by J. L. Wilder
CHAPTER 9
STONE
Stone and the brothers were gathered in the study of the ranch. Ryder was at the desk, Jack in one of the chairs, and Stone walking back and forth between them both.
“Could you quit fucking pacing?” asked Jack. “You’re putting me on edge.”
“We’ve got some shit to be on edge about,” said Stone. “You got fucking attacked by wolves last night.”
It was early in the morning; Sean and April were still sleeping. The brothers had called a meeting to discuss what had happened last night in the woods. The mood was grim.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” said Jack, reaching forward and taking his mug of coffee. “I killed one of them.”
“But you got bit in the process,” said Ryder.
“So what? You trying to say I can’t handle myself or some shit?”
“Come on,” said Ryder. “We all know any of us could take a couple of wolves. But what if there had been more, huh?”
“What if? What if a legion of fucking dragons had attacked us in the middle of the woods? No sense worrying about shit that didn’t happen.”
“This might be the start of something,” said Stone. “Might be the first of more attacks.”
“Why would you think that?” asked Jack. “Bet you anything they were a couple of ferals, got lost in the woods and were delirious. What other kinds of idiots would try to take down a bear?”
“But April was with you,” said Ryder. “And she almost died.”
“Almost. But I was there, and nothing’s going to happen to her when I am.”
Ryder said nothing, sipping his coffee. “You think it was ferals?”
“Only explanation I can think of,” said Jack. “Who else would it be?”
“What’d they smell like?” asked Stone.
“What’d they smell like? Why?”
“You know why,” he said. “Ferals got their own smell—like garbage and desperation. You pick up on any of that?”
“Not sure what ‘desperation’ smells like,” said Jack. “But...no. Smelled like any other wolves.”
“Then they might not be ferals,” said Ryder. “You said you killed one?”
“Yep. Smashed his ass into a tree. But the other one went for April. Pretty sure he used her as a distraction.”
“That’s something else,” said Ryder. “Ferals are barely sentient. When you come across them, they attack like cornered animals.”
“Right,” said Stone. “And they aren’t much for strategizing. None of them are smart enough to pull something like that off.”
“So, what’re you saying?” asked Jack. “They were pack wolves? But we’re the only pack in the region.”
“For now,” said Ryder. “You know as well as I do that the other packs outside the area have had their eye on our territory for years. Only a matter of time before they get ballsy and move in.”
“Might’ve been scouts,” said Stone. “Scoping out the land, seeing what kind of resistance to expect.”
“Well, if they were looking for resistance, they found it. The other one’s lucky as shit I didn’t go after him and break his damn neck.”
Silence fell as the brothers considered the subject.
“When’s the last time any of you guys talked to Jonas?” asked Stone, referring to the alpha who’d taken command of the Black Claw pack.
“Been a minute,” said Ryder. “Maybe the last party. Yeah, that was it. Fucker was drunk off his ass, like usual. I was trying to give him a report of what’d been going down, and between the women and the booze, he couldn’t have given less of a shit.”
Stone grit his teeth. Just the thought of Jonas was enough to piss him off. When the previous alpha of the pack had died, Stone and the brothers discussed the time being right for them to move in and take over. They were the most powerful alphas, and it only seemed right.
But Jonas had been making plans of his own and had quickly moved in to seize control. He took over, killing two of the other alphas who he, paranoid as ever, thought might want power. Not wanting to risk a bloody civil war that might weaken the pack beyond repair, the brothers stepped back.
“We need to talk to him,” said Ryder. “Tell him that some shit’s gone down.”
“You think he’ll care?” asked Stone. “Unless it’s about pussy or booze, he won’t give a shit.”
“Still need to let him know. If other packs are making a move, there are wolves in ours who’ll care. Maybe Jonas won’t lift a finger, but we’ve still got allies.”
“Need to just start a fucking pack of our own,” said Jack. “Been putting it off too long.”
“Need a female for that,” said Ryder.
Stone and Ryder’s eyes lit up as they realized the other subject that needed to be discussed.
“What happened with April?” asked Stone. “You two connect?”
Jack grinned. “Did more than that.”
“And what’s the verdict?” asked Ryder.
“She’s...something else. I wasn’t sure about her and her kid at first, but after spending some time with her...she’s got a good heart. Still need to see if she’s the woman we’re looking for, but if I had to come down one way or another, I’d say ‘yeah.’”
Ryder turned his attention to Stone. “We still need to spend some time with her. Here’s what I’m thinking—me and Jack, we’ll leave for the next couple of days, link up with the clan. While we’re there, we can talk with Jonas, tell him what’s going on.”
“Right,” said Jack. “Might not do a damn bit of good, but we at least need to try.”
“And while we’re gone,” said Ryder, “Stone, you look after her and the boy.”
“You serious?” asked Stone. “You want me to be responsible for both of them?”
He shifted in his seat. Stone was fearless, powerful as hell. But the idea of being responsible for a woman and her boy all on his own was enough to make him uneasy.
The idea brought back memories—bad ones.
But Stone put those out of his head.
“How’s the kid looking today?” asked Ryder.
“Checked up on him this morning,” said Jack. “He was up and moving around. Told him to get his ass back into bed, but he didn’t listen.”
Stone laughed. “Kid’s gonna grow up to be a real shithead like the rest of us.”
The guys laughed along with him.
“You thinking he’s ready to go out today?” asked Ryder.
Jack shrugged. “Might keep him in bed for another day to make sure of it, but I doubt the kid would be down for that.”
“I’ll take him,” said Stone. “Teach him how to run, how to control his powers.”
“You think you’re up for that?” asked Ryder.
He and Jack regarded Stone, and he could tell the same thought was on both of their minds.
“I...I can handle it. And I’ll watch out for April while you’re gone.”
Ryder nodded. “Then it’s settled. Jack, we eat and move out. The faster we get to Jonas, the faster we can get this shit over with.”
“Right,” said Jack. “Ain’t looking forward to meeting with that prick, but it’s got to be done.”
Before any of them could say another word, Stone caught the scent of something in the air. He sniffed, and the brothers did too.
“What’s that smell?” asked Jack.
Stone sniffed again. “Smells like...deer. Like good deer.”
“Yeah,” said Ryder. “Like cooking deer. Come on.”
The men grabbed their coffee cups and headed out of the office, following the smell down to the kitchen. It smelled so damn good that Stone could hardly keep his head straight.
When they reached the kitchen, the source of the smell became clear. April was at the stove, the sizzle of meat on a skillet filling the air. She glanced back at the brothers, smiling broadly. Sean was at the table, a mug of coffee in front of him.
“Morning, boys,” she said. “Figured you were al
l busy, so I went ahead and started breakfast.”
The men regarded one another, and Stone could tell what they were thinking: the same as him—a woman was in their kitchen, making them a meal. Most breakfasts in their home were the fast kind, grabbing a chunk of raw meat from the fridge on the way out. A homecooked meal was something they hadn’t had in a long time.
“You drinking coffee?” asked Jack to Sean.
“Yeah!” said Sean.
“That’s a man drink,” said Stone. “You think you’re ready for it?”
“Well, I’m a man, so sure.”
The guys laughed.
“You’re getting there,” said Stone. “Take a sip, tell me what you think.”
Sean eyed the mug of black coffee hesitantly. Stone could tell he was more interested in it for the adultness of the drink and not the taste. He wrapped his skinny fingers around the mug, brought it to his lips, and took a sip.
Right away, his face twisted in disgust.
“Ugh!” he cried out. “How do you guys drink that stuff? It’s gross.”
The brothers laughed again, April joining in with them. Jack went to the fridge and took out a bottle of milk, then stepped over to Sean and poured enough into the mug to turn the coffee a lighter color. Then he mussed Sean’s hair.
“There you go, kid. Sweeten it up a little, then you can do it black.”
Sean took another sip, this one going down much smoother.
“How’s the leg?” asked Ryder.
Sean responded by getting up and running around the room. “It’s fine! I bet I’m ready to run again.”
The brothers regarded one another, processing what they were seeing.
“I don’t know,” said April. “Maybe another day in bed?”
“No way,” said Sean. “If I have to spend another day in bed, I’ll go crazy.”
“Speaking of which,” said Ryder as they all took their seats around the table. “We were talking about what the plan is.”
“Oh yeah?” asked April. “What’s going on?”
She forked the meat slabs onto a big plate and brought them over. Stone could see they weren’t just cooked but seasoned to perfection. April loaded up their plates one after another.
“Jack and I,” said Ryder. “We’re going to meet with Jonas, the leader of our pack. After what happened last night with you and Jack, we figure he ought to know what’s up.”
A worried expression formed on April’s face. Stone could tell she was thinking about the other thing that happened with Jack—not the attack.
“The wolves,” Stone quickly said, putting the issue to rest. “If you two were attacked last night, the rest of the pack needs to know about it.”
“Does that mean...they’re going to know about me?”
“They’re gonna find out sooner or later,” said Ryder. “And if Jonas doesn’t know about every little thing going on in his territory, he gets pissed. Easier to tell him now.”
“But don’t worry,” said Jack. “You’re still gonna be staying here with us. Rest of the pack’s no place for a woman and her boy.”
“Good,” said April. “This is all strange enough as it is.” She put her hands on her hips and looked down at the food. “But anyway, dig in before it gets cold.”
The guys didn’t need to be told twice. Together, the five of them went to town on the meat, Stone and the rest of the brothers quickly going in for seconds.
“Holy sh—” Stone stopped himself, remembering he was in front of a kid. “Holy crap—this stuff’s amazing.”
“Yeah, April,” said Ryder. “How you making deer meat taste this good?”
April smiled. “Secret spices. Maybe I’ll tell you guys what they are sometime.”
The five of them ate, the meat tasting so good to Stone that he could hardly believe it. When they were done, washing down the meals with more fresh coffee, the men sat back in their chairs.
“Damn,” said Jack. “Might have to keep you around if you can cook like that.” He grinned, letting April know he was only messing around.
“I’m a woman of many talents,” said April.
Stone noted Jack’s grin at those words, and he could tell what was on his mind.
“Anyway,” said Ryder. “We got a long run ahead of us; ought to get going before too long.”
“Are you guys coming back soon?” asked Sean.
“We’ll be back tomorrow by noon,” said Jack. “Don’t worry, kid—we’ll be here before you know it.”
Sean seemed relieved at this. Stone could tell that Sean was enjoying being around some men; he hated the idea that it’d taken so long for him to have the chance.
Jack and Ryder got up as April went to cleaning up the kitchen. They came back down a half-hour or so later, small packs slung over their backs for the trip ahead.
“Alright,” said Ryder. “We’ll be back as quick as we can. Stone’s in charge while we’re gone. Hear that, Sean?”
Sean nodded from his seat on the couch, one of Stone’s thriller paperbacks in his hand.
“Stay safe out there,” said April.
“You know we will,” said Ryder.
With that, the two of them were off.
“So, kid,” said Stone. “You into those books?”
“Yeah!” said Sean, enthusiasm in his voice. “I love the ones with guns and punching and kicking.”
Stone laughed. “Well, wolves don’t have much use for guns, bears neither. But I can sure as hell teach you about the rest of that stuff.”
“Right now?” asked Sean.
“Right now. If you’re ready.”
Stone glanced to April, who was seated in another chair with a fresh cup of coffee.
She smiled. “As long as you don’t go too far from the ranch.”
“We won’t,” said Stone. “So come on—let’s move, little man.”
Sean set the book down and sprang out of his chair. Stone followed behind, and soon they were outside the ranch and in the cool, fresh air of the morning.
“What do we do first?” asked Sean.
“Well, first thing about being a shifter is learning how to shift.”
“I already know how to do that,” said Sean.
“Yeah, maybe. But you’re still a kid—you don’t have it under control.”
“I shift when I want to. What are you talking about?”
“You shift when you want to when you’re calm. But when you get older, you’re gonna have plenty of situations where you’re not gonna be so calm. For example, when you get attacked. And that’s gonna happen sooner or later.”
“I’ll just shift and beat them up,” he said.
“See, that’s the thing. When you’re under stress, shifting is a hell of a lot harder. And so’s staying focused.”
“OK,” said Sean. “Then, where do we start?”
“I want to see you shift. And then I’m gonna shift too and start chasing you.”
“Like you did before?”
“Like that. Except you’re not gonna be killing any of my cows before it happens.” He grinned.
“Should I do it now?”
“Do it now.”
Sean closed his eyes and began to shift. Moments later, he was in his wolf form, sleek and black.
“Alright,” said Stone. “Now, move!”
Sean didn’t need to be told twice. He bolted off into the woods, disappearing among the trees. Stone put his hands on his hips and watched the kid run, surprised at how fast he moved.
“Kid might have something,” he said.
But he wasn’t about to wait for him to get too far. Stone closed his own eyes and shifted into his black bear form, his coat darker than Sean’s.
When he was ready, he turned his eye toward the trees and started running. His heavy paws thudded against the forest floor as he caught Sean’s scent, that odd tobacco smell, on the wind.
He grinned as he gave chase, both out of fun and knowing he was about to teach this kid a thing or two about
being a man.
But through it all, the bitter memories remained.
He’d failed to protect his own before, and all he could think was whether or not he’d be able to do it this time.
CHAPTER 10
RYDER
The Black Claw grounds was the last place Ryder wanted to be. He hated the place. But as he and Jack approached, shifting back into their human forms, he knew the journey was necessary.
“Fucking hell,” said Jack. “You ready for this?”
The two of them made their way through the woods, the familiar scent of the pack’s territory filling the air. It was the scent of pine and raw meat, but there was something else in the air—fire. Off in the distance, Ryder could see several flickering flames. They seemed to be miles off, and he realized they had to be huge.
“Never ready for this shit,” he said. “Gonna take all the restraint I have not to punch Jonas in the fucking face.”
“Well, can you blame the asshole? After what you did to him?”
“Are you seriously taking his side on that shit?”
“Nah,” said Jack. “We’re brothers—you know I got your back. And I know what you did wasn’t out of line. But you know he doesn’t see it that way.”
The “shit” that Jack was referring to was an incident back after Jonas had taken over the pack. The moment he’d become alpha, he declared that he had a right to any female he wanted, whether she was taken or not.
But at the time, Ryder had been in the middle of an affair with Annie, one of the pack’s omegas. They had something, something special. He hadn’t known it at the time, and only after Jonas did what he did had he realized what he’d felt.
“And it’s not what I did to him,” said Ryder. “It’s...what he did to Annie.”
Jack said nothing, glancing over at Ryder with concerned eyes and nodding slightly.
“Fucked up shit,” said Jack. “Can’t believe he’s still the alpha after that.”
Ryder winced as he thought back further. He and Annie had attempted to keep their affair a secret, knowing that as soon as Jonas found out, his jealousy would make him want her even more than he already did.
But he found out. Jonas had enemies in the pack, but he also had friends. And one of them had come across Ryder and Annie kissing in town one evening. Ryder had known it was a stupid thing to do in public, but they’d both had a little too much booze and let their passions get the best of them.
