Heart of the Pack

by Jenny Frame

  “Your mom and I always thought you might prefer girls like we do, and Caden and I just want you to know—everything you feel is normal. You feel surges of aggression for no reason. You want to fight and scrap with your friends to prove you’re strong.”

  Caden met Dante’s eyes above Dion’s head and smiled at her friend. She still bore the scars of their youthful battles.

  Dante put her arm around Dion’s shoulders. “It’s really hard, and the energy…well, that’s an urge to mate. But even though you’re maturing and starting to have these feelings, you are too young to mate, all right? You need to manage it other ways—play sports, go running until you can’t stop.”

  Dion nodded. “When I heard that Lupa wolf had hurt Mom, I felt so angry. I’m sorry I followed you that day.”

  Dante hugged her daughter close. “Listen, little warrior, your hormones are telling you that you’re an adult, but you need to catch up. You are going to be a fine dominant wolf, Dion, and I want you to know that in my absence I feel better knowing you are here to guard Mom, Meggie, and Conan.”

  Dion’s whole demeanor changed. She raised her head, and her chest puffed out. “Thanks, Pater. I love Meggie and Conan and I’ll protect them, I promise.”

  Dante kissed Dion’s head. “You’re a good wolf, Dion. And my pater had this same talk with me at your age.”

  Dion looked surprised. “You? What did you do?”

  Caden held her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh, and Dante gave her a sharp look. “Well, I tackled a boy to the ground and held him down while I snapped and growled at him. We were playing soccer and this guy touched your mom—it turned out to be perfectly innocent, but I just steamrolled in regardless and…well, your mom wasn’t speaking to me for a while.”

  “Make that a week.” Caden laughed.

  “Mom is real fierce when she’s mad.”

  Dante rolled her eyes. “She sure is.”

  After a few moments of silence, Dion asked, “You knew Mom was your mate at my age?”

  “I’ll leave this one to you, Alpha.” Caden stood and continued to undress for their run.

  “I’ve always been close to your mom, as far back as I can remember. She was always my friend, and we were always looking out for each other. We were part of the same group all through school. When I was about ten or eleven, I remember hunting for flowers and different things like that to give her as gifts; it just seemed to creep up on me. When I was your age, I started to feel very territorial over your mother, and quite soon after the incident at soccer practice, I told her I liked her, and we started to date.” Dante smiled at the memory. “It seems like I was always destined to be with your mother. I have never been interested in anyone but her. Some wolves are like that—then others like lots of different girls or boys, or both, until they find the right one.”

  Dion leaned forward so her dark shoulder-length hair hid her face. “I’ve only ever liked Tia, Pater.”

  Caden wasn’t surprised to hear that Dion liked Tia, the sheriff’s daughter and Megan’s best friend. Whenever she saw the cubs together, they reminded her of a young Dante and Eden.

  “I bring her gifts like you said, and she’s just so beautiful,” Dion said. “She makes me feel calm when I feel out of control too. I can’t imagine ever liking anyone else. Do you think we’ll be like you and Mom?”

  “Does she like you back?” Dante asked.

  Dion squirmed. “I’m not sure. She’s kind of shy, and she blushes a lot when we’re together, but she tries to never miss any of my games. She watches me and cheers, you know?”

  “Tia’s a beautiful girl, Dion,” Caden told her. “You’d be one lucky wolf to have her as a girlfriend.”

  “Yeah, I know. Meggie said today that Tia worries I’ll like some of the older girls better than her.”

  “Tia is younger than you, so you must respect that,” Dante said seriously. “Tia’s family will expect absolute respect from you for their daughter, especially since you are the future Alpha. Do you give me your word, Dion?”

  “Of course, Pater, I would never—”

  “I mean it, Dion. Think how you would feel if a dominant your age was interested in dating Meggie.”

  Dion’s face turned angry. “I would bite them if they did anything like…you know.”

  “Well, that’s exactly what Tia’s pater will do to you if you push her too far. Got it?”

  “Got it, Pater.”

  “Go to the movies, go running, have fun, and spend time together. If you build a strong friendship, then you’re halfway there. Make her smile, and make her feel special.” Dante smiled at her daughter and ruffled her hair.

  “I will, Pater. I’ve been saving my money, and I thought I could maybe take her out for Valentine’s Day, you know? I should have just enough by then.”

  Dante said, “That sounds great. Just remember to ask Tia’s pater, okay?”

  Dion nodded. “I will, Pater. I promise.”

  Caden hung up her clothes and said, “I can give you more work down at the ranch if you like, Dion.” Dion had been working after school with Caden since she was ten. Dante and Eden brought up their cubs to realize the value of money, and of hard work.

  “Good plan.” Dante nodded in agreement. “Okay, let’s get going. We’ve got some hunting to do. Lead the way, Second.”

  Dion pulled off her clothes quickly and dumped them in a pile. “Come on, you two. The chase is on.”

  Caden shifted immediately and bounded out the mudroom door.

  *

  Selena was exhausted. After returning from Venator with all her employment paperwork done and staff passes acquired, she’d set to work on putting her apartment in order. She emptied boxes and put away her things for the better part of two hours. She took a long drink of her bottled water and looked at the last large box sitting in the middle of the room.

  She had unwisely packed all her books into the one big box, and realized she wouldn’t have the space to shelve them. Lots of the books were old hardback textbooks, mostly on mathematics and its history. It had taken three men to carry the box upstairs, where they unceremoniously dumped it in the middle of the room.

  Selena gave the box a push, and it didn’t move an inch. “Looks like I’m going to have this here for the duration.”

  She lifted out one of the books from the top; it was one of her favorites, A History of Greek Mathematics. As she flicked through the old pages, she felt the warm reassurance that she always felt from her books and her numbers. Numbers were clean and predictable, and most of all, beautiful.

  The tiredness she felt grew into a big yawn. It would be an early night for her.

  Just as she was about to head for her bedroom, the telephone rang. She froze in the middle of the room. There was only one person who would be calling her here, and she just couldn’t face her tonight after such a long, anxiety-filled day.

  The voice mail kicked in and her fears were realized. “Selena? It’s your mother. You never called. Since you’re not there, I assume you’re out jogging. Remember, don’t eat too much just because you’re away from home. Baby elephants don’t find good men. I expect results. No slacking off because I can’t check up on you. I’ll call back tomorrow.”

  As her mother hung up, the ever-familiar dread seeped in. Obeying it as she always did, Lena went to change into her exercise gear.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Dante, Caden, and Dion ran back toward the Alpha’s den as fast as they could. While they’d hunted, Dante felt something was wrong with Eden. They shifted and pulled on sweatpants, then entered the kitchen and saw Eden waiting, worry evident in her expression.

  When she saw Dante she held her hands up in a calming gesture. “It’s okay—I’m safe, and the cubs are safe.”

  “Then what is it? I can feel your tension and worry inside me.”

  To an outsider, Dante would have been a terrifying sight. Sweat from the hunt was rippling down her muscled shoulders and chest, her teeth were b
ared ready to bite and snarl, her fingers shifted to claws, and her bright blue eyes now glowed yellow.

  “Blaze called from the sheriff’s office. Suzy Mitchell tried to force her way into Venator this afternoon. When she was ejected she was heard to shout that Leroux was alive, and waiting to take her revenge with the Lupa pack.”

  Dante, barely restraining a snarl, said, “Second, take Dion and Megan to Stella’s den and meet me back here. I’ll call for my elite wolves. We’re going out on a patrol.”

  “Of course, Alpha.” Caden brought her arm to her chest in salute. She would escort Dion and Megan over to the sheriff’s house, where they would be looked after by the sheriff’s mate, Stella.

  Dion hurried to Dante’s side. “Pater, let me come. I can help. I’m old enough to fight.”

  “An adult wolf would tear you apart, Dion—do as I ask. Your job is to protect your sister. Now, go.”

  Dion didn’t need to be told twice when her pater was in this kind of mood, and she followed Caden out of the kitchen.

  As they left, Caden heard Eden say, “Calm yourself, Alpha. Leroux will never get near me again.” She could feel the Alpha’s rage in her blood and in that moment promised herself that they would kill Leroux even if she had to die trying. Caden would allow no one to threaten the Alpha and Mater ever again.

  *

  Leroux lay in the dark of a motel bedroom. She felt every part of her body in pain. The injuries she’d sustained in her fight with Dante had been so severe that she had not yet healed, but she would soon, and she would then be able to take her revenge.

  The one thing that her slow-healing injuries had given her was time. Time to think and to plan her next move. Dante was strong, to be sure, much stronger than her, but she had a weakness: Dante loved her family and pack with ferocity.

  If Dante’s daughter hadn’t turned up during their fight, Leroux knew she would not have been able to make her escape.

  Her own heart was hard, and that was the one advantage she had over her nemesis. She picked up her cell phone and called her pack Second. “Ovid, it’s me.”

  “Alpha, thank the Great Mother. We feared the worst.”

  Leroux swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up, carefully supporting her broken ribs. “I’m safe. Injured but safe.”

  “What happened, Alpha?”

  She ran her hand through her hair. What had happened was Eden Wolfgang. Suzy had done her part of distracting Dante, and Leroux had Eden cornered. The taste of Eden’s blood was like nothing she had ever experienced. Leroux felt such hunger at the mere memory of it, and her sex burned demanding relief.

  “Alpha? Are you still there?”

  She had nearly forgotten she was talking on the phone. “I’m here, Ovid. I have a new plan. We are not going to only take the Wolfgang riches—we are going to destroy the heart of the pack.”

  “What do you need from me, Alpha?”

  “I need you to contact someone on the inside. A Wolfgang who has been waiting a long time for justice.”

  *

  Dante’s elite wolves made their way around pack land, scent-marking the border to the neighboring county. They found no trace of Leroux’s scent anywhere. If there was a threat as Suzy Mitchell suggested, it wasn’t imminent. Since it was getting dark, Dante ordered the wolves back to their dens but asked Caden to make sure daily patrols were stepped up for the time being.

  After organizing the patrols, Caden headed home. As she ran back through the forest, she was glad of her solitude. Seeing the strength of the Alpha’s love for her mate and family brought home to her all she was missing out on. She had no family to protect, and never would. The thought made her feel sad and alone, although to her pack mates she gave the pretense of loving the solitary wolf life.

  Even the Alpha’s cub, Dion, was starting to enter the world of mating. Her grandmother’s words echoed in her brain. Don’t look for your wolf mate, Caden, because she doesn’t exist. I have seen the future and your life will take a different path.

  What was her path? Did she have to be alone? She shook her head, trying to get rid of the memories, and ran fast through the trees trying to feel the energy and smells of the woodland.

  As she was running a new scent brought her to a stop. She raised her snout into the air and took a huge lungful of air. The scent was strong—it smelled of sweat, but sweet, warm, and comforting, somehow. It couldn’t be Leroux. Human.

  She heard the telltale noise of twigs being broken up underfoot and hid behind a large tree to see who came by. A human female came into view, jogging through the woods, which was unusual as the sun was beginning to set.

  She studied the female intently: she had light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and was wearing sneakers, yoga pants, and a T-shirt. Her breathing was heavy, and she appeared to be struggling with the terrain.

  Then everything changed. The human tripped over a branch and fell, hitting her head against a fallen log. Without thinking, Caden ran to her. Only when she got closer did she wonder what on earth she was doing by going to her aid. If the human saw her it could be disastrous.

  She was out cold, and Caden licked her forehead, trying to rouse her. The taste of the human’s sweat and the blood from her head injury was an explosion of sensation on her tongue. Before Caden had a chance to think what that meant, the human started to moan, and her eyes flickered open. They stared at each other silently for what seemed like an eternity before the female fell into unconsciousness again.

  Caden nudged her with her snout, used her teeth to pull her T-shirt, trying to shake her awake, but nothing worked. She had to get her to a doctor.

  The impulse to help a human surprised her. A memory gripped her and twisted her guts. I’m sorry, Caden, they didn’t have a chance. The human driver was drunk…

  She turned to walk away from the human, but her paws wouldn’t budge. Her head said leave, but her heart and sense of decency overrode her long-standing hatred of humans. She couldn’t drag the injured woman all the way to her den, so she shifted back to skin, lifted the unconscious woman, who fit well in her arms, and walked as quickly as she could through the forest.

  Not how she’d expected to spend the evening.

  *

  Leroux heard a car door slam outside the motel room. She stood behind the bedroom door and waited for the person’s scent to filter through to her.

  Suzy. Perhaps she could distract herself with her while her blood ran hot with thoughts of Eden Wolfgang.

  When she had come across Suzy Mitchell in a bar here in Rutherford County, it had been a brilliant piece of luck. The few humans who worked in Wolfgang County all came across the county line to get a drink, since there was no alcohol in wolf communities. Suzy had piqued her interest when she heard her talking about Dante to another woman, and then Leroux began to buy her more and more drinks until she had all the information she needed. Finally, Suzy had agreed to distract Dante.

  Suzy had been useful since the confrontation with Dante, taking care of her while she healed, but her usefulness would soon be coming to an end.

  The door creaked as it opened and Leroux pulled Suzy into the room. “Suzy? I missed you.”

  Suzy gulped nervously. “You did?”

  “Of course, a wolf always misses its mate.” Suzy backed up to the wall as Leroux walked toward her. She might have been horribly injured, but she still towered over the human. Leroux lifted her hand to stroke Suzy’s cheek, and smiled when she flinched. “That’s what you want, isn’t it, Suzy? A werewolf for your own? That’s why you helped me get close to the Wolfgang Mater, so you could have Dante all to yourself.”

  Suzy’s breathing became more rapid as her fear increased. “Yes, but…”

  Leroux stroked her hair softly and brought her lips close to Suzy’s ear. “Shh…I know. Dante wasn’t wolf enough for you. She is nothing but her mate’s bitch, but you have a real Alpha wolf now.”

  Suzy’s hand began to shake. “Of course I want you. How are y
ou feeling?”

  “I’m feeling almost healed and then I’ll be whole for you.” Leroux sniffed and nuzzled into her neck. “Did you get the information I wanted?”

  “No, I couldn’t. I was escorted off pack land by security guards. They wouldn’t let me near the town hall.”

  “Why?” Leroux snarled. “Town hall security has never seen you before. You were to slip in, get the records I wanted, and get out.”

  “I went to Venator first. I wanted to speak to Dante for just a few minutes. She humiliated me. I had to speak to her.”

  Leroux grabbed her by her hair and spat, “You stupid bitch.” Leroux’s teeth and hands lengthened to sharp points. “You’ve just outlived your usefulness.”

  *

  Caden paced the hospital corridor relentlessly. She hadn’t felt anxiety for anyone but her pack mates before, but even though she despised humans, she didn’t want this one to be badly injured. The female had looked so fragile lying on the forest floor, and she wanted to make sure she was okay before they went their separate ways.

  A white-haired doctor came out of the hospital room and saluted Caden. His name tag identified him as Dr. Jaycen.

  “How is she, Doctor?”

  Dr. Jaycen smiled. “She is very interesting. It’s fascinating how human physiology works. They are so fragile.”

  “But how is she?”

  “Oh, she’ll be fine, but she is suffering from a slight concussion.”

  Caden breathed an internal sigh of relief. “Does she remember?”

  “No, she says she has no memory of the accident. She just remembers running.”

  “Good, so what happens to her now?”

  “If she had relatives or friends, I would release her to their care, but she says she’s just moved to the county and has no one. She needs to be wakened throughout the night. Unless you—?”

  Caden’s indifference slipped back into place. She put her Stetson on and said gruffly, “I have important pack matters to take care of, Doctor.”

  Dr. Jaycen lowered his head, taking on a submissive posture. “Of course, Second. I’m sorry for mentioning it. I suppose I feel a little sorry for her. She seems to be a nervous creature, like a deer always on the lookout for predators.”