by Ellen, Jo
Wolf Creek Alpha
Texas Pack
By Jo Ellen
Text copyright © 2012 Jo Ellen
All Rights Reserved
To my husband and kids for giving up the mac
Chapter 1
Rafe looked over the financial report that Devlin had prepared. Since Devlin was the pack’s financial guru, he had no doubt that their future was secure. As alpha for the pack, he was glad to have one less thing on his mind.
“Good job, Dev. I wish everything could go this smoothly.”
Devlin grinned, “Yeah, sucks to be you.” They both laughed, since they knew Rafe had been born to be a leader.
The problem with being the alpha was having two younger brothers that knew you too well. Devlin was the youngest with Ian being the middle son. Ian was Rafe’s top enforcer and he was glad to have his brother watching his back.
The shifters lived very long lives due to the blessings from the pond. Rafe was over one hundred years old, but he looked to be around thirty-four. Ian was two years younger than Rafe was. Devlin was the baby, being seven years younger than Ian.
“I’m going to Charlie’s, want to come?” Charlie’s was the one bar in town where everyone congregated. Rafe figured that he could use a break and just enjoy a few beers while things were quiet.
The pack owned several acres near the small east Texas town of Wolf Creek. They also had a few businesses in town and Charlie’s was one of them.
“I’ll come. I’ve been staring at my computer screen for too long. I think I’m getting cross-eyed. Ever see a cross-eyed wolf? Time to shut it down,” Devlin said, grinning.
They almost ran over Ian as they headed out the door. Of course, Ian would go too. They had plenty of pack members to patrol the grounds and protect the pond.
“Just let me assign a patrol and tell them we’ll all be gone.”
Ian called one of the other enforcers to set it up. They hadn’t had problems with trespassers going near the pond, as it was private property, and they would see or smell any strangers coming before they ever reached the pond.
The brothers were amazingly similar in looks. All three of them had long, dark brown hair with eyes as green as the forest surrounding them.
Rafe stood around six foot six with a brawny physique. He was the strongest and fastest wolf in the pack. He had been born to lead his wolves, but he still depended on those nearest him for their opinions.
With his brothers about the same height as he was, they were an intimidating group when seen together. Ian was burly like Rafe, with Devlin being only slightly smaller than he was. They liked to call Devlin the runt of the litter since he was an inch shorter than Ian was. Of course, this would set up a round of rolling around in the grass trying to get the best of one another. They liked nothing better than beating on each other in play.
Seen together, the trio was enough to make women stop and stare. Thankfully, they were somewhat oblivious to their own charisma as babe magnets. Their parents kept them from growing up too full of themselves. Good looks were nothing more than genes, they had told them. What mattered is character.
Women and all their differences were a delight to Rafe. He would never intentionally hurt their feelings, but he preferred to be the one doing the chasing. It was built into his DNA, like all canines. He especially enjoyed the strong women that flirted with him. He was sure that it was due to his being an alpha. Weaker women tended to bring out his protective tendencies.
Rafe got in the driver’s seat of his Tahoe while Ian took point as lookout. Ian was surveying the area while Devlin poured himself into the back seat. As top enforcer for the pack, Ian took his job seriously.
Ian was the most reserved of the three. Women would try getting his attention by throwing themselves at him outrageously. Being the strong, silent type made him a challenge to some women. He also preferred the chase, and didn’t understand why they came on so strong when he wasn’t encouraging them.
“I want to shoot some pool. Who wants to lose some money?” said Dev.
Devlin was the jokester among them. He also had an IQ off the charts. His devil may care manner made people forget just how intelligent he was. Joking around was his way of relieving stress after working on one of his many projects.
The men arrived early at Charlie’s around eight o’clock. It was just starting to get busy as more people were showing up. They waved at Hank and held up three fingers for their beer order. Ian yelled to Hank that they’d be in the back playing pool and Hank gave a nod acknowledging that he got the message.
Luckily, there was a table open, so they didn’t have to wait. They had been playing eight ball for a while and Devlin was being his usual cocky self.
“Just can’t beat a math genius, I know all the angles,” Devlin boasted.
Rafe just rolled his eyes at the idiotic pun, “We’re letting you win because you have such low self-esteem. It’s our job as the older and wiser ones to allow you to win and build up your confidence.”
“Wouldn’t want the runt to be a whiny girly girl,” Ian said evilly.
“Yeah, pay up, old wise ones. I’m not the one who’ll be whining,” he said with a grin.
Rafe saw Chase come through the doors and head straight for the bar. He immediately went over to speak to his old friend, intending to catch up on any news from the feline shifter.
“I was hoping to see you. I planned to head over to your place after I had a drink. I need to speak to you in private.” Chase spoke in a monotone voice, hoping no one else would hear him. Shifters had superior hearing to humans.
Chase was normally pretty laid back, so Rafe was concerned. As they left the bar area, he spoke to Hank asking to use his office.
“No problem, Boss, I’ll make sure no one else goes in there.”
Rafe could tell Chase wasn’t in the mood for small talk. As they settled into the office chairs, he glanced over at the feline shifter. Chase was looking worried, which didn’t sit well with him.
“Okay, what’s the problem?” asked Rafe.
“Shit, you’re not going to believe this, but our seer tells me she sees darkness coming. It’s so fucking vague; I just want to hit something.”
“Was that all she said?”
“Her exact words were, ‘Darkness surrounds the animal spirit’s path to the waters.’ I hate seers. Why the hell can’t they just say what they mean?” Chase complained.
“If I was a betting man, I would think it’s the dark fae, but I haven’t heard anything from the Queen in years.” Rafe had a bad feeling. He would have to contact Robert; the Queens preferred guard, and his friend.
“I’ve put my guys on alert. I don’t want my pride at risk of any danger that might be coming,” Chase said.
“I appreciate you’re letting me know. I’d still like you to come out to the house. Since I’ll be contacting Robert, I’m sure he’ll have more questions for you.”
He was younger than Rafe, but had been an excellent leader for the cougars in the area. Most people only saw his playful side. They did not realize how deadly he could be to protect his family and friends.
Both men sat silently, thinking on the seer’s words. If the warning was in fact the dark fae, they knew it could be the fight of their lives.
“I’m putting my wolves on alert also. We’ll up the patrols and post more enforcers around the area. I’m hoping Robert can give us an idea of what we’re up against. I don’t know what kind of magic we’ll be dealing with,” he said grimly.
They did not leave immediately, figuring they had time to relax for a little while. Shifters relied on their senses to guide them and no warning bells were going off at the moment.
Chapter
2
Their home was a replica of a Scottish castle. Very modern inside, but it looked archaic when seen from afar. Rather incongruous sitting in the east Texas woods, but they loved their family home. If needed, it was big enough to house many members of the pack.
Sitting about a hundred feet in front of the house was the pond. The Queen had gifted them with this magical water. It was a beautiful place with flowers growing around the sides. You could feel the magic in the air circling the pond and especially in the waters.
These waters were situated in different places around the world, with other shifter families protecting them. The Scott’s were the supreme family for the East Texas shifters.
Their parents had moved into a smaller house on the property when Rafe had taken over the job as alpha. His father felt that, by his not being in the castle, the pack would begin to look to Rafe as their leader. It had worked out well. The pack knew they could go to Rafe with any problems.
He was also intelligent and fair when dealing with the day-to-day running of a large pack. The family had led the pack for many, many years. Being able to consult with other shifters and maintain friendly relations was something of which they took pride.
Their housekeeper, Anna, had been with the family for about twenty years. She quietly went about her duties taking care of the home. She had never mated and they all assumed she had not met her One. She still looked to be in her late twenties, but never socialized with any men. Sometimes, she had an aura of sadness surrounding her when she thought she was unobserved. As she would never talk about her past, they all tried to make her feel like part of the family.
Anna had joined the pack while Mack was still the alpha. He had found her working in a hotel as a maid. Scenting she was a wolf, they had talked and he’d been able to convince her to join his pack. He could tell she was not happy on her own, as wolves needed that family connection.
She fit in very well with the Scott family. The brothers welcomed her, but didn’t try to get romantically involved. Something about her demeanor told them that she was not interested. She was now like a younger sister to them.
Since everyone knew it would be horrible, Anna did not cook for the brothers. Her attempts were usually burned beyond repair. Having a heavy hand with seasoning did not make her dishes any better either. Ian would tease her, saying she was a wolf with no palate.
They hoped one day that she would tell them her story. Wondering about which pack she came from, they would throw out different regions, hoping to get a reaction. Anna always remained stoic. She didn’t live in the castle, as she preferred her privacy. They had offered her a place in one of the cabins behind the main house and she had jumped at the opportunity to have her own place. When Rafe became the alpha, he had asked if there were another job, she would prefer to do in the pack instead of being their housekeeper. She had refused, saying she was happy doing what she did. Rafe left her, letting her know if at any time she wanted to do something else, he would support her wishes.
All shifters knew fighting amongst themselves would only bring attention from humans. If they hadn’t learned to make peace, wars would have been bloody with feuds going on for centuries. With property divided up amongst them long ago, they all had their own territory. Either scent or magic from each race clearly marked their boundaries.
The pack property was not fenced, but they did have signs posted, which warned that no trespassing was allowed. With regular patrols, they would find any hunters that had wandered onto their property. Only occasionally had a deer hunting bubba crossed onto their estate. The fear was that some hunter would mistake a wolf for a deer. Most hunters were responsible, so they rarely had a run in. An enforcer would politely escort them off the property, with the warning not to trespass again. Hunters got the message the first time and did not come back.
The Queen of the seelie court had blessed the waters for the shifters to use as needed in the protection of the human world from the dark fae. The unseelie would wreak havoc on the humans if they were left without warriors to protect them. The waters had many powers, some even unknown to the shifters.
The Queen also gave a gift to the shifter’s fated mate. She did not want them to lose their other half to the short lifespan that humans had. Once their mating was consummated, the human would be brought to the pond to immerse themselves in the waters. That person would be magically transformed into the shifter race of their mate.
The Scott family protected the pond and the people in this area. They had come over from Scotland long ago, leaving behind their native land, but keeping their customs. Humans had no idea they were being kept safe from the unseelie.
Rafe had never fought one of the dark fae. Although, he had heard stories from his ancestors, none had come in his lifetime, as far as he knew.
The indigenous peoples in the area knew the shifters were there and had left them alone. They had their own stories of these beings and understood that they were guardians. They didn’t know the power or magic of the waters, just that there were guardian shifters in the area, who were protecting them.
The feline shifters were to the south of the wolves. It was important to remain in good standing with one another, just in case they had to call on them. Rafe was friends with their leader, Chase. Even though cats were basically loners, their human side still enjoyed the company of others.
Most of the pack had homes on the property, so only the brothers were now living in the castle. It wasn’t as big as the original castle in Scotland, but big enough to serve the family and the pack’s needs.
They kept rooms ready for guests, but closed off the rest of the house. It had been home to many of the pack in the past. Modern families today did not want or need to live together under one roof. Most couples preferred building their own houses to suit their individual tastes. There were also cabins behind the castle, further away to give families their privacy.
Chapter 3
Lisa loved driving in the country, because there was beautiful scenery without a lot of traffic. She was on her way to stay with her best friend for two weeks.
She was thinking how it was a shame she hadn’t visited Stephanie’s home before in Wolf Creek. They saw each other whenever Colin and Stephanie came to Dallas with their girls.
Thinking about it, she realized that every time she made plans to visit, something always came up. Either her car would break down or plumbing problems seemed to pop up unexpectedly. If she didn’t know better, she’d think something was keeping her from visiting, she thought laughing. Lisa was not a superstitious person.
Sometimes, she knew when the phone would ring, or what someone was about to say. She always thought that was coincidence. Just good intuition, picking up clues from someone beforehand, she thought. The phone thing, she couldn’t explain.
Her thoughts wandered to the memory of how the couple had met. Stephanie had been working for the police department as an emergency dispatcher. When Colin had come for a seminar the department was giving, he had taken one look at Stephanie and they had been together ever since. Lisa was still shocked at how fast the two of them had connected.
A month after they met, Stephanie had married Colin, who was the sheriff in Wolf Creek. At the time, Lisa had thought they were nuts. “You don’t marry someone after only knowing them a month!” However, she was happy to admit she was wrong; those two were fated to be together. Some people just got lucky.
Stephanie and Colin had two beautiful little girls. Amy was still a toddler at a year and a half and Sarah was a precocious three year old.
I should have turned down some jobs and made time for them, she thought. Teaching and then taking on proof reading jobs kept her busy both day and evenings. Visiting via computer or phone just wasn’t the same. She had been trying to stay busy after her parent’s death, but she still thought of them often. It made her realize that she felt alone even with friends in the city.
Her parents had been on their way home from dinner when a drunk driver
had crossed the median and hit them head on. So much for intuition, she thought. She was told they had died instantly. Somehow, that was supposed to be a comfort to her. In a way, maybe it was, but it was difficult finding good news during such a time of grief and devastation.
Lisa missed the advice from her mom and just hanging around with her dad. They had always been there for her, so it was hard to adjust to life without them. Staying busy seemed the best option to keep herself from missing them.
None of the few dates she went on had turned out to be anything special. So, she began to think that maybe she needed to make some changes in her life.
After drinking way too much soda, Lisa pulled into the parking lot of a rest area. That was something else that needed changing, but she did enjoy her pop. She still had about an hour’s drive to Stephanie’s, so the thought of stretching her legs sounded good too.
As she got out of her car, she heard meowing near her front bumper. Going around to the front of her car, she found a kitten walking under her tires.
“You’re just too cute. Poor thing, all alone here,” said Lisa.
This kitten had to be a stray. It was looking somewhat hungry and seemed starved for attention. Maybe it was dumped there, since it did not act feral. Lisa scooped it up, intending to get the kitten some water from the restroom.
“Now, what am I supposed to do with you?” she asked. She couldn’t just leave it there, because she knew it would be prey for coyotes or other animals in the area.
“Guess you’re coming with me,” she said.
Leaving the rest area, she figured she would keep the kitten with her until she could find a town with a shelter. Then again, maybe she would keep it herself. After all, she had been thinking about getting a pet. The kitten was a nice shade of gray with black stripes on her legs and it was very affectionate, which made her decision easy.
