Trouble with Wolves: An urban fantasy romance novel (Magic and Bone Book 1)

by Danielle Annett

  Roland glowered at me, and then at Embry, a look of concentration stamped on his face. “What do you suppose we do, then?” The question was directed to his comrade.

  The man beneath me tilted his head back to look at his friend, exposing the column of his neck. It was a submissive move, and I wondered if it’d been intentional.

  I watched the thrum of his pulse. If they so much as stepped toward Embry…

  “A trade?” He suggested, looking back at me. His eyes were a blend of brown and green with flecks of honey. Hazel. That was the color.

  Most men with skin as dark as his didn’t have eyes as light. I tilted my head to the side and considered his words.

  A trade?

  I shifted my attention to Embry; he wasn’t going to get out of here on his own four paws. I’d have to carry him. I huffed at the human, urging him to continue.

  “You let us go, let us leave the woods unharmed, and my friend Roland over there,”—he indicated the man with the axe—“will stop trying to hack your friend to bits. Deal?”

  Embry growled. “You can’t trust him.”

  “You don’t get to have an opinion. We’re in this mess because of you.” That shut him up. I felt Asa’s presence behind me and heaved a sigh of relief that he’d come back.

  He padded towards his brother, his steps cautious and his eyes never leaving the humans in front of him.

  Roland stepped away from Embry but kept his weapon raised. Asa licked at the wound on his brother’s side and whined.

  “It’s bad, Lindy. Really bad.” When the other humans were a far enough distance away from the brothers, I released the man’s wrist and backed away from him.

  He slowly rose to his feet and backed away, his steps cautious and his eyes never leaving mine.

  While I might not admit it aloud, I agreed with Embry. These men couldn’t be trusted.

  Uncertainty thrummed through me. I had no clue if they’d keep their word long enough for Asa and I to get Embry out in our wolf forms, but I hated the idea of relinquishing my wolf. I was still strong in my human skin, but not as strong as my wolf and giving up that sense of security grated on my nerves.

  With no other alternative, I made the decision and shifted, pushing my body as quickly into the change as I could.

  Fur receded into my skin and my bones grew and lengthened, forming human limbs. I gritted my teeth and fought the wave of pain that always accompanied a shift.

  Crouched on my hands and knees, I took a deep breath, steadying myself before I rose to stand on two legs.

  The shift had taken a matter of seconds and a thin bead of sweat ran from my temples down between my breasts. My legs shook, but I gritted my teeth to hide the weakness and faced the wide-eyed humans, naked, with my white-blonde hair hanging down to my waist.

  “Holy shit. It’s a woman,” Roland said.

  Ignoring their gazes, I walked to Embry’s side. I hefted the wolf into my arms, using every ounce of werewolf strength I had. He growled as I shifted his weight more comfortably but quieted down when I nipped at his nose with human teeth.

  “We have a deal,” I said, my words directed at the man I’d threatened. “Now leave our woods. These are Pack lands and you’re trespassing.”

  Before he could respond, I turned and left without a backwards glance, Asa’s fur brushing my leg and protecting my back until the humans were out of sight.

  Red

  It was late afternoon by the time we made it back to Lethbridge. Sweat poured down my brow as I broke through the tree line and made it into the clearing that marked the town’s unofficial boundary. Behind me, Roland and Halbread carried Maxus, their labored breaths filled with relief when they spotted Doc.

  “Let’s have a look,” he said, signaling for the two men to lay Maxus down. Niles and Rook stood beside him, a stretcher held between their hands. The good doctor would give Maxus a once over before moving him to the stretcher and taking him back to the clinic. With any luck, the damage wasn’t permanent, but with all the blood, it was hard to tell.

  Not bothering to stick around where I wasn’t needed, I forged ahead, past the crown surrounding Maxus, and headed back to the B&B I was staying in.

  Memories of the white wolf stuck in the forefront of my mind.

  Halbread had been wrong. He hadn’t been a he at all. The white wolf was a she. And she’d been… magnificent.

  Haughtily beautiful, with snow-white hair even in her human form. Though she couldn’t have been a day over twenty-five, despite the hair. Her skin just barely sun kissed. Her eyes a rich copper brown. I was getting a hard on just thinking about her.

  I hadn’t missed the cool calculation in her gaze when she shifted. She knew her transformation would take the men by surprise. With one wolf already injured, their odds of leaving the area alive had been slim if the Hounds had decided to attack. The other wolf would have been forced to protect his fallen friend from Roland, leaving the woman to fight off the rest of the men on her own.

  It was a good thing the Hounds were too stupid to realize the advantage they’d had. And it was good I’d been hired to find the Pack’s Den, not eliminate them as a threat, or I would have been forced to push the Hounds into action. But that wasn’t my job, and the wolves weren’t my enemy.

  I was beginning to understand why the town had issues with them. As far as I could tell, that attack had been unprovoked. Maxus hadn’t done anything I was aware of. Maybe there was a past score to settle.

  I didn’t know and to be honest, I didn’t need to. Whatever their issues, I didn’t see the hostilities ending. No need to dwell on it. What was worth dwelling on was that Halbread had claimed the white wolf was the Pack’s leader. Their Alpha. I’d never come across a female Pack Alpha. And while it was possible sure, it was highly unlikely, which made me all the more interested. What she was like? How had she climbed to her position?

  Fuck. I wanted to know what she tasted like.

  Roland jogged up beside me. “Where yer heading?”

  “I need a shower. Then I’m going back into the woods.” Maxus’s blood stained my hands, forearms, and pants. The Pack would smell me coming a mile away, and I didn’t plan on becoming their next unsuspecting victim.

  He grabbed me by the shoulder and jerked me to a stop. “Are you mad? Yer want to go back? After what just happened?”

  I shouldn’t have voiced that last part out loud. Too late now.

  “I need to find the Den. It’s why I’m here, remember?” And this was the closest I’d come to it in the three weeks I’d been here. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. The fact that the Pack’s Alpha made my cock hard made no difference in the job I had to do.

  Though that could be an added bonus.

  “Maxus nearly died. If you go back in there, there’s a good chance you won’t come back out.”

  “I’m a seasoned veteran,” I reminded him. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You’re still just a man. And that thing back there—” He waved his hand toward the tree line. “Is a fucking wolf. Doesn’t matter if it’s got tits. Doesn’t matter if she can walk and talk like the rest of us. She’s not human. Don’t forget that.”

  I sighed. “I thought meeting a shapeshifter was on your bucket list?”

  Roland nodded, his expression solemn. “That was before I saw what one could do to you. That shit was unprovoked. You can’t trust them. I know you’ve got a job to do, but you don’t need to be a loon to do it. Maybe Halbread has it right? These woods aren’t safe with them around.”

  “Halbread would have the entire Pack slaughtered if he could.” A pang in my chest had me wincing. Because that is exactly what the Hounds would do if I found the Den and disclosed its locations.

  Roland scratched the underside of his beard and grimaced.

  “You should have Doc check out your arm. You’re bleeding.”

  “Eh, just a scratch. Nothing to write home about. Think about what I said. If they were gone, it would make the forest a who
le hell of a lot safer.”

  “Safer for humans, you mean.”

  “Whose side are you on?” Roland fixed me with a stern gaze. “Yes, safer for us. If Lethbridge weren’t at risk of constant attack, we wouldn’t be forced to defend ourselves. We wouldn’t need to push the monsters back in the first place. They’re not human, Red.”

  I ground my teeth together to keep from lashing out. Roland wasn’t a bad guy, but he’d lived a sheltered life. Lethbridge was over a hundred miles away from Calgary, the closest major city. He hadn’t had the chance to know the shapeshifters as people. To work alongside them.

  I tightened my grip on my bow and reminded myself why I was here. I had a job to do. Their opinions weren’t a part of it and I didn’t need to waste my breath trying to sway public opinion.

  “I’ll catch up with you later.” It was an abrupt dismissal, but it was that or I was going to lay him out on the ground. I didn’t handle prejudices well, especially when they were unwarranted.

  Roland’s eyes narrowed but much to my relief, he turned and headed toward Doc’s clinic.

  I took a deep breath and continued my trek. Crisp, cool air swept over me, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. Winter was coming, that much was certain.

  I was nearly to my destination when Alton came into view. He was a diminished man, with fading hair and sloping shoulders. But he held his head high, and there was keen intelligence behind the milky whites of his eyes.

  “I hear you had a run in with the wolves.”

  I grunted. “We did. I’m about to head back out there and see what I can find now that the Hounds are pre-occupied.”

  He nodded. “Be sure that you do. It’s been three weeks already. I don’t need to remind you—”

  “I’m aware of my obligations. I don’t need whatever this is.” I waved at the space between us. “If you’ve lost faith in my abilities, you’re welcome to hire someone else.”

  It was a bluff. I needed the money. But Alton didn’t know that.

  “No, no. I have all the confidence in the world in your abilities. I only wanted to remind you that whatever information you gleam is to come directly to me. Do not disclose the Den to anyone else. Least of all Halbread.”

  I nodded. I wasn’t an idiot, and I knew where my payment was coming from. After three short weeks it was hard to miss the open hostilities between Alton and Halbread. Alton led the town as the head of the Lethbridge town council. But Halbread had the support of the people. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alton used the location of the Den to his benefit somehow as a way to further solidify his position and his favor in the hearts of the people. I also knew Halbread hoped that by removing the Pack, he could take control of the town.

  Neither man altruistic. Each wanted to solidify their power and have free reign.

  “You have my word.” I said and shouldered past him. I didn’t care who ran Lethbridge. I didn’t plan on sticking around once the job was done.

  Lindy

  As soon as the humans were out of sight, I ran. Embry’s breathing was labored, and blood seeped from his wound like a river, dripping down my bare flesh in warm streams.

  My wolf was agitated, and my skin rippled with the urge to shift back. I ignored the scent of freshly spilled blood and breathed through my mouth.

  Asa whined beside me, easily keeping pace. “He’s going to be fine,” I assured him, praying the words were true. I didn’t know if he was going to be fine. He should be healing by now, but he wasn’t.

  Embry was motionless in my arms, his eyes closed and his head lolled to the side with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

  Stupid, stupid wolf. What had he been thinking? If he wasn’t already half dead, I’d kill him myself.

  An inhuman growl escaped me and Asa whined again, glancing at me in concern before darting his eyes away.

  My arms and legs were on fire. Embry easily weighed two hundred pounds, and werewolf muscle only stretched so far. Already I could feel my strength fading.

  Leaves and twigs crunched beneath my bare feet and I put in a final burst of speed. We were almost there.

  “Arooo!” I called out, my throat shifting just enough for my wolf’s cry to be heard.

  “Arooo!” Asa howled beside me, signaling to the others that we were coming and we needed help.

  The Den finally came into view. Several wolves stood outside, anxiously waiting for us. Trusting them to watch for any signs of pursuit, I ran past and traversed the winding caverns of our Den.

  Asa took a hard left, heading towards my father’s quarters. Dammit. I cursed Asa silently but didn’t try to stop him. Instead, I continued forward until the cave opened its mouth into a wide chamber. Amelia—our Pack healer—waited inside for me.

  “What happened?” she asked as soon as I strode in.

  I placed Embry’s still form on the pallet. It took every last bit of my strength to set him down gently on the blankets instead of dropping him in a heap. My biceps burned and my legs were like limp twigs, barely able to hold my weight.

  “Humans, in the woods,” I panted and wiped my hand across my forehead.

  Amelia handed me a cup of water that I greedily accepted. I swallowed its contents in two mouthfuls, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand before accepting the knee-length shift she tossed to me next.

  “You were attacked?” Amelia gave me a pointed look that I waved away.

  “Not my blood. It’s all his.”

  She turned her attention to Embry, her midnight hair falling over her shoulders as she leaned forward. Her fingers deftly inspected his wound.

  I slipped on the simple dress to hide my nakedness. Shifters weren’t shy about nudity, but I didn’t want to sit around bathed in Embry’s blood for everyone to see either.

  It was one thing to see members of the Pack naked before a shift. It was another to be naked and on display. I had enough interested suitors as the Alpha’s daughter, I didn’t need any more.

  Clothed, I sat beside Amelia, handing her a strip of cloth to soak up the blood.

  Embry’s fur was matted, his sides heaving, and blood continued to pour, staining the blankets beneath him.

  Why wasn’t he healing?

  “The humans were heading this direction. We were trying to find a way to steer them away, but Embry attacked one of their men. Unprovoked,” I added.

  Amelia hissed. “What was the reason this time?”

  “He overheard one of the men suggesting they hunt down our Pack. I’m not saying it was harmless chatter, but…” I shook my head. “Amelia, we can’t go on like this. Something has to give.”

  She nodded, her expression grave. “Have you convinced your father—”

  Embry jerked his head up and growled, letting us know he was awake and not one bit pleased with where our conversation was heading.

  “Shut up,” I snarled back. “We’re in this mess because of your hot temper. Let level heads discuss what should come next. You’ve done enough.”

  His lip curled back from his teeth, exposing his canines. It would have had a stronger effect had he been on his feet but since he wasn’t; it was easy to shrug off his anger.

  I locked my gaze with his. Look away.

  Seconds ticked by.

  “I can’t see how bad it is with your fur in the way,” Amelia said, drawing his attention back to her.

  Ha!

  “You need to shift.”

  At that moment, my father entered the chamber, followed by Asa in human form. At six and a half feet tall, my father towered over most within the Pack. His hair had turned silver over ten years past, and the lines that bracketed his mouth were set with determination. His brown eyes were granite hard and nearly black as he drew closer, his steps measured and his expression tight.

  I glowered at Asa who ducked his head to avoid my sharp gaze.

  My father shouldn’t be out of bed. His days were nearing their end. At one hundred and eleven, he had passed his prime, and despite the fact that he di
dn’t look much older than a human in his fifties, his organs were failing, arthritis setting in deep in his bones.

  He didn’t often leave his room these days, and I knew the sacrifice it must have taken for him to be here now.

  Irritation swept through me. I could have handled this.

  I jumped to my feet, offering him my arm as he came to stand beside the pallet where Embry lay. “You heard Amelia,” my father said. “Shift, boy.”

  Unable to refuse an Alpha’s order, Embry shifted. Fur receded from his body as his limbs slowly morphed into those of a human. What should have taken a matter of seconds was drawn out into agonizing minutes as bone crunched and reformed into longer limbs sheathed in human skin.

  Embry cried out in pain and Asa winced, concern for his brother etched in the lines of his face.

  I stepped back and placed a comforting arm around Asa’s waist, his arms following suit to wrap around me as we waited.

  When Embry was fully in his human skin, he lay panting, covered in a sheen of sweat and paler than a ghost. It was worse than I’d expected. The gash was at least eight inches long and nearly an inch wide, slanted over his ribcage and exposing bone.

  Instinctively, I stepped forward and dropped to my knees. I reached out to him. His skin was cold and clammy.

  He leaned into my touch; his amber eyes filled with pain as they met mine once more, though this time without challenge. His chest heaved with the effort of each breath.

  “Shhh… it’s going to be fine.” I murmured.

  “Can you fix him?” I asked Amelia.

  Her eyes filled with doubt, but she set out to treat the wounds with swift movements and practiced fingers. Lyc-V—the lycanthropy virus—should have stopped the bleeding by now. That it hadn’t meant there was some unseen internal injury it was prioritizing.

  “You’re not indestructible, Embry. You have to stop putting yourself in positions like this.”

  The corners of his mouth lifted in an exhausted smile. “Don’t worry, Lindy. I’ll be up and moving in no time.”