“Really?” She tilted her head back against his shoulder. Reaching down, he brushed a lock of hair off her cheek as he skimmed his finger along her jaw.
“Absolutely.” His lips curved upward. “I think it’s something we’d both enjoy.”
His smile was filled with such promise she forgot all about her aches and pains, forgot all about his injuries. When his head dipped toward her, she leaned upward to meet him. His tongue skimmed along her bottom lip and she gasped. Heat flooded her body, pooling low in her groin. A gnawing restlessness grew within her, goading her onward. She wanted this man, wanted his hardness within her. Thrusting. Claiming.
Joshua pulled back, his eyes closed as he sucked in a deep breath. “Not now.” His eyes opened and the heat in them almost singed her flesh. “But soon.”
It was a promise she planned to make him keep. “Soon,” she echoed, returning his vow. He growled low in his throat as he took her hand and tugged her away from the majestic falls and back on their trail.
They hurried their pace until they’d caught up with the others. His brothers looked at them, but didn’t say anything. Her father glanced her way and smiled, but it was a sad smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
The tension mounted as they moved closer to their home. They stopped and waited several times as three of the men slid soundlessly into the brush only to reemerge a short while later with their fists clenched and their faces set in anger.
Finally, the entire group came to a halt behind a stand of rocks. From here, Alex could see a ten-foot-tall wooden fence that surrounded a group of houses. The large gate in the front was open as if in invitation. This had to be the compound.
Levi and Micah stepped forward. “There were two scouts in the woods, but we left them alone.” Levi shook his head. “Honestly, one of them is barely twenty. The Brodys managed to coax two of the young Tallant pups into joining them.”
Joshua shook his head at the foolishness of youth. “We’ll catch them later and leave them to their uncle.” He knew Grady Tallant very well and his nephews would rue the day they’d ever got involved in this mess. The Tallant family was much like the Striker family and prided themselves on their loyalty to the pack.
James stepped forward. “It’s time to end this.” He glanced behind them. “I don’t trust them not to bring in more hunters. This might be our territory, but with so many traitors in our midst it would be easy for them to slip through. They might even take the opportunity to attack our women and children.”
Joshua noticed how easily James used the word “our” and not “your”. It seemed his pack loyalty was there full force. But he was no longer their alpha. “You’re absolutely right. That would be a major coup for them and something our young hotheads wouldn’t consider.”
He turned to his brothers. “I’m going in to face the Brodys. Protect Alex.” He ignored the outraged feminine gasp and focused on the protesting men. “It is my right as Striker. It is me they are challenging.”
“No.” Isaiah said no more than that, but that one word said it all.
James pinned him with a steely glare. “I owe them for my brother and his mate.”
Alex turned to Joshua. “If you think I’m going to let you go in there alone, you’ve got another thing coming.” It seemed it didn’t pay to ignore a woman. Alex was currently trying to drill a hole in his stomach with her finger. He caught her hand to keep her from poking further at him. Her gray eyes were the color of a winter squall with all the fury that it brought.
Joshua wanted to laugh. Most of his life he’d felt alone, distant even from his brothers. His job had demanded it. Or so he’d believed. It was the way his father had done things, but Joshua was beginning to believe his father had been wrong. There was strength in family, in sharing the burden. Not that he’d allow any of them to put themselves in danger, especially Alex, but it was nice to not feel so alone.
“Are you smiling?” Alex poked him with her other hand. “Honest to God, Joshua Striker, if you’re smiling I’m going to pop you one.” She curled her fingers into a fist.
He rubbed his hand over his jaw, covering his mouth in the process. “No, I’m not laughing.”
“You are.” She yanked her hand out of his and took a step back. “Men!” She threw up her hands and turned away, but he caught her and hauled her back into his arms.
Ignoring the fact they had an audience, he leaned down, letting his long hair drape over his face to muffle the words he whispered in her ear. “If I’m smiling it’s because you make me happy, Alex.” She stilled and sighed. He knew she didn’t truly understand, but now was not the time to explain.
He released Alex and faced the rest of the group. “I go in first. If you’re determined to come, watch out for one another.” They knew he meant for them to watch out for Alex, but he wasn’t stupid enough to make that kind of mistake twice and say it out loud. All the men nodded. They understood.
“Here, take this.” James reached around to the small of his back and withdrew a handgun, handing it to his daughter. “There are six silver bullets.” Alex nodded as she took the weapon and checked it before stuffing it into the waistband of her jeans.
Joshua felt better knowing Alex wasn’t completely unarmed, even though he had no intention of letting her anywhere near the fighting. His brothers and her father would protect her while he met the challengers.
Putting all thoughts from his mind except those of the coming confrontation, he strode down the path, following the familiar trail toward home. This time he didn’t notice the trees or hear the songs of the birds. All his senses were trained on the gate in front of him. He could already smell two men just inside and knew there were more. Their fear tainted the air and burned his nostrils.
They should be afraid after what they’d done. They’d murdered the alpha of the pack and his mate. Treason. The only possible fate for them was death. He was their court, their judge and their executioner, and he’d come to pass sentence on them.
He strode through the gates like he owned the place, which he did. This was his home and they had dared to invade it. One of the young men hurtled himself at Joshua, but he met only thin air. Joshua whirled with blinding speed, caught the man around the neck and twisted. A sickening snap filled the silence. Joshua let the body drop and moved on.
“Luther and his brothers are dead.” Stopping, he turned in a circle, sighting or smelling five other werewolves. “The hunters are dead as well. Come forward and face your punishment like men or I will hunt you down like the dogs you are.” It was the ultimate insult to call a werewolf a dog and Joshua knew he’d get some reaction. These men had already proved themselves to be hotheads.
Sure enough, two more of them surged forward, both of them shifting into wolves on the run. Joshua stood with his arms folded across his chest, his legs spread wide and waited. He waited until the last possible second and then moved. Catching one of the wolves in midair, he flung it into the other one. They tumbled to the ground, quickly regained their feet and began to growl.
Three shots rang out in quick succession. Everyone froze as a cry tore through the air. The wolves in front of him turned tail and ran. Werewolves did not use manmade weapons during a fight. It was considered dishonorable. They met a challenger with their bare hands or in their wolf form.
Stupid! These werewolves had already shown they were without honor. He had been too angry to think properly. That was an error in judgment that might cost him his life. But more importantly, he’d put Alex’s safety at risk.
“That’s one who won’t give you any more trouble,” Alex said.
He should have known. Turning, he faced Alex, who stood with her legs braced apart and the gun her father had given her at her side. She’d already proved to be more than capable of defending herself and him.