by M. D. Grimm
Despite recovering from his horrendous sickness, he had difficulty standing because of his wounded leg. Yet he couldn’t look weak. Since his shoulder had also been wounded, his arm was in a sling, and he felt vaguely like a soldier on trial after a war.
So far, however, the meeting was going well. Jeffrey and Justine explained the situation to the pack, despite the fact that this was not a democracy but a monarchy. The rest of the pack would not have a say in the outcome, but that they were present at the decision-making proved what good leaders Jeffrey and Justine were. Travis just prayed they would be good to Jack and him.
Jack told his parents how Travis had led the shooters away from him, most likely saving his life. And how he had managed to attack one of the assassins, despite being wounded with silver. Travis had told Jack everything that happened the day before after he’d run off into the forest. Jack reprimanded him at first for leaving, but it had been short, and Jack even admitted that he would have done the same thing. Saving a member of their pack, especially the town sheriff and the alphas’ son, was a big plus for Travis. And his local celebrity status grew when it became known that the master shifter Nordik had saved his life.
“Travis,” Jeffrey said.
Travis turned his head in the direction of the alpha’s voice.
“If you become Jack’s mate, you would be made a member of this pack. Your loyalty would be to the pack, and you would be called upon to protect the pack with your life. The pack’s survival would become more important than your own, and it would become more important than the survival of your mate. Are you willing and able to accept this?”
Travis knew Jack and his fate rested on the answer to this question. So he took a moment before answering. He even consulted his cougar, who had been quiet during the meeting. But now the cougar urged him to do whatever it took to remain with Jack, to remain in his home. To gain the family he had lost all those years ago.
He had his answer.
“My loyalty is with Jack, and his loyalty is to his pack. Therefore, my loyalty will be with the pack as well.” He consciously raised his head, feeling all eyes upon him. “I believe I have proven through my actions to what lengths I will go to protect Haven and the shifters and humans who call this place home.”
He took a breath, ignoring his trembling hands. “I lost my kin to the Knights, and I give you my word, freely, that I will not allow that to happen again, as long as I still breathe. I would see the pack as my kin if I am allowed to become Jack’s mate, and I would see it as my duty to protect and defend them. And I would willingly take upon that duty.” He swallowed. “I am willing and able to put the pack first. And I am honored to be considered for inclusion into this noble pack.”
His writer’s spirit came out at the end, adding flattery and honesty to his words. He meant everything he said and prayed he could live up to it. Jack took his hand and squeezed. Travis breathed deeply, his bullet wounds aching worse as his anxiety rose.
“Well said,” Justine said softly. The pack stirred and rustled around him, surrounding him. He wanted to sit, considering his legs were trembling, and he suddenly felt lightheaded. It would be much preferred to falling down.
“As you said,” Justine said, “sometimes change is needed. We would be the ones honored to call you pack.”
Travis’s stomach churned uncomfortably.
“I agree,” Jeffrey said. Then Travis suddenly felt Jeffrey’s large hand clamp down on his unwounded shoulder. Shock froze him as the alpha wolf shifter embraced him.
“Thank you for protecting my son,” Jeffrey whispered, so only Travis could hear. “I am in your debt.”
Travis closed his eyes tight and hugged the alpha back. His alpha.
His alpha. Was that it? Was he now pack?
As soon as Jeffrey let go, Jack hugged Travis and actually lifted him off his feet, laughing.
“Put me down,” Travis said. He felt giddy, but his cougar was surprised, wondering if this was a trick. But Jack’s happiness confirmed Travis’s greatest wish, and his cougar soon joined in the celebration. Travis realized the meeting was over, because the pack was talking and many came forward to pat him on the back. Their scents surrounded him, and he even smelled Jena, who actually leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
But he could still sense wariness, disapproval, even hate from some in the pack. He hoped he could change their minds, but the fact he had the alpha’s approval and acceptance weighed heavily on his side.
And he had Jack. Dear, sweet Jack. His mate was by his side as most of the pack continued to surround them, talking over themselves, their voices pounding in his ears. He found Jack’s hand, and by the way Jack returned the touch, Travis knew his mate would never let him go.
Jack suddenly leaned up and cupped his head, bringing Travis’s ear to his lips.
“I love you.”
Travis leaned into Jack and nodded. “And I love you.”
A dream became reality before his eyes. Jack watched his pack welcome his mate and wondered if this was actually happening. Travis’s words had touched his heart, but he wasn’t the only one. Several members of his pack looked past the fact Travis was a cougar shifter and actually became curious about who he was, instead of what he was.
He pulled Jena into a hug after she had kissed Travis. She smiled up at him.
“Forgive me?” she said.
Jack rolled his eyes but kissed her lightly on the lips. “I suppose I have to. You are my favorite sister.”
She laughed.
But there was a face he didn’t see welcoming his mate. Jager stood off with a small group of pack members, which included Jager’s mate. He was glaring at Travis. Jack hated the discord between them and suspected it would never change.
With his hand still clasped with Travis’s, Jack looked over the heads of his pack to find his parents. They were off to one side, his mother in the curve of his father’s body, his thick arm around her. It still surprised him to see how petite she looked when standing so near his father. But they were perfectly matched, and Jack smiled to know how that felt. He glanced at Travis again, who was handling the pack’s enthusiasm with his usual calm demeanor. But Jack knew him better now. He saw the embarrassment and how overwhelmed his mate was with all the praise and expressions of welcome. But his mate was also pleased and happy.
Jack looked back at his parents and could see that they were talking, but he couldn’t hear their words over the noise his pack was making. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except that Travis was now pack. And his mate.
“Come on.” Jack tugged Travis away from the crowd. “You need to rest. You look like you’re about to fall over.”
“Not far from it,” Travis said.
“I’ll take you home.”
“I am home.”
Jack kissed Travis gently as he led him out of the pack’s house. “That you are.”
One month later
Travis sat at the Ulger pack’s dinner table and excitedly held several conversations at once as talk flowed up and down the table. He still relished the scent of food and the warmth of the wolves around him. He had a family again. He was invited to family dinners once every week, and now he could navigate the pack’s house as easily as his own. His ache for the family he’d lost still lingered, but there was another ache for the family he’d found. He kept brushing his shoulder against Jack, most of all thankful for the wolf beside him, his mate, his love.
He sighed. The town was quiet and Agency patrols had been established three weeks ago along the borders of Haven. Jack had also hired more deputies for in-town monitoring. So far, there was no sign of the Knights, but his alpha kept in constant contact with the Agency. The Knights’ movements were unknown, but the town was always vigilante, thanks to the city council’s diligence. It was nice to see how well they came together.
“Are you all right?” Jack asked near Travis’s ear.
Travis turned his head and grinned. “I’m fantastic.”
/> Thanks to the magic of dusk, he knew what Jack looked like when he smiled, and he imagined it now. They’d returned often to their favorite clearing during the evenings so Travis could catch a glimpse of his mate. It was a small gift and one he cherished. The best part was that with Jack, he never felt blind.
Jack brushed a lock of hair from Travis’s forehead. “Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you smile?”
Travis chuckled, feeling his face heat up. Conversation continued to flow around them, both loud and quiet, and he knew no one could hear them. Though he was still slightly embarrassed, in a good way.
“Yes, actually,” he whispered back. “You have. Last night, remember? That’s why you gave me so many orgasms.”
Jack chuckled and slipped his hand along Travis’s leg to graze his inner thigh. Travis tingled with anticipation for tonight. They couldn’t get enough of each other. His latest book was definitely going to feature some amazing love scenes for his hardboiled detective. Delilah had cackled madly when she heard his plans and agreed wholeheartedly.
“You’re beautiful when you’re happy,” Jack murmured.
Travis forgot where they were for a second and kissed his mate. But when he would have jerked back, Jack gripped the back of his head and deepened the kiss. The pack had accepted him, and while some of the members might still have their issues, the majority seemed to have warmed up to him.
Jack let him go and Travis turned back to his food.
His face burning, he murmured, “Then I must be radiant these days.”
Epilogue
Two agents sat in a crowded pub at a table in a corner. The pub sat right across the wide street from their headquarters. They didn’t mind the crowd or the noise—it gave them the privacy and the anonymity that they wanted. The air was misty with smoke and the smell of various alcoholic beverages. The crack of a cue hitting a billiard ball occasionally met their ears, but all that background noise was easily forgotten. They had business to discuss.
Agent Genii sat back in her chair and fingered her beer bottle. She looked across the table at Agent Poe, a man she greatly respected and was proud to call friend. He was around five feet tall with spiky blond hair and intense blue eyes that were often mistaken for being cold. Even she sometimes forgot the fire and passion that lay behind them. Poe could be calculating and eerily practical at times. But he never stopped caring about his fellow agents or the shifters he protected.
He wore a leather jacket that heightened his bad boy biker look, which didn’t need any help considering he could be mistaken for a bodybuilder. Genii always found that amusing considering his ability was strength. He didn’t need the extra muscle. Poe was also the agent who was at the forefront of the Knights situation. He’d caught more knights than any other agent, and his passionate hatred for the vermin rivaled the Knights’ hatred for shifters.
“There were several times when I wished you’d been at Haven,” Genii said, leaning forward so he could hear her.
Poe leaned forward as well, a slight smile curving his lips. “There were more times that I wished I was there.”
Genii smiled. “I can’t see why. You got to go play in Peru.”
Poe winced, and they both glanced at his leg. He wore pants but he’d shown her the nasty slice a jaguar shifter had given him. It was stitched up and wrapped securely, but Genii knew Poe was pissed that he’d been injured at all.
“Damn feline,” Poe muttered.
Genii chuckled. There were other Agencies around the world, but the resources of the one in South America were stretched thin. The governments were constantly in upheaval, and rebellious shifters flourished there. So when they had asked the US Agency for help, Poe had been sent to the land of the ancient Incan Empire. Genii was secretly envious of his opportunity.
Poe took a sip of beer. “So, did the convert tell you anything?”
Genii raised an eyebrow. “Her name is Shannon, and no. She couldn’t tell me much. Apparently, she’d only been to the substations, not the headquarters. The chief sent agents to those locations, only to find them burned to the ground.”
Poe muttered a curse. “What about the assassin you captured?”
Genii shook her head grimly. “Nothing. Just a gun for hire. The odd thing is, though, when I searched his mind, I couldn’t find much of anything besides his skill to kill.”
Poe frowned. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is, he was barely functioning. He barely had the survival instincts to eat and drink. His mind was—damaged, somehow. Burned. So I was unable to control him and needed Shannon to assist.”
Poe glared. “Experimentation on humans now? First shifters and now—”
He slammed his fist on the table, creating a dent and a crack in the wood. Genii took another sip to give Poe a moment to calm himself.
Then he eyed Genii. “You didn’t by any chance help Shannon along in her conversion?”
A pinch of guilt had Genii tightening her shoulders. She scowled.
Poe smiled sharply. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Not a lot. We didn’t have time to dilly-dally so, yes, you jerk, I eased the barriers of her mind a bit. She was already in doubt, and it didn’t do any damage.”
“Don’t let your captain find out.”
Genii snorted. “She probably already guessed it. Nothing gets by Captain Hera.”
“True that.”
“How is your shifter doing, by the way?” Genii asked.
Poe raised an eyebrow. “You mean the one I caught up in Washington?”
Genii nodded.
Poe shrugged. “He’s in his human form most days now but he still has fits of rage that cause him to shift. He attacked two of our medics, so we keep him in his cage 24/7. I get weekly reports on him. He still hasn’t spoken a word, and we don’t have a clue as to his identity.”
“Fingerprints?”
Poe shook his head. “Nothing.”
Genii sighed. It had been nearly a year since Poe had caught a deranged wolf shifter on a killing spree. Several shifters were dead because of him. But it was only when Poe had captured the shifter, before the wolf could kill another wolf shifter and his mate, that he realized there was something more at work. It wasn’t a secret to the Agency that the Knights were experimenting on shifters, trying to find the best way to annihilate them. Travis wasn’t the first, nor would he be the last.
“I never got to ask,” Genii said. “What did you tell that other wolf shifter and his mate after you captured him?”
“I said that he was to be executed by his pack.” Poe shrugged. “I didn’t want them to worry. And that shifter is never leaving his cage.”
Genii chuckled. “Poe, you’re just a big softy.”
Poe scowled. “What’s with the insult? I have a rep, Genii. Don’t go saying that too loud.”
Genii let out a small laugh, and it felt good. She hadn’t laughed in a long time.
“They messed with his mind,” Poe said, glaring at the table. “They brainwashed him into killing his own kind. How despicable can they get?”
“I don’t want to know,” Genii said.
Silence fell between them again.
“Has it occurred to you that more than half of the knights we capture have either been attacked or lost someone to shifters? And that the organization found them not long after that?”
Genii considered Poe’s words and nodded. “I have been seeing a trend.”
“Makes you think.”
“Yeah, think of nothing good.”
Poe eyed her. “What if the my wolf isn’t the first to have such experimentation?”
She squinted. “Are you saying you think the knights are using brainwashed shifters to find new recruits?”
Poe shrugged.
“God.” She shuddered, her own painful memories pinching her heart. “But how would they know which people to go after?”
Poe said nothing. A chill went down Genii’s spine.
“So wh
at happens to Shannon?” Poe asked a long moment later.
“She’s Captain Hera’s problem now,” Genii said.
Poe snorted. “Great. That’s all we need.”
Genii frowned. “Don’t be like that, Poe. Isn’t this what we want? For knights to see the error of their ways?
“I’d rather throw them into a deep, dark dungeon and let rats feed on them, but sure, let’s convert them and reward them for finally understanding that shifters have a right to live,” Poe said bitterly, and then he took a hasty gulp of beer. He coughed slightly.
“Did you read my report?” Genii asked, changing the subject.
“Course I did,” Poe snapped. He took a breath. “Damn, I wish I could have been there. You said that the cougar shifter actually met Nordik?”
Genii grinned. “Indeed he did. Nordik even protected him. Mauled an assassin like it was no big thing. I would have given anything to be only a few minutes earlier.”
Poe moved his empty bottle from hand to hand, the bottom scrapping the table. “To think I used to consider master shifters nothing but a myth. Like Merlin.”
“Merlin isn’t a myth, Poe,” Genii said with exasperation. It was an argument they’d had for many years now.
Merlin was the immortal forefather of shifters. He was also said to know magic and to be able to shift into many animal forms. Or, primal forms, as the shifters often referred to it. Poe had never believed in him. Genii wanted to believe in him. Merlin wasn’t his original name but one he’d chosen for himself. It was the only name anyone knew him by.
Poe shrugged, his gaze on his bottle.
“You still keeping the locale of your wolf secret?”
“As secret as possible.”
Genii finished her beer in one gulp, anxiety tightening her stomach. She didn’t want to consider that they had a traitor in the Agency, and while evidence was circumstantial, it was piling up that someone was feeding information to the Knights. To Arcas.
