by Lia Davis
Slowly she glanced to the mother as she ran a hand over the pup’s head and down his back. The mother watched, but didn’t make a move toward her.
“That’s a sign of trust,” Hayden whispered into her ear, making her jump. His warm breath over her too-sensitive skin made her shiver.
She hated the reaction.
She didn’t know this man or the wolf that lived within his soul. Yet, somewhere deep inside her, she wanted to know him, and the more she was around him, the more she wanted.
When she didn’t reply to him, he spoke again. “My wolf says you can be trusted. We’ve watched you with the twins and how accepting you are to their nature and the way you don’t hold them back. You do have a pure heart, Christa.”
Her eyes stung, and her nose tingled, but she blinked away the tears before they could make her appear like the emotional wreck she felt she was. Thirty-nine was too old to continue with the blind vengeance she’d held on to for too long.
She was tired. Tired of hiding the twins from Shield. Tired of fighting for something she didn’t believe anymore.
Brenna and Bryce had opened her eyes to the true nature of shifters. And as much as she wanted to run far away from Hayden, she knew he was the only one who could help her now. He could help the twins.
Yes, she was making her decision for the twins and not because of the hormonal imbalance he caused. “I want to help bring Vance down. I also want you to promise that Brenna and Bryce will be safe.”
He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. “I already told you that they’d be accepted into Ashwood. You, on the other hand, will have to gain their trust.”
She nodded and tugged her hand from his. He let out a soft chuckle as if this was a game to him. Maybe it was. From what she knew, shifters loved to play just as much as they loved to hunt. “I don’t like Vance or the changes he brought to Shield. They aren’t the same people I’ve worked with for the last few years.”
“I’m not sure, but my theory is Vance is using the mutant serum to slowly change the humans and manipulate them in to believing everything he says. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me.” He gently gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. “You will have to take a blood oath with both Alphas to be allowed into the den.”
She jerked her head to the side, loosening his hold. Even though he spoke the words soft, she could hear the rough, almost growl undertone of a demand in his voice. The idea of leaving him, Ashwood, Onyx, and anything to do with the shifter world was still nipping at the back of her mind. Yet, the twins needed a safe place to stay, a Pack that could provide them a life she couldn’t.
So she had to stay and work with Hayden to stop the evil, because the thought of not being in the twins’ lives broke her heart.
Taking a deep breath, she dropped her shoulders and absently ran her hand over the fur of the wolf pup snuggled up to her leg. She could do this. She had to do this.
Her gut told her Hayden could be trusted and might be her only hope to secure Brenna’s and Bryce’s future. A future with a Pack that could aid them in building their strengths.
Something Christa couldn’t offer on her own.
“Okay, I’ll do it. Whatever it takes to protect the twins.”
When she met Hayden’s gaze again, she saw the wolf peering back at her, proud and arrogant.
God, she hoped she was doing the right thing.
Chapter 8
Hayden smelled Cameron and Ana before he and Christa broke through the trees. He suppressed a groan. He was not ready to face any of his Pack. Not yet.
He especially wasn’t ready to talk with Cameron, who could sense his mood thanks to the mating bond to Blaine. Being the mate of the Alpha, she’d know he’d started the mating dance with Christa.
As soon as he and Christa stepped into the open space that used to be Hunter Ridge, Cam turned toward them and narrowed her eyes at Christa. Hayden instinctually took Christa by the arm and tugged her into him.
Christa tried to pull away from him, but he was quicker. He fought a smile at her irritation, which he picked up on her scent and by the low human-like growl she let out. He could imagine her doing that with the twins when they were in trouble, like a mother with her pups. The image of Christa round with his pup came to mind, and he quickly banished it.
No. Way.
Not now.
His wolf perked up at the thought and moved to rub against him where Christa’s skin touched his. The damn beast liked the idea of Christa carrying his pups. The wolf never understood patience. No, the animal within took what he wanted, all be damned.
It was a curse left behind by his father. The Raines bloodline was too pure, their connections to their wolves too strong. From what Hayden knew, all the males in his father’s line either went completely wolf, or rogue.
He’d recently discovered that there was only one Raines male left, besides he and his brothers of course. Hayden and his mom were currently working with Jared to search for that male. What they would find, Hayden wasn’t sure. A part of him hoped his uncle, Rafe Raines, was still sane because it would kill Luna to watch her mate’s twin die. It would be like watching Royce die all over again.
Cam cleared her throat, bringing Hayden back to the present. He stared into her gold eyes and held her gaze until she shifted it to Christa tucked behind him. “She can’t come to the den.”
Hayden set his jaw and bared his fangs. “She’s agreed to a blood oath. It is now up to the Alphas.”
Cam watched Christa for several moments before she returned her gaze back to him. There was something different about Cameron, but he couldn’t place it. He scented the air, drew in the smells of forest, Pack. The female’s scent was different.
He tilted his head and studied her. Then took a step closer. Instantly, Cam held a hand up to stop him. “Don’t.”
The one word command held both a warning and a hint of fear. He shook his head and brushed by her, making sure his shoulder knocked into hers as he tugged Christa to the house.
Christa finally managed to jerk out of his grasp and fell into step with him. “Who was that? Are you always rude around others? And here I thought it was just me...”
Hayden spun around, gripped her by the biceps, and drew her into his body. She gasped, placed both hands on his chest, and met his gaze with a fire that only made him want her all the more. With a growl, he leaned in so their lips were inches apart and said, “That is one of the leopard Alpha’s mates. You are to show her respect.”
She narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin. “I only give respect to those who show it to me. Now let me go.”
Hayden felt his lips twitch. His female held a strength he’d never seen in a human. And she dared to challenge him. “What if I don’t?”
She smiled, and before he knew it, she’d wrapped a leg around his and jerked, throwing him off balance. He flung his hand out and gripped her arm, pulling her to the ground with him. He landed on his back then flipped them over so he pinned Christa.
“Not the outcome you were hoping for, was it?”
She pounded on his chest and wiggled under him, hitting just the right spot. He wedged a thigh between her legs and pressed into her. Her eyes grew round in shock as her desire filled the little bit of space between them. Deciding to punish her for her defiance, he moved against her. A soft groan escaped her, but she didn’t look away from him.
Cameron’s black boots came into his view, and one rose and fell in an impatient tap, tap against the ground. “Are you done?”
He shook his head. “No. I thought you were here to drop off supplies.”
When Cam didn’t answer, he peered up at her, and his heart stopped. Something was wrong. He jumped up and offered Christa his hand. She didn’t take it. Instead, she stood on her own and took several steps away from him.
Hayden let Christa be and reached out to touch Cam’s shoulder. “What is it?”
“Is she safe?” Cameron looked at him then at Christa.
Cameron pursed her lips. “Maybe you should ask Jared about his mate.”
Fuck. Jared’s mate was the daughter of Onyx Pack’s Alpha. Sable Darwin had made her choice to stand by her father until she had broken from the Onyx Pack to join a shifter rebel group a few months ago.
Like the human groups, the shifters had started to form rebel groups to try to fight back against the rogues and to keep the humans at bay.
Still, he wasn’t Jared, and Christa wasn’t Sable.
Hayden took a step closer to Cameron, only to have Ana place a hand on his chest to stop him. He peered into the female’s gray eyes and held her hard stare for several moments before he took Ana’s hand and moved it over his heart. With his hand still covering hers, he said, “Cam and I may have our differences at time, but we are Pack. You must trust in that, Ana.”
Ana drew her brows together and slipped her hand from under his, and then she turned and walked off.
“She’s still fighting the Pack bond a little. I’m sure growing up in Onyx wasn’t easy,” Cam said softly.
Hayden muttered a curse again, and from beside him, Christa spoke up. “She’s part of the rogue Pack?”
Hayden sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Used to be. It’s a long story.” He met Cam’s gaze. “Christa comes with me when I return to the den in the morning.”
Cam let out a soft warning growl. “Be sure you bring her by the house. I’ll let Luna know. Hell, we’ll make it a breakfast party.”
Hayden felt his lips lift in a smile. “That’s my Cam.” When he moved to grab her in a hug like he’d done since she was a teen, she darted away from him. “Cam?”
“I have to go catch up with Ana,” she rushed out and ran off into the woods where her sister-in-law had gone.
“Does she always act like that?” Christa asked.
Hayden peered into the forest, worried about the sudden don’t-touch reaction he’d gotten from Cam. “No. Casual touch between pack mates is a part of who we are. Considering she’s a feline, she’s more inclined to it than us wolves.”
He started walking toward the house to keep her from asking any more questions. Something was bothering Cam, and he was going to find out what it was. After all, she was mated to one of his best friends.
****
Blaine was still getting used to being the Alpha. That meant sitting in on strategy meetings with Luna, the two resident Elders—his dad, Keegan, and Kieran, his mentor and the Pack spy who had spent the last ten years in the Onyx Pack—Alex, Dane, and Torin, the wolf senior enforcer who was filling in for Hayden while he was gone.
Yeah, so he could say his living room was a little full.
Thank God Graham had taken the kids to the nursery for a few hours; although, right then, Blaine needed the distraction of little Max. This meeting was pissing him the fuck off. They still didn’t know where Felix was hiding, the cowardly bastard. It was like the fucker had vanished after setting his own den up to blow when Kieran, Hayden, and several enforcers went in to bring Felix in to face his punishment.
Blaine’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. He picked it up and answered after checking the screen to see it was Hayden. “Yo.”
Hayden chuckled. “What’s up?”
“I’m in a meeting.”
“Ah, then you welcome the interruption.”
His best friend knew him too well. “Always. Is this business?”
“Nope. I just wanted to see what was up with Cam.”
Blaine ground his molars together and stepped out of the living room to walk down the hall for a little more privacy. He’d noticed in the last few weeks that Cam had been acting distant. Although he felt her love and commitment to he and Graham through the mating bond, he could also sense something else. It was almost like fear or anxiety. Every time he tried to bring it up to her, she was busy.
Another thing that worried the hell out of him. She’d been keeping herself way too busy lately.
“You noticed it too, huh?” Blaine asked, irritation creeping into his tone.
“Yeah, she wasn’t as playful as normal, and her scent is off.”
Blaine let out a growl. “Watch yourself...”
“Chill the fuck out. I meant it’s slight sweeter than normal.”
Sagging against the wall, he let his headrest against it. “She’s pregnant. Graham and I picked up on it about a week ago. She’s been avoiding us, not wanting to talk about it. We plan to separate her from everyone at dinner and confront her about it.”
“Congrats, man. If I can pick up on the scent, then the pregnancy took.”
Blaine didn’t answer right away. In fact, he was scared to death. Another miscarriage would destroy everything they’d built, plus rip the three of them apart. They weren’t a triad without Cam.
“Blaine? Look man, you have to have faith this is meant to be. The Fates aren’t that cruel.”
“Thanks. I need to go find my mates.” Blaine ended the call without another word. He turned around and jumped at the sight of his father, who had a shit-eating grin on his face. Damn telepath.
“Go find your mates. I’ll handle things here. Not that we’re making any progress anyway.” Keegan shook his head, but Blaine sensed the irritation mounting inside his father. It was like that with all of them.
The news that Vance, Onyx’s Marshal, had a hand in the human rebel groups just put the fucking cherry on top.
He’d gladly put all of it aside for a brief moment to get Graham and confront Cam on the real reason she’d been avoiding them.
He was going to be a father.
Chapter 9
Christa sat on the sofa sandwiched between Bryce and Brenna, which was their usual evening ritual, pile on the couch like puppies and watch TV. Only right now they didn’t have a TV. So they did the next best thing. They watched funny animal videos from YouTube on Brenna’s tablet.
She felt Hayden watching her from across the room where he sat at a small round table with his brother, speaking to him in hushed tones. Brenna said they were talking about Ashwood and someone named Blaine, which Christa knew was the new leopard Alpha.
So Christa tried not to pay Hayden any attention and enjoy the time she had with the twins. God, it had been a long time since she’d been able to do this with them. To just sit and be a family. She wanted to squeeze them both and never let go.
Beside her, Bryce tensed then Brenna followed almost immediately. Christa was about to ask what they’d heard or smelled when Hayden and Tanner jumped up from the table and went to the door. The twins stood and walked around the sofa to stand between her and the door.
Tanner jerked the door open and cursed. “Fuck, Kirk. What the hell?”
Christa stood and moved around the twins to get a better look. It was the man who had been with them the day Hayden took her from Shield HQ, and his shirt was soaked in blood.
Tanner reached out toward the man, but he slapped Tanner’s hand away. “It’s not my blood. I just killed a mutant, and I don’t think he was the only one.”
Hayden drew his gun and clicked off the safety. “Where?”
The man looked from her to Hayden. “A few feet from the tree line, but the bastard was headed into the den. I think it was looking for someone.”
“Fuck.” Hayden turned to her. “Stay here with the twins.”
Christa shook her head. “Give me a gun. I’m going with you.”
Hayden growled and stepped into her personal space, trying to intimidate her into obeying. What. Ever.
She held out a hand and raised her brows. “I’m going. I know that those creatures are strong and fast. I’ve also taken a few down.”
Tanner stepped out the door. “Hayden, this is not the time to argue.”
Hayden looked at Bryce and gritted out, “The twins stay here. One distraction is enough.”
Christa peered back at her nephew. Bryce fisted his hands by his sides
, but he nodded to Hayden. Relief rushed through Christa. She didn’t want them fighting. Not yet. Not until they went through the proper training that only a Pack could give them.
Bryce moved his gaze to her and took his sister’s hand. “We’ll stay here and keep the door locked. Please be careful.”
Christa went to them and hugged them. Bryce was the more dominant twin. He usually made the final decisions between the two of them.
She pulled back and kissed each of their cheeks. “I’ll be back, promise.”
Moments later, Christa followed the three shifters into the wooded area around the den. All her senses were on alert. She noted every sound, every smell and searched for changes in the wildlife activity around her. Yet, nothing seemed off.
It was like the night her parents had died.
Utter quiet. No wind. No sounds of nature—as though the universe was waiting for something to happen.
An icy chill shot up her spine right before she smelled it. The rotten stench of a mutant.
The guys smelled it too by the way they turned sharply to the right. Christa had to run to stay with them, but she didn’t care. The thrill of the hunt, fueled by an unsatisfied need for revenge, filled her.
She palmed the Sig that Hayden had given her when they left the house as she caught up with him. He didn’t glance her way, but she knew he was watching her in that wolfy way of his. She’d seen the twins do it. The constant watching of their surroundings was instinct, something they did without effort or conscious thought.
All of a sudden, Hayden gripped her hand and stopped. Tanner and Kirk stilled beside them. Hayden squeezed her hand in a silent warning.
Yeah, he didn’t have to warn her. She heard it too, not as well as they probably did, but she heard the growls and grunts of the mutants. By the sounds of it, there were more than two.
Hayden stepped closer to her and bent to whisper in her ear. “My guess is there are four of them, and they’re headed our way. Now’s your chance to kill some shifters, hunter.”
She pressed her lips together and pushed away the urge to shoot him. He was baiting her, pushing her buttons. Irritating man.
