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  “You do just fine.” A smile spread across my face, inevitable in his company. “I seem to remember a set of golden-haired triplets not so long ago.”

  “Oooh, yeah, the Hawthorne sisters. That was a fun couple of days while their pack was passing through.”

  “It would have been more fun for me if I didn't find the three of them all over you. On my desk.” We shared a laugh, and I enjoyed the distraction from my work.

  “Well, I should be heading out. I'm taking the new girl to dinner. The one with the red hair.” He gave me a wink as he stood and started toward the door.

  “Shea.”

  “Hmm?” he asked, looking away and clearly not listening.

  “Her name is Shea,” I said.

  “Thanks, bro!” Lance gave me a wave then put his hands in his jean pockets as he strolled out the door.

  I looked down at the mountain of papers on my desk, and returned to entering expense amounts from receipts into the spreadsheet on my laptop. Keeping the books was a good way to learn the ins and outs of our family business. Owning half of the business kept me interested in its success, but I didn’t really care about the details. I was more interested in the scout reports from wolves in the field, but it was all still paperwork. All I could think about was getting out of my office, out of the bar, and into the fresh fall air.

  The more time I spent in this room, the more suffocated I felt, but duty came first.

  Chapter Three

  Cole

  Wind pressed back against my muzzle as I rushed forward at full pace, forcing me to squint as I went. The air carried the scents of the world around me, and a crispness all of its own: fresh pine over a bed of needles, the moist soil underneath reclaiming fallen wood, and a hint of ripe apples in the distance.

  Barreling forward, I took it all in. The cool air bit at me through my fur. Cool temperatures came early here in the mountains, which suited me fine. After hours of being cramped indoors with fake smells, false warmth, and human skin, I had finally escaped to my sanctuary.

  My thick, black coat blended with the darkness, my feet moved silently, and my sharp eyes missed nothing. All I needed was my keen sense of smell to know that there was a raccoon about fifty feet ahead and to the left. I heard him rustling around in the fallen pine needles, probably looking for food for the winter. The light of the moon broken by the pines overhead was enough for me to see, even when clouds covered the sky.

  The damp vegetation broke beneath my paws as I bounded forward, losing myself in the moment, wishing the wind would wash the burden of my responsibilities away as it brushed over me. Running, running, running until I reached a small stream near the edge of our territory where the mountainous forest gave way to an open clearing. Indigo water rushed over smooth rocks and pebbles, sounding as it touched stones and banks. It was deep enough for a man my size to stand in the center with water flowing around his waist. Long strands of brownish-green grass hung over the sides of the banks and swayed with the breeze. A mature western larch stood close to the bank, the only tree in the small clearing. This was a place that held special meaning for me.

  I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the water. I could almost hear her warm, gentle laughter. I could almost smell the vanilla and flowers of her soap, and the sweetness that was only her.

  It had been three years since she’d stood right here, splashing water at me on a warm summer day. Three years since I saw her full lips curve into a playful smile. Three years since I carried her under the tree before me and made love to her for the first time.

  Pain twisted in my chest. Three years since Hailey left.

  Slowly padding home, my thoughts remained on Hailey. Kindness and warmth had filled her eyes as she looked deep into mine. Beautiful thick waves of her flowing chestnut hair bounced with her every movement. The smooth curves of her warm skin felt so soft under my touch. The sweet taste of her mouth filled mine, and it was just as succulent as her scent promised.

  “Cole.” The distinct smoky rasp of Zaria’s, my mother’s, voice pulled me from my thoughts and back to the present.

  I stilled and turned my head to stare at her. My golden wolf eyes peered into her matching human set.

  “Why aren't you at the bar?” she asked. It was more of an accusation than a question.

  I stared at her in response, knowing there was no way to win an argument with her. I stood as tall as her chest in wolf form, and towered over her at six foot three as a human. But even with her tiny frame, my mother never lost an argument, nor did she take any shit from anyone. When she had something to say, everyone knew they had better listen, including Garret, her mate. Only my father had ever stood up to her, and that attitude died with him.

  “Axel called me and said you left early.”

  Axel. Garret’s piece of shit son. “I did my work,” I assured her, remaining in beast form, speaking in a tongue indecipherable to human ears.

  “Doing the paperwork is important, but so is your presence at the bar. You need to make sure you stake your claim. There should be no question about who the next alpha will be.”

  “I'm not alpha yet.” I broke eye contact, knowing the speech that was coming, and not wanting to hear it again.

  “Everyone knows you would be if you would just pick a mate. Waiting just leaves the pack vulnerable to an outsider trying to put in a claim.” The same speech I had heard over and over since my father had died.

  “There have been no serious claims in the three years since Dad died. Nothing that Garret couldn't handle,” I said. “You shouldn't discount Lance either. He has just as much right as me to claim alpha. Dad was his father too.”

  The slight tightening around my mom’s mouth was the only hint of her displeasure. If I hadn’t known her so well, I may have missed it.

  “It's you. You are the oldest, the biggest, the strongest. Your brother is too busy screwing every she-wolf that comes into our territory to take this responsibility seriously. You are meant to be alpha.”

  “You mean Lance isn't your son, and you want your son to be alpha. You want to secure your place, and your bloodline,” I countered, knowing the truth would get her off my back. It had taken harsher words to end this conversation lately, the one she insisted on repeating. Zaria kept pushing more and more as time went on, subtle hints becoming outright demands. She wouldn't admit her dislike for my brother, though it was as obvious as her motivation for pushing me to be the alpha.

  “This is about you,” she said, her eyebrows lowered and her voice taut.

  I had struck a nerve. This conversation was nearly over.

  “Family is most important and this isn't about me,” she said. “Don't be selfish, do it for the pack.”

  Without another word, she was off. I continued my walk alone in the dark, left in peace, at least for the rest of the night.

  Chapter Four

  Hailey

  The wooden bench was cold and hard on my back as I sat at the bus station, with my hood concealing me from the rest of the world. The whole place stank like trash and body odor, with a hint of urine. But it was safer there with so many people around, though I knew I wouldn’t be truly safe until I left the city. My heart rate had slowed to an almost normal pace, though I was still unsure of every move I made. I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there. I looked down and fingered the frame of my favorite picture for possibly the thousandth time. I could have gone anywhere. I could have started a new life in Hawaii and gotten a nice tan while I painted the ocean and finished my bachelor’s degree in art at a university by the sea. I could have sipped Mai Tais and lived carefree.

  I traced his square jawline with my finger. We looked so happy, staring into each other's eyes as he held me out in the forest outside of town. Cole had a foot on me in height, and a strong firm frame to my full, soft curves. He never seemed to mind that I wasn't as in shape as him. I didn’t know what he saw in me, but he was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. He had the most impossibly go
rgeous golden eyes—they were like amber disks of sunlight.

  The photo I held was a beautiful moment lost in time. Olivia had taken it at a picnic that summer three years ago, during her photography phase. Most of what she had captured was landscapes and close-ups of forest life. But this one captured the magic Cole and I shared while we were carefree, just before John had died.

  If only we could have stayed that way—carefree.

  “The station will be closing in fifteen minutes, final call for ticket purchase,” a happy female voice said over the intercom.

  I had to buy a ticket or I be stuck there for the night, trapped in a dank bus station or back at my apartment, stuck in Elkston. Asshole would be leaving his conference any minute now. I wished I was sure of where I should go. I hated Frank Wilson more for stealing my confidence than for the physical pain he had caused me. Well, if hating him more was possible.

  What if Olivia didn't want me to stay with her, I wondered. What if that psycho followed me? Cole had probably married some other girl and wouldn't want to see me. I touched the photograph again. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Even if I couldn’t see Cole, there was nowhere I would feel more safe, more myself.

  Chapter Five

  Cole

  I couldn't breathe. My shirt strangled me as my skin pressed against it, stretching and forcing it outward. I clawed at the collar, desperate for oxygen. Darkness loomed at the edges of my vision. Everything was too tight—my clothes, my skin. A strange cracking sound filled the air. It was faint but distinct beneath my ragged breath. My hair stood on end as my chest heaved. I groped in the darkness, desperate to find something familiar. Stabbing pain and panic. All I could sense was blackness and the thrum of my pulse racing in my ears, my heart pounding in my chest. Something hard pressed beneath my hands and knees. Finally my clothes ripped in sweet release, and I took in a deep breath.

  Metallic moisture stained my tongue. Why did I taste copper? The smell of it almost overwhelmed my returning senses. Blackness receded from the center of my vision. It must have been over, finally over. I sucked air deep into my chest, adjusting. Something caught my attention as my focus returned. My eyes followed the color so out of place in the dark night. Beautiful silver fur lay on the ground below me, soaked in crimson and glittering in the moonlight. Oh god, what had I done? My eyes blurred with tears. A horrible, deep animal sound filled my ears—a dangerous, inhuman howl. The sound was coming from me.

  I jolted upright. Sweat dripped down my cheek, and the blankets fell from my bare, slick chest. Fucking nightmares. I couldn’t help but linger on the guilt I felt, even though he had long forgiven me. When I went to bed tense, that night came back to haunt me, over and over, years after it happened.

  I threw off the rest of the down comforter and deer-skin blanket that covered my legs and looked into the embers of the dwindling fire. The heating and air conditioning unit could keep the house at a comfortable temperature, but I preferred the natural heat of burning wood. The smoky scent that emanated from the fire brought an earthy feeling indoors. Next to the hearth in the great room was one of my favorite places in the house, where I could feel the natural warmth of a fire and catch every moment of sunset and sunrise through the walls of windows. At some point I would have to make time to buy a bed, and everything else a house needed, but I didn’t mind sleeping on the floor in the meantime.

  It was just a short drive to work on my Harley. I'd rather skip the suit and run there, ground under my feet, wind blowing though my fur, enjoying the fresh air before being stuck back in that stuffy office. But with all the human clientele frequenting the bar since someone had added a fancy vacation lodge at the edge of town, riding was the closest I could get to commuting in the wind without frightening away my source of income. Plus, it's dangerous to shift so close to town. If they thought it was scary to see a wolf walking around downtown, imagine their reaction if they saw one turn into a man.

  I parked my bike behind the bar and left my helmet. When I was a child I couldn't wait to hang out here, at my father's business. Whenever I thought of Sawtooth Den now, guilt was the predominant emotion. Guilt mixed with nostalgia, duty, and tension. Guilt for wanting to be somewhere else, guilt for not being the man or the wolf that the pack deserved.

  Amy caught my eye as I entered the building. Her blond pigtails bounced up as she saw me enter. I walked over to the bar for my report.

  “Hey, Cole.” Her face lit up as I approached. She smiled with her eyes and her lips, showing off adorable dimples.

  I looked at her and that familiar feeling came over me again—guilt. “Hey, Amy. What's our status?”

  “Not too much action yet. Axel was here late last night, drank way too much. Got handsy, Harkins dealt with it. Garret left early to meet with the alpha of the current pack holding the valley. Callie is running late again. Harkins just stepped outside to take out the trash.”

  “Garret’s away again?”

  “Your mom said the alpha of the valley pack is messed up in the head. It's a peacekeeping mission.”

  “Thanks for the update.” I shouldn't have to hear from Amy what my pack was up to. If my mother really wanted me to be alpha, she shouldn't be making this kind of decision without me. “You tell me if Axel gets out of hand.”

  “Will do.” She gave me a mock salute and a wink with her soft, brown eyes.

  I headed out the side door to catch Harkins before he came back in. I always made time to meet with Harkins privately in the morning, in case he had any news that needed my attention or something to report that was best not heard by a room of drunks. The morning meeting was part of my father’s routine before me, and it made sense to me to keep it that way.

  Harkins’s head twitched slightly to the side as I approached from behind, but he kept at his chore. He lifted a large can up to the dumpster, the contents clattering as they poured out.

  “Mornin' boss.” Harkins knew my scent, knew the sounds I made when I moved. A sharp-minded wolf, Harkins had worked for my father before me. His broad body was built of muscle and he was as loyal as any wolf could be. That was plain to everyone even if they hadn’t known him as long as I had. That loyalty was etched in his body by every scar he had taken for the pack.

  “Good morning, Harkins. When I heard you were taking out the trash, I half expected to find you tossing Axel into that dumpster.” I put my hands in my pockets, leaning casually against the building as I watched my friend for his reaction.

  “Almost did last night. Little shit put his hands on Amy.” Harkins’s fierce scowl highlighted the scars that ran the length of his face.

  “I heard.”

  “Made 'im leave. Woulda done worse, if he wasn't Garret's son.” Not a day went by that someone didn't tell me the same thing.

  “If he pushes, break his nose. Tell Garret it's on me. He doesn't touch Amy again.”

  “Not Garret that scares me.”

  “I know, my mother scares everyone.” I smirked at Harkins, picturing Zaria smacking the goliath on the head with her tiny fists. “I'm serious though. Do what you have to do to keep her safe. Call me if my mother gives you shit.”

  A crooked smile and a nod was all the reply I needed. Harkins was a good man. He would do what he needed to. I turned to walk back inside.

  “Why not just mate her already?” he called from behind me.

  “Not you, too. We're just friends.” I didn't need another lecture.

  “Was me, I'd claim her before someone worse did it. Amy'd make a good mate. An' she wants you.”

  His words were sincere, and I knew he meant well as he always did. But I had tried to give it time with Amy, tried to find the visceral connection I needed to feel before I was willing to claim a mate. But as fond as I was of Amy, she was not my mate.

  “Thanks, Harkins. I'm going in.” Once inside, I walked back past the jukebox, pool tables, and wooden booths through the hall to my office. A fresh pile of papers graced my desk. A small note on top caught my eye, out of
place with the stack of standard-sized copy paper. A loopy cursive, my mother's handwriting.

  Cole,

  Garret went to the valley. It should only be for a few days. It's a peacekeeping trip. I sent him with a gift for the pack from you, to congratulate the new alpha. I know how you hate dealing with this diplomatic stuff.

  Love,

  Mom

  A gift from me. I'd have to ask what I sent, and how exactly the card was addressed. I crammed the note in my pocket. A peacekeeping trip wasn't a bad idea, but Garret shouldn't have gone without back-up. If Crazy Eyes, their new alpha, was half as bat-shit as I had heard, it wasn't a safe trip to make alone. I had heard rumors that he claimed every attractive she-wolf he found, killing her mate if she had one. Stratton Walker, the last alpha of the valley pack, was said to have died at the hands of Crazy Eyes. His throat was ripped out in his sleep. Stratton’s lovely mate was the first to be claimed by Crazy Eyes, or so the story went. No one seemed to know his real name, and each story varied in detail.

  Since I first started hearing stories about him in the area a few months ago, stories of deception and murder, there seemed to be fewer elk in the woods. If it had been a few years ago, I would have thought it was related to the increase in the human population due to the lodge being built. Human hunters. But it'd been recent. Within the past few weeks I'd hardly seen any elk and not one of the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves that naturally ruled the area. Those wolves were our brothers. Their disappearance was a bad omen.