Shades of Secrecy

Raven Point Pack, Prequel Novella

Heather Renee

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Epilogue

Stay in Touch

Also by Heather Renee

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Shades of Secrecy © Copyright 2018 by Heather Renee

All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, alive or dead, is purely coincidental.

For more information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book, email heatherreneeauthor@yahoo.com.

Editing: Jamie from Holmes Edits and Stephany Wallace

ISBN: 978-1728804262

For my Book Warrior group, thank you for embracing my quirks and loving these characters almost as much as I do!

Chapter 1

Papers scattered across the sleek surface of my dad’s desk, a few dropping to the hardwood floor as I slammed them down. I hadn’t meant to be so rough, but my anger was near its limit. My wolf begged to be released.

“Did you see this yet?” I asked, trying to calm my voice. I didn’t have a valid reason to be so exasperated by the information, but something was nagging at me, and I wouldn’t let it go until I figured it out.

“Yes, I did,” he answered with a nod.

“Well, what are we doing about it?”

The alpha of the territory next to ours was never popular. Declan was cross, and his area was the least favorable among the wolves. Somehow, though, he had managed to nearly double the population of his main pack over the last year.

“I know this is frustrating, but I have been in a position of authority for decades. I know how this works. There are certain protocols–”

“I don’t give a damn about protocols!” I interjected with a growl. “Declan is up to something, and it’s not good.” I grasped my chest. “I feel it in here.”

Dad stood, leveling his heated gaze on me. “Cord, if you weren’t my son, I’d beat the shit out of you for interrupting me. Keep your temper in check or you’ll be off this investigation. Do I make myself clear?” His alpha power seeped through his words, letting me know I had crossed a line.

Without saying another word, I nodded stiffly. I knew when to push my dad and when to keep my mouth shut.

Now, if my twin sister Taya had been with us, a war may have started. Which was the exact reason we had kept her out of our research. Well, and because my dad was extremely overprotective of her, rarely letting her leave the pack.

“As I was saying,” Dad carried on, sitting back down, “we have certain protocols we have to follow when an alpha is being accused of a crime, especially when we don’t know exactly what he’s doing.”

Taking a seat, I nodded for him to continue.

“As you know, Declan is not just a pack alpha but an alpha to the entire Rocky Mountain territory, meaning the council will be brought in to determine whether or not he is actually doing anything wrong. It goes to a vote after the evidence is presented and majority decides. Since Declan wouldn’t be able to cast a vote, a beta is randomly picked from the other four territories to fill his spot, so we don’t end up with a tie.”

He pulled out a book from his desk—one I’d seen many times during my alpha-in-training sessions—and opened it up. His hand moved toward a map.

“I can count on the East Coast territory, but the Southeast and Southwest are a toss-up without hard evidence. Declan has frightened a lot of shifters into submission. He has always been forceful in everything he’s done, but his people have never filed official complaints against him. Most of them just find a way to move away to other territories.”

An infuriated breath blew through my lips. “So, are you saying we will never have a chance, even if we figure out exactly what he’s up to?”

He grinned. “No, I’m saying you need to have patience. We need more evidence than the increased population numbers in Declan’s territory that seem to be coming from nowhere. It’s circumstantial at this point, and we can’t risk it. I’ve known Declan longer than I’ve been alpha, and he’s ruthless. He hasn’t always been that way, but then again, life hasn’t always been kind to him. Regardless, we need to get this right the first time. We won’t get a second chance. Do you understand, Son?”

“I do. I’ll work with Augie and figure out a way to dig deeper, and soon. We will handle this. I’m going to make sure of it.” Pushing the chair back, I stood. “The three of us can meet again when we have a plan.”

Dad stood and walked around his desk. “That will be just fine.” His hands reached for me, pulling me into a rough hug. “I love you, Cord.”

“I love you, too,” I answered gruffly. Emotions weren’t my strength, but my dad had a way of breaking through my walls and, most importantly, my stubbornness. I knew he was right, even if I didn’t like it.

In any other situation, I’d talk it out with Taya, but Augie and I were bound to secrecy by Dad’s alpha power. He hadn’t taken any chances with us bringing her in on things without his permission.

Dad never admitted it, but I had always assumed the reason he was so protective of her was because the older she got, the more she reminded him of his late wife. We lost our mom at birth, so Taya and I had never known her, but Dad had always shown us pictures and told us stories to keep her spirit alive when we were kids.

Taya was the spitting image of our mother with her deep brown hair, red highlights, and bright wide lilac eyes. According to Davis, our pack beta, Dad had never been the same. I was built just like my dad, with his golden-brown eyes and darker hair, except his was turning more silver with every passing year.

When I opened the door to leave my dad’s office, he kindly reminded me to keep our meeting to myself, which really meant ‘don’t attempt to tell Taya.’ I grimaced as I closed the door behind me. I was tired of tiptoeing around for the sake of politics, but Dad was not only alpha; he was Chief of the entire wolf council that governed the wolves in America.

I had no choice but to obey his orders.

When I rounded the corner of the hallway, Taya collided with me.

“Oh. Hey, Cord.” She grinned from ear to ear. “What are you up to?”

The words I wanted to say refused to roll off my tongue. I really hated this part, more than knowing Declan was up to something devious. Instead of the truth, a lie easily came out. I had been dealing with this dilemma for too long now.

“Just more alpha-in-training stuff.” I shrugged, trying to remain casual. “You know how it is.”

She winked. “Actually, I have no idea, and that makes me oh so happy.”

I had drawn the short straw by being born first. As the only heirs to the alpha, that meant Taya and I had first shot of becoming our pack’s next leader when our dad was no longer able to do so.

For the most part, I didn’t mind it, until we had to deal with packs outside of our territory. Then, I wished my sister was the one training instead of me.

“One day, you’ll change your mind about that,” I teased as I ruffled her hair.

We might have been twins, but we obviously weren’t identical. I had a solid foot of height above her measly five-foot-two frame, and she hated that I towered over her. Her speed certainly made up for her lack of size, and I quickly caught a jab to my kidney.

“Ha! I doubt it. I’m just about to go find Augie and head down to the lake. You want to come with us?”

I glanced back at Dad’s office, torn between spending time with my sister and our best friend Augie, or planning what came next in my need to stop Declan. I knew that whatever he was doing didn’t directly affect our pack, but it didn’t stop my wolf and me from caring.

Throwing my arm around her shoulders, I peered down at her. “Alpha-in-training stuff can wait. Let’s go.”

The grin on Taya’s face widened. “Good choice. I wasn’t going to let you out of it anyway. Your compliance just saves us time.”

My head shook as I thought about what a bossy little sister she was.

The thought had crossed my mind that I could still handle some business while having fun, and Taya would be none the wiser. Augie had befriended her first when we were kids, but he had quickly become an extended part of our family, and he was also my best friend. He was very much involved in the investigation we had going against Declan.

Augie hated the secrets almost as much as I did, but he too understood that the less people who knew the better, until we were ready to act. As much as I wished to discuss what was happening with my sister, I didn’t actually want this life for her, and I knew she’d want in as soon as she found out what was going on.

As we took the short walk to Augie’s home from the pack house where we lived with our dad, Taya nudged me with her shoulder.

“Something you need to talk about?”

I raked my hand through my short chocolate-colored hair before tightening my other arm around her shoulders. Apparently, I wasn’t doing a good job of hiding my stress from her. “Nope. Just ready for some time on the water. It’s been too long since all three of us hung out together.”

An exasperated huff left her lips. “I need to find something to do around here. I’m tired of always being the one without something important to do. Dad needs to loosen the noose and let me out every once in a while.”

“One day, you’ll regret saying that,” I said. “Enjoy the freedom while you can, because once it’s gone, it’s a bitch trying to get it back.”

Before Taya could respond, Augie strode out his front door. “Did we manage to find a time when all three of us weren’t busy? I was beginning to think that wasn’t possible.”

A smirk appeared on Augie’s face as he fist-bumped me, then hugged Taya. For a long time, I assumed they’d end up together and screw up our dynamic, but Augie was another brother to Taya and, from what I knew, he never saw her as more than a sister, either. It made my life much easier that way.

Taya shushed him. “Don’t jinx it. We need to get the ATVs and get away from the pack house before someone decides they need one of you. I might cut them if they do.”

The grin creeped up her face as she seemed to ponder that last thought, and I knew it was time to leave before she got us in trouble with one of her shenanigans.

Pushing her forward, I decided she needed a little prodding. “You better hope there are three ATVs, or you’ll be riding bitch to one of us.”

She huffed. “No way. Not if I beat you there.”

Taya took off, running at full speed. I expected her competitive side would get the better of her, and I’d have a moment with Augie. Some days, I knew her better than I knew myself.

Laughter poured from Augie. “You did that on purpose. I’m assuming you talked to Gerald?”

“I did,” I confirmed, my jaw tightening. “We need to come up with a plan to figure out what Declan is up to, and quick. Something’s not right with those reports.”

Augie glanced ahead, the ATVs and Taya now in view. “I agree, and we will, but Taya misses you. Just relax for a little bit and enjoy some time with your family. Some space from the situation might do you some good.”

My hand slapped his shoulder. “You enjoy being the voice of reason between the three of us, don’t you?”

He smirked. “Someone has to do it or you two would have put your dad in an early grave years ago.”

“You might be right,” I agreed, nodding, “but if we don’t stop Declan, he could take those new shifters and come for one of the packs. We have to do something before he decides he’s more powerful than the rest of us.”

Chapter 2

The lake had been our favorite place to come when we were kids. Now, I was lucky if I made it out there a few times a year. I was only eighteen, but I felt like the weight of the world rested on my shoulders.

I was an alpha-in-training to the Chief Alpha. There were expectations of me, and I’d be damned if I let my dad down. He had done so much for Taya and me growing up. Hell, even for Augie, when his parents left our pack for warmer weather in the Southeast beaches of Florida. Augie had been adamant about not leaving, so when our dad said he’d watch over him and take responsibility, his parents didn’t argue.

As we settled into the chairs by the dock, I ignored Taya and Augie’s bickering. I took a minute to soak in the sun and enjoy the moment, knowing that I’d have to go back to the investigation on Declan soon, and do things that could possibly get me killed.

My gaze fell on Taya. She had no idea, but she was the strongest of us all. More powerful than even our father in some ways. She was what kept us together and kept us sane. Without her light, we’d fall apart. I’d never tell her that, because it would go straight to her head, and she’d use that knowledge against us at every chance. For the time being, I’d let her resent us while still enjoying her carefree life.

Moving my stare beyond the lake, I took in our land. Raven Point was surrounded by lush green forest and all the privacy a wolf pack could want.

I had been so lost in thought, I hadn’t realized their bickering had stopped and silence had descended on the area. Quiet with those two was not a good thing. Before I could process what was happening, a bucket of water was dumped on my head, rivulets running down my body.

Taya giggle-snorted. “Sorry, big brother. You just looked so stoic staring off in the distance.”

The sarcasm in her voice was not lost on me. She meant I looked like an adult having no fun. I’d show them otherwise.

Swiftly, I moved from the wooden chair and towered over Taya. I’d deal with her first and then Augie. Picking her up, I threw her over my shoulder, then proceeded to the edge of the water.

“You’re looking a little overheated, sister,” I taunted. “Shall we cool you down?”

Her responding growl was meant to be intimidating, but it didn’t frighten me.

“Cord Joseph Rush, put me down. Right. Now,” she demanded, and I promptly complied.

“As you wish.” I moved my arms forward as if I was going to set her down, but instead I cradled her in my arms, giving me better leverage to throw her in the lake.

My wolf perked up, not used to me being playful, and gave me an extra boost. I tossed Taya’s small frame easily ten feet from the edge and watched her face as shock, then anger, appeared.

She screamed obscenities, but most of it was lost as she floundered in the water, making her way back to the shore.

I eyed Augie. “Don’t think you’re off the hook. Yours just won’t be as subtle, my friend.”

“Shit, Taya. Why do I always let you get me into stuff like this?” Augie complained as Taya drug herself the rest of the way out of the water.

“Hey, you brought up the fact he looked like he had a stick up his ass,” she replied.

Augie’s glance went from Taya to me. “I didn’t use those words.”

My head shook. “She wouldn’t be our Taya if she didn’t exaggerate on other people’s more civil dialogue.”

“No, she wouldn’t.”

I peeled off my wet shirt, glad to be wearing shorts instead of jeans, and decided it was time to get in the water on my own accord. “Now, let’s go swimming before Taya thinks of any other grand ideas.”

She rumbled at my comment but began removing her wet clothes anyway, revealing her swimsuit. Augie was still dry, and that didn’t sit well with me. I knew I couldn’t toss him around like Taya, but I could push him, and that would result in close to the same gratification.

When his grey shirt was halfway up, I took the opportunity that presented itself. He couldn’t see my intent, but Taya could. She snickered, almost ruining it, but I moved in quickly.

I yanked Augie’s shorts down, thankful he was wearing boxers, and pushed as hard as I could. His legs were tangled up from the shorts, and his arms were stuck above his head. It was like watching a tree fall and knowing there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

Laughter burst from deep within me as Augie thrashed in the shallow waters. My sides ached as I bent at the waist, trying to rein in my joy at his misery. It had worked out so much better than I imagined.

Taya joined me but took it much further. She taunted Augie and was laughing so hard that she didn’t notice he was out of the water and coming for her. A war started as we all ended up in the lake, acting like we were ten.

It was the best time I’d had in a long time.

A while later, I laid on an Adirondack chair with my eyes closed, soaking in the rays as the heat from the afternoon sun dried my clothes. My wolf hummed contently. It was the most at peace we’d been in a while.

Someone settled into the seat next to mine, so I turned my head and cracked one eye open.

“Thought maybe you were asleep over here.” Augie grinned.

“Nope. Just enjoying the moment.”

“Good. You needed to unwind,” he added. “I was getting worried about you. You’re taking this Declan business almost personally, and you need to be careful. I don’t think it would be right to ignore it, but at this point, it’s really none of our business.”

And there went the end of my peaceful rest.

Sitting up, my body turned toward Augie. “I know it’s hard to understand, but I have to do this. My dad has done a lot for the wolf communities over the years, and I’m expected to fill his shoes one day. If Declan is causing a problem, I plan to fix it.”

Augie reached over, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Just remember, you’re not alone in this. Don’t do anything stupid on your own.”

My lips stretched into an amused grin. “So, you’re saying if I plan to do something stupid, then I need to make sure I bring you along?”

His eyes rolled at my statement. “Yes, Cord. That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Sarcasm dripped heavily from his words. “We need a plan. If you’re set on doing this, we need to meet with your dad soon to decide what comes next.”

I glanced out toward the water. Taya was serenely laying on one of the floating air mattresses. Not a care in the world. Just how I liked it. I might have only been a big brother to her by mere minutes, but I took the role seriously. Nothing and nobody hurt my sister.

Except for me.

She was going to be so pissed with me when she found out what we’d hidden from her, but she’d eventually calm down. Probably after beating the shit out of me and Augie.

I turned back to Augie. “We need something before we meet with my dad. He’s too concerned with politics and keeping me safe to think clearly. We need a concrete plan that puts me in the action without being obvious.”

“But not here. Taya will have our heads when she finds out.”

“Hey, I was relaxing just fine, without worrying about all this shit, until you sat down,” I barked. “You only have yourself to blame if she overheard anything.”

He shook his head. “Whatever. She’s out like a light.”

Water war, part two was about to go down.

“Should we go find out for sure?” I smirked.

Augie groaned. “You have a death wish, don’t you? She’ll kill us in our sleep. No, she’ll wake us first, then stab us. You know she’s twisted enough.”

My arm reached out as I stood up, and I pushed him off the chair at the same time. “Come on, chickenshit. We’re supposed to be having fun. When have we ever had fun any other way than torturing each other?”

Augie didn’t answer. Instead, he flipped me off as he raced ahead.

We enjoyed another hour on the water before we decided to call it quits. Augie headed back to his house to shower and change before coming back over for dinner.

After I was done cleaning up, Taya came into my room. She sat on my bed and just stared at me without saying anything.

“Yes, my sweet sister. Is there something I can do for you?” I joked.

She glared at me. “Is everything okay?”

Shit. I had done a good job thus far of avoiding conversations that would have me directly lying to her. I hated that I had to do so now.

I joined her on my bed. “Of course it is. We just had an afternoon off. Why wouldn’t it be?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. You just seem more stressed than usual, and Dad is even busier than normal.”

“It’s the Decennial Gathering. There’s a lot for Dad to do in preparation. I’ve been trying to help him, but he’s being stubborn as usual.”

Well, that wasn’t very far from the truth. The Decennial Gathering would be the perfect excuse for anything we needed to do. I hadn’t been looking forward to it, but Taya had just made me realize it was the solution to get more information.

It was a meeting of pack alphas and betas that occurred every ten years. Trade deals and friendly competitions usually filled up the two-day event.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” she drawled. “Not that I want to be part of your training, but if you ever need help with anything, you know you can count on me, right? I might not follow your book learning, but I can kick anyone’s ass in the gym.”

Laughter escaped me. “The guys call you the speed ninja whenever you leave. You test their stamina and their egos. It’s one of the things I enjoy most at the training center.”

“Well, I’m happy to be of service anytime you need it. Especially if it means I get to leave the pack for a little bit. I’m tired of always being stuck here.”

My arm wound around her. “How about when Dad and I get back from the gathering, we go on our own adventure?”

“You’re on.” Her eyes lit up as she stood. “If Dad says no, then we’re running away. No questions asked. We just leave. He can’t keep me locked up forever. I’m not a princess.” Fire and passion lit her eyes with each word. She would have made one hell of an alpha-in-training.

I hated that I couldn’t bring her in on our plans. I needed her now more than ever, and she had no idea. I just needed to figure out how to take Declan down without anyone getting hurt, but the more I learned, the goal seemed to move further from our reach.

Chapter 3

A short time after Taya left my room, Augie joined me, so we could go over what we wanted to speak with my dad about. Now that I had a solid plan formulating, I needed to discuss it with him before we presented it to my dad. We had to make sure it was foolproof, so there was no way he could shoot it down.

Augie sat in a chair at the corner table in my room, peering at me expectantly. “So, what did you come up with? I’m assuming by the glint in your eye, you’ve got something brewing already.”

I nodded. “When I was talking with Taya earlier, I got an idea, and I think it’s going to be the best we can come up with if we want to do anything before the gathering. I’m going to visit all of the main packs of the four other territories.”

Lines spread over his skin as his face scrunched. “Why in the world would you do that? That seems like a big waste of time when you’ll be seeing everyone soon anyway.”

“I know. I’d already thought about that reasoning. That’s where I need your help. There has to be something valid we can think of, something that would make sense as to why I want to visit the other packs. I need a reason to be inside Declan’s pack, and this will likely be our only opportunity.”

Augie stared out the bedroom window as I continued to brainstorm potential excuses for visiting the other packs.

He slapped his hand on the table. “What if it didn’t need to be some elaborate scheme? You’ve never visited the other territories before. There’s never been a reason to, but now that you’re further along in your training and taking on more responsibility within the pack, you want to get to know the leaders of the other packs better, in hopes of solidifying relationships. During the gathering, there won’t be much time for one-on-one conversations.”

My head shook. “Alphas are proud men. They won’t give a shit about relationships and likely turn the request down, but I like the thought behind it. What if we changed it to me wanting to learn more hands-on stuff from other alphas besides my own? Just to get a different perspective and see how things are done? It might boost some egos that the Chief Alpha’s son wants to see how their pack is run.”

Augie’s laughter filled the room. “Yeah, every alpha but your dad. He’s not going to like that. It will make him seem inferior.”

Damn it. Augie was right. I didn’t want to make it appear as if I felt like I wasn’t learning enough from my own father. That was the furthest thing from the truth.

“Okay, so what other options do we have?” I asked.

The debate continued for another hour on why I’d be visiting the packs so close to the Decennial Gathering, where I’d be seeing all of them anyway. It was harder than it sounded to think of something simple but hard to turn down. Finally, we had a plan I was confident would work.

I stared at the paper with notes I had, summarizing what we decided on one last time, just to make sure we hadn’t missed anything before we met with my dad.

“Dad will send an announcement to the other territory alphas asking for their permission for me to visit. I will be going to each territory for one to two days, meeting with the alpha and alpha-in-training in a more formal one-on-one setting, in hopes of learning their history and, most importantly, their present. He’ll explain that he doesn’t feel like I’m seeing the bigger picture of how one pack’s decision can easily affect all of the packs. And will stress the point that the Decennial Gathering doesn’t allow for that, and he considered waiting until afterward, but he thought it would be good for me to meet some of the other alphas-in-training beforehand.”

“I think that’s going to be as good as it gets,” Augie added, nodding. “Hopefully, your dad will agree it has potential and roll with it, or he’ll add to it. Either way, I don’t think he’ll be able to disagree with the logic behind it.”

“I agree. Let’s meet in his office tomorrow morning. He’s usually more amicable earlier in the day. It’s getting late for the old man.” I laughed.

Augie stood. “Sounds good to me. I’m going to go check in on Taya. See you in the morning.”

“Are you sure there aren’t any feelings between the two of you?” I taunted him. He hated when people said things like that. “It would make sense as you got older if things changed.”

“You’re an idiot,” he answered flipping me off.

My amused gaze followed him out of the room, then I stood up from the table as well. My wolf rumbled inside me and I decided a run was what I needed. The sun had already begun to set, and twilight was my favorite time of day to let my wolf take charge. The transition between day and night had always been something I fascinated over as a kid.

Tucking our notes away in my desk, I headed downstairs. Our pack house was two stories with most of the bedrooms upstairs. Our dad, Taya, me, and house assistant Courtney were the only ones who lived there permanently, but we frequently had visitors from other packs within our West Coast territory, so the house was well-used. Plus, my dad loved to cook, so he often prepared dinner for the pack. People were in and out of our kitchen at all hours of the day.

Once outside, my feet pounded against the grass as I ran toward the forest edge, getting in my human exercise before my wolf had his fun. The fresh mountain air filtered through my lungs with each breath. The run fueled my adrenaline, and I decided to take a few laps around the training facility before allowing my shift to take over.

When I was ready, I quickly undressed and stored my clothes in one of the outbuildings we had. Letting the transformation begin, I savored the feel of the change. As my bones moved and body changed, I sank into my subconscious, letting my wolf take charge.

Having so much alpha blood running through me, four generations to be exact, I had solid control over my wolf. Our relationship was sound, and I never worried about him leading me astray. Some shifters were concerned about forced shifts when their wolf got upset, or the inability to change back to their human form, but not me.

It was one thing I had excelled at early in my childhood. Taking care of my wolf was always a priority to me. I didn’t want to end up rogue like others I had seen. It wasn’t good for anyone.

When the shift was complete, my wolf took off into the forest. He knew our land better than I did, so I let him go where he wanted.

We stayed out for a few hours until my wolf was spent. When I arrived back at the pack house, everyone was sleeping, so I snuck into the kitchen for some food to take up to my room before I let sleep claim me.

Flicking on the light, I about had a heart attack. Taya was sitting on the counter with a tub of ice cream and a spoon in her hand.

Taya’s fingers wiggled at me. “Whatcha doing?”

“Who the hell eats ice cream in the dark?” I snapped.

“A sugar-crazed shifter who didn’t want to be an asshole and wake up Courtney by turning on the kitchen light at midnight.”

“Shit.” I turned the light back off, pulling my phone out of my pocket to use instead. “But still, why didn’t you just go back to your room?”

She sighed. “I knew if I took the whole ice cream container back to my room, I’d eat the whole thing. If I ate it down here in the dark, I’d soon get bored and decide it wasn’t worth it anymore. I was almost there, and then you walked in, making my insane thought process completely worth it.”

“Sometimes I wonder if Dad dropped you on your head a few too many times as a baby.”

She hopped off the counter, cutting in front of me to put her ice cream away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve always been Dad’s favorite. He wouldn’t have let any harm come to my awesome brain.”

“Or maybe you’re his favorite now because he feels so bad for putting that dent in the back of your head as a child…”

Taya’s elbow landed in my ribs, but I knew I deserved it and decided not to retaliate. It was too much fun to poke at her. Some days, I just couldn’t help myself.

“I’m off to bed now,” she said. “See you tomorrow, dickbag.”

My laughter was suppressed as I remembered Taya’s earlier words about not waking Courtney. “I love you, too,” I called after her retreating form.

She mumbled something I couldn’t hear, which was disappointing, because she had a unique way with words. Her insults usually entertained me to no end.

After grabbing one of the premade sandwiches Courtney had in the fridge, I headed to my room. Tomorrow morning was going to be interesting, and I decided a good night’s rest was just what I needed to convince my dad that sending his only son into enemy territory was the only option left.

If he didn’t agree to our plan, I wasn’t sure what we would do next.

Chapter 4

My dad stared at us when Augie and I finished telling him our plan. He didn’t once interrupt or change his facial expression. I was about to reach across the table and shake him, but Augie spoke up first.

“Gerald, are you okay?” he asked.

Slowly, Dad’s gaze shifted between the two of us. “Let me get this straight. Cord wants to go on a pack tour of sorts. Use some bogus excuse as to why he is there, just so he can hopefully get hard evidence against Declan. All while putting himself right in the line of fire. Did I get the gist of it?”

Well, shit. When he put it that way, it sounded like an idiotic plan.

“I won’t do anything stupid, Dad,” I defended. “I’ve watched you work enough people over to know when to push and when not to. I know I lost my temper yesterday, but I can do this, and I need you to believe that I can. If not, then all of the training I’ve been through was a big waste of time.”

Augie cleared his throat, eyes wide at my statement, yet took the easy way out by keeping his mouth shut.

My dad’s hands settled on top of the desk, as his intense stare challenged me, but I didn’t back down, even when my wolf whimpered. This moment, whatever was happening between my dad and me, would decide my future within our pack. If he couldn’t trust me to do this, then I wasn’t sure I wanted to be an alpha-in-training anymore.

“Very well,” my dad spoke after minutes of tense silence. “I’ll make a few changes as to the reasoning behind your visits, but everything else should work just fine.”

I blinked rapidly in response. “Really?”

“Would you rather I have said no?”

“I’m just surprised,” I answered, shaking my head.

“You’ve earned the right to do something you seem to be so passionate about. I won’t be the one to stand in your way of doing what you believe in. If this is something you feel you need to accomplish on your own, I trust your judgement.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

Augie leaned forward, joining back into the conversation now that the hard part was done. “We need to make a travel schedule, and it needs to be soon. We don’t want to cut it too close to the Decennial Gathering. I can work on that today if you have a start date in mind.”

“The Southwest won’t mind a spur of the moment notice,” Dad explained. “Get Cord on the first flight tomorrow to Arizona. He can take a red eye flight to the other destinations, and make sure he has a rental car for each one.”

Augie’s chair moved back as he stood to leave. “I’ll get started on that, unless either of you need anything else from me.” When neither of us spoke up, Augie left the office, closing the door behind him.

When I met my dad’s stare again, it was no longer that of the hard alpha he needed to be at times. It was a father who was truly worried about his son.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked.

“No, I’m really not, but like I said before, I won’t hold you back. I don’t like you being so close to Declan without anyone else with you, but if I sent Davis along, suspicions would rise, making it even worse. There’s no easy way to do what we’re trying to do. I wish it wasn’t us who saw the population records, but it was and now we will deal with it.”

“Thank you, again,” I offered. “I do have one more favor. Can I tell Taya? She’s starting to ask questions and I hate lying to her.”

His body stiffened. “Not yet.”

“We can’t protect her forever.”

“I can sure as hell postpone it, though.”

I laughed at his response. “It’s your grave you’re digging.”

“I know,” Dad answered with a heavy sigh, “The problem is, I know she is more than capable of doing everything you do, and she’ll want to be involved as well. I don’t like it. It’s too much.”

“You’re right, but the longer you keep her out, the more likely you are to lose her anyway. Just remember that.”

Taya was the most independent shifter I had ever known. She didn’t take anyone’s shit, and if she felt stifled for too much longer, I didn’t expect her to stick around our pack and just deal with it.

“Quit being so smart.” He groaned. “We can tell her after the Decennial Gathering. Let’s get through the next two weeks and bring her in then.”

“I’ll push off her questioning for a little while longer.” I stood. “I’m going to go prepare, but I’ll come see you before I leave.”

I swung the door open but turned back to face my dad when he called my name. “Yeah?”

“I love you, Son.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

* * *

Four days later, I was driving away from the Southeast territory, tired and irritable. The little addition my dad had thrown into his emails was that the alphas were encouraged to not only show me some of the things they do, but to also put me to work on their lands. Thankfully, only the Southwest put me to work, but the Southeast territory tried to bore me to death. I hadn’t yet decided which had been worse.

In Arizona, also known as the pits of hell for being so damn hot, I had not only hauled more bales of hay than necessary, I ended the trip with my arm up a heifer’s ass, delivering a calf. It was quite the experience, one I hoped to never repeat again.

In Florida, with their humidity of a million degrees, I sat in an office for ten solid hours, doing nothing of significance. I was bored out of my mind. Finally, I claimed being sick and left half a day early, so I wouldn’t decide to poke my eyes out for fun.

My dad had been dodging my attempts to get a hold of him since I left, but I called again anyway to let him know I was leaving the Southeast early. I hit the speed dial as soon as my rental car was on the freeway headed north.

“Hello, Son.” I could hear the smile in his voice as he answered my call.

“Father.”

He chuckled. “Why do you sound so upset? Sorry, I haven’t been able to take your calls the last couple of days. How is everything going?”

“I’m not even going to give you the satisfaction of answering either of those questions,” I replied sarcastically. “I just wanted to let you know I’m leaving Florida early and won’t be taking my flight. I’m going to drive up north instead. I need some time away from people.”

I shuddered at the thought of being cramped on a plane after having spent all day in an office. There was no way my wolf could tolerate it. Driving down the interstate in the middle of the night with minimal traffic sounded a lot more appealing.

“Alright. When you get tired, stop at a rest area, or reach out to Eric in Virginia. I’ll give him a call now and let him know you might be by in the middle of the night.”

“Text me the address and I’ll probably do that. Just make sure you don’t accidentally slip in some bullshit about putting me to work before I leave, and it should work out perfectly.”

He attempted to suppress his laughter. “Sure thing, Son. Call me tomorrow.”

As I hit the end button, I heard his laugh finally break free, loud and clear. At least someone was getting a kick out of all this. I was just glad to be on my own for a while and enjoying the open road. Each step I took was bringing me closer to answers. I could feel it in my bones. I just wasn’t sure if those answers were going to make things better or worse.

Declan was up to something. I had tossed a few ideas around in my head as to what it might be, but there was still too much we didn’t know to be certain which, if any, of my thoughts was right.

He might have somehow recruited a bunch of rogue wolves. Or found a way to make his pack more enticing by illegal means. There was also the chance that he was blackmailing shifters to leave their packs in other territories and join his, but Augie couldn’t find any paper trails of the new pack members in the Rocky Mountain territory, so that was least likely.

The more I let my mind wander, the more insane the ideas became. I decided to roll down my windows and turn up the music instead. I had seven hours to go before I’d arrive in Virginia, so I was going to use all of that time to unwind and enjoy the peace.

As I was just getting comfortable, something darted across the interstate in front of the car. I slammed on the brakes, but I still nicked it. There weren’t a lot of cars on the stretch of road I was on, so I pulled over, wanting to check it out as my curiosity got the best of me.

Whatever it was, it had been decent-sized. Maybe a small deer. My intention was to put it out of its misery if it was lying on the side of the road, suffering. I popped the trunk, remembering that there had been an emergency kit, and dug around until I found a flash light and tire iron, then started searching for the animal.

Several cars slowed, but I waved them past. I didn’t need humans gawking if I had to kill it.

A trail of blood and paw prints on the side of the road caught my attention, making me pause. The prints weren’t as large as I was used to seeing from shifters, but they were certainly bigger than an average house dog.

The shitty part about flying was that I had no weapons on me, and the tire iron wasn’t going to do me much good against a pissed-off animal. I’d have to risk shifting on the side of the road, with cars passing by, if something decided to attack me. While traffic was slow this time of night, it was still a danger I wasn’t happy about taking.

For a split second, I considered going back to my car and forgetting about whatever I might have hit, but twigs snapped to my left, and the telltale sound of bones shifting as someone changed forms reached me. My hand released the tire iron as I crouched into attack mode. The metal would do me no good against a shifter. I couldn’t see anything yet because of the thick foliage, but the longer I focused on my surroundings, the more I began to hear.

I took a few tentative steps toward the sounds; the heavy breathing and light whimpering were getting louder by the second. With my arm extended, I pulled the branches aside, and was scratched by small but sharp claws. Whoever they were, he or she stayed in a partial shift and was on the defense.

My feet shuffled back a couple of steps. “What the fuck?”

“Go away and I won’t hurt you,” a female voice demanded.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Just my luck I would find a young female shifter in the middle of nowhere, by herself. Kneeling, I tried to not seem so imposing. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She snorted. “Says the guy who just hit me with his car.” She was certainly feisty.

“Right, because I set out tonight with the intention of running down a lone wolf,” I said sarcastically. “Why were you running around in public anyway?”

Wild dark curls cascaded around her olive toned face as she peeked her head around the corner, her green eyes wide with fear. “They killed my family. I had to get away.”

My upper body tensed, glancing around for others. “Who?”

“Rogues. A pack of rogue wolves.”

Chapter 5

My eyes closed, taking a moment to process what was happening. I was supposed to be finding out what Declan was up to. How in the hell had I ended up hitting a wolf shifter on the run? This whole trip was beginning to feel doomed.

“Let’s start with the basics,” I offered. “What’s your name, and where are you from?”

She huffed. “Why the hell should I tell you anything? Just leave me alone. I’ve already said too much. I’ll just sleep here tonight while I heal and be gone by sunrise.”

I didn’t have time to deal with a pain-in-the-ass female. I wanted more than anything to leave her and get on with my trip, but she had just lost her family. They obviously didn’t live with a pack, or she would have had an alpha to turn to after the incident. She probably didn’t even know the resources available to her.

The alpha in me instinctively wanted to take her in and protect her. It also didn’t help that the further she leaned forward, the more I saw of her, and my eyes had a hard time staying on her face instead of her naked body.

“Hey, asshole.” She snapped her fingers. “My face is up here.”

Thinking of a good excuse for my ogling, I cleared my throat. “I was just looking for injuries. Where did my car hit you?”

A wince altered her features as she attempted to move. “My left leg. It’s just a fracture. I’ve had worse, so you can go now. I don’t need you.”

“I can’t leave you out here.” I let out a heavy sigh. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want, but at least let me get you to a pack I know will keep you safe until you decide where to go. You don’t want to be alone, especially after you’ve just lost your family.”

I needed to speak with Samuel, alpha of the Southeast territory I had just left. He had to be made aware there were rogue wolves slaughtering families on his land.

“We’ve always been on our own,” she snapped. “I’ll be fine.”

“Come on. Don’t make this difficult. I can’t leave you out here alone. You’re bleeding. If those rogues are still tracking you, they’ll scent you from miles away. You’re not safe here when you’re injured.”

She struggled to stand and fell with a thud, before tossing her hands in the air. “Whatever. If you expect me to follow you back to your car, at least get me some clothes. If I’m forced to be with you, I’d rather not spend the entire time having you stare at my tits.”

My wolf rumbled inside. He liked her. Her defiance was intriguing him as the minutes ticked by. I didn’t have time for a fling, though, especially with someone who wasn’t okay with the pack life. I’d never leave my pack and home. Not even for someone who caught my attention like she had.

I didn’t even bother to respond to her. I simply nodded and turned back for my car. Picking up the tire iron on the way back, I tossed it into the back seat before grabbing my bag. I had some sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. It would be big on her petite frame, but she’d have to deal. Something told me she would figure it out.

I hurried back to where I had left her, thinking the chances were pretty high that she’d be gone. I was surprised by the relief I felt when I saw her dark curls peek around the bushes once again.

I tossed the clothes at her. “They’re going to be big, but they’ll do the job of covering you.”

Still sitting on the ground, the shirt slipped over her head. “Help me up?”

My eyes widened, surprised she asked for the assistance. “Sure.” I reached down, pulling harder on her hands than I meant to.

Her body collided with mine, and she let out an audible gasp before pushing away and balancing on one foot. “Don’t touch me like that. Ever.”

Both of my hands went up defensively. “I didn’t expect you to weigh practically nothing. I meant no harm.”

“You’re all the same. Alpha male dickheads.” She seemed angry about far more than the rogues who had killed her family.

I told myself I wasn’t going to concern myself with it, no matter how much my wolf wanted me to. He wasn’t calling her mate, but there was a strong need to protect forcing its way through. As long as I made sure she was safe, that would have to be enough.

“Well, then,” I drawled. “Let’s get on the road. I’m headed to a pack in Virginia. My dad is friends with the alpha there. He can put us up for the night, but then I’m leaving for the Catskill Mountains in the morning.”

I made sure to imply in my tone that she was not being invited to stay on the journey with me. I couldn’t afford the distraction. Maybe if she hung around Eric’s pack, I’d consider making a trip back out there to check on her, but I didn’t have it in me to give up on my current task.

Making my way to Declan’s pack held top priority.

She struggled to get the pants on, so I reached out an arm to give her some support. She flinched but took the offered help, muttering her thanks before hobbling past me. I caught up to her in two long strides but stayed silent. We crossed the road together, and she surprised me by opening the door to the back seat. She tossed my bag to the opposite end, then laid down, using it as a pillow.

Her head lifted and brow raised. “Are you going to stand there all night or shut the door and drive?”

Grinning, I closed the door. When I was situated in the driver’s seat, my eyes cast a quick glance at her in the mirror. “Any preference on the music?”

“No music. Roll down the windows if you need noise.”

I turned the car on and the radio off. If she wanted to be left alone, then that’s what I’d do. I didn’t even know her name, and tomorrow I’d be on the road again while she did as she pleased. I could suffer a few hours of awkward silence to ensure that she was safe.

Several hours later, the girl was still asleep. The interstate was mostly empty now, as it neared one in the morning. I was bored out of my mind and decided a little music couldn’t hurt while she slept. As my fingers reached for the volume, I heard a slight whimper.

I paused, waiting to see if she was awake. A sob tore from her, causing me to brake as quickly as possible without disrupting her even more. I was out of the car and reaching for her in the backseat within moments. Her whole body shook, as what I could only assume was a nightmare, consumed her.

“Hey,” I whispered. “It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s just a dream.”

Her eyes fluttered open as she gripped my arms. “It’s never just a dream.” She wiped angrily at her face and glanced around, disoriented. “Where are we?”

“About three hours from Virginia.”

She sat up, her face inches from mine. “Then, why did we stop?” Her eyes glared at me with a hatred I didn’t understand. I had never met someone with so much anger on the inside, and it made me want to know even more.

It was ridiculous.

I mentally slapped myself. “Good question.” I slid out of the back and got back in the driver’s seat. “You’re welcome to go back to sleep, but I’m turning the music on. I need something to keep entertained up here, and it’s been a long fucking day.”

I was agitated now. More with myself than anything else, for letting her get under my skin when I didn’t even know her name. I had more important matters to focus on. Damn my alpha genes for making me care more than I wanted.

I flicked on the radio, not really caring what was on. Static was better than silence at this point.

She mumbled something, so I turned the song down. “What was that?”

“Harper. My name is Harper.”

My gaze shifted to the mirror. “Nice to meet you. Mine’s Cord. I’m from the West Coast territory.” I added that last bit, hoping she would tell me where she was from, too.

“I’m from nowhere and everywhere.”

“Care to elaborate on that?” I asked.

She sighed. “Will you leave me alone if I do?”

“Sure.” I shrugged.

“Fine. My mother was the wife of an abusive alpha, my blood father. We lived in South Dakota, in a small pack that was often ignored. One day, I got tired of his beatings against my mother, so I stabbed him, but he didn’t die. Instead, he beat me so badly I wished for death.”

My hands tightened on the steering wheel as she said the words with no emotion, as though she was reading them from a paper about someone else.

“That night, the alpha’s brother came to us,” she continued. “He convinced my mother to run before my father had the chance to trade me off to another pack. We left with no belongings, and never looked back. We moved around to stay hidden from my father, because he continued to search for us. We’d been in Florida for six months, ready to move again, when we were attacked yesterday. They came before the sun rose, killed my step-father first, then my mother and baby brother.”

When she stayed silent, I calmed myself before speaking. She didn’t need my anger. She had enough of her own.

“I’m sorry that happened to you, but I can assure you that it’s possible to find safety in another pack. You don’t have to live alone.”

She huffed. “I don’t trust the pack life. I’m better off on my own.”

“You’re a stubborn woman, you know that?”

She smirked but said nothing.

“I have another situation I’m dealing with right now, but if you stay with Eric’s pack until I’m done, I’ll make arrangements for you in a territory of your choosing, with an alpha I am certain you can trust to protect you.”

“How can you do that?” She huffed. “You can’t be much older than me, if at all.”

It was my turn to smirk. “My father is Gerald Rush, Chief of the Alpha Council.”

Her eyes widened briefly before she flicked her mass of curls out of her face. “Of course he is.”

“Will you let us help you?”

She glanced out the window, avoiding eye contact. “I’ll think about it.”

I smiled, turning the radio back up. She had been through a lot and had told me more than I would have guessed, which let me know she didn’t actually want to be alone, no matter how much she fought for it. I didn’t have the ability to help her immediately, but if she stayed with Eric’s pack, she would be okay until I could.

Declan would be handled, and I would come back for her. Nobody deserved to live in fear, especially someone as strong as she appeared to be. I didn’t know her, and she wasn’t my mate, but I was certain she deserved the kind of happiness life hadn’t given her yet.

Everything happened for a reason, and I had no doubt that I was meant to hit her with my car.

Chapter 6

We arrived in Virginia a few hours later. It was just after four in the morning and I was exhausted. Part of me was really wishing I had just used my damn plane ticket, but then I wouldn’t have been able to save Harper, and I decided a little sleep deprivation was worth it.

During the drive, we chatted on and off about the places she had lived in, but she kept everything very vague, avoiding any more dark subjects. She helped keep me awake, and I tried to help her forget about losing her family as I told her entertaining stories about mine. We certainly had plenty of them.

“The fifth cabin on the left is supposed to be unlocked,” I offered when we pulled on to the long dirt road.

Harper’s head snapped to attention while she rubbed her eyes. We both were in serious need of sleep. I couldn’t see much of the pack, except some houses with porch lights on. Closer to the pack house, a few men were out, probably on patrol, but I didn’t bother with driving all the way up there.

The car stopped in front of the one Eric had told me to use. If anyone had a problem with us not checking in, they could come to us. The closer I got to sleep, the more my body shut down. Harper followed me out of the car. I didn’t even grab my bag; I was falling face-first into the bed as it was.

We walked into the tiny house and it was more like a studio apartment. A full-size bed was pushed into the corner, a small couch on the opposite side, along with a two-person table and a tiny kitchen.

I had barely taken two steps toward the bed before I was yanked back. “What the hell?” I growled.

Harper glared at me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Are you delusional?” I snapped. “I’m going to bed.”

Her hand landed on my shoulder, pushing me toward the couch. “Yeah, you’re headed in the wrong direction.”

I laughed—I couldn’t help it—and lowered my face to hers. “I’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours. Technically, I saved your life today, so I’m sleeping in that bed. You’re welcome to join me, and I promise to be the perfect gentleman.”

“A gentleman would let me have the bed to myself.”

“Well, I guess you’ll have to find out what kind of man I am or sleep on the couch. It’s your choice.” I tried to hide the smirk on my face as I bumped her out of my way, taking the remaining steps to the bed. I didn’t even lift the covers; I fell face-first and didn’t move. My eyes burned, and everything ached from lack of sleep.

Harper huffed, pacing for another minute before finally crawling into the bed. She slid under the covers, and I pretended to already be sleeping while she mumbled more insults my way. Finally, she quieted and we both fell asleep when the sun began to sneak through the window.

I woke up some time later, sweating and starving, but well-rested. My eyes opened, taking a moment to remember where I was and realizing I wasn’t alone.

Harper’s lithe body was sprawled halfway on top of mine, her curls tickling my neck. My wolf perked up, but his interest wasn’t all that great. We might find her attractive, but she wasn’t our mate. Not the one I would spend the rest of my life with one day. As much as her surly personality attracted me, I’d make sure she was safe and leave it at that. Hopefully.

I poked her shoulder, causing her to shriek.

“What are you doing?” She pushed away as if I had burned her. “Why were you touching me?”

“Did you not notice you were lying on me, not the other way around?” I answered with a grin.

“Whatever. We’re up now and I want to meet this alpha.”

I shook my head, sliding out of bed. She was beginning to remind me of Taya, and that took away a lot of the attraction I had felt toward her earlier.

“Let me take a quick shower and change.” I grabbed my phone, groaning at the time. “I’m not going to be able to stay long. I should have left here several hours ago.”

It was almost three in the afternoon. I wouldn’t get to the Catskills until well after dark, putting me nearly a day behind my schedule even though I had left Florida early. Driving had really fucked up my time, but hopefully Elijah, the alpha I’d meet there, would understand.

I got ready as quickly as I could while dodging glaring looks from Harper. She was not a people person.

We made our way to the pack house. Plenty of people were out now, and I got a better look at the area. I hadn’t been here before, but I’d met Eric, the alpha, when I was younger and he visited my dad. His pack was half the size of ours in Oregon but set up very similar, a big pack house and lots of smaller homes surrounding it. A larger building sat next to the house, which was probably their training facility. I wished I had time for a tour, but it wasn’t in the cards today.

“Welcome, Cord,” Eric greeted us when we walked up the porch stairs. “I’m glad you decided to stop. Who’s your friend?”

I shook his hand. “Thanks for having us. This is Harper. I was hoping we could talk privately before I leave.”

He nodded. “Right this way.”

Harper stayed quiet as we followed Eric to his office. My eyes followed her every movement while she observed everyone else. She was skittish. Much more so now than when I had found her last night. I had every intention of making sure the rogues who attacked her were hunted down, because nobody should have to go through what she had.

We settled into the chairs when Eric took his seat.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

I glanced at Harper. Gone was the hard exterior she showed me when we were alone. In its place was a beaten-down girl, truly frightened of being here.

It broke my fucking heart.

She nodded at me, and I understood she wanted me to tell Eric whatever I needed to get her help.

“I found Harper when I was leaving Florida. She and her family haven’t belonged to a pack for several years. They were attacked by rogues and Harper got away, but her family wasn’t so lucky.”

I paused for a moment, letting the information sink in for Eric. We didn’t have too many incidents like this one.

“They were chasing her, so I promised her refuge with another pack. I know it’s a lot to take on, but I promise to come back here after the Decennial–”

“It’s not a bother at all,” Eric cut me off. “We protect our own, no matter where they’re from.” He leaned forward, giving Harper his full attention. “You’ll be safe here, I promise. You don’t need to be afraid.”

“I appreciate that.” She nodded, speaking quietly. “I won’t get in your way. I prefer solitude.”

“Very well, but if you’ll be staying here, no matter how long or short, you’ll be expected to earn your keep. I’ll give you a list of jobs you can choose from, and we will see how it goes.”

Eric remained firm with her, giving her the direction I wasn’t sure she had ever had before. From the sounds of what little she had told me in the car, being in the pack was going to be an interesting adjustment for her.

“I really need to get back on the road.” Using my hands to push out of the chair, I turned toward Harper. “I’ll check in with you when I’m back home and see how everything is going.”

She stood up at the same time as me, surprising me by giving me a quick hug. “Thank you.”

I was tempted to give her shit for the brief show of affection but thought better of it. “You’re welcome.”

The three of us left the office, and my stomach growled. Loudly. I ignored it, intending to grab food on the way out, wherever I found it first.

“We have plenty to eat here. Grab whatever you want before you leave,” Eric offered, refusing to let me leave without eating.

I thanked him again for the hospitality and he left Harper and me in the kitchen, allowing us to say goodbye in private.

She watched me as I grabbed food from the spread they had on the counter. “I wasn’t sure before, but I think I’ll give this place a real shot, until you’re ready to hunt the rogues. I’d like to go with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. I won’t be able to find closure any other way.”

I nodded, understanding. “Okay. I’ll need a couple weeks, but I’ll be back. Get my cell number from Eric and let me know if you need anything.” Even though I had just met her, it felt odd leaving her behind. I had an uncomfortable feeling that I’d never see her again.

We said our goodbyes with little to no emotion, just what I expected from her. She stayed behind in the pack house with Eric while I headed to the car.

I checked my phone before leaving. A couple calls from back home, but no voicemails, meaning it was nothing urgent. I hit the road, not wanting to waste any time. I’d call people back when I was on the highway.

My first call was to Elijah in the Catskill Mountains. I wanted to apologize for my delay and let him know I’d be there as soon as I could. He was polite about it. I hadn’t expected much less from him since he and my dad were good friends, even though they hadn’t seen each other in years.

Next, I caught up with my sister and Augie. I listened to them bitch about me being gone, and how it wasn’t fair. Well, most of that came from Taya, but Augie made sure to chime in as well.

Dad was my last call. I considered telling him about Harper, but we had enough to deal with at the moment, so I decided against it. My hope was that I could convince him to let me bring Taya in to help with whatever we decided to do. She and Harper would get along perfectly.

The drive was long and traffic was heavy, but I still made good time. I arrived at the pack thirty minutes before I thought I would.

Nobody was outside the pack house when I pulled up, but lights were still on, so I walked up to the door. I didn’t bother knocking. Pack houses had zero privacy unless you were in a bedroom. I had no doubts that Elijah ran his just like Raven Point.

A guy not much older than me sat on the couch with his feet kicked up on a glass table. He closed the magazine he’d been reading and tossed it onto the table.

“Glad you could finally grace us with your presence,” he sneered. “I’ll go get the alpha.”

I cocked my head to the side, unsure of who this guy was and whether or not I wanted to throat-punch him. Taking the higher ground, I let him leave the room without responding, then began to pace around the living room, checking out the opulent home. It had some rustic touches here and there, but it was mostly hard lines and sleek surfaces. Not exactly what I expected.

A minute passed before I heard incoming footsteps. I turned, facing the hallway. The same guy returned with a sideways grin. No, not the same guy. A brother, possibly even a twin. At that thought, I remembered that Elijah had triplets. Hopefully, this one wasn’t as much of an asshole as the last.

He offered his hand to me. “Hey, Cord. I’m Caleb. Elijah is just finishing up some pack business, but he’ll be out soon. How was the drive?”

I shook it, appreciating his friendliness. “Longer than I realized it would be, but it had sounded like a good idea after three days with no alone time.” I laughed. “Who was the last guy that was in here?”

Caleb’s lips stretched with a smirk. “That’s Liam. Don’t mind him. He’s got his panties in a bunch, because he was supposed to leave on a trip this weekend, and Dad told him ‘no’ when we learned you were coming. Then you arrived late and well, yeah. He’s a little pissy.”

Liam was an alpha-in-training. Yeah, I felt bad for being late, but he had pack responsibilities. He needed to suck it up and deal with it. Shit wasn’t always going to go his way. Dickhead.

Choosing to not comment, I nodded. I was going to make him even more mad when I said I was leaving tomorrow as planned instead of staying to make up for the time I lost today. I didn’t want to miss my flight to Colorado and be late to Declan’s, too. Pissed-off wolves or not, I’d leave when I wanted.

Elijah strolled into the room then, smile in place and arms open. “Cord. How are you?” For someone I hadn’t seen in many years, he sure seemed excited to see me.

I accepted his hug before answering. “Tired but doing good. Almost done with the pack tours.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I was surprised when your old man called me, saying you’d be by for a couple of days. I had hoped he’d come with you, but he was adamant this was something you wanted to do on your own.”

The underlying question was evident in his tone of voice. He wasn’t buying the reason for my visit, but too bad. He wasn’t going to hear about any of it until the Decennial Gathering. That was one thing I agreed with my dad about before leaving.

After thinking about it, he had been right. We needed to be absolutely certain Declan was up to no good before we said anything to anyone else.

“Well, I know you’ve had a long day,” Elijah added. “Caleb can show you to the room you’ll be staying in, and I’ll give you formal introductions to the rest of my family tomorrow.”

“I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I can’t stay all day. I have a flight tomorrow late afternoon, and I can’t delay my trip any longer than I already have.”

Elijah’s hand clapped down on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. We can make our meeting quick. We’ll see you again soon anyway.”

After we finished saying goodnight, I followed Caleb down the hallway. He didn’t say much.

“So, spill it. Something is happening, isn’t it?” he asked once we were out of earshot from his dad.

I shook my head. He was like a woman wanting to gossip. “There’s nothing to tell, man. I got bored and asked my dad for something to do. This was his grand idea. Believe me, I won’t complain about having nothing to do again.”

I did my best to be nonchalant, but he didn’t seem to buy it. I had too much on my mind already, though, and I didn’t need him pushing me for information he had no business knowing yet.

“Whatever you say,” he added. “I’ll hear about it later. I always do.” Smug bastard. Even if he might be right.

“Well, then you have nothing to bitch about,” I answered with a grin.

He laughed. “I really wish you were here longer than half a day tomorrow. I could use you to stir some shit up with my brothers. They have semi-permanent sticks up their asses. You don’t seem to have that problem. I worried it was an alpha-in-training thing.”

I shook my head at his ridiculousness. “You and my sister would be the perfect match. Everyone around you would hate it, though.”

“Got a picture of her?” He winked.

“Maybe tomorrow,” I replied, feeling lighter and less stressed than when I’d arrived. “As fun as this has been, I need some sleep.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.” And with that, Caleb left me at the door to the room I’d be sleeping in.

I showered and went straight to bed. I wanted to be well-rested before I left for Colorado tomorrow. I had no idea what I’d be facing, but I knew I couldn’t afford to be anything other than my best.

My gut was telling me more than just my life depended on it.

Chapter 7

The following afternoon, I said goodbye to Elijah and his family. They were an interesting mix of people. Liam remained high and mighty, as if I was the biggest inconvenience to him. Caleb kept the atmosphere entertaining whenever possible, while the third brother, Aiden, was reserved and seemed to always keep one eye on me, as if he thought I was about to steal something.

Sera, their mother and Elijah’s mate, had been extremely friendly, but she was constantly keeping her boys in line. Something told me the alpha didn’t do much without making sure she was okay with it first.

My flight was on time, and everything was going smoothly. I’d heard from Harper. She was doing well with Eric’s pack, but she was anxious for me to come back and help her track down the rogue wolves that killed her family. I didn’t like that she was so emotionally invested in killing the rogues, but I couldn’t deny I’d be the same way if the roles were reversed.

When I landed in Colorado, I let out a sigh of relief. I was back in familiar territory. Sort of. The climate here was as close to home as I could get without being back in Oregon. Then, I reminded myself of what I was here to do, and tension seeped back into my muscles.

Nothing about the next day-and-a-half would be easy. I would be leaving tomorrow night, and that didn’t give me much time to figure things out.

I grabbed my rental, this time opting for a truck. I wasn’t sure how their land was, and if I needed to make a quick retreat, I wanted to have the four-wheel drive to give me some advantage.

When arriving at their territory just an hour later, I was greeted by more guards than I thought was necessary. It was as if they had the pack on lockdown, keeping track of everyone who came and went.

I was directed to the pack house, where more shifters stood sentry. None of them paid me much attention, which told me they had been forewarned of my arrival from the front guards. As I let myself into the front door, Declan appeared in the entryway. His smile grew as if he was sincerely happy to see me, but the sneer in his eyes told me otherwise.

“Son of the great Gerald Rush,” he drawled. “How was your trip, Cord?”

I reached out to shake his hand. “It’s been a long week, but I’ve learned a lot, so it’s been worth it. I hope my visit here will be much of the same.”

“There’s not much to see here, but we’ll do our best,” he replied nonchalantly. “They’ve just served dinner. Would you like to get some food and we can head to my office? My son Rafe will be joining us as well.”

“That sounds great.”

The kitchen was overstocked with food, but something told me it was all for show. There were only two people sitting in there. If this was any other pack, it would be swarming with shifters. I didn’t comment on the oddity, though. I just grabbed food and followed Declan. His son was already seated in the office when we arrived. He didn’t stand to greet me, barely even lifting his eyes from his phone when we walked inside the room.

“Rafe, this is Cord,” Declan introduced me as he sat down. “He’ll be with us until tomorrow night.”

Rafe’s dark and untrusting eyes made contact with mine for the first time. “Welcome.” His voice held no emotion. He didn’t even blink before returning his attention to his phone.

Declan began rambling about a schedule of things he planned on having me do, most of which was outside. He went on about supposed everyday things he liked to do around his pack, some of which were hard to believe from what little I had already seen.

I asked questions about the size of his pack, but he deflected the conversation each time with nonsense about trading and expanding. The guy was full of shit, making things up as he talked. Half of it wasn’t even making sense.

After two hours of getting nothing out of him and feeling Rafe glare daggers at me, I excused myself and asked to be shown where I would be sleeping.

The room hadn’t been used in some time, if the layer of dust on the nightstand was any indication. I didn’t care. I’d be up at dawn, hopefully before Declan and Rafe, so I could check things out without them breathing down my neck. I wasn’t sure what was driving me more insane, Declan and his fake polite demeanor, or Rafe and his flagrant hatred for me.

When I got up in the morning, I made quick work of packing up my stuff and taking it out to my car. I wanted to make sure there would be nothing preventing me from leaving as soon as I needed to do so. I preferred to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Once my stuff was situated, I took in the area. Guards were still present. There was nowhere outside the house that I could see where I might be able to look around without being watched. It made my skin crawl that the people here had to live like that.

I headed back inside, venturing to the kitchen first. Nobody was around, but a small selection of food was laid out. I picked at a few choices while listening for any sounds of others being awake yet.

Nothing could be heard, so I made my way down the halls. Most of the doors were closed, and I wasn’t stupid enough to open any without knowing what was on the other side. There was a chance I’d walk into a room already occupied and be unable to explain myself. That was the quickest way to get kicked out of here before I even had the chance to learn anything.

When I got to Declan’s office, the door was cracked open.

Letting myself in, I was surprised to find the room was empty. I sat in the chair, leaning forward to check out whatever was left on the desk. There was only a note that said “J–Sunday”. Today was Sunday, so my curiosity was piqued.

I glanced around some more, but Declan was keeping everything tidy. He was smarter than I gave him credit for originally.

Getting up, I left the office and decided to explore wherever I could just to keep myself busy until Declan or Rafe decided to grace me with their presence.

* * *

“We appreciate your interest in our pack, Cord,” Declan offered. “I hope it was everything you expected it to be.”

I wanted to gag. He was so full of bullshit. I had been paraded around their pack and shown whatever they wanted me to see. Every pack member had the same fake-ass smile on their faces, except Rafe. He was the only one who couldn’t keep up the façade.

If I had any hope of finding anything out, I needed to stick around without them knowing.

“It certainly was.” I pasted on my own fake smile. “I look forward to seeing you both again soon in Arizona for the gathering.”

We finished our goodbyes and I took off. Nobody followed me, and it was nearing dusk, so I decided to park my truck ten miles outside their pack’s territory, then shift into wolf form. I’d get back to the pack faster with my wolf and it would be easier to stay undetected.

When the sun had fully set, I made my way through the trees as inconspicuously as possible. I stayed low to the ground and moved swiftly. I had already scoped out a good spot where I hadn’t seen any guards patrolling earlier. There were enough trees to keep me out of sight, but it would put me close enough to hear anyone arriving. I’d just have to hope it was enough.

An hour later, when I was bedded down into my spot, a white cargo van pulled in. A woman stepped out, and I wondered if she was the “J” that had been referenced on the note I saw earlier. She went inside but was back out immediately. Declan trailed behind her, not appearing pleased with her arrival.

They made their way back to the vehicle, which was better for me. She parked near enough to the brush that I was able to slowly make my way toward them. I could no longer see them, but at least I could hear, and that was more important.

“What do you mean ‘they didn’t survive’?” Declan snapped.

“Humans are pathetic. I’m not sure what you expected. Your men need to be more selective if you want better results. It’s certainly not my fault.”

Fuck. She wasn’t just another shifter. She was a witch at minimum. More likely a sorceress if she was able to change the essence of humans.

“What did you do with the bodies?” he asked, calmer this time.

She laughed in an unkind way. “They’re in the back with the live ones. I didn’t sign on to be your garbage service. Do whatever you want with them.”

“Woman, you test my patience,” Declan growled, then paused.

A few beeps that sounded like a phone reached me. “Get out here. I need you to do something,” he ordered whoever he had called, then let out a heavy sigh. “Tell me something good.”

“There are six more who have shifted. Though, one refuses to shift back to human form. You’ll have to coerce her. She’s tied up in the back.”

I saw Rafe exit the house, heading toward where I knew Declan and the woman to be.

“What do you need?” Rafe droned.

“Get the truck and toss the bodies from the van in the lake to the east.”

“Now?” Rafe complained.

The sound of a thud resounded around us. “Yes, boy. Now. And I don’t want to hear anything about it. Just get it done.”

Rafe trudged off, and I inched forward in an attempt to get a better vantage point, but I heard the snap of a branch behind me.

I glanced back but couldn’t see anything. Since I’d heard enough, I decided not to be stupid. It was time to get home and figure out what my dad planned to do with this information. I knew what I wanted to do, but the likelihood of us agreeing on anything moving forward was slim to none.

Chapter 8

Three days had passed with no progress made toward stopping Declan and the sorceress he was involved with. When I retold everything I’d overheard to Augie and my dad, Augie immediately pulled out his tablet for research. He figured out pretty quickly that there was no way a witch would hold enough power to do what the woman had talked about that night.

She was indeed a sorceress.

I had been a mess since I got back home. At every turn, I felt like I was being watched. So, I was constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for something, but I didn’t know what. In hopes of shaking the dark feelings, I went to see Taya. I needed her bright light.

“Good morning, Brother.” Taya grinned as she greeted me in her room. “What’s going on?”

I took a seat on the bed next to her. “Not much. Just wanted to come see you before I started my patrol shift. I’ll be running the property line for most of the day.”

I took in her messy side braid with red streaks popping in and out of sight, her lilac eyes so full of life. Just being in the same room with her chased away some of the darkness I had felt seeping in since I left Declan’s.

“You don’t seem too excited about that… Is everything okay?”

I refocused my attention. “Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine. Just tired. Still playing catch-up on my sleep from being gone for so many days.”

“Alright. Well, you know I’m here if you need to vent. Even if it’s about boring alpha-in-training stuff.”

I wanted to say, “if you only knew”, but I was aware I couldn’t. I stood to leave, knowing if I didn’t do so now, I’d say something I wasn’t supposed to divulge. The Decennial Gathering was only four days away, so it was almost time to tell her everything. I didn’t need to screw it up before then and piss off our dad.

I tugged her up by her hand. “I’m going to head out.” My arms wrapped around her, not wanting to let go. The hug lasted longer than normal, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt tears prick at my eyes.

I reined in my emotions before speaking. “I love you, Taya.”

She pulled back, eyes suspicious. “I love you, too. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Everything is fine,” I repeated with a smile. “I’ll be back for dinner. Save a seat for me.”

Kissing the top of her head, my footsteps were heavy walking out of her room. My wolf rumbled. He didn’t like my human emotions. He was ready to take over and go on the hunt. It had been a shitty few days all around, and I couldn’t blame my wolf.

We were raised to protect. Trying to be patient when we knew people needed help was not easy.

I stopped by my dad’s office before heading outside. He was on the phone, but he waved me in right away. I took a seat as he wrapped up the call.

“How are you holding up?” he asked, voice full of concern.

“I’m doing okay. Something still doesn’t feel right, but I don’t know what it is.”

“There’s a storm raging inside of you, Son. I feel it anytime you’re near. I hate to say this, but I think you need to step away from this. I’m bringing Davis in on everything today anyway. Let him take over. You’ve done more than most would in this scenario, given your position. There’s no reason for you to feel so unsettled.”

My heart constricted. I hated that he could feel my unease, but at the same time, it made it easier not having to explain something I didn’t quite understand myself.

“After you meet with Davis, the four of us can decide how to proceed together,” I added. “I’m going to the Decennial Gathering regardless, so I won’t be walking away just yet.”

“Very well. Let’s catch up after your shift today.” Making his way around the desk, he gestured for me to stand. “Everything is going to be okay. Try not to stress so much.”

I stood, accepting the hug he was offering. “Yup. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

I turned for the door, giving him one last cursory glance. The disapproving look on his face told me he didn’t believe me, but he was going to let it go. For now.

I checked the time. I was going to be late for my shift if I didn’t move my ass. Each of the pack members took turns contributing to the pack. I chose patrol. It fit me, and I enjoyed it most days.

Today was not one of those days.

Regardless of my time with Taya and the talk with my dad, the darkness eating away at me was still hard to keep at bay. It became even worse when I was by myself. My mind wandered to dark places when I didn’t have the distraction of company.

Tough shit, I told myself. I had a job to do, and today, it was patrolling the perimeter of our property. I’d have to man up and deal with it.

Stopping off at one of the outbuildings, I left my clothes and phone inside. If I had to be alone, I’d at least let my wolf be in charge.

“Hey, Cord,” Sam called. “Just ended night shift. Nothing out of place, as usual.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you tonight.”

Once Sam left, I chose to shift hard and fast, knowing it wasn’t natural to enjoy the pain but needing it anyway. The slow and easy shift was not what I craved then.

The hair swayed over my form as I shook out my fur and headed out, nose to the ground to begin my route, searching for anything that didn’t belong. Regardless of Sam’s report that there was nothing to worry about, I’d remain vigilant. I’d seen firsthand how quickly that could change.

Our property was hundreds of acres. Each of the shifters on guard duty had a section they oversaw. I’d run a stretch of twenty acres, searching for scents that shouldn’t be there. Thankfully, I’d only had it happen once, but it was enough to remind me each day I was out here that I needed to be mindful of my surroundings.

My wolf growled, seeking to take charge. I trusted him enough to know he was aware we had a job to do, regardless of how pissed off we were at the moment, so I let his mind push forward and fully take charge. His speed picked up, and I barely felt the pads of his feet touch the ground.

For several hours into my shift, it was just as Sam had said. Nothing out of the ordinary. My wolf had calmed down and pushed the darkness back, but I still had that niggling feeling that I was being watched. I couldn’t pick up any scents near me, so I forced the uneasy feeling away.

The sun was high up in the sky, and the warmth made me slow down. I did another round of my section before taking a break beneath a tree near the middle of the border. When we were on patrol, we didn’t need to run the entire time, just circle around a couple times an hour. I hadn’t stopped once since I started this morning and figured I was due for a moment of rest.

My eyes closed, still in wolf form, relaxing, but still listening for anything that didn’t belong. I heard squirrels scurrying up the trees and through the foliage, a flock of turkeys gathering nearby, birds calling, and the small creek that fed into the lake on our property. Everything was as it should have been.

Until it wasn’t.

Everything I had been focusing on except the water went quiet. Eerily so. My wolf tensed, searching for what was coming. The hairs on my neck rose as my wolf stood up, prepared for whatever had scared the animals into silence.

What began to piss me off was that I could feel the presence of someone, just as I had been the last couple of days, but I couldn’t pick up anything tangible. Knowing that Declan was messing with a sorceress had me on edge, and worried I was missing something important.

Just as I had decided to turn back for home to grab my dad and Augie, the sound of footsteps reached me. Someone was coming, and they weren’t a friend.

“Cord,” the voice snarled. “Where are you headed?”

I turned to find Rafe flanked by six wolves.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Someone must have saw me that night when I went back. I was seriously outnumbered, and I needed to get out of here. I didn’t want to bring the fight to the pack, but I was dead if I didn’t get help. I wasn’t stupid enough to believe I could take on all seven of them on my own.

Through our alpha bond, I reached out to my dad, but I wasn’t sure it would work. He’d been picking up on my emotions lately and would probably assume I was just sorting through everything again. I had been so angry and paranoid lately that the spike in fear and adrenaline was nothing new.

Tilting my head, I snarled at Rafe and his pack of mutts. Not all of them appeared as eager to attack a lone wolf, but there was enough hatred there to know I was in deep shit. I considered shifting back to human to communicate with him, but I was stronger and faster in my wolf form. There was no way I was risking it.

Rafe tsked. “Nothing to say? Oh, that’s right. You prefer to just spy on people instead.” His head flicked to the wolf on his right. “This one saw you racing back to your truck after you were supposed to be gone. Why couldn’t you leave things be? We weren’t bothering you…yet. Now we have no choice but to attack sooner and stop you from telling more people what you think you heard.”

My wolf growled and snapped at him. I had so much I wanted to say, but considering he barely spoke five words to me when I was in Colorado, I was curious about what he would say now. Backing up slowly, I tried to gauge how much of a head start I could get if I decided to run.

They weren’t here for a fight. They were here to kill.

Rafe cackled. “There’s no running back to daddy today, Cord. Look around you. I didn’t come unprepared. I’ve been watching you since you left. I knew when to strike, and you won’t walk away from this. It’s the price you’ll pay for being a nosy bastard.”

The fucking sorceress must have put a blocker on their scents. Sure as shit, there were three more wolves closing in behind me. There would be no chance to run. My only hope was to take out as many of them as I could before they took me down.

The thought of Taya and how much this would hurt her crossed my mind. My twin and best friend. I was glad that I went to see her this morning. Augie would take care of her. He was the best friend and best pseudo-brother we ever could have asked for in this life. He would stand up for her when I no longer could and keep her in line when she needed it, just as he’d done for me these past years.

Rage filled me.

I was ready.

Without waiting for Rafe to say another word, I moved in, but he stepped back as his wolves pushed forward. I didn’t hesitate. It was kill or be killed. I knew the latter was a high probability, but if I was going down, it would be while giving them as much hell as I could.

Without a thought, my jaws came down on the first wolf’s neck. I didn’t stop until I heard the crack of bones and spat the lifeless body out just in time to be hit from both sides. Teeth sank into my back. Another came for my front. I snarled and snapped in every direction, placing hits wherever I was able, as often as I could.

I took two more wolves down before it became too much. Blood poured from several deep wounds along my neck and back, leaving me beaten and tired. I didn’t want to give up; I needed to keep trying. I needed to keep my family safe.

“Enough,” Rafe bellowed, and the wolves on top of me retreated, but only by inches.

I had nowhere to go.

“I want the satisfaction of killing the Chief Alpha’s son. Just as he took something from my father, I will take something from him.”

That’s when everything clicked.

Declan was still pissed that my dad had been chosen as Chief Alpha instead of him, more than a decade ago. He had been planning his revenge for a long time. The only thing I regretted most right then, was knowing I wouldn’t be able to warn my family. They would have to figure this out on their own.

Yet, I knew they would. I knew Taya would step in, kicking ass and taking names. She’d been born to do it but let me take the responsibility. I had no doubts she would make me proud.

I inched forward, needing to give this fight one more go. I wouldn’t bow down and let Rafe kill me without continuing to fight back, even if I had little to give.

I would defend my pack with my last breath.

Rafe was as cocky as ever. He was right, he had the upper hand, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t hurt him. He took a step forward, hands reaching for my neck.

Whimpering, I rolled to my side, letting him get closer.

“You would have made a pathetic alpha,” he spat. “I’m doing your pack a favor.”

When he was inches from me, I turned my head, sinking my teeth into his arm before raking my claws across his chest. I didn’t have enough strength for a kill shot, but he’d think of me every time he looked in the mirror. There was no doubt about that.

“You stupid fucking mutt!” Rafe wailed. “KILL HIM!”

The wolves descended on me.

My eyes fell closed, and I spent my last moments with my family.

I love you, Dad. I hope I made you proud.

Taya, you’re going to be okay. Let people in, and show the world the kind of badass I know you can be.

Augie, my brother. Take care of them.

Epilogue

From the first chapter of Shades of Fury…

My hands grasped at my chest as I fell to my knees, unable to stop the agony that consumed me. My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest. I couldn’t breathe. My eyes clenched shut as I tried to figure out what was happening to me. My best friend Augie was yelling my name, but I couldn’t talk. If I opened my mouth, I feared all that would come out would be screams.

After what felt like minutes but was probably only seconds, I opened my eyes to find Augie kneeling next to me with his face inches from mine.

“Taya? What happened?” he asked, voice filled with grave concern.

My mouth opened to respond, but no sound came out. I closed my eyes again, this time of my own accord, and took a shaky breath. Once I was in better control of my emotions, I opened them once more. “I have no idea. Help me up before someone sees.”

He stood back up, and I took his outstretched hand. My body was consumed by the tremors rocking my body as I put weight on my legs and dusted myself off, glancing around to see if anyone else saw. I didn’t need anyone running to tell my father. I’d be on house arrest until the pack doctor had run every possible test on me. My dad was nothing if not overprotective.

The pain eased, but it didn’t entirely go away. Rubbing my chest, my mind tried to think of what could cause that kind of pain so suddenly, yet disappear almost as quickly, but nothing came to mind. I’d been under some stress lately, though I didn’t think it was enough to cause that type of reaction, especially since nothing around me had triggered it. We’d been heading to the target practice area on our property. My happy place. If anything, I’d been feeling pretty damn good right before that.

“What can I do?” Augie asked.

“Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen and continue to the range,” I answered. “I’ll check in with the pack doctor when we’re done. Promise.”

He eyed me curiously but didn’t argue. “If anything remotely close to that happens again, we go straight to the doc. I mean it.”

I nodded and smiled at his concern. “Of course.”

After picking up the gun case from the ground, we continued. Augie had been my best friend since the age of four, but we were total opposites. He was a lover, not a fighter, choosing to have book smarts over street smarts, even though he was capable of holding his own in a fight. He likely wouldn’t even shoot with me, but he loved me enough to keep me company. My other best friend and brother Cord was busy learning all there was to know about being an alpha, as usual.

After I set up my targets, I spent a good thirty minutes sending rounds down the range. Once I was done with that, Augie helped me set up one explosive target. Blowing stuff up was the best way to relieve some stress. Hopefully, it would ease the last of the ache still lingering in my chest.

Deep breath, in and out. With both eyes open, I stared down the scope of my long-range rifle toward my mark. This was my favorite training activity, one that I thrived in every time. Once my aim was on point, I pulled the trigger quick and steady, watching as the bullet sailed down the range, and hit the target. Not even a second later, the boom of exploding tannerite was like music to my ears.

“Nice shot, Taya!” Augie called out from behind me as I removed my earplugs.

Glancing back at him, I grinned at his goofy smile. “Thanks. You ready for a turn?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

“Nah, let’s head back. We’ve been gone a while and should probably check in with your dad before he sends someone looking for you.”

I nodded. He was right. My twin brother Cord had all the freedom in the world when he wasn’t training to fulfill his role as future alpha. I, on the other hand, had zero freedom, no matter how often I proved I could take care of myself.

It had become increasingly worse as we got older, and I was beginning to tire of it. I loved my dad and brother, but they could only push me so far with their overprotectiveness before I was bound to snap.

I was supposed to be a boy. There had never been a set of boy/girl twins in my dad’s lineage before; yet, here I was. All female and proud of it.

Typically, it took decades for a shifter to conceive. Even then the probability of the mother carrying to term was slim. Multiples were often common, but usually of the same gender, especially when an alpha was the father. I was the rare exception.

There was still a risk of mortality during delivery. Shifters healed quickly, but blood loss wasn’t something we could survive.

Since my mother carried twins, my dad had done everything he could to make sure she survived along with us. He knew the risk rose with multiples and had kept doctors present around the clock leading up to our due date, but the blood loss in her afterbirth had been too great, and we lost her.

Since Cord had been born first, he was first in line to replace our dad as alpha, though I had been able to attend the same trainings as Cord. It was my birthright in case something happened to him, but the primary focus had always been on him.

I didn’t mind it too much. Cord had the caring and thoughtful personality needed to lead a pack. He had the drive to take care of others. I loved my pack, but the responsibility was a lot. I enjoyed sneaking off like I’d done today with Augie and rarely felt guilty.

Shaking off the thought, I began putting my rifle back in the case, along with the leftover ammo and protective gear. Before we made it down range to clean up our target mess, my dad’s beta Davis arrived.

“Taya,” he greeted, in a disapproving tone. Not only did I have a domineering father, but Davis stepped in whenever necessary. I loved him like family, but sometimes I wanted to kick him in his junk as well.

I rolled my eyes. “Target practice, Davis. I wasn’t doing anything illegal, and I’m still within the property lines. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

Augie coughed to cover his laughter while Davis’s face twisted in irritation. “I’m not here about your recreational activities. Your father needs to see you.”

Of course, he did. I adored my father. He had been an incredible parent—acting as both dad and mom to Cord and me while growing up—but his alpha duties always came first. Based on Davis’s manner, something had happened within the pack, and he probably wanted to tighten his invisible reign on me even more.

“We’ll finish cleaning up and be right there,” I replied.

Davis shook his head. “You need to come now.”

Augie tugged on my arm. “Come on. I’ll come back later and deal with this stuff. Your dad normally isn’t this insistent.”

I nodded, agreeing with him. Grabbing my rifle case, I left everything else behind. I had momentarily forgotten about the massive pain I’d experienced in my chest earlier, but the lingering ache wasn’t letting up. I idly wondered if it had anything to do with the reason why Dad needed to see me. Maybe someone did see me drop to the ground and he wanted to check on me.

We followed Davis back to the pack house and the closer we got, the more my unease grew. Augie took my hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze. My gaze shifted up to his and I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips.

Augie was tall, dark, and dorky. He was also the best friend a girl could have. I loved everything about him. He was broad in the shoulders and of average height in our shifter community at six feet tall. His eyes were a soft blue and his hair a messy, tawny brown. When he grinned at the ladies, they practically fell at his feet, but he was an old soul and kept his distance from most of the females around here. He liked to joke that he was waiting for his one true love. He needed to read fewer romance novels.

I didn’t get along with most of the females in our pack. As I got older, I realized some of them had befriended me in an obnoxious attempt to get closer to my brother. They were ladder-climbing assholes, and I wanted nothing to do with them. Augie and Cord were the only friends I needed in my life. Sure, I dated. Shifters craved touch, and I had to get it from somewhere on occasion. Though, I preferred not to date any wolf more than once and liked them to come from outside our pack. I wasn’t ready for commitment or a mate.

“Your father is in his office,” Davis offered, interrupting my internal thoughts about my interesting dating life.

“Do you want me to wait out here?” Augie asked.

“You should go with her, Augie.” Davis answered before I could.

I eyed Davis carefully, trying to ferret out any information, but his voice was monotone and his expression blank. He was a damn good beta, even if he annoyed me most of the time.

Setting my rifle case on the table nearest to us, I tugged on Augie’s hand, picking up my pace so we could get to my dad as quickly as possible. I needed to know what was going on now.

Our pack resided in Raven Point, an isolated stretch of land in Southeastern Oregon. My grandfather had chosen the location when he was alpha over a century ago. When he passed away about forty years ago, my dad decided to stay.

The main pack house looked like an old plantation home from the South. It was all white with thick pillars out front. An extensive deck wrapped around the front, with a smaller one above it on the second story. There were ten bedrooms, three offices, a basement, and much more.

My dad’s office was on the first floor and closest to the door. He liked it being there. He said it made him more accessible to the pack, but I liked to joke that it made him lazy.

When we arrived at the oversized cherry wood door, I didn’t bother knocking. As we walked in, my gaze immediately landed on my father’s heartbroken face, causing me to falter. My breath hitched, and my body froze momentarily. I glanced around the room, surprised not to see Cord here already.

“Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together,” Augie whispered in my ear.

I attempted to smile at him, but it probably came out as more of a grimace as I walked closer to my dad. “What happened?”

“Why don’t you two sit?” My dad gestured to the chairs in front of his oak desk.

“I’d rather not,” I snapped. The irritation of my day having gone to crap was causing me to be even more abrupt than I meant to be.

My dad was the best alpha out of the five main territories in the United States. He was Chief of the Alpha Council. Things rarely shook him. He had seen so much in his time as pack leader. He was a survivor. Whatever had his golden eyes shimmering was big, and I had a feeling I wouldn’t be in here long enough to sit.

“Gerald,” Augie cut in, his voice full of kindness instead of the snappiness I had used. “What’s going on?”

My dad ran his hands through his short salt-and-pepper-colored hair. Once upon a time, it had been a midnight black. His golden-brown eyes implored me to catch on, so he wouldn’t have to say the words, and suddenly, his six-and-a-half-foot-tall frame seemed so frail to me.

Finally, everything clicked. The pain I had felt. The hollowness within me, as if something was missing. The urgency from Davis. The tears in my father’s eyes. The fact that my twin was missing from the room.

“No.” I yanked my hand from Augie’s as I stomped the rest of the way to the desk, slamming my hands down. “Where. Is. Cord?” Each word was sharply spoken.

A deeper part of my heart already knew the answer but was refusing to acknowledge it, just like it had been for the last couple hours. Somehow, I managed to keep my emotions in check, but how long that would last, depended on my father’s next words.

“I’m sorry, Taya. They found his body right outside the property lines about an hour ago. I sent my best trackers to follow the trail of whoever did this, but it went cold outside of Idaho. My men are still out there hunting, yet there’s not much to go on unless they pick up the scent again. All of the other packs have been alerted to expect our wolves to be passing through.”

I howled out in pain as Augie’s strong arms wound around me. Not my brother. My twin. My closest confidant. He couldn’t be gone.

My body jerked out of Augie’s embrace and I ran from the room, heading straight for the front door as I heard my dad tell Augie to give me some time. The door was closed, so I yanked it open, enjoying the thud it made against the wall, I needed to let out at least a miniscule amount of the aggression I felt.

As soon as my feet touched grass, I let the shift take over. My clothes shredded, flying in a million directions. I took pleasure in the phasing process as all of my bones broke and shifted to my wolf form. Silver fur sprouted along my golden skin, until my long auburn hair was no longer visible. Typically, I let the shift come slower, and it wasn’t painful, but the quick agonizing shift matched the pain within my heart.

My vision became precise, and I was on four legs before I knew it. I let loose a deep, distressing howl and several more from our pack members did the same. Everyone would mourn the loss of Cord, but none like me. Though we couldn’t communicate verbally while in wolf form, pack mates could feel each other’s emotions, so I knew those currently shifted would all be hurting with me.

The emptiness I’d been assaulted with earlier would never be filled.

I should have known something was wrong when the previous agony plagued me. I should have done something sooner. As my wolf’s mind rose to the surface, I gladly let her take over. Her thoughts were more black-and-white than mine. She could handle the heartache better than I would.

I needed my wolf. We needed each other, because the hurt was not just mine. It was ours. We were one.

As my paws pounded against the dense forest floor, I had one singular thought.

I would hunt down whoever dared to hurt my family, even if it was the last thing I did.

* * *

Find out what happens next in Shades of Fury, book one in the completed Raven Point Pack Trilogy. Click here for download options.

I know the ending of this book was heartbreaking, but if you’ve read the trilogy already you will understand. If you haven’t read any of the other books, please know there is a happy ending at the completion of this trilogy and Cord’s death won’t be in vain. I hope you’ll continue reading!

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About the Author

Heather Renee is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Oregon. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels with a mixture of adventure, humor, and sass. Her love of reading eventually led to her passion for writing and giving the gift of escapism.

When Heather’s not writing, she is spending time with her loving husband and beautiful daughter, going on their own adventures. For more ways to connect with her, visit www.HeatherReneeAuthor.com.

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to Michelle Fritz for naming this book! And for being an amazing beta reader! I wouldn’t want to do this without you.

Thank you to Alyssa Dietrich for giving me the honest feedback I always love. You’re a permanent part of my team now!

Thank you to my release team for being there for me and supporting all of my books. I love you all!