The dinner bell rang, forcing him to break the kiss. They stared at each other for a minute before she brought trembling fingers to her lips. As she twisted away, he gripped her arm.
“Before we head back, tell me how aggressive the coyotes are in this area.”
She took a deep breath to center herself. “They’re getting more so. But they aren’t native here, and the nearest crossing for them is a good ten miles downriver.” She rubbed her hips. “So, from where they usually prowl, it’s a good fifteen miles.”
“You said the river crossing?”
Ripley pointed in the general direction of what he assumed would be the crossing point. “Yeah, like I said, it’s downriver from here. It’s the only place to cross for about forty miles.”
“Yes, but they can swim.”
She looked at him, shocked. “That’s not possible.”
“They’re very good swimmers, actually.”
“My father always told us they hated water. That’s why we put this camp here.” The fear on her face replaced any remnants of sensuality. “Crap on a cracker!”
There were far stronger words he would have personally used. But then perhaps she was used to toning it down when children could be within earshot. “If they were to swim across, how close would they be?”
“Taking in that nothing could swim through some sections because of the eddies?”
“What the hell is an eddy?”
“Basically, where the water churns. There are some deadly ones in this area. It’s why you need permits to boat the Wolf River.”
Z understood her disbelief. If her Alpha had told her they were safe, she would have believed him. Unfortunately, the safety had been an illusion. Now to get all the information he could in order to best figure out how far the coyote band resided. Because this wasn’t simply three lone dogs. There were more waiting somewhere. The tracks he and Ripley had spotted had been left behind by scouts.
“Okay, so taking into account a safe place to swim across, how far are they?” Z asked again.
She turned back toward the river. “Too close. Less than three miles.”
Much nearer than he preferred. And why would her father let his pack believe coyotes couldn’t swim? That left them and their tourist guests dangerously unprotected and with a false sense of security. These coyotes were after something and getting braver, by the little evidence he could collect.
Z, never one to sugarcoat anything, not with his mate’s safety at stake, said, “Will is out here alone. Does he have a means of protecting himself?”
“He has a gun.”
A wolf with a gun didn’t ease Z’s concerns any. “Would he use it?”
Her shoulders dropped in defeat. “No.”
“You can’t leave him here by himself. When we leave tomorrow, he should, too.”
“Who are you?” She sniffed the air.
Ignoring her, Z asked, “Tomorrow, will you go somewhere private so we can talk? I will tell you anything you want to know.” He cupped her face. How he wanted to allow his scent to come back to the surface, to remove the spell he’d cast to hide it from everyone. But he couldn’t, not yet. Her emotions would overwhelm her once she sensed him. And if her arousal pheromones were any stronger, he wouldn’t be able to stop either of them from claiming each other. “But tonight, you must trust me. Can you do that?”
She nodded, stepping away before descending the hill. “I shouldn’t trust you. Nothing about you adds up. But, like our connection, I know I have to trust in you.”
Obviously, she still believed him human, but she needed time to sort out what she felt. Once Ripley had the facts, all the pieces would fall into the place, forcing her to see they were mates. Her reaction to that was anyone’s guess, but Z wouldn’t force her when there were a dozen humans and a member of her pack around. He would give her space tonight, and that would allow him the time necessary to scout out on the area. Yet knowing she slept in a tent mere yards away might prove the hardest thing he’d ever ignored.
Chapter Three
Sometimes having something to keep the mind busy was the only thing that kept a person sane. And Ripley felt anything but sane the next morning. Zames’s kiss had left her unsure her knees would hold as she’d worked her way back to camp the night before. For the remainder of the evening, he had maintained his distance, but his eyes were always on her, burning into her, devouring her.
After breakfast he caught her alone, reminding her of their agreement before he’d kissed her like something out of a chick flick. Zames also supported her when she informed Will she wanted him back at the compound.
“Ripley, that’s stupid. I’ll be fine out here.”
“Don’t argue.” Ripley never raised her voice to her omegas but had to make him understand she would accept no argument. His safety and that of any members in her protection was of utmost importance. If she thought merging with the coyotes would be the right thing to do, and they would have created a better, safer life, she’d put aside her pride and do it. But the coyotes were the worst thing that could happen to them and Jeb, their leader, the worst of Alphas, cruel and selfish.
“Please, Will, don’t make me worry. I want you in that boat and heading out of here when we leave.”
“Yes, boss,” he agreed, his voice tinged with a snark. Anyone could tell he didn’t agree with her directive.
After breakfast, she navigated the river. She and the water acted as a team—one traveling, the other determining the direction. Those in the boats paddled. She didn’t want them near the pitfall of fallen trees and shallow rocks that could get them hurt. And staying busy would at least allow her not to think about that damned kiss. Well, either of the kisses.
“Forward…that’s it,” Ripley shouted, the commands rolling off her tongue second nature.
In the front of the boat, paddle in hand, Zames took charge, and they all paddled together. What Ripley wouldn’t give for him to have the shifter gene; for them to be true mates and for him to take on her pack. They needed an Alpha, and if Drew Tao wasn’t interested, they would broaden their search. But Zames couldn’t be the answer to their prayers. A human, no matter how Alpha-male, still could never be Alpha enough to hold the coyotes at bay much longer.
“All stop,” she yelled, slowing the boat.
It would get rough from there on. The rain lately hadn’t been enough to raise the river. The rapids, usually low class III, had become class IV due to the rocks being closer to the surface. Ripley could negotiate them with no problem, but to do so the passengers had to work with her. listen to her commands, and use their paddles only as she deemed necessary. To ensure they all came through while remaining in the boat, their paddling had to work in tandem with her oars.
“I want everyone to paddle hard for the next three rapids.”
“Remember, follow the person in front of you,” Zames said with an authority no one in the boat dared to argue.
He herded the smaller children closer into the middle, telling one to hold onto him if she got scared, all the while double-checking their life vests. These were not the actions of a man who pled ignorance about adventure, even if his knowledge of rafting amounted to very little.
Ripley added, “And if by some fluke anyone gets thrown out, remember to point your feet toward the sky and downstream. I promise you will stay with the boat.”
“Have you ever had anyone fall out?” one of the mothers asked.
“Not in a very long time.” Ripley smiled, unable to count how many years had passed since she had thrown someone from the boat. “You’ll be fine. Wedge that foot into the side of the raft if you want a little more leverage. Double-check that your life jackets are snug.”
“I can barely breathe as it is,” another woman complained.
“Good, then it’s perfect,” Ripley said with a wink.
The other rafts were in sight, so she turned hers around and took the rapid. Her heart pumped, and she breathed in the aromas around her. The crisp air,
the fresh water, the fear and excitement coming off the humans. Gripping her oars, she maneuvered the boat to the top.
“All forward.”
The raft lurched and away they went, and she became one with the vehicle, guiding it and its passengers through the gauntlet until they returned once again to the calm waters on the other side, a little wetter, but all in one piece and still in the boat.
The river, having vented her displeasure, welcomed once again. This was why Ripley loved it; it gave as much as it took, as peaceful as it was violent and, in the end, ever-changing because the water passing them would never be quite the same again.
The passengers cheered, exiting the rapids. Ripley reached the water’s edge and spun the boat so they could best watch the other two. She had faith in her handpicked guides since she’d trained every one. Both boats came through with few problems. In the summer, they ran the route sometimes three times a day, depending on demand.
Thirty minutes later, she pulled the raft up to the unloading dock.
Tessa, another one of her betas who drove the bus, met them. “How’s the river? Did she play nice?”
“As nice as she ever does.” Ripley couldn’t deny she felt better than she had in weeks, perhaps months. Being out on the water renewed her sense of life and hope.
“Did Will make it to headquarters?” Zames asked, assisting her in moving the boats onto the concrete dock.
“You speak like a soldier, do you know that?” Ripley nudged him then ripped off her life vest.
Tessa pulled the last and smallest boat out of the water with ease. “Will hadn’t arrived when I left the office.”
“When did you leave?” Ripley tried to wish away the panic rising within her.
“About forty minutes ago.”
“He should have arrived by then. Something’s wrong,” Ripley said.
“Leave the raft,” Zames demanded. “Leave the fucking raft, now. Take us to where we can cross again.”
Fear engulfed her. Zames hadn’t raised his voice or cursed in the twenty-four hours since he’d walked into her life. And yet, even in that short time, she knew it wasn’t in his nature and meant they needed to act without delay.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I think he’s in trouble. Now, get everyone on the bus as quickly as possible without raising an alarm. Can you call your Alpha and get him to send someone? Your Enforcer or a few dominants over to check it out before we get there?” =
Stopping in her tracks, she turned on him. “What did you say?”
“Get some help,” he said without pause.
“No, you didn’t say help. You know about my people?” Her voice dropped in tone on the last word. What the hell did this human know?
“I do, but now isn’t the time. Will—”
Keeping her voice low so no one else could hear proved hard when all she wanted to do was scream at this man. “I am not letting you near another member of my pack until—”
He cupped her face. “Listen to me very carefully. I am not the enemy, I will never hurt you. I can’t. I promise to tell you everything after we deal with Will. Right now, you need to get your Enforcer over to the camp immediately.”
“We’re closer. We keep a boat hidden not too far from the campsite. We can use it to cross and see if Will is still there.” Zames was right. They needed to focus on Will and his safety first. Something told her she could trust Zames and that scared the hell out of her.
Ripley faced her guides. “Can you two get these ready for the second tour?”
“Of course. What’s wrong?” Anne, the eldest of her guides, asked.
“I don’t know yet, but hopefully nothing.”
“Ripley, who the hell is that guy?” Though Anne voiced it, Ripley judged by their upraised eyebrows, Tessa and the Babs had the same question.
“He’s…a friend.”
Bab’s lips twitched “Friend, huh? I would love a friend like him.”
As much as Ripley would enjoy bantering with the horny trio, her only concern at the moment was Will. After getting the correct head count, she boarded the bus, sitting right behind the driver. Zames slid in beside her, his heat warming the cold chill running through her.
“I should have made sure he left.”
“He’s a grown man who’d told you he would leave minutes after us.”
Ripley gave into the urge and leaned toward Zames. He kissed the top of her head before wrapping a reassuring arm around her.
“Can you drive the bus back for us, so Tessa and I can check on Will?” she asked.
“I’m not leaving your side.”
Turning in order to see him better, she shook her head. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Whatever secrets you’re afraid I will discover, stop worrying. We’ll deal with them later, but right now we have to focus.”
The ten minutes it took to get to the boat seemed closer to ten hours. Neither she nor Zames bothered with life vests. As they came within view of the camp landing, the motorboat Will would need to use to get out of camp sat there as a bad omen, and coolers lay open on the sandy ground nearby. Zames jumped out, yanking the boat in and putting a finger to his lips. The trail to the camp showed no signs of life. That alone told her what she dreaded.
He moved ahead of Ripley with the stealth precision of a Navy SEAL. If only he were wolf, he would make a perfect mate, perhaps even an Alpha.
Her skin crawled at the high-pitched shouts and woots of men in the distance. As she and Zames rounded the bend, the coyotes came into view. One of them kicked something, or someone, near the campfire.
“Stop it,” she yelled, unable to stay put as they attacked what had to be Will. Running into the open, she paused. Five of the coyote-clan baddies stared back at her.
“You got here quicker than expected, Miss Ripley,” one the men said, thankfully downwind from her because she could almost see the stink coming off him.
As two of them stepped toward her, Zames pushed her behind him, making sure he stood between her and them. “You take one step closer to my mate, and I will tear each of you limb from limb.”
Mate? Did he say mate?
The largest of the group stepped forward, sniffed the air, and laughed. “What do you plan to do, human? Call 911?”
One second, the handsome human protector stood before her, and a blink of an eye later, a large black wolf replaced him, growling, its teeth bared. It happened so fast Ripley still searched for Zames beside her. Impossible. No wolf shifted that quickly or easily. The world around her spun, and her stomach lurched.
The coyotes had taken a few steps forward then just as quickly turned tail and ran.
Movement from the corner of her eye brought Ripley back to reality. But before she could get to Will, the black wolf had resumed human form and knelt beside him.
“Get some water and rags, quickly,” he growled.
“Zames, I don’t understand….”
“Z. My name is Z, and I promise I’ll tell you everything. But I need the water now.”
She ran to the mess tent a few feet from them. Pulling the ten-gallon water containers out, thankful Will had listened and not dumped them, she rested one on her shoulder. The towels were harder to find, but she located some stacked behind the pots and pans. As she’d approached Z, he’d returned to wolf form and retrieved sleeping bags from the nearest tent. She hadn’t been aware he’d left Will’s side. His focus remained on Will as he tucked the bags around the injured omega.
“He’s in shock. We have to get him warm. Is there a phone or radio you can use to call for help?”
“We have to get him to our healer.” Wiping clammy palms on her shorts, Ripley tried to concentrate. Her brain swirled, desperate to make heads, or in this case, black wolf tails of what had happened.
Without taking his eyes off Will, Z wrapped another sleeping bag around his still body. “Your Alpha should get his ass out here and deal with this.”
She grabbed the sa
tellite phone they used for emergencies hanging from one of the mess tent poles. Ripley’s youngest sister, Jordan, answered but Ripley didn’t wait for pleasantries.
“Send Janey out to the campsite now. “
“She’s laboring with Gemma.”
Z snatched the phone from Ripley. “Tell Janey unless Gemma is near to delivery, it is a matter of life or death for Will at the moment. The sooner she gets here, the better.”
He threw the phone down and attended to Will, whose moans had grown softer. After disconnecting the cell, she knelt beside the omega. Taking the wet cloths, she cleaned his face to better assess the damage. Z chanted something low, and although she had keen hearing, she couldn’t understand the words. But as they passed his lips, Will calmed until he seemed to fall into a restful sleep.
Z stood, reaching for her. “He will rest until Janey gets here. There is nothing more we can do now.”
“I don’t want to leave him.”
“We aren’t going far. Just out of his hearing. You have questions, but I have answers only you can hear.”
She placed her hand in his and followed him to the benches a few feet away. “Who are you?”
“Your mate.”
She pulled away then regretted the loss of his touch. “Yeah, I got that, but why are you here? And why can’t I smell you?”
“My real name is Z, not Zames. Drew Tao sent me.”
Unable to sit, she shot to her feet. Why the hell would the Tao Alpha send someone when he’d made it clear he could not help them? “Why?”
“He needed information you were unable or unwilling to give him.”
“What do you do for the Taos?
“I’m not part of their pack, but I do help Drew out when I can. I’m an Infiltrator.”
“Infiltrator.” A moment ago, Ripley couldn’t sit still, but now her feet felt frozen in the dirt. “You mean the creatures that shifter mommies and daddies tell their children will sneak in, in the middle of night, and get them if they don’t behave? Monsters of legend?”
“We aren’t monsters, but we do sneak. Think of us more along the line of the James Bonds of shifters.”
Infiltrating Her Pack Page 4
