Zeke sat at the head of the table as he waited for the rest of the ruling circle to arrive. Val sat to his left, holding a happy Fang in her lap. He’d never known his capacity for love was so deep, but as he looked at them—his girls—he realized it was fathomless.
Warren wandered in first, giving Zeke a curious look and no doubt wondering why he’d called the meeting. He nodded and sat at the alpha’s right. Zeke gave a curt nod back but remained silent. Shull and Knox strolled in next, murmuring quietly to each other until they saw their alpha was already present. They missed half a step when they noticed Val’s attendance, but gamely took their seats next to her. Levi was last to arrive, sitting next to Warren as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Until Fang growled at him, her lip curled back in a vicious snarl—or as vicious as an adorable fluffball like her could get. Zeke had never considered himself to be a dog person, but Fang was pretty damn endearing. The fact she helped Val so much was icing on the cake.
Zeke remained silent for a full minute, giving them enough time to feel awkward and uneasy. Once they started squirming and glancing at each other with unspoken questions, he began.
“I called this meeting of my Ruling Circle to discuss our next move in the Wolf Woods situation. I—”
“Glad to hear it,” Shull jumped in, excited about the topic at hand. “Knox and I think we should charge a tax for the pack to use the woods, which would be used to pay the bribes.”
Levi nodded enthusiastically. “That’s a great idea! We could—”
“I said…” Zeke held up a hand and the room fell silent as his steely gaze settled on each one in turn. “I said I called my Ruling Circle. Not my father’s.”
Birds could have flown into Shull and Knox’s gaping mouths. They slowly turned to look at each other and then returned their shocked gazes to their alpha.
“All we’ve ever done was try to help—”
“Your father entrusted us to—”
“Thank you for your help during the transition, gentlemen,” Zeke interrupted. No sense in letting them blather on any longer than necessary. “I sought your counsel and you gave it freely, even when that advice ran counter to everything an alpha should be and do.”
Shull’s head rocked back as if Zeke had just slapped him. “Name one time—”
“Kidnapping the Blackwood healer, for one,” Zeke snapped back. “If I recall, that was your idea, Shull. I take full responsibility for taking that advice, but things could have ended very badly. I expect my advisors to steer me away from such stupidity, not suggest it. Out of all of you, Warren was the only one to try and talk sense into me. Thank god Drew forgave my impetuous and very bad decision, which we can only attribute to fate.” He shot Val a sly smirk. “Fated mates, to be precise.”
“Listen, Zeke,” Knox started, but Zeke cut him off.
“No, you listen. The transition between my father and I could have been rough, and you both worked to make it go smoothly. I appreciate everything you’ve done, and you will hold a place of honor in the pack for your service, but from this point forward, you will no longer be joining Ruling Circle meetings. You’re excused.”
For the first time since his father’s death, Zeke felt perfectly at home in the alpha’s seat. Hell, in the role itself. It had taken Val’s encouragement to lead from his heart to make him see that too many cooks in the kitchen spoiled the broth. After a year of second-guessing himself and seeking the approval of his elders, he’d finally found his footing as the leader of the Soren pack, and that meant relying on those he could trust to advise him, not his father’s sloppy seconds.
The two old wolves stared at him in utter disbelief, and when they opened their mouths to protest, Zeke’s placid gaze turned hot and hard. The men blinked, sensing their new alpha meant business. Good thing because he wasn’t above handing them a smackdown, in spite of their age. A whiff of Val’s desire reached his nose and he had to tamp down the urge to smile. She liked his alpha display.
Duly noted.
Without another word or objection, Shull and Knox dropped their gazes and shuffled out of the room. If they’d been in their wolf forms, their tails would have been tucked between their legs. That didn’t stop them from slamming the door on their way out though.
Levi, perhaps sensing his time had come to pay the piper for arresting Val, sank in on himself, trying to present the smallest target possible. Zeke watched him silently, letting the knife twist in the man’s gut.
“Levi,” he finally said, his tone downright bloodthirsty. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Zeke—” Levi started in a pitiful whimper.
“Execution!” Zeke shouted over him. Levi’s eyes grew wide with alarm, as did Warren’s. “I won’t lie, it crossed my mind, but that’s probably too harsh for your crime. Expulsion from the pack seems more reasonable, though I suppose with that lone wolf who’s been prowling around Wolf Woods, you wouldn’t be alone for long. Of course, we all know lone wolves are either a bit or totally insane so…good luck with that.”
“Zeke, what crime did I commit?” Levi asked, his head lowered and his eyes pleading.
“Don’t play with me, Levi. Trying to implicate the alpha mate in the sabotage of McNish’s construction site.”
Levi leaned across the table, almost reaching for him. “But that wasn’t a crime, Zeke! I was doing my civic duty. We all heard her threaten to blow it up. Besides, she wasn’t the alpha mate yet—she was just a stinking human!”
Zeke’s wolf fought to come out and lunge at Levi, but just as he snarled, and his fur and fangs started to show, Val laid a calming hand on his arm. He looked at Val and she guided him through five calming breaths. Once he had control again, he returned his still-fiery gaze to Levi.
“That human kicked my best sentry’s ass. That human dealt with Calhoun in a way I never could have. This human showed more initiative, integrity and balls than you have since I appointed you!”
Levi had no response.
“As I was saying,” Zeke continued. “I considered more drastic measures for that kind of insubordination, but my enforcer talked me out of it.”
Warren looked puzzled while Levi screwed up his face.
“B-but I’m your enforcer,” Levi sputtered, shooting a glance at Warren for support.
Zeke smiled, turning to his implacable mate. “Not anymore.”
He let the news sink in for a beat or two. Warren looked relatively pleased, but Levi’s face had turned an alarming shade of red.
“Levi,” he continued, “you’ve been reassigned to scat duty.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Levi scathed with a scowl.
“It’s a new position created just for you, and it’s a very important one.” Zeke somehow managed not to laugh as he explained Levi’s new duties. “Until the fate of Wolf Woods is decided, we need to be hyper-vigilant about not revealing any evidence of our presence. No trace whatsoever. Your new job, whether or not you choose to accept it, is to patrol Wolf Woods and clean up any random wolf scat you find.”
“Fuck that!” Levi shouted as he jumped up from his seat and slapped his hands on the table in outrage. “I’m your enforcer! No way am I going on poop patrol!”
Before he was finished ranting, Val set Fang on the table and stood slowly but purposefully. She then put herself between Zeke and Levi. They both knew Zeke didn’t need to be protected from the likes of Levi, but it was her job as his enforcer to protect him, and she took her duties very seriously. Damn, what a helluva woman!
Her body vibrated with tension, ready for a fight should Levi try to attack, and Zeke almost hoped he would. He had no doubt she’d be able to handle herself just as well in a wolf fight as a bar brawl. Unfortunately, Fang had other plans.
No doubt sensing the impending threat to her mistress, Fang gave one short warning snarl and then darted across the slick table in a frenzy of yips and nips. The surprise attack jerked a yelp out of Levi, who staggered backward, trying to avoid the dog’s needle-sharp teeth. Leaping from the table, Fang chased the terrified ex-enforcer around the room a couple of times before Levi remembered there was a door. Of course, as soon as he bolted out of the war room, Fang followed, nipping at his heels.
Zeke roared with laughter, while Val and Warren watched with blatant amusement as Fang pranced back into the room, her head and tail held high with pride over her accomplishment. Val scooped her up and showered her head with kisses as she returned to her seat at Zeke’s left.
“Congratulations on your new position, Valerie,” Warren said, a rare smile lingering on his lips. “And to you, Zeke, for choosing the best enforcer for the job.”
Zeke grinned. “Glad you approve.”
“So what’s the plan for Wolf Woods?” Warren asked him, turning deadly serious.
“All I can tell you is that we’re not paying a dime to those scumbags. It goes against everything I believe in. McNish can go sit on an ice pick, for all I care. If we can’t work within the system to keep the woods wild, we’ll simply have to accept a new reality. We have more than enough room for runs on pack lands, which will act as a buffer between us and human encroachment. It’s not ideal, but we’ll be okay.”
Warren nodded his approval of this more reasonable, if frustrating, plan. “Sounds good. Or good enough, anyway. I honestly didn’t see how paying off Calhoun and McNish could be sustainable over—”
The doorbell bing-bonged loudly from the main living space and was quickly followed by a familiar voice calling out, “Hello?”
“Chloe!” Val squealed and sprinted out of the war room to greet her best friend.
Zeke had never seen her act so much like a…girl. He rather liked that side of her. Hell, who was he kidding—he liked every side of her!
Grinning at Warren, he shrugged. “Meeting adjourned, I guess.”
Warren didn’t seem quite so amused. In fact, he looked downright crestfallen.
“Boy, you look like the cheese just fell off your cracker,” he said, slapping his beta on the shoulder. “Buck up, brother.”
Warren winced and nodded but didn’t look any less bummed. He’d had something of a crush on Chloe for most of their lives, but she’d never been interested. It was one thing to pursue her as two unmated wolves, but once she’d found her fated mate in Drew, Warren really should have accepted how ill-advised his crush had been. Zeke felt for the guy, but it was time to let it go.
“Hey, maybe seeing how happy she is now will help you get over her,” Zeke suggested.
Warren didn’t look convinced, but he followed Zeke out to the foyer, where Val and Chloe were still clinging to each other in a brutal hug. Fang ran circles around the women’s feet, trying to find a way to wedge in between them and failing. Drew stood off to the side, chuckling at the display, and then caught sight of Zeke and Warren.
“Thank god, some testosterone,” he said, hurrying over to shake their hands. “Good to see you both. Warren, how are you, man?”
Warren actually smiled as he took Drew’s hand. “Can’t complain. Good honeymoon?”
Drew began detailing the high points of their trip to Colorado, and Zeke was impressed by Warren’s interest. He even laughed once at a story about their being chased by an angry buck.
Zeke wandered over to the ladies, who were still hugging and mumbling into each other’s shoulders. He tapped Val on the shoulder.
“Can I cut in?”
Chloe laughed and pulled her brother into a fierce hug. Then she sniffed the air between them. She glanced at Val, whose cheeks had darkened in a blush, and then back at Zeke, who smiled broadly at what his sister was putting together.
“Holy shit!” his normally sweet-mouthed sister cried, drawing a gasp from Val.
“Chloe, you cussed! Again!”
“I know. Isn’t it fucking awesome?”
They fell into each other’s arms again, giggling like schoolgirls. Fang grew tired of not getting the attention due to her and yipped at the women.
“We have so much to catch up on,” Chloe said, glancing down at the dog. “Such as who this little furball is, but first I need to tinkle.”
Val laughed. “Tinkle? I guess old habits die hard.”
“Fuck you,” Chloe teased and then hurried down the hallway toward the bathroom.
Pulling Val into his arms, Zeke smiled down at his already smiling mate. “So… I’ve been meaning to ask. I think I know the answer, but I’d like to hear it from you. Have you changed your mind about going back to the Army?”
Her smile softened as she snaked her arms around his neck and gazed up at him with so much love and devotion it almost hurt. “I called him this morning, actually. Told him I was done, that if they wanted me back, they’d have to come and get me.”
Zeke winced, envisioning a Humvee full of MPs rumbling up to their doorstep to drag her away. “How’d he take it?”
She shrugged, totally unconcerned. “I reminded him my contract has a matter of weeks on it, so I’m not worth the time and effort to hunt down. He didn’t love it, but that’s the way the Scooby Snack crumbles.”
Zeke’s heart spilled over with the love he felt for his fearless, ferocious mate. Leading the Soren pack with her at his side would certainly be an adventure. No doubt they’d butt heads occasionally, but the bond between them was so strong, he also had no doubt they’d weather every storm and come out the other side stronger than ever.
“I’m happy to hear that,” he murmured.
Clasping her beautiful face in his hands, he stared into her deep, dark eyes before crushing her lips under his. She matched his ferocity, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and pulling him deeper into their kiss. Only when Fang yipped frantically at their feet, begging to be picked up, did they regain enough of their senses to break apart and save the rest for the bedroom. Zeke scooped up the dog with one hand.
“Looks like I’m not the only one who’s happy.”
Fang licked his face and settled happily between them, just as it should have been.
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Check out book #6 in the Real Men Shift series: Real Men Claim
Curls of steam drifted from Trina Edgecomb’s mug of Earl Grey tea, evaporating into the early morning air. The citrusy scent of the drink mingled with the piney fragrance of the Georgia woods to form a perfect combination of domestic and wild—a dichotomy that suited her.
Idly swirling the contents of her mug before taking a sip, she sighed and gazed out at the forest, not a hundred feet from her porch. It was her favorite way to start the day, a quiet ritual that allowed her to wake up gently before going to work as the Soren pack’s healer. Even on the weekends, she could be found there in the soft light of dawn, nursing a cup of tea and quietly contemplating the beauty of her surroundings.
But weekday mornings were what she really lived for.
The reason—or rather, reasons—soon emerged from the forest. A ragtag crew of children ranging in age but all well-nestled within the years of adolescence. They bustled and tumbled through the trees under the weight of their backpacks, wearing big, goofy grins. Peals of laughter split the air as the little gang careened out of the woods on their way to the passenger van that would take them to the human school in the nearby town of Tremble.
Trina laughed and waved as the motley crew of about a dozen or so pups clumsily scurried through her front yard, her heart surging with warmth for them. She adored every last one of them and would die to protect them, but she couldn’t deny having a soft spot for one in particular.
Huxley Davenport, Jr. was the youngest and smallest of the school-age pups in their pack. As the undersized, soft-spoken son of Hux Davenport, the very large owner of The Wolf’s Lair Bar & Grille, the seven-year-old was better known as “Little Hux.”
Little Hux was the spitting image of his dad, only in miniature form and without Hux’s prolific body hair. He was totally and completely adorable. Squinting at the pack of kids, she tried to pick out Little Hux but couldn’t spot him. Her heart rate ratcheted up a notch, worried that Little Hux might have taken ill again.
Her first task of the day would be to head over to the Davenport house to make sure he didn’t need the services of the pack healer. Despite her special fondness for the child, it was her duty—no, it was her life’s mission—to ensure the health of every member of the pack.
A rustling at the edge of the forest drew her attention and she breathed a sigh of relief when Little Hux stumbled into view. Except he didn’t have the flush of happiness that he normally carried. He didn’t look quite right—pale and wide-eyed. By the time he tripped over an exposed tree root and tumbled to the ground in a heap, Trina’s long legs were already pumping hard to reach him. Dropping to her knees, she gently brushed a smudge of dirt from his tear-stained cheeks.
“You okay, bud?” She carefully ran her hands down his arms and legs, searching for injuries.
He seemed physically unharmed, but when his big, watery, brown eyes met hers, she found sheer terror in them. Wolf pups—even the runts—didn’t scare easily, so whatever had frightened him must have been a serious threat.
“Oh, sweetie,” she cooed and helped the little guy sit upright. “What’s wrong? Tell me what happened, bud.”
A fat tear rolled down his cheek and his lower lip quivered as he fought to keep it together. “L-Levi… he was being a meanie. H-his wolf ch-chased me through the w-woods. I was real scared, Trina. I don’t know why he was chasing me.”
“Levi? Levi Walker? Are you sure?”
Levi wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but he wasn’t a total asshole. Even though Zeke Soren, the pack alpha, had fired the guy as his enforcer a few weeks earlier, Trina couldn’t imagine him ever purposely frightening pack pups. Least of all Little Hux. Zeke would probably kick him out of the pack if he did.
“I t-think so,” the boy sniffled as she brushed dirt off his clothes. “The wolf was big and Daddy says Levi was mad cuz Zeke put him on poop patrol.”
Even as the words left his mouth, he snickered at saying “poop” in front of her. Then the joy flitted away just as quickly. He flung himself into her arms and his entire body trembled like a frightened bird.
As she hugged him tightly, she caught the barest whiff of something strange. Another wolf, male, adult… but definitely not Levi. The scent was foreign, with undertones that brought to mind images of winter, for some reason. The remnant of the scent was far too faint to identify properly, but it definitely wasn’t from any member of the Soren pack.
No one had mentioned a lone wolf in their area, much less on pack lands, but it was possible. Unusual, but possible. Typically, lone wolves kept to themselves and passed through another pack’s territory as quickly as they could to avoid any confrontations. No wolf in his right mind would chase and frighten any pup, whether part of their pack or not.
Trina scowled out into the woods, as if her clear blue eyes might pick up a sign of the wolf in question if she looked hard enough. Of course, she didn’t see anything, but she did catch another whiff of the vaguely spicy scent, awakening her wolf. Even as her blood ran cold, her skin warmed and her heart thumped in her chest. Almost as soon as she smelled it, the scent evaporated on the morning breeze, leaving Trina to wonder what caused her wolf to react. The moment had been so brief it was impossible to identify the reason.
Probably just her overprotective instinct when it came to Little Hux. It only made sense. She’d been treating Little Hux almost since his birth for the werewolf version of kidney dysplasia, with a few scares thrown in over the years. The sick baby had grown into a happy and healthy boy who had stolen her heart. His prolonged illness had stunted his growth a bit, but he’d catch up eventually. Until that day, she and pretty much every other adult in the pack would be his champions.
Releasing the boy, Trina stood and took his hand. “Come on, bud. Let’s get you to the van before it takes off without you.”
Little Hux peered up at her for a long moment, and when she gave him her most reassuring smile, he nodded and led the way. By the time they reached the van, he’d already recovered from his harrowing escape. Such was the attention span of kid-dom.
Trina ruffled the boy’s hair as he boarded the van. “Have a good day at school!” He grinned and then turned his attention to his friends, just as it should have been.
As the van bumped down the gravel road toward town, the alpha mate strolled up, walking her tiny Pomeranian, Fang. As fluffy as Fang was, Valerie Logan was the opposite of fluffy. She’d just joined the Soren pack after accepting Zeke’s mating bite, which transformed her from a human into a wolf.
In addition to being the alpha’s mate, Val had been appointed by Zeke to Levi’s old position as the pack enforcer. In the three weeks since her mating with Zeke, she’d worked tirelessly to protect the pack, which had earned her the respect and loyalty of her sentries. They followed her every command, not just because they were required to, but also because they respected her background in military service. Plus, she was damn good at her job.
“Morning,” Val said with a relaxed smile as she stopped next to Trina.
“And a beautiful one,” Trina replied, returning the alpha mate’s smile.
Fang jumped up to press her little paws on Trina’s leg, begging for some attention. Trina wondered if there was a soul alive whose heart wouldn’t melt over the adorable pooch. She crouched down and scratched her behind her ears, sending the dog into a fit of utter bliss.
“You didn’t think I’d forget to say good morning to you too. Did you, Fang? Who’s a good girl? Who?”
Fang leapt into her arms and licked her face silly, making both women laugh. When the dog found something more interesting to smell on the ground, Trina stood and walked slowly with Val, checking out the change in the woman’s appearance.
The coarse black hair Val had always kept in a tight bun when she first arrived in Tremble now stood out loud and proud from her head in long, tight curls. Not only had she taken the time to style her hair, she even wore a touch of makeup. But her makeover was limited to those few changes. She still wore no-nonsense jeans that clung to every muscled curve of the woman’s incredibly fit body and a basic black t-shirt that showed off the lustrous bronze skin of her ripped biceps. Judging by the outward changes and the warm glow in her eyes, Val was the very definition of happy.
“How are you settling in?” Trina spoke before she could stop herself.
Val was a decorated soldier and kept her emotions under tight control. Maybe she’d think such a question was too personal. But her soft smile said otherwise.
“Really good. It took some adjustment, but I’m starting to feel like I’m really a part of the pack now. My sentries are all great to work with, and I honestly couldn’t have hand-picked a better team. Well, except Levi. He’s still pissed off at me.”
They both winced. Levi had proven to be a subpar enforcer, and the wolf hadn’t been pleased when Zeke had assigned him to scat patrol in the Wolf Woods as his punishment for endangering Val.
“He’ll get over it,” Trina said. “I’m sure it’ll work itself out over time.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Actually, that reminds me. Little Hux needed some extra support on his way to the van this morning. Something in the woods spooked the poor kid, and weirdly enough, he said Levi had chased him, and not in a playful way.”
“Really?” Val remarked, narrowing her dark eyes.
“That’s what he said, but I think he got it wrong,” Trina amended quickly, shaking her head. “I know Levi’s scent, and from the little whiff I caught, it wasn’t him. I can’t say for certain, but I think it might have been a lone wolf. A rogue.”
Valerie tensed, her posture straight and her eyes turned steely as she fell into her all-business mode. “What else did he say? Was he injured? Where was he exactly? From what direction did the wolf attack him? What color was the wolf? Did it—”
Trina held up a hand to cut her off. “Hold on, hold on. First, he’s fine, just a little scared. Second, he didn’t tell me anything else other than that Levi chased him. Lastly, I only caught the barest trace of the scent and then it was gone. I wish I could tell you more than that. Sorry.”
Val nodded. “That’s okay, Trina. I appreciate the heads up. I’ll hit him up after school. Honestly, we knew a lone wolf had passed through Wolf Woods a while back, but we figured he had moved on by now. I’ll talk with Zeke and put together a hunting party, if necessary. I have no problems with lone wolves who pass through and don’t cause problems. But if he’s threatening our pups, that’s another story. I wouldn’t worry too much. Probably just a fluke, but it’ll be looked into.”
“Okay,” Trina said, relieved that Val was on the case.
At their feet, Fang let out a plaintive whine, dancing around nervously on her dainty little paws as she gazed up at her mistress. Val sighed and scooped the little dog into her arms, stroking her fluffy head while the dog licked sloppy puppy kisses all over her face. Valerie rolled her eyes, even as she grinned from ear to ear.
“I know. I know,” she crooned to Fang, talking to the dog as though she could understand every word being said, “you’re all worried about your mama. You can sense when I’m feeling cranky. Can’t you, princess? Don’t you worry. A woman’s allowed to feel a little cranky when she’s PMSing.”
Trina chuckled as she scratched Fang behind her velvety ear. “Or when she’s pregnant.”
It took a second for Trina to register that Val was staring at her, wide-eyed and mouth agape.
“Oh my god, you didn’t know?” Trina gasped, her face flushing with the heat of a thousand embarrassed suns. Of course she’d be the one to reveal a piece of very important news to the alpha mate the woman wasn’t even aware of!
“I thought… I mean, I just assumed you’d…” She slapped her hands over her face and peeked through her fingers, mumbling, “I’m so sorry.”
Val continued staring before her mouth started moving, though no sound came out save a couple of tiny squeaks. Trina waited patiently as the news sunk in.
“Are…are you saying I’m pregnant?” Val finally spluttered. “Seriously? Like, for reals?”
Trina let her hands slowly fall away to reveal a hopeful smile.
Val shook her head, her fingers absently clutching Fang’s fur. “How the hell did you know before me?”
Trina shrugged. “I can smell it. One of the traits of a healer. I can smell all sorts of medical conditions. Usually females can sense their own pregnancies within a few days, but I keep forgetting you’re a new wolf.” She winced. “If I’d known, I would have found a more sensitive way to break the news.”
Val took a shuffling step forward and then another, almost as if she was sleepwalking. “No wonder Fang’s been extra clingy lately. God, I thought my recent mood swings were from PMS. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.”
“Don’t beat yourself up.” Trina rubbed Val’s back. Her touch seemed to soothe the woman, so she kept it up as they plodded toward the pack house. “In your defense, it’s still really early. I can barely smell the embryo, so I’d say you’re maybe… oh, a week or so in?”
Val blinked and then barked out a surprised laugh. “Wow. That nose of yours is more accurate than a pregnancy test!”
“I don’t know about that.” Trina blushed at the odd compliment. “You should feel free to take a test—or several—but my instincts are usually spot on, especially when it comes to babies.”
Pain stabbed her heart for a brief second, but as she’d done for so long, she brushed it away and smiled at her friend. “Congratulations, by the way!”
Val laughed, clearly embracing the idea of motherhood. “Thank you! Wow, pregnant. That didn’t take long. Zeke must have some strong swimmers.” They’d barely taken another step when Val gasped in a flash of realization. “Shit! I have to tell Zeke!”
“He’ll be over the moon, pardon the pun.”
Val was all grins by that point. “Yeah he will. I’m sure we’ll celebrate in a very special way.”
“I really don’t need the dirty details,” Trina chuckled as Val set down Fang and pulled her into a hug.
Val wasn’t normally one for public displays of affection, but there were always exceptions to every rule—and apparently a bun in the oven was one of them.
“Go on. Go tell your mate the good news,” Trina patted Val’s back before breaking and shooing Val off.
Val was off like a shot, an overjoyed Fang bounding after her and yipping like a happy maniac. Trina laughed until they disappeared into the pack house. Then her smile faded. The moment she was alone, the joy she felt for her friend and alpha faded, replaced by the familiar weight of loneliness settling on her heart. It ached inside her, like a bruise on her soul. Others could have it all—love, family, growing old together—but she never would.
She was alone and always would be.