Primal Night

by Ally Parker

  He’d upset her.

  “Never!” Her embrace tightened. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt I was home. You feel like home to me. It caught me off guard.”

  Yet another thing Kali had been denied, a sense of belonging. “No matter what happens I will always be your home, like you are mine.”

  He kissed her forehead and held her tight to his chest, never wanting to let her go. Kali had missed out on so much. She’d been a victim of poor processes and reduced to doing things that violated the Council’s rules. The same Council that had failed her to begin with.

  Because of his actions, he would ultimately be Kali’s undoing. Maybe if he hadn’t taken her, she wouldn’t be caught up in the shit-storm. It wouldn’t be long until Thane returned with their sentence. At worst, he’d be sentenced to death, outcast at best. Then what kind of home could he offer?

  Kali’s wolf snarled the sound bounding from the epicenter of her chest. “I won’t let that happen; you have my word.”

  No one would be taking what was hers. For years, she’d had nothing without the permission of Jefferson. Nothing. Now that her wolf had tasted Ryker, she found territorial didn’t even begin to explain what she felt. There was no way she’d lose Ryker after she’d just found him. Eyes prickling, her wolf hovered under the surface. “You are right. If you didn’t get me out of Saint’s pack, he’d have turned me in to the Council, and I’d be one of the females bundled in the truck and taken God knows where.”

  Despite the situation, Ryker smiled. “You’ve been snooping in my mind. I never directly mentioned my father would take you to the Pit once you’d been handed over to the Council.”

  Damn right she had. Ryker was her male and mate. Being in his mind she’d never felt as close to anyone. He had known it too since she could tell when he was in her mind—like right then. “Regardless. It’s true. My mistakes are my own. Don’t even think to put claim to them. As for the Pit, you had good reason not to go to the Council. Anyone with a lick of sense would see the risks with taking your information forward.”

  “Since when have sense, power, and politics been connected?”

  Ryker left his words unsaid, and she chose to ignore them. If Thane had the audacity to sentence Ryker to death, she’d raise hell. They should leave. Maybe they could get to the border unnoticed. Begin their life somewhere new.

  Her mate dipped his head to meet her eyes. Warmth seeped into her skin where he held her shoulders. “And spend the rest of our lives on the run. No. I’d never let you make that sacrifice.”

  And that summed Ryker up in one sentence. He always thought of others. Who was looking out for him? Now that they were together, he’d have her. She wouldn’t let the mistakes of her past or the mistakes of Ryker’s father fall on her mate. It seemed unbelievable that their fate lay in Thane’s hands. So much was hanging on the line.

  He tucked some hair behind her ear. “Listen. Everything will work out. If Thane is going to be an ass, we’ll make him see reason. Now let’s get you something to eat. I can hear the pack is eager to meet with you.”

  From under the whisper of doubts lingering in Ryker’s mind, she heard male voices—a lot of them—both inside Ryker’s head and from the floor below. Her head swam, and she reached up to clutch it. Instantly, the voices in Ryker’s head turned off.

  “It’ll take some getting used to. We might wean you into it, hey?” He squeezed her hand before releasing her and strode toward the door. “Come on.”

  “Wait!” Throwing her feet into the sweats she had to roll the waist down half a dozen times so she didn’t trip on the material, and she quickly pulled on the black tee. It fell to her knees so she bunched the fabric and tied it into a knot at her back.

  Butterflies filled her stomach, sending waves of nerves flittering through her. What if the men didn’t think she was good enough for their Alpha?

  Ryker growled. “You are good enough. No male would dare say different.”

  She blew out a shaky breath. “Okay.”

  Her whole life had been working toward this moment and the first day of a new chapter. She needed this part of her story to be good. Ryker opened the door and held out his hand. She wrapped her fingers around his, enjoying the solid strength radiating from him. It infused their link and made her feel like anything was possible.

  “As long as we are together, anything is.”

  The second story was quaint and homey. Windows framed along the wall and outside looked postcard-perfect. Snow had settled overnight, and the white blanket hung on the trees coasting along the northern side of the property. Scone lights hanging along the hall would look beautiful at night. Ryker’s home was like images of a dream.

  “Our place,” Ryker corrected.

  As they made their way down the stairs, the smells hit her. Her stomach growled again. Her mouth watered with the sweet aroma of maple syrup combined with bacon. Passing through the vaulted entrance and into the dining room, the male voices halted abruptly.

  A sixteen-seat table filled the room. Two empty seats waited at the head of the table. Fourteen male heads turned to face them. Power rolled off the males in spades. She kept her chin level wanting to be a strong partner for their Alpha.

  Not even the mouthwatering smells of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and pancakes could smother out the way every male had frozen in place. Ryker gestured to a chair beside him, and they both took a seat.

  Chairs dragged across the tiled floor as all the males stood. She swallowed, feeling uncertain and nervous. Was this the moment she should grace the pack with words of hope or wisdom? By the moon she hoped not. Public speaking wasn’t her thing and what wisdom could she really offer?

  After she took a seat, the males did the same, and, within seconds, the formality hanging heavy in the air vanished. All the males around the table would have been considered large even for shifter standards. Testosterone circled the room like a shark. It didn’t take away from the fact each male was beautiful in his own right. Male shifters seemed to be blessed with chiseled features and rounded muscles though.

  Knox’s face lit up. “Well, well, well. Look who is got himself banded. Ow. Fuck, what was that for?”

  He rubbed his rib and his brow turned down, looking to Roan at his side.

  “Don’t disrespect the Alpha and his mate.” Roan pulled his elbow back up to the tabletop and nodded his head toward them, causing a chunk of his shaggy hair to fall in front of his eyes.

  Kali smothered a smile. She had a funny feeling Knox should come with a warning label. Ryker snorted from beside her, clearly listening to her inner monologue.

  “He can’t follow pack etiquette to save himself, but Knox is an excellent warrior and valued pack member.”

  Knox’s antics helped lessen the tension running along her shoulders. At least she wouldn’t be the only member not following pack rules. It made her feel like less of an outsider. If only by a little.

  “Don’t you know, as my mate you get to make the rules for our pack?”

  Breathing deep, she searched under the notes of food for each individual scent the men wore. Instinct demanded she know the smells of her pack. Consequently, she could pick up on some stronger emotions. Not every member of the pack was happy she was there. She scanned the table and noticed all of the males adverted their gaze. Not one of them would meet her eye.

  “Some of the males are running out of time. It’s hard for them to see another enjoy what they have lost all hope of finding. Please don’t judge them harshly. They still avert their gaze, which is a sign of respect.”

  She hadn’t really thought about what it must be like for the males of their kind. The good ones anyway. If there was a way to help them, she’d find it. Her attention lingered on a male with sandy-blond hair. Ford; she plucked the name from Ryker’s mind. He had scented the most of resentment, and she would focus on him first.

  From beside her Grayson stood and came to stand next to her. He sank onto his haunches and grabbed her hand,
bowing his head. “I give my life freely in exchange for yours.”

  Her eyes widened. Why would a male she didn’t know offer such a thing? How bizarre. Warmth and relief filled the mating link. Whatever was happening, it made Ryker proud as punch. Who knew what she was meant to say and do according to shifter customs? Throwing etiquette to the wind, she spoke from the heart. No one had offered such a thing, and Grayson’s words meant the world to her. “Thank you Grayson.”

  Not that she could ever accept such a gift. But she didn’t want to hurt the male’s feelings. Grayson nodded and stood, walking back to his meal, only to be replaced by another male who offered the same vow. Each male took a turn sinking to his knees before her and vowing to protect her with his life. Even Ford.

  She bit back tears and swallowed down the overwhelming urge to cry. “Thank you for your vow. I’ll do my best to make sure I’m worthy of such a gift.”

  “Now let’s eat. And celebrate,” Ryker said.

  Knox smiled at her, winking, and reached forward to spoon up half a plate of bacon. Food made her mouth water, and she filled her plate too. Within minutes the pack was eating and talking among themselves. It was weird to think of the males around the table as her family.

  “In time, it’ll get easier.”

  She took a mouth full of food and moaned. Dear God, it had been days since she’d had real food. The eggs were light and fluffy and seasoned with some herbs she couldn’t place. The bacon was thick and crispy, and she’d be eating more of that. A lot more.

  Creed, who sat to her left, laughed. “Roan cooks the best damn food this side of the border.”

  Licking the flavor from her lips, she nodded. “I could believe that.” She redirected her gaze to Roan. “This is delicious. The best bacon and eggs I’ve tasted.”

  The male’s lips tugged at one side and his face flushed from his hairline down to the collar of his gray shirt.

  “Can you believe that for the first time in pack history a female with be with the pack this Christmas?”

  Christmas. Her smile faltered. Crap. She’d forgotten about the seasonal event. The Outlaws hadn’t been one to decorate or spread the Christmas cheer. There was no exchange of presents; it was just another opportunity to score resources for the pack.

  Ryker placed his hand on her thigh and squeezed. “This year will be different. Roan is a master cook, so there will be a lot of eating. We also prepare a hamper filled with food and essentials for the local shelter.”

  Wow. She was impressed. Ryker had mentioned his—she supposed it was their pack now—wasn’t rolling in money, but they still managed to give things away to those less fortunate. After spending a lifetime of taking from people, something like that sounded like food to feed her soul.

  “Of course, with a group of males there’ll be a lot of shenanigans. We won’t be doing presents this year—there hasn’t been enough time.”

  Presents didn’t matter to her. It was being able to share Christmas surrounded by family that was the real gift. It sounded wonderful. Something she would have experienced as a child, the last time she’d had a family.

  The only problem: Thane was due to deliver their sentence. She threw a prayer to the moon and hoped against all hope that Christmas wishes really did come true.

  24

  Ryker blew out a breath. It had been a long and emotional day. The pack had said good-bye to Jones. He’d lit the pyre himself, and they’d watched as the embers ascended to the heavens and burned eternally on the wall of light. Each member of the pack had helped dig out a recess into the wall of light where a candle was lit and joined with all the other males that had fallen before Jones and would fall after him.

  He blew out a breath. Why couldn’t Jones’s fated mate have been there when he needed her most? Understanding their genetic curse was impossible.

  “There. That should do it.” Kali placed an unused bauble into a box on the wooden coffee table.

  Kali’s words pulled him away from his somber thoughts. He glanced over to the corner of the lounge room and smiled. In all their history, Ryker had never seen the pack home looking so festive. Tinsel and baubles curled around the staircase’s banister and mantel. Once he’d realized Kali hadn’t celebrated a Christmas since she was a pup, he’d insisted on her experiencing the whole nine yards, including a fresh Christmas tree Knox had chopped down himself.

  If it could constitute a tree. His brow arched up, inspecting their masterpiece. He was sure a tree with fewer than ten branches was considered a twig. But Kali had loved it, and he could deny her nothing.

  Amusement skated across their bond. “That is the best Christmas tree I have ever laid eyes on.” Kali leaned forward and adjusted a trinket on one of the lower tree limbs.

  His eyes zoned onto her heart-shaped ass and the way the fabric wrapped around each cheek as the material tightened. Mouth salivating, he smothered a growl, knowing Kali was enjoying spending time with the pack. More saintly than he thought himself capable of, he averted his gaze and eyed the flimsy branch that bowed under the weight of popcorn tinsel and ornaments.

  Around a mouthful of popcorn, Knox nodded in agreement. “Damn straight it is.”

  Ryker shook his head. “You’re not meant to eat the decoration supplies, Knox.”

  His chewing slowed, and he busied himself shoving popcorn onto the string, mumbling about fringe benefits of threading popcorn. Kali laughed, and her happiness wrapped around his heart. Damn, he loved that sound. He simply loved her.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips on his. Pulling her close, he enveloped with his arms and deepened their kiss, groaning at the taste of her, hardening his cock. He could barely keep his paws off her, and it made it worse because their connection told him she wanted his attention just as much as he did.

  All too soon, she pulled away. “I have to finish decorating.”

  Bending down, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “Have at it, mate. I have some things I need to do.”

  After breakfast the pack had set to making the place hum with Christmas spirit. It was humming all right, with the low voltage coming off all the twinkling lights. Sighing, he let her go.

  “Later, my hungry mate.”

  Later was a lifetime away. Tossing the bauble back into the box, he strode toward the stairs. The men could finish off the tree; he looked up to the empty staircase, and there was a ton of paperwork drowning his desk. Grayson had done a good job with the running the pack while he’d been gone. However, a businessman he was not.

  He trudged up the two flights of stairs to the top level and beelined straight for his office. Opening the door, the pile of papers swallowed his leather-topped desk whole. His nose itched with the stagnant air. Sneezing, he shot forward and leaned over a small shelf that sat under the window’s ledge to open the window.

  On this side of the house the moonlight barely reached the trees, making the icy pond look like black glass. Chilled air filled his lungs. He braced his arms on the sides of the window panels and looked out over his territory. When was the last time he had stopped and enjoyed the smaller things? When your humanity slips through your fingers, one tends not to find beauty in things like small, ice covered ponds. It was nice to do so in that moment. All that was missing was Kali to share it with.

  “Alpha.”

  The edge lacing Grayson’s voice halted him. He turned to stare into the solemn blue gaze.

  His jaw pulsed three times. “Saint is in our territory, hovering inside the forest edge. What do you want me to do?”

  Saint? Muscles ridged, he frowned and clamped down on his mating bond. No need to worry his mate. If she caught a whiff of the possible scenarios strolling through his mind she’d be down the stairs before he could draw his next breath. “Saint?”

  Grayson nodded. Saint’s presence threw him a curve ball. He couldn’t recall a time that his brother had stepped foot on his territory. Ever. It could only mean one thing, and there would be n
o need to involve anyone else in what was to come.

  “You and the men stay here and protect Kali at all costs. I’ll handle this.”

  Grayson’s mouth clamped shut and pulsed. His muscles were taut and his fists clenched. The male wasn’t happy, but he knew Grayson would follow orders. His wolf, alert under his skin, hid in waiting. Currents of power snapped in every cell, all at his control. Making his way through the ranch, he opened the back door and stepped outside.

  Mist plumed out of his mouth, the winter’s night biting through the air. Making his way around the corner of the house, his gaze scanned the area and stilled on a wolf, fur dark as a daemon’s eye. He strode forward to the edge of the woods and Saint shifted. His brother’s eyes honed onto his mating mark and to the glyph where he knew the gold band surrounding his markings poked out.

  Ryker sucked in a breath, searching for other shifters in his territory and only finding his brother’s scent. More evidence that he might be there to execute him. “What brings you to Dark Falls?”

  Saint’s gaze darted to the top level of his home, where Kali would be sheltered from view. “Last month, when you tried to trade for the females in my pack, you were trying to protect them, weren’t you?”

  Ryker’s eyes narrowed and he growled, not liking the way Saint looked longingly toward his home. With a flick of his head, Saint’s attention shifted back to him—where it belonged. Had Saint somehow read the statement he’d submitted to Thane? If Saint was there to deliver justice, maybe he could appeal to him on some level to spare Kali. For that mercy he’d answer all the questions in the world. “Before last month’s full moon Father had organized to attack your pack and take all your women and kill anyone who got in his way.”