by Fel Fern
Jesus, so big. Had Logan had anything that huge inside his ass?
Wait. Why did he care about Raul’s dick?
The other dominant wolf must be thinking he was some kind of pervert. Logan dragged his gaze a little higher, past the line of hair leading up Raul’s six-pack, his well-formed pectorals, and massive arms. Scars and the occasional ink lined Raul’s body, marks earned in battle. There was no denying what he was—a real leader.
Logan couldn’t deny the fear that rammed down his spine when powerful and large shapes came pouring out of the trees, led by one massive, black wolf. Raul was a pack enforcer, not an Alpha, yet his wolves followed him without question. They made short work of the humans who dogged Logan’s heels for days without much effort.
“Look at me, little wolf,” commanded Raul, his voice deep.
Logan met his dark, intense eyes, swallowing at what he saw there. Hunger, as deep as his own, mixed in with confusion. Logan shouldn’t even be attracted to another man, not after Ray, so why did he have the urge to roll over on his belly and present his throat to this man, this stranger?
Biting down on his lower lip, Logan looked into a handsome face, a square jaw nicked with a small scar to the left side, a broken nose and cruel but generous lips Logan imagined were capable of kisses able to steal his breath.
“Who are you?” Logan whispered.
“You asked for my help, remember?” Raul asked, amused.
To Logan’s shock, he could feel his cock twitching, thickening under the press of Raul’s body. Shit.
“I can smell your need, little Omega. Do you want me that bad?”
“No. I can’t. I shouldn’t.” Logan’s words seemed to put some sense into Raul, because the other man paused from touching him.
Don’t stop, Logan silently willed. It was evil of him to want Raul to make the first move because that would somehow alleviate his shame. By wanting Raul, was he betraying Ray? But Ray was gone though, six feet under and never rising again.
If Ray were alive, would he approve of Logan’s living for reasons other than revenge?
Wait. What the fuck was Logan doing letting his emotions get the better of him? He came to Darkfall Mountain for a reason, to bring his pack to safety. His lust could wait. Besides, he heard the anger in Davis when his old friend came to his defense.
Did Davis and the others think Raul was taking advantage of Logan when it had been the exact opposite?
God, to think Logan nearly yielded to this man, this stranger, who was both domineering and thoughtful without caring about the consequences. That scared Logan. It seemed with Raul control flew out the window the moment they touched. What else could happen if it went beyond a touch?
“Raul, we need to clean this mess up soon,” said another man’s voice, similarly packing muscle like Raul, giving Logan an unfriendly look.
“Yeah, I know. This is Northfield territory, and who knows which of the animal groups here is watching us?” Raul replied.
Raul got off Logan, much to his disappointment, and rose to his feet. Logan paused when Raul held out a hand toward him.
“It’s okay,” Raul told him, looking Logan in the eye. “You’re safe now, pup, nothing and no one can harm you again.”
Logan wasn’t sure about that. If he didn’t guard his heart, at the very least put a fence around it, this man could steal it and make it his own. It wasn’t time to show weakness now though. The other wolves, even those from Darkfall, watched them. Logan gripped Raul’s fingers, amazed by the contrast of his slender ones compared to Raul’s huge and callused ones. Without much effort, Raul hauled him to his feet.
“Safe,” Logan whispered the words, hardly believing them.
He glanced at the bodies on the ground. Without needing commands, two of Raul’s men started cleaning up, dragging the bodies from sight. It seemed like they had done something like this before and were used to it.
They were in good hands, right?
It felt strange trusting a stranger he just met, but Logan didn’t have any doubts about Raul’s sincerity or intentions. Why his heart beat painfully against his chest or his breath hitched for his man, he’d explore another time.
“Follow us. Keep close. We’re heading back home,” Raul said. He barked commands to the other wolves, assigning each one to Logan’s pack members. Logan touched his chest, realizing along the way he’d lost his pack. Well, what did it matter? He couldn’t go back for it now. Like Raul said, there might be interested parties watching, and they’d come too far to back off now.
Logan looked at his pack members, giving each one a nod. Davis still looked unsettled, shadowed by a huge wolf with white and gray fur, but he wasn’t protesting. The man who’d interrupted Raul remained in human form and easily hefted Martin in his arms, careful of Martin’s injuries. Kian and Nathan looked at ease with the other wolves and Bran…
“Where’s Bran?” Logan whispered, fear thudding in his heart. He looked around, not seeing Bran’s small, brown figure.
“Bran? Is he missing?” Raul asked, frowning.
“He’s another Omega, smaller than me, with a brown pelt.”
Raul’s companions gave shakes of the head.
“I need to look for him,” Logan whispered.
“We don’t have time for this, Raul,” said the wolf holding Martin.
“He’s right,” Martin rasped, speaking for the first time. “Logan, leave Bran.”
Davis growled in agreement. Logan sunk his nails into the palms of his hands, debating. What if Bran was merely lost in the woods, unable to catch up with them? Logan refused to think about the worst-case scenario. Turning to Raul, he made a decision.
“It’s okay. I’ll stay behind to look for him. You guys go. Thank you for coming to meet us,” Logan said.
For some reason, Raul’s eyes narrowed, a snarl of disagreement rumbled out of him.
“I’m staying with you. Billy, lead the others back safely to town,” Raul instructed.
“What should I tell Dino?” Billy asked.
Raul gritted his teeth at the mention of that name. Clearly this Dino meant something to him. “That something came up. I’ll explain the situation to him.”
“You’re the boss,” Billy said. The other wolves broke into a run, with Billy following them, Martin in his arms.
Knowing pack politics and questioning Raul in front of his men didn’t bode well. Logan kept his silence until he was certain the other wolves were gone. “Why did you volunteer to stay? This is my problem, not yours.”
Logan hesitated when Raul took a step toward him, but the big wolf didn’t mean harm. “I told Michella I’d bring all the strays back to Darkfall. That includes you.”
“I don’t know how I feel about being called a stray. It’s appropriate, I suppose.”
“We’ll search for Bran in wolf form. It’s quicker that way. Don’t go too far. I can’t lose you, too. “
Without waiting for his reply, Raul shifted, changing forms with ease. Why those words hammered home, Logan didn’t know. He shouldn’t think too much on Raul caring if he disappeared or not. Raul saw him as a responsibility, nothing more or less. Still, it felt like someone cared and looked out for him. Logan had relied on Ray all his life, so when forced to lead the others, he hadn’t realized how tiring and exhaustive it felt.
Once Logan was back on all fours, they started the search. Since Logan knew Bran’s scent well, he took the lead. They lingered on a patch of woods Logan didn’t recall running across.
Raul nudged him and Logan blinked when Raul sniffed his way to what looked like droplets of blood left on dry leaves. Dried blood, meaning whoever went this way was long gone. Dread sunk in Logan’s stomach. Bran couldn’t have been caught, could he? But further examination led to strands of Bran’s brown fur on the forest ground. The trail of blood led back to the main road. Tire tracks lined the gravel.
No denying the inevitable now. Losing Bran felt like a killing blow Logan wasn’t sure he could r
ecover from. Raul nipped at his ears, leading him back to the woods, his intentions clear. They’d satisfied Logan’s curiosity and solved the mystery.
Logan didn’t budge. If wolves could cry, his eyes would be filled by now. Ray wouldn’t have lost a single member, but Logan wasn’t Ray. He should have watched out for Bran, but he was too busy leading the others away from the hunters.
Raul bit at him again, reminding him lingering wasn’t the best option. Logan stared at the tire tracks. The human who’d taken Bran was probably long gone by now. He knew that, but he wanted to run blindly after that clever bastard despite knowing he wouldn’t be able to catch up, much less follow their faded trail. Raul pushed his head against the side of his neck, nose warm, tongue wet. All the tension seeped from his body.
Having Raul’s presence gave Logan a sense of calm, yanked him back to reality. For now, they couldn’t do anything about Bran, but it didn’t mean Bran was lost to them forever. Logan swore he’d get Bran back, no matter the cost. Nodding to Raul, Raul pulled away and started trotting back to the woods. With a last look at the road, Logan followed.
While they ran shoulder-to-shoulder, their fur brushed against his. The wind felt amazing on their faces. For once, Logan didn’t feel terrified of being caught. It felt like he and the others did nothing but run, so it was a relief to feel safe for once. With this fierce and protective werewolf beside him, Logan had no reason to be afraid.
Despite racking up one casualty in the form of Bran, Logan managed to fulfill his promise to Ray. He’d brought his pack all the way here. For once, Logan could finally sleep and rest easy at night, not terrified the humans would knock the door of their motel room down and net all of them in one fell swoop.
Just you wait, Bran. I’m coming for you and bringing you home.
* * * *
Edward Perry cursed the entire way back to the safe house. His side bled like a bitch, but he’d live despite the odds. He and the rest of his mercenary crew knew they headed for uncertain waters once the cunning mutts entered this particular region, where the rumored blood-thirsty Darkfall wolves stayed.
Ed had scoffed the rumors off and told his crew the other mercenary teams Alpine Industries hired were merely exaggerating. The higher-ups in the company labeled Darkfall a highly dangerous area scouting and capture teams should avoid, and Ed finally understood why.
None of them even sensed the wolves hiding in the trees until the hounds started going mad, running off their leashes. The werewolves didn’t bother with the hounds. Hell, they let the animals free while descending on Ed and his men.
Fuck. The whole thing was over in less than five minutes. Ed’s men, the brothers he drank and had a ball of a time with torturing and capturing these filthy animals, were all dead. The beast caught in his silver net whimpered behind him. Pissed, Ed kept one hand on the wheel, while the other reached for his rifle.
“Behave, dog, unless you want me to play whack the animal,” Ed muttered under his breath. “The scientists want you alive, but they didn’t mention anything about injuries. I cut away the limbs of the last animal that bit me. I’ll do the same to you.”
One hit with the muzzle of his gun rendered the ugly creature silent. The brown mutt he caught looked like the runt of the litter, not much of a consolation prize, but better him than nothing.
He remembered the second smallest beast, a wolf with light gray fur leading the pack. According to the files Alpine Industries kept on the Blue River pack, Logan Bowen was the Omega mated to the previous Alpha.
That little piece of shit needed a lesson in respecting his betters. Some mercenaries worked for Alpine Industries for the handsome paycheck, but Ed did it for other reasons. A werewolf bit his brother, his only family, and Ed pulled the trigger on him after his brother begged him to, not wanting to become one of the monsters they hunted for a living.
The higher-ups told Ed to lay low for a bit in Northfield until they could manage to arrange transport for the brown runt. Driving to Northfield, Ed parked his car inside the garage of the house of a close friend. To shut up the brown wolf in his backseat, he shot him with a tranquilizer.
“Go to sleep for a bit, doggy. Once you wake up, I’ll have your cage and pet bowl ready.” Ed sneered.
Ed won’t let the wolves have their way. Tangling with the Darkfall wolves was dangerous business, but he knew exactly how to fell the mighty. Not long ago, the Darkfall wolves crossed paths with the Order of the Knife. The Order had been made up of human fanatics who trained all their life to hunt the supernatural.
Alpine Industries tried to recruit the Order once, Ed heard, but the organization refused. They didn’t approve of experimenting with the paranormal and were only interested in eradicating them. However, times changed.
How would the Order respond if Ed told them Alpine Industries nearly perfected the weapon they were developing?
Ed rubbed at his hands eagerly. Reaching for his phone, he rang up his contact in the Order.
“Hello, Joseph.”
“Ed Perry, I told you not to call me unless it’s an emergency,” the hunter on the other line muttered. Ed could hear the sound of gunshots in the background.
“I’m in Northfield right now.”
Silence on the other end.
“You told me to ring you up if I ever caught wind of news regarding the Darkfall wolves, the very pack who killed one of your Order leaders, mated one of your former members, and slaughtered your brothers.”
Joseph growled under his breath. “Kelias Cervantas is a fucking traitor. What news?”
Ed told him about their failed operation.
“What do I care for filthy mercenaries who got what was coming to them?” Joseph said after.
Ed reeled in his temper. These Order guys thought of themselves too much, but he’d swallow his pride for a chance at vengeance. “Alpine Industries once offered your Order a chance at an alliance.”
“We refused, I remembered,” Joseph stated flatly. “Nothing good would come out of toying with the bodies of unnatural beings.”
“See? That close-minded thinking won’t get you guys anywhere. I came to tell you the fruits of the research of our scientists. What if I can tell you we’ve successfully developed a formula that can help an average human gain the speed and strength of werewolves?”
Ed was lying in some parts. The scientists hadn’t perfected the formula, and he was expressly forbidden to reveal the nature of their work to outsiders. Desperate times called for desperate measures though. Ed had contacts in the labs who would be able to slip in a couple of formulas.
“I’m listening,” Joseph said after a period of silence, and Ed knew he had the hunter now.
Chapter Six
By the time they reached Darkfall, night had fallen. Following behind Raul, Logan had been relieved Raul took the lead. They made plenty of twists and turns and shortcuts through the vast woods only a native would know.
It felt like they’d been running for hours, but while his muscles began to ache, Logan didn’t feel tired at all. With Raul by his side, a strange sense of calmness filled him. Wherever Raul led, Logan knew he’d follow, although he couldn’t entirely explain the reason why.
The trees finally thinned, and up ahead, Logan saw the lights of a town up ahead. He froze, staring. Logan had really done it, led everyone to safety. Raul gave him a playful nudge with his nose, and Logan kept moving. Not long now and he could be lying in a soft bed and finally get some serious sleep. All those nights of worrying to death were finally over.
Raul padded into the open road, keeping to the side. The smell of freshly baked pizza and newly made pasta teased his nostrils, making Logan’s stomach growl. At least in wolf form Raul couldn’t see him blush. It smelled amazing though, and Raul started leading him to the source. Logan paused. Up ahead, he could read the sign on the two-story building. Esteban’s Pasta Mania.
Did Michella own a restaurant? How surprising. The parking lot wasn’t full though, despite being a
Friday night. Only a few cars and a couple of bikes lined the front. Logan froze, smelling more werewolves inside, powerful ones. Every shifter gave off a certain kind of aura, threw off metaphorical energy, especially those that belonged to a pack, but he’d never felt anything like this. The Darkfall pack bonds pulsed like a living thing.
Logan smelled the others, too, but their scent was a little faint. The front door leading to the restaurant had been left open. Two werewolves, one man and a woman in their early twenties and having physical similarities, stood at the doors. Were they siblings?
“Raul, the others were expecting you earlier,” the man pointed out, seemingly unaffected by Raul’s growl. “Quite a commotion you’ve caused. Who would have guessed it?”
“Jared, he’s here along with the Omega he’s supposed to bring back. Isn’t that what matters?” the woman asked before turning to Raul and Logan. “Go right in. Sergio’s talking to Michella right now. The rest of the Omega’s pack mates are inside as well.”
Judging by Raul’s annoyed snarl, Logan guessed he wasn’t too happy about the news. Sergio was the Darkfall pack Alpha, and Logan heard plenty of tales about him, none of them good. Michella promised to offer them sanctuary, and Sergio was her brother, but ultimately, the Alpha had the final say.
“Oh, fair warning,” Jared added. “Alpha’s not in a good mood.”
This didn’t sound like a good start at all. Should Logan have abandoned the futile search for Bran?
Either way, something like this was bound to happen. Logan anticipated it, but God, he hoped they wouldn’t be thrown out after all they’d endured. He didn’t think he could lead again. Besides, one mercenary escaped. That bastard could have called for backup, and they might be waiting for the right moment when Logan and the rest stepped out of Darkfall territory.
Arguing voices inside made Logan’s stomach churn, a woman’s soft voice contrasting sharply with that of a pissed-off sounding male. Logan looked for his pack mates first, relieved to see Kian, Nathan, and Davis seated in a crowded table to one side, eagerly decimating the food on the table. Five other men sat with them, chatting with them, reassuring them—Raul’s group, he realized.
