He ran.
And ran.
And ran.
His blood burned and his lungs ached, but still he ran. He shouldn’t have let her leave her home. He should’ve scouted the area. He should’ve followed her to the MCC and guarded her himself. This was his fault.
The last words she spoke to him had been filled with worry and anxiety. She was concerned about being pregnant and now she had been attacked. She could be dying, and he wasn’t with her. His heart pounded in his ribs like the drums of a tribe preparing for a hunt—fast and furious and hungry.
He avoided the main roads, mostly because getting hit by a vehicle was an inconvenience he couldn’t afford at the moment.
At the edge of the tree line behind the MCC, he shifted out of his beast form. He breathed deeply, taking in dozens of scents. Callum had been right. There were many and they were all muddled together. He couldn’t pick out one of the Tribe that was stronger than another, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t been there.
It didn’t mean they weren’t guilty.
And there was another scent. Something vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Someone he should remember, but didn’t.
He pounded a fist on the heavy metal back door of the building, tensing every muscle, ready to attack should the wrong person answer the door. It was a huge risk coming here, but he had no choice now. They had dared to hurt his mate. They would pay for that indiscretion with blood. Katherine would be safe, even if it cost everything he had left—his life included.
The door swung open. Katherine’s face appeared and he pulled her into his arms. She had a white bandage wrapped around her head. He could smell the blood. See the small stain where it was still bleeding. “My shuarra.”
Instead of embracing him back she stiffened in his grasp and arched away from his body. A knife to the heart would’ve been less painful than her pulling away.
“Let me go. What are you doing here? Someone will see you.”
“Katherine, they hurt you.”
“I’m fine.” Her cheeks tightened. “This has nothing to do with you or the others. This was just me being careless. I slipped and fell.”
“But Callum said—”
“Callum is wrong. You shouldn’t believe everything he says. Who made him alpha? Nothing happened. Just leave it be.” Her words were saying one thing, but she wouldn’t make eye contact. She kept looking at the ground. She was shifting from one foot to the other and glancing behind him, like she was waiting for someone or something to pop out of the trees.
Mate lies. His beast whispered.
Knox knew that, but why? Just to protect him? Was she still angry that he left her the first time? Was it the stress of wondering if their mating had produced offspring? There were too many questions for the moment. He just needed to focus on his mate.
Katherine needed to be guarded.
She wasn’t safe.
Someone had attacked her. Tribe or otherwise and he would have their blood for daring to touch her. His fangs descended and his vision changed. “I won’t let them hurt you again. You are mine.”
“You need to go.” She yanked the door closed in his face.
He reached for the handle, but she snapped the lock into place before he could turn it.
Dalmeck.
His claws lengthened. He took a swipe at bricks next to the door, leaving four long gashes on the side of the building.
“Dalmeck.” He growled at the closed door before turning away.
Knox stalked to the trees, shifting the second he was hidden from the parking lot. His beast was reeling from the rejection. Her pain was palpable and gutted him worse than that damned tiger had. She was lying about what happened. She hadn’t fallen. Why was she lying?
She had to be protecting the Tribe. Protecting her friend.
Katherine’s heart was too big. No matter what Tara and the Tribe did. He loved Katherine’s kind heart, but it was going to get her killed.
17
Ava
Ava hung back in the MCC kitchen doorway. She liked the spunky little human who had a heart bigger than the entire town of Mystery. Everyone loved Katherine too. People were always talking about the community center events and programs. The place really was the lifeblood of the small town. Knox was pissed though, and a pissed Reylean male was liable to do something foolish. Stupid even.
Katherine whirled around and met Ava’s gaze, her bright brown eyes blazing with equal parts anger and pain—emotions Ava was quite familiar with.
“He’s gonna do something, isn’t he?” Katherine wiped her cheeks and took in a deep shuddering breath.
“Very likely,” Ava said, her tone even keeled, knowing with just the slightest wrong word Katherine would lose the small shred of control she was clinging too. She hadn’t wanted to lie to Knox. She’d argued with Connie and Ava the whole drive back to the MCC. But Ava knew it would be worse if Knox knew the truth.
“You said it would be better this way.”
“I said there was a better chance of him not being stupid.”
Katherine huffed out a frustrated growl. “I can’t win for losing.”
“It will get better in time.” There wasn’t anything she could do about Katherine’s situation. She wasn’t going to risk talking to Col again. He was more likely to nix her and Ryder’s agreement than allow another wolf to stay in Mystery.
“I’m not so sure about that.” Katherine studied Ava. The scrutiny made her skin crawl. She needed to get out of this place. “Do you know which of them came after me? You said wolf. But do you know who?”
“I already said I didn’t recognize the scent.” Ava’s voice dropped to whisper.
“So, it wasn’t someone from the Tribe. You’re sure?”
“They wouldn’t have attacked you. I don’t know them well, but Col is honorable, and he would never attack a woman or sanction it. And, the only wolf in the Tribe is Tara.”
“She wouldn’t have come after me. We may not be on speaking terms currently, but she wouldn’t attack me. Still, the others didn’t seem to have a problem threatening me in the park several days ago.”
Ava’s brows raised, surprise choking her just a little. “Ryder and I are not a part of the Tribe, still I cannot imagine any of the men sneaking up on you and attacking you outright.”
Katherine
“Tell me about Ryder.”
“He is my mate. We…encountered…each other during the fight to save your friend Tara.”
“So, he’s like Knox? A wolf,” Katherine said, keeping her voice low.
“Yes.”
“And they are letting him stay in town?”
“We have an agreement with Li’Vhram. We are not allowed across the river.”
“But you can stay here. In town. He can stay.” Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum on the warpath. If they were allowing one wolf to stay from the pack, why were they not letting the others? Why were they hunting Knox? Why wouldn’t they let all the survivors of this stupid fight have a second chance?
“Ava?” A deep male voice called from outside the kitchen. A moment later a handsome man with shoulder-length dark blond hair and a two-day old scruff to match walked through the door and came to a stop behind Ava. He sniffed the air and lasered his gaze to meet Katherine’s.
“Where’s the other wolf?”
Ava smacked him in the gut. He folded at the waist with a groan. “Woman, you hit like an alpha.”
“Ryder you can’t just ask people that. Public doesn’t understand. Public will kill you. Remember. What if Katherine didn’t know?”
He held up his hands and sucked in a breath. “Right. That was my fault. I’m losing track of which humans you said knew and which didn’t.” He took another deep breath and frowned. “Knox is alive. And another.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.
“Do you know the guy who just lost his shit on the other side of that back door?”
Ryder nodded. “W
ith Raish dead. Knox is Alpha next.”
“Alpha?” Ava glanced back at Katherine. “You’re the mate of the pack’s new alpha? This just gets better and better. No wonder the Tribe is trying to kill him. Still doesn’t explain why another wolf is after you.” Ava shoved the blond giant closer.
Katherine took an instinctive step backward, but the door blocked any retreat. Knox was on the other side. She had nowhere to go in this town without running into an alien shifter barbarian…whatever they were.
“Who do you smell on her?” Ava asked.
Ryder leaned forward, but wisely didn’t advance toward Katherine another step. She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to keep her wits about her if he had.
He breathed in slowly. “I thought I scented him the other day.” Ryder said, still studying her while he took in a few more deep breaths. “In the park. But the cats were there too. There was so much blood. I just…I assumed—I thought he was long dead.”
“Who.”
Ryder rubbed his hands over his face and blew out a frustration-filled sigh. “The one I’m thinking of died years ago. I’m mistaken. It has to been someone else from the pack. I’m just tired.”
“We were there. Knox and I got the three younger men away from them. It’s probably one of them you scent. And then Knox left me. It was days before he changed his mind and came back to my house. But it doesn’t change anything. They are still trying to kill him. All of them.”
Ryder jerked his head toward the back door. “If you’re Knox’s mate, he didn’t leave you. At least not very far.”
“What does that mean?” Katherine swiped away a fresh line of tears. “He did leave.”
“The soul call isn’t something that can just be ignored. Have you bonded yet?”
Ava punched him in the shoulder. “Ryder.”
He grabbed her hands and growled. “Stop hitting me woman or I’m going to bend you over this counter right now.” Ava bit back another remark and stifled a moan. His pupils narrowed and he stared Ava down.
Katherine had an inkling that both of them were ready to jump each other’s bones at a moment’s notice. Which was about where she still sat with Knox. Even with all the hoopla and confusion and fear about babies and young and whether or not she was having puppies.
“First, no sex in my kitchen. Second, what are you talking about? What is bonding?”
“Did he bite you?” Ryder asked, flashing her a yellow gaze. His eyes were doing the glow thing, but no fangs. At least he was controlling that aspect of his nature. She appreciated that small effort.
“No,” Katherine said. Tara had mentioned being bitten too. Also that the biting had changed her best friend into a wolf.
Ava pulled the collar of her sweater down to reveal a healed bite mark on her shoulder, just at the base of her neck. “It’s part of the bonding ritual. It connects your souls.”
This was new information. All she’d been told was the physical ramifications of letting Knox bite her. Or not. “How?”
“Magick from our world. I don’t really understand all the rules. I just know that’s what it does. Only the magick-benders and the few people who worked in the temples with them probably knew how or why or anything about it.”
“She knows more about it than I do,” Ryder said. “Wolves don’t really chat much.”
Katherine nodded. “Knox said you lived in your wolf form mostly. Didn’t interact with others much.”
Ryder snorted. “We didn’t interact with each other much. Our beasts have been in charge for so many generations. Learning to be this again is hard.” He gestured to himself. “Worth it,” he said, sending Ava a devilish grin. “But still hard.”
“Knox started coming into town to see me several months ago,” Katherine said, her tone soft and tentative. She didn’t have anyone to talk to about Knox. Tara was against her. The tribe wanted him dead. Ava and Ryder were in this world and also alienated from it. Ryder was a wolf. He’d recognized Knox as alpha. He’d called him alpha.
“Before Tara?” Ryder said, his voice barely more than a growled whisper.
“Way before.”
“Raish thought his brother was trying to take the pack. Trying to steal support and take him down. Raish tried to have me follow Knox a couple of times, but his little brother is good at covering his tracks. Better than me. I still don’t know how he did it.”
Katherine shook her head. “He didn’t want that. He wanted peace with the Tribe. He wanted the pack to have a chance to be part of something again. A fresh start. Raish ruined it.”
Another sigh slipped from Ryder’s chest and his entire frame sagged like the truth weighed a thousand pounds. “Raish and I were close. We learned to hunt together as pups. We were inseparable. His parents were killed in a raid and he took over as alpha so young. He was strong and took care of all of us. He was a good alpha. But after losing his mate. After landing here on this mountain.” He shook his head. “My friend disappeared. My alpha became a beast I didn’t recognize.”
“You need to talk to Knox. Let him explain.” Ava stepped closer to Katherine and put her hand on Katherine’s shoulder.
“He’s alpha now. Like you said. He made it very clear that his pack is more important than me. And then he changed his mind. But it’s taking everything in me not to fear him changing it again.” Katherine shrugged off Ava’s comfort. “I have work to do. I need to get the food started and served and I just. I need to not think about all of this for a while.” She stopped and wiped her face again. Unbidden tears were falling again. “Knox will just have to wait. He made me wait. I guess I’m being petty, but he doesn’t seem to understand what his leaving the first time did to me.”
Ava grabbed both Katherine’s shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “This feeling you have. The emptiness. The longing. It won’t go away. Knox is the only thing that can fill it. He’s what you need. He’s what you will always need for as long as you live. That’s how the magick works. He’s as much yours as you are his. Whether you can see the glow or not, it’s there. Feel it.”
“How do you know I can’t see it?”
“So far none of the humans have been able to see it. Can you?”
“No.”
“Can you feel it?”
Katherine wanted to say no. But she couldn’t. Ava was right. Even though he’d betrayed her. Left her standing there with Harrison in front of her house. Even though he’d chosen his pack over her, something deep deep inside her knew he hadn’t truly left. Like Ryder said, he hadn’t been far. But it’d still been so hard. It’d felt as though he’d taken a piece of her with him when he disappeared into those woods days ago.
Then when he’d come back. She’d wanted to believe everything was better. But it wasn’t. She was still hurt. Still scared that he’d just up and disappear. Or worse.
“Why don’t you go out there and talk to Knox and Ryder and I will take care of the meal tonight. I’m sure Carol can order us around just fine.” She waved toward the fellowship hall that was cleared of knitters and starting to fill for the dinner line.
Katherine stared at the counters piled with loaves of bread and bowls of chicken salad.
“I promise. I know what I’m doing. Knox needs you as much as you need him. You’ve got to work this out. You’ve got to be united against whatever comes next.”
Whatever comes next? She wasn’t sure she wanted to find out what was coming next. Katherine untied the apron around her waist and handed it to Ava. “How do I even find him? I’m sure he left. Ran back to wherever he’s hiding with those other wolves.”
“Just call for him,” Ryder said, meeting her gaze again. His eyes were brown again. No beast showing. “You’re his mate. He won’t be far.”
Katherine ducked out the back door of the community center and hurried to her truck but hesitated before she opened the door. “Knox?” she called out. “Knox?” She raised her voice a little louder the second time.
Her heart warred with in he
r. Part of her wanted Knox to come running out of the woods. Part of her wanted all of this crazy to just disappear. No wolves. No dragons. No giant cats. None of it. Why couldn’t they just be a man and a woman who met and fell for each other? Why did everything have to be complicated? Why did there have to be people trying to kill them?
“Knox?” She called again, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her voice broke on his name this time. Cracking just like her heart. Her life was breaking into shards around her and all she could do was watch the pieces fall.
She waited. Watched. The wind blew through the budding trees. Leaves rustled. Grass waved. But no Knox. No flash of white fur. No glint of golden eyes. No trace of him showed itself in the woods.
Katherine opened her truck and climbed into the seat. She slammed the old door shut and put her head in her hands and wept. Everything was such a mess. Her head ached from the physical and emotional pain of the present and the past.
She started the truck and turned out of the parking lot toward the river. She was done waiting for the so-called Tribe to make the next move. All of this was ridiculous. If Col could make an exception for one wolf, he could damn well make an exception for another.
She flicked her turn signal and turned onto the main road through town. A few minutes later she was across the bridge and headed out toward the cabin Tara had moved into last week. Col might not live there, but someone there could tell her where he was.
She pumped the brakes for an upcoming stop sign.
Nothing happened.
Her stomach crawled up into her throat. Her heart stopped beating and time seemed to pause.
Possible scenarios flashed through her mind. She was imagining it. She hadn’t pressed hard enough. Something was wrong with the truck. Someone had sabotaged her truck.
If the brakes didn’t work how was she going to stop?
What could she ease into or hit to stop the truck without killing herself?
Wolf At The Door: Soulmate Shifters World (Soulmate Shifters in Mystery, Alaska Book 5) Page 15
