Hunting Wolf: Black Mesa Wolves #3

by Harper, J. K.

  The struggle for the correct words shocked her already shocked system. She never had to search for the right word. Language was as effortless as breathing for her.

  “Rielle.” Otsana's voice sounded with firm resolve. “There is nothing to fear about it. Not with the right one, that is. And you have your eye on someone, don't you?”

  Rielle's heart almost jolted to a horrified stop. Did Otsana somehow know about Caleb? Not that there was anything to know. Because nothing had happened yet. Although they had been on a sort-of date. Where he'd sort of checked her out, head to toe. And she'd imagined kissing him. And maybe more.

  Noting Rielle's expression, Otsana quickly reassured her. “It's only obvious to me because of how you're reacting now. If your wolf is trying to get out, it means you've been holding her back. And that means you're not allowing yourself the full expression of being a wolf. But if you're interested in someone, she's more eager to come to the forefront, because that's a big part of being a wolf.”

  “Oh,” Rielle said in a faint tone. This was like being in Wolf Shifter 101 class. Not that there was such a thing. “Right.”

  “So,” Otsana went on. Rielle would have sworn—if she swore, that is—she saw a mischievous twinkle in the other wolf's eye. “Is it someone from our Pack?”

  “Ahh,” Rielle managed to get out. She wondered if her cheeks were flaming purple by now. This shouldn't be so difficult to discuss. But it was.

  The door to the library suddenly swung open, startling them both. One of the Pack's younger wolves, Ana Lyall, peeked in with a searching look on her face. Both wolves immediately picked up on her taut body stance. As soon as she saw Otsana, relief swept across her graceful features.

  “Alpha sent me. Hey, Ree,” she added with a nod. Rielle smiled tentatively and nodded back. She and Ana were the same age and had spent a lot of time together as cubs, though they'd drifted apart somewhat over the past few years Rielle had been spending more time in town. “The patrol is back,” Ana went on, voice nervous. “I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but Caleb is frothing at the mouth about the prisoners downstairs.”

  Otsana's lips twisted wryly even as she looked intently at Ana. “That sounds exactly like my youngest,” she said, eliciting a faint giggle from Ana and even a brief smile from Rielle.

  Ana stepped into the library. “Well, that's true. But what I mean is, it's kind of bad enough that Alpha sent me for you. And, actually, you,” she finished, looking directly at Rielle.

  Rielle creased her brow, half rising from the couch at the worry in Ana's tone. “Me? Why?”

  Ana shrugged, an elegant movement that seemed to come naturally to her. “Don't know. But Alpha sent me to find you both and ask you to come downstairs. Now,” she added. The urgency in her voice sparked across the room. “I guess the captives said they're from that pack in Canada.” Ana paused and stole an apprehensive glance at Otsana. “Um, the rogue alpha's old pack? I mean, Luke's old pack,” she amended hurriedly. “Something about being sent by a Fen Rawlins?”

  Otsana's sharp inhale and sudden alertness was obvious to both younger wolves. They instantly tensed like coiled springs waiting to be set off. Rielle's wolf surged so quickly and hard to the surface she almost gasped as well. This was the strongest she'd felt her wolf's presence yet.

  With a shake of her head and a firm setting of her lips, Otsana looked at Rielle as she stood and caught her hand, pulling her all the way up. “You need to be very present for this, dear. You are needed,” she said in a lower voice, looking hard at Rielle. By Caleb, were her unspoken last words. Rielle didn't need to hear them out loud to know what Otsana meant. Alpha's mate knew indeed exactly who Rielle had her eye on. Right now, though, nothing mattered except to get to him.

  Heart suddenly battering her rib cage, Rielle could only nod as Otsana tugged her out of the room toward the holding cells in the basement.

  Chapter 5

  Caleb roared into the room like a freight train jumping the tracks. Even Rafe's breath practically on his neck didn't stop him, despite his brother's raised voice and grip on Caleb's shoulder.

  His murderous gaze landed on two caged cells against the wall of the basement, which held two visibly nervous rogues. Their fear stink filled the room. Bastards had it good. The cells were nice. Clean, well-lit, comfortable. Hot meals daily, private bathrooms, kindness and courteous behavior from their captors. The rogues who'd tried to kill his brother and his brother's mate were living in damn high style, even if they were locked up.

  That didn't matter, though. They were part of what seemed to be an insurrection. For that, Caleb had no forgiveness in his heart.

  Another sudden flurry at the door announced more wolves rushing in. A light, feminine exclamation behind him had Caleb pivoting on his heel. His gaze met Rielle's. Her velvet brown eyes were dark, her mouth slightly open as she took in the high tension of the scene. He barely registered his mother and another wolf with her. Rielle's presence filled almost all his senses at once. His wolf immediately rumbled, Mine, sending out a wave of protectiveness and possession so every other wolf in the room would know it, too.

  He wanted to yank her out of there, away from the rogues. He wanted to pull her close to him, feeling those curves and the softness under her pretty little dress, run his hands along those legs ending in her sexy heels. He wanted to lick her neck, nibble gently at her lips, claim her mouth with his.

  He'd never felt such a rush of pure emotion before, except when fighting. The urge to protect the small, gorgeous little wolf hovering indecisively in the doorway overwhelmed everything else. Swinging back toward the cages, he growled in sheer menace. His wolf was so close to the surface the sounds came out more animal than human. The rogues in the cages, both in human form, each slid their bodies against the back walls, alarmed expressions quickly becoming naked fear.

  Up on the mountain, as soon as the bastard rogue alpha had admitted his family's part in the whole situation, Caleb had almost lost what little control he'd gained over himself. There was some sort of plot afoot, it involved Luke's family, and nothing made sense. In Caleb's world, that meant treachery and false alliances that were nothing more than bullshit.

  Like Luke Rawlins' so-called desire to be a real Alpha, with a real Pack. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

  “Caleb, back off!” Rafe's low order sounded in his ear. This time, though, it didn't stop his advancing steps toward the cages. Not only was his entire Pack threatened, and a neighboring allied pack, but Rielle. His wolf was aroused beyond reason. He would wrench the truth from these miserable cowards no matter how he had to do it.

  “Like hell I will! He wouldn't tell us the truth.” Caleb let his enraged tone carry to Luke, who stood impassively in the room next to a still unsettled Tate. Caleb stalked toward the cages. “But you two will. Right now.” He bared human teeth in a snarl prompted by his wolf, still dangerously amped up from the patrol and the knowledge they'd learned.

  A voice cracked across the room like a pistol shot.

  “Enough. Everyone, silent and still.”

  The Alpha didn't have to yell, or snarl, or threaten. He simply had to speak, and every single wolf in the room instantly obeyed.

  Channing Bardou moved with a sinuous grace into the center of the room, stopping between Caleb and the cages. Caleb had known his father was in there, but he'd been so caught up in his own fury he'd ignored that fact. Now, though, he stood as still and submissive as everyone else. His jaw worked, though, as he fought again to control the seething anger inside.

  The Black Mesa Alpha was everything a pack leader should be. Strong, wise, tempered by life, widely respected, honest, fair, yet ruthless if absolutely necessary.

  He was everything Caleb was not. Except maybe the ruthless part.

  “We will get answers.” The Alpha's voice carried to every corner of the suddenly breathless room. “But we will get them the lawful Pack way. Is that understood?”

  He directed that last sentence right a
t Caleb, who reluctantly inclined his head in a sharp jerk of compliance.

  “Good. Now, then.” The Alpha's deceptively mild voice filled the entire space. “Would somebody like to fill me in more specifically on what you found out during your patrol?

  ~

  Rielle held her breath as she peeked up from beneath her eyelashes to watch Caleb struggle to find composure. His entire body screamed raw power, a sheer male presence that wanted to fight and dominate and rage into battle. Despite Alpha's command of the room, she could feel the enormous tension spilling out from Caleb. His muscles, sheened with sweat from the patrol's obviously fast pace back to the den, flexed and rippled as he tensed and calmed, tensed and calmed. She couldn't see his eyes, since his gaze was lowered toward the floor like every other wolf in the room, but she easily imagined their clear sky-blue darkened to a thunderous shade. His pulse rocketed in his neck.

  For the weirdest reason, she wanted to taste that very spot.

  Her wolf whined very deep inside, a sound so tiny and meek in the face of all the powerful energy in the room she almost didn't catch the longing in it. But she did. It was directed at Caleb.

  Rielle took a surreptitious inhale, pulling Caleb's scent to her. Big, sweaty male pheromones pouring off him. The scent was intoxicating in a way she didn't anticipate. She felt dizzy for a split second.

  Yes, her wolf whispered. Strong. Needs me.

  Caleb seemed ready to explode from the effort of obeying his alpha. Rielle held herself perfectly still and focused on Caleb. Gently but pointedly, she sent him a calming touch through their Pack bond. With gathering intent, she washed him with the serenity he needed to regain control so he could be a formidable part of whatever was going to happen in here, rather than pop off like an uncorked bottle rocket again.

  He could do this. She recognized his tremendous will enough to have faith in that. Right now wasn't the time to question her sudden belief that caveman Caleb had more to offer than anyone else seemed to realize. She simply knew he did, and she was going to use her own soothing power to point him and all his explosive energy in the right direction.

  ~

  When nobody spoke, Alpha asked Rafe for an answer. Caleb dared to lift his head enough to watch his brother. Rafe's lips tightened for a moment, but he nodded and replied in the short, simple format of reporting from any routine patrol.

  “Tate caught scent of rogues. Caleb scented there were three of them, the same ones that were scented at the kill site. Luke was familiar with all three. One of the scents belongs to—his brother.”

  The bare hesitation before Rafe admitted that last part was not lost on either Caleb or the Alpha, although gasps around the room meant everyone else focused more on the bombshell revelation. Caleb frowned. Rafe seemed to hold a grudging respect for Luke, definitely much more than his brothers did. His minor reluctance to share information that put the rogue alpha in a pretty damn bad light made that clear. Although Rafe himself was an alpha through and through, as well as utterly loyal to the Black Mesa Pack, it troubled Caleb that his own brother might be swayed to the rogue's side.

  Luke Rawlins was a tricky bastard, and Caleb didn't trust him by even a single tail twitch.

  “Luke?” Alpha's calm gaze landed on the rogue bastard, who looked up at the Alpha's call. Channing Bardou didn't have to say a word, just lift an eyebrow. Luke nodded to affirm Rafe's words, his eyes meeting the Alpha's once without flinching before dropping again in respect. Alpha said nothing, nor did his expression give away his thoughts. Despite that, the glance he gave the caged rogues was more than enough to chill the blood of any wolf. Looking back at Rafe, he nodded for the Guardian to continue his report.

  “Luke does not know the extent of his brother's involvement in the situation.” Rafe's voice continued in clipped tones. “Nor does he know what exactly may be going on. However, he stated he has a few ideas he would like to discuss with you alone.” Rafe tilted his chin at Alpha. “I agreed, and we returned to the den. We did not speak of anything on the way back.”

  A very long silence held the room after Rafe finished. From their motionless huddles against the cage walls, it looked like the captive rogues weren't even breathing. Caleb wondered if every single wolf in the room held his or her breath while they waited for Alpha's response.

  Finally, Alpha said, “Everyone out, then. Otsana, love, have they had their midday meal yet?” He motioned to the captives while locking eyes with his mate. As usual, despite the seriousness of the moment, the enormous affection the two had for one another spilled out into the room. Some sort of silent communication passed between them as well, judging from raised eyebrows, small nods, and what always seemed to Caleb to be the telepathy shared by long-time couples.

  Normally, the obvious devotion between his parents made Caleb do a mental eye roll. But for a split second this time, he found himself darting a glance at Rielle. She'd looked up and also taken in the scene between the Alpha and his mate. A tiny, wistful smile played with her sweet lips. Then she caught Caleb looking at her. A line furrowed her brow and she caught her lower lip between her teeth. Quickly, she looked away from him. His wolf whined, still agitated but much calmer. Caleb shrugged to himself despite the strange sensation of being rebuffed. The urge to rip the rogues to shreds wasn't quite as fierce as it had been moments before. The anger still stirred, but now he could curb it. Somewhat.

  Instantly obedient to their Alpha, everyone filed out. In the hallway outside the basement door, Alpha stopped Luke, Caleb, and Rielle while telling everyone else to get back to what they'd been doing. Caleb knew it was a deliberate move when Ree inserted herself between him and the rogue—he knew perfectly well she'd been the one sending him calm through their Pack bond—but even so, his hackles bristled at her being so close to another single male wolf.

  “We will speak in my office,” Alpha said to Luke. “I will meet you there.”

  He waited while Luke nodded once before heading toward Alpha's massive office upstairs. Caleb glared at the arrogant rogue, who pointedly ignored him as he disappeared around the corner.

  “You two.” Alpha rounded on Caleb and Rielle. A speculative expression held his face for a moment as he regarded them. Caleb could almost feel Rielle shaking under that scrutiny. He remembered how she'd always hated being the center of anyone's attention.

  “You will both go on a run around the property. Now. As wolves.” Caleb felt Ree tremble beside him. “Caleb, you have much energy to still expend. I need you to bring yourself completely under control before you step one paw back inside the den.” The order was crystal clear in Alpha's tone, not to mention that uncompromising Alpha control he had over the entire Pack. Caleb nodded, gritting his teeth.

  “Rielle.” Alpha's voice softened a touch as he looked at the small wolf. She met his eyes for a moment, uncertainty and something close to fear evident in her sweet body's every line. “You will go with Caleb. And you will run in wolf form. Yes?”

  It wasn't a question. Caleb was pretty sure Rielle wasn't breathing as she nodded at her Alpha.

  “You will also keep Caleb calm,” Alpha continued. “He needs someone with him who will not help incite him to further misplaced anger.”

  “Misplaced—” Caleb began, something that felt suspiciously like embarrassment driving his words. Before he could get out another sound, though, Alpha shook his head, effectively shutting him down.

  “You have not run with the Pack in too long,” Alpha continued smoothly to Rielle, as if Caleb hadn't spoken. “Your wolf needs it. The grounds are safe, but Caleb will provide protection for you regardless.”

  From a sidelong glance, Caleb noted the rosy blush sweep across Ri's face. Somehow, it made her even more adorable.

  “That will be all,” Channing Bardou finished. His words alone were enough to lay down the law. There was absolutely no disobeying what were clearly orders. He nodded pleasantly at them both before leaving.

  “Well,” Caleb said after his father was gone. �
��I guess we're going on a run together.”

  His wolf sat up in his mind, more than eager not only for another run, but one with this most fascinating wolf beside him.

  “I guess so.” Rielle's faint voice echoed in the empty corridor. She sounded anything but excited.

  ~

  Rielle couldn't help it. She stared at Caleb as he undressed like she'd never seen him without clothes before.

  The woods behind the den stood thick, filled with graceful ferns, showy purplish-blue and white columbine, and the sheltering canopy of ancient old forest growth. The huge trees and somewhat remote location were the main reason the land had been purchased by the Pack many decades ago, as they provided the perfect cover for wolves running around in the daylight not all that far from human enclaves.

  Rielle's wolf danced inside her with impatience and thrilled exuberance, extending into Ri's human senses more than she had in a long time. A stab of guilt filled her, coupled with a niggling whisper of fear. She owed it to her wolf to be a wolf, to run and hunt and tussle and play with her Packmates. Otsana had been right, of course, that she needed to focus on what she truly was: a wolf shifter. More than just human. She had an obligation to her Pack, not to mention herself.

  Even if contemplating what exactly she might do while in wolf form was a little terrifying.

  More importantly, as Pack Historian, Rielle was fully aware of the consequences of actively suppressing one's wolf side for a long time. It didn't happen often, at least not that she'd found mentioned in all her reading over the years. But it was fact that a few shifters in the past had so thoroughly rejected their wolf selves, they had eventually been unable to shift out of their human phase. Pack expulsion eventually occurred; sometimes, in more distant history, death had been ordered for those who longed to live only in the two-legged world.

  The big problem right now was that she had to strip down and run like a wolf. As a wolf. A wild, undisciplined creature that lived by instinct and physical sensation. She would have to feel those—intense feelings. Let herself go, unchecked.