Red Claw Alpha (Red Claw Rising Book 1)

by Zoey Harper

"What now?" Tegan asked, buckling herself in.

  "Now, we go scout the location Kylo gave us."

  Tegan nodded. "What exactly are we looking for?"

  "For you, spots where you could set up for a clear shot."

  "Some height would be good, too. Less stuff to get in the way."

  "Exactly. I'll need to find possible points of entry."

  Tegan frowned. "Why?"

  "To get Flynn. If I can get that knobhead while he's still fast asleep, then I will." Colton gripped the steering wheel hard. "I need Patrick off my back. I'm getting tired of him calling to check in every fucking hour."

  Tegan stretched out her hand and massaged the nape of Colton's neck. The action always seemed to calm him. In all their romantic bliss, she'd forgotten that Colton had more significant problems waiting for him at home.

  It's not just about my family and me anymore.

  Colton needed Tegan's love and support. He was the alpha of a clan. He'd said about a hundred men and women depended on him. That was no small number.

  Tegan wanted to play her part in helping Colton do the right thing. Not just for their sakes but for everyone else involved.

  "You'll get rid of him soon enough. You said your custom build was going to make you quite a bit of money, right?"

  "Uh-huh. But I incurred a lot of costs on this trip because that arseclown wouldn't spend any more money to get a tracker."

  Tegan pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Colton cursed a lot, but his curses were creative. Arseclown was quite the achievement.

  "I'm sure you'll get more orders. I may not know much about bikes, but the photos you showed me are great. You've built some sleek, powerful-looking machines."

  Colton turned to Tegan, his face bright. "Thanks. That's exactly what we're going for. There's got to be some artistry mixed in with beastly power."

  Tegan folded her arms as she realized she didn't know the root of Colton's passion for bikes. "Where did you learn how to build bikes?"

  Colton's shoulders drooped. "At my father's clan. We mostly did maintenance work for the Gray Shade MC members, but occasionally my father would commission a custom bike. Those were the best times."

  "At least you got to spend your days working on what you loved."

  Colton shook his head. "Nope," he said popping the 'p'. "My main job was security. It's the same for most clan males over a certain age. When I was in my early twenties, the Gray Shade Clan was tested. They'd been the dominant power for so long, and other clans didn't think they deserved it."

  Colton whistled. "There was so much blood and fighting. After that period, security got even tighter. More patrols. More pre-emptive strikes. It was a bloody mess, and my bear loved every second."

  Tegan's heart ached for Colton. He'd been an outsider forced into a life he probably wouldn't have chosen for himself. "Why did you stay?"

  Colton sighed. "Because it was all I knew. When Mom died, I had to go live with someone. Heck, I was lucky my father took me in, even though he all but ignored me the entire time. He was too busy focusing on protecting his precious Ramsey.

  "I worked twice as hard as that fucknugget, but all it got me was the occasional nod from my father. I think he was a little mad at me. I was making Ramsey look bad. Once that clicked, I stopped caring and focused on making life bearable."

  Tegan was silent for a minute. She didn't know what to say. She understood that no words would heal the deep wounds that Colton carried.

  Tegan smiled and decided to take a leaf from her mate's book. "I'm sorry life with the Gray Shade was so shitty." She took his hand and held it in her lap. "I can't take the hurt away, but I'll do my best to make you happy from now on."

  Colton squeezed her hand but kept his eyes on the road. They drove like that for the next thirty minutes until they pulled onto the side of the road.

  "We'll head off on foot from here. I don't want to give our position away in case they're inside."

  Tegan nodded numbly and hopped out of the truck. All this time, she'd been so focused on taking a clear shot that she'd forgotten about the rest of it.

  She and Colton were in Baxwell to capture an eagle shifter. Maybe even kill him, if he wouldn't come along quietly. That was some heavy stuff.

  "You okay?" Colton asked, standing before her, rubbing her arms with his hands.

  "Just a little chilly," Tegan lied.

  Colton nodded, letting her get away with it. Tegan winced, but there was nothing she could do now.

  Telling Colton that she was a little scared of the mission would only put him off his game and put their plans in jeopardy.

  Tegan took a deep breath. She may not have her wolf to protect her or give her that animalistic aggression so many shifters relied on, but she had grit and a mate to protect. She needed to do her part to help him.

  Colton held her hand as they walked a mile or so toward the mansion Flynn was renting. When they got to the large black gates, he dropped it and whistled.

  "Now I see why Flynn chose this place. It's massive."

  Tegan took the house in. It sat at the end of a long gravel driveway, surrounded by forest. The distance between the trees and the home would allow whoever was inside to see anyone approaching. Flynn had made an excellent choice.

  "Come on," Colton said. He tested the gate, and it swung open.

  "Someone's confident," Tegan mumbled.

  "And he'll pay for it. We need to get a move on. It's late afternoon, and there's a good chance they'll be back by evening."

  Tegan followed Colton in and stood with her hands on her hips. It would take him a good while to find an entry point. They needed to split up if she was going to find a good vantage point.

  "I think we should split up."

  Colton turned sharply. "No way."

  "Yes. Way." Tegan folded her arms. "This place is huge. By the time that you find an entry point, it'll be dark, or they'll be back. We need to kill two birds with one stone if we're going to catch Flynn within the next couple of days."

  Colton bit his bottom lip, then sighed. "You're right, but I don't like the idea of you out here on your own. I'd rather we come back tomorrow to finish our scouting."

  "I'll be fine. I still remember some of the moves you taught me."

  "Liar."

  Tegan shrugged. "Maybe, but it doesn't change the fact that you're not too far away. If I screamed, you'd hear me and come charging in like the knight in shining armor that I know you are."

  Colton rolled his eyes. "Only for you. I don't care about anyone else."

  "Now who's lying?"

  Colton pecked her lips. "Don't take too long. As soon as you find a good spot, call me, and I'll come to check it out. Then we'll get back to finding an entry point together."

  "Yes, sir," Tegan said, giving him a horrible salute. Colton slapped her bottom as she walked away.

  "I love you," he called.

  Tegan looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Right back at you."

  Colton scowled, then shook his head. Tegan continued through the canopy of trees. She loved teasing her mate every once in a while. He was so confident and sure of himself that sometimes it was good to throw a little doubt in.

  She'd tell him she loved him the next time they spoke. Otherwise, he'd have her sweating bullets on the cusp of orgasm for hours. Tegan's center clenched as she remembered the night before.

  Colton could be mean, but he always gave her what she needed.

  Now it's your turn to give him what he needs: a sniper that can handle herself.

  Tegan doubled her pace. She hated being out in the woods like this. Flynn and his men could return at any moment. Even though she'd put on a good act for Colton, she was scared shitless.

  Far too much could go wrong. What if one of Flynn's men snuck up on her and clamped a hand on her mouth. She wouldn't be able to scream for Colton.

  Tegan shook her head. "Enough with the worst-case scenarios. Let's get a location, and hightail it out of here. In a coup
le of days, you'll be back in Bolsend with your mate."

  Tegan grinned. She had a mate and a future. She couldn't wait to start her new life.

  Sorry, Flynn Baugher. My man and I need to get home as soon as possible. You'll just have to go down in bird flames if you decide to run from Colton.

  13

  Ten minutes later, Tegan hiked up a steep incline through the forest covering. This part of the land was a lot rockier than where she and Colton had been. She shook her head and tutted.

  Rich people owning hundreds of acres of land was stupid. No one could take advantage of all this space.

  Tegan smiled as she thought of Colton and their last conversation. They were so comfortable around each other, something Tegan had only known with her mother and sister. While she'd had some worries about how fast they'd fallen in love, she didn't anymore.

  Tegan and Colton were made for each other. That much was true. He was strong in areas where she was weak and vice versa.

  It was early days, but Tegan could see herself in Bolsend with him. She didn't know what she'd do all day, especially because Colton didn't want her to act like a typical Bluewolf wife who cooked and cleaned all day. But she knew they'd be happy.

  Tegan was also glad that Colton was a bear. She still hadn't gotten over her fear of male wolves. She was just grateful that they'd have cubs for children.

  The more dominant shifter's genes tended to carry through, so pretty soon Tegan would be a wolf among bears.

  "No wolf would ever feel safe surrounded by bears," she said to herself. But Tegan did because Colton loved her and would never let anything happen to her.

  Besides, he was the Red Claw Rising alpha. She doubted she'd have to worry about anyone trying to hurt her.

  Tegan's phone vibrated, and she pulled it out. She grinned when she saw her mother's name flash on the screen. Tegan quickly swiped and read the message.

  How's my baby girl doing?

  Tegan's heart melted. Her mother rarely got a minute to herself. While Tegan would have preferred a call to a text, she was grateful for any communication.

  I'm doing good, Mom. I met someone.

  Tegan kept on walking, searching for a good spot. It would be a little while until her mother responded. She wasn't the fastest typer.

  Tegan came upon a large rock on what appeared to be the edge of a hill. She gently pushed the bushes in front of it to the side and nearly leaped for joy when the mansion came into view.

  Tegan whistled. "This place is huge. I've been walking for ten minutes, and I'm still on this property."

  Taking a seat on the rock, she gladly read her mother's next text.

  So happy for you. You deserve to be treated like a queen. He does do that, doesn't he?

  Tegan smiled.

  More than you know. Colton's great. A little rough around the edges, but he's good to me.

  Tegan saw no point in lying. In a couple of years, her sister would turn eighteen. Then her mother could finally tell her the truth about how Tegan left. After that, her mother and Spencer would move to Bolsend.

  Tegan's heart fluttered as she saw the welcoming scene in her mind. Her sister and mother would struggle with all the freedom and being around different kinds of people. But, on the positive side, they'd mostly be around bears, which would be a welcome change.

  "Oh," Tegan said, quickly firing off another message.

  Colton's a bear shifter, by the way.

  Tegan got up off the rock and scouted its surrounding area. She'd have to move a few twigs around and cut down the bush, but other than that, it would make a great vantage point.

  She leaned forward once more and shoved the bush aside. From here, she could cover just about any exit. There would be some difficult angles to shoot from, but she'd manage it.

  More importantly, the height of the vantage point meant that she'd be in excellent position to shoot Flynn from the sky, should he decide to shift and get that far.

  Tegan made a mental note to try to shoot before he got too high. There was no way of telling what direction he'd go.

  She was a good sniper, but not that good.

  If Tegan had to guess, then Flynn would fly in an erratic pattern. She needed to get him on the first shot. That was the only way she and Colton would accomplish their mission and survive.

  Tegan's phone vibrated. She sat down on the rock again and read it.

  A little bit of roughness is a good thing. Bears are big and strong. You'll be safe with him.

  Tegan's heart sunk as she read that last line. She may be safe, and in a position where she didn't have to worry about money. But what about her mother?

  Tegan's mother had to share a house with a psychotic man. A few years ago, her mother had moved out of their bedroom; a development her mother welcomed with both arms. It appeared Tegan's father had gotten bored of her.

  Tegan couldn't even imagine what it felt like to sleep beside, let alone with, someone you loathed.

  Her mother had been trapped in a life she didn't fully understand. Decades later, Tegan wondered just how much of the original woman was left. Was she buried somewhere, like Tegan's wolf was?

  I am safe with Colton. How are you holding up, Mom?

  Tegan held her phone in her lap and let the feelings of guilt wash away. Her mother had told her repeatedly in the few phone calls they'd had, that she slept better knowing Tegan was out of the Bluewolf Pack.

  Tegan shuddered to think of what her life would have been like had she stayed. She'd be barefoot and pregnant now, mated to a man twice her age.

  "I've got to get Mom and Spencer out of there."

  No. Colton and I will get them out of there.

  Tegan's heart warmed. She'd forgotten she wasn't in this alone anymore.

  While they had to wait for Spencer to turn eighteen so that her father couldn't legally come after them, Colton would be just as invested in keeping them safe, in case the Bluewolf decided to go on a hunt across state borders.

  Tegan's phone vibrated. Her mother responded.

  You know how it is. I'm just happy both my girls are okay for now. Rita's back from her break. Got to go.

  Tegan quickly typed.

  I love you.

  She knew the messages would be deleted, but she wanted her mother to know.

  The fact that Spencer was underage was a double-edged sword. On the negative side, it meant that Tegan's mother and Spencer both had to suffer from the Bluewolfs for another two years.

  On the positive side, Spencer was too young for a mating. The Bluewolfs may have been barbaric, but some modernity had slipped into their culture. People wouldn't start talking about mating Spencer until she was eighteen.

  Tegan herself had dodged quite a few bullets by going straight from work to home and never talking to anyone. Most people had thought she was a recluse that might have been soft in the head.

  It worked until someone noticed that she was the only one of her agemates that wasn't mated.

  Tegan got up and shook her head. There was no point in dwelling on all of that. Besides, she and Colton needed to leave this property before Flynn and his men returned

  Tegan dialed Colton's number.

  "Found something?" Colton asked, not wasting time.

  "Hello to you, too," Tegan drawled.

  "Sorry. I've just been worried about you being out there all alone."

  Tegan smiled. "Well, you don't have to. I found a great spot. It's on a rockier part of the property, but it's got a great view."

  Colton was quiet for a few seconds. "That's not a part of this property."

  Tegan scoffed. "Uh, yeah it is. I walked right on over."

  Colton groaned. "It's a part of the neighbor’s land. I checked the map. Start walking back to me. You shouldn't—"

  Colton didn't finish his sentence because Tegan screamed as a hand knocked her phone out of her hand.

  She spun around to find a blonde man with an amused smile on his face and three other men surrounding him.r />
  Tegan backed up toward the rock as her pulse raced. Her chin trembled as she scented the men. One was a bear, two were wolves, and the final man, the blonde one, was a bird of some type.

  Flynn. I fucking walked straight into Flynn and his men.

  Tegan drew rasping breaths, and she felt her knees grow weak.

  This was bad. She should never have separated from Colton. She couldn't possibly face down four shifters.

  Before she could talk herself out of it, she bolted straight down the path she'd come up. Branches scratched at her skin, and she nearly tripped over a couple of rocks, but she ran at a blinding pace.

  The sound of heavy footsteps spurred her on. Tegan pressed a hand to her side where a sharp pain started to emanate from it. She wasn't fit, by any measure, and her adrenaline-fueled speed began to slow down.

  Tegan turned to look behind her and saw the men jogging with grins on their faces. She mentally slapped her forehead.

  To her, they were at a breakneck speed. To these fit shifters, this was merely a warm-up to a run.

  Tegan kept going. The closer she got to Colton, the sooner he’d find her. Then the unimaginable happened.

  She tripped and rolled down the grassier part of a hill and came to rest in a clearing hidden behind the tree line.

  Why didn't I see this before? I could have saved all that time and not gotten caught.

  Tegan scrambled to her feet to face the men head-on. The game was officially up. She'd done all she could. Now, she needed to stall.

  "Who the hell are you?" Tegan asked, her chest heaving as she tried to control her breath.

  Flynn smiled. "You know exactly who I am. You wouldn't have taken off running if you didn't."

  Tegan shrugged. "Any woman would if a strange man slapped her phone out of her hand."

  "Except you're not just any woman. You're a wolf shifter, and my guess is you're here with the bear."

  Flynn looked her up and down. "What are you? You're not fit enough to be a bounty hunter. I'm guessing you're the tail."

  Tegan's nostrils flared. She was Colton's mate, not some piece of ass. But she couldn't say that. She needed to buy time.

  "I'm a sniper, thank you very much."

  Flynn's face paled. Tegan smiled. He'd underestimated them. He should know better.