Changed: 2 (Wolf's Den) (19 page)

“What should we do?” His female didn’t sound mousey or
afraid, she sounded pissed. “I don’t want to leave Chloe with that woman.”

“There’s a good chance you won’t have to. If the pack Alphas
think the evidence is compelling, Wade will have to put his daughter on
lockdown. There’s not enough to ask for her death but containment is
understandable, unless he can prove she’s innocent.”

“I don’t want to leave,” she confessed, leaning forward to
run her lips over his cheek. “But we should go to them, shouldn’t we?”

Shane had things under control but Declan was the Beta.
Still, he wanted to take care of Rachel, consumed by the desire to see to her
needs. “Tonight’s about you. Everything else can wait.”

With a soft sweep of her hand, she combed his hair from his
temple. “Can you find your way back?”

“Yes, I can. And so can you.” He didn’t want her to stop
touching and talking to him. He dreaded going back, worried it would end their
night too soon. Trying to be honorable, he told her the truth. “If you pay
attention you can follow the path we took. Our scents are all over it.”

She kissed him quickly, giving her hips one last twist.
“Show me.”

“I’ll show you everything.” He pulled her back down, wanting
one more kiss. His fingers were hard against her neck, making her bend toward
him. “Tell me you love me.”

The lines in her face smoothed, her lips curving at the corners.
“I love you.”

One more time.
“Again.”

“I love you.”

A tug had their mouths touching. He didn’t take it further,
letting the seconds pass. Their connection increased, growing ever stronger.
Finally he let her go, making sure she was gazing into his eyes when he
professed his own feelings.

“I love you too, Just Rachel.”

She scowled, shooting him a glare. “Stop calling me that.”

“Okay.” Although he’d never stop, he’d give her what she
asked for tonight. “How’s this? I love you, sweet girl.”

Her eyes flickered, tears filling them. “That’s better.”

“You like that?” He knew she did.

With a small nod, she murmured, “I do.”

“Then come with me, sweet girl.” He rose, easily bearing her
weight. Once he was on his feet he let her find her footing. “I’m going to show
you everything I know. After I introduce you to the packs, we can go for
another run if you like.”

“That sounds nice.” The tips of her nails tickled his skin.
“Then what will you do?”

“I’m going to take you home, spoil you rotten and love you
so hard you can’t breathe.”

She inched closer, fingers drifting into the hair along his
nape. “Promise?”

“I give you my fucking word.”

It was the easiest vow he’d ever made.

Shane moved to place himself between Jackson and Wade,
knowing a fight was about to go down. Right after Gavin and Jackson announced
the joining of their packs, Shane had brought forth the snitch. Simone had
seemed totally confused, her father had seemed totally pissed off and the other
pack Alphas had scrambled to get a grip on things. To make things worse Chloe
wanted to go after Rachel and make sure all was well as soon as she’d spotted
Declan’s vehicle.

With all the snarling and combined adrenaline, someone was
going to bleed.

“It wasn’t me!” Simone shrieked, rushing behind her father.
“I would
never
sleep with a rogue. That’s disgusting! Are you kidding
me?”

He shouldn’t have been surprised that Simone would find more
offense in someone saying she slept with a mutt than being accused of plotting
a murder. The rogue, for his part, had gone quiet. Shane had warned him it was
best if he kept his mouth shut. Jackson—though tough—might find some room in
his heart to the let the stupid motherfucker go.

“Is it her?” Shane whispered in the male’s ear, keeping
position between Jackson and Wade. “Do you recognize her scent?”

“Something’s off,” the man whimpered, body shaking.

“Off how?”

“It’s not her.” He stared at Simone, nostrils flaring as he
inhaled. “Even with the perfume the smell is off.”

“See,” Simone said, sounding triumphant. “Told you.”

Shane’s grip on the rogue’s neck tightened and the man
blurted, “The scent
was
here earlier. I caught it after we arrived. The
person you’re looking for is one of your people.”

Gavin’s gaze darted up, his eyes finding Jackson’s.
“Desiree,” Gavin snarled, spinning around. His nostrils flared. “Where is she?”

“She’s here.” Wade whipped around, trying to locate her as
well. When he didn’t, his eyes drifted to the lone wolf in Shane’s hold. “Damn
it. All you need is a scent?”

The male nodded and Shane wondered if the sissy was going to
piss his pants.

“She rode with me,” Wade motioned to his Beta. “Her coat’s
in the car. Get it.”

“If the rogue confirms the scent, I want her dead,” Jackson
growled, his arm behind his back, keeping Chloe safely behind him. Another
Alpha started to speak up and Jackson cut him off. “She’s
not
a true
member of any of our packs anymore. We owe her nothing. And the bitch has
already been warned once. This isn’t the first time she’s threatened my mate.”

The Alpha let it go. No one spoke, waiting as the Beta
dispatched by Wade vanished for several seconds and finally returned. He walked
to Shane, a golden garment in his hand. He held the coat high.

“That’s the scent.” The rogue’s voice broke, his shoulders
quaking. “With the perfume on the other female it’s the exactly the same.”

“Barry,” Wade said the word in a low snarl, “I want you to
take Simone home. Put her in the room we keep for special guests. Don’t let her
go anywhere.”

Simone snarled when Barry dropped the coat and advanced on
her. “I didn’t do anything!”

“Then you won’t mind answering any of my questions,” Wade
replied briskly. “Simone, shut up and go. Do as I say. Do
not
say
another word.”

To her credit, Simone shut her gob and did as she was told.

An
extremely
nice change.

“I want Desiree here, right now.” Gavin pinned Wade in place
with a glare. “I told you not to trust her. Knowing that bitch, she’s already
long gone.”

Rustling drew everyone’s attention.

Shane glanced over his shoulder and saw Declan and Rachel
walking from the woods. Judging by their tightly clasped hands and the smile on
Declan’s face, things had gone well. That much was a relief. Shane didn’t like
being the fill-in Beta. It was time for Declan to slide back into the job.
Taking his focus from the couple, Shane directed his attention to Jackson.
Chloe relaxed, shifting closer to her male. The Alpha had a decision to make.
Hell, all of them did.

“If she’s not here, she ran.” Wade seemed tranquil on the
inside but Shane could feel his anger. “Considering the accusations against
her, she’s no longer under my protection. I apologize for any trouble she’s
caused. I’ll defer to Jackson’s wishes in this matter.”

“To
kill
her you have to
catch
her,” Gavin snapped.
“Your apology is a little late.”

“She’ll be our hunt then,” another Alpha—Merrick—chimed in.
“We need a solid nose.”

Wade’s gaze flew over the pack and stopped on a couple.
Shane followed the Alpha’s gaze. Their scents were oddly familiar. He’d seen them
before. Gertrude and Ben Lowe. A nice pair who’d been together over a century.

“We need Luna,” Wade told them. “How long will it take to
get her here?”

“Get her? But it’s so late. She took her medicine before we
left and she’s with her aide.” Gertrude didn’t seem happy, neither did her
mate. She lifted her head, gazing at the sky. “The conditions aren’t right.
It’s too cold and dry. She’s not expecting to hunt. She’ll be sleepy. I can
call and talk to her but I don’t think she’ll make it in time.”

“Call her, now,” Wade snapped. “Tell her that her Alpha
wants her here.”

“Luna?” Jackson asked, studying Wade. “I’ve never heard of
her.”

“She’s new to my pack, Gertrude and Ben’s granddaughter. She
arrived a few months ago. Her circumstances are…” Wade struggled for words.
“Unique.”

“Unique or not, she should be here,” Jackson reminded the
Alpha. “Hunts are mandatory.”

“As her Alpha, hunts are decided on my discretion. Not
yours.” Wade gazed in the distance, watching as Simone slid into his posh
Cadillac. Returning his gaze to Jackson, he said, “I’ve given her leave to be
medicated and caged during the hunt in certain conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“She’s not like us,” Ben answered, narrowing his eyes at
Jackson. “She’s special.”

“But she can find anything with that nose of hers,” Gertrude
interrupted, giving Ben a slap. “She’s only recently shifted but her sense of
smell is incredible. If she can pick up the scent she can find anyone. Mark my
words.”

Declan joined the group with Rachel at his side, asking,
“What’s so special about her?”

“Nice of you to join us,” Wade snapped, glaring at Rachel.
“Even if you’re recently mated, as the newly reinstated Beta I expect you to be
here to support your pack.”

“You’re welcome, Wade,” Declan replied sardonically, giving
the male a smug smile. “Don’t you worry. I never miss a good party.”

Rachel elbowed Declan in the ribs and Shane could have sworn
he heard Chloe snicker.

“The clock’s ticking,” Jackson reminded them and glowered at
Wade. “Why should I trust you? You took Desiree in when you should have kicked
her out. This is your fault.”

Shane watched Wade—noting the red appearing in the male’s
face.

“I didn’t take your warning to heart,” Wade said cautiously,
“but I’m trying to make amends. You can accept help us find her or you can
choose another course of action.”

Stepping forward, Shane injected himself in the
conversation. “If we couldn’t convince you to do the right thing before, what
makes you think we should trust you now?”

Seconds slipped by, the call of the moon beckoning. The
wolves ignored it and so did Shane. It wasn’t easy. He wanted nothing more than
to leave and run on his own. Despite being a part of Jackson’s pack another
part of him remain detached. Until he found his female it would always be like
this—each day he greeted providing nothing but loneliness.

Wade lifted his head and watched his vehicle leave. “Luna
will find her.”

“How do you know that?” Jackson was teetering on the brink.

“Her sense of smell is stronger than ours,” Gertrude
snapped, retrieving her phone and punching a button on the pad. She brought it
to her ear and said, “She’s had years to develop her talent.”

“
Stronger how
?” Shane wanted to throttle the couple.
They needed answers now. He was tired of playing games. “Is she a superhero?”

“Don’t be a smartass. Have some respect,” Ben growled. “Who
do you think you are?”

The link clicked over and Gertrude hastily said, “Maisy, put
Luna on the phone.”

“I think I’m starting to lose the last of my patience. You
didn’t answer my question,” Shane growled at Ben. “You say she can find who
we’re looking for? We have a right to know how. What can she do? How can she
help us?”

“Gramma?” Even through the phone, Shane caught the sound a
feminine voice on the other end of the line. “What’s wrong?”

Recognition slammed into him, a fire pouring through his
veins.

Holy hell. That voice…

His heart hammered, the sound beating in his skull.
Everything came together. A humbling burst of clarity. A burst of need shot
through him, bringing his wolf to his skin. He knew that soft, feminine lilt.
He ached for it, longed for it and thought he might not ever hear it again.
Night after night, he’d prayed he’d hear a whisper of the sound.

It’s her.

“What’s the matter with her?” Now he knew for certain
something ailed his mate. They’d kept her hidden and locked away for a reason.
For fuck’s sake, they’d been
medicating
her. “What aren’t you telling
us?”

“She can’t see. Happy now?” Ben snarled, giving Shane an
evil glare.

Shane’s throat went dry. “What do you mean she can’t see?”
he asked, voice cracking. His wolf—already on edge due to the call of the
moon—threatened to burst free and take over. He fought it back, aware he had to
stay in control.

“She started losing her sight when she was only a child.”
Ben’s face softened, his eyes sad. “She’s a Halfling, so it couldn’t be
prevented. Over time she started relying on her other senses to get around. Her
hearing and sense of smell are stronger due to it.”

Shane’s world spun off center and collapsed. His heart
ached, a profound feeling sweeping over him. It all made perfect sense. He had
traveled to his female for a reason.

During his dreams, he’d never seen his mate.

Now he knew why.

Where are you?

Come to me.

Why do you keep doing this?

It made sense. Her sorrow. Her desperate pleading for him to
come to her. He hadn’t meant to hurt her but he had. He’d failed her in the
most deplorable way. As a male it was his job to see to his female’s needs. Yet
he hadn’t done so, staying out of her reach when she’d needed him most. His
mate—the one who’d begged him to see her and sounded heartbroken when he
didn’t—hadn’t been playing hard to get.

You weren’t able to give her what she needed. You just
fucked things up big-time.

Damn it to hell. She couldn’t see.

His mate—the one he’d left everything for—was blind.

Aline Hunter is the alias of multi-published author J.A.
Saare, who has written stories featured in horror magazines, zombie romance
anthologies and flash fiction contests. Her work has a notable dark undertone,
which she credits to her love of old eighties horror films, tastes in music and
choices in reading, and has been described as “full of sensual promise,”
“gritty and sexy” and “a breath of fresh air.”

Currently she is penning multiple projects within the urban
fantasy, erotic and contemporary, and paranormal romance categories.

Aline welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.

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