Real Men Snarl_Real Men Shift

by Celia Kyle

  A handful of the better-trained sentries immediately braced themselves and started sniffing the air for the enemy. Mason smiled and slapped a hand on Kade’s shoulder.

  “It’s not you, it’s Ally.”

  “What?” That made zero sense.

  “It’s one of the perks of the bond you share now. You can feel each other’s emotions from a distance, especially intense ones.”

  It only took Kade about half a second to realize what it all meant. Ally was in trouble. And there was only one kind of trouble bothering them these days.

  Without waiting for Mason’s permission, Kade sprinted toward the pack house, shifting mid-stride. He barely broke stride as his clothes shredded off his body. When another rush of intense emotion blasted his senses, he pounded the ground as hard and fast as his four feet could go. Every inch of progress took a century, every full stride a millennium. He sensed the others gaining ground behind him, but the only sound he heard was the steady thrum of his heart beating faster with each step.

  After an eternity, he finally rounded the pack house. Dust billowed up around him as he skidded to a stop in the front yard, his mind kicking into overdrive in an effort to process the scene before him.

  He didn’t need to recognize the strange man as Brian Riverson—his sickly scent gave him away. Ally—in her human form, no less—clung to his back, and kicked and bit and scratched, all while screaming in his ear. Brian spun around, trying to dislodge her, but when he reached back to grab her, Ghost Kitty moved in for the kill

  The cat was a gray blur of teeth, razor sharp claws, and puffed-up fur as she latched on to Brian’s crotch, drawing a high-pitched screech from the former Alpha. He released Ally to bat at the devil shredding his junk, which gave Ally better access to bite his ear.

  Off.

  A chunk of fleshy cartilage landed in a puff of dust near Kade’s paws, snapping him out of his half-amused, half-astounded stupor. The rest of the search party surrounded the tussling trio, leaving Brian no chance of escape, but he was too busy to notice.

  The creak of a door opening drew Kade’s attention. Charlie Tipton, still dressed in his dinosaur pajamas, hurried across the porch as fast as his wobbling little legs could carry him. He hadn’t fully shifted, but his fangs had descended, and he snarled and snapped at the man who’d kidnapped him. The poor kid was trying to shift, no doubt to protect Ally—or more likely Ghost Kitty—but he was still far too weak to manage the feat.

  Just as Kade moved to get Charlie to safety, Ally gasped. Kade spun around in time to see her turn her attention away from Brian just long enough for him to reach back and throw her to the ground. She landed flat on her back with a pained “Oomph!”

  Kade’s vision went red.

  Head hung low, drool pattering into the dust at his feet, Kade stalked up to the man as he tried to dislodge Ghost Kitty. One warning snarl from Kade did the trick, sending Ghosty bolting up to the porch to stand in front of Charlie, back arched and fur standing on end.

  Once free of his tormentors, Brian dropped his hands, allowing Kade to get a good look at him. Tall, but not as muscular as an Alpha should have been. Gaunt face, yellowing eyes, and a long, bleeding gash from his hairline to his chin, where Ally had split his skin in two.

  She really was a hell of a woman.

  A nasty smirk spread across Brian’s ugly face as he shot a glance in her direction, without ever letting his attention waver from Kade.

  “I should have known you’d eventually come crawling in the dirt to the fucking Blackwoods,” he spat. “Trash attracts trash.”

  Kade slunk a step closer, upper lip pulled back and quivering as he tried to keep his wolf from attacking. Even after everything, he couldn’t allow his wolf to kill the man. If he wanted any chance of tasting Brian’s blood, the asshole would have to shift first.

  Ally sat up and glared up at Brian. “You better watch your mouth, shit-for-brains.”

  “Ha! My mate goes running to the pack that destroyed my entire family and I’m not supposed to be upset? Haven’t you done enough to me already?”

  “I’m not your mate,” she snapped. “Never was. And you have a lot of nerve talking about what I’ve done to you.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Brian took a step toward Ally and Kade snapped his jaws in warning. Brian barely noticed.

  “Bitch, I made you! You’re a powerful wolf because of me. No matter what you do or where you go, I’m always going to be part of you.”

  Ally laughed bitterly. “Bullshit! You ruined me. I made myself what I am today. A Blackwood.”

  The sentries that surrounded them took two steps closer, baring their teeth to show Brain exactly what would happen if he messed with one of their own. Instead of being intimidated, Brian let out a truly maniacal laugh.

  “I’ll kill every last one of them! And if you’re lucky, I’ll let you watch.”

  Ally growled at him, showing her fangs.

  “And maybe I’ll start with your biggest defender.”

  Kade braced himself for the attack. Brian would shift and lunge at Kade, which would give him the perfect excuse and opportunity to live out his fantasy to rip out the asshole’s throat. But the moment Brian’s paws touched the ground, he lurched away from Kade and right toward Charlie. Defenseless, half-crazed Charlie, who still stood on the porch trying his hardest to shift.

  “No!” Ally cried as she brought her wolf forward.

  Even if she was the fastest shifter on the planet, she would have been too late to save Charlie. Kade tore after the mangy, sandy-furred wolf, only a step behind. Brian was within feet of Charlie when Kade mustered every ounce of energy and strength he had and launched himself.

  He almost overshot, but at the last second, he buried his claws into Brian’s hide and his teeth clamped down on Brian’s mutilated ear. They tumbled onto the stairs, a few inches from Charlie’s feet, and finally landed in the dirt.

  Dust choked Kade, but he ignored the minor discomfort to focus on keeping Brian from either Charlie or Ally. Each time the sandy wolf lunged toward the porch, Kade clamped his jaws hard on one exposed body part or another. Soon Brian’s wolf was streaked with his own blood, but that didn’t slow him down much.

  Eyes darting between Ally and Charlie, the beast clearly was preparing himself for his final attack, one that Kade had no doubt would be swift and vicious. The wolf had no soul, so playing dirty came naturally to him. Kade was ready for anything, including a feint, then a quick change in direction. And that was exactly what happened, only not the direction Kade had expected.

  Brian jerked toward Charlie once more, so Kade pushed off toward Ally. Then Brian was on him, fangs buried deep in the back of his neck. Kade became vaguely aware of Ally’s frantic snarls, but he knew Mason would hold her back.

  Dropping to the ground, Kade rolled onto his back, dislodging his opponent, but as quickly as he fell away, he was back again, this time pinning Kade to the ground. Kade could barely breathe from the foul stench of Brian’s breath, but he managed to get his hind legs between him and Brian, so he could kick at his exposed underbelly. The only problem was that Brian’s dripping fangs were mere inches from Kade’s neck, and the insanity that blazed behind his eyes only grew stronger.

  Brian went wild, gnashing his teeth and slobbering all over as he tried to reach Kade’s throat. It didn’t take an empathetic Omega to see Brian was fantasizing about how sweet it would be to take Ally’s mate away from her before her very eyes before he killed her, once and for all.

  If Kade had been fighting for anything but love for his mate, he could easily have perished under the onslaught. Brian had never loved anyone, so he had no conception of the power the fated mate bond offered. Kade’s entire existence now was to protect and care for his mate, and he couldn’t do either if he was dead, so his only option was to not only survive, but to win.

  Kade channeled all the love he had for Ally to his feet, and with one powerful kick, threw Brian o
ver his head and flat onto his back, knocking the wind out of him. He lay stunned long enough for Kade to scramble to his feet and loom over the deranged prick. As Brian lay gasping to fill his lungs, Kade didn’t waste a second clamping his jaws on the wolf’s neck.

  Just a tiny bit more pressure and Brian Riverson would never get the chance to hurt anyone else ever again.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ally stood cradled in Kade’s arms as they watched Gavin and his sentries drag Brian away. A small, vengeful part of her wished Kade had finished off the asshole who’d turned her life upside down and inside out, but a bigger, more loving part of her admired his restraint. No one would have blamed him for protecting his mate and pack mates, but he had chosen the high road, which only endeared him to her even more — if that was even possible.

  “The RNC sentries will be here soon,” he murmured in her ear, sending chills of love and lust through her body. “Then you’ll never have to think about Brian Riverson again.”

  Mason had explained that the RNC would, at the very least, sentence Brian to life in prison for all that he’d done. If more came out during the investigation, he might get off easy with the death penalty. That spiteful part of herself hoped he’d skate by with life, because knowing he was suffering every day for the rest of his life lifted her spirits—and she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt over it.

  For the first time in nearly a decade, Ally could breathe again. A weight the size of the world had lifted from her shoulders and she felt something she’d never dared hoped she would feel again—freedom! She could finally step out of the shadows and embrace the light. Her life would be full of happiness and sorrow, joy and loss, excitement and fear. In other words, a normal life.

  With Kade.

  Spinning in his arms, Ally buried her face in her mate’s bare chest and started sobbing. His scent changed from tired and satisfied to alert and confused. He pushed her to arm’s length and searched her face.

  “You said you weren’t hurt. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, these are happy tears. I didn’t realize it was all bottled up so tightly, and now it’s coming out.”

  He twisted her arms to check for injuries anyway, then let his gaze slide down the length of her naked body and back up before taking her right hand in his. Examining her scuffed knuckles from when she’d punched Brian, he raised her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss on the bruises.

  “I’ve never seen knuckles so busted up. You really must hit like a girl.”

  “I’ll show you who hits like a girl!” Ally feigned outrage and lightly punched his arm, even though she could probably hit him with all her might and it would still feel like a fly to him.

  “You do,” he said, laughing.

  Apparently, Ghost Kitty didn’t get the joke. In a blur of gray, she went from sitting at Ally’s feet to hurtling toward Kade’s crotch, just as she had with Brian. Kade shouted and jumped away before Ghosty could dig her claws in.

  “Hey!” he shouted, moving Ally between himself and the protective cat. “Not all dangly bits are cat toys, you little monster!”

  “Ooh, my protector,” Ally teased as she kneeled to let Ghost Kitty jump into her arms for a cuddle. “Big scary wolf is afraid of an itty, bitty kitty.”

  Several of the remaining sentries and a handful of other pack mates chuckled at the scene, including Mason. He stomped up the porch steps and slapped his brother on the back.

  “Looks like you’re in a bit of trouble, little brother.”

  Keeping one suspicious eye on Mason and the other on the sharp-clawed cat, Kade asked, “Why?”

  Mason nodded to Ally. “They’ve bonded.”

  “So?”

  “So, you are now the proud owner of Ghost Kitty and six kittens.”

  “Wait just a min—”

  “Who could be better protectors than a half-feral cat and her pack of mewling pussies?”

  Kade mumbled something.

  “What was that?” Mason asked.”

  “Glaring,” Kade spat out, looking defeated. “A group of cats is called a glaring.”

  Ally laughed, then turned pleading, batting eyes on her mate. Pleeease, she begged mentally.

  Kade rolled his eyes and released a long, irritated growl. “Dammit.”

  Mason roared with laughter as he joined his men again, leaving Ally to approach her mate, the last of her tears drying on her smiling cheeks.

  “Come on, Kade. Having a house full of cats will be fun.” She raised one of Ghosty’s paws in the air and gave it a high-five. “See? She can even do tricks.”

  Satisfied that Ally was no longer in immediate danger, and no doubt annoyed at being manhandled, the cat leaped down and sauntered away in search of her kittens. Once she’d rounded the corner, Kade pulled Ally into his arms again and kissed the tip of her nose.

  “It’s a good thing for that damn cat that I love you so much and want to make you happy. Otherwise she and all her demon spawn would be right back out on the street.”

  Ally grinned up at him and brushed a strand of hair away from his brow. “Know what else would make me happy?”

  “I know what would make me happy right now,” he said quietly, waggling his eyebrows.

  Ally smiled, then grew earnest. “No, seriously. I want to go to Alabama to see my family again. I hate that they’ve thought I’ve been dead all this time, but it was the only way I could come up with to protect them. If they’d known I was alive and, on the run, they wouldn’t have stopped searching for me. It might have drawn Brian’s attention. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed—”

  She broke off, biting back the renewed threat of tears.

  Kade nodded. “I figured that would be high on your to-do list. We’ll go visit as soon as things calm down. And of course, once we have news to tell them.”

  “You don’t think the news I’m alive is going to be enough?”

  “Well, you’re okay and everything,” he teased, a glint of mischief in his eye. “But imagine how happy they’ll be when they find out they have a grandbaby on the way too?”

  Ally blinked in surprise. “Wow, you move fast.”

  “Always.” He kissed her cheek. “But try to tell me you don’t want it, a mini-you. Even better, a mini-me.”

  She knew he was joking, but Ally didn’t laugh. “The world would be a much better place with more men like you in it. I love you so much, Kade.”

  “So, is that a yes?”

  “No, it’s a ‘Hell yes!’” Taking his hand, she led him down the steps and around the corner, toward their cabin. “In fact, let’s start trying right now.”

  Epilogue

  Heat shimmered off the white sand as Gavin trudged across the beach, slacks rolled up, dress shoes in hand and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. He’d sweated through his shirt the second he stepped out of the air-conditioned offices of the National Ruling Circle, he didn’t want to ruin his jacket too.

  Peering through the rolling waves, he could just make out the back of Mason’s head at water’s edge. That meant the blondish blob had to be Lucy and the brownish one was Ally. Kade was probably in the water. Gavin tried not to feel bitter that they’d been having a lovely beach vacation, while he’d been stuck indoors all damn day. His only consolation was that the beach offered a fantastic view—of the ocean and of scantily clad ladies frolicking in the waves.

  “How was the meeting?” Mason asked when Gavin dropped to the towel next to a sunbathing Lucy.

  “As if you don’t already know,” Gavin shot back

  Mason offered a half-hearted shrug. He’d obviously planned the mini-vacay the minute he’d learned the NRC wanted Gavin to travel to Ft. Lauderdale for a meeting. Gavin had tried to get it out of his brother what they wanted, but Mason had feigned ignorance. Maybe he’d been ordered to stay quiet, or maybe he just liked tormenting his youngest brother.

  Gavin huffed and glared out at the placid ocean. Under different circumstances, he might have enjoyed a
trip to the beach, but his meeting with the National Alpha, Beta and Enforcer had soured his mood.

  “I still don’t understand why you all had to tag along,” he grumbled.

  Lucy rolled onto her side and lowered her sunglasses a smidge. “And miss out on a vacation in Florida? Yeah, no. I can’t afford to pass up some fun in the sun. I’m going to start showing soon, and after the pup comes…”

  She rubbed her belly, where the future of the Blackwood rested.

  “What’s your excuse?” he asked Ally as Kade jogged up, dripping in seawater.

  She glanced up at her mate and raised a questioning eyebrow. He smiled, then shook his head like a dog, spraying them all with water. The women squealed, and Gavin glared. He’d been trying to not get his one and only suit too dirty.

  “What was that look?” Lucy asked, excitement lighting her face.

  Ally blushed. “Nothing’s certain yet, but Mathilda said she sensed something growing in me.”

  Lucy squealed again and pulled her friend into a tight hug. Kade flopped down next to his mate and laid a protective hand on her stomach.

  “I keep telling her it could be some crazy alien that’s going to eventually eat its way out—”

  “Enough!” Ally scolded, though it held little weight since she was grinning at the same time. “You will not talk about our child that way.”

  “Sorry, my love.” He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose, then turned his attention to Gavin. “So, what’d I miss? What was the meeting about?”

  Gavin frowned. “Roman wants me to head up the relocation process for the rest of the Riverson pack, if you can call it that.”

  “I thought they all bolted as soon as they’d heard Brian had been caught,” Kade said.

  “Apparently not. I guess Brian’s Beta, some guy named Paul Gibson, managed to escape with some other higher-ups before the NRC sentries caught up with the pack. They took a handful of the worst wolves into custody, and it sounds as if they’re pretty keen to spill their guts.”

  “No kidding?” Ally asked as she rubbed sunscreen on her arms.