“Shit!” He dragged the zippers down and yanked her feet free from the confines of her boots then lifted her from the truck. His hands burned her too-sensitive skin, and she struggled so hard to get away he dropped her into the deep snow at the side of the road.
The cold shocked her enough to fight down the wild wolf within, and she fumbled for the button holding her dress together at the nape of her neck. Careless of the damage to the delicate suede, she ripped it from her body. Her elongated nails shredded the gossamer-thin panties at her waist, and she gasped in relief. Free at last, the wolf surged, sending Sadie back down into the snow. Bones cracked, flesh slid, and her scream rose higher and higher into an eerie howl.
Shaking herself to settle her ruffled fur, the wolf took a couple of tentative steps then broke for the trees. Ignoring the shouts of the man behind her, she poured on speed, trying to shed the web of ties threatening to hold her back. The threads tugged at her, pulling at the wolf, trying to draw her in different directions. West to the heavy scents of pine and pack. North to the responsibilities of family. East to…. Everything you need is East.
Her grandmother’s words pulled her up short, and the wolf skidded to a halt, sending a spray of snow into the air. She’d assumed the instruction had been to journey to the Black Hills to find Margarete’s family. The web fell away, and her panic eased. Shaking her fur to dislodge the icy flakes, the wolf turned around. A single golden thread remained, a pulsating connection leading straight from her heart to her destiny. Her mate.
She trotted forward, following the path she’d plowed through the deep snow. A huge brindle wolf waited for her, his impressive form illuminated by the headlights of the truck. Sadie slunk forward, ears low, tail drooping, and the male stepped toward her. His muzzle buried in the thick ruff at her neck, and he rubbed his head back and forth, marking her with his clean, fresh scent. The last bubbles of panic popped in her belly, and certainty settled over her. Everything I need.
Sadie woke in her own bed, the sheets behind her cool enough to let her know Easton had crept out without waking her some time before. Her eyes rested on a folded tissue on her bedside cabinet, and she smiled. One of the chocolate kisses from Miss Fern nestled in the center of the white square.
They’d run for hours, dancing and playing in the woods until they’d ended up outside the sprawling wooden house her family occupied. Creeping naked through the kitchen and up the stairs, they crawled under the covers to sleep curled in each other’s arms. He’d made no effort to push their mating to completion. It didn’t matter. Wolf and woman were settled on him, and they would welcome his claiming bite when the time came.
Throwing back the covers, Sadie hummed to herself as she headed for the bathroom. One more thing lay between her and final peace with her decision to stay in Los Lobos, and Miss Kathy promised to hold the answers she needed.
***
The elder wolf sat alone at a booth in the corner of the restaurant. She nodded once before fixing her eyes on the wooden box Sadie placed on the table between them. “You’re ready, then, girl?”
A loaded question, if ever she’d heard one. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she worried the delicate skin for a moment. Deciding nothing could be worse than what she already believed, she straightened her spine. “I am.”
Miss Kathy flipped her graying braid over her shoulder and swallowed a mouthful of her coffee. “Lonnie was right in what she said. Margarete was a good girl. Quiet, reserved, easily overlooked. You were more likely to find her nose buried in a book than anything else. Pretty, though, like all you Burrows girls. The boys sniffed around her, but your great uncles chased ’em off for the most part.”
“She had two brothers, right?” Sadie knew Mats was Stefan and Sander’s father, but she didn’t know much about his twin brother, Mikkel.
“Yes. The twins were like chalk and cheese, sunshine and the storm, but they were equally devoted to their little sister.” Miss Kathy turned toward the window, her eyes unfocused. “That was the problem,” she muttered softly.
A cold finger of premonition traced down Sadie’s back, and she shivered.
Miss Kathy blinked back to the present. “Edmund King, now there was a fine-looking man. Golden curls and this dimple in his cheek when he smiled that sent women trailing after him. He drifted into town, looking for a season’s work and new land to explore. The alpha gave him permission to stay through the summer. Everyone knew he’d be gone by the Equinox. That was the deal.
“Your grandmother took one look at him and tumbled tail over muzzle. You Burrows have a tendency to do that.” Her lips twisted in a wry smile, and Sadie laughed. Miss Kathy shook her head then continued. “She trailed around after him like a lost puppy. He was kind to her, flattered by the attention, and they did what young people do.
“Poor Eddie. He thought he’d found a nice girl to fool around with for a few weeks, but Margarete had other ideas. She went to his bed that first time, knowing she was fertile, and fate did the rest. The family was furious when they found out—Mikkel, especially.” The matron’s face grew dark, and a heavy weight settled in Sadie’s stomach.
“Eddie had no time for a mate, but his conscience wouldn’t let him walk away, so he offered for your grandmother. Mikkel turned their parents against the match, and they refused their consent. There was an almighty row, and the pair vanished overnight. No one saw Margarete again.”
Margarete, not them. Sadie frowned. “What about my grandfather?”
Miss Kathy sipped her coffee, pulled a face, and shoved the cold remnants of her drink away. “Ten years after they fled, Edmund returned to Los Lobos. Your grandmother was unhappy with his pack, and he petitioned our alpha for permission to bring her home.”
She reached a gnarled hand over the table and gripped Sadie’s fingers. “Mikkel had never been right since Margarete left. He tracked Eddie across our lands and cornered him in Dogtooth Cave. They had a terrible fight, and your grandfather was killed.”
Sadie clung to the strength in the old wolf’s hand. “He didn’t just abandon her, then?” All those years Margarete waited for her mate to return, hope fading to bitter disappointment. It broke her heart to think about it.
“The alpha had his remains buried in the cave and declared it off-limits. Mikkel was banished, but the alpha forbade word be passed to Margarete, fearful the alpha of Cedar Crossing would seek revenge for the murder of one of his wolves.” Miss Kathy shook her head. “It never sat right with me, but he swore those of us who knew on a blood oath and we couldn’t break it. The years passed, and there was so much trouble, so much death and destruction, Eddie became nothing more than a statistic.”
Sadie tugged her numb fingers from the matron’s grasp and rested them on the small wooden box. She closed her eyes, whispering a quiet prayer for poor Margarete and Eddie before opening the lid. Bundles of faded papers tied with ribbons sat on the top, and she lifted them out carefully. A few childish drawings lay beneath, and Sadie recognized her own hand in them. Digging further, her fingers fastened on a chain. She raised the necklace and studied the milky, pointed crystal. The gem spun, catching the light on its carved facets, sending little rainbows refracting over the surface of the table.
“Dogtooth spar.” Miss Kathy sighed. “The ceiling of the cave is covered in them. It was a popular meeting spot for couples back in the day. I’m sorry, child.”
“It was a long time ago. Thank you for telling me the truth. It would have been easy enough for you to keep it quiet.”
The elder wolf bristled. “There’s been too much brushed under the rug in this pack.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a folded paper. Smoothing out the sheet, she revealed a map. With one gnarled finger, she pointed to a large black X marked in the hills. “I thought you might want to visit the cave and pay your respects.” She wiped a tear from Sadie’s cheek with her thumb then slid from the booth, leaving her alone with the ghosts of the past.
; Sadie stared at the map, the irony a bitter tang on her tongue. X marks the spot. X, the symbol of a kiss. Miss Kathy had given her the final part of their scavenger hunt. Silent tears dripped from her cheeks to stain the paper. She would have lost the hunt a thousand times over to avoid the heartbreak she felt for the two parted wolves.
***
She smoothed the freshly turned earth beside the small cairn of stones piled in the corner of the cave. The wooden box, full of love letters between the young Margarete and her mate rested in the earth beside his grave. Reluctant he may have been, but over time, Eddie had fallen hard for his mate, welcoming their child with his whole heart. He hadn’t told her where he was going on that final trip. Sadie suspected he hadn’t wanted to raise Margarete’s hopes of returning home, but the reason for his silence would stay buried forever beneath the cairn.
Strong hands enclosed her shoulders, and she let Easton help her to her feet, welcoming the warmth of his solid chest when he pulled her close. She wet the front of his shirt with her tears, not for the first time over the past twenty-four hours, but it would be the last. Her grandparents had been robbed of their happy ending, but Sadie could pay homage to their love by wholeheartedly embracing the future.
Lifting her wet face, she met her mate’s eyes. “I love you, Easton.”
His lips covered hers, a delicate brush. “My mate. My heart. I love you, too.”
Chapter Ten
The tree sparkled, lit with a thousand glittering fairy lights, its branches laden with an array of decorations. Delicate glass baubles, stuffed animals, funny, quirky objects, each one a unique symbol of a couple around it. Caitlyn stepped forward to hang a pink baby’s rattle, accepting the calls of congratulations from the gathered wolves with a blush. Ven took her place, a smug grin on his usually-hard features, and hung a matching blue one next to it. Cheers rose, and he took a bow. Easton smiled. It looked like the Burrows’ tradition of twins would continue to the next generation. A human female, another newcomer to the pack, took her turn before the tree. The significance of the TARDIS she fixed to a branch was lost on Easton, but the smile she shared with Sayer, a pack protector, spoke volumes.
Sadie went next, tucking a chunk of glittering dogtooth spar she’d collected from the cave between two thick boughs. The matching necklace shone bright against the dark wool of her thick sweater. Easton took his place at her side to hang a compass. “So their souls can find their way home.”
His mate bit her lip, moisture shining in her slate eyes, but she blinked the tears away before they could fall. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He gathered her under his arm, and they took their place among the rest of the Burrows family. Stefan and Marjorie stood together, Jessie tucked between them. Caleb hadn’t felt able to join them as Hannah was still feeling unwell, so the little wolf would run with her grandparents tonight. Connor and Bailey were back from their visit to Franklin, at least, so most of the family would be there to escort Sadie on her first official pack run.
A hush fell over the gathering when Gee stepped forward. “Two boys lived with their grandmother in a wigwam.” His deep voice sent a shiver down Easton’s spine. The old bear’s stories were always steeped in meaning. “One day the boys went hunting and while they were gone, a stranger came then waited for their return. By the sunset, they returned with a large buck. The grandmother invited him to stay for dinner, and he accepted.”
His voice rose and fell, the hypnotic tones of a born storyteller capturing everyone in his spell. “Now, after they ate, the man asked if he could stay for the winter. The grandmother agreed, and since he was a shaman, he would help the boys hunt. The man’s name was Winter Snow. When spring came, the man departed, with many thanks for her hospitality, taking with him her two grandsons who’d been turned into winter’s snow.”
An air of expectation settled over the crowd as the bear yielded his placed to Drew. All eyes turned to their alpha. A ripple of excitement ran through the pack, and one or two dropped to their knees, their wolves eager to shift. “My pack. My friends. Welcome to our annual celebration of the Solstice. The nights are long, the weather hard, and the moon rules the skies. This is our time. The wolf’s time. The hunter’s time. Run far and fast. Coat the land with our scent so any who dare to stray into our territory will know they face a united force, ready to protect all who call Los Lobos home.”
Howls and cheers split the air, and Easton threw back his head and sang along with them. Drew let the wolves give voice for a few moments before he waved his hands for silence again. “Who wishes to join us? Who claims the right to call the Tao Pack their own?”
The curly-haired woman who’d hung the TARDIS stepped forward. Easton glanced at Sayer, noting his clenched jaw and fists. If the alpha rejected his mate’s request to join the pack, the wolf faced a devastating choice. Easton rubbed at the ball of tension in his gut. I feel ya, man. The human and Drew exchanged quiet words, offering and accepting a vow of loyalty. The huge wolf ushered his mate away, head bent close to hers.
Sadie moved into the empty circle before Drew, and Easton clenched his fists against the need to join her. His mate could manage this on her own, but his protective instincts were riding him hard. He would claim her this night, take her as his mate, and his wolf itched beneath his skin.
“I would join you. I would call you alpha, if you will have me.” Her steady voice filled him with pride.
“And do you remember what I told you when you first arrived?” Drew asked quietly.
She nodded. “I know who I am, who I want to be. Not a Burrows. Nor a King.” She turned to look at Easton over her shoulder. “I am a Quaid. Now and always.”
His heart thumped wildly at her public declaration. I love you, he mouthed to her.
“Give me your hand, then, Sadie Quaid, and swear blood oath to alpha and pack.” Drew nicked her palm then his own with a small pocket knife, and they clasped hands. A shudder went through the pack bonds as they opened to accept the newest wolf into the Tao Pack.
Unable to stand still a moment longer, Easton gathered Sadie into his arms and swung her around, the applause of the gathered wolves echoing in his ears. His lips sought hers, stealing a kiss, and her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her back to where the others waited to congratulate her. The Burrows enfolded them both in a huge group hug, and Easton closed his eyes against the rush of emotion. This was his family, too. Sadie had claimed his heart, from the first moment she’d peered at him from beneath her wooly hat, and brought him more than he could ever have hoped for. For the first time in a long time, Los Lobos was truly his home.
“Sorry we’re late.” The group broke apart at the sound of Caleb’s voice.
“Daddy!” Jessie took a flying leap into his arms, and he cuddled her close.
“Hello, pumpkin. Look who’s come to run with you tonight.” They all looked down at the small brown wolf tucked close against his legs.
“Momma?” Jessie wriggled down and flung her arms around the she-wolf, nestling close into her fur.
“But how?” Madeline clasped her hands to her gaping mouth.
Caleb grinned. “We went to see Bastian when Hannah first started to feel unwell. He thinks the hormone and blood transfer from carrying Micah boosted her latent wolf genetics. Added to the pull of the full moon tonight, and the call of the pack, she was finally able to shift.”
Hannah’s brown wolf woofed in agreement, and everyone laughed. The pack began to break up, drifting away in smaller groups to begin their shifts from human to animal. The Burrows family gathered around one of the family trucks, quickly stripping their clothing and storing it in the trunk in neat piles. They chattered happily, nudity a natural state among shifters. Easton stowed his gear and winced at the icy ground beneath his feet. He would wait for Sadie, though, as did the other males, forming a protective circle around their females until they had shifted.
The she-wolves took their place, standing sentr
y while Easton and the others dropped to the ground. With the moon high and the magic of the pack hanging heavy in the air, he flowed between forms faster than he ever had before. Howls echoed from all directions as one by one the pack completed their transformation.
A pair of black wolves stood together beneath the shining lights of the tree, their fur so dark they blended into the night. The alpha pair shot forward, and a river of fur flowed after them, streaming over the snow and ice. They joined the group toward the back, letting the eager hunters and the younger wolves lead the way. Jessie, Caitlyn, and Hannah stayed in the center; the rest of the family ranged around them. Ven and Connor took the rear position, the most vulnerable place, though only a fool would try to attack either of the huge dominants.
Musk, pine, and the bright scent of fresh snow filled the air as they ran. The land rose up to meet their paws, and they followed the well-laid trails of their ancestors, claiming the rugged lands of the South Dakota hills as their own. The pack fractured into groups, drawn by the scents of prey and the call of their individual territories. Wolves pounced, frolicked, and leapt through the snow, a pack at play, at peace.
Easton nipped Sadie’s flank, angling away as the rest of the family turned toward home. Dodging through the trees, he led her a couple of miles to the other side of town until they entered a small clearing. The wooden house might be simple compared to the one the Burrows lived in, but it was his. He’d given it up for one of the returning families, giving them temporary shelter while Ross Luparell and his team worked hard to construct new homes to replace those lost and damaged during Magnum’s years of neglect.
His tenants had moved out a few days earlier, thrilled to be in their own home for the holidays, and he’d stolen a few hours here and there to spruce the place up. A faint glow shone through the front windows, giving the place a homely feel. He scrambled up onto the front porch and tugged the string he’d tied around the handle earlier. The door swung open, and his claws clicked on the smooth tiles in the hallway.
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