of his work would be undone. Flint reached into his pocket for the little plastic case Hudson had given him. He flicked it open with his thumb, holding the struggling Audra with his left hand while he removed the tiny bit of film from inside and slapped it just behind her ear.
Audra stiffened. “What was that?” The fear in her voice was audible. “What the hell did you just do to me? Is that one of those drugs that seeps through the skin or something? Flint, I swear to God, I’ll cut your hide right off your body as soon as I get free, and then—”
He pulled on her bound hands, tugging her away from the edge of the bluff and back into the woods. “Calm down. It’s nothing like that. Just a little something to make sure you behave yourself. It interferes with your psychic link to your pack, so you can’t send any messages back to Nate.”
“You’re foul, do you know that?” She stumbled along behind him. Flint knew it wasn’t because she had any trouble seeing or walking, she was just being stubborn. He was starting to get the picture that she was always stubborn.
“Yep. Sure do.” He kept going, threading his way down the path toward the place where he’d stashed his Jeep. The pack might only have had so much land to explore, but the available area got much bigger when the state land was included. The natives might think of it as dangerous, worrying about who they might run into, but Flint wasn’t really the worrying type.
“I told you to let me go,” she growled. “This isn’t right.”
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. Even in the shadows, with only a fraction of the starlight reaching them, she was gorgeous. Her eyes glowed with the same ferocity he recognized in himself. She was a wolf, just like he was. They were both so much more than the human figures they appeared to be. How strange that they should find each other, and in these circumstances, when she’d just as soon kill him as look at him.
“What’s not right is what’s going on here. Now, I’m not going to talk about it anymore.
You’re going to come with me. You’re going to calm down. Then we’re going to talk about it. And you’re going to listen.” He turned and continued on his way, dragging her along behind him.
“I don’t have to listen to you. I’ve listened to other men in my life, and I see where that’s gotten me.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t judge all of us on the basis of one or two,” Flint retorted. “And that kind of attitude isn’t going to get you very far at all.”
“You’re not going to get very far if you don’t untie me. Why the hell would I want to sit down and listen to you if you’re keeping me prisoner?”
He spotted the dark shape amongst the trees that denoted his vehicle. Flint didn’t bother answering her. She was only going to keep arguing with him anyway. He guided her around to the passenger side and opened the door. “Get in.”
She stood straight and tall, that chin in the air again. “Fuck you.”
“Maybe later, if you’re lucky, but right now you need to get in. It’s a long walk, otherwise.”
“No.”
Flint sighed. She was just going to keep making this difficult. That seemed to be her specialty. “Fine, if that’s how you want it to be. Just remember, this was your decision.” He bent forward and grabbed her around the waist. She was solid and muscular against his shoulder as he scooped her off her feet. The heat of her skin against his was enough to make all the nerves down his spine twinge in a mockery of raised hackles. Damn it! Why did it have to be her? Since she wouldn’t get in the front seat of her own volition, he opened the back door.
“Hey!” She floundered against him, her bound hands making it difficult to fight back. She thrashed and strained, bucking her body against his in a way that she likely had no idea was so erotic.