Rylan transformed his head and snapped at The Procurer. Surprised at the sudden appearance of sharp wolf teeth, The Procurer released the gun and staggered backward. Bewildered, he stared as Rylan’s face returned to his human form.
Rylan released the clip, removed it and tossed it aside. He expelled the chambered round before tossing the gun far out of reach.
“Who do you work for?” Rylan demanded. “Why are you hunting wolves?” The Procurer shook his head, unable to speak.
The woeful, desperate cries of the pups reached him. With a vengeful snarl, Rylan shifted and leaped onto The Procurer. With razor sharp claws and teeth, Rylan-wolf savagely attacked The Procurer. His thirst for revenge sated, Rylan-wolf hurried back to his pack. Exhausted, his paw throbbing painfully, Rylan finally made it to the clearing.
Evie-wolf lay on the ground, surrounded by her wailing pups. Rylan-wolf’s heart raced. He spied the arrow sticking out of her body and darted forward. He shifted into his human form and pulled the arrow out of Evie-wolf’s body. He ran his hand along her fur, stroking her gently. Her sides moved up and down, indicating she was breathing normally. Rylan checked her eyes and sighed with relief.
“She’s been drugged. She’s just asleep.” The pups barked softly and moved around Evie-wolf’s body to rub against Rylan. Finn-wolf licked his wounded hand as he petted Gabby-wolf and Max-wolf.
“We need to be careful as we head home. Gabby, Finn, you need to let me know if you scent anything.” They barked softly in response.
“Max, you need to stay with us. No running off and chasing animals, OK?”
“Woof!” Max-wolf answered.
“Let’s go.”
Rylan carefully picked up Evie-wolf and carried her back to their cabin.
Rylan gently laid Evie-wolf on her bed. The children shifted and dressed before returning to Evie’s bedroom. They lay on the bed beside her. Rylan showered then dressed the wound on his hand. By nightfall, his wound would be completely healed.
He checked on Evie-wolf and the children before placing a call to Ethan, the Second Chances Alpha. Rylan informed Ethan of their attack and again promised he would keep Evie and the children safe. After assuring Ethan for a third time that he would have Evie call him as soon as she woke, Rylan finally hung up. Rylan then called Remington to inform him about the dead human in his forest.
Evie-wolf purred as Rylan’s hand gently stroked her fur. Gradually she became aware that she was lying on her bed. In a flash, her memory returned. The forest. A human. An arrow.
She sat up and looked at her hind leg. The arrow was gone and her flesh had healed. The area where she had been struck tingled lightly.
“You were drugged, Evie,” Rylan informed her. “You’ve been asleep for about eight hours.” Evie barked sharply, surprised.
“Are you ready to—” Rylan turned away as Evie shifted into her human form.
“The children?” she asked anxiously, grasping his arm.
“They’re fine, Evie. They are in the kitchen,” he reassured her.
Evie grabbed her purple robe, slipping it on as she headed to the kitchen. Max, Gabby and Finn sat at the table, happily eating. They scented their mother at the same time and turned around as one.
“Mommy!” they yelled and ran toward her. Max, stuck in his chair, struggled to get free. Rylan rescued Max from his high chair and set him down. He ran toward his mother, pushing his siblings out of the way. Evie hugged her children tightly, relieved they were unharmed.
Satisfied Evie was fine, the children returned to their table. Rylan strapped Max in as Evie surveyed their meal.
“Ice cream?” she asked.
“It was the only thing they would eat,” Rylan said apologetically. Evie walked over to him and hugged him. Rylan nearly groaned as his groin tightened painfully. She glanced up at him and said, “Thanks for being such a good friend. We would be lost without you.” She lay her head on his chest, missing the disappointed look that crossed his face.
Oh great. I’ve been Friend Zoned, Rylan thought. He wrapped his arms around Evie, taking comfort even as he comforted her.
Chapter 11
Remington swore loudly after his call with Rylan. His search for Serena would have to wait. He had been at an airport about two hundred miles away from Tarchannen. He discovered Serena had purchased several plane tickets in an effort to delay his pursuit. Remington was both infuriated and pleased. His mate was still out of his reach but he admired her intelligence.
She is worthy of being my mate, he thought. A part of him secretly enjoyed the thrill of this pursuit. To him, it was foreplay, and he couldn’t wait to find his mate and fuck her.
Growling with unfulfilled sexual need, he returned to his Jeep and headed back to Tarchannen. On the way there, he called his Soldiers, ordering them to clean up the area, dispose of the body and find out anything they could about the human hunting werewolves.
As he drove to Tarchannen, he gripped the wheel tightly, growling low with frustration.
Serena’s desertion had cost him everything. Not only was he wasting time looking for her, he had lost the opportunity to take over as Alpha. His father, Jordan, had planned on resigning as Alpha on the day of his mating ceremony.
When Jordan learned that Serena ran away, he had no choice but to remain Alpha.
“I’m sorry, Remington. The pack will never accept you as Alpha until you bring back your mate. I will give you time to find her.” He paused as he studied his son.
“What do you intend to do with her?”
“I will keep her as my mate, Father. Serena is beautiful and obedient. I need nothing more in a mate.”
“You will forgive her for her betrayal?”
“She didn’t leave me for another lover, Father. She is young and scared of becoming an Alpha’s mate. She may have felt overwhelmed with her new duties. I should have been…more attentive to her needs. Once I find her, we will work it out.”
Now this human threat would force him to put his search on hold until he could prove to his pack that he could keep them safe. A human hunting wolves in his territory was the ultimate insult. It was a challenge to his authority as future Alpha.
In the city of Tarchannen…
They were Tarchannen, proud of their pure bloodline and their traditions. While other packs changed, Tarchannen remained the same. Century after century, Tarchannen remained isolated and dedicated to their ancestors’ way of life. They celebrated their wolfish nature, reveling in the sometimes brutal nature of wolves.
As with most isolated puritanical cultures, their cohesion was, in part, based upon fear. Fear of change and fear of harsh repercussions kept most wolves in line. To stray from the norm meant humiliation and pain, sometimes death.
When Serena abandoned Remington, the pack began to have doubts about his leadership. They wondered, Why would a wolf, especially one as obedient as Serena, run from her future mate? Had she discovered something about Remington that made her refuse to become his mate? If his own mate couldn’t accept him, why should they?
Their thoughts soon became whispers. In the safety of their own homes, some whispers became loud voices of dissent.
In a cozy little cottage, a group of wolves gathered to speak freely. They had tested the waters, each wolf acutely aware that their words, far beyond dissension, bordered on treason. The penalty for treason was death at the hands of their Alpha.
Curtains drawn, they sat in the living room, assessing each other.
“Our way of life is being threatened,” began one wolf.
“First, that alpha, Lucien of the Last Hope Pack, chose a human instead of a Tarchannen wolf as a mate,” added a second. “What an insult!”
“And what have we done about it?” asked a third wolf.
“Our Alpha did nothing to address the insult,” a wolf grumbled.
“Then Serena’s desertion showed us how weak our future Alpha has become,” said another. “He cannot even keep his woman in line.” They mu
rmured in agreement.
“If his woman doesn’t fear him, why should other packs?” one wolf demanded.
“Now we have humans threatening us,” he said with contempt. “Imagine. A human found in our woods. Do you think they would dare hunt wolves in Hoyden territory?”
“No.”
“Never!”
“Of course not,” several wolves answered at once. Aleksandr’s reputation was well known amongst the wolves.
“Jordan is old…but Remington is a strong wolf,” said a wolf, carefully observing the others.
“However, he has lost the respect of the pack. As we all know, an alpha’s power comes from the respect, loyalty and obedience of his pack. When Jordan dies, the pack will follow Remington out of blind duty, but they could just as easily follow another.”
“What do you mean, ‘when’?” asked a soft voice.
Instead of answering her, the wolf who spoke just smiled slyly and leaned closer. He whispered his plan and they all nodded in agreement.
Chapter 12
Later that night, Rylan-wolf carefully patrolled the forest, looking for any signs of a human presence. He found none. He returned to the campsite. Remington’s wolves had already cleaned up the human’s campsite. Other than the faint scent of blood, there was no indication that a violent death had occurred there.
The human waited in the Cottonwood, knowing my pack would return to the waterfall. He must have been watching us. But I never scented a human in the area. How is this possible?
Rylan-wolf took his time as he traveled along one of their routes. He stopped periodically to sniff the air and glance up at the trees. He stared at the tiny red light, shining brightly from a pine tree. Puzzled, Rylan shifted and reached for the object.
It was close to midnight when Rylan returned to the cabin. Evie had already settled into bed when she heard a soft knock on her door. Knowing Rylan had returned, she opened the door to find Rylan frowning.
“Rylan? What’s wrong?”
“I need to show you something. Come,” he commanded as he headed toward the kitchen table. Rylan held up a strange looking object, showing it to Evie.
“Is that a surveillance camera?” Evie asked, uneasy. Rylan nodded. She glanced at the seven surveillance cameras lying on her kitchen table.
“Is it—”
“I removed the batteries, so it’s not recording right now.”
“Where? How? What?” Evie had so many questions, she didn’t know where to begin.
“I found them along one of our trails. Someone put them there to spy on us.” Evie shook her head in disbelief.
“How long do you think they were there?”
“Not long. Sometime after we returned.” Rylan paused. “Who knew you were coming back?” Evie’s head snapped up.
“You can’t possibly think—”
“Smell the camera, Evie.” She frowned then reluctantly sniffed the camera he held out to her.
“That’s not possible,” she denied. It held the distinct scent of a wolf.
“Who knew we were coming here?” Rylan demanded.
“It’s possible that my entire pack would know. The Second Chances Pack as well. You cannot possibly think that a wolf could be involved.”
“Evie, whoever put those cameras there did it so they could track our movements. They learned that every day we stopped by the waterfall and rested there.” He felt guilty, knowing that they lingered there far too long, only because he used that time to let his wolf court Evie. “They set up an ambush for us and I take full responsibility.” Unable to face her, he set the camera down, turning away from her.
“Evie, you could have been—”
Sensing his anguish, Evie stepped closer and gently caressed his shoulder.
“Rylan, don’t you dare take the blame for this. You protected us,” she asserted. Turning, Rylan confessed, “I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you or the children.”
Evie reached up and caressed his cheek. Rylan closed his eyes, savoring her tender touch. Gathering enough courage to finally kiss Evie, Rylan opened his eyes and gazed at Evie. Before he could move, the phone rang, interrupting them.
“Who could be calling this late at night?” Evie asked Rylan as she turned to the phone. Curious, she answered. “Daddy?”
“I’m sorry for calling so late, Sweet Pea. I…wanted to apologize to Rylan. It’s not that I didn’t have faith in him. I just was so worried about you. I know it was foolish—”
“Daddy, what are you talking about?” Evie interrupted, confused by her father’s rambling.
“I know he found the surveillance cameras, Evie.”
“How did you know…?” Perplexed, Evie frowned.
“I had Travis install some wireless surveillance cameras a few days after you returned to the cabin,” he confessed.
“You did what?”
“I needed to know you were safe, Evie. Needed to see for myself. I’m sorry, Sweet Pea.” Dazed, Evie handed the phone to Rylan.
Ethan confessed about the cameras and apologized profusely to Rylan.
“I understand your worry, Ethan. I am relieved that it was you who had the cameras installed. I feared that a wolf was working with the human hunters.”
“Why would you think that?” Ethan asked.
“I never scented a human in the area, yet the hunter knew where to hide so that he could ambush us. There are many places along the stream where we could stop for a drink. How did he know we would stop at that specific spot? It wasn’t luck, Ethan.”
Ethan frowned as he considered Rylan’s idea.
“You’re correct, Rylan. It seems that the humans must have found a way to tap into the wireless surveillance cameras. Travis assured me it was secure. I apologize for endangering all of you.”
Knowing Ethan loved his daughter and grandchildren, Rylan gracefully accepted his apology. As he hung up the phone, Rylan wondered, How exactly did the humans find out about the wireless cameras?
Ashamed of her father’s behavior, Evie sat quietly at the kitchen table.
Rylan returned the cordless phone to its cradle and pulled out a chair next to Evie. “I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing,” Rylan admitted.
“How can you forgive him so easily? Insulting an alpha in such a manner could easily lead to a pack war.”
“I don’t have a pack, Evie. I have no one,” Rylan reminded her. Reaching for his hand, she squeezed it gently.
“That’s not true, Rylan. You have us.” Delighted by her response, Rylan smiled. His wolf felt like howling.
Thinking about how close he came to losing them was a sobering thought. His wolf eyes flashed brightly as he vowed, “I won’t let anything happen to you or the children, Evie.”
Chapter 13
It was late afternoon when Rylan walked into the kitchen, shirtless and covered in sweat. He had spent the last few hours trimming tree branches and chopping up firewood for the upcoming winter. His muscular chest glistened and his biceps bulged as he wiped the sweat off his brow with the bunched up tee shirt in his hand.
Evie sucked in a breath as her body came alive. Her eyes dilated and she felt sharp twinges of pleasure-pain arc across her abdomen as her womb contracted. She felt a flood between her legs and her long empty channel contracted with need. Her knees nearly buckled at the intensity and unexpected suddenness of her arousal.
Rylan froze as his nose caught the powerful scent of her arousal. His brown eyes glowed yellow as his wolf surfaced.
“S-Sorry. I’m so sorry. I…it’s just been so long…I…I’m sorry…,” Evie sputtered with embarrassment.
Evie was ashamed of her arousal. Her sex drive had died when her mate had. She hadn’t felt desire since the last time she had sex with Luke. Granted, since he died, she hadn’t been around any single males, especially such a virile one. Rylan was trying to get over the loss of his mate. The last thing he needed to scent was an aroused female. It would only remind him of his loss.
He growled, a low warning sound, and Evie gradually backed out of the kitchen. As soon as she was out of the kitchen, she ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Locking it as soon as it slammed shut, she then hopped into the shower. She washed thoroughly, trying to wash all evidence of her arousal away.
She dressed as conservatively as she could and went into the dining room to set the table. The children came in and she sent them up to shower. After setting the table, she gave Max a quick shower and they all gathered at the dining room table.
Rylan walked in, freshly showered, and took his place at the head of the table. Evie refused to look at him. She was still embarrassed about her body’s unexpected reaction to him. They ate dinner quietly. Even the children seemed to sense something was wrong.
After dinner, Rylan offered to clear the table while she gave Max another quick bath. He was a messy eater and somehow managed to get mashed potatoes in his hair. And between his toes. Evie even spotted a tiny amount in his nose.
Rylan stayed in the kitchen, washing the dishes and putting away the leftover food. He felt like a coward for avoiding Evie and her tantalizing scent. After cleaning up the kitchen, he went for a run, needing a release from his frustration. Evie read to her children then settled them in to bed. She kissed them goodnight and went to her bedroom.
She locked the door, undressed and went to bed. She tossed and turned on the large bed as her need returned. Her arousal scented the entire room and she finally gave in to her need.
Perhaps if I take care of it myself, I won’t feel any desire for Rylan when I see him tomorrow, she rationalized.
She caressed her breasts, squeezing them gently the way Lucas used to. She caressed her taut nipples and pinched them, missing the feel of his hot mouth on her breasts. She moaned and slipped her hand down her belly and into her panties. She played with her clit, rubbing it in slow circles as her body writhed on the bed. She felt so empty, needy. She slipped her finger inside her satiny channel and bit back a groan as she pumped her fist back and forth. Her breath came in soft pants as her orgasm built. She thought of her mate, refusing to think of Rylan, though the memory of his glistening chest kept returning to her as she plunged her fingers inside of herself, making sloppy, wet sounds. She squeezed a breast then pinched her nipple. She groaned loudly as her finger slid onto her clit, which she rubbed vigorously. She thought of Rylan’s soft brown eyes and his full lips. Moments later her orgasm came crashing over her and she bit her hand, stifling her loud groan.
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