by Zoe Perdita
Wolf Pack Complete Series
Mate (Silver Mountain Wolf Pack), Alpha Bait (Russian Wolf Pack Book 1), Wild (Russian Wolf Pack Book 2)
Zoe Perdita
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Mate
Silver Mountain Wolf Pack
Part I
Jake
Chapter 1
Jake set down the last box and looked around his new home. The move from Boise, although unwanted, was necessary. The sights and smells of a city were too much for his animal senses to take in. Plus, if he got loose on the full moon who knows what kind of havoc he’d create? No doubt he’d end up imprisoned or dead at the hands of an overzealous animal control agent. If only he’d never been bitten- but what’s past was past. No use dwelling on it.
His little two-bedroom house had all the small town charm he’d learned to resent as a child, and now he was back. New small town, same old sensibilities. Kellogg was the only place he could find a job in Idaho, and it was no wonder. Who wanted to police a place like this? Jake couldn’t imagine many of the city’s two thousand residents got up to much trouble- most of that probably came from tourists.
He walked into the little bathroom with the old-fashioned claw foot tub and rinsed his face in the sink. His black hair clung to his pale forehead, and the dark stubble of his five o’clock shadow made his sharp green eyes stand out more than they usually did. He dabbed his face with his faded t-shirt and wiped the water from his hands on his torn jeans. He wasn’t much a fashionista by any means, but he liked to wear his cloths on the right side of snug to show off his toned body.
Well, now was as good a time as any to go check out the police station and meet his new boss, Captain Holden Walker. On the phone the man sounded youngish- but his name sounded old fashioned. The captain seemed friendly enough and was more than happy to hire him with only a phone interview. Jake even did all his contract paper work over fax and email. At least he’d be secure in his job for a year. If he hated it he could move to another small town and start all over again. It wasn’t like Jake had anyone in his life to think about but himself- the curse of the bite saw to that.
The police station was on Main Street just a few blocks from his house. He debated showering before he stopped by, but his wolf instincts kept him from it. The strong scent of his sweat might deter other were-creatures from messing with him. Plus, it signified his dominance of the area and the situation. As a lone wolf he needed all the deterrence he could get. A pack could easily overpower him- either killing him or drawing him in- and he wasn’t overly interested in either possibility. He might be stuck as a shape-changing werewolf for the rest of his life, but he didn’t have to associate with others like him.
Jake looked at the station, a red brick building with open windows, and stepped inside. Fluorescent lights buzzed on the ceiling and cast everything an unhealthy green. Only one deputy sat at the front desk- his brow creasing as Jake approached. The young man looked hardly older than twenty, his skin smooth and his hair a dirty sun-bleached blond. The strong scent of musk- familiar in so many ways- gave the boy away. Another werewolf? Just great.
“I’m Jake Anderson, the new detective. Can I speak to Captain Walker?”
“You’re the new detective?”
Jake glanced at the man’s nametag. “Yes, McDonald. Do you have a problem with that?”
The young man’s fingers twitched on his pen. “Of course I do.”
Jake glared at the man. Even sitting he could tell McDonald was shorter and slighter than Jake’s own decent six-foot build, and he wasn’t about to get pushed around by a runt. “Look. I’m not trying to butt into anyone’s territory. I moved here for work not play.”
McDonald smirked, his brown eyes shining in the artificial light of the room. “You may not be trying to butt in, but you’re neck deep in someone else’s territory. Go on and talk to the captain. His office is down the hall.”
The little hairs rose on his neck, but Jake didn’t have a retort that didn’t involve a fist to McDonald’s face. Not the best first impression, so he walked down the hallway. If McDonald was a wolf that probably meant a pack controlled the town. Jake frowned. He didn’t need a group telling him what to do or trying to protect him. He’d protected himself for ten years, and he could keep on doing it solo.
Glancing in the window to the office he saw the captain leaning over a pile of papers. Holden Walker’s lean, muscular body moved with precision as he flipped the papers on his desk, a pen held still and ready in his hands. He looked younger than Jake imagined, only in his early thirties, and his tan skin and light brown hair, cut short, reminded him of McDonald. A stubborn chin and straight nose rounded out his handsome face. As long as he wasn’t a werewolf they wouldn’t have a problem.
Jake knocked once and opened the door.
“I was wondering how long you were going to stand there,” Captain Walker said and glanced up. “Jake Anderson, right?” The powerful aroma of an alpha filled the room- the captain’s eyes bright and blue as he watched Jake.
Well, they had a problem. “Yes.”
“Good. I thought you’d get in today. Have you settled? Find everything to your liking? I hope the house is big enough for all your needs.”
“It’s fine,” Jake said and gritted his teeth. The man wasn’t even going to acknowledge the wolf in the room?
A smile spread over Captain Walker’s full lips- the only part of his face that actually looked soft. For a moment Jake wondered what they tasted like and quickly shook the thought from his mind. He shouldn't have those feelings about a rival wolf!
“I didn’t expect this at all, detective.”
Jake held back a sigh. He refused to show weakness in front of another animal, especially a powerful alpha. “Neither did I.”
“What happened to your pack? You don’t smell like an omega.”
“I don’t need a pack.”
Captain Walker raised his eyebrows. “Oh, you're a loner. How’s that working out for you?”
“Great, actually. Is this going to be a problem?” Jake asked and stared into the other man’s eyes. They studied him with an intensity he’d never seen before, like the alpha systematically stripped him to the bones and saw what made him tick. Jake’s skin prickled, and his stomach did little backflips. Fuck. He didn’t need this kind of scrutiny.
“I don’t like the idea of a rogue running around my town.”
“I’m not a rogue! I-” Jake started, but the captain held up a hand for him to stop.
“You can say that all you like, but if you don’t follow a pack that says a lot about you right off the bat. Can’t play with others. Disobedient. Lawless, even.”
Jake balled his hands into tight fists. “You just met me and you’re calling me lawless? I’ve been a detective for five years. I think I know the law, Captain Walker!”
The man shook his head and stood up. He was only an inch or two taller than Jake, but his presence made him seem larger. The perfectly fitted button up shirt, the same bright blue as his eyes, was undone just enough to reveal the hint of chest hair beneath. “You might know human law, but that’s not what concerns me. Do you know our law? If you don’t have a pack who will hold you accountable for your misdeeds, detective Anderson?”
Jake’s chest surged with the desire to pound the other man into oblivion. Or kiss him. Shit! What was he thinking? If he attacked
an alpha out in the open like that he’d have the whole pack on his ass in no time flat. Even Jake knew he couldn’t fight them all off. “I’m not going to break any of your pack’s laws. I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me.”
Captain Walker chuckled, his deep voice resonating around the room. “Well, that doesn’t sound like any fun, detective. I’ll have to persuade you otherwise.”
“I’m not interested in coercion.”
The smile slipped from his mouth like a man falling off a cliff- one moment it was there the next it seemed like it’d never been. “We both know that’s not how this works. You overstepped your bounds and now you’ll have to pay the price.”
Jake slammed his hands on the desk, the wood cracking under the force. “Then I’ll get the hell out of your town and find work elsewhere! I don’t need this kind of bullshit!”
Captain Walker’s blue eyes, the same color of cornflowers, watched him intently. “You already signed the contract for a year, and I need a detective right now. If you back out you’ll have to pay back the moving costs and the deposit on your rental. Can you afford that, detective?”
No. He couldn’t afford it since most of his check went to his monthly grocery bill. If he skipped town this blemish on his record would follow him wherever he went- even out of state. Shit. This stupid bastard just wasn’t going to give in. “What do you want me to do?” Jake growled.
“Join my pack,” the captain said, his eyes holding Jake’s in their intent stare.
Jake’s cheeks flushed, his heart trying to hammer out of his chest. “I already said no.” It took all his willpower to utter those words. What the hell was wrong with him?
“I’ll give you until tomorrow night to think it over. Then you can give me your real answer. Until then don’t get into trouble.”
Jake’s cheeks burned, an unusual mixture of fiery rage and lust flowing over his entire body. Why did he leave Boise again? “Of course not.”
The captain’s lips turned up into a smirk. “I’ll come to your house tomorrow night.”
Jake’s groin surged with excitement at the look on the other man’s face. Was he smiling because he thought Jake would give in or because he was thinking of something else? Jake didn’t really want to find out. He grumbled his understanding and marched out of the office. His entire body pricked with need for an open area to run- to hunt- to kill something! Preferably that smug Captain Walker! McDonald stared as he stalked out, but he refused to speak to the runt. Jake would just want to rip him apart too.
The clean mountain air filled his nose once he got outside and away from the overwhelming odor of his kind. He looked at the surrounding mountains covered with green pine trees, the sun settling behind them for the night, and thought he could have been happy there- if it wasn’t for the locals.
It took him longer to walk to the edge of town than he thought, the darkness settling over the little Victorian houses and brick buildings of Main Street like a cloak. In werewolf form he would have covered the same amount of ground in half the time, but scaring the residents as a snarling beast probably wouldn’t go over well.
In the forest each tree and trail reeked of Holden Walker’s scent. How many wolves occupied the town? It couldn’t be a large pack or else the people would get suspicious, right? Thinking back to his own attack all those years ago, he frowned. No. Humans never thought about things out of the ordinary. He never imagined a huge wolf, like something from a nightmare, would attack him on an innocent camping trip. Or that the festering bite on his leg would turn him into a beast just like that thing. Now he craved meat and the thrill of the hunt almost as much as he craved air in his lungs. And after seeing Holden Walker, taking in his rich musk, he craved something else. He shook his head fiercely to remove the thought from his mind.
Even in the deep dark of the woods Jake saw the individual shapes of trees and bushes and heard the nocturnal animals as they went about their business. Were any like him? It didn’t really matter. Other were-animals tended to keep to themselves, and he wasn’t in the mood to make friends.
Stripping his clothes, he set them on a fallen log. Changing forms resulted in too many ripped T-shirts, so taking them off beforehand just made sense. Overhead, the moon beckoned to him- willing him to give into her spell. Slowly, his bones cracked and shifted position, the pain overwhelming every nerve in his body as he transformed into a large black wolf. With four paws on the ground he awoke to a new world. Every smell, sound and sight enhanced for his werewolf senses. Far off, the scent of other wolves filled his nose, but he’d be able to get home before they ever caught up to him. Giving into the moon, he ran.
Every mile ate up his burning wrath and the strange prickling desire. Just one year. He’d serve his time and get the hell out of this town and go to a new place with no creatures like him. But the stupid captain’s smirk filled his mind- the man’s handsome face and commanding presence. How the hell could he last a year of his life under that bastard?
Jake stopped on a hilltop and let out a howl, a long lonely sound that carried over the mountains and trees. He’d manage- he always had and he always would- even if he did it alone.
A shuffle in the trees caught his attention, and he turned his head. Whatever it was stood downwind, the scent lost in the shifting wind. Barring his teeth and growling, Jake waited for the thing to emerge. Was it a raccoon? A bobcat? A bear?
A wolf stepped out of the bushes, its huge brown shoulders shifting as it walked forward. It stood almost as tall as a Great Dane, and Jake took an involuntary step backwards. The alpha. That thing was way too big to fight off, but he wasn’t about to cower before it. Not a chance in hell!
The wolf lunged; its claws out and teeth barred as it descended upon him. Jake dodged. Running to the left and zigzagging around trees as the beast pursued him. Several times he pulled his feet out of the way just before massive jaws closed on them. Shit! What the hell was the captain’s problem!
The soft light of town glittered below them. Jake burst into a clearing just as the alpha caught up with him, the enormous wolf knocking him down. The two rolled, jaws snarling and teeth gnashing at each other until they came to a stop. Jake tried to get on his feet, but the wolf slammed into him again making him yelp. Then the alpha smothered him, its body hovering over his and holding him down with incredible force.
Jake’s stomach twisted into knots, his heart pounding in his chest. If he turned human the captain might bite off his head without a second thought. But that wasn’t the most worrying thing. The sensation surging through his veins, like an electric current, felt right- perfect somehow. But that didn’t make any sense!
Finally, the wolf got off of him and sat down as if he waited for something. Jake, not well versed in wolf manners, got up and ran.
It was after midnight by the time Jake limped up to his house in his human form. Dark windows welcomed him, and as he turned the key in his lock a now familiar scent caught his nose.
“What the hell-” Jake started as he reached for the light, but a strong body shoved him into the wall.
“You’ve been running in my woods without permission,” Captain Walker growled in his ear, the heat of the other man’s body engulfing him.
Jake snarled and pushed him back, and they both fell onto a pile of boxes, the loud smash of the lone wolf’s possessions filling the quiet house. “You didn’t have to chase me!”
Scrambling for the upper hand, Jake raised his fist and swung, but the alpha moved just before the blow struck.
“But you were so easy to catch,” Captain Walker said.
A sudden punch to his stomach knocked all the wind from his lungs, and Jake coughed and held his bruised muscles. Damn. The man was stronger than he thought!
Legs straddled his slender hips, the stiffness of Captain Walker’s erection pressed into his own. “I’ve caught you twice now. Are you going to join my pack or keep up this useless fight?” the man asked as he pinned Jake’s hands above his head.
> The hard wooden floor dug into his back, Holden’s musky fragrance filling his nose and adding to the throbbing need in his cock. Why did this turn him on? He hated that smug captain no matter how good looking the bastard was. But why did the fluttering start up in his stomach again? His heart pounding against his ribs like it was trying to break free from his chest? The man’s body on top of his felt right, but it wasn’t. Not at all!
“I already said I’m not-” Jake didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because Holden Walker kissed him, the alpha’s lips pressing into his with urgency.
Jake’s mind reeled. He didn’t want to kiss the captain back, but his body wasn’t getting the message. His lips eased into the other man’s, his mouth parting to let the warm tongue inside to play. A prickling need built up over Jake’s entire body as the alpha’s mouth engulfed his.
Hands traveled over his chest and groped at his pants, rubbing his hardened cock through his jeans. Jake gasped and rolled his hips into the touch. He shouldn’t like this. Why couldn’t he stop?
The captain’s lips sizzled over his rough cheeks and down his neck, the man’s body enveloping his with heat. Jake grabbed at his shoulders and tried to push Holden back, make him stop this assault on Jake’s senses, but the man didn’t budge.
“You feel it too. I can tell,” the captain said as his hand drifted under Jake’s t-shirt and glided across his muscular chest.
“Feel what? It’s been awhile for me. That’s all,” he said, but moaned as Captain Walker unzipped his pants and freed his aching cock from the confines of his jeans.
“Your body feels it even if you don’t know what it is. Take off your shirt.”
“Fuck you,” Jake said, although his voice held no venom.
In the light of the moon, Holden smiled. “I can take it off for you, but it won’t be nice.”
