by Amanda LeMay
“Jessy, if it wasn’t for the fact that he saved your life...” Dain growled. “I’d kill him.”
“Saved my life?”
Not again.
It took everything in me not to roll my eyes.
“He didn’t save my life. You did.” I wanted to poked him hard in the chest, but lay my hand over his heart instead. “You saved my life. He should’ve called you the second he found out what Bobby and GW had planned. He got scared, grew a set of balls, and did the right thing. DJ gave you the time you needed and you saved me.”
Dain’s eyes popped open. His muscles puffed up and for a second, he looked like he was about to grab me and shake me silly—either that, or kiss me. Whatever was going through his head, I wasn’t about to back down. Shake me or kiss me—he was going to have to do something.
Dain was the first to look away, though he didn’t look down. He looked straight ahead, his head held proudly, like a hero. And he was. That was the only way I would ever see him.
“DJ’s been punished enough and the last fucking thing I want to do is put my sakana through any more of this shit.”
Both Gunner and Ralph nodded.
“Now, I have one last question. A simple yes or no is all I want here.” Gunner’s intense green eyes locked onto Dain. “Does Chuck Sanders know about you being a wolf?”
Oh. Sweet. Heavens.
Air went into my lungs in a whoosh and didn’t come out, just sat there locked in my chest while my heart beat against my ribs in a crazy, staccato rhythm. My gaze drifted from wolf face to wolf face, never stopping to linger on any one, until I locked it on a small piece of hay that lay at Gunner’s feet and didn’t dare look anywhere else.
It was the law. You didn’t tell. Ever. It was the first law we learned, before we could even walk, much less change at will. If a human witnessed a wolf change, that wolf was supposed to kill the human on the spot, if at all possible, or tell your alpha male and he would have the human dealt with. Swiftly. Without remorse. And it didn’t end there—the wolf who allowed themselves to be seen, whether on purpose or by accident, or told our secret, could expect to be severely punished.
“Yes, sir.”
No! Chuck has a wife and three little babies.
“At any time, did Chuck see you shift?”
“Yes, sir.”
Oh please, no.
I blinked and blinked and blinked again as I worked to keep my watery eyes clear and just focus on that little piece of hay while I waited for Gunner to pronounce Chuck’s death sentence and Dain’s punishment.
“When did this happen and how many times?” Gunner’s voice stayed so calm, so level, and I wanted to fall on my knees and beg for mercy.
“Only once, when we were four years old, playing together, out behind this barn. I lost control and shifted, and then, shifted right back again. I scared him, but I kept on playing like it was nothing. I understood the consequences even then. I didn’t want my friend to die because of what I did. He never mentioned anything, up until a couple of years ago on New Year’s Eve. I told him I was in love with Jessy and asked him to keep it a secret. He told me he knew I had another secret and he knew I never meant to share with him, but shit happens. We didn’t discuss it. He just laid it out there so I understood. He’s always kept that secret and he always will.”
And damn, if this wasn’t a week chock full of true confessions.
No matter how much I tried to stop my tears, they trickled out on their own.
“Had the two of you boys been drinking when this conversation happened?”
“No sir, we were both stone sober.”
Maygan sniffled beside me. I wasn’t the only one crying.
“Do you trust Chuck, Dain? Do you trust this human to keep your secret for the rest of his life?”
None of the other wolves made a sound up until that point, and now one did. A young wolf with a shaggy, chocolate brown coat let out a loud growl that ended with a snap of his jaw and a fierce show of canines. Gunner gave him a harsh glare. The wolf backed down and lowered his head, but left his teeth hanging out for show.
“Dain?” Gunner asked again. “Do you trust Chuck?”
“Yes, sir, I trust him as much as I trust Jessy or my mom or Kern or...”Dain held out his hand in Arnou’s direction. “My father.”
Gunner focused on the male who had suddenly been introduced as Dain’s father. Arnou nodded and some silent sort of communication seemed to flow between the two Breeders.
“It’s an honor, Arnou. You have the protection of my pack.”
“The honor is mine,” Arnou said.
Gunner’s features softened when he looked back at Maygan.
Maygan sniffled and from the corner of my eye, I caught the slight bob of her head.
“Now, son, I know this happened so long ago when you were barely out of diapers, but the consequences could’ve been...well, horrific. I know you and Chuck have been best friends all your life and with Chuck having three little ones depending on him, I’m gonna trust your judgment on this.”
The young, brown wolf growled and snapped again, aggression pouring off his body. Ralph growled back as Gunner pointed a finger at the wolf.
“Dammit, Seff Weylan. I hear another sound come out of your fucking trap and I will personally kick your ass. And you’d better not show me those teeth of yours again or you’ll be eating baby food through a straw for the rest of your sorry-ass life.”
The wolf bowed his head and hid his teeth.
Seff Weylan? Seff? Seff from the parking lot?
Gunner looked around the semicircle, his green eyes staring down every wolf that looked back at him. “I don’t give a flying fuck if it’s full moon or not, this tribunal will not get out of hand. Do all y’all understand?”
And by the bowing of heads, it looked as if they understood perfectly, which made me grateful.
Gunner shoved his hands on his bare hips, puffed up his big chest, and craned his neck from side to side, bones popping and cracking as he moved.
“Dain, you have to understand this: Chuck is safe only because I say so. If he so much as breathes one single word about you to anyone, it will be your responsibility to put him down.”
Dain nodded. “I understand.”
Gunner turned to the pack of wolves. “Chuck and Cindy Sanders and their little ones are under my protection, for now.” He walked around the semicircle as he talked. “They are not to be harmed in any way. From now on, I’m gonna know if any one of his little boys even stubs a toe or gets a sliver in his pinky and it better not be because a member of my pack caused it to happen. What was discussed here tonight does not leave this barn and I hear even a hint of this outside these walls, and there will be hell to pay. Chuck is not the first human to know of our existence and he sure as hell won’t be the last.” He stopped in front of the brown wolf who refused to meet Gunner’s eyes. “But as long as he keeps our secret, I’m not gonna condemn him to death.”
Gunner took his place next to his brother. This wasn’t over yet.
“Dain, there’s still the matter of your punishment.”
Punishment. It would be bad. Very bad.
Gunner pointed over at the brown wolf. “Seff , you are not involved with this so just back the hell off. We’re not here to kill anyone and you’ve already proven I can’t trust you tonight.” Gunner looked back at Dain and nodded.
“You promised,” Dain whispered next to me. “No matter what, do not shift.” His hand found mine and though I was shaking, he was rock steady.
My lips barely moved. “I won’t.”
He shifted into the beautiful jet black wolf I loved. Within the next few seconds, both Dad and Arnou shifted as well. They wouldn’t join in the punishment, but stood ready to make sure no other wolf overstepped Gunner’s orders.
Dain walked into the semicircle, his head held high as each strong muscle moved and rippled under sleek fur. He was larger than all the other wolves except Gunner, Ralph, and Arnou, but
that didn’t matter since he could do nothing but take what punishment they doled out.
Maygan grabbed my hand, her skin ice cold like all the blood had drained out of her. She trembled and so did I. I gave her hand a little squeeze. Everything would be okay. Punishment was not death. It would hurt like hell, but in the end, Dain would walk away.
With a slight nod of Gunner’s head it happened—they attacked—every wolf except Dad, Arnou, Gunner, and the brown wolf who milled around on the side, pacing back and forth.
I wanted to clap my hands to my ears to shut out the sounds of tearing flesh. I wanted to scream to drown out Dain’s infrequent yelps of pain. I wanted to close my eyes to keep from seeing the blood-stained teeth that tore into Dain’s skin.
But I couldn’t and wouldn’t do any of those things. I’d be strong. Just as I’d watched him tear Bobby Sanders to shreds, Dain’s suffering saved me, saved Chuck and his family. I would do this for him.
There were times I couldn’t even see Dain, for all the bodies that climbed and crawled on top of one another with their mouths open, teeth and fangs flashing, as each one lunged into the fray to snap its powerful jaws on any part of Dain they came in contact with.
I watched and listened with my heart in my throat. There was no growling, no howling, no vicious snarling—only biting. Strange. Nothing like the sounds that had come from Dain as he’d punished Bobby and GW and in the end, taken their lives.
“Enough!”
Gunner’s command shook the barn rafters, and the wolves immediately backed off, shaking their heads and licking their lips. Dain stood in the middle of the barn, trembling all over. Blood dripped from his black coat onto the dirt floor. His lungs pulled air in and pushed it out in big, gulping gasps.
I closed my eyes, never happier in my life that my dad was a veterinarian. With Dad’s help, Dain wouldn’t have to suffer through his healing as much as he would otherwise.
“Oh, hell no,” Maygan muttered beside me.
I opened my eyes to see the brown wolf, Seff Weylan, standing right in front of me, his back to me as he stared in Dain’s direction. Deep, rumbling growls erupted from my left when Dad and Arnou realized what this wolf had in mind.
A challenge.
In the eyes of the pack, I wasn’t officially mated, and until I was, any male could challenge for me. And to issue a challenge when your opponent was at his weakest was just so wrong. Wrong and dishonorable.
Apparently, Seff was pissed off that we hadn’t been properly introduced.
Blood pounded through my ears as my heart sped up. My teeth clenched and my body shook from rage. “You want an introduction?” I shouted as I lunged at his back. “C’mere, I’ll introduce you to my fucking fist, you cowardly ass sonofabitch!”
Maygan grabbed my arm from behind and yanked me back hard to her side.
“Don’t. You promised,” she hissed in my ear.
Dain spun around like he wasn’t hurt in the slightest, as if the blood that still dripped off his coat wasn’t even his. His eyes narrowed on the brown wolf with deadly intent. Then he lifted his head and without hesitation, howled out his acceptance.
Sweet heavens. No.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
NO. NO. NO!
It was rare that I would ever question the laws of the pack. When a challenge was given and accepted, there was no putting it off for another day. According to our laws, it didn’t make any difference that Dain was already injured and bleeding.
I looked across the barn for Gunner. He had already shifted to his wolf form and I knew he wouldn’t step in, but by the furious waves of alpha power he threw off, he was royally pissed. His bristled fur stood up all over his body and his deep, guttural growls were so menacing, every other wolf moved away from him. Still, he wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop what was going to happen. However, being the alpha male, he might do something afterward.
By then, it wouldn’t matter anymore. One of the two males in front of me would be dead. Very likely, it would be Dain.
And I would be...nothing.
Dain circled in front of the brown wolf, never taking his gaze from him. Every hair on his body stood on end. His lips peeled back, his teeth bared in a snarl. Then he stopped, looked at Arnou, and some strange understanding seemed to shine in his eyes. He gazed straight up at me, his brows bunching up in determination as he tilted his head and lifted his muzzle in a single nod.
I nodded back. And as my heart swelled with fear, I whispered, “I love you, too.”
A warm, wolf body bumped into me as it pushed between my arm and waist. I looked down to find Arnou edging his way directly in front of me. He looked back at me, worried determination painting the set of his eyes, and I understood. The idea I might need Arnou’s protection and intervention made my stomach churn and my heart break. If Dain lost this challenge, Arnou wouldn’t let another male get near me. He’d take on all challengers, shift into Breeder mode, and—
Holy shit...
CHAPTER THIRTY
OH, YEAH.
Dain’s fur rippled as his muscles twitched beneath his skin and within a second, he stood upright. His claws lengthened into sharp, curved, black scythes. His head, shoulders, and torso grew in giant proportions. Heavy bone and muscle thickened and bulged along his long arms and legs. His lips pulled back and flashed long white, dagger-like fangs.
My mate. My sakana. My hero.
He was utterly magnificent.
A strange sort of calm settled over me. The energy he’d used to take on his higher Breeder form touched my heart and lifted soul.
Yelps of surprise rose up from the pack, and like a surging wave, the other wolves scrambled, backing away as far as they could without actually leaving the barn itself. Obviously, Dain hadn’t shared his ability with his pack-mates, or his alpha.
Arnou stiffened against my hip for a second. His body rumbled against mine as he chuckled.
I took a quick glance at Maygan and the surprised smile on her face confirmed that, at the moment, she was as far from worried for her son’s life as she could be.
The clattering sounds of rakes and shovels falling over filled the air as wolves jockeyed around each other, putting space between themselves and the idiot male who’d issued this challenge. Some backed into empty stalls, while others got too close to the few horses stabled inside—frightened out of their wits, no doubt, by the pack’s threatening presence they kicked out at anything that moved.
Maygan jerked me back and out of the way as Seff began to retreat, one small step at a time. Arnou followed along, always keeping his body between me and the other wolves.
Even though Maygan, Arnou, and the rest of the pack seemed to have all bets on Dain, I still worried. Dain was injured. Bleeding. Time came to a stop as I stood frozen, watching and waiting for the first strike.
With all eyes locked on the massive, upright black wolf standing in the center of the pack, the only sound in the big barn came from Dain’s heavy breathing, each inhale punctuated by a deep, rumbling growl that vibrated through the hard-packed soil under my feet. He moved slowly, deliberately, as he set his body in an offensive stance, his legs planted and his massive arms open wide.
Launching himself off the ground, the challenger aimed straight for Dain’s throat. Unfortunately for Seff, he never got within two feet of Dain. With a guttural roar, his long, muscular black arm swept out and knocked Seff halfway across the barn toward a stall, which was quickly vacated by the wolves that had been inside, clearly not far enough out of the way. Seff lay there for only a moment, then stood on trembling legs and shook himself. Dain roared a warning and was on him, pulling him from the stall, his enormous jaws clamping down, his long, white canines disappearing into fur and muscle as his scythe-like claws gripped and twisted the brown wolf’s body in an impossible direction. The sound of splintering bone was like the sudden crack of a lightning bolt.
Every wolf stood watching as Dain carefully lowered the whimpering wolf to the ground. Blood
seeped out onto the dirt floor and a broken bone protruded grotesquely from his fur. He was gasping for breath, but still very much alive.
And so was Dain.
Relief flooded my body and if Maygan hadn’t been holding me so tightly, I might’ve fallen to the ground.
Dain turned away from me and faced Gunner, who nodded in agreement. Dain had won. And spared Seff’s life. Another silent conversation seemed to take place between my sakana and Gunner, something I didn’t understand. Dain lifted his head and howled to the four corners of the earth, as all males did to announce their mating.
Now? Mate? Now?
“Thank the ancient gods,” Maygan whispered beside me. “Okay, Jessy, now you can shift.”
“But...he’s...he’s...”
He’d been through a hell of a lot and he wanted to mate now?
“He’s bleeding!”
“He’ll be fine. Now go.” Maygan gave me a little shove.
Dain tilted his head and the way his lips curled, I knew he was smiling. He crooked his long claws at me: bring it on—and I did.
Arnou stood to one side of me as Dad stayed at his post on the other side. I stripped my clothing off as fast as possible. My heart fluttered wildly as the two voices in my head came together and chanted as one.
Mate. Now. Yes.
I shifted, and in my happiness, I bounded into the center of the barn like an excited pup. Dain shifted too, his massive, upright wolf re-forming into the large, black animal I was so familiar with. He rubbed his blood-coated muzzle all over my face and I remembered what it meant: he was my knight in shiny, black armor. He had conquered his enemies, vanquished his foes, and honored me with the gift of their blood.
He circled behind me, rubbing his heavy body the length of mine as I forced myself to stand still and wait. As he mounted me, he took hold of the back of my neck, breaking my skin and sinking his teeth into my flesh. The pain felt so glorious, I howled from sheer joy. His saliva seeped into my bloodstream, sealing the bond we would share for the rest of our lives. Then he entered me and even in this form, Dain was big. The feel of his body inside mine was...different, but...not unpleasant. More...basic. Necessary. More essential to my survival than air.
