Jackson shook his head at the carnage by his feet. Half a dozen chickens dead, their carcasses a mangle of blood, feathers, and guts. Dead chickens, he’d seen plenty of times. But this was a massacre. Nothing they couldn’t recover from as they had many more chickens in the coop. But it was a waste. Each chicken gave them around twenty eggs a month. There wasn’t even anything left for them to turn into a meal.

“Get rid of these,” he told Carl, one of the younger employees.

“Yes, Alpha.” Carl turned and ran back toward the barn, leaving Jackson alone with Garland, one of his most trusted ranch hands.

“What do you think about this?” he asked the older man.

Garland stroked his snowy mustache with the tip of his thumb and forefinger. “Never seen anything quite like this, Alpha.”

“I know. This isn’t just some animal looking for a meal.” Jackson glanced around.

“Lycan, then? Some new pup not in control of his or her shifts?” Garland asked.

“Could be, but we know each and every kid in the clan who’s about ready for the shift. No one’s even close to that age this year.” Lycans only began to shift around their teen years, and when that happened, the clan helped ease them into the transition. The first few shifts were messy affairs, and the pups needed to be taught to control their animals.

“You know the other explanation.”

“Yeah.” Jackson clenched his jaw. “But I don’t want to say it out loud.”

“Someone’s going feral.”

There. Garland had said it for him. Some Lycans went feral—a state where they couldn’t control their wolves—for a variety of reasons, but usually it had to do with some type of trauma.

Garland took his hat off. “So, are you thinking it’s one of the new guys, then, Alpha?”

“Out of the sixteen wolves we rehabbed, three elected to stay,” Jackson began. “Elijah, Samuel, and Carter.” Elijah had been one of the older Lycans, a man in his fifties. He’d been brainwashed by the Mages and before that, he’d been a Lone Wolf for such a long time, he didn’t remember where his original clan was from. He was a hard worker and didn’t look like he could hurt a fly.

Then there were the two younger ones. Carter was brash and a show-off, but so were most young men his age. Jackson didn’t like his attitude and how he was always mouthing off. But he said he wanted to stay on, and he had made many friends among the Shenandoah clan who vouched for him.

Samuel on the other hand … Jackson could feel something was off about the man. All the broken wolves who came to them had something wrong with them. After all, they had been brainwashed or controlled in one way or another. That was why Jackson had yet to accept the three fully into the fold when they asked to stay and pledge to the Shenandoah clan. Jackson had them on a probationary period which was usually standard for any Lycan looking to join another clan. He hadn’t made them any promises, but allowed them to stay and earn their keep.

But what made Samuel stand out was that Jackson just could not get a read on the man. When he looked into the man’s eyes, he saw nothing. Just a dead, cold stare. He knew what he had gone through. It wasn’t much different from what Connor had experience. That made Jackson pity the man, but now …

“Let’s keep an eye on this,” he told Garland.

“Will do, Alpha.”

Jackson turned around and headed back to the house. Nothing like this had ever happened before, so he didn’t want to just go accusing anyone, especially not when he and the rest of the clan worked hard to earn the trust of those men.

However, he trusted his gut feeling that something was wrong, even if he didn’t know what. For now, he would keep an eye on things and take it from there. Hopefully this was just a one time thing.

Pushing those thoughts away, he climbed up the porch steps and walked into the kitchen where Lily was waiting.

“Today’s the day, huh?” Lily said, a sparkle in her eye.

Jackson sat down on the empty chair across from her. “Momma,” he began, giving her an admonishing look. But he knew what his mother was talking about.

It had been over a month since Evie and Connor had come. Since then, the two women had been putting their heads together, searching for eligible females he could date. It was a fruitless search, because what Lycan female in her right mind would want to move to the middle of nowhere and become not only Lupa to a clan of a hundred Lycans, but also a mother to an unruly kid? Evie and Lily searched high and low, finding single female Lycans from around the country, even sending him pictures of a few of them to him, but none piqued his or his wolf’s interest.

It wasn’t until he had worked out the deal with Grant Anderson to do his Lycan corporate retreats that Lily and Evie had struck gold. And Jackson had to admit, when those two put their minds to it, they really could do anything.

Grant and Creed had sent them the profiles of the four executives who would be running the pilot program with them. Evie had helped put the packet together since she also worked at Creed’s office, and that’s when she called Lily and sent her screenshots of one of the profiles she was putting together.

Liz Cimms. Marketing executive at Fenrir Corp. Blonde, blue-eyed, and gorgeous. Jackson rolled his eyes when he saw the picture, but his mother had said she actually grew up on a farm in upstate New York. She even knew how to ride horses. Now that piqued his interests. Liz didn’t seem like the usual city girl type, who hated dirt and animals.

Jackson found himself glancing at the photo—which Lily conveniently left lying around—more than a couple of times a day. Frankly, if she was the real deal, then maybe he did have a chance of finding a wife and a mother to Austin.

He could almost see it now—him coming home from a day out in the ranch, Liz making dinner in the kitchen, and Austin doing something not criminal, like his homework or reading a book, then all of them sitting down to dinner. Hell, maybe if he were lucky, he could have a pup with Liz, too.

Don’t put the cart before the horse now, a voice inside him said. True, he had never met this woman, but Jackson couldn’t help but feel that things were going to change here in the next few days.

“We have a last-minute addition, by the way,” Lily said, breaking into his thoughts.

“An addition?”

“Yes. It was a personal request from Mr. Creed himself, so I couldn’t say no.” Lily took out her phone and squinted at the small screen. “A … Jordan Matsumoto. Works in Research and Development at Fenrir. Lycan, of course, but from the San Francisco clan.”

“A transfer?”

“Uh-huh.” Lily’s eyes lit up. “Probably related to the Alpha. And possibly to the Tokyo Alpha as well, with that name.”

Jackson raised a brow. “Updating yourself on Lycan affairs?”

“Well, we’ve been in isolation for so long and with everything that’s happened, I think it’s time we started getting more involved,” she pointed out.

“I guess that’s not a bad idea.” Although there was a governing body for the Lycans—the Lycan Council—they only did the bare minimum to update the main office about their clan. With the events of the last two years and discovering that the Council had a traitor, it was probably what saved them from being a target of the Mages. Still, now that Grant Anderson and a few other influential Alphas were trying to put things back together, Jackson had been more open about giving information about the Shenandoah clan.

“But, now that we have an additional person, that means we’ll have to find extra space for this Jordan.” Lily said.

“He can bunk in with the two other men from Fenrir. They’re staying in the bigger room upstairs,” Jackson decided. Normally, Jackson put the rehabbers in the old bunkhouse far away from the house. But, since these were technically guests, they decided they might be more comfortable in the main house. After all, they had six bedrooms at the house and only three were occupied. “We’ll put in a cot or something.”

“Actually—”

“Looks like they’re here.” His keen senses picked up the sound of a motor approaching the house. “I’ll go welcome them.” He stood up, a little too quickly for his taste. He couldn’t help it as his heart began to pound a little faster in his chest. Would Liz Cimms live up to his expectations? Would she even like it here?

Jackson walked out to the front door and saw the black passenger van approaching the house and coming to a complete stop a few feet from the porch. He hopped down the steps to greet the new arrivals.

The door slid open and the two men came out first. The first was a middle-aged man with thinning hair, while the man who followed behind him was a decade younger. Lycans, both of them, and Jackson’s inner wolf was instantly on alert. It was a natural reaction, especially when dealing with unknown wolves.

“Alpha.” The older man, looking entirely out of place in his light brown suit, gave him a bow. Jackson could feel his wolf too, bowing to him in deference. It was something they were taught as pups, to show respect to Alphas and other higher-ranking Lycans. “Thank you for inviting us into your territory. I’m Keith Matthews, executive operations manager for Fenrir Construction. I’m honored to meet you.”

Jackson held out his hand. “We’re not formal around here, Keith. Please call me Jackson.”

Keith’s shoulders relaxed and shook his hand. “As you wish, Al—, I mean, Jackson.”

“Blake Edmund, Fenrir’s social media coordinator. Thanks for the invite.” the younger man said when Jackson turned to him. His clothing was less formal—slacks, long-sleeved T-shirt, vest, and a knit beanie. “This is a pretty cool place you have here. Is that a real barn?” He nodded to the large red structure in the distance.

Jackson stopped himself from smiling, thinking of his brother and those hipsters he hated. Edmund was very much the typical New York hipster. “Yes, that is a real barn. Glad to have you here.” Blake’s wolf felt more laid back, but no less respectful than Matthews’.

A woman came up behind Blake. She was short, on the curvy side, and with a mop of unruly brown curls on top of her head. Her animal seemed timid, almost submissive as it sensed Jackson’s wolf. “Karen Adams, junior exec from the marketing department,” she introduced. She gestured behind her. “And this is—”

“Elizabeth Cimms,” came the breathy, low voice. “Senior account executive. But, please, call me Liz. Thank you for the invitation, Alpha.”

He stood there, staring at her for a moment. And why wouldn’t he? Liz Cimms was even more beautiful in real life. Tall and lithe, with the right amount of curves on her frame. She looked like she’d stepped out of a country and western clothing catalogue, with her plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her blue eyes sparkled as she flashed him a bright smile. Her wolf practically preened when they locked eyes.

“Uh, nice to meet you.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, nice to meet you all. Welcome to Shenandoah Valley. I’m happy to have you here. If you can grab your things, I can show you to your rooms, so you can get settled in. We can all have coffee on the porch and I’ll tell you about what’s happening the rest of the week.”

“That sounds great.” Liz turned to Karen. “Karen, hun, would you be a dear and grab my rollaway bag from the back?”

“Of course, Liz.” Karen’s head bobbed up and down vigorously, her curls bouncing around her. “I’ll get right on it.”

“What a lovely home you have, Alpha.” Liz looked up at the house. “Is it original?”

“Yes, my great-grandfather built it, when he started the clan,” he replied. “And please, call me Jackson.” He almost wanted to offer Liz his arm, but it seemed too early for that. “Now, let’s head up. And—” Shit. Where was the other guy? “Isn’t there a fifth person?”

Liz rolled her eyes. “Right. Jordan something-or-other.”

Edmund jerked a thumb at the van. “Asleep in the back.”

“Snores like a pig,” Liz added. “Didn’t even stir on the way here.”

Jackson sighed. “All right. You guys go on ahead. My Lupa—er, that’s my mother at the moment—will be waiting for you inside.” He made sure to make it clear that the head female around here was in fact, Lily and not a wife, just in case Liz didn’t know he was single. “I’ll get our last guest.”

As the rest of the group got their things, Jackson stepped inside the large van. In the last row was a figure dressed in a hoodie that obscured his face, slumped over the seat in front of him, arms hanging down.

Jackson slipped into the second row and grabbed the sleeve of the hoodie. “Hey, man, wake up.”

The figure let out a soft snort, then a surprised cry. “Huh? Where am I?”

Hazel eyes, so light they were almost green, looked up at him. They were magnetic; and much to his surprise, those large luminous eyes were surrounded by thick, dark lashes and slightly turned up at the corner. Delicate brows framed her heart-shaped face and a smattering of freckles covered a pert nose and high cheekbones. The wolf inside her was silent and still, almost unsure, as if it was assessing him.

“You’re a girl,” were the first words that came out of his mouth.

“Yeah, I am, last I checked down there anyway,” she replied in a sarcastic tone.

Jackson blinked and looked around. “Are you in the right place?”

“You know, that’s a question I ask myself a lot.” She sighed, her pink lips parting, then shook her head again.

He took a deep breath and was instantly hit with her scent—a strange mix of fruity and floral that he’d never smelled before. It wasn’t bad or anything. In fact, it was intoxicating.

Seemingly out of nowhere, his wolf perked up. It stood at attention, not letting him move or turn away. Huh. Weird. It had never reacted that way before. Not to anyone, Lycan or human. “Who are you?”

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Jordan. Matsumoto. Who the hell are you?”

“Jackson Forrest.”

“Jack—holy shit!” She sat up straight. “Alpha. Sorry! I mean, thank you for welcoming me into your territory.” She bowed her head. Her wolf though, didn’t show much submission. In fact, if he didn’t know any better, it felt like the animal was checking him out.

“Wait a minute. You’re Jordan?”

“Yeah. I mean, yes, Alpha.”

Her head shot up, her hoodie falling to reveal long, straight black hair that looked silky and Jackson fought the urge to touch the inky strands. In his attempt to distract himself from her lustrous hair, he found himself looking into those luminous eyes again, drowning in them and unable to pull away. “I thought you were, I mean … they said …” Why the hell was he babbling like some damned fool? “You should grab your things and come with me.”

He quickly slid out of the van and took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to forget her scent. What the hell happened? And that girl—no, woman—why the hell did his wolf react like that to her? Fucking shit, why was he reacting this way? His heart was racing, thinking of those eyes and that silky hair and wondering what her body was like under that baggy sweatshirt.

“Jackson?” He looked up. Lily was standing on top of the porch, hands on her hips. “So, I just met Liz.” His mother’s smile was bright.

“Who?”

“Liz.” Lily reminded him. “She seemed awfully sweet. And very polite.” She frowned when he gave her a blank look. “Are you okay?”

Liz. Right. “Yeah … I’m fine. Just fine.”

“Did you—oh.” Lily’s gaze focused behind him. “You must be Jordan. Welcome.”

He turned around. Jordan was right behind him, a large black backpack slung over her shoulder.

“Lupa.” She bowed her head to Lily. “Thank you for inviting us into your territory.”

“You’re very welcome,” Lily answered. “And please, call me Lily. Jackson, did you still want me to set up that cot in the bigger room for her?”

“What? What are you talking about?” That answer came out with a growl. His inner wolf was not happy at the thought of Jordan sharing a room with the two other males.

Lily seemed taken aback. “Well, it’ll be a tight squeeze with the girls, but—”

“She can take the attic room.”

“The attic room? That’s right above yours,” Lily said.

“Yeah so?”

His mother shrugged. “I’ll have someone prepare the room. Sorry about that Jordan,” she said. “We didn’t get the notice you were coming until this morning.”

“Yeah, it was kind of a last-minute thing,” she replied. “Sorry for the bother.”

“Oh, not at all. Now, if you want to use the bathroom or take a few minutes to freshen up, you can use my room.” Lily gestured for Jordan to come up.

“Thank you, Lupa.” She brushed past Jackson, her sweet scent tickling his nose. He had to reign in his inner wolf as it urged him to follow her.

Stop fucking around, he told the animal. Asshole wolf.

As soon as Lily and Jordan disappeared into the house, he pivoted on his heel and walked around the back of the house. He didn’t know where the fuck he was going, but he just needed to be away. Away from that damned woman and her sweet flowery-fruity perfume.

Jackson made it halfway to the barn when he stopped and let out a curse. “Why the fuck am I afraid to go into my own home?” He continued marching, not really sure where he was going, as long as it was far away from the main house.

He should be in there now, trying to get to know his clients and get closer to Liz. He tried to picture her gorgeous face and beautiful blue eyes to distract him. It worked, but his damned wolf gnashed its teeth at him for some reason.

“Well, I can’t fucking stay away from my own house,” he said to no one in particular. It had been about thirty minutes since they’d arrived, according to his watch. He really should go back there and welcome them and begin their orientation. He and Lily had read up about what corporate retreats were like and even worked with Grant’s Beta, Nick Vrost, on what they had hoped to achieve with this venture. They decided it would be like a modified version of their rehab program—some farm work, a couple of hikes, and a few sessions where they could roam free and shift around the property as they pleased. There would also be a big camping trip at the end. Nothing he couldn’t handle.

With a long, drawn-out sigh, he walked back to the house. He saw that everyone had gathered on the porch, having coffee. Everyone, except Jordan. He told himself he was relieved.

“Alpha. I mean, Jackson,” Liz greeted in her sweet as honey voice as he walked up the porch steps. “You’re back. I thought you’d gone for good.”

He smiled at her. “Now why would I do that?” He drew close to her, trying to get a whiff of her scent. It was overly flowery, like someone had spilled perfume on her and he had to breathe through his mouth to stop the cloying scent from overpowering him.

“I don’t know … you are an Alpha. I didn’t think we’d be getting such a personal touch during this little retreat.” A hand came up to his bicep, giving him this slightest brush.

He cleared his throat and looked at the others. “I hope the rooms are okay? It’s not the Ritz, but we did our best to make them comfortable for you.”

“They’re great,” Blake said. “Really authentic and—” He stopped and chuckled. “Well, looks like someone’s making friends.” He nodded his head toward the field that faced the house.

Liz snickered. “Well, at least she found someone who can stand her.”

“Oh, Liz, you’re so funny,” Karen guffawed.

“What are you—” Jackson turned to where everyone was looking. A figure in a familiar black hoodie stood in the middle of the field, approaching a newborn calf grazing on some freshly sprung grass.

Jordan. She was facing away from them, which is why she didn’t see the fast-approaching mama cow coming up behind her, with its shoulders and head hunched over, pawing at the ground.

“Motherfucker.” His heartbeat went from zero to sixty in two seconds as he used his enhanced speed to rush toward Jordan.