True Alpha (10 page)

“See you in a little bit, sweetheart.” Jack pressed a kiss against her temple. “Love you.” He grasped one of her hands and squeezed, as if in apology, before letting go and turning to Noah.

“As for you – you’re my beta. Second in command. Start acting like it.” With those words, he shifted, going from sharp-tongued man to sharp-fanged wolf in the blink of an eye. With a last look over his shoulder at Mandy, he loped away, disappearing into the forest with hardly a sound.

When Jack was no longer visible, Mandy turned her gaze to Noah’s face – the only part of him she could look at without feeling ridiculously embarrassed. At the sight of his expression, her heart sank a little lower – he looked stricken. His mouth, usually quick to smile, had turned down into a deep frown. Seeing him that way hurt not just because he was her packmate, but because he looked so much like Jack. She searched her mind for something she could say to erase the lines the frown had carved around his mouth, but came up with nothing. It was true that he should’ve controlled Daniel, but it was also true that Daniel was an expert at acting like an ass and had lashed out physically against even Jack.

Noah shifted without meeting Mandy’s gaze, assuming his wolf form and making his way to her side. Though his wolf’s mouth portrayed less expression than a human’s, his mood was still evident in the slumped set of his shoulders and the way his tail hung lifelessly, a hairsbreadth away from being tucked between his legs. Silently, he escorted Mandy back to the cabin, where he remained in his wolf from, waiting vigilantly by the door and leaving Mandy to worry silently over Jack.

Soon, he would be outside Half Moon territory, chasing down a strange wolf with an unknown agenda. There was no possibility of losing herself in her work this time; she’d just have to wait it out. Settling onto the couch, she drew her knees as close to her chest as her belly would allow and twisted her new engagement ring around her finger.

****

Mandy’s heart leapt when a sound came from the driveway beyond the cabin’s front door, but after a moment of listening, it became obvious that the noise was that of tires on gravel – not feet. Still, she rose from the couch, where she’d been sitting with her new computer in her lap, trying halfheartedly to work. Who was pulling into the driveway? A tourist looking for directions, maybe, or perhaps Ronnie? Jack had said that Ronnie would be dropping by soon.

It was Ronnie. Instantly recognizable thanks to his park ranger truck, he stepped out of the driver’s side door, the largest man Mandy had ever seen. As muscular as he was tall, he looked every bit like the black bear shifter he was. He wore his dark hair cropped short, but it still managed to be slightly shaggy, and was the exact color his pelt was when he was in his animal form. His strong jaw and bronze skin made him look even more rugged – maybe even intimidating to a stranger – but in reality, he was sweet, if a little stoic. “Hey Mandy,” he called as he strode toward the cabin, carrying a bundle of something under one arm.

“Hey,” Mandy greeted him from the front door.

He frowned, picking up his pace and stepping onto the porch. “What’s wrong?” His dark eyes searched hers.

There was no point in trying to hide anything from Ronnie – he’d been using his position as a ranger to protect the shifters in the area for years. If something really did go wrong … if Jack didn’t return … Ronnie would be able to help. “Jack’s cousin Daniel disobeyed his orders and went outside pack territory in search of the mystery wolf.”

Ronnie nodded. Mandy had heard Jack explaining to him over the phone all about his cousins’ return and the strange wolf they’d scented in the woods.

“Jack has been gone for hours,” she continued. “I can’t help but worry.”

Ronnie frowned. “Well, that cousin of his is pretty bullheaded. I’ll bet they’re just bickering.”

Mandy donned a faint smile, recognizing Ronnie’s attempt to comfort her. “Thanks.”

“Tell you what.” Ronnie shifted his stance, and one of the porch’s floorboards creaked beneath him. “I’ll keep you company for a while, and if he’s not back soon, I’ll go after him.”

“That would be great – I hope you don’t mind that it’ll be a little crowded.” She opened the screen door wide, revealing the cabin’s main room and its occupants.

Noah was still sitting near the door in his wolf form. At the sight of Ronnie, he stood, his golden eyes fixed on the huge park ranger. All the girls were there too – Clarissa, April and Violet had made their way to the cabin after Daniel had failed to return at the expected time. They’d all been waiting – in chairs or on the couch or the floor – silently. Now they all stared at Ronnie, their eyes wide. The girls were all in their human forms, but didn’t say a word.

“Guys, this is Ronnie. He’s a close friend of mine and Jack’s. He’s a park ranger, and he’s one of us.” Of course, Noah had grown up with Jack and knew Ronnie, but the girls were another story.

“He’s a shifter?” Violet asked, her eyes going a little wider as she gaped at Ronnie.

“A bear shifter,” Mandy clarified. “His ancestors have inhabited these mountains for ages.”

“Oh.” Violet continued to stare, a look of confusion on her face.

“Aren’t there bear shifters in Alaska?” Mandy asked. She’d never inquired, but had assumed that if there were bear shifters anywhere, there were bear shifters in Alaska – the state was known for being home to all sorts of bears.

“Yeah, there are,” April said.

Violet remained silent and continued to look confused, though she hadn’t stopped staring in Ronnie’s direction. Mandy decided to move on – obviously, this wasn’t the first time Violet had seen a bear shifter. Maybe she hadn’t realized that they were present in the Smoky Mountains.

“What’s that you’ve got, Ronnie?” Mandy asked, eager to change the subject. The silence was awkward, and when it was quiet, all she could do was worry about Jack.

“A change of old clothes,” Ronnie said, nodding at the bundle he carried beneath one arm. “I came to help Jack with the addition.”

Mandy eyed the tarp that covered the doorway. It fluttered in a light breeze, crackling and admitting a burst of fall air that was scented with the pleasant odor of fallen leaves and a hint of evergreen needles.

“I’m gonna take a look if you don’t mind,” Ronnie said, nodding at the fluttering tarp. “I haven’t seen it since Jack began construction.”

“Sure,” Mandy agreed. “Here, I’ll show you.” She crossed the room, grateful for something to do.

A rush of rich scents whirled around her as she pushed aside the tarp, and she breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh air. The piney aroma she’d detected in the cabin was strong – stronger than even the forest accounted for, and accompanied by a familiar masculine scent. “Jack.” She scanned the tree line for any sign of him as she stepped into the skeleton of the partially-erected nursery, holding the tarp open for Ronnie.

Jack emerged almost soundlessly from the forest, in his human form and as bare as the day he’d been born. For once, there was something to distract Mandy from the sight of his body – a large wolf draped over his shoulders, its dark brown coat flecked with streaks of black and white and … crimson. Blood matted the fur on one side of Daniel’s head and had trickled down to stain his pale muzzle.

“Jack! What happened?” Mandy rushed forward, her heart skipping a beat as she noticed the blood on Jack’s body too – there wasn’t a lot of it, just a few scratches and scrapes, but after all the worrying she’d been doing, it set her nerves on edge. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” he said, meeting her eyes and sinking to one knee, gently lowering his burden to the ground. Daniel’s bloody head lolled and came to rest in the grass. His eyes were shut.

“God, he’s not…” Remembering that the others – including Clarissa – were inside, Mandy lowered her voice. “He’s alive, isn’t he?”

Jack nodded. “Head wound. Looks fairly serious, but he should heal up just fine once the moon comes out.”

Mandy glanced at the sky – the sunlight had begun to fade. It wouldn’t be long until nightfall, and then the moon would work its healing magic on Daniel’s body. “What happened to him?”

“One minute,” Jack said, and shifted into his wolf form. In one quick leap, he disappeared into the house, sending the tarp flying in his wake.

A clatter of footsteps sounded from inside, and the others came pouring out.

Mandy donned a neutral expression and refused to frown down at Daniel’s unconscious body as the others raced to her, exclaiming.

“What happened?” Clarissa dropped to her knees beside Mandy, her usual cheerfulness replaced by something like panic. “Jack, what happened to him?” She looked over her shoulder at the doorway, and Jack emerged, now wearing a pair of jeans.

“Haven’t been able to ask him that myself yet. Found him unconscious a few miles outside of our territory. There were signs of a struggle. Looked like he tumbled down a bank and hit his head on a rock.”

“A struggle with another wolf?” Clarissa asked, staring down at Daniel again, her eyes wide and shining with moisture.

“Yeah,” Jack said, his voice softening a little. “I know it looks bad, but he’ll be good as new before midnight.”

“I know,” Clarissa said, burying a hand in the thick fur behind Daniel’s shoulders. Daniel’s side rose and fell steadily beneath her hand – at least he was breathing normally. Though Mandy knew Daniel would be all right, she sympathized with Clarissa; it was all too easy to remember how it had felt to watch Jack bleed, suffering from a bullet wound and waiting for the moon to rise and heal his body.

“I’ve got a first aid kit,” Ronnie volunteered from where he was still standing in the skeleton of the unfinished room, a few yards from the group. “I can patch him up if you’d like.”

“Thanks,” Clarissa said, burying her hand a little deeper in Daniel’s fur. “Will someone help me move him inside the cabin?”

“I’ll do it.” Ronnie stepped out from beneath a wooden beam and crouched beside Daniel. Even the large wolf looked small in comparison to Ronnie, who scooped him up easily but carefully and carried him inside the cabin, ducking around the tarp.

Inside, Ronnie laid Daniel in the center of the main room, on top of a blanket that Jack fetched. Clarissa waited by Daniel’s side as Ronnie went to his truck to get the first aid kit.

“Ronnie is great at tending injuries,” Mandy said, settling at Clarissa’s side, determined to make her feel just a little bit better, if that was even possible. “He went through medical training as part of his ranger education, and he’s treated all kinds of wounds – even serious bullet wounds.” Mandy left out the fact that it had been her bullet wound Ronnie had treated, and that the shot had nearly killed her – that was a story for another time.

“Really?” Clarissa asked, her voice calmer than it had been outside.

“Really. I’m sure he’ll be able to keep Daniel as comfortable as possible until nightfall.”

Ronnie cleaned the wound above Daniel’s ear. Clarissa helped – Ronnie didn’t need assistance, but refrained from saying so. Meanwhile, Mandy settled on the couch beside Jack while the others lingered, saying little as they all waited for night to descend.

“Any clues as to whether the wolf that did this to him was a shifter or an animal?” Mandy asked. In the background, the sound of Ronnie tearing a piece of medical tape was the only noise.

“Not by the time I got there, but I’m hoping Daniel will be able to shed some light on that once he comes around.”

“Had he been unconscious for long by the time you arrived?”

Jack shook his head. “The blood from his wound had barely begun to dry. I would’ve followed his attacker’s scent trail, but I couldn’t leave him like that.”

Mandy nodded and reached out to trace one of the numerous scratches that marred Jack’s body, shallow but smeared with blood. They were the marks of thorns and jagged branches – he’d walked in his human form, naked and in his bare feet, for miles, carrying Daniel over his shoulders.

Daniel awoke at nightfall, his hazel eyes blinking open as the moon began to shine. Inside the cabin, he was mostly hidden from its light, and the low canine moan that rose from the pit of his chest evidenced his pain. Mandy watched along with the others as he came to, and Clarissa stroked his cheek, her fingers gliding gently over his dark fur.

“We need to get him outside,” Jack said. “It’ll take forever for him to heal in this weak light.”

Ronnie knelt and began to pick Daniel up again, but Daniel snapped his teeth and snarled, pulling himself to his four feet with obvious difficulty.

Only the fact that Daniel was hurting enabled Mandy to forgive him for nearly biting off her friend’s hand.

Ronnie rose, saying nothing.

Daniel took a step, nearly fell, and continued anyway. Nobody tried to stop him as he shuffled toward the door, though everyone watched apprehensively and Clarissa rested a hand on his shoulder, burying it in his fur as if she meant to guide him. After several painstaking moments, he made it through the door – Clarissa held it open for him – and stumbled across the porch and down the steps, collapsing on the front lawn.

The night boasted a half moon – the pack’s namesake. Its glow diffused the early night sky with healing light, silvery and abundant enough that Daniel let out a sigh of relief as he sank into the grass.