“Drew. Drew!”
Turning away from his office window, the alpha faced Callum and Maddox, another pack member. He was unsure how long they had been standing in his doorway, but from Callum’s frown, he’d guess it had been a while.
After they’d left the gallery, they’d stopped at their favorite diner for a couple of rare steak sandwiches. Callum had flirted shamelessly with the waitress, a woman who, to Drew’s knowledge, hadn’t yet succumbed to the beta’s charms. Unlike Drew, who kept his conquests few, not to mention remote, Callum seemed to have friends-with-benefits relationships with at least three different women in town. His behavior with the waitress showed he was either looking to replace one of the original three or add a fourth to his usual menu. After reminding Callum that it was never a good idea to shit where you ate—advice that Callum had laughed at and then wholly ignored as he gave his number to the waitress—they’d ordered another meal for takeout, then dropped it off to an elderly pack member who wouldn’t be able to attend tonight’s run.
He’d dropped Callum off at home before heading to Wildlings to finish some paperwork while waiting for the pack to arrive. Owning the company often kept him swamped with paperwork and busy outside the workday, but being the pack's alpha extended his leadership and responsibilities to around the clock.
As a born alpha, he loved it.
When his father had announced his retirement, stepping down from alpha status in their pack, Drew had stepped up, claiming the pack as his own. Though he was a born alpha, another member could have challenged him for the position. The need to control guided one into that decision. In such a case, a fight would have ensued until one of them either backed down or one of them was dead. Luckily, no one had challenged Drew, but if they had, he would have fought to the death for this pack. They were his family, and he knew no one was better suited to lead them.
With Callum as his beta, there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish in both business and pack structure. Having Callum at his back was an honor and a privilege he appreciated. Having someone he could trust to carry out his commands and help ensure the pack's safety meant everything.
The sound of tires on asphalt, followed by the loud banging of the front door, alerted him that several of the pack members had arrived. Likely, they had assembled in the break room, but Drew hadn’t been in a rush to join them. Since Maddox had mated with one of their females, Fredrica, the two were late for everything. Nothing seemed as important as being in each other’s arms. Their sexual desire was always heavy in the air. Drew knew it was like that for newly mated couples, but not until meeting Alyssa had he fully understood. Getting her beneath him was absorbing his every thought.
The paperwork lay incomplete on his desk. Unable to focus, Drew wandered to the window and daydreamed about his mate. What exactly was she hiding? Where had she come from?
As the moon grew brighter in the sky, his musings swung to the carnal side of things. How would her artist’s fingers feel against his skin, soft and supple, careful and delicate? How would her dark hair look spilled across his pillow?
The sooner he could find out, the better.
But it would be late by the time the pack finished their run and likely just as late when the gallery closed. He wouldn’t be able to find the answers to his questions tonight. He wouldn’t be able to discover how good her lips tasted or how tight her pussy gripped him when she clenched with her release. He was desperate to scent the air after he’d imprinted on her and their scents mingled together, signifying their everlasting bond.
Unfortunately, tomorrow would have to be soon enough.
It felt like an eternity.
“Drew?” This time the call came from Maddox.
“Sorry.” With a shake of his head and a quickly drawn breath, Drew tried to put thoughts of his female aside and focus on his pack. “I suppose that your presence means everyone is gathered?”
Maddox pulled at his ear, a big grin on his face. “Yeah, sorry we’re late. Again.”
Approaching, Drew clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m not buying even an ounce of that apology.”
“Probably for the best since I’m really not sorry.” Maddox’s deep laugh carried down the hall. “What’s got you so distracted? Been calling you for over a minute. Is that girl from New York back in town?”
Drew had a few paramours scattered about, some he visited whenever he blew through their town, But Alyssa’s presence changed all that. Thoughts of other women had vanished when he met Alyssa. Everything and everyone paled in comparison. Former lovers ceased to exist.
Deciding to be honest with his pack member, Drew said on an exhale, “I’ve found my mate.”
Maddox stopped mid-stride, halting their progress. “Graham Shaw’s niece?”
Drew and Callum glanced at one another. Aside from Callum, no one knew about his meetings with Graham Shaw, an alpha from a neighboring pack. Shaw had suggested Drew mate his niece, Lydia. Drew didn’t want to discount what fate had in store for him, but it was his job as alpha to mate for prestige and to strengthen the pack. That’s why Alyssa posed such a unique problem. Her heritage was important and had the potential to ruin them before they’d even begun.
He’d entertained Shaw more than once and had given an arranged mating some serious consideration. However, fate wasn’t the only thing holding him back from his duty. Lydia sparked about as much heat in him as a dull autumn day.
“What?” Drew asked. “Where did you hear that?”
When he realized he’d overstepped, Maddox’s eyes widened. “Rumor has it you’re all set to mate Lydia.”
“Who the fuck said that?” Callum demanded.
Maddox tossed his hands defensively into the air, “Fredrica gets her hair cut over in Port Do. The stylist there is one of Shaw’s pack members.”
“Fucking Shaw, running his mouth,” Callum grumbled. “You would never mate his boring ass niece.”
Drew hid his smile. “I’d considered it.”
“You did not.” His beta studied him, the humor leaving his tone. “Tell me you’re making that up.”
He shrugged. “The bloodlines are strong there. His pack is solid, with no drama. He’s caused no strife.”
“So you were going to flip fate off for his wet towel of a niece?”
Justifying his decisions, Drew said, “Not every wolf finds his mate. And often alphas take mates not destined for them.”
“Yeah, which just screws everything up. It’s like a ripple effect.” Callum crossed his arms and shook his head.
“But if you’ve found your mate, then they’re shit out of luck,” Maddox interjected. “You’d still have to let him down easy. Don’t want to cause waves.”
Before Drew could comment, Callum said, “Lydia will be relieved. She didn’t want to mate Drew.”
Stopping short, Drew asked, “What makes you say that?”
Callum shrugged. “She wanted me.”
Maddox chuckled.
Scoffing, Drew rolled his eyes. “You think all women want you.”
This time, Callum grinned. “Most of the time, they do. I can’t help that.”
Drew shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from playfully shoving his beta. He couldn’t deny Callum’s success with human and wolf females. They found him charming and delightful. “Get to the damned point.”
“She asked me out last time they were here when you spoke with Shaw.”
Narrowing his eyes, Drew had to wonder if mating Lydia would have meant a future as a cuckold. And what the hell had she been thinking, approaching his beta for a quick fuck when she was preparing to mate with him?
It didn’t matter. “I’m meeting with him next week and will inform him that the mating is off, it wasn’t meant to be, and that I’ve found my mate. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
“Are we meeting her tonight?” Maddox asked, clearly intrigued by the notion.
Drew winced. “No. Not yet.” He and Callum shared a look. “There are a few details to hammer out first.”
Callum laughed outright at this.
“When will you tell the pack?”
He took a deep breath and considered how much to tell Maddox. The man was new to their pack but was proving to be a vital member, taking on volunteer roles and looking out for others. He was always willing to pitch in, a beta by nature. “Honestly, I only met her two days ago.”
Maddox’s laugh boomed once more. “Then I’m surprised you left the bed. Is that where you left her? Too exhausted to move?”
“Actually, he struck out.” Seeming to decide that their little group would not proceed down the hall anytime soon, Callum crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Twice.”
Drew glared at his beta until Callum’s gaze dropped. “I’ll address the pack when I’m ready,” Drew said to circumvent further questions. “But there may be an issue with heritage.”
“Heritage?” Maddox stumbled. “Meaning?”
“Meaning I’ve met the girl twice, and there seems to be a lack of understanding about exactly what I am to her.”
“But that means…” Trailing off, Maddox’s brows pulled tight as he worked through Drew’s statement. Then he whispered, “Is she human?”
“I haven’t ruled anything out just yet. Tomorrow I’ll get some answers about Alyssa, and then I’ll meet with the pack. There are too many unanswered questions for me to bother saying anything now. I trust you’ll keep this to yourself.”
Drew had barely finished the thought before Maddox was nodding in agreement. “Of course.”
Confident that his pack members, unlike Shaw’s, wouldn’t speak out of turn, Drew continued down the hallway. He needed this run badly; to push his muscles and expel some pent-up energy.
“Wait!” Maddox halted their movement with his sudden exclamation. “Alyssa? Like Alyssa Mayers, that new artist?”
Once more, Drew shared a look with Callum. Despite wanting to limit the potentially controversial conversation surrounding his mate, Drew tilted his head to one side and asked, “You know her?”
“Fredrica mentioned her. Apparently, she’s some hot new talent on the art scene.”
Maddox’s mate was into all things art-related. She did all the graphic design, promotion, and website development for Master’s Grilling.
Drew shifted closer. “Did she say anything else about her?”
Maddox thought for a moment. “Nope. Just mentioned her. I have no idea what she looks like, old or young.” With a shrug, he continued, “Just that she’s making a name for herself in the art world.” He pressed a finger to his chin before announcing, “Landscapes, I think.”
Learning nothing new, Drew broke off the conversation with a whispered order. “Until I know more about her, you speak nothing to anyone else.” He looked hard at each man, focusing longer on Maddox as he instructed, “Including Fredrica.”
Both men nodded.
“Understood.”
“Lips sealed.” Callum made a zipper motion across his mouth. Drew doubted he had much to worry about with Callum. But a mated wolf might let something slip over pillow-talk.
“Let’s get on with this run,” he finally announced, marching off. With some luck, his wolf would give him peace and a break from thinking of his responsibilities and his mysterious mate.
Drew weaved between the pine trees, his paws sinking in the deep snow as he led his pack on their run. A few members had slipped away to chase down the scent of a rabbit, and more than one couple had broken off, presumably to shift back to human form and make love on the forest floor. There was something about the freedom of the night, the moon guiding each movement, that made a wolf shifter shiver with sexual need.
For Drew, tonight was especially difficult. The night called to his primal instincts, but for mated shifters, it fed their insatiable need for one another. Tonight, Drew felt the sexual need as he never had before. Any hope for a reprieve from thoughts of Alyssa disappeared as the moonbeams fueled his desire, and a paint-speckled Alyssa filled his mind.
Even with a few members exploring various indulgences, a good dozen were still running together. His pack was small by wolf shifter standards. Most were mated, but there were a few single members of both sexes, Callum being one of those. Single members never dated within the pack. Often, males would roam around from pack to pack, searching for their mate. Until Callum felt the urge to mate, a desire directed by fate, he would remain with Drew’s pack. He made an excellent beta and a hell of a VP for Master’s Grilling, and he and Drew had been friends for years. When Callum was finally driven by the need to locate his mate, he could either assimilate into her pack or rejoin their pack with his mate by his side.
Drew, on the other hand, had less choice. If he wanted to search for his mate, he’d have to relinquish his pack to search for her, leaving them to another alpha, which could cause strife within their ranks or between them and neighboring packs. Currently, he was the only alpha in his pack, but it wasn’t uncommon for larger packs to have multiple alphas among their members.
When he traveled for business, he always booked a few extra days to explore the territory and learn about nearby packs, hoping to find his mate. He wasn’t rushing into a mating, but there was no harm in trying to sniff her out while on his travels.
Now, his single days were over. Alyssa’s presence had changed everything.
If she was human, he was in trouble. Not only would he have to explain that wolf shifters were real and not some fictional construct, but he’d also have to bite and change her. Mating a human didn’t always mean forcing them to become a shifter, but it dramatically improved everything—pack, family, and mated life. She’d be able to shift. She’d have a long life, one without pain and illness. It would be helpful for their future children if she could shift. If she remained human, it left their children weak. There was no guarantee that a half-breed could even shift, or worse, they could die in the process of their first shift. Drew wouldn’t let that happen. She’d have to become a shifter.
Not to mention, mating a human left him vulnerable to challenges for the pack's leadership. Callum or any other pack member could try to assume leadership, or even neighboring alphas could fight him for control.
Alternatively, she could be a half-breed herself, though it was unlikely. Mating humans was rare, so half-breeds were rare as well.
He knew she was his mate. She must feel the mating pull, which made him question why she continued to reject him. If so, she had to be human. It was the only thing that made sense.
A long, low train horn echoed through the still night. Drew dodged a low-hanging tree branch before exerting a burst of speed.
A distant howl did more to distract Drew from his musings than any run. He stopped, his pack following suit as they all strained to listen for the sound again.
The facility’s property was their pack’s territory. Neighboring packs didn’t venture onto their land without an invitation, and they had issued no such invitation for tonight.
When it came again, Drew turned toward the sound. Any stray hunting on their land would meet a grisly end.
Knowing the area intimately, Drew took several turns, rounded a hill, and crossed a trail. Even if the sound didn’t come again, he’d be able to find the intruder. Soon they’d be able to scent the loner, and not long after that, they’d have him.
But as they grew closer to the north end of the property, the scent hit Drew like a freight train. Saliva pooled in his mouth, his fur itched, and his body was on alert and primed.
Alyssa.
A fresh set of paw prints appeared in the snow, and seconds later, he spotted a single black wolf on the horizon.
Too late. She realized she wasn’t alone. Her head snapped toward them as the snow crunched beneath multiple paws. Her scent changed, becoming sharp and acidic. She was scared.
She attempted to flee before they reached her, but while Drew had come at her head-on, Callum had circled left and Maddox to the right. Together, they worked as a team with the rest of the pack, anticipating her retreat. They were boxing her in, blocking any clear escape route.
She stepped back, glancing from one direction to another, searching for an exit. Maddox, unfamiliar with her scent, released a low snarl.
With his ears perked up and pointing forward, Drew approached. As alpha, he dominated his pack, deciding on their behalf. As a wolf, he led through body language; as a human, through spoken command. In his pack, his word was law. Approaching the black wolf, he projected supremacy, demanding her surrender.
Alyssa’s ears flattened to her head, her body slumped, and her tail dipped between her legs. Cowering before him, she watched, immobile, as he came closer. Even though he knew it was her by her scent alone, he continued to sniff and examine her.
She was gorgeous, her fur as smooth as her black tresses had been. She was a slim wolf, and just as she was tall in human form, she wasn’t lacking in length as a wolf.
Circling around to her head, he felt her gaze on him. He nuzzled her snout with his own. Her gaze remained guarded, and then she gave him one brief lick.
Both of her rejections had caused him to doubt her lineage. He’d assumed she was human and unaware of what he was. But now, knowing her secret, Drew had to wonder why the hell she’d turned him down. They were mates, and at the bare minimum, that afforded him a private conversation with her.
He knew she’d felt the connection between them. It was evident in each brushstroke she’d used while creating the Blood Moon. So why the fuck had he gone home alone the last two nights when they were both consumed by need?
With caution, she watched him, her body still stiff, as though poised to run at the first opportunity. Glancing toward the sky, Drew willed himself to change into human form. They were long overdue for a conversation, and Drew was done waiting.
Naked, he held out his hand, palm up, and approached her again. “Alyssa, show me this is you.”
Her gaze darted around his pack, but she made no move to shift.
“Alyssa, whatever game you’re playing, you must stop now. You’ve come into my territory. Do you understand what that means?”
She took a step backward as her gaze returned to him.
“You’re trespassing.”
Still, she didn’t shift.
“I know it’s you, and you owe me an explanation.” And frankly, an apology.
Her body remained tense, her stare fixed on him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she’d become the victim of a taxidermist. Perhaps she was reluctant to shift in front of the pack. Being naked and vulnerable before a group of strangers would explain her hesitancy.
Drew looked at Callum and motioned with his head. Callum retreated into the forest, and the rest of the pack disappeared after him. The beta would lead the group away, leaving Drew alone with his mate.
This was not an ideal situation. The pack would have scented his arousal and, at the very least, would have guessed what was transpiring. Their alpha had found his mate and hadn’t bothered to tell them. He’d have to do some damage control if he wanted to keep their trust.
“There now,” he whispered coaxingly to Alyssa. “We have privacy. I promise. Show me it’s you. Shift for me.”
The wolf swallowed, her gaze moving around the clearing.
“I promise,” he assured her. “They’re gone. You don’t have to—”
She took off. Without a backward glance, she sprinted away, kicking up powdered snow with each bound and leap.
Damn, she was fast.
If he’d been in wolf form, he could have caught her, but the valuable seconds it took to change put him at a disadvantage. He still had to try. Soon he was racing after her.
She might just be the fastest female he knew.
He followed her scent, but ultimately, she got away. He tracked her back to a pine tree where a few scattered items proved she’d been there. She’d abandoned her pants, a stray boot, her jacket, and a pair of panties.
He reached the road just as her car sped away.
Fortunately, he knew enough. He knew where she sold her art and the name of her landlady. But even without that information, her scent alone would have been enough to find her.
Heading back to the facility, he noted which tree she’d left her clothes beneath. He’d return for them when he was properly clothed.
He would track her down, return her things, and teach her a thing or two about what it meant to be his mate.
There was no way in hell Alyssa would leave this town. His city. His pack. His mate.