Then there was the fact that she was in danger.
And a little while ago, she’d thought she’d made a huge, world-changing discovery, not stumbled onto something that could get her killed.
So those huge wolves were actually humans, and Grayson was one of them?
Grayson, whom she’d fallen for while hiking in the wilderness. Grayson, who’d always showed up with coffee and to fix whatever she needed. Grayson, whom she would have actually considered putting her research aside for.
Now she wasn’t sure she was even going to live to make any kind of report.
Grayson had assured her he would protect her, which was good because she was worse than useless in this town of apparent monsters.
But there were so many of them and one of him, and the way they kept talking about him, yelling at him, saying he was an outsider, she wasn’t sure he would have much sway.
She was still processing that he’d had a pack once and it wasn’t this one. What had growing up even been like?
She shook her head. That was the researcher in her, and she couldn’t afford to think about things like that right now as they were led up the rickety steps and pushed bodily into the trailer.
She kept ahold of Grayson’s hand as the door was shut behind them and locked with a deadbolt.
There were several men in the trailer, sitting around an older man who was lain up in bed, several tubes sticking out of his arm.
Some kind of IV?
The man was paid deference by all of the others in the room, so was this the alpha? He had black hair that was halfway silver and he looked to be slightly emaciated.
To his right was a middle-aged man with brown hair streaked with white, and on his left was a middle-aged man with a short, stocky build and blond hair.
To the far left was a younger man, maybe Grayson’s age or younger, sitting with folded arms and worry on his face. He was somehow familiar, and she quickly glanced back to the man in the bed, realizing why.
A family member, probably a son.
Could be why the man was so worried.
Grayson stepped protectively in front of her, and a part of her felt that he wasn’t that different after all, even if she did know he was a wolf.
If her brain could ever wrap itself around that fact, anyway.
“Let me see her,” the main dude said, and April stepped out to stand at Grayson’s side.
“Beautiful,” the man said, his voice gravelly. “Is it true? You have told her about us?”
“Alpha,” Grayson said. “It wasn’t—”
“I’m not your alpha, rogue,” the man said sharply.
“John.” Grayson corrected himself. “You should know the position I’ve been put in here in regards to your pack. I’ve been helping where I can, and—”
John narrowed his eyes and folded pale, thin arms. “Because your bear friend is trespassing on pack property.”
“Not according to human laws,” Grayson said tersely. “Anyway, the government sent April here, and your pack was either going to attack her or send me to keep her away. None of this should have been on me, but I knew if your pack hurt her, there would be hell to pay with the Tribunal. Your wolves are already on the verge of discovery, and you know what that means.”
As Grayson told someone else, April could more clearly see the position he’d been forced into. It wasn’t a good one.
“We are already discovered, if what Candace said is correct,” John said angrily. “This human is beautiful, yes, but you had no right to tell her about our kind.”
His son spoke up. “You’ve put us in a difficult place, Grayson.”
“Silence,” John said.
The younger man was handsome, clearly stronger than his father, but sat back instantly, bowing his head.
“Brett,” Grayson said. “You have to know this was an accident. Someone went in front of April’s cameras. She came to me talking about huge wolves and world discoveries. How am I supposed to explain that?”
“You should have handed her over to us so we could give her to the Tribunal for memory removal.”
Grayson stepped in front of her again, protectively. “I couldn’t. She’s my mate.”
The alpha sighed. “That’s complicated, then. I suppose it wouldn’t be that odd for a rogue to want to mate a human.” He wrinkled his nose. “No wolf would have you.”
Grayson’s hand tightened on April’s. “I wouldn’t have anyone but her.”
John’s eyes narrowed to slits. “But I’m afraid what you want is impossible. I can’t have a rogue and a human risking the safety of our pack. You may feel she’s your mate, but you aren’t part of a pack, and you aren’t eligible to take a mate in this area. She will have to mate one of the males here if she wants to stay safe.”
Grayson let out a low growl. “I don’t care about being part of any pack. I don’t need to in order to protect her.”
“Be reasonable,” John said. “If she mates one of the men here, as a second or third mate maybe, she is a part of the pack and has an interest in protecting our secret. With you, she could tell at any time. She has no greater good in mind.”
April’s whole body tightened. What the hell was this man trying to say?
“The rule isn’t just that you can’t tell anyone,” John said. “The rule is that humans who are told on pack territory are the responsibility of the alpha. I will decide her fate.”
“That’s a bullshit rule,” Grayson said. “And you know it.”
“Is it, though? Should we be letting any rogue come in and tell humans what they are when our whole way of life, our homes, our children, are at stake?”
April felt anger emanating from Grayson, and his hand felt extra warm. She wasn’t sure exactly what was happening, but she did know that lone wolves in the wild had no hope of taking down a pack if that pack wanted them out.
Grayson was in a dangerous position, and she hated that she’d somehow put him there, even if she’d just wanted to come out and save some animals.
Given how much he’d helped this community, that’s all Grayson wanted as well.
“Brett,” Grayson said. “You know what I’ve done for this pack. Don’t let them do this. It’s not going to go well.”
Brett, who was the son apparently, shook his head. “You’ve tied my hands, Grayson. The other punishment is death for a human who discovers us.”
“You aren’t careful enough,” Grayson spat angrily. “Someone went in front of her cameras.”
“It’s a good lie,” John said. “But none of our wolves would have risked discovery. Why would they?”
“Because they wanted to screw me up,” Grayson said. “Besides, we heard howling the other night, not far from the canyon.”
“That could be a rival pack up north,” Brett said. “But they’d never travel low enough to be caught on a camera.”
“Yes,” John said. “It’s a good story to try and cover the fact that you openly betrayed us by telling this human what we are, but it’s not going to work.”
“You dumbasses, it’s true,” Grayson said, clearly losing his temper. “Just let us show you the cameras, and—”
“The second you’re out of here, you’ll run,” John said. “We can’t allow that.” Regret finally entered his eyes. “I hate that you’ve done this, Grayson. I hate what we have to do to you now. You’ve been helpful, despite your initial trespassing, but what you’ve done can’t be forgiven or erased.” His eyes met Grayson’s, unapologetic. “I have to protect my people.”
Grayson nodded shortly. “I get it, even if your people are completely misguided.” He turned to the rest of the room. “If you don’t start figuring out who your actual friends and enemies are, if you don’t start allowing outside help and integrating with the world, your pack is doomed. Just like mine was.”
“That may be, but we have our way of life here, and we can’t just let it go to the dogs because of her.” John eyed April.
“I would never tell a
nyone,” April said. “My whole job is to protect wolves.”
John cocked his head. “How so?”
“I’m a researcher,” she said. “I came out here to protect the pack I was hearing reports on so the government wouldn’t send hunters with bounties.”
John nodded. “You’ll be a valuable addition to the pack, then, because you can report and keep the government off our backs.”
Grayson snarled, rising to his full height. “She won’t be a valuable addition to your pack because she’s my mate, and she’s not going anywhere with you.”
“Don’t be silly,” John said. “We already covered this. Rogues can’t have a mate. Not when the mate is in the pack’s jurisdiction. And a human who discovered us is.”
Hair was starting to rise on Grayson’s arm, and April could feel something prickly in the air. Something inhuman.
“She’s mine, and I’m going to protect her. We’re going out of here, and I’ll fight any wolf who gets in my way.”
Brett stood, looking worried. “Grayson, don’t do this.”
“So be it,” John said, giving a wave. “We’ll show a rogue what happens when he goes against an alpha.”
Instantly, the door burst open and two wolves reached inside, dragging her and Grayson outside.
Chapter 17
Things had taken a far different turn than Grayson had ever expected.
He hadn’t ever thought he would be a rogue, so he’d never thought about the different ways pack laws would apply to him.
He knew he’d felt lost without his pack, but he’d never felt more alone than he did now, standing in a clearing beneath a semi-overcast evening sky, getting ready to defend his mate from an entire pack.
It didn’t matter that they said a rogue couldn’t be mated. He knew in his heart April was his. And the human in him loved her, too, so there was no way he could allow anything to happen, even if they hadn’t been destined by the stars.
Which they were.
“April, stay back,” he murmured. “They shouldn’t try to hurt you because you’ll be valuable as a mate. But if you were in the way…”
“I’ll stay back,” she answered quietly.
He was proud of the calm in her voice. “I’m sorry I got you into this, but I promise I’ll get you out. If for no other reason than I’m a stubborn bastard who’s in love with you and can’t let anyone else touch what is mine.”
She turned him toward her, gave him a smile, and then kissed him. When he looked at her in surprise, as the shifters circled, she shrugged. “It’s all gotten so crazy, but all I know is I feel at peace when I look into your eyes. I’m not willing to be with any of these monsters, so you better make sure you win, you crazy wolf.”
He nodded tightly. “As I said, when the fighting starts, step back.”
She moved behind him, nodding.
The first to step up was Mattson, obviously, followed by his cronies. His yellow eyes were lit with a smirk, and he strode up, looking confident.
“When I beat you, they might be grateful enough to make me the next alpha,” Mattson said eagerly, folding his arms.
“Or me,” both cronies said.
In a blink, all three shifted, becoming huge, snarling wolves in shades of gray and red.
Grayson’s response was instant, and he transformed into his wolf, grateful that his huge, black beast was bigger and stronger than either of these scrawny wolves.
He heard April running behind him and turned to see pack members running to catch her arms. He snarled and got in between them in a second, then scooped her onto his back and ran toward the nearest trailer.
“Hold on,” he growled as she quickly buried her fingers in his fur.
He leapt onto the trailer, making it creak, but not caring about the damage. “You’ll be safe here for now.”
He lowered his head so she could step off, and then he bounded back onto the ground, facing Mattson and his two lackeys, snarling.
Already, Mattson was squaring off with him, paws digging into the ground as he bared his teeth. But Grayson felt no fear, no hesitation.
Perhaps a lifetime in the military had taught him how to stay cool under pressure.
Or maybe his wolf just refused to back down to any of these fuckers.
“Come and get some. I know you’ve been dreaming of this.”
“Gladly.” At that, Mattson charged, crossing the last ten or so feet in a single leap, jaws open. But Grayson stepped to the side, ramming Mattson in his ribcage as he flew past.
Mattson tried to turn, but he was thrown off balance now, rolling to the ground and kicking up dirt and leaves everywhere. Before he could even get up, though, Grayson was on top of him, snapping for Mattson’s neck while the smaller wolf tried desperately to fend off Grayson’s attack.
Mattson swiped a paw at the ground near him, kicking pine needles and rubble into Grayson’s eyes. Searing daggers of pain blinded him, but he ignored it completely, following Mattson with his nose and ears instead, completely in tune with himself and totally confident.
Mattson used the momentary confusion to get up, circling in the hopes of catching Grayson off guard. But Grayson whirled around just as Mattson attacked, coming up on his hind legs to pummel the smaller wolf onto his back with his powerful paws.
Without hesitation, Grayson’s jaws snapped down on Mattson’s neck, and he yelped. If Grayson had held back any less, the wolf would be dead. And he would deserve it, too. But the last thing he wanted was to murder someone while his mate still watched from the temporary safety of the nearby trailer roof.
“Give up,” Grayson growled, tightening his grip.
But before Mattson could even yield, Grayson was blindsided as his two lackeys jumped into the fray. All four of them became a blinding tussle of fur and claws and jagged teeth as Grayson pushed himself free from the melee so he could volley for a better position.
Grayson rolled free from the growing cloud of dust, standing back up. Aside from a few cuts and bruises, he was okay. It took Mattson and his lackeys a second to realize Grayson had escaped, and when they did, all three turned to bear down on him at once.
“Be careful!” April called out, her words reassuring him, reminding him what he was fighting for.
This wasn’t some minor pack dispute or some gentleman’s disagreement. When it came to the discovery of their secret, there was no honor among wolves.
Everything was on the line.
Rather than wait for Mattson and his goons to get the jump on him, Grayson charged first. He rushed the wolf on his left, so quickly that he could see the shock on the idiot’s face for a split second before he ducked low and head-butted the guy upward into his jaw. The wolf lifted off the ground for a second, careening to the side and hitting a nearby trailer, making a giant-size wolf dent in the sheet metal siding.
Mattson and the other wolf recovered more quickly, attacking with admirable speed. But Mattson, overeager as always, jumped a little too hard, a little too fast, and Grayson dodged easily. As Mattson landed on the ground far from his initial quarry, Grayson snapped at his flunky. He tried to pull away, but Grayson’s teeth at his jugular had other ideas, and the wolf barely got back with his life intact. Deep gashes in his neck were proof of exactly what Grayson could do if he or anyone else tried to mess with his mate.
The wolf retreated just as Grayson turned to face Mattson.
“Why won’t you just die?” Mattson growled, frustrated.
Grayson didn’t respond, his mind working like a computer to assess everything from the velocity of Mattson’s attack to the surrounding terrain in their immediate vicinity.
It was too easy.
Angry and frothing, Mattson was more conservative as he leapt one more time at Grayson. This time, Grayson lurched back, then sprang forward with all his strength, overshooting Mattson just barely.
As the wolves flew at each other, Grayson above Mattson, Mattson barely had time to register sheer shock on his face as Grayson grabbed the
smaller wolf by the scruff as they whizzed past each other in midair. The sheer force of Grayson’s jump wrenched Mattson’s trajectory backward midflight, throwing Mattson onto the ground with an incredibly loud thump.
Grayson, his teeth still deep into Mattson’s hide, dragged the simpering asshole into the center of the settlement as dozens of his pack mates watched in fury and confusion.
Up at the patio that led into the alpha’s trailer, Brett and one of the men who had been with the alpha watched. Brett didn’t seem to know how he was supposed to be feeling, while brown-haired guy, who Grayson remembered being called Taylor, just crossed his arms, scowling.
When Grayson dumped Mattson onto the dusty earth, there was a loud murmur from the pack mates.
“You may think you’ve won, rogue, but you haven’t.” Taylor’s eyes were full of disdain as he spoke. “Everyone, destroy him.” He pointed an accusing finger at Grayson.
There was a stunned silence as men and women looked to each other, uncertain for a moment. Out of the corner of Grayson’s eye, he looked up at the roof where he’d deposited April. But to his dismay, she was dangling off the end of a rusty storm drain, feet hanging for a moment before she dropped to the ground a few feet below her, landing in a crouch.
Thankfully, with everyone’s eyes on the alpha’s speaker, no one seemed to notice.
Yes, April. Run!
“That is an order!” Taylor commanded, angry at the crowd’s insolence, and at that, people left and right began to shift, tearing through the remnants of their already tattered clothing and changing into an array of gray and red and brown wolves.
Shit, that’s a lot of wolves.
Grayson whirled around to face the pack as they continued to shift, growling at him and advancing slowly at the order they’d been given. But he was surrounded in every direction by an overwhelming number.
If he could just hold them off, maybe it would give time for April to escape.
“Grayson!” He heard a feminine voice to his side. When he looked, April was running to him, and before he could speak, she buried herself into his fur, hugging him close.
Mine Furever Page 12
