by Fel Fern
Irritated, Kian sprinted for the woods. He ignored Nathan’s warning snarl behind him. His brother needed to chill. All he wanted was to feel the powerful muscles in his paws burning. Kian picked up speed. Part of his mind still knew the lay of the land. Running without a care in the world was dangerous, but he didn’t care.
Deep in the heart of the Blue River woods, Kian’s nose caught the faint coppery smell of blood. It was old, but the taint lingered. Stomach churning, Kian slowed down. He jumped when something brushed up against him, but it was only Nathan. With a nod, they carefully crept toward the facility. The barbed wired fence had several openings leading inside. There were no lights on, and no signs of life.
For a couple of moments, they remained on the slope overlooking the nightmarish place, remembering the past.
Once news of the experimental lab reached the ears of their old Alpha, he had taken the strongest members of the pack to investigate. Only the Alpha returned, but in the end, Ray didn’t make it. After they fled town, the Darkfall Pack sent spies to check if the facility was still running. The spies never returned. That had been a few months ago.
Nathan gave him a nudge. All Kian wanted to do was head back to the inn and curl up in his blankets. The place reeked. Even from the outside, he could sense lingering traces of pain and despair. Nathan ran ahead. Silently cursing, Kian trailed after his brother. Nathan found a hole large enough for them to squeeze through.
They walked past the front doors and into dark and silent corridors. All the fur on Kian’s back rose as they delved deeper into enemy territory. Kian’s hackles were raised, his ears flattened, but there was no one there to greet them.
Ghosts watched them maybe, but the thought didn’t give him much relief. They made a circuit of the place, entered white-washed rooms that made his fur crawl. Some evidence of what had transpired there lingered, like the rusty chains bolted to the wall. Kian knew they were silver lined to ensure shifter captives wouldn’t escape.
There were medical tools scattered on the floor as if the humans had left in a hurry. Seeing the broken glass and syringes twisted his insides. Recently, the scientists of Alpine Industries had come up with a deadly weapon, a formula able to temporarily give a human the supernatural speed, strength, and reflexes of a shifter. Whether Alpine Industries had perfected the project was up for debate.
To his relief, Nathan was leading the way to the exit. Good. Kian didn’t think he could stomach this any longer. Once back outside, it was easier to breathe. They used the same hole in the fence. Something prickled at his senses again. Kian looked ahead of him, seeing only trees.
The exact same thing happened earlier when they checked into the inn. This couldn’t be a coincidence. Before he could warn Nathan, his brother was heading back to the trees. The bad feeling intensified. Something didn’t feel right. Had they been careless? What if the facility wasn’t abandoned as they initially thought? Would armed humans come out of the woodwork, ready to surround them?
Alpine Industries no longer hired mercenary groups to do their bidding on the ground. They had allied themselves with the Order of the Knife, an organization entirely composed of fanatical human hunters, trained from birth to eliminate the supernatural.
Some arrogant shifters still believed humans were the inferior race and could never hold the advantage against natural predators. Kian knew differently. Even the toughest Darkfall warrior had trouble holding out against an armed hunter jacked up on that cursed formula. What more could Nathan and Kian do?
These humans wouldn’t just kill them on sight. No, what waited for them was worse. They would be captured, subjected to a life behind bars and torture. Their enemies only saw them as disposable animals to be experimented on and discarded.
Damn his brother for not agreeing to have backup. If Kian was selfish, he’d abandon Nathan and save his own skin, except his brother was his only family. He loved the bastard, even if Nathan was too overprotective. If the humans caught Nathan, he wouldn’t know how to live with himself.
Panic set in. Heart racing, Kian ran after his brother.
Chapter Two
When Noel Sandoval, Alpha of the Blood Ruby Pack, received a call from Melody, one of his pack mates, about two new shifters entering his town, he didn’t think it meant anything. Tourists moved in and out of Blue River all the time, eager to see the massive river the town was famous for. These two didn’t look interested in the rapids, though.
Noel had no immediate plans for the evening. Tensions had been running high in the pack lately. There was still no word of Ryan and their missing sister, Allie. Their pack roamed from place to place all the time, never staying longer than a week, but seven days had passed.
Noel prided himself on his pack being an unbreakable unit. They stuck together and tackled anything fate threw at them. With his brother acting as his strong second, their pack survived and defeated other packs who thought they were ripe for the picking. Stronger packs did that all the time. They assimilated smaller groups to increase their numbers. But numbers weren’t always everything. Noel and his pack proved that.
He and Ryan always knew if it came to a merger, they would join a wolf pack that respected their strength as equals, not treat them like inferiors.
Allie’s disappearance had shattered his ability to lead and made him doubt his decision-making skills. She was their little sister. While a strong-willed, independent woman on her own, they were naturally protective of her. He didn’t know how everything went downhill. They were staying only two towns away.
Allie had gone out for groceries and never came back. A thorough investigation only gave Noel more questions. The only lead they had was the faint scent of humans—humans who smelled wrong somehow, tainted. It didn’t help that dark tales had been going around the shifter community lately, even among the loner shifters who kept to themselves. Rumors about shifters being picked off and carted away to God knew where by men in black.
They’d been tracking her ever since. All the signs pointed to Blue River. Something bad had happened here, and these two wolves held that answer. Noel had been silently tracking them since they checked into the Cloudy Inn. Judging by their physical similarities, they were family, brothers perhaps. It was the younger man that stoked Noel’s interest.
For a second their eyes met across the parking lot of the Cloudy Inn. Oh, Noel knew the other man didn’t see him. Noel was good at stalking his prey. Whether these two would end up under his claws and fangs, time would tell. Something about the cute, slender, brown-haired and hazel-eyed, young wolf intrigued him, though, struck some kind of chord.
The Alpha wolf in Noel demanded to get closer, but Noel didn’t plan on revealing himself soon. These two smelled odd, certainly not tourists, because the scent of Blue River clung to them. It was as if they lived here once and were visiting the town again. Was that it? Was this some kind of nostalgic trip for the two?
Last Noel heard, the Blue River Pack once held these lands, but a year ago, the pack disappeared. No trace of any member was left, although one of Noel’s wolves managed to find information on the Alpha of that pack. According to Kurtis, the Alpha was comatose when his mate, Logan Bowen, pulled the plug. These two outsiders were werewolves. Could they be survivors of the Blue River Pack?
Noel had so many unanswered questions. His wolf wanted to quit the stalking and acquire that tasty little morsel. It wouldn’t be hard. These two wolves wouldn’t give him much of a fight. He could ask them directly, but was interrogation and intimidation the answer?
Ryan would agree with that decision. After all, his brother was about to snap. A week without answers had drained all of them. Who knew if Allie was still alive?
That was the reason why Noel had to keep his head straight. When the two outsiders ate dinner, Noel grew a little impatient. Worse, Noel had a feeling he was being watched. The stalker being stalked—that was a funny one. Noel extended his senses and found no shifter in the vicinity. This had been happening to him numero
us times over the past few days. Delusion, he told himself. He was stressed and worn out, which made him imagine things. That was all.
He started thinking he’d made a mistake following these outsiders. Ryan would get a kick out of him making a mistake. But then, the two started acting suspicious. Noel followed them to the outskirts of town. When they shifted and started for the woods, alarm bells rang his head. Gut instinct had never failed him before.
Knowing Ryan was somewhere in the woods, Noel reached for the pack bonds. They couldn’t exactly communicate mentally, but they could send emotions. His brother would recognize Noel needed help. He felt a flare of response from Ryan’s end and knew Ryan was coming. While he didn’t plan on hurting these two yet, it never hurt to be safe. They made a mistake of not making sure Allie was in communication with them when she went out.
The bells in his head grew louder when the two wolves appeared to head toward the abandoned facility at the heart of the woods. That place even gave an Alpha like Noel chills. The stink surrounding the area reminded him of the scent he’d caught on the humans who’d taken Allie. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what kind of nightmare happened here. Despite the building having been disinfected and cleaned out, Noel could still smell the blood and misery there.
The prisoners had suffered. It took a long time for them to die. He imagined his sister trapped in one of those cages. Only God knew what was being done to her. Noel couldn’t let his imagination get the better of him. If he let the rage in, he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
Despite their many attempts to reach out to other packs and shifters, no one had the answers. Rather, they were too terrified to talk, even the predatory shifters.
These two didn’t stumble on the place by accident. They knew exactly where they were going. Noel watched them disappear past the fence and inside the place. Thirty minutes must have passed, then an hour. By then, Ryan had found him using the pack bonds. His brother was a mess of emotions. Noel had to nip at Ryan’s ear in warning.
His second didn’t appreciate that. Ryan bared his teeth, but Noel gave him a look. Right now, Noel wasn’t his brother but his Alpha, and his word was law.
To his relief, Ryan settled for pacing, but Noel knew Ryan’s patience wouldn’t last long, and neither would his.
Finally, the outsiders came out. Ryan bared his teeth but held his ground. Noel could smell the fear rolling off the younger one, the smaller wolf. What was going on?
It was time to stop stalking. There was no time like the present to announce their presence. Noel was done waiting. When the bigger wolf headed in their direction, he nudged Ryan and lifted a paw in the outsider’s direction. His brother understood. They’d worked alongside together since they were wolf pups. Together, they formed a lethal unit. Ryan would follow his lead.
Leaving the bigger wolf to his brother, Noel went for the slender beast.
Vengeance for Allie should be the only thing on Noel’s mind. Hurting the one person who might have some answers was unacceptable. Ryan wouldn’t hesitate to shake these two outsiders a little. After all, it was only polite for any shifter to announce their presence to the ruling pack in the area.
Noel sheathed his claws mid-tackle. That delicious scent hit his nose again and this time it was twice as strong. The submissive wolf went down easily with a whimper before recovering. The little thing buckled and scratched but to no avail. Compared to the many battles Noel had fought, this was like being swatted by a puppy.
This outsider was clearly no fighter. The sounds of growls and scratching claws told him Ryan and the other wolf were still tangled up in a fight. No matter, Ryan could handle himself. However, he knew his brother. Ryan might rival him in terms of strength and fury, but he lacked Noel’s control.
Later, his wolf persisted. The beast was keen on studying their prey. No, their prize.
Bloodlust ebbed and curiosity took its place.
His nose found its way to the smaller wolf’s neck. His paws harmlessly pinned the submissive beast down, and perhaps realizing Noel wasn’t going for the kill, the outsider froze. Frightened eyes met his. To Noel’s shock, the shifter started changing forms until Noel’s paws touched human skin slick with sweat.
If Noel were human, he would have smiled. Two can play at this game. Noel was deadly, both in human and wolf form. If this cunning little wolf thought he could blindside Noel and inspire pity in him, then he had another thing coming.
Once Noel was back in his human skin, he continued caging the submissive wolf’s body with his. With their flesh pressed together, chest and groin touching, it was harder holding on to logical thoughts and easier to forget this man had the potential to be his enemy.
Up close, it was easier to admire his prey. The submissive wolf looked even sexier, with his brown hair tousled, like he’d been thoroughly fucked. The body underneath him, slender, lean, and enticing, felt like a perfect fit against his hard one. The man swallowed. Seemingly possessing more courage than Noel initially thought, the outsider began to reach out to touch his jaw, but Noel easily pinned his arms down.
The man underneath him let out a shudder. Noel lowered his head, licking the trail of sweat running down the submissive wolf’s neck. He could feel the strong pulse there, and God did he taste fine. Noel didn’t even know his name, knew practically nothing about him, and yet Noel knew he wanted this tasty little morsel.
Mate. His wolf rolled out the word as if it meant everything. Noel paused, wondering if his Alpha beast had made a mistake. His human half might second-guess and occasionally make the wrong decisions. The wolf, however, lived on instinct and never failed him before. Noel had plenty to think about, but not now. There was too little information to work on. Damn, but he was having trouble thinking right now.
It would be so easy to taste and explore the submissive wolf underneath him. Noel knew the attraction wasn’t one-sided, and the stranger wouldn’t be able to deny it. Not with their thickening cocks pressed up against each other. When the little wolf’s gaze shifted from Noel’s face and down the line of his body, the man let out a little moan. That sound went right to Noel’s dick.
Shit. What was this man doing to him?
The man’s companion let out a furious roar, shattering the spell. For a couple of moments there, Noel had forgotten he wasn’t alone and his quest for answers. This little wolf was dangerous. No one was able to distract Noel this much. Then again, when he saw something or someone he wanted, he went for it, no questions asked.
The search for Allie had built up so much frustration and anger in him. Noel needed a little time off, but he had a feeling once he tangled with this submissive wolf, they wouldn’t stop with a simple hookup. It was clear to him, although he didn’t know why, that these two might not have been involved in Allie’s disappearance, but they had information his pack needed. Noel might have fun getting those answers out of this submissive wolf, who seemed more eager to yield to him than fight.
Noel spared Ryan and the other wolf a glance. Like him, Ryan had the other shifter pinned, but there were scratches on the outsider.
“Nathan,” the man underneath him rasped.
“Tell Nathan to stop fighting. We don’t intend to kill either of you. You have my word.”
Those brown eyes lit with defiance. The fire there only multiplied Noel’s desire a thousand fold. Who knew his little wolf had some spine to him?
“Your word? I don’t even know you.” Nonetheless, the man looked to his companion. “Brother, stop fighting. Don’t make it worse. They don’t intend to kill us.”
Brother, Noel mused. That explained the physical resemblance. The other outsider ceased fighting, but Ryan was on edge. Through the pack bonds, Noel knew Ryan was beyond rational thought. At this point, only anger fueled his brother, and only Noel’s grip on the pack bonds held Ryan back from ripping the outsider apart. Noel needed to settle this now and make a decision.
He turned back to his prize. “And yet you and your friend had
the audacity to come into our lands.”
The man looked away, clearly acknowledging they’d broken pack protocol. “This was our home once. We had to leave.”
Noel took a whiff of him again, putting his nose against the man’s neck. The submissive wolf was so tempting, Noel couldn’t help but lick him again. The man looked unsettled.
“Don’t do that, please.”
“Why?” Noel felt like a predator toying with his prey.
No, that wasn’t right either. His wolf wanted to play and had a feeling this submissive wolf did as well.
“You’re distracting.” At that admission, heat crept into the man’s cheeks and neck.
Keeping the submissive wolf’s wrists down with one hand, Noel used his other to grip his chin, making him look at Noel.
“What’s your name, pet?”
“Kian, and I’m no one’s pet.” Kian bared his teeth.
“Pet’s a term of endearment.”
“You’re a complete stranger.”
“My name’s Noel Sandoval, Alpha of the Blood Ruby Pack, and that over there is my brother.” Recognition flittered across Kian’s eyes. Interesting. “Now let’s get to know each other better.”
Kian swallowed. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“What you like or dislike doesn’t matter.”
“Nathan and I are your prisoners, then?” Something other than fear blazed behind those eyes.
“Depends. Change back to wolf. Follow us. Remember, if you stray away from the path, we’ll easily chase you down.”
Kian lifted his chin. “I’m not going to run, not when I know it’s useless. My brother and I don’t stand a chance against you or Ryan.”
“Good.”
