by Crystal Dawn
We sat at the dining room table talking and seeming oblivious to the building dangers outside our pack house, but we were aware. There was nothing to do until the threat made itself known. I don’t really think we were psychic, we were predators and knew what it felt like to be stalked because we had done our share of it. I felt like a noose tightened around me making it harder and harder to breath. Sherona seemed clueless and I was glad. I didn’t want her to worry about something none of us could do anything about. I was strong, I was alpha and when this thing made itself known, I would crush it like a balloon in a tornado.
Jasper came in and sat next to me quietly. He was brought his plate but he didn’t seem to be hungry.
“Tell me!” I demanded softly. I wanted no one else to hear especially my curious mate.
“There were signs of intruders at the edge of our land. Footprints and the scent of strange wolves. There were maybe half a dozen.”
“I suppose there’s no way to track or even identify them?” I asked with a sigh. It was clear to me that the next attempt to attack my pack was starting.
“No there’s not, but they just stuck to the edge going along the road. If they venture in farther, I think we’ll manage to catch them.”
“I hope your right.” I said no more, allowing Jasper to eat his meal. His mate never accompanied him, she was housebound. It was not because anyone wished her harm or treated her ill, it was by her own choice. She had locked herself away after losing a pup she had carried for four months. The doc had told her there was no possibility she would ever carry a pup again, too much internal damage.
It was my hope that Sherona would eventually visit her and try to bring her back to us. Right now I hadn’t even mentioned it. Sherona had enough to learn about and adjust to. She had taken an interest in Edward that I would admit disturbed me. He neither encouraged nor discouraged her friendship and I could feel her emotions and knew friendship was all that it was. I suppose I didn’t want her exposed to that dark side that lived in him. My bright, loving mate wouldn’t know how to handle that.
Sherona had already started trying to deal with the emotional baggage that my pack had. I’d been aware of matters when it involved those close to me, but I hadn’t realized the needs some of my pack had because I rarely saw those. It was almost embarrassing when Sherona asked me about a widow who had a child that lived on the outskirts of pack lands. I had assumed because she hadn’t asked for help, she needed none. That couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Sherona convinced the proud female to move into the pack house by offering her a job. She would help raise the pups that Jericho and T.J. had starting with Joe. I had a feeling there would be more pups in the pack house and they wouldn’t just belong to my son.
The atmosphere in the pack changed as those that kept their distance were brought back into the fold. It was odd but the pack buzzed with excitement and hope. It was almost like a new beginning. Why had I never noticed how much we lacked without an alpha bitch? I suppose that at first I had been mired in my own loss. Left with two tots to raise, but at least I had had them. Had I not, I would have followed Joetta into the after life and never known my Sherona at all.
Just the thought of my mate sent heat flashing through me. I was ready to take her to our room and show her how much I wanted her.
Even though a pack alpha was busy, I had found time for Sherona in my schedule. Not just for sex, although we had been getting that regularly, but for romantic moments and short getaways. I never wanted her to get bored or feel like life had stagnated. We had taken two weekend trips for what she called incredible story opportunities. If she was happy, I found I was content.
Less than a month after the hunter had been captured, another hunter was sighted. It was by a pup about eight years old who had luckily been in human form. He ran lickety split to get his parents. His father, a guard, had called it in before going to investigate. By that time the hunter was gone but I didn’t want my wolves exposed like that. I issued the order that they go in groups of two and no less. This was a pack and the lone wolf mentality had no place here.
A day later there were more signs and smells but they were on a border that was the farthest point from our pack house. They were testing us and the stress among the pack was palpable. I issued directives: all pups would be kept close to home, no running in wolf form and even those who weren’t guards would leave home in twos. It was for their own good, but as always there were those who chose to ignore what they didn’t want to do.
Who considers a pup as a second person? The young widow Wilson, that’s who. She was in the process of moving to the pack house and I will give her consideration for the fact that she was technically in her yard. Since she was closer to the edge of pack land than anyone else, her yard was sizable. She was going to the shed to get something she couldn’t do without. It had been in the shed for years, but now that she was moving, she had to have it.
The signs of struggle were obvious. Even the pup had put up a good fight. It had been against all odds, but both had tried to escape. I didn’t think the hunters would attack a mother and child. This was the work of the pure blooders in person.
My hunters immediately hit the trail and although they were good, once they hit the road where the abductors forced them into a vehicle, there was no trail to follow. I knew we’d hear from them but it was frustrating and aggravating to wait for word and not take action. Once again I called for a meeting of my top advisors even though Edward and Jasper were the ones that would mainly deal with getting getting back Nola Wilson and her son Gus, who was eight years old.
Thomas and Earl were also at the meeting because they covered a lot of the security on pack lands. Jericho sat in on it in case I ended up in a position where I couldn’t make the decisions. I thought all were present until there was a knock on the door and when I said enter, Sherona walked in. I should have included her and in time I would remember that if it was important and affected the pack, she would be included.
“Forget someone?” Jericho whispered with a snigger. It was his misfortune to be sitting close to me and I slapped the back of his head hard enough for him to wince. I sniggered back at him.
“Come in Honey. I was just about to call you to see if you wanted to join us.” I explained while several mouths dropped open in shock. I sent them looks that said I would not tolerate signs that they didn’t believe me. Everyone shut there mouth and sat up a little straighter in their chairs as they greeted their alpha bitch. As much as the title made Sherona uncomfortable, that was how much I liked it.
“I’m sure you would have let me know eventually.” Sherona agreed with a smile. She was personally invested in getting this female and her son back. She had bonded with Nola when she visited her to see how she was doing. They got closer when they discussed her taking the job of helping with the newborn pups that we would have at the pack house. Nola had immediately fallen in love with Joe, something that hadn’t surprised anyone. Sherona had decided she was perfect. Not just for Joe, but to help with any newborns, even ours when she eventually had one.
Gus was old enough that he wouldn’t be a problem. Between school and his chores there would only be a couple hours before bedtime to worry about. There were several wolves, both female and male that could take turns supervising him when needed. I knew this because she had shared her excitement with me and I had been excited by it too.
Sherona took a seat next to me on the side Jer wasn’t on. The seat was vacant as if waiting for her. “So have you gotten started yet?”
“We were just about to.” I admitted. “Jasper, give us your report.”
“It looked like she went out in the yard to get something from her shed when they attacked. They probably would have broken in the house to get them had they not made things easier by leaving the house. There were signs of struggle and even the pup gave them a hard time. We tracked them half a mile to the road where the scent disappeared at the blacktop. We’re assuming there was a vehicle of s
ome kind waiting and they were transported to an unknown location.”
“Edward you’ve done some research with the council investigators. Has any of their information been useful?” I asked looking at him hopefully.
Edward rolled his eyes in a gesture that seemed odd on the usually serious judge. I thought it was a bad habit he’d picked up from T.J. and Sherona who both resorted to it at times. “Only if rumors and speculation are helpful. They know less than we do so at least we were able to help them.”
“Thomas what can we do to prevent this from happening again?” I asked.
“I would like to set up cameras near every house including the pack house and have some of the younglings monitor it. Had we had the information sooner and known what the vehicle was, maybe we could have caught them. Another thing we’ve discussed before is a better fence that’s electrified at the top.”
“You know why I’m against that. The local humans already wonder what the hell we do out here. Add a fence like that and they’ll believe we’re an experimental lab, some kind of cult, or some kind of government facility. It would cause as many problems as it would solve. Earl?”
All eyes turned to Earl who had been staring off into space. His head swiveled quickly around to face me. “Yes, Alpha?”
“What is your opinion of all of this?”
“We aren’t really sure who took her. It’s also odd she was taken when she prepared to move someplace inaccessible. Are we sure it’s not a ‘would be’ mate? She is after all not only female, but quite desirable.”
I now knew two things. First, we had jumped to a conclusion without thinking things through and second, my beta had the hot’s for the new pack nanny. I looked up and my eyes caught with Sherona and hers sparkled. That could only mean trouble.
“Jasper, I want the hunters spread out everywhere, sniffing behind all the trees. No stone unturned until we find her or rule out locals.” I instructed.
“I’ll see it done.” He answered as he left to do my bidding.
I turned my attention to Earl. “Earl you seem to have some insight into the widow. Tell me who has shown interest and who may have taken her.”
Earl blushed. It was an odd thing to see on a wolf though it did happen. “She has several ‘would be’ suitors who’ve shown interest but she’s denied them all.”
“Have you shown interest?” I asked.
Again he blushed and his eyes went to the ground. “No, Alpha. She’s beyond my reach.”
“Let’s get back to the list of interested males.”
“Stan has asked her out, but he’s human so he’s not a likely candidate. Mike the lone wolf that lives in town has also called on her. Beck, he’s from the little pack that we let stay near our borders, he’s also asked her out. Oh and there was one of Deed’s betas, but he probably got killed in the battle. His name was Kendall and he was a real asshole.”
“We’re not really sure who died in the fight, but we are sure many of his top males escaped because they ran like the cowards they were. This Kendall needs to be checked out first then all the others until we rule them all out or find Nola and Gus. Write up a list and put on it all the names you told me and any more you might think of. Her life and that of the pup may depend on it.”
I don’t know why I felt the need to tell Earl how important this was since he should know, but he was different and sometimes obvious things went over his head. He was a good fighter, but he lacked the ability to strategize. He was built like a tank and I suppose females found him attractive. He was a little dense at times but not really stupid, just oblivious. He was good in his area, which was security and he helped out in other areas when needed. He worked well as the second on a project. Maybe because he felt more comfortable when someone else was in charge. Not everyone was made to be the alpha or even in the top three which was a good thing because leadership positions were limited. I was pretty sure Earl was happy where he was and would be upset if he was moved higher.
As far as I knew, he had never challenged Thomas or tried to fight him in any way. I wasn’t sure who would win. Thomas was smart and fast while Earl had strength that could kill a wolf if he got too close. My primitive side wanted to see that challenge. My human side was unhappy at even the thought of it. Changes at the top of the pack structure, especially when things were working well like they were now, could be destructive. All my betas were good in their chosen area, they worked well with each other and most importantly things got done right. I was glad everyone seemed happy where they were and I didn’t know any pack members who had a hope in hell of beating Earl that were below him.
That didn’t mean there weren’t any young wolves that might not have the ability some day, just not now. Challenges were an everyday occurrence in a pack but not as common in the top five or six. Most challenges were between low level youngsters trying to get a feel for their place in the pack. Even Jericho and Judah had to fight for their position when they were young. A wolf had to be able to fight and the young ones fought often and aggressively. The older wolves fought less often, but even more aggressively, sometimes to the death of one and rarely both wolves.
Sherona was lucky none had challenged her, or maybe the pack females who hadn’t challenged were the lucky ones. I had worried about a she wolf named Sheila, but she hadn’t come around and probably didn’t know an alpha bitch had taken over. I hadn’t seen her in a year or more though I had spent a night or two with her. It was obvious to me after the second night that no matter what I told her, she had expectations. The last time I had seen her she had dared to tell me she would never let me mate another. She had lofty goals but I had told her I would never mate her, not even if every female in the world disappeared. She had left angry and I hoped she found someone more suited to her clingy ways.
Sherona was in good shape and she’d been training with T.J. and some of the other pack females. T.J. had hinted that Sherona was a good fighter and could handle herself so I wouldn’t worry about her fighting any of the other females. I would still worry about any males that might get it into their heads to go after her.
I called Edward and had him check with the council. They had identified the pictures we had taken of the dead wolves from Deed’s and his Cousin Sam’s groups. They might know if this Kendall was among them. I wasn’t sure if it would be a good thing if he was involved or not. If it was him, at least it wouldn’t be the pure blooders. They were the biggest threat right now, but Earl seemed to think this Kendall was the type to mistreat a female. That made him no better than the pure blooders who had a reputation for mistreating their captives.
The next morning the search was still ongoing and we hadn’t heard from anyone. I thought the pure blooders would claim there act even though Nola was a pure blood she wolf. The more I thought about things the more I suspected Earl was right and it had been an act of personal passion. If the pure blood group wanted a victim, Nola and her son were both as pure blood as a wolf could get, wouldn’t be the best victims to attack. They would go for one of the wolves that was a half breed or T.J. and Sherona since they hated white wolves passionately.
Our mates would be hard to get, but they hadn’t even made an attempt. Pure breed wolves really were a myth. All the bloodlines had mixed with humans or other supernaturals at one time or another. In the time of great sorrow, or what the humans called Inquisition in the Middle Ages, many wolves had mated humans as a means of hiding. Humans believed it simply a religious upheaval, but the wolves had a very different story of what happened. It was a rooting out of anyone who believed differently than the accepted Church, but the secret reason behind it was also to destroy any supernatural found. Some supernaturals had skill that helped them hide, but vampires and werewolves were slaughtered by the thousands.
At one time supernatural populations were at least half that of humans. The middle ages changed all that, wiping out some bloodlines entirely. Whole packs disappeared and remaining ones scattered hoping to find anonymity. Every young wolf
learned about what havoc humans could wreak on their world. Of course they were also taught about the strong werewolf and vampire leaders that had tried to take over the human and supernatural world. Many of histories cruel dictators had been supernatural in origin. There were atrocities enacted on both sides and there would probably be more in the future. Extremists always rose to the challenge of bringing as much suffering to the world as possible and it didn’t look like that would change anytime soon.
My phone buzzed, I had a text. It was Edward and he had gotten a list of confirmed dead from the council. There was no Kendall on it and they estimated a dozen of Deed’s inner circle had escaped and probably regrouped. That meant there was a very real chance that this Kendall was at the root of our problem. If he had Nola and her son, they would probably be somewhere nearby. I hoped Jasper’s hunters would find him but this information might help them. I sent Jasper a text with what I had found out in it. I felt a mix of hope and despair. We were closer to finding her, but I was even more concerned about her condition and the boy’s knowing such a hard wolf had them in his paws.
I felt Sherona’s hand on my shoulder. She always seemed to know when something bothered me and what to do to ease my suffering. Maybe she sensed it through our bond as I sensed her needs at times. We had an unusually strong bond that seemed to grow stronger every day. Neither of us had tried to block it although I had heard it was possible. If I ever was wounded again as I had been recently, I would try to block it then for sure. I moved my hand up and clasp hers. Heat and more reassurances moved through me. I felt a strong need for her and I struggled for the control I needed to escort her to our room. I hoped this need would never leave either of us.