Rebel Wolf (Shifter Falls Book 1)

by Amy Green

  Oh, no. “I bet he did,” Ian said.

  “About mating,” Anna said.

  Damn Heath yet again. What had he told her? Ian could take a guess. “Well, now you know what shifters’ women know. I hope it helps your research.”

  “Here’s the thing,” Anna said. “If you were a human guy, I’d say that that kiss was mostly due to the fact that you’ve just spent a year in prison.”

  That actually made him laugh. “You think that’s why I did it?” he asked her.

  “Well, you were in prison for a year. And it was an emotional moment. So maybe it didn’t mean anything. That’s what I would think—except I’m not used to wondering why a guy’s wolf wanted to kiss me.”

  They were outside the Four Spot Diner, and Ian stopped on the sidewalk. “Ask yourself something else,” he said to her sweet face and her blue eyes, her soft mouth that he knew tasted like candy. “You haven’t been in prison, Anna. So ask yourself why you kissed me.” She stared at him, and he added, “I’m hungry. I’m going to eat before the snow sets in. Want to join me?”

  He didn’t wait for her to answer, just walked into the diner. Damn, he was climbing out of his skin. She was making him climb out of his skin. He was going to have to keep control of himself around her.

  Because she was right. His wolf wanted her. His wolf was crazy with it. He was howling right now, and it was all Ian could do to shut him up.

  He slid into a booth, and Anna slid in opposite him. Before she could start in on him again, the waitress came by. Her name was Alison Masterson, and she’d worked here for as long as Ian had lived here. She was born and raised in Shifter Falls, the daughter of one of the Donovan pack. She was pretty, with red hair tied neatly back in a ponytail, but she was painfully shy. “Hey, Ian,” she said, giving him a tentative smile. “You’ve been away.”

  “Alison,” he greeted her. “I took a little trip.”

  “I heard. You want some coffee?”

  “Hell yes, please.”

  She went away and came back with the coffee pot and two cups. She hadn’t even asked Anna, he realized. He wondered if that would make Anna mad.

  “Something to eat?” she asked him as she poured his coffee.

  “I’d love it,” he said. “Pick me something.”

  She gave him that tentative smile again. “The vegan platter it is, then.”

  He scratched his beard. “You know me,” he said to her. “All vegan, all the time.”

  She turned to Anna. “Something for you?”

  “No, thank you,” Anna said.

  When Alison walked away, Ian turned to see Anna staring daggers at him. “What?” he asked.

  “That was flirting,” she said.

  “No, that was friendly,” he corrected her. “Heath should have explained it to you. We can smell the difference.”

  She raised a skeptical brow. “Friendly?”

  “Her father is pack,” he said.

  She rolled her eyes. She was gorgeous even when she was being snarky. “Oh, I see. All the girls like the big dog.”

  “No, that’s Heath,” Ian said. “Though Alison isn’t one of Heath’s girls. I would smell it on her if she was.”

  She sipped her coffee. “I’m starting to see why the women leave this place,” she said.

  “Heath should have explained that, too,” he said patiently. “They stay for the sex.”

  Anna banged down her coffee cup. “Ian.”

  He leaned over the table toward her, close enough to smell the scent of her skin. “Alison brought me coffee,” he said. “I kissed the hell out of you naked. There’s a difference, you see?”

  She bit her lip, and it was all he could do not to lean all the way over and lick the spot where her teeth bit her skin. He knew exactly how it would taste. Then he glanced up and saw Brody coming toward them across the diner.

  “Oh, great,” he said, slumping back in his seat.

  “Listen,” Brody said, sliding into the booth next to Anna. He turned and nodded at her. “Hey, Anna.” He turned back to Ian. “I don’t want to talk to you either, so I’ll make this brief. I’m going to change before the snow hits and do another run over the ground we covered. As a wolf.”

  “All right.” Ian scratched the back of his neck. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  “Heath is going to keep his ears open at the bar,” Brody went on. “Someone knows something about the Marcuses and what they’re planning. Maybe someone will spill while they’re at the Black Wolf. Devon is going to talk to his contacts in the pack, since he was closest to Charlie and they trust him.”

  “What do I do?” Ian asked him.

  “Guard Anna,” Brody said. “We know she’s a target. So your job is not to let her out of your sight.”

  Ian narrowed his eyes, catching the glint in Brody’s gaze beneath the brim of his baseball cap. “Thank you, brother.”

  “Yeah,” Brody said. “And you were right when you said we need to pick an alpha, and fast. You got any ideas how we do that?”

  “Sure,” Ian said as inspiration hit him suddenly. “I think we should let Anna choose.”

  Anna’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  Brody looked thoughtful. “You know, that’s not a bad idea.”

  “I’m not picking one of you,” Anna said.

  “Why not?” Ian asked her. “You’re impartial, you’re smart, and you have no stake in the outcome. And you’ve met all of us.”

  “I’ve had exactly one conversation with all of you except Ian,” Anna protested. “I’m not even from here. This is the entire future of the pack, and Shifter Falls.” Anna looked from one brother to the other. “No way. Nope. No way. You should pick someone local.”

  Ian was lining up an argument—it really was a good idea—when Alison came back to the table and set a burger in front of Ian. “Hey, Brody,” she said. “Get you something?”

  Brody glanced up at her. “Alison,” he said. And then, to her obvious surprise, he put out a hand and gently grabbed her wrist. “Wait a minute—you’re perfect. We need you to settle this for us.”

  Alison’s cheeks went red. It had something to do with her habitual shyness, Ian knew, but he also sensed it had something to do with the fact that it was Brody holding her wrist.

  “Um, okay,” Alison stuttered. “What is it?”

  “You’re a local,” Brody said, “born and raised in Shifter Falls. Your father is pack. You know me, and I assume you know Ian here.”

  “Sure,” Alison said, uncomfortable.

  “And you know Devon,” Brody prompted her.

  “Yeah, he’s been in here,” Alison said.

  “And Heath.”

  Her eyes glazed over pleasantly. “Heath.”

  Brody caught Ian’s eye and they both fumed. “Unbelievable,” Ian growled. Anna put a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.

  “Okay, earth to Alison,” Brody prompted her. “Let me ask you something. Which of us do you think should be the next alpha?”

  Alison blinked and looked at them, alarmed. “Oh, my God, I don’t know.”

  “Just tell us what you think,” Ian said.

  “Won’t someone be mad?” Alison asked. “My father will skin me if I insult a Donovan.”

  Ian shook his head. “We’re not going to be insulted, because none of us want it.”

  She shifted her weight. “So this is just my opinion? No one’s going to quote me on this?”

  “Just your opinion,” Brody promised.

  “Okay.” She blushed redder, and then she looked down at Brody, who was still holding her wrist. “It should be you.”

  Brody leaned back in his seat and let her go. “Shit,” he said.

  “Done and done,” Ian said, picking up his burger and taking a bite.

  “You two are unbelievable,” Anna said. “Were you raised by wolves?”

  Ian gave her a glare, but he had to admit that was funny.

  “You’re the oldest,” Alison explained to Brod
y. “And… it should be you. It just should.”

  Brody lifted his baseball cap and scratched his head, then replaced it again. “I’m not fit,” he said.

  “None of us are fit,” Ian pointed out, taking another bite of his burger.

  “I’m not fit,” Brody said again.

  “Too bad.” Ian felt relieved, and he also agreed with Alison that Brody was the best choice. It felt right. “Get used to it. I’m telling the others it’s a done deal.”

  “Wait a minute!” Alison looked panicked. “What did I just do?”

  Anna leaned over the table and looked at her. “I think you just picked the next Donovan alpha.”

  “No! You promised!” She wiped her hands nervously on her skirt. “Devon is going to rip my head off or something. And my dad will kill me.”

  “It’s okay, Alison,” Ian said calmly. “None of that will happen.” He turned and looked Brody in the eye from across the table. They stared at each other, wolf to wolf, for a long minute.

  “What do you say?” Ian asked him quietly. “If you’ll take it, I’ll back you. You know the others will agree.”

  Brody tensed. He knew Ian was right; if both he and Ian were unanimous, neither of the other two would put up much of a fight. Devon liked to pick fights, but he was too hotheaded to lead the pack; and Heath didn’t have the ambition. He just wanted it over with as much as Ian did.

  They could be united, if only Brody would take the job.

  He could see that Brody wasn’t just stubborn, he was unsure. He had a reason he didn’t think he was fit. Well, that was too bad. Whatever his reason was, it wasn’t good enough. The pack needed a leader.

  “Let’s do this,” he said to Brody, reciting the Donovan pack motto. “Blood for blood.”

  Brody closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, his jaw was set and there was a steely look to his gaze. “Fine,” he said. “You win. I’ll stand for alpha.”

  Ian felt things fall into place, pieces he hadn’t known were out of alignment. What had seemed so impossible only minutes ago was suddenly done. And it was right. He smiled at Brody. “You have my loyalty, brother,” he said.

  “Shut up, Ian,” Brody said. He turned to Alison, and his voice gentled with kindness. “You did good, sweetheart.” He slid out of the booth and stood as Alison stared at him openmouthed. “Now, me and my wolf are going running, and nobody fucking better bother me until I’m done.” He turned and left, walking out into the snow that was starting to fall.

  Ian looked at Anna and saw that she was smiling. He smiled back.

  Damn, he thought. It might be good to have a brother after all.

  20

  Ian dropped Anna off in the apartment, and then, to her surprise—since his job was to guard her—he left.

  “I’m not going far,” he said to her as he opened the door. “I have to go downstairs and talk to Nolan, and I have to make sure the building is secure. Clean up, get some rest.”

  So she took a long, hot shower, soaking the hot water into her bones. It was getting cold outside, the wind deeply chill, and the snow was starting hard. Anna loved winter, but she’d had enough of it, at least for a few hours.

  Since he wasn’t home, she walked through the apartment wearing only a towel. The lights in the main room were off, and the only light came in from the windows, where streetlights were dimmed by the snow. It was surprising how comfortable she felt in Ian’s place, how homey it felt to her. She should feel out of place in the apartment of a man like Ian—a shifter, a lifelong bachelor, an ex-con—but she didn’t.

  She rifled through the fridge in her towel, grabbed some cheese and crackers for a snack, and thought about Heath’s lecture again. We date. We hook up. We have sex with whoever we want to, as often as we want to. Had Ian ever brought a woman home to this place? For a second she wished she had a shifter’s sense of smell so she could know. It amazed her that women didn’t follow Ian around like puppies. He was a big, dark, dangerous wolf with green eyes, a rare and beautiful smile, and an incredible body. He smelled good and he kissed like a dream. If the women of Shifter Falls weren’t jumping him, she didn’t know what was wrong with them.

  I should be jumping him.

  No, she shouldn’t. She was supposed to be professional.

  It didn’t feel professional, standing in his apartment naked, though. She walked to his bedroom and stood in the doorway. It was messy, the sheets twisted on the bed where his big body had lain. She wondered if he slept naked. She had the sudden, overpowering urge to walk to his bed and lie on it, just for a minute. Because he’d know. When he went to bed tonight, he’d smell her naked body in his bed. And he’d know, without a doubt, that she wanted him.

  She did want him. Badly. But still, she couldn’t do that.

  She sighed and leaned against the doorway, looking at his bedroom for a little while longer, reluctant to leave. There were clothes piled on the floor and on top of the dresser. Socks and boxer shorts tossed halfway into a laundry basket. A guy’s room, practically reeking of testosterone. She liked it. Daniel had always been a tidy, perma-press shirts on a hanger kind of guy.

  To erase the thought of Daniel, she walked to the dresser and picked up one of Ian’s t-shirts, taking it with her when she left the room. She was supposed to wear those, anyway. She was just following the rules.

  In her own room, she put Ian’s shirt on—it smelled like him, of course—and a pair of worn-in jeans and dug around for her cell phone. The signal out here in the Falls came and went, so she never heard the damn thing ring. But she had a signal now, and she could see that she had another message from her program advisor, Margaret. She sighed. If Margaret had called her twice in one day, it was probably important.

  She listened to the messages, which were just Margaret asking her to call as soon as possible, then sat by the window in the main room and called back.

  “Anna,” Margaret said when she answered. She was over sixty, with a strong, raspy voice that was firm but kind. “There you are. I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”

  “I’ve been a little busy,” Anna said. “I’m free now. What’s up?”

  “You’re in Shifter Falls?” Margaret sounded a little worried.

  “I am,” Anna said, deciding to skip over the insanity of what was happening. “The work is going really well.”

  “Okay, well. My call is about that, actually.”

  Anna felt a shiver go down her spine that told her she wasn’t going to like this. “About what?”

  “Your Shifter Falls project.” Margaret sighed. “I may as well break this to you quickly. The thesis committee met today, and it’s been decided that your research topic is not approved.”

  “What?” Anna sat up, staring out at the snow. “We went through a process. The committee said it was fine.”

  “I know, but it’s been reassessed. The committee approved your subject when the previous alpha is alive. Now that he’s dead and there is rumored to be violent unrest in the shifter community, they’ve revoked your permission. It’s too dangerous.”

  “They’re shutting down my research because it’s too dangerous?”

  “This is a prestigious program, Anna. To have a student injured, or worse, doing school-sanctioned research would shut down our funding.”

  “There’s no unrest here,” Anna said, lying outrageously. “There’s a political process of sorts, but it’s under control. There hasn’t been any violence.” God, that was a crazy untruth. First her mother, now Margaret. She really was selling her soul for this project.

  “Anna.” Margaret’s tone was sympathetic but firm. “It’s been done. You need to come back to Denver and meet with the committee, pick a new topic. Start again.”

  Anna ran a hand through her damp hair. She didn’t want to start again. Shifters were her topic, her obsession. And she was here, studying them firsthand. The Donovans hadn’t once kept anything private from her or had her tossed out of the room—they’d been open and honest
with her. They were a pack of stubborn loners who hated rules almost as much as they hated each other, but she hadn’t felt an ounce of disrespect from any of them. No human researcher had been in the position she was in right now. They had trusted her. They had treated her like pack.

  Ian had treated her like pack.

  And now she had to leave.

  She swallowed. She had worked long and hard to get where she was academically. She had no choice but to listen to what Margaret was saying. “I can’t leave right now,” she managed. “It’s a snowstorm. The drive is too dangerous.”

  “I know,” Margaret said. “We’re getting it here, too. Just get back as soon as you can. I’ll tell the committee the situation, and that you’re on your way.”

  When Anna hung up, she slumped against the wall and watched the snow come down, thick and furious. And wondered what she would tell Ian when he came home.

  21

  There was only one stairwell to the roof of his building, and after talking to Nolan, Ian took it. It was a security measure, like he’d told Anna, but he had another reason, too. Someone had taken these stairs earlier, and he could smell exactly who it was.

  He opened the door to the roof and stepped out into the thickly falling snow. Devon was sitting quietly near the roof’s ledge, looking out over Shifter Falls toward the woods and the mountains beyond. He wore jeans, a thick sweater, and a wool coat. He didn’t turn when Ian approached.

  “I thought it was my job to guard Anna,” Ian said.

  Still, Devon didn’t turn. He was the same height as Ian—six-four or so—and matched in weight, but he was built differently, with heavily muscled shoulders and arms. Ian knew from experience that Devon fought hard and bloody, but he himself was faster. It was how he had kept his life when Devon had tried to kill him.

  “I’m just doing backup, brother,” Devon said. “Besides, the view from here is a good one in case there’s any trouble.”

  It was true, and part of the reason Ian had come up here. The building wasn’t tall, but there were no tall buildings in Shifter Falls, and his building was well situated on a rise. He could see the patchwork of the town’s rooftops and a good number of its streets as well as the majestic mountains beyond. It was all blurry at the moment in the snow and the evening dark, but it was still an unbeatable view.