Tamed by the She-Wolf

by Kristal Hollis

“I’ve started thinking about it,” he said, dodging the question rather than providing a direct answer. If she was resistant to the idea of an instant family, then he didn’t want to put pressure on her with the knowledge that he had realized how very much he wanted to be a dad.

  “Gavin Walker is a big supporter of wolfan adoptions,” Angeline said.

  Good to know that about his future Alpha. Not all packs were keen to the idea.

  “In fact,” she continued, “his godson, Rafe, was adopted from another pack. I heard Gavin faced down the Woelfesenat when they challenged the transfer.”

  “They didn’t want Rafe removed from his birth pack?” Lincoln had the same fear regarding Dayax.

  “No, an illness wiped out his birth pack. The Woelfesenat objected because Rafe’s adoptive father is human.”

  “I can see why they were concerned.” The general human populace had no idea of the existence of Wahyas.

  “They couldn’t see past Doc being human. But Gavin knew him. Trusted him. And he fought to give a little wolfling a loving home and a son to a human who has dedicated his life to our pack.”

  “Brice once told me the backbone of the Walker’s Run pack is family.”

  “It is. Even the dysfunctional ones, like mine.”

  With his hand gently pressed against her lower back, Lincoln led Angeline to his truck and helped her get settled in the seat.

  “Thanks, again,” she said as he slid behind the steering wheel.

  “Anytime, Angel.” He started the engine and adjusted the heater control so that she would be comfortable.

  Even catching all of the red lights on the main road, they made it to the hospital parking lot in less than ten minutes.

  Angeline took his hand as they entered the emergency department and led him through the waiting room, past the check-in station and down a long corridor with locked double doors. She swiped her Co-op ID through the card reader mounted on the wall.

  “Where are we going?” Warily, Lincoln watched the doors slowly swing open.

  “The west wing,” she said. “When the Co-op built the hospital, as a precaution, it was set up to keep injured and sick wolfans separated from human patients.”

  She held his hand as they walked. He liked the warmth that the physical contact produced. It made him feel as if she didn’t want to let him go.

  Very soon, she would have to do that very thing. But for now he wanted to stay connected to her for as long as possible.

  * * *

  “Jayson Nathaniel Durrance. What a fine name for such a handsome wolfling.” Angeline lightly tapped the baby’s little button nose. Yawning, he balled his hands and pointed his toes in a rigid, full-body stretch for about five seconds, then returned to a snuggly position in her arms.

  Her heart nearly burst with love. She kissed his forehead, and he peeked at her beneath half-opened eyelids. His little mouth formed a cute little grin that reminded her of his father’s trademark smile.

  “Oh, you’re gonna be a little charmer, just like your daddy.” She glanced at Tristan, sitting next to his mate and holding her hand as she slept. The labor had been difficult, and Angeline was glad mother and son were doing well.

  “So how does it feel to be a dad, Slick?”

  “Terrifying,” Tristan said in all seriousness. “The only time I’ve felt more afraid was when I thought I would lose Nel.” His fear in that situation had been justified. Nel had been at the mercy of a deranged wolfan. In the end, Tristan had been forced to put down his own blood-kin to protect her.

  Angeline had no doubt he would do the same for his son. “You are going to be great at this.”

  “I will try my damnedest.” Using his cell, he grabbed a snapshot of her holding Jayson.

  “Text that to me,” she said. “I have virtual scrapbooks of my nieces and nephews, and I want to start one for Jayson. I plan to make videos and make everyone watch them at important events, like graduation parties, rehearsal dinners. Whenever they think they’re too old for their breeches, I’ll be there to remind them they aren’t.”

  “Done.” Tristan laughed. “Where’s your purse? I didn’t hear your phone ding.”

  “I left it with Lincoln. He’s in the waiting room.”

  “You brought Lincoln?” Tristan’s demeanor changed slightly with the protective-brother gleam coming to light in his eyes.

  “He brought me.” The baby stretched his arm and his tiny fingers tangled in her hair. Cradling him with one arm, she carefully worked opened his hand and swept the errant strands over her shoulder. “I was too excited to drive. And he volunteered.”

  “Things are going good with you two?”

  Angeline shrugged. “He got a call on that clunky phone. I’m pretty sure it was someone from the Program. Lincoln mentioned that he had a few things to take care of before his retirement papers are processed.” But what if the Program decided he could continue? Would he make the same choice as Tanner?

  Deep inside, she feared he would.

  “Hey, Sassy.” Tristan caught her attention. “If Lincoln told you that he’s coming back, he will.”

  “Since when did you become a prognosticator?”

  “I haven’t been around him a lot. But when I have, and someone mentions you, he lights up like Mary Jane McAllister’s house at Christmas.”

  Warmth rushed through her. “That much, huh?” Mary Jane, an elderly human woman whose homestead bordered the wolf sanctuary, put out so many lights and animated decorations that one needed sunglasses driving by her house, even at midnight.

  “Lincoln’s at a different place in his life than Tanner was, and so are you.”

  “It scares me sometimes, the mate-bond.”

  “Preaching to the choir, sister.” Tristan’s phone dinged, and he checked the message. “I think this is for you.”

  “Why? What does it say?”

  “‘You’re a natural, Angel.’ Oh! And there are three hearts and a kissy-face smiley emoji.” Mischief lit Tristan’s eyes. “I am never gonna let the Dogman live this down.”

  “Play nice,” Angeline said. “Remember, he’s licensed to kill.”

  “That’s James Bond, a fictional character. And there’s no such thing as a license to kill.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “I’m sure,” Tristan said. “Fairly sure.”

  Scrunching his reddening face, Jayson squirmed in Angeline’s arms and his mouth opened in an ear-piercing wail.

  Tristan jumped up. “What’s wrong with him?”

  “He’s either hungry or having his first poo. Neither of which I can help with.” Angeline carefully stood with Jayson and walked to Tristan. “Time to go to daddy.” She placed the crying infant in his father’s arms.

  “What am I supposed to do with him?”

  “Bring him to me.” Nel’s soft voice sounded tired. “I think he’s hungry.”

  “Okay, little one.” Tristan kissed Jayson’s balled hand. “Mama says it’s time to eat.”

  The baby made loud sucking noises as Tristan laid him in Nel’s arms.

  “That’s my cue to leave,” Angeline said. The new family needed bonding time. “I’ll come back later with Suzannah and Ruby.”

  Tristan’s mother and aunt were a handful to deal with, which was why Angeline had promised to “handle” them.

  “Thanks for everything,” Tristan said.

  “No thanks necessary.” She slipped out of the room, her heart full and heavy at the same time. Her joy for the new family was immeasurable but the bubbly excitement concealed a heavy ache of uncertainty regarding her future.

  She quietly entered the west wing waiting room. Shortly after she’d arrived last night, Tristan’s parents had departed. Mostly because she’d demanded they leave since they wouldn’t stop arguing. Accidentally mated nearly forty years ago a
nd still they had never learned to get along.

  Since she’d gone in to see Tristan and Nel’s newborn son, dozens of pack members had arrived. Prominent among them was the Alpha-and Alphena-in-waiting, Brice and Cassie Walker, and their close companions, Rafe and Grace Wyatt, and Ronni and Bodie Gryffon. In their midst sat Lincoln. Her heart tweaked at how comfortable he seemed with them.

  Although Tristan and Nel were part of the inner circle, Angeline had kept her distance.

  “Well?” Brice’s voice boomed across the open area.

  Everyone fell silent. Expectantly, they looked at Angeline for the revelation of the pack’s longest kept secret—the gender of Tristan and Nel’s wolfling.

  “I’m proud to announce the newest member of the Walker’s Run pack is Jayson Nathaniel Durrance.” She paused for the collective cheer, knowing it would’ve been the same enthusiastic cheer had Angeline announced a girl’s name. “Mother and baby are fine. Dad is still a little green.”

  Everyone laughed and happy chatter followed.

  She made her way to Lincoln, sitting comfortably among the cluster of Tristan’s closest friends. Although Tristan was tight with the Alpha-in-waiting and his circle of companions, Angeline felt a little awkward in their midst. Mostly because they were a tight-knit group whose members trusted one another with their secrets, and she wasn’t willing to do the same.

  “Are they up for visitors?” Brice asked.

  “Right now, Jayson is nursing. But as soon as he’s done, I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you.” Angeline glanced around at the others in the room. “Maybe the rest should wait until later. Nel’s pretty worn-out.”

  “You’ve been here all night,” Cassie, Brice’s mate, said with a friendly smile. “Why don’t you go get some sleep?”

  Good advice, especially since Angeline would need to come back later with Tristan’s mother and aunt.

  “Come on, Angel.” Lincoln helped Angeline into her coat then whispered in her ear. “Let’s get you home.”

  His presence made her feel all snugly. She did want to go home and go to sleep. The problem was she wanted Lincoln warming the spot next to her.

  Chapter 22

  Sweat glistening on his skin, Lincoln finished the last rep in his final set on the bench press and racked the bar. He performed a series of deep breathing exercises before sitting up and checking the time.

  In the three hours he’d been working out at the Walker’s Run Resort gym, he still had not figured out how to break the news to Angeline that he was returning to temporary active duty and that he would come back with custody of an eight-year-old boy.

  She’d fallen asleep in the truck as they’d left the hospital. He’d hated having to wake her upon parking at the apartment building, but carrying her up three flights of stairs wasn’t a smart idea. He hadn’t practiced carrying more than seventy-five pounds going up and down steps and wouldn’t risk stumbling with her in his arms.

  Lincoln had walked Angeline to her door and made her promise to get some rest. Later, they’d have dinner and he would tell her everything and do his best to put her mind at ease.

  “Quitting time already?” Zach Taylor racked his bar and sat up. Since announcing his recruitment, he’d joined Lincoln for daily training sessions in the hope of getting a jump start on his physical readiness.

  It would take a while before Zach could handle the weight Lincoln did, but the new recruit would be able to hold his own during Basic.

  “Yeah, we’re good. You want to push your endurance, but not to the point of exhaustion or injury.” Lincoln grabbed his hand towel and patted down his face, arms and bare chest.

  Zach did the same. “Thanks for taking me seriously from the start. You’re the only one who ever did.”

  “How are your mom and dad coping?” Angeline seemed to have come to terms with her cousin’s decision, but most parents had a difficult time accepting that they were losing their child to the Program.

  “They say they’re proud of me,” he said. “I know they’re scared. But I told them that just because I got accepted into Basic doesn’t mean I won’t wash out before the end of the program.”

  True. A lot of recruits wanted to be Dogmen. Few had the tenacity and fortitude to endure the grueling training to the end.

  “Washing out isn’t a bad thing.” Lincoln shoved his arms into the sleeves, then stuck his head through the neck of his sweatshirt. “It means your heart is somewhere else and you need to figure out where it is.”

  Zach pulled on his long-sleeved T-shirt. “I know exactly where mine is.”

  Lincoln knew where his heart was, too. With the ones he wanted to call family.

  Zach’s phone pinged and he dug the device out of his duffel bag. “Shane wants to grab an early dinner at Taylor’s. Want to join us?”

  “Thanks, but no.”

  “I’m in good with the owner.” Zach grinned. “I can get ya a free meal.”

  “I have plans. Another time?”

  “You got it.” He stood, hooking the strap of his duffel over his shoulder.

  Lincoln swiveled on the bench, swinging his good leg to the same side as his artificial one. He dropped his hand towel into his duffel and slung the bag over his shoulder as he stood.

  “Come on, pup.” Lincoln used a friendly tone. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “I’m not a pup.” Zach gave him a cross look.

  “You’re gonna get called that a lot. Get used to it.”

  They walked out of the resort gym and took the stairs up to the lobby.

  “It’s amazing,” Zach said. “If I didn’t know you, I’d never suspect that you have an artificial leg. It’s not noticeable at all.”

  “I notice it.” The stump sleeve and cup felt nothing like his real leg and he was keenly aware of each prosthetic step.

  “What’s it like? To lose a limb?” Zach gave him an honest, open look.

  Awkward. Frustrating. Humbling.

  “Life-changing.” And in more ways than the obvious physical and emotion ramifications of adapting to having only one leg. Because of the injury, he’d been invited to Walker’s Run. Although he’d searched for Angeline after Tanner’s death, Lincoln likely never would’ve met her otherwise. “It helped me find a whole new world to explore.”

  They crossed the lobby and exited near the valet station. Lincoln greeted the car jockeys, recognizing two of them as sentinels who were at the bar a few nights ago.

  “I have classes tomorrow,” Zach said as they walked between two of the waiting vehicles. “But I’m out at three. Want to meet me here around four?”

  Waiting on the median separating the incoming traffic from the outgoing traffic, Lincoln watched a car leaving the self-park lot and drive past them.

  “Sounds like a—”

  Boom!

  Suddenly, Lincoln was standing on the second floor of that abandoned building in Somalia. Bits of glass and plaster and wood flew all around him in slow motion.

  “Lila!” He yelled for his second-in-command, his voice loud, clear and panicked. But that was impossible because in his wolf form he couldn’t speak.

  His nostrils stung from the spontaneous fire and he could barely breathe because billows of black smoke gobbled up the oxygen. Sensing the percussive wave coming, he scrambled to latch onto something that would keep him from being swept out the window.

  Heart pounding, he struggled against the invisible force grabbing and snatching at his chest. He had to get to Lila. Had to save her.

  The more he fought to stay upright, the heavier his arms and legs became. He called desperately for Lila, praying she would answer, even though his training had taught him that no one survived an explosion at the point of origin.

  Each gasp drew more of the thick black smoke into his lungs. He coughed, trying to get a clear breath. He felt himself slipping.


  No! He would not go through that damn window. Not again.

  * * *

  “How is he?”

  At the sound of Tristan’s voice, Angeline turned from the hospital room window and smiled at him in the doorway.

  “You should be with Nel.”

  “She wanted me to check on you and him. I wanted to, too.” Hands in his pockets, he stepped into the room. “Brice and Cassie are with Nel and the baby. If she needs anything, they’ll take care of her until I get back to the room.”

  “They just left here.” Still hugging herself, Angeline sank into the chair beside the hospital bed.

  “Brice said Lincoln had some sort of episode at the resort.”

  “Doc called it a traumatic flashback.” She glanced at Lincoln, sleeping peacefully now, but it had taken a high dose of sedatives to calm him down. “Zach was with him. One of the resort guests drove by them in a car with a cherry-bomb exhaust and intentionally made it backfire. Apparently, it sounded like an explosion.”

  Angeline rubbed her shoulders. “Zach said Lincoln suddenly blanked out for second and then started yelling and turning around. The sentinels tried to help, but ended up having to take him down.

  “Before they did, Lincoln had broken one man’s nose and cracked another’s ribs.” She took a deep breath. “He could’ve killed them.”

  “But he didn’t. And this isn’t his fault.”

  “I know.” She nodded.

  “Why don’t you grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria? I’ll stay with him.”

  “I’m not hungry.” If she tried to eat now, it would sit in her stomach like a rock. “Besides, Lincoln gets restless if I move too far from him.”

  “It’s good he knows you’re here.”

  “Will this keep him from joining the pack?” Brice had assured Angeline that it wouldn’t, but she had a constant nagging in her gut that wouldn’t go away. “What if Gavin thinks he’s a danger to the pack?”

  “No one thinks Lincoln is a threat,” Tristan said. “I’m sure Doc is doing everything he can to help Lincoln.”

  “He is.” Still, she couldn’t help feeling that things were about to get worse. Like the universe had decided to play a sick joke on her because she’d fallen in love with another Dogman.