Emory gritted his teeth.
Something was off with Nathan too. It was as if the Alpha and Beta shared some kind of secret they didn’t want the pack to know about. With Shepherds knocking at their door, it wasn’t smart to fuck around. One wrong move and Trey would be challenged as Alpha, something that could kill him if he faced the wrong opponent. As strong and capable as his brother was, there was always someone younger who was more eager for power.
“Gotcha.” Mary snatched the puppy, leaving the stick on the ground. “Are you ready to go inside? I’ll have to make you a nice, warm bed. Then we’ll find you something good to eat. I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Actually, I have everything inside.” He shook off his bad mood at the image she presented, her blonde hair flowing around her shoulders as she baby talked the pooch, her face finally starting to fill out since she was eating better.
“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
He waited until she was within reach and pulled her to him, stopping only because the puppy was trapped between them. “Angel eyes, you have no idea of the surprises I have in store for you.” He slid his fingers through her hair until his palm rested against her throat. “Why don’t we skip that fire and movie? I can warm you up and entertain you without them.”
This time when she grinned her eyes changed color. The chocolate brown morphed into a glowing gold, the color beautiful against her fair skin. The first time she’d seen her eyes change, she had been fascinated. He’d told her it was due to heightened emotion and arousal, the only way anyone would ever know she was bloodbonded to a shifter. She hadn’t believed him so he’d proven it to her then and there in front of the bathroom mirror, fucking her from behind as they watched themselves. The golden color didn’t fade, becoming stronger as she neared climax.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked, her question a low, sensual murmur.
The comfort of his jeans changed, his cock hardening until the material was too tight. Mary didn’t have to give him her approval, he could scent it on the air. Her coat prevented him from seeing her breasts but he knew if he reached inside her nipples would be hard and pebbled, ready to be teased by his mouth and fingers.
“Let’s get inside and I’ll show you.” Placing his hand at her lower back, he urged her to walk. “It’s not getting any warmer out here.”
“That’s strange.” She peered up at him through her long lashes, her eyes still liquid gold. “It certainly feels warmer to me.”
The sensation of being watched returned. He pushed Mary’s teasing aside without a response and motioned toward the house. He didn’t slow down or stop as they crossed the distance. Maybe he was worried over nothing. Being in a house with an Omega and his pregnant female would set anyone on edge. Mary didn’t notice the shift in his mood, captivated by the puppy. That much he was grateful for. He didn’t want her to worry, not since she’d finally settled into her new home and surroundings. She seemed happy, the scars of her past existing on her body but slowly fading from her mind.
He opened the keypad gate that took them past the enormous swimming pool. Once inside, he closed it and engaged the lock. The lights in the home welcomed them, the glow cheery and serene. He tried not to focus on the unease cascading through him, to produce a smile when Rocky tugged a strand of Mary’s hair between his teeth and she laughed.
If indeed they were being watched, the fuckers were smart enough to do it from a distance. None of them could prevent that—not the pack, not the Omega and not even the police. If he contacted Kinsley and asked the members in law enforcement to investigate, they’d ask him for details. His feelings weren’t solid proof of anything.
They entered through the double glass doors leading to the kitchen. Once inside, he closed the doors behind them and turned on the alarm. The loud chirp shrilled through the open space. He turned to stare out the glass, wondering who could be out there. Shepherds should have scattered by now.
Who the fuck was watching them?
Mary’s peals of laughter tore his eyes from the door. She was kneeling on the floor playing with her gift. The puppy licked her chin and she lowered her head to rub her cheek against its muzzle. His heart clenched, so full of emotion he had to shake himself and remember he wasn’t trapped in a wishful dream. This was real. This was his life now.
He’d finally found Mary, claimed her and made her his.
He would protect her. No one would ever hurt her again.
No one.
After one final look outside, he smiled at his mate and walked into the kitchen.
“Lecherous little slut,” Nathaniel Shepherd spat and lowered his binoculars.
He’d driven with the few remaining members of his family to see his whore of a cousin. With their diminished numbers, he couldn’t do more than watch. Not yet. But he would. Mary would pay for killing his father—her very own uncle—and betraying her own blood.
“It’s not safe to stay,” Daniel warned. “You’ve gotten the answers you sought. We have to leave.”
Leave to bury his father, the man who’d died two days ago.
Elijah Shepherd had held on to life for as long as he could, fighting the good fight until the Lord called him home. Hate was a sin but he couldn’t help the anger he felt, the resentment. His father had been born of the old ways, believing they could find the good in those they captured and tried to send to Heaven. Nathaniel wasn’t so certain. They’d attempted to bring Mary into their fold and show her why it was so important she not stray from the path of righteousness, and look what that had gotten them.
“Have you received news from those who made it out alive?” Nathaniel asked, trying to control his temper. “Have they found a safe place to gather?”
“Most scattered when they were attacked, but good news continues coming in. Believe in the power of prayer, brother,” Daniel said, placing a hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder. “It’ll be a few weeks before we know how many survived, but the ones who are safe are waiting for us. I received word they’re congregating in Texas.”
At that moment he wanted to rush from his safe location nestled in the trees and charge at the house that stood miles away—one he couldn’t see well without the binoculars in his hand. Instead he nodded. Daniel didn’t share his opinions or views. The young man had been born to Shepherds who resided in Georgia, their beliefs as old-fashioned as Elijah’s had been. If he wanted to seek justice for his father’s death, he’d have to carefully convince others it was time for a change.
Nathaniel stared at the house in the distance, making a vow that soon he’d be back. Mary might enjoy her life now but at some point in the future she wouldn’t. She’d beg for forgiveness before he released her tormented soul. There were so many plans to make. So many people to guide down the path of his choosing.
“Let’s go,” he said quietly and started the long trek up the hill where the rest of his brethren waited.
The fight was far from over.
His mission had only just begun.
The End
About the Author
Aline Hunter is the alias of multi-published author J.A. Saare, who has written stories featured in horror magazines, zombie romance anthologies and flash fiction contests. Her work has a notable dark undertone, which she credits to her love of old eighties horror films, tastes in music and choices in reading, and has been described as “full of sensual promise,” “gritty and sexy” and “a breath of fresh air.”
Currently she is penning multiple projects within the urban fantasy, erotic and contemporary, and paranormal romance categories.