by Cara Carnes
Confusion rattled her a moment. She didn’t know what she wanted. She hadn’t ever expected to see Thane again. Yet, here he was—in all his sinewy gorgeousness, stripping his shirt over his head and exposing washboard abs she longed to memorize with her fingers. No, her tongue. Okay, both.
Her mouth dried and any semblance of control she had over the situation evaporated beneath the intensity hanging between them. “T-that’s not a good idea. W-we have to find Charles.”
“We will. Trail couldn’t get any colder. I’m not letting you walk until you shift.”
“I’m not your concern.”
“Charles would want you taking care of yourself.”
“Don’t dare think you know what Charles would want. You’re hunting him down like a damn animal.”
“What would you have me do, Dani? Say no when Ryker commanded I help? Let someone who doesn’t give a shit about you find him?
Damn him for making sense. Damn him for compounding the mounting frustration building in her. She tugged her clothes off, pausing long enough to bask in the appreciative growl from the man behind her. Her pulse quickened, her awareness of the man stronger than ever.
Unease crackled beneath her skin as she summoned her wolf. Few knew how much she hated shifting, the awkward and painful moments it took for her human half to cede to the animal she locked down whenever possible.
Unlike most of her pack, Dani didn’t feel like herself in wolf form. Although she’d recovered from Thane’s abrupt departure, her beast still mourned him. At least, she thought so.
She was pathetic. And confused. What was she doing? Had she really just stripped in front of the man she’d once thought would be her mate? She welcomed the bone-crunching pain roiling through her and let the emotions welling inside escape in a feral growl which echoed around them.
Too self-conscious of her awkwardly slow shift, she kept her gaze averted but sensed Thane closing the distance between them until his heat was palpable and his scent a lingering presence in each breath she forced. It’d been too long since she’d released her wolf, let her run and cavort without worry.
Though terror for Charles, grief for Sonya and Drew, and anger for Thane’s return weighed heavily on Dani’s thoughts, she needed this brief respite—a run like they’d taken so many times. As always, he remained diligently at her side, saying nothing.
Her surroundings blurred; green brush melded into brown dirt and blue sky as she looked around. Thane’s hand settled on her neck. The gentle strokes along her fur offered a reminder, an anchor. She was safe, protected. The moment her senses returned fully, she tore off. She’d need every second because Thane always summoned his wolf so fast.
They couldn’t run long or far—Thane needed to find Charles. He’d be fair.
She and her brother were private, which meant few of the Los Lobos pack knew them very well. Except for Ryker, Gee, and a handful of dominants, Charles hadn’t interacted with many until Sonya came into his life.
Dani slowed to a trot and peeked over her shoulder. Breath swooshed from her lungs. How could she forget how gloriously handsome Thane’s wolf was? Sleek black fur with small smatterings of short gray hairs mixed in. He closed the distance swiftly and tried to take the lead. She yelped her refusal and lunged toward him.
He snarled and nipped her tail but remained so close to her backside his scent enveloped her. They fell into a comfortable pace, winding down the steep mountainside. The longer they traveled, the more relaxed she became. Running—or jogging as it usually was—with Thane had always been calming.
By the time the sun hung low in the sky, she’d circled around and headed back up the mountain to return to their stuff. Thane took the lead somewhere at the base of the steep incline, which she was more than fine with. She’d always enjoyed him being in charge.
She slammed into him. A growl ruptured the area, and it took a moment for her to realize the feral rage emanated from Thane. Shock tumbled through her as he shifted quickly and settled his hand on her neck.
“We’re on the edge of Tao lands and I smell invaders. Stay quiet. We’ll wind around so I can surprise them.” He stroked her pelt. “You with me?”
Did she have a choice? She yipped her approval and watched as he shifted back to wolf form and headed into the woods to the right. Agitation and unease quickened her heartbeat as she followed him, stepping wherever he did, wincing whenever a limb cracked or the ground crunched. Each sound she made put them at risk.
By the time Thane slowed to a barely discernible crouching crawl of sorts, her raw nerves had her wolf quaking with potent fear. She’d been beyond stupid to follow a dominant fighter like Thane. She had no business outside Los Lobos. Her foolishness could get him killed.
He blasted through the overgrown brush with a feral growl and she halted, unsure whether to proceed. Snarls and sounds of battle erupted. She shuffled forward in a slight squat. Distracting Thane wouldn’t be smart. Letting whoever he fought see he wasn’t alone wouldn’t be good either.
A massive gray and white wolf was in battle with Thane, who had his jaw latched around the enemy’s throat. They rolled. Sounds of their savage battle resonated around her. Just as Thane gained the upper hand, another wolf entered the fray. He impacted with the two battling wolves.
The momentum slammed Thane into a boulder. Rage tunneled Dani’s vision. She charged forward and surprised the battle’s latest entrant enough for her weight to shove him a few feet away from Thane.
The brown wolf growled and snarled as he righted himself and stared her down. Now what? She wasn’t a strong, fierce woman like some of those in the pack. She was totally okay with remaining in the shadows, never fighting, doing her silent part for those around her. Without confrontation.
A familiar scent wafted in the air. Charles? A growl rumbled from the woods. The wolf she’d kept from Thane lunged toward the sound. She whirled her attention to the other wolf, but he was sprawled a few feet away. Blood saturated the ground around his prone body.
Nausea ensued. She forced her shift and fell on her knees near Thane. She grabbed his neck and pulled him away from the boulder. Crimson poured from a head wound.
“Thane?” She swatted him softly with his palm. “Wake up. I can’t haul your butt down the mountainside.” Terror punctuated her words. He couldn’t be hurt protecting her.
What would he do if the situation was reversed? He’d carry her back to Los Lobos without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, not an option. Looking around, she realized they were near where they’d started their run.
Clothes. Their packs. Or, rather, his pack. She hadn’t exactly planned ahead. She skulked toward the area they’d been in, hyperaware of her surroundings. Unease clanged her agitated mind. Charles’s distinct scent filled her nostrils. The wolf who’d attacked Thane had taken off after him.
Charles wasn’t a fighter. Please let him be okay.
She snagged their clothes and the packs and headed back toward where she’d left Thane. He had to be okay. Shock froze her in place at the edge of the clearing. Thane stood, rage evident in his stance. Blood dripped from his head wound.
“Where is he?” Thane demanded.
“The other wolf fled. I didn’t give chase. I’m not exactly the ass kicker of the pack.”
He grabbed his clothes from her grasp and shoved his pants on. “You know damn good and well who I’m talking about. I smell Charles in the area. He was here, with them.”
“He saved me! Since you were knocked out, I’ll fill you in. That wolf who knocked you out had every intention of making me his newest chew toy since I pushed him off you. I’m not a fighter, Thane.”
“And what does your brother have to do with that?”
“A wolf snarled and growled, and the guy I knocked back gave chase.”
“Or retreated to regroup.” Thane shook his head. His jaw twitched. “Think about it, Dani. Set aside the little sister protectiveness and use your sexy brain lo
ng enough to see the logic. The attack on our alpha happened last night, yet these invaders are already here? Encroaching Taos land when we’re at our weakest.”
Her gut clenched. “What are you getting at?”
“You know damn well what I’m saying. They had an insider, someone who told them about Drew. Charles is the only one from the pack I smell out here. Do the math.” He prowled away from her.
“Wait. Where are you going? You’re hurt.”
“I’m going after your brother. Go home where you belong, Dani. I was stupid to listen, to think there was a logical explanation for the shit he was in.” Regret flashed in his expression for a moment. “I can’t protect him any longer. I’ve got an infiltrator to find and a pack member to bring in. Stand in my way and it won’t be pretty.”
No way in hell was she going home.
Chapter Three
Thane had let his quarry get away. The realization darkened his thoughts. He’d lost his objectivity because of Dani. He’d wanted to see Charles as the wrecked mate rather than a heartless bastard who’d nearly killed Drew.
The son of a bitch would go down for what he’d done—assuming he was guilty. The fact unknown wolf shifters entered Tao land around the same area as Charles’s scent didn’t paint the picture of innocence Dani wanted to believe.
She followed silently behind him. Her anger and hurt coated the tension between them. He’d screwed up his temporary return to Los Lobos. He’d never meant to hurt her. Hell, he hadn’t intended to see her. He couldn’t leave without making amends for leaving so abruptly the last time.
Now wasn’t the time for a stroll down memory lane, though, and whatever they may or may not salvage from their past didn’t matter until Thane righted the monumental fuck up. Ryker would have his ass for letting Charles get away.
Oh, and the invader. He’d killed one, but at least one more was out there—probably with his partner, Charles. Although the timing worked, Thane couldn’t reconcile the wimpy older brother he recalled with recent events. Murder. Betrayal.
He couldn’t imagine Dani’s brother doing either, but he wasn’t about to share his thoughts with her right now. She’d needed a stiff dose of reality to knock her rose-colored glasses off. Which made him the ultimate asshole.
The scent trails for the two targets wound along the pack’s border. Although he’d tracked them easily, they somehow maintained the distance. Truth told, Dani was a hindrance. The harsh reality was she moved too slowly for him to ever catch the two men. But he couldn’t abandon her, or make her return alone to Los Lobos—not with known intruders running around.
There were probably more than two trespassers, which meant Thane should head back and enlist pack assistance. But he was a stubborn son of a bitch. He’d fix his own problem.
The last glimmers of daylight waned, giving way to night. Dani’s hobble had somehow become a harsh limp since the last time he glanced at her. He slowed his pace until he was beside her. Her wary sideways glance made him feel like a real son of a bitch.
“There’s a cave not too far from here. It’ll make a good place to settle down for the night. It’s beside the lake, so plenty of game for dinner.”
“Or we could keep going. I’m fine,” she stated.
“You aren’t fine,” he grumbled. “You shouldn’t have interfered.”
“Excuse me?”
“Back at the fight, you should’ve stayed hidden.”
“Erm, you were the one who asked if I was with you. You never, ever said ‘Dani, stay hidden. Let me get my ass kicked and you can sit back and watch.’ Not that I would’ve listened.”
“You put yourself at risk. It wasn’t smart.”
“So I should have what? Sat back and watched them kill you?” Her voice rose and broke slightly at the end. Moisture pooled in her gaze when it settled on him. “I didn’t think, okay? I saw him going for you and I….”
She was in his arms. Her heat settled against him, rousing his protective instincts. “What the hell am I supposed to do with you?”
She bristled in his embrace. “I’m not your problem.”
“Yeah, yeah you are. In so many ways.” He hugged her closer a moment. “We’ll get everything handled.”
“He’s out there, Thane, and I can’t h-help. He was always there. Always.” She sniffed and pulled away. Swiping at the errant tears on her cheeks, she looked up at him. “I smelled him, you know. I should’ve gone after them. I should’ve called out to him. Maybe he would’ve come in for me.”
“We don’t know where his mind is. You did the right thing.”
“You would say so, since I stayed behind to help your conked-out ass,” she muttered. “You think he’s feral.”
“I don’t think much of anything long enough to share. Until we track him down, we won’t know what Charles is or isn’t. All I know for sure is he’s not making it easy on himself. The longer he runs, the guiltier he looks.”
“He didn’t do it,” she said.
“I don’t give a shit whether he’s guilty or not. Ryker told me to hunt him down and drag him back to Los Lobos. That’s what I’m doing.”
“He just saved us! You’re unbelievable.”
“We don’t know what he just did. Far as I’m concerned, he’s the reason they’re here. Until I prove otherwise, he isn’t trustworthy.” Thane sighed his frustration. “Look, Charles has nothing to do with you and me.”
“You hit your head harder than I thought if you think there’s a you and me.”
Thane was sick of treading the same ground. “We need to find shelter. This isn’t a good time of the year to get caught out after dark. Let’s go.”
She muttered a response, but he kept moving. He was one frayed nerve from saying to hell with Charles and laying claim to her. Good idea or not, his wolf wanted Dani.
“At least let me look at your head before we continue. You could be hurt. Concussed.” Her voice lowered. “You’re certainly acting like it.”
“Keep pushing me, Dani, and you won’t like the results.”
“Wow. You’re really being an ass because I’m worried about you? You’re pissed because I risked myself saving you?”
“I’m pissed because some sick ass killed a female and downed our alpha. I’m pissed because you didn’t stay at home where you’d be safe. Instead you’re traipsing around on a mountainside and almost got killed by a trespasser. So on top of finding your brother, I now have to hunt those assholes while keeping you safe.” He closed the distance between them and grasped her upper arm until she looked up at him.
He caressed her cheek with his other hand and searched her face for acceptance, understanding. Arousal. Her pulse beat beneath his splayed fingers. Her pupils dilated.
“I need you to understand something real important, Dani.” He paused long enough for her to focus on his voice rather than his touch. “You listening?”
She nodded.
“We’ve got a lot of unresolved issues. I promise we’ll get them all sorted or at least discussed, whether I leave Los Lobos or stay. What I need now, what the pack needs, is you listening and doing exactly what I say without question. You’re a distraction I can’t afford. You love your brother; you’re here for him. Every time we stop to argue or you shift my focus back to anything other than the search Ryker sent me on risks Charles, me, you, and the entire pack.”
“But….”
“But nothing, Dani.” He clenched her face more firmly in his grasp until her eyes widened. “You’re already in a shitload of trouble once we get back. Don’t give Ryker any more reason than you already have to cut you out.”
“Cut me out?” She shook her head. “He’d never do that?”
“You were ordered by the enforcer to remain indoors. Our alpha is probably dead, and your brother is our only lead. You’ve defied Ryker and me. You saw what I did with the trespasser?” When she didn’t respond, he raised his voice and repeated the question. “You saw wh
at I did with the trespasser?”
She nodded, eyes wide. Fear wafted in her scent. Good. He was finally getting through.
“Ryker gave me and the other two dominants full authority to do what we needed if we caught pack members defying his order. Do you realize now what that means?”
She trembled and looked away.
“I know he’s the only blood you have left, Dani, but if you keep acting stupid you won’t be in Los Lobos long enough for it to matter if we catch him. I should toss your ass off pack lands right now for interfering. Slowing me down.”
“I’m not slowing you down on purpose. I never asked you to babysit me out here, Thane. Let me go if I’m such a bother.”
“So you can what? Warn your brother? Get taken, probably raped and killed, by a trespasser? Used as leverage to weaken our already-destroyed pack during their darkest hour?” He inhaled her scent and trailed his warm breath along her cheek. Releasing the wolf in his voice, he continued, “Wake up and realize none of what’s going down is about you. You don’t get input on how we handle the situation, or your brother. Unless you want to meet his fate, behave.”
He prowled away from her and continued down the path toward the cave. The last thing Dani needed was coddling. She needed the harsh reality he’d laid out, even though he’d just proven he really was a miserable bastard.
By the time they approached the destination, he’d accepted Charles’s trail would have to wait. Originally, he’d hoped to dump Dani at the cave, get her situated with a fire and food. But until he figured out how many trespassers were around and what their intentions were, he couldn’t leave her alone.
Ryker would have his ass for screwing up. He should’ve made her return to Los Lobos the moment he realized she’d followed. He halted and closed the distance between them. She eyed him warily and crouched into herself.