Wynter's Blossom

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WYNTER’S BLOSSOM THE UNITY PACK

ELLE D. HAYES Copyright © 2010 by Elle D. Hayes All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing, photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the authors or holders of the copyright. This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to locations and historical events; however, names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author‟s imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. Published by Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC PO Box 61 Colfax, NC 27235 www.beautifultroublepublishing.com Cover Art: Les Byerley http://www.les3photo8.com/ Editor: Stephanie Parent Proofreader: Novellette Whyte http://authorgurunovellette.blogspot.com/ Formatter: Savannah J. Frierson, http://sjfbooks.com/editing/ E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/ ISBN: (e-book) 978-1-61788-052-0 ISBN: (print) 978-1-61788-053-7

This book is dedicated to my big sister Judy for giving me my first romance novel to read before the word “teen” appeared in my age. It‟s also dedicated to my beautiful daughter for keeping me young and to my husband for putting up with my writing binges. Finally, it‟s dedicated to my new family at Beautiful Trouble Publishing. Thank you for helping me to achieve my dream.

NOTE ABOUT EBOOKS eBooks are NOT transferable. Re-selling, sharing or giving away eBooks is a copyright infringement. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author or Beautiful Trouble Publishing.

CAVEAT This work of erotica contains adult language and sexually explicit scenes, which are smoking hot. This book is intended only for adults, as it is defined by the laws of the country in which the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the hands of under-aged readers.

PROLOGUE “I hate this crap,” Wyn Grey, Alpha of the Unity pack, thought as he sifted through two weeks of e-mail. Mixed in with the important messages were tons of junk. He had already done searches to weed out messages from his family and the other Alphas that he maintained contact with. Now he had to go through the rest in case there were also e-mails that related to the pack‟s private security business or from lone wolves who had heard of Unity and sought admission. Four of the last six additions to the pack had started out as just a message in his inbox. Now the inbox was getting out of hand because he‟d been in Bolivia for the last ten days and hadn‟t been able to get a reliable or secure Internet connection. Wyn rubbed his tired eyes before he scanned down another page of e-mails. He stopped at a message with the subject line— Request for Asylum. A frown marred his forehead at the formal wording. Wyn clicked on the message, read it, and then leaned forward and read it again, not believing what it said.

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Alpha Grey: My name is Shiloh Eriksson and I’m the daughter of Gaillon Eriksson. I’m writing to request consideration for admission into the Unity pack for myself, my older sister Sarah and Sarah’s newborn daughter Summer. Our father died suddenly one year ago, and we’ve been left without the protection of a strong male. I should tell you upfront that Sarah is fully human while Summer, like me, is half wolf and half human. Summer is the product of a horrific attack on my sister by an unknown rogue. Sarah lives in constant fear of the rogue returning to harm her and Summer. Although we’ve never lived within a pack, we agreed that the security of a pack and the protection of a strong Alpha are the only things that will give us peace of mind and give Summer the opportunity to have a happy and safe childhood. I’ve attached brief bios for Sarah and myself along with pictures. I’m available by telephone or e-mail to answer any questions you might have. Please let me apologize if this letter doesn’t follow proper protocol. I mean no

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disrespect. Sarah and I were raised with some awareness of wolf culture, but without the full benefit of actually having a pack to assist in training us. We look forward to finally having an opportunity to rectify that. Respectfully, Shiloh Eriksson Wyn snarled at the screen after reading the message a second time. His hands were clenched in tight fists as his entire body tensed as if preparing for battle. Rape was one of the most heinous crimes a werewolf could commit. Females were cherished members of their packs. That was why there were so few lone females, and most of those were usually married to humans and living in the human world full time. The fact that these women were the daughters of one of the most revered enforcers, in the history of his people, made the insult all the more unbearable. Gaillon Eriksson was a legend among his people. He was a warrior so fierce he‟d been routinely hired by other packs to assist with training young Alphas and Betas. Once he‟d found his mate, he left pack life to live in the human world.

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After taking a few calming breaths, Wyn opened each of the attachments and read them thoroughly. Both women had graduated from college and forged successful careers for themselves. Shiloh Eriksson was a former soldier who now worked as a police officer with training in counterterrorism. Wyn studied her credentials, thinking she would make an incredible enforcer. In more traditional packs, females were not allowed to serve as enforcers, but Wyn had met some pretty tough females during his travels and believed that tradition should have been buried long ago. As the Alpha of his own pack, he now had the power to change it. In Shiloh Eriksson he may have found the perfect female to help him make that change. With an underlying strength shining through her hazel eyes, she was the picture of confidence. Reading the bio of her sister Sarah, he learned that she was a successful real estate agent and freelance interior designer. While she too had an impressive resume, it was her picture that gave him pause. With luminous skin the color of fine porcelain and dark auburn hair that fell past her shoulders in a cascade of curls, Sarah was incredibly beautiful. Her hazel

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eyes sparkled with merriment as she leaned on the shoulder of an older male who was smiling fondly at her. The angle of his head made it easy to see his canines. He was wolf. This must be the great Gaillon Eriksson. That would be easy enough for Wyn to check, as he had someone in his pack who had actually known Gaillon personally. Wyn leaned in closer to the screen. Something about Sarah‟s picture called to him. He was sure he had never seen her before, yet he felt a sense of familiarity that confused him. He checked his watch and realized it was too late for him to call, so he hit reply instead and fired off a short message. Ms. Eriksson: I send you greetings from the Unity pack and thank you for your message. Admission into the pack is granted for both you and your sister. Admission of the minor child is guaranteed by admission of her mother. I’ll be in contact shortly to coordinate your move. Sincerely, Wyn Grey, Alpha

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After hitting send, Wyn picked up the receiver and dialed a familiar number. His call was answered on the second ring. “What‟s wrong?” the raspy but alert voice on the other end asked. Wyn couldn‟t help chuckling at the gruff greeting. “Why does something have to be wrong for me to call you?” “Something damn well better be wrong for you to call me at this ungodly hour.” Turning serious, Wyn sighed wearily before answering. “Unfortunately, you‟re right. I received an e-mail from Gaillon Eriksson‟s youngest daughter. She‟s requesting admission into the pack for herself and her half-sister. The sister is human and has a new baby, born just a couple of weeks ago as far as I can tell.” “Damn,” Ellis “Pop” Hargrave said. “If those girls are contacting you, it means Gaillon is probably dead.” “He is,” Wyn answered solemnly. “I‟m sorry to have to tell you that, old friend. I know you were once close.” “Damn,” Pop said again. “I‟ve already replied with my acceptance,” Wyn assured him. He decided not to mention the fact that Sarah had been attacked. That

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would be her story to share if she chose to. “I‟ll follow up with a call in the morning.” “Do me a favor?” Pop asked wearily. “Name it,” Wyn answered without hesitation. Pop‟s old-fashioned ideas sometimes grated on Wyn‟s nerves, but his respect for the older male knew no bounds. If it was within his power to grant the male a favor, he would. “Put them in the place right across from you.” Wyn could hear the emotion in Pop‟s voice. It pained him to hear the hurt, but he knew Pop was tougher than many gave him credit for. “I was thinking the same thing. That‟ll put them smack in the middle of the compound.” “That‟s right where I want them,” Pop said. After a pause and a swallowing sound, he continued, “I won‟t allow anything to happen to Gaillon‟s children.” “Our pack will be united in that cause. I‟m going to give Chaz a call now to bring him into the loop.” “Okay, I‟ll talk to you tomorrow.” ***

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Pop hung up the phone and stood, moving slowly to the window that faced the front of his house. Gazing up at the bright full moon, he said, “Damn it all to hell, Gaillon.” After another moment, he placed a hand over his heart and whispered solemnly, “With my own life, old friend.”

CHAPTER ONE The house wasn‟t exactly what Wyn had been expecting. It sat a half mile off the main road down an asphalt drive lined in dogwood trees that made it feel like he was entering a different world. It was a two-story whitewashed plantation house with black shutters and a portico in front. There were flowerbeds with brightly colored blooms on each side of the stairs that led to a wraparound porch. He spied two rocking chairs and a swinging bench big enough for two on the porch. Parked out front were a dark gray Mercedes SUV and a black extended cab pickup. Wyn smiled at the differences the two vehicles represented. He‟d already figured out those differences by reading the Eriksson sisters‟ bios. Not normally a betting man, he was willing to bet half his bank account the pickup belonged to Shiloh, while the luxury SUV belonged to Sarah. Not for the first time, he wondered if Sarah, who appeared to be accustomed to the finer things in life, could really adjust to pack life.

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Pulling in behind the pickup, he noticed the hot pink monogram on the back window and did a double take. SAE…Sarah Ann Eriksson. “Well, I‟ll be damned,” he said out loud, ignoring the questioning look of his three passengers. Miss Sarah had managed to surprise him, which wasn‟t an easy feat. She was the reason he had come on this trip in the first place instead of sending his Beta or Pop. He was anxious to meet her in person and figure out why her picture alone had stirred something deep within him since the first time he‟d seen it. In the weeks since that initial message, he‟d formed a habit of pulling it up on his computer several times a day just to stare at her longingly. She‟d starred in some steamy daydreams he had allowed himself recently, and Wyn found himself thinking about her at odd times. It was easy to blame the fantasies on the fact that he hadn‟t been with a female in over six months, but he‟d also struggled with a sense of guilt for having such sex-charged thoughts about her. The woman had been sexually assaulted less than a year ago, for God‟s sake. He was her Alpha now. It was his

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job to protect her, and he would do it with his life. Shaking his head to clear it, he climbed out of his vehicle, headed up the front steps to the porch and approached the front door with three enforcers close behind. They all inspected their surroundings, giving their wolf senses free reign to make sure the area was free of any threats. *** “Shi, I need some help here.” Shiloh Eriksson looked up at her big sister. Sarah was in her happy homemaker element as she rushed around the kitchen, multitasking as usual. The room was filled with the mouthwatering smells of a home-cooked meal. “I am helping. I‟m keeping little Miss Summer Rayne happy and quiet. Isn‟t Auntie Shi doing a good job?” she playfully asked the child. Sarah rolled her eyes and said, “Summer is fine. Stop spoiling her—that‟s my job.” “Selfish,” Shiloh said grumpily while returning the eye roll. “Whatever. Grab the macaroni for me.”

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“Fine,” Shiloh answered before giving her niece a kiss on her chubby cheek. “I don‟t know why your momma is cooking so much food for just us girls.” “I already told you, I don‟t want to have to cook tomorrow evening when the enforcers from Unity get here. All of this stuff will hold well in the fridge and is easy to reheat.” “You just don‟t want a bunch of hungry wolves around.” “Not funny,” Sarah said with a sad frown. “Not even a little bit.” Shiloh cast an apologetic look over her shoulder. “I was just joking, Sarah.” “I know, but don‟t. I‟m still not in a joking mood when it comes to wolves. I‟m scared out of my mind, Shi.” “I know, but it‟s gonna be okay. Even Dad spoke highly of this Alpha and what he was trying to do. It couldn‟t have been easy to buck tradition and create a pack where human mates and half-breed children are truly welcome.” The gentle chiming of the doorbell interrupted them. “Wonder who that is this time of day?” Shiloh said. “It‟s probably just Mrs. Appleton checking in on us. I‟ll get it. You get the

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macaroni out before it burns and keep an eye on Summer.” *** Sarah moved through the house to the front door, wiping her hands on her apron before reaching for the doorknob. She pulled the door open and froze. A terrified scream lodged in her throat as the sight of four huge men standing on her front porch robbed her of breath. They were all over six feet and wore an aura of lethal danger like armor. The one standing closest to the door was the biggest of the group. At least six foot five, he had a shoulder span that screamed NFL linebacker. His strong facial features, darkly tanned skin and long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail left her thinking he might have Native American genes. All hard lines and sharp planes, his face looked as if it had been carved from granite. And then there were his eyes. Sharp, those eyes were the color of a stormy Georgia sky—gray with flecks of blue. He looked almost as surprised as she did, and she caught his nostrils flaring. Then he

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smiled the kind of amazed smile you get when finding forgotten money in a jacket pocket or a surprise gift under the Christmas tree. Sarah saw his longer-than-normal canine teeth and began to shake with terror. He was a wolf and the biggest male Sarah had ever laid eyes on, even bigger than her father had been, and she found herself taking an involuntary step backwards as his smile slipped. His predatory stance and commanding presence confirmed what his canines had already told her: He was all wolf— and a badass wolf, if she had to hazard a guess. Fear took hold inside of her, and she took another step back. “Shiloh!” All of them were looking at her in stunned silence now. The big guy up front took two steps back with his arms stretched out to the side, making the rest of the group back up too. Then he pushed his hands out in front of him and said in a deep, soothing voice, “Whoa there, Sarah, it‟s all right. I‟m Wyn Grey, Alpha of the Unity pack.” Sarah heard her sister charging up behind her, but she didn‟t have time to say anything before Shiloh grabbed her and pulled her out of the way with such force she ended up sprawled

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on the floor on all fours. Shiloh snarled at the men standing outside, flashing her own longerthan-normal canines even though they were dainty in comparison to the Alpha‟s. Sarah watched as Shiloh immediately crouched into a defensive pose. The three men standing behind Wyn mirrored the stance. While Shiloh glared at all four of them with the fierce expression of a female ready to defend her young, they gazed back at her almost admiringly. Like Sarah, she had inherited their mother‟s fair skin tone and hazel eyes, but Sarah stood only five foot seven, just as their mother had, while Shiloh was three inches taller thanks to her father‟s genetics. *** “Stand down, enforcers!” Wyn yelled commandingly as he stared past Shiloh to Sarah, who was scrambling to her feet. He couldn‟t contain the furious growl that rumbled up from deep in his chest. His mate. He couldn‟t believe the beautiful woman he‟d been fantasizing about was his mate, but his nose told him it was so. Her unique scent, along with seeing her tossed to the ground, had brought his wolf clawing precariously close to

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the surface. He took a deep, shuddering breath as he fought to maintain control. Sister be damned, Shiloh had just snatched his mate away from him, and it took all of his control not to shove her aside and retrieve Sarah. Shiloh blinked at his sharp order but didn‟t immediately drop her guard. Recognition flared in her eyes, but she seemed hesitant to stand down. He held her gaze, not backing down, but not making a move that would possibly scare her either. When no one moved to obey his command, he released another warning growl and didn‟t care that it could be heard loud and clear by everyone present, including Sarah. He could literally see the baby-fine hairs on Shiloh‟s forearm stand on end when she heard that growl. “I said stand down, damn it! And I mean all of you,” he said, staring pointedly at Shiloh. “Shiloh, he‟s Alpha Grey,” Sarah said shakily as she came to stand at her sister‟s side. The men eased back up warily, and Shiloh slowly followed suit. “I know who he is,” she responded gruffly. Sarah looked at Wyn apologetically before dropping her eyes to his chest in respect.

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“I‟m so sorry, Alpha Grey—I was startled. We didn‟t expect you until late tomorrow.” Wyn wanted to howl in triumphant dominance at her show of submission, but he fought to control his primal instincts in the face of her obvious fear and discomfort. For a male to gain the trust of his mate that her total submission showed was a great honor. “I should be apologizing to you, Ms. Eriksson,” he said, stepping closer. “We made good time on the road, and I should‟ve called to warn you and your sister that we were arriving ahead of schedule.” He lifted his eyes and looked down the hall behind them. His ears twitched noticeably before he looked back at Sarah. “Your little one needs you.” “What?” Sarah asked, looking at Shiloh, whose head had turned to the side as if trying to hear something. Before either Wyn or Shiloh could respond, Summer let out her best I’m hungry wail from the kitchen. “Oh, please excuse me,” Sarah said, rushing off without a backwards glance. “Alpha Grey, please come in.” Wyn turned his gaze to Shiloh before moving into the entry hall. He noticed that unlike her sister, she didn‟t immediately lower her head. Instead

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she openly appraised each male as they entered her home, defiantly staring each of them in the eye. It was a clear indication that she wouldn‟t be cowed in her own home, and another positive sign that she might be a perfect enforcer. If all the other males of his pack were to respect her as an enforcer, she would have to earn that respect. Once all four males moved into the hall, they waited for Shiloh to lead the way. Each took in his surroundings as Shiloh closed the door and then led them into the formal living room. Upon entering the room, Wyn turned to Shiloh and said, “Let me introduce everyone. This is Grimmon Espinasse, Dakota Haines and Tango De la Cruz. They are three of my best enforcers.” “Enforcers,” Shiloh said with a short nod in their direction. Each male nodded in return while sizing her up. Wyn could tell by the stiffening of her spine that she‟d become used to the same type of perusal from male officers while working on the Atlanta police force. Her record spoke for itself, and he‟d studied it extensively along with his Beta. She‟d proven herself then, and

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hopefully she‟d prove herself within the pack as well. “Well, I guess my sister‟s instincts were correct as usual,” Shiloh mumbled as they all took seats. “Instincts?” Wyn questioned. “Yes sir—she‟s been slaving away in the kitchen all day preparing a ton of food. She said it was so there would be plenty of food tomorrow evening when you arrived, but I guess we‟ll just order pizza tomorrow.” “Pizza works,” Dakota said. Wyn shook his head at the large male. Not as tall as the others, he liked hitting the weights, and his bulky physique proved it. His fun-loving attitude drove some of the other enforcers crazy sometimes, but it was a beacon to the ladies. Because he didn‟t give a damn what others thought, he thumbed his nose at any hint of convention. In fact, that was why Wyn had handpicked him to come on this trip. If Shiloh accepted his offer to be an enforcer, it would make her something of a rebel among other weres. Who better than another rebel like Dakota to understand what she‟d be up against and make her feel comfortable?

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“Anything works for you, Kota,” Grimmon grumbled with a shake of his dark head. He was closer to Wyn in height and had a long scar that ran from his right ear along his jawline and up to the edge of his mouth. The well-groomed beard that covered the lower half of his face only served to highlight the dangerous scar rather than hide it. He looked downright lazy as he sat slouched in one of two powder blue wing-back chairs, but Wyn felt tension coiling off him in waves as his emeraldgreen eyes scanned the room. Grimmon might appear relaxed, but Wyn knew from experience that he was on guard for any danger that might present itself. A male not to be taken lightly, Wyn hoped Grimmon would be willing to mentor Shiloh. As one of the more experienced and talented enforcers at Unity, his guidance would help to speed her training along. As expected, Tango didn‟t say anything. He just watched Shiloh. Tango might look like a young banker type, but he could kick ass with the best of the best among the males of Unity. When Sarah appeared in the arched entry with a small, squirming bundle of pink in her arms, he stood and his enforcers followed suit. The child was lying against her mother‟s

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shoulder, fitfully sucking a pacifier and whimpering her displeasure at being made to wait for a meal. Dark curls showed hints of red that told Wyn her hair might one day match her mother‟s. Her tiny body was completely covered by a one-piece outfit the color of cotton candy with white cuffs. A pink pacifier was attached to the front of her clothes by a pink strap and clip. All girl, Wyn thought with a wistful smile. “Please excuse us for a few moments,” Sarah said to the room at large, not making eye contact with any of the males. Wyn had to steal himself against the frown that threatened. She was his Alphaya, his mate, and she shouldn‟t feel the need to hide her eyes from anyone. His brief glare combined with the scent of possessiveness stood as silent warnings. Sarah was his. He turned back to Sarah when he realized he‟d missed something she‟d said. “Excuse me?” “She only gets cranky like this when she‟s hungry.” After repeating what she‟d said, Sarah quickly turned toward the stairs in an obvious attempt to escape. He could smell her fear

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again, and it offended the hell out of him. If it was the last thing he did, he would remove as much of that fear as he could. “Sarah?” he called after her as he moved slowly over to the stairs. She stood on the second stair, bringing her almost to eye level with him, but she kept her eyes fixed on his chest. “May I?” he asked softly, reaching out for the baby. Her eyes finally moved swiftly up to his as she stared at him in disbelief. Wyn knew it was risky, but the urge to lay claim to his mate in some way was overwhelming. She might not be ready to accept him as a mate, but he was determined that she would accept him as her Alpha. He remained still and patiently waited as she instinctively clutched her daughter tighter against her chest. “Sh-she‟s hungry,” she stuttered nervously, moving up another step. “It‟s okay,” he said gently without attempting to move closer to her. “I just want to hold her for a moment to honor one of my people‟s oldest traditions.” Shiloh spoke up behind him and said, “It‟s okay, Sarah.” She moved to stand right beside him, and Wyn gave silent thanks for her

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intuitiveness. He hoped her presence would calm her sister, whose fear was palpable. After a hesitant look in her sister‟s direction, Sarah took a deep breath and gingerly passed the fussy baby to him with visibly shaking hands. Summer seemed to somehow realize a stranger was holding her and immediately quieted while curiously looking up at him. To his astonishment, she even seemed to sniff the air before turning her head to snuggle into his chest. Wyn smiled down at her as he watched her reactions closely. The fact that she‟d instinctively sniffed him was a huge sign of her wolf genetics. The young of his kind developed their advanced hearing in-vitro and their advanced sense of smell at birth. Turning to his enforcers, he held Summer out toward them and said solemnly, “Enforcers, I present Summer Eriksson for your protection.” The three men stood ramrod straight as they each put their right fists over their hearts and said in unison, “With my own life, Alpha.” Wyn looked back down at Summer and whispered, “With my own life, little one. Your Alpha welcomes you.” He turned around and handed her back to Sarah. Before she had time

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to think of retreating, he gently grasped Sarah‟s face between his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. In a firm voice, thickened by emotions he couldn‟t yet reveal to her, he said, “With my own life, Sarah Eriksson. Your Alpha welcomes you.” *** Sarah closed her eyes and drew a shaky breath as she nodded. These men would protect her baby with their lives. The rush of relief that flooded her system was almost overwhelming. She now knew without a doubt that seeking out a pack had been the right decision. “As long as I draw breath, you are safe,” her new Alpha added in a raspy whisper before releasing her. “Thank you,” Sarah said with heartfelt sincerity. She felt a sudden peace that she hadn‟t felt in almost a year. “Please make yourselves at home while I feed her. Dinner will be ready shortly.” Turning, she headed upstairs to feed her daughter in private. In her room Sarah sat in a cushioned rocking chair that had belonged to her mother

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and breast-fed Summer. She gently rocked as she gazed down at her daughter and thought about how much her life had changed in just a short amount of time and how much more it would change in the next few days. First, the only father she‟d ever known had died unexpectedly while trying to save a drowning man. She had fully expected the man who had raised her to outlive her. He was an honest-toGod werewolf, after all. Not immortal, but his lifespan was more than four times that of a normal human. Instead she‟d watched as he grew weaker and aged more quickly after her mother‟s death. He had been in no condition to save anyone, but she knew that when disaster struck, he‟d responded instinctually and tried to help another, as he was an enforcer through and through. Protecting others had been woven into the very fibers of his being. Just months after losing the most important man in her life, she‟d been brutally attacked in her own home by a rogue werewolf. She‟d never feared her father‟s kind before that night. She‟d feared very little, in fact, as her parents had nurtured a fearless approach to life in both her and Shiloh. Despite her

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upbringing, the old Sarah had gone into hiding after the attack. Her physical wounds were long healed, but her mental wounds were still raw and sensitive. She‟d locked her joy and fearlessness away deep inside. Grief and fear mingled to cover her in a cloak of despair. Now she hid behind baggy clothes and downcast eyes. Ashamed and afraid, she only allowed glimpses of her old self to be revealed to her sweet angel. Along with teaching them the basic traditions of his people, their father had told them that females and children were cherished among his kind. She‟d never had a reason to doubt that, as he‟d been living proof of that philosophy. He‟d loved her mother with a fierce protectiveness that had always been spellbinding to Sarah. In the almost thirty years she‟d lived, she‟d yet to find any male who could live up to her father, which was why she was still alone. There was no doubt that Gaillon had loved them. He‟d always been there for them, teaching them and protecting them. Looking back, it almost seemed now as if he‟d been preparing them for something, but Sarah still didn‟t understand what. When he died, she

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and Shiloh had found letters addressed to each of them among his things. In them he‟d left instructions for them to seek out the Alpha of the Unity pack if anything ever happened to him, as he didn‟t want them unprotected. Shiloh had easily accepted the idea, but Sarah had a hard time with the thought of leaving everything and everyone she‟d ever loved. They‟d been going round and round about it until that fateful night, eleven months ago, that had changed her life irrevocably. Now she was a single mother and scared out of her mind. Her beautiful baby girl was part werewolf like her younger sister. Summer yawned, and Sarah smiled. “Have you had enough, sweetie? Come on and give Momma a good burp.” She placed the baby on her shoulder and began to gently rub her back. Summer yawned again before burping and settling contentedly on Sarah‟s shoulder. Standing, she laid Summer in her bassinet and covered her with a light blanket. “Momma‟s gonna go feed our company. I‟ll be back to check on you later.” Sarah checked the three windows in her bedroom to make sure they were all locked. Since her attack, she‟d become obsessed with

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checking to ensure all of the doors and windows were locked because there had been no sign of forced entry when she was attacked. It was as if her attacker had simply come in through an unlocked door, which she could never really say he hadn‟t. Leaving the bedroom door open, she made her way to the stairs. She stood at the top of the stairs and listened to the sound of voices coming from downstairs. Closing her eyes, she said a silent prayer for strength. When she was finished, she squared her shoulders and headed downstairs to face her future. *** Wyn glanced up as Sarah‟s scent became stronger. She came into view a little at a time as she glided down the stairs. Taking this time to watch her move, he could see through the layers of clothing she wore that she moved gracefully. He‟d be willing to bet there were dance classes and recitals in her past. When she entered the room, he stood to acknowledge her but pushed his hands into his pockets, hoping to appear less threatening. He was a

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large man, and there was little else he could do in the face of such a tiny woman. “I hope you‟re all hungry,” she said brightly as she entered the family room. Everyone had moved into the more casual room just off the kitchen to watch a football game on the flat-screen TV over the fireplace. “I‟m always hungry,” Dakota said with a playful smile. Wyn moved forward and said, “Sarah, please allow me to introduce you to everyone. Greedy is Dakota, Sleepy is Grimmon, and Happy is Tango.” Sarah covered her smile with her hands and coughed to silence the giggles threatening to escape. Each man nodded at her before returning his attention to the football game. Wyn watched her closely while trying to keep his emotions off of his face. His reaction to her near laugh irritated him. He wanted to see a genuine smile light up her entire face, and he‟d give his right arm to hear her laugh. Damn, he had it bad, and he hadn‟t even known his little mate for an hour yet. “Well, I was going to serve dinner in the dining room, but since the game is on how about we all eat in here?” Sarah asked in the

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same bright, happy voice. Wyn suspected that was the way she covered her nervousness. “Good idea,” Shiloh answered distractedly without taking her eyes off the screen. “I‟ll set the food out in the kitchen. You can all just come in during the next commercial break.” With that, Sarah turned and hurried from the room, probably hoping for a few minutes to collect herself. He stayed behind, determined to give her those few minutes, even if it killed him. When the game went to commercial, he purposely waited as everyone else headed into the kitchen; then he strolled in slowly and watched Sarah from the doorway. She had backed into a corner on the far side of the room, where she cautiously watched her younger sister lead his enforcers around the counter where platters of food were set out. They grabbed prefilled glasses of iced tea off the center island before heading back to finish watching the game. “Wow, don‟t you feed them at Unity?” Sarah questioned playfully “We all have pretty healthy appetites, but Dakota‟s a big believer in the „see food diet‟. He

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sees food and must eat it.” Wyn froze in genuine surprise at the small smile she gave in response to his lame joke. Then she quickly turned away and busied herself with picking up another plate and utensils. Laying them on the island, she stepped back and waited for him to fix his own meal. He‟d noted how she‟d smiled proudly as the men filled their plates. “Aren‟t you hungry, Alpha Grey?” she asked, avoiding his stare. He was hungry as hell. Hungry for his mate. Her avoidance was akin to running from him, and his wolf was howling for him to chase and subdue his mate. Wyn gritted his teeth, trying to reign in his instincts. When he trusted himself to speak without growling at her, he said, “Yes, but I wanted to let everyone else get their plates first so they could get back to the game. I‟m not really following either of the teams playing today.” “Oh,” was the best Sarah could offer as answer. “What about you, Sarah? Aren‟t you going to eat?” “Yes, but it‟s rude for a hostess to eat before all of the guests are fed, so please feel

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free to make yourself a plate.” A moment later, Sarah gasped in surprise when he handed her an empty plate. “I‟m not one to require special treatment. Let‟s both eat, shall we?” Sarah nodded before ducking her head again. They moved around filling their plates. When her plate was filled, she headed for the door, saying, “I think I‟d like to watch the game with everyone else.” Wyn watched his frightened mate scurry away from him. He knew he had to move slowly with her, but that didn‟t mean he wouldn‟t move at all. A slow smile spread across his face as he thought how silly Sarah was to think she could outrun a wolf.

CHAPTER TWO The next morning, Sarah woke up early, feeling better than she had in months, and realized that she hadn‟t had a nightmare for the first time in a while. She washed her face and put on a robe before heading downstairs to get coffee started. If these males were anything like her father, than a good strong cup of coffee would be appreciated. Years of living with a werewolf father had gotten her accustomed to rising early. He was the last one to turn in most nights and always the first to rise. She‟d always enjoyed their early-morning conversations over coffee. That was when he would share stories about his people and his life before he met her mother. He‟d also confided that he wasn‟t sure he‟d done the right thing by not seeking out a pack that would accept them It sickened her that his worse fear had indeed come true. Sarah felt as if he couldn‟t rest in peace as long as they were without a pack, and looking into Summer‟s innocent face, she could admit that she shared her father‟s fears. That fear had helped her make the

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decision to join a pack and vow to do whatever it took to see to it that her daughter was protected. Her father had taught them that wolves were generally very protective of females and their young. The Alpha‟s actions had proven that to her even more. He and all of the enforcers had asked for permission to hold Summer last night after she woke from her nap. Sarah got a kick out of watching the big tough males make silly faces and sounds in an effort to get Summer to grace them with one of her still rare smiles. When she‟d started crying after Dakota made a funny face, all four of them had looked momentarily horrified. Then the other three had growled at Dakota, who quickly handed Summer to Shiloh, but not before Wyn had taken a menacing step toward the younger male. Shiloh had seemed to get a kick out of that. Wyn had slept upstairs in her parents‟ old room while the three enforcers had stayed downstairs, camped out in the living room. Sarah could see a pair of huge combat boots hanging over the edge of the sofa and two giant forms lying on the floor in front of the fireplace. She walked quickly into the kitchen and stopped short at the site of Wyn standing at the

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kitchen sink with a cup of coffee in his hand. Barefoot and shirtless with just a pair of wellworn jeans on, he was gazing out of the window over the sink, watching the sunrise. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee wafted in the air, and she inhaled deeply while taking a moment to just stare at his wide back. *** She had a strong will, Wyn thought as he stood there pretending not to notice her. He smelled her fear and uncertainty, but she didn‟t try to turn and leave. When he was sure she wasn‟t going to run, he said calmly, “Good morning, Sarah. I see I‟m not the only early riser here.” He kept his back to her, knowing that sudden movements probably wouldn‟t be appreciated. He heard her take a deep breath before saying, “Good morning, Alpha Grey. No, you‟re not the only early riser. I‟m usually the first one up most days now that my father is gone. He used to hold that title.” “I can hear your love and admiration for him in your voice.” Moving leisurely to the mug tree, he pulled off a pink mug with her name painted on it.

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“I loved him very much,” she said without hesitation. “He was a good man and an even better father.” She was loyal and loving, Wyn assessed as he poured her a cup of coffee while noting the changes in her scent. The scent of fear was already lighter than it had been just moments earlier. “So he never frightened you?” he asked while turning to place her coffee at one end of the kitchen table before moving to sit at the other end. A silent invitation to join him, but with the space she needed to feel comfortable. “Of course he did.” She chuckled nervously as she moved to sit in front of her mug. “Everyone‟s father frightens them when it comes time to face up to something you‟ve done wrong. If you mean did his being wolf ever frighten me, the answer is no, never. He was my dad. I‟ve never known any other since my biological father was killed while my mother was pregnant with me.” Wyn hid his smile behind his own cup when she took a sip of coffee and closed her eyes on a contented sigh as the hot liquid flowed down her throat. Damn, he could get use to the sound of that sigh.

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She was continuing to prove that she was not as prissy as he‟d been expecting her to be. Wyn noted that she drank her coffee black, unlike a lot of humans. He also noted how much she enjoyed it. “May I ask when Gaillon mated your mother?” “They met and married when I was just two. We lived in New York at the time, where my mother worked as a seamstress. She was mugged one night on the way home from work, but my dad saved her. He admitted to her much later that he‟d been following her for days. Dad knew she was his mate, but was afraid to claim her at first.” Afraid to pull a human into his world, Wyn guessed silently. He could understand completely. The need to claim was only overpowered in a mated male by the need to protect. Right now he sat across from Sarah looking the picture of calm, but aching inside with a need to claim her that threatened to steal his breath. Countering that urge was the overwhelming need to protect her, even from himself. “He had been moving between packs for so long that he didn‟t think he would make a

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worthy mate to anyone, let alone a worthy father.” “But he did.” “Oh yes. He was a very worthy mate. He adored my mother and both of us girls. I think his example is what keeps Shiloh and I from settling down. We both want what they had. That certain something that happens only when you‟ve met your soul mate.” Wyn grinned at that. Humans had long ago lost touch with the primal urges that his kind still allowed to guide their choice of mate. “He moved us from New York City to Georgia, and Shiloh came along just before my fourth birthday. Georgia is all we really know,” she finished softly. “You‟re worried about moving to Montana.” He didn‟t ask, just made a statement of fact. “About moving, period,” she admitted. “We‟ve never lived within a pack. Our father was a great man who taught us lots of things about his culture, but I‟m worried about doing anything that would shame him—or Shiloh for that matter.” A woman of noble character, he thought. And she‟s mine. His chest swelled with pride.

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“Don‟t worry too much about that,” he said to her. “The pack is humming with excitement about your arrival. We‟ve been an all-male pack since we began three years ago. The thought of finally having females in our midst to soften the rough edges is appealing, not to mention the idea of a child‟s laughter ringing through the compound.” He smiled. “We‟re a pretty rough-and-tumble bunch, but all honorable. I‟ve hand-picked each current member of the pack. To stay financially viable, all of the enforcers do private security jobs all over the world. We also have other skilled males who contribute in their own ways. When we‟re at home, everyone works hard at making Unity a home.” “I‟m hoping I can help with that part. I love interior design and restoring old homes.” “I can promise any input you have will be well received.” Leaning forward and putting his elbows on the tabletop, he said firmly, “I also meant it when I said you were safe now. It‟s important to me that you know that.” “Thank you. That means so much to me,” she said, lowering her head. “I want Shiloh and Summer to be safe.”

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And she was selfless. She didn‟t speak of safety for herself, but for her sister and her child. Wanting to change the subject as he scented her shame, Wyn said, “I‟m thinking of asking your sister to become an enforcer with the pack. She‟ll be the first female enforcer that I know of.” Sarah‟s face lit up at that. “She was created for it. Shiloh‟s been protecting other people since she was a toddler. I remember her biting a man on the leg for raising his voice at our mother. Drew blood and everything,” she said, laughing at the memory. “What about you, Sarah—what else do you want to do?” Sarah lowered her head to avoid his probing stare. “I don‟t know. I was hoping a need would present itself once I got there.” “I think I have one to present right now.” Her head snapped up in surprise. “What?” “I told you that Unity has been an allmale pack for several years now. In our culture, a strong pack is always led by an Alpha and his Alphaya. As we‟ve sat here talking, I‟ve notice that you display many of the qualities needed in an effective Alphaya. I was

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wondering how you would feel about becoming our pack‟s acting Alphaya.” Sarah stared at him for a moment until she found her voice and sputtered, “Y-you want me to be your mate.” Hell yes, his inner beast howled, but Wyn could smell her fear and didn‟t want to push her in that direction until she was truly ready. “No, I‟m not talking about becoming mates. Normally the two would go hand in hand, but Unity is not your normal pack. I‟m asking you to take on all the duties of an Alphaya not related to mating.” “Like what?” Aww, she was inquisitive, he thought with a smile. “Seeing to the care and comfort of the pack would be the most important at first. I could also use some help with the administrative duties involved with managing a modern pack and all of its business ventures. When you‟re ready, you could even lead in my absence.” “Oh goodness, I doubt that,” Sarah said in disbelief. “Who does those things now?” “I do everything because I have no Alphaya. Since forming the pack, I try to make sure that either the Beta or I are in residence at

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all times. There have been a couple of occasions when we were both needed on an assignment, in which case the pack elder leads in our absence. I wouldn‟t just thrust you into anything you‟re uncomfortable with. I understand that there has to be a learning curve.” *** Sarah considered what he was asking. She‟d already been struggling with the idea of not being able to contribute to her new community. This could be a way to really contribute something of importance to the pack that was welcoming her family. She thought of all she knew about pack hierarchy. Her father had said the Alpha and Alphaya were like the president and first lady of a pack. Although she didn‟t consider herself first lady material, she was smart and a quick study. His offer also intrigued that part of her that always wanted to take care of others. Besides, once the Alpha found his mate, she could step back and let the real Alphaya take the reins.

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“Okay, I‟ll give it a try, but I want it clear up front that I‟m going into this with no experience. I‟ve never lived in a pack, so I hope everyone will be patient with me.” Most of all you, she thought as she watched him over the rim of her mug. *** “Good morning, you two,” Shiloh said as she entered the kitchen. “What are you doing up so early?” Sarah questioned in surprise. “Ready to get this show on the road, I guess.” “Good morning. I‟m glad to see you seem excited about this move,” Wyn said. “Yeah, I‟ve convinced myself that it‟s one big adventure,” Shiloh said wryly. “I‟m more worried about what happens after the move, though.” “I don‟t follow,” Wyn said. When he looked at Sarah for an explanation, she shrugged and they both turned back to Shiloh, who took her time putting two slices of bread in the toaster and setting it before she turned to look at them.

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“I don‟t really know what I can bring to the table yet. I‟m worried about getting there and not being useful. That would be miserable for me.” Wyn chuckled at the forlorn look on her face but sobered at the concern in Sarah‟s eyes. He decided this was as good a time as any to broach the subject of her being an enforcer, so he jumped in feet first with, “Oh, I don‟t think that will be a problem, Enforcer.” Shiloh stared at him as if he‟d grown a second head, and Sarah smiled. That smile was worth all the grief he might have to endure later for his decisions. It lit up her face, and he swore it warmed every corner of his soul. “Enforcer?” Shiloh whispered as if afraid to disturb a sacred moment. “With your background in law enforcement and anti-terrorism training, I think you would be a valuable addition to my team. That‟s if you‟re interested, of course.” When Shiloh turned stunned eyes to Sarah, she quickly offered her encouragement. “It‟s perfect, Shi! It‟s what you were made to do.” Turning back to him, Shiloh didn‟t try to mask the emotions in her eyes, and Wyn found

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himself even more convinced she would be a good fit. She wanted it, and that desire would propel her to give one hundred percent. It was what he asked of all his enforcers, and she would be no different. “I‟m very interested, Alpha, but what about the rest of the pack? Will they accept a female enforcer?” “Will you really give them a choice?” Wyn asked. Sarah snorted at that. “No, she won‟t.” Turning to her sister, she said, “Daddy prepared you for this.” Wyn saw instantly that Sarah had hit her mark by mentioning their father. Shiloh stood straighter, and her eyes glittered with determination. “Well, what do you say?” he asked. “I say yes. Hell yes!” *** The packing was completed in just a few hours, as Shiloh and Sarah had done most of it during the four weeks since Wyn had sent word he‟d accepted them into his pack. All that was left to pack were the dishes and pots in the

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kitchen, along with food and spices that would travel well. They‟d purposefully eaten most of the perishable food, so the fridge was bare. The males handled the heavy stuff with ease, loading large boxes, furniture and appliances like they weighed nothing. Wyn had obviously informed the other males that Sarah had agreed to act as the pack‟s Alphaya, because they began addressing her as Alphaya around midmorning. She finally had to give up trying to get them to call her Sarah. With everyone working throughout the morning and early afternoon, the house stood bare by three p.m. Sarah and Shiloh held hands as they took one last walk through the home they‟d grown up in. “Even though we‟ve been preparing for weeks, this seems so surreal,” Shiloh said in a low voice. Sarah nodded her head, afraid to speak for fear she would break down. “I‟m gonna miss this place,” her little sister continued as she lovingly stroked the textured wallpaper that their mother had picked and they had helped their father hang. “I hope whoever buys it has kids. This is a great place for kids to grow up.”

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“The pack will be a great place to grow up too,” Sarah finally said with forced cheer. “Yeah, I know. Summer‟s life will be different because she won‟t have to pretend she‟s something she‟s not, like I did growing up. She‟ll be free to be herself more than I was. I‟m looking forward to that.” “Have you been shifting?” Sarah asked, her voice vibrating with worry. “Yeah—I don‟t want to get to the pack and be rusty. I‟ve been doing it almost every night after you and Summer go to bed.” Sarah had only ever seen her sister shift once, and it had been her very first shift when she was thirteen. After that, shifting was a private thing Shiloh only shared with their father. When Shiloh moved back home after Sarah‟s attack, she‟d confided in her older sister that she hadn‟t shifted since their father‟s death. Finally they left the house for the last time, locking the door. The Unity males waited patiently for them at the vehicles. “Ready, ladies?” Wyn asked. “Yes sir,” Shiloh answered. “Okay. I‟ve asked Dakota to drive your truck, Sarah. You and Summer will be riding

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with me.” Wyn watched her closely after making his announcement. Sarah felt a bolt of fear. She hadn‟t planned on being locked in a vehicle alone with him for the duration of the move. “You don‟t have to do that—I can pull my own weight.” Sensing her fear, Wyn spoke calmly. “I have no doubt about that, Alphaya, but you need to be available to the little one, so I‟ll drive and you can ride in the back with her.” Sarah felt her cheeks flush as she realized she hadn‟t really considered how she was going to drive and breast-feed. He quickly added, “Shiloh, I‟d like you to let Grim drive your SUV while you ride shotgun. He‟s a senior enforcer, and I‟ve assigned him to be your mentor. This will give him time to tell you what to expect when we get to Unity.” “Yes sir.” Dakota and Tango snickered, while Grim sighed and shook his head. “Lesson one,” the big scarred male said in a long-suffering voice. “Stop calling him sir before he starts expecting the rest of us to do it. He‟s the Alpha. Yes, Alpha works fine. She‟s Alphaya, but also your

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sister, so as long as she gives you permission, „Yes, Sarah‟ works for her.” “Permission!” “She‟s Alphaya, you will respect her, the same as the Alpha,” he told her in a tone that allowed for no argument. Turning to Sarah with one haughty brow raised, Shiloh said, “Well, Alphaya, may I call you „Sarah‟?” “I‟ll think about it,” Sarah joked to the delight of Tango and Dakota, who openly laughed at Shiloh‟s scowl. “How‟s this for a compromise?” Wyn asked. “You may call your sister and me by our given names in private quarters, but in public settings it might set a better example if you call us both by our titles. Understood?” Shiloh nodded, and he continued handing out driving assignments. “Okay, now that that‟s settled, that leaves Tango to handle the moving truck. I‟ve got short-range radios and extra batteries for each vehicle so we can communicate even in cell dead zones. We‟re going to take the return trip a little slower for the sake of Sarah. I suspect she‟ll appreciate a few more stops than I allowed on the trip down. Is everybody good on cash?” When he got nods all around, he

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continued with, “Okay, let‟s move out. Keep your radios on.” Wyn opened the back door of his black suburban and stood back as Sarah got Summer‟s car seat secured. He shut the door, walked around to the driver‟s side with her, and then opened the back door as Sarah got in and didn‟t close it until she was buckled in. After hopping into the driver‟s seat, he led the group as they drove away. Sarah watched out the back window as her home shrunk from view. Moments later, after they‟d turned onto the main road, she leaned forward and pointed to a small whitewashed church they were approaching. “I‟d like to go say goodbye to my parents, please.” Wyn glanced at her in the rearview mirror, but didn‟t respond. Although her expression remained neutral, he could smell the sadness rolling off her. The other vehicles followed as he pulled into the church‟s parking area. An old cemetery could be seen behind the small wooden structure. As Sarah exited the Suburban, Shiloh came over and grasped her hand. “I‟ve already

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said my goodbyes, so I‟ll stay here with Summer.” Sarah hugged her sister and walked slowly to the cemetery. She didn‟t hear anyone following her on the graveled path, but she felt a presence and somehow knew without looking that it would be Wyn. A glance over her shoulder confirmed it. He stayed several paces back, protecting her while still giving her space. The fact that a man his size could walk on the gravel without making a sound sent a twinge of fear tingling down her spine, but she quickly shook it off. If he wanted to hurt her, he‟d already passed up plenty of prime opportunities. She continued to move through the stone markers until she came to a large double marker, way in the back, shaded by a large oak tree. Squatting down, she lovingly ran a hand over the cool stone. Her father had chosen this marker when her mother died. Two large hearts were intertwined. One heart contained her mother‟s name, date of birth and date of death. The other contained her father‟s name and date of death only. She and Shiloh couldn‟t tell the engraver their father‟s true date of birth, since he‟d been a hundred twenty-two

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years old when he died. To normal humans he looked like a man in his early sixties, and he only looked that old because he had seemed to age faster after their mother died. In each corner at the base of the hearts was the silhouette of a howling wolf. “I miss you guys so much,” she whispered. “I know you‟re watching over us, but I‟d give anything to have one of your hugs, Momma, or one of our long talks, Daddy. Your grandbaby is healthy and happy, and she has Momma‟s smile. All three of us are going to live with a pack like you said we should, Daddy. It‟s the Unity pack, and they seem real nice so far. I‟m gonna do my best not to shame either of you.” Not trusting herself to say more, she leaned in and kissed first one heart and then the other before standing and quickly turning away. Wyn had moved to stand behind her, so she walked right into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she let the tears she‟d been holding back for almost a year flow freely. She clutched his shirt at the waist as she sobbed for her lost parents and her lost idealism. There in the shade of that old oak tree, with her parents watching over her, she let

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this strong man ease some of her pain as she absorbed some of his strength. When she‟d calmed down enough to speak, she said, “I‟m so sorry, Alpha Grey.” “When speaking between you and me, it‟s just Sarah and Wyn. Now, are you sorry for loving your parents or for getting my shirt all wet?” he asked with a crooked smile. “Your shirt,” she said, returning his smile with a weak one of her own. “Oh, good—I would have worried if you‟d said the parents.” He used his thumbs to wipe her tearstained cheeks as he‟d done the night before, and she closed her eyes and let him. It felt so good to have a man touch her with gentle care and not have her gut twist into knots of terror. “Come on, let‟s get you back to the little one before she starts missing her momma.” As Sarah moved around him and headed back to the truck, Wyn bent to one knee and bowed his head respectfully in front of the headstone. “With my own life I will protect your daughter and her young,” he said in a low voice. He quickly stood and followed Sarah. ***

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An hour into the drive, Summer started to fuss. Sarah unbuckled her from her car seat and used a thin blanket to cover her breast and the baby‟s head as she fed her. “How often does she feed?” Wyn asked curiously from the front seat. Sarah looked at him in the rearview mirror and replied, “About every three hours or so. She‟s still at the eat, poop, sleep stage.” “Life at her age is truly easy. She gets carried everywhere, and all she has to do is cry to get what she wants.” “Yeah, but life at her age is fun too. Every day there is some new thing to discover about herself and the world around her.” “Like what?” he asked simply because he loved the sound of her slightly husky voice and the way her scent changed when she was focused on the baby. It took on the sweet fragrance of happiness. He didn‟t think he could ever get enough of that scent. “Like her own fingers and toes, the joy of having a clean diaper and a full stomach, or the warmth of my hugs.”

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“Soon it will be the joy of chasing bugs and frogs or making mud pies. Do little girls still do that?” “I don‟t know about little girls today, but Shiloh and I sure did. We took great pleasure in making our mom scream once we figured out she was scared of frogs. My dad would create little mud pits for us to make our mud pies in. Then we‟d have a blast letting him use the water hose to shower us when we were finished for the day.” They talked and laughed comfortably as they drove. Finally, just before midnight they stopped to check into a Courtyard by Marriott right off the highway. Wyn explained that he‟d taken the liberty of booking rooms along the route so they could stop at night. Wyn pulled into a parking spot in front and went in to arrange for rooms. While he was inside, Dakota slipped up silently and stood outside Sarah‟s door while Tango stood outside the opposite door closest to Summer. Sarah couldn‟t help smiling as she realized they were guarding her while Wyn was away. Looking out the rear window, she could see Shiloh and Grim parked right behind them. Shiloh was laughing about something while Grim was pretending

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not to be amused, but even in the dim light, Sarah could see his mouth lifting on one side. After securing three rooms that were set together in a row on the first floor, Wyn came out and got back in to drive around to the side of the building. He put Sarah and Shiloh in the center room, and he and the enforcers split up to take the outer rooms. Once again Sarah realized they were setting themselves up to protect Shiloh, Summer and herself. She mentioned it to Shiloh as she was getting ready for bed. “Did you notice how they are always maneuvering to be in protective positions around all of us?” “Not us, Sarah—you and Summer. Grim told me that as the Alphaya, your protection was a high priority, and the Alpha made it clear to all of them while they were loading the truck earlier that he didn‟t want you unguarded at any time during the trip.” “Wow. That seems a little over the top, but for some reason over the top is a good thing in this instance. I really like feeling safe, Shi, and they‟ve made sure I feel that way.” “You know what else Grim told me?” “What?”

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“Pack takes care of pack. It‟s the Unity way.” Sarah smiled at that. She liked the Unity way. “So have you and the Alpha been able to do much talking?” “Yes, we started out talking about silly stuff we each did as kids. Then I got caught up asking tons of questions. I know he‟s probably sick of me, but I‟m really worried about this Alphaya thing. I don‟t want to disappoint the Alpha or the pack.” “Are you kidding? You won‟t. You‟re a born leader, Alphaya.” “Cut it out.” Sarah laughed, tossing a pillow that Shiloh easily ducked. *** While Grim was in the shower, Wyn called his Beta to check on things back home and to let him know about Sarah. “Your mate! Are you kidding me?” the other man asked in disbelief. “You know damn well I wouldn‟t kid about something like that.”

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Chazske Nakota knew him better than any other living being because they‟d known each other all of their lives. “Wow. Well, what‟s she like?” “Intelligent, beautiful, a loving mother and protective big sister. She‟s almost perfect.” “Almost?” He finally confided in Chaz about the attack. “She‟s still hurting, man. The scent of her fear almost drove me insane at first, but she‟s getting comfortable and the scent isn‟t as strong anymore.” “She knows she‟s your mate, right?” “No, I couldn‟t tell her. There‟s no way she would be here with me right now if I had tried to spring that on her. I did get her to agree to be the pack‟s acting Alphaya though.” “What the hell is an acting Alphaya? Pop is gonna have a fit.” “Tell that old paw I said to put a muzzle on it or I will. I don‟t want her getting skittish before she‟s had a chance to get to know me and see what living in a pack can be like.” Chaz‟s tone turned solemn when he said, “Don‟t hold your cards too long, brother. Some women don‟t like having the wool pulled over their eyes for any reason.”

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“Yeah, I know, but she‟s not ready for a mate. I‟m sure of that.” “What about the sister? What‟s she like?” “She‟s already bonding with Grim and the boys, if that tells you anything.” “Great, I‟ll probably have to spend a week undoing whatever mess they make of her.” “Don‟t count on it. She can hold her own. You‟ll have your hands full, but it will be because she‟s simply a handful. Gaillon did a good job of preparing them. Grim says Shiloh has asked all the right questions and displays basic knowledge about protocol and enforcer duties. As for Sarah, she‟s just as inquisitive, but she‟s more reserved than her sister. Her biggest concern so far has been shaming her father by doing something wrong.” “I hope you told her she can‟t do anything too bad around this bunch.” “I did tell her that, in not so many words.” “Yeah, well make sure you warn her about Pop too.” Wyn groaned. “Pop‟s enough to run off any sane woman. I don‟t know how Neenah puts up with him.” “She‟s in love with the old fool. All he‟s been talking about is how this makes us a real

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pack now and whether the babe will like him. I can‟t imagine his reaction when he finds out the babe‟s mother is our Alphaya.” “Yeah,” Wyn said, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. “I actually think Sarah might end up liking Pop best of all when she finds out his connection to her father. She adored him; they both did. I regret never training with him.” “Same here,” Chaz replied. “I wonder if the daughter is as good a tracker as the father.” “She has great potential, I think. You should have seen the way she greeted us yesterday. Sarah freaked at first, and Shiloh was at her side in no time, ready to defend her sister against four full-grown males almost twice her size. Hopefully Grim will get her prepared sufficiently for your sparkling personality.” “I‟m not that bad.” “Like hell you‟re not.” “Well maybe I am, but that‟s why our enforcers are the best. Anyway, what‟s your ETA?” “I don‟t want to tire Sarah too much because she‟s still nursing, so I‟m aiming for day after tomorrow.”

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“Understood. I‟ll have everything ready on this end.” “Is Leah still at home?” “Yeah, why?” Chaz asked cautiously. “I‟d like to have a party or something to introduce Sarah and Shiloh to everyone, and I think it would be nice for Neenah and Leah to be there.” “You‟re killing me.” “I know, but this is important. I need my Alphaya to get settled quickly. There‟s no telling when the next job might pop up and I‟ll have to leave her. Shiloh will be busy training constantly. She‟ll need to form a circle of friends she can depend on. Who better to include in that circle than our future Betaya?” “Don‟t get your hopes up about that yet. I may have waited too long. She‟s dating,” Chaz finished with a snarl. He was unable to contain the jealousy in his voice. “You let the girl have a crush on you since she was sixteen, then you tell her at nineteen that she‟s your mate only to ignore her for three years, and you don‟t expect her to be confused?” “You know my reasons.”

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“Yeah, but that doesn‟t mean I completely agree with them. I do understand a little better, though. One whiff of Sarah‟s scent and I knew. It was the strangest sensation. There was shock and fear radiating off her in waves when she opened the door yesterday, but all I smelled at first was her true scent. It was pure, sweet and perfect. Every muscle in my body seized up, and I swear I almost shifted right there on her porch.” “Damn, that‟s the feeling all right. You are good and mated.” “To a woman who wants nothing to do with mating.” Wyn sighed. *** The next morning they all had breakfast at the pancake house next door to their motel. After gassing up, their little caravan hit the road again. Whenever they stopped for gas, Wyn would buy fresh drinks and snacks to replenish the cooler he kept in the back. He noticed that with the exception of her morning coffee, Sarah usually only drank milk and water. He suspected it was because she was still breast-feeding and didn‟t want to put the

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wrong things in her mouth. Summer still slept a lot but wasn‟t a fussy baby when she was awake, unless her diaper needed changing or she was hungry. Late that afternoon Wyn got a call on his cell phone. “Yeah?” “What‟s this I hear about an Alphaya?” Pop asked. Wyn shook his head. He should have known Pop wouldn‟t be able to wait until he got home. “Ms. Eriksson has agreed to act as Unity‟s Alphaya temporarily.” “Temporarily! Did you fall and hit your head? Ain‟t no such thing as a temporary Alphaya.” “I know,” Wyn responded tightly as he glanced in the rearview mirror at Sarah. She was biting her bottom lip nervously and staring out the window to her left. The side of her neck was fully exposed, and he wondered what it would be like to kiss that spot right under her ear. “Or a temporary mate,” Pop continued. “I know,” Wyn repeated through gritted teeth. “Well, see that you don‟t forget it either. I don‟t plan on letting those girls be harmed. I

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owe their father my life. So you just be careful about this game you‟re playing. Besides, there ain‟t nothing much more dangerous to an Alpha than a pissed-off Alphaya.” “Yeah, I know that too,” he said. “All right then, since you know everything, I‟m gonna just sit back and watch the fireworks. In the meantime, I need to speak with the Alphaya.” “Pop,” he said in a warning tone. “Oh don‟t go getting all protective now. She‟s just an acting Alphaya, remember?” Wyn had to stop himself from crushing his phone in his fist. “Hang on, she‟s right here.” He passed the phone back to Sarah, saying, “This is Ellis Hargrave, the pack elder. He‟d like to talk with you, Alphaya.” Sarah took the phone tentatively. “Hello?” “Good evening, Alphaya, Pop here,” a cheery voice said. “I hope I‟m not disturbing you or the little one.” “No, of course not.” “Since your new home is not yet finished, the Alpha has set up two of his guest rooms to accommodate your family. I promised him I‟d have the fridge stocked for your arrival and just

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wanted to see if there‟s anything special you‟d like me to pick up. I understand you‟re still nursing your young and have to be careful of what you eat.” “Yes, but really I just try to eat healthy foods and stay away from alcohol. You don‟t have to pick up anything special on my account.” “Ask him to buy fresh milk,” Wyn said from the front seat. “Alpha Grey would like to make sure there‟s fresh milk, please.” “I‟ll see that it‟s taken care of. If you think of anything else, just give me a call. My number is stored in the Alpha‟s phone.” “Thank you.” “You‟re welcome, and goodnight, Alphaya.” “Goodnight, Mr. Hargrave.” “Please call me Pop—everyone does.” “All right then, goodnight, Pop.” She closed the phone and handed it back to Wyn. “He seems very nice.” “He‟s a pain in the ass,” Wyn said goodnaturedly, “but he‟s Unity‟s pain in the ass, and I wouldn‟t trade him for a dozen men half his age.”

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“How old is he?” “Not really sure because he won‟t tell anyone, but I‟m guessing around a hundred twentyish.” Sarah nodded as she reached for her phone, which was chiming to indicate a new text message. “My dad was a hundred and twenty-two years old when he died.” “I know. I should tell you, Pop knew Gaillon personally in their younger days.” “Really?!” Sarah asked with excitement. “When, how?” Wyn laughed. “I‟ll let you and Shiloh ask him yourselves when you meet him tomorrow.” *** Later when they stopped at another hotel, they were unable to get three rooms that were side-by-side. Instead there were two adjoining rooms on the first floor and a third room on the second level. Wyn and Grim took one adjoining room, putting Sarah and Shiloh in the other. The doors separating the two rooms remained closed but unlocked. Summer decided she didn‟t want to sleep, so Sarah stepped outside to give Shiloh some

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quiet time, also hoping the fresh air would help settle the restless infant. She had barely closed the door to her room when the door to Wyn‟s room opened and he stepped out—shirtless and barefoot. Damn, Sarah thought as she stared at his bare chest and strong arms. His chest was hairless, but there was a patch of dark hair that began at his navel and tapered down past his waistband. “Sarah, what are you doing?” “Summer doesn‟t want to sleep right now and I didn‟t want to keep Shiloh up, so I came out here to stretch my legs a bit and give her some fresh air. Why are you still awake?” “I couldn‟t sleep either,” he lied. He could damn sure use some sleep, but he had been unable to drift off as long as he could hear her moving about in her room as she tried to quiet her little one. He‟d nearly had a heart attack at the sound of her door opening and her moving outside. It was after two a.m., and they were quite literally in the middle of nowhere. He‟d signaled Grim to stay put and followed her outside. “May I hold her?” he asked. “Sure, she seems to like you a lot.” All of the enforcers continued to take turns holding

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and playing with Summer whenever they stopped. Wyn had explained that in a pack setting, children were a shared responsibility. Seeing these tough-as-hell men holding her daughter gently and looking at her as if she was a precious treasure had warmed her through and through. It had also slowly solidified the rightness of her choice. “I like her more,” he said with a wide smile as he took the gurgling baby and lifted her high above his head. “Hey, Princess, what‟s the big idea keeping Momma up so late, huh?” He kissed her forehead before cradling her against his chest. Summer snuggled against him, trying to get comfortable. Her little face inched toward his neck until her nose touched it. She sniffed him a couple of times before sticking her thumb in her mouth and sighing in contentment. Wyn smiled at her little ritual. Looking at Sarah, he said, “Come on, let‟s walk to the end of the building and back. That should get her to drift off.” They‟d grown comfortable talking to each other during the long spells in the truck together, but tonight they both remained silent as they walked, lost in their own thoughts.

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*** He caught Sarah stealing glances at him, but pretended not to notice. Though he‟d detected the scent of arousal, it was quickly overpowered by the scent of shame. Wyn wished he could kiss that shame away almost as much as he wished he could find the rogue who had attacked her. Sarah reached for Summer when they reached the room, but Wyn held back. “I‟ll lay her down.” When he moved to put her down, she began to fuss. To his surprise, she quieted immediately when he settled her against his chest. She wanted to be held—and she wanted to be held by him. “Tell you what,” he said to Sarah. “Go ahead and get some rest. Summer and I will have a seat over here,” he said as he moved to the other side of Sarah‟s bed where a chair and ottoman were set up. He laid Summer on his chest after sitting down. She sighed in that special way that meant she was comfortable, and Wyn closed his eyes. ***

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Sarah watched them for a moment before slipping off her flip-flops and sliding between the sheets in her baggy t-shirt and sweat pants. She curled on her side and watched Wyn and Summer. Goodness, he really was a gorgeous man. His long legs were crossed at the ankle, and his head was turned toward her. A sleepy smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she took in how comfortable her baby was with Wyn. It wasn‟t long before sleep took her as well.

CHAPTER THREE Waking the next morning, Sarah found Summer sleeping in her basinet and Wyn gone. She sat up slowly and looked at the door separating their rooms. “He only left about half an hour ago,” Shiloh said softly. Sarah avoided her sister‟s gaze, afraid Shiloh would see her disappointment. An hour later, after they were both dressed, a knock sounded at the door. Shiloh checked the peephole before opening the door to Wyn. He came in with bags of food. “Good morning, ladies. Breakfast is served.” He held up the paper bags and smiled. “Where‟s the rest of the gang?” Shiloh inquired. “Upstairs in the other room.” “Cool. Think they‟d mind if I joined them?” “I‟m betting they won‟t.” Shiloh turned to Sarah. “Will you be okay?” “Um, sure.” She knew that getting close to the other enforcers was important to Shiloh. As a former police officer, Shiloh would often

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rave about the brotherhood of police officers. Sarah imagined it had to be the same for enforcers. “Great.” Shiloh grabbed a coffee and breakfast sandwich and headed out like a kid rushing to the park to play with friends. Wyn stood in the open door quietly for a few moments until Grim‟s voice could be heard calling out, “Got her.” He closed the door and began setting the rest of the food out. “You don‟t have to babysit me. I know you didn‟t get a lot of rest last night.” “Are you kidding? Summer and I slept great. Besides, I wasn‟t trying to be your babysitter—I just thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to while I ate. If you prefer to be left alone, I‟ll go next door.” “Oh, no, please stay. I just didn‟t want to inconvenience you.” “Don‟t worry about that, Alphaya. I‟m used to the occasional inconvenience.” Sarah moved to the table and sat down. Opening her coffee, she took a sip before uncovering her food. “Mmm, this smells good.” “Well, it‟s edible for fast food. I‟ll have to make you real pancakes when we get home. I‟ve been told my blueberry pancakes are blueribbon good.”

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Her eyes lit up. “I love blueberry pancakes. I‟ll have to make one of my farmfresh omelets to go with your pancakes.” “Farm fresh?” “Yeah, everything you‟d normally find on a farm. Eggs, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, bell pepper, and steak.” “Damn, that sounds good. Especially the steak. Most people would use sausage or bacon.” She laughed at the longing on his face. “It is good, and I use steak because my father said wolves prefer cows over pigs. He used to bribe me with chocolate so I‟d make it for him. One of the few good things I remember about the day he died is getting up and making him one before he left to go fishing. I‟m so glad I did that instead of giving him a hard time.” “I‟m betting he really cherished you and Shiloh.” “We cherished him too.” “I hope to have that one day. It‟s the highest honor to have a mate and young who cherish you.” “I‟m actually surprised that you don‟t already have a mate. Is it true that some wolves

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wait half a lifetime to find that special someone?” “Very true. Unlike human hookups, there‟s more than emotions involved when a wolf finds his mate. The connection is more than just a physical joining of bodies or a mental connection of like minds. Also, a mate‟s scent is a unique aphrodisiac. Humans for the most part have suppressed all of those instincts.” “My father described finding my mother as earth shattering. Momma would joke that she had rocked his world with her walk, but he would say it wasn‟t her hips that had him chained, it was her scent.” “Oh, the scent is definitely the clincher,” Wyn said. Sarah didn‟t notice the way he inhaled her scent while she concentrated on cutting a piece of her sausage. She also missed the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his dick hardened against his zipper. “So the little princess is still asleep?” “Yeah, she hasn‟t even eaten yet this morning, which is unusual for her.” “Do you think she‟s ill?” “Oh no, I think she‟s just tired. I‟ve tried to keep her on a regular schedule, but the road

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trip might be affecting her more than I expected. Sleeping in the car is her very favorite thing to do, so when we stop for the night she doesn‟t need to sleep.” “Well, we‟ll be home later today, so hopefully she can get back on a regular schedule and you can get some rest too.” “Would you like me to drive some this morning? You didn‟t get much sleep last night.” “I don‟t need much sleep.” “I know, but it‟s been a long few days for you, and I don‟t mind.” “I‟m really okay. Shiloh‟s headed down, so we‟d better get ready to ride,” he said as he chugged the last of his coffee and cleared away their meal. Shiloh stepped into the room a second later and looked between the two of them. “Is everything okay?” “Everything‟s fine,” she and Wyn said simultaneously. Sarah ducked her head while Wyn continued with, “I was just telling your sister it‟s time to pull out.” ***

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They arrived at Unity just after four p.m. The compound was almost five miles off the main road down an unmarked dirt lane. Slowly the trees started thinning out as a clearing came into view. It was like crossing into another time. Suddenly the road was paved as they passed through what looked like an old town square with a fountain in the center. On the other side of the fountain was a main street lined with old businesses on each side. The business district suddenly melted away as beautiful old homes appeared on each side of the street instead. Various styles of architecture were represented, with Victorian being the predominant one. Sarah was nearly bouncing in her seat at the sight of all the old homes yet to be refurbished. “Oh my God, this is wonderful.” “Glad you like it. It‟s an old mining town that fell into disrepair after being deserted. The pack purchased it three years ago.” Sarah noticed a large group of people gathered in front of one of the houses. “What are those buildings down there?” she asked, indicating several more modern buildings set apart from the houses.

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“The firing range and training buildings for the enforcers are on the left. The storehouse is on the right. We store food for the rough winters because sometimes getting to town is next to impossible.” “Is that your house where the crowd is gathered?” “Afraid so—looks like there‟s a welcoming committee. I should‟ve warned you of the possibility,” Wyn said as they pulled to a stop. There were more men coming out of a house directly across the street. “That‟s your place over there,” Wyn told her as he turned in his seat to look back at her. “Look, I know this crowd might make you uncomfortable, but please trust me when I tell you they won‟t harm you. Having an Alphaya is a very big deal to all of them. They just want to make you feel welcome. I won‟t leave your side. Okay?” “Okay,” she said as she leaned over and lifted Summer out of her car seat. Already she heard him greeting the boisterous bunch. She looked out of the back window and was grateful to see Shiloh heading toward the Suburban. Wyn opened her door and held her waist as she slid out of the backseat. “Don‟t be nervous,” he whispered again as he pulled her

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against his side, putting his arm around her shoulder. A tall blond man with a movie starperfect smile and dark blue eyes stepped forward. He was as tall as Wyn, with his thick hair cut into a short style that tapered at the nape of his neck. His eyes were sharp and assessing. Sarah was struck by the similarities in Wyn‟s and Chaz‟s facial structure. They could pass for brothers. In fact, there was a similarity so strong Sarah couldn‟t help but wonder if they were indeed related in some way. “Alphaya, I‟d like to present Chazske Nakotah, your Beta. Chaz, this is your Alphaya, Sarah Eriksson, daughter of Gaillon Eriksson.” Chaz nodded in greeting, “Welcome home, Alphaya.” “Thank you, Beta Nakotah,” she replied. “You honor me, Alphaya, but please just call me Chaz.” Wyn turned slightly to indicate Shiloh. “Chaz, let me present the Alphaya‟s sister, Enforcer Shiloh Eriksson.” “I‟m honored to meet you, Beta Nakotah,” Shiloh said. After spending a few moments looking Shiloh over from head to toe, Chaz nodded in approval. “Welcome home, Enforcer Eriksson.”

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Wyn guided Sarah to his front porch followed by Chaz and Shiloh. Next, Wyn leaned down and whispered to Sarah, “I need to hold Summer for a few moments. It‟s going to get really loud in a moment, but I‟ll keep her ears covered.” Handing the baby to him, she watched as Summer smiled sleepily as she rubbed her chubby cheek against the palm of his big hand. Facing the gathered group, Wyn spoke, “Unity, today we celebrate the arrival of our three newest pack mates, but more importantly, we celebrate the arrival of Unity‟s Alphaya.” Sarah was startled as all the men erupted in deafening howls. Even with her little ears covered, Summer‟s eyes widened at the loud noise, but she didn‟t cry. She put her thumb in her mouth and turned her face into Wyn‟s chest as if those two things were all the protection and comfort she needed. When the last of the howls had died down, Chaz stepped forward. In a loud voice he called out, “Enforcers!” More than half the men gathered moved forward to form two rows in front of the porch. Grim stood dead center of the first row and

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indicated that Shiloh should join the group, which she did. Wyn switched Summer‟s position in his arms so that she was cradled in his left arm as he wrapped his right arm around Sarah‟s shoulders and pulled her close. Sarah blinked when she saw the look that briefly crossed his face before he turned to look forward. Her father had often looked at her mother that same way, as if she was the most precious gift he had ever received. She told herself that she must have imagined it. Wyn didn‟t know her well enough to look at her with that level of emotion, she assured herself silently as she too turned to face the group gathered before them. Chaz continued, “I present for your protection, our Alphaya and her young.” The group of enforcers put their fists over their hearts and said in unison, “With my own life.” The rest of the men howled in approval. Sarah glanced over at Summer, but amazingly, she remained asleep. Chaz turned to them and put his fist over his heart before saying, “With my own life.” The emotions that played across his face confused Sarah. His oath seemed to carry a deeper weight. Sarah guessed it was because as

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the Beta, he felt personally responsible for their protection. *** “Ladies, welcome to my home,” Wyn said as he led Sarah and Shiloh inside. They entered a hallway with a home office and staircase to the right and a large living room to the left. Through the living room Sarah could see an arched doorway that must lead to a dining room. The hall led to the kitchen and the back door of the house. He escorted them upstairs and showed them to the two guest rooms that would be theirs until their home was completed. There was a bathroom between the rooms that she and Shiloh would share. There was also a beautiful wicker bassinet in Sarah‟s room. “My room is right across the hall along with a smaller guest room,” he informed them. “Thank you for opening your home to us,” Sarah said. “Yes, Alpha, it‟s an honor to be a guest in your home.” “The honor is mine. I‟m just sorry we couldn‟t get your home ready in time, but at

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least there‟s plenty of time for you to pick your own paint colors and flooring.” Sarah‟s face lit up at the idea. “I can‟t wait.” “That‟s her job,” Shiloh mumbled. “I‟ll go get your bags so you can get settled,” he said as he handed Summer to Sarah. “Hello up there!” someone called out. “Oh God,” Wyn groaned, turning back to them with an apologetic grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. A smiling older man and woman strode up the stairs. He had curly black hair that was neatly trimmed and graying at the temples. His cheeks sported deep dimples, and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief. He reminded Sarah of their father. Same build, same easy manner and the same underlying sense of restrained power that old age had done nothing to minimize. His female companion was a full-figured Native American woman with sassy dripping from her pores. Her black hair was pulled back in a braided ponytail that only accentuated the gray streak that ran from just above her right temple. She smiled brightly at the sight of the women standing at the top of the stairs.

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“Alphaya, Enforcer Eriksson, may I present our pack elder, Ellis Hargrave, and a dear friend to Unity, Ms. Neenah BigRiver. Pop, Neenah, these are our newest pack mates, Alphaya Sarah Eriksson and her sister, Enforcer Shiloh Eriksson.” “I‟m so pleased to meet you both,” Neenah said, stepping forward to shake Sarah‟s hand before turning and shaking Shiloh‟s. She turned back to Sarah and gushed, “Let me look at this beautiful baby.” “Wait just a minute, woman, you‟re interfering with proper etiquette,” Pop huffed. Neenah turned on Pop with one hand on her hip. “What on earth are you babbling about, Ellis?” “Since you took your sweet time finding the right frock,” he said while waving his hand to indicate the embroidered dress Neenah was wearing, “I missed the Alphaya‟s arrival. I ain‟t said my oath yet.” “Oh for goodness‟ sake,” she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Wynter, please let this old fool say his oath so I can hold this precious baby.” “Wynter!” Sarah and Shiloh said at the same time.

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“Her name is Summer, so hold the laughs,” Wyn said as he rubbed a hand down his face. “Enforcer Hargrave, I present for your protection our Alphaya and her young.” Pop stepped forward, nudging Neenah out of the way so he could stand in front of Sarah. He sank to one knee and bowed his head before repeating the oath of protection. Sarah looked at Wyn, confused. “That‟s the old way of doing it. Pop‟s a stickler for tradition on most things.” “Not everything, though,” Pop said as he stood up swiftly. “I for one think it‟s about damn time we had us a female enforcer. There‟s stuff she can do and places she can go that can‟t no male come close to.” “You watch your language in front of this baby,” Neenah admonished him. “We don‟t want her first word to be a cuss.” “Any child or grandchild of Gaillon Eriksson ain‟t got a problem hearing an occasional cuss. Tell me something,” he asked Sarah and Shiloh in a mischievous whisper, “was your father still fond of saying „damn it all to hell‟ when he was confused or upset by something?”

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Both women burst out laughing as they nodded. “Yep, these are Gaillon‟s girls all right. That son of a gun said he was from Norway, but he had an Irish temper, I tell you. One of these days I‟ll tell you girls about the time your daddy singlehandedly stormed a German pub during World War I ‟cause he wanted a good glass of beer. Damnedest thing I ever did see, and we were still pups back then.” “Lordy, give me this baby before Ellis totally corrupts her,” Neenah said, taking Summer. The child looked at the new face smiling at her and promptly smiled right back while waving her arms enthusiastically. “Hello there, darling, I‟ve been anxiously awaiting your arrival. I know I‟m not your grandmother, but I promise to try and do your grandma proud when it comes to spoiling you rotten.” Another smile, and then Summer put her thumb back in her mouth. “She‟s just a sweetheart,” Neenah gushed. “Thank you,” Sarah said with a wide smile. “Okay, give me that baby,” Pop said suddenly. “I knew you would try to be her favorite.” Pop took Summer in his arms and

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held her on his shoulder. She scooted until she could press her nose to his neck and inhale. Clutching at his shirt, she took several more breaths and then let go to pop her thumb back into her mouth. Chaz appeared on the stairs carrying suitcases in each hand. “Figured I‟d better get these to your guests in case they decided to change out of their traveling clothes.” “Thanks. I was heading out to do it before I was interrupted,” Wyn said, tilting his head toward Pop. “Hope the Alphaya gave you the devil for missing her arrival,” Chaz said grumpily to Pop. “She did no such thing. The Alphaya is too nice for that, unlike you two heathens.” Sarah tried not to laugh as Pop winked at her and Wyn and Chaz growled threateningly. “Ellis, bring that baby in here so she can rest,” Neenah said as she lead the way into Sarah‟s room. “I was just doing that,” he lied with a smile. ***

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Later that evening, Sarah walked into the kitchen to find Wyn preparing soup and sandwiches. She carried Summer in one arm and a bottle in the other. Opening the fridge, she put the bottle inside before turning to Wyn. “That smells good.” “French onion soup.” “One of my favorites.” “Mine too. Will Shiloh be coming back to join us?” “No, she said she wanted to hang with the enforcers tonight. They were all going to Chaz‟s house for some big baseball game.” “Okay. Would you like to eat inside or outside?” “Outside would be great. I‟ll run back up and get Summer‟s chair.” Minutes later she walked through the back door onto a redwood deck. Wyn was lighting citronella torches while dinner sat on the glass-top table covered with paper towels. He told her more about the pack structure as they enjoyed their evening meal. Sarah learned that although there were no mated pairs in the pack yet, Pop had once been mated. They also discussed Fairview and Sidney, the two closest towns. Sarah was

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looking forward to exploring both towns before the harsh Montana winter had a chance to settle in. When Summer woke up fussing to be fed, Sarah said goodnight and headed upstairs.

CHAPTER FOUR Sarah woke up later than normal the next morning but felt refreshed. She‟d had another nightmare-free night and was hoping the streak would continue. Since her attack, she‟d been battling regular nightmares, but she hadn‟t had a single bad dream since Wyn and his enforcers had arrived in Georgia. Maybe that was a good omen or just proof of what a good job her new Alpha had done of making her feel safe and protected. Whatever the case, she‟d take as many more nightmare-free nights as she could get. Not in a big hurry, she took her time getting herself and Summer dressed. “How do you like our new home so far?” she asked as she savored this leisure time with her little girl. Summer smiled in response. “I like it too. Let‟s go see what your Aunt Shiloh has planned for this morning. Maybe she‟ll go out back with us to explore the Alpha‟s nice yard.” Sarah was just about to knock on Shiloh‟s door when Shiloh emerged. While her curly

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hair was still damp, Shiloh was clearly dressed to go out. “Where are you headed to so early?” she asked. “Downstairs to meet with the Alpha and then down the street to meet with the Beta.” “Wow, that sounds like a power-packed first morning. Makes me feel kinda crappy about my plans.” “Yeah? What were you two about to get into?” Shiloh asked as she reached out and took Summer into her arms for a round of loud kisses. “We were thinking of going out back to explore the yard for a bit, and then maybe a stroll down to the fountain and back. After three days in the backseat of the Suburban, we‟re both ready for a little outdoor adventure.” “Ohhh, sounds like quite an adventure you‟ve got planned there,” Shiloh teased as they made their way down the stairs. “Shut up.” At the bottom of the stairs, Shiloh handed over Summer before heading to Wyn‟s office. Sarah watched as she knocked. She heard Wyn‟s deep voice before Shiloh opened the door and stepped inside. When the door

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closed, Sarah turned and slowly moved toward the kitchen. *** Although Shiloh was an enforcer, Wyn stood when she entered his office. Pointing out a seat, he waited until she was seated before settling back into his chair. “Thank you for coming. How‟s Sarah feeling today?” “She seems fine this morning. She and Summer are checking out your backyard as we speak.” Wyn nodded. “I wanted to speak with you privately because I feel the need to ask you a very difficult question.” “You want to know what happened to Sarah?” “Yes. You gave a decent overview in our written correspondence, but I need to know the whole story.” Shiloh nodded in understanding. “I smelled your scent changing the day you showed up at our house. I‟ve also seen the way you watch her. You‟re very attracted to her.” “I‟m not just attracted to her. Your sister is my mate.”

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Shiloh didn‟t look surprised by his statement, just sad. “She probably won‟t accept a mating.” “Yet, but rest assured that I have no intention of forcing myself on her. I could feel her pain and fear. I want to know who caused it.” “I wish I knew the answer,” she said fiercely. “He would be dead now if I did.” “So we agree on something,” he said in a dangerous tone. “What‟s that?” she asked carefully. “Anyone who harms her dies.” “Definitely.” Shiloh gazed at him fiercely before lowering her eyes out of respect. After taking a deep breath, she began to relay a story he suspected that she hadn‟t discussed with anyone else. Though she wasn‟t his mate, he sensed her relief at the opportunity to get it off her chest. “Sarah was attacked by a rogue wolf almost a year ago. I‟d gone back to Atlanta to finalize the sale of my house there. We‟ve encountered our kind before, but my father was always around, and he was a formidable man. This time he wasn‟t around, and neither was I. Sarah‟s always been strong both mentally and

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physically. She‟s the glue that held our family together when my mother died, and my father had always insisted we both know how to defend ourselves. He trained us to fight and to shoot. Even still, she‟s no competition against a full-grown male wolf in hand-to-hand combat. She tried, though, bless her heart. That bastard beat her to within an inch of her life, raped her and left her for dead.” Wyn sat with his fists resting on his knees. His entire body burned with the desire to shift and hunt down the unknown rogue. He gritted his teeth in an effort to keep the growl rumbling through his chest from escaping. The urge to rip someone apart was almost overwhelming. Shiloh finally continued, “Afterwards, to add insult to injury, he went to the local bar and bragged about what an easy piece of ass she was while he enjoyed a few beers. We grew up in that town, and now everyone was whispering behind her back and making accusations about Sarah‟s character. Even her best friend, the same woman who found her beaten and bloody, stopped speaking to her because of pressure from her jerk husband. Sarah was not only heartbroken from the

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betrayal of old friends, her spirit was broken by that worthless animal. “It was already such a nightmare for her, and then she found out that she was pregnant. She held on to the thought of that innocent baby growing inside her. It was what got her through the darkest times. I‟d been trying to convince her that joining a pack might be good for both of us, but she wouldn‟t hear of it until the night she gave birth to Summer. Suddenly she was terrified that he would come back through those parts and find out that not only did she survive, but she‟d given birth to his child, and he would try to finish what he started. She asked me to find a pack that would accept us. “Our father left instructions about how to seek out the protection of a pack should it become necessary, so I‟d already been doing my research on packs. I knew that Unity was going to be the only choice because it was the only pack that would accept Sarah. That‟s why I wrote you” Wyn nodded. “And you have no clue who the rogue may have been?” “None. Best I can tell, he just happened upon our land and broke into the house while

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Sarah was in the shower. I tried to find a trace of him while Sarah was in the hospital but had no luck. I did get his scent, though. The bastard had the nerve to clean up before he left.” She looked away, he guessed so he wouldn‟t see the angry tears gathering in her eyes. “Thank you for sharing all of that with me. I took one look at your sister and knew that my urge to claim her immediately had to be controlled. Besides the obvious scent of her fear, there was pain in her eyes. I‟m glad I followed my gut. The last thing I want is my mate hating me because I scared the hell out of her.” “Be patient and give her some more time to heal and to get to know you. There‟s no better woman to have at your side as your Alphaya, and I‟m not just saying that because she‟s my sister. She‟s genuinely a great person and smart as a whip. She didn‟t deserve what happened to her, no one does, but the worst part for me has been seeing that haunted look in her eyes sometimes when she looks at Summer. That baby means the world to her. Her greatest fear is not being able to protect her. I want her to feel safe again.”

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“And I want my mate to be happy and whole. We‟ll work together to make all of that happen. Deal?” “Deal.” “Okay, one last thing. I‟d like to arrange a get-together this evening so you can both have a chance to meet the rest of the pack again, but something tells me she might get uncomfortable if males crowd her too much. Any suggestions on the best way to handle it?” “No matter what she‟s going to feel uncomfortable, but she‟s determined not to be a burden or seem weak, so she‟ll fight through it. She‟s had a chance to grow comfortable with you, Grim, Kota and Tango. She also seemed really comfortable with Pop and Neenah. Between the seven of us, if there‟s always someone she feels comfortable with at her side, she‟ll probably be all right. It might also help to do something outdoors so she doesn‟t feel closed in.” “Okay, I can make sure all of that happens. I‟ll ask the others to be discreet about it so she won‟t feel like she‟s being babied. Let‟s aim for six o‟clock so there will be plenty of sunlight left. And just so you know, I plan on sharing what you‟ve told me with Chaz, but no

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one else at this time. Beyond the three of us, I‟d like to give Sarah the opportunity to share it with who she wants, when she wants.” “They‟ll be able to sense and smell her fear. Hopefully, they‟ll give her space.” “I‟ll deal with anyone who doesn‟t.” Shiloh nodded. “Thanks again for coming. I understand you have a meeting with Chaz today as well.” “Yes, I‟m headed there next.” “Well, better plan on it being a long day. I have a feeling he‟s going to throw you right into the frying pan.” She smiled at the thought. “I sure hope so,” she said, leaving his office and heading out the front door. Wyn stood and moved to the doorway of his study as Shiloh left. Sarah‟s scent called to him, and he followed it to the kitchen where the back door stood open. He stood in the doorway and watched through the screen door as she walked around the spacious yard with Summer in her arms, softly talking to the child. Suddenly he understood exactly what her father must have felt all those years ago when he stumbled upon her mother.

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His mate…his child…his family. It didn‟t matter to him that he was not Summer‟s biological father. According to the laws of his people, the rogue had no claim to either mother or child by virtue of the crime committed against the mother. As Sarah‟s mate, Wyn had the option to claim her young as his own, and he fully intended to claim Summer as his daughter just as surely as he claimed her mother as his Alphaya. Movement at the side of the house caught his attention a split second before a familiar voice called out, “Good morning, Alphaya! Good morning, Little One.” Pop walked leisurely into the yard carrying a huge box wrapped in brightly colored paper. Sarah turned toward him in surprise then smiled warily while glancing to the house as if trying to determine just how far away from it she was. When she spotted him walking through the door, she relaxed noticeably. Wyn noted her response, and it pleased him. Her sister was right—she‟d grown comfortable with him. Her trust filled him with pride. Mates should trust each other. It was

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something he‟d never seen between his own parents. “Morning, Old Paw,” he called out to Pop. “Morning, pup,” the old man called back playfully as he sat his burden down on the large patio table. “Come on over here, Alphaya, I‟ve got a surprise for the little one,” he called out. As soon as Sarah got close to them, he reached for Summer. “There‟s my favorite girl. Now don‟t you go telling Neenah I said that, ‟cause she‟s liable to get jealous,” he said playfully to the baby. “She‟s truly perfect, Alphaya,” he added reverently as he smiled down at Summer. Pop ran his fingers under the baby‟s bare foot and said, “Guess what, honey? Pop‟s got you a gift courtesy of the Alpha.” Looking at Wyn, he said, “I think you‟re going to love the one I chose.” “What‟s this?” Sarah asked, also looking at Wyn. “Open it and see,” he said before taking a sip of coffee to try and cover his smile. “No, y‟all both open it together,” Pop countered. “Y‟all are Alpha and Alphaya. No time like the present to learn how to work as a team.”

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She turned to Wyn, and he shrugged casually as he put his coffee on the table next to the big box. “I‟ll hold it steady while you unwrap it.” Sarah gasped in surprise as she tore the paper from the box to reveal a picture of a fancy stroller. She looked at Wyn questioningly. He shrugged and said, “I noticed when we were putting everything in the truck that you didn‟t have one, so I called Pop and asked him to pick one up.” “I can‟t take no credit at all, Alphaya. Leah picked it out,” Pop chimed in while making silly faces at Summer. “Leah?” “Neenah‟s granddaughter,” Wyn explained. “Most of the compound has sidewalks so you can walk around as much as you like without having to hold her all the time. She‟s gonna start getting too heavy real soon the way she eats.” Sarah ducked her head and pretended to examine the box, but Wyn wasn‟t fooled. Her scent told him everything he needed to know about how she felt. “Please tell me this thing is already assembled,” he said as he turned to Pop.

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“Better be, or I‟m gonna skin that sales guy alive. He said it should just come out of the box ready to roll. You want to take a ride, honey?” he asked Summer, who smiled happily at him while waving her hands and kicking her feet enthusiastically. “I think that‟s a yes,” Sarah said. *** Sarah looked around at all the houses they passed as they walked along the sidewalk. The farther they got from Wyn‟s house, the more unoccupied houses they passed. Several men were out, all seeming to be busy at various tasks like mowing yards and painting. The sound of hammers and saws being put to use filled the air. Their little pack was working hard to make Unity a nice place to live. No one approached them, but everyone acknowledged them with a wave or a nod as they passed, and several men called out greetings. “Do you like what you see so far?” Wyn asked her. “Yes, actually.” “You sound surprised.”

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“I am. I didn‟t know what to expect from an all-male pack so I guess I just prepared myself for the worst.” “Well, we are definitely a rough and rowdy bunch,” Pop said. “But most of ‟em are looking to a future that includes finding a mate one day and raising families, so it‟s important that we make this place livable. “We‟ve been working hard these last three years to get things going around here. It‟s tough sometimes when we have outside jobs pulling us away for weeks at a time, but it makes coming home something to look forward to.” “Looks like you‟re all doing a good job of it.” “We‟ve got a good pack here, Alphaya. The Alpha has made sure of that. He don‟t just let any old scallywag in, you know.” “I bet he doesn‟t,” she said, coughing to cover her laugh. Sarah didn‟t think she had ever heard anyone use the word “scallywag” in real life. “There‟s my place over there.” Pop indicated a house across the street. “Your garden is beautiful,” Sarah gushed with delight.

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“Thank you. Neenah helped me get it just right.” “She was really sweet. Does she visit often?” “Few times a week,” Wyn said. “She and Leah will both be coming tonight for dinner.” “She‟s a gem when she‟s not worrying the stew outta me,” Pop said. “Is she wolf?” “No, she‟s a squaw,” Pop said with a straight face. Wyn nearly choked as Sarah looked between the two of them. “She hates when I call her that,” Pop said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Yet you do it anyway?” “Yep. Gotta give her something to fuss about cause I‟m darn near perfect.” Sarah shook her head and laughed. “Sounds like you might be sweet on her, Pop.” “Shame on you, Alphaya. That‟s a married woman.” “She‟s a widow and you‟re a widower, so stop trying to claim adultery. You are sweet on her, you old liar,” Wyn teased. “Not one bit,” Pop countered.

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Sarah laughed at the haughty face he used to cover his amusement. There was a time when she got great joy out of playing matchmaker. Maybe Pop and Neenah could be her new distraction. “Come on, I want to show you this one,” Wyn said as he guided her up the driveway of a huge Victorian-style house. “It‟s going to be my new pet project once your place is finished.” *** Later that night a knock sounded at Sarah‟s bedroom door as she dressed for the cookout that was already in full swing out back. “It‟s me,” Shiloh called out from the hall. “Come on in.” Shiloh strolled in wearing a clean enforcer uniform and a wide grin. She headed straight for the bed where Summer lay in the clean outfit Sarah had just put on her. “Hey there, pretty girl. Did you miss me today?” “She didn‟t have time to miss you. We‟ve been exploring the compound in her fancy new ride.” “I saw that baby BMW downstairs. Where‟d it come from?”

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“A gift from Wyn.” “Oh,” Shiloh said. “A gift from Wyn,” she repeated conspiringly to the baby, who smiled happily at her aunt. “Shut up. He‟s just trying to make us feel at ease.” “Of course he is. I told you, there are more wolves like Dad than there are rogues.” “I know, and I keep telling myself that too. That‟s why I wanted to get out a bit. I need to find some way to help out. I don‟t want to be just the weak human girl everyone pities.” “First of all, you‟re the Alphaya. No one‟s going to pity you. Second, you‟re the Alphaya,” she said again, putting more emphasis on the title. “That is your job. Like it or not, big sister, you‟re the first lady of this pack. Just start doing the things a first lady does. You‟ll become more and more aware of the needs of the pack as you spend more time with them.” “You‟re right. I think Summer and I will try taking a walk every day to get familiar with the compound and all of our pack mates.” “I can‟t believe a second ago you were worried about being pitied. Anyone who takes a minute to get to know you won‟t pity you— they‟ll run for their lives,” Shiloh joked. “If the

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Alpha isn‟t careful, you‟ll have this pack running like a well-oiled machine in no time.” “I don‟t think he‟ll be too worried. The pack already runs that way. Everyone is doing something except me. Speaking of which, how goes the new job, Enforcer Eriksson?” “Great. Dad taught us a lot, but there‟s still so much I didn‟t know about the job of an enforcer and pack protocol. The Beta is one of the best trackers around. So is our Alpha. Man, these guys could track an ant for ten miles,” she said with clear admiration. “How are the other enforcers treating you?” “I was a little worried about that most of the day. They weren‟t mean to me or anything, but they treated me like I was made out of porcelain. These guys were bred to protect females, and it‟s hard for them to treat me like one of the guys. I think I made some leeway tonight though when I put Grim on his ass. Twice,” she said with pride, holding up two fingers. Sarah arched an eyebrow and looked at her sister in disbelief. “You did not.” “Hell yeah I did. We were practicing a few basic hand-to-hand moves, and the Beta

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just wanted to see what I was made of. Grim volunteered to play the aggressor, and I was able to get the drop on him twice. Impressed the hell out of the rest of the guys.” “It impresses the hell out of me. Grim‟s no lightweight, kiddo. Be careful. I don‟t want you getting hurt.” “I won‟t. I can‟t afford to get hurt ‟cause I wouldn‟t be able to play with my favorite girl,” she said as she gently stroked Summer‟s cheek. Shiloh glanced at the closed bedroom door and said, “The Alpha‟s headed this way.” Promptly at six o‟clock a knock sounded. “Almost ready,” Sarah called out. “Summer needs a few more minutes to decide what to wear,” Shiloh said before covering her mouth to muffle her giggles. A deep chuckle sounded out in the hall that had Sarah warming from head to toe. “Are you sure it‟s Summer that needs more time, Enforcer?” “Okay, it‟s Summer‟s Mom,” Sarah said. “We‟ll be down in five minutes, I promise.” “Take your time, Alphaya. I suspect most of the pack would gladly wait all night for a chance to see you again.”

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*** The sound of music and loud voices—lots of voices—filled the backyard. One by one, the voices were silenced as everyone‟s attention turned to the backdoor where Sarah now stood, gazing out into the yard with Shiloh at her back. Anyone who was sitting stood respectfully. Sarah was glad she had Summer in her arms so she couldn‟t wring her hands nervously. Tonight felt like make or break time. She hadn‟t really been able to talk to many people today because everyone was busy. Now they were all gathered and looking expectantly to the doorway where she stood. Wyn walked over and extended his hand to help her down the three stairs that led from the back door to the huge redwood deck. Below the deck the yard was filled with lawn chairs of varying colors. Shiloh leaned forward and whispered, “Relax—I‟ve got your back.” Sarah nodded but couldn‟t help the light sheen of perspiration that popped up on her forehead. She reached out with her free hand and grasped Wyn‟s hand as she took the stairs

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slowly. Once on the deck, she was surprised when he didn‟t let her hand go as he led her and Shiloh around, introducing them to everyone. When he moved to the stairs that would lead down into the yard, Sarah winced as the arm holding Summer started going to sleep. “Are you okay?” “No, I need to switch arms. You‟re right about Summer getting heavy.” “Give her to me,” he said, stopping midway down the stairs to turn and take the baby from her. He cradled Summer in one arm before reclaiming her hand. “How‟s that?” “Better, thank you,” she said shyly. Chaz walked over and greeted them. “Can I get you ladies...” His voice trailed off as something on the deck caught his attention. Sarah and Shiloh both turned to see Pop walking out onto the deck with a large serving tray followed by Neenah, who also carried a tray of food. Behind them a beautiful young woman stepped onto the deck, carrying a clear drink dispenser filled with what looked like fresh limeade. She had straight silky hair like Neenah‟s, but hers was a deep brown with hints of red streaked through it. Her laughing dark

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eyes seemed to be searching for something— until they landed on Chaz. Maybe Pop and Neenah weren‟t the only match to be made, Sarah thought as she glanced back at Chaz. “I‟m sorry we‟re late!” Pop called out to Wyn. “You won‟t be mad when you taste what I made.” “What we made,” Neenah corrected him. “Well all right, I guess you helped. Come on—let me present Leah to the Alphaya.” They joined the rest of the group on the stairs, and Pop introduced Leah to both herself and Shiloh. “It‟s nice to meet you both,” Leah said warmly. “Oh, let me have that baby,” Neenah said to Wyn. “You‟ll squish her in those big arms of yours.” “I haven‟t squished her yet. She likes my big arms, don‟t you, Princess?” “Not as much at the Alphaya probably does, I‟m betting.” Sarah ducked her head as her cheeks flamed, and Shiloh coughed to cover a laugh. “I‟ll check with the Alphaya later and get back to you,” he joked smoothly.

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“Oh, you,” Neenah said, swatting him away as she moved back up the stairs to sit down with Summer. “Come on, Leah. I‟m introducing Sarah and Shiloh to the pack, and I‟m sure they‟d both love the company of another woman.” “I‟m gonna go check on things at the grills,” Chaz mumbled while making a hasty exit. Shiloh watched him curiously before glancing at Leah. The other woman was watching Chaz‟s departure with a lovelorn look on her face. Wyn continued to lead the group around the yard. When he caught Sarah glancing up at the deck, he leaned in to whisper, “Neenah and Pop will take good care of her.” She blinked in surprise before smiling and turning back to the group of men they were talking to. Chaz walked over and said, “Alpha, the food is ready. The men would like to serve you and the Alphaya first.” “Of course.” As a group they moved to the grills and tables set up at the rear of the yard. There was chicken and beef grilling along with various

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vegetables and whole potatoes. Once their plates were filled, Wyn led the group back to the deck, where they took seats at the large dining table. “Neenah, let me take the baby so you can go get a plate,” Sarah offered. “No, Alphaya, you must eat too.” “I‟ll go get her stroller,” Wyn offered. “She can sit in it while you both eat.” “Thank you,” Sarah said. “May I hold her, Gram?” Leah asked. “ Leah‟s been babysitting since she was in ninth grade. Now she‟s a college graduate about to start her first job as a teacher,” Neenah said as she handed Summer over. “That‟s great, Leah. What grade will you be teaching?” Sarah asked. “First grade. I‟m really excited to finally be through with school and starting my first real teaching job.” “That sounds like it would be so much fun.” “Well, little people definitely won‟t let you have too many dull moments.” “No, I bet they won‟t.” “Leah‟s got herself a job at one of the best private schools in Texas,” Pop said proudly.

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When Wyn returned with Summer‟s stroller, Leah strapped her in so he could wheel her around to her side. “Thanks again.” “I aim to please, Alphaya.” The conversation around the table flowed comfortably. Around the yard males sat in clusters talking and eating. The food was mouthwatering, and she savored the delicious piece of prime rib Wyn had placed on her plate earlier. Sarah found herself relaxing and really enjoying the first social function she‟d attended in a year. *** Wyn watched Sarah enjoy another bite of her steak. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as she made the act of eating suddenly seem very erotic. Her full lips had a naturally rosy tint to them, and she‟d added something to make them shimmer in the moonlight. The thought of kissing those lips had his dick jumping in his pants Wyn was praying he could maintain his control as Sarah adjusted to her new surroundings. It was torture to be so close to

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her and not be able to touch her. He wanted to steal away and kiss her until she was breathless, and then fuck her until she was senseless. Her intoxicating scent kept him in a constant state of drunken arousal. “Damn,” he mumbled as his dick jumped painfully again. “Did you say something?” she asked. “No,” he lied. Looking up, he frowned darkly as he caught Pop watching him with knowing amusement.

CHAPTER FIVE They spent another three hours meeting everyone and exchanging small talk. Just as she was trying to cover a third yawn, Wyn stepped to her side, “I think it‟s time to get you inside.” “But everyone‟s still having a good time.” “I know, but no one wants to leave until we do, Sarah.” “Oh,” Sarah said as understanding dawned in her mind. Her father had once told her that Wolf protocol said an evening of celebration didn‟t end until the hosts brought it to an end. Sarah walked over and retrieved Summer, who was happily sleeping in Pop‟s arms. “I better get her to bed.” “Very good, Alphaya,” he said, standing. “I‟ll get these ladies home safely and see you tomorrow.” “Hang on, Pop,” Chaz called, “I‟ll ride with you.” “Never doubted that you would,” Pop said with a laugh as he guided Neenah into the house.

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Sarah swore she heard Chaz growl as he moved in behind Leah and followed her inside. Turning to Wyn, she whispered, “Is there something going on with Chaz and Leah?” “Yes and no, Alphaya,” he answered with a shake of his head. “Yes and no.” Sarah frowned at his answer but didn‟t push for more. “Hey,” Shiloh called as she passed her, “do you mind if I go out with some of the enforcers for a few hours?” “Tonight?” “Nope, two weeks from tomorrow. Duh, yes tonight. Wyn will be here, at least I guess he will,” she said, turning to Wyn with a pointed look. “I‟m not planning on going out tonight,” he said smoothly. “I‟ll pull guard duty if Sarah‟s okay with that.” “Yes, of course,” Sarah said to him with more confidence than she felt. “I‟ll be fine,” she said to her sister. “Have fun, but be good.” “I‟m always good, sis.” “You‟re not even a good liar,” Sarah said, shaking her head as she continued into the house.

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Wyn led her upstairs and opened her bedroom door. “Thanks,” she said as she moved past him. She felt a tingle of awareness as her arm brushed against his firm stomach. She almost swore she heard him suck in a quick breath. He stayed in the open doorway and watched as she got Summer ready for bed. She lifted the still sleeping child and carried her to her crib. Wyn surprised her by appearing at her side. “May I?” Sarah looked deep into his eyes before nodding and handing Summer to him. Wyn kissed Summer‟s rosy cheek and whispered, “Sleep tight, Princess. I‟ll be here to protect you.” Sarah moved away as he laid Summer down. She pretended to be engrossed in cleaning up so he wouldn‟t see the tears in her eyes. She turned away hoping to wipe her eyes without being seen, but when she opened her eyes he was there in front of her. Sarah let out a startled gasp and dropped everything in her hands.

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Wyn crouched down and picked up the items she‟d dropped, placing them on the bed. She covered her face and sobbed silently. Sarah wiped her tears with shaking hands, but they kept coming. After everything she‟d been through, this man seemed just too good to believe in, but she did believe in him. She had no doubt he could be dangerous if he wanted to be, but with her and Summer he was gentle and caring. He must think I‟m a complete nut, she thought as she tried not to look at him. “I‟m so s-sor…” He had her in his arms before she could finish stuttering out her apology. His mouth covered hers, and his tongue plunged past her lips to seek out its mate. His arms were tight bands around her waist, holding her off the ground so they were face-to-face. Sarah tensed for just a second before relaxing in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck. His bound hair rubbed against her arms like cool silk. She moaned into his mouth as the kiss deepened, and she felt a rush of heat between her legs. It had been a really long time since a man kissed her, but she was sure no man had ever kissed her like

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this. Wyn‟s kiss was passionate and raw as if he hungered for her taste. Wyn pulled away, and they both gasped for air. They stared into each other‟s eyes for a long moment before he finally said, “Don‟t ever apologize to me for being normal and having emotions.” She stared at his lips when he spoke, feeling the rumble in his chest against her breasts. Her nipples turned into sensitive pearls against him and she licked her lips as she nodded, thinking about how completely he had just devoured them. “God, Sarah, don‟t do that.” She stared at him and he saw a flame spark to life in her eyes, a flame that hadn‟t been there before. She slowly and purposely licked her lips again before asking innocently, “Do what?” Wyn growled in answer to her challenge before claiming her mouth again. This time their kiss was slow and leisurely. He took time memorizing every part of her mouth and savoring the unique taste of her. Sarah clenched her thighs as her panties grew slick with her juices. She felt his erection

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growing against her mound and moaned into his mouth. Suddenly he pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. He took several deep breaths before saying, “As much as I‟m going to hate myself later for saying this, I think we‟d better stop before we cross a line you‟re not really ready to cross yet, Sarah.” She knew he was right, but she also knew that things between them would never be the same. This man spoke to a part of her that she‟d thought had died a year ago at the hands of a monster. He made her feel safe, but he also made her feel like a red-hot desirable woman. When he put her down she kept her head lowered as she fought to sort out how she was feeling. She closed her eyes, and his face was the first thing that came to mind. That made her smile. Sarah opened her eyes slowly and stared down at the floor a moment longer. The contrast of her manicured toes in the flimsy thong sandals she wore next to his much larger feet encased in those tough-looking boots of his was a fascinating contrast. She focused on it as her breathing settled down to a normal rate.

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Wyn‟s hand came into view and rose slowly toward her face. Unafraid, she watched its progress without moving. His strong hand slipped under her chin and gently nudged her head up. She glanced at his long jean-clad legs and his perfect chest as her head rose. A thick neck and strong jaw were next, followed by a sensual mouth and finally the intense gray eyes that were uniquely Wyn‟s. “I consider this a beginning, Alphaya, and I‟m looking forward to the rest of the journey. No rushing this part, okay?” At her nod, he continued, “I know that you‟re more than worth the wait.” With that, he turned and left the room, quietly closing the door on his way out. Sarah sat on the edge of her bed and lightly touched her lips, thinking of how jolting his kisses had been. Like the touch of a live wire. *** Just before midnight, Wyn sat on his front porch enjoying a cold beer as Pop and Chaz pulled up in front. “Is there any left for us?” Pop called out as he hopped out of Chaz‟s extended cab truck.

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“Of course,” Wyn answered, indicating the cooler at his feet. “Figured you might need one.” “So, not exactly what you thought finding your mates was gonna be like, huh, pups?” Pop said. Wyn and Chaz both glared at the older male. “Don‟t go giving me the evil eye. I ain‟t saying it to be funny, just stating the truth. Hell, you two are wound up so tighter than a pair of guitar strings.” “Lucky for you, I‟m too damned scared of Neenah to rip your throat out for that comment,” Chaz said sourly. Wyn leaned his head back and took a big gulp of beer. “To answer your question, hell no it‟s nothing like I expected. She‟s still skittish as hell around males, and it makes me want to beat the hell outta somebody. That combined with not being able to claim what‟s mine when its right in front of me is making me ornery as hell.” “She‟s not skittish around me,” Pop said with pride. “Yeah, I‟ll give you that.”

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“It‟s my Southern charm,” Pop drawled. “I‟ve spent a lot of time moving among humans since I lost my mate. I learned how to make them comfortable around me when their natural instincts say be afraid.” “I could use a few lessons where my mate is concerned,” Wyn grumbled. “The attraction is mutual,” Pop said encouragingly. At Wyn‟s doubtful look he continued, “it‟s buried behind a lot of fear and a lot of pain, but it‟s there. I could sense it tonight once she let her guard down. There was a certain way her eyes followed you when you went to get her a second helping of steak. And she glows whenever that babe is in your arms.” “I noticed that,” Chaz chimed in. “I just figured she thought you were gonna eat her young.” He easily ducked the bottle cap Wyn tossed in his direction. “Having that babe wasn‟t her choice, though, so you‟ll have to tread lightly at first.” Wyn and Chaz stared at Pop silently. “It‟s okay—hold your cards. I don‟t want either of you telling me anything Sarah ain‟t ready for me to know. I may be an old paw, but I‟m a smart one too,” he said, tapping the side of his head. “She‟s scared to death of males,

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bares no mating mark and never mentions the babe‟s father. And that lil‟ gal has definitely got a good bit of wolf in her. She sniffs anybody who touches her and is too alert for a full human baby that age. Even Neenah picked that up. There‟s a reason rape is punishable by death among our kind,” Pop continued with disdain. “It destroys a part of a female‟s soul, and it takes a lot of time and care to rebuild a broken soul.” “Damn,” Wyn muttered, before taking another big gulp of his beer and staring up at the stars. “It‟s a sorry mongrel that would do that to a woman,” Chaz said bitterly. Wyn and Pop nodded in agreement. The scent of righteous rage filled the air, and it didn‟t just come from Wyn. Each man got quiet as they thought about the pain Sarah must have endured. “Ain‟t you two a fine pair,” Pop suddenly said with a laugh. “Both of you have found your mates but can‟t claim them. I know that not claiming ‟em must be killing you, but keep in mind your reasons. Be patient. I know it ain‟t easy for our kind, but do it anyway. Your

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mates are worth your patience and so much more.” “I don‟t really have a choice,” Wyn said. “I won‟t have a mate who fears me.” “And I won‟t have one who hates me for stealing her youth and her dreams,” Chaz added. “Fair enough,” the older male said, looking at each man. “Like I said, patience.” “You still heading up to take Leah back to school next week?” Wyn asked Chaz. “Yeah, I promised Neenah I‟d drive. Hell, it‟s the only way to get near her these days.” “Are you going too?” Wyn asked Pop. “I wasn‟t invited,” he said huffily. “Since when has that ever stopped you?” “Same thing I said,” Chaz said before Pop could respond. “If that woman wanted me to go she‟d have invited me. I ain‟t gonna be accused of wearing out my welcome.” “And you talk about us being a fine pair. I‟d say we‟re a fine trio,” Chaz said finishing his beer. “It ain‟t the same for me. Neenah ain‟t my mate.” “Who says?” Wyn asked.

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“You know that ain‟t possible. I already had a mate and lost her.” “How do we know it‟s not possible?” Wyn pushed the often-spoken-about issue, not willing to give up on the possibility. “Most mates die of heartbreak soon after losing their other half. You found a way to carry on. Who‟s to say that it‟s not possible to move on once you‟ve overcome the grief? Humans do it all the time.” “We ain‟t human. Besides, who said I‟ve overcome anything?” Pop finished sadly. “I‟m just saying don‟t be so quick to dismiss the possibility. You tell us to be patient, well now I‟m telling you to be open.” Pop gazed up at the stars without answering. Wyn hoped his words had struck home. More importantly, he hoped that he was right. “Like I said, a fine trio.” Chaz stood up and stretched. “I‟m headed home. You need a ride, Old Paw?” “Nope, think I‟ll walk.”

CHAPTER SIX As Sarah slipped downstairs for coffee she secretly hoped to see Wyn. She couldn‟t help smiling as she turned toward the kitchen. Wyn, as always, was standing out on the deck. She smiled spotting her mug, which was already sitting next to the machine. Pouring a steaming cup, she considered the early morning ritual they‟d started after the barbecue. Though it had only been going on for a few weeks, she looked forward to their earlymorning time. They hadn‟t shared any more kisses, but they had shared stories of their lives, slowly learning each other. She loved that he not only freely shared stories about himself, but he listened as if he really cared when she shared her own stories. With a small smile on her face, she was about to move toward the back door when it opened and Wyn stepped inside—shirtless and barefoot as always. “Good morning, Alphaya.” Sarah was taken aback by his formal tone and hooded gaze. This was not the same Wyn who usually greeted her in the mornings. He

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was still drop-dead gorgeous, but this morning he seemed preoccupied. “Good morning.” Instead of his usual response, Wyn took her coffee cup and set it down before turning back to her without saying a word. Sarah looked at his stony expression in confusion before gasping in surprise as she found herself backed against the refrigerator. Wyn held her arms just above her elbows, his large body pressing forward. She felt surrounded, but this was Wyn and she knew without a doubt that she was safe. *** Wyn held her arms loosely and he was purposely crowding her. Even though he was aware that this might blow up in his face, he‟d spent all night thinking about the very real possibility that he might be called away at any time on a mission. After a sleepless night of worry, he‟d decided that it was important she face her fears and take control sooner rather than later, so he‟d gotten up this morning determined to make that happen. Sarah was

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his Alphaya, second to no one in the pack hierarchy. She had to take her place. For several seconds she neither said nor did anything, but then he felt her shiver. “Don‟t,” she said softly. She didn‟t cry out, just gave that soft command because she trusted him to respect her wishes. Wyn had to steal himself against a wave of guilt. “Sarah, look at me.” When she didn‟t raise her head and her shiver became a continuous shaking, he asked again. “Please, Alphaya.” She slowly raised her eyes to meet his. Wyn could still feel the light tremors racking her body and smell the first hint of her fear. “I know you‟ve been thrust into a life you didn‟t expect. You‟re surrounded by people you don‟t really know that well, and it‟s frightening. It would be for anyone in your position, but I also know who you are within this pack, and I need you to be prepared to truly take your place.” “I‟m not sure I understand.” “You are the Alphaya of the Unity pack. The Alphaya,” he repeated with emphasis. “Tell me to let you go.”

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She stared at him still confused, but said in a soft voice, “Let me go, p-p-please.” “No,” he growled roughly. Instead of releasing her, he leaned in closer. Sarah‟s tremors got stronger as her eyes welled with tears. “Wyn, don‟t do this.” “Look at me,” he ordered her. When she looked up, he almost backed down at the sight of a tear escaping down her cheek, but this lesson was too important. “You are second to no one in this pack, not even me. Tell me, Alphaya—don‟t ask.” After a few deep breaths, Sarah raised her hands and placed her palms on his rock-hard stomach. She pushed lightly but said firmly, “Let go of me.” There was little heat behind the order, but he released her arms instantly. He didn‟t need her to get angry to learn the lesson he was trying to teach her. Although he had released her arms, he didn‟t move back. He stood looming over her, almost touching her body with his, and waited. He sensed her relief when he released her arms. Then she suddenly tensed, and the unmistakable scent of anger filled his nostrils,

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sharp and biting. “Back the hell up, Alpha Grey!” she ground out as she shoved him again. Wyn took a step back and smiled. “As you wish, Alphaya.” “You asshole!” she raged at him with her fists clenched at her sides. “Summer is the only infant in this house. I already had a father, a damn good one, and I don‟t need another one. If you want to teach me something, then teach by talking. I don‟t need or want your hands-on training.” Wyn stood stock still as Sarah moved around him and ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door. Moments later Shiloh walked into the kitchen. Wyn was still standing there trying to figure out how things had gotten so twisted. He knew pushing her so soon was a risk, and he‟d expected fear and maybe even some tears, but Sarah‟s fury had blindsided him. His sweet Alphaya may not have wolf blood, but she had a wolf‟s soul. He‟d stepped on her tail, and she‟d snapped at him like she had the teeth to back it up. He‟d actually tensed up, expecting her to deck him before she stormed off. “Damn,” he said out loud.

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“That went really well,” Shiloh said cheerily as she moved to pull a coffee cup out of the cabinet and poured herself a cup. “Your humor is not appreciated, Enforcer.” “Oh, I‟m being serious, Alpha. You just accomplished something I haven‟t been able to do in almost a year. You got her mad,” Shiloh said with a wide smile. “Since the attack, Sarah has had two emotions: fear and shame. She shut down and turned in on herself. She wouldn‟t allow herself to get upset, almost like she was afraid of provoking another attack. This is the first time in almost a year that she has raised her voice. I smelled her anger in the hallway. Pure, unbridled anger and outrage. She smelled like the old Sarah.” “So you‟re telling me your sister is normally a screaming wildcat?” “No, but she can yell with the best of them when someone deserves to be yelled at. I told you she was strong mentally and physically. I also told you she was the glue that held our family together when my mom died. Now I‟m telling you that she‟s not a pushover. Even though she‟s been hurting for a while now, she‟s nobody‟s victim. I‟m also telling you

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that she will be the glue that holds this pack together when you‟re away. You don‟t need to teach her how to be the Alphaya. Just give her time to grow into the role and make it her own.” *** Over the next several days, life in the pack was especially busy. Along with postponing her morning coffee until she was sure he‟d left the house, the busy schedule helped Sarah to avoid Wyn. She‟d slowly gotten to know most of the pack as she helped choose paint colors and flooring for homes being renovated. In addition, she helped select furniture and art for other homes that were already occupied. She‟d found out that one of the men was a really good artist and enlisted his help on several projects. Isaac was a huge male who looked fierce but spoke gently. He also dressed differently than most of the other males, in loose-fitting pants and shirts with sandals. His hands were always spattered with paint, and his long hair was constantly slipping out of the braid he wore. It was as if he tried extra hard to appear nonthreatening. Yet Sarah sensed a

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lurking danger just under the surface. For some reason, it didn‟t make her fear him—it made her afraid for him. Neenah visited almost daily, and Sarah grew to look forward to her time with the older woman. The kind woman loved nothing more than holding Summer and stealing fond glances at Pop when she thought no one was watching. Sarah saw the longing in both their eyes, but something was holding them back. Within the pack, Neenah‟s presence was readily accepted as normal. She was treated as a respected elder. Sarah learned that for generations Neenah‟s tribe had known about the existence of Wyn‟s people and lived among them peacefully. Sarah was delighted that Shiloh had thrown herself into training as an enforcer. She spent lots of her free time with the other enforcers, forming the bonds that Sarah knew were important for them. Grim had taken her under his wing, and Shiloh was an eager pupil. Pop had also taken an interest in her progress. He loved sharing stories about their father‟s skill as an enforcer, particularly his talent for hand-to-hand combat and tracking.

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Sarah made sure that Wyn and Shiloh had home-cooked meals every evening, but she didn‟t get to eat with them. Shiloh was always eating on the run, and since their showdown in the kitchen, Wyn didn‟t come in until after she‟d gone to bed. That was fine with her at first, but after her temper had time to cool, she began to miss Wyn‟s presence. She thought about the kisses they‟d shared. The night before, she‟d found herself staying up late so she could hear him when he came in. She thought he‟d stopped in front of her door before moving on to his own room, but dismissed that as just wishful thinking. After disrespecting an Alpha, she should probably count her lucky stars that she was still being allowed to stay in Unity. *** Wyn slipped silently into the house just after midnight and went into the kitchen. A plate of carefully wrapped food sat on the island. He unwrapped tonight‟s dinner with a smile. A huge piece of smothered steak with mushroom gravy dominated the plate. There was also mashed potatoes and steamed

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broccoli. Grabbing a fork, he dug in without bothering to heat the food. Sarah was a great cook, and her evening meals were becoming a highlight for him. When he was finished, he washed and dried his plate and fork before returning them to the island as was his habit. For some reason he liked the idea of her seeing that he‟d eaten the meal she‟d prepared. Wyn left the kitchen and moved easily back up the hall to the stairs. On the second level, he stopped and took a deep breath, grinning when the familiar scents reached him. Shiloh wasn‟t home because she‟d volunteered to do a night watch and wouldn‟t be back until first light. He stood there a moment longer and listened as the sound of slow, even breathing signaled a deep sleep, while the almost imperceptible sound of rustling sheets signaled playtime. Opening the door, he moved quietly into Sarah‟s bedroom. Stopping briefly, he looked at his mate. Her sweet scent had him hardening in his jeans. Sarah‟s hair was pulled into a long braid that stretched out across her pillow. Wyn longed to undo that braid and touch the silky strands. His hands fisted at his side. Every fiber in his body wanted her, needed her, but he

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was determined to wait. She needed to come to him on her own terms when she was ready. He‟d screwed up once by pushing her, and he didn‟t plan on making the same mistake twice. Not to mention, he didn‟t want her past casting dark shadows over their future and there was no doubt that they had a future. Sarah was his mate, his alone. Moving to the bassinet next to the bed, he smiled broadly. As always, Summer was lying there looking back at him with a happy light in her eyes. Her curls softly framed her face, the color a darker version of her mother‟s. She cooed and waved her little fists frantically. As was their ritual, he picked her up and moved to the window. Summer turned to the moonlight and cooed softly, her hands tangled together as if she couldn‟t figure out how to separate them. When he growled softly, she turned to the sound and rubbed her chubby cheek against his chest. Wynn repeated the growl, knowing she loved the vibration. Her hands pulled apart, and she popped her left thumb into her mouth and sighed in contentment. He was so caught up in their nightly ritual, he didn‟t notice the change in her mother‟s breathing pattern.

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*** Sarah lay unmoving, watching them in amazement. Her heart swelled with hope. When considering the way he‟d been giving her space, she had a feeling he was trying to give her time to come to terms with her place within the pack, and she appreciated that about him. There was no denying the fact that she thought about him constantly, but wasn‟t sure if he was as attracted to her as she was to him. After all, she‟d just given birth to another man‟s child. Now, just weeks after arriving, her attraction to him was growing stronger with each day. He‟d made her so angry with his stunt in the kitchen, but he‟d also gone out of his way to make her feel safe. He‟d empowered her by making her his acting Alphaya. Now she felt connected to the pack, and even though they‟d been avoiding each other, she felt connected to Wyn. As she watched him, a scary thought occurred to her. He didn‟t go out of his way to see her, but he sneaked into her bedroom to form a secret bond with Summer. She watched as he gently stroked the child‟s dark curls. Sarah knew that wolves sometimes waited

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centuries for their mates. What if Summer was his mate, and he was just biding his time until she grew up? She couldn‟t help her gasp of surprise, and he immediately stiffened. “I didn‟t mean to wake you,” he said without turning around. “How long have you known?” she whispered as her fear took hold. “Known what?” “That you had found your mate?” Turning to face her, he said, “Since the moment I laid eyes on her. Or more accurately, since the moment I caught a whiff of her scent.” Sarah moved quickly from the bed and took Summer from him. “Well, she‟s just a baby, and it makes me uncomfortable for her to have a mate before she can even walk or talk.” “What?!” Wyn burst out laughing. The rich, deep sound sent shivers down her spine and a burst of pleasure to her core even as she stood there glaring at him. “I don‟t find this situation the least bit funny. I want you to leave.” He stopped laughing and said, “If that‟s what you really want, then I will.” He walked to the door while shaking his head. When he got to the bedroom door he turned and said, “Just

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for the record, Summer is not my mate—you are.” *** The next morning Sarah woke to an empty house. Good thing, too, because she was furious. How dare he spring something like that on her and then walk away? Why hadn‟t he said something sooner? Why hadn‟t Shiloh said something? Her father said mated males smelled different than unmated males, especially when they were in close proximity to their mates. Surely Shiloh had picked up something in his scent? “Oh God,” Sarah said out loud as another realization hit her. If Shiloh could pick up something in his scent, then the whole damn pack probably had. Everyone knew she was his mate but her. “That arrogant jerk!” she huffed. “Poor little Sarah,” she said to Summer in a mocking voice as she dressed her. “God forbid someone tells her something shocking because she‟s so delicate. Well, I‟m sick of being delicate. I‟m sick of everyone walking around pretending that I‟m going to fall apart if anything too stressful comes my way. Heck, let

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them try surviving what I have, being a single mom and moving halfway across the country to an unfamiliar place, or how about being made the Alphaya of an entire pack of werewolves?” Sarah stomped downstairs with Summer in her arms and quickly strapped the baby into her stroller. After dropping her diaper bag into the basket at the bottom, she left the house. Outside, she marched up the sidewalk and stopped the first man she saw. “Where is Alpha Grey?” she demanded in an angry voice. “I believe he‟s at the firing range, Alphaya.” “Thank you,” she said as she turned and headed to the firing range, which was housed on the other end of the compound along with several other large buildings the enforcers used for training. She entered the range‟s outer suite and spotted Shiloh grabbing headphones and goggles as she laughed at something Dakota was saying. Walking over, she demanded, “Where‟s Alpha Grey?” “Good morning to you too.” “You really don‟t want to go there with me this morning,” Sarah said, placing a hand on her hip.

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“Um, okay. The Alpha‟s inside doing a little target practice,” Shiloh said warily. Without taking her eyes off her little sister, Sarah said, “Now let me ask you something, Dakota.” “Um, anything, Alphaya.” “Am I the Alpha‟s mate?” Sarah missed Dakota‟s horrified expression as she continued to stare at Shiloh, who mumbled, “aw hell,” and dropped her eyes to the floor. “Yes, Alphaya,” the big male answered without hesitation. “And tell me, Dakota, how do you know that, since I‟m sure that I do not wear his mark?” He looked at Shiloh for help, but she kept her eyes on the floor. Turning back to Sarah, he answered honestly, “Because his scent changes whenever you‟re near him.” “Thank you, Dakota. I appreciate your honesty.” To Shiloh she said, “watch your niece,” and then took the earphones and goggles out of Shiloh‟s hands and stormed away. She put the protective gear on before entering the firing range. Walking to her right, she tried to spot Wyn. She got to the end and turned to head back in the other direction when

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she didn‟t see him. The range got quieter and quieter as she stormed down the line, and all the enforcers present stopped shooting to watch their obviously pissed-off Alphaya move past them. *** Wyn stood with his legs braced apart, firing a rapid succession of rounds into his target, when the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. His finger froze over the trigger as he reached out with his senses to determine the threat. Then he caught Sarah‟s scent. He put his gun down and stepped back to see Sarah heading toward him from the other end of the range with a furious look on her face to match the scent of anger he‟d picked up. Chaz stepped out of the stall next to Wyn‟s. “What the hell did you do now?” he muttered from the side of his mouth. “I told the truth,” Wyn said calmly as his mate made her way to him. Even with the scent of her anger getting stronger as she got closer, his dick hardened at the sight of her. She was wearing a fitted T-shirt over a pair of skinny

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jeans. Every delicious curve was displayed to perfection. “Good luck,” Chaz said, moving aside as Sarah marched past him. Sarah walked up to him and slapped him with everything she had. She looked momentarily shocked when her hand actually connected. She had to know that he could have stopped her if he‟d chosen to. Instead he just stood there and returned her angry glare. Wyn didn‟t take his eyes off her as he yelled, “Clear this fucking room now!” Sarah continued to glare right back at him defiantly, her fists braced on her hips. The only sounds were made by feet scrambling to the exit. Seconds later the room was completely silent. Wyn crossed his arms over his chest and said, “You have my full attention, Alphaya, but I suggest you find a way to communicate that doesn‟t involve slapping me again.” “You arrogant, condescending jackass! How dare you wait until last night to spring something like that on me? What was all that crap about the Alphaya being second to no one, not even you? If I‟m second to no one, then

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explain to me how this whole damn pack knew I was your mate and I didn‟t?” “I felt it would be best if I gave you time to get used to your new environment. Considering all you‟ve been through, I didn‟t want to frighten you.” “You felt it was best, huh? What a load of bull! Let me tell you something, Wynter Grey, in the last year I‟ve lost my father, survived being raped, and given birth to my first child,” she yelled while ticking each item off with a raised finger. “I topped all of that by moving cross-country to live in a wolf pack, and you have the audacity to say you didn‟t want to frighten me? Too late! I may have a lot of emotional crap to deal with, but I‟m nobody‟s weak little porcelain doll, and I don‟t appreciate being treated like one.” “Fair enough, I apologize.” “That‟s it? Just like that, all is supposed to be forgiven simply because you‟re the big bad Alpha and you say so?” Wyn shrugged. “That‟s as good a reason as any.” Sarah stared at him in disbelief, her emerald eyes sparkling with fury. Then, shaking her head, she said, “Whatever! I have

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more important things to do than stand here watching your caveman act.” She spun on her heels to leave, her auburn waves swinging out behind her like a flag. Instinct took over and Wyn moved with lightning speed. He had Sarah seated on the counter of his firing stall facing him before she‟d had time to take a second step. Moving so fast hadn‟t allowed her time to even think of screaming, let alone actually doing it. She swayed dizzily as he stepped between her legs. “Whatever my ass,” he snarled right in her face before grabbing a fistful of her loose hair and grinding his mouth against hers. Hitting him was a challenge he could ignore because deep down he knew he deserved it for not being upfront with her, but walking away from him before they‟d settled their argument was not going to happen. He damn well wasn‟t going to be dismissed. Not even by his Alphaya. Sarah opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue‟s insistent exploration. Wyn tugged her hair, and she leaned her head back as he deepened the kiss even more. He smelled the sweet scent of her arousal just as her soft moan reached his ears. Pressing forward, he leaned

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into her so she could feel his dick swelling against her heated crotch. His free hand was on her waist, holding her to him. Wyn broke the kiss when he felt Sarah surrender completely to what she was feeling. Let her chew on that for a while, he thought as he stepped back. Lifting Sarah, he placed her back on the ground outside the stall. He grinned with male pride when her legs gave way and he had to keep his hands around her waist to steady her. She lifted shaking hands to smooth her hair. When he was finally able to let her go, she moved away slowly. “I‟m glad we could have this discussion, Alphaya,” he said roughly as he watched her with a predatory stare. His wolf was straining to be unleashed, and his cock was throbbing. His mate had challenged him. Wyn prayed she would keep moving slowly and not run. God help him, if she ran, he knew he‟d chase her down and fuck her right here. The weeks since he‟d first met her had been a constant test of his control. He was determined to put her needs above his own, but damn if it wasn‟t driving him to the brink of insanity. “Y-Yes, well, I‟d better g-get back to Summer,” she stammered. He knew that he

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must look every bit the predator he was at heart. Instead she backed away slowly, keeping her eyes on him as she got closer to the exit. When she reached the exit, she squared her shoulders, cast a haughty look in his direction and said, “I expect you home at a decent hour for dinner, Alpha Grey. I‟m getting really tired of preparing to-go plates.” Wyn watched her for a moment before he smiled and growled, “As you wish, Alphaya.” *** Wyn took a deep breath as he opened the front door later that evening. Sarah‟s scent mingled with the smell of baked chicken, fresh bread and fresh vegetables. No anger tainted the air. He moved up the stairs and slipped into his room for a quick shower. Having spent most of the day training with the enforcers, he was a sweaty mess because of it. After showering, Wyn dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and headed downstairs barefoot. He walked into the kitchen just as Sarah was slicing into an onion, presumably for the large salad that sat in a glass bowl next to her on the island. “Need some help?”

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“Oh!” Sarah shrieked as she jumped. The knife slipped, and she sliced into the tip of her index finger. “Ouch!” Wyn was at her side instantly. Grasping her wrist, he pulled her hand to him and placed her finger in his mouth. His rough tongue licked over it again and again as Sarah stood and watched transfixed. When he slowly pulled her finger out, she gasped. He watched as she inspected her now healed finger. “How in the world did you do that?” “You‟re my mate,” he said in a low voice. “I don‟t understand. You haven‟t marked me.” The fingers of her uninjured hand unconsciously rubbed across her shoulder. He was glad she knew about that. For weeks now he‟d been worrying about how he should explain that bit of info once she learned she was his mate. Now he wouldn‟t have to. “Even without my mark, your body responds to the healing qualities in my saliva. Had you been wearing my mark, a small cut like that would be completely healed already. The more places on you I mark, the more powerful the healing properties.”

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*** Sarah swallowed hard as his final statement left her with visions of him marking her in some very naughty places. “Does it only work with mates?” The corners of his mouth turned up as a knowing gleam filled his eyes. A flush spread up from the neckline of her v-neck tee as she realized he could smell her arousal. “No, it works among close family members too.” “Shiloh can do that?” she asked incredulously. “For you and possibly for Summer, yes.” “Wow.” Sarah looked at her finger thoughtfully. “Could I do that for you?” she asked impulsively. He chuckled and said, “My bloodline is so pure I would already be partially healed before you could get my finger in your mouth.” “Oh.” “Sorry about startling you. What can I do to help?” Sarah took a calming breath before saying, “Just get Summer settled in her stroller for me while I finish getting the food together.”

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“I‟m on it.” He moved to the small table where Summer‟s carrier sat and picked it up by the handle, smiling down at the infant. “Come on, Princess—let‟s get outta Momma‟s way before I cause any more trouble.” Sarah went over to the sink to rinse the knife she‟d been using and tried to hide her smile as she heard him playfully ask Summer, “Where were you when Momma was trying to kick my butt earlier today? I could‟ve really used a hand.” *** After they‟d enjoyed a relaxed dinner together, Wyn offered to clean up while Sarah gave Summer a bath. Shiloh walked in as he was putting the last plate away. “Hey, did I miss dinner?” “Yep, but your sister left a plate for you,” he said, indicating the plastic-wrapped dish on the island. “You guys okay?” she asked hesitantly. “Yeah, I think so. I see now why you missed the old Sarah so much.”

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“She‟s a firecracker, isn‟t she?” Shiloh said proudly as she took her plate over to the table. “Oh yeah,” Wyn agreed with a laugh. He grabbed a fork and handed it to her before moving to the fridge and pulling out a can of soda for her. “Heard she took a swing at you, and then you went to the fight room and took a swing at any poor bastard who was unlucky enough to be there training,” she said as he handed her the soda and took a seat at the table. Wyn gave a crooked smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, I was wound pretty tight when she left the firing range and I couldn‟t do what I really wanted to do, so kicking some ass in the ring was the alternative I chose. I didn‟t leave behind any broken bones or bodies, so I‟d say I took it easy on them.” “Glad I went for a run with the three musketeers,” she laughed. “You four have become quite a team according to Chaz.” “Yeah, they‟ve really helped me and made me not feel like such an outsider.” “You‟re not an outsider, Shiloh. You‟re pack now, and pack takes care of pack,” he said

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pointedly. “I‟m gonna head up and let you enjoy your meal. There‟s a wolf princess having bath time, and I feel like seeing her pretty smile.” “Okay, I‟m heading over to Grim‟s for poker night. Be back later.” “Have fun.” He walked upstairs and was pleased to see that Sarah had left the door to her bedroom open. Entering, he moved to the bathroom, where he silently watched from the doorway. She was on her knees next to the tub, gently drizzling warm water over the infant‟s potbelly. Summer was waving and kicking in delight as her mother bathed her and talked to her in soft tones. Her toothless smile was absolutely radiant. When Sarah finally lifted Summer out of the water and wrapped her in a towel, he moved aside so she could pass him. She laid Summer down on her bed, and after slathering lotion all over the squirming infant, she put a fresh diaper on and dressed her in a lavender sleeper. All the while she kept up a steady flow of gentle words that seemed to keep the baby engaged.

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Sarah finally sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him nervously as if trying to decide something. He saw her take a deep breath before she picked the baby up and cradled her in her arms. She pulled her shirt up on one side and tugged the front of her nursing bra down to reveal her pink nipple. It was Wyn‟s turn to take a deep breath. He knew what exposing her breast and feeding the baby in front of him must have cost her, and he couldn‟t help the pride he felt in the obvious sign of trust. Summer immediately turned toward her mother‟s breast and latched on. Wyn stared at them in awe. After several quiet moments, he reached out slowly and stroked Summer‟s curly hair as she fed. Sarah tensed when he raised his hand but relaxed when he kept it on the baby‟s head and didn‟t try to get any closer to her. “I‟m afraid of this,” she finally admitted in a shaky whisper. “I don‟t want to be, but I am,” she continued without looking up at him. She kept her head down and her eyes on his hand in Summer‟s hair, just inches from her breast. “It‟s a little scary for me, too. You opened the door that first day, and I instantly had a

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mate and a daughter. I want to do the right thing for both of you. I want to protect you.” “I just need some time to get used to all of this.” “I know, but I also know that being mates in every sense is inevitable.” Sarah nodded, and that simple gesture carried so much weight with Wyn. It conveyed a wealth of words. It said, I accept that I’m your mate. I know that we will make love eventually. I know that you will protect me. For the first time, Wyn felt like they were actually on the same page. “May I burp her?” he asked when Summer finished feeding. “Sure.” Wyn took Summer in his arms and gently patted her back. He smiled when she burped loudly. “That was a good one, Princess,” he said gently. “Here, let me put her down,” Sarah said. “She‟ll be asleep in just a few minutes.” Laying Summer down, she turned back to the bed, expecting him to still be sitting there. She was surprised to see that he‟d moved to stand at the door leading into the hall.

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“I‟d better get out of here so you can get some rest. I‟ll keep the coffee hot in the morning—I‟ve missed our morning talks.” “Me too. Goodnight.” *** He closed the door, and she stood there staring at it, wishing she‟d said more but unsure what else she wanted to say. Suddenly it opened again and he was in front of her in two strides. He bent down as she stretched to him and licked her lips seductively until she opened her mouth for him. She put her arms around his thick neck as he slid his hands down from the small of her back to cup her ass. His erection pressed into her stomach as she moaned into his mouth. Pulling back, Wyn pressed his lips against her forehead. “Goodnight, Alphaya,” he finally said when he‟d caught his breath. He straightened and slid his hands up her ass to her back and then along her sides, grazing her breasts, and up her arms. She pulled her arms from around his neck as she continued to fight for composure. “Good night, Alpha,” she finally said breathlessly as

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her hands lightly skimmed down his chest before she dropped them to her side. This time she heard the soft click of his door closing after he left her room. *** The next morning when Sarah walked into the kitchen she found her cup next to the coffeemaker, but Wyn was nowhere in sight. She looked outside, but the deck and backyard were empty as a light rain fell. After pouring a cup of coffee, she moved back up the hall to his office. He sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen with a frown. “Good morning.” “Morning,” he said, turning to her with a smile. “What are you up to?” “Since it‟s raining out, I decided to try wading through e-mail. I hate this part of my day-to-day work. Most of this is just junk.” “I haven‟t even taken the time to set up a new e-mail account. Can I help?” “Sure, come here.” She moved to stand next to his chair. Wyn turned to put a knee on either side of her

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before pulling her down onto his lap. Holding her gaze, he leaned in to kiss her. “Good morning, again. Here, let me show you this mess.” He spent the next few minutes showing her how he sorted through the messages to weed out the junk. Sarah said, “Why don‟t you create files for all of your regular contacts so their messages go directly to their folders? Then you can block each of the junk messages. Unfortunately, you‟ll have to do that one by one, but it will pay off in the long run.” Sarah created folders for him as he held her on his lap. Then she updated his spam filter to give it tighter parameters. When she found a message related to a job, he opened it and they read it together. “Damn. We need to take this.” He responded to the message and then picked up the phone and called Chaz. “We‟ve got a job— I‟m forwarding the info to your phone.” He sent the info and then turned to Sarah. “I need to go into town today. How about you join me?” Sarah glanced out of the window longingly. It was still raining steadily outside. She turned disappointed eyes back to him and

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said, “I‟d rather not take Summer out in this rain.” “I agree. So why don‟t we enlist Neenah to babysit for a few hours?” She worried her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment, and he fought the urge to kiss her until she stopped. Finally she took a deep, fortifying breath and agreed. “That sounds great.”

CHAPTER SEVEN The next morning at dawn Chaz, Dakota and Tango left on a mission. An hour later Shiloh left for a week of field training. Sarah had misgivings about the trip but kept them to herself. This was what Shiloh had been born to do, and she wasn‟t going to hold her back because of her own fears. Wyn was scheduled to go into town to take care of some business and pick up more supplies. He‟d asked her to go with him, but she‟d insisted that she had too much to do around the compound. “Are you sure nothing‟s wrong, Sarah?” “Yes, I‟m sure,” she answered quickly. “I‟ve just got a lot on my mind. I‟m going to go by Pop‟s in a couple of hours to let him teach me how to make spinach puffs. Be careful on the road and I‟ll see you when you get home later.” “It might take a while because I have two meetings scheduled plus the supplies to pick up.” “That‟s fine.”

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He stared at her a moment longer but didn‟t push the issue any further, to her relief. After a quick kiss, he left. *** Wyn strolled into Pop‟s kitchen just after lunchtime. His second meeting had been cancelled, and as he‟d been unable to concentrate during his first meeting with the stockbroker, he‟d decided to forego getting supplies. Sarah was on his mind and he couldn‟t shake the feeling that she needed him. “What‟s up, Old Paw?” he said affectionately as he looked around for Sarah and Summer, sniffing the air for their scents. “Afternoon, Pup.” When he turned, Pop‟s smile slipped. “Where‟s the Alphaya?” “She‟s not here?” Wyn asked. “No, I haven‟t seen her this morning. Figured she was with you or her sister and just forgot about me.” Wyn frowned. “Shiloh‟s up on Northridge. She left at first light and will be gone for the week.”

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“Well that‟s peculiar. That gal don‟t like being by herself for too long. Wonder why she hasn‟t found her way down here yet?” “Yeah, I‟m wondering the same thing,” Wyn said, pulling out his cell phone and dialing his house. When the answering machine picked up, he hung up and dialed her cell phone. No answer there either. Without a word he headed out. A moment later, Pop was by his side. “Maybe she‟s with Isaac. She‟s taken a real liking to him and all his art stuff,” Pop offered. Wyn called Isaac‟s cell. The male picked up on the first ring. “Alpha?” “Is the Alphaya with you?” “No, I haven‟t seen her today. Is something wrong?” “I don‟t know yet. I‟ll call you back if it is,” he said as he arrived at the house. Though he knew Sarah was home, he immediately knew that something was very wrong. “What in the world?” Pop whispered. He‟d obviously picked up the scent that had frozen Wyn in place. Despair, fear and shame all coated Sarah‟s scent.

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“Sarah!” Wyn howled. Fear clogged his throat and tightened his chest. His body tingled with the urge to shift as his wolf sensed its mate‟s despair and raged to be set free. He took off for the stairs and took them two at a time with Pop hot on his heels—once an enforcer, always an enforcer. At Sarah‟s bedroom door, he froze again as he took in the scene before him. Her cell phone and the cordless house phone both lay in their chargers on the nightstand. Sarah lay curled up in a ball on her bed. A sheet pulled protectively over her hid everything but the top of her head. “What in the world?” Pop said again from behind him. Glancing over, they spotted Summer in her crib sleeping soundly. There was no scent of illness or injury in the air, just the stench of Sarah‟s anguish. It nearly choked Wyn. “Take the baby,” he said softly as he stepped into the room. As Pop moved to the crib, Wyn moved to the closet door where Summer‟s diaper bag hung. He checked to make sure there were diapers and clothes inside. Handing the bag to Pop as they moved out into the hall, he said,

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“She usually keeps some bottled breast milk in the fridge.” “I‟ll get it. We‟ll be at my place. Should I call Neenah?” “That‟s fine. She loves to spoil her.” “I meant for the Alphaya. Maybe it‟s a woman thing.” “I‟ll take care of Sarah. Just keep Summer safe for me.” “She‟ll be fine,” Pop said as he carried the still-sleeping child down the stairs. Wyn waited at the top of the stairs until Pop came back from the kitchen. He heard him getting Summer‟s stroller and then the soft click of the door closing behind them. Once he was alone in the hall, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Shiloh. His call went straight to voicemail. “Shit!” He‟d forgotten her phone would be off in the field, so he dialed Grim‟s cell instead. His would be the only one on, in case of emergencies. “Alpha?” Grim answered on the second ring. “I need to talk to Shiloh ASAP.” He heard Grim call her on his transmitter before he came back on the line and said,

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“She‟ll be here in just a minute. What‟s wrong?” “Hell if I know. My mate is lying in bed like she‟s grieving for something or someone, and I have no idea why. I thought she was acting weird this morning, but she kept saying she was fine. I shouldn‟t have left her alone. Fuck! I messed up. I shouldn‟t have left her.” Grim was silent for a second before replying, “Calm down. Today might just be a bad day, you know, a female thing.” “It‟s not a female thing, Grim. I‟d be able to tell if it was that time of the month.” “Hang on, here comes Shiloh.” “Hello?” Shiloh said hesitantly. “Shiloh, Sarah‟s upset, really upset, and I don‟t know why. I need some help here. Any ideas?” “No, she was a little distant earlier, but I just figured she was more worried about me going into the field than she wanted to admit. Did you two have another fight?” “No, it‟s not that kind of upset. She‟s curled up in bed with the covers pulled over her head. Her room stinks of grief.” Shiloh was silent. So silent that Wyn couldn‟t even hear her breathing anymore, but

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he heard Grim in the background asking urgently, “What is it, Shi?” “Talk to me, Enforcer,” Wyn ground out. “Oh my God,” Shiloh said softly. Wyn could hear the anguish in her voice, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. “What, dammit?” “Today‟s the fifteenth, and I forgot. I was so wrapped up in my own crap, I just forgot.” “Forgot what?” Wyn questioned frantically, not knowing the significance of the date. “She was attacked one year ago today. Oh God, and I left her alone again,” Shiloh sobbed into the phone. “I‟m coming home. I‟m coming home now.” “Stay put, Enforcer. That‟s an order. I told you we would work together. I‟ve got this. I need you to focus on learning as much about tracking as you can from Grim and the rest of the enforcers. Am I clear?” “Yes, Alpha.” “I‟ll take care of her, I promise.” “She‟s come so far. Please don‟t let her hide herself again.” “She‟ll be fine. Put Grim back on the phone.”

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Grim came on the line and said, “We can be home by nightfall—it‟s your call.” “No, stay put, but do me a favor. Keep an eye on Shiloh. I don‟t want her beating herself up over this.” “I‟ve got her covered.” Wyn disconnected the call and headed back to Sarah‟s room. She was still lying exactly as he had left her. He knew she wasn‟t asleep, which made the fact that she‟d let him send Summer away all the more scary. After standing and watching her for long minutes, he finally moved to the side of the bed and sat there for a few seconds. When she didn‟t move or make any sound, he turned and lay on his side, and then reached out and hooked an arm around Sarah‟s waist. He gently pulled her to him and curled his large body around hers protectively. She didn‟t fight him or tense up; she just lay there as if defeated. “Baby, I‟m so sorry,” he said as he placed a kiss on the back of her head. “If I had known what today was, I never would have left you to deal with it by yourself.” He felt her shiver in his arms, and he rubbed her arms to chase away any chill. A moment later he smelled her

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salty tears before his ears registered the sound of her sobbing. “Oh God, Sarah, tell me what to do to make it better, baby. I swear I‟ll do anything; just talk to me.” Feeling helpless was uncomfortable for any male, but for an Alpha it was unbearable. “What did I do wrong?” she finally gasped out between sobs. Wyn was stunned speechless for a second before he raged, “NOTHING!” He felt her flinch and took a calming breath before continuing in a calmer voice, “God, Sarah, you did nothing to deserve what happened.” “Then why? My father said a wolf would never harm a female that way.” “Your father didn‟t lie to you, Sarah—at least not intentionally. Most males of my kind would rather chew off both arms than abuse a female in that way. It‟s against everything we are taught. A crime so reviled it‟s punishable by death no matter your rank within the pack. From the Alpha to the youngest of pups. No questions, just death.” She turned in his arms and looked up at him. There was a fierceness in her expression that he hadn‟t expected to see.

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“I would kill him if I had the chance,” she said softly. “You would have to beat me to it,” he responded firmly. “Anyone foolish enough to try and harm you or Summer dies by my hand.” “You don‟t think I‟m a horrible person for wanting to kill the father of my child?” “Do me a favor and don‟t ever call him that again. Ever. You are my mate and my Alphaya. Your child is my child. He has no claim on either of you. Do you understand?” Sarah nodded and laid her head against his chest. Wyn hugged her tighter, throwing his leg over hers. “You are mine, Sarah, and I am yours.” She nodded against his chest, closing her eyes as she seemed to lose the power to keep them open. It wasn‟t long before her even breathing told him she had drifted off to sleep. He stroked her back as she slept, enjoying the feel of her in his arms, which was right where she belonged. ***

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Wyn‟s cell phone woke him. He‟d drifted off to sleep with his arms wrapped possessively around Sarah. Her hands were fisted in his shirt, and her cheek lay against his chest. She snuggled closer to him and mumbled, “Phone.” “Shh. Go back to sleep,” he said as he answered. “Yeah?” “How is your Alphaya?” Neenah‟s concerned voice asked. He should‟ve known Pop wouldn‟t listen. “She‟s taking a nap right now. How‟s my little princess?” “She‟s currently very busy trying to get Ellis‟ nose into her mouth” she chuckled. “Tell that old coot I said he‟d better not give her fleas.” “Wynter says no fleas,” she fussed at Pop. “Thank you for taking care of her for us.” “No problem. I enjoy spending all the time I can get with her. Who knows when Leah will get around to making grandbabies for me? Anyway, I‟m making a beef stew for tonight. When she‟s ready, you bring your Alphaya down for a bowl, all right?” “All right, I will.”

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He hung the phone up and rolled away from Sarah just long enough to lay it on the nightstand. “Is Summer all right?” Sarah asked sleepily. “She‟s trying to eat Pop‟s nose.” “She‟s fine then.” “Yep. How about her momma?” “Better. Thank you for staying with me.” “No place I‟d rather be than right here, right now.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Neenah‟s making beef stew for dinner, but how about something light to hold you over?” “Sounds good, but I really need a shower.” “Okay, I‟ll go whip something up. It‟ll be ready by the time you finish.” He moved from the bed and left her alone. *** Half an hour later, Wyn strolled back into Sarah‟s room with a tray loaded with food and drinks. “Hey, that was quick,” she said.

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“Yeah. I just grabbed a few things that were already in the fridge.” “Oh.” They silently watched each other for long moments before Wyn finally said, “I‟ll, umm, yeah, I‟ll just leave this here for you and head downstairs so you can get dressed.” He put the tray on her dresser and turned back to the bedroom door. “Don‟t go.” “What?” he questioned without turning around. “Don‟t go,” she said again. Sarah wished she could hide the nervous tremor in her voice. She wanted to be confident and brave with this man. He inspired and encouraged her, and he‟d done what she hadn‟t thought possible after her attack: he‟d shown her what it could be like to be cared for by a man again. She knew that if they were to move in this direction, she would have to let him know she was ready. He hadn‟t pushed her for more than the few heated kisses, yet she‟d felt herself growing closer to him with each passing day. Wyn turned slowly and stared at her for a long moment before saying roughly, “Sarah, I don‟t want any more misunderstandings

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between us if I can help it, so let me be very clear. If I stay in this room much longer, I will end up fucking you. Thoroughly,” he growled as his eyes turned a smoldering shade of yellow. They seemed to almost glow. She kept her eyes locked on his as she moved to stand in front of him. “I don‟t want this day to always be filled with bad memories. I need you to help me erase the bad memories and replace them with good ones. Good ones we create together.” She pulled the towel free from her body and let it drift to the floor. Wyn‟s breath hissed out, but he made no move to touch her. He just stared at her with those glowing eyes. Sarah grew uncertain under his gaze. She still hadn‟t lost all of the weight she gained while pregnant. Her stomach was still slightly rounded, and her breasts were a full cup size larger than normal. She moved her hands to cover herself. Wyn grasped her hands and pulled them around his waist instead. Leaning back to see his face, she was overwhelmed by the look of desire in his eyes. His kiss stole her breath as she clutched the back of his shirt and stretched up on her toes until her calves burned. Wyn broke the kiss to pick her up, and Sarah

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wrapped her legs around his hips as she buried her face in his shoulder. The friction of his shirt on her nipples made her moan. She turned her head to press her nose to his neck the way Summer always did and inhaled his scent. Three long strides later, he laid her down on the bed and stretched his tall frame over her. Sarah kept her legs wrapped around him as he settled between them. His erection pressed against her sensitive clit, and she ground her hips against his, groaning in pleasure as the rough denim of his pants rasped against her tender flesh. Wyn captured her mouth again and kissed her deeply. Sarah sucked his tongue while rubbing hers against it. She felt the vibrations of a growl roll through his chest, and her nipples hardened painfully. Wyn‟s big hands covered her breasts and kneaded them gently. Moving from her mouth to her neck, he licked the tender flesh from under her earlobe to her shoulder. She closed her eyes as she felt him kiss the spot where his mark would be before nightfall if she had anything to say about it. Then he pulled the flesh between his teeth to gently nip. Next he

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moved lower to kiss the tops of her breasts and lick the valley formed between them. His tongue swiped across each nipple, tearing a loud moan from her throat as she pushed her head back into the mattress while arching her back and offering more of herself. Wyn cupped each soft mound and licked circles around first her right nipple and then the left. Sarah pushed her hands into his hair and held his head to her breasts, silently encouraging him to continue. He kept his hands on her heaving breasts as he moved lower, licking his way to her navel where he licked and kissed until she was panting. Finally, he moved lower still, kissing the bare mound of her pussy. “Mmm,” he moaned against her soft skin. Sarah watched him with hooded eyes as he stood and began stripping off his clothes. Rubbing her thighs together, she tried to calm the blazing fire he‟d started. She knew he smelled her arousal when he gave a warning growl. “Open your legs, Sarah.” His voice was almost unrecognizable, but he was still her Wyn.

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She opened her legs slowly, hoping she looked braver than she felt. Bending her knees, she used her hands to spread her outer lips open so he could see what was waiting for him when he got those clothes off. Wyn dropped to his knees and pulled her roughly to the edge of the bed as his mouth descended on her. Sarah cried out as he licked her slit from end to end before plunging his tongue into her hot depths. She buried her fingers in his hair again and ground her pussy against his ravaging mouth as she gasped for air. “Yes, baby. Right there. Oh, please, Wyn.” His unshaven cheeks scratched at her inner thighs as she clamped her thighs to either side of his head. When he pulled her swollen clit into his mouth and sucked it, she nearly came completely off the bed with a shriek. Wyn pressed a large hand between her breasts to push her back down to the bed and then used both hands to knead her breasts as he continued licking and sucking her clit. Her orgasm shattered any control she may have had and left her moaning his name as she threw her head from side to side. Sarah watched through dazed eyes as Wyn pushed his pants down around his knees.

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He moved over her, pushing her to the center of the bed, and used a hand to guide his throbbing dick to her entrance and pushed in. Nothing could stop the smile of feminine pride when he shouted her name as soon as he entered her. Sarah reached up and ran her hands up his torso, scraping her nails across his flat nipples. “Baby, don‟t. I‟m trying so hard not to lose control because I don‟t want to hurt you.” Sarah heard him and knew in her heart he wouldn‟t, so she pushed him. Rising up on her elbows, she pressed her mouth against a nipple and used her teeth to rake it. “Shit!” Wyn hissed, still trying to hold back. “I need this, Wyn. Please, I need all of you,” she said before putting her mouth on his other nipple and biting hard. *** “Oh fuck,” he groaned as he slammed his hips forward, pushing his dick in to the hilt. He heard Sarah‟s scream as if from a great distance as his wolf howled in triumph. Mine! He loomed over her, pounding into her welcoming pussy as she clutched his waist. Her nails dug

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into his skin, and it seemed to drive the beast within him wild. He lifted her legs so that they were draped over his wide shoulders and powered into her with deep, desperate strokes. Lowering his head, he inhaled her sweet scent, and before he was even consciously aware of what he was doing, he opened his mouth and sank his extended canines deep into her shoulder, holding her in place as he continued to fuck her mercilessly. Sarah clutched his hair, painfully begging for more even as a second orgasm ripped through her. The feel of her spasming pussy was too much for Wyn, as he came with a triumphant howl ripped from deep within. As the last sounds left his throat, he bent and bit into her other shoulder. Wyn had never experienced anything like it. His seed was still spilling inside her, with each pulse causing his hips to thrust forward. He was grunting like an animal and unable to speak a coherent word if his life depended on it. The only thing he‟d had the forethought to do was move his hands away from her body as his claws extended. He was vaguely aware of the fact that she was going to need new pillows.

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As his wolf retreated, satisfied in the taking of its mate, he was able to release her shoulder. His jaw had locked onto it as he came. He licked one shoulder until he was certain the wound was sealed before moving to the other and doing the same. When he smelled her blood in the air, he buried his face in her neck in shame. He hadn‟t immediately sealed the first mark, and a few drops of blood had run back off her shoulder and onto the sheets. I didn’t even take my fucking boots off, he thought angrily. He‟d wanted their first time to be slow and easy. After what she‟d been through, he‟d wanted to show her he could be gentle. “I‟m so sorry, baby. I swear to you that I‟ve never lost control like that before. I don‟t know what happened.” Sarah‟s contented moan had him lifting his head to look at her face. Her eyes were closed, and a smile tugged at her lips. Wyn stared at her in amazement. He eased her legs down one at a time, but Sarah kept one leg raised so that it wrapped around his waist and her heel rested on his ass, while the other leg stretched lower as her foot came to a stop on his calf.

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When he tried to pull out of her, she whimpered and clamped down with her inner muscles, her thighs and her arms, holding him to her. Her nails scraped his scalp as her fingers pushed deeper into his hair. “Baby, I don‟t want to crush you.” Turning her head, she inhaled his scent again. “Don‟t let go,” she murmured. Wyn‟s wolf stretched again in response to her plea as his dick hardened. “Baby, if you don‟t stop moving against me like that and saying stuff like that, we are gonna be in round two before you have time to recover from round one.” Sarah‟s hips lurched forward as her pussy clenched around his growing dick. Wyn clenched his teeth and lowered his head. “Tell me, Alphaya,” he growled against her ear. “Tell me what you want.” “Round two,” she whispered saucily. Wyn obliged his Alphaya with a round two and threw in a round three for good measure. He never did get those damn boots off.

CHAPTER EIGHT Sarah noticed everyone smiling and watching them as they walked along hand-inhand to Pop‟s house. Finally she said, “Is it me, or is everyone looking at us a little weird?” “It might have something to do with all the noise we were just making in your bedroom.” Sarah gasped. “You think they heard us?” “Baby, even if they didn‟t hear your screams, they definitely heard my howls.” “Oh my God.” Sarah could feel her face heating and ducked her head. “Besides, you carry my mark on you now. Or should I say my marks? Every male within one hundred feet is gonna notice the change in your scent.” He took a deep breath and smiled. “You smell even better now.” “Oh my God,” Sarah repeated, flushing even more. “Look at it this way—they‟ve probably been curious why it‟s always so quiet at our house. Now they‟ll just figure we‟ve been quiet in the past for the baby and Shiloh‟s sake.” “You are not helping.”

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“It‟s pretty tough to hide those things in a pack. I‟m betting everyone‟s been expecting something to happen between us since the day you arrived with the way I‟ve been pining after you.” “You have not.” “Yeah, I have. The whole being patient thing was foreign to me.” “You did a pretty good job of it.” “You‟re only saying that because you have no clue how many times I came close to storming your bedroom.” “Stop it.” “Seriously, I need you to be honest with me, Sarah. Do you regret what happened?” She stared back at him and smiled. “No, I don‟t regret one second. Do you?” “Hell no! You have no idea how much I‟m looking forward to it happening again real soon,” he said mischievously. “Shh,” she said, smacking his arm. “Someone will hear.” “So?” he said with a laugh. Sarah shook her head and started walking toward Pops again. ***

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Sarah watched Wyn as he laughed at something Pop said. He‟d been doing a lot of that since they got to Pop‟s for dinner. There were several other members of the pack there preparing to watch a baseball game. The males joked among themselves and made predictions about the outcome of the game. “A mated wolf is a happy wolf,” Neenah said next to her. Sarah turned to her with a shy smile. “I haven‟t seen him laugh this much the entire time we‟ve been here.” “This is the Wynter we all know and love. He hasn‟t really been himself these last few weeks. He couldn‟t truly be happy when he was so worried about you accepting him as a mate.” “You think he was worried about that?” “I know he was worried about it. We all were.” Sarah looked away for a moment. Neenah had become a friend whom Sarah instinctually knew that she could trust. “I was pretty sad when I got here. I tried to hide it as best I could, but it was eating away at me. Today it just came to a head. And he was there.” She looked over at Wyn before

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continuing. “He wouldn‟t leave me. I could feel how worried he was, but I could also feel how determined he was. Determined not to let the fear overwhelm me and determined to keep me safe. I need safety, Neenah. I need to feel safe in my own home.” “We can‟t control all the bad things that come our way, but we can control the way we react to them. You have such courage and strength, Alphaya. Don‟t let anyone rob you of that.” “I did, you know, but never again. I have too much to lose now. I‟ll do whatever I have to do to protect the life Summer and I have now. The life Shiloh has,” she said, looking at the group gathered around Wyn in the living room. “She‟s finally got friends she can be herself around, and they accept her.” “They accept you too, you know.” “Yeah,” she said with a bright smile. *** Wyn chose that moment to turn her way, smiling at her before turning back to listen to something Pop was saying. A short time later, Wyn was laughing when he answered the

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phone, but the smile quickly dissolved as he shot to his feet. Every male in the room tensed. “Where? How many? Hell no! Hold your position, I‟ll come to you. I don‟t want them anywhere near my Alphaya and our young.” Wyn hung up and turned to the men gathered. Pointing out two in the group, he said, “Granger, Sarge, get suited and booted. Meet me at my place in twenty minutes. We‟re headed up to Northridge.” The two males rushed out to do as commanded without bothering to ask why. They trusted their Alpha. Turning to Pop, he said, “I‟d like you to ride out with us as well, and it might be best if Neenah stays here with us tonight.” Turning to Neenah and Sarah, he explained, “I‟m not sure how safe the road between here and the reservation is.” Neenah nodded and said, “Whatever you think is best, old friend.” “What‟s wrong?” Sarah asked as she moved to stand in front of him. “The team at Northridge found signs of unfamiliars in our territory. When they tracked them, they found three males who claim to be scouts from Havensworth.” “What‟s Havensworth, and why do they have scouts here?”

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“Havensworth is a larger pack to the north of us in Canada, and as for why they have scouts here—that‟s a very good question. One I plan to get the answer to. It‟s an insult for another werewolf to enter our territory without announcing themselves. If that werewolf is from another pack, it could signal their intention to attack us.” “I want you to stay with the Alphaya and her little one,” Pop said to Neenah. “Of course, but you‟d better come get me when you return.” “Quit ordering me around, woman—I‟ve got to go get ready.” He kissed her temple gently and then rushed out of the room. Wyn escorted Sarah and Neenah back to his house while Pop stayed behind to change. Sarah followed him up to his room as Neenah stayed downstairs with Summer. “What can I do to help from here?” she asked. “I‟m not sure yet. I need to see what we‟re dealing with first. I want you to stay here at home. I‟ll have guards stationed outside, and the pack will be on alert.” His cell phone rang as he was pulling on a pair of camo pants and a

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green T-shirt. “Answer that for me,” he said as he moved into the closet. Sarah looked at the caller ID. “It‟s Chaz,” she called out as she answered. “Hi, Chaz, it‟s Sarah.” “I just spoke to Grim. Do we cancel this mission and come home, Alphaya?” Sarah was taken aback momentarily by his question. The Beta was asking her for direction. He didn‟t ask what the Alpha wanted him to do or even to speak to him. Her pack was her family now, and her family needed her to step up to the plate. The answer flowed out of Sarah easily. “No, stay put and continue the job until the Alpha has had time to assess the situation.” “Will do. My phone stays on until I hear from you or the Alpha.” “Thank you.” When Sarah hung up, she looked up to see Wyn standing in the closet door, securing a holster under his arm. He was watching her intently as he did. “He‟s already spoken to Grim and will keep his phone on until he hears from one of us.” “Good, thank you for taking care of that.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around

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her waist and kissed her deeply. “Round four when I get home.” Sarah felt like she was melting from the inside out as she whispered, “Why not five and six too?” He chuckled and kissed her again. “As you wish, Alphaya.” *** Later, after settling Neenah in her bed with fresh sheets and pillows, Sarah placed Summer in her crib and went downstairs to try and wait up for Wyn. She went into the kitchen intending to get a glass of water. Movement in the yard had her leaning forward to look out of the window over the sink. She strained to try and see something in the darkened yard but couldn‟t. Then Paulson, an enforcer with a bald head and tattoos on both arms, appeared at the top of the deck stairs and waved to her. She smiled and waved back. He went back down the stairs and disappeared once again. Sarah put a pot of coffee on and then walked back up the hallway to the front door. Aames, an enforcer who always seemed to have a ready smile, moved out of the shadows. He

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looked anything but jovial tonight. In fact, he looked downright dangerous with twin guns strapped under his arms. His sharp eyes took in her appearance as if assessing her for injuries. “Alphaya, is something wrong?” “No, I just wanted to see who was out here. I‟ve put a pot of coffee on. Can I bring you a cup?” “You don‟t have to go through the trouble.” “Of course I do. Pack takes care of pack,” she said, repeating what Shiloh and Wyn had both told her. That brought his usual smile to his face. She noticed the transmitter at his ear and asked, “Any word from the Alpha yet?” “No, nothing yet, Alphaya.” “Thank you.” Sarah reentered the house and closed the door, moving into Wyn‟s office, where she remembered seeing transmitters in his desk. When she opened the top drawer, she hit pay dirt: a transmitter lay on top of a 9mm handgun. Picking the transmitter up and placing it on her right ear, she pressed and held until it beeped and then pressed and released quickly to mute it, just as Shiloh had shown

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her. Next she returned to the kitchen to make two cups of black coffee. After making sure the guards each had a cup, she returned to Wyn‟s office and pulled up his e-mail. She‟d been spending an hour a day trying to get his in-box cleared out. He‟d actually missed out on a couple of jobs because he‟d missed the requests, and he‟d also missed three requests for admission into the pack. She printed those and made a file for each. After dealing with e-mail until her eyes burned, she sat back and closed her eyes. Wyn‟s voice in her ear had her eyes snapping open again. “Unity, we‟re heading back in.” She pressed the transmitter and asked, “Is everyone accounted for?” After a slight pause, he responded with, “Yes, Alphaya.” She heard the surprise and the smile in his voice. “The scouts have been sent back to their pack with assurances from their Alpha that no harm was intended. The jackass was just curious about our newest enforcer. Seems word of our female enforcer has created quite a stir among the other packs.” “I suspect they‟re just jealous they didn‟t think to do it first.”

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Wyn‟s bark of laughter crackled across the line. “I suspect you‟re correct, Alphaya. I‟ll see you in an hour if you care to wait up for me.” “Make it a fifty-minute hour and I‟ll consider waiting up, Alphaya out.” She heard him howl in laughter before coming back with a choked, “As you wish, Alphaya. Alpha out.” She took the transmitter off before she made her way upstairs. Once there, she peeked in on Neenah and Summer and found the baby wide awake and happily gumming her tiny fists. Lifting her daughter, she tried to tiptoe out. “Where are you sneaking off to with my roommate?” Turning, she saw Neenah sitting up in bed. “I‟m sorry. I didn‟t mean to wake you.” “You didn‟t, darling. I can‟t seem to drift off. Have you heard anything?” “Yes, they‟ll be home in an hour.” “Oh thank goodness.” “You care about him a lot, don‟t you?” “No, Sarah, I don‟t just care for him. I‟ve loved him for almost twenty years now.” “Why haven‟t you two gotten married?”

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Neenah patted the bed next to her, and Sarah sat down. She fed Summer as Neenah told her the story of how she met Pop. “Ellis lost his mate many years ago, and they never had any young. After wandering for years as a lone wolf, he first came through this area eighteen years ago. My daughter was still alive, and Leah was just a little girl. He was so taken with both of them. That first year he made Leah the most beautiful dollhouse and just did odd jobs around my place. From then on he would return year after year and stay through the rough winter months only to move on in the spring. Sometimes Wynter and Chazske would visit too after Ellis started working with them on security jobs. “Then when Leah was eleven, my Hannah was killed in that horrible wreck. Ellis came back that year, and he never left. He‟s been like a grandfather to her for as long as she can remember, and he‟s been a comfort to me also.” Neenah wiped at a lone tear that escaped down her cheek and smiled sadly. “Hannah‟s father didn‟t stick around long enough to see her born. It‟s hard for a woman alone sometimes. I know I‟ll never be his mate, and I‟ve made peace with that, but Ellis has my

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heart. I‟ll take what we do have and remain thankful. He‟s made my life richer just by being in it. I try all the time to return that to him.” “I know finding a mate is important to them,” Sarah responded. “I just don‟t believe Pop‟s ability to love died when his mate did.” “I believe he loves me in his way, Alphaya. At least I feel loved when I‟m with him.” “I see love when I see the two of you together.” *** Forty-five minutes after speaking to him, Sarah lay in Wyn‟s bed as he slipped into his room. She sat up and watched as he stripped off his clothes. “Did Pop go home?” “No, he‟s across the hall with Neenah and Summer. Said he was gonna pull guard duty on the floor. Shiloh‟s back as well.” He took his guns and hung them in the closet and then moved to the bed. Sarah moved into his arms as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “I‟m sorry I was gone for so long.”

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“No, I know you had to take care of it. Do you think that‟s it, or is this the start of something bigger?” “I was thinking about that very thing on the way home. Pop made a great suggestion. I‟m going to attempt to form an alliance with a few of the packs closest to us. Most packs aren‟t as large as they used to be, and a combined alliance could serve to protect all of us. I‟ll be contacting a few of the Alphas tomorrow to schedule face-to-face visits. Normally, I would take my Alphaya with me so you can form relationships with the other Alphayas, but I‟m leery of putting you in harm‟s way since I‟m still not sure of anyone‟s intentions.” “Hmm,” she said as she snuggled closer and tried to cover a yawn. “Okay, I‟ll stay here and do what I can to keep things running smoothly in your absence.” “I know you will. You really stepped up tonight. I‟m not the only one who noticed, either.” “Thanks,” she said around another yawn. “Go to sleep, Alphaya. I‟m taking a rain check on the extra rounds.” “You go to sleep, Alpha.”

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He pulled her closer and threw a leg over hers before saying, “As you wish.” *** Sarah woke slowly, not wanting to leave the warm comfort of a good night‟s sleep. Or the warm weight on her side and a heavier weight between her knees that was equally warm. Opening her eyes slowly, she focused on the sight in front of her. She was lying on her side, and Wyn lay on his side facing her. One of her hands was on his bulging bicep, while one of her legs was thrown over one of his massive thighs. Her face was just inches from his bare chest. She looked up to find him asleep, his face completely relaxed as he breathed deeply. His thick lashes fanned out on his chiseled cheek while his mouth was relaxed and so tempting. His hair was loose, and a large section of it fell forward to cover his ear and cheek. Sarah couldn‟t resist lifting her hand and sliding her fingers in at his hairline, combing his hair back away from his face. She gently stroked his hair several more times, enjoying the silken feel of it against her own skin.

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Suddenly Wyn‟s eyes opened. He looked at her with eyes that blazed out in a fierce shade of yellow, and she gasped and pulled her hand away. Wyn frowned in disappointment. “I wish you wouldn‟t stop,” he said in a sleep-thickened voice. “No one has ever touched my hair like that before.” When Sarah put her hand back into his inky locks, he closed his eyes on a sigh. “You like that?” she asked. “Very much, Alphaya. Can‟t you tell?” he asked as he pulled her closer so that his bulging dick pressed into her stomach. “Oh, I thought you just forgot to take one of your guns off.” Wyn rolled on top of her, pinning her beneath him as he growled, “Smartass.” “Behave—we have company.” “I‟ve been behaving since I came home and found you lying in my bed wearing nothing but one of my shirts. Do you know how hard it was for me to let you go to sleep?” “You‟re horrible.” Sarah laughed as he nibbled on her neck and licked his mark. “Neenah and Pop are in my room. We‟ll wake them.”

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“Neenah and Pop are downstairs having a late breakfast with Shiloh and Summer.” “I didn‟t hear Summer wake up.” “You were out cold. She‟s already had a bottle.” “I‟m a terrible mother,” she said as she wrapped her legs around his thighs. “You‟re a wonderful mother, a terrific Alphaya and the hottest mate anybody could ask for.” *** Wyn kissed the mark on her other shoulder. He‟d talked to Pop about his loss of control and found that it wasn‟t abnormal between newly mated couples. Now, he moved his hips until his dick was pressed against her hot opening. Her wet pussy lips kissed the head of his dick before opening to let him in as he pushed forward. “Awww, Wyn,” Sarah moaned as he stretched her wide. He took his time filling her, enjoying the snug fit as she fisted around him. Once he was fully seated inside her, he pulled right back until only the swollen head of his cock remained inside of her. Then he sank

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slowly into her moist warmth again. He continued slowly fucking her as he suckled and licked her marks. “Being inside you is like entering Heaven,” he drawled in her ear. Even though his pace was slow and steady he could feel her heartbeat racing. When release came, he was right there, covering her mouth with his as she lost her battle to remain quiet. He quickened his strokes, plunging into her as she grasped his hair and kissed him back passionately. The heavy headboard kept time with his punishing thrusts. Wyn pulled one of her legs over his shoulder, leaving the other wrapped around his waist. His breaths came in short gasps as he rode her hard and fast, pressing her body into the mattress with each downward stroke. Sarah met each thrust enthusiastically. “Yes, baby,” she moaned as she held on to him. “Right there, baby. Oh. My. God! I‟m gonna come again. Wyn!” she shouted before biting down on his shoulder, leaving a mark of her own. His orgasm exploded from him as he sank his elongated teeth into her shoulder and locked on. Sarah moaned in pleasure at the feel

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of his seed gushing out in hot spurts, coating her womb. *** “You look well, um, rested,” Shiloh said with a snicker later when Sarah walked into the kitchen followed by Wyn. Neenah sat at one end of the table with Summer‟s carrier placed on the table in front of her chair. Her coffee cup didn‟t completely cover her wide smile. “Thanks. I've been sleeping better,” Sarah said while ducking her head. Wyn grabbed two coffee cups and filled them. “I need to get started. I‟ll be in my office if you need me.” “Okay.” When he reached for her, she went to him and savored his kiss. He released her only to walk over to Summer‟s stroller and kneel down to kiss the smiling infant‟s cheek. “Be good, Princess.” After he left the kitchen, Sarah joined Shiloh and Neenah at the kitchen table. “What?” she said in response to Shiloh‟s knowing look.

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“Sleeping better, huh? I don‟t think sleep has anything to do with the way you‟re glowing. What do you think, Neenah?” “I think Sarah is getting very little sleep and that‟s okay.” “Well, I think the lack of sleep and the well-sexed glow all might have something to do with that handsome Alpha of ours. Am I right?” she asked her sister. “What makes you think that?” Sarah asked coyly. “You know she can smell the scent of his mark,” Neenah said. “His mark wasn‟t the first giveaway,” Shiloh said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. No, I‟m pretty sure it was the jackhammer sound of his headboard hitting the wall.” Shiloh‟s straight face was in danger of falling apart any second. “Or maybe it was the very loud howl,” Neenah added seriously. “You‟re right—the Alpha has one hell of an early-morning howl.” “Shut up,” Sarah said with a laugh as her cheeks flushed. “Hey, I can‟t say I blame him. You‟re one hot momma.”

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“Ha, I'm hardly hot. You, on the other hand, are getting buff. Look at those arms. “ “Thanks, but stop trying to change the subject. Since you‟re sleeping better,” she said with a wink, “do you mind if I start working more at night?” “No. I kinda like the idea of you being out there keeping bad things and bad people away.” “I'm not the only one on that watch. The whole pack is united in protecting what is ours. You are ours, Alphaya.” “Yeah, I know.” “You do, huh? Boy-oh-boy, the Alpha must be very persuasive,” she said with another wink. “You have no idea,” Sarah said with a wistful look. All three women burst out laughing. *** In his office, Wyn heard the sound of their laughter and smiled. His Alphaya was happy. Now he just had to keep her safe. He picked up the phone to make the first of several calls.

CHAPTER NINE Sarah looked up as Wyn walked onto the back deck where she and Neenah sat watching Pop put together a portable swing for Summer. She took one look at his face and knew he would be leaving soon. Before he could say anything, she stood and moved into his arms. “How long before you have to leave?” “I meet with Alpha Strong of Havensworth next week. I wanted to meet with him first since I know him best and because his pack is the largest of the four I‟m hoping to convince. He‟ll be the most receptive to an alliance. Once I have him on board, it will make it easier to convince the others. Since Summer is still too young to travel, he‟s agreed to meet me halfway and just spend a day or two hammering out the details.” “Are you sure we shouldn‟t come?” “Yes, I‟m sure. I want you both here at Unity. The other Alphas will understand when I explain that you‟re still nursing our young. It‟s not unusual for a child to be kept within the safe confines of the pack for the first year of

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life. Once I have Strong on board, meeting with the others can wait until next June or July.” Sarah smiled at that. He‟d said “our” again. He didn‟t just accept her; he accepted Summer as well. *** Two days later, Sarah and Summer accompanied Pop and Neenah to town for a short shopping trip. They picked up supplies for the pack and new clothes for Summer, who was growing faster than Sarah could keep up. When they returned to the house, Shiloh opened the door as Sarah reached the front porch. “Boy am I glad y‟all made it back.” “Why?” Sarah asked as she walked in followed by Neenah and Pop. They all stopped and looked up as a racket sounded on the second floor and then looked back at Shiloh, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face. “They aren‟t finished yet?” Pop asked in disbelief. “No, and you might want to go give them a hand. There‟s been a lot of cursing coming out of that room.”

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“Who is that, and what are they doing?” Sarah asked as Pop hurried up the steps. “Wyn and Chaz. They‟re working on a surprise for you and Summer.” Sarah‟s eyes lit up at the thought of Wyn trying to surprise her. “Really?” “Yep, been up there for almost two hours.” “What kind of surprise takes that long?” “If I tell you, then it won‟t be a surprise.” Shiloh rolled her eyes. A small crash sounded upstairs, followed by a long stream of expletives. Sarah and Shiloh broke into a fit of giggles while Neenah tried to shush them around her own chuckles. “If I didn‟t know better, I‟d swear you two were trying to kill that babe,” they heard Pop admonish. “Hand me those directions and one of them beers.” All three women burst out laughing at their antics. Wyn appeared at the top of the stairs. “You‟d better not be laughing at me, Alphaya.” “Of course not, Alpha,” Sarah lied.

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He came downstairs and pulled Sarah into his arms for a kiss. “You are not allowed upstairs right now.” “So I‟ve heard. I think us ladies can find something to do. Will you come find me when you‟re ready to unveil your surprise?” He tapped his nose. “I‟ll find you.” He bounded back up the stairs just as Pop could be heard yelling, “Quit touching it!” “Come on, ladies—let‟s go see what we can throw together for dinner. I‟m betting they‟re going to be hungry by the time they finish.” The three women moved into the kitchen and within an hour had a hearty meal almost completely finished. Sarah was feeding Summer from a bottle when Wyn walked into the kitchen looking very proud about something. “Ladies, if you‟ll follow me upstairs, there‟s a surprise waiting.” He took Summer and placed her against his shoulder. Wyn and Summer led the way upstairs into Sarah‟s bedroom. She still insisted on maintaining her room, even though she‟d spent every night in his bed since the first time he‟d made love to her. “Oh, my goodness!” Sarah

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exclaimed when she spotted a crib she‟d admired during their trip into town. She put her hands over her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. “Do you still like it?” Wyn asked apprehensively. Sarah didn‟t trust herself to speak, so she just nodded her head as she moved closer. Pop and Chaz stood grinning from ear-to-ear on opposite ends of the crib. “I have to admit that I forgot something really important when I ordered it,” Wyn said as he came up behind her. “What?” “Sheets and blankets” he said sheepishly. “Now you can just buy whatever you like.” Sarah laughed. “That‟s okay. I‟ll have to go online and see if I can find her camo sheets, since you and her aunt are determined to turn her into a hunter.” “Hmmph,” Pop grumped good-naturedly from where he stood. “That lil‟ gal can‟t help but be a hunter. She‟s Gaillon‟s grandbaby, and he was the best tracker I‟ve ever known.” “Thank you all so much. I‟m just sorry it was such a pain to put together.”

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“Ha!” Pop scoffed. “Wasn‟t the crib that kicked their full-grown asses. Was that lil‟ old dainty thing on top,” he said, pointing an accusing finger at the fairy mobile. “The damn directions are all screwed up,” Chaz mumbled. “Ain‟t the directions that‟s screwed up,” Pop said mockingly. “No offense,” he finished with raised hands when Chaz and Wyn both snarled at him. “I‟m going home.” He moved out of the room. “You two have got my blood pressure sky high.” Neenah was quick to remind him, “You don‟t have high blood pressure, Ellis,” as she followed him out of the room. “I do now!” “It‟s absolutely wonderful,” Sarah said as she gently touched the mobile. “Momma likes it, Princess. What about you?” Wyn playfully asked. He turned Summer in his arms to face the crib. She looked at Chaz and smiled a toothless grin as he waved at her. Then she waved her arms energetically until her eyes locked onto the mobile. Her hands stilled, and a long trail of drool left her open mouth. She cooed loudly as her arms began to

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wave again, her little fist reaching for the mobile. “Oh no, young lady.” Sarah took her in her arms and kissed her cheek. “No putting the fairies in your mouth.” She turned to Wyn and Chaz and said, “Come on—you both deserve some dinner for all of your hard work. We made chopped steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. Since Pop and Neenah decided to leave, you each might get second helpings.” Shiloh laughed and said, “Pop‟s in the kitchen as we speak. Trust my nose, big sister.” *** Wyn left four days later with a four-man team of enforcers. He called her a couple of times per day to check in. She still missed him, especially at night. He‟d spent every night leading up to his departure making love to her in the most blissful ways. Then he‟d wake her every morning and make love to her again, before they would head downstairs together for their coffee. He used their coffee time to talk about things that might come up and how she should handle them. His trust had given her the confidence to face his absence, and the rest

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of the pack made sure she knew they were there for her too. Someone was always stopping by to check on her. Pop was especially helpful to her, even giving her a heads-up about traditional courtesies shared between Alphayas. It seemed that the Alphayas were just as selective a group as the Alphas. A weak or inconsiderate Alphaya could weaken the position of her Alpha among his pack and in the eyes of other Alphas. By the time Wyn arrived at the resort he and Alpha Strong had agreed upon, the Havensworth Alphaya had received a large bouquet of flowers and a box of gourmet chocolates with a personal apology from Sarah for being unable to make the trip. She‟d called her mate and gushed about it, and he in turn had seemed impressed when he brought it up at dinner. He‟d promised to bring his Alphaya for a visit the next summer, as soon as their young was old enough to make such a long trip. Before leaving, Wyn gave Sarah authority to handle most of the day-to-day financial matters. She set about organizing his office and setting up files for every monthly bill that needed to be paid, including the payroll. In the process, she realized for the first time just how

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big the business side of Unity was. The security work they did was highly specialized and highly sought after. Two new jobs came in while Wyn was gone. The smaller job only required two people to act as bodyguards for a five-day trip so after consulting with Wyn, Sarah assigned Shiloh and Aames. The larger job required a full team of six, so Wyn asked her to contact the client and decline after explaining that he didn‟t want to send most of his best enforcers out and leave her unprotected. Sarah used their time apart to work on convincing Pop that there was a future for him and Neenah that went beyond mere friendship. He even took Neenah down to Sidney for a concert over the weekend. She‟d gotten the biggest kick out of the looks Pop got when his pack mates saw him in a suit. *** Wyn smiled as he and his team drove into the compound. There were pumpkins on almost every porch, a makeshift graveyard complete with plastic tombstones and a life-size zombie standing guard at another front door.

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The SUV jerked to a hard stop and Wyn looked at Grim questioningly. “What the hell?” Grim said in disbelief. Wyn turned to see what he was looking at and burst out laughing. He was soon joined by everyone in the vehicle. Walking down the sidewalk proudly pushing a wheelbarrow filled with hay and pumpkins was Pop dressed like a farmer. Straw hat, coveralls and a bandana hung out of his back pocket. Upon a closer look, Wyn realized the large pumpkin in the center was actually Summer in a costume. “Trick-or-treat in a wolf pack?” Grim choked out. “I just hope my Alphaya was kind enough to get pictures of Pop in that get-up. That‟s gonna be great for blackmail at a later date.” Wyn got out and waited for Pop to reach him. “I hope you don‟t think that pitiful disguise is gonna help you kidnap my Princess right from under my nose.” “Who needs to kidnap her? This lil‟ gal would follow me anywhere if she could figure out how to make her legs work.” “Whose bright idea was all of this?” Wyn asked, indicating Pop‟s outfit and the wheelbarrow as he bent to pick up Summer.

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“Mine. Figured if she was gonna be a prize-winning pumpkin, then she needed to have a proud farmer to show her off. Besides, Neenah had her dress like a native princess earlier for the reservation party. Couldn‟t let that woman outdo me.” Pop leaned in closer and whispered, “and you wouldn‟t believe the good candy I‟ve been getting from all of these morons.” “You do know they‟re giving the candy to Summer and not you, don‟t you?” “You do know that she ain‟t got no teeth, don‟t you?” Pop countered with a grin as he pulled a miniature candy bar out of the plastic pumpkin he was carrying. Wyn snatched the bucket from Pop with a snarl. “Quit stealing from babies!” “It ain‟t stealing. Me and my lil‟ lady have an agreement. I push her around this whole compound so she can visit everyone, and she shares her candy with me as payment for services rendered. Now hand her over so we can get back to visiting.” After a quick kiss to Summer‟s cheek, Wyn placed her back in the wheelbarrow and watched as Pop headed off to his next stop.

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Within five minutes he was greeted by the smell of pumpkin spice as he walked in the front door. He walked into the kitchen and smiled. Sarah, Neenah and Leah were all working on baked goods in various stages of completion. Leah was putting icing on cupcakes while Neenah was placing cookies on a plate and Sarah was bending over to remove several pies from the oven. “Evening, ladies.” “Welcome home, Wynter,” Neenah called out cheerfully. “Hey, Wyn,” Leah said with a smile. “You ladies sure have the house smelling good. Are we throwing a party?” he asked as he locked eyes with Sarah. “Yes, we‟re having movie night at the training center,” Sarah answered as she moved into his arms. Wyn hugged her tightly and breathed deeply of her scent. “Missed you,” she whispered in his ear. “Missed you more, Alphaya.” “All right, you two, there will be enough time for that later,” Neenah teased. “Wynter, we could use some help getting all of these goodies over to the training center.”

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Wyn smiled at Sarah and whispered, “Rain check?” “Definitely.” *** Later that evening after Wyn had collected on his rain check, Sarah snuggled against him in bed and said, “I got the most beautiful flowers today.” She gazed at the full blooms on the bedside table with a soft smile. “You wouldn‟t happen to know anything about that, would you?” “Afraid not,” he admitted. “There wasn‟t a card?” “No.” Sarah‟s cheeks flamed in embarrassment. “Sorry, I just assumed they were from you.” “I wish I had thought of it first, Sarah. You‟ve been doing such an amazing job with the pack in my absence, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you?” Just like that, her embarrassment melted away and was replaced by pleasure. She took pride in everything she‟d been able to accomplish while he was gone and was thrilled

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that he noticed. “I do, but thank you for saying it.” “They‟re probably a thank you from Alphaya Strong for your kind gesture.” “You‟re probably right. I bet the card just fell out during the trip here.” “Yeah, probably. So my Alphaya likes fresh flowers, does she?” “Yes, very much.” “What‟s your favorite flower?” “Tulips. Especially pink or yellow ones.” “I‟ll have to keep that in mind. It might become useful information if I ever need to get myself out of the doghouse.” Sarah laughed at that. “Now there‟s a visual. My big bad wolf in a little bitty doghouse.” “Not funny, Alphaya.” “Yeah, it really is.” She continued laughing until Wyn silenced her with a toecurling kiss that re-ignited the passion he‟d just sated. ***

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Two days later, Chaz opened his front door to Shiloh. “Morning, enforcer. What‟s up?” “I didn‟t want to bother the Alpha with this yet, but I need some guidance.” Chaz stepped aside so she could walk in. He led her to the living room where they sat facing each other. He took in the concerned expression on her face. “Okay, what‟s going on?” “Sarah‟s been getting flowers every day for the last three days. They never come with a card. She says she already asked Wyn, and he isn‟t sending them. It‟s starting to freak her out, but she doesn‟t want to get him riled up.” Chaz frowned at that. “He‟s her mate. It‟s his job to get riled up if there is something that threatens her.” “That‟s just it. I‟m not sure if it‟s a threat yet.” “What do your instincts tell you?” “It feels like she‟s being stalked, but who would do such a thing? I‟ve looked into the eyes of every male here and they adore and respect her.”

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“Adoration can be a dangerous thing when you‟re talking about someone with a twisted mind.” “I‟m just not getting that vibe from anyone here. Even as strange as Isaac can be sometimes, he doesn‟t strike me as a threat to Sarah.” Chaz laughed at that. “No, I think Isaac would cut off both his hands before he would do anything to hurt her. She‟s become his biggest fan. Last time I went by his workshop he was working on a painting for Summer‟s nursery as a thank-you for Sarah arranging for some of his work to be displayed at a gallery down in Sydney.” “Yeah, he showed it to me yesterday. I convinced him to hold on to it and give it to her as a Christmas gift.” “Okay, the local sheriff is a member of Neenah‟s tribe. I‟ll contact him about it and see if he can get the florist to give him order information. First, you and I are going to have a talk with our Alpha. No way I‟m keeping him in the dark about something concerning his Alphaya.” “I don‟t want him to be angry at Sarah for not telling him her concerns.”

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“Trust me, he‟s probably already smelled her concern but just doesn‟t know what it‟s about.” *** “Hey,” Wyn said to Sarah as he casually strolled into the kitchen. “Hey yourself,” she answered with a smile. “I‟m headed over to the reservation to talk with Sherrif Longhorn. I‟ll be back in a few hours.” Sarah looked up from the ingredients she was setting out on the counter. “Is something wrong?” she asked. Wyn met her look with a smile, hoping it would keep her from getting suspicious. “No big deal,” he lied. “He‟s having some trouble with vandals and wanted me to take a look around.” Sarah smiled back at him. “You mean he wants you to take a sniff around, don‟t you?” “Yeah. Maybe I‟ll be able to pick up a familiar scent. I‟m betting it‟s just kids fooling around.”

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“Probably. Neenah and Leah are coming by in a few to help me get started on tomorrow‟s meal, so it‟s probably a good time for you to run away.” Wyn grimaced. “Are you sure you want to do an old-fashioned Thanksgiving for the whole pack?” “Absolutely,” she said as she went back to collecting spices and lining them up on the counter. Walking up behind her, Wyn kissed the side of her neck just under her ear. He smiled when he felt her shiver in his arms. “Okay, you ladies be good. I‟ll see you when I get back.” With one last kiss to that sensitive spot, he left her and walked outside. Chaz stood next to his truck talking to Shiloh and Grim. “Don‟t let her know that you‟re guarding her,” Wyn stressed as he came to stand with them. “Got it,” Shiloh answered. “She‟s recruited me to help with cooking anyway.” “I‟m just going to be an innocent bystander who gets sucked into keeping Summer occupied while the women cook,” Grim answered seriously.

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“Since Neenah and Leah are coming by, Pop won‟t be far behind them.” “Good,” Wyn said. He looked back at the house one last time before climbing into the passenger seat. Since finding out about the flowers three weeks earlier, he‟d assigned guards to the front entrance to the compound. As far as Sarah knew, the flowers had stopped coming just as suddenly as they‟d started. In reality the deliveries had continued every day. Sheriff Billy Longhorn was stumped because the orders were being placed online, and he hadn‟t had any luck tracing the purchaser. What really worried Wyn was the fact that he hadn‟t had any luck tracing the mystery person either. Unity had access to better equipment and two computer geniuses in residence. Whoever was behind the daily blooms was really good at covering their tracks. *** Sarah sat on the floor of her living room with Leah and Shiloh on either side of her as they flipped through catalogs looking at potential Christmas gifts and joking about gag gifts for various pack members. Neenah was on

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the couch knitting, while Pop sat next to her playing peek-a-boo with Summer. Grim occupied a chair near the window and watched a football game. Suddenly the sound of an explosion rocked the quiet evening. “What the hell!” Shiloh yelled as she raced to follow Grim out the front door and into the street. “Stay put,” Pop said to the three shocked women still seated. He sat Summer in her playpen before following Grim and Shiloh. Shiloh ran back into the house a moment later. “It‟s the storehouse. It‟s going up like a brush fire. We‟re going to go help put it out. You guys stay here.” “I want to help,” Sarah said. “Me too,” Leah chimed in, coming to her feet. “Do you want Wyn and Chaz to tear me apart when they get home?” She didn‟t wait for either woman to answer. “Stay with Summer. Grab a spare transmitter from Wyn‟s office,” she told Sarah. “I‟ll keep you posted that way.” All three women followed Shiloh out onto the front porch. In the distance the storehouse was a ball of flames that brightened the night, casting an eerie glow on the snow-covered

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ground. “Come on—let‟s get out of this cold,” Sarah said as she ushered the other two women back inside. “You guys go get comfortable while I grab a transmitter.” “We‟ll get a pot of coffee going—it‟s probably going to be a long night,” Neenah said as she and Leah headed to the kitchen. Sarah moved into Wyn‟s office and opened his desk drawer. Grabbing a transmitter, she slipped it over her right ear. She turned it on and said, “Enforcers, keep me posted on the fire and apprise me of any injuries as they happen.” Grim‟s voice came back a second later with, “Copy that, Alphaya.” Sarah was about to close the desk drawer but froze as Wyn‟s static-muffled voice came through on the transmitter. “Why the hell can I see fire coming from the compound?” Sarah‟s heart leapt. Wyn was close, and the knowledge instantly soothed her frayed nerves. Once again Grim responded. “There‟s been an explosion, Alpha. The storehouse is going up like kindling.”

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“Damn it. Was anyone injured?” “No injuries to report. I‟ve already accounted for everyone.” “Keep the Alphaya away from there.” Sarah hit the transmitter and responded, “I‟m at home, safe and sound. Neenah and Leah are still visiting.” She heard the relief in his voice when he responded. “I‟m almost there.” “Don‟t worry about us—go check on the storehouse when you get here.” “Okay, but I‟ll see you soon, Alphaya.” “I‟m looking forward to it, Alpha.” She muted the line and closed the desk drawer just as the sound of screams filled the house. Snatching the drawer open again, she pulled Wyn‟s gun and released the safety as she ran out into the hall just in time to see Neenah running from the kitchen and screaming bloody murder with a terrified expression on her face. A man quickly followed. No, not a man. A werewolf. And he wasn‟t an unfamiliar one, at least not to Sarah. She had seen his face in her nightmares far too many times.

CHAPTER TEN As Sarah stood frozen in shock, the rogue swung out and slammed Neenah into the console table in the hall. Her head hit the mirror that hung above and shattered it. He swung again with his other clawed hand and sliced across her back as her body crumpled to the ground at his feet. Without even sparing her a second glance, his yellow eyes, glowing with bloodlust, turned to Sarah. He moved toward her, and she instinctually raised the gun and aimed. As time seemed to slow down, she heard her father‟s voice speaking clearly from deep within her memories. “You’ll never be as fast as a full-grown wolf, sweetheart, so don’t try to make the first shot or two the kill shot. Use those to slow him down. Then take the kill shot when your target isn’t moving so fast.” The sound of Summer wailing stiffened Sarah‟s stance and steadied her hands. No way was he getting near her baby. She had the satisfaction of seeing the rogue‟s eyes widen in shock after she pulled the trigger the first time. That first bullet slammed into his right

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shoulder, causing him to stagger slightly. He howled in pain as the silver bullet seared his flesh. She fired again, hitting him in his left shoulder. This time he actually stopped moving forward as he cried out again. She fired a third time just as he was spinning on his heels to head back the way he‟d come. The third bullet just missed his head, but nicked his left ear as it whizzed by him. He barreled back down the hall and into the kitchen. As she ran to follow him, Sarah heard Grim shouting, “shots fired!” into his transmitter. “All enforcers report to the Alpha‟s house—the Alphaya and her young are in danger.” Knowing help was on the way and wanting to give them time to get there, Sarah stopped to aim and fired a fourth shot at the rogue‟s legs. She heard him yelp as he crashed through the back door, rolling across the deck before coming to his feet and leaping off the deck. Wyn was shouting her name into the transmitter as she ran through the kitchen and onto the back deck. She fired off two more shots as the fleeing rogue disappeared into the trees.

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“You bastard!” she screamed. “You cowardly bastard! I fight and you run! I hope you suffer and die in pain!” She swung around with the gun still raised as the front door crashed in, flying completely off the hinges and just missing Neenah where she lay. Standing in the doorway, Grim looked every bit the fierce warrior he was. Sarah watched in shocked fascination as he shifted while sprinting through the house toward her. By the time he reached the deck, his wolf was unleashed, and his howl was pure male fury. His mouth had elongated into a canine snout, and his eyes glowed yellow in the darkness. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, showing his lethal canines, and his large hands now had sharp claws extending from the tips of his fingers. His body was still that of a man, but there was no mistaking what stood before her. Sarah pointed to the woods and yelled, “He ran that way!” Grim raced away in the direction she indicated, leaping gracefully from the top of the deck and landing on the balls of his feet before continuing into the trees. Shiloh stopped to grab Sarah‟s shoulders as the other enforcers raced after Grim.

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Sarah looked at her younger sister, her rage mirrored in the other woman‟s eyes. “It was him, Shi. He found us.” Sarah had seen her sister angry many times, but Shiloh had always been careful to control her shifts. She set her wolf free now with an angry growl. Claws extended from her slender fingers as her brown eyes lightened to yellow and took on the eerie glow of her people. Her canines extended as her snout formed. She threw her head back and let loose a furious howl before she raced after the others. Men were still coming around both sides of the house and racing into the woods after the enforcers, the fire all but forgotten. Summer‟s cries finally registered, and Sarah ran to get her. In the hall Pop stood over Neenah‟s still body, a look of pure despair on his face. He dropped to his knees and scooped her up into his arms so that she half lay on his lap as he rocked her slowly. “Don‟t leave me, love. Please don‟t leave me. You‟re the only reason I‟ve survived for so long. Your sweet spirit is what kept me here.” “Someone please get the baby,” Sarah shouted to the men who had entered through

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the front door behind Pop and were now standing guard over him and Neenah. Aames broke away from the group and moved into the living room where Summer lay in her playpen wailing angrily. Suddenly remembering Leah, Sarah pressed her transmitter as she returned to scan the kitchen. A trail of blood ran down the front of the refrigerator. “Wyn, he was in our home,” she sobbed as she came around the island to find Leah lying unconscious with bloody gashes on her face and neck. “Sarah?! Sarah, are you all right?” Wyn shouted. “No, that bastard was in our home, and he hurt Neenah and Leah.” “No!” Chaz‟ voice shouted across the line. Sarah engaged the gun‟s safety and tucked it into her waistband; then she kneeled down to pick Leah‟s head up and placed it in her lap. “Oh God, Leah,” she sobbed as she got a closer look at her friend‟s gaping wounds. Her beautiful face would surely be horrifically scarred if she survived at all. The other woman‟s faint moan was still loud enough to be picked up by the transmitter as Sarah bent over her and applied pressure to the wound at her neck.

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Chaz howled in fury at the sound of his mate in pain. Sarah suddenly remembered what Wyn had done for her hand a few months earlier. “Chaz, get here now,” she said firmly. “Leah needs you.” “We‟re coming, baby,” Wyn said. “We‟ll be there in just a few more minutes.” “I need a hand in here!” she called out. Lucas, an enforcer who also acted as the town‟s electrician, appeared with gun in hand. “Alphaya?” “I need you to keep pressure on this wound until the Beta can get here.” She gently placed Leah‟s head back on the floor and scramble to her feet. Running into the hallway, she asked, “Pop, is she still alive?” When he didn‟t answer, she looked to the other two men for an answer, knowing they would be able to tell. They had both gone to one knee. Aames was holding Summer against his shoulder and gently rubbing her back as she hiccupped around the thumb she had in her mouth. “She lives, Alphaya, but her heartbeat is fading,” Isaac responded sadly. Kneeling in front of him, she said, “Pop.” When he didn‟t respond, she shook his shoulder and yelled, “Pop, listen to me! You

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have to make her your mate, and then seal the wounds. It might save her.” She ignored Wyn‟s voice in her ear as he called her name gently, trying to warn her not to push. There was no better time she could think of to push him. Neenah‟s life might depend on it. “It won‟t work,” the old male insisted sadly with tears pouring down his cheeks. “I‟ve already had a mate, Alphaya. I‟m blessed to have Neenah as my second love, but there can be only one mate.” “Like hell! Damn it, stop being so narrow-minded. You have nothing to lose but a second chance at happiness. Try! For Neenah, Pop, please try.” “Alphaya,” he said pleadingly as Wyn spoke her name again. She could hear in both their voices that they had given up. Well, she wasn‟t ready to give up on anyone she loved, and she loved Neenah. The woman had filled all the lonely places created by her mother‟s death. “I said try, Enforcer Hargrave, and damn it I mean now!” Sarah said with authority. Once an enforcer, always an enforcer. Pop may have been willing to accept a lot of the

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new ways, but he was an old wolf who believed in the chain of command. He obeyed his Alphaya‟s command immediately, bending and inhaling to draw Neenah‟s scent deep into his lungs as his tears dropped from his eyes into her hair. Without conscious thought, his lips pulled back as his mouth opened over her shoulder. He held her head still and moved the neckline of her sweater aside as he sank his canines into her shoulder. The taste of her burst into his system like a shockwave as his muscles clenched all at once. Pop‟s eyes flew open in shock, but he didn‟t release his hold on Neenah‟s shoulder. He felt the growl rolling through his chest and up into his throat before he let go of Neenah‟s shoulder to throw his head back and howl. Long and loud he howled as every fiber of his being acknowledged the presence of his mate. Everyone moved back and stared at Pop in shock. His body was rigid and his eyes had turned bright yellow. In her ear Sarah heard Wyn whisper, “I‟ll be damned,” followed by Chaz‟s “Oh shit.” ***

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Pop felt his inner wolf stretched furiously with the knowledge that someone had hurt his mate. Yet he also knew that someone would pay for that as soon as she was well again. He would see to it. Looking back down at Neenah with tenderness, he asked, “How is this possible? Oh love, how could I not have known?” He leaned over her again to gently lick the wound he‟d placed on her shoulder. “If you die this night, love, I swear I‟ll follow you into the darkness once I‟ve avenged this attack against you.” Pop moved Neenah‟s head gently and marked her other shoulder. This time she moaned when his jaw locked onto her soft flesh. *** Through her transmitter, Sarah heard Wyn say, “I‟ll be damned,” again in a low shocked voice while Isaac gasped in shock and scrambled around her to get in front of Pop. “What?” Sarah asked. “Her heart—its beat gets stronger, Alphaya. Ellis, your arm,” he said as he moved quickly to kneel next to Sarah. Pop stretched his arm out without lifting his head from

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Neenah‟s shoulder, and the other man drew a pocket knife. He sliced Pop‟s arm from wrist to elbow. “What are you doing?” Sarah yelled, reaching out to stop him. “He can lick a small wound closed, but the wounds on her back are too large for a mere lick, Alphaya. His blood is needed to seal them. It will give her an even greater fighting chance.” The sound of brakes squealing as tires fought to stop in the snow outside had Sarah jumping to her feet. Wyn was already out of the truck and racing toward the house with Chaz right behind him. Sarah turned and ran to the kitchen, calling to Chaz over her shoulder. “This way—Leah‟s in here.” They entered the kitchen only a few steps behind her. “Leah!” Chaz cried out as he reached her. Sarah put her hand up to stop Wyn as he moved to her. “You have to help him,” she nearly sobbed. “Neenah‟s holding on because Pop marked her and is using his blood to seal her wounds.” Wyn moved to his Beta‟s side and said, “It‟s time, brother. You can still give her the freedom to pursue her dreams, but she‟ll have to pursue them as your bonded mate.”

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Chaz looked up, and his eyes sought Sarah‟s. “I don‟t want her to hate me, Alphaya.” “She won‟t—she can‟t.” Wyn pulled a lethal-looking hunting knife out of a holster at his waist. “It has to be your blood,” Wyn said softly. “What if it‟s not strong enough?” Chaz asked. “It will be because you are her mate,” Wyn assured him. Chaz bent over Leah much as Pop had done with Neenah just minutes earlier. He whispered something that Sarah swore sounded like, “With my own life, Betaya.” Chaz bit down, marking her on the same side as her injuries. Leah‟s body jerked in his arms and then went still. While he licked his mark, he held his hand out, and Wyn sliced his palm open. Then he lovingly smoothed his hand over Leah‟s injured face and neck. Sarah‟s eyes widened as she watched. Instead of smearing across the side of her face, Chaz‟s blood seemed to be absorbed into Leah‟s wounds. Meanwhile, Wyn watched a moment before standing and handing his knife to Lucas. “He may need you to open his palm again

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before she fully heals.” He pressed his comlink and said, “Grim, status.” Grim‟s voice crackled over the line muffled by static. Wyn knew that meant the team had traveled a long way away from the compound. “The bastard had an all-terrain vehicle stashed so he‟s pulled way ahead, but the Alphaya was able to injure him, so we‟re not having a problem tracking him. At least one of her shots is lodged in him somewhere, because he‟s still bleeding.” “I want you to keep three men and send everyone else back. We need to get the fire at the storehouse contained, and I have two injured mates including the Betaya. I want extra protection on them while they heal.” “Permission to stay, Alpha,” Shiloh said over the line. “Permission granted,” Wyn answered without hesitation. “If you catch him, Shi, you kick his ass before you kill him.” Sarah‟s voice crackled with restrained fury. “Goes without saying. Shiloh out.” “Grim,” Wyn growled meaningfully. Shiloh was an unmated female under his protection. He didn‟t have to explain to Grim

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that enforcer or not, if anything happened to her there would be hell to pay. “Goes without saying, Alpha,” he replied knowingly. “Grim out.” Chaz was still murmuring softly to Leah and rubbing his hand across her face. Her wounds were noticeably better. Sarah walked out into the hallway to check on Neenah. Dakota, Tango and one other enforcer were busy trying to get the front door fixed. Aames had moved into the living room, where another enforcer was stoking a fire in the fireplace. He still had Summer in his arms but had wrapped a blanket around the now sleeping child. Isaac was cutting Pop‟s arm again as she moved up beside him. His arm had already healed from the first cut. “How is she?” Sarah asked as she gazed down at her injured friend. A fresh wave of anger coursed through her. What the rogue had done to her was bad enough, but for him to come back and hurt her friends filled her with rage. “She‟s healing very slowly, Alphaya, but at least she is healing,” Isaac said optimistically. “She has responded well to her mate.”

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Wyn wrapped his arms around Sarah from behind and pressed a kiss into her hair. She turned in his arms to face him and said, “I need you to leave a couple of men here and go see to the fire.” He looked at her in astonishment. “I‟m not leaving you! Our home was just attacked, for God‟s sake.” Sarah stroked his cheek and then pulled his head down for a quick kiss. “Yes, you will leave, Alpha Grey. The pack needs both of us tonight. We have to divide and conquer the mess that monster left behind. I‟ll stay here with the mates as they heal. That way I can see to Summer as well. You go get that fire put out before it spreads. I won‟t see all of my pack mates‟ hard work leveled tonight.” She stood just a little taller as Wyn stared at her with pride. He clutched the back of her head as he ground his mouth against hers in a heated kiss, that she suspected held unlimited promise. Then he pointed to his com-link. “I‟m one yell away.” Sarah nodded. “I know, but I‟ll be fine. Still got half a clip left,” she joked as she patted the gun in her waistband.

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After one final smile for her, he snapped back into Alpha mode. “I‟ll leave Lucas, Isaac and Aames. Dakota and Tango, get that door fixed and then head over to the storehouse.” Turning to pin Aames with a hard look, he said, “Stay with the Alphaya and our young. Their protection is your only duty until I tell you different.” Aames nodded solemnly and replied, “With my life, Alpha.” “Everyone else follow me to the storehouse. Let‟s get that fire put out before my Alphaya starts cracking heads.” One last kiss for Sarah, and he was gone. Sarah moved Summer‟s playpen so that it sat in front of the screened fireplace. Taking the sleeping child from Aames, she laid her down, covering her with the blanket. Aames moved into the hall and pulled one of Wyn‟s thick jackets out of the coat closet and brought it back to Sarah. The open doorways had caused the house to become chilly, and she accepted the jacket gratefully. She went into the kitchen and closed the back door, and then hurried upstairs to get blankets for Neenah and Leah.

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Thirty minutes later the front door was fixed and Dakota and Tango left. After moving between the hall and the kitchen several times, Sarah sat on the ground next to Pop and held Neenah‟s hand. Lucas came to the kitchen door and said, “Alphaya, the Betaya is waking up.” “I‟ll be right back,” she said to Pop while gently patting Neenah‟s hand. “Tell her Neenah is all right,” he said. “I don‟t want her worrying.” Sarah entered the kitchen just as Leah woke up. She came awake slowly, blinking up at Chaz with confusion written all over her face. “It‟s all right,” he said soothingly. “You‟re safe now. Everything is going to be all right.” “Neenah?” “She‟s fine,” he reassured her. Pop is with her.” “Sarah?” Sarah bent down and said, “I‟m right here, Leah. Summer and I are both fine.” Leah‟s hand reached out, and Sarah grasped it tightly, placing a kiss on the back. “You were so brave, my friend. I heard you yelling at him.” “Didn‟t want him to hurt you guys.”

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“I know, sweetie. You did real good. You gave me the warning I needed.” Leah nodded and looked to Chaz. “How did you get here?” “Are you kidding? Nothing could keep me from you when you‟re in danger,” he said with false bravado. “My knight in shining armor,” Leah joked weakly. “Something like that,” he said sadly. *** Wyn came in hours later covered from head to toe in soot. The fire had been tough to extinguish, but they had eventually been successful. He stopped in the living room where Pop and Neenah lay on the pull-out couch, with a fire still smoldering in the fireplace. Isaac sat in a recliner across the room from them. Wyn kneeled down beside the sofa and asked, “How is she?” “Healing,” Pop said softly. He lay on his side spooned behind Neenah, her head pillowed on one of his arms. The other arm was protectively wrapped around her waist. “Her wounds are sealed, but she‟s still healing

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inside. She took a pretty good knock to the side of the head,” He growled. “Sarah didn‟t want me to move her too far, so it looks like we‟ll be your house guests tonight.” “I wouldn‟t have it any other way.” At the sound of Sarah‟s light footsteps on the stairs, he turned and stood as she raced across the space and into his arms. “Whoa, baby, you‟ll get all dirty.” “I don‟t care,” she said, rubbing her cheek against his chest as her hands wrapped tightly around his waist. He glanced at the stairs where Aames stood halfway between Sarah and Summer, guarding both diligently. “It‟s okay—I‟ve got the Alphaya,” Wyn said. The other male nodded and moved back up the stairs. Wyn knew that even without being told, the other man would stay with Summer until given the all-clear. Talking to Grim right before he came in, Wyn learned they had lost the rogue when he switched to another vehicle and took to the highway. He‟d given the order for them to head home. They wouldn‟t catch him tonight, but they would catch him. The rogue had declared war on Unity by attacking their Alphaya, but he had also given them all a strong whiff of his scent. The hunt

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would be on once things settled down and all mates were well. He would notify the other packs in the morning, after he‟d had time to get a physical description of the bastard. “Goodnight, Pop,” he said. “Call us if you need anything.” “Thank you. Oh, and Alphaya?” “Yes, Pop?” “Thank you for protecting my mate. From that rogue and from my own stubbornness,” he said thickly. “I might‟ve let her slip away if you hadn‟t been here to give me a good kick in the pants.” She smiled warmly and nodded. Sarah and Wyn left the living room handin-hand and walked slowly upstairs. She led him to her old room, where Chaz lay in bed on his back with Leah draped across him as she slept peacefully. “How is she?” Wyn asked. “She complained of a headache earlier, but she‟s sleeping soundly now,” he said as he stroked Leah‟s hair. “I think she‟ll be fine come morning.” “Okay. Call us if you need anything.” Lucas sat in a chair in the corner, vigilantly standing guard. Again, Wyn knew he would stay with his Beta and Betaya through the

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night. Pack protected pack. He nodded at the enforcer before leaving with Sarah in tow. Finally he and Sarah moved across the hall to their room, where Summer lay sleeping in her crib. He nodded at Aames, and the other male took the dining chair he‟d been sitting on and left the room, closing the door behind him. A moment later, Wyn heard him set the chair down in the hallway. He would give them privacy, but he would not leave the house until his Alpha gave him leave to do so. “Hit the shower, Alpha Grey. I‟ll bring you something clean to wear.” After a quick kiss to her forehead, he walked into the bathroom. *** Sarah pulled a clean pair of pajamas out of the drawer where he kept them while Wyn took his shirt off and tossed it on the floor. Next he unbuckled his belt and opened his pants. Sarah moved to put his pajamas on the counter next to the sink. When she turned to leave, Wyn stood completely naked blocking the door, his eyes still glowing yellow. She felt

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a throb of desire low in her stomach at the intensity of his stare. “Join me,” he said. He didn‟t ask. It was an order, and she didn‟t care. He pulled her shirt free of her pants and lifted it off. Next he undid her pants and bent to slip them down her thighs and off. He moved to the shower and turned the water on full blast. Reaching for Sarah, he held her hand as they entered the stall. She grabbed her loofah and handed over his washcloth. They washed in silence, just watching each other. Sarah couldn‟t believe how happy she was to have him home after the events of the night. “I missed you,” she blurted out, feeling silly since he‟d only been gone half a day. Wyn was lathering his hair but stopped to look at her. “I missed you too, baby,” he said heatedly. He stepped under the spray of water and rinsed his hair and body. Then he turned and pulled Sarah under the spray to rinse the soap from her body as well. He bent to run his hands down her sides, skimming the outsides of her legs all the way to her ankle. Leaning forward, he kissed her stomach, letting his tongue peek out to twirl around in her navel.

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Sarah‟s eyes closed on a moan. The throb shook her this time, and she reached out to hold on to his strong shoulders. He lifted one of her legs and placed it over his shoulder. This time, when he leaned in, he kissed her wet mound. His tongue snaked out to rub against her clit and outer lips, and Sarah gasped as she moved her hands from his shoulders to his head. Clutching his wet hair, she urged him on silently. Wyn held her waist as he latched on to her wet pussy and licked and sucked until she was moaning his name desperately. Pulling her clit into his mouth, he held it gently between his teeth as his tongue fluttered rapidly from side to side. She tried to restrain herself from shouting as her orgasm hit, but Wyn was having none of it. He rose to his feet and grabbed her ass to lift her onto his throbbing erection. Finally, he pushed into her with one powerful thrust. Sarah couldn‟t keep from crying out as he stretched her. “You are mine, Sarah,” he rasped against her neck as he began thrusting. Sarah‟s eyes glazed with passion. He took her with a desperateness that matched her own, and she met his thrusts with her grinding hips.

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“Tell me, Sarah. I need to hear you say it,” he said breathlessly. Sarah understood then. The rogue‟s presence in Unity was an insult to him as the pack‟s Alpha. His presence in their home was a more personal insult and a challenge to him as her mate. He needed to reassert his claim, and she willingly gave him what he needed. “I‟m yours, Wyn. Yours alone!” He continued to power into her, turning to brace her against the tile wall of the stall. Sarah leaned forward to put her forehead on his shoulder as another orgasm built to frenzied heights. “Yes! Oh, Wyn. My Alpha, my love.” She bit his shoulder instead of screaming as her orgasm shot through her. Wyn nearly howled in pleasure at the feel of her teeth on his shoulder. He bit into her shoulder as well, right where he had marked her, while continuing to fuck her hard as his own release overwhelmed him. At last he came with a shout, licking her wound as his hot seed shot deep into her womb. ***

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Security around the Unity compound was stepped up in the weeks after the attack. Neenah moved in to Pop‟s house permanently. The two of them looked like any other happy newlyweds. Leah decided to stay at Pop‟s as well. She wasn‟t ready to be Chaz‟s mate in all ways, but she agreed to stay close until it was time for her to return to work. Chaz was hurt by her inability to commit and they were right back to avoiding each other, but Sarah suspected they wouldn‟t be able to for very long. The other packs were notified of the attack. Each Alpha pledged his pack‟s cooperation in capturing the rogue if he entered their territory. An attack on an Alphaya and Betaya was not something anyone planned to take lightly. Unity celebrated Christmas in grand style thanks to its Alphaya. There were gifts and treat-filled goody bags for every member of the pack, including Neenah and Leah. Sarah enlisted the other women to help her prepare a huge holiday dinner to make up for the ruined Thanksgiving, and the training center was turned into a banquet hall for the day. Pop dressed up as Santa for Summer, but it was the

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rest of the pack that got the biggest kick out of his costume. He took all the good-natured teasing in stride, telling Summer the others were just jealous. Later Wyn and Sarah lay in bed, talking about the day. “You do good work, Alphaya. Your first annual Christmas extravaganza was a huge success.” “I had so much fun. Everyone seemed to like their gifts.” “They genuinely did, but I think your reaction to the pack‟s gifts really made everyone‟s day. I thought poor Isaac was gonna come undone when you started crying over his portrait of Summer.” “It‟s so beautiful I couldn‟t help myself. He‟s so talented.” “Well, do you think you can take opening one more gift?” “Are you kidding? I can always open one more gift.” Wyn opened the drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a long black velvet box with a bright green bow on top. He held the box out to Sarah, but she just stared at it wide eyed, so he opened it for her. Inside was an emerald tennis bracelet with brilliant diamonds

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between each radiant green stone. Wyn frowned when she still didn‟t say anything. “The emeralds remind me of your eyes. If you don‟t like it, we can return it for something else.” Sarah looked up with barely contained joy. “It‟s absolutely beautiful.” She stared at the bracelet a second longer before launching herself at him. He kissed her as he trapped her against his chest with his powerful arms. At last he broke the kiss and said, “I wanted to get you something special that would last a lifetime.” “God, I love you.” “Love me enough to put up with me for a couple of lifetimes?” “A couple?” “Hmmm. That‟s a neat side effect of my mark. It ensures a longer lifespan for you, one comparable to my own.” “Are you serious?” At his nod, Sarah thought about something her father had said after her mother‟s death that she hadn‟t understood. He‟d drunk too much scotch the night after the funeral, and as she and Shiloh had helped him

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up to his room, he‟d kept mumbling, “my mark should have kept her here.” *** The week between Christmas and New Year‟s passed without incident, but Unity remained on alert. No one was willing to take a chance on another attack. At five minutes to midnight on New Year‟s Eve, the entire pack gathered outside in front of Wyn and Sarah‟s house. Bottles of champagne were passed around as everyone filled their cups. Wyn held a bundled-up Summer against his chest. At midnight, the males of Unity sent forth howls to welcome a new year. In the distance, natural wolves answered their calls as everyone raised their cups in a toast. “To Unity!” Wyn bellowed. “To Unity!!” everyone responded. Tensions were running high around the compound, but so was the sense of determination. The New Year was welcomed, but everyone felt the pressing need to deal with old business from the previous year. They‟d worked out a plan, and Wyn would be leaving in a few days to execute it—and with any luck,

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that wouldn‟t be the only thing he executed. He knew he‟d been difficult company for the last few days, but he couldn‟t help it. The threat against his family had his natural instincts firing on all cylinders, and his wolf was clawing to be set free. He could only hope Sarah realized how important she was to him and didn‟t take his foul mood personally. *** “What if this backfires?” Wyn asked as he stuffed another pair of pants into his duffel bag. “What if something happens while I‟m away? I‟ve never known true terror until the night that bastard got into our house.” He stopped packing and moved to stand in front of her. “When I heard Grim say the Alphaya is in trouble, I swear my heart stopped beating until I heard your voice barking orders. If he had harmed you or Summer, I don‟t know what I would have done or how I would have been able to carry on.” He pressed his face into the palm she gently laid against his cheek. “He didn‟t hurt us, so we won‟t dwell on it. I spent too much time already dwelling on that coward‟s actions. He gets no more of my

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time. It all belongs to you, Summer and Unity. You can‟t be with either of us twentyfour/seven. You have to trust in our pack and your enforcers to help you protect your family.” He nodded, impressed again with her strength. “I‟ll be back as soon as I can. It should only take a few days. I‟m leaving four enforcers behind, and their sole duty will be to keep you and Summer safe. Keep at least one enforcer with you at all times.” “I promise. Now come on, before the others leave you.” They walked outside where Chaz, Grim, Tango and Shiloh waited. Two black SUVs were parked in front, and all five were dressed in all black. It had begun to snow again, and Sarah shivered as she imagined all of them out in the elements, trying to find the rogue. Pop strolled up with Dakota and Neenah. Both men were also dressed in black, while Pop carried a large backpack. “Whoa,” Chaz said. “Where do you think you‟re going?” “Seems to me you pups might need a set of old eyes to track this rouge. Old eyes that have seen most every evasive trick in the book and used most of ‟em too.”

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“I think that‟s a fine idea, old friend,” Wyn said, clapping the older man on the shoulder. “I for one am never gonna be too old to learn something new.” “This should be fun,” Grim said. Like everyone else, he was amped up and ready for the hunt. Losing the rogue had been a stinging blow. They were all ready to rectify that perceived mistake. *** He watched and waited patiently. There was only one guard outside as usual. Inside he could see the woman moving about the kitchen, preparing the morning meal. She seemed to be talking to herself. That gave him pause, since she wasn‟t wearing a transmitter that he could see. Then she bent out of sight only to quickly stand back up with her child in her arms. He relaxed as he realized she had been talking to the child all along. There were no lights shining from the upstairs windows in the back or on either side of the house. He had to chance that the same was true for the front windows, as moving to the street would be too risky. That left the first

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floor. There was only one guard inside—he had come into the kitchen and taken the evening meal with the woman and would be back shortly for the morning meal. He‟d have to be very quick so that an alarm couldn‟t be sounded. He‟d been watching for two days now. They were more alert at night, while they slacked off a bit during the day. That was why he‟d chosen this hour to strike. Like clockwork, the guard inside stepped out after the morning meal to switch places with the outside sentry. The woman insisted on feeding them both. He moved quickly, raising the scoped rifle and taking aim. There was a faint whooshing sound as he fired twice in rapid succession. Each shot hit its mark, and each sentry fell before they could ever touch their transmitters. No loud gunshots to send every wolf in a fivemile radius racing to his location. And because he‟d used high-powered animal tranquilizer darts, there was no smell of death to attract attention either. The woman continued moving around the kitchen, blissfully unaware of what had just happened right outside. He moved swiftly through the trees into the large yard. Staying

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close to the perimeter, he skirted the edge of the yard instead of running straight across. More opportunity to go unnoticed. He slipped up the stairs to the deck and crouched low as he moved past the unconscious sentries to the back door. How he longed to do more harm, but time was of the essence if he was to complete his mission. The thought of besting an Alpha had his dick hard. For so long he‟d watched and learned. He had moved about without being caught by mastering the lessons learned at his father‟s knee. His father had been a great enforcer. A Beta who was brutally murdered by his jealous Alpha. He wrinkled his nose as he thought what a favor he was doing this weak Alpha by killing this woman and the abomination it pained him to think about. She was a horrible cook, if the smell of her breakfast was any indication. Whatever the pungent odor was, it offended his sensitive nose as he drew closer to the house. He moved stealthily through the back door into the kitchen with a triumphant smile on his face, ready to see her terror. She was once again talking to the little one who sat in a baby chair on the floor.

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Suddenly his vision tunneled as a loud ringing began in his ears and his entire body seemed to become feverish all at once at the sight of that small child. The child he‟d had every intention of destroying tonight. She was happily trying to pull the nose off a plush doll made to look like a pink poodle. A doll that was being very patiently held by her Alpha, who sat on the floor at her mother‟s feet.

CHAPTER ELEVEN Wyn stood smoothly, picking Summer‟s carrier up by its handle and handing it to Sarah while never taking his furious yellow eyes off the rogue. For her part, Sarah didn‟t look terrified at all. Instead she looked downright smug as she took Summer‟s seat. A sound from the hall had the now trapped male turning in that direction. Chaz came to a stop just inside the doorway that led from the front of the house, his lip curled into a silent snarl. His blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and several days‟ worth of stubble covered his jaw. Wyn spoke to Sarah in gentle tones. Nothing about his voice revealed the full extent of fury reflected in his murderous stare. “Go upstairs, love. I‟ll be up shortly.” “All right, but don‟t be long. You promised your daughter a bubble bath, and you know how much she enjoys her daddy-daughter time.” She made a point of emphasizing the word daddy while staring coldly at the rogue who had tried to end her life so many months ago, only to return twice to finish the job.

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“I won‟t be breaking any promises to my daughter or my Alphaya today.” Sarah shot one final loathing glance in the rogue‟s direction before moving along the far side of the kitchen until she reached the doorway where Chaz stood. She squeezed his arm and then patted his shoulder. Finally, she brushed past him and left the three males alone in the kitchen. Wyn waited until he heard her footsteps falling along the hall upstairs. “Shall we take this outside? My Alphaya won‟t be pleased if we destroy her kitchen.” *** The rogue‟s throat worked frantically as he tried to swallow the lump that had taken root there. “That sensation you‟re feeling,” Wyn went on. “It‟s fear. The same type of fear that my Alphaya felt when you attacked her. The same fear Unity‟s Betaya also felt when you attacked her and her grandmother, who by the way, is the mate of my pack‟s elder.” Wyn tilted his head toward the backyard. The rogue turned his head and looked out the back door. There were three wolves

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emerging from the trees, one female and two males. One of the males was the elder he‟d seen the woman with on many occasions. An elder he‟d discounted as weak, but this was no weak old wolf that stalked across the yard with murder in his eyes. This was an elder enforcer, probably once a Beta himself in his prime. He turned back to the Alpha as the full extent of their trap registered. While he had been watching them, they had been watching him. *** Wyn could see understanding dawn in the other male‟s eyes and took pleasure in the fear that he knew it caused him. He wanted him afraid, wanted him to feel just a taste of what Sarah had had to endure. “My mate is the claimed daughter of Gaillon Eriksson, something you probably didn‟t know when you attacked her. Her father taught her the coolest trick when she was younger. Hoppy root will camouflage the scent of a wolf.” Wyn saw recognition flare in the male‟s eyes when he mentioned Gaillon Eriksson. It also didn‟t escape his attention that the weak excuse for a wolf standing before him wore a

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sprig of hoppy root around his neck to camouflage his own scent. “How does it feel not to be the strongest person in the room?” Wyn questioned. A drop of sweat ran down the rogue‟s face as he glanced outside through the screen door and watched Grimmon and Pop lifting the bodies of the sentries, who were still unconscious. Shiloh glared back at him. She was visibly shaking with rage. Wyn watched as the rogue reacted like a cornered animal who had to be free of a trap. With a surge of fear-induced adrenaline pumping through his system, he howled in rage as he raced through the back door. Shiloh snarled and snapped at him as he passed, but she didn‟t try to stop him. Neither did Grimm and Pop, who had placed their packmates‟ unconscious bodies in lounge chairs. Instead, they simply stood beside the chairs and glared at him as he leapt off the deck. He sprinted toward the trees as soon as his feet touched the ground, but came to a skidding stop in the center of the yard as a line of Unity males emerged from the trees an arm‟s length apart and four rows deep. The entire pack stood between him and freedom. He

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whirled around as Wyn calmly walked down the steps of the deck. “I promised my Alphaya that I would kick your ass before I killed you. And I do plan to kill you. Not with a bullet or the slice of a blade, because both would be too merciful for you.” The rogue took the only option left to him: he charged the Alpha. Wyn sidestepped the charge and kicked him in the rear as he passed, sending him facedown into the snow. Before he could roll over on his own, Wyn was on him, rolling the rogue onto his back and slamming his fist into the male‟s face. Wyn felt the rogue‟s nose break as he yelped like a nursing pup. The next punch snapped his head to the side so hard he probably thought his neck would break. Wyn pulled him to his feet and slammed a fist into his gut, doubling him over. An upper cut sent him flying back into the snow. The rogue rolled onto his hands and knees, shifting as he tried to crawl blindly away, but Wyn‟s clawed hand to his throat lifted him off his feet. This time, when Wyn‟s fist connected with the other male‟s now elongated face, his jaw gave way with a sickening crack.

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Wyn pulled his limp body close, still holding him by the throat, and spoke in a soft growl for his ears only. “You dared to cause my mate unimaginable harm. You tried to steal her life and almost crushed her soul, but know this, the Alphaya of pack Unity is stronger than you ever imagined. She not only survived, she thrived, and so will my daughter.” With that, Wyn‟s clawed fingers closed around the rogue‟s Adam‟s apple before he snatched his hand back and let the male‟s body fall heavily to the ground in a heap. He tossed the bloody contents of his hand onto the dead male‟s chest and threw his head and arms back to howl in triumph. Around him his pack joined in the victorious howl as they celebrated their Alpha‟s crushing defeat of their enemy. Pop stepped forward and, without sparing a glance to the body lying before his Alpha, said, “Let us take care of this. Go to the Alphaya and your young.” With a nod, Wyn turned and walked back to the deck shifting back to his human form as he climbed the stairs. At the top Shiloh stood watching him. “Are you all right?” he asked her.

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“I am now. Thank you. For loving Sarah like you do and for destroying her nightmare.” He gave her a quick nod and headed into the house, where he stripped out of his bloodied clothes as he climbed the stairs. When he entered their bedroom, she was still standing at the window, looking out into the backyard as she held Summer in her arms. He had felt her eyes on him the entire time he‟d been out there. “I‟m going to take a shower,” he said softly, hoping not to startle her. He turned quickly before she could turn around, not wanting to see horror or fear in her eyes. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door partway. She had not responded as he walked away, and her silence was telling. He knew that what she had seen was shocking to her. She now had undeniable proof of the animal that lived within him. He just hoped it would not send her running from him in fear, because he knew, beyond a doubt, that he would chase her to the far corners of the earth. Moments later, he stood under the hot spray of the shower watching the tainted blood of his enemy wash down the drain. He was rinsing his hair when he felt the air around him move gently as the bathroom door was opened

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and then firmly closed. His mate‟s scent filled the room, but she didn‟t come to him. Wyn hung his head in regret before lathering his body and washing off the last remaining remnants of the rouge‟s blood. Opening the fogged glass door of the shower stall and stepping out, he stopped short as he took in the sight of Sarah standing naked in front of the sink. “Come here,” she commanded softly while opening her arms to him. Wyn moved in front of her, and she wrapped her arms around his thick neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. He let her control the kiss, as he needed to know she was okay with what she‟d seen, what he had done. She kissed him gently at first, but soon she was boldly exploring his mouth. Moaning as his swelling dick rubbed against her stomach, he put his hands on the counter behind her to keep from grabbing her. In response, she moved her hands down his arms and behind her to push herself up onto the counter. Then she spread her legs and grasped his cock in her hand, pulling him forward. “Sarah,” he moaned into her mouth.

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She pulled back to look into his lustglazed eyes as she rubbed the head of his cock against the wet heat of her pussy. “Mine,” she ground out between clenched teeth as she moved him to her slick opening. Wyn‟s control snapped like an old rubber band. He grabbed her hips and pushed his cock into the welcoming clasp of her pussy. “Oh shit.” “Mine,” she said again in that determined voice. “Yes, Alphaya, yours always.” He took her mouth in a desperate kiss as he set a punishing rhythm of thrusts that she eagerly matched. Using his entire body, he pushed her back until she was resting on her elbows. He took a pink nipple into his mouth and pulled hard, causing her to gasp and cry out. After giving one nipple his full attention for several minutes, he moved to the other one and made sure it wouldn‟t feel neglected. Sarah was grinding against him as he lavished attention on her breasts. He released her breast and looked up at her when she pushed her hand into his hair and pulled. “Tell me what you want, Alphaya,” he ground out roughly.

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“Bite me, baby. Bite me and make me come.” Wyn moved up and licked the long column of her neck from her shoulder to her ear. Moving a hand so that his thumb could press on her sensitive and swollen clit, he rubbed it roughly. He didn‟t wait until his canines had fully extended; he couldn‟t. Instead he bit into her shoulder and let them extend the rest of the way through the soft tissue as he slammed his cock into her. The sound of their slick flesh slapping together was drowned out by her hoarse cry as she came in a heated flood around his pounding dick. “Oh God, Wyn!” Sarah screamed as her orgasm washed through her system. She trembled uncontrollably against him as his teeth remained locked in her shoulder. He growled in answer as the taste of her blood filled his mouth. At the same time, he continued fucking her at a punishing pace until his own release crashed over him. Finally he released her shoulder and roared, “MINE!” ***

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“Yes, Alpha, yours always,” Sarah repeated breathlessly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him as he came. She felt the warm pulses flow unrestricted into her womb and smiled with contentment. When the time was right, she had no doubt they‟d have more children. Wyn was the picture of virility, and the thought warmed her from the inside out. When he regained his breath, he said, “Does this mean that you still love me?” “Why wouldn‟t I still love you?” “Because of what you saw earlier.” She rubbed his cheek and looked into his stormy gray eyes. “You think I would stop loving you for defending Summer and me the way you did? I love you more than ever. I know that you will do whatever it takes to protect your family and your pack. I accept all parts of you, Wyn, the man and the wolf. I love them both.” Wyn kissed her neck and hugged her to his chest tightly. “We both love you, too.” “Good—then when are the two of you planning to make an honest woman of your human mate?”

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“How quick can you put a wedding together? Because I‟m not feeling very patient.” “How‟s Valentine‟s day sound?” “Aw, baby, that‟s over a month away.” “You can do it,” she said with a smile. “For you? Hell yeah, I can do it,” he promised. “I might even be convinced to wear a tux.” Sarah hugged him tight and said a silent prayer of thanks for her family‟s safety and for the extended family she now had with her pack. The future of Unity looked bright, and she couldn‟t wait to be a part of it.

**Elle **

Elle D. Hayes Elle D. Hayes was born to write. An unapologetic dreamer, she has created characters and their unique worlds for as long as she can remember. By day she is a not-so-mild-mannered executive assistant, but by night she is a fierce keyboard warrior hoping to one day be crowned Queen of Erotic Romance. It makes for rough mornings filled with lots of caffeine, but she swears it‟s worth it. For more from Elle visit her online at http://elledhayes.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/elledhayes http://twitter.com/#!/elledhayes