Evie yawned and replied, “I think you’d better put some clothes on…,” then promptly fell asleep.
Rylan kissed her forehead and settled down. The bedroom door was locked, so his nude body wasn’t a problem. He fell asleep naked, under his woman.
Early in the morning, Rylan woke up, needing to use the bathroom. He took care of his needs and walked back into their bedroom. He pulled on his boxers and unlocked the bedroom door. Sometime during the night, Evie had awoken and picked up their clothes, setting his on the bench at the foot of her bed. She had dressed in a new nightgown and returned to their bed. Rylan slipped into bed and settled down next to Evie, spooning her. He sniffed her hair, enjoying the fruity scent of her shampoo. At some point he drifted off to sleep with his lover securely tucked against him.
Chapter 17
Gabby, Finn and Max woke up and went downstairs. Neither Rylan nor their mother was in the kitchen. They didn’t scent breakfast and it was too early for Rylan to be outside working. Wondering where he was, they walked to their mother’s room to ask her. Gabby opened the door and blinked as she saw Rylan, sound asleep next to their mother. Finn grinned at her and all three of them ran to the bed. She helped Max and he climbed onto the bed. She and Finn joined Max on the bed. Max pushed at Rylan. When he didn’t wake up, he slapped him on the face.
“SHIT!” Rylan cursed as he woke up to a stinging pain on his face. Max grinned at him happily and Rylan shook his head.
“No hitting, Max.” He pulled the little boy into his arms and gave him a big hug. Feeling left out, the other two piled on him as well. Rylan was glad he had long arms, long enough to hold his children.
Evie felt a sharp elbow poking into her back. Sleepily she turned to find Gabby, asleep on the bed next to her. Max was next to Gabby, curled up against Rylan. Finn snored softly on the other side of Rylan. Even in his sleep, Rylan kept a secure arm around Finn, preventing him from falling off the bed. Her heart squeezed tightly at the sight of her family in Rylan’s arms.
He deserves a chance to be happy. We all do.
Deciding to make breakfast, Evie left her sleeping family on the bed while she headed for the kitchen.
Over the next few weeks, their routine didn’t change much. As she did every morning, Evie made breakfast. Once Rylan and the children awoke, they ate and went for their usual morning run.
The rest of the day, Rylan would keep the children outside, allowing them to play in wolf form. Sometimes he would take them into the woods and show them how to track an animal. Other times they would wrestle in wolf form and he would teach them how to attack.
He still continued to patrol the forest when Evie had the children safely indoors. At night, once the children were fast asleep, Rylan and Evie would head to their bedroom.
One night, as Rylan carried Evie to their bed, the phone rang. Frowning, Rylan set her down gently on the bed and she reached for the phone. It was an unfamiliar Tarchannen number.
“Hello?”
“Evie? This is Kainda. May I speak to the alpha?” Puzzled, she handed the phone to Rylan.
“It’s Kainda.” He took the phone from her, replying, “This is Rylan.”
“Do you remember me from the hardware store?”
“Yes.”
“Remember what we spoke about?” she asked in a hushed tone.
“Yes.”
“We have a problem. Our Alpha, Jordan, has been murdered. Remington is now our Alpha.”
“What?” Rylan sat on the bed beside Evie.
“Hang on a second. I’m going to put you on speaker.” He pressed the button as he turned to Evie. “Evie, Honey, Jordan has been murdered.”
They listened as Kainda shared what she knew.
Earlier that evening…
Remington stood in his cabin glaring at his wolves. He had just received an update from his Tracker and Soldiers. In the two weeks since the human hunter was killed, they had found very little information. The man had no identification on his body. No driver’s license or credit card. No vehicle had been found on Tarchannen property. That meant he was dropped off. The Tracker searched the area and found tire tracks but couldn’t follow once they led to the main road. Anyone could have dropped off the man. There was no way to figure out the identity of his accomplice.
His body had been disposed of in a shallow grave. All of his camping equipment had been taken to an area frequented by homeless people. Within a few hours, everything had been scavenged. The gun and magazine was safely locked up in the Tarchannen Police Department Evidence Room.
One of his policemen had searched the Missing Persons Database for anyone matching the description of the man. No matches had been found. They were at a dead end.
Frustrated, Remington wanted to howl. Then one of his father’s Soldiers had burst in and told him shocking news: Jordan Tarchannen was dead. He had been assassinated by a human.
Remington ran to the Alpha House. He found his father’s body, slumped over by his desk. A small wound was visible on the back of his head. His face lay on the top of the desk, in a large pool of blood and brain matter.
Dr. Preston looked up as Remington entered.
“I’m sorry, Remington. There’s nothing anyone could have done. He died instantly.” Dr. Preston pointed to the window behind Jordan’s chair. Remington’s eyes focused on a small hole, surrounded by several cracks. “Sniper rifle. Your father’s Tracker is already on the hunt.”
Numb from shock, Remington nodded silently.
His mate was gone. His father was dead. He was now Alpha of a pack that did not respect him. The first thing he had to do was reassure his pack that they were safe from humans. As Remington had always done, he put aside his own needs to take care of his pack. He allowed himself a moment of grief, letting out a long howl of pain. Then he buried his grief and turned to his Soldiers and his pack Tracker who had followed him to the Alpha House. It was time for him to take control. As Alpha, he ordered his Tracker to help his father’s Tracker. His Soldiers would now replace the Soldiers under his father’s command.
Remington had to prepare for his father’s funeral and then address the Elders of his pack. Then he had to figure out a way to stop the humans who were hunting wolves.
As he left the Alpha House, he encountered his father’s Soldiers. He ordered them to patrol the forest. In the morning, they would gather volunteers who would cut down trees for his father’s funeral pyre. It would take those wolves most of the day to cut down the trees and build the Pyre. At dusk the following night, they would burn his father’s body.
On his way to see the Elders, he stopped by the hardware store. The wolves that were going to build the funeral pyre would need supplies at Kainda’s store, like axes and chain saws. He wanted to make sure she had enough supplies in stock.
“Remington, let me help search for Jordan’s killer.” Remington scoffed at her offer.
“You’re a female, Kainda. What are you going to do, fuck every human until one confesses?” Kainda bit back a growl and lowered her eyes. She focused on keeping her fists from clenching tight. Any sign of aggression and Remington would attack. Already in a precarious position, he would not tolerate any sign of disrespect from his wolves.
Remington left the hardware store and marched to the Elders’ Hall at the edge of town. Nestled among large cottonwoods, the Hall afforded the Elders privacy during meetings and deliberations. The five Elders had already gathered and waited for Remington’s arrival.
Remington greeted the Elders with a curt nod.
“We offer our condolences, Remington. Your father was a great Alpha.”
“Thank you, Reginald.”
“The timing of this is…unfortunate.” Remington narrowed his eyes as he studied the Elder that spoke.
“We are aware that you are still searching for your mate, Remington. We have discussed the matter and we will take on the burden of leading the pack while you continue your search.” Though the words were polite and carefully chosen
, it was still offensive to Remington. An Alpha should never take this long to find his mate. Within twenty four hours of her departure, he should have found Serena and brought her back. They were questioning his ability to find his mate. And it seemed that they were hinting at his inability to lead.
“That isn’t necessary, Emmanuel. I intend to fulfill all of my duties,” he declared.
The most pressing issue is that of the humans. No one seems to be able to find out anything about them. My father’s tracker and soldiers haven’t had much luck in finding them. Neither have mine,” he admitted.
“How do you intend to find the humans, Remington?” Gwendolyn asked softly.
“I’m going to start with the wolf that was freed. Kane of the Second Chances Pack.”
Since Remington seemed to have a plan to find the humans, the Elders couldn’t object to his role as Alpha. They addressed him as Alpha and accepted responsibility for seeing to the details of Jordan’s funeral.
Chapter 17
The next day was a flurry of activity in Tarchannen. Shortly after dawn, the Soldiers went to the center of town, where most young men had gathered. They divided them into two groups. One group would chop down wood for the pyre and the other group would build it. They gathered their supplies and headed into the forest. Jordan’s Soldiers, exhausted from their patrol from the previous night, pressed on. They would have plenty of time to rest after Jordan’s funeral, since they would no longer be Tarchannen Soldiers. Remington’s Soldiers displaced them when Remington became Alpha.
Earlier that morning, Remington had entered the forest, searching for an ideal spot for his father’s funeral. He found a spot overlooking a stream and marked the area by slashing several trees with his sharp claws. He left the area, heading back to Tarchannen. His soldiers would have no trouble tracking his fresh scent and finding the marked trees.
The group of wolves followed their Alpha’s scent into the forest and began their work. They would need between twenty five to thirty mature trees for the funeral pyre. They would also need to clear the area of trees and dry brush so that the fire doesn’t spread and burn down the whole forest. While the men were busy in the forest, the women were preparing food and water for the workers in the forest as well as for the wolves who would be attending Jordan’s funeral later that evening.
The Elders had notified all of the neighboring Alphas and they were expected to attend. Not only were they paying their respects to the late Alpha, they were also acknowledging Remington’s status as the new Tarchannen Alpha. Once the funeral was over, any wolf could challenge Remington for his position as Alpha.
The presence of other Alphas would help to keep the event as peaceful as possible. The challenger and Remington have to fight fairly under the watchful eyes of the visiting Alphas. This not only ensured that a challenger was given the opportunity to fight Remington, it also ensured that they didn’t cheat by having several wolves attack him at once.
Shortly after noon, Gwendolyn found Remington in his father’s study, staring at his bloody desk.
“Remington, the supplies are here,” she said softly. Remington nodded. He left the Alpha House and headed to the morgue. The supplies had already been delivered. The Elders waited silently for Remington to begin the ritual. As was their custom, Remington washed his father’s body. He ignored the large gaping hole that used to be his father’s face. He cleaned off the dried blood and brain matter from his head before moving on to the rest of his body. Once the body was clean, he took two leaves of Holy Basil from Gwendolyn and placed it in his father’s mouth. Reginald stood beside him with a bottle of Clove oil. He poured a small amount of clove oil into Remington’s hands and Remington began to anoint his father’s body with oil.
Since bodies are not naturally flammable, he had to add an accelerant, the clove oil. Remington took his time covering his father’s body with the clove oil, making sure every inch was covered. A few hours later, the first part of the ritual was complete. He covered his father’s face with a handkerchief embroidered with the Tarchannen symbol, a wolf baring its fangs. The rest of his body lay naked on the wooden gurney.
Emotionally and physically exhausted, Remington returned to his cabin. Celeste was waiting for him in front of his cabin. Her tight shirt clung to her curves and the first four buttons were undone, exposing the smooth skin of her breasts. Judging from her protruding nipples, she had neglected to wear a bra. Her Daisy Duke shorts left little to the imagination and Remington decided she had forgone her panty as well.
Spying her seductive attire, he gruffly said,“I’m not in the mood, Celeste.” She pouted.
“You never are. You need to eat, Remington. Let me feed you. Let me take care of you…,” she pleaded.
“Celeste, I’m not fucking you. Leave the food and go.” He walked past her and entered his cabin, slamming the door behind him.
“But—” Staring at a closed door, she gritted her teeth. One of these days, Remington, I will make you regret the way you treat me, she thought as she set the basket of food in front of the door.
Remington wanted nothing more than to get drunk and forget everything for a few blessed hours. Knowing he had no such luxury, he paced the floor of his living room. A sharp knock on the cabin door had him snarling. Ready for a fight, he opened the door.
“Kainda? What are you doing here?”
“The pack is worried. You haven’t eaten all day….” She held up another basket of food.
“I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“Think of it as your duty, Alpha,” she said as she stepped forward. Remington raised a brow at her resolve. Sighing, he stepped aside and allowed her to enter his cabin. He wondered absently why she had been chosen to bring his food, instead of an Elder or one of his males.
Kai stepped into the kitchen and prepared her Alpha’s meal. She hated to put herself in a typical female role, but she didn’t have much choice. He needed to eat and the other women were too afraid to bring his food to him. She was hoping she would get another chance to talk to him about her role. She hoped she could convince him to give her a chance to prove she was a capable Tracker.
After plating the food, she turned to him.
“Table or living room?” He walked over to the table and sat down, feeling surly.
It’s nice to have a woman in my kitchen, waiting on me. Too bad it isn’t my mate.
In a brief moment of weakness, he considered fucking Kainda on his small kitchen table. Knowing his mate would find out about that indiscretion, he pushed his thoughts away. When I find you, Serena, you are going to have to make this up to me. He would fuck her until neither of them could move, he vowed silently. The thought of being buried in his mate calmed him somewhat and he pushed away his fleeting desire for Kainda.
Sighing heavily, he forced himself to eat. Halfway through his meal, he was interrupted by another sharp knock on his cabin door.
“I’ll get it, Alpha,” Kai offered. She opened the door. It was Galen, Remington’s Tracker. She stepped aside so that Remington could address him. Remington simply nodded and he entered.
Ignoring Kai because she was an insignificant female, Galen told Remington what he had found.
“I found the spot where the assassin stood, Remington. I checked the entire area. I even found a casing.” He withdrew the .308 caliber casing and placed it on the table. It was a large brass casing almost two inches long. Remington picked up the casing, deep in thought.
“That’s not all, Remington. I didn’t find a human scent. Not a single one.” Remington glanced up at him, shocked.
“That’s not possible.”
“I scented a wolf, Remington.” Kai bit back a surprised gasp.
“No,” he denied. A wolf wouldn’t—” He shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation.
“Who?” he demanded.
“Don’t know yet. It’s faint. I’m going to go back and track the scent. I just wanted to let you know.” Remington nodded, dismissing
Galen.
“Sir? I have to go…,” Deep in thought, Remington hardly acknowledged her. Deciding she wouldn’t be missed, Kai left, heading to the forest.
She found a secluded spot and shifted into her wolf. Kai-wolf trotted into the forest, following Galen’s fresh scent. She followed his scent to a small clearing, where the assassin had fired the killing shot. She sniffed the area.
Galen was right. There was no indication that a human had set foot in this area.
Kai-wolf checked thoroughly and picked up two different scents, one more faint than the other. She sniffed the area. Galen-wolf had followed the faint scent. She sniffed again.
Where had the other scent gone?
A pine cone fell on her nose and she glanced up.
The tree!
She raised her body, her front paws several feet off the ground, bracing against the tree trunk. She checked each tree and finally found it. She concentrated and shifted into her human form then climbed the tree. Once she was carefully perched on the tree, she sniffed again. Her human nose didn’t work as well as her wolf nose and she was unable to shift in the tree. However, she could still scent the second wolf. It was an oddly familiar scent.
Kai climbed down the tree and concentrated. It was exhausting to shift again but she was determined to find out where Galen had gone. She sprinted through the forest, following his scent. She took her time, making sure she stayed out of sight and downwind from him. Eventually his scent led to a cabin. She surveyed the surrounding area. The kitchen door opened and Galen walked out, carrying a rifle.
He stood there silently, waiting for someone.
This is all wrong, Kai-wolf thought. She backed away slowly and sprinted towards Tarchannen. She had to find Remington.
Kai returned to Tarchannen just before dusk. She found her clothes, shifted and dressed. Wolves were beginning to make their way towards the funeral pyre. She followed them, hoping to have a chance to speak to Remington.
Every single wolf in Tarchannen was gathered in the clearing and in the forest. Evie and Rylan stood with her children beside a large Cottonwood tree. The Alphas of neighboring packs stood in a semi-circle around the pyre. Knowing the Tarchannen pack’s hatred of humans, Lucien had come alone. Standing to his right was Ethan, the Alpha of Second Chances. To his left was Aleksandr Hoyden, Alpha of the Hoyden Pack. Stefan, Jacob, Grayson and Jared, Alphas of other wolf packs in the area, completed the semi-circle. Tarchannen Pack Elders formed a semi-circle on the other side of the pyre.
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