by Zena Wynn
“And what, exactly, did Rory do? She screamed like someone was tearing her apart from the inside out,” Kiesha said.
“He bound her wolf.”
Kiesha’s brows drew together as she tried to understand what Shay was talking about. “He did what?”
“He bound her beast,” she repeated. “Locked it up so tight it can’t come out. I told Rory as punishment I wanted everything taken away from Laurie Bell that mattered to her. Rory couldn’t make her not be a shifter, so he did the next best thing. He made it so she couldn’t access her wolf,” Shay explained.
Kiesha’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Shay glanced at Nikolai, who watched them. “Neither did Rory until Nik told him,” she said, gesturing toward the vampire, who winced at her abbreviation of his name. “I guess being older than dirt has its advantages.”
He bared his fangs at her, and Shay burst out laughing. It felt good after the tension of the last few weeks.
She turned back to Kiesha to finish her explanation. “To the Sparrowhawks, the only thing lower than an omega is a shifter who can’t shift.”
“Not just the Sparrowhawks, but all shifters,” Nikolai corrected.
“And this is something all alphas can do?” Kiesha asked.
“No,” Caleb answered. “It takes a lot of power. More power than one alpha alone can command.”
“So how…?” Kiesha asked.
The men all looked to Shayla. “Don’t look at me. I know what he did and where he got the idea to do it because I read him while our bond was wide open. I still don’t know how or why it worked.”
Nikolai sighed and came and crouched down beside them. “Because of the wolf’s bond with his pack, he’s able to link with them on the spiritual plane and gain strength when needed. A pack’s alpha also has a certain amount of control over his members’ beasts.”
“Like the ability to force a shift when necessary,” Caleb added.
Shay remembered how Rory had forced her wolf to retreat when she hadn’t known how to change back to her human form.
“Yes, exactly. The reverse is also true. Just as an alpha can force a change, he can also stop a change,” Nikolai continued. “But the effect is usually temporary.”
“Most alphas only use this ability to help omegas learn how to control their beast in situations where it would be dangerous for them to shift,” Caleb said.
“So what Rory did to Laurie Bell, binding her beast like he did, is only temporary? It won’t last?” Kiesha asked.
Nikolai shrugged. “It’s difficult to say. It all depends on how strong the woman’s beast is and how determined to break loose. Right now she’s sense blind. Her wolf is there, but it can’t connect with her. It’s like being in a concrete box with no opening. The woman will still have better vision, hearing, and sight, and faster reflexes than the average human, but she won’t be able to tap into the strength of her beast. And she won’t be able to shift into her four-legged form.”
“She looked down on Rory’s mother all those years for being an omega, and now she’s less, and outcast to boot,” Shay stated with grim satisfaction. It wouldn’t make up for all the damage the woman had caused, but it was a start.
“Thank you, all of you,” she said, looking at Nikolai and Caleb in particular, “for all you did tonight. Nikolai, I know you and Rory have this whole vampire/shifter stuff going on, but I appreciate you not only allowing Shannon to come here—don’t tell her I said ‘allow’—but stepping in with much-needed advice and wisdom.”
“Of course he did.” Kiesha slung her arm over Shay’s shoulder. “We’re family. Family sticks together. You know how it is: we may argue and fight with each other, but let someone else threaten us and it’s on.”
“Hmm, I always wanted a vampire as a brother,” Shay mused, eyeing the vampire thoughtfully.
Nikolai shook his head and smiled, a mere crook of the mouth. “The wolf has his hands full with you.”
“Yep, but he’s never bored,” she said with a cheeky grin.
Caleb choked on a laugh. From the way Kian’s eyes twinkled, she knew he was amused as well.
* * * *
Rory retreated, letting his wolf take control. Unlike the man, the beast saw things in simple black-and-white and wasn’t conflicted by emotions. Betrayal was severely dealt with, then forgotten. Now it took joy in running with its brothers, its sibling at its side.
He brushed his side against hers in a show of easy affection as they ran through the dense woods, not minding that she had the scent of vampire on her. Even the vamp was pack.
The man inside the wolf knew that later he’d have to deal with fallout from tonight’s actions, but for now he was content to simply revel in the multitude of smells—the rich soil, new and decaying leaves, pine needles and cones, the smell of small prey.
He chased after a rabbit, caught and killed it, and brought its bleeding carcass to Shannon before bounding off after another one.
As a pack, they roamed all over the state park, traveling miles and remarking territory that belonged to the Sparrowhawks. Occasionally Rory caught sight and scent of couples mating in wolf form, and missed Shay with a longing that was physically painful.
Both man and wolf made the decision to turn and head back to the clearing, to their mate.
MacDougal fell into step beside him. “I contacted the Arizona pack’s alpha.”
“And?”
“I’m going to go, check it out,” MacDougal answered before trotting off.
Rory silently wished him luck. When he’d put aside his pride and gone to Alex for help, one of the issues they’d discussed was MacDougal and his discontent with the Sparrowhawks. Alex had put out feelers among his considerable contacts and discovered there was a small pack, numbering about thirty total, whose alpha was old and was looking for a strong wolf to take over. None of his males were strong enough. None of the men in Alex’s pack were interested since it meant relocating. Rory had taken the information and passed it on to MacDougal.
MacDougal was a strong wolf and had the makings of an alpha. Unfortunately he’d focused his attention on the Sparrowhawks, where he had no hope of leading. Rory had no intentions of giving up control anytime soon, and when he did, there were others higher in the hierarchy—Kian, Caleb, and should enough time lapse, his unborn son.
If everything worked out, this would be a win-win situation for them all. The Arizona pack would get a strong male alpha to take over when their leader stepped down, and Rory would have peace in his pack.
He padded into the clearing in time to hear his mate say, “Kian, now that we know what caused your muteness, you need to let Alex or someone at his clinic examine you. They may be able to fix the damage.”
It doesn’t matter. I’ve been this way this long, he signed.
“It does too matter,” Shay argued stubbornly. “Besides, you might meet a cute nurse or doctor who’ll insist on loving you back to health.”
One corner of Kian’s mouth kicked up, indicating amusement, but he shook his head.
“You might as well give in,” Rory telepathed him. “She’s not going to give up until you agree.”
“At least think about it.” Shay proved Rory right when she said it in a manner that showed she had no intention of letting the matter drop.
“Let me know when you’re ready, and we’ll get it scheduled,” Alex said.
“I’ll call Carol and make an appointment,” Shay said as though it were a done deal.
Shifting back to human, Rory laughed at the annoyed expression on his brother’s face. “Told you.”
He strode forward and lifted his mate into his arms. “Time to go.”
“You’re not waiting for the others?” she asked, eyes wide with surprise.
Rory stopped walking long enough to shove his tongue down her throat, letting her feel how much he wanted her through their bond.
“Oh!” she gasped when he ended the kiss and continued towar
d the truck, the perfume of her instant arousal scenting the air.
“But what about Kiesha?”
“I’m not into threesomes, and even if I were, I doubt Alex would agree,” he answered.
“You got that right,” Alex called out in response.
Shay slapped him on the back of his head. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
He pinned her with a look, allowing the heat of his lust to show. “Home or here? Your choice.”
She swallowed audibly. “Home.”
They made it to the house in record time. As soon as the front door shut behind them, Rory ordered, “Strip!”
The smile on her face should have warned him she was in a mood to tease. Shay undid the buttons of his shirt, one by one, taking her sweet time about it. By the time she reached the snap of her cargo shorts, he was panting and his claws were unsheathed.
She pulled down the zipper, then slid the tip of her forefinger beneath the slice of panties visible and gave her clit a stroke.
“Shay,” he warned, control hanging by a thread.
“Hmm?” She gazed at him under heavy lids, her face flushed.
“Mate, now is not a good time to tease.” He felt the shape of his eyes change and knew his wolf was close to the surface, as aroused as he. Her cream was driving them both crazy.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, striving to look innocent, but the devilish glint in her eyes gave her away. “I thought I’d indulge in a bit of foreplay.”
By alternating sides, Shay used her free hand to push down her shorts and panties. Rory’s gaze stayed glued to the triangle of pubic hair and her busy little finger circling her nub. When the clothing dropped to her ankles, she stepped out and kicked them to the side.
“Rory?”
He grunted, words beyond him.
“I’m naked.” Spreading her legs, she tilted her hips forward and speared her pussy with her finger. Seconds later she dragged the glistening digit through her nether lips, circled it around her clit, then plunged it into her vagina again. It made a squishing sound. Shay threw her head back and moaned.
Rory’s control snapped as with a roar, he scooped up his mate and bore her to the floor. He flipped her onto her belly, snatched her hips into the air, and like an arrow, pierced her glistening sheath to the hilt. Teeth locked onto her nape, he rode her like a bronco as she bucked, squealed, and screamed her pleasure beneath him.
After her orgasm ripped through her, he jerked free, lifted her into his arms, and carried her upstairs to their room.
“You didn’t come,” she panted.
“Not yet,” he gritted out between clinched teeth.
“Why?” she asked, sounding sated but confused.
“Bed first,” he explained, then had no more words.
He tossed her onto the mattress and followed her down. His mate’s comfort seen to, he was free to satisfy his own desires. Rory loved her until they both collapsed onto the mattress in an exhausted heap, the emotional trauma of the night forgotten.
Snuggling close, Shay murmured into his neck, “Laurie Bell deserved everything she got tonight. There’s no need for you to feel guilty.”
He closed his eyes and tugged her closer, thanking the Creator for giving him a mate who understood him better than he often understood himself. “I know.”
“More importantly, she’s no longer a threat to us or the pack.” She licked a bit of sweat off his neck.
“I know,” he agreed, running his fingers lightly down her spine. “I just…”
“Feel like you lost your mother all over again,” she completed.
“Yes,” he admitted with a sigh.
Shayla shifted until she lay on top of him and cupped his face in her hands. “The woman you thought you knew doesn’t exist. Eventually you’ll realize this and not feel so bad. Right now it makes me happy to know that you can’t do what was done tonight and not feel anything.”
“I’m alpha, Shay. Tough decisions come with the territory. It’s not the first time I’ve had to do something difficult.”
“And it’s not the first time your heart has suffered as a result. You know what this makes you, Rory?” she asked, their noses almost touching.
Eyes narrowed in suspicion, he asked a touch belligerently, “What?”
“Human.” Then she kissed him, and Rory forgot about Laurie Bell, the pack, and his justifiable actions tonight and gave himself over to his mate’s tender, healing mercies.
Epilogue
Rory stared at his brother, a half smile on his face.
“Your mate is a nag,” Kian telepathed.
“She loves your mangy butt. God only knows why,” Rory said.
Kian glared at him. “This isn’t funny. She keeps hounding me to let Alex’s staff at the clinic look at my throat.”
Rory leaned back in his office chair. “And…”
He knew why Kian hadn’t before, but none of those reasons were valid now. After Laurie Bell—four weeks later and Rory still couldn’t think of her without his wolf bristling—had made her confession, they knew the cause of Kian’s defect had nothing to do with genetics but was simply an injury caused in his infancy. One that could possibly be corrected. Since Refuge had a top-rate, fully equipped medical emergency center staffed with people who knew about shifters, most of whom were shifters themselves, there went Kian’s only other reason for refusing.
“I’m doing it,” his brother snarled in his head. “It’s the only way I’ll get any peace.”
Smiling, Rory asked, “Want me to come with you and hold your hand?”
The heat in his brother’s gaze should have scorched him. “You want me to rip out your throat?”
Arching his left eyebrow, Rory reminded Kian, “You can try, but if you succeed, you’ll be stuck running the pack by yourself.”
Kian’s chest vibrated in a growl only Rory could hear. “Should have drowned you as a pup.”
“Then you’d be alpha now instead of coalpha,” Rory stated with unconcealed devilment, relishing having his brother in his rightful position, both in the business and the pack.
Snatching up his hardhat and clipboard off his desk, Kian gave Rory a look of disgust and stalked out the office door.
Rory stared unseeing at the empty doorway, the joviality of the moment fading away as concern took its place. He hoped for his brother’s sake that things would work out well, fearing that disappointment would crush Kian and send him back into his lone-wolf shell.
At least one good thing had come out of the mess last month. Rory had his brother back as an active part of his life. No more did Kian hide in the shadows. Not only that, but after what they’d done to Laurie Bell, the pack no longer looked on his brother with disdain. Instead their actions had instilled a healthy level of fear and respect in all of them.
* * * *
Hours later Rory was knee-deep in the mountain of paperwork that had accumulated since Shayla’s arrival. He glanced up, irritated, when the door opened and a spill of sunlight fell across his desk. Damn place was busier today than an inner-city bus station.
MacDougal entered the office, followed by Ashley. “You got a minute?”
With an inward sigh, Rory tossed his pen on a stack of papers. “Yeah, what’s up?”
MacDougal strode forward confidently to stand before the desk. “Me and the Arizona pack clicked. I’ve been officially offered the position of alpha.”
“Are you taking it?” Rory asked.
MacDougal nodded. “No offense, but I’m not like Caleb. I want to lead. Being third, and now with Kian being coalpha…”
“I understand,” he said when the other man trailed off. “It’s not easy, especially when the wolf is riding you.” MacDougal was a strong beta, borderline alpha. Without him, Kian, and Caleb in the way, his wolf would grow into the alpha MacDougal was meant to be.
“You’ll be missed,” Rory told him sincerely. Now that Mac no longer had his butt on his shoulders, he’d proven to be a good man to
have at your back. They might eventually end up friends once this dominance crap no longer stood in the way. “When do you leave?”
“I was able to get on with the electric company in nearby Phoenix. Gave my two-week notice today. I start work there in three weeks. The thing is, Ashley’s coming with me,” he announced.
Rory felt his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “Ashley?”
“I stood a better chance of getting and holding the position if I were mated. The pack there is small, and the alpha’s daughter is too young to be mated. By the time she comes of age, I’ll be so well established that it won’t be a problem,” MacDougal said, showing the ruthless cunning that could make him a force to be reckoned with in years to come.
In packs without a male heir, it was typical to mate with the alpha’s female offspring as a means of securing the alpha position. It ensured continuation of the alpha line, while bringing in new, stronger bloodlines.
Still, MacDougal’s reasoning, though it made perfect sense, concerned Rory. He glanced behind him to Ashley. “You’re okay with this?” She was a part of his pack, and as alpha, Rory had a responsibility to see to her well-being.
Ashley’s expression was serene. “He could have chosen someone else, but he wants me. That’s all that really matters. And,” she added, “I’m more than happy to be leaving this place and going somewhere no one knew my mother. It will be a fresh start for both of us.”
Rory winced, seeing the truth of her words. Besides, the news of Ashley’s leaving would make his mate a happy woman. “Well, I wish you both great success. Mac, you need anything, pick up the phone and call.”
“We’ll be all right, but thanks for the offer.” He placed his hand on Ashley’s back and turned to leave.
“Could you give me a minute? I’d like to speak to Rory…alone.”
MacDougal glanced at Rory, then back at her. “I’ll wait outside.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Ashley waited until the door closed with MacDougal on the other side of it before turning to Rory. Then she seemed to flounder.
