The Rockford Pack

by Stacey Espino

  She did feel safer once zipped in her tent. Alone time also helped her recharge and gather her thoughts. After pulling off her soaking overcoat, she dropped down in exhaustion. It was difficult to move around and rough on her back, but she had a feeling sleep would come easily for her tonight. It seemed her dreams and imagination were her only saving grace these days. She was now twenty-six, and most of her friends had graduated or married. She was hanging on to nothing, either volunteering, or taking more courses at the university to avoid real life. Nova wasn’t a social butterfly, and meeting men was often painful and awkward. She kept faith that Mr. Right was out there somewhere—although she was running out of patience. The fact that her sexual peak had decided to make itself painfully known did not help her predicament.

  It must have been hours later when she roused into consciousness. Everything around her was pitch-black. She couldn’t even see an inch in front of her face. Chills raced through her as the low temperatures mixed with her clammy skin. What had woken her? Nova was still half asleep when she tried to stretch out her legs in the cramped space, curling back up in her blanket to escape the bitter cold. That was when she heard it…there was a fucking animal outside the tent. She held her breath and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. It sounded large and menacing, rooting around the opening of her sealed tent. A bear? A wolf? Please move on, please move on, she chanted in her head. Was that a growl? Please don’t let me die like this. I’m a fucking virgin, for God’s sake!

  Why wasn’t it interested in the other three tents? Had she done something wrong in preparing for the night? If she expected Craig or Roger to come to her rescue, she was sorely mistaken. After what felt like an eternity, the animal seemed to lose interest and silence finally returned. She exhaled, counted her blessings, and actually managed to fall back asleep until first light.

  * * * *

  “You’re not dragging me down today!” Roger shouted.

  Nova blinked open her eyes, thankful for the morning light even though it burned due to her unsettled sleep. Roger’s shouting was enough to wake the dead. She pulled on a dry sweater and ran her fingers through her hair to give it some semblance of normalcy then tied it back in a loose ponytail. Luckily for her, she was extremely low maintenance. Unfortunately, she suspected it also drove eligible men away like the plague. She just wasn’t a makeup and hairspray kind of girl. Her morning ritual was a shower, moisturizer, and a hair elastic—no flat irons, eye shadow, or expensive perfume. But it seemed only the Barbie dolls with silicone boobs and high heels got the guys in her world. She really needed to reassess her image when she got home, or she’d end up a crazy, lonely cat lady in her old age.

  She unzipped her tent and stepped out. Morning dew tickled her ankles as she stretched out her cramped muscles. The sky was a brilliant blue, a stark contrast to the deep evergreen of the forest. At least the rain had finally stopped. Craig and Bethany were nearly finished packing up, so Nova picked up the speed. Her colleagues were used to hiking in their fieldwork, but this was all new for Nova. Before she could even take down her tent, Roger began walking off, so she’d have to catch up or risk being left alone in the middle of nowhere. She highly doubted he’d turn back to find her if she never caught up.

  “Come on, Nova,” Bethany called back without stopping.

  “I’ll be there in a sec.” She scrambled to lug her knapsack and supplies onto her back. Her party was out of sight, which freaked her out even though she could still hear them in the distance. A crunch in the leaf litter behind her was the motivation she needed to get running.

  * * * *

  Ryder watched the group of humans from a distance—two females and two males. He’d scouted the campsite during the night, finding no threat. Regardless, Corbin had plans for these trespassers. They’d end up as vulture bait once the pack was through with them. For now he just needed to keep tabs on their movements.

  He turned and began his long run through the forest. He thrived in his fur, his feral nature stronger than any of his human traits. The forest was his home, his sanctuary.

  It was nearly starting time at the mine, and if he wasn’t there, his brother would go ape-shit. He was obsessing over production and driving the crew to insanity as of late. Ryder wished things were like they used to be—simple. They had always lived day to day. Their only concerns besides business were keeping ahead of their rivals and sating their desires. Now that Gregor’s pack had a mate, Corbin felt like they’d won. Won what? Ryder had no clue. A permanent female in their own pack was not a possibility. His brother didn’t do love and pushed away any thought of mating. In Corbin’s eyes, Garret Gregor had acquired a liability, not an asset.

  Ryder needed to convince Corbin to clear his head and forget about pure blood, fate, and the falsehood that the Rockford Pack was somehow weaker now that Gregor had Cassidy. It was time to move on and focus on their own futures.

  He slowed down his pace when he neared the Climax town limits. After reaching the small shed where they kept clothing and emergency supplies, he changed into work gear before walking to the entrance of Rockford Mining. Their crew was a mix of shifters and humans, so they had to be careful about not revealing themselves.

  The second he opened the staff trailer Corbin was ready for him. “Where the fuck have you been?”

  “You need to relax.” Ryder’s brother might be the alpha, but he was pushing the boundaries lately. “I was checking on your trespassers.”

  Corbin frowned, leaning toward Bray. “Get the humans out of here. Now.”

  Bray nodded to Shade.

  “Peter, John, get the machines warmed up. I’ll be down when I’m done here,” said Shade.

  The two humans looked confused since everyone usually relaxed with a coffee first thing in the morning, but they didn’t argue, not with the malevolent energy in the room. Once it was just the four of them, Corbin stood up and punched the metal wall of the trailer with the heel of his hand.

  “What’s being done about production?” Corbin ranted like a madman. He used to be fun to be around, but now Ryder could barely stand his older brother.

  Ryder rolled his eyes and poured himself a mug of coffee. “You need to get laid.”

  “No, I need Gregor Mining to fucking burn. I can’t even think straight knowing they’re outmining us.”

  “I told you, they’re just on a high,” said Ryder. “It won’t last forever.”

  “It’s that fucking Cassidy.” Corbin growled. “I should have dealt with her when I had the chance.”

  “You want us to kill their woman?” asked Bray. “It won’t be too hard.”

  They’d been playing with Garret and his pack for ages, even stealing Cassidy last year to make more trouble for them. It was out of boredom rather than real hostility. Now the dynamics were shifting. The game was becoming all too real.

  “Are you kidding?” asked Shade. “They’re all mated males now. They’d make an overprotective bear look like a kitten.”

  Corbin spun around to face Shade. “Are you telling me you’re afraid of them? Is that what I’m hearing? I won’t have a coward in my pack.”

  “If you want her dead, I’ll do it myself, you know that. What I’m saying is the Gregor Pack won’t stop until they have revenge. Is that how you want to live? Always looking over your shoulder?”

  The tension in the trailer was thick, too thick.

  “There has to be a better way,” Ryder said. “Let’s stick with the original plan and frame the Gregor Pack for the deaths of the hikers.”

  “Haven’t we already tried that before?” asked Bray, spinning a pocketknife on the table by its sharpened tip.

  “We have to use our heads this time. No more fun and games,” said Ryder. “We can kill them human-style, leave the wolves out of it, and make sure the murder weapons are found as evidence at Garret’s cabin.”

  Corbin nodded. “Their morale is too high. Anything we can use to break them down a peg will work in our favor. An in
vestigation will slow down their production.” He scanned the room. “Where the fuck is Scott?”

  Ryder shrugged. “He’s a loose cannon, Corbin. I don’t know why you accepted him into the pack.”

  “If he has a connection to Rockford, I won’t cut him off. But he needs to start proving his worth—starting with those hikers.”

  “Good idea,” said Shade. “Let him get his hands dirty for once. All he does is daydream and warm his fur in the sun.”

  Scott was the newest member to the pack. He’d shown up last year claiming to be a Rockford wolf. His story panned out, but he also turned out to be Cassidy’s half-brother. That put them in an uncomfortable predicament since Cassidy’s mates were also Rockford’s sworn enemies. There was no chance of a big happy family reunion.

  “The pack meets tonight in the woods,” said Corbin.

  Chapter Three

  “How do you expect us to find a swift fox or Arctic wolf?” asked Bethany. “We’re not exactly stealthy.”

  Roger turned around on the narrow path. “Who’s doing all the talking?”

  Only the sound of their clumsy trekking could be heard. The forest this far north was as close to virgin as Nova would likely ever see. Everything was overgrown, the trees covered in a thick fairy-tale moss. It was a different world from the concrete jungle she was accustomed to. She looked up, a lacework of leaves letting select rays of light down to the forest floor below. Such beauty.

  They had travelled all day and hadn’t found anything noteworthy. She was beginning to think this trip was a waste of time rather than a catalyst to a better career. Before long it would be nightfall again, another day down the drain. How long did Roger plan on searching for these elusive animals? She doubted they’d just conveniently cross their path.

  “There’s a river up ahead. I can hear it,” said Craig. “A water source is a great place to find wildlife.”

  The terrain started sloping downward. It was difficult to traverse, so Nova began falling behind the group again.

  “Fill up your canteens down here. We’ll have to find a campsite soon.” Roger’s voice grew distant. She could hear the soothing flow of the water now, so it wasn’t much farther until she caught up with her group.

  “Hey…”

  Nova twirled around. The whisper had been right at her ear, or so she’d thought. When she looked around, there was nobody to find. Was she losing her mind? She kept hiking down the slope, slick with mud, when she heard the voice again.

  This time she saw part of a body behind a tree about ten feet away. She froze, not sure if she should be afraid or not. A moment later a man stepped out into full view, his thumbs casually hooked in his front pockets. Where had he come from? Who was he? It wasn’t like they were anywhere near the town of Climax or other point of civilization. Their maps showed they were literally in the middle of nowhere, countless miles of untouched forest in every direction.

  He had dark, predatory eyes and a distinct five o’clock shadow. Actually she stood dumbfounded, staring like a lovesick school girl. Maybe she was hallucinating…or fantasizing.

  “Don’t you speak?”

  She slowly nodded, her mouth suddenly too dry to answer. He took several steps closer. His black jeans sat low on his beautifully etched hips. He wore a thick leather belt, and she dared not look lower. All he had on top was a fitted black tank, which did a stellar job of highlighting those broad shoulders and toned arms. And damn was he ever big.

  He smirked, and her heart did a little leap. Her annoying libido took notice, coming fully to life within seconds. She’d love one night with a man like him. He looked like he could please a woman in his sleep.

  “What is it, little human? Are you shy?”

  Oh God, even the sound of his deep, gravelly voice made her stomach flutter. Why couldn’t she talk? She’d given countless voluntary lectures at the university and did the weekend weather reports at the local station, so it wasn’t a fear of public speaking. She was admittedly awkward around men, but she knew it was something about him.

  She wondered why he’d call her “little human” but considering he looked inhumanly perfect, she barely paid notice. Nova hoped it was a term of endearment and not an insult.

  He walked around her, sizing her up with narrowed eyes. She stayed rooted in place as he did his inspection. Were they trespassing on private property? She suddenly realized how dark the forest had become, hints of red appearing through the gaps in the leaves above. The little voice in her head recited the childhood speeches her mother would give her about stranger danger. Nova told the voice to shut up because she savored being in this hulking man’s presence.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Nova,” she managed to squeak out. The moment after she’d spoken she bit her bottom lip. She’d intended to sound sultry, but it came out all wrong.

  “You have pretty green eyes.”

  She swallowed hard, not used to receiving compliments and finding it difficult to accept them. Was it possible to fall in love from a few words?

  “Interesting,” he said.

  Interesting? As he paced back and forth in front of her, she was held captive by the natural movement of his muscles. There was something primal and unsettled about him, like the caged panthers at the zoo.

  “W–who are you anyway?”

  This time he was the one to stay silent, only smiling. “You’re going to complicate things for us, Nova.” He wet his lips, not taking his eyes off her. Men didn’t look at her like that. They always glanced past her as if she were invisible. As much as she wanted to believe this god of a man was attracted to her, she knew it wasn’t possible.

  “Nova!” Bethany called from the riverbank below.

  Nova turned toward the voice, ready to call back that she was coming in a minute, but first she checked on the stranger—he was gone. She forgot about Bethany’s calls, walking deeper into the darkened woods to find the mystery man. She didn’t even know his name. He couldn’t just vanish, and he was no figment of her imagination. She’d seen him up close and personal, even studying small details from his thick lashes to the intricate ink on his shoulder.

  She stood quietly, eyes closed, hoping to hear his footsteps. All she heard was the calming wind through the leaves above her. Nova began to sway on her feet, feeling as if she were floating. There was something magical about being this far from civilization. And there was certainly something special about that guy.

  “Nova!”

  Whoever he was, he was gone. Would her group even believe her when she told them the strange story? She quickly trudged down the rough path through the underbrush, using low branches for leverage, finally coming out near the river at the bottom. It was cooler here, the scent of fresh water filling her lungs with each breath.

  “Where were you?” asked Craig. “You can’t just separate like that. Animals are most likely to snap up a straggler, especially once the sun sets.”

  “I was talking to someone,” she said.

  This garnered Roger’s full attention. He dropped the water jug he was filling and walked closer to her. “What did you say?”

  “I was talking to someone. A man.”

  He shook his head in a mocking way. “Are you joking? Because we don’t have time for games here.”

  She took a deep breath. The tone of Roger’s voice intimidated her. Should she lie and pretend she’d seen nothing?

  Roger waved his hand in front of her face. “Hello? Was there someone or not?”

  Nova stood slack-jawed, unable to speak. She felt a panic attack coming on.

  “I’d wager she saw someone.”

  Everyone, including Nova, refocused on the new voice coming from the other side of the riverbank. This man looked strikingly similar to her mystery guy, but it wasn’t him. He wore a pair of worn blue jeans and nothing else. He was ripped to fucking perfection, any woman’s wet dream—most definitely hers. Both men effortlessly put the cast of Magic Mike to shame.

  No o
ne spoke. It got unnerving after a couple minutes.

  “Could have been one of my crew. There’re five of us.”

  “You don’t live around here, do you?” asked Roger. “I’ve never heard of anyone venturing this far off the grid.”

  “This is my land. Why wouldn’t I live on my own land?” He used a fallen log to cross over the small river to their side. He moved with confidence and stealth, the moon highlighting those glistening muscles. As he got closer, she fell spellbound. There was something evil in his eyes, and she couldn’t look away. “My name’s Corbin Rockford.”

  “I’m Bethany.”

  The only other woman in their group nearly tripped over her feet to get closer to him. Nova frowned. The fact that Bethany was younger, taller, and prettier suddenly rubbed her wrong.

  But to Nova’s surprise and satisfaction, Corbin ignored her outstretched hand and continued to stroll around them. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, no sense of urgency or unease whatsoever. He certainly didn’t look weathered to shit or exhausted like she felt. Darkness had settled over the forest, leaving everything a mix of shadows from the moonlight and lone lantern.

  “Trespassers. What to do, what to do…” He spoke with a mix of humor and threat. She didn’t know what to make of him.

  “We’re just passing through,” Roger assured.

  “It’s not safe for humans to travel this far north. Aren’t you afraid of wolves?”

  Craig spoke up. “The rumors in Climax about man-eaters are ridiculous. Wolves are more afraid of us than we are of them. None of us have anything to worry about.”

  The stranger smirked. “Are you so sure about that?”

  As if on command two black wolves emerged from the underbrush, teeth bared and hackles up. They moved so silently that the dark shadows nearly hid their presence.

  “Oh my God,” Craig cried. “Nobody move. They smell fear.”