Liam (Mammoth Forest Wolves Book 1)

by Kimber White

  “And you’ll wait your turn like you were ordered, Mason.”

  Mason curled his fingers around Tenley’s. Whatever psychic words they spoke to each other, it was enough to get Tenley to loosen his grip. Mason fell to the ground in a heap. He growled, but didn’t challenge Tenley a second time.

  Some detached, clinical part of my brain studied them. The structure of the Chief Pack was complex. Tenley was an Alpha, just like Jagger, Liam, Mac, Payne, and Gunnar. And yet, he was held in whatever thrall the Chief Alpha exerted. If I closed my eyes, I could almost feel it myself. There was a thickness surrounding them, almost as if they were joined with invisible chains. There was a pull. I’d felt it before with Liam. Any time the soldiers of the Chief Pack drew close, it weighed him down and threatened to drive away his reason.

  So much power. So much malice. Tenley turned back to me.

  “Molly,” Keara’s voice broke. “Don’t let him. Don’t touch her!”

  Tenley’s smile widened. He shot Keara a glance and came to me. I rose from the chair, facing him squarely. My heart thundered. My knees went weak. Oh, God. This man had a pull of his own. It was more restrained than Liam’s. Liam’s was wild, raw, exhilarating. Tenley’s was more methodical and rhythmic...almost practiced. And yet, I was still drawn to it. I pushed the chair between us and took two steps back.

  “Relax,” Tenley said. I think he was talking both to Keara and Mason. “I’m not a rule breaker.” He fixed his gaze on me, letting his wolf eyes rage to the surface.

  “It’ll be a relief to you,” he said. “You’ll see. You deserve a disciplined mate. You deserve to live in the light. I could make you my queen.”

  “You mark her now, the Alpha will kill you where you stand,” Keara cried.

  Tenley snapped his jaw and snarled. Perhaps he wasn’t as disciplined as he wanted me to believe. His eyes went briefly red and I realized what I was seeing. Keara was right. The Alpha hold on him was strong.

  I took in my surroundings for the first time. This was a large garage or warehouse. I could smell fresh cut lumber. Moonlight spilled in from two high windows. The steel door behind Tenley was shut tight.

  “I should kill you where you stand, Keara,” he said. “He wouldn’t stop me from doing that.”

  “No,” I shouted. We needed time. Keara’s distress came not just from her physical injuries. Sweat poured between her breasts, darkening the front of her shirt. Liam said their bond was so much deeper than anything I could describe. Jagger could feel her pain and she could feel his. He must be in agony now. The others had to be restraining him somehow. It was the only thing that made sense. Because he would come for her. He would risk his own life and the lives of everyone in the caves to get to her.

  A new chill snaked down my spine. Liam would do the same. But if he tried...if he got this close to these men...the Chief Pack would find him.

  It seemed Keara and I had our own nonverbal link. I searched her face as a single tear fell down her cheek. The thing she and Jagger feared all along had finally come true. The Pack would use her against him.

  “Davis,” Mason said. “We have our orders. Let’s quit dicking around. The Alpha wants us to flush out the traitor. Let’s get it done.”

  Tenley hissed. He turned on Mason yet again. This time, the other man took a bold step toward him.

  “Mason,” Tenley said, softening his voice. “You think I’m crazy? I know what our orders are. Harris, you go outside and patrol. The minute you sense someone coming, you know what to do.”

  Harris, the black wolf, let out a keening whine, then dashed off into the shadows to patrol. In his wolf, he’d be the first to sense anyone approaching. With each passing moment, realization dawned that this could have no good outcome. Liam and the others couldn’t overpower these shifters without tipping off the Pack. I didn’t know exactly where we were, but I sensed we were too far for them to race to the safety of the caves. It meant Keara and I would have to find a way to either break free ourselves or buy more time.

  Tenley came to me. “It’s too late for her,” he gestured toward Keara with his chin. “Well, I mean it’s too late for her to find a decent mate after all this. That doesn’t mean there won’t be lesser wolves willing to settle for sloppy seconds. Granted, it won’t be a pretty life for her. You, on the other hand. You’re still unspoiled. Plus, you’ve been to their hideout, haven’t you? I can smell those wolves on you.”

  He wrinkled his nose in disgust. My blood turned cold.

  “That makes you a prize. The Alpha rewards those loyal to him. As soon as you’re properly motivated, the things you know will be an asset. It’s your lucky day, baby. What did she call you? Molly? Molly. I like it.”

  Tenley reached for me. I stayed stock still as he ran his finger along my jaw.

  “I think you’ll take to Birch Haven.”

  Birch Haven. It was just a word. A name. One I’d never heard before. But the moment he said it, tingling pain shot through me. Keara’s eyes widened. The name meant something to her too.

  “Come on, Davis,” Mason said. “He wants us back.”

  Mason started to press the heel of his palm against his temple. Whatever mental powers the Pack exerted on him were starting to cause him physical pain. Tenley looked over his shoulder but stayed calm and still. Oh, he was an Alpha at his core. There could be no doubt. It gave me an idea.

  “Doesn’t it bother you taking orders from him all the time?” I said. Time. We needed time. I tried to even my breathing and keep my heartrate steady. Liam and I might not share a mate bond like Jagger and Keara did, but I knew he could find me in an instant if he needed to. So why hadn’t he? There could be no other explanation than the stranglehold the Alpha had on these men. If Liam and the others walked into it, we were lost.

  I shot a pointed glance to Keara. I didn’t like the looks of the gash on her forehead. It still bled freely and the edges of it were jagged. She took a halting step sideways, coming to rest against the pallet of wood in the center of the room. Mason moved toward her. His nose twitched as the scent of her blood worked on him.

  “She’s not so bad, Davis,” he said.

  “Not for someone like you,” Tenley answered. “You want me to put a good word in for you with Mr. Valent?”

  “Don’t!” Mason clapped his hands over his ears. “Don’t call him that. He hates it when you call him that.”

  Tenley laughed. He was toying with Mason.

  “Valent,” I said. “Is that his name? Your Alpha?”

  Mason growled. His nose twitched and his skin bristled. He was having a tough time staying human. I couldn’t decide whether that worked for or against us. Valent. The name had power, just like Birch Haven did.

  “We got to go, Davis!”

  “We go when I say we go.”

  Keara rallied. “Who are you trying to impress, Tenley?” she asked. “Molly’s never going to let you claim her unless you do it by force.”

  He raised a brow and turned to her. “Well, that’s kind of the fun of it, Keara. So, how is he anyway? Huh? Jagger Wilkes? That’s who you spread it for?”

  Keara’s face went white. Tenley’s spread in a wicked smile. “Ah. That’s what I figured. He’s got a cousin with him, too.”

  “Come on, Davis!” Mason had turned. He was mumbling something to himself and walking in circles near Keara. The Alpha had to be screaming inside his head. Why wasn’t it impacting Tenley in the same way? He was stronger, clearly.

  I made a gamble. I went to Tenley and raised my hand. I pressed it to his cheek. He caught it and held it there. His skin flared hot beneath my fingers. My pulse raced, but with danger, not desire. To Tenley, I wasn’t sure he understood the difference.

  “What kind of life is this for you?” I whispered. Maybe Mason would have been able to hear me under normal circumstances. As it was, the voice in his head seemed to drown everything else out.

  Tenley grew bold and pressed his lips to my palm. I steadied my breathing, fighting b
ack the urge to pull away. I’d judged correctly. Lust coursed through him, glinting in his eyes.

  “You’re an Alpha, that’s why my touch burns through you. I’m an Alpha’s mate. You’ve got that part figured out. But, I’m not your mate. She’s out there somewhere though. Isn’t she? Isn’t that how it works? You each have a fated mate. You could find her. We could help you. You could choose for yourself.”

  Tenley’s lips curled. He started to salivate. Oh, I’d reached him all right.

  “You’re an Alpha,” I whispered, bringing my lips within an inch of his ear. “Why are you willing to settle? You don’t have to. We can show you the way.”

  Over Tenley’s shoulder, Keara grew very still. She’d once told me I was a natural born recruiter. She’d meant Bess. My pulse quickened. Bess had betrayed us. Why else had these men shown up in Zeke’s truck? He was nowhere to be found. I wondered if he stood guard outside with the black wolf, Harris. What had they promised him to get him to cooperate? What had they promised Bess?

  I couldn’t think about that now. The sting of Bess’s treachery burned deep. Now, I had to gather my wits and play out the game I’d started.

  “Is there someplace we can talk in private?” I asked, my eyes darting to Mason. He paced in front of Keara. Her eyes widened with renewed alarm as she watched me with Tenley. More than anything, I wished I could communicate with her the way the shifters did.

  Tenley took the bait. He tightened his fingers around my wrist and pulled me into a darkened corner of the warehouse. I couldn’t help screaming out. Keara called for me. I recovered and straightened my back.

  Tenley had my back up against the wall. His teeth grazed my cheek and he licked me. “You taste wild,” he said. “But not fully spoiled yet.”

  “But, you know I’m not yours no matter how much you want me to be. Davis, your mate is out there somewhere. I can help you find her. Isn’t that better than taking...what was it...sloppy seconds that Mr. Valent orders you to? You weren’t born for this. Why deny your true nature? This is the old way. Let me help you find a better one. It’s right. It’s natural, and you know it. Do you really want a second-rate mate that’s not intended for you? To what end? You saw what Brady was. Do you want a son like him?”

  It was pitch black in this corner of the warehouse except for Tenley’s glowing eyes. As long as they stayed gold, I knew I had a foothold. Desire made him tremble. It called to my nature at the same time I recoiled from it. I was an Alpha’s mate, after all. I realized with growing alarm that my Alpha was nearby.

  Liam.

  Oh, God. Liam. I prayed he had the strength to fight off the Chief Alpha’s pull. The conduit of that pull stood an inch away from me. He realized what I did at the same instant. Baring his teeth, he licked me once again.

  “Tick tock,” Tenley said. “Time’s up. I knew they couldn’t stay away. What makes you so special, little Molly? And think of how much fun we’re going to have finding out together.”

  “Davis!” Mason’s voice grew desperate.

  “In a minute!” Tenley hollered.

  But hell had already broken loose. Liam’s pulse thundered in my ears. My flesh seared where Tenley gripped me. He felt the change in my body heat and his lips curled back in a smile. He jerked me forward, dragging me back to the main part of the warehouse.

  I could hear the black wolf yelp with pain then grow deadly silent. The wolves were all around.

  But none of it mattered. Not a single thing. Mason stood in the center of the room. He had Keara by the throat.

  “Mason, don’t!” For the first time since he brought us here, Tenley sounded scared. Mason was caught between his wolf and his man. He closed his hands around Keara’s neck. Her eyes locked with mine.

  “No!” I shouted. Tenley screamed it too.

  But, Mason was too far gone. His teeth bared, he jerked his hands around Keara’s neck, snapping it. No longer able to hold off his wolf, he shifted. The force of Mason’s shift flung Keara cruelly against the wall.

  Twenty-Two

  Liam

  Jagger might never forgive us. I knew in my heart he would blame me most of all. My cousin. My blood. We bound him in chains made of dragonsteel and left to try and save his heart.

  My own heart ripped from me as we got closer to the warehouse. Molly was strong. I could feel her trying to keep calm. Even now, she was trying to protect me.

  “You okay, man?” Payne asked. We’d belly-crawled up a shallow embankment. The warehouse was bordered by a small reservoir. Bess’s intel had been accurate so far. We sensed three shifters from the Pack. One strong, two weaker.

  Gritting my teeth, I nodded at Payne. “We clear on what we’re here to do?”

  This was a kill mission. Once we got the girls to safety, we could leave no survivors, even if we were the ones to die.

  “Why haven’t they scented us yet?” Mac slid closer to me. His wolf eyes flashed in the dark stillness of the night.

  I closed my eyes and reached out with my heart. Molly was moving, talking. Afraid, but in control.

  “They aren’t trying to yet,” I said. Mac took it as the simple answer it sounded like. Payne shot me a look. He understood. They weren’t trying because their attention was diverted by something.

  Our women.

  “Liam,” Gunnar put a firm hand on my shoulder. It had nearly come to blows between us back in the caves. He’d lobbied to put me in chains right alongside Jagger. He figured my connection to Molly was strong enough to cloud my judgment and risk exposing all of us. I’d convinced him otherwise. I had lied.

  “What do you see?” I said, my words thick in my throat.

  Gunnar set his gaze toward the warehouse. Zeke’s pickup truck was parked in front of it. Two red eyes flashed near the southwest corner. He was a big, black wolf. My skin pricked, but the wolf turned away from us.

  “You see that fucker in the front seat?” Mac asked.

  Squinting, I looked again at the truck. Sure enough, Zeke Redmond sat with his hands on the wheel looking nervously toward the prowling black wolf.

  “We take the black wolf out first,” Gunnar said.

  “We split up,” I countered. “The minute we make a move toward him, he’ll alert the other two inside.”

  “Fine,” Mac said. “You handle the black wolf and that shitheel in the pickup. Gunnar, Payne, and I will storm the warehouse.”

  I rose and faced him. “I’m going for Molly.”

  “Dammit, Liam,” Gunnar tore a hand through his hair. “You let us handle it.”

  “I’m going for Molly,” I said. “If I have to go through the three of you to get to her. I won’t make a mistake.”

  “There’s no time for this,” Payne said. “But let this be a lesson to all of us. Mates are trouble.”

  “He’s on her!” I shouted. I didn’t wait for the others. I ran toward the northeast corner of the building. Gunnar and Payne swore behind me, but they followed.

  Mac moved, but stayed behind, watching our sixes. All it would take was one wrong move and these wolves could signal to the rest of the Chief Pack. If more came, none of us would make it out alive.

  Payne took the black wolf. He wasn’t ready for it. Payne leaped and shifted in midair. He had the black wolf on his back, paws up. I tasted blood in my own mouth as Payne’s fangs sank into his neck. I would have liked to watch him die.

  An echoing click drew my attention. Zeke had gotten out of his truck. He aimed a shotgun straight at me. Gunnar was at my side, growling. He hadn’t shifted yet, but his shoulders twitched with the urge.

  “Like clockwork,” Zeke said. Payne’s attack had been almost silent. Earbuds dangled from Zeke’s neck. The idiot hadn’t seen or heard Payne strike. He hadn’t realized that his wolf protector just had his throat ripped out.

  Payne stood right behind Zeke, his fangs still dripping from the blood of his kill.

  “Put the gun down, Zeke,” I said. “We don’t kill humans unless we have to. Don’t make us
have to.”

  Zeke shifted his aim, leveling the barrel of his shotgun straight at my chest. Payne struck before he got the shot off. Again, his attack came lethal and silent. But Zeke didn’t die. His back broken, he writhed on the ground.

  I stepped over him. “You shouldn’t hit girls, Zeke,” I said, spitting on the ground next to him.

  “They’re going to kill you.” His voice came out as a painful hiss. But there was nothing more he could do. If he survived the night, he might never walk again.

  She screamed. My heart turned to stone.

  I heard Mac cry out from behind me, warning me not to move. Beneath that, the pull began low in my belly. They were close. They were coming.

  My wolf tore out of me. I leaped high, shifting before my paws hit the ground. Payne and Gunnar were at my side. Pushing past me, they hit the steel door of the warehouse together, buckling it as if it were made of tinfoil. Their wolves rippled below the surface, but they held back the shift. I was too far gone.

  In my mind, there was only Molly. For the rest of my life I would wonder if things might have ended differently if that hadn’t been true. If I had held back my shift, would that have made the events of those three seconds change?

  He held her against the back wall of the warehouse, his fingers curled around her neck. Molly’s eyes widened with shock, but somehow, she didn’t scream.

  He was tall and broad; his eyes glinted gold. Not red. It meant he was as strong as we were. The Alpha’s pull hadn’t dragged him under, turning his eyes red. In my periphery I saw the red wolf. He’d shifted the instant we burst through the door. Payne, Gunnar, and Mac were on him.

  Behind me, flesh tore. In my rage, I had no thought of whose it was. It didn’t matter. Molly was the only thing that mattered.