Wild Game (Wilding Pack Wolves 1) - New Adult Paranormal Romance

by Alisa Woods

  “E3 is an enormous conference, Nova.” He looked aghast. “You can’t go to that. That’s insane!”

  She heaved a sigh. “I have to go.”

  “You do not have to go. Nova, think. Your father was murdered at a con. The grenade attack came at the VA. Not here at the Wylderide. Not at your apartment. It’s when you’re out in the world that you’re most at risk. We should double up on guards here, where it’s hardest for anyone to get to you in the first place, then keep you away from the public for a while.”

  “Have you forgotten we’re releasing the beta in just over a week?” she complained.

  “So? It can release without an executive rep from Wylderide out on the PR circuit. The world will not end.”

  “I’m not going to let this Wolf Hunter stop me from fulfilling my father’s dreams!” There, she finally said it. Tears glassed her eyes, so she turned away, wrapping her arms tight around her chest.

  Brad was quiet. Then he came up behind her and gently held her shoulders. “I miss him, too,” he said softly.

  As hard as she tried to keep it in, a small sob escaped her. God, she was an emotional wreck. Losing her father and his steady hand on the business and her life… the threats from the Wolf Hunter… her sexy bodyguard sweeping her into his arms… all of it had unmoored her from her normal, steady, calm existence. The one where she coded and played games and at most worried about whether she actually loved Brad Hoffman or if she could mate with him even if she didn’t.

  Brad’s warm hands squeezed her shoulders a little. “Losing your father was a blow to everyone at Wylderide. They can’t afford to lose you, too, Nova.”

  She knew he was speaking as much about himself as the rest of the pack, but it was true‌—‌everyone was carrying on in her father’s name, in spite of the threats. If something happened to her… everything would fall apart.

  She gave Brad a nod without speaking or turning, still trying to beat back the tears.

  “A compromise, then,” he said calmly. “You stay away from the conference because there’s just no way to make that secure. You make a brief appearance at the tournament to give it your blessing and to congratulate the teams. Then you lay low until the beta is released. And we double guards everywhere.”

  She sucked in a breath and finally turned to face him. “All right. On the condition that I keep Owen.”

  Brad winced but didn’t protest.

  “As my bodyguard,” she clarified. It truly wasn’t his business who she slept with‌—‌until she chose a mate, she was free to shop around and be with whomever she wanted. He knew that. Even more, he knew her well enough to tell she was drawing a line he better not cross.

  “If that’s what you want.” But he wasn’t happy about it.

  “It is.”

  He nodded and turned to leave. When he opened the door, she could see Owen’s attention snap to it, a glare ready for Brad as he came out.

  Brad hesitated on the threshold. “I came in here to check on you, but I also wanted to tell you the VA sent a note of thanks. The soldiers have apparently all been volunteering for guard duty for you, ever since they found out what happened in the grenade attack.” He gave her a small smile. “You have a lot of fans.”

  She laughed a little, but her chest hurt. It must have shown on her face because Brad left the doorway to come back and hug her. It was warm and friendly and lasted a bit too long. Then he cupped her cheeks, kissed her forehead, and whispered, “We’re going to get through this, I promise.”

  She nodded and managed to beat back her tears.

  Brad gave her a smile, then strolled from the office. It wasn’t until he was gone‌—‌and she saw Owen’s ice-coated glare trailing after him‌—‌that she realized Brad had carefully orchestrated that whole little show for Owen to watch through the open door.

  Her face flamed hot. Damn men marking their territory! She strode toward the door, and just as Owen sprung up to his feet like he had finally decided to talk, she closed it in his face.

  Owen was driving Nova’s personal car up the winding mountain roads to the Riverwise safehouse. The natural beauty of the Olympic forest provided fantastic scenery‌—‌and Nova Wilding in the seat next to him in her futuristic battle gear outfit was easy on the eyes as well‌—‌if it weren’t for that scowl on her face.

  “We’re not staying, right?” she asked for the second time. “I just want to make sure we’re clear on that.”

  “Clear as a bell,” Owen said with a grimace. “If it doesn’t trouble you too much, I’d like to stay for more than five minutes. Might take me that long to round up some clothes, not to mention a toothbrush. I may be camping out at your apartment, but I’d rather not smell like it. Living in the same clothes is something I left behind with the Army.” Not to mention that he’d spent a year in that state while being experimented on. A change of clothes was a mental necessity for him these days. “And I aim to check in with the River brothers if they’re available. They are my bosses.”

  Jace, Jaxson, and Jared were about as far from being tyrant bosses as he was from being a spring lily, but Owen was genuinely hoping to get hold of Jace‌—‌he had questions his former brother-in-arms was uniquely suited to answer, given he was mated to a Wilding female.

  Nova didn’t reply, just went back to scowling at the trees as they whizzed past. They’d almost reached the mountain estate. It was a huge enterprise governed by the matriarch of the River family‌—‌she’d been amazingly kind and motherly to everyone who walked in the door, including him. Dozens of shifters had taken up residence, some who’d been captured and didn’t have homes to return to, like Owen, and some who just needed a safe place to stay until this government business of kidnapping shifters off the streets had been stopped. Once that had been accomplished, many of them were sticking around due to the hate group threats. And to help Mama River run the safehouse, which was a sprawling ranch.

  Even though a few members of the Wilding pack had opted to stay at the safehouse until they got this hate group business sorted, Owen had barely been able to drag Nova up here. But he couldn’t just take off to run up here and get some things‌—‌he was determined not to let her out of his sight, regardless of whether she was pissed off at him. Or not. Or wanted to take him to bed. Or not. Somehow those things were really mixed up. Or at least they seem to be for her.

  For him, too, if he was honest.

  But the necessity of a change of clothes was real, and eventually, she relented. It was that, or get a new bodyguard, and she didn’t seem to want someone else watching over her. At least, he hadn’t driven her off yet by opening his stupid mouth again. Which was a good thing because, even if she ordered him away, he wasn’t sure he would go.

  “I hear Terra Wilding is staying at the safehouse,” Owen said, trying to sound casual. “So, if you decided to relocate temporarily, at least you’d have one of your cousins nearby.”

  She scowled those pretty, dark eyes at him. “If you’re going to spend this whole time trying to talk me into staying up here‌—‌”

  Owen lifted one hand from the steering wheel, a sign of surrender. “I’m just saying. You Wildings could do worse than get together as a family. I figured that was something you’d like to do anyway. Maybe I was wrong about that.” He didn’t really understand the Wilding pack. Where he came from, most packs stuck together… and they kept to one family business. His father’s pack ran the Harding ranch. The River pack were all ex-military and employees for Riverwise, the private security company that Owen worked for now. When he’d taken the job, he’d also joined the pack, pledging his submission to Jaxson River, the pack alpha. And Owen had been happy to do so‌—‌the River brothers had saved his life. Plus that was just how most pack-run companies operated. Either you were all-in or you were out.

  But the Wildings were different.

  True to their name, they seemed a lot more independent than most shifters. The list of Wilding names posted by the Wolf Hunter showed the
y were scattered, not just across Seattle, but all over the world. Nova’s family-run gaming business was a bit of an exception within the sprawling Wilding family. They were clearly a pack‌—‌although Nova had mentioned some of the employees were human‌—‌and it came with the usual pack politics. They had all sworn submission to Nova’s father as alpha… at least, until he was murdered. And now her father’s beta, Brad, obviously had his eye on the alpha’s daughter for his mate. Owen had stepped into the middle of that, and he knew from his pack back home, that an outsider in the middle of pack politics was no place to be.

  But it didn’t stop him from wanting to be by her side 24/7 either.

  Nova was back to staring out the window. “My cousin Terra puts the wild in Wilding.” She gave him a sideways look. “You might think I’m crazy for not wanting to stay at the safehouse, but I’m frankly stunned that someone talked Terra into it.”

  Owen shrugged one shoulder. “From what I hear, her little sister was kidnapped by the same assholes who experimented on me. That’s the sort of thing that puts the fear of God into most normal people.”

  He gave her a meaningful look, implying that perhaps a little fear would be a good thing for her, but her dark eyes just burned with unspoken words. He was sure she was cursing him in her head again.

  Time to change subjects, before he yanked her clear off the chain. “What’s the story with the Wilding family structure, anyhow? Seems like ya’ll are spread out all over. How’d that come to be?”

  Nova sucked in a breath, but when she looked at him again, some of that burning anger was gone. “Our family spread out for a reason, but that reason goes back two generations. It’s only now, in my generation of cousins, that we’re starting to get over it. Somewhat.”

  “Some kind of blood feud, then?” That he knew something about. Small-town Texas feuds could get intense. That was part of why he got the hell out. He was never much for that kind of drama.

  Nova nodded, solemnly. “Back in my grandfather’s generation, the Wildings were one large, sprawling family pack. There were two brothers at the head of it‌—‌one was alpha, and one was beta. Together, they had a pack that was probably a hundred wolves strong, many of them cousins and brothers and relatives. But Gary and Bobby ruled them all. Gary was alpha, but everything went sideways and bloody when he found out Bobby was, well, spending a little too much time with Gary’s mate.”

  “Holy shit.” Owen was aghast. “You are kidding me.”

  Nova pinked up a little in the cheeks. “Nope. It’s pretty much the secret family shame. You probably think even worse of us Wildings now.”

  “Hey, now.” He peered at her. “I don’t judge folks by their relatives.” He certainly couldn’t claim to have a fine pedigree back home, that was for sure. “But a beta cheating with the alpha’s mate? How does that even happen?” He couldn’t picture it. Betas were sworn to their alphas‌—‌it was virtually impossible to go against their alpha’s command. The magic of the bond was just too strong. And to sin against a brother as well…

  Nova shook her head “I don’t know. There are all kinds of rumors about it. That Bobby wasn’t really a wolf‌—‌that he was some kind of male witch instead. Or that he was a white wolf.”

  “White wolf?” Owen frowned. “The only white wolf I’ve ever seen was Grace Krepky.” She was Jared River’s mate and currently campaigning to be the first openly-shifter member of Congress.

  “Me, too,” Nova said. “And I don’t know what her story is, but before a month ago, I’d have told you white wolves were just legend, in spite of the Wilding pack rumors. Now I’m not so sure. Regardless, the thing that really tore the pack apart was the possibility that some of Gary’s pups were actually Bobby’s. No one really knows, because when Gary found out that Bobby had been sleeping with his mate, all hell broke loose. A lot of wolves died that day, including Gary and his mate.”

  “Wait… you mean the beta survived?” Owen couldn’t even imagine it. “How did Gary’s pack not tear that guy apart? He violated every pack rule that ever existed, not to mention committing acts of indecency against his fellow wolves and brothers.”

  “Which is why they thought he was a witch.” Nova shook her head. “I have no idea how, but Bobby escaped. As you can imagine, none of the pups were too eager to be identified as possibly half witch, so they weren’t too excited to run after him. Not to mention they were all kids at the time. In the end, everyone who could hold the pack together was either dead or gone. The whole thing fell apart, scattered to the winds.”

  “So how does your pack fit into that pile of snakes?” Owen was amazed that any of them would talk to the others at all after that kind of history.

  “My father’s generation were Gary’s pups. Each was suspicious of the others not being a true son of Gary Wilding. Once they scattered and separated, the five brothers formed the five dominant Wilding families in the area. My father, Arthur, and the four brothers‌—‌Astor, Donnie, Frank, and Billy. Astor you might’ve heard of‌—‌he’s Colonel Astor Wilding, Piper’s father.”

  Oh, Owen definitely knew who Colonel Astor Wilding was. He was the one responsible for Owen losing a year of his life to a cage. And losing his wolf and himself in a haze of genetic experimentation. The man was straight-up evil‌—‌he’d even imprisoned his own sons, Noah and Daniel. “Yeah, I’d lay money on that one being spawned from the Bobby Wilding strain of the family.”

  Nova scowled. “I’m glad the Colonel is under arrest for his part in what happened to you. And the other wolves. That was some terrible business. But Jace’s mate, Piper, and her brothers are decent people. I think. I don’t really know them too well.”

  “So which brother is Terra’s father?” Owen was trying to get this whole Wilding family tree solid in his mind, but it was a lot to track.

  “Terra’s father is Donnie Wilding. She’s got a brother Trent, and you know about her little sister, Cassie, the one who was kidnapped. Terra’s a little crazy‌—‌she’s an artist‌—‌but it’s not like we’re enemies. We even had her shoot some concept pictures for Domination. She does urban photography, and we were looking for a future-urban cityscape kind of look.”

  Owen nodded‌—‌maybe this Terra cousin would be a way to convince Nova she needed to stay at the safehouse. “Maybe you and Terra can catch up while I talked to Jace about some business.” The business was her, but he wasn’t going to say that.

  Nova scowled at him. “Just don’t take too long. I’ve got a lot of prep for the tournament, still.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He smiled, a genuine one for the first time since the morning. At least they were talking again, instead of the constant, stony silence.

  They were finally pulling up to the ranch. The parking lot was filled with cars, as it had been ever since Owen made this his new home. After Jace had sprung him, there was no way in hell he was going back to the Army, but he didn’t have money or a place to stay, either. Like many of the liberated shifters, Mama River had been kind enough to take him in. He’d just need to grab a few things, talk with Jace about the sticky situation with Nova, and get her back to her apartment, if that’s the way it was going to be. If he were lucky, her cousin would talk her into staying. Owen had played all his cards with that.

  After they parked and strode in the front door‌—‌the place was huge, so knocking was usually pointless‌—‌Owen brought Nova to the oversized kitchen. A frantic bustle was underway, getting ready for the dinner hour for the hordes. Owen gave a small wave to Mama River, who was ordering people about.

  “Don’t let those potatoes cook too long,” she said to one of the shifters manning the stovetop. Then she quickly ushered them into the adjoining dining room.

  She brushed her long, gray hair back over her shoulder, then gave Nova a look-over that made heat rush to Owen’s face. She turned back to him. “Owen Harding, so this is what’s been keeping you busy.”

  He didn’t want her jumping to conclusions‌—‌even if
they were the correct conclusions‌—‌so he rushed out, “Just doing my duty, ma’am.”

  Mama River hiked up her eyebrows but kept the smile. “Well, that’s unfortunate. And excuse my manners, Nova Wilding. Welcome to my home! I was just hopeful that our Owen had found a mate. I’ve had a run of luck on that lately.”

  Owen smiled, but it was a bit forced. Mama Wilding could put some southern ladies to shame with her full-court press to find mates for every young wolf under her roof. “Finding a mate isn’t exactly on my radar right now, Mama River. But I do need to talk to Jace about the business of keeping our Wilding pack friends safe.”

  She tipped her head toward the kitchen. “Last I saw, he was out back, instructing some of our new guests on tending the horses.”

  “If it’s not too much trouble, could you look after Nova for a bit? I hear her cousin’s staying at the estate?”

  Nova gave him a slightly wide-eyed look. “Maybe I should come with you.”

  Mama River looked between the two of them and came to his rescue. “Actually, Nova, I could use your help. Terra’s got her eyes set on redecorating her room. Maybe you can help me convince her that’s unnecessary.” Mrs. River took Nova by the elbow and steered her away from the kitchen.

  Nova threw a scowl back over her shoulder, and Owen couldn’t help the wide grin that broke across his face. If there were someone used to wrangling Wildings, it had to be the matriarch of the River pack. Owen hustled through the kitchen, waving hello to the familiar faces and heading out back. Sure enough, he found Jace with several shifters gathered around him, handing out instructions on the proper care of the stables. Owen had done plenty of ranching back home, but he’d much rather put his Army skills to use at Riverwise.

  He expected to wait off to the side until Jace was done, but as soon as Jace caught sight of him, he waved off the others and gestured for Owen to walk with him.

  As soon as they were out of hearing distance, heading for the mountains out the back of the River family estate, Jace spoke up. “How’s it going at Wylderide? You guys have had a hell of a couple days.”