“No.”
“Stay away from her, Blaine. I’ll issue the warning once. Next time, you won’t see me coming.”
Elijah didn’t walk away first but allowed Blaine, with a nod of his head, to leave.
He shifted and sprinted to his family’s cabin, the older wolf stalking behind him. He fought the urge to turn around. He wasn’t ready for a fight with an older dominant wolf.
But there might be a time when he would be.
Elijah kowtowed to Magnum even as he kept his distance from the town. He didn’t challenge the alpha. He had done a good job of keeping Rebecca away from the rest of the pack.
Blaine had spied her a year ago outside their cabin while investigating the strength of Magnum’s border patrol. The moment had been brief but enough for him to imprint on her. Tonight had been a fluke. A dream. He rode high on the feeling until Elijah threw the proverbial bucket of ice over what they shared.
Rebecca. His wolf whined.
He would have to cherish the memory of her because he couldn’t take on Elijah right now.
Chapter Two
Thirteen years later….
Blaine Walker entered the office where Drew Tao and Ryker Grey waited for him. He hadn’t worked out what his role would be. Under Magnum’s rule, many of the dominant wolves had either left or bent under the old psychotic alpha’s will.
“Take a seat.” The power in Drew’s voice had his wolf rising to the challenge, but he stemmed the surge.
He wasn’t here for that.
Ryker stood to his right, the enforcer of the Tao pack for over fifty years. Blaine’s hands fisted. He wanted to be part of the pack, but could he work with Ryker? Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea.
Rebecca, his wolf reminded him. He had returned because of her. The moment he heard she hadn’t died, he’d packed his bags.
The silent sentinel exuded dominance, but Blaine, close in temperament to a tracker, didn’t fear him. When a tracker finds a hostile target, the confrontation would end one way—no exceptions.
Blaine’s acute senses enabled him to trail anyone, but he had an added talent—the ability to accurately recall vivid images. While wolves had great memories and imprinted on their mate, his ability could be defined as eidetic—the reason why working as a private detective had been such a lucrative job.
Ryker’s intense stare caused the hair on his nape to stand on end. Drew, on the other hand, sat behind his desk in a relaxed pose.
Blaine realized his mistake. He hadn’t broken eye contact with the alpha. He lowered his head, and the acerbic atmosphere warmed a fraction.
“Why do you want to come back?” Drew’s tone held a bite.
No pleasantries. He should’ve been submissive. Instead, he lifted his head. Neither Drew nor Ryker flinched as he gazed at them. I need to be honest if I’m going to get anywhere with these two.
Ryker seemed one step away from grabbing him by the shirt collar and throwing him out for his insolence.
“I’m here because the Black Hills is home.”
Drew’s eyes narrowed. He had noted his phrasing. “I’m the alpha here, Blaine. You’ll have to swear a blood oath to me.”
A blood oath would prevent Blaine from killing Drew. “Has everyone sworn such a pledge to you?”
“Only those who place the pack above their ambitions.” Drew showed a flash of teeth. Steel reflected there.
His gaze shifted to Ryker who took a step toward him. He couldn’t take on an alpha and an enforcer. Maybe one at a time, but not together.
He understood why Drew wanted the commitment from him. The pack was healthy again. If a wolf came along to upset the order the alpha had built, who knew what could happen. Blaine’s family had left because Magnum’s insanity had infiltrated all aspects of pack life. Drew worked on restoring the pack again.
If Drew wanted him to swear an oath, then Blaine needed him to do something in return. “I’ll pledge my loyalty to you through a blood oath, if you’ll support my choice of mate.”
Drew’s eyebrows went up. Ryker, true to form, didn’t blink an eye.
“Why would you need my support?”
“It’s Rebecca Ferguson.”
Ryker straightened, taking on a solid stance next to Drew. The discussion wasn’t a threat to the alpha in any way.
“Her father won’t allow it.”
“I know.”
“He’s alpha of his household.”
“I know.”
“Are you going to challenge him?”
“If I have to.”
“And you want me to sanction it.”
“Yes.”
Drew sank into his chair. “What does Rebecca have to say? The last time I spoke to her, she didn’t mention you.”
Blaine smiled. He hadn’t earned himself any favors. “She doesn’t know yet.”
“You expect me to support your claim without her being aware of it?”
“You expect me to swear a blood oath to you without assurance whether or not you’ll turn into your father.”
The menacing growl from Ryker vibrated through the room.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Blaine.”
“All of us have done it for our mates.” He stared from one to the other.
News traveled through the wolf-grapevine. Drew’d had to gain his mate, Betty’s, trust when he returned to Los Lobos after she believed the lies his father told about him. Ryker had overstepped their laws by mating a human, something the old alpha would’ve killed him for. But Drew didn’t seem to have a problem with humans becoming part of the Tao pack.
“Elijah isn’t going to hand over Rebecca to you. He went to extreme measures to keep her safe.” Drew sat forward again. “Even with the new order, he’s still protective of her.”
Blaine didn’t budge. He knew what he wanted. And he rarely lost.
“I will sanction the challenge if Elijah concedes to it.” Drew shook his head. “And I have a feeling he will.”
“I’ll take the blood oath.”
“As simple as that.”
Blaine nodded.
“You’ll obey the law of the land and the pack. Be committed to rebuilding the town. To protect. To serve.”
“I understand.”
“If you have any secrets, you have to tell us now.”
“You are familiar with the type of work I did on the outside. I’m walking around with a lot of human secrets.” And my wolf ones, but I’m keeping them to myself. Drew had recognized the threat he presented. If the alpha knew of his ability, he might not accept him into the pack, even with the safety of a blood oath.
The alpha and enforcer stared him down. He knew what he needed to do. He swept his gaze to the floor then angled his neck at a submissive slant.
Drew opened his desk drawer, pulled out a knife, and stood. He cut his palm. Ryker handed Blaine a blade. He accepted it and sliced his palm. Rising to his feet, he reached out and took his alpha’s hand. The blood oath solidified, and the knowledge of pack embraced him.
“Welcome back. Come by tomorrow. We can make use of your tracking skills. We’ve experienced some trouble with neighboring packs wanting to move in on our territory.”
Blaine frowned. “Anything serious?”
“Reconsidering joining the pack?”
“No. I need to know how vigilant I have to be to protect my mate and everyone else.”
Drew moved around the table and clasped his shoulder. “I like you, Blaine.”
He snorted. “Of course you do.”
“It’s always good to know where you stand with someone. Ryker will sort you out when you come by.” He walked Blaine to the door. “Try not to stir up trouble.” Even though his tone was light, warning underlined his words.
Blaine stepped out onto the sidewalk. Now, to reintroduce himself to Rebecca.
Chapter Three
The library gleamed like a jewel in the morning
light. Rebecca had left the windows open after she swept the floors and dusted the bookshelves. A hint of detergent, lemon, and timber filled the air.
She had created a comfortable spot near the front desk to compile stacks of books and tick them off her list. She needed to make sure she had all the categories color coded before they could go on the shelves.
She’d kept a low profile after she checked in with Drew and committed herself to the pack, mainly because setting up the library had kept her busy. She’d needed a place to live, so she’d gone ahead and prepared some of the rooms upstairs for her living quarters. But she also needed to get used to be being home again and revealing the truth of her “death.” She’d thought her dad informed Drew, but he hadn’t.
The town had been in a dark place when Magnum was alpha, but Drew had turned the tide. Her faked death had been a result of the level of fear the old alpha inspired. Magnum wouldn’t have wanted her to contaminate the gene pool.
Rebecca grimaced. Well, there isn’t any danger of that now.
She had no plan to have a relationship with anyone. She might’ve been dead to the residents of Los Lobos, but she’d been very much alive in Manhattan, living with an aunt—a jarring move for a sixteen-year-old who hadn’t experienced city life before. At twenty-one, she married Conrad, and, eight years later, she found herself a divorcée. Not conducive to building confidence when your husband cheated on you with his more “sexually adventurous” personal trainer. Ouch.
But it didn’t matter either way because she took control of her life and started over. Her marriage to Conrad had revealed she couldn’t force a physical connection where none existed. She had worked on initiating intimacy. Her psychologist had said she’d shown great progress.
It stung to know she had made an effort of stepping out of her comfort zone to form an emotional bond with Conrad only to have her attempts blow up in her face.
“You have to desire me as a man, Rebecca.”
The truth of his accusation echoed through her mind. He had hit the nail on the head. She didn’t. She chose him because it had been easy. He had ticked all the boxes of what her father would want for her. He came from a good family, his career as a real estate broker thrived, he was a man’s man who loved the outdoors. But most of all, he was human. Her dad had made a point of letting her know, mating with any wolf would be out of the question, and his approval meant a lot to her.
Conrad had been generous in the divorce settlement. She had more money than she knew what to do with. Contributing to rebuild the town had been a good start. She sighed. She couldn’t live her life according to what her father wanted anymore.
Rebecca hadn’t heard from him since the day she arrived in Los Lobos, but she knew he would eventually show up at the library.
Niq—“pronounced Nick but spelled with a q” as he told her the first day they met—strolled inside the two-story building the pack agreed could serve as the town’s library. Tall with broad shoulders and built like a linebacker, at thirteen, Niq towered over her. He had clear silver-blue eyes with a mop of white-blond curls and porcelain skin. He could’ve passed for the classic cartoon cherub if he weren’t so big.
He loved books. He had showed up one morning on her doorstep and asked if he could help out. His eagerness endeared him to her.
“I’ll sort these books for you, Rebecca.” Niq enthusiastically delved into a box. It contained textbooks for the science section.
“Thanks for coming in today. We’re almost there.”
Los Lobos had a good population of children, so she’d created space for storytelling, books within easy reach for them, nap areas, and a section of small chairs and tables where they could do homework.
The community had great builders, and she’d asked around for someone to create the shelving she needed. She had drawn up a twenty-year projection in terms of the design and the collection size. She’d had the bathroom facilities redone, and ensured there was space for the staff to move around without hindrance, as they navigated the space in front and behind the counter—once she got to hiring anyone else—and also had them build a display case, bulletin board, and a front circulation and reference desk. She kept everything simple and planned on adding as the need arose.
“Will they discover parallel universes?” He flicked through a book.
“String theory maintains it’s a possibility.”
“Do you think so?” The earnestness in his voice made her pause.
She stopped unpacking. “Yes, Niq, I do. To some, the idea is as outlandish as shifters existing, and yet…you do.”
She stumbled over the “we” because, for most of her life, she hadn’t been part of the “we.” And though Drew included her in his pack, the old feelings of being an outsider were hard to shake off. The old ache of not being able to shift into a wolf resurfaced. Her vision blurred, and she quickly blinked away the tears.
He smiled. “I also believe in them.”
He returned to his exploring. Rebecca felt stupid. She should be over it by now, but apparently she wasn’t. In Manhattan, the defect had been easy to ignore. Not so much here. She checked the time. She needed to organize lunch for them, and she hadn’t bought groceries yet. In Los Lobos, there was no drive-thru.
“I’m stepping out to get us something to eat.” And clear my head. “Preferences?”
“Anything would be good.”
She ruffled his locks, and he ducked away.
“Ah, Rebecca!”
She laughed and closed the door behind her. The cutest angel. He would be shocked if he knew how she saw him.
The library wasn’t open yet. She planned on having an official opening the following week. It would provide a much-needed service for the budding town.
***
Blaine needed to clock in with Ryker.
His first run-in with the enforcer hadn’t been a picnic, and he had worked hard on establishing a level of trust between them. He could understand why Ryker reacted the way he did. There were rival packs in the area, and they needed to protect their territory.
He gulped a cup of scalding coffee. He didn’t want to be late for his rotation. He rented a room at The Wolf’s Lair B&B run by the she-wolf Tala Graystone, since another family had moved into his parents’ old place.
“You sure you want to meet Ryker with scruff on your face?” Tala said when he rushed past her. Her long black hair whipped behind her, the one blue streak running through, catching the light.
Blaine flashed a smile. “What? I’m not pretty?”
Before he came to the Black Hills, he tracked a suspect, helping the police in Brooklyn. Gun smuggling had been involved. He’d gone for the gritty street persona. The suspect belonged to one of the more ruthless gangs, and he’d served as their front man carrying out deals.
Blaine had gotten closer to him than the police department had done the previous eight months they had been on the case. He located the guns but didn’t take credit for the discovery. Rather, he gave them an anonymous tip. As a shifter, he couldn’t afford drawing attention to himself.
He loved being with the pack. He’d missed the camaraderie and freedom to be himself. In the human world, he’d had to constantly be on guard and never let his wolf show.
Blaine took the scenic route to get a better view of the parts of town Drew had been rebuilding. A floral perfume mixed with an unforgettable scent filled his nostrils as a warm body slammed into him.
“I am so sorry!”
Soft curves flattened against him, and a bunch of curls tickled his nose. Silky smooth skin burned his palms, and his heart hammered.
Blaine looked into a pair of chocolate-brown eyes. Rebecca. Recognition made him tighten his grip on her.
Her rosebud mouth gaped as she stared up at him. Her pupils dilated, and the pulse at her throat gave a frantic beat.
His nostrils flared as he took in more of her heady aroma, and his body stiffened in immediate response.
Mate.
He hadn’t planned on reintroducing himself to her yet. He wanted to prepare himself and his wolf—who hadn’t gotten the memo. The urge to mark her pulsed through him.
“Blaine. You’re here.”
“And so are you.” The moment stretched on far longer than a mild crash into each other deserved.
“I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I was admiring the town.” And now someone much more interesting.
Coffee-colored tendrils floated across her features, softening her high cheekbones. Her full lips formed an O. He suppressed the urge to lean forward and suck on the bottom one. She hadn’t lost any of her youthfulness and still carried the same elegance he’d glimpsed many years ago. The intervening time had been good to Rebecca Ferguson.
She glanced behind him. “The town’s different.”
The conversation wasn’t important. Right then, he could care less if Drew had built a cathedral the likes of the Sistine Chapel. He held the one woman he could never forget. And also the one he’d been threatened to forget, but knew, after kissing her at the swimming hole so many years ago, he couldn’t live without.
“How long have you been in Los Lobos?” Blaine asked.
“Just over a month.”
“For good?”
Everyone knew the reason her dad, Elijah, had faked her death. The whole thing sounded like a soap opera, but that had been life with Magnum.
She nodded. “And you?”
“I just joined the pack.” His wolf became restless, wanting to stake his claim. He leaned closer and took in a lungful of her scent. “Where can I find you?”
She hesitated. “I took over a storefront building in the center of town from one of the families who indicated they weren’t coming back. I’m opening a library. It’s got this huge new sign. You can’t miss it.”
“Wolves that read. This should be interesting.”
“The old ‘dyslexic werewolf’ stereotype is not a joke.”
His wolf liked her defense of their species. “I didn’t mean it like that. In Magnum’s time, becoming a scholar wasn’t encouraged.”
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