True Alpha (6 page)

As they progressed, Jack turned several times to give Mandy questioning glances. Each time, she met his eyes for a moment before looking resolutely ahead. They weren’t rushing, and she was fine. If they’d been in their human forms, she would’ve teased Jack, telling him that she was pregnant, not crippled. But then, if she’d been in her human form, the long run skirting the edges of the pack’s territory would’ve been too much for her. In this body, though, she was made for the terrain, the simple freedom of surveying what belonged to the Half Moon wolves.

When they finally stopped, she was tired, but knew she wasn’t alone in that fact. They’d gone for miles, weaving between tree trunks as they navigated the dense forest, and the exercise had left her more than ready to rest for a while. Jack had brought them to a place he and Mandy liked, but hadn’t visited for weeks. It was a large, flat rock that jutted out from the edge of the forest, hanging over the edge of a cliff that ended in a thickly-wooded valley between two mountains. During the daytime, the rock absorbed the heat of the sun and was comfortable, almost therapeutic, to lie on. Today, they’d been beaten by another woodland creature.

Jack trotted forward, approaching the long blacksnake that was stretched across the center of the rock, sunning itself. Venomless and less aggressive than some other types, it would most likely prove harmless. While standing a few feet away, Jack barked at it and snapped his teeth with mock-aggressiveness.

The snake lifted its head to peer at Jack as if indignant over being disturbed, stuck out its tongue and then began to move, slithering toward the edge of the rock like a long, slender ebony ribbon. When the narrow tip of its tail disappeared into the underbrush, Jack claimed the place where it had been resting.

Mandy stretched out beside him, letting her tongue hang out over her fangs as she breathed in fresh mountain air. The sun had risen while they’d run, and most of the fog had disappeared. It was going to be a clear, beautiful day. She rested her head against Jack’s shoulder and let the rock warm her side as the others settled down around them. The seven wolves – seven, it still seemed like such a huge number – took up nearly all of the room on the rock. If the pack got any bigger, the members would have to take turns sunning on its surface. The idea caused an unexpected twinge of happiness inside Mandy’s heart. A few months ago – heck, just a couple days ago – she never would have imagined this.

In their warm little corner of the mountain, time seemed to stand still. The sun continued to rise though, climbing higher in the sky and disproving that notion. The pack rested for nearly an hour before Jack rose, stretching.

Mandy mimicked him, hopping up onto all four paws, her belly a familiar weight as she supported herself on sun-warmed limbs.

The others got up too; Daniel and Noah who were mottled shades of dark brown, black and white like Jack, midnight-black Clarissa and sleek, chocolate-brown April and Violet, who were closest in color to Mandy, whose coat was a slightly-lighter cocoa shade. Despite their similarities, they each varied at least slightly in appearance – even April was noticeably smaller than Violet, who otherwise could’ve been her twin.

Still, they all looked like they belonged together. Maybe it was because they were all so beautiful; even as a shape-shifter, Mandy hadn’t gotten completely used to the striking beauty of wolves yet. Or maybe it was something more subtle, like the pervading sense of togetherness and loyalty Mandy could feel beginning to slip over the group like a blanket. Whatever it was, getting along with the others wasn’t just about Jack’s happiness anymore.

Jack had chosen their resting place well; the rest of the trip around the edge of their territory would take about as long as the first part of their journey, following a path that somewhat resembled a large circle. With her fur and paws still warmed by the sun, Mandy felt refreshed as they took off again. Beneath her ribs, the baby gave a kick, as if happy to be moving. And no wonder; the loping gait the pack maintained probably felt a lot like the rocking motions of a cradle to the baby.

About a mile from the rock, Jack stopped unexpectedly, his shoulders tensing beneath his thick fur as he halted, scenting the air and pressing his nose to the ground. Mandy hadn’t expected to stop until they reached a nearby stream. The fur on the back of her neck rose as she watched Jack breathe with concern, inhaling clues – of what? – as he let his nose hover a scant inch from the earth. Standing next to him, she lowered her muzzle and breathed.

The scent was the last thing she’d expected. She exhaled slowly, cleansing her lungs of the smell and holding her breath for a moment before breathing again. It was the same – notes of something completely out of place mixed with the earthy odor of soil, ferns and decaying leaves. Jack lifted his head and met her eyes, looking as concerned as a wolf could. With his fur still bristling, be began to pace the area, his nose to the ground. The others came forward and lowered their muzzles where he originally had, breathing carefully.

Mandy followed Jack, her mind whirling with questions as they discovered a scent-trail and began to follow it. All seven wolves moved in a thoughtful procession, their senses sharpened as they shuffled along, careful not to risk losing the trail. When it ended, Mandy’s nose was practically submerged in water.

The scent disappeared at the edge of the narrow, rushing stream, its distinct smell blending with the wet, earthy odor of the muddy bank. Jack lifted his head and leapt over the stream in a single bound, his paws sinking into the mud on the other side and leaving large prints behind.

Conscious of her pregnancy, Mandy chose to wade. The water rushed around her legs, cool and refreshing, and lapped around her belly, saturating her coat. After the run and the time spent lounging in the sun, the briskness was a welcome change. As she emerged on the opposite bank, she shook herself before joining Jack in his efforts to pick up the scent again.

The trail had disappeared into the rushing stream. Jack and Mandy paced up and down the bank, noses to the ground, and were soon joined by the others.

For a while, the seven wolves searched thoroughly, moving farther and farther from the place where they’d crossed the creek. But their efforts yielded nothing, and eventually Jack gave a sharp bark, signifying the end of their search. They gathered together and took off at a pace that topped their earlier speed, running in the direction of the cabin.

When they finally reached it, Mandy hurried to the bedroom with Jack and shifted. “What in the world do you think another wolf was doing out there?” she asked, reaching for a dresser drawer as she kept her eyes trained on Jack, who’d gone from dark wolf to dark-haired, completely naked man. Maybe he’d come up with some possibility she hadn’t considered during the run; her mind was still whirling, and none of the half-baked explanations she’d been able to muster made much sense. Wolves – other than the Half Moon Pack – didn’t inhabit the Great Smoky Mountains anymore. Though native, they’d disappeared from the area during the beginning of the twentieth century.

“Don’t know,” Jack said, stepping into a pair of jeans and pulling them up around his hips. He wore them low, and a tantalizing V of muscle peeked from above the waistband, until he pulled on a t-shirt.

“Do you think it might’ve been a shape-shifter’s scent trail that we picked up?” It had definitely been a wolf of some sort, either a werewolf or a normal animal. She slipped into a fresh outfit as Jack donned a pensive expression.

“That’s what I’ve been wonderin’. Seems more likely than a regular wolf havin’ somehow made it into the mountains, though I don’t know what a shifter would want here.”

“Maybe there’s a lonely shifter living out there – a wolf without a pack, or something. There’s an awful lot of forestland out here; it’d be a good place to hide.”

“It’d be a great place to hide if it wasn’t for us,” Jack said, a disapproving edge to his voice. “Whatever or whoever it is, it knows we’re here.”

“So, do you think it could be someone dangerous?”

“Could be. We’d better be careful until we find out exactly who or what’s out there.”

Mandy chewed her inner lip as she remembered the last time someone strange had been lurking on the mountain. Two shifter-hunters had nearly killed her and Jack almost as soon as they’d met. Of course, the fact that this person – if it was even a person at all – was a shifter ruled out the possibility of it being another hunter. Still, it was disconcerting to think that someone might be encroaching upon their territory, observing and avoiding them for unknown reasons. “I hope it’s just an animal. Otherwise, this is a little creepy.”

Jack crossed the few short feet of space between them and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close. “Don’t worry. If there’s anyone out there, they picked a bad time to get up to no good.” He grinned. “The Half Moon Pack just more than tripled in size, and they’re alone on our territory.”

Mandy smiled back, more at how pleased he sounded over their pack’s sudden expansion than at the idea of a nefarious stranger having to face a seven-wolf-strong pack. “I guess you’re right.”

When they emerged from the bedroom, the others were gathered in the cabin’s main room, wearing hastily-donned clothes and expressions that ranged from apprehension to confusion.

“Someone’s encroaching on our territory,” Daniel said, glaring at a window.

“Maybe,” Jack admitted, strolling into the center of the room.

“Maybe?” Daniel frowned. “We all picked up that scent. It’s definite.”

“Isn’t it possible that it was an actual wolf?” Violet asked from where she was perched on the couch.

“Actual wolves haven’t inhabited these mountains for at least a century,” Noah replied, frowning faintly as he too glanced toward the window.

“A few have,” April said. “I was reading up on the Smokies before we left and during the nineties, an attempt was made to reintroduce red wolves to the area. It wasn’t successful, and they removed the few surviving wolves after deciding to end the project.”

“Maybe a wolf was left behind?” Violet asked.

“No,” Jack said. “I’ve spent my entire life in these mountains. If any of them had been left behind, I’d know it.”

Violet sank back into the couch cushions, looking discouraged.

Mandy knew how Violet felt – she would’ve preferred to think that the intruder was simply an innocent animal as well. “There are some red wolves inhabiting the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. Maybe one wandered across the state line for some reason?”

Jack looked thoughtful. “It’s possible.”

“What if it’s not an animal?” Clarissa asked. “There’s a good possibility that we picked up the scent trail of another shifter, and if that’s the case, he or she might need our help.”

“Help?” Daniel repeated, wrinkling his nose.

“They could be hurt, or lost or – I don’t know – hiding from someone.”

“Or they could be up to no good,” Daniel said.

“Maybe,” Clarissa admitted, “but don’t you think we should consider the fact that they might need help?”

Daniel looked to be on the verge of saying no when Jack intervened. “We’re gonna go looking for whoever or whatever we scented in the woods today, and whatever they’re doing out there, we’re gonna find out. I’ll organize search teams to patrol our territory, looking for…”

Mandy listened as Jack organized teams that included everyone but her. Since she was pregnant, it wouldn’t be wise to go looking for someone or something who might be dangerous, but that didn’t make the idea of sitting around the cabin while Jack was doing just that any more pleasant. But what other solution was there? This was the first possible threat the brand-new pack of seven had faced together, and it was important for Jack to lead them through it.

Stifling the urge to protest or demand to go along, Mandy nodded when Jack announced that he, Daniel and Clarissa would take the first patrol. When he kissed her briefly on the forehead, she took a deep breath, inhaling his comforting scent. Even if they did encounter another wolf shifter in the woods, they’d be okay. There were three of them, after all. She kept reminding herself of that fact as she watched Jack exit through the front door and toss his clothing aside, shifting and disappearing into the woods, a dark wolf with two others at his side, where she longed to be.

****

Mandy rolled out from beneath the covers feeling vaguely anxious, just as she had when she’d gone to bed. Taking a nap had seemed like a good idea – the pack run had left her tired, and she couldn’t worry about Jack if she was asleep, could she? She’d hoped he’d be back by the time she woke up. Straining her ears for any sign of his voice, she slipped out of bed and smoothed her clothing.

There was no sign of him in the cabin’s main room, or the bathroom when she checked. He, Daniel and Clarissa mustn’t have returned from their patrol yet. She wandered out onto the front porch – maybe she’d wait there until they returned. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, they’d be back soon.

It wasn’t long before voices caught Mandy’s attention, though none of them were Jack’s. Distinctly feminine, they were worlds away from his rougher tone and distinct Southern cadence. Within a few short moments, their conversation became discernible.

“It’s not my fault – she doesn’t even have the mark. What was I supposed to think?”

That had been Violet’s voice.