by Lia Davis
“How do I know you didn’t infect them? Besides, I didn’t see any signs.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, and damn if his touch didn’t feel good.
Wait.
She was losing her mind. She had to be.
“I’m not sure why they weren’t showing any signs, but I smelled it on them. On everyone, but you.”
That was another thing she wondered. If they were infected, then why wasn’t she?
“I need proof.”
“I can’t give you that yet.”
She struggled to break his hold on her. If he didn’t give her proof, then she was gone. No way was she going to hang out with a bunch of would-be rogue shifters that could kill her at any time.
She doubted they just let her go if she asked. Oh no, they’d want to keep her where they could watch her, make sure she didn’t run back to Shield and share their location.
Hayden managed to turn her so her back pressed against his front and wrapped his arms around her. “We have to learn to trust each other. I sensed in the house that you were looking for an out. Well, you got it. Why not use it and fight the true rogues with us?”
Christa had lost the ability to trust anyone long ago. Yet, she did have twin sixteen-year-old wolves to protect. “Is there anything you can offer me tonight that tells me I might someday trust you?”
He chuckled, making his chest vibrate against her back. “I’ll share if you do.”
Chapter 5
Hayden walked his mother out to her car. She’d been silent since he returned to the house with Christa. That wasn’t good. His mother had no problem speaking her mind, but something had her holding her tongue.
Luna faced him when they reached the car. “I hope you know what you’re doing. I can’t allow her entry to the den just yet.”
“I know. I wouldn’t ask it of you. Mate or not, Christa’s loyalties could still be with Shield. Or should I say Vance.” He ground his molars together at the thought of the rogue running a human rebel group.
“What if she doesn’t believe you and decides to go back to Shield?”
“I’ll have to make sure she sees the truth and that doesn’t happen.”
She smiled wickedly and tugged him down so she could place a kiss on his cheek. “Be sure you do, dear.”
He opened the door for her, and once she settled in the driver’s seat, he shut the door and stepped back. Christa would see the truth. She’d said she was looking for an out. Still, he couldn’t help, but sense that she was hiding something.
He was going to find out what.
Determined, he turned to go back to the house. When he stepped inside, he saw Christa huddled in front of the fireplace. He grabbed one of the blankets his mom had brought, along with an apple from the box of food and walked over to Christa. He wrapped the blanket around her and sat down so his shoulder touched hers.
“Thanks,” she muttered, but didn’t look at him.
He handed her the apple. “You’re not a prisoner.”
“Then let me go.”
“I can’t do that.”
She snorted. “That makes fucking sense.”
Hayden felt his lips twitch. The female had spirit, that was for sure. He was going to enjoy playing with her. “Have you heard the stories on why Ashwood and MoonRiver merged together as one pack?”
She took a bite out of the apple and chewed before speaking. “I’ve heard several rumors. It depends on the source...” She drifted off as if realizing something.
Hayden remained quiet and let her stew over whatever conclusion swirled around inside her head. Finally, she said softly, “Shield isn’t like it used to be. We were established to protect humans from the rogues. We never went out of our way to attack dens without solid proof.”
He fisted his hand in his lap to keep from touching her any more than he was already. He heard the slight disappointment in her tone, but it was masked by anger. It was as if she’d lost faith in their cause. “Is that why you want out?”
She shrugged and continued to stare into the fire. “I’m thirty-nine and not getting any younger. The new commander of Shield changed everything. He had the Memphis unit ready to go into Ashwood in a full-on attack.”
Hayden tensed at her admission. It sounded too close to the vision his mother had. If what Christa said was true, then Vance may already have a backup plan in place. He’d be sure to tell Blaine and his mother to look into other rebel groups. Maybe Blaine’s mother-in-law’s mate, Damian Archer, had information to share. The puma did work for one of the shifter rebel groups and had contacts all over the U.S. Damian and Sarah had moved to Ashwood Falls a few weeks ago after Sarah was targeted by his right hand.
Of course Christa would have information on the human groups as well, but he’d have to gain her trust first before she’d work with him.
“My father went rogue.” It was the only admission he could think of that would catch her attention.
She peered over at him and frowned. “Did you kill him?”
He studied her features in the glow of the firelight. There was no judgment in her gaze, just a hint of compassion as if knowing that he’d put down his own father saddened her. He looked away from her to watch the flames dance. “No. My mother did.”
She placed her chilled hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. For both of you and your mother. Is that why she’s Alpha?”
Hayden nodded. “Knowing my father, he’d figured it’d be the perfect punishment for her. Leave her with the burdens of a broken Pack.”
He felt her wince beside him before she asked, “Was he abusive?”
Hayden sighed, and so didn’t want to talk about his father, but he’d opened his big mouth. It was too late to back out now without seeming like a total ass. “Not until he turned rogue, the illness we all fight within.”
“What illness?”
“The craving for blood and power. Not always in that order.”
“Blood? Like bloodlust?”
He met her gaze and held it for several moments before she looked away. “Shifters aren’t like vampires. We don’t need blood to survive, but we do like the hunt. Those of us who live in a healthy Pack have the support and love of our pack mates, so the risks are low. But the ones with an Alpha that has submitted to his or her animal too much run the risk of going rogue.” He paused to let her soak in what he’d told her.
“Are there exceptions?”
He shrugged and peered back into the flames. “There are always exceptions. My mother is one. Because she is the first female Alpha of a Pack, she had to submit to her wolf a little more. However, she is a maternal female at heart. Her soul’s focus, along with her wolf’s, is nurturing and protecting her Pack.”
She went to say something else, most likely to ask more questions, but stopped. Hayden was out of answers, for now. At least out of answers he could give her without jeopardizing the den. Christa still couldn’t be trusted, no matter how much his wolf wanted to claim her and make her submit to them.
He stood and stretched. It had been a long fucking day. No doubt it was going to be an even longer night with his mate so close while he ran patrol. “Get some sleep, Christa. We’ll talk more in the morning. You have a choice to make. I hope it’s the right one.”
He turned sharply on his heels and walked out of the house, away from the female that put his wolf on edge.
Chapter 6
Christa had never had a problem with sleeping in odd, dirty places. Hell, it was a job requirement when she staked out homes and other places where rogue activity was reported. Yet, last night she hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes at a time. At least it felt like it.
It was all that damned wolf’s fault.
Her mind kept trying to make sense of what he’d told her and what Shield had always said about rogues. Then there was her niece and nephew. They didn’t have a mean bone in their bodies. In fact, they reacted protectively toward her and didn’t care about human insecurities.
She dr
opped her shoulders as she sat on the sofa, head in her hands. Brenna and Bryce needed a den, a Pack they could thrive in. Christa knew that deep in her heart, but she didn’t know a thing about the Packs, or which ones she could trust.
Or if any of them would accept a human to live among them.
There was no way she’d just hand over the twins and leave them. Hell no. They were her family, and where they went, she went. Period.
So, yeah, that meant she’d have to stick around and learn what she could. That didn’t mean she trusted Hayden or Ashwood right now. Not with all her many unanswered questions.
A part of her wasn’t sure she wanted the answers to those questions, while the other half wanted to get closer to Hayden and hoped he was telling her the truth.
The front door burst open, and she jumped up with a jerk to face it. The morning sun pooled in around Hayden as he stood in the doorway glaring at her. She peered down at his hand, and her heart fell to her feet.
Shit. The Twins.
She lifted her gaze back to his face and stood her ground. Those were her sister’s babies, now her babies. No one was going to bring harm to them.
Lifting her hand, she pointed to the phone. “Give me my phone.”
One corner of his lips lifted in an unamused, one-sided smile. “So demanding.”
He raised his hand and turned the phone so she could see the screen. She held in her groan at the list of text messages from the twins. She couldn’t make out the exact words, but she could see well enough to know that all were one word—the single code word they used to check if the other is okay—except the last message.
She flicked her gaze to his and knew he smelled the fear she couldn’t contain. His eyes glowed, indicating his wolf was peering out at her. She shivered. So many times she’d seen Brenna and Bryce with the same look, right before they chased down their prey.
He stepped forward, still holding the phone up for her to see. When he got close enough, she stopped breathing for a moment when she saw the last message.
Got your scent. We’re coming.
Fuck.
She didn’t want the twins to find her. Not yet. Not until she’d figured out the mess of information she’d learned over the last day.
“Tell me, Christa, who’s coming?”
He stood over her now, trying to crowd her, intimidate her for information. Dropping her shoulders, she stepped back and sat on the sofa. “My niece and nephew.”
When he didn’t respond, she peered up at him. His brows were drawn together as if he didn’t like her answer and was still waiting for more. She sighed and rested her head against the back of the couch. “I’ve raised them since they were eight. They’re sixteen now.”
“And they are on their own now? Do you know what rogues do to children?”
The anger in his voice didn’t intimidate her or frighten her. However, she hesitated and wondered how much she should tell him. Would telling him the truth bring more danger to the twins? By the tone of Vance’s threat the day before, he already knew the twins were shifters.
“Answer the damn question, Christa.”
She snapped her gaze back to his and sent him a hard stare. “That tone will get you nowhere.” She stood so she was a little more at his level. Well, as much as she could. He still towered over her by at least six inches. “The twins’ father was a wolf shifter.”
Hayden raked a hand through his hair. She’d seen him do it with his mother last night when they spoke quietly. After a moment, he handed her the phone. “How long until they get here?”
Christa peered at the phone. The last message had been sent about ten minutes ago. “Where are we?”
Hayden set his jaw, but answered her. “Just north of the Smoky Mountain National Park.”
Her heart sank. They were so close to where the twins were hiding. Because shifters matured at a faster rate than humans, she’d felt comfortable enough to allow Brenna and Bryce to stay at a small cabin she’d purchased under an alias last year. That way Shield wouldn’t find out they were wolves.
Her niece and nephew were strong and very smart. They understood the dangers of both the human and the shifter worlds.
“My best guess is maybe five or ten minutes, depending on where they were when they sent the last text. They are excellent trackers,” she said as she looked out the door, which was still wide open, worried for the kids.
“Christa?”
She turned her head to meet his gaze and studied him for a moment. The memory of the raid entered her mind. The man who was with them had said, “He’s not here.”
“Yesterday, you were looking for someone. Who?”
Hayden’s features remained devoid of emotions. “Vance. He works for the rogue Onyx Pack.”
She blinked. Vance was trying to point the fingers at Ashwood. Bring the humans into the war between shifters. Suddenly everything was starting to make a little more sense, especially the changes in Shield’s policy to go to breach the wards and protections of the shifter territories without solid evidence that the shifters were rogue and a threat to humans.
She cast him a hard stare. Unlike Vance, Hayden had compassion. She sensed it in the same way she could tell Vance was not a good guy. Even though Hayden was a take-charge, pure alpha male on the outside, she’d bet he had a soft side that only his family got to see.
That didn’t mean she could trust him. Did it?
One thing was for sure. She definitely couldn’t trust Vance. The man...shifter was evil. She felt it like a sticky residue over her skin when she was near him.
“What is Vance’s animal?”
Hayden tilted his head. “Leopard. Why?”
She shrugged and sat up on the sofa. “Just curious.”
Suddenly, Hayden held up a hand to silence her then turned his head as if listening to something, or someone. Before she could ask what the hell he heard, he was out the front door. Christa followed, which made him whirl around to her, his wolf in his eyes. “Go back inside.”
She stood her ground and glared at him. “I don’t think so. I’ve been hunting rogues half my life. Besides, whatever you heard could be my niece and nephew.”
A tic formed in his temples as he narrowed his eyes at her. This man was not used to being told no. Well, he’d have to get used to it because she wasn’t used to following orders.
She held his gaze, unblinking, until he leaned in and growled, “You are a stubborn female.”
“And you’re an ass.” She smiled.
He turned from her to face the edge of the trees that hid the den from view. She waited beside him, not knowing how far the twins, or whoever was out there, were from them.
“I’d feel better if I was armed,” she muttered, not really meaning for Hayden to hear her. Of course he did, thanks to his damn wolf hearing.
“I wouldn’t.”
Ass.
A moment later two figures stepped into view. Relief flooded her senses. They were Brenna and Bryce and behind them was a large black wolf. She looked over at Hayden then back at the twins. Bryce looked pissed and appeared a little disheveled. His hair stood on end, his T-shirt was ripped at the bottom, and his bottom lip was swollen.
She stepped forward, only to have Hayden grab her biceps to stop her. Peering up at him, she jerked her arm out of his grasp and continued toward the twins. Hayden moved behind her. She heard his heavy footfalls and a low growl. She smiled.
Brenna was the first to reach her and pull her into a tight hug. “Chris, are you okay? We were scared something had happened when you didn’t answer the text. Why didn’t you answer?”
Christa laughed and hugged her niece back and held out a hand for Bryce, who instantly moved closer to her. “It doesn’t matter now. You’re here, and we’re together.”
She would see to it that they were never separated again.
“Bryce fought with the other wolf,” Brenna whispered, but it was no use.
Hayden heard her, went over to the black wolf, which C
hrista guessed was Tanner, and knelt down beside him and spoke low. A moment later Tanner moved toward the house.
Christa focused on Bryce. He had a small scratch on his cheek and a red mark on his jaw she bet would be a bruise tomorrow. She lifted her hand to touch his cheek, but he stepped back and took her hand in his. “It’s fine, Chris.”
Hayden stepped up beside him and nodded to the house. “You’re about the same size as Tanner. Go ask him for a change of clothes.”
Bryce simply nodded and walked over to the house.
Christa studied Hayden closely. “They fought, and now they’re expected to get along?”
Hayden’s lips twitched. “You have a lot to learn about Pack.”
“They’re not part of your Pack.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re minors with no parents or Pack. Ashwood will take them in.”
Christa crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m their guardian. The only family they have.”
Hayden closed the distance between them. “You will have to build the Pack’s trust.”
“What? I’m not going to your den. Neither are the twins.”
He took a deep breath as if trying to regain control. Brenna touched her arm tentatively. Hayden saw and he stared at her hand. Brenna looped her hand around Christa’s arm and moved closer to her. He lifted his gaze and met Christa’s again. Several moments passed before he leaned in so close their lips were inches apart.
Her heart hammered behind her ribcage. A shot of hot fear rushed over her skin. Hayden’s gaze held hers, making her grow more and more uncomfortable with how close they were. She knew nothing about this man or what the hell was going on, yet she wondered what it would be like if he kissed her.
She mentally shook herself and started to take a step back only to stop when she saw the green of his eye darken just before Brenna released her arm and stepped away. She was about to ask Brenna what she sensed, but Hayden cupped the back of her head and claimed her mouth, thrusting his tongue inside. She stiffened at first, then let go of the battle brewing in her mind over this male and gave in to the pleasure of his mouth moving with hers.
