Moon madness dirigo pack.., p.1
Moon Madness: Dirigo Pack Book 2, page 1
MOON MADNESS
DIRIGO PACK BOOK 2
SABRINA SILVERS
Copyright © March 2022 by Sabrina Silvers
Editing by Delilah Devlin
Cover by Designrans
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or businesses, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Any mistakes are the author’s own and may be intentional and fictional.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CONTENTS
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
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Read on for an Excerpt from Feral Madness
Excerpt From Feral Madness
Claiming Lyla: Dirigo Pack Prequel
Also By Sabrina Silvers
About Sabrina Silvers
Dirigo meaning I Lead
LATIN WORD
CHAPTER ONE
The wolf lifted her nose to the wind, scenting the early summer night air. Her paws crunched on the dry leaves and twigs that littered the forest floor. The full moon pulled at her, tugged at her wolf, begging her human half to let the wolf have complete control and run loose along the perimeter, but the human half had to maintain her heightened state of alert. The balance between her wolf’s senses and her human’s analysis was needed to ensure she protected her Pack most effectively.
Sloane Wyman desperately wanted to give in to her wolf, to run off the tension that gripped her, to let it out by a punishing run or hunt. But the Pack needed her to remain focused on defense, to protect their boundaries, especially in light of the aggression from their neighbors to the west, the Saranac Pack. This night, she was only testing the main den’s perimeters in Maine. If the Saranac Pack had gotten anyone this far into the Dirigo Pack’s territory, then they were so beyond fucked, she couldn’t even begin to explain it. Though, Saranac had snuck a few hired wolves and humans into their territory a couple of weeks before kidnapping the daughter of their Alpha and whisking her away so effectively that it was as if she had disappeared off the planet.
Only recently had they confirmed where Kayleigh had ended up, and it wasn’t with the Saranac Pack but with the Chesapeake Pack, embroiling their Pack in a triad of conflict that made absolutely no sense whatsoever, especially since her own Pack, the Dirigo Pack, and the Chesapeake Pack were allies. Or had been until recent events. Now the Chesapeake Alpha, Maddox Hawkridge, refused to release Kayleigh, even though Dirigo threatened war.
Sloane lifted her muzzle, scenting the air, wishing she’d run across an enemy to vent her frustration. But, if an enemy had made it this far into Pack territory without anyone finding them, then it would mean their security was more shit than she’d already estimated, and that couldn’t be true. So, she’d have to settle for running out her tension, maybe do a little hunting if some poor critter ran across her path.
Truth be told, her tension had only a little to do with her Pack situation and more to do with personal issues. Earlier that evening, they’d had the formal mating ceremony for Kane and Sheridan, something that occurred during the full moon. Right about now, Kane was probably out of his mind with worry over Sheridan and if she would shift. Being a half-wolf and half-witch, Sheridan had the genes to shift but hadn’t yet, making her a latent. But mating could sometimes push latents into their first shift. So, Kane and Sheridan, along with their Alpha, Duncan, were helping her to see if she’d make the shift.
Right now, Sloane should be running the full moon hunt as third in command, but Lyla, Luna of the Pack, was handling that this time so Sloane could monitor the perimeter and sulk. She’d been in a foul mood for the past two weeks since she’d been informed she was going as a bodyguard for the wolf arguing in front of the Council when they defended Kane and Sheridan’s actions against the Saranac Pack. She wouldn’t have the honor of guarding her Alpha. No, she’d be guarding his second son, the one who wasn’t even strong enough to control his own wolf, but he could argue and debate better than any human.
A warm breeze coasted across her coat, ruffling the fur and teasing her nose with a scent that was unfamiliar with just a hint of marshmallow and fire. Since tonight was the formal mating ceremony between Kane and Sheridan, several wolves had traveled here from the outer dens to pay their respects and swear their oaths to their second-in-command, the Alpha-Heir and his mate, a tradition of the Pack. Kane had wanted to keep the ceremony simple, especially since it was also the first night they would see if Sheridan could shift, but tradition had to be adhered to. They might be a progressive Pack in many ways, but they followed their history and took comfort in it.
Now, Sloane had to figure out whether the scent she was smelling emanated from one of their own or someone using the influx of strange wolves as a cover to sneak into their borders and create havoc.
She crouched low and stalked across the forest floor, avoiding leaves and twigs where she could, staying silent and cautious while extending her senses to determine whether she was alone or if someone else lurked in the shadows. The moon was full and high in the sky, the bright beams penetrating the forest in areas, like a spotlight on a theater stage, yet leaving shadows and darkness in other spots, easy places for a wolf or other shifter to hide, especially one who might know the area. And, as Sloane had recently discovered to her chagrin, just being a member of the Pack didn’t mean you were a friend.
The bonfire scent teased her nose again and her memory. How the hell did she know it? It wasn’t from an enforcer or one of the soldiers—the only ones who should be out this far this evening. The rest of the Pack should be close to the center of the den or on the hunt, especially in this time of turmoil for their own safety. She paused, crouching next to a copse of oak trees and gazed out over the small watering hole, trying not to remember the last time she had been there, or who she had been with.
The scent faded, and she ventured forward a couple of steps, her gaze scanning the area around her, but there was nothing around. She let out a huff of annoyance and slowly straightened. She must have been mistaken.
At that moment, she was hit from the side by a heavy body that felt like a solid mass of concrete falling on her, knocking her on her side. She rolled as she had been taught, intending to come up fighting, but the wolf followed her down, pinning her to the forest floor. The male wolf pinned her, his mass much bigger and heavier than her, and settled over her.
Then his jaws closed over her throat, and she stilled.
Benedict MacKinnon had promised his brother, the next Alpha, that he would try to be closer to the Pack, try to involve himself in Pack life. That started tonight, the night of the full moon, when his brother celebrated his mating to the wolf-witch hybrid, Sheridan Wells, and they tried to see if her latent wolf blood would help her shift, with the help of their Alpha, his father Duncan. The joy and peace his brother had found with Sheridan, despite the stress and tensions that surrounded their Pack with the kidnapping of his younger sister and the brewing inter-pack war with the Saranac Pack, made him fucking jealous.
Not that he’d begrudge his brother any happiness that he could find. Hell, Kane deserved every bit of contentment he had, especially with a strong and sexy mate like Sheridan. What Benedict really felt was a bone-deep regret that he would never find the same thing. He could never risk finding a mate or having pups to pass along the curse he’d been born with, or risk going feral around them. They shouldn’t need to battle the beast that he struggled with on a daily basis. No one deserved that. He and his inner beast had come to a sort of detente now, a peace they now could live with. If he never found the balance that other shifters described, well, it was the trade-off he made to not go loup and kill everyone around him.
As soon as he’d been able to escape the ceremony, he’d left, avoiding his keeper, Hugh Latimer, his second in Boston, who had come with him to pledge fealty to their Alpha-Heir and his new mate. Hugh had been assigned as his second but acted more as his monitor in Boston to ensure he shifted every full moon at minimum, maintained a connection with his wolf, and didn’t lose control. Though, Benedict and Hugh both knew, if Benedict lost control, Hugh wasn’t strong enough to take him down. Which was why he kept a gun loaded with a silver bullet when they went running, stashed into a specially designed Pack for his wolf.
But Benedict was on his home grounds, the place where he’d grown up, and he didn’t want a fucking guard or a leash for this run. So, he’d managed to slip away and shift privately, hoping to run away his ten
Sloane Wyman.
His body remembered her response at the watering hole when he’d kissed her, her hunger, her need, and then her utter horror at having kissed him of all people. Yeah, he wasn’t used to that reaction. He’d mostly dated humans, women who didn’t want anything more than a good time. When he needed release, he had willing options. Since he couldn’t get them pregnant unless they were his fated mate, he was safe to indulge. He’d avoided the wolves of his Pack, any pack really, and they avoided him, knowing his past. It was all clean and simple. Yet, when he’d confronted Sloane, the heat, and something else, had all bubbled out of him, and he hadn’t been able to resist. Neither had she—until reality had intruded.
But damn, it had been the hottest kiss he’d had in months, hell, years, and now he was going to be distracted, thinking about it while they had to focus on saving his brother and his new mate’s asses with the Council, while also finding out what had happened to his little sister. No pressure there.
For now, he needed to spend time in his fur, because a shifter who spent too much time separated from his animal half didn’t do well, could even go insane. He’d done the bare minimum to maintain the connection, shifting every month and hunting in the Pack’s territory outside of Boston. Granted, he’d never felt the connection with his wolf that other shifters talked about, but it was worth it to not lose himself in the beast—the rage and bloodlust that he risked. No, he had to maintain control at all times. The cost of failure was too high.
A scent drifted on the wind. At first, he thought it was the trees from the forest around him, the cedar trees, then the rest of the scent filtered in, and his wolf froze, alert. Bergamot and sage. He knew that scent. His human side tried to come to the surface, but the wolf remained in control, eager to connect with the source of the intoxicating fragrance.
Automatically, the wolf driving him, but with him clinging to a shred of control, moved in a straight line, dodging roots and low-hanging branches until he stood on a low rise above the watering hole where he had begun his journey that night, the same place that kept pulling him back every time he came home, the one place that featured in all of his nightmares. He blocked out the fear, the past, and focused on the present, on the here and now.
She was there in the shadows by the oak trees, crouched low, testing the air, trying to find him. She sensed him there but couldn’t find him. She was a worthy hunter but not quite his level. He might struggle with control, but his wolf was exceptional in battle and hunting. Few could match him. But she’d be a worthy match for more than just a battle. Possibly for life.
She stepped into the clearing; one step, then two. He ghosted down the hill, slinking quietly. As if she sensed him, she turned, but it was already too late, and he rushed her, toppling her before she could react. She tried to come up, snapping her jaw, but he used his strength and speed to pin her, his jaw closing over her throat but not pressing in.
She froze, her eyes wide and unblinking. He shifted, fighting his wolf for control since the wolf wanted to hunt, to run, and to, hopefully, fuck. But he exerted every ounce of will he had into the command and forced the shift. Then he settled back on his heels.
“Hello, Sloane.”
CHAPTER TWO
It took Sloane a minute to realize she wasn’t being pinned down any longer, her throat not held by the sharp teeth of a stronger predator. She flipped to her paws and shook out her fur, glaring at the broad figure of the man hunched in front of her. She snarled at him and crouched down, her fur ruffling.
He chuckled, the sound a little rusty and harsh in the moonlight. “You’re more like a wet cat than a wolf, Sloane. All pissed-off fur and claws rather than badass wolf. I beat you, fair and square. Now, shift so we can talk.”
He infused his voice with alpha power, and, before she could resist, she shifted and squatted in front of him in human form. She’d had no idea that Benedict MacKinnon had any of the alpha power his father or his brother had to force a shift. That was interesting and disturbing on so many levels. Sloane did not enjoy being off-balance one bit, especially not in front of Benedict, the one man who already had her off her game. Her light brown hair fell around her, cascading free from its customary braid, shielding her face from his penetrating stare, wishing again that she had been able to shift closer to her clothes to hide her body from him.
Then again, he was in the same position she was, and she refused to let him know how uncomfortable she was. She lifted her head and settled a firm gaze on him, steeling herself against his deep, warm eyes.
Benedict was sitting on a rock, one leg stretched out in front of him and the other bent. He’d wrapped an arm around one knee and looked all casual, as if waiting patiently for her to get her shit together. A typical GQ guy, if GQ had a naked shifter on their cover. If they didn’t, they should get him because he was all kinds of gorgeous.
Damn, he was sexy—broad shoulders, a strong frame, and muscles for days. Why hadn’t she ever noticed? She liked her men strong and broad, able to withstand the sometimes-rough sex between shifters. She had despaired of finding anyone stronger than her, other than Kane, the Alpha-Heir, or Damien, his former second, but she didn’t like to fuck where she worked. Sadly, as third-in-command, those two were the only ones who were strong enough to give her wolf a run for its money. Kane had found his mate, and Damien had betrayed the Pack, an unforgivable sin in her eyes. That left her with few options except some fuck buddies for stress relief, and both her human and wolf halves hadn’t been interested.
Now, both sides had come roaring back online and wanted a taste of the man sitting in front of her. Sadly, this man might actually be the only other man in the region who might be acceptable to her wolf, worthy of breaking her sexual fast. Her human half, on the other hand, wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Or so she told herself. Repeatedly.
She tossed her hair out of her face and sat back, determined to brazen through this confrontation. “What were you doing slinking about? Are you trying to screw up our patrols?”
He smirked at her. “Maybe I was testing our patrols, seeing if they were on their paws. Gotta say, sweetheart, not impressed.”
She narrowed her gaze and snarled. “They’re not defending against Pack members.”
His face turned deadly serious. “You didn’t recognize me as Pack and acted appropriately, immediately on alert. I passed four sentries, and none even approached me. There were several wolves from outlying dens in our home territory that these sentries seemed unaware of and should have stopped as part of procedure.”
She swore under her breath. She was responsible for security while Kane was preoccupied with his mate’s transition. She jumped to her feet, completely forgetting her nudity. Benedict remained seated though his eyes heated as he took her in, pacing in the clearing.
“Where do you think you’re going now?” he asked. “I already scared the shit out of a couple of them and smacked down the others. Our borders are secure.”
She turned, scowling. Great. Benedict, a lawyer and businessman from the city, had to do her job for her because she’d failed to protect her Pack. Her one job. And she’d failed. Again. Not just with Kayleigh but years ago. She couldn’t let herself go there, not now.
He got his feet in one fluid motion and approached, looming over her. “Stop it. This is not on you. They know their job and their procedures. They’re the ones who are failing the Pack.”
It didn’t assuage her temper or her guilty feelings, but on some level, she knew he was right. Then his words registered. “How badly are they hurt?”
