by Rhea Regale
Aya snorted, shaking her head in disgust. She sidestepped to Lenox and nipped his snout, then turned to Riley. He quickly toned down his defenses, padding back a few steps. His jowls lowered and his ears pricked up.
“I get you two don’t like each other, but I’m not going to be a damned dog sitter for the rest of my life!” Aya scolded. Lenox stepped up beside her and nudged the soft fur at her neck. She listened to the sound of his quick breaths. He was sniffing around for something. Aya snapped back at him. He lifted his head and stared at her. “Why did you attack him like that?”
“He was about to bite you,” Lenox said. The straightforward manner of his tone caused her to pause. She glanced back at Riley. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought the wolf was smirking. As it was, the smugness that rolled off him lapped at her in gentle waves.
“I was,” Riley taunted. “Making it known she’s my woman.”
“Our woman, Riley. And until I know you won’t tear deep into her throat, you keep your fucking teeth away from her.”
“Uh, hey, pups. How about this. I decide who goes where and what touches me,” Aya groaned. She trotted ahead, distancing herself from both males before casting a glance over her shoulder. “Right now, I want nothing to do with either of you. When you think you can get along in a civil manner, one that reflects your human nature, then we’ll talk. You both know how to kill a great night.”
Aya bounded deep into the forest, away from the frozen wolves whose stunned attention lingered at her backside. She followed the glittering trail of moonlight along the untamed wilderness, keeping her senses open to any dangers that may lie in her path.
“Aya.”
Lenox’s gentle voice infiltrated her aggravation. She shuffled to a pause and perked her ears, listening for any approach. A light breeze picked up, obscuring the subtle noises cloaked behind the rustling tree tops and swaying branches. Dead leaves scraped over each other, swirling around her snow-white paws. Her nostrils flared as the crisp, pre-autumn air lightened.
“Ayasha, answer us.”
Riley’s husky tone held no anger. A coaxing warmth that thrived in Lenox poured over to him. The temptation to lope back to them tugged at her heart. She wanted both of them, but the alpha male, stubborn resolve remained erect between them. Lenox would fight to protect her, even against Riley. Riley would use any excuse to eliminate his competition, even if that man was her other mate.
With a short snort, Aya resumed her trek through the forest, quickening her light steps. Ahead, the swoosh of water currents filtered among the trees. She inhaled, catching the clean scent of river water and fish. Calm swelled inside her spirit.
“Ayasha, this isn’t necessary,” Riley pressed. She ignored the hovering silence in wake of an answer from her and continued on.
A few minutes later, Aya came to the edge of the forest, where a rocky bank met the shallow waters of a wide river. The silvery moonlight cast a magical sheen over the lazy currents as the water flowed along. Thick patches of grass sprouted up between larger rocks. She padded to the nearest crevice and curled herself onto the soft bed, tucking her paws beneath her chin. Her eyes were trained on the forest’s edge.
The breeze stirred her fur, caressing her flesh. It was deep night and her spirit ached for rest. Over one full day of adrenaline pumping through her veins, secrets unlocked and being soaked into her mind, and taking on two of the most gorgeous males who happened to loathe each other… It could drive any stable creature to madness.
Her eyelids grew heavy as the soothing rush of water lulled her spirit. The quiet whisper of the breeze through the grasses and rocks sang a melody of peace. She yawned, drinking in the crisp flavor of the air against her tongue, then tucked down to sleep.
* * * *
Nox padded along the edge of the riverbank, his attention set on the beautiful white wolf tucked in a rock crevice on a bed of thick grass. A veil of illuminated green fronds swayed in the breeze, obscuring Ayasha behind the delicate wall. He stroked the outer skirts of her mind, sensing her awareness only to discover she had fallen asleep.
Alone.
Twigs cracked behind him. His ears pricked up, and he angled his snout to the sky. Riley had remained just out of sight since Aya took off, but Nox felt his presence as firm as the ground beneath his feet. The breeze cast downstream, away from the sound and the wolf he knew approached him.
Sure enough, Riley slinked up to the forest’s edge, several feet away from him. Nox observed the man, latching on to the telepathic line as it hummed with unspoken tension. His fur began to rise along his flank. To his disgruntlement, he sensed no threat in Riley. Just one fucking pissed-off wolf who burned his amber gaze into him.
Nox pulled back his jowls in a silent growl. He hopped over the low-lying brush and onto the rocky terrain of the wide bank. Riley came out behind him, keeping his distance except for the thick disdain running rapidly between them.
“We need to straighten shit out between us, Riley. Our estrangement shouldn’t make her feel this way,” Nox said. He slipped between the grass curtain and paused. He’d never seen such a beautiful sight. Aya, in all her pure white fur and peaceful calm, wrenched at his heart. She was fire and wit beneath her fragile exterior. She was raw and fearless. Everything he had ever searched for in a woman lay at his paws.
He lowered his head, brushing his nose over the velvety fur of her snout. Her tiny whiskers tickled his nostrils, nearly making him sneeze.
“I enjoy our estrangement. It spices things up between us when it comes to bedding her.”
Nox pulled away from Aya. He wouldn’t doubt she was still upset with them. Hell, he’d be pissed if he was exposed to such vile behavior.
Determined to settle the differences that set him and Riley astray a quarter century earlier, he began the fluid transformation from wolf to man. The supple fur retracted and disappeared beneath his skin. His legs remolded and reformed, bones and joints stretching and realigning. His arms filled out, muscle replacing sinewy front legs. At last, his head reshaped, leaving his dark hair to blow across his face.
“Turn, Riley.”
The tawny wolf grumbled his displeasure, but within a matter of moments, Riley took up position on the opposite side of the rocks protecting their sleeping mate. He leaned against the rough structure, braced on his elbows, his eyes burning into Nox.
“What makes you think I care to reconcile our differences? Just because you think we’re mated to a white, brothers in paws so to speak, doesn’t mean I’m an instant ally,” Riley sneered. Nox crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a brow, not in the least intimidated by the dangerous glow in the other man’s eyes. “I told you before not to misconstrue my earlier intervention as a truce.”
“If you’d put aside your fucking front and listen to anything I’ve told you, you’d understand your feelings a little more.”
Riley bit out a sharp laugh. “Give me a fucking break. You’re no head doctor, Nox. All your high and mighty perceptions of the world and situations handed to you seem to blind you to the obvious. I don’t feel a damned thing for her, or you. I’m a wolf, a wild, carefree wolf. Your scheme to get my vote on Team White isn’t gonna work.”
Nox bristled at the crass insinuation toward Aya. She deserved more than Riley’s bitter tongue.
“Think it’s a scheme? You were never one to accept your faults, even when they’re blatantly laid out for you,” Nox snapped. “I wouldn’t let you near her if you didn’t belong with her. If I didn’t rip your hide from your body when you had her trapped against that tree, it’s because you are her other mate. Spiritually appointed. Don’t believe me? Call up the pair in HoodRiver who just found their white. Coal and Jacy were both there the night the spirits appointed mates to the whites.”
“I don’t give a shit about the spirits. I don’t give a shit about the whites. What I do care about is exacting revenge for the murder of my father.”
“Then you’re a blind fool, Riley.” No
x gritted his teeth as his frustration swelled in waves of heat. His muscles stiffened. The fight not to throttle the idiot was quickly turning into a full-out war. “I’m not gonna tell you again that you’ve been led astray by Laela’s sister. She’s leading your pack, and you’re her pet dog.”
“Eliza is not related—”
“Damnit, Riley! When the hell are you gonna pull your thick head out of your ass?” Nox barked. He slammed his fist into the rock, cracking the solid object. A dull pain webbed up his arm, but his mounting anger extinguished it. Riley straightened up, the menacing bitterness dripping away until the fierce nature of his being hardened his face. Lowering his voice to a rumbling growl, Nox added, “I saw the change she procured in you. I knew the instant you realized she fit with you. The moment you came to terms with the fact that all your outlandish plans to destroy her would never come to pass because you can’t hurt her.”
“How’d you like watching me claim her?”
“I wasn’t positive you wouldn’t have hurt her when she chased after you,” Nox grunted. He glanced down at Aya’s sleeping figure. When he returned his attention to Riley, he caught the man’s inner battle before it was shoved back into his mind. “I wasn’t there as a spectator.”
“Were you able to make her scream like I did?”
“I’m not here to talk about the skills of seduction and pleasure.”
“No, of course not.” Riley raked his fingers through his hair and groaned. “You’re here to be a thorn in my ass.”
“Trust me, I’m nothing compared to what you’ve been the past twenty-five years.” Nox briefly noticed the defensive walls around Riley slipping, and stepped up the pressure. “You know, she needs us both. This rift between us was built on lies and deceit. I didn’t lie to you about the evening the legacy came to pass. Charles protected Aya from being killed by your father. He kept her safe and alive. For us. That woman can forgive you for murdering her uncle under false pretenses, forgive your father for murdering her parents, and come to terms with what the spirits have fated her. If she couldn’t, she would’ve let me tear open your throat and leave you to bleed out. Rather, she stood up for you.”
“Scolding me like a pup isn’t what I consider standing up for me.” Riley waved his hand toward the sky. “This is all shit. Even if what you say is true, I’d never be fated to a white.” Riley jutted his chin toward Aya. “To her.”
“Well, then, go ahead and kill her like you planned all along.”
Nox stepped away from the rocks, leaving Aya unprotected from attack. Riley’s lips twitched. His fingers furled and unfurled. Turmoil flashed in his eyes. The muscles in his shoulders flexed and relaxed. Nox waited patiently, holding on to the muffled telepathic line while his wolf reached out for any threats within Riley.
After many tenuous moments, Riley turned his back to Nox and strode briskly to another boulder closer to the river. He perched on top, shutting himself out from the world.
Nox sighed. At least he got Riley thinking. That was an accomplishment. As it was, time was short. He had to keep Riley close to Aya and himself if he had any hope of redeeming the warm man he recalled from the days of their friendship.
* * * *
Eliza tore her bared claws through the last standing table and shrieked. Wood splintered, stabbing her fingers. Beads of blood seeped out of the pads. She felt no pain. Her rage, her frustration, and her uncontained disgust flooded all of her senses.
Why was Riley teaming up with them? A year and a half of working him, twisting his thoughts, making him believe the whites were evil, all for what? To have him defend one! That damned wolf belonged to her. To her!
Spittle sieved through her teeth with each harsh breath. Her muscles were wound so tight, her body trembled beneath the pressure of her fury. Somewhere beyond the red-hazed perimeter of her vision, she caught a shift in space and spun around.
Her pack remained frozen in place, standing in the motel’s doorway. Pairs of eyes flashed with worrisome thoughts and suppressed fear. Fear of her. Good. You should fear me. She couldn’t afford to lose another wolf of Riley’s strength and cunning.
That cunning bastard played me.
Lava singed her nerves. He’d played her, all right. A quick survey of the destroyed motel room was all the evidence anyone needed to weigh Riley’s place in her life. She had shredded curtains and bedspreads. Smashed electronics and torn light fixtures out of the walls. Not a single piece of wooden furniture had been spared her wrath. Neither had been the curious attendant who happened by her room as she lusted for a kill. She’d taken to his body like a rabid wolf, ripping flesh from his bones and drenching a good portion of the room in crimson. The acrid scent of death pulsed like a beating heart, though the man’s heart ceased to beat.
Riley.
He was a pawn in her game to kill the white. That’s all he was supposed to be. At some point, he became more. Now he was spoiled meat and she wanted him dead. She wanted all of them dead.
Her claws retracted, and she flipped her wild, mussed hair behind her shoulder with a quivering hand. She tipped her chin skyward and dried it of spittle and blood. As her composure returned and the tremors eased, the storm in her mind began to settle. Tearing apart rooms, killing and maiming stupid humans, it wasted time and energy she wanted to reserve for her grand prize.
“Did you dispose of all the bodies?” Eliza asked. She didn’t care to answer to authorities about a bunch of dead wolves or naked men because her pack couldn’t dispose of them properly.
“Maddock escaped, but we found his trail,” Kyle responded. He cleared his throat with a small cough. “He’s good as dead though.”
“Good as dead?” she growled. Her fingers fisted. She slammed it into the only untouched object in the room. The mirror over the ruined dresser shattered in a piercing shower of shimmering glass. She spun back to her pack and stalked up to Kyle. “Good as dead isn’t dead. He’s probably trying to get to Riley. If he warns Riley about what we did here, do you know what kind of complications that’ll cause us?”
She smacked Kyle across the face, snapping his head to the side. He yipped.
“I don’t want any more complications! I just want that white dead! Good and dead!” She jabbed a finger toward the unidentifiable mess of human remains on the bed. “That degree of dead! Do you all understand me?”
“Yes,” the group of men mumbled.
The power of rage fizzled from her muscles on a shudder. She released a short breath.
“Very well then.” Eliza’s gaze raked over the six men beneath her tight-leashed command. She folded her arms over her chest. Blood from her shirt streaked her skin. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, soothing the vicious rumbling of her wolf.
“What do you suggest we do about Maddock?” Jared asked.
Eliza pulled back her eyelids. A small grin tugged on her mouth.
“We’ll use him as bait.” She snickered. A dark heaviness filled the small room, and it wasn’t emanating from the massive forms of her six males. “Carter stepped up the game. I say we get our hands on some of those tranqs he used on Riley and see how they like the effects of the drug.”
* * * *
Ice froze in his veins. A sense of bleakness filled a newly discovered void in his spirit. He reflected on Lenox’s words. It had been so long since the man who he’d once give his life for evoked any sense of passion in his spirit. For a brief second, he actually thought he missed the kinship he and Lenox once shared. Life had been easier before Laela and her entourage tore up the packs and destroyed the whites. That much he’d admit.
But to accept that all these years had been nothing more than a misunderstanding? A twisted lie? His pack stood behind him, strong and true, determined to wipe out the whites who had survived the Blood Moon Massacre. They supported his cause, vowing revenge upon those who had destroyed his father. His hatred toward Lenox and his mighty pack the night he learned his closest friend had been appointed mate to a white led him to r
ebel. Anger forged his path of life. Loathing cut away any obstacle that came up.
Riley gazed out over the rippling waters that shimmered beneath the cold moonlight. Full moons always comforted him, sang a song to his spirit, his wolf.
Not tonight.
Everything changed on this full moon. His surrounds had become more clear and crisp. The smells of the night, the wilderness, struck him with such clarity they nearly sent him reeling to regain mental footing. He could distinguish the succulent differences between strong redwoods and piney spruces. The musk of dead leaves and the damp dirt beneath soothed him. The methodical cascade of river water flowing by, curling around rock protrusions and swirling over the uneven riverbed, procured a long-forgotten sense of peace within his spirit. His wolf was content for the first time in two and a half decades.
This, the serenity surrounding him, anchored into that void of his and drew him back to where he belonged. Wild nights tucked deep within the mountains and forests of nature’s core cooed of a lost righteousness.
But what about his pack? His father?
Immersed in deep thought, he barely picked up on the scrapes of rock drawing closer to the boulder. He turned his head against his bicep. His heart did the oddest flutter when his gaze landed on Aya. Damn, she looked so beautiful with the silvery moonlight pouring over her creamy skin. Her eyes glittered with a degree of innocence that stole his breath. Even after her wild affair with Lenox and himself, she continued to exhort a simplicity that ebbed from her spirit and embraced his. She was a complete contradiction to his ideal woman, and yet, having had her, he knew she was everything he ever hoped for.