Page 1 of The Night Wolf
Chapter One
THE SMELLof musk from the rabbit warren had Sean Adler drooling. He hadn’t had a decent meal in several weeks, and now he was so hungry, he would probably even eat the skunk roadkill he’d turned his nose up at a few days ago. With the bones in his paw all but shattered, Sean moved the best he could, stalking the lone hare he’d seen nibbling at the blades of grass that surrounded the tall trees. He stepped forward, his ribs grinding against one another where he’d been kicked by Ryker’s enforcers. He winced when a twig snapped, causing the rabbit’s head to jerk up. It sniffed the air, then darted for safety far faster than Sean could follow.
He chased the fluffy snack as far as he could, until it dove into brambles and Sean realized he had no chance of catching it. His body hurt so badly. His head throbbed as he tried to catch a decent breath, but short gasps were the best he could accomplish. He sat down on the hard-packed dirt, heedless of the stones that pressed into his flesh. Compared to the pain he was in, the stones were nothing.
He wanted nothing more than to howl his frustration. He knew, though, doing so would alert any other wolves in the area to his presence, and that would end like it always did—badly. Though he believed himself safe, he couldn’t chance encountering anyone else. He was too weak to fight and too exhausted to run. If they caught him this time, he’d be locked into a collar and forced to submit to an Alpha, whether he wanted to or not.
Ryker scared the crap out of Sean. Well, to be honest, most things did now. Ryker was the Alpha of an insular pack. They lived deep in the forests, where the rule of survival of the fittest held sway. And Sean was anything but fit. Only Ryker’s word kept the others from hurting Sean.
Sean moved closer to the tree and tried to find a comfortable position in which he could rest. His stomach protested every step, a reminder that he’d had nothing to feed his body, which now had begun to draw on his energy reserves. If he was a car, his tank would be empty, and he knew it. The shift wouldn’t heal the last beating they’d given him if he didn’t have food available to sate the hunger it brought about.
He chuffed. He’d escaped those who sought to possess him, to demand his submission, only to be brought down by a fuzzy morsel that would have given him a chance to live. Now? He was tired. He’d pushed himself past exhaustion and knew he couldn’t go any further. Sean placed his head on his paws and closed his eyes. He hoped the end wouldn’t be painful.
Then he realized, compared to his life, it might be a comfort.
GARETH BLACKTHORNgrinned to himself as he drove his Escalade down the winding highway that would take him home. He’d met with Alina Kester, yet another young person who wanted to be part of the Lydon pack—this time a baker who brought him samples of her wares. She bit her lip as he tasted each one. Oh, they were delicious, and her face had lit up as he told her his favorite was her apple-lavender scones. When he told her she was welcome in the pack, she promised she would bake him some every day, if he wanted. Gareth laughed and told her that he appreciated the offer, but a fat wolf wouldn’t be able to catch his prey.
He sighed, content with his decision. He was happy to have her join them, and happier still that they would once again be growing. True, the numbers for Lydon’s pack weren’t nearly what his ancestors had, but Gareth believed that to be the best, you had to have the best people. So as elders passed on to the next life, their numbers dwindled to what they were now, and that suited Gareth.
But Alina…. Gareth knew that she would make a fine addition, and that the wolves in his town would love having her among them. When he provided the Alpha bite and his wolf claimed her as part of the pack, it made his heart soar as she became one with them. He could sense her thoughts and her good intentions. His wolf was at peace with the decision.
The Lydon wolves were more than a pack to Gareth. They were more than family. They were his reason for living. Since he’d turned fifteen, almost two decades ago, Gareth had devoted himself to the members, helping them reach their fullest potential. He knew every wolf, knew their likes and dislikes. He could give a complete biography of each of the wolves he’d brought in. He’d carefully chosen who would join them so that their unique talents would allow them all to prosper. Too many of them had suffered in the past, and Lydon could be a haven to them.
In fact, the Lydon pack had always been blessed by Mother Moon with the best of everything. Their lands—over seven thousand acres—included the town of Lydon, as well as stellar fishing sites and various game animals, though hunting was strictly forbidden on the lands if you weren’t part of the pack. There were various mineral deposits that they mined without disturbing the delicate ecosystem. Lydon was truly a paradise on earth.
As he continued on his route, he cried out as pain radiated through him. His wolf surged to the fore, demanding release. Something had caught its attention, and Gareth knew it would not be denied. Never had he felt this way. He’d always been in control, knowing he had to keep himself in check in the world of humans, most of whom had no idea shifters existed. But right now, his wolf was so insistent that Gareth’s hands began to change. He slammed the car into Park, threw open the door, and stumbled from the vehicle.
“Just give me a minute,” he growled, his throat seizing up. “Let me take the damn clothes off so they don’t get—”
Gareth’s muscles swelled as his body transformed, shredding the expensive suit he’d worn to the meeting. Try as he might, he had no control over this shift, and that scared the shit out of him. The change was swift, taking only moments. As soon as it was complete, a snow-white wolf stood in his place. It sniffed the air to catch the faint scent of whatever it was that had caught its attention.
The moment his paws hit the ground, he threw his head back and howled to the night sky. Now that he was in his wolf form, he could smell it clearly. Something close to death, and his wolf wanted it. No, his wolf demanded it.
Gareth ceded control to his animal, which sped through the dense forest, crashing headlong into bushes that blocked his path. In his thirty-five years, Gareth had never seen any creature act this way.
The wolf continued to pick up speed, stumbling more than once. He picked himself up, shook his head to clear the overwhelming need, and continued forward. Gareth’s mind raced, trying to ascertain why the scent pulled him so hard. It tickled his senses, a cinnamon and pine that reminded him of Christmas in their house when he was a child. Whenever Gareth thought of home, that was where his mind went.
As the wolf thundered on, the scent became stronger, but not at all unpleasant. In fact, it seemed to calm his beast, allowing Gareth to once again take control. As they rounded the copse of trees, an area of utter darkness revealed itself. Even the light from Mother Moon didn’t pierce the inky depths. As Gareth stalked closer, the shadows receded and showed Gareth what his wolf had been demanding.
Another shifter lay against the tall oak, his tongue lolling out, soft whimpers escaping. As if sensing the human was needed more than the animal, a moment later Gareth’s wolf was gone and the man stood once again.
He knelt next to the prone wolf and stroked a hand over its muzzle. The thing was damn near emaciated, and that angered Gareth. Where was his pack? No one would desert an injured member like this.
“Can you hear me?” He pitched his voice low, not wanting to frighten the wolf. “You’re safe.”
Soft violet eyes fluttered open, and Gareth found himself in awe of their beauty. He’d never seen such a thing in a wolf. As far as he was aware, it was unprecedented. He reached out a hand and touched the animal’s face. His beast roared, demanding he do something to help the small wolf with fire-red fur.
“I need you to shift.” Gareth injected as much Alpha command as he could. “Now.”
The body trembled, the eyes closed, and then the wolf lay still once again.
Gareth growled deep in his throat. He was an Alpha, powerful in both forms. He reached down and slid his hands under the wolf, then lifted him as though he weighed nothing, which seemed to be the case. Whoever had allowed this to happen should be removed from power. No one worthy of the title would let this happen to their charge. They would move heaven and earth to ensure the well-being of those under them. Gareth vowed to find out who the Alpha for this pup was and demand to know how this happened.
With long strides he loped toward his vehicle. He opened the back and pulled out a blanket from under the seat, then wrapped the wolf in it. The poor thing continued to shiver, so when Gareth took his seat, he turned the heat up as far as it would go. A sigh came from the back and Gareth took it to mean that he’d made the wolf more comfortable. He put the car in gear, grateful for the fact that it had been left running. As he pulled out, he switched on the Bluetooth in the vehicle and called the compound.
“How did it go, Alpha?” his second-in-command, Lyram Walker, asked by way of greeting.
“I need you to wake Franklin,” Gareth snapped. “Tell him to meet me at the clinic in twenty minutes.”
