Ryker, p.1
Ryker, page 1
part #2 of The Moonstone Pack Series
RYKER
The Moonstone Pack
Book #2
MARGO BOND COLLINS
Copyright © 2023 by Margo Bond Collins
Published by Rakuten Kobo Inc. as Kobo Originals
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Edited and proofread by Lyss Em Editing
Cover design Miblart
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ISBN 9781774538814
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About Ryker
WHEN RYKER PHILLIPS GOES undercover to spy on the Idaho Pack, the last thing he expects is to fall in love. As the Moonstone Pack’s lead enforcer, he’s supposed to protect the pack from interlopers, not invite one in as his mate.
Ivy Campbell has zero desire to choose any mate at all. As one of the lowest-ranking females in the pack, she’s been mistreated for most of her life. When a new alpha took over, she hoped for a change. But she’s right back where she was before, and she’d rather suffer the fate of becoming a lone wolf than allow anyone into her heart.
So when a new wolf shows up, she does everything she can to resist him, despite her attraction to him. And as she grows closer to the newcomer, she must determine where her loyalties truly lie. When she learns he’s keeping a dangerous secret, will she betray him or protect him?
Content and Trigger Warning
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS book includes elements of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse by characters other than the hero, as well as mentions of rape and sexual abuse, and may therefore be triggering to some readers.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Prologue
IN THE MAIN OFFICE of Moonstone Lodge, Ryker Phillips, the lead enforcer of the Montana wolf shifter Moonstone Pack, stood staring down at a computer screen, too wound up even to sit as he watched the meeting between Moonstone alpha Steele and the brand-new alpha of the neighboring Idaho Pack, Franklin Ellerson.
“I should be there,” Ryker muttered to himself as he paced back and forth, never taking his eyes off the video feed from the main meeting room of the lodge, just two hallways away.
Ellerson had taken over the Idaho Pack after their last alpha, Blake Deacon, died during a Moonstone raid on the Idaho compound—an attack the Idahos had triggered by abducting Steele’s new mate, human woman Mila Wright.
“I don’t trust this new alpha any more than I trusted Deacon,” Steele had told Ryker the day before as they’d set up the camera system designed to allow Ryker to observe the meeting without being seen himself.
“Me either,” Ryker had said.
“It’s important to me that you know that my lieutenants and I don’t make any claim on Moonstone territory,” Ellerson was now saying.
Mila watched the other alpha carefully, Ryker noted. She had also said that something about this man didn’t sit right with her, and Ryker agreed with her skepticism about Ellerson’s claims.
But Steele believed it was important to give the Idahos the opportunity to make amends for their previous alpha’s actions, especially if they had not participated in the attack—and as neither Steele nor any of the other pack members had smelled or seen Ellerson that night, Steele was willing to give the man a chance. Which meant Ryker had to be willing to allow the other, brand-new alpha the benefit of the doubt as well.
So now the Moonstones were meeting with Franklin Ellerson and the Idahos.
All the Moonstones, that was, except for Ryker.
“I want you to go undercover, get in with the Idahos,” Steele had said to him. “See what you can find out. Ellerson might not be as insane as Deacon was, but there’s a good chance that will make him an even more formidable adversary.”
And as much as Ryker hated the idea of leaving his alpha to face Ellerson alone, he knew there were plenty of other wolves who would protect Steele while Ryker was gone, when it came right down to it.
Given the small size of the Idahos’ delegation to this summit, though, Ryker suspected none of the Idahos would be making a move today—or anytime soon, for that matter.
So Ryker watched his alpha meet with the other pack’s leader through cameras rather than in person, feeling half-blind with his inability to scent any danger.
On the screen in front of him, Clarissa—Ryker’s aunt and Steele’s mother—stood with an arm around Mila’s waist.
Mila practically glowed with happiness.
From what Steele had told Ryker about Mila’s early life—losing her parents first and then eventually her grandmother as well—Ryker wasn’t entirely surprised that Mila was fitting in so very well with the Moonstone Pack. The woman needed a family.
And he had never seen his alpha quite so happy.
On the one hand, Ryker was thrilled for his cousin. But he had to admit to a certain amount of jealousy as well.
To find one’s fated mate like that? It was every wolf shifter’s dream—even if that fated mate was a human.
Shaking his head, Ryker focused again on the meeting on the screen. He’d been listening carefully up until that point, paying attention to Steele’s discussion with Ellerson and trying not to let his mind drift. Of course, there wasn’t anything in this treaty that he and Steele hadn’t discussed earlier.
His gaze floated across the rest of the crowd, and Ryker allowed his instincts to take over. Sometimes a wolf shifter’s instincts were even better than his conscious mind. The Moonstone Pack members sat on one side of the meeting room, and the Idahos sat on the other, as if by mutual agreement.
Everyone looked as bored as Ryker felt.
That’s a good sign—it doesn’t look like anyone is gearing up to start a fight.
His gaze drifted across the group of shifters again.
That was when he saw her.
A beautiful blonde woman sitting near the back of the Idaho delegation, eyes downcast. Instantly, something about her drew Ryker to her.
I have to get a sense of how she smells.
But even as the thought crossed his mind, he realized it was wrong.
Because his inner wolf was already chanting inside his mind.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
And he knew he would never be able to let anyone else have her.
Chapter 1
AT THE BACK OF the rustic, wood-beamed Moonstone Lodge meeting room, Ivy Campbell shifted in her seat, her slender fingers nervously tapping a staccato rhythm on the edge of the well-worn wooden chair. Her long, wavy blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, offering a small sense of security as she fidgeted, trying to hide behind it. Her gaze darted between Franklin Ellerson and Steele Jacobs, alphas of the Idaho Pack and the Moonstone Pack, respectively.
The tension in the room was palpable, like a tightly coiled spring ready to snap.
“We need guarantees that your pack will respect our borders,” Steele said.
“Of course,” Ellerson replied with a wolfish smile that sent shivers down Ivy’s spine. “We only ask for your cooperation in allowing us expanded hunting rights during the winter months.”
I don’t understand why Ellerson insisted I come to this meeting, Ivy thought. She was just a low-ranking female. Why would her presence make any difference in negotiating a treaty? It wasn’t as if she had any say in pack matters. And with only twenty-one Idaho Pack members in attendance—all of them higher-ranking than Ivy—surely someone else could have taken her place in the delegation.
She watched the two alphas carefully, trying to gauge their intentions while doing her best not to draw attention to herself.
Ellerson’s voice carried a permanent rumble like a wolf’s growl, making it hard for her to trust anything he said. The voice matched his lupine eyes—both leftovers of too much time spent in his wolf form.
He’d lost a large part of his humanity.
Blake Deacon, the former Idaho Pack alpha, had been cruel, no doubt about it. He’d made her life a living hell for as long as she could remember. But compared to Ellerson, Deacon almost seemed like a benevolent ruler. As far as Ivy was concerned, Ellerson was not just cruel but truly evil.
Steele, on the other hand, seemed genuinely concerned about his people—but Ivy knew better than to let her guard down around powerful men.
Her thoughts drifted to the injured pack members waiting for her back at the Idaho compound infirmary. She should be tending to those who needed her skills as a healer rather than sitting here, feeling exposed in front of so many male shifters. But she knew better than to voice her worries—the last thing she wanted was to draw Ellerson’s ire.
Ivy’s heart pounded in her chest, a tiny bird trapped against her rib cage, seeking escape as she considered Ellerson’s new role as alpha. She glanced around the Moonstone Lodge ballroom, avoiding direct eye contact with the powerful wolves present.
“Very well,” Steele said after a moment of consideration, bringing Ivy’s thoughts back to the present. “We’ll agree to share hunting rights, but only for the specified months and within the designated areas.”
“Agreed,” Ellerson said, and as the two alphas shook hands, finalizing their treaty, Ivy worried what this new alliance might mean for the weaker members of the Idaho Pack.
Blake Deacon may have been cruel, but at least I knew what to expect from him.
Franklin Ellerson stalked out of the Moonstone Lodge, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
He strode across the parking lot, snarling at one of the pregnant Idaho females he’d insisted attend the summit with him, primarily as a means of showing the Moonstones that the Idahos were every bit as fertile as they were.
The female cringed away from him, and for a moment, Ellerson considered knocking her to the ground.
But then he glanced up and saw Steele Jacobs watching him.
The cool fall air nipped at his exposed skin as he took in a deep breath, attempting to calm the fury bubbling inside him. But the scent of Steele’s pack only served to fuel it.
He recalled the way Steele had locked eyes with him during their meeting—those striking gray eyes that seemed to pierce through all pretenses. It was unnerving, and Ellerson resented the fact that he had to submit to Steele’s demands for the sake of his own pack.
As he moved toward the vehicles parked outside the Moonstone headquarters, Ellerson sneered at the sight of the young pack members playing together, their laughter ringing through the crisp air. It disgusted him how gentle Steele was with his people. In Ellerson’s opinion, the alpha’s kindness made the Moonstones weak and vulnerable.
“Soft,” he snarled, allowing his anger to consume him. To survive in this world, a shifter needed to be ruthless, cunning, and unyielding—traits Steele Jacobs clearly lacked.
Ellerson scanned the area as he continued to fume. The Moonstones will pay for forcing me to negotiate with them as if they’re my equals, he swore to himself. But first, he had to find a way to undermine their defenses and take control of their territory.
Less than an hour later, the small convoy of SUVs pulled up in front of the main pack house in the Idahos’ territory. Even though he was on his own land, Ellerson still hadn’t regained his equilibrium.
As he rounded a bend in the trail, Ivy Campbell stepped out of the females’ bunkhouse and into view, headed toward the small infirmary building. Her long, wavy blonde hair cascaded down her back like a golden waterfall, taunting him with its beauty.
In that moment, she became the embodiment of everything he despised: weakness, vulnerability, pathetic submission.
“Out of my way,” Ellerson growled, the words a menacing snarl. Ivy’s eyes widened, her body trembling as she stepped aside, but it wasn’t enough for him.
He needed to feel the satisfaction of her pain.
“Did you not hear me?” he spat, his anger boiling over as he raised his hand and struck her across the face. Ivy flinched, stumbling back with a cry of pain, instinctively reaching up to cradle her reddening cheek.
“Please,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“Disrespect?” Ellerson sneered, advancing on her. “You think this is about respect? I am your alpha, and you will learn your place.” He could feel the heat of his anger coursing through his veins, fueled by the thrill of exerting his dominance over her.
Ellerson’s eyes lingered on Ivy’s pathetic form, her knees buckling as she tried to recover from the force of his blow. He allowed himself a cruel smile, watching her struggle to maintain her composure. Her fear only fueled his desire for power.
“Look at you,” he sneered, his voice low and menacing. “Cowering like a wounded pup. You’re no better than the useless Moonstones.” His heart soared at the prospect of exerting his control over her again and again.
Tears welled up in Ivy’s eyes as she stared at the ground. Ellerson reveled in the sight, his cock swelling with the knowledge that he had brought her low. In that moment, she was nothing more than a pawn for him to use and discard.
“Remember this lesson,” he hissed, stepping away from her quivering form. “The next time you cross my path, I won’t be so merciful.”
As he turned to walk away, Ellerson let the image of Ivy’s terror burn into his memory. The scent of her fear clung to him, an intoxicating aroma that stirred something primal within him.
As Ellerson stalked away, the taste of power lingered on his tongue like the sweetest nectar, and he swore to himself that he would never let it slip away.
I’ll expand my territory, he vowed. I will break the Moonstones, make them bleed and beg for mercy. And when their territory finally belongs to me, they’ll never forget the price they paid for their weakness.
Ryker stood at the window of Steele’s office half an hour after the meeting ended, his gaze fixed on the forested mountains in the distance.
“How bad is it?” he asked, turning to his alpha.
Steele leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the wooden armrests. “Ellerson’s been making waves ever since he seized power. From what Bronx was able to gather by listening to the Idahos as they waited for me to arrive, he’s extremely violent and unpredictable. Pack members have been disappearing, and his people suspect Ellerson’s behind it.”
Ryker’s inner wolf’s black fur seemed to bristle beneath his skin as it sensed the potential threat even before his human mind had fully processed it.
He turned his attention from the view outside to the alpha sitting behind the desk. Steele’s gray eyes, mirroring his wolf’s fur, held a seriousness that resonated with Ryker. He knew that when Steele expressed worry, there was good reason for it.
Ryker frowned, his brow furrowed. “Why haven’t we acted sooner? If he’s hurting his own pack, we should intervene.”
“Normally, I would agree,” Steele said, his tone grave. “But he’s saying we’re responsible for Deacon’s death—even though none of us actually landed the killing blow, as far as we know. We need solid evidence that Ellerson’s as bad as Deacon before we make our move—otherwise, his pack won’t approve of us removing him from power, and the last thing Moonstone needs is an infusion of resentful wolves. That’s where you come in. I trust you to infiltrate their ranks and gather information about Ellerson without drawing undue attention to yourself.”
Ryker nodded. As the lead enforcer of the Moonstone Pack, he’d faced danger countless times before, but this felt different—more personal, somehow, and not only because of the blonde he’d seen in the meeting.
“But there’s more,” Steele said, his voice tense. “I noticed something else when we met with Ellerson. One of the Idahos’ female shifters cringed when he turned to speak to her.” Steele’s gray eyes held a storm of concern as he continued, “I can’t shake the feeling that she might be in danger, possibly being abused.”
A surge of protectiveness coursed through Ryker, his usually cheerful disposition darkened by the thought of an innocent shifter suffering at the hands of her alpha. He clenched his jaw, anger flooding him.
As Ryker left Steele’s office, unease settled in the pit of his stomach. The Idaho Pack would present challenges unlike anything he had faced before.
But I have to succeed, have to find out what’s really going on in the Idaho Pack.
For the safety of his own pack, and for any Idahos who might be hurting, he would learn the truth about Franklin Ellerson, and if necessary, bring him down—even if it meant risking everything in the process.
Chapter 2
THE IDAHO PACK’S BUNKHOUSE for unmated females was little more than a worn wooden structure, nestled in a small clearing among the trees. Ivy Campbell stood by a cracked window, staring out at the landscape bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
