“Watch your fucking mouth!” Damian snarled. “That’s my mate you’re talking about.”
“Dude, chill out. I didn’t mean anything by it. She’ll be our Alpha eventually. I was just saying.”
Damian’s stomach rumblings grew louder and more violent as his mate’s scent grew stronger.
“She’s getting closer,” Damian said. His manhood began to thicken at the thought of her. His encounter with the two werecats was the last time he’d had sex. “I have to go to her. Now.”
Damian quickly shifted and his Wolf darted through the dense brush behind the cabins. His Betas shifted and took off running behind him. They knew with a crazed hunter on the loose, it wasn’t safe for Damian or his mate to be in the woods.
Maverick and Jordan were gasping for breath when they caught up with Damian’s Wolf.
Damian sniffed back and forth between the ground and the air. His nose was working overtime and he was emitting a low, angry growl.
She was here. Right here, he said. Someone else was here, too, just before we got here. I’ve smelled that funky scent before.
Wait. Your mate smells funky? Jordan teased.
No, you ass, whoever else was here. I can’t remember where I’ve smelled that stench before.
Can you tell which direction they went? Maverick asked.
That’s what’s really weird. Both scents end right here. It’s like they just vanished.
Are you sure it’s not your imagination? It’s kind of strange that she’s been ‘stalking’ you, but you haven’t been able to find or see her yet, Jordan asked.
I’m going to say this one last time. My mate is real. And she was standing right here. My gut and nose don’t lie, Damian growled.
Damian was starving, but his confusion and thoughts about his mate’s disappearance had him so distracted he failed to hunt as the trio silently trotted back to their new home. They shifted back to their human form as they approached.
Damian’s stomach grumbled loudly as they were met by Chuck.
“These woods are full of critters and some good eating. You shouldn’t be hungry; you should be stuffed to the gills.” Chuck laughed.
“We think Damian has the Hunger disease,” Maverick said with a slight smile on his face.
“Ah, yes, the Hunger. I remember it well. Bryce had it before he found his mate. It can be debilitating, and a nuisance to some. But watching him find his mate and seeing how much in love they are now, it’s just beautiful.”
Maverick and Jordan looked at each other. The expressions of amusement at the thought of their Alpha being in love were unspoken words between them.
“Corny, right? An old guy like me getting all gushy over young love. Pssh, whatever.” Chuck sniffled. “Anyway, that’s not what we need to talk about right now. I’m afraid I have some bad news. Let’s go down here to one of the homes so I can show you the significant problem we just found.”
Chuck led them to the home where one of his guys was digging a large hole near the foundation.
Chuck inhaled deeply, then released his breath slowly. “This, gentlemen, is the problem. See the cracks in the foundation? Look just above it at the wood. The wood is rotted. This house needs to come down. It’s not safe to live in. If we don’t take it down, it could collapse and severely hurt or kill someone. What that means is, you only have two houses here instead of three. The other two don’t have this problem.”
“What the fuck,” Damian hissed. “If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. There’s no way it can be fixed?”
“It’s not worth fixing, son. It would cost more money, time, and resources to fix this than it’s worth in the long run.”
“What do you suggest we do to replace it? There are three of us. We need at least three homes. I thought we had a perfect starter setup here.” Damian paced in a small area. His frustration was mounting.
“I’m going to talk to Alpha Thor. I need him to tell me how we should proceed. When he asks me for my professional recommendation, I’ll give him my honest opinion. This structure needs to completely come down and be replaced.”
Chapter 12
Angelisa had been restless the past week when she began to sense him. She’d always known her Alpha soul-mate was out there, somewhere. Her mother had made sure she knew her ultimate destiny, and that she was prepared to meet and mate him when the time came.
Her mother had told her the stories that had been passed down over the generations about the Hunger, and the magnetism she’d feel toward her mate. She told her there should never be any other Wolf for her except this one, and that she should be pure as the driven snow when she presents herself to him. Her mother warned, male Wolves weren’t always as virtuous, but to make no mistake about it, he’d be faithful to a fault once he found his one true love. Her mother told her the love they’d feel would last throughout all their years.
Angelisa believed every word her mother said, because she knew her mother was raised the same as her. To love, honor, and walk beside her Alpha soul-mate.
When the Hunger was too much to bear, Angelisa could no longer fight the urge to be with him, so she kissed her parents good-bye and left home to seek him out. She had tracked him, and knew he wasn’t alone.
She’d made sure to remain hidden and kept her distance for a couple of days. Her body was craving him and telling her to go to her soul-mate, but her mind was forcing her to proceed with caution.
She loved everything she saw when she looked at him. He was tall with dark hair, and blue eyes like the sky. His eyes were so intense that they melted her heart. His thick, light-pink lips were perfectly shaped. Although she’d never really liked facial hair, his five o’clock shadow even was sexy. She loved the tattoo on her strong, muscled, gorgeous man. His voice, the few times she could hear him, was gravely, yet soothing. And his large white Wolf was stunning.
Despite being the physical man she’d always hoped would be hers, one disturbing thing she picked up on through her observations was that he didn’t seem like he had a home. She’d watched him leave what she suspected was his family’s home, then travel through the woods and save the Mountain Lion cub, then travel to this desolate location with three old, abandoned homes. She needed to know why he seemed like he wasn’t more settled. What trick had the Goddess played on her? Why did she get the super-hot, transient, drifter soul-mate?
As she watched him run into the woods to find her, she retreated in the direction she’d come from. She stood her ground and watched her mate in a frenzied state sniff the air and ground. She knew it was only a matter of time until they’d be together. She wanted it so bad, but she didn’t want to meet under these circumstances. She didn’t want him to know she’d stalked him and then got caught.
The ache between her legs was excruciating. She desperately wanted to be his in every possible way.
Just as he took a few more steps in her direction, she’d backed up two steps right smack dab into him.
Angelisa couldn’t scream because he’d covered her mouth with one hand while he quickly wrapped her body in his strong free arm. He hefted her up onto his hip and ran, with her legs flailing and her fingers prying and scratching at his hand.
As he ran through the forest with her in tow, her limbs and face were getting scratched and raked by tree branches and bushes. She could feel the blood trickle down her cheek from a deep scratch near her temple.
She didn’t get a chance to see her captor until they made it back to his domicile. Angelisa was tossed onto the bed of pine needles and leaves, which carried his stench. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them tightly against her chest.
“Who are you, and what do you want with me?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about who I am,” he said in a rough and low pitch. He kept his back to her as he quickly pulled more pine needles and leaves into a large heap. “You’ll find out everything you need to know about me and that horrible, pathetic Wolf you’ve been following in due time.”
&nbs
p; “What do you mean?” Angelisa’s voice quivered. “What about him? Tell me, I need to know.”
“Shut. Up. Just sit there and be quiet. Don’t you try to demand anything from me!” he said over his shoulder as he kept shoving around the leaves and pine needles.
“Can you at least tell me what you want with me? Why am I here?” Angelisa asked.
“Listen,” he said as he spun on his heels to face her. His head was slightly tilted and his large eyes were pools of never-ending fury. His lip twitched. “Stop asking me questions. I’ll tell you what you need to know, not what you want to know. Just know this, as much as it would please me to rip your limbs from you torso and leave you here to die, I won’t. But if you don’t stop with the questions, you may force me to do something regrettable.”
Chapter 13
Damian stopped listening to Chuck and snapped his head in the direction of the woods he’d walked through when he scented his mate.
“She’s in trouble,” Damian said. Everyone stopped talking and listened as Damian sniffed the air.
“How can you tell? What’s going on?” Maverick asked.
“I can feel it deep in my gut. Something’s wrong. I have to find her.” He shifted to his Wolf and bolted into the woods. His Betas followed his lead and charged behind their Alpha.
Damian! Slow down! Shouldn’t we have a plan? Jordan asked.
I have a plan – find my mate. And if one hair on her head has been damaged, someone will pay with their life. That’s a promise.
We get that. We’ll help you rip them to pieces, but seriously, don’t we need to have some kind of idea where we’re going? Or a game plan when we get there? Maverick asked.
I know where I’m going. I can sense her, and I picked up that funky smell from the woods, too. Stay with me, and when we get there don’t hold me back.
The trio continued to stride along the banks of the lake. Suddenly, Damian stopped running. He continued moving slowly, walking along the water, sniffing furiously along the ground until he reached a large fir tree and stopped.
She’s got to be really close, because her scent just disappeared, and it’s mixed with that wretched smell. Fuck! Damian said.
Damian’s Wolf walked around the large fir tree, making wider circles each time. His Betas followed behind him. They knew if Damian picked up her scent again, he’d take off in a flash and they had to be close behind.
Angelisa was pretty certain this man was dangerous, and would certainly follow through on his threats. When he told her to be quiet, she heeded his warning. She scooted away from him until her back touched the stick and mud walls of the awful shelter he had her in. She looked around the dark, smelly and damp space, unfamiliar with that type of structure. She knew if she shifted to her Wolf, she was certain she could easily bust through the walls. But she also knew if she shifted, she was most likely going to get shot.
“Don’t do anything stupid. I’m going to be right outside. If you try anything, I guarantee you I’ll shoot to kill, and your filthy Wolf life will be over,” he grumbled.
He’s a Wolf hunter, she thought. He hates Wolves. Is this guy a farmer who’s had his livestock pillaged? Angelisa didn’t remember hearing any stories of that happening, but Shasta Mountain and the surrounding smaller towns encompassed a lot of acreage.
“Why do you hate us?” she asked. “What have we done to you?”
The man turned back to face her and shoved his hand into his hair, his fingers combing his tresses. “I hate Wolves and Mountain Lions because you both destroy everything. You have no regard for anyone except yourselves. You think you’re better than everyone else. Especially that Wolf you’ve been following.”
“It’s not like that at all. I can’t speak for the Mountain Lions, but I haven’t known them to be that way. And the Wolf Packs I know certainly aren’t like that.”
“Paint a pretty rosy picture if you like, but my disdain for both species runs deep. Deeper than you know. Now stop asking me questions and sit there quietly, like I told you to.” He turned and took a couple steps back to the entry of the mud hut.
Angelisa knew if he hated Wolves, she was in trouble. She had no idea what he was planning, but she needed to figure out how she could get away before she got killed.
“What are you planning to do?” she asked.
“Shut! Up!” He picked up his rifle that was leaning against the wall near the entrance, then turned quickly and had the gun pointing in her direction. “One more word out of you, and I swear I’ll shut you up for good.”
He stood near the entrance, completely quiet, his head tilted so one of his ears was facing outside, listening.
“Don’t you dare move,” he said in a low voice just above a whisper. Then he crept out of the shelter with his gun in tow.
After the third circle, Damian picked up her bouquet again. She smelled like sweet honeysuckle. As Damian continued to take in her scent, the same smell that had mixed with hers became evident again. He looked around before taking a few steps forward, and that was when he saw him. Damian and his Betas bared their teeth and growled.
“Take one step in my direction, and I promise you all my shot won’t miss this time!” The man before them shouted.
The trio continued snarling and gnashing their teeth while staring down their shotgun-holding human opponent. The barrel of the gun was pointing directly at Damian.
Angelisa emerged slowly from the bushy enclosure. She was careful not to snap any twigs or anything that could draw attention to herself. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew her mate was close. Very close. She had his woodsy scent memorized.
Angelisa also knew nothing good could possibly come from this wacko roaming around with a gun, knowing he hated Wolves, and that he’d already said he thought her mate was horrible. But why? What had her mate done that was so bad?
Just as she finished her thought and cleared the entry to the hut, she heard the man yelling. She knew it was her mate and his friends. Her stomach was in knots at the thought that one or all of them could end up dead.
She crept slowly in the direction of the voices until she could see them all. The man was screaming at the Wolves. He told them how much he despised their existence and wanted to see them all dead.
Her heart sped up when her eyes landed on her mate. He didn’t glance in her direction, which she was happy about. She didn’t want to have the man’s attention shift to her. Angelisa had a plan, and she needed to be able to sneak up closer.
As she took each careful step, she continued to watch the Wolves put a little more space between each other. While she still had some distance to cover to be near the action, she shifted so her Wolf could strike with far more force and strength that she ever could muster as a human. She prayed to the Goddess to give them all strength to take down this rogue.
My love, I’m here. Whatever you do, don’t look at me. I don’t want him to follow your eyes and see me, Angelisa said to Damian through her link.
No! Stay back. We’ll get him surrounded in a semi-circle and finish him, Damian replied.
I won’t let anything happen to you. I can sneak up from behind and distract him, then you all can jump him.
He has a gun. I can’t risk you getting shot. Please, don’t come any closer. Let us take care of him, Damian pleaded. He didn’t know his mate’s name and hadn’t even seen her, but knew she was the most important part of his life. There was no way he wanted her to take a chance of getting herself shot trying to help them.
If he shoots you, he may as well just shoot me, too. I can’t live without you, Angelisa said. Her heart thudded in her chest at the thought of losing him. Her breaths became erratic. She stopped and took a few minutes to gather herself before she took another step.
The step that landed on a long, brittle branch. The step that made the crack of the twig beneath her feet sound like the booming clap of thunder. The step that caused the man to snap his head in the direction of the noise, only to find nothing. He
knew he heard the sound, yet there wasn’t even a rabbit nearby.
Get out of here. Now! Damian screamed through his link. The fear of her being hurt made his mouth go dry, and it was hard to swallow. He had no idea how she’d hidden so fast, but he was thanking the Goddess that his mate had that incredible talent.
Angelisa peered around the large tree, craning her neck until she spotted the group. She noticed her warrior, her mate, was standing directly in front of the man, and his two friends had maneuvered closer to his sides. They’d almost formed a perfect triangle. And from her vantage point, she could close the gap by coming up from behind. Only this time, she wasn’t planning to inch closer. She was going to charge at him and force him to turn his back to her mate. Then he’d be able to take him down and kill the bastard.
“Shift, you pathetic Wolf. Face me like a man,” the man goaded.
Within seconds, Damian shifted to his human form. Maverick and Jordan looked to their Alpha to see if they should shift as well. With a slight shake of his head, Damian told them no. He wanted their Wolves to be at the ready to pounce on this fucker if he tried anything crazy, like raising that gun to put a bullet in Damian.
“All right. Here we are. Mano y mano. Now what?” Damian asked. “What’s this all about?”
“I’ve been watching you and your friends. And those fucking Mountain Lions, too. Like I told your little stalker, I hate all of you. You go around killing, eating, and destroying others with no regard for their lives,” the man spat.
“Evidently you don’t know the first thing about nature, or the law of the wild. We aren’t like the humans. We don’t just kill for the sake of killing, we kill when we’re hungry.” Damian’s eyes raked over the man as he sized him up. He knew if there wasn’t a weapon involved, he’d easily take that guy down. “And who the hell are you anyway? The new wildlife police?” Damian waved his hand in the air. “Get the hell out of here with your stupid bullshit.”
Damian Page 6
