by Liv Brywood
She snuggled against him as he wrapped a strong arm around her. She hadn’t noticed the workout he’d given her until now. Her thighs still burned from where she’d wrapped them around his hips. Her arms hung limp at her side. She’d probably done the equivalent of a thousand pushups during the last few hours.
Ryker’s slow, easy breaths meant he was awake. She wondered if he was thinking about her, or about the attack on the other wolves. Their wounded cries still rang in her ears, but she tried to push the phantom sounds away. If she could go back, she’d have gone to town herself and not led the pack into danger.
He pulled her tightly against him. “I could stay like this forever.”
She turned to face him and searched for any hint of anger in his eyes. He’d told her the attack wasn’t her fault and intellectually she believed him, but emotionally, she still felt responsible.
She propped herself up on one arm. “What if we could stay like this? Ignore the town, never go back.”
He sighed. “You can’t stay here. The other wolves are furious that I brought you back to the den.”
“Trent didn’t seem angry.”
“Even when he doesn’t agree with me, he never defies my orders. He’d never disagree with me in public.”
She looked away. “Oh.”
His fingers clasped her chin gently as he turned her face toward him. “We both know it could never work between us. You’re human, I’m wolf. We’re not meant to live together.”
“So last night was a mistake?”
As he caressed her cheek, his eyes shimmered in the pale sunlight. “Not a mistake, but we shouldn’t pretend we could ever be more.”
She rolled toward the wall to hide her face. She couldn’t let him see the despair in her eyes. He was right; they were from different worlds and it was delusional to think she could live with the pack. But she was here with him now. She could enjoy the solace of his touch now and worry about forgetting him later.
She turned back to him and ran her fingers over the ridges and valleys of his six-pack abs. “Well then, we should enjoy what little time we do have together.”
He groaned and pulled her on top of him. She dipped her head and licked the outer edge of his earlobe. She loved the way he shivered beneath her. To think that she could reduce an alpha wolf to a quivering, needy man filled her with a potent sense of power.
She lightly raked her nails across his chest as she nibbled the side of his neck. His cock pressed against her inner thigh. Slick with desire, she rubbed against him but didn’t move to let him inside.
His deep voice rumbled in his chest. “You’re such a tease.”
“But you like it.” She nipped at his throat with her teeth.
He growled and scrambled to his knees. He maneuvered her until she was on her hands and knees, then wrapped an arm around her torso. Damp heat from his breath caressed the nape of her neck. With his knee, he parted her thighs. She leaned forward knowing exactly what he wanted.
As he entered her from behind, she rocked back to meet him. His hands slid up from her belly to clutch her breasts. He teased the plump nipples until she cried out.
Intoxicated, she ignored the soreness in her thighs. She battled with her balance as he took her with rough, deep strokes. His animalistic nature shone through in the way he clutched her hips, in the way he panted against her shoulder, in the way he buried himself deep inside her.
The spark of pleasure nestled in her moist flesh grew until she couldn’t hold back another second. Tremors racked her body as electric waves of release rippled throughout every inch of her being.
Behind her, Ryker swore as he spilled into her. His hands held her hips against his as he shuddered and moaned. Spent, he rolled onto his back and pulled her down to cover him.
She laid her head on his chest and listened to the pounding of his heart. The drumbeat reminded her to be careful; she couldn’t risk falling for the werewolf.
***
Ryker cradled Diana in his arms and cursed his lack of control. He knew better than to lead her on, but when she’d come at him with those bright brown eyes and delicious lips, he couldn’t resist.
The heady scent of her slick heat made him want to devour every inch of her with his ravenous sexual appetite. It had been too long. That’s why he was out of control. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d given in to the dark pull of his feral desires.
In the five years since Trista’s death, he’d been with other wolves, but never another human. What the hell was he thinking? He’d failed to protect Trista and he’d fail Diana too. He needed to get his head together before his failures destroyed another innocent woman.
He slid out of Diana’s tangled embrace. “I should get going. We can’t wait until dark to warn the other packs. I should have sent Trent last night, but he was too shaken up. I should be back by sundown if everything goes well.”
Diana sat up and leaned against the wall. “Do you think the others will help us?”
He wanted to remind her that there was no “us” but let it go. “It would be in the best interest of the other packs if their alphas agree to send additional wolves to help fight Zane.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No. Just stay here and don’t leave the room. I’ll have Akila bring you some food.”
As he turned to leave, he heard her jump off the bed. He stopped at the curtain that closed off the entrance to the room.
“Wait,” she called.
He turned to watch her slink across the room. With each step, her full hips swung from side to side. His mouth went dry as her full breasts swayed. He’d never seen anyone so sexy, so beautiful. His heart pounded as she stood on tiptoes and pressed a warm, wet kiss to his lips.
“For luck,” she whispered.
He tasted the sweetness of her lips. He inhaled the raw scent of his seed mingling with her sweat. As much as he wanted to carry her back to bed, his duty was to his pack. They had to come first.
Reluctantly, he ended the kiss. “I’ll be back by sundown.”
Before he could change his mind, he spun and hurried out of the room. The dark corridor gradually grew lighter as he approached the center of the den. He didn’t want to take a huge team into the other pack’s territory, so he carefully stepped over the sleeping wolves as he made his way toward Trent.
As if sensing his presence, Trent’s eyes opened. He was in wolf form so he couldn’t talk, but Ryker knew he could understand him when he said, “Let’s go. If we leave now, we can reach both packs by sundown.”
Trent bobbed his head in acknowledgement, then stood and gingerly walked between the others. While Ryker waited, he shifted into wolf form. The cracking, expanding pressure in his bones sent searing pain down his back. He shook his body vigorously to get the knots out of his muscles. An image flashed through his mind of Diana rubbing and kneading his body, coaxing all the soreness away.
He panted for a second and then slapped his jaw closed. He couldn’t let the other wolves know how she’d affected him. Her scent already radiated from his body, but in the pack sex could mean anything from a deep, loving relationship to a meaningless romp. He cast a sideways glance at Trent and swore he saw the wolf smirk. Whatever. The other wolf probably thought he’d taken Diana in a fit of lust. Let him think what he will. Only Ryker knew the true depth of longing in his heart.
Outside the den, sunlight blazed against the dirt-covered trail. Ryker bounded through the forest toward Phantom Lake where the Phantom Lake Pack lived. At the edge of the pack’s territory, he stopped and sniffed the ground. The wolves had marked the boundary well. Ryker hesitated for a second. The protocol dictated that he stay at the marked boundary until a wolf from the Phantom Lake Pack gave him permission to enter.
To hell with it; he could ask forgiveness later. He leapt over an ancient oak which had been split by lightning. Trent whined but followed close behind. Another rule broken. How many would he break before he returned Diana to Full
Moon Bay?
As they rounded a huge gnarled oak, five wolves burst out of the surrounding bushes. Ryker skidded to a halt and Trent collided with him.
One of the other wolves shifted into human form. Ryker recognized Hakan’s perfectly smooth ebony skin and shoulder-length black hair. As he drew closer, Ryker spotted subtle streaks of silver in the man’s hair. The beta of the Phantom Lake pack was aging well for a man in his late forties.
“You better have a very good reason for crossing into our territory without pack permission,” Hakan snapped.
Ryker quickly shifted. “I do. I need to see Kyran. I have news that puts us all in danger.”
“What news?”
“There’s a hunter in Full Moon Bay. He attacked a human woman and one of the women in our pack. When we tried to return the human to her home, Zane, the hunter, shot and killed three of the wolves in my pack.”
Hakan massaged his beard. “We’ve dealt with hunters before, just stay clear of them and eventually they go away.”
“He shot at us with silver bullets.”
Hakan froze. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I had Akila examine the bodies. All three were killed by silver bullets.”
“We haven’t seen that kind of weapon used in this area in over a hundred years.”
“I know. We have a serious problem. As long as Zane is alive, none of the wolves are safe.”
The other wolves howled and paced closer to their beta.
“Silence.” Hakan snapped his fingers and the wolves immediately complied. “I’ll bring you to Kyran.”
Hakan stalked into the woods. Ryker and Trent followed him as the other wolves brought up the rear.
They traveled about twenty minutes before a break in the trees revealed the pack’s namesake, Phantom Lake. With over fifty miles of shoreline, the huge lake dominated the landscape. A swift breeze curled tiny waves into whitecaps. The rolling water glistened with a thousand starbursts of light.
Ryker envied the pack’s resources. Granted, his pack controlled the river, but he wished he’d secured part of the lake when they’d defined pack territories.
They skirted the edge of the lake for about a mile, and then Hakan turned inland. A huge rock formation rose up from the forest floor. Even though the formation looked natural, Ryker could tell it was created by the pack. The boulders fit together a little too well and the entrance was small enough that only one wolf needed to stand guard.
Hakan yelled to the guard. “Stand down.”
The guard sat on his hind legs and watched the group enter the den. The narrow entrance opened to the central room. Ryker had been to the den a few times for council meetings, but he still marveled at the immensity of the space.
Dozens of wolves in all shapes, sizes, and colors slept on the dirt floor. Some wolves curled around their mates while others rested alone.
In the center of the room, a huge raised dais overlooked the pack. Kyran rose to his full human form height of six foot three.
Kyran’s voice boomed in the cavern. “Ryker, to what do we owe the honor?”
“We have a problem.”
“Clearly, otherwise you would have sent Trent instead of coming here yourself.”
Hakan spoke up. “He violated the southern boundary.”
Kyran raised a brow. “Really? This must be important if he’s disregarding the rules he helped create.”
Ryker glanced around the room. Several wolves were awake and staring at him. “I meant no disrespect, but I have an urgent issue. I think its best that we speak privately.”
“Whatever news you have can be shared with my den. There are no secrets here.”
“I really think we should speak privately.”
Kyran tapped his fingers on his leg. The tone in his voice held an angry undertone. “Speak up or get out.”
Ryker didn’t want to start a riot, but Kyran left him no choice. “There’s a hunter from Full Moon Bay who’s killing wolves with silver bullets.”
Pandemonium broke out. All the wolves in human form started shouting questions.
“How did he get the bullets?”
“How many hunters are there?”
“Are we under attack?”
“Silence.” Kyran’s voice boomed over the others.
The crowd’s cries dropped to whispered speculation.
A nerve twitched in Kyran’s cheek. “My room, now.”
Ryker wanted to say, “I told you so,” but kept his mouth shut. He wouldn’t disrespect another alpha, especially in front of the wolf’s pack.
When they were safely inside Kyran’s room, Ryker continued. “We don’t know much about the man other than his name: Zane. We also have a little bit of information from the human he tried to kill, but we don’t know where he lives, or if and when he’ll strike again. Last night he killed three of the strongest wolves in my pack.”
“How do you know he’ll come back?”
“I saw the man’s eyes. Cold, filled with rage. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It reminds me of the tales the grandmothers used to tell us when we were kids about soulless humans who would ambush our villages with the intent of eradicating all werewolves.”
Trent spoke up. “It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”
“What do you need from us?” Kyran asked.
“I want to gather the strongest wolves from each pack and track the man. We need to prevent him from killing any more wolves.”
Kyran nodded, a grave look marring his face. “Done. You can take ten of my strongest wolves. When are you planning the attack?”
“I want to wait until the next full moon. We’ll be at our strongest when the moon is full and I have a feeling we’re going to need all of our strength to defeat him.”
Kyran’s brows pulled in. “Have you spoken with Stryde yet?”
A muscle twitched in Ryker’s jaw. “We’re going to see him next.”
“Do you think he’ll agree to help us after what happened between you and Leah?”
“Nothing happened.” Ryker insisted.
“No one believes you.”
Ryker huffed. “I know, but there’s more than just his bruised ego riding on this. All of our lives are at stake.”
Chapter 8
Footsteps sounded in the hall outside of Ryker’s room. Diana’s heart skipped a beat. “Who’s there?”
Leah pushed back the curtain. She carried a huge basket of fruit into the room and set it on the table. “Room service.”
Diana breathed a sigh. It had only been an hour since Ryker left, but she worried about him more and more with every passing second.
Leah sniffed the air then handed her an apple. A wry smile brightened her face. “Need another bath?”
Diana cringed. “Is it that obvious?”
“Does a wolf howl at the moon?”
“This is so embarrassing. Does everyone know every time someone has sex in the den?” Diana bit into the apple. Sweet juice dribbled down her chin. She tried to discretely wipe it with the palm of her hand.
Leah said, “If the wolf doesn’t take a dip in the river, we all know. Before Ryker took over as alpha, there was a lot of infighting over mates. He put a stop to it by making the fighting factions work together. And if they still couldn’t get along, they’d be forced out of the pack.”
“That seems rather drastic.”
“Peace is important in maintaining a pack. I don’t fault Ryker for his rules; I just wish he’d follow them himself.”
“The other wolves don’t want me here, do they?”
Leah shot her a sidelong glance. “No. They know what happened the last time a human lived in the den. Ryker almost didn’t recover from the loss and we can’t risk losing our alpha.”
“What happened?”
Leah eyed the doorway. “I think Ryker needs to be the one to tell you. He’d be angry if it came from me. Besides, he’s already going to be furious with me when he finds out what I remembered las
t night.”
Diana swallowed a bite of apple. “What did you remember?”
“I really shouldn’t say anymore. Let’s get you to the river.” Leah’s attempt at a smile didn’t reach beyond her lips. Fear clouded her eyes.
Diana wished the woman would confide in her, but it made sense that Leah wouldn’t trust someone she hardly knew. She wondered if anyone in the pack could ever trust her. Maybe Ryker was right—maybe she needed to stop thinking about him as more than just a temporary protector.
As soon as they reached the river, a dark cloud passed across the noon sun. Diana shivered. The temperature had dropped ten degrees in the last ten minutes. She quickly waded into the river and splashed water over her face, then ducked under the surface. The icy water rippled overhead, nearly stealing her breath.
When she surfaced, Leah was staring at the darkening sky. “I can usually keep things to myself, but this is killing me. I need to tell someone, but you have to swear to me that you won’t tell Ryker.”
Diana hated keeping secrets, but one look at the tormented woman made the decision easy. “I swear. I won’t tell.”
Leah shivered. “I can’t tell you everything because it’s about Trista.”
“Who’s Trista?”
“The woman—the human—and the reason Ryker created the law.”
“The law forbidding wolves from bringing humans to the den?”
Leah nodded. “Trista was attacked. I never told Ryker, but I kept the clothes she wore the day she died…”
Riveted, Diana was afraid to breathe as the rest of the story spilled out.
“Stryde found out and forced me to give them to him. The killer’s scent was all over the clothes. Stryde memorized the scent and went to town to find the man. He wanted to avenge his best friend’s fiancée’s death.”
“Fiancée?” Diana covered her throat with her hand.
Leah continued, “No one knew they were engaged except for me and Stryde. Graydon, the previous pack alpha, was dying and the new alpha hadn’t been chosen yet. Some of the other members in the pack think marriage makes a man vulnerable because he thinks more about his immediate family than the pack. They see it a sign of weakness. Ryker, Stryde, Trent, and I agreed to keep the secret until after the alpha choosing ceremony. Stryde was in town looking for Trista’s murderer when Ryker was chosen to be the new alpha.” Leah stopped and scratched her neck.
