The Challenge (The Pack Book 2)

by Kristin Coley

  I headed to the small shotgun house on the outside perimeter of the clearing, easily remembering the place where I’d stayed after Dom had plucked me from the side of the road when I’d escaped the Hanleys. The treehouse I was less certain about but I had to try and find it. Caleb needed to take responsibility before the elders decided to strip him of his Alpha position permanently.

  I slowed as I moved around the house searching for a treehouse. Nothing stuck out at me, at least until I found a faint path behind the wood pile. I hesitated, wanting to check in with Dom before I followed the dark and creepy little trail, but I also didn’t want to come off as a scared little girl. I took a deep breath and gingerly stepped on what I hoped was an actual path and sent a prayer up that I wasn’t about to get hopelessly lost.

  “Where you going?”

  I shrieked at the unexpected voice, spinning around to see Monster standing behind me. “You’re supposed to be with Dad,” I hissed, my heart thumping like mad as I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees. “Were you trying to give me a heart attack?”

  “No?” Monster gazed at me, his expression saying he wasn’t sure if that was the correct answer.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Following you,” he answered promptly.

  “Why?”

  “Because it looked like more fun than standing around with a bunch of people that don’t have cookies.” He pointed to the bag over my shoulder as he added, “You have cookies.”

  “So, you followed the cookies,” I concluded, nodding sharply, as I grumbled under my breath. “Nice to know what I’m good for. Breeding and cookies.”

  I glanced back the way I’d come, quickly deciding it would take too long to take Monster back. “Come on,” I said, stepping forward again. “Be quiet and don’t wander off.”

  “What are we doing? Hunting Hanleys?” He whispered, trailing after me. I glanced over my shoulder at him, tempted to tell him we were and he was going to scare them off with his whispering.

  “Bloodthirsty, aren’t we?” I said instead, carefully stepping over a tree root. The path was overgrown and I crossed my fingers we were headed in the right direction. I did not want to have to ask for Dom’s help after saying I would find Caleb for him.

  “What’s bloodthirsty?” Monster piped up, clambering over the rough ground with ease. “Is it like thirsty except for blood? I don’t have to drink blood when I’m a wolf, do I?”

  “I don’t think so,” I murmured, swatting a low branch out of my way. “Last time I promise to tromp through woods to help anybody,” I grumbled to myself. “Monster,” I paused, glancing around frantically when he didn’t answer. “Monster?”

  “Right here,” he finally replied as I spun in a circle, still searching.

  “Right where?” I asked carefully, trying not to flip out.

  “Here!” I jumped as he shouted, the sound coming from above me. His head hung out the opening of what I presumed was the treehouse.

  “How did you find that?” I asked wonderingly, staring up at him.

  “The ladder,” he answered in a tone that was just shy of ‘duh’ as he rolled out of sight.

  “The ladder, of course,” I repeated, finally seeing what he must have spotted. Small wooden planks were nailed directly into the tree, creating a ladder up to the platform.

  I said a quick prayer as I grasped the first board, fitting my foot against the bottom one. I hauled myself up to the next one, my fingers barely able to grasp to the semi rotten board. “You can do this,” I muttered to myself fiercely. “Monster did this.” I forced myself to reach for the next board and pull myself up. I clung to the side of the tree, closing my eyes so I wouldn’t look down. “I’ll just stay here,” I whispered. “Caleb isn’t up there.”

  “Sissy,” Monster’s panicked voice cut through my fear as I glanced up to see his terrified face peering down at me. “Hurry.” He gestured for me to climb, glancing over his shoulder in fear and I scampered up that tree like I’d done it a million times.

  I heard the voices right as I slid onto the platform. Monster stared at me with wide eyes, no longer so interested in hunting Hanleys as two of them walked below us. I laid on my belly, afraid to twitch with them so close. I knew if they so much as sniffed they would discover us and we had nowhere to run.

  “Dude, I don’t think we should be here. We crossed the border some ways back.” Whoever spoke had my full agreement. They shouldn’t be there and they needed to go back.

  “Don’t be such a chicken shit. I want to find that hot little she wolf,” the other one said lewdly. I opened my eyes to find a hole in the board and wished I’d kept my eyes closed as he rubbed himself suggestively. “Whoever catches her gets to keep her.”

  “Yeah, you do that,” the smart one muttered, staring at him like he was stupid. “Keep the she wolf so she can rip your balls off when you try to mate her.”

  The other one slapped him across the head. “I’d make sure she learned her place. Kind of like you need too.” He reached for his zipper and I hastily shut my eyes, not even wanting to know what was about to happen. “Now, quit being a little bitch.” I heard liquid hitting the ground in a stream and couldn’t resist a peek. The idiot was pissing on the ground beneath the tree we hid in. The other guy stared at him resentfully, undoing his zipper slowly as the idiot wandered away still pissing and splashing urine all over everything. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Monster wrinkle his nose. Thankfully, I couldn’t smell it but clearly, he could.

  The one that liked to live hunched his shoulders as he peed against a bush, shaking his head and muttering under his breath as he kept an eye on his companion.

  “You smell something?” The idiot asked, raising his head and sniffing the air. “Almost like a female in heat.”

  “I can’t smell anything besides your piss,” the smart one responded, zipping up as I froze in place.

  “You sure you a wolf, boy?” The other one taunted, wandering back underneath the treehouse. I barely breathed, terrified he would realize how close we were to him.

  “Better wolf than you,” the smart kid retorted cockily. “Smart enough to know when its time to get the hell out of here.”

  The idiot raised his hand like he was going to smack the kid but shook his head instead, bumping the kid’s shoulder as he walked past him. “You’re lucky I’m hungry, otherwise, we’d have words.”

  The kid nodded, his face unconcerned by the threat, when the idiot froze, inhaling deeply. “There’s a female here.”

  He spun around, his expression almost feral as he inhaled again, his gaze zeroing in on the makeshift ladder as my heart shuddered to a stop. I glanced at Monster, who looked as petrified as I felt. I mouthed, “HIDE,” to him and he shook his head. I nodded, putting as much force as I could in the silent gesture. He skittered backwards on light feet, disappearing into the gloom until all I could see was the reflection of his eyes until that was gone too.

  Laughter taunted me from below as the idiot called up, “Come out, come out, little wolf.”

  I was tempted to shout, “Come and get me, asshole,” but didn’t want to make the situation worse. I scrambled for a weapon, cursing myself for forgetting Dom’s rules. Always carry a gun. Shoot first, ask questions if they survive.

  I frantically tried to reach Dom through our bond but my mind was so saturated with fear it was like shouting down an empty tunnel. I could hear the words echo back to me but they weren’t reaching him. I wanted to cry in frustration and fear as anger welled up inside of me. I wasn’t a wolf, I wasn’t strong, and I couldn’t stop them. It was the last realization that almost broke me as the idiot Hanley started up the tree.

  Movement distracted me as Monster braced himself on the other side of the entrance, an old baseball bat gripped firmly in his hands as he stood guard.

  “Wolves can’t climb trees,” he told me matter of fact and I smiled, hope that maybe we could survive springing to life inside of me. “Tell Dom,” h
e added, preparing to play whack a Hanley as soon as a head popped into view.

  I risked a peek through the little hole as I tried to calm down enough to reach Dom. Monster’s plan might buy us time, but if they worked together it wouldn’t be long before they overpowered us.

  I blinked, losing my focus when I didn’t see the second Hanley. Only the dumb ass was still climbing the tree and I hoped that meant the other one had left, too scared of the she wolf to stick around.

  I breathed in through my nose and then out through my mouth, slow and steady, as I pushed the terror away. You escaped them once, I reminded myself, ignoring the little voice that screamed, you had help!

  In and out I breathed, fighting the fear that held me prisoner. A long second later, I felt a flicker of awareness. The sensation of a large room, crowded with people, raised voices echoing. Dom, I cried desperately, hoping he’d heard me as the connection broke when Monster yelled, “Hi-Ya” and drove the bat down on the top of the Hanley’s head.

  We heard him shout as he wind milled backwards, falling along with the bat as Monster looked up at me and said, “Oops.”

  We traded a glance and then I stared back through my peephole. The Hanley was sprawled on the ground, rage burning in his eyes as he gasped for air, the bat on the ground next to him.

  “Shit,” I muttered under my breath when I saw the bat. It was our only weapon and now they had it. Monster crawled over to me, whimpering as he curled next to me. “I’m sorry, Sissy.”

  “You did a great job,” I rushed to reassure him, smoothing the copper hair I’d despised for so long and now couldn’t wait to see in the form of fur. “You were so brave. Braver than me,” I admitted before hardening my voice. I gripped his shoulder, forcing him to look at me. “When he comes back, run. Get Dom. I’ll fight them off.” He blinked at me, his wise eyes telling me he knew better but he nodded, easing one of my fears. He would be okay, I told myself, glancing back through the hole, as I prayed it was true.

  Hanley was struggling to roll over into a sitting position and I knew it was only a matter of time before he climbed back up here. A flash of movement caught my attention as a brown wolf crept up behind him, fur matted and greasy, and my heart stuttered once again.

  It was the other Hanley. He’d come back.

  I tightened my arm around Monster, knowing I could distract one, but if the other was in wolf form there was no way Monster would make it. I prayed, cursing my inability to link to Dom when I needed him most. Dom, Dom, Dom, I chanted his name, hoping something would get through. I didn’t care about myself but if he could save Monster….

  A snarl caused my eyes to snap open as the Hanley wolf circled the human Hanley. “What are you doing?” The human Hanley stammered, fear making his voice tremble. “Look, if you want first dibs, man…” he broke off as the other one growled. I pressed closer to the peephole as Monster pushed himself up, finding another hole to peer through. “Shift back, dude, and you can have her. My compliments.” He laughed, the sound high and shaky. I almost pitied him as he shrank back from the wolf steadily creeping closer. “We can go,” he offered, crawling backwards until he bumped against the tree we were in. “I’ll leave. No questions. You can do what you want with her.” He nodded as he spoke and any pity I might have felt disappeared as he offered me like I was his to give.

  The wolf paused, cocking his head as if he was considering the offer and I stilled, wondering if I’d mistaken his intentions.

  The motion was so fast it blurred. Only the scream cutting off into a gurgle told me he’d ripped out the throat of his friend.

  Monster jumped, a gasp escaping him at the suddenness of the man’s death. I curled my hand around his leg, patting him as I stared down at the dirty wolf. He glanced up at us, his eyes a clear grey, intelligence shining from them as he lowered himself to his belly, keeping his head down as he bowed to me. A moment later, he stood and trotted off into the woods.

  Monster moved to the ladder and I tightened my grip on his leg. “Wait until Dom gets here,” I managed as I rolled onto my back, staring up at the low ceiling as I wondered how in the hell Dom had ever fit inside of this treehouse.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “You’re saying we missed the whole meeting?” I exclaimed, my voice pitched higher than normal as I stopped walking. Dom didn’t answer, only pausing his stride long enough to scoop me up and throw me over his shoulder as he strode away from the treehouse and the dead Hanley.

  I grunted as he treated me like a sack of potatoes. “I’m fine,” I declared for the fiftieth time, ignoring the quiver that went through me when I thought about how close I’d actually been to death.

  I shuddered, or worse.

  My reassurance fell on deaf ears since he didn’t slow or put me down. “What happened at the meeting?” I asked, trying to distract him.

  It didn’t work as he remained silent, his long legs making short work of the path. When we reached his cabin, he finally set me down with a thump in the middle of his Spartan living room.

  “Stay,” he rumbled, the word barely intelligible as he turned to go back outside.

  “I’m not a dog,” I shouted at his back, the helpless terror I’d felt suddenly morphing into rage at his indifference.

  He spun around at my shout, his eyes glittering as he roared, “No, you’re my mate.” Power radiated from him, almost overwhelming me as I fought the instinctive desire to cower in the face of it.

  I straightened my back, “I am Jess Carter. Daughter, sister, motel owner…well part motel owner, high school senior,” I paused as his expression darkened when I refused to say mate. “I’m smart, resourceful, clever, strong, and I won’t allow anyone to limit me,” my voice rose, “To define me to one thing.”

  He stalked towards me and even though my legs felt about as strong as Jello I held my ground, at least until he fell to his knees in front of me. Shock held me immobile as his head bumped my stomach. “Mine. My mate, my Jess, my everything.” His head tilted back enough that he could stare up at me. “Seeing that dead Hanley, knowing how close, do you have any idea what that felt like?”

  “Yeah, actually,” I answered faintly, my hands going to the sides of his head, gripping a little tighter than necessary as I muttered, “I was there. I watched him die. Pretty sure I fucking know what it felt like.”

  He winced, whether from my words or the fact that I was sandwiching his face between my hands I couldn’t be sure. I finally released him with a frustrated sigh. “You are so –” I cut myself off, unable to find a word that correctly expressed how frustrating his overbearingly protective instincts were to me.

  His eyebrow cocked up as he waited and I finally burst out with, “Alpha.” I gave a sharp nod, crossing my arms.

  “Beta, actually,” he responded, his tone oh so helpful and my eyes narrowed to slits.

  “Not a single ounce of self-preservation either,” I managed, my intention of spinning away in a huff disappearing as he held onto my hips. “You can let go now.”

  “No, I can’t,” he answered, his voice contrite. “I’m sorry.”

  “Because you can’t let go?” I asked, puzzled, and he shook his head, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

  “No, I’m not sorry at all for holding you hostage.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry for reacting like I did. For not talking to you. Not listening to you. For being…”

  “Yourself?” I said bluntly, uncrossing my arms and letting them settle on his shoulders as he continued to kneel in front of me. “Newsflash, I know this is who you are. It’s a just a little much sometimes.” I skimmed my fingers over his shoulders, his head almost level with mine even on his knees. “I have to say though,” he glanced at me curiously, something in my tone giving me away. “On your knees is a good look for you.”

  He stood then, faster than I could register as he lifted me up and my legs went around his waist instinctively. “I’ll remember that,” he rumbled, his eyes holding the promise of retribution r
ight before he leaned in to kiss me. “I never want you to feel that way again.”

  “What way?” I cupped his cheek, his tight jaw ticking under my fingertips. “I’m not mad at you, Dom. I just don’t want to get lost in you.”

  “You won’t,” he promised fiercely, his gaze burning into me. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  I smiled softly. “It’s not really something you can do. It’s something I have to do,” I told him quietly. I felt his jaw rock under my palm. “What were you talking about?” His gaze shifted from mine as he fought for control. “Dom, what feelings?”

  “Helpless,” he bit out. “Terrified and helpless. You thought Monster would be killed, and you were desperate.”

  “You felt that?” I asked hesitantly, his earlier reaction making a little more sense. Those were not feelings Dom would be used to. “I didn’t know you could feel that.”

  “When you called my name….I heard you, but more than that I felt you. Standing in that crowded Pack House, shouts and confusion all around me and all I could feel was this sudden overwhelming terror.” His voice broke and he had to clear his throat, a hint of shame creeping into his voice. “I hadn’t even realized you weren’t there.”

  “Dom,” my voice was barely more than a whisper, the word a breath of forgiveness and he shook his head.

  “Caleb was there. I assumed you’d come back with him. It wasn’t until you reached out through the bond that I realized you were in danger. Your emotions –” He pressed his lips together. “I felt what you felt.” He met my eyes. “You will never feel that way again,” he swore.

  I patted his rock hard jaw, hoping he didn’t crack a tooth with how hard he had his teeth clenched. “You can’t worry about that. I’m a human female in a world of wolf shifters and bad people. Sometimes, I’m going to get scared.”

  “That wasn’t scared,” he argued, shaking his head. “That was petrified.”

  I couldn’t really deny his words because even in his arms, remnants of my earlier fear coursed through me. It had been close, too close, and I couldn’t have predicted the affect it would have on either of us.