Savage Urges (2 page)

“Ryyyyyyyaaaaaaaaannnnnn!” A three-and-a-half-year-old came dashing toward him and scrambled up his body like a monkey, wrapping his little arms around Ryan’s neck.

Not good with kids, Ryan awkwardly put one arm around the son of his Alpha pair. It was then that he noticed the object in Kye’s hand. “Um, I don’t think that’s yours.” Kye’s new favorite game seemed to be “let’s see what I can steal today.”

Tao, the Head Enforcer and Kye’s personal bodyguard, rounded the corner and sighed. “That kid is fast.” He held his hand out for the cell phone. “Give it back, pup.”

Smiling impishly, Kye shook his head.

Tao arched a brow. “What did I say earlier?”

“Don’t eat snot.”

“What did I say
before
that?”

“Don’t pick your nose.”

Tao sighed. “Forget it.”

Kye snapped his little teeth when Tao tried to detach him from Ryan. “No! I want to stay with Uncle Ryan!”

Ryan cleared his throat as the little boy rubbed his cheek against his. Ryan wasn’t good at receiving or giving affection.

Sensing his discomfort, Tao smirked. “Hey, this is what you wanted. When you first heard Taryn was pregnant, you told us you’d be the kid’s favorite uncle. You are.”

Ryan had said it to needle the other males. He knew little to nothing about kids. He was even worse at dealing with them than he was at dealing with adults. Fisting a handful of Kye’s shirt, he dangled the pup in front of him like he often did. As usual, Kye squealed in delight, kicking his legs.

Grabbing the pup by the waist, Tao took him from Ryan. Giggling, Kye squirmed like a cat, stopping Tao from being able to keep a firm grip on him. Then Kye was once again scampering through the tunnels with Tao chasing him.

Ryan continued to the living area, where he found his Alpha pair, Beta pair, and Rhett on the sectional sofa, watching TV. “Rhett, I need you to do a background check on Makenna Wray—she’s a lone wolf.” Rhett was a talented hacker, and there was very little he couldn’t uncover. “And get whatever information you can on Damian Lewis and his pack.”

Rhett blinked. “Um . . . sure. Can I ask why?”

“I’ll explain soon. Just see what info you can find for me.”

As the male left the room, his Alpha female, Taryn, looked up at Ryan. “Who’s Makenna Wray?”

“Isn’t Damian Lewis your cousin?” asked Trey, her mate. “I mean,
wasn’t
he your cousin?”

Ryan nodded at Trey’s question before answering the first. “All I know about her is that she’s a lone wolf, she volunteers at a shelter for loners, and she’s hoping we’ll accept my younger cousin into our pack.”

Taryn smiled gently. “Ryan, sweetie, I know you’re more of a grunter than a talker, but I need some more info here. How did you meet her? Why would the kid need you? What happened to him?”

Settling into an armchair, Ryan gave them a bullet-point version of the morning’s events. As his Alpha female had rightly stated, he was a man of few words. Although he was detached and unsociable, he wasn’t completely without social skills. He simply didn’t care to be what others would define as “social.” He didn’t believe in fluff talk or that smiling should be his default expression.

People sometimes assumed that he wished he were talkative. That wasn’t the case at all. When he was quiet, it was because he simply didn’t have anything he wished to share at that moment. But his quiet nature often made people feel uncomfortable, even though not everyone who talked actually
listened
. They wanted to talk mostly to fill a silence.

Having grown up in a house full of drama, he found something about silence very comforting. Words were overrated, in his opinion. They could be used to hurt and scar, and they could easily achieve it.

“I didn’t know there was a shelter for loners,” said Jaime, the Beta female.

“I suppose it’s not something they’d want to advertise, since loners don’t have protection from packs,” Taryn pointed out.

“Did you know Damian well?” asked Dante, the Beta male, as he toyed with his mate’s long sable hair.

Ryan shook his head. “I only met him a few times when we were kids. He was my father’s first cousin, and my second cousin.”

“How did he die?” asked Jaime.

“He challenged his Alpha for the position, lost the duel, and refused to submit.”

Shocked, Jaime leaned forward. “He chose to die rather than submit, even though he had a mate and son to take care of?” Her horror was understandable. Shifters often didn’t survive the breaking of a mating bond—a metaphysical connection that allowed mates to feel each other’s emotions and bolster each other’s energy. Damian would have known his death could lead to that of his mate and, consequently, leave his son without parents.

“That’s what I heard,” said Ryan. At that moment, Rhett returned. “What did you find out?”

Returning to his spot on the sofa, Rhett replied, “Damian Lewis is your cousin, which I’m guessing you already knew.” At Ryan’s nod, Rhett continued. “He mated when he was in his twenties. His mate gave birth to twins, but one died within hours of being born. His son, Zac, was eight when his father died in a duel with his Alpha. Damian’s mate died days later. His pack—the York Pack—is small, extremely private, and resides about five miles from Lance’s pack.” Lance was Taryn’s father, who she didn’t have a great relationship with. “Apparently the Alpha, a guy named Brogan Creed, is a tough son of a bitch who runs his pack with an iron fist.”

“What about the loner?” Taryn asked. “What did you find out about her?”

“Nothing.”

Dante arched a brow. “Nothing?”

“Either Makenna Wray doesn’t exist, or someone’s erased her proverbial paper trail. There’s absolutely no record of her anywhere.”

Ryan stilled. He was assuming Makenna had been cast out of her pack, since it was rare for shifters to choose to be a loner. If she’d changed her name, she must have done something so bad that she was in hiding—maybe even had a bounty on her head. Volunteering at a shelter could mean that she regretted her actions and was seeking some form of redemption. Or maybe she was simply using it as a place to hide.

Trey looked at Ryan. “I don’t like this.”

“Asking you to meet her could be some kind of trap—an attempt to get you someplace, alone and vulnerable,” Dante warned.

He was right. But . . . “I have to know.”

Trey inclined his head. “So, Dante and I will go with you.”

“And me,” added Taryn. “You’re not leaving me out of this.”

Jaime gave Dante a look that said, “Nor me.”

Trey pinned his tiny mate with a hard glare that had no effect. “I’m not okay with you being around a lone shifter. They’ve been hired to breach our defenses and invade our territory many times in the past.” He looked at Jaime. “Hell, you were
shot
by a loner.”

“So was Roni,” Dante pointed out, referring to the mate of their fellow enforcer, Marcus.

“Not all loners are hired guns,” said Jaime. “Makenna said she works at a shelter.”

“Yeah,” Trey confirmed, “but we don’t know for sure if that’s true.”

Taryn raised a hand. “Let it go, Flintstone. Ryan is one of my wolves, and this situation is a tricky one. I intend to be there tomorrow.”

“I’m going too.” Jaime looked up at her mate when his fingers clenched in her hair. “I won’t stay behind, Popeye.” She’d given him that nickname due to his very muscular frame.

Of course, Dante—a wolf who valued control as much as Ryan did—wasn’t too happy with his mate’s response. Apparently he hadn’t yet resigned himself to the fact that Jaime would never be someone he could control, because he continued to pressure her to change her mind.

Several futile minutes later, a defeated-looking Dante burst out, “Fine, we’ll all go. But if this Makenna person makes a wrong move, we end her.”

Ryan’s wolf’s claws sliced out as the animal released a threatening snarl. The same snarl built in Ryan’s throat, and he forced himself to swallow it back. The idea of causing her harm . . . it went against something inside him. The reality that she was a lone shifter and had likely committed an appalling crime against her pack didn’t change that.

Ryan always listened to his instincts. And at that moment, they told him that Makenna Wray was going to be a world of trouble.

CHAPTER THREE

H
e’s not coming.”

Makenna looked at Zac. His eyes were darting everywhere as he slouched on the park bench, shoulders hunched, arms folded; he was subconsciously making himself seem smaller, just like prey. “He’ll be here.”

Zac looked at her, dubious. “What makes you so sure?”

“Because he almost ripped me a new asshole for keeping you from him. I’ll warn you, the guy’s pretty intense; he seems to have a natural scowl, and you might find him a little intimidating. But I don’t believe he’s a danger to you.”

“Why?”

“He’s protective of you.” It had been clear in not only his eagerness to meet Zac but his concession to go at Zac’s pace. She sensed that protectiveness was a part of Ryan’s makeup; that he’d ensure that anyone he classified as under his protection would have whatever they needed to be safe. “Some people have that trait stamped into their very bones—it’s in their nature to defend and protect.”

“Like you.” He shrugged at Makenna’s frown. “Even Dawn says you’re a natural-born protector.” Dawn owned and managed the shelter. It would be more accurate to say she was the heart of the shelter. Unmated, she’d dedicated her life to the cause of helping loners. Makenna was one of the many shifters that Dawn had helped over the years.

Uncomfortable with the admiration in his eyes, Makenna shifted in her seat. “We’re talking about Ryan, not me. He’s a dominant male, which means his instinct is to take control of every situation. They’re not really into that whole compromising thing, and they like to have their own way. Letting you call the shots shows that he cares about you.”

“He doesn’t know me.”

“You’re family; clearly that’s all that matters to him.”

Zac shook his head. “Even if he does come, he won’t want me. I’ve heard about the Phoenix wolves. They’re strong and powerful. I’m weak and—”

“Hey, hey, hey, look at me.” Makenna pinned him with her gaze. Voice hard and insistent, she said, “You are
not
weak. I don’t know what happened to you, but I do know you were strong enough to get yourself out of that situation. What a lot of people don’t realize is that it takes guts to run and take the chance of being caught. But you did it. You braved the lone wolf lifestyle. You survived the streets. You were brave enough to come to the shelter with me when I found you. And you were brave enough to agree to meet with Ryan today.
You are not weak
. You got me?”

Zac swallowed. “Yeah.”

She smiled brightly. “Good.”

“You’re scary.”

“Scarier than Madisyn?” she asked hopefully. She was not only Makenna’s best friend but another volunteer at the shelter.

He smiled. “She’s crazy. I like her. I like you. I like everyone at the shelter, and I like it there. Why can’t I stay? I won’t get in anybody’s way. I’ll help out. I’ll be good—”

“Kid, you’re breaking my heart here.”

“I don’t want to be in a pack, Makenna. I want to be like you.”

“Me?”

“You’re strong, and you look out for everyone, and nothing scares you.”

“Zac, I’m a single, mostly uneducated, deliberately annoying loner who works evening shifts at a gas station when she’s not doing volunteer work at a local shelter. Do not aspire to be like me.”

Sadness clouded his eyes. “You want to get rid of me, don’t you?”

“Hey, you listen to me. I’ll be very sad to see you go, Zac. But I can’t claim to care about you and then not do what’s best for you, can I? The shelter is a special place, but it can’t give you the things that come with being part of a pack.”

He scowled. “If being in a pack is so sick, why didn’t
you
join one?”

She knew “sick” loosely meant “great,” since she’d learned to interpret his slang over the past few months. “I was twelve when I first went to the shelter. Back then, Dawn didn’t aim to rehome loners. Instead, she taught us how to integrate ourselves in the human community.”

“You’re the one who changed it and started rehoming them?”

“Yes.”

“But you could join a pack now, right? Why haven’t you?”

“Because it’s highly unlikely that any Alpha will condone one of their pack associating with loners, let alone volunteering at the shelter. And I like my life exactly as it is. But it still isn’t easy to be without a pack. My wolf accepts the situation, but she’ll never be satisfied and content. She’ll always feel like something’s missing, because being a loner goes against our nature.” That was why she worked so hard at rehoming lone shifters.

A football came bouncing their way. Makenna caught it and threw it back to the group of human teenagers a short distance away. The park was quite busy, which would hopefully reassure Zac.

After a moment of silence, Zac said, “I didn’t think I’d have to meet Ryan so soon.”

“And you felt like I was trying to get rid of you in a hurry. No, sweetie. He’s really intent on seeing you. I thought it would be best to get the first visit over with quickly. It might placate him a little.”

Zac frowned thoughtfully. “Oh.” He exhaled heavily. “What if I don’t like him? What if he wants me but I don’t want him?”

“Then you don’t go with him. But you can’t make a decision like that until you get to know him. All I’m asking is that you give him a shot.”

Zac looked away. “Whatever.”

She wondered why that one-word response from a teenager had the potential to make her want to scream. “So . . . do you think stairs are supposed to go up or down?”

He smiled. “Why do you always ask weird questions?”

“You’re assuming I do it for a reason.”

Chuckling, he shrugged. “Up.”

“Okay . . . What about that issue that The Killers
raised?
Are
we human, or
are
we dancer? What do you think?”

His shoulders shook. “That lyric makes no sense.”

“I know, I don’t get it!” Hearing a vehicle pulling up in the small parking lot on their left, she glanced over. She knew that Chevy. “Here comes Ryan.” Zac froze. “Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to you. You’re in a public place, surrounded by people, and you have me.”

Swallowing hard, Zac nodded. “Which one is he?” he asked as a total of five wolves exited the car. “And who are the others?”

“See the broad guy with the snarl and the military haircut? That’s Ryan. I’m guessing the others are his pack mates.”

“You’re not surprised that he hasn’t come alone, are you?”

“Loners aren’t trusted, so I figured his Alphas wouldn’t want him to come without some backup.” They approached slowly, their postures nonthreatening—as if they were conscious of not spooking Zac. Everything female in her stood up and paid attention when Ryan’s smoky black eyes settled on her. It was pure instinct to irritate him. “Hey, White Fang. Who’ve you brought with you?” Her inner wolf was pleased to see him, but not so much his companions. She wasn’t always comfortable around strangers.

A mountain of pure muscle cocked a brow at Ryan. “White Fang?”

Ryan just grunted at him, which Makenna translated as “fuck you.”

A small blonde smiled at Makenna; there was a hint of cautiousness in her eyes. “You must be Makenna.” Her gaze shifted to Zac, and her smile became more genuine. “And you must be Zac. It’s good to meet you both. I’m Taryn, Alpha female of the Phoenix Pack.” It wasn’t said with superiority, just as a statement of fact.

Makenna had heard plenty about Taryn. Mostly that she was plain insane. Makenna could respect that.

“This is my mate, Trey. And these are our Betas, Jaime and Dante.”

The strongly built Alpha male inclined his head at Zac before narrowing his arctic-blue eyes suspiciously at Makenna. Jaime, a tall brunette with mischievous eyes, gave Zac a little wave and offered Makenna a guarded smile. Her mate nodded at the kid before studying Makenna intently. Ryan . . . well, he was staring at her again with a crease between his brows.

He looked so indomitable and remote. Again, it should have been off-putting. But his supreme masculinity caused a carnal hunger to slowly begin trickling through her. That hunger intensified as his masculine scent swirled around her like a blanket; it seemed to somehow stand out from the others.

Ryan turned his attention to Zac. His frown didn’t ease. “I’m Ryan.”

Shifting closer to Makenna so their thighs touched, Zac regarded him as warily as he did the others. “You don’t look like my dad.”

“You do.” Something in Ryan’s chest tightened as he watched the teenager’s gaze dance around them, as if assuring himself of all possible escape routes. “We won’t force you to come with us,” he promised the teen. Although, up until that point, he
had
thought about it. He wanted Zac somewhere safe.

As Ryan slid his gaze to Makenna, he noticed the “just fucking try it” glint in her eyes. Yeah, she knew his instinct was to whisk the kid away. And she was prepared to fight for Zac. His wolf loved that fierceness; he wanted to bite her.

She looked just as quirky yet stylish today in colorful bangles, a cropped denim jacket, bold neon-orange top, and low-rise jeans—flashing a diamond navel piercing that had a thin silver chain looped through it. His cock, which had been rock hard since her scent had wrapped around him, throbbed almost painfully. Maybe his wolf’s idea to bite her wasn’t so bad.

“We just want to talk to you, get to know you,” Taryn assured Zac. “Is that okay?”

Zac shrugged one shoulder. “I guess.”

All five Phoenix wolves settled on the ground, and Makenna suspected they were hoping to seem less intimidating to him.

Jaime gave Zac a friendly smile. “How old are you?”

He slanted a look at Makenna before replying, “Fourteen.”

Jaime’s brows arched. “Really? You look older than that.”

“Why did you leave your pack?” Trey asked Zac.

He stiffened and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “I’m not going back there.”

Makenna placed a reassuring hand on Zac’s arm as they locked gazes. “Hey, no one will make you. I’ll kill anyone who tries.”

Ryan believed that. She was the image of serenity when she turned back to him and his pack mates, but that wild glint still lurked in her eyes. Her comment and fierce tone might have scared another juvenile, but Zac seemed reassured. He obviously felt safe with Makenna. “I have no intention of taking you anywhere against your will,” Ryan assured him. “And I would never force you to go back there.”

Zac didn’t appear totally convinced, but he nodded once. Ryan took a moment to study him, taking in his appearance. The kid didn’t look like a loner. His clothes were decent, he was clean, and he didn’t appear undernourished. The people at the shelter had obviously been taking good care of him. “I brought you something.”

Zac’s eyes widened at the object that Ryan pulled out of his pocket. “A cell phone?”

“The number of every Phoenix wolf is stored in there. If you need anything, if something happens and you need help, you call one of us.”

“But . . . you don’t know me.”

“We’re going to fix that.”

Slowly, Zac reached out and took the phone. “Um, thanks.”

“I have to say,” said Jaime, “I didn’t know there was a shelter for loners. Where is it?”

“Not far from here,” Makenna replied. “The end of Maverick Avenue, near the old church.”

Trey’s brows lifted. “That’s a rough area.”

Dante tilted his head as he looked at Makenna. “Where are you from?” He’d spoken casually, but his eyes were sharp. Assessing. Searching.

She was dealing with an interrogator, Makenna knew. “I’ve lived in a lot of places.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“If you mean am I a hired killer, no.”

A growl threatened to rumble up Ryan’s chest. He didn’t like Dante’s tone at all. It was the same soft yet predatory one he used when grilling intruders or enemies. Makenna didn’t appear to like it much either. But she didn’t shrink away. Again, her strength impressed his wolf. He knew it would gain her the respect of the others—even if it were begrudgingly earned.

“One of our pack members is a very powerful hacker. But he didn’t find anything on a Makenna Wray,” continued Dante. “Not a damn thing. So . . . who are you really? And, more importantly, what did you do that was so bad you were cast out?”

Makenna inwardly sighed. Packs always made the same assumptions about loners. It never occurred to them that sometimes a loner had been wronged in being banished. She’d bristle if she weren’t so used to it. “I’m not important here. Zac is.”

“You’re acting as pretty much a guardian to Ryan’s cousin. We have a right to know who you are.”

A
right
? Pfft. “You know, my daily horoscope did mention that I’d have a mountain to face today . . . I just hadn’t figured it would be an actual living being.”

Taryn’s mouth curved while Jaime chuckled.

“If you have questions about Zac, feel free to ask them,” said Makenna. “I’m not a subject up for discussion.” Her tone was firm but not harsh.

With an incline of his head, Dante transferred his focus to Zac. For the next thirty minutes, the Phoenix wolves talked with him about everyday things. They were very patient and friendly toward him. Makenna noticed that although he didn’t relax, he was no longer in “flight” mode by the time they returned to her Mustang.