Wolf Creek Alpha (Texas Pack 1)

by Ellen, Jo

  “How will this Blake guy find you?” asked Colin. “If he’s been stuck there all his life?”

  Dunstan explained about the blood ritual they had done as a child. “He can always locate me and I can find him. And since Ciar sent him to my home for the dirk, he can transport there easily.”

  “So it was through him that Ciar found you?” asked Lisa.

  “No, it was the dirk like we thought. With my blood and him feeding power through it, he could find me. I don’t think even Ciar knows what power that knife has. If I do ever find our mother, maybe she can explain to us why the stones glowed in his hand,” Dunstan said.

  Liz interrupted to tell them she had a big pot of stew simmering on the stove. Since they hadn’t eaten since breakfast, everyone was starving. They all ambled in to sit at the huge dining room table. She had made her homemade cornbread that everyone loved.

  The atmosphere at the table was relaxed and jovial. They were all talking at once and going over the battle.

  Ian joked with his dad, “So even the old wolf still has it. I saw Dad leap six feet across the floor to take down one of the guards.”

  “Nah, I think he leapt that far when he heard the cougar scream. I almost wet the floor,” Devlin said. He shivered as if he was frightened of Melissa.

  “Yeah, I’m bad,” Melissa growled in warning.

  They were all laughing when Mack told them he could still take down all three of his pups. There was immediate denial as they all challenged him playfully.

  Lisa noticed Anna sitting quietly smiling as she listened. “Hey, you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Just a few bruises like everyone else,” Anna said.

  Whispering, Lisa asked, “Are you all right after seeing him again?”

  She’d forgotten how good wolves could hear. They’d all gotten quiet waiting for Anna’s answer.

  Looking at everyone around the table, Anna smiled. “Don’t worry, I really am fine. I stopped thinking of him as my father long ago. It was kind of cathartic to be able see him and to be able to close that part of my childhood.”

  She looked over to Mack and Liz. “I can never thank you enough for taking me into your pack. I had a good life with my adopted pack in Oklahoma as a child, and was lucky enough to end up here as an adult. Even though my three adopted brothers were sometimes a pain in the ass,” she said while looking at Rafe, Ian and Devlin.

  They all laughed as Anna tried to lighten the mood.

  Liz rose to go over and hug her. “You know we love you like a daughter, but it almost sounds like you’re leaving us.”

  Taking a deep breath, Anna slowly exhaled. “I am. Dunstan has asked me to live with him so we can get to know one another better. You know I’ve loved living here, and love you all, but I need to move on. I’ve spent my life in hiding, but no more.”

  “I will always consider you our daughter. Know that you have a home here and are always welcome,” Mack told her as he stood to hug her.

  Liz and Lisa sniffed back tears watching them. Sitting back down, Mack put his arm around Liz to comfort her. The brothers hugged her, telling her how much she meant to them.

  Sitting back down, Devlin looked at her, trying to pout. “Who am I going to torture now that my little sister is leaving?” He then looked to Lisa, grinning devilishly.

  “No you don’t. Leave my mate alone,” Rafe growled at him.

  Their playful banter lightened the mood at the table. Lisa knew that was Devlin’s intention. That was one of his strengths, she thought. Being able to make others feel good.

  Robert cleared his throat, getting their attention. “I’d like to thank you all for your help. I know you brought me in to help you, but you ended up helping all fae. Ciar would have been a problem for every realm had he gotten what he wanted. And to Lisa, good job, lass. You make a fine witch,” Robert lifted his glass to toast her. Everyone followed his lead, toasting Lisa.

  Mumbling, Lisa replied, “You’re welcome. Now sit back down.” She wanted the attention off of her.

  “I’m wondering about the spell. Since we all heard it and so did the guards, isn’t there danger of someone else using it now?” asked Melissa.

  Niall turned to her, “No, it was a onetime use. It won’t work for anyone else, once she said the words. The danger was in if anyone else had taken it from her mind before she spoke it.”

  Melissa nodded her head. That was good to know, she had worried about someone trying it.

  Rising, everyone started taking dishes to the kitchen to clean up. It was crowded with them all helping, but they laughed as they got in each other’s way. It wasn’t long before they all gathered back into the great room.

  Robert was leaning against the wall by the mantle. He was staring at Melissa as he spoke. “We’ll be leaving soon also. The Queen will want to know the details.”

  Rafe stood and went to clasp his shoulder. “Our pack thanks you for your help. You helped save my mate. It won’t be forgotten. You, Niall and Jem have a standing invitation to come stay with us any time, but you can’t leave yet. I want you to come to the mating ceremony. The full moon is only a couple days away and we can have it then.”

  “Um, excuse me. Would someone like to fill me in on this ceremony? Since I am kind of involved in it and all,” Lisa said, exasperated.

  Liz sat beside her. “It’s the ceremony where you enter the water and are changed to wolf, once you’ve mated. The magic transforms you and you then carry the wolf inside, the same as us.”

  “Okaaay, and the full moon? I thought you guys weren’t ruled by the moon,” Lisa said.

  Rafe came to sit by her, taking her hand. “We aren’t. We can change any time we want to, but for the ceremony, the magic is the most powerful when there’s a full moon. It’s always been tradition to hold the ceremony then.”

  Lisa had a lot to think about now. She would be mated to a wolf soon, then be able to become one. Yawning, she covered her mouth. It had been a long day. “I’m going up to shower. It’s been a very eventful day,” she told them smiling. She said goodnight to everyone as she left the room.

  Lisa walked down the hallway, turning to go in to her room. She remembered a second later that all her things were in Rafe’s room now. She left, making her way to his room. She took a quick shower and got ready for bed. Tired, but restless, she sat in the chair by the window, staring out at the woods.

  Suddenly, she started crying. She knew it was her body’s way of releasing stress, but she couldn’t stop. It felt good to let go of all her worries from the day.

  It felt like she had lived a lifetime in one week. The euphoria of being free from fear of Ciar overwhelmed her.

  She heard the door open and saw Rafe come in. He zeroed in on her sitting in the chair. Striding forward, he scooped her up, taking her seat and putting her in his lap. She giggled while crying at the same time.

  “What’s happened? Are you all right?” He was at a loss having no clue as to why she was crying.

  “I’m okay. It’s my way of releasing the stress from today. It’s freeing. You should try it,” she told him, giggling.

  “I don’t think so. I relieve stress by beating on my brothers. Works much better for me,” he told her smiling.

  Sighing, Lisa relaxed against him. Rafe squeezed her tight against his body.

  “Are you tired?” he asked.

  “No, just a little dumbfounded. It’s been an exciting and nerve wracking week. I feel like a balloon deflating slowly. It’s all over, I know, but I’m still processing everything,” she told him.

  Rafe sat contemplating her. She was beautiful. He was thinking about how well she’d handled herself. It was a lot for her to take in. In one week, she’d had to change everything she thought she knew about the world. She would make him an excellent wife. He was very proud of her.

  “I need to shower. Why don’t you lie down and rest? I won’t be long,” he told her.

  Lisa smiled as he rose, laying her gently down on his bed. S
he pushed the covers back and snuggled underneath the comforter.

  Rafe kissed the top of her head before heading for the en suite bathroom. He hurriedly showered, wanting to get back to her.

  Wrapping a towel around his waist, he opened the door to see her sound asleep. He wasn’t surprised. He knew mentally she had been more tired than she had let on.

  Dropping the towel, he strode over and silently climbed into bed. Snuggling against her back, Rafe closed his eyes. Inhaling her scent, he felt himself completely relax as the tension from the day left him. All was right in his world. His mate, family and friends were all safe. He was thinking about how good life was as he fell asleep.

  Lisa woke and wondered for a moment where she was. Glancing at the bedside clock, she saw that is was three in the morning.

  She could feel Rafe’s heavy arm lying across her stomach with his chest pressed against her back. She also could tell that he was nude. She relished the feeling of safety and comfort in his embrace.

  Trying to turn and face him, she wiggled around until she could see his face. His eyes were open, watching her.

  “Hi,” she said softly.

  He grinned wolfishly. “Hi, yourself. Hope you’re rested now, I have plans for the rest of the night.”

  “The rest of the night? Brag much?” she asked laughing.

  “Don’t worry darlin’, no bragging, just honest.”

  Rafe pressed his lips to hers, covering her with is body. Gently nipping her lips, he moved down, scraping his teeth along her neck.

  Lisa moaned when he nibbled her neck, moving lower. As he pulled her t-shirt up, she lifted to help him pull it over her head. She saw it fly across the room to land in the chair.

  Rafe looked down at what he’d uncovered. Growling, he licked her breasts, while she shifted beneath him.

  Lisa had only put on a t-shirt after her shower. She had been anticipating this moment. She felt as though she’d been waiting her whole life for this moment.

  She could feel her magic tingling throughout her body. It was rising from her to encircle both of them. Knowing she had finally found the one perfect person for her, made her lightheaded.

  Rafe made his way back up to her mouth, kissing her deeply. “Are you sure you want this? I need to hear you say it.” His voice was rough. She could feel his chest rumble as he growled the words.

  “Bite me! Yes, I want you!” she yelled.

  As Rafe plunged into her, his canines extended as he opened his mouth over her shoulder. He bit down, breaking the skin to leave his mark. Moving against her, he felt their souls start the connection.

  Lisa felt his teeth sink into her shoulder. She felt a slight pain as his teeth sunk in. Then there was ecstasy. She had never felt anything like it. Her eyes watered as their souls entwined. She had never felt anything so beautiful before.

  She dug her heels into his calves, trying to pull him closer. With her nails biting into his back, she scraped them up and down. She was determined to leave her own kind of mark on him.

  Lisa threw her head back against the pillow, breathing heavily. Opening her eyes, she saw tiny lights surrounding their bodies. Amazed, she pulled Rafe’s head up from her neck.

  “Look,” she whispered.

  Rafe rolled to his side, keeping her tucked next to his chest. He saw the lights moving around them. They followed the outline of both their bodies. The lights then converged over them both.

  Watching the light show, Lisa laughed as the lights danced over them. It felt like tiny kisses all over her body.

  Suddenly, the lights wound around them, tying them together. They could both feel the moment the lights entered their bodies.

  Drawing in a sharp breath, Rafe felt the magic enter his soul. They were one.

  Hearing the others talk about the mating and actually living it were two different things. He now understood. His heart felt like it would burst. This moment would forever be held in his heart.

  Lisa had tears silently running down her cheeks. She had felt the same thing. Even though Rafe had tried to explain it to her, she had never imagined it would be like this.

  Having someone so close, who knew her inside and out was freeing. She’d never have to hide any part of herself to comply with what someone else thought she should be.

  “I love you, mate,” Rafe said.

  “Mate. I understand it now. We really are mates. I love you, mate,” she said, reaching up to kiss him.

  Lisa laid her head on his chest, basking in the moment. She could feel his hand slowly rubbing up and down her back. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep, secure in his arms.

  Epilogue

  Everyone gathered around the pond. Rafe and Lisa stood at the edge, staring into the water. Lisa could feel her magic rise up the closer she got.

  She was a little nervous, knowing in a moment she would become a wolf. The anticipation was the worst part, she thought. Standing there naked underneath a robe was the scariest part. They were used to running around naked before they shifted, she wasn’t.

  Okay, I can do this, she kept saying to herself. The human body is a beautiful thing. Well, some of them. Crap. Her mind was wandering again.

  “It’s time,” she heard Rafe say.

  Nothing like baring yourself to a bunch of wolves, fae, and a cougar. At least Melissa was a woman. Stiffening her shoulders, head held high, Lisa dropped her robe. If Devlin makes one remark, I’ll kill him.

  She strolled into the water, trying to look graceful while wanting to hurry and get deep enough to be covered.

  Her skin started to tingle. Looking up, she could see a rainbow of colors forming over her head. It was breathtaking. The colors moved down to dance over her entire body. She could feel a change taking place and suddenly knew the words she needed to say.

  “I accept the wolf spirit into my soul,” Lisa said

  She heard cheers in the background as Rafe entered the water. He pulled her close and kissed her. Lisa could feel that he was naked.

  “Umm, Rafe, I know you’re kind of used to this, but I’m really not comfortable with us being nude in front of your parents and friends,” she murmured to him.

  Laughing, Rafe said, “Don’t worry. Look over there. They’ve changed and have all gone running. Well, except for the fae and Melissa. They’ll turn their backs when we walk to the bank. They all know you still have human hang-ups towards nudity and will respect that.”

  Going towards the edge of the pond, Lisa saw that they did have their backs to them as they talked. Whew, that was a relief.

  She hurriedly grabbed her robe and covered her body. She couldn’t imagine a day where she could just drop her clothes in front of everyone.

  “Are you ready to change?” Rafe asked.

  They all turned at Rafe’s question, looking at Lisa.

  She grinned, “Yup, I’m ready to be a cute, fluffy wolf.”

  Rafe groaned. “Wolves are fierce predators, not your friendly golden retriever. All right, it’s easy. Picture it in your mind and let the magic overtake you.”

  Seeing the guys all watching her, Lisa told them, “The robe stays on. I’ll wiggle out of it once I change.”

  They all groaned playfully.

  “Aren’t you going to change?” Lisa asked Melissa.

  “No, I’d just end up stalking them all from a tree limb. Don’t want to scare the local wolves, you know,” she told them, grinning.

  Lisa nodded knowingly. Melissa wasn’t fooling her. She was hanging around because Robert was still there.

  Getting ready, she pictured her wolf in her head. I bet it’s red. Hmm, like Little Red Riding Hood. Only I’m the one that’s red, she thought. Oops, focus.

  She felt the magic as the change took over. She fell to her feet. Or paws. Shaking her body, the robe slid to the ground. Lisa looked around, through eyes that saw the world differently. Wow, this is so cool! She could smell absolutely everything.

  She noticed the men standing and staring at her with a sl
ight smile. She padded over and plopped down in front of them.

  Grinning down at her, Robert said, “Yer a beautiful wolf, Lassie. I mean lass.” He patted her head, gently scratching behind her ears.

  She walked up to each person. Nudging them with her head, she sniffed them. Turning, at a new scent, she saw a huge dark brown wolf. Rafe. She knew him immediately.

  He padded over and prodded her towards the woods. She took off running, with him hot on her tail. Umm, trail.

  Robert looked at Melissa and asked, “Weel lass, ever been to Faerie?”

  The End