Black Mesa Wolves Complete Series Boxset Bks 1-7

by J. K Harper

  Despite the dazzling blue skies and the promise of a fresh new year, a fresh new start, Caleb suddenly felt really tired.

  He'd royally messed up. Again. This time, though, he was going to fix this like the wolf he was.

  Man I am, his human muttered, but it was subdued.

  “So,” he said slowly, trying to make sure his thoughts didn't stumble over his words and confuse him even more. “Let me make sure I understand this time. You didn't tell Rawlins—Luke, I mean—to ask me to be a Guardian as some sort of test to get reinstated as a Black Mesa Guardian? To see if I'd have the appropriate response or something like that?”

  Very gently, his alpha shook his head, brilliant amber eyes still fixed on Caleb. Like he was waiting for the real answer. Like this, right here, right now, really was a test. Just not a test carefully orchestrated by the Black Mesa Pack Alpha.

  Okay, then.

  Caleb sensed Rielle watching them from a distance. He took a deep breath to pull in her sweet cinnamon scent to him, to lend him some desperately needed strength from her calm reserves. Then he plunged on.

  “So I do have a chance here.” Caleb's voice was quiet, driven by the racing thoughts of his human, who was at the forefront of his consciousness. “Just not the one I expected.”

  “Yes, perhaps not the one you expected.” Alpha's voice was quiet as well. “But perhaps the one you truly need.”

  “I've proven myself outside of the Pack, though.” Caleb kept his tone measured, although his heart was thudding against his ribs. “I already saw a chance, and I took it. My training business is successful. And I—I've learned a lot,” he admitted. “It sucked a lot of the time, but I get it now. I really did need to grow up.” His voice was genuinely humble as he said that last part.

  Alpha sighed, the whisper lost in the playful noises from the rest of the pack as they raced and played and enjoyed the day. “Indeed you did. I am extremely proud of you for that.”

  Damn it, Caleb's human muttered again. Got something in my eye.

  Caleb huffed to himself at that. Wolves never cried. Humans were odd.

  “Caleb,” Alpha slowly went on, “you are a Guardian at heart and soul. The time was not right for you to be a Guardian in Rafe's pack, despite my hopes.” Alpha shrugged a massive shoulder. “As it happened, you still needed more time to grow. Yet you did indeed use that time quite wisely. You proved your true worth, Caleb,” he said quietly, his expression still filled with a rare display of quiet pride. “To yourself more than to anyone else.”

  Stupid thing still in my eye, his human muttered. This time, Caleb didn't huff back.

  “I also suspect Luke needs you more than you realize.” Alpha now awarded his son one of his enigmatic looks. “He has proven himself here as well, Caleb. Perhaps the two of you can build something stronger than you each ever imagined on your own.”

  With that, the Black Mesa Pack Alpha inclined his head at his son in a clear sign of respect. Then he walked away, toward his mate and his pack, and didn't look back.

  Caleb swallowed hard. He looked toward his own mate, who watched him with eyes he knew were a gorgeous soft russet-brown, even though she was too far away from him to see her that clearly. She was sitting on the other side of the open space where Rawlins sat, though far away enough from him that her message was clear. The choice was Caleb's. And no matter what he chose, she'd stand by him.

  Swallowing hard again as he thought how frigging lucky he was to call Rielle Amoux his mate, Caleb then thought about his fighters. About Bran, the young pup who needed guidance. About his own dreams. About his lifetime of training to be a Guardian. To protect his pack.

  To protect any pack that is mine, his human whispered. Any pack I belong to.

  Ah, hell. Being a grown up was hard.

  With deliberate steps, Caleb crossed the piles of snow and headed toward Luke. About three feet away from the silent dark wolf, who watched him without a single trace of the smugness Caleb swore was usually there, he stopped.

  After about five breaths, he stated the one question he had left. In situations like this, it was always better to state questions as if they were fact rather than just ask. “So if I say yes, I have to keep training cage fighters, too. I've worked too hard for that to give it up now. It's a solid business, and I have shifters relying on me now. I won't let them down just to help you out.”

  Caleb sensed Rielle's ears sharply perked toward them as she listened.

  Luke had a quick response, still watching Caleb hard. “What if I said it was an either/or choice?”

  Damn it. Time for adulthood, right now. “Then I guess my choice is clear, Rawlins.”

  The rest of the pack had slowly figured out something big was going on. By ones and twos they quieted their games, quit their howling, and drifted in closer to watch something crazy important unfold. Caleb tuned them out. He tuned out everything except the dark wolf who'd dangled another tempting key to a future before him—and Ree. No one else mattered right then except those two wolves.

  And myself, his human whispered, growing confidence in his voice.

  Yes. Truthfully, his future belonged to Caleb and no one else. This was his choice to make.

  “And what is your decision?” Luke's voice was quiet but direct. It carried to every wolf in the pack, all of whom were now watching with rapt attention.

  Inhaling long through his nose and expelling it quietly through his mouth, Caleb looked at Ree. She nodded her head once, as solemn as he was. Then he did the only thing he could think to demonstrate his answer. He laid down and showed his belly to the air, exposing his vulnerable side for Luke to rip out in a split second if he so wanted.

  Almost to a wolf, the audience whined in the wolfish version of gasps.

  Then he said, “I, Caleb Bardou, accept your offer to lead as Guardian for your new pack, Luke Rawlins. I swear my loyalty to you and your pack as my new alpha.”

  The only sound for long, cold moments was the far-off whomp of an avalanche loosing itself somewhere in the mountains surrounding them. Caleb's nerves, oddly enough, didn't ring any alarms at all.

  So this was what making the right decision felt like. Calm and just—right.

  Finally, Luke responded. “Thank you, Guardian. I accept your fealty. I will also,” he added, looking around the loose circle of wolves around them watching wide-eyed, “accept any younger members who wish to join this pack, with the permission of the Black Mesa Alpha, of course.”

  Ree's voice had Caleb's head whipping around as he easily got back to his feet, shaking the snow off his coat. “I will join your pack, Luke,” she said, her voice carrying in the silence. “Even if I wouldn't go anywhere Caleb goes, I still think you will make a very good alpha. I'm honored to be a part of your new pack.”

  Caleb's heart did that pride-bursting thing again as he watched his dainty little mate walk with sure steps toward them. She nodded at Luke as she passed him to take her place beside Caleb, pressing into his side right where she belonged.

  Everything suddenly felt so damn right in the moment he could hardly stand it.

  Another long silence kept everyone still, although Caleb caught some of the youngest pups fidgeting at the back. He opened his mouth to break the silence.

  Then he remembered what he'd just done. It wasn't his place to speak right now.

  His human sighed this time. Being an adult. Hmm, was all he said.

  The Black Mesa Alpha stepped forward, also going up to Luke. “Your choice has made an excellent start to your pack, alpha,” he said, looking at Luke although he nodded his head toward Caleb. “Now all you need to do is come up with a good name for it.”

  Luke appeared startled. “We will have to give it some thought,” he finally said, looking at Caleb.

  Then Alpha—no, Caleb thought. Not his Alpha anymore. Just pack alpha to him now. The Black Mesa pack alpha looked at Caleb. He nodded, the simple move so full of approval that Caleb's human started going on about his eyes once more. Th
en he swept his gaze over everyone else.

  “Happy New Year, wolves,” the Black Mesa alpha said. “Come now. It's an excellent day for a fresh start.”

  With that, he whirled and ran toward the mountains with a jubilant howl. His mate joined him, then another wolf, then another. In minutes, the pack was running again, leaping and howling and joyfully playing in the snow.

  Luke looked at Caleb. Caleb looked at Luke. Ree took it all in with silence until she finally huffed out a bark that would have been an eye roll in human form.

  “You two, stop it right now,” she ordered. “It's New Year's. You both have a lifetime to keep sizing one another up as we figure out this new pack. Today, let's just play. And celebrate this fresh new start for us all.”

  She gave them both a steely-eyed look, which was impressive considering how small she was in comparison. Luke looked amused, but he dutifully nodded. “I can see who the true leader of this pack might end up being,” he murmured, flashing that rare smile again that made him seem practically down to earth. Normal, even.

  “She leads me, that's for sure,” Caleb said, letting a cheerful note creep into his voice. His whole life had just changed again. But Ree was right. Tomorrow they could worry about everything else. Today, with the wild bright sunshine and the epic piles of fresh snow everywhere, they would celebrate.

  “Come, mate and alpha,” Ree said, nodding at each one in turn. “It's our new pack's time to run together. How perfect that it's the new year!”

  Turning to nuzzle Caleb, she murmured for his ears only, “New you, love.”

  “New us,” he said firmly, nuzzling her back. “Happy New Year, wolf,” he added to his new alpha.

  “Race you both!” Caleb suddenly yelled, and took off, bounding and howling through the mountains, his mate and his alpha running beside him, howling as well as they all greeted the shining new year.

  * * *

  Turn the page to read Book 6, Protector Wolf!

  Protector Wolf

  To the protective warrior inside us all

  1

  Jace Canagan narrowed his eyes as he sized up the competition. Although his stance remained casual, every part of his body was ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. They weren't going to get the drop on him again. No way, no how. Oh, sure, he didn't really know these wolves anymore. He didn't know their ways, their secret little signals to one another that would silently encourage them to gang up on him and gain the advantage. But it didn't matter. Jace Canagan had learned a hell of a lot in his years away from the Black Mesa Wolf Pack. And they were about to get the surprise of their lives.

  The brisk spring breeze rustled through the pines at the far end of the grounds they stood on. The wild scents of the forest just behind the pack den, shivering into his nose and rousing his already keenly focused wolf even more, called to Jace. His wolf really wanted to hunt tonight. Yes, he promised, not taking his eyes off the shifters in front of him. It'll be good to hunt later.

  "I'm sensing some hesitation over there, kids," he drawled out loud, keeping his voice as casual and relaxed as his body. Closing in on thirty, he was barely older than they were. However, using faint insults was a calculated part of this standoff. "Not quite as easy as you thought it would be to take me down, was it?"

  One of the female wolves staring back at him narrowed her own eyes as she cocked her head just slightly to the side, regarding him with the assessing look of a wolf sizing up its opponent. "I think you've left me with a bruise, Jace," Lily Bardou said in an arch tone.

  Her tall mate, standing beside her, shot a forbidding glare at Jace as he folded his arms more tightly across his massive chest. His naturally protective attitude toward his mate was obvious, even though she outranked him in the pack's Guardian hierarchy. In fact, Lily lightly stepped on her mate's foot, ordering him to stand down with her not-so-subtle gesture.

  Jace kept his smile at that move to himself. Even though the spirited wolf facing him might be the lead Guardian for the pack, and was flanked by her fellow Guardians in a forceful display of support, Jace was about to show them all that he could still teach her a thing or two. They weren't pups anymore. None of the wolves here could think of him as a youngster any longer. A wayward, stupid, headlong pup whose poor words and even more regrettable decisions probably left them all with certain opinions of him based on their long-ago impressions.

  No, Jace had learned an awful lot in his time away from the pack, under the tutelage of a Zen-like martial arts master. One of the most important lessons had been patience. The ability to wait, to hide the sharp analytics of his mind that he used to quickly gauge each and every situation that faced him. Not a single wolf here would be able to anticipate his next move.

  Well. He slid a quick glance at the pack alpha, who stood quietly behind the Guardians as he watched everything in that eerie, all-seeing way of his. Flicking his glance back toward the lead Guardian, Jace shook off the thought that Alpha Channing Bardou could read his mind and knew exactly what he planned next. He was just flashing back to his childhood, when he been ordered to the very same alpha's office to be reprimanded for his impetuous behavior more times than anyone else in the pack. Except perhaps for the alpha's youngest son and Jace's onetime best friend, Caleb. Between the two of them, he was pretty sure they'd kept the alpha quite busy with the inconsequential business of seemingly endless discipline during their formative years.

  Until he made the stupidest mistake of his life by renouncing the pack that had raised him, proving he hadn't learned a damned thing from all his childhood punishments.

  "So?" The light challenge came from the dark wolf on redheaded Lily's left. Her brother Tate, who despite his generally easy-going nature was as highly trained and lethal a Guardian as any of the others. "We're waiting for your famous moves, Jace. Show us what you've got there." He cracked his knuckles in a show of intimidation. It would work better if he could keep the grin off his face, but that was Tate. Always laughing.

  Even so, Jace felt a slight niggle of irritation as they tried to rile him. He kept his breathing steady and even. They were just trying to throw him off his game. Trying to see if he was still the over-reactive, brawling idiot he'd been as a pup.

  Fine. He'd show them exactly what he'd learned during his years away.

  "I doubt he—" Lily's voice choked off into a startled gasp as Jace propelled himself across the ground at them, moving so quickly he knew they hadn't even seen him launch.

  Time splintered into a million little pieces as a free-for-all broke out on the training grounds at the back of the den. Jace dove for Lily's knees, slicing his arm out hard to sneak behind her legs and yank her off her feet before her gasp could fully leave her mouth. Her mate, Kieran, roared his disapproval as he flung himself at Jace. Tate, his dark eyes flashing with something that Jace suspected was laughter, burst in and managed to grab Jace's left shoulder, shoving him slightly off balance. Quicker than thought, Jace tumbled and rolled, easily getting away to spring back to his feet. He left Tate sprawled in the dust, spitting out dirt from between his teeth.

  "You low-down, fiendish, sneaky—" Lily began, although her tone was far more admiring than censorious.

  "Gotcha!" Kieran had somehow gotten behind Jace. He hooked his foot behind Jace's in a move similar to the one that had taken down his mate. Yanking hard, he managed to unbalance Jace yet again.

  Well, then. Time to pull out the really big guns. Drawing on the calm, focused center of his training, Jace flipped himself in a backward somersault that soared over everyone's heads, catapulting away from the other wolves and their suddenly startled faces. Although he didn't spare a glance for the alpha, who still stood quietly behind everyone else as he watched, Jace suspected if he looked over, he might see the slightest hint of respect in the older man's eyes.

  Yes, Jace had picked up a trick or two during his years away. He was a force to be reckoned with now. He was a damn good addition to the Guardians of the Black Mesa Wolf Pack.
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  The sudden silence that dropped over them, punctuated only by the gasps for air and heavy breathing as everyone tried to regain their composure, was music to Jace's ears. A-ha. He finally had their attention. And their attention clearly was impressed. It felt good. He'd worked hard to be considered for this kind of a chance. Nothing but nothing would make him ruin it again.

  Jace raised his eyebrows, starting to smile as he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, a sudden commotion burst out behind him. In that split second, both Kieran's and Lily's faces changed from their somewhat grudging astonishment at his moves to genuine alarm. Tate yelled, “Watch out!” even as Jace started to turn around to face whatever unknown danger approached him from behind.

  Too late. Something small, sturdy, fuzzy, and growling with ferocious intensity hurtled into him, knocking him right off his feet. Make that two somethings. He slammed onto the ground, his breath almost whooshing out of his lungs, although his training saved him from that happening. Furious little yips and howls assaulted his ears, along with loud shouts from all the adults present. He flipped around, his wolf clawing at his mind and howling to be set free, as he tried to see what the hell was attacking him.

  "Liam! Briana! Stop that right this instant, do you hear me?" a woman called out, her voice low and commanding.

  Every single molecule that made up Jace's world stopped short at the sound of her voice. Time itself seemed to halt. The individual little hairs on his body lifted as he and his wolf were snared by a scent that whispered down into his very bones.