Nowhere to Hide (Tundra Wolves Book 4)

by Maggie Walsh

  “From what we’ve read in the old texts and history, it’s a paranormal thing and has nothing to do with breed. I can check with a vampire leader I know if you’d like,” Dell offered.

  “You would do that for me?” Oberon asked, his surprise showing.

  “You’re a part of my pack now, so yes.”

  “To be honest with you, Alpha, I’m a little surprised you would accept a vampire into your pack. I mean, it’s rare for one type of paranormal to accept a different type into their group,” Oberon said.

  “Yet, your clan leader accepted Fane in his nest, correct?” Dell questioned.

  Oberon smiled as he nodded. “Yeah, that’s true. He did accept a few different breeds, so I should have thought of that.”

  “So, what do we do now, Alpha?” Fane asked.

  Dell sat forward and clasped his hands on his desk. “First, you should each call me Dell. I’m not huge on formalities around here, unless we’re with others from outside the pack. Second, I spoke with Bo and he’s offered his place for you two to live in for as long as you’d like, or until you find somewhere else. Now that he’s living with your cousin, his house is just sitting unoccupied. Tonight, I asked my beta, Jude, to come in and take you on a tour of the pack and maybe for a drink at the pub, then show you to Bo’s. Tomorrow you’ll meet with Jude at the training facility and he’ll put you through your paces to see where you would be best matched around here to help the pack.”

  “We were personal guards to Julius down in New Orleans, if that helps any?” Fane offered.

  “Yes, it does, thanks. It gives Jude a starting point.”

  “If I can be honest with you, Dell, I’m a bit surprised at how accepting you are with us. I mean, I’m sure Ridge told you I was a pain in the ass, or at the very least a troublemaker or fuckup,” Fane said.

  Dell gave him that smirk again, his eyes twinkling with mischief, and Fane found the look sexy as fuck. “Very true. Before you arrived at Ridge’s he told me a lot about you and your past. He even warned me to keep a close eye on you. But,” Dell quickly continued before Fane could interrupt. “He called me the other night and we had a very long and interesting conversation. To be honest with you, he told me everything you all discussed, but before we go any further, I need you to know that whatever Ridge and I talked about is between us and is no one else's business.”

  Fane sighed heavily as he nodded. “I understand, Alpha. I figured Ridge would tell you everything seeing as I was coming to live in your pack, and thank you for saying that.”

  Dell’s face became serious and for the first time since meeting the man, Fane saw the true alpha within Dell and could see he was a fierce and protective alpha.

  “Don’t mistake my appearance for weakness,” Dell started, as if reading Fane’s mind. “I’m sure Ridge has told you that the York pack is the largest and strongest pack in the region, with the fiercest warriors. We didn’t get that way from having weak leadership. Even though I only took the helm a short time ago, I worked hard with my father to make this pack what it is today. Even though almost ninety percent of my pack are made up of artisans, we are not weak or pushovers. We’re actually the opposite. Most people are thrown off by our outward appearances, but learn quickly just how strong we are. I am very relaxed and easy to get along with, until I’m not, if you get my meaning.”

  Fane nodded. “Don’t mess with the bull and you won’t get the horns.”

  “Exactly. All members of the York pack have to train from a young age to protect our people and our lands, but once they hit a certain age and their true selves come out, they aren’t required to keep training on a daily basis, although we do give them refresher training a few times a year, so they can still protect themselves if need be. Now, as for you two, just from looking at you and knowing what you did for your clan leader, I’m sure you’ll fit right into our ranks of either enforcers or warriors―”

  “I don’t mean to interrupt you, Dell, but what’s the difference between enforcer and warrior?” Oberon asked.

  “Most of my alphas and betas are warriors. As you know they are more intense and built for battle and they each have leadership qualities. Then enforcers are generally deltas and a few gammas. They’re great fighters and know how to follow orders. You being an alpha/beta will most likely fit in with my warriors, Fane, but unfortunately because vampires don’t have the same hierarchy as a pack, I have no idea where you would fit in, Oberon, so that’s why Jude will be testing you. Now back to your questions and concerns, Fane. Whatever Ridge and I discussed remains between us, as well as anything we talk about. Knowing what I do about you from your cousin, I’m willing to give you a chance with a clean slate. I’m all for giving people a second chance to prove themselves. So, even though I do know your backgrounds, I accept you both into my pack, and we go from here without any preconceived notions about who you are. But, I will warn you again, do not let my appearance fool you into thinking that I am weak or easily manipulated, because you will find I am quite the opposite, and I promise, you will not walk away unscathed. I treat my pack as family, and some are more family than others, but I respect each for who they are. I don’t take it lightly if there are quarrels between my people or disrespect shown to anyone. We work together to grow and keep us safe. Everyone contributes in some way for the betterment of the whole, and I will stop at nothing to protect my people and our way of life. Now!” Dell said loudly as he clapped his hands and pushed back from his desk. “What else are you boys good at besides being bodyguards?” Dell strolled around his desk and headed for the door.

  Fane had no idea if they should get up and follow or remain seated, but Dell answered that question quickly when he pulled the door open and bellowed out into the hallway, “Jude!” then he turned and walked back to his desk and sat on the edge. His bare feet almost had Fane laughing out loud, but he managed to hold it in.

  Fane cleared his throat before he replied, “We’ve both held many jobs over the years. Neither of us are artists in any way, though.”

  “Well, I’ll have Marlo see if he can find some work for you. Even our warriors and enforcers have jobs as well as their duties... Took you long enough,” Dell said with a smirk to someone over their shoulders.

  Fane heard the man walk in, but hadn’t turned around while Dell was speaking because of his respect for the alpha, but now he peeked over his shoulder.

  “Really? You just bellowed like ten fucking seconds ago. How much quicker could I have been?” The newcomer bitched as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Dell.

  Fane’s eyes widened in surprise from the way the beta was speaking to the alpha, but he held his tongue, not knowing how things worked around the pack yet. He knew the guy was a beta from his scent and guessed this was Jude. Fane turned more fully to get a better look at the man, and again almost swallowed his tongue. Holy fucking hell, what did they feed people around here, pills that made them all hot as sin? This Jude guy was about two inches taller than his own six feet six, and about twenty pounds heavier than his two hundred and forty pounds, but he was still smaller than Dell. Jude had short brown hair with golden highlights, a strong jaw covered in a five o’clock shadow, skin so tanned that it looked like he had been on the beach all day, every day, for a whole summer, and amazing emerald-green eyes.

  “You know I have to keep you on your toes,” Dell replied, and Fane could hear the teasing in his voice.

  He could tell from the glint in Jude’s eyes that he wanted to give some smartass reply, but he kept quiet as he just stared at Dell.

  “This is Jude Borger my first beta and second in command. Jude, meet Fane Heart and Oberon Chrisanti. Jude will show you around and I’ll have Marlo, my assistant, get the keys to Bo’s place. Marlo can help you with anything you may need to settle in. Just give him a list and he’ll take care of it for you,” Dell said.

  Fane and Oberon stood and both nodded respectfully to Dell. “Thanks for everything, Alpha. We’ll do our best to not mak
e you regret allowing us into your pack,” Fane promised.

  Dell gave them the mischievous smirk again. “I have no doubt. Now go have some fun.”

  “I’ve got those keys for you, Alpha, and…” The most stunning man Fane had ever seen walked into the office and froze when their gazes met. Suddenly, Fane was struck stupid as something inside him stirred and his beast began to pace and growl, but not in a deadly warning. It was more of a possessive, I’ll kill anything that dares to come near kind of growl.

  Fane drew in a deep breath through his nose to try to calm himself, but all it did was make his cock rock hard in a second and his wolf begin to howl. Realization flooded him and Fane’s eyes went wide as he whispered in surprise, “Mate.”

  At the same time, the gorgeous man's eyes widened too as he declared, “Oh fudge fuckers.”

  CHAPTER 6

  The keys fell from Marlo’s hands and hit the floor with a jingle as he held up his hands in front of him, palms out, when Dell took a step closer, saying his name in a low, cautious voice.

  “Marlo.”

  “No. No, no, no, no, no. Not happening. Not now. I’m not ready. I... no,” Marlo protested as he shook his hands and head. He spun on his heels and ran from the room as fast as he could as if the hounds of Hell were on his ass.

  Bursting out the front door, Marlo didn’t even realize he hadn’t put his coat or shoes on until he was five blocks from the alpha house and his toes suddenly felt like they were about to break off.

  Marlo stopped in the middle of the street and looked around as he wrapped his arms around his middle and started to shiver. He had no idea how he had gotten there, or why he didn’t have his winter gear on, but he did know that he was about to either get frostbite or die. Marlo quickly shifted into his wolf and padded toward the center of town. He had no idea where he was going but he knew he couldn’t return to Dell’s, not with... him there. Nope, he wasn’t even going to acknowledge who him was. Nope, not happening.

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  “What the hell was that all about?” Jude asked, as he stared at the door after Marlo’s big exit.

  “Who was that?” Oberon asked.

  “That was my assistant, Marlo and from the looks of it, I think he got spooked,” Dell answered, then sighed heavily.

  “What the hell’s wrong with him, Dell? I’ve never seen Marlo act like that before,” Jude asked.

  “That’s because he has never found his true mate before,” Dell replied, as he headed out the door after Marlo.

  Footfalls behind him told him the others were following. When Dell made it to the front door, he cursed when he noticed Marlo’s things still hanging there. He slid his feet into his boots, then started putting on his winter gear.

  “His mate? Dell, stop for a minute and tell me what’s going on,” Jude demanded, as he grabbed Dell’s arm, stopping him from sliding the limb into the sleeve of his coat.

  Dell stopped and sighed again as he turned to look at Jude. He knew from Jude’s tone that he wasn’t just talking about what had just happened, but more questioning him about all these people suddenly finding their true mates, and there was no way he could explain it to the man, not without breaking the blood promise, and Dell had no desire to do that. So, he went with the problem at hand. He met Jude’s gaze and answered, “You know how scared Marlo is about an alpha coming along to put a claim on him and what that all means. Well, surprise, he just walked into my office and met his mate, an alpha/beta.”

  Now Jude sighed as he closed his eyes. “Shit. We need to find him,” Jude said as he opened his eyes.

  “I know. That’s what I’m trying to do,” Dell replied, and gently pulled his arm free of Jude’s grasp, then slid it into the sleeve of his coat.

  “You know we’re mates? How is that possible, Dell? And should I be worried with the way my mate reacted?” Fane asked, as he also began putting his winter gear on.

  “Your mate? That guy is your mate, man? Well fuck,” Oberon said, then grabbed his coat and quickly did as the others.

  Dell zipped up his jacket, then turned to face Fane. “I’m not sure what to tell you right now, Fane, but I promise I’ll take care of this. I know you want to run out there right now with me and hunt down your mate, but trust me, that is the worst thing you could do. Please, stay here with Jude and he can explain more about my concerns over Marlo and why your mate took off. I’ll message Jude when I find him. Until then, Jude, please answer Fane’s questions and show him and Oberon to Bo’s place so they can start getting settled in. I promise, I will keep you updated.”

  With that, Dell didn’t wait around for any of them to reply or finish getting ready to go after Marlo. He needed to move fast before the omega wolf fell apart or disappeared. Dell grabbed Marlo’s coat off the hook and took off out the door.

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  Fane stood there frozen just staring at the door after Dell left. What the hell had just happened and what was he supposed to do? Every instinct inside him screamed that he needed to chase after his mate, to hunt him down and claim him, but Fane didn’t want to go against the alpha’s command, especially when he had only been officially welcomed into the man's pack a short time ago, but his wolf was riding him hard to go after what was theirs.

  Fane had been beyond shocked when the incredibly gorgeous man walked into Dell’s office, and he had been bombarded with the sweet smell of honeysuckle, orange blossom, and dragonfruit all mixed together to make a sinfully delicious concoction, making his head spin and his dick harden instantly. In the second that it took to pull the amazing aroma into his lungs, at the same time meeting the most stunning, blue eyes he had ever seen, Fane knew in that instant who the man was to him, and that his life would now be changed forever.

  It no longer mattered if he was going to spend an unknown length of time in this godforsaken frozen world, because now he knew he would spend the rest of his days here and it didn’t bother Fane in the slightest. On the contrary, in the millisecond of time it took him to discover that he had just met his mate, and with all these thoughts coming crashing down on him at once, Fane accepted it and was filled with a sense of happiness and peace. It didn’t matter where he, or they, called home, as long as he was by his mate’s side.

  Then the sexy man cursed his displeasure and ran from him. Before his mate turned away, Fane had seen the fear in his mate’s eyes and it confused him greatly. His wolf whined and scratched, wanting to get out and show their mate that he was wanted and would be cherished, and Fane wanted to pull the man into his arms and let him know he wasn’t alone anymore, and that Fane would protect him, but they were denied that moment, that gift. Fane knew in his heart just from that one look in his mate’s eyes, it wasn’t that the man didn’t want him, but that he was afraid. Afraid of what though?

  Slowly Fane began removing his gear again, and hung his coat on the hook, then turned to face Jude. Oberon had followed his lead and replaced his winter gear as well then looked to the beta.

  Jude sighed as he closed his eyes and drew a hand down his face. Opening his eyes, he met Fane’s gaze and he could see the man didn’t want to have this conversation, but knew he had to. Jude waved a hand to them as he turned. “Follow me, guys. I think we could all use a beer right now.”

  Fane turned his attention to Oberon as his friend turned to face him, and they shared a look of worry and confusion, then without saying a word, they both followed Jude into the other room.

  He and Oberon each took a seat at the kitchen table that Jude motioned toward as he walked to the large fridge and pulled out a few beer bottles. Once he had set them on the table in front of them and dropped into a seat himself, they each twisted off the caps and took a big pull from their drinks. Jude swallowed and looked to Fane.

  “Being Dell’s first beta, his second in command, he tells me a lot of shit. That being said, it means I know everything Ridge and Caleb told him about you, well, both of you. Like Dell, I have no damn problem taking new people into
the pack and dealing with spoiled assholes, disrespectful pricks, or even prima donnas if it’s called for. Either way, they want to stay, they have to abide by Dell’s rules, and I will kick ass and train them as Dell calls it, and I take no guff from anyone. I also know the different personalities that live among us and how to act accordingly to each. I’m saying all of this, because I’m not sure how you are with different types of shifters, or even different types of your own species, Fane. Ridge said that because of the time you spent in his pack a long time ago, you should know how Tundra Wolf hierarchy works and how we accept and respect everyone for their differences, but when it comes to omegas, they get a hell of a lot more patience and understanding. With them being born completely submissive, it would be very easy for a more dominant man to take advantage of them and abuse them.”

  Fane took another sip of his beer before he responded, “I know all about Tundra Wolves and how we are born and raised. Even though there wasn’t call for it where I grew up in New York City with my dads, they still always taught me about who we are and where we come from. So yes, even though I have never actually met a full-blooded omega, my dads and my uncle, Ridge’s father, taught me about them and how to deal with them. I’m guessing you’re telling me this, because my mate is an omega?”

  “Shit. Really?” Oberon asked excitedly as his head snapped in Fane’s direction.

  Fane nodded for his friend’s benefit, but remained quiet, his gaze still fixed on Jude. He could see the man was a fierce warrior for his people and could tell by the way he carried himself and the size of him, that he hadn’t gotten the title of first beta for nothing. Fane could smell that Jude was a beta through and through, and his six foot six inch, two hundred and sixty-five pounds of rock-hard muscle and an intense gaze proved that the man was not someone to fuck with.