Hell's Wolves MC: Complete Series Six Book Box Set

by J. L. Wilder

  Which meant that if Percy tried to challenge her, there would be a fight.

  She really didn’t want to fight members of her own pack.

  She wasn’t afraid of them. Fiona knew she was a good fighter. But what if they got hurt? That would forever be on her conscience. It was the job of an alpha to protect the pack from harm, not to cause it.

  This wouldn’t be happening if I was a guy, she thought. They would all have accepted me easily, in that case. They would welcome my leadership. They would be grateful to have someone so capable and strong at the helm.

  This was only happening because she was a woman.

  It was infuriating.

  She went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of beer. “I’m going back up on the roof,” she told Carla. “I want to be alone for a while. Don’t tell any of them where I went, okay?”

  Carla nodded.

  “And don’t come after me unless a fight breaks out,” she said. “I mean a real fight. If they start yelling at each other again, I don’t know, let them do it. I’m tired of it.”

  “You want to let it come to blows?”

  “Maybe,” she said. Was that a wise decision? She didn’t know. Lately, she was questioning everything she did. But maybe if they got a few licks in on each other, Percy and Wes would feel they had vented their ire and back off.

  It was worth hoping for, anyway.

  She flicked the cap off her beer and into the sink, took a long swig, and then headed back up the stairs. Up on the roof, no one would bother her. Up on the roof, she could forget the drama that plagued her pack for a little while and just be herself.

  Chapter Two

  OWEN

  To be a good leader, Owen knew, you had to be willing to listen to opposing viewpoints.

  All opposing viewpoints.

  Even when they were stupid.

  “We need these,” Damon said furiously, jabbing a finger at the full-page color ad he’d spread out on the Wild Grizzlies’ dining room table. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  I’m not the one who’s being ridiculous. The picture in the ad was of a top of the line motorcycle, one Owen would have liked very much to ride, to own. But he knew the price of even one of those bikes would be prohibitive. They certainly couldn’t afford to outfit the whole pack, as Damon was suggesting.

  But a good alpha had to listen. Especially when the idea in question was coming from a bristly second in command who every day seemed on the verge of staging a coup.

  So instead of shouting down the idea, instead of telling Damon it was laughable and that they would never be able to afford those bikes, he took a deep breath and forced himself to respond calmly. “How much do they cost?”

  “It doesn’t say,” Damon said. “I’m sure we can find out on the website before we place the order.”

  “We’re not going to order bikes on a website,” Owen said. Listening to other ideas was one thing, but dammit, you could go too far. “You can’t test drive them if you do that. You can’t get the feel of them and learn whether they respond the way you want them to. You can’t be sure you’re getting the model you want.”

  “I already know this is the model I want,” Damon said, his eyes hungry. “It’s the best one on the market. And ordering online is the only way to get it customized with all the features you want. If you buy from a lot, you have to take whichever one they happen to have.”

  “The features you want are all cosmetic,” Owen pointed out. “You could add them after the fact yourself. You’re a good mechanic.”

  “But why go to all that extra work?” Damon said.

  “This is all hypothetical anyway,” Owen said. “We aren’t getting these bikes. I hear what you’re saying, Damon, but we have perfectly good bikes in the garage.”

  “They’re not perfectly good,” Damon countered. “Mine is older than I am.”

  That wasn’t literally true, but Owen took his second’s point. “If you’re ready for something new,” he said, “pick up some jobs. Set aside some money. Then go to the lot and shop for something you can actually put your hands on. That’s the way to do it.”

  “That’s the way to do it if you’re a chump.”

  “Listen,” Owen said. “The whole pack does not need new bikes right now. A lot of us are still doing fine with our current bikes, and we don’t have the money to throw at something like this. If you want a new bike right now, you buy it yourself. That goes for everyone else, too.”

  “But can you imagine how we’d look tearing up the road on these things?” Damon persisted. He pushed the ad farther into the middle of the table so that everyone could see the bike. Owen had to admit, it made an attractive picture. They would look pretty badass.

  But the Wild Grizzlies were not a pack that had to spend thousands of dollars on their image. Under Owen’s leadership, they never would be. He still wore his very first leather jacket, the one that had been given to him almost ten years ago on the occasion of his eighteenth birthday. The jacket was faded and out of style now, and it had worn places at the elbows and a tear in the left sleeve. But it was good enough for him.

  His bike was good enough for him too. He had built it himself. He had begun the project when he was only fourteen years old, scavenging parts from anywhere he could find them, and he had maintained it rigorously and carefully. His bike wasn’t beautiful, but he knew it inside and out. It ran perfectly, and it rode like an extension of his body.

  He wouldn’t be trading it in for any shiny black monstrosity any time soon, no matter how happy it would make Damon.

  “We’re not getting them,” he said firmly. “We’re not using the Grizzlies’ treasury on this. If you want to buy a bike, Damon, then buy a bike. But getting the money together is on you.”

  Damon shoved his chair back so violently that it fell over. He snatched up the paper, crumpling it in his fist, and stormed from the room.

  The rest of the Wild Grizzlies looked at each other in silence.

  Finally, Dusty spoke. “I guess he’s not coming hunting tonight.”

  “Third time this month,” Owen said. “Somebody stay behind with him?”

  The others looked at each other. Owen felt bad for making the request. The bi-weekly hunting trips were the best part of the day for many of the Wild Grizzlies. But there would be another hunt in a few days. In the meantime, he didn’t like the idea of Damon sitting here on his own and brooding about the fact that there had been yet another disagreement between himself and his alpha.

  “I’ll stay,” Joel said after a few moments had passed.

  Owen regarded the youngest member of his pack, then nodded. Arguments were hard on Joel, he knew. The kid had only joined the Wild Grizzlies about a year and a half ago—he’d been nomadic when the pack had found him hunting in their territory. He’d never been part of a family before. At least, not that he could remember.

  “Okay,” Owen said. “You stay. Talk to him if you can. Try to get him to eat something, maybe. And when we get back, there’ll be a stew.”

  “Rabbit?”

  “If we can get it.”

  Joel grinned at that and nodded. “I’ll take care of things. Don’t worry.”

  Owen got to his feet. “Okay,” he said. “Everyone else ready to go?”

  They made their way out to the yard single file. The Wild Grizzlies were a small pack, and without Joel and Damon to round out their numbers, the group felt especially sparse. Besides Owen himself, there was only Dusty, Angus, and the twins, Riley and Nova. The girls weren’t much older than Joel, and even though they had grown up with the pack, they hadn’t been on that many hunts.

  But that’s okay, Owen told himself. So they’re still green. Everything’s a learning experience, isn’t it? We can use today’s hunt as a chance for them to test their skills.

  The five of them scattered to various points around the yard that provided shelter so that they could strip off their clothes in relative privacy. Owen’s hideaway of choice was behi
nd an oak tree on the edge of the property, the only one that was broad enough to conceal him. He folded his clothes and left them in a neat pile at the base of the tree. Then he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the forest around him.

  Shifting felt like nothing so much as sinking. The primal part of him, the part that made up his bear self, lived deep within. Owen allowed himself to fall inward, away from his human senses and thoughts and anxieties and toward that inner animal.

  He didn’t feel the actual physical change at all. He never had, although others in the pack had reported feeling something at the moment of the shift. Instead, he was aware it had taken place by the fact that his senses were heightened. He heard the movement of leaves. He smelled the moisture in the dirt.

  He opened his eyes.

  It felt wonderful to be in this form. There was so much strength and power in the body of the bear, and so much less stress and worry. He padded his way out from behind the tree and into the center of the yard, where the others were waiting for him.

  Riley and Nova were the smallest of the bears, lean and limber and with a lighter coloring on their faces that distinguished them. Owen looked at them, then jerked his head toward the woods in a gesture meant to indicate that they should lead the way.

  One of them—he couldn’t tell them apart when they were human half the time, much less in this form—cocked her head as if to ask him if he was sure.

  He nodded.

  The girls loped off toward the woods. Angus gave Owen a measured look, then followed after them. Owen could tell that Angus was questioning his decision to let the girls take the lead, but that he wasn’t going to disagree right now. If Owen was honest with himself, that was why he had waited until they’d shifted to make the call. It was hard to get in an argument when you couldn’t actually speak.

  Owen followed Angus into the woods. He heard Dusty behind him, bringing up the rear. That position would ordinarily have belonged to Damon, as second in command, but since Damon had stayed home for the evening, the third in command took over his responsibilities.

  Owen had to admit that he had been worrying about Damon lately. The argument tonight, about the motorcycles, was far from their first. Lately it seemed that Damon would argue against anything Owen said.

  He could have put a stop to the arguing by ordering Damon to keep his opinions to himself. As alpha, he had that power. But it seemed almost criminal to abuse his influence over his second in command that way. Besides, he knew, an order like that would chafe. Damon was already angry. If Owen tried to control him too rigidly, he would become angrier.

  That might lead to a revolt.

  And that would be the worst thing that could happen.

  Owen prided himself on his leadership. He knew he was taking the Wild Grizzlies in the direction that was best for them as a pack. He knew he was strong and capable. But even strong alphas could be overthrown. If that wasn’t true, corrupt alphas would never come to power. All Damon would have to do would be to get lucky in a fight. If he could defeat Owen, he could take over the pack.

  Damon wouldn’t be a good leader. He’s too self-centered. Too prideful. His quest to get those shiny motorcycles is a perfect example of it. We don’t need those when we have perfectly good bikes as it is.

  He couldn’t allow Damon to come to power.

  Would Damon try?

  He didn’t know, and the fact that he didn’t know scared him. When a pack was functioning correctly, an alpha should be able to say with certainty that none of his packmates would challenge him for dominance. Everyone in the pack should be in agreement that they had the best possible leadership.

  But Damon questioned him.

  Perhaps that was why Owen felt so eager to let Riley and Nova take the point position in today’s hunt. It was for their own good, yes, but maybe he also wanted the others to see that he was capable of bringing them along, helping them reach their potential. He wanted the whole pack to feel like they were going to be their best selves under his leadership.

  And they will be, he thought fiercely. We all will be. The Wild Grizzlies don’t need shiny bikes to intimidate other packs. Anyone who sees us will know how great we are by the time I’m done.

  He hoped that was true.

  He stood back as Nova chased a rabbit toward her sister and Riley went in for the kill. There would be rabbit soup tonight. There would be a party to celebrate what the girls had accomplished.

  Owen just hoped that Damon would be willing to join in.

  Chapter Three

  FIONA

  Things were awkward over breakfast. Nobody spoke. Percy and Leo sat at one end of the table, heads bent together as if they were whispering, but they didn’t seem to be saying anything.

  Wes glanced over at them, then back at Fiona, as though he expected her to do something. Disrupt them, maybe. But what could she do about it? They weren’t doing anything wrong. They were at perfect liberty to sit there and gossip, if they wanted to.

  And they weren’t even talking, for God’s sake.

  If I thought they were planning some sort of coup, I could stop them, she thought as she tore her muffin into crumbs on her plate. If I thought they were finding ways to evade orders I had given, I could try to interfere. But they’re not doing anything I can get upset about, not without looking like I’m being hypersensitive.

  That was the problem with being a she-alpha. Everything always came back to appearances. In addition to worrying about the practicalities of managing her pack, she had to worry about their perception of the way she was doing it. And the last thing she wanted was for anyone to think she was being hysterical or oversensitive.

  But a good alpha would know what to do when they saw division growing in the pack, she thought. My father would have known what to do. And if he had ever taken the time and the trouble to train me properly, I would know too.

  It was a thought that plagued her. She was the alpha of the Hell’s Wolves, but she was woefully unprepared for the responsibility of the role. She had seen her pack nearly fall apart under Tank’s leadership. What if the Wolves didn’t recover with her at the helm? What if things continued to go downhill?

  It would happen, she knew, if she couldn’t manage to control the dissent that seemed to be growing in her ranks.

  A distraction. That’s what’s needed. Something to stop them from whatever they’re doing without calling attention to the fact that they’re going it. Something that will effectively separate Percy and Leo.

  “We’re going on a ride today,” she announced.

  Everyone looked up from their breakfast, surprised. “A ride?” Percy asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “You mean on the bikes?” Leo asked.

  “Of course on the bikes,” Percy said, rolling his eyes. “What did you think, that we’d go on horseback?”

  Fiona had to admit that Percy’s attitude, obnoxious though it was, pleased her a little. It wouldn’t hurt her cause at all that he was speaking to Leo so dismissively. Percy was putting a wall up between himself and his most likely ally. That was good. She felt a little more confident when she spoke again.

  “It’s been too long since we’ve been out,” she said. “We haven’t really had a ride since Tank left.”

  “We’ve gone places,” Wes said.

  “Just locally, though,” Fiona countered. “We’ve been to all the nearby cities. We’ve had bar nights. We’ve had fun, here and there. I’m saying let’s spend the whole day on the road. Let’s see how far we can get in six hours, and then we’ll turn around and come back. It’ll be a challenge.”

  “That’s random,” Percy said, but his voice betrayed him. He was excited. Fiona could tell. Nothing was as good for the spirits of her packmates as a nice long ride.

  “Which way will we go?” Carla asked.

  “South,” Fiona said. “Let’s see if we can make it to Colorado.”

  “Ambitious,” Wes said. He looked excited. “When are we leaving?�
�

  “Just as soon as everyone’s done with breakfast.”

  Percy tossed down his half-finished toast. “I’m done.”

  “Go prep your bike, then,” Fiona said.

  Percy disappeared into the garage, and Fiona forked up a last bite of eggs. This was more like it. This was how being an alpha should feel. She was satisfied, aware that she’d taken a problem her pack was having and solved it for them. She had turned the day from one of awkward discomfort to an exciting adventure they’d all be able to enjoy together.

  If I play this right, we’ll bond over it, she thought. If I handle it well, Percy and I will be friends when it’s all over.

  She hoped that was true. She liked Percy. Growing up, they had been friends, playing in the woods together, hunting and racing. It was only since she had taken the alpha role—the role he thought he should have been the one to take away from Tank—that Percy had turned away from her.

  She finished her breakfast, took her plate to the sink, and headed out to the garage to prepare her bike for the day. “Stay and finish,” she told the others. “Just come out when you’re done eating.

  Percy was crouched behind his bike doing something with a ratchet. He was a good mechanic, always had been, and she knew that if he was spending time tinkering this close to a ride, he was doing something that needed to be done. Fiona grabbed a full gas can and hauled it over to her own bike, then checked the fuel level to see how much she needed.

  Slowly, one by one, the other members of the pack made their way out to the garage and began preparing their own bikes. Carla and Wes filled up their tires. Leo started his bike up and rode out of the garage and into the drive, turning slow circles while he waited for everyone to be ready.

  Finally, everyone was ready to go. Fiona rode out to the drive and joined Leo, and the others followed, one by one. They formed up in their positions in there in the drive, ready to take to the road.

  Fiona raised a hand, indicating that everyone should pay attention and follow her lead. Then she pointed forward, gunning her engine at the same time.