Brand of the Pack

by Tera Shanley

  Another nod.

  “How did you get away?”

  “He kept me caged until we had to move locations. Raul killed little girls so we couldn’t stay in one place too long or he would get caught.” Marissa’s voice trembled. “He’d Turned me the month before and I didn’t have any control, and when we moved the next time, I just let it go. My wolf had been begging for me to set her free for days. She convinced me she could protect us but I knew how submissive she was. Raul was as dominant and psychotic as they came so I thought she wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  A tear slid from under her sunglasses and hung from her jaw. “Turns out she did. He didn’t have time to Change and I ripped him apart. Didn’t even bury him, just left him on the side of the road for the buzzards to get him like he deserved. I grabbed a change of clothes from Raul’s car and ran until my legs gave out. I hitched a ride from some trucker on a highway, and he dropped me off in this tiny town called Wylie. Didn’t have any family left and I couldn’t go back to my old school, not like I was. I still didn’t have much control so I found an old hunting cabin away from town and tried to live on small game. I didn’t know how to hunt though because Raul wasn’t exactly a great teacher, and just when I thought I’d starve, Rachel showed up. Her eyes were glowing gray and I knew she was like me. Dean stood near the truck with his arms crossed, but Rachel hugged me up tight, and I went to pieces. Told her everything on the spot.”

  No words could take away the pain that Marissa, at such a young age, had endured. That monster’s actions would resonate through the rest of her life. Morgan wanted to kill him all over again. Reaching across the space that separated their chairs, she grabbed Marissa’s hand and squeezed. She wished she could tell her she was safe and didn’t have to worry about violence for as long as she lived. But the cold, hard fact was, she was a werewolf, and female to boot. There wasn’t any way to avoid the danger that clung to their species. All they could do was try to survive it.

  “Morgan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Rachel told me what happened to your sister. That you and Lana saw Grey’s maker kill her. I’m sorry.”

  Morgan smiled sadly. “Me, too. She was amazing.”

  “It seems Grey got the short end of the stick with us, huh? Two broken werewolves to fill out his pack.”

  “Nah,” she said, staring at the woodshop. “Grey has been through hell and back, too. We got lucky to all find each other.”

  Now it made sense that Marissa didn’t like being around other dominant males. How she could stomach spending time with Grey, who filled every molecule of space around him with raw power, Morgan hadn’t a guess. But it was a very good thing she did. Strong little werewolf. Marissa was burrowing deeper in Morgan’s heart by the moment.

  Lana’s giggles drew her out of her sadness and she stood to see what the little girl had found. A shiny green beetle plowed through the weeds and Lana tried to poke it with a thin stick. She was missing every time but tickled at her own effort. Fine, dark hair had come from its binding at the nape of Lana’s neck. Morgan stepped off the porch, and pulling the hair band, she freed the waves. Her hair was getting longer. She’d requested they didn’t cut it so she could look like Rapunzel.

  “Do you hear that?” Marissa asked. She’d frozen at the top of the porch stairs and looked out into the woods.

  At her look of fear, Morgan stood straight and strained her ears. There, just below the music of birds and cicadas, was a low humming sound. “What is that?”

  “It’s a car.”

  She was right. The louder it got, the more it sounded like a car engine. Narrowing her eyes, she peered as far as she could see to where the dirt road met the forest. Dread filled every vein until only adrenaline-laced blood flowed through her.

  They weren’t expecting anyone today and Dallas pack members always called first to give Grey a chance to prepare Wolf for others in his territory.

  Frowning, Morgan lifted Lana into her arms and watched the gravel drive. Grey barreled from the outbuilding, eyes blazing as the door blasted against the wall. He jogged over and plucked Lana from Morgan’s grasp, then took her up the porch stairs. She clung to his neck with a curious smile, and he kissed her gently on the forehead.

  “Marissa, take Lana to the safe room. Call Dean and give him a heads-up there may be trouble. Don’t come out until we come get you, okay?”

  Eyes wide, she pulled Lana from his arms. The door shut with a hurried bang as she disappeared inside.

  Grey leaned down and kissed Morgan on the temple, but it wasn’t enough. Not when terror was filling her like water in the cabin of a sinking ship. Desperate to keep her fear at bay, she stretched up and kissed his lips. A warm calm spread through her body at his touch. Grey dragged her closer and opened her mouth with his. He brushed his tongue against hers, and her legs went numb. Holy hotness, the man could kiss.

  Easing back, his lupine eyes searched hers, his brow furrowed with worry. His attention returned to the road. “Posture,” he said gruffly, soothing her into a porch chair. “Don’t show them your fear.”

  He sank comfortably into the chair beside her and waited for the car to arrive. He looked every bit like he didn’t have a concern in the world. For Wolf, posturing was instinctive, but it didn’t come so naturally to her. Pretense was something she had to work at.

  When the dark gray SUV pulled up in front of the house, Grey rested his hand on her tensed thigh. Stay seated, he seemed to say. The doors creaked as they opened, and two men got out and came to the bottom of the porch steps. She tested the air. Werewolves. Fear snaked down her spine and settled somewhere in her gut. No doubt her eyes were a bright and vibrant purple. If posturing were a test, she would get an F-minus.

  The men were a study in opposites. One had olive skin and dark hair, while the shorter one was fair-skinned with blond hair cropped close to his head.

  “What can I do for you gentlemen,” Grey asked, apparently completely at ease with the situation.

  “My name is Rodrigo Valderez,” the first man said with a Spanish accent to his deep voice. “This is my Second, Brian Mercer. I am alpha to the southern New Mexico pack,” he said formally.

  “Greyson. This is my fiancée, Morgan.” Grey didn’t pay much mind to formality. He was more of a get-to-the-point kind of man.

  “Is she the silver wolf?” Rodrigo asked directly.

  Seconds ticked by as Grey stared through eyes as cold as ice. Slowly, he nodded. What would be the point in him trying to lie about what she was? Her damning purple eyes only existed in a silver wolf.

  The alpha didn’t look surprised. “I have come to issue a formal challenge. I wish to challenge you for her.”

  A challenge? She looked between Grey and Rodrigo. They were serious! They would fight and the winner got what?

  Grey stilled, the tension in his hand the only thing hinting he wasn’t as calm as he seemed. Standing to his full height, he looked down his nose at this man who came onto his territory to try to claim his mate. Grey smelled more wolf than human. More fragrant fur than skin. Never had she smelled wolf so thickly while a man was still in his own skin. He was trying to hold him in. Wolf would get his fill of violence soon enough.

  “Accepted, but since you have your witness, we will wait until my witness arrives.”

  Rodrigo nodded as Grey pulled out his phone. Her heightened hearing pricked with each soft ring of Grey’s cell and on the third ring, Dean picked up.

  “Dean, where are you at? I need a witness.”

  “Shit,” Dean bit out across the cell. “Marissa just called and we’re already on the road. We’re a few minutes out. Don’t start until we’re there.”

  Grey hung up and tossed the phone onto the table.

  “What does that mean?” Morgan gritted out. “A formal challenge, what does that mean?” The rising fury pounded away in her ears.

  He said it calmly, with only a hint of disgust. “It means winner
gets you.”

  Morgan set her blazing glare on the stranger. “Why do you want me? You don’t even know me!”

  “I don’t have to know you. You are Silver Wolf.” Rodrigo said it so matter of fact, as if the title was the only important thing about her. “You will bring honor to any wolf you choose.”

  “I choose Grey!” she cried.

  Okay, she was a little hysterical. She should definitely rein it in, but it obviously wouldn’t deter this jack-wagon. He only cared about what she was.

  Rodrigo made a show of sniffing the air. “It doesn’t smell like you chose him. You are not claimed by him or anyone else from what I hear. Until you are, formal challenges can be made.”

  She looked in disbelief from Rodrigo to Grey to Brian and back to Rodrigo. Had they missed the memo that it was the twenty-first century? “This is barbaric!”

  Grey sat again with his hands behind his head and his long legs stretched out. A slow smile spread across his face as if he was enjoying the show.

  “Silver Wolf—” Rodrigo started.

  “My name is Morgan, you ass hat.” This guy was really starting to piss her off.

  “Morgan,” he amended with a frown tugging at his full lips. “This is no way for a silver wolf to act. Formal challenges are issued often. I understand you are a new wolf, but this is the way it has been for hundreds of years.”

  Aw, hell no. He did not just tell her how she should act. She eyed the chair, debating whether to fling it at him, but the sound of Dean’s truck coming up the road interrupted her maiming plans. Grey arched his eyebrow at the chair she had taken a step closer to and shook his head slightly. Well, he seemed confident he would come out of this okay, but what if he was wrong? Would she have to leave with this man? She’d sure as sugar rather lick a port-a-potty than be a kidnap victim again. Her heart rate cranked up to panic mode, and it suddenly felt like a horse was sitting on her chest.

  Grey cocked his head and eyed her thoughtfully. “I need a word with my fiancée, if you don’t mind.”

  He didn’t wait for Rodrigo’s answer. Instead, he stood immediately and took her by the elbow. His work boots made hollow sounds against the porch as he led her to a shaded area against the house. It wasn’t completely out of hearing range for a werewolf, but at least it felt more private.

  “Is it to the death?” she asked, a new wave of panic threatening to overwhelm her.

  “It can be, if no one gives up.”

  “I don’t want to lose you.”

  Grey snorted indelicately. “You don’t have to watch this. Go on and wait inside if you want, and I’ll come get you when we are finished. I’m not going to let him take you, Morgan. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  She wasn’t convinced. Stretching up on her toes to kiss him, she slid her arms around his neck. He obliged, gentle with her until she deepened the kiss. Hell, if she was honest, she wanted to hop up and hump his leg right in front of that rat-faced Rodrigo. She settled for flipping the bird behind Grey’s back. A silver wolf she might be, but no one would ever accuse her of being a proper one.

  “I’m staying,” she growled against his lips. Retreating an inch, she said, “Kill him if you have to.” It would serve the idiot right for trying to take her away from everything she’d fought for.

  Grey chuckled. “Look who’s turned into a bloodthirsty little werewolf.”

  He squeezed her ass with a smirk and sauntered off to meet Dean, who was pulling up in front of the cabin. Some of the tension left her shoulders when Wade and Jason also stepped out of the truck. Grey had backup if something went wrong. Surely, Dean wouldn’t let this barbarian take her away from her new home.

  Dean introduced himself and the others to Rodrigo and his second. Dean’s introductions were formal, but not friendly enough for a handshake or even a smile. In fact, Dean, Wade, and Jason looked pissed. Good, because if she had to bet on who the biggest, baddest wolves in town were, she’d bet on her boys any day.

  Reaching back, Grey pulled his shirt off and Rodrigo excused himself to Change in the privacy of the trees. Grey shucked his pants and pulled Wade to the side. Morgan strained her ears to hear what he said.

  “If this goes south, throw a formal challenge at him right away. Don’t give him time to breathe. Make sure they are taken care of.”

  Wade nodded and clapped Grey on the shoulder. “It won’t go south, but we will make sure they are taken care of. Go get him.”

  So Grey was more worried than he was letting on. A fresh wave of panic sent the first tingles of the Change through her body. She stifled her wolf, eliciting a slow carnal growl from deep in her throat. Grey turned and set intense eyes upon her. Something glinted off his chest in the sunlight.

  “Can you hold this for me?” He unhooked the leather necklace and held it out. On it was her engagement ring. How long he had been wearing it around his neck? Against her hand, he pressed the ring, a small and crucial symbol of his devotion. He’d offered so much more than a wedding the day he’d given it to her. He’d offered his life to protect her.

  “My body was made to keep yours safe,” he breathed.

  She gripped the treasure he’d given to her for safekeeping, and he brushed his lips against her knuckles.

  Rodrigo loped from the woods. He was a large wolf, dark gray with a lighter belly and legs. Brown eyes stared steadily back at Grey as he cocked his head and studied his opponent.

  Watching Grey was her guilty pleasure. He was unashamed of his Change and rightly so. When he Turned, it was like magic. His wasn’t like any other wolf she had ever seen. If he wanted, and if he pushed hard enough, his transition from man to beast could last just a moment. For other wolves, it dragged on for minutes.

  She was terribly private about her own Changes. They took so long and were so painful, she always made anguished noises by the end. It was borderline embarrassing. She didn’t even want to imagine what she looked like. There was a substantial amount of time she was in between states. Not human, not wolf, but a creature fighting to take on either form so it didn’t have to stay as the defenseless other.

  Grey had been Turned by a beast. A monster among monsters had unleashed Grey’s inner Wolf onto the unsuspecting world. In contrast to his utter lack of control over his animal, his Change was absolute magic.

  Grey stood upright, staring down Rodrigo, and then he was Wolf. His transformation blended so seamlessly, he blurred from human to animal. Rodrigo might have been big for a werewolf, but Grey was a beast. His fur was black as pitch, and his lips pulled back over razor sharp teeth. His chest was broad and his legs powerful. Sharp, black claws made for ripping adorned his giant paws.

  Grey was all weapons.

  Dean and Wade scaled the stairs and stood on the porch beside her while Jason leaned on the railing at the bottom. Rodrigo’s second stayed on the opposite side near the trucks.

  “You know the rules,” Dean clipped out. “One bark means one of you gives. No bark means you’ll fight to the death. Bark it loud and proud boys. If we don’t hear it, no one yields. Understood?”

  Both wolves nodded, circling each other slowly, eyes completely focused on the task at hand.

  Rodrigo lunged.

  Snapping back, the gray wolf missed his mark and Grey struck with snake-like speed. Bowling him over before he could recover, Gray latched onto the fur of his neck as Rodrigo bit into his shoulder.

  Ducking, dodging, spinning, and snarling, the dance of the frenzied wolves was so violent she wanted to look away, but so beautiful she didn’t dare. She’d seen wolves fight before, but not like this. Playing and wrestling were part of pack life, but this? This was deadly.

  Gnashing teeth clacked, echoing through the yard in near misses, and the scent of thick iron filled the air. Gray fur, black, gray, black—their coats mingled until she couldn’t tell them apart as they spun and battled. The smell of blood grew thicker by the moment, and she fought the instinct to Change to
protect her mate.

  Dean, Wade, and Jason looked passively on as if there weren’t two wolves ripping each other to shreds in the yard.

  Grey was beautifully lethal, like one of the swords in her collection. Sometimes it was obvious that he was meant to be what he was. Wolf. When he Changed so fluidly, or he hunted with exact pack logic, or his ability to kill with little remorse when her safety was concerned. He dodged away from Rodrigo’s attack to return with the upper hand. More proof that fate didn’t make mistakes. He fought like he was born to, and an unsettling combination of pride and fear welled up in her chest.

  A single bark rang out. The flurry of motion slowed and she tried to decipher between the two snarling animals. The light was dimming and the battle had stopped as quickly as it had started. Grey was on top of Rodrigo, pinning him with his body weight. His sharp teeth lay against the tripping pulse of the smaller wolf’s neck. Dark crimson blood matted Rodrigo’s fur, and he let out another sharp yip before Grey could do more damage.

  “Called.” Dean sounded unsurprised and almost bored. “Rodrigo Valderez gives. Greyson Crawford wins the challenge.”

  Grey snarled and his jaws tightened ever so slightly against the mud-colored wolf’s throat. He waited a moment, then released him. He hovered dangerously above the challenger with his glistening white teeth bared. Still as a stone, Rodrigo lay under him in submission.

  Morgan slipped the ring from the strip of leather. “I suggest you leave this property immediately. My fiancé won’t give his mercy for long. And tell your friends that Silver Wolf will be claimed by the end of the week.” Sliding the ring back on her finger where it belonged, she tossed the naked leather necklace onto the table and stormed back into the house, slamming the door behind her. The boys could handle the rest. She ran straight up to the safe room.

  The wall clicked and opened. Lana colored comfortably in the corner. From the roiling tension in the room, Marissa was upset. The girl had been claimed against her will when she was just a child. And now more dominants had descended on her home where she was supposed to be safe. It was easy to understand why fear swam in her eyes.