Wolf Hollow (Wolf Hollow Shifters, Book 1)

by Nikki Jefford

  Gasps arose, followed by cheering from the shifters present. Patrick, the shifter who’d climbed the tree, now jumped down grinning with relief. Sasha couldn’t blame him. This was one kill she was happy to relinquish. The death itself, however, cast a shadow over her mood.

  This wasn’t like a vulhena. This had been one of their own.

  After Aden and Sasha shifted back to human form one of the males took off his shirt and offered it to Sasha. She took the shirt gratefully and pulled it over her head. The fabric barely covered her ass, but it was enough. Aden snatched a blanket that had been left near the remains of the fire and wrapped it around his waist.

  More shifters ran into the clearing yelling questions about what had happened. Several raced to the scene in wolf form, hairs raised on their backs and lips lifted, ready to attack. When they caught sight of the dead wolf, they shifted and got to their feet. It didn’t surprise Sasha that Zackary stuck to the shadows of the trees, arms folded tight, his jaw clenched as he peered in with dark eyes.

  A shifter named Chase who had rushed in on foot approached the dead wolf with a grim face.

  “Who is it?” he asked.

  The strain in his voice told them he already knew. Still, he needed to hear it. The shifters who had run to the scene as wolves could confirm it for sure.

  The smiles of relief faded from the faces on the surrounding shifters. A somber air filled the clearing, dampening the mood like morning dew. Chase’s eyes remained on the dead wolf. He crouched beside it.

  A female shifter named Taryn hurried over.

  “Chase . . .” she said fearfully, as though the mad wolf might come back to life and tear off his hand.

  Chase shot Taryn a glare that silenced her.

  The wolves who had recently shifted looked at one another, not wanting to be the one to tell Chase who lay in the dirt at his feet.

  “It’s Rebecca,” Sasha said.

  Taryn hurried forward, gushing, “Chase, I’m so sorry.”

  Condolences were echoed. Sasha wanted to tell him she was sorry too. Sorry that he had to lose his sister a second time, but too many shifters were crowding in on Chase when it was clear he wanted them to stay the hell back.

  He ran his hand gently over Rebecca’s fur, one stroke before rising from his crouch to stare glassy-eyed at the wolf who now looked gentle in her lifeless state.

  “We should bury her in the Forest of the Ancestors,” Hudson said, walking briskly past his sister, Taryn, to join his friend’s side.

  Jager limped into the scene and answered with a gruff, “No. Rabid wolves have never been allowed a place with the ancestors. We will burn her body.”

  From behind Jager, Sasha caught sight of Tabor clutching his bow, forehead wrinkled and lips pressed together tight. He wasn’t broad-shouldered like Aden, but his toned muscles and lean body were powerful and he had an easy way of moving that always looked so effortless. Seeing him gave her heart a little lurch. Her gaze quickly darted back to Hudson, who glared at Jager.

  “Maybe it’s time the entire pack had a say on what happens to our family members.”

  Hudson looked around the circle. Most of the shifters present looked down at their toes and rubbed the backs of their necks. Nobody spoke.

  Jager scowled. “Don’t get smart with me, boy. That thing isn’t family or a member of our pack.”

  “Thing?” Hudson roared, fists clenching.

  He started toward Jager but didn’t get far before Chase grabbed his friend’s arm. “Let it go. She’s gone now. At least she’s finally free.”

  Hudson’s fists remained clenched, his face an angry shade of red.

  “Huds,” Chase said, keeping hold of his arm. “The old crank’s not worth it.”

  At the moment, Hudson looked like he’d have no problem getting into a physical fight with Jager despite his age and ailments.

  It was then that Sasha remembered the rumors that Hudson and Rebecca had been planning to claim one another before Vallen bit the she-wolf.

  Sasha had heard the snarling coming from the direction of the river. She’d run at top speed on four legs, but it had been too late. Rebecca had already been bitten. With no way to help her, Sasha had turned her attention to Vallen, hoping to end him once and for all. But rather than trying to claim another victim, Vallen had run off with Sasha on his tail. She ran the entire night trying to catch up, but even though she was faster than most, Vallen didn’t tire the way normal wolf shifters did. Madness seemed to make him immune to pain.

  A day’s run from Wolf Hollow, she’d finally turned around. It took her nearly twice as long to get back.

  When she returned, she learned while she’d been chasing Vallen, Rebecca had gotten away, meaning there was another rabid wolf on the loose.

  Not any longer. Sasha’s chest tightened.

  Palmer traipsed over, hands in his pockets. “What’s going on over here?” he asked.

  Garrick, Raider, and Hector followed him. This time, Sasha got the frontal view of Hector’s hulking muscular body. He held himself tall, in stark contrast to his earlier position hunched beneath Garrick.

  Jager growled. “Where have you two been?” he snapped at Palmer and Garrick. “A rabid wolf made it to the glade. Good thing Sasha and Aden were on their paws this morning. I have half a mind to cancel next month’s ceremony.”

  Several nearby shifters groaned their discontent.

  The smug smile that had been lazing over Palmer’s lips dropped. “A mad wolf? How did it make it this far into the hollow? Is it dead?”

  “Of course it’s dead,” Jager snarled. “Why else would we all be standing around gawking?”

  Palmer glanced around until his eyes found the wolf’s body.

  Alexa shoved her way into the clearing, walking straight up to the dead wolf. “What happened here?” she demanded in a tone that made Sasha’s hackles rise.

  “Rabid wolf,” Hector answered in a dull tone. He stood stoic and unflinching as though made of oak.

  “How did a rabid wolf get into your camp?” Alexa demanded. She shot an accusatory look at each member of the council, including Sasha.

  Silence fell over the shifters present in the clearing. No one ever spoke that way to elders, especially not outsiders. One by one they all narrowed their eyes at Alexa, but none with as much ferocity as Garrick.

  Again, Hector answered. “Wandered in from the looks of it, which isn’t too surprising considering there are no barriers protecting the hollow.”

  Alexa scowled and lifted her pert nose into the air. “In Glenn Meadows we protect our communal gathering places with spiked fences. We were surprised to see Wolf Hollow doesn’t do the same. This is the result.” She flung out an arm at the dead she-wolf.

  When Garrick growled, Hector flinched the tiniest bit. Palmer crossed his arms over his chest, eyes slanting. Hostility filled the clearing like thick, ashy smoke. Hudson was no longer glaring at Jager. He had a new target.

  Before things had a chance to escalate, Sasha pushed her chest forward and walked up to Alexa, close enough to bite the she-wolf.

  “We don’t believe in hiding behind walls here in Wolf Hollow.” As she said the words, she could feel her pack begin to simmer down.

  What they needed was a show of leadership and strength. It was this or risk a brawl, which wouldn’t end well for the vastly outnumbered wolves from Glenn Meadows. They had enough trouble fighting off mad wolves and vulhena without adding a rift between themselves and another pack.

  But Sasha wasn’t about to stand silent while an outsider criticized their ways.

  She lifted her chest. “We take pride in our heritage and freedom. Pride in the hollow and all it provides for us: food, shelter, water—a place to gather and raise families. We protect it as it protects us, and we show our respect to the hollow by taking care of it in return. We are nat
ure’s caretakers, not owners. This land was not meant for walls or barriers.”

  Sasha could see shifters behind Alexa nodding their agreement. A calm quiet settled over the clearing.

  Alexa’s shoulder’s drooped slightly and her lower lip pouted. “Well, we value safety and protection. And we still live outside in nature.”

  “You must be feeling very homesick,” Sasha said in a placating voice. “I’m sure you’re eager to return to the safety of your walls.”

  Alexa’s eyes narrowed. “They’re not walls. It’s fortification.”

  “Sounds quite human.” Sasha scoffed. “What’s next? Buildings and skyscrapers?”

  A couple of shifters chuckled behind them.

  Alexa scowled.

  “You’re just stubborn and stuck in your archaic ways,” she lashed out. “Look at all the good it’s done you. You’re down to three elders. I heard a vulhena attacked a couple of your pack members the other day. And now this morning a rabid wolf makes it into camp.”

  Hostility resurfaced in the eyes of every Wolf Hollow shifter present.

  Little idiot. Alexa should have held her tongue and kept the peace while she had a chance. She’d given Sasha little choice about what to do next. She’d already picked up on the rumbling growls from enraged shifters. They were still in human form, but their anger could push them to shift and act without thinking their actions through.

  “Enough!” Sasha bellowed.

  Everyone went silent and stared wide-eyed at her. Losing her temper was a rare enough occasion, but she could rein it in just as quickly, turning her following words cold and steely. “We are mourning the loss of a pack member. We welcomed you here as our guests, and you have done nothing but judge us from the moment you arrived. Show a little respect. I’m surprised your elders haven’t taught you any, especially since, as you pointed out, you still have all yours.”

  Someone coughed behind Sasha. She was too focused on Alexa to become distracted.

  Sasha stepped closer, within inches of Alexa’s face. Alexa tensed and glared into her eyes.

  Sasha lowered her voice, but it was no less menacing. “If you find the hollow so disagreeable, you can go home.”

  Alexa’s eyes flashed. Her shoulders tightened. “Happy to,” she ground out between her teeth. She stepped away from Sasha and went to Hector’s side. “Hector, we leave for Glenn Meadows at once,” she said, eyes still latched on Sasha.

  Hector’s head jerked. “But we just . . .”

  “Got here?” Alexa finished for him. “Doesn’t matter. You won’t like her, and I’m pretty sure she won’t like you.” This comment was directed at Sasha with a sneer on Alexa’s lips. “Another day’s not going to make a difference.”

  “Now hold on,” Jager said. In his rush to join them he moved at a good speed, as though he’d never been crippled. Creases formed above his eyebrows. “Hector and Sasha haven’t even been introduced. We’ve all waited a long time for this.”

  Alexa snorted and waved a hand in the air. “Hector, Sasha. Sasha, Hector. There. Introductions have been made. Now Hector and I are leaving.”

  Garrick joined the small circle they’d formed in the clearing. He was bare chested, as usual, jeans riding low and snug around his muscular waist.

  “Do you speak for Hector?” Garrick challenged. His lip curled when he looked at Alexa. He shifted his attention to the Glenn Meadows’s pureblood, gaze boring into the shifter with fierce intensity.

  Hector looked from Garrick to Alexa and swallowed. “We are supposed to remain for a week,” he said in a soft voice.

  Alexa swung around and planted a hand on her hip. “Then you can stay. I’m leaving.”

  Hector winced. “I can’t let you travel alone. I’ll have to come with you.”

  “Well, I’m going now.” And to show she meant it, Alexa stormed out of the clearing toward the woods.

  Hector’s eyes widened. “Sorry,” he said before chasing after her.

  Hector’s cowardice rendered Sasha temporarily speechless. Everyone present gaped in the direction the two Glenn Meadows’s wolves had disappeared. Shortly after, a howl rose from the treetops, followed by a second. And then there was silence. It lingered like the dying embers in a fire. Hudson was the first to break it.

  “What a muttonhead!” he cried out.

  Laughter followed.

  “Spineless cur,” echoed among the crowd.

  “Can you believe anyone thought that bitch from Glenn Meadows was attractive?” one of the males asked. “Her personality is about as pleasant as a vulhena.”

  The shifters nearest laughed their agreement.

  “And I’ll never forget Hector running away like that. What a lily liver! He’s not really a pureblood, is he? A rabbit has more courage.”

  Sasha smiled to herself. It contented her to see the pack come together in unity. She didn’t even mind the harsh words Alexa had spoken or seeing Hector run from her sight moments after they were introduced. No, Sasha was happy to see the backside of him.

  And after the spectacle Alexa and Hector had made publicly, Garrick had no hope of pressuring Sasha into claiming the pure-blooded craven from Glenn Meadows.

  chapter eight

  The grip Tabor had on his bow loosened after Alexa and Hector ran from the clearing. He’d been speaking to Jager when they heard the growls and screams.

  Normally calm anticipation washed over Tabor when a threat was present, but this time cold dread had squeezed his throat in a cold vise; what if Sasha were in danger?

  He had quickly assessed the situation. A rabid wolf had run into camp and been killed. Tabor didn’t know who had done the honors until he heard several shifters thank Aden.

  Werewolf to the rescue. Naturally.

  Once Tabor had seen that Sasha was safe, his heart rate had recovered, but listening to Alexa lash out made his fists tighten. At the woman’s malice Tabor mentally kicked himself for seeking her out during the ceremony before he knew a thing about her. He’d lucked out in more ways than one when he ended up with Sasha.

  The sight of Hector fleeing buoyed his hopes for a chance to claim Sasha as a mate. If that was the best Glenn Meadows had to offer, Tabor might stand a chance.

  He’d gone to Jager early that morning to request a pairing for the next patrol cycle. Jager had looked at him through narrowed eyes and demanded to know why Tabor wanted Sasha as a partner. Even the offer of physical relief hadn’t been enough for the old crank to willingly agree, though there’d been a definite spark of interest.

  Tabor had weaved a story about wanting more respect from fellow pack members. For them to see him in a better light. Esteem by association. And what better association could he have than to partner with the pack’s only pureblood?

  Jager’s jaw had relaxed. “And this potion you mentioned will cure all my aches and pains?” he’d asked.

  It had taken extreme willpower to fight back the smile twitching over Tabor’s lips at how easily he’d taken the bait. “Not permanently, but it will provide relief for up to twelve hours at a time. Don’t think of it as potion so much as brew, a potent elixir that dulls aches and pains rather than the mind. It won’t fix the limp, but it will make you feel like a man in prime health.”

  Jager’s head had lifted at that.

  He chewed on his lip. “If last night went the way I hope it did between Sasha and Hector, I doubt she’ll be on patrol much longer.”

  Good thing the old coot didn’t know what had really happened, or he might have a stroke.

  Tabor slid a mask of indifference over his face. “Even more reason to be her partner while I have the chance.”

  Jager had nodded thoughtfully, but before Tabor could seal the deal, they’d heard the screams.

  Now Jager raised his voice and pointed his finger at the gathered shifters.

  “N
o more standing around. I want everyone gathering kindling for Rebecca’s bonfire,” he hollered.

  Chase and Hudson remained by the dead wolf, arms folded, watching as shifters hustled into the woods to grab sticks that would burn with the she-wolf’s body.

  Sasha walked over to Aden and leaned her head toward his, sparking jealousy inside Tabor that raged like an inferno. They were no longer partners, but it appeared they were still working as a team. He had no reason to be angry; they’d taken down a rabid wolf without any other pack members getting bitten or hurt in the process. Tabor didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if the rabid wolf had gone to the den rather than the glade. He only wished he had gotten to the scene in time to take the mad wolf down with one of his arrows. Aden wasn’t the only one who could protect the pack from a deranged wolf.

  What really rankled was seeing the virile werewolf with a blanket secured around his waist standing beside Sasha, who was bare legged in a man’s baggy cotton shirt. They looked like a pair of shifters who had recently coupled, not killed.

  A snarl rose up Tabor’s throat. He choked it back and tore his eyes away from the pair. Gathering timber didn’t feel right. Instead, he walked over to Chase and Hudson and dropped his head. “I am sorry for your loss,” Tabor said somberly.

  Chase nodded. “Thanks.”

  “I can’t believe they won’t let Becks have a tree,” Hudson said. His tone wasn’t as angry as what Tabor had first heard entering the clearing. There was resignation and resentment lacing his words now. “Do they think her body is going to somehow taint the forest?”

  “You know,” Tabor said, leaning in closer and lowering his voice, “you can always gather up some of her ashes and spread them beneath as many trees as you want.”

  Hudson gave a grunt. “No rules against that, especially if the elders aren’t aware, but Chase is right, Becks is free. That’s all that matters.”

  Hudson said the words, but the sincerity wasn’t in his eyes. Tabor didn’t blame him. If his mother hadn’t been allowed burial in the Forest of the Ancestors, he would have been spitting mad. There would have been no place to pay his respects.