by Celia Kyle
“He’ll be over the moon, pardon the pun.”
Val was all grins by that point. “Yeah he will. I’m sure we’ll celebrate in a very special way.”
“I really don’t need the dirty details,” Trina chuckled as Val set down Fang and pulled her into a hug.
Val wasn’t normally one for public displays of affection, but there were always exceptions to every rule—and apparently a bun in the oven was one of them.
“Go on. Go tell your mate the good news,” Trina patted Val’s back before breaking and shooing Val off.
Val was off like a shot, an overjoyed Fang bounding after her and yipping like a happy maniac. Trina laughed until they disappeared into the pack house. Then her smile faded. The moment she was alone, the joy she felt for her friend and alpha faded, replaced by the familiar weight of loneliness settling on her heart. It ached inside her, like a bruise on her soul. Others could have it all—love, family, growing old together—but she never would.
She was alone and always would be.
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Real Men Claim
He lost it all… until he found her.
Fate hasn’t been kind to Trina Edgecomb. When her fated mate died on their honeymoon, she was left to face a long and bleak life utterly alone. Of course, as the healer to a very rambunctious wolf pack, she’s never truly alone, but nothing will ever ease her crushing solitude.
Rogue wolf Max Kincaid has only one purpose: To bring down the developer who destroyed his pack and his life. He’s tracked the man to the small town of Tremble, Georgia, and he’s just waiting for his moment to strike. Except, before he can fulfill his destiny, he’s ambushed in the woods and left to die.
When Trina finds Max on death’s doorstep, a spark she thought was long dead stirs to life and she realizes that she’s somehow found her fated mate. How was it even possible to have two in a lifetime? But the bigger question is whether a rogue wolf can integrate into an established pack. That’s assuming the Soren pack alpha won’t banish him on sight.
Chapter One
Curls of steam drifted from Trina Edgecomb’s mug of Earl Grey tea, evaporating into the early morning air. The citrusy scent of the drink mingled with the piney fragrance of the Georgia woods to form a perfect combination of domestic and wild—a dichotomy that suited her.
Idly swirling the contents of her mug before taking a sip, she sighed and gazed out at the forest, not a hundred feet from her porch. It was her favorite way to start the day, a quiet ritual that allowed her to wake up gently before going to work as the Soren pack’s healer. Even on the weekends, she could be found there in the soft light of dawn, nursing a cup of tea and quietly contemplating the beauty of her surroundings.
But weekday mornings were what she really lived for.
The reason—or rather, reasons—soon emerged from the forest. A ragtag crew of children ranging in age but all well-nestled within the years of adolescence. They bustled and tumbled through the trees under the weight of their backpacks, wearing big, goofy grins. Peals of laughter split the air as the little gang careened out of the woods on their way to the passenger van that would take them to the human school in the nearby town of Tremble.
Trina laughed and waved as the motley crew of about a dozen or so pups clumsily scurried through her front yard, her heart surging with warmth for them. She adored every last one of them and would die to protect them, but she couldn’t deny having a soft spot for one in particular.
Huxley Davenport, Jr. was the youngest and smallest of the school-age pups in their pack. As the undersized, soft-spoken son of Hux Davenport, the very large owner of The Wolf’s Lair Bar & Grille, the seven-year-old was better known as “Little Hux.”
Little Hux was the spitting image of his dad, only in miniature form and without Hux’s prolific body hair. He was totally and completely adorable. Squinting at the pack of kids, she tried to pick out Little Hux but couldn’t spot him. Her heart rate ratcheted up a notch, worried that Little Hux might have taken ill again.
Her first task of the day would be to head over to the Davenport house to make sure he didn’t need the services of the pack healer. Despite her special fondness for the child, it was her duty—no, it was her life’s mission—to ensure the health of every member of the pack.
A rustling at the edge of the forest drew her attention and she breathed a sigh of relief when Little Hux stumbled into view. Except he didn’t have the flush of happiness that he normally carried. He didn’t look quite right—pale and wide-eyed. By the time he tripped over an exposed tree root and tumbled to the ground in a heap, Trina’s long legs were already pumping hard to reach him. Dropping to her knees, she gently brushed a smudge of dirt from his tear-stained cheeks.
“You okay, bud?” She carefully ran her hands down his arms and legs, searching for injuries.
He seemed physically unharmed, but when his big, watery, brown eyes met hers, she found sheer terror in them. Wolf pups—even the runts—didn’t scare easily, so whatever had frightened him must have been a serious threat.
“Oh, sweetie,” she cooed and helped the little guy sit upright. “What’s wrong? Tell me what happened, bud.”
A fat tear rolled down his cheek and his lower lip quivered as he fought to keep it together. “L-Levi… he was being a meanie. H-his wolf ch-chased me through the w-woods. I was real scared, Trina. I don’t know why he was chasing me.”
“Levi? Levi Walker? Are you sure?”
Levi wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but he wasn’t a total asshole. Even though Zeke Soren, the pack alpha, had fired the guy as his enforcer a few weeks earlier, Trina couldn’t imagine him ever purposely frightening pack pups. Least of all Little Hux. Zeke would probably kick him out of the pack if he did.
“I t-think so,” the boy sniffled as she brushed dirt off his clothes. “The wolf was big and Daddy says Levi was mad cuz Zeke put him on poop patrol.”
Even as the words left his mouth, he snickered at saying “poop” in front of her. Then the joy flitted away just as quickly. He flung himself into her arms and his entire body trembled like a frightened bird.
As she hugged him tightly, she caught the barest whiff of something strange. Another wolf, male, adult… but definitely not Levi. The scent was foreign, with undertones that brought to mind images of winter, for some reason. The remnant of the scent was far too faint to identify properly, but it definitely wasn’t from any member of the Soren pack.
No one had mentioned a lone wolf in their area, much less on pack lands, but it was possible. Unusual, but possible. Typically, lone wolves kept to themselves and passed through another pack’s territory as quickly as they could to avoid any confrontations. No wolf in his right mind would chase and frighten any pup, whether part of their pack or not.
Trina scowled out into the woods, as if her clear blue eyes might pick up a sign of the wolf in question if she looked hard enough. Of course, she didn’t see anything, but she did catch another whiff of the vaguely spicy scent, awakening her wolf. Even as her blood ran cold, her skin warmed and her heart thumped in her chest. Almost as soon as she smelled it, the scent evaporated on the morning breeze, leaving Trina to wonder what caused her wolf to react. The moment had been so brief it was impossible to identify the reason.
Probably just her overprotective instinct when it came to Little Hux. It only made sense. She’d been treating Little Hux almost since his birth for the werewolf version of kidney dysplasia, with a few scares thrown in over the years. The sick baby had grown into a happy and healthy boy who had stolen her heart. His prolonged illness had stunted his growth a bit, but he’d catch up eventually. Until that day, she and pretty much every other adult in the pack would be his champions.
Releasing the boy, Trina stood and took his hand. “Come on, bud. Let’s get you to the van before it takes off without you.”
Little Hux peered up at her for a long moment, and when she gave him her most reassuring smile, he nodded and led the way. By the time they reac
hed the van, he’d already recovered from his harrowing escape. Such was the attention span of kid-dom.
Trina ruffled the boy’s hair as he boarded the van. “Have a good day at school!” He grinned and then turned his attention to his friends, just as it should have been.
As the van bumped down the gravel road toward town, the alpha mate strolled up, walking her tiny Pomeranian, Fang. As fluffy as Fang was, Valerie Logan was the opposite of fluffy. She’d just joined the Soren pack after accepting Zeke’s mating bite, which transformed her from a human into a wolf.
In addition to being the alpha’s mate, Val had been appointed by Zeke to Levi’s old position as the pack enforcer. In the three weeks since her mating with Zeke, she’d worked tirelessly to protect the pack, which had earned her the respect and loyalty of her sentries. They followed her every command, not just because they were required to, but also because they respected her background in military service. Plus, she was damn good at her job.
“Morning,” Val said with a relaxed smile as she stopped next to Trina.
“And a beautiful one,” Trina replied, returning the alpha mate’s smile.
Fang jumped up to press her little paws on Trina’s leg, begging for some attention. Trina wondered if there was a soul alive whose heart wouldn’t melt over the adorable pooch. She crouched down and scratched her behind her ears, sending the dog into a fit of utter bliss.
“You didn’t think I’d forget to say good morning to you too. Did you, Fang? Who’s a good girl? Who?”
Fang leapt into her arms and licked her face silly, making both women laugh. When the dog found something more interesting to smell on the ground, Trina stood and walked slowly with Val, checking out the change in the woman’s appearance.
The coarse black hair Val had always kept in a tight bun when she first arrived in Tremble now stood out loud and proud from her head in long, tight curls. Not only had she taken the time to style her hair, she even wore a touch of makeup. But her makeover was limited to those few changes. She still wore no-nonsense jeans that clung to every muscled curve of the woman’s incredibly fit body and a basic black t-shirt that showed off the lustrous bronze skin of her ripped biceps. Judging by the outward changes and the warm glow in her eyes, Val was the very definition of happy.
“How are you settling in?” Trina spoke before she could stop herself.
Val was a decorated soldier and kept her emotions under tight control. Maybe she’d think such a question was too personal. But her soft smile said otherwise.
“Really good. It took some adjustment, but I’m starting to feel like I’m really a part of the pack now. My sentries are all great to work with, and I honestly couldn’t have hand-picked a better team. Well, except Levi. He’s still pissed off at me.”
They both winced. Levi had proven to be a subpar enforcer, and the wolf hadn’t been pleased when Zeke had assigned him to scat patrol in the Wolf Woods as his punishment for endangering Val.
“He’ll get over it,” Trina said. “I’m sure it’ll work itself out over time.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Actually, that reminds me. Little Hux needed some extra support on his way to the van this morning. Something in the woods spooked the poor kid, and weirdly enough, he said Levi had chased him, and not in a playful way.”
“Really?” Val remarked, narrowing her dark eyes.
“That’s what he said, but I think he got it wrong,” Trina amended quickly, shaking her head. “I know Levi’s scent, and from the little whiff I caught, it wasn’t him. I can’t say for certain, but I think it might have been a lone wolf. A rogue.”
Valerie tensed, her posture straight and her eyes turned steely as she fell into her all-business mode. “What else did he say? Was he injured? Where was he exactly? From what direction did the wolf attack him? What color was the wolf? Did it—”
Trina held up a hand to cut her off. “Hold on, hold on. First, he’s fine, just a little scared. Second, he didn’t tell me anything else other than that Levi chased him. Lastly, I only caught the barest trace of the scent and then it was gone. I wish I could tell you more than that. Sorry.”
Val nodded. “That’s okay, Trina. I appreciate the heads up. I’ll hit him up after school. Honestly, we knew a lone wolf had passed through Wolf Woods a while back, but we figured he had moved on by now. I’ll talk with Zeke and put together a hunting party, if necessary. I have no problems with lone wolves who pass through and don’t cause problems. But if he’s threatening our pups, that’s another story. I wouldn’t worry too much. Probably just a fluke, but it’ll be looked into.”
“Okay,” Trina said, relieved that Val was on the case.
At their feet, Fang let out a plaintive whine, dancing around nervously on her dainty little paws as she gazed up at her mistress. Val sighed and scooped the little dog into her arms, stroking her fluffy head while the dog licked sloppy puppy kisses all over her face. Valerie rolled her eyes, even as she grinned from ear to ear.
“I know. I know,” she crooned to Fang, talking to the dog as though she could understand every word being said, “you’re all worried about your mama. You can sense when I’m feeling cranky. Can’t you, princess? Don’t you worry. A woman’s allowed to feel a little cranky when she’s PMSing.”
Trina chuckled as she scratched Fang behind her velvety ear. “Or when she’s pregnant.”
It took a second for Trina to register that Val was staring at her, wide-eyed and mouth agape.
“Oh my god, you didn’t know?” Trina gasped, her face flushing with the heat of a thousand embarrassed suns. Of course she’d be the one to reveal a piece of very important news to the alpha mate the woman wasn’t even aware of!
“I thought… I mean, I just assumed you’d…” She slapped her hands over her face and peeked through her fingers, mumbling, “I’m so sorry.”
Val continued staring before her mouth started moving, though no sound came out save a couple of tiny squeaks. Trina waited patiently as the news sunk in.
“Are…are you saying I’m pregnant?” Val finally spluttered. “Seriously? Like, for reals?”
Trina let her hands slowly fall away to reveal a hopeful smile.
Val shook her head, her fingers absently clutching Fang’s fur. “How the hell did you know before me?”
Trina shrugged. “I can smell it. One of the traits of a healer. I can smell all sorts of medical conditions. Usually females can sense their own pregnancies within a few days, but I keep forgetting you’re a new wolf.” She winced. “If I’d known, I would have found a more sensitive way to break the news.”
Val took a shuffling step forward and then another, almost as if she was sleepwalking. “No wonder Fang’s been extra clingy lately. God, I thought my recent mood swings were from PMS. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.”
“Don’t beat yourself up.” Trina rubbed Val’s back. Her touch seemed to soothe the woman, so she kept it up as they plodded toward the pack house. “In your defense, it’s still really early. I can barely smell the embryo, so I’d say you’re maybe… oh, a week or so in?”
Val blinked and then barked out a surprised laugh. “Wow. That nose of yours is more accurate than a pregnancy test!”
“I don’t know about that.” Trina blushed at the odd compliment. “You should feel free to take a test—or several—but my instincts are usually spot on, especially when it comes to babies.”
Pain stabbed her heart for a brief second, but as she’d done for so long, she brushed it away and smiled at her friend. “Congratulations, by the way!”
Val laughed, clearly embracing the idea of motherhood. “Thank you! Wow, pregnant. That didn’t take long. Zeke must have some strong swimmers.” They’d barely taken another step when Val gasped in a flash of realization. “Shit! I have to tell Zeke!”
“He’ll be over the moon, pardon the pun.”
Val was all grins by that point. “Yeah he will. I’m sure we’ll celebrate in a very special way.
”
“I really don’t need the dirty details,” Trina chuckled as Val set down Fang and pulled her into a hug.
Val wasn’t normally one for public displays of affection, but there were always exceptions to every rule—and apparently a bun in the oven was one of them.
“Go on. Go tell your mate the good news,” Trina patted Val’s back before breaking and shooing Val off.
Val was off like a shot, an overjoyed Fang bounding after her and yipping like a happy maniac. Trina laughed until they disappeared into the pack house. Then her smile faded. The moment she was alone, the joy she felt for her friend and alpha faded, replaced by the familiar weight of loneliness settling on her heart. It ached inside her, like a bruise on her soul. Others could have it all—love, family, growing old together—but she never would.
She was alone and always would be.
Chapter Two
Bloodlust had sharpened Maxwell Kincaid’s instincts to a diamond-sharp point. Every sense was on such high alert that he felt as if his mind was stretched taut over his whole environment. His wolf’s heavy, tawny body moved through the woods as silently as if he were a spirit, some lost soul haunting the dense forest with a singular purpose. The soft earth gave way under his big paws, the leaves on the trees above rustled softly in the breeze, and he smelled every single animal that had passed since the last rain.
Every breath he took brought a chorus of scents rolling through his body, setting every nerve aflame. His sight was sharper than ever—not the fluttering of wings between the branches nor a falling leaf escaped his notice. His highly tuned senses could have led to sensory overload, but for the fact his wolf’s instinctual brain remained focused on one thing—his prey.
Max’s wolf weaved through the towering pines and down a gentle slope, carefully choosing every step to make as little noise as possible. He padded on rocks and firm earth, avoiding the brittle sticks and rustling leaves. He no longer clumsily heedlessly trundled through forest as he had when he’d first arrived in the woods outside of a small, kitschy town called Tremble. That had been a few weeks ago, but it felt like a lifetime. Since then, he’d memorized the woods like the back of his human hand.
