by Skye Winters
I grasped at the collar of her shirt, which made it painfully obvious how naked I was.
"Come on," she said, trying to get me to my feet.
My knees buckled. It took everything I had not to break down in front of the rest of the pack. They don't know about Rowan.
It didn't matter. My father had, and he accepted her. Even if it was last minute, he accepted us as we were. As we chose to be.
"Give me your clothes," I said, barely croaking out the words as I slowly made my way to the outside of the ring. Devlin howled triumphantly as his wolves joined in. Anything else he had to say, I wanted no part of it. I still have work to do. "I won't go down without a fight."
Once we were at the tree line, Rowan stopped. "You have clothing in the bunker," she reminded me while still removing her shirt.
"I'm not going back." I took the article of clothing from her and put it on.
"You're going after her, aren't you?" When I met her gaze, she went on. "The huntress."
"You know?" I accepted her undergarments and pants, quickly putting them on while, at the same time, thanking whatever gods there were that Rowan and I had the same fit.
"Your mother mentioned it in the bunker to Caine."
I took her shoes when she offered them to me. "Mom says the huntress can even our odds. We have to take back our territory before Devlin gets too comfortable."
"Can't we ask the other packs for help?"
"Not without risking their safety or the possibility of Devlin learning about them. He may know of them, but for now, he has no idea where they are. It'll be better for everyone if it stays that way. At least until I speak with the huntress."
Rowan joined me as I started for the edge of the boundary. "Let me come with you. I—"
"No." I slowed my pace.
"How come?"
My God, you're beautiful. Even in the waning light of dusk, her curves made my mouth water.
I dropped my gaze. "I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on my mother. I need you to help my brothers keep the pack together. Keep them safe until I return."
"But I’m not alpha—"
"No, which means you’ll go unnoticed." I winced. "I didn't mean it like that. You're the one with the smallest chance of being seen if you come and go as you please. It's an advantage. Do this for me. I promise, I won’t be long. I just have to find Surrena and bring her back."
Rowan pressed her forehead to mine and combed her fingers through my tangled hair. "Stay for the night. Join your family in their mourning."
"I can't." I looked into her eyes and, for the briefest of moments, I considered staying. Not just tonight, but every night thereafter. "I can't," I said again, as much a reminder to her as myself. "Especially not tonight." Not when our pack is in so much pain. It would paralyze me. I was lucky to still be functioning at all.
"What about your wolf? You've been starving her from her shift."
"She had her moment here today."
"And looking at your bunched shoulders, it wasn't enough. You can't shift outside the boundary. Not without losing whatever control you have left. Shouldn't you take a night to be in your other form?"
"I can't afford to miss the huntress. Not even for one night."
"If she comes up this way anymore," Rowan pointed out. "The lodge outside the boundary has been empty for years. She probably moved in with the other humans. How can we be sure she still lives in the area? Humans aren't chained to a piece of land the way we are. They can go wherever they like."
I swallowed hard and kissed her on the lips. "I have to trust she still comes up this way. We won't know for sure unless I do as my mother's asked."
"At least let me walk with you."
I shuddered when she took my hand. "To the edge of our territory. No more than that."
She bobbed her head, but I could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she didn't like me leaving at all, even for a few nights.
"It'll be over before you know it."
She offered a small, sympathetic smile. "I'm not the one going outside the boundary."
And that was a challenge in and of itself I had yet to face.
Nothing changes without sacrifice.
And I would put my life on the line for our entire pack if it meant keeping them safe and sending Devlin back into hiding.
All that's left is where to look first.
I'd search the house along the southern edge of our territory and, with any luck, I'd find the huntress there.
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EPISODES IN THIS SERIAL INCLUDE:
Alpha's Heart: Part One | Alpha's Heart: Part Two | Alpha's Heart: Part Three
For a complete list of books, go to www.skyewinters.com
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About the Author
Skye Winters is a shifter in hiding and currently resides in rural Pennsylvania. While there are days she'd love to take on her more feline form, she embraces the necessity of staying off radar.
Because of this, she writes. Vampires, werewolves and sexy shifters offer readers a small taste of what goes on in her mind on a daily basis.
