by L. P. Dover
“Nice pun,” I say, rolling my eyes. Then again, what if he is? I already know the story between Sebastian and my sister, Bailey. She thought she was living life independently for years, but Sebastian was there in the shadows, watching over her. It’ll piss me off to no end if Micah does the same with me. I wish he could see I want this freedom for us both. Looking out at the woods, I concentrate on the surroundings, but I can’t feel Micah anywhere. The thing about royals is we can hide our presence. It’s one of the things which makes us lethal in attacks. If he’s around, he’ll definitely hear me. “He better not be trying to pull one over on me,” I shout. “If he is, he’ll regret it.” It’s all words, but it feels good to say them. Micah knows he’s stronger than me. Yes, I can get in a few hits, but in the end, he always manages to best me.
Amelie shrugs. “Just saying I find it kind of odd that he would agree to this. Micah’s an honorable man. If he made a vow to protect you, then it’s what he’s going to do.”
Blowing out a heavy sigh, I nod toward the door. “Let’s get ready to go. I have a strange feeling I’m going to be looking over my shoulder all night to see if I can find him.”
She smiles. “I get you want your freedom, but the Lyall brothers are very handsome men. I’m shocked Micah’s not your mate.”
I snort. “The goddess of the moon knows better than to put him as my mate. Micah is like a brother to me.” I agree with her that all the Lyall men are handsome. Micah has two older brothers, Sebastian and Zayne. They all three look alike with their whitish-blond hair and striking blue eyes. Sebastian is mated already, but Zayne is still on the market, much to his dismay. He prefers solitude to being chased for his status by women everywhere. When we get together with some of the surrounding packs, the women fawn all over Micah. I keep hoping he’ll find his mate. When he does, he’ll have no choice but to put me aside. In our world, mates are above all else. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found her yet.
Amelie picks her box up and laughs. “Look on the bright side, when you find your mate, he can step aside. All the females around here will be happy when you do.”
“Yeah,” I grumble, “if I even find my mate. Kind of hard to do that with a bodyguard following me around. Not to mention, a royal arctic alpha.”
She winks. “The betas won’t come near you, but I know an alpha will. There are plenty of them around. Our pack happens to be friends with several.” That’s true, but it’s not often we see them.
Shaking my head, I plaster on a smile. “Okay, no more talk about mates or overbearing alpha protectors. It’s time we have some fun.”
Amelie nods. “Deal. Let’s get out of here.”
She carries her box inside, and I follow her so I can grab my keys and purse. I’m ready for the night.
“My bison steak was absolutely delicious,” Amelie mumbles with her mouth half full.
Nodding, I finish off the last bite of my steak. “Yes, it was.”
Her gaze lingers over toward the bar and then back to me. “There are two men at the bar who haven’t been able to stop staring at us since we got here.”
Very casually, I glance over my shoulder at them. In human years, they look to be around their mid-twenties and incredibly good-looking. Both are human and dressed in plaid button-down shirts and jeans with dark brown hair and the other a dirty blond; very cowboyish, which I’ve grown to love since I moved to Wyoming from Canada. Amelie got me started watching the TV show Yellowstone, and I’m hooked.
The guy with blond hair nods at me, and I do the same to be polite. When I turn back to Amelie, I lower my voice. She has a dark past where she was mated to another wolf, but it didn’t end well. I try not to bring it up because I know it pains her.
“How many men have you slept with?” I ask her.
She takes a sip of her water. “As far as wolves, just one. Human men, six.”
I envy her. I’ve thought about what it would be like to be intimate with a man. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy myself when I’m alone in the privacy of my home, but it’s not the same. Most women at my age have at least fallen in love a couple of times. I’ve never been given a chance.
“Was it nice being with human men?”
Amelie smiles. “Very nice. Human men are different from our kind. They’re a little more fragile, so you have to be careful. You can’t be getting all hot and bothered in bed and have your claws rake down their backs. You’ll rip them in two.”
“Ouch. Yeah, that wouldn’t be good.”
She shakes her head. “Not at all. Sometimes it’s exhausting, though. You can’t fully be yourself with human men. Also, getting attached isn’t wise because we all know it’d never work. They age, and we don’t. They’re only good for a short-term fling.”
Sighing, I look over my shoulder at the two men again. “I’m not really interested in a fling.”
“Neither am I,” Amelie says, drawing my attention back to her. “I’m happy with the way my life is right now.” Her gaze saddens when she meets my eyes. “But I know you haven’t been able to live yours. Hopefully, you’ll get the chance soon.”
The waitress comes over, and we pay our bills. When we get outside, the temperature has cooled off, and it feels heavenly. I love downtown Jackson Hole. There are shops lined up and down the street with tourists everywhere. The summer is the prime time peak season for the hiking enthusiasts who want to venture into the Grand Teton National Park. It’s very different from the small Canadian town Micah and I moved from. I was born in Canada, so it’ll always be my home, but it changed when my parents were murdered. After that, nothing felt like home. I was torn away from my siblings just to keep us safe.
Amelie bumps me with her shoulder. “I’m thinking a walk by the art gallery to see your paintings and then to Udderly Delicious for an ice cream sundae?”
I turn to her and smile. “Sounds perfect.”
The art gallery is on the next street over, and when we walk by the window, there’s a woman inside buying one of my paintings. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. Amelie squeezes my arm and lets out a shriek. “Would you look at that? She’s buying your cottage painting.”
My eyes start to burn. That cottage is the replica of the one Micah and I lived in. I can see it all as if it was just yesterday that we left it. It still belongs to Micah, and I hope he never sells it. One day, I want to go back and see it again. It’s a moderately sized yellow cottage that looks as if it came out of a fairy tale. I even planted every single flower in the garden.
“It’s such a beautiful place, Amelie. You would love it.” I pointed at the painting. “The mountains in the background were really there. I would stare at them for hours.”
Amelie clasps my arm and pulls me away from the window. “It’s a good thing you have the Tetons to look at now. I have to say I love this area. It’s nothing like my home in North Carolina.”
I link my arm with hers. Her parents were murdered by other wolves, just like mine. She hasn’t been back to North Carolina since joining the Teton pack. I never thought we’d have so much in common.
We turn the corner, and Udderly Delicious is about five shops down from where we are. There are people everywhere, laughing and smiling as they go in and out of the stores. It’s interesting to watch them, knowing they’re oblivious to what’s really around them.
“What sundae are you going to get?” Amelie asks. “I think I want the mudslide, and I’ll have them add the fudge cake.”
“That sounds like heaven. I’ll …” Before I can finish my sentence, both Amelie and I freeze. Someone is near us, and it’s not anyone from our pack or anyone I recognize for that matter.
Amelie’s arm tightens around mine. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Who the hell is in our territory?”
“I don’t know, but he’s definitely an alpha.” We both scan the crowd, and that’s when I lock eyes on him. He’s tall with light brown hair and bright green eyes, dressed in a pair of jeans and a snug T-shirt that hugs his well-toned b
ody. I don’t sense any danger from him, but I can feel his need. He smiles, but then his gaze averts to something behind me. I glance back quickly, and Micah is right there, glaring in the direction of the other male. “Seriously?” I growl. “What the hell are you doing here?” Am I surprised? No. When I turn my attention back to the other wolf, he’s gone.
Micah comes to my side but keeps his eyes on the crowd. “Did you really think I was going to let you go out tonight alone?” I glance over at Amelie, and she shrugs, giving me that “I told you so” look.
In all honesty, I’m not mad, but the guilt I felt before magnifies tenfold. Micah will never let me go, and it’s because of me why he can’t live his own life. “Did you recognize him?” I wonder.
He shakes his head. “No, but he’s definitely an alpha and not invited as far as I know.”
“What are we going to do?”
Micah turns to me, his blue eyes full of concern. “I’ll call the others. Right now, I think it’s best I get you and Amelie out of here.”
Our pack has been through so much in such a short amount of time. I dread the thought of another pack war coming to our doorstep. When alphas start encroaching on other territories, trouble usually follows.
“Will we ever be able just to live our lives in peace?” Amelie asks as Micah follows us to my car.
Even though I didn’t feel any danger from the other alpha, it doesn’t mean anything. “I don’t know,” I answer. “I really don’t know.”
Chapter 3
Faith
My pretend freedom was short-lived. I honestly thought there could be a chance Micah would let me go, but I was mistaken. He called the other men in the pack and learned that none knew of another alpha passing through. The Teton pack is an unusual one and not like any others in the world. My sister Bailey and her mate Ryker are the main alphas of the group. Ryker is the one who started it by bringing together lost wolves from all over the place. Not only do we have royal arctics, but we have gray wolves and reds. The royal arctics are natural-born alphas, so it’s not common to see multiple alphas in a pack, but it works for us. All of them are respectful of each other.
After yesterday, Micah has decided to stay close to me. We trained like usual this morning and spent the rest of the day at another landscaping job. Now we’re on our way back to my cabin in silence. We’ve barely spoken to each other since last night. Micah periodically glances over at me, and when I turn to look at him, he makes it appear as if he wasn’t watching me at all.
I keep my focus on him, hoping it’ll get him to speak. After a few minutes, he sighs and meets my gaze when we stop at the light. “I’m sorry, Faith. I didn’t want to deceive you. I was going to let you go alone, but then I just couldn’t do it.”
“It’s probably a good thing. We don’t know what that guy wanted, if he wanted anything at all. He could just be passing through.”
Micah turns his focus back to the road and scoffs. “He’s an unmated male, Faith. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. It’s pretty clear what he wants.”
“What if he turns out to be my mate? You never know.”
He shrugs. “True. But coming into another pack’s territory uninvited isn’t the way to go. It’s also strange how he went unnoticed until he wanted to be seen by you. I don’t like it at all. Even I didn’t pick up on his trail.”
I hadn’t thought about the fact we couldn’t sense him. Only royals can mask their presence, and he’s not one; he’s a gray. There are more gray wolves than any other kind in the world. It concerns me how neither one of us could detect him. Either he’s stronger than we think, or he’s using magic of some kind. Whatever the circumstance may be, I hope it doesn’t cause a problem.
“He could seriously be passing through town.”
Micah nods. “Let’s hope that’s the case. We’ve been through too much shit already.”
We come upon the downtown shops, and I really want to stop at the craft store since mine and Amelie’s time got cut short last night. “Do you mind stopping by Nellie’s Craft store for a few minutes so I can get some paint and more canvases? I have some new ideas for the gallery.”
“Sure.” He turns into the parking lot. “Have you sold anymore?”
He turns to me, and I smile. “Yep. Amelie and I saw a lady purchase one last night. She bought the cottage one.”
He averts his gaze. “You loved that place. I always thought you were happy there.”
“I was. And one day, I want to go back. It’s where all of my inspiration to paint came to me.” I know I can’t go up there and live, not when my family is in Wyoming, but it’d be nice to visit now and again for a vacation.
Micah parks the car, and we get out. I can tell he’s on full alert by the way he scans our surroundings. It’s a Saturday afternoon, and there are people everywhere, just like last night. We walk inside the store, and I go straight to the paint aisle.
“Didn’t you say you needed canvases?” Micah asks.
I nod. “Yep. They are on the far wall over that way,” I say, pointing in the right direction. “Five should be good.”
He chuckles. “I’ll get them.”
While he’s gone, I browse over the various oil paints. I need only a couple of colors, so I snag them up along with a Bob Ross calendar. I notice someone in my peripheral, and when I look over, it’s a man who seems oddly out of place perusing over the paint selection. He doesn’t seem to be interested in them at all. His hair is a light ashy brown, and he has the body of a shifter. What really makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up is I can’t sense anything about him. It’s like he’s a blank slate. He glances over at me and smirks as if he knows something I don’t. All I know is he’s not human, and he’s not a royal arctic to be able to conceal himself this way. Micah comes to my side, holding the canvases, and when he sees the guy, he sets the canvases down on the shelf.
He leans in close. “We’re going to walk out of the store and go left around the side of the building. I promise we’ll come back for your paint.”
I put my paints back along with the calendar. Micah always has a plan, and I trust him. He follows me out the door, and I go left just like he said. He grabs my hand and gently pushes me against the brick building. “Stay right here.”
I nod and watch him walk toward the edge of the building. When the guy from the store turns the corner, Micah grabs him around the neck and slams him against the wall. The guy doesn’t even fight him; he stands there and laughs.
“Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing in Jackson?” Micah growls.
Instead of answering Micah, he looks over at me. “My name’s Orin, and I’m here to see you.”
“Why?” The word slips out before I can even stop myself.
Orin focuses back on Micah and holds up his hands. “I’m not going to hurt her if that’s what you’re worried about. I know you’re her protector, not to mention a royal arctic alpha. I’d be stupid to take you on.”
Micah pushes his arm harder into his neck. “Make one move toward her, and you’re dead.”
“Micah,” I say, taking a step closer. “Let him go. If he tries anything stupid, I’ll kill him myself.”
Micah slowly lets him go, and Orin’s grin widens. He runs a hand down his shirt and then rubs his neck where Micah left marks on his skin. I take another step forward. “How did you know Micah was my protector?”
Orin clears his throat and takes in a deep breath as he looks around the town. “Word has spread far and wide about you, little wolf. Everyone knows about the last royal arctic female, Faith Storm, and how the Royal pack is gaining phenomenal amounts of power.”
The breath hitches in my lungs. “The Royal pack was slaughtered decades ago. I should know because my parents were among them.”
Orin crosses his arms over his chest and casually leans against the wall. “Yeah, I know about all of that. The Teton pack is now considered the Royals. Word about your pack has spread all across the world.” He slides a
glance over to Micah before turning back to me. “You have an unmated royal protector and his royal arctic brothers, one of whom is mated to a gray. You have an older sister who mated with the Teton alpha and your unmated royal arctic brother. We all know what happens when a royal bonds with a normal wolf.” His lips pull back slyly. “They share power. Your mate would become a royal.”
And now it all makes sense.
“You want my power, is that it?” I snap.
Orin pushes off the wall, but he keeps his distance. “There will be more coming to find you. This is just beginning. You deserve someone strong. The men want to see if they could be your potential mate.”
I can’t believe my ears; it’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard. What I do know for sure is I have to keep my mouth shut. There are other female royals out there; only they’re still in hiding. I refuse to let them become targets.
“So basically, if there were a wolfy version of The Bachelorette, I would be the next contestant?”
Orin smirks. “Basically, yes. Only the show would be slightly different.”
Micah grabs him by the shoulder. “I think I’ve heard enough. You need to get the fuck out of here.”
Orin holds up his hands. “All right, I’ll go. I’m not here for a fight.” By the gleam in his eyes, I don’t think that’s true. He’s a wolf and a strong one, even though he’s not making a move against Micah. Still, I have no doubt Micah could rip off his head in a second. After all of the betrayals I’ve seen in my life, I’ve learned not to underestimate anyone. Orin winks at me. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.”
Shivers run down my spine as if his words are an unspoken promise. I’m not afraid of him or any male for that matter, but what he said about everyone knowing about me doesn’t settle well. If more wolves come for me, there will be bloodshed.
Orin saunters off as if nothing amiss just happened. Jaw tense, Micah takes my arm, keeping me close as we hurry back to his car. “This isn’t good,” he growls, his attention focused on our surroundings. I don’t sense another wolf around, but it’s not like that matters. Orin and the other unknown wolf from yesterday have someone helping to conceal them.
