Sunday, late afternoon, after the wedding …
Meg had her bags in the car and a wad of tissues in her hand. She and Zach had said good-bye to the last of their guests, the mess from the wedding and reception was all cleaned up and put away, and it was time for them to head back to Portland and their honeymoon aboard the yacht Zach had built especially for Meg as a wedding gift.
He’d named the sixty-five-foot boat Wolfsong, and it was all loaded and ready for them to head out. In a flurry of hugs and tears, they were on their way. Once the car pulled out and headed down the driveway, Trak thought the resort seemed unnaturally quiet.
All the guests had left—Monday was a regular workday for a lot of the spouses, though not for Zach’s employees. He’d closed the business down for the entire month of October.
For the Trinity Alps pack, this was the end of a very busy, very productive summer. Trak should feel better about everything, but he was still worried about that damned alpha in Tuck’s wolf cage. Sighing, he got up and walked into the lodge.
Tuck followed him, so Trak led him into what was now Cherry’s office. She was most likely taking a nap about now with her guys. They’d all worked hard to make Meg and Zach’s wedding a success. It had gone off perfectly.
Tuck closed the door behind him. “I’ve still got the alpha in the clinic. I’m planning to take him out to a rest stop east of town in the morning and leave him. Elle found his clothes in the woods, along with the keys to his truck. She checked and the one Cain saw is definitely his, so she’ll follow me out; we’ll give him his keys and tell him to get the hell out of here, not to come back. We photocopied all the stuff in his wallet so we can sort of keep track of him.”
“Is that safe? Traveling with him?”
“I’ll sedate him for the trip, try to time it so he’s coming out of it when we get him where we want to leave him. I’ve got a hundred pounds on him, easy, and close to a foot in height. I don’t expect much trouble. He’s still in a locked cage in the clinic right now, but the guy is definitely scary. I’m almost sorry we didn’t just get rid of him when we had the chance. Trak? Honestly, I don’t know if Chelo will ever be safe. For some reason, he’s fixated on her, blames her for all sorts of bad things that have happened to the pack.”
Trak thought about that for a moment. “Do you think I should take care of him?” Trak wasn’t a killer. His only thought when fighting the alpha on Friday night was to keep his pack safe. Killing the other man hadn’t even been on his radar. He hadn’t been able to quit thinking of Evan, of the look on his face after he’d killed Rube. None of them were killers, but there were some animals that really needed to be put down. As pack alpha, administering justice was Trak’s job. Dealing with the alpha was his responsibility. But cold-blooded killing?
He wasn’t sure he could go there.
“No.” Tuck was shaking his head. “No need. I gave him some hormone shots while he was out and added an estrogen implant in his sac. He’s got stitches and there’s enough swelling that he thinks I actually removed his nuts. He’s pretty pissed off at me right now. The female hormones in his system are going to cause some feminization for a while before the implant wears off. It’s actually good for a couple of years. He should be losing a lot of the aggressiveness that had him going after you.”
“So, he’s shifted?” Trak hadn’t even asked.
“Yep. I let the sedative wear off after the wedding this morning to see how he was doing. He’s pissed and was still woozy, but he did manage to shift.”
“Thanks, Tuck. It’s not the ideal solution, but at least he’ll be gone for now.”
* * *
Evan and Nellie finally made it back to the cabin. Nellie flopped on the couch and threw her arms over her head.
“What a day!” She glanced at Evan and thought he was absolutely gorgeous in the dark suit he’d worn today. The wedding had been perfect; Meg and Zach’s guests were really nice people and loved the fact that there were wolves wandering around the reception. The guys had all taken turns shifting so that no one would notice any particular person gone for very long. It had turned into a game for them and gave the guests plenty to talk about, along with lots of photo ops.
Evan slipped out of his black suit coat and hung it over a chair. Then he removed the tie he’d worn since this morning, unbuttoned the white shirt that still looked damned hot on him, and toed off his black leather loafers.
“Did I mention that you clean up really well, Mr. Dark?”
He nodded. “That you did. But no one was as beautiful as you, Ms. Deya.”
“Oh … this old thing?”
She’d worn a designer gown, one that Darian had loaned to her. They were fairly close in size around, though Darian had a good five inches on her height. Darian said the dress hit her above the ankles—on Darnell it swept the floor—but she’d felt so beautiful today.
“That old thing makes you look like a goddess. Come upstairs with me. I want to make love to you, and then I want to make you mine. You’ll sleep all through tomorrow, but when you awaken you’ll be able to run with me in the woods. I can’t wait to see what your wolf looks like. I bet you’ll be gorgeous.”
He carried her up the stairs, and when he made love to her Darnell had absolutely no doubt that Evan was hers and this huge step they were taking was right. She came apart in his arms, her body pulsing around his, her heart pounding in her chest, and her mind spinning. He kissed his way down her throat, across her breasts, and then along her ribs to the flare of her hip. Then she watched, awestruck, as he shifted and the wolf nipped her there, a tiny bite that felt more like a pinch than an actual bite into her skin. She was aware of the hot flow of blood and the warmth of his tongue as he licked the wound he’d left.
Then he shifted again and the mystery and the beauty of the change that was going to be hers brought tears to her eyes. Evan made love to her again, slowly, sweetly, his big body over hers, his thick cock filling her, owning her. She remembered her climax, a world of shooting stars and soft mountain breezes, and then she drifted away on the night with the sound of Evan’s heart thundering in her ears.
* * *
Trak’s climax was so powerful he could have sworn he saw stars. Chelo arched beneath him and her fingernails left long red streaks across his shoulders. He held his chest off her, blowing as if he’d just run a mile, head down, resting his weight on his elbows and forearms, but then he leaned close and kissed her, and just like that, he wanted her again.
“Chelo, you are magnificent.” He kissed her again. “But I swear you’re going to wear me out. Will we ever grow tired of this?”
“I hope not.” She nipped his chin and ran her fingers along his ribs. “Because I will never let you go. ‘Never’ isn’t just a euphemism with us. You realize that, right?”
“Oh, yeah.”
He was hard again and so ready when his phone rang. Glancing at the clock, he groaned. “It’s after eleven. What could they want me for now?”
“You’d better get it. Your phone doesn’t ring this late.”
She certainly thought like a pack alpha’s mate, always putting the pack first. He could not have found a more perfect woman. “I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Regretfully, he crawled off his woman and walked over to the dresser where he’d left the phone. Tuck’s name flashed on the screen. “Tuck? What’s up?”
“Lock your doors, Trak. The bastard got loose. I was in the shower and he somehow got out of the locked cage. Elle heard some noise and went down to check and he coldcocked her.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’ll be fine, but she’s got a badly bruised jaw. We’ve got ice on it. I’m calling the pack, but I’m sure the bastard’s headed your way. We’ll get there as soon as we can.”
“Stay with Elle. Call Cain and the others, tell them what’s going on, but you keep her safe.”
He hung up the phone and turned to Chelo, but she was already pulling on her robe. “Is he human or wolf?”
“I’m guessing he’ll come as a wolf. I locked the doors before we came up here, but I need to meet him. This has to end now.”
Chelo grabbed his arm. “Trak, the man is crazy. He’s strong and he has no sense of conscience. He’ll do his best to kill you.”
“Well, I intend to kill him and I’ve got you to come home to, so I think that gives me a lot more incentive to beat that bastard. Stay in here. You’re too important a target, and if I’m worried about you I might end up getting hurt.” He kissed her. “I really, really don’t want to get hurt.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt, either. Be careful. I love you. I promise to stay inside. I’m guessing you’re right. He’ll come as a wolf. He’s stronger then.”
“Figured as much. I’m going to shift inside, so follow me so you can get the door, okay? I’m going out the back. Stay safe. I’ll come home as soon as I can.” He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “I want to finish what we were just starting. Keep the lights off in here. I don’t want him to see you.”
He shifted. Chelo followed him down the steps and opened the back door. Trak slipped out into the darkness. He glanced over his shoulder and watched her close the door. He didn’t move forward until he heard the dead bolt click into place.
Trak picked up Cain’s scent not far from the cabin, but there was no sign of the crazy alpha. Slipping quietly through the trees, Trak went straight to Cain. They both shifted. “Any sign of him?”
“I picked up his scent near Tuck’s place and he was heading this way, but I lost him near the swampy area in the meadow. He might have rolled in mud to throw us off.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Is Brad with Cherry?”
“He is. We’ve got all the women at the lodge. Wils and Ronan are patrolling together, Manny’s over by the lodge in case he heads that way, and Drew’s with Brad and the women. Lawz and Darian left for Eureka about an hour ago. They were both out of vacation.”
“I’ve always told Lawz he’s got great timing.” He heard a snap, just the sound of a single twig, but it was way too close. Trak and Cain shifted and slipped away in opposite directions.
He didn’t smell wolf, but he did pick up the foul miasma of old mud and algae. Cain had been right. The sound had come from the direction of the boggy meadow. Trak moved quietly to a point where he could see the meadow. He quickly spotted Cain slinking through the grass toward a spot of darkness that was most likely their wolf.
Watching Cain Boudin in action was actually pretty exhilarating—he moved so quietly, so carefully, that the grass didn’t even wave with his passing.
Trak slipped closer, keeping to the opposite side of the meadow, crouching low in the thick grass. Cain was still drawing closer to the dark shadow when it suddenly rose up to full height and charged Trak in an aggressive flash of sharp teeth and powerful jaws.
Trak dove low, feinting as if going for the wolf’s throat but snapping his jaws on the upper half of the beast’s front leg and taking him down. A loud yelp and the sharp crack of breaking bone was proof his attack had been successful.
There would be no mercy tonight.
* * *
Chelo sat alone in the dark cabin, waiting. Trak wouldn’t face the bastard alone. His pack loved him and would do anything for him, but she couldn’t help but fear for him. A lifetime of abuse at the hands of monsters had conditioned her to expect the worst.
It wasn’t easy to be an optimist.
She had to hope, though. It was all about hope. Hope had kept her alive and helped her escape. It had led her to Trak, a man she loved with all her heart.
He would be safe. He had to be.
A sharp knock at the back door startled her. She walked across the room. “Who is it?”
“Chelo, it’s Armando. Manny. Sorry, you’ve probably only heard my nickname. Are you okay?”
She quickly unlocked the door and let him in. “Have you heard from Trak? Is he okay?”
Manny stepped inside and locked the door behind him. “He’s going to be fine. Cain’s with him and nothing can stop that guy. Trak’s pretty tough on his own. I was worried about you here by yourself. Thought I’d stay and keep you company. Are you okay with that?”
“Thank you.” She drew her robe more tightly about herself. She’d not spent much time with him—his work as a forest ranger took him out on the trails a lot—but she knew his mates, Drew and Jules, and liked both of them. Armando was definitely welcome. “I appreciate it. I hate waiting. I’m so sorry all of these bad things are happening because of me.”
“Don’t be. None of this is your fault. If you want to blame anyone, blame the two who kidnapped you so many years ago. I’ve heard your story, Chelo. It’s terrifying and amazing.”
He walked over to the counter and went about making a pot of coffee as if he’d done it many times before, so comfortable in Trak’s kitchen that Chelo realized she was actually beginning to relax.
“You’re a strong woman, and an alpha besides. This pack needs you as much as we’ve always needed Trak.” He poured two cups. “You take anything in this?”
“Black, please. Thank you.
“How does the pack need me? Trak has said that, too, but this is the most stable group of people I’ve ever met, and your lives were safer before I showed up. You can’t deny that.”
Manny laughed and took a sip of his coffee. “I won’t even try to deny that, though we’re not bored, either. Chelo, Trak has been lonely for too many years. All of us were, but this summer each of us found mates, and that’s made a huge difference in all our lives. We’ve been worried about Trak because he hadn’t found anyone, because not a single woman who’s come through here over the past few months would have been right for him. You are. Hold on to that and know that we all accept you as the one who will make this pack stronger because you’re making our alpha stronger. We’re pack animals, Chelo. Not meant to live alone. With you and Darnell joining us, we are finally complete. We’re all excited to see what the future holds.”
* * *
Trak stood over the dead wolf, head down, sides heaving as he struggled for air. A bloody gash along his rib cage was his only injury, but the alpha had not been an easy kill. Tearing out the wolf’s throat had finally stopped him, though he’d fought a brutal fight on three legs until he’d finally gone down from loss of blood. Cain had sat back and watched, ready to help should Trak need him, but he’d stayed out of the fight.
As it should be. This was Trak’s battle and he’d prevailed. Standing here over his vanquished rival, he realized he’d always wondered if he could handle himself in a fight to the death. He’d feared that he didn’t have what he needed to lead this pack when it got down to the feral side of fighting for control.
Tonight’s battle had settled that argument. His heart had finally stopped trying to beat its way out of his chest, his ears were no longer ringing with the sound of growls and yips, and the damned wolf had finally stopped breathing.
From the amount of blood at the scene, it appeared he’d finally just bled out.
Trak shifted. Cain joined him, the two men standing over the dead animal. “I’ll get the guys to help me bury the body,” Cain said. “Tuck’s got a graveyard for wolves that have died over the years. This one won’t be shifting back, so that’s where he belongs.”
Nodding, Trak turned away. “I need to get back to Chelo. She’s there alone and probably worried sick.”
“I think Manny’s with her. When I left to meet you, he was talking to Jules about going over to sit with her until you got back.”
“Thank you. Thank you for worrying about us. Cain, inviting you into this pack has got to be the smartest move I ever made as an alpha. Sorry it’s taken me so long to figure that out.”
Cain slapped him on the shoulder. “S’okay. I wasn’t worried about it.” He looked at the dead wolf for a moment and then raised his head. “I say we leave him here, take care of the body in the morning. It’s been a long day.”
Nodding, Trak agreed. “Hell of a good wedding, though. And we handled it all without a wedding planner.”
“Only because Chelo and Darnell showed up when they did. Of course, that makes the whole idea of doing weddings a more workable concept, the fact we can do stuff in-house.”
“Good point. I think I need to go and let Chelo know that.” Trak turned to go but thought of something else. “Can you stop and tell Evan that all is okay? He was going to turn Darnell tonight, so I imagine he’s afraid to leave her at all, thinking that guy’s still running loose.”
“Will do. See you in the morning.”
Trak watched as Cain shifted and trotted off through the woods. Then, without a backward glance at the dead wolf lying in the weeds, he went back to Chelo.
Tuesday morning
There was a sense of heightened expectation on the deck at the lodge this morning. Evan was officially introducing his mate to the pack. Darnell had awakened the night before and made her first shift with Evan standing by. He’d called Trak to tell him that she was fine, that he’d taken her on a short run because she’d been too excited to wait for her official acceptance into the pack.
Trak sat with the rest of the pack, telling them about Evan’s phone call and laughing. He couldn’t imagine Darnell waiting for much of anything. She’d certainly given up waiting on Evan, and it hadn’t taken her long to wrest control of that situation. “Anyway,” he said, “they should be here any minute.”
A moment later Evan stepped out of the forest and into the sunlight. Beside him was a beautiful wolf, average sized with a creamy belly and silver, gray, and tan coloring around her head and body. A dark bar made a striking pattern across her chest and over her shoulders.
Trak turned to Cain and, behind his hand, said, “She even walks cocky.”
“Evan’s going to have his hands full with this one.” Cain didn’t even try to lower his voice, and when Darnell’s ears pricked forward it was obvious she’d heard.
The women were already spilling off the deck and running out to meet her. Trak hung back a bit, watching, listening.
Laughter. There was so much laughter with his pack. He remembered not that long ago when it had been only a pack of men, all of them knowing what they lacked and willing to do what it took to find their mates.
They’d had more success than any of them could have imagined, and the women now part of this pack had only made it stronger. One of these days, there’d be babies, too. Sooner rather than later, he hoped. It had been a long time since there’d been any young, and never any with his pack.
He realized Chelo hadn’t gone down with the others. She stood behind him, waiting patiently. No point in making her wait any longer.
“What were you thinking about, Trak? You looked sort of pensive.”
“Thinking about how much healthier this pack is, and all because of the women who’ve become a part of us.”
“And that makes you sad?” She took his hand and led him down the steps to greet Darnell.
“Not sad at all. Just thinking of what the future might hold. Imagining children. Are you okay with trying? I know your past is…”
“My past is over, Trak. I’m only looking at beginnings. And yes.” She grabbed his arm and hugged him close as they walked. “I want to try. I realized I’ve lived my life on hope for things to get better. They are definitely better. Now I can start looking at my future. At our future. We’ll never know if babies are part of ours unless we try.”
He leaned close and kissed her. And there in the parking lot in front of the Feral Passions Resort lodge, Traker Jakes stripped off his clothes and shifted. With his lovely mate beside him, they turned with the pack and raced into the woods.
Chelo was right. They truly were racing into a brand-new future.