When I woke up in the big bed it seemed suddenly bigger, and I realized I was two lovers down.

“Where are Colt and Clarke?” I asked.

“Making breakfast,” said Jackson, who lay beside me.

“What are you doing?”

“Watching you sleep.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just thought it was the romantic thing to say.”

I had promised myself this was just for one night, that I would return to sanity this morning. But with Jackson beside me that was never a realistic goal. I drew him to me and we kissed, our bodies seeming to melt into each other. Last night, I would have called his stamina close to ‘god-like’, he had been incredible, so perhaps I should not have been surprised now as his cock rose against me.

“Do Wolf Takers train that thing, as well?” I asked, giving his hardened length a playful bat with my hand.

“No. It just knows what it wants.”

“Well, don’t let me stop it.”

I spread my legs and Jackson pressed into me, kissing me on the mouth as he thrust in right to the hilt. I moaned into his mouth as the luscious feelings of the night before returned.

Wrapped up in each other, we rocked our way to a lovely morning spend, coming simultaneously as we gasped each other’s names. For a while afterwards, we lay in a pleasant embrace, kissing and fondling each other just for the pleasure of doing it rather than starting something.

“I suppose we should see if breakfast is ready,” I said, a little regretfully. I was hungry and eager to see Colt and Clarke, but a day in bed with Jackson would also have been good.

Jackson nodded and got up from the bed. “Wolves always go naked at home, don’t they?”

“You don’t have to if…”

But Jackson had already taken my hand and led me out of the bedroom, both of us as naked as… well, werewolves.

When we entered the kitchen, I burst out laughing; both Colt and Clarke were also naked.

“I’m not sure I like the laughter,” said Colt.

“I’m pretty sure it’s you she’s laughing at,” smiled Clarke.

“You both look great.” It was amazing how quickly they had become comfortable around me and each other like this. Overnight, we had made our own home here, carved out our own little slice of heaven. The Dun Shiftin estate was off-grid – no cell phone coverage, no internet – which just added to this feeling of idyllic isolation, like we were the only people in the world.

After breakfast, while Jackson did the washing up, I took Colt and Clarke by the hands and led them upstairs with me. Jackson joined us later.

Indulgent? Yeah, for sure. But that’s what it’s like at the start of a new relationship; you simply can’t get enough of each other.

Had I just used the ‘R’ word?

Shit.

However much it felt like the rest of the world no longer existed, that was a fantasy. The world was still out there and so were all the problems that came along with it. My people hated them – or, at least, hated me for liking them – and their people hated me. We were getting it from both ways – especially me. It took a lot to unite the hardline werewolves with the Wolf Takers but I seemed to have managed it. Hooray for me.

But that wasn’t the real question. The real question remained; if those outside factors did not exist, was this what I wanted? I had never wanted a relationship. The idea of settling down was appalling to me. There was something slightly tempting in the idea of settling down with three Wolf Takers just to make everyone angry, but was it what I wanted?

I just wasn’t sure.

I loved them. Even saying that was a huge step for me and not one that I took lightly, but it was true. But was it enough? Loving someone was easy, but giving up that part of yourself you had to – in my observation – to be part of a relationship? That was something else. For all that I was part of a pack and part of a family, I had also always seen myself as the proverbial lone wolf – it was me versus the world. Giving up that seemed like changing who I was. Was I willing to do that for three Wolf Takers?

Even then, I wavered. I wanted to believe it was possible. But they were men, they were human and they were Wolf Takers. Three groups with which I had issues. I didn’t trust men because I had witnessed first-hand how they could treat women they supposedly loved and I wasn’t ever going to become one of those women. I didn’t trust humans because, in the end, it was us and them – in the pinch they would betray you for their own kind, that was where their loyalties lay. And as for Wolf Takers, maybe I couldn’t hate them as I once might have, but I had experienced their intolerance. My guys did not seem part of that but it was how they had been raised. You can’t escape your upbringing forever.

No. I didn’t know how this whole thing was going to end, but when it was over, we would go our separate ways. It would be sad – it would be devastating – but it would be right.

For now, I tried to force such thoughts from my mind, to live in the happy isolation of our own little bubble with the men who, for now, were mine.

But it was not just my problems that existed outside of our little world, and even someone as occasionally self-obsessed as me could not ignore that. Back home a war was brewing. It was so hard to believe - such a thing had not happened in werewolf society within living memory, and a mere few days ago had seemed unthinkable. Now it seemed unstoppable.

That evening, after a day of pleasure, thoughts and conversation inevitably turned in that direction.

“I just don’t understand what the MacKenzie have to gain,” said Colt, shaking his head.

“The idea is,” I replied, remembering what Uncle Farley had said, “they put Dad on the opposite side of a popular cause like The Brotherhood, then, when he attacks The Brotherhood, a lot of his own wolves will be against him. Then the MacKenzie step in as a pro-Brotherhood pack and all the disaffected Hokkai wolves side with them.”

“That’s a very devious plan for a werewolf,” commented Clarke. “Good one though.”

“No, it’s not,” Jackson scoffed. “The MacKenzie are going to be wiped out.”

“Well, they are now,” I agreed, a little indignantly. “Because we found out it was them. The Hokkai will annihilate them. But if they hadn’t been found out…”

“It would still be an awful plan,” Jackson interrupted. “It sounds good but think it through. What happens after the MacKenzie take over Hokkai territory alongside The Brotherhood? The Arctic and the Kenai have no love for The Brotherhood. The Kenai are probably as humanized as any pack and they’re big enough to crush the MacKenzie if they wanted. If what you said is MacKenzie Sean’s plan then the man is a fool. He’ll end up wiping out his own pack.”

I found all that a little hard to believe. “That was the plan my Uncle Farley suggested to my dad when all this started. He didn’t know it was the MacKenzie but he’s a very smart human. I’d be surprised if he hadn’t thought it through.”

Clarke frowned. “You have a human uncle?”

“Not a biological uncle. Sort of honorary. He’s an old friend and advisor of my father’s. I’ve known him all my life.”

“What’s his surname?” Jackson had a strange expression on his face.

“Castleford? Why?”

“Farley Castleford advises your father?”

“Yes. Why?”

Jackson drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. “Farley Castleford owns property in MacKenzie territory, doesn’t he? I saw signs up when we left the MacKenzie Pack Lodge.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s a property developer and a very rich man.”

“Rich men always want to get richer,” murmured Jackson, half to himself.

I nodded. “Uncle Farley certainly knows how to make money.”

“I wonder how far he might go.”

“What?”

Jackson looked at me as if uncertain how to begin. “The MacKenzie territory is pretty low grade as far as werewolves are concerned, but to a real estate developer, it’s prime land, especially where the MacKenzie Pack Lodge is situated. That area is worth a fortune, but MacKenzie Sean wouldn’t sell at any price – giving up your Pack Lodge for money would be a sign of weakness. But what might happen if the Hokkai went to war with the MacKenzie. We know the Hokkai would win and One-Eyed Jack isn’t moving his Lodge, so what happens to that land?”

“It’s up for grabs,” said Clarke. “And no werewolf would want it.”

“But there’s someone close to Hokkai Jack who does,” said Jackson darkly. “Someone whom he might want to thank for all his good advice.”

“No.” It all made sense but I couldn’t bring myself to accept it.

“We knew there was a traitor somewhere in the Pack Court. It being a human makes so much more sense than…”

“No.”

“Would your father have ever suspected the MacKenzie of this sort of plot, if Castleford hadn’t put the idea in his head?” asked Jackson. He spoke softly, trying not to hurt me any more than he had to. “Would a man as smart as Castleford have presented a plan that – like I said – doesn’t actually pan out? But he knew that a werewolf, especially one as straightforward thinking as your father, would buy it without asking questions. Then, all he had to do was plant the evidence, pushing us all in the right direction. And we’ve all acted just like he expected. Like you said; smart man.”

I didn’t want to hear. I couldn’t believe the possibility. It wasn’t like he was close family - someone I had loved - but Uncle Farley had always been there, and was someone I had trusted.

“It would explain how they found us at Hobton,” added Clarke. “I really didn’t think anyone had followed us. And who else knew we were going there?”

“What are you saying?” The words fell quietly from my lips, as I was still in shock. “That Uncle Farley has… what? Funded The Brotherhood to create a werewolf war? Tried to have me killed to make my father angry enough to start it?”

Jackson nodded as kindly as he could. “And to net millions on the property market.”

The conflicting emotions roiled inside of me, but I like to think that, however selfish I can be from time to time, I am a pretty decent person, and there was one thought that came out over all else.

My head snapped up. “We can stop the war. We have to tell my father.”

I still wasn’t sure if I could believe all this, it seemed so mired in the worst of human nature that it seemed inconceivable that anyone would do such a thing. But if there was even a chance then I had to let Dad know. At the very least, it would delay the war until he could establish the truth or otherwise of what Jackson was saying.

“I can drive back tonight?” suggested Colt.

“I’ll go,” I said, resolutely.

All three guys shook their heads.

“No way,” said Jackson. “You’re in no less danger now than ever. Probably more. And in the city especially. Our first job is still to keep you safe, and even if we go with you, that gets a lot harder if we go back to the city. I know what you’re going to say.” I had opened my mouth to argue. “And we usually end up letting you do what you want, one way or another, but not this time.”

I shook my head. “It has to be me. My dad has known Uncle… has known Castleford for decades. He’s not going to believe this from anyone but me. Even then it will be a hard sell.”

“Write him a letter.”

I tried to fight my case but the guys were adamant. A letter from me would be enough to stop the war, and if Dad had further questions then he could always come out here to get them answered in person. They were not going to risk my life when it was not necessary to do so.

“Okay,” I finally agreed. We were wasting time and that would not do right now. Every moment might be precious as we had no idea how advanced preparations for the war were. Might it even have started? Being cut off, which had seemed like a Godsend earlier in the day, now counted strongly against us.

I sat down to write the letter, as quick, blunt and to the point as I could make it. I had no idea how this would affect Dad, who had already been shaken by the recent turns of events. How would learning of his friend’s treachery hit him?

“Here you go.” I handed the sealed envelope to Colt, who gave me a comforting smile. He had a smile that I could not help but answer, and he gave me a light kiss on the lips before heading for the door.

“It’ll be alright. I promise.” And hearing those words from him almost made me believe it.

I slumped in the shoulders as I heard the front door slam.

“He’s right,” said Clarke, putting an arm about my shoulders. “Colt will deliver the letter, the war will be put on hold. Think of the lives you’ll have saved.”

I nodded. “I just wish I could be there for my dad when he gets the news.”

“I’m sure he’ll…”

But the sound of the door opening and closing at speed cut Clarke off.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as Colt ran back in. “You forget something?”

But Colt’s face was deadly serious. “There’re people outside. Advancing through the woods. I reckon they’ve got the place surrounded. It’s The Brotherhood.”