“Turn this car around, Portia, or I’m going to rip your throat out!” My vision blurred red, the anger and desperation mixing together and building in my chest. “You promised you’d let me handle it!”
“That was before you killed him, Natasha,” Portia snapped. “And don’t you dare threaten me.”
“Fuck you.”
“Fuck you, too.” Portia gripped the steering wheel and let out another curse when she slammed on the brakes. Her precious little sports car slid on the road, fishtailing back and forth until we came to a stop in the middle of B.F.E., Alaska.
“Are you finally taking me home?” I asked sarcastically.
Portia glared at me, showing her teeth, until she threw the car in reverse, did a three-point turn, and headed back in the direction we’d just come from.
“Lost?” I knew I was being a little bitch, but I didn’t care. My sister had no right in dictating my life, and I would forever hate her for bringing me here against my will.
“Shut up,” she growled. We drove another few hundred feet until she pumped the brakes and made a sharp left turn onto a country road that took us into the surrounding forest.
Tears filled my eyes when I realized just how close we were. Portia had missed the turn, but now we were on the right track and she was heading straight into Eagle Creek.
Straight into Rhys Murray’s territory where she planned on dumping me.
“Portia, please don’t do this.” I hated begging my sister for anything, but it was necessary in this moment.
“Natasha, stop it.” Portia sighed and slowed down as the road got bumpier. “It’s for your own safety.”
“Bullshit,” I mumbled. “It’s so you and dad can butt into my life again and take over.”
My sister ground her jaw and I knew she was on the verge of exploding again. The entire drive from Toronto to Alaska had been drenched in tension and hurt feelings. Mostly mine. Portia was too easy, and I was pissed. So, I kept picking and picking, hoping she’d get so sick of me she’d just dump me somewhere other than here.
Making another sharp left turn, we cleared the trees and entered the Eagle Creek camp. One lonely dirt road led us past a cabin on the right and several campers on the left. It was a mismatched array of caravans, tents, and cabins—and it looked like a gypsy camp, which instantly pissed me off even more.
“No fucking way, Portia,” I snapped. “Take me back to Toronto or leave me somewhere else. But I am not living here.”
My sister slammed on the brakes, forcing me to throw my arms in front of my face so I didn’t hit the dashboard. I turned and glared at her, and saw that same look in return.
“You are staying here, Natasha. And you will be staying here until dad and I take care of the mess you’ve created.” When I sighed and rolled my eyes, Portia dug her nails into my arm and forced me to look at her. “You killed someone! And not just someone. You killed the alpha’s brother.”
“He deserved it!” I shouted, pain ripping though my chest at the memory.
“I know he did, Tash, but that wasn’t for you to decide.” Portia’s voice softened, her eyes tearing up. “I know what he did to you, but we have rules for a reason. You needed to let the pack handle it.”
“No, I didn’t,” I snapped, getting angry all over again. “The pack would have had a trial and he would have paid for witnesses to lie! He would have destroyed me.”
Portia pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I wouldn’t have let that happen,” she said quietly.
“You don’t control the world, sister,” I growled. Portia always thought she was better than me—better than everyone else. But she wasn’t. And she would have done the same thing had she been in my position. I almost said as much but the gathering crowd caught my attention. “Jesus Christ. What are they staring at?”
“You,” my sister said pointedly. “You’re acting like a child.”
“Oh my god. I swear I’m gonna—” I hunched forward in pain, hoping my wolf would stay inside.
“Don’t change, Tash.”
“Stop calling me that!” The fire ripped through my stomach, my fingers and toes burning with the power of my beast.
“Don’t you fucking change.” Portia tried to push her dominance on me, but it didn’t work. It never worked. My wolf bowed to no one.
“Ah!” I shouted in pain. My back cracked with the first signs of my animal. Ripping off my tank top, I did my best to shimmy out of my jean shorts before I lost total control.
Portia grabbed my shoulder and clawed at my skin. “Natasha!” she shouted. “This is why you’re in trouble. Control your animal for Christ’s sakes! Tell her to calm down.”
“Let go of me,” I growled, the sound so animal-like I knew I had seconds left in my skin. I felt my teeth elongating and smelled the familiar scent of fur. Kicking off my shoes, I flung open the tiny car door and bolted for my freedom.
Before I even hit the ground, the wolf had taken control. She was vicious, but I was angry. So angry and so hurt that my family had turned their backs on me when I needed them most. Especially Portia. As a woman, I thought she’d understand why I did what I did. That bastard deserved to die…no matter what the rest of the wolves thought.
“Natasha! Change back now! We are guests here!” Portia was running around the hood of the car yelling at me in front of everyone like I was a baby.
Lifting my lips, I snarled her way. Stay back, sister. Someone from Eagle Creek made a noise and I growled at them too. All of them. They could enjoy the little show because I had no intentions of staying.
Portia flung her arms in the air, watching the crowd and asking them for help. No, not them. She was looking at Rhys. I focused my glare on him, warning him to stay out of it. But he didn’t listen, and instead he started to walk toward us.
No! No! I’m not going down without a fight.
In a fit of rage, I bounded toward my sister. Snapping my jaws just inches from her vulnerable stomach, she fell to the ground as I darted past her. I didn’t want to bleed her, but I did want blood. My wolf had always been rebellious, but ever since the incident, she’d been bloodthirsty. Rhys held up his hands as I ran at him. He said something but I didn’t listen. I didn’t care. And when I was just a few feet away, I bent my legs and leapt into the air. Only instead of jumping over him, something sharp grabbed a hold of my back leg and broke my momentum. Twisting as I fell, I saw the jaws of my sister’s blonde wolf clamping down on my ankle.
With a deep, ferocious growl, I snapped at her and got a chunk of her ear in my mouth. She howled as she bit down harder. A little more and she’d break bone. I kicked my other leg out from underneath me, and got Portia right in the ribs. With a grunt, she eased up on her grip enough that I could wiggle out of her jaws. And when I stood, a bright-eyed lynx hissed in my face.
Don’t do it, I thought. I am much stronger than you.
But the lynx acted like a stupid lynx and charged anyway. Its claws scrapped my sides as she jumped on top. Her mouth closed on the back of my neck and I screamed in rage. Dropping quickly to the ground, I rolled over on top of her and shook her loose. And when I stood, I pounced, both of my front feet holding her down while I rested my jaws over her neck. She submitted instantly even though she continued growling.
Then someone knocked me away. I rolled in the dirt until I was on all fours and facing another wolf. Not Portia and not Rhys…but someone else who smelled dominant and scared at the same time. Me and my beast weren’t afraid of anything, so we attacked. Our bodies slammed together in mid-air, fur flying and blood splattering. I got in a few good bites and so did the other wolf, if the pain in my shoulder meant anything.
I didn’t know how long the fighting lasted, but at some point, I ended up in the middle of a ball field surrounding by the shifters of Eagle Creek. I saw lynx, panthers, wolves, a raven, and even a lion circling me like delicious prey. Portia stalked around the inside of the circle, barking commands at me and giving me her teeth. I snapped right back at her, yet each time I tried to pounce, Rhys stepped between us. He was one of the only people still in human form and I’d forgotten just how stupid he was.
Snarling my disgust at him, I spat blood on the ground as I stalked closer. He had his hands up and his eyes lowered, but I could feel his alpha itching to get out. “Natasha, enough.”
He didn’t say it loudly or with a command, yet my wolf listened.
“That’s it. Please don’t fight anymore. No one here wants to fight with you.”
I huffed and jerked my chin toward my sister still pacing behind him.
Rhys turned his head and gave Portia a nod. Just a few seconds later, she shifted back into human and stood with her arms crossed—naked and confident in front of all these strangers. Her long, blonde hair hung freely down her perfect body while she acted like having a fight in front of strangers had been no big deal. It was just one more reason for me to hate her.
“Natasha?” Rhys asked. “Please?”
Snapping my jaws at him, I turned my back and walked around the circle of shifters. I made sure I glared at each and every one—a warning. Some dropped their gazes. Some growled back, especially the young black panther standing next to a much older and much larger one. When that young cat hissed, I pretended to be scared. Even though his father was the real threat.
As I made my way back past my sister, I sat in front of her and shifted forms. It hurt like hell because my wolf wasn’t ready to sleep yet, but I couldn’t show weakness in front of the Eagle Creek crew. And especially not in front of Rhys. He’d once been the boy of my dreams…but that was a long time ago and now I just needed to show him that I was strong and didn’t need anyone to protect me.
No, I didn’t need Rhys Murray to protect me.
As the pain started to subside, I heard the others walk away. Portia dropped down beside me, but when she touched my arm, I jerked it away. She let out a breath and stood when Rhys walked toward us.
“Portia,” he said with a hint of anger. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
I huffed. “She doesn’t care.”
Portia sighed again and nudged me with her leg. “Get up.”
“Fuck you.”
Rhys let out a laugh and when I glanced up, I was temporarily paralyzed by how good that smile looked on him. Dirty blond hair hanging out from underneath his ball cap, tattoos from his back peeking out from his neck, and blue eyes that captured every poor soul they saw.
I’d forgotten just how handsome he was.
“What are you doing here?” Rhys asked us both, eyes finding mine but quickly darting away.
“Natasha needs to stay here for a while.”
“Nope,” he said instantly.
“Rhys—”
“You should both leave,” he spat, cutting off my sister.
I chuckled to myself. “See sis, I’m not wanted here either.”
Rhys sucked in a breath and I instantly looked up at him. He was studying me…trying to figure out what was going on without asking the questions. A thousand emotions passed over his face while he watched me sit on the ground, naked and cold and totally vulnerable. Finally, after way too long, he let out a sigh, and gestured for me to stand. “Come to my cabin so we can talk. Both of you.”
That last line was directed at my sister and it didn’t sound kind. In fact, Rhys sounded like ice and fury and I worried that Portia had made a really bad decision, based on the nervous look she had on her face right now.
In silence, my sister and I followed behind Rhys, naked and exposed, as we walked through the camp. I felt the eyes on me—staring and assessing and probably pitying me for being so out of control.
Well, fuck them. I didn’t plan on staying here. As soon as Rhys told us to go, I would. I’d go somewhere far away from Eagle Creek and far away from my sister.
I didn’t need anyone’s help.
I would be just fine on my own.