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Leaving Cold Creek wouldn’t be easy. She swallowed hard, thinking of her friends. Her arrangement with the diner. She’d be homesick. Must remember to stock up on chocolate chips. But this time when she moved, she’d take her home—her family—with her. Now if they’d only get their butts back so she could tell them.
Smiling, Bree trawsfurred back to wolf. The moon lit the entire sky as she loped across the mountain meadow. The soft new grass released a fragrance that made her paws dance, and she spun in a circle, chasing her tail. Then with a yip, she caught up to the pack.
* * *
An hour out from Cold Creek, Shay raised his weary head and sniffed. Wolves. Smelled like the entire pack. Zeb’s upright ears showed he’d caught the scent as well.
Would Breanne be with them? Probably. She’d missed the run the other night. A surge of sheer need washed through him. By the God, he needed to see her. To hold her and tell her what had happened.
As he and Zeb emerged from the trees into a long mountain meadow, yelling drowned out any other sounds. The scents were ugly. Aggression and fear. By the God, now what? He was too tired for games; all he wanted to do was hold Breanne.
As they reached the pack, he saw Gerhard yelling at a young male. Nothing new.
Jody spotted them and walked over. “Hey. Bree just said you’re all leaving soon. Do you know who’ll take over the lodge? Can you give our cleaning service a recommendation?”
Breanne said what? Shay shifted, Zeb a second behind, so they rose and stood, shoulder-to-shoulder.
“We’re all leaving?” Zeb repeated in a raw voice. “Bree, too?”
“That’s what she said.” Jody’s mouth pulled down. “I’m going to miss her—and those fattening cherry pies.”
Exhilaration bubbled through Shay’s veins. Over everything else, she’d chosen them. “Well.” His voice wasn’t steady.
Zeb’s gaze met Shay’s. “Well.” His voice wasn’t all that even, either.
“No!” Breanne’s voice—the furious one she’d used when Zeb had used her fancy fillet knife to whittle wood. Shay grinned and looked to see who’d earned her wrath.
His smile died.Gerhard. The alpha had changed to wolf and was stalking the younger male. He struck and the pup yelped. Growling, Dieter circled, ready to join in.
Breanne marched closer to the alpha. “Stop it. He’s just a kid!” Dieter blocked her path. Dammit, didn’t she ever learn? Yet Shay’s heart quickened at her courage.
Two other females followed her, then some males. A murmur swept around the meadow like a whisper of wind. More shifters stepped forward.
Gerhard didn’t notice, too intent on savaging the cub.
Notice this, alpha-hole. Shay bellowed, “What’s going on here?”
People jumped, and the fight broke apart.
As Gerhard trawsfurred, Breanne and Angie ran past him to care for the young wolf.
“Stay out of this, cahir,” Gerhard snapped. “That clumsy fool lost us the kill tonight.”
“Then teach him. Don’t punish him.” The careless savagery sent anger searing through his veins. He tried to tell himself that the alpha had the right to decide discipline—even if wrong. But the idiot was constantly wrong. His decisions weren’t made for the good of his wolves, but because he enjoyed the power.
Shay frowned. An alpha’s over-riding instinct was to protect, but Gerhard didn’t. Klaus must have been dominant enough to influence his littermate, and his sick desires apparently lingered. Gerhard might have been a good alpha once, but he was no longer fit to lead a pack.
Shay clenched his jaw. If he, Zeb, and Breanne stayed in Cold Creek, they’d be constantly battling the alpha.
Taking Shay’s silence for acceptance, Gerhard shifted back to wolf.
Breanne went white, but she placed herself in front of the youngster. Her balance shifted, and Shay knew her first kick would probably take out Dieter.
By the God, he loved her. And he’d die before those misborn mutts laid a fang on her. When Shay snarled, loud and long, the wolves froze. “I challenge.”
Gerhard’s head whipped around, yellow eyes blazing in shock.
“You can’t,” someone in the crowd stuttered. “You’re oathbound to Herne.”
“He released us,” Shay said, tilting his face to the moonlight so they could see his unmarked cheek.
Gerhard exposed his fangs.
“Let’s do this, you gutless mongrel,” Shay said. “I don’t want to waste the moon.”
Released? Bree’s heart soared high enough to join the stars in the sky. They can stay with me? We can—
The pack formed a wide circle around Gerhard. A fighting ring. No, oh no. Off to one side, Zeb and Shay were talking.
What have I done? She grabbed Shay’s arm. “Don’t do this. I can—I’ll apologize to Gerhard. You don’t need to fight.”
He put his hand over hers, his gaze steady. Warm. “Mo leannan, the day I let you apologize to that weasel is the day I return to the Mother.” Crinkles appeared around his eyes. “And that won’t be today.”
“Don’t. Please.” He was going to get hurt. Bad.
“So little confidence in me?”
He made her want to hit him. She turned to Zeb and saw the same determination. Were both of them going to be thrown out? Her eyes started to burn. This was all her fault.
Shay curved his hand over her nape and pulled her to his chest. “Don’t cry, little wolf. This was inevitable if we stayed.”
She wrapped her arms around him. I love you so much. She bit back the words. He didn’t need a distraction. Instead, she squeezed as hard as she could, trying to shove extra strength into him. He kissed the top of her head and handed her to Zeb, who kissed her long and slow.
Before she could argue further, they shifted, one tall dark wolf, one heavy-boned, silver wolf. As the shifters opened a path for Shay to enter the circle, Zeb slid through the crowd and stopped beside Gerhard’s brother. Guarding Shay’s back.
Bree pushed her way to the front. A cold hand slid into hers, and the young shifter, Lacey, gave her a terrified look. Angie and Jody joined them.
Shay stalked into the center, curling his lips to expose his fangs. He and Gerhard stalked around each other, ears sharply forward, both holding their heads high. The raised hair down Shay’s back made him look huge.
He’d been awfully young the last time he’d challenged an alpha, Shay thought. Not any more. He moved slowly, assessing his opponent. Gerhard was a damn big wolf. Confident and experienced. But a good part of a fight for domination was in the mind, and the alpha-hole lacked the bone-deep resolution he’d need to win.
It showed. Unable to wait, Gerhard charged first, snarling, snapping at Shay’s nape.
Shay rose onto his hind legs, knocking him free. He tried a slashing bite. Gerhard stood to meet it. They grappled. Shay evaded the front paws and bit at his opponent’s neck.
Gerhard shoved away, and they circled, clashed. Circled, clashed. Over and over. They were too evenly matched, Shay realized, at least today. Although adrenaline had revved him up briefly, he’d spent the night running deep into the mountains and had spent today returning. His paws dragged as if they were covered in heavy mud.
Gerhard charged again. His fangs ripped Shay’s shoulder. Pain flared. Shay’s bite caught him below the eye. Blood spattered, and the weasel broke free. They backed away from each other, snarling.
Gerhard’s legs lowered slightly, ready to attack. Shay braced himself. Breanne’s voice: “No!” Something moved to one side. Without looking, he dodged. Teeth snapped on air—and Gerhard attacked, taking advantage of the distraction.
Snarls sounded behind him, then a high yelp. People shouted. Shay put it out of his mind; Zeb had his back.
Up on hind legs, Shay pushed Gerhard sideways, taking any opening to bite. Fresh blood filled his mouth, and Gerhard snarled. A return slash sent pain flaring down Shay’s side. He bit at his opponent’s neck, but heavy fur and loose skin limited the
damage.
They fell sideways, rolling and biting. He ripped at Gerhard’s muzzle. His opponent’s teeth clamped on his leg, sending a flash of pain through him, and he struggled to keep from being overwhelmed by fury. Balance, furface.
He broke off and circled. Another charge. Shay twisted aside and set his paw on the other’s shoulders, trying—Gerhard went for his other paw, and Shay dodged.
On their hind legs, they grappled. Gerhard’s fangs slashed his neck. Shay shoved, overbalancing Gerhard enough to catch the loose fur of his nape. He jerked his head sideways, tossing Gerhard down. He followed. His jaws closed on Gerhard’s throat, and he clamped down, fighting the drive to rip the flesh away.
Gerhard went limp. Shay didn’t release. The weasel whined. His tail curved between his legs in surrender.
Shay let go but maintained his stance, his teeth bared over the other’s neck, reinforcing dominance. A second. Another. He closed his jaws over Gerhard’s muzzle. Gerhard didn’t move, whined again.
The need to kill still raging in his veins, Shay turned away as if in indifference, ears swiveled in case the male had no brains in him. But the movements behind him were slow.
He heard the wolf retreat, running across the meadow.
And then Breanne landed on her knees next to him. Her arms wrapped around him so tightly he could hardly breathe. “You did it. I’m so proud of you. I was so scared for you. Don’t ever do that again.” The words turned incoherent as she buried her face in his fur.
Her scent surrounded him, warming him as his battle-anger dimmed and disappeared. He twisted far enough to lick her neck and buried his muzzle in the fragrant hollow at the base.
“Well done, brawd.” Zeb lifted Breanne up and slung an arm around her as she tried to burrow into his side instead. “Took you too long though.”
Shay snapped his teeth in a token reprimand, then trawsfurred. “Thanks for the backup. Who was it?”
“Brother.” Zeb jerked his head toward the wolf following Gerhard. “Chad tried to help Dieter. Stupid, but I think he’ll learn.”
Shay turned. A youth in human form held his bloody ear, while Albert Baty yelled at him.
“Good enough.” Shay looked around. As the pack—his pack—drew closer, their wide smiles startled him. They were pleased? He turned in a circle, looking at each, before checking the sky. “You have until the cloud clears the moon to talk, then I want you all in wolf form.”
He gave Breanne a hard kiss, fighting the need to mate her here and now, to mark her with his scent. Instead, he stepped back with a sigh. “Shift, little wolf.” If they were to have a future in Cold Creek, somehow he had to meld this bunch of wolves into a true pack.
A few minutes later, he took his wolves into the forest. His ears turned toward the rear, hearing the soft thudding of paws, breathing, rustling, and quiet snarls as the younger ones jostled each other for positions. My pack.
As they streamed up the mountain behind him, something inside him eased and an unrecognized ache drifted away like mist off the mountain.
* * *
The moon was heading toward the west when the wolves returned to the caves under the tavern. Bree followed, staying near the rear.
She felt the satisfaction in the wolves near her. After running for a while, Shay had stopped in a clearing and talked about the changes he planned to make. He’d given people a chance to talk as he wandered around and spoke to various groups.
Then he’d taken them on a hunt. The old ones had been able to keep up, the younger daring ones had been sent off behind Zeb to flank a herd of deer and drive them toward the rest of the pack. The chase after an older stag had been thrilling. Everyone had dined well.
Shay—and Thyra—had eaten first.
Shay—and Thyra—led the pack. Even now, they ran side-by-side, brushing shoulders occasionally—deliberately on Thyra’s part.
When Bree had tried to stay close to Shay, Thyra had attacked, biting and driving her to the rear with the old ones.
Shay’d turned and knocked Thyra away from Bree, but the mess had brought the entire pack to a stop. The second time it happened, Bree’d given up and stayed at the back.
When Zeb wasn’t taking the younger wolves on an extra jaunt, he’d run beside her. And Bree noticed puzzled looks from the wolves. Zeb was the beta—the second-in-command—and his place was just behind the alphas.
Now, as they reached the cave, Shay and Thyra shifted first. Thyra gave a fake shiver, the bitch, and snuggled against Shay, running her hand up and down his chest. With a cold look, he pushed her hand away and headed for Bree. Thyra stared after him.
Mine. See? He’s mine. Only she could feel a tie between him and Thyra in the same way she sensed the one between him and Zeb. What did that mean?
“Breanne.” Shay hugged her. His body was warm and hard, his arms comforting as he kissed her. But something had disappeared, and her worry drained the pleasure away.
As he released her, whispers skittered around them, matched by more confused expressions from the pack members. Near the cave entrance, Thyra stood, her glare hot enough to burn skin.
“I’ll talk to you in a bit, lass,” Shay said. She’d never heard him sound so miserable. Shoulders slumped, he walked into the tunnel.
Bree turned to Zeb. “What’s going on? I thought—”
“We didn’t. Think. Fuck, but Shay didn’t think at all.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Let’s leave, then we’ll talk.”
But the minute he stepped away from her, he was surrounded by the young guys, so Bree took her time getting dressed. Dread was a cold lump in her belly.
Eventually, she went upstairs, through the private room to the hallway. When she entered the tavern, it was nearly two a.m. and only a few non-pack shifters remained. Near the fireplace, Thyra stood beside Shay, and Bree recognized the posture of a queen beside the king.
But…isn’t he mine? She bit her lip and looked for Zeb.
He stood by the bar. Young males around him were boasting about their parts in taking down the deer. Fighting for his attention.
At a table nearby, Angie sat with Albert, saying, “Wasn’t that wonderful? I haven’t had such a great time in years.”
He nodded. “Everyone was satisfied. I hadn’t realized how badly Ger—” He pressed his lips closed and shook his head.
“Bree!” Lacey ran across the room to give an exuberant hug. “Did you see me? I helped take the deer down. Was that cool or what?”
“You did good. Was Jody with you during the run?”
“Yeah, Shay asked her to be my mentor. Candice had been but”—Lacey grimaced—“it didn’t work out. Jody’s crazy bold. She’s just great.”
With a final squeeze, Lacey darted away, leaving Bree standing alone. Now what?
Now nothing. She wasn’t about to join the crowd around Shay…and Thyra. To heck with that.
She slipped outside. Clouds were slowly covering the moon, dimming its glow. In the forest to the east of the tavern, an owl hooted and hooted again, waiting for a response that didn’t come.
The door opened. Thyra stepped out, dressed in skin-tight jeans and a crepe blouse that showed off her breasts. “He’s mine now.”
No need to ask who Thyra meant. “That remains to be seen.”
“You really are stupid.” Thyra lit a cigarette. “Do you even know what being alpha male and female means?”
“You lead the pack, take precedence with food. Stuff like that.” Bree forced a casual tone, despite her heart rate increasing.
“Alphas are paired, dummy. He’s mine—and since Zeb’s his brother, he will be too.” After flicking her cigarette into the damp gravel, Thyra walked off into the night.
After a while, a long while, the glowing stub burned away into ash and darkness.
* * *
Shay looked around the room. Where was Breanne? At the bar, Zeb was trying to escape the young wolves vying for his attention. He finally succeeded, perhaps not as politely as he
might have, but Shay felt the same urgency.
“I’m sorry, people,” he said to the wolves packed around him. “I need to talk with someone.”
The group let him through and he headed across the room. What a damned mess. Why hadn’t he considered the consequences of being pack alpha? He caught up to Zeb at the door of the tavern. “Where’s Breanne?”
“Outside.” Zeb scowled. “Where’s the alpha bitch?”
“She left a few minutes ago, thank the God. A bhràthair, what have I done?”
Zeb shook his head, not answering.
Outside, Shay spotted Breanne, leaning against the wall. The dimmed moonlight shadowed her expressionless face. Her posture spoke of despair.
All he’d ever wanted was for her to be happy, and he’d destroyed that completely. He pulled her into his arms. So small and fragrant, smelling of vanilla and the lingering wildness of the wolf. “Breanne. I—”
“No, Shay. I couldn’t let the youngster get ripped-up.” She buried her face against his shoulder. “And neither could you. It’s not your fault.” She hugged him, settling his world…and showing him everything he was losing.
His arms tightened, then he released her with a sigh and let Zeb take his turn. His brother needed her comfort.
For a few short hours, the world had been right. His heart had been singing on the way down the mountain. He’d planned out how they’d ask her to be their lifemate. Planned to visit the local blademage who’d make their bracelets. I destroyed everything.
After a long hug, Breanne kissed Zeb’s cheek.
As they walked down the trail toward the lodge, she said, “Thyra told me alphas are paired. How far does that go?”
Far. Shay scowled. The bitch had probably rubbed Breanne’s face in it. Anger smoldered in his gut.
Shadows darkened Zeb’s face. “Not sure. I’ve stayed on the outskirts. Brawd?”
Shay walked in silence, searching for the words. “It’s another kind of a bond. Like between mates, only different.”
“Before when you led a pack, were you paired with the alpha female?” Zeb asked.