Her Protectors (Wolf trials Book 2)

by Tamara White

  He groans, his eyes rolling back, “Dani, please be sure about this. I don’t want to take things further if it’s just your heat taking over,” he pleads.

  I sigh, closing my eyes, trying to let logic take over but it is so hard right now. “I’m sorry,” I tell him, pushing his body away. “I want you, I really do, but I shouldn’t do this until we have made an agreement with my mates. I don’t want to betray them like that. It’s best if you stay away from me for a bit while I calm down,” I say, gritting my teeth, the force of need from my cycle so strong.

  He nods, submersing himself in water. I stare for a moment before pulling myself out and walking over straight through the waterfall.

  On the other side is a small cave area, with moss covered rocks. It feels like a little getaway.

  I take deep breaths in and out, feeling my wolf pull back now that Eli is away from me. I close my eyes and block out all sound from the world, delving deep into my thoughts.

  A few moments later, a soft touch on my shoulder has me jumping into the air and swinging out wildly, only to be encased by a strong set of arms. “Hey, it’s just me.” Eli’s deep voice, says at my ear, his breath caressing me.

  I stop struggling, relaxing into his arms. “Sorry, I guess I got too absorbed in my mind,” I say with a sigh, he releases me and I flop down onto the hard ground. “What should we do now? I have no idea where we are? Where my mates are? Or what to do next?”

  Eli sits down beside me, wrapping me in his arms. “We’re going to lay down and get some sleep and then we’re going to go find your mates. I promise, we won’t stop until we find them,” he reassures me, laying us down, letting me use his chest as a pillow.

  I let myself be lulled to sleep by the sound of his heart beat, knowing that I will get back to my mates.

  ***

  My wolf wakes me having sensed something. I don’t know how long we were asleep for but it’s still dark outside. Eli is still softly snoring beside me so I reach up covering his mouth and waking him gently. His eyes fly open and relax when he sees me. I hold a finger to my lips and cock my head to the side, listening for whatever alerted my wolf.

  A crack of a twig has Eli and I moving into position. We can’t quite scent anything behind the waterfall so there’s no real way of knowing who’s out there.

  I hear murmuring, the voice familiar when someone raises their voice enough to be heard over the water. “Dani?”

  As soon as I hear Jake’s voice, I vault through the wall of water, running straight into my best friend’s arms. He chuckles as I tackle him to the ground, “Jeez Dani, you have no idea how good it is to see you but… why are you naked?” he asks as hands grab us pulling us to our feet.

  I look at the offender relieved to see Rick. He pulls me from his mate, to give me a bone crushing hug. “You are never allowed to go anywhere alone for the rest of your life!” he growls, squeezing me tight.

  I tap him on the back in an exaggerated motion, “Can’t breathe,” I gasp out teasingly.

  “I don’t care. You promise me right now, ‘I will never go anywhere without my enforcers.’ Say it!” he demands looking down at me with a serious expression in his face.

  I sigh in defeat, “I promise I won’t go anywhere without you or Jake following me like a bad smell. Is that enough? Or would you like me to add in that it includes going to the bathroom, and when I’m having sex?”

  A laugh from behind has me looking over to see Eli emerging from our hidden place behind the waterfall. I poke my tongue out, not caring how I sounded. It’s absurd, does Rick really expect me to stick to this promise?

  Jake peruses my naked body looking for something and seeming to be relieved. Eli however notices and starts growling aggressively, the deep rumble of his wolf getting pissed at the attention he’s giving me, “Stop staring!” he snarls as Jake looks over at him, surprised by his reaction

  “Calm down dude. I was just making sure she had no claim marks,” Jake says, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture.

  “Do either of you have spare clothes? It might help Eli’s wolf if I was covered.” Eli takes a step closer to me, his wolf still very much territorial. Rick watches him carefully as Jake rips off his backpack and pulls a pair of sweats and a t-shirt out, throwing them at me. Once I’m covered, Eli settles down enough for Jake to throw him a pair of sweats which he pulls on quickly, then wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer and breathing in deep.

  Rick and Jake watch him, disapproving frowns in place. For a moment, I think they will keep their mouths shut but Rick has to butt in. “You really need to step away from Dani. If her mates knew you were touching her, they’d be pissed.”

  Wow! He doesn’t hold back being as blunt as hell, sending my wolf into a rage. Who does he think he is?

  “Apologize, now!” I demand, dominance seeping into my voice.

  Rick turns his gaze on me surprised. “Dani, you know I’m right. He shouldn’t be touching you. You are taken.”

  “And? My mates know that Eli is also my mate. Do you think they’d be angry that I wasn’t getting to know him? That they wouldn’t be grateful that he helped me escape? I’m getting sick and tired of everyone thinking they know better than me. If you don’t start showing him some respect, then I’m going to have to punish you, friend or not,” I warn, watching his face change from surprised to shocked.

  Jake steps forward to defend him but I’m not in the mood for it “Dani…”

  “No Jake. You will respect me and my decisions or you’ll no longer be my enforcers. I need people at my side who trust me, not people who will second guess my decisions about my mates.” Jake and Rick both nod their head in submission. “Good. Now how far away are my mates?”

  They both straighten as Eli chuckles under his breath. I smirk at him, pleased to see he knows how much I value him, even if our connection isn’t as strong.

  Jake zips up his bag, throwing it over his shoulder, “We’re gonna be walking a couple hours. We’re going to Lily’s pack. We’ve made a base camp there,” he explains when I raise an eyebrow at the mention of Lily.

  “How the hell did we get here? I thought we were in Alaska?” I ask, becoming confused.

  “You were. As soon as Adam turned the pack on us, we took off. Shit happened and Pete suggested his aunt might be the best place for us. Cam took over those of us who were loyal to you and have made a base of operations. We’ve been looking for you since they took you.”

  Chapter 22

  As we get closer to the pack land and the area begins to feel more familiar, my wolf starts getting excited.

  I start jogging, the familiar scents in the area drawing me in until I smell my mates on the wind, spurring me on. I forgot all about Jake, Rick and Eli, the need to see my mates overriding everything.

  We end up in the training arena. The moment I see Jonnie, Mitchell, Jason and Cam all training, my heart stops. They look different. How could a week change them so much?

  Jonnie and Mitchell’s biceps are larger, and their hair has been cut short while Cam looks like he’s lost weight. It makes me sad, seeing the difference, knowing it was my fault.

  As soon as they see me, they freeze and their attacker sends a kick knocking Jonnie down. I don’t think, just act. In a fraction of a second my wolf takes over, shifting and leaping over the rope and have their attacker gripped around the neck with my muzzle, growling viciously.

  “Dani, it’s ok, let him go. We were just training,” Mitchell says soothingly, approaching me slowly. I growl, staring at where Jonnie lies on the ground, unmoving. Mitch follows my gaze, “Jonnie, get the fuck up before she rips Josh’s throat out!” he demands.

  Jonnie chuckles, rolling over so I see his grin. I let Josh drop and pounce on Jonnie, licking his face excitedly. Mitchell comes over laughing at my joy. Cam meanwhile stands to the side, watching me warily. I climb off Jonnie, walking over to Cam. He drops his head, refusing to meet my eyes. It was his pack that betrayed us. His pack who showe
d they were loyal to his father rather than him. His own brother who betrayed us.

  Once I’m in front of him, I shift back to human, ignoring the gasps and growls behind me, “Cam?” I say gently.

  A sob escapes and he drops to his knees pulling me close, clinging for dear life. I stroke the top of head soothingly. “Hey, it’s ok,” I murmur, watching him break before my eyes.

  “I’m so sorry, Dani,” he gasps out. “I should have listened to you, trusted your instincts but I wanted to believe not all my family was bad. Please forgive me,” he begs, squeezing me tight, his tears running down my stomach.

  “Hey none of that. You wanted to believe the best of them, there’s nothing wrong with that. Come on, let’s all go inside. I want to know what happened while I’ve been gone,” I coax him, helping him to his feet. I still haven’t seen Pete or Nate and my wolf is dying to find them.

  Jonnie, Mitchell, Jason, Rick and Jake follow me as I take Cam’s hand, ignoring the shocked gazes of everyone who has gathered around.

  We make it to the front door without interruption. I open it not caring how it looks me walking in with my entourage of mates and enforcers behind me. I run into Lily at the bottom of the steps, her eyes popping open in shock. After a beat, she rushes to me, pulling me into a hug. I refuse to let go of Cam’s hand, not wanting to part with him, “Where are they?” I ask her, my eyes looking upstairs.

  She grins seeing my gaze, “They’re up there moping around. Go,” she gestures with a wink. Cam and I take the stairs two at a time, Jason, Mitchell and Jonnie following me. Jake and Rick must have stayed behind to let me have the reunion I need. I pause, wondering where Eli is, only to plough on to see Nate and Pete.

  I pause at the bedroom we shared, nervous to see them. Nate and I had a big argument before I left and I’m not sure how well I’ll be received. As I reach for the handle, I hear their voices and I hesitate, wanting to hear what they’re talking about.

  “I wish she was here. It feels like I can’t breathe without her,” Pete says, sorrow lining his voice.

  I hear shuffling, “I know man. You have no idea how hard it is for me, living with the thought she hates me. What if something happens to her and I don’t get the chance to see her? To tell her I’m sorry? To tell her I love her more than anything in this world? It kills me,” Nate sighs and I can imagine him slouching in on himself, his hands covering his face. “I just want to see her again,” he says, his voice muffled.

  I can’t take it anymore. I open the door, tears in my eyes, “Hey guys,” I murmur into the silent room.

  Pete is sprawled out on the bed, hands folded behind his head, staring up at the roof. Nate’s over on the chair by the window, head in his hands. At the sound of my voice, they both shoot up, gazes immediately going to mine. I smile softly, unprepared for how fast they move to get to me. “Dani? Please god, tell me you’re real,” Nate asks, reaching me first.

  I laugh, reaching up to cup his cheek, “Yeah babe, I’m real,” I say, watching his eyes tear up. “Hey, it’s ok.” I can’t believe how much they missed me

  “No, it’s not. Dani, I said some things, things I regret. It wasn’t fair of me,” he begs, his eyes showing his sincerity.

  “You said what I needed to hear. It wasn’t right of me to do that to your parents with the baby on the way. And it wasn’t fair of me to take my anger out on you,” I apologize, hanging my head in shame. At the time, I was too frustrated to see I was wrong but the time apart from him has given me a new clarity.

  “Hey, stop hogging her, it’s my turn,” Pete interrupts, snatching me from Nate’s arms before he can argue. “Hi, Firecracker,” he grins down at me. “Hi,” I smile up at him, relieved to see happiness in his eyes.

  I don’t know what I expected, but I guess part of me was thinking they wouldn’t be as welcoming. I figured they might have actually believed what Sonja said. Not that it would have really mattered.

  “Where’s Eli?” Pete asks, looking behind me, as if expecting him to appear.

  Jason saves me the job of answering, “He, uh, stayed down stairs to give us some time,” he whispers softly so as to not upset anyone. I think he is the only one who can see that Eli has the same effect on me that the others do. He helped me, and tried to sacrifice himself for me. He was also there for me when I was trying to deal with James’s death.

  My wolf and I know it’s our fault James died the way he did. He saved us and lost his own life in the process. I swore I would make Luke pay for causing us all so much loss and pain.

  I bury my pain, knowing something more important needs to be done.

  “Alright guys, as much as I want to lounge around all day in your arms, you need to fill me in on what’s been happening, where Luke is and how long it will take me to get to him? It’s time for his reign of terror and pain to end,” I announce, dominance oozing from me in waves.

  My wolf has lit a fire of rage deep in my soul. The guys all shiver, feeling my power. Jason pulls me into his arms, rubbing his nose along my neck breathing in my scent. “Jase, that’s very distracting,” I murmur, leaning back into is embrace.

  “Oh, what’s this? You’ve given Jason a new nickname, have you? Did something happen we should know about?” Pete asks, a cheeky grin on his face.

  I smile up at Pete, “Nope it just slipped out. I prefer Jason. It’s a much manlier name don’t you think?” I ask, looking up into Jason’s eyes with a grin.

  He smiles down at me, sensing where I’m going, “Oh yes, much manlier than something like… Pete.”

  The grin slips from Pete’s face replaced with a scowl. “You son of a bitch!” he glares at Jason until he hears my giggle, “Oh you cheeky little she-devil! I can’t believe you played me like that!” He pouts, crossing his arms and turning away as if upset.

  “Aw Pete, don’t be like that. You know she was only messing with you just as you do to her. If you want to blame someone, then you should blame yourself for teaching her your ways,” Mitchell laughs, making Pete pout worse than before.

  God, guys really can’t pout well. It just makes him look childish. He sighs as if realising it isn’t working and lets his arms drop in defeat. “Ok fine, it’s all my fault. Dani learnt her bad behaviour from me like some kind of contagious disease. If I want her to stop, I have to stop being a smartass,” he sighs with exaggerated sarcasm.

  The humor drops from my voice, “Seriously guys, tell me what happened,” I ask, feeling guilty when everyone’s faces drop.

  Cam looks at me in the eye and I know he is going to tell me some bad news. “Well, after you and Eli were taken, Sonja showed up telling us you had deserted the packs and run off to be in a relationship with Eli and that he had killed James when he tried to stop you two from leaving. Then Adam came out saying Dad was back to rule the pack after the false queen abandoned us. Naturally, none of us believed him and we told him so.”

  Oh thank god. I was terrified they’d think I couldn’t handle it and run off.

  Jason smiles down at me, “We told Luke that we didn’t believe him and that he would have to kill us before we let him lead any of the pack, to which he responded, ‘So be it,’ then all the wolves of the pack attacked us. Some were on our side, defending us while others were out to kill us. It was a bloodbath.

  “We were chased from the pack, Tim, Laura, Monique and Walter too. Jake and Rick got out but Jake was severely wounded in the attack trying to get to you. It took him five days to heal. We ran until we got here, it used to be an old pack home. Walter said this place was gifted to your mother but it went unused when she left with your father.”

  Jason stops and Mitchell takes over. “We set up camp here and started calling for reinforcements. Lily sent most of her pack to us, only leaving a small number to defend the property but Tim ended up leaving half his pack behind to help if Lily’s needed it. Liam called us and told us to be prepared for you. That someone he knew found out where you were.” I relax into Jason’s arms, enjoying the feeling
of safety my mate’s presence brings. All of us together like this makes me feel content but now, without Eli, it’s like I’m not quite complete.

  “Do you want to tell us what happened?” Jonnie asks softly, telling me with his eyes it’s ok if I don’t want to.

  I smile, walking from Jason’s embrace into Jonnies. I kiss him softly, telling him through our connection how much I care. “So much has happened and you all deserve to know. I’ll start with us being taken. James and I were running back to the house when twenty wolves took us by surprise. We fought them off but James was taken down and I knew they were going to kill him unless I stopped fighting.

  “They let James come to me as Adam appeared from out of nowhere, telling me he was taking me to Luke. Erick tried to intervene but that bitch Sonja appeared, shooting him. I may have been stupid and badmouthed her. She told me to shut my mouth. Of course, that pissed me off and I mouthed off. She shot me, but James moved at the last moment, taking the shot, killing him.

  “Adam continued bragging, going on about crap. He told me his mother was dead.” I pause to look at Cam, feeling his sadness. “I’m sorry Cam, I think it’s true,” I tell him as he nods quietly.

  “The next thing I know, Sonja had wolves bring Eli out, tied in silver chains. I got agitated, said some things and bam.

  “I woke up in a dark, cold basement, busting to pee. When I tried to get up, I immediately felt the chains holding me down. Eli heard me and told me I had been unconscious for five days to a week. He lost track because they kept switching lights on and off to keep us disorientated.

  “They must have sensed I was awake because Adam came down to interrogate us. You guys must have already taken off and hidden away because all he wanted to know was where you were,” I tell them, my eyes moving to Cam meaningfully.

  His face shuts down, as he fights a mix of anger and frustration. I continue my story, not wanting to stop to give him time to dwell. “He started with me, trying to get me to reveal where you would be hiding then, after I made him break his hand by punching a wall, he left in a huff.”