by Bethany Shaw
“I thought you might like it here,” Gene said as he looked at one of the beautifully cut bushes. “A part of us craves the outdoors, and enjoys all aspects of nature.”
Natalia opened her eyes, and smiled as she stared at one of the gardens. “I love flowers. Back home, I used to work at a boutique part time. I helped make floral arrangements.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“It was. My mother wanted to send me to college, but we did not have the funds, and I did not want her to take out a loan. At first it was just a job, but the more I did it, the more I realized it was something I could be passionate about,” Natalia mused as she bent down, inhaling the sweet perfume of the red and blue azaleas.
“I always thought it would be fun to be a lawyer,” Gene replied.
Natalia quirked a brow, turning to stare at Gene. A giggle escaped her lips, and she covered her mouth as heat flushed her face.
“What?” Gene asked, grinning.
“I just…I do not picture you in a suit. Are lawyers not stuffy and stuck up?” Natalia asked.
“I clean up nice, thank you.” Gene chuckled. “I don’t know, I thought it would be nice to work for the people. You know, help people who genuinely deserve it, and truly need help.”
Natalia pursed her lips, and nodded as she sobered. “You like to help people?”
Gene shrugged. “Yeah. But, I’ll just have to figure other ways to do it.”
“You cannot be a lawyer?” Natalia questioned as they resumed their walk down the cobblestone path.
“No. The ranch is my first priority. It is how we keep the pack afloat. Especially now. With new members coming in, we may need to increase productivity in order to have the revenue to pay everyone.”
“Oh.” Natalia stammered, her eyes flitting around the dense green shrubbery as they entered a treed section. “How does that work exactly?”
Gene glanced around before he continued. “The majority of the pack lives on site. They get free room and board, but they also work for the ranch, and earn a salary.”
“And this is something you must do?” Natalia questioned, scrunching her face up in disgust.
“No. Most people choose to because we crave the closeness of other wolves. Three members of my pack live in Abilene, and have their own jobs—but they still respond in emergencies, and come to meetings. Everyone else chooses to live at the homestead, and do that type of work. We’re our own community, of sorts, and function best working together.”
“So you do not mind it?”
“No. It’s our way of life. Each pack has its own way of supporting themselves. Ours is horses.”
“And what exactly do you do with the horses? I thought other animals were spooked by us. One of my best friends had a cat, and, when I would go to their house, it would always hiss and claw at me,” Natalia said as she stopped to look at a bush designed in the shape of a humming bird.
Gene stopped beside her. “The horses at our ranch are born and raised there. We breed, train, and sell them. Because they are born there, they get used to our scent from an early age, and it doesn’t bother them. Otherwise, yes, it would be an issue. As for cats, well, I don’t think they’ll ever like us,” Gene teased.
Natalia licked her lips, suppressing her smile. Her eyes flicked up to his, and her heart sped up. Instinctually, she leaned toward him, his plump lips calling to her. NO! Looking away, she turned abruptly, and continued down the path. She could not allow herself to fall for him. If she were certain of one thing, it was that getting close to Gene would be a mistake.
“If we’re going to eat dinner at the house, we should head back,” Gene suggested, looking at his watch. “Although, there is this nice Mexican restaurant in town.”
“Is it authentic?” Natalia asked, rolling her eyes as she bit her lip. She’d fallen straight into that. Why didn’t her head function properly when she was around him?
“I think so,” Gene said.
Sighing, she turned back to him. She should say no, go back to the house, and eat Ramona’s meal. But she couldn’t; there was something about his chocolate eyes that lured her in. Before she could stop herself, she said, “I suppose I will have to see for myself. But they had better have tamales and chili rellenos. They’re my favorite.”
“Well, then, I hope they have them too,” Gene remarked as he led the way out of the botanical gardens.
Chapter Nine
Lark jolted awake as Devon’s phone blared beside him. Sitting up, she bit her lip as he answered it. The man on the other end yelled into the phone, but she couldn’t entirely make out what he was saying.
“Sound the alarm and fan out into the woods,” Devon snapped, locking eyes with her as he hopped out of bed. “Alert the men at Gene’s house. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Punching the end call button, he dragged her up by her hands. Winding his hands through her hair, he cupped the back of her head. “Get Sarah and Emily, and get down to the living room. If things look bad, take the car and get out of here.”
Tears pricked her eyes as he pulled her into a tight hug. Heart hammering in her chest, she clung to him like a lifeline. “Be careful,” she whispered into his ear.
Devon pulled back, kissing her on the lips. “I love you, Lark. Promise me you won’t take any chances.”
A tear trickled down her face as her bottom lip trembled. “I love you, too.”
Devon placed one more kiss to her lips before darting out of the room. Fighting back a sob, Lark got out of bed, yanking a sweater off a hanger in the closet. She turned to the drawer and dug out her handgun, then sprinted down the hallway towards Sarah and Emily’s rooms.
Marcus opened the door to the room he shared with Emily as Lark stopped in front of Sarah’s door. Emily followed him out as he ran toward the stairwell. Lark linked her arm with Emily’s, and opened Sarah’s door.
“Sarah, get up,” she yelled as she raced into the room.
“What?” Sarah bolted up. “Oh,” she sighed as she took in the two of them. Throwing the covers back, she got out of bed.
Howls filtered in through the window, and Lark looked out at the moonless night, her heart clenching in her chest.
“Come on we have to go downstairs,” she said, wrapping her arms around Sarah.
Hurrying down the stairs, they rounded the corner, heading toward the living room. This put all three women near the garage entrance, so that they could get away fast, if needed. She really hoped she wouldn’t have to make the choice to flee or stay.
Glass shattered, causing Lark to jump as something struck the wall to her right. The front door burst open, and a scream bubbled up in her throat as an unknown man entered. Before the man could step over the threshold, a black wolf pounced on him, tossing him to the floor.
Devon!
Devon bit into the back of the man’s neck, turning his head from side to side until all life left the man’s body.
“Devon,” Lark screamed as a grey and white wolf darted toward him.
The wolf lunged at Devon, but another wolf caught him midair, dragging him to the ground. Devon gave her a stare, nodding to the garage with a whine before rejoining the fight.
Lark stood horrified as the wolves rolled across the front lawn. Growls and snarls filled the air as more wolves joined the fight. Tears streamed down her face, and she had to force her mind to focus. She clutched the gun tightly in her hand, unsure of who to shoot. The only wolf she recognized was Devon, his black alpha coat standing out amongst the rest. The wolves he fought moved too quickly for her to get a clear shot.
Emily cocked her head as yowls filled the air. Another wave of wolves darted in from the direction of Gene’s ranch. She could only hope that they were friendly.
“We should leave,” Sarah urged, tugging on both Lark’s and Emily’s hands.
Lark shared a look with the other woman. Emily shook her head slightly, and Lark sympathized with her. She was torn between protecting Sarah and staying to protect Devon.
They both had men who they loved out there. Neither of them wanted to leave.
“Lark,” Sarah said, yanking harder.
Lark stumbled as Sarah pulled her closer to the door, Lark’s gaze fixated on the fight outside.
“We have to go,” Sarah pleaded.
“There is no need,” Emily sighed after a long moment. Smiling, she closed her eyes, letting out a breath. “We have won. Those are Gene’s men. The other’s are grossly outnumbered and are retreating.”
Lark sagged against the wall, biting her lip as she fought down the panic that had been bubbling inside her. Devon leapt back into the house in his wolf form—hurrying to her side—and nuzzled her leg. Stooping to his level, she hugged him close.
***
Gene grumbled as his cell phone vibrated, the shrill sound of his ringtone blaring into the room. Rolling over, he picked up his flashing cell phone from the nightstand. “Hello,” he answered groggily. Sitting up, he glanced at the red illumination of the clock on the headboard. 4:56am.
“We had a situation at the ranch,” Devon greeted, his voice rushed.
“What happened?” Gene asked, fully awake now. “Is everyone all right?”
“We lost one of our own. Travis. We took three of their men alive and I’m getting ready to question them,” Devon said.
Gene scrubbed a hand over his face. “Get everything you can from them. Is everyone else all right? Lark?”
“She’s fine. Shaken, but fine,” Devon said, letting out a long breath.
“I’ll let Clive know we need to leave. We’ll be back as soon as we can. I’ll send my condolences to Travis’ family.”
“Gene, there’s something else you should know.” Devon paused, and the phone crackled as he exhaled into the mouthpiece. “They’re Emmett’s men.”
Gene growled low in his throat. “Find out what you can, and call me back. Don’t do anything rash, Dev.”
“Talk to you in a few. I had them taken to your ranch since the barn is equipped to hold prisoners. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
Gene hung up the phone and closed his eyes. Leaning back into the pillows, he couldn’t help but think that he should have been there too. Maybe it would’ve made a difference—maybe he wouldn’t have lost a great wolf this morning.
Knowing there was no going back to sleep, he got up and maneuvered quietly through the house. He needed to go for a run to clear his head.
***
Devon nodded at Xander, one of his men as he entered the barn where the three wolves they’d captured were contained. Gritting his teeth, he approached them. All three were conscious, and, though they were battered and bloodied, they were able to talk. Immediately upon capture, Devon had checked their mouths and pockets for drugs. He’d needed to make sure they couldn’t kill themselves as the last two wolves had.
Balling his fists, he steeled himself for the interrogation he was about to conduct. Both packs’ well-being rested on his ability to get information from them.
“Who sent you here?” Devon questioned, jumping straight into it.
The men stared at him vacantly. Reed, the oldest of the three with graying hair, sneered at him with a crimson smile. Spitting out blood into the straw, he responded, “We came to restore our rightful alpha.”
“Daniel?” Devon ground out.
“You didn’t think it was you, did you?” The older werewolf chuckled.
Devon glanced at Xander, who met his gaze. “Have they said anything to you?”
“No, sir,” Xander responded.
“Ahh, such a good little dog,” Reed said, rolling his eyes.
Ignoring the bate, Devon asked, “So Daniel sent you here? Anyone else?”
“Just Daniel.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?” Devon asked, trying to keep his cool. He wouldn’t put it past his brother, but it seemed odd that they would give him up so quickly.
“I’ll give you the information you seek if you let us go,” Reed suggested.
“And you speak for the three of you?” Devon asked, quirking a brow at Reed. Narrowing his eyes, he watched the three wolves. These were some of Emmett’s most loyal men; none of them had ever been friendly to him. Something was off.
The two other wolves nodded.
“I’ll agree to give you hospitable accommodations until we figure out your release,” Devon said, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t about to let them go anytime soon, but that wasn’t something they needed to know.
Reed looked up at the ceiling as he seemingly contemplated the offer. “My back pocket,” he said.
Devon took a step forward and snatched the folded papers from his pocket. Opening the document, he squinted at the phone records. Scanning them, the highlighted numbers popped out at him. Daniel’s number. The other number, he didn’t recognize, but he was certain he could guess to whom it belonged.
“Evidence that Daniel is calling Juarez,” Reed said.
Devon sucked in a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. “If you are trying to restore him, why are you ratting him out now?”
“We got caught. My loyalty was always to Emmett, not Daniel. I was exacting his final wish to see Daniel through as an alpha. However, our current predicament dictates we make other choices. I’d rather live as a lone wolf than to be killed or be your prisoner. My loyalty only goes so far,” Reed said.
“How very noble of you, Reed,” Devon murmured.
“My interest is for my own safety. Emmett was a good man—a good leader. I owed him my life. I saw it as only fitting to try and follow through with his last wishes. However, I’m not so loyal as to give up my life and freedom for Daniel,” Reed sneered.
“Yet you’d follow him?” Devon questioned, rolling the papers in his hand.
Reed chuckled darkly. “He was Emmett’s heir. The key to aligning with the Gulf Packs. Once there, there was nothing to stop me from overthrowing his rule.”
Devon looked back down at the phone records. He needed to investigate further; he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. If the calls were true, though, Daniel was their spy.
“Keep them tied up and don’t let them out of your sight,” Devon ordered.
He stormed out of the barn, his heart thrumming in his ears as he stomped up the steps to the house. Throwing the screen door open, he fumed as he sought Daniel out. Heat crept across his cheeks, and his fists balled at his side. Finding him upstairs in the living room of the guest quarters, he lunged and jerked his brother toward him.
“You and I need to have a chat,” Devon snarled. He yanked Daniel by the collar of his polo shirt, dragging him through the house to Gene’s office. Shoving Daniel in, he slammed the door shut behind him.
“What’s going on Dev?” Daniel asked, startled as he attempted to straighten out his red shirt.
“Those were Emmett’s men who attacked us. But you already knew that didn’t you!” Devon bellowed in Daniel’s face.
Daniels eyes widened, but he didn’t deny the accusation.
“They said you sent them,” Devon accused, poking his brother’s chest with his finger.
“What?” Daniel asked, frowning. “Devon—”
“Save it,” Devon said as he tossed the phone papers at Daniel. “Explain!” He challenged as the papers fluttered around him.
“What?” Daniel caught the papers as he shuffled through them.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Devon snapped.
“Whose number is this?” Daniel asked pointing to one of the numbers highlighted in green.
Devon snatched the papers from Daniel’s hand and went to the phone on the desk. He jabbed at the buttons and then put the phone on speaker. Grinding his teeth, he eyed his brother as the phone rang.
“Hello,” the unmistakable voice of Fernando Juarez answered.
Lifting the receiver and slamming it back down again, Devon glared at Daniel. He gripped the edges of the desk until his fingers ached from the strain. Breathing
through his nostrils, he watched Daniel with narrowed eyes.
“I can explain—”
“Save it,” Devon growled, cutting him off. Stalking toward Daniel, he ground his teeth. “We gave you a chance, and this is how you repay us.”
Anger surging through him, Devon gripped the lapels of Daniel’s shirt and shoved him against the wall.
“You put both packs in danger. Lark, mother, our sister in danger. All for what?” Devon snarled.
Daniel grimaced looking away. “I’m sorry, Dev I-”
“You really are your father’s son,” Devon hissed, cutting him off as he pulled him forward and then slammed him back against the wall.
“Devon—”
The office door flung open as Claire walked in. Turning to the open door, Devon grunted as Daniel shoved him away and punched him in the face. He quickly recovered and lunged at his brother. Daniel evaded him and ran toward the large window, throwing himself through it. The glass shattered and Devon covered his face with his arm. Daniel transitioned in midair, landing on the ground in the form of a reddish-brown wolf. He yowled loudly, his golden eyes flickering in the moonlight, before he darted away.
“What in the world is going on?” Claire asked as she brushed past him, running to the window. Her feet crunched on the broken shards as she watched Daniel sprint for the woods.
“Daniel betrayed us. He’s been calling Juarez,” Devon said, running his hand over his mouth. He pulled his palm back, looking at the smear of blood. “We need to go after him.”
Claire gasped, turning to him as she shook her head, her hand covering her mouth. Devon retrieved the papers from the floor and handed them to her, watching as she scanned over them. Her bottom lip trembled, and Devon pulled her into him, hugging her as she cried quietly on his shoulder.
Chapter Ten
Gene yanked his shirt off as he entered his guest bedroom. Setting his phone on the nightstand, he went to the dresser to rummage out something to wear for the day. His run hadn’t helped take the edge off at all. Instead, every minute that passed only made him more worried. Every muscle in his body ached. He twisted, trying to relive some of the tension.
