Rhys (The Shifters of Eagle Creek Book 3)

by Ashlee Sinn

  “It’s your only choice.” Portia had calmed down slightly, her dominant animal not feeling so heavy in the air.

  “Please don’t make me stay here. I can handle this on my own,” her sister begged.

  “Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” I hated the way Portia was being cryptic and Natasha was being stubborn. The Dunanski sisters. I’d forgotten how frustrating these two were.

  “Natasha killed the alpha’s brother.”

  “Portia!”

  I search my brain for a name. “Wait, are you talking about the Jenssen twins?” I spun around to face Natasha who was still pressed tightly against the counter. “You killed Cash Jenssen?”

  She gave me a slight nod, lips trembling, and fear wafting off her in waves. My wolf rumbled again. Natasha tilted her head slightly, acknowledging that she’d heard the sound.

  “She killed him before the pack had a chance to hold a trial,” Portia added.

  I didn’t miss the hitch in her voice. This event, whatever it was, had impacted both sisters. “What happened?”

  Neither one spoke—for the first time since they arrived. And that didn’t sit well with the wrath of emotions ripping through my body right now. Without an answer, I imagined the worse. How had Cash hurt her? Did he attack Natasha? Had he done the unthinkable? The images in my head were not helping me keep my wolf at bay. The growl in my throat intensified, I couldn’t help it.

  “Are you going to tell him, Natasha?”

  The broken wolf sister stayed silent.

  “He’ll protect you,” she said. “Listen to him, his wolf is already trying.”

  Natasha and I made eye contact again. Her blue eyes sad where I was sure my own were showing the yellow of the wolf right now. I would protect her…even if I didn’t want to.

  “I can protect myself,” Natasha growled, pushing herself away from the counter and jogging to the front door.

  “Natasha, please,” I begged. I didn’t know what I wanted her to do exactly, but I didn’t want her running out there alone and terrified of whatever truth she was hiding.

  She didn’t even hesitate. Two seconds later, Natasha had stomped out the door and I saw a glimpse of a white wolf running away with a black raven chasing after her.

  Portia slumped into the chair at my kitchen table and hung her head. “I don’t know what else to do, Rhys.”

  She was on the verge of tears, and for the first time in our entire lives, I recognized that Portia could be vulnerable too. She had always been so strong and stoic. She’d earned her role as the most feared tracker in North America because she’d worked hard and had a strong will. So, seeing her like this, worried and terrified for her sister, put a whole new light on the situation.

  I sat down next to her and sighed. “We’ve known each other a long time, Portia. Be straight with me…how bad is it.”

  She glanced my way and then quickly wiped at her eyes. “It’s bad, Rhys. Cash abused…” she cleared her throat before continuing. “Cash hurt her bad. Really bad. It almost broke her.” Sniffing and trying to hold back her tears, she continued. “It did break her. She can’t control her animal. Her wolf has been on the defense for weeks, and once she tasted blood she…” Her voice trailed off as though she refused to finish that sentence.

  “Should I go after her?” I asked.

  Portia shook her head. “No, she needs to run it out of her. She’ll be back.”

  “How do you know?”

  Portia attempted a smile. “I saw the way you two looked at each other. It was like we were teenagers all over again.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  With a humorless laugh, Portia placed her hand on top of mine. “Come on, you know Natasha had the biggest crush on you growing up. And I saw all those glances you snuck her way as well.”

  I wanted to deny it, but she was right. However, that was a lifetime ago. “We’re older now and things are different.”

  “Perhaps,” she shrugged. “But you have a connection with her that I never did. She’ll let you help her, I know she will. I’m not the person she needs right now.”

  “How much danger is she in?” I needed to shift gears because thinking about broken, little Natasha was breaking my stone-cold heart.

  “Cade Jenssen has put a bounty on her head.”

  “How much?”

  “A hundred thousand.”

  “Jesus,” I whispered. “Where they hell is he getting that kind of money?”

  “The pack’s involved in property development. They’ve been doing well for quite some time.”

  “But?” I asked, sensing more to the story.

  “But they’re a bunch of jackass bachelors with too much money and not enough hobbies. And Cade is the worst. His twin brother might have had a mean streak in him, but Cade is calculating and manipulative. He’s already twisted the story to make Natasha seem like a crazy bitch who needs to be put down. There was a price on her head in less than twenty-four hours, even though he knew what his brother had done to her.”

  “And what was that?”

  Portia bit her lips…so much like her sister. “She wouldn’t tell me everything.”

  “But what do you suspect?” When she tensed, I kept pushing. “Please, Portia. It will help me know how to speak to her if I know what happened.”

  “I think he physically abused her. He was controlling at first, but didn’t hit her. And then, one night he just…he lost it.”

  “He only hit her?” My voice trembled, afraid of what she might say.

  “That’s what Natasha said.”

  “Do you believe her?”

  Portia looked up at me with tears escaping down her cheeks. She didn’t even attempt to wipe them away this time. Shaking her head, she said, “No.”

  “You think he did more?”

  She nodded.

  “Son of a bitch,” I growled, stopping only when Portia grabbed my hand again.

  “She needs us, Rhys. Now more than ever. She needs us to protect and heal her. My dad and I are working to help get the bounty removed, but Natasha needs to hide out for a while. For both her safety and her psyche.”

  “You are aware Eagle Creek is filled with a bunch of loner shifters, right?”

  She smiled, that gleam in her eye starting to come back. “It looks like you’ve made quite a nice home here, Rhys.”

  “It’s not just mine.”

  “No, but it is. Kind of. You might not be alpha, but this is the type of place you always wanted, right?”

  I shrugged, hating that Portia knew me so well. “Will Natasha really stay?”

  “She will.”

  “And am I putting everyone else at risk by having her here?”

  “I don’t think so. Keep her animal calm and keep her off the register, and Cade won’t know where to look.”

  “And how am I supposed to do that?”

  “You were alpha of the Mount Augusta pack for years. I’m sure you know how to handle an out-of-control wolf.”

  I huffed. “I thought you said they weren’t so bad.”

  With a smile, she pushed to her feet and reached over to give me a hug. “I know what you did up there, Rhys. And it’s the reason I know I can trust you with my sister’s life.”

  “She’s not a drug addict with an adrenaline problem,” I grumbled, pulling out of the embrace.

  “No, but she’s a broken wolf with a lot of secrets. You’re good at managing those types of problems.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered.

  She walked to the door and looked out the window. “It’s an interesting crew you’ve got going on here.”

  “Yep.”

  “Thank you.” Portia glanced over her shoulder as she stepped outside. “I’ll call in a few days to let you know what my dad and I have learned and to check on my sister.”

  With a nod, I watched her walk out of my life. Portia Dunanski, one of the most powerful and revered wolves in the world, trusted me with the care of
her sister. I wasn’t sure I trusted myself with that kind of responsibility, but that didn’t matter anymore.

  Natasha needed help.

  And I would do everything in my power to make sure she got it.

  I couldn’t breathe. The air felt heavy and thick and it was suffocating me.

  The way Portia and Rhys stared at me with pity in their eyes, filling in the gaps for what must have happened to me…I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I stomped out of that claustrophobic little cabin and let the animal have control again.

  She was a beast. My wolf. My savior. She’d done what I wasn’t able. She’d fought for both of us. And she’d won. Now, here I was, stuck in the middle of Alaska with my childhood crush tasked with taking care of little ‘ol broken me.

  A raven squawked overhead when I jumped off the tiny front porch. I looked up and growled at the avian shifter, warning her to stay the fuck back. She tucked her wings and dove straight for me, only missing my rear because I managed to squirm to the side at the last minute. Bitch, I thought a moment before I snapped my jaws at her. That was when I sensed something behind me and heard the feral growl of a black panther cub. The raven buzzed his head, trying to get his attention. But his eyes…those bright yellow predatory eyes, had homed in on my wolf. I knew this was a young shifter. I could smell it on him. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t teach him a lesson if he attacked.

  Spinning on my hind legs, I lowered my head and growled at the young cat. He licked his lips and assumed a pouncing position before I could bark my command to stop. The raven swooped just as the cat leapt in the air. He screamed in pain when the giant bird hit him in the side of the head and knocked him off balance. The two continued mouthing off to each other, so I took that as my cue to leave. My wolf and I wouldn’t fight a child no matter how messed up we were.

  I sprinted through the shit hole known as Eagle Creek, snapping at any and all shifters who gave me a dirty look or flashed their teeth in my direction. I didn’t even slow when the giant male lion strutted out from behind the cabin at the end of the road and attempted to block my path. Instead, I faked right then dodged left and skittered around his menacing self. The air behind me stirred as a giant paw swiped at my hind quarters, but, growling over my shoulder, I kept running. Letting my wolf take control was the only thing that had kept me sane these past few weeks. She could handle the anger and guilt and…everything I’d been feeling since Cash had abused us for the final time.

  Straight ahead was an opening. Some type of meadow or field covered in dead grass and completely exposed. I chose the forest on the left instead. The tall pines still stood full of their greens and I just wanted to hide in the darkness they created for as long as I could. About a mile in, I finally stopped when I reached a rock outcropping that would force me to climb up the side of the mountain if I wanted to go further. The need to run until exhaustion egged my animal on. She knew what I needed…what we both needed right now. But something inside the human part told her to stop for a moment. Searching behind me, I found only silence. Not a bird made a noise. The ground critters stayed hidden. The air was still too.

  And I wished my emotional self could have that kind of calmness right now.

  I forced my animal inside and shifted onto two legs. The damp leaves pressed against my toes as the cool breeze whistled between the branches of the surrounding trees. What the fuck was I going to do? Deep down, I knew Portia was doing the right thing by hiding me here, but I didn’t want to rely on anyone for support. Not my sister. Not my father. And especially not Rhys Murray.

  He’d always been the unattainable. Gorgeous, confident, cocky…every female in our pack had dreamed about being Rhys’ mate. Well, everyone except Portia, but Portia had always been different than the rest of us. Rhys, on the other hand, fit in well with the men of our pack. My father liked him, even though he eventually sent Rhys away. I’d always wondered why and never really got an answer. I assumed it was because Rhys had become a threat—not directly but there was no hiding the alpha power inside Rhys. And when my father became our leader, he didn’t want to have to face the challenge Rhys would ultimately present.

  So, he sent him to Alaska.

  Just like he did with me.

  Discard and forget. Apparently, it was the Dunanski way.

  The thought of being discarded, of being someone’s trash that they wanted to dump, fueled the anger inside of me once again. Hunching forward to hold the pain in, I did my best to keep the animal under control. She was the beast that bowed to no one…not even the memories of Cash and the feeling of his fists slamming against my face.

  “Ah,” I cried out in pain. “No, no, no,” I pleaded. “Please, I need a break.” All of the shifting had destroyed my body. Bruises decorated my skin in places long healed from Cash. My muscles ached constantly and the pain in my joints would have kept me in bed had my wolf not been so anxious and angry. “Please,” I begged again, voice shaking with exhaustion.

  “Are you okay?”

  I spun around so fast, my back slammed against the tree trunk as I crouched low and faced the intruder. “What are you doing here?”

  Rhys, in his typical jeans and dark tee shirt, adjusted his ball cap and took a few tentative steps forward. “Who are you talking to?” he asked, ignoring my question.

  “Go away,” I growled, squeezing my eyes shut at the pain of my wolf trying to claw free.

  “I can help you,” he whispered.

  I opened my eyes and saw the confidence in his own. He could help me? No, no one could help me. “Go away,” I repeated.

  “Natasha, you don’t have to—”

  I leapt away from him when he crouched down next to me. “Leave me alone!”

  Rhys let out a sigh and pulled off his cap. Longer blond hair fell forward, nearly covering his face and those amazing blue eyes of his. He sat down and pulled his knees up in front of him—treating me like I was some kind of feral animal. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  His voice was soft, kind almost, yet I knew he was trying to distract me. I said nothing.

  “I like your tattoos.”

  The comment caught me off guard, forcing me to almost smile at him. “I’m not a child anymore.” The grin that stretched across his face heated up my insides. Holy hell, I’d forgotten how alluring he could be.

  “Yes, I can see that,” he growled, the scent of arousal filling the air.

  I blushed, suddenly realizing I was naked in front of him. But that lust instantly turned to anger when I thought about the last time I’d felt that way. When I’d met Cash and he’d wooed me with his money and his charm. Before he ripped the life out of me and turned me into the monster I was today, here, crouched in the forest like a startled stray.

  Sensing my shift in thoughts, Rhys tossed the hair out of his face and ground the ball cap together between his large hands. The muscles on his forearms flexed and my wolf recognized that protectiveness he was trying to hide. “I can help you,” he repeated.

  “No one can help me.”

  “That’s not true. Your wolf is protecting you right now, but she doesn’t always want to be in charge.”

  “How do you know this?” I snapped. “You can’t possibly understand what I’ve been through!” The tears dropped down my cheeks as I let the anger out. “You’ve never dealt with a person so…so psychotic and mean. Someone who only sees you as a prize and not a person at all. You don’t have any idea what it’s like to feel so worthless and ugly.” My voice hitched as the sobs increased. The pain in my stomach grew to a pit of despair while I poured my heart and soul out to a man I hadn’t talked to in almost a decade. “Don’t even pretend to understand what it’s like having your wolf save you from your own idiotic mistakes. Mistakes that you’ve made over and over because you don’t deserve anything better. My wolf saved me,” I cried. “She is the only thing keeping me alive right now.”

  Falling to my knees, I let the tears flow. My sobs slowly started turning into growls
as the wolf begged for my body. I wanted to give it to her, really, I did. But as I lay on the forest floor crying like a little girl, Rhys had crawled to my side. The heat from his body made me shudder, and that familiar wave of lust and need snaked underneath my skin, making me crave his touch.

  Rhys’ hands found my face and lifted my chin. “I hate seeing you like this, Natasha,” he whispered.

  Closing my eyes, I felt the tears continue to fall. “Well, this is who I am now.”

  “No, my little wolf. No. You are so much more.”

  I looked up at him in time to see his lips closing in on mine. And a moment later, we were doing the one thing I’d always wanted and never got…Rhys Murray was kissing me. It was gentle at first. A soft peck, testing the waters and my stability. But when I parted my lips and allowed him to push his tongue inside, I quickly melted against his body. His warmth filled that deep, dark pit with something colorful. My heart sped up with need, not anger. And for the first time in weeks, my wolf sat dormant and watched.

  I pulled away from the kiss, surprised by how comforted I felt. “What are you doing to me?” I whispered.

  Rhys grinned and huffed a laugh. “I told you I could help you.” His deep, raspy voice let me know that kiss had done something to him too.

  “Is this how you handle all your wolves?” I teased.

  His fingers brushed the sides of my cheeks and then stopped underneath my chin. “This is how I handle you,” he breathed.

  My stomach lurched with an aching need to be touched and admired and…loved. I tilted my head and begged him to kiss me again. But I didn’t need to. In an instant, Rhys’ lips were on mine, crushing me with his desire and his own hungry needs.

  I ran my hands along his back, the tight, bulky muscles pulsing underneath my nails. His strong body flexed and shifted against my own until I found myself lying beneath him on the forest floor. The bulge in his jeans rubbed against my sex while he teased me with his lips. Sucking and nipping and pulling…Rhys certainly knew how to please a woman with just this one body part. Mouths crashing into each other, I pulled his hips down against me, telling him what I wanted.