Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (The Animal Sagas) (2 page)

The Strongheart grinned in return. He responded quickly, “Your hand as my bride. My only other request is to keep it confidential at this time as there are formal rituals involved for me as Alpha that must be followed.”

Lynda accepted his request, upon the safe return of Sonya, no questions asked. “Give me the directions to your lair and I will be there in a few hours – there are a couple of things I need to do first,” Lynda said.

Chapter 3

It was a cold dark night and one filled with immense wonder and possibility. In fact, only hours before it seemed, Lynda Seron was at home quietly lazing about with her sister Sonya before the need to hunt reared it’s needy head in their lives.

Hours later, it seemed an eternity had passed since she last saw her sister, Lynda stalked through the night dark forest. Her soft, padded feet made no noise as she moved through the undergrowth. Her beautiful auburn fur and her super stealthy movements made her completely invisible in the darkness. Nothing with eyes to see or ears to hear would know she was moving through the snow covered mountainous woods tonight.

She knew she was well within Strongheart territory now. But she also couldn’t afford to be stopped until she had made it to the pack’s alpha, Ben Wilder to fulfill their prearranged deal – known to no one but her and Ben at this time. Just upwind from her now a Strongheart pack member stood sentry high atop a cliff. She must be getting really close to Wilder’s cabin by now. Why else would sentries be out here?

The light breeze which had been blowing from the west shifted slightly, blowing now from the north-west. Lynda swore to herself silently. Soon, her cougar scent would be carried to the sentry on the cliff, as well as any of his pack mates, who might be stationed through these woodlands. Lynda picked up speed, loping along faster now through the woods. Immediately a lone howl echoed through the forest, quickly joined by others. Lynda swore to herself again.

Members of the pack had caught her scent – of that she was now certain. And this close to the alpha’s home, they would be on her in no time. Immediately a distant light peeked at her through the trees as Lynda looked about trying to decide her next move. There, that must be the cabin. The howling grew louder as the voices of more wolves now joined in with the first, and Lynda could hear the pounding of canine feet close behind her.

Sparing no reserves Lynda decided that now was the time and ran for the cabin, as if it were hell hounds chasing her, rather than a basic pack of werewolves. She strained herself to the fullest extent, it was a race for her li#nd Lynda
margin-top: 1.0em;
margin-bottom: fe, she knew. Her heart pounded as the pack members began to catch up with her. Cougars were meant for powerful, swift sprints which ended quickly. She was certainly not built for a marathon run. Still she could not allow herself to be caught right now, Sonya was counting on her. In an instant all of this could be ended, and her chance to save her younger sister from the grasp of an unsavory best would slip past her.

The light from the cabin became brighter, giving Lynda some hope that she was going to make it. Lynda could see the clearing of the yard just ahead of her. A pair of snapping jaws lunged at her from behind. Lynda could feel the wolf’s warm breath on her heels as she barely sidestepped the attack. There in front of her, a small semicircle of wolves stood in the cabin’s yard. They were prepared for what was an unannounced approach. In the middle and slightly behind them, a massive white wolf stood calmly staring at her. There he was. Lynda knew without a doubt that had to be Wilder.

The air was full of growling and snarling as Lynda raced into the clearing. It was clear to her that the Stronghearts did not appreciate her presence or the potential intrusion. Too bad for them, she thought to herself. Lynda had no time for any of them but the alpha. The entire semicircle of wolves began to move forward when they realized that this mountain lion was not about to slow down.

If she couldn’t get to Wilder in time, she was good as dead. Using her forward momentum, Lynda leapt with all her might towards the huge white wolf, clearing his pack members with ease. She landed on the ground in front of him with a thump and released her transformation immediately. The fur and muscular structure of her body shifted and blended until she was entirely unrecognizable. Now she lay before him in her human form, naked and completely vulnerable.

Chapter 4

Out of the corner of her eye she could see a massive grey wolf, only slightly smaller than the white wolf, Wilder himself, on a collision course with her. Lynda screamed out “Sanctuary, Alpha” just as the enormous beast collided with her. The wolf pinned her with his bulk. Although she had been expecting to be attacked for her intrusion, Lynda felt no teeth sink in to her exposed flesh.

She could feel the wolf’s body shake with a deep, throaty growl. “That’s enough Clay.” A powerful, authoritative voice washed over clearing. She knew then that the alpha had transformed as well. “You know full well I honor a request for asylum. Let the lady up, I believe she is already fully aware of your displeasure.”

With a final growl Clay moved off of her, exposing her naked body to the chilly night air. Lynda shivered as she stared at the alpha’s bare feet. She could feel his eyes on her nude body. Lynda didn’t dare look up at his face, her heart still pounding from the physical exertion she had just been through, and the fear of being completely vulnerable. She didn’t want any of the pack to think she was making a show of dominance.

She watched as Wilder slid a pair of jeans on over his bare feet. “Come inside, she-cat. You can explain to me why you came all this way, into the heart of my territory, without my permission,” his tone was neither welcoming, nor damning but held a sense of diplomatic authority. Lynda took the large hand the alpha extended, her own trembling, and allowed him to pull her to her feet.  For the first time, she looked up into the face of the man she had pinned all her hopes upon. The rumors she’d heard of his good looks had #. Lynda
margin-top: 1.0em;
margin-bottom: not been exaggerations.

Ben Wilder was the epitome of everything a powerful Were male ought to be: well muscled, with chiseled features and deep expressive eyes. Authority rolled off of him in waves and left him with a subtle but unmistakable arrogance. Refusing to be intimidated by him, Lynda rolled back her shoulders and tilted her head up. She hoped the deep breath that she drew in through slightly flared nostrils would be enough to calm the last of the trembling in her completely exposed body.

Wilder quirked a half smile at her show of spirit and turning, walked into the cabin. She followed the alpha into the house, walking as regally as an ancient queen. Once they were inside, the alpha threw Lynda an old t-shirt, which she snatched out of the air. Not surprisingly, the shirt smelled of him. How like an alpha, Lynda thought to herself, to make a claim on a newcomer with his scent. She smoothly pulled on the t-shirt, which draped over her shoulders and fell to her mid thigh.

She ran a hand through her auburn hair, trying to bring it back to some semblance of order. Nudity never bothered her, but messiness certainly did. Wilder watched her ministrations with a look of bland amusement as he sat down on a leather arm chair. “Would you like a brush, she-cat?” He asked chuckling. “No, I’m fine, Alpha.” She responded calmly and dropping her hand from her hair, sniffed daintily.

A few members of the pack had filed in to the cabin after them. They were probably the most senior ranking, Lynda thought, judging by their postures. While there were two women in the small group, Lynda noted with relief that neither of them took a position next to Wilder. That meant the pack still had no alpha female. Her information had been correct and the secret deal was still a possibility. Lynda waited patiently, until all the pack members had settled around the room, arranging themselves in an informal circle around their leader.

Chapter 5

 ”My name is Lynda Seron; I am a daughter of the line of Yukonia.” The alpha’s eyebrow rose in surprise, and from somewhere in the room, one of his subordinates gave an appreciative whistle. Lynda had known that would get their attention. The line of Yukonia was one of the eldest, rarest, and most coveted Were blood lines in existence. They had been named after a North American goddess of knowledge, whom they were all descended from through a matriarchal line. To the best of her knowledge, Lynda and her sister Sonya were the last two remaining Yukonia females in North America capable of bearing young. Ultimately, that was the cause of their problem.

“I have come to you to ask for your help, Alpha. My sister Sonya has been taken against her will by a member of another pack. I need your aid, and that of your pack, to rescue her. In exchange for your assistance…” Lynda took a breath to steady her nerves, and started again. “In exchange for your assistance, I will submit myself to you, and bear your young.” She struggled to keep any waver out of her voice. She did not want the alpha to think that the offer was not genuine. For a moment the room was utterly silent from shock, so still that her shallow breath could be clearly heard, and then every pack member began speaking at once.

Lynda let the noise wash over her without reaction. She was only interested in Ben Wilder’s reaction. She watched him intently. He remained silent, his gaze locked as he watched her speculatively. He was good at guarding his emotions. Finally the other werewolves simmered down. “This is crazy, Ben.he doesn’t sister? ” The man who sat nearest Wilder snorted indignantly. “How do we know this feline is telling us the truth? Can she prove any of what she says?”

Ben glanced at the man, and then turned back to Lynda thoughtfully. “Clay has a good point, she-cat.” The alpha spoke in a cool tone. “Can you prove to us without a doubt that you are who you claim to be?” Lynda nodded brusquely. She had expected her claims to be met with some disbelief. She walked over to Clay, and grasped his meaty wrist in one elegant hand. She could feel the muscles in his wrist tense at her touch and knew that he was primed to attack if he was given the permission to.

Slowly, closing her eyes, Lynda allowed her ancestral power to take over her body. Her mind was suddenly flooded with every ounce of knowledge and memory that Clay possessed. She filtered through all of the information for some memory she could use, something a stranger would never know. Then she began to speak in a soft, nearly confidential voice.

“When you were eight years old, you were on a little league baseball team, you played in the outfield. Late in the ninth inning, you made a running catch for a fly ball. You tripped over a rabbit hole and broke your right ankle. However, you still managed to catch the ball, and won the game for your team. You refused to let your father take you to the hospital until you had gotten celebratory ice cream with your team. You had rocky road, 2 scoops, with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and a cherry on top,” she paused, and the silence was filled by Clay’s quiet swear. “I regret my hasty words lady,” he said respectfully, then he glanced over at the alpha. “Ben, I withdraw my objections.”

Lynda then slowly let go of Clay’s wrist and opened her eyes. The room was spinning around her, using her power in this manner was always draining to her. But having to use it on a Were was even worse because they were so much more powerful than mere humans and had powers not unlike her own. She took a hesitant step towards Wilder, lost her balance a bit – but her shaky legs couldn’t carry her any farther. As she felt her balance begin to give, he moved more swiftly than her eye could even see. In an instant, Lynda found herself wrapped in the Alpha’s powerful arms.