“Why is she still here?”

  “Maybe it has something to do with you still being here.” Wolfrik lifted his brows and smirked, then fished out another bone.

  Ignoring the remaining meat, Rafael paced alongside the fire. “I told her I wasn’t interested.” Wolfrik’s laughter and smug grin rankled his nerves. “Something funny?” Rafael demanded.

  Wolfrik sucked his fingers clean and wiped his hands on his muscular thighs. Lacerations, welts, and lines of angry red raised skin marred his tan skin. The male had as much reason to hate humans as Rafael. The other pureblood had been held captive for several years, so Rafael didn’t blame him for sounding unhinged.

  Wolfrik rested his palms flat against his thighs and looked him up and down. “By hiding out here, you established your role as prey with Hailey as the huntress. You think she’s going to give up because you tucked tail and ran? Think again.”

  Rafael stopped pacing and gritted his teeth. “I’m not hiding; I’m sending a message. You would think she would have more self-respect and go home.”

  “Nah,” Wolfrik said. “A strong female doesn’t give up that easily. Look how my Kallie wore me down. Big difference, though. I made sure I established myself as the hunter during our courtship.”

  Rafael had no doubt there. Wolfrik didn’t seem like the type to settle down with a mate, yet he had claimed a female and had a baby on the way.

  “Couldn’t ask for a better mate. Brave. Independent. Attentive. Gives me my space. Never nags. Sexy on two legs and four,” Wolfrik boasted. “She will be the best mother. And she saved me from Hailey.”

  Rafael’s head jerked. “What do you mean, she saved you from Hailey?”

  Smug smile on his lips, Wolfrik stood and stretched, flexing his muscles in the process. He wore his scars with pride.

  “I’m a pureblood. Hailey’s a pureblood. Some of the elders got the idea we should mate.”

  Rafael had to fight back a snarl.

  Wolfrik shrugged. “At least she’s not chasing you down. Maybe it has something to do with your brother keeping her company.”

  “Diego’s doing what?” Rafael may have yelled his question. Whatever his volume, it was drowned out by a rumbling bear-sized growl. “Is that a—” Rafael didn’t bother finishing his sentence. Wolfrik was already on the ground shifting, head first, snarling before his tail had even formed.

  Rafael unfastened his pants, yanked them off, and dropped to all fours. He shifted and caught up to Wolfrik at the river. Across the water, a burly brown bear stood on its hind legs and bellowed. Rafael snarled alongside Wolfrik. The hair along the ridges of their backs stood and ears flattened.

  The bear crashed down and paced along the river’s edge. Rafael and Wolfrik kept pace across from him. There was snapping and snarling on one side, answered by a grumble on the opposite. The bear lumbered along, not crossing over, but not leaving the water’s edge, either.

  Water flowed between them. At least the animal was respecting Wolf Hollow territory. Rafael would have left it at that, but Wolfrik’s teeth were bared and his growl indicated he wanted to engage. Rafael wasn’t keen to fight a bear, though he would in a heartbeat if his pureblooded friend led the charge. At the moment, he was a guest of his tribe. There were packmates to protect . . . and Hailey.

  The bear turned to face them, setting Wolfrik off. The male’s roar likely had the earthworms quaking beneath the ground. Saliva dripped from Wolfrik’s fangs. The bear huffed again and again. He started back up the way he had come, stubbornly following the water’s edge.

  Wolfrik jumped into the water and growled. The bear huffed louder. Water splashed as Wolfrik raced across. The bear ran several feet back then stopped, jerked around, and roared.

  Any swears Rafael might have flung became snarls with every spring of his legs across the river. No sooner had he cleared the river than a second bear crashed through the trees to join the other. One full-grown brown bear was alarming enough. Two had Rafael’s survival instincts kicking into full gear.

  The growls that followed were deafening. Excitement, fear, and rage filled his bones. He fed off the adrenaline and manic snarls coming from his friend.

  The second bear charged Rafael. His nails slashed at the air in front of him. Wolfrik jumped between them and the bear stopped short. The beast stood, bellowing through gigantic teeth.

  The first bear was still huffing. The sound grew louder and more insistent. The bear who had started to charge Rafael dropped down. With an agitated snort, he and his friend took off running into the woods, away from Wolf Hollow.

  Good. You better run.

  Rafael turned and started for the river. He needed to run back to the glade and make sure Hailey was okay.

  His ears twitched at the sound of Wolfrik running, not back across the river, but away. His footfalls receded in pursuit of the bears.

  Rafael growled in frustration. He couldn’t leave his wolf pal to fight alone. Running after Wolfrik, he barked, trying to make the male see reason. But Wolfrik was like a hawk swooping down after prey. Single-minded, stubborn pendejo. Did he want his child to grow up without a father?

  Ferns whipped past Rafael’s face. It all became a blur of green as he sprang through the brush. He heard a crashing sound ahead, followed by a curse. Racing forward, Rafael came into a small opening and jerked to a stop.

  Wolfrik had shifted to human form and was staring at a pile of bones. The pull to communicate distracted Rafael’s wolf enough to transform to his two-legged self. Standing up, Rafael took in the crude mound of human skeletons stacked chest high. A single skull sat at the top, jaw wide in terror.

  Rafael found himself making the sign of the cross. He had observed urban shifters making the gesture in the past and the motions came to him unbidden. Something about the bones, some of which still had skin attached, filled him with dread. He wanted to get far away from the monstrous display, and yet he couldn’t stop staring at the horror before him.

  Wolfrik circled the pile, kicking at the bones. “Those bears weren’t just bears. They were shifters.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because they took a shit back here—human shit. Didn’t bother digging a hole and covering it up, either. Filthy fucks.” Wolfrik hocked, then spat beside the heaping pile of death. Rafael felt the urge to cross himself again.

  Wolfrik stared into the woods. “A bear pair; I don’t like it.”

  “Are they responsible for all this?” Rafael had never seen such a mass of human remains.

  “Nah, we took care of killing these human scum,” Wolfrik said. “Too many bodies to deal with. Left them for scavengers and maggots to do their work.”

  Rafael gave the pile a hard stare. “This is a lot of bones.”

  “Impressive, I know.” Wolfrik smiled, showing all his teeth.

  Needle point chills pricked at Rafael’s skin. “What were this many humans doing out here?”

  Wolfrik selected a femur from the pile and smiled maniacally. A gleam entered his eyes as though, in looking at the bone, he recognized a vanquished foe.

  “Their leader’s sister ran away—led them straight to the slaughter.”

  “Will more come looking for their fallen comrades?” Rafael demanded. If humans had found their way to Wolf Hollow once, they could do it again. Leaving Diego susceptible to attack was not an option.

  “We executed the leader and his underlings,” Wolfrik said, still looking at the bone with tissue decomposing on the surface.

  Well, if there was an argument to be made for large wolf packs, the macabre mountain of remains certainly spoke volumes about strength in numbers.

  Wolfrik tossed the femur and leaned forward as it sailed past trees, watching it like he was considering shifting and fetching the revolting piece of bone. The pureblood’s fingers twitched over his thigh.

  “Once Sparrow wakes, we’ll return the favor when we attack what’s left of the cockroaches on their turf,” Wolfrik announced. Rafael gave a start as he continued. “I knew all the handlers and wardens operating the cages and pit fights, but Sparrow has knowledge of the entire compound and operations.”

  Rafael folded his arms. He didn’t like the sound of this one bit. “Where are you keeping this Sparrow, and why go back?” There was no one who understood the need for vengeance better than Rafael, but he also knew how easily revenge could turn into a suicide mission. There was no glory in providing humans with an easy target. No justice in handing them another trophy.

  Wolfrik’s jaw tightened. “There are still wolf shifters trapped in that hellhole. The wizards are keeping Sparrow alive. Hopefully she’s not so brain-damaged when she wakes as to be useless to us.” He shrugged. “I’ll give her until after the birth of my child. If she hasn’t come to by then, the wizards need to let nature take its course.”

  Rafael scrubbed his jaw. “Humans, wizards, bears—anything else my brother needs to know about his new home?”

  “Pretty sure he can handle it,” Wolfrik said.

  Diego was travel-seasoned and tough, but that didn’t ease the frown on Rafael’s face. “Was that the bear shifter who came after your packmate?”

  Wolfrik jabbed his toes into one of the large paw prints that had pressed deep into a patch of loam. “I don’t know. He was operating alone before. Maybe he has a friend.”

  “Or family,” Rafael said.

  Wolfrik shrugged like it made no difference. “Well, I’d better tell my council and order extra patrol in this area in case those lugs make the mistake of crossing the river. They can play with human bones all they want, so long as they respect my territory. You sticking around?”

  Grimacing at the skull, Rafael shook his head. “I should check on my brother.”

  “Right,” Wolfrik said with a laugh. He went up to the nearest tree and peed on the trunk. Dick still in hand, Wolfrik turned to the next tree and did the same before shaking himself off. He squatted, grunted, then straightened and shook his head. “Don’t got a shit in me at the moment.”

  Rafael expelled a breath of disbelief.

  “Your mate is one lucky female,” Rafael said, ribbing the other pureblood. It helped take the edge off the grim spectacle.

  Wolfrik smirked. “Maybe one day you’ll join the club.”

  And like that, the dark cloud returned to muddy up Rafael’s mood. With a chuckle, Wolfrik snatched the skull off the bone pile. “Don’t look so glum. It could be worse. You could be this guy.” With that, Wolfrik tossed the skull over his shoulder. It hit the remains with a ghastly clack.

  They dropped to the ground, shifting on all fours into fur, then took off running for the hollow’s glade. Wolfrik was in his element, and he was fast, but Rafael’s wolf wanted to get to Hailey. They raced each other through the thicket until reaching the dirt trail, where they picked up speed. Wolfrik growled when Rafael started to pass him. Ignoring his friend, he pushed on, not flagging for an instant.

  They passed a couple of shifters standing on two feet as they ran headlong down the path. As they neared the glade, Wolfrik veered off down a narrow trail. Rafael continued on the direct route—following the scent of his intended mate.

  The glade was mostly clear, except for Lacy and her partner on meal duty. Beneath the shade of a tree, Diego sat beside Hailey. The sight made Rafael want to tear his brother apart.

  His vicious snarls jerked Diego’s attention away from Hailey. They were sharing a log, sitting way too close.

  Diego’s brows drew together as he aimed a stern gaze at him. “No, Raphy!”

  Rafael’s mouth practically foamed at the indignation. He snapped his jaw.

  Hailey stood and folded her arms, glaring down at him. His brother’s displeasure was one thing; hers shoved the growl right back down his throat. He lifted his head to look at her and wagged his tail.

  With a heavy sigh, Hailey flung her arms out. “Your human half wouldn’t like you to behave this way. Understand? Are you in there, Rafael? Get your animal under control. Better yet, pay more attention to your wolf. I like him a whole lot better.” She spun on her heel and stormed into the woods.

  Rafael trotted after her.

  Spotting him, Hailey groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  She started running down a path. Rafael gave chase, springing with each step. His lips drew into a smile as he kept pace with his favorite female. He liked this game.

  Looking over her shoulder, Hailey yelled, “Just go away.”

  She looked from side to side, searching her surroundings. When the path reached a fork, she launched herself down a new trail and kept looking over her shoulder. Rafael wagged his tail in greeting. Hailey huffed and jogged forward. Woods closed in around them. The thick green canopy teemed with insects, wildlife, and arachnids going about their business while the wolf chased his woman. A bird halted its song to watch them pass beneath its branch, then flitted to a neighboring tree.

  Hailey looked back again, but it was the wrong moment to take her gaze off the earth in front of her. She yelped and went airborne, arms thrown in front of her body as she fell onto the ground.

  Rafael sprang forward, his heart racing.

  Was his female hurt?

  She had already flipped around when he reached her and was rubbing her foot. “Didn’t see that dang root. I blame you,” she said, wagging her finger at Rafael.

  Her light tone held no pain in it, but she kept rubbing her toes. Rafael walked over and licked her foot.

  A startled laugh puffed through Hailey’s lips. “Oh, you think that will make it all better, do you?” She reached out a hand and scratched behind his ears.

  If her change in mood was anything to go by, he really was improving her condition, so Rafael licked her foot again, then her ankle, and then her lower calf.

  Laughter burbled from Hailey. “Hey, nothing wrong with my thigh,” she said as he made his way up her leg. “Don’t need a saliva bath. Don’t need—”

  Her stream of words ended when he nosed his way beneath her short skirt. The heat of her wolf was not present, but a poignant scent emerged, one his human half recognized as arousal.

  Shift, female, he urged, but he was the one who shifted.

  chapter eight

  HAILEY MOMENTARILY FROZE as Rafael’s wolf stuck his head straight up her skirt. The cotton held in the heat of his breath against her thighs and sex. She gripped his fur to yank him away before he could stick his tongue where it had no business being. Her hands grasped onto hair. With a blink and a gasp, Hailey saw that Rafael had shifted into human form and was kneeling with his face pillowed between her legs.

  She shoved him away and scrambled backward. As soon as she stopped, she squeezed her legs shut.

  What she really wanted to do was go back over to Rafael, the man, and strangle him. The sight of him made her seethe. His face brought back his barbaric words. No one had ever spoken to her with such vulgarity and censure.

  Her wolf had trusted his. Hailey would have given him her heart. No drama. No games.

  Every male should be so lucky.

  She would have been the dream mate. But oh, no. How had he reacted? Like a manic beast caught in a steel trap. He made her out to be a desperate female, salivating after a mate. Even now, he glared at her and demanded, “Why are you still here?”

  He crouched on his arms and knees, his arm muscles flexed as he held himself above the ground.

  Hailey’s jaw clenched. She had never felt such raging hatred toward another shifter. They picked themselves off the ground and stood apart, glowering at one another.

  “I am making sure my heat has passed before I leave,” she said defensively.

  If she’d been trite, she could have pointed out that he was the one with a boner. It was big and bulging, like the rest of him.

  “Why were you talking to my brother?”

  “He was the one talking to me.”

  “About?”

  “Why? What’s it to you?” Hailey folded her arms.

  “My brother already has a mate.”

  “Not yet.”

  Rafael’s snarl prompted a bird to squawk before flapping away.

  Rolling her eyes, Hailey explained, “I don’t mean that in an ‘I intend to interfere’ kind of way—despite your poor conclusion as to my character. It was friendly conversation, nothing more.” Her anger turned inward. Why was she attempting to justify herself to him? “I plan to leave tomorrow. Fear not, Rafael. By the time the next moon rises, we won’t have to see each other ever again.”

  With those words, she took off in the direction she’d been fleeing, watching carefully for roots. She wasn’t about to look back and risk tripping again. She had no desire to look upon the beast. And by beast, she meant man. Too bad such an agreeable wolf form was wasted on him.

  He acted like she was after him, yet he was the one who kept chasing her down. Faithless brute!

  His brother had turned out to be nice. He’d apologized again for sending a shifter to fetch her and explained that his intention had been to visit Glenn Meadows himself, until Jager insisted he stick around a little longer and sent Aden instead. After Hailey forgave him for any wrongdoing, he had regaled her with tales of the brothers’ adventure across the continent. With each new story, Hailey had found herself developing a case of wanderlust.

  Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure about returning to Glenn Meadows. When Rafael had first rejected her, her initial reaction was to run to Kamari and tell him she could not wait to leave.

  “I will speak to your father when we return home,” he had said.

  But she was no longer certain about claiming the alpha, either. There was a whole wide world out there. As much as she hated to admit it, Rafael was right. She had barely left the thorned walls of her home or surrounding fields.

  Maybe it was time to stretch her legs beyond these mountains and woods.

  ONCE MORE, RAFAEL found himself angry, aroused, and feeling very much like his uncovered pelvis and genitals—like an asshole and a dick.

  If Hailey had descended from urban wolf shifters, it would have been a different story. He would have flirted and teased his way between her legs. The female was gorgeous, proud, and sexy without seeming to be aware of her flawless beauty. In the past, he had met purebloods who put on airs. It had been a pleasant surprise to meet Sasha and Wolfrik, who did not behave as though the moon revolved around them. Hailey was a revelation as well. When she said she was leaving, he believed her, and it left him with a peculiar feeling of displeasure.

 

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