Dark Wolf (Spirit Wild)

15

“Well, that could have gone a little better.” Alex held Annie’s hand as the two of them left her parents’ house and walked toward the edge of the woods. He had no destination in mind beyond getting far away from her father’s angry stare and cutting words, just slipping away from the compound to be alone with Annie. He wondered if Lily’s cottage might be empty and then decided it was damned time for him to build his own house.

He’d need one when he took Annie as his mate, because there was no way he was ever giving her up, but he wished he knew what she was thinking. She’d locked everything down when her dad started in on all the reasons why Alex wasn’t a suitable partner for her. She hadn’t agreed with anything Tinker said, but she hadn’t defended Alex, either.

Of course, she’d never let go of his hand the entire time they were at the house. That had to mean something. He glanced her way and said, “Your dad’s never going to look beyond the fact I was a jerk when I was a pup.”

Annie wrapped her hands around his arm and hugged him against herself. “You were never a jerk. You were a pain in the butt for the adults at times, but never because you were a jerk.”

He turned and raised his eyebrows. “Thank you. I think.”

She punched his arm. “You know what I mean. You were a cutup and always thinking out of the box, but you weren’t a bully, and you never, ever did anything to make anyone feel bad.” She giggled, adding, “Though I imagine you gave the older generation a few extra gray hairs.”

“My father said he never felt his age until I turned into an eagle and flew up into a tree out in the yard to get a kite that got caught in the branches. I was about six, and that was the first time he saw me shift, even though Lily and I had been shifting for months already.” He chuckled softly. “I think that was about the same time Lily was taking her historic walk on the astral, meeting up with all the Chanku ancients. Goddess, but I hate to think what my kids will be like.”

“I think that’s the problem, you know.” She stopped and gazed up at him, and Alex felt it like a punch to the gut. She was breathtaking and wonderful—and everything he’d ever wanted.

And he wanted those kids of his with her. No one else.

Unfortunately, her father had said and done just about everything he could to discourage Annie from loving him. “What? Beyond the fact Tinker would like to strangle me.”

“Oh, he doesn’t want to strangle you,” she said, but her eyes twinkled. “He merely wants you to move far away, preferably to another country, until he can find what he considers a suitable mate for his poor, pathetic, not-so-bright daughter.”

He looped his arms over her shoulders. “What daughter would that be? Because there’s nothing pathetic about you, and you’re one of the smartest women I know.”

“Ya think?”

He shrugged. “Of course I do. You love me, don’t you?”

She nodded, but there was no sense of laughter when she said, “Yes, Alex. I love you more than I can say. So much it’s sort of scary, to have this much feeling about someone. It makes me feel afraid and vulnerable.”

He took her hands in his. “But why? You have to know I love you. That I will do whatever it takes to convince your parents I’m the right man for you.” He leaned close and kissed her. Her lips were full and soft and whispered against his, promising so much more. He lost himself in her taste, her textures, the fullness of her love. It wasn’t easy to end the kiss, but he did.

“You do think I’m the right man, don’t you?” Dear Goddess . . .

“Of course I do, but that doesn’t make this any less terrifying.”

“Because of what your dad said?”

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close, but she had a huge grin on her face. “Goddess, no. I hope you realize the only reason I didn’t argue with him is because he wasn’t in the mood to listen. I would have been wasting my breath, along with arguments I may need to use later.” She laughed. “Alex, don’t worry. He wants everyone to think he’s big and scary, but my father is an absolute softy. He loves me and he worries, just as you will worry when we have our own young. Mom will talk him around. She loves you, Alex. She always has.”

She paused a moment and glanced toward the dark forest. He heard her sigh, but she kept her gaze locked on the woods. “I’m afraid, Alex, because I never had this much to lose.”

“I don’t understand. You’re certainly not going to lose me.”

She shrugged. “Tell my neurotic brain that. You, me . . . us. This is something I’ve fantasized about from the time I was little. You loving me is the most wonderful, most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He loved her so much he ached. He wanted to howl, to thank Eve for putting this woman in his sights, but all he said was, “Run with me, Annie.”

They were at the edge of the forest near a well-beaten path. Someone had nailed hooks to a big pine where they could hang their clothing, and within minutes Alex had his jeans and shirt hanging beside Annie’s shorts and tank top.

And damn, but he was hard even before their run. He wondered how that would translate to the usual sexual rush after their shift, but decided he’d just have to wait and find out.

Annie shifted and was off like a shot, her gray fur with the black tips rippling like burnished silver in the filtered sunlight. Alex followed close behind as she quickly slipped off the main trail and headed for a smaller track winding down through the lower valley. He wondered if it was a conscious choice, to run in the opposite direction from the Xenakis property, and applauded her thinking.

That was the last thing they needed, especially when his thoughts were all caught up in Annie and not particularly attuned to the world around them.

Normally, when he ran as a wolf, he was enthralled by his wolven senses. As a human he was gregarious and outgoing, but when he shifted, Alex had always preferred the solitude of the forest, even when running with packmates. He kept his thoughts within and used the time as a wolf to connect with those parts of him the world never saw. It was something he’d not grown tired of—the increased sensitivity to scent and sound, the change in visual input and the way his muscles worked, his tendons and sinews stretching, tightening, powering this four-legged form.

He could easily take almost any shape, but the wolf would always be his favorite, this powerful predator with the strength of the pack empowering his heart and soul. But last night he’d discovered he no longer cared to run as a lone wolf.

Running with Annie McClintock beat running alone all to hell and back. He wanted her. Not just for now, but forever, and damn her father for thinking he wasn’t worthy. What man would love Annie more? Would fight harder to keep her safe? Would protect her and stand beside her for as long as they both should live?

His thoughts made him think of wedding vows, the words running over and over through his head as his big paws tore up the trail. He watched the gorgeous bitch who led him, caught in the graceful stretch of sinew and muscle as her body streaked along the narrow trail. And when she turned off the trail and cut through a thick swath of bracken ferns and low-lying shrubs, he knew exactly what she wanted.

It was the same thing he yearned for. No doubts. None.

He felt it in the determined glance she cast over her shoulder, in the ripe scent of her lust. She wanted him. Wanted him in the way of wolves, now. Today, beneath a bright summer’s sun. It wasn’t the full moon he’d envisioned for their mating, but it didn’t matter. Annie mattered. What she wanted, when she wanted. As long as she wanted him, any time was perfect.

Sooner rather than later.

He burst through the undergrowth and saw her standing at full alert with one paw raised, her ears pricked forward. A brilliant shaft of sunlight filtering through thick alder trees bathed her in light as if she stood upon a stage. The soft song of a rushing creek fed by snowmelt was her accompaniment. Ferns covering the banks, thick and lush with new growth, created a perfect setting for the beautiful female waiting for him.

The words came to him then. The vow that had filled his mind as he ran, and he said them now, placing his heart in her hands, shivering inside with fear that she might change her mind.

I want you, Annie. Not just for now, but forever. No man can possibly love you more. No man will fight harder to keep you safe. No other will protect you and stand beside you, ready to give his life the way I would freely give mine. Anne Marie McClintock, I know this truth—you are my one, true mate. The one destined for me. The one I’ve searched for without realizing it was you all along. Take me as your partner, your lover, the one to give you children if we should be so blessed. I promise to stand beside you and keep you safe for as long we both shall live. I swear by our goddess, always to be there for you. Will you honor me by becoming my mate?

She stepped close to him, touched his nose with hers. Alex, you have always been mine, deep in the most secret places of my heart. I have loved you and wanted you, have dreamed of walking by your side as your mate. You are the only man alive who can make my dreams come true. I would be honored to join with you. Here, now, with our goddess as our witness. I love you, Alexander Anton Aragat. I will be yours for all time.

There were no words left to speak. He, a man who always had a glib comment or a sarcastic comeback, was speechless. He stared into Annie’s sparkling amber eyes and felt a sense of wonder, of fate settling into place in a way he’d never before experienced.

This was as it was meant to be. Here. Now. Just the two of them making this life affirming, life altering decision. He brushed her shoulders with his paw, almost expecting her to run, to lead him on a merry chase before she allowed him to catch her, but she merely turned her back to him, tilted her head, and gazed steadily at him over her left shoulder.

No games, Alex. I’ve told you I love you, that I want you. I don’t intend to run from you. Not now. Her soft laughter filtered through his mind. That doesn’t mean, however, that I won’t give you a run for your money later, or that I will always agree with you. I am my mother’s daughter, and she is a strong woman.

Left unspoken was the truth, that if Lisa McClintock could control her big mate, she must be one of the most powerful bitches in the entire pack. Tinker was a force of nature, and it was well known his mate was the true leader in that family unit.

Alex yipped and rubbed his muzzle over her back, loving her all the more. I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy whatever battles we face, Annie.


She’d actually fantasized about this moment, knowing it would only ever be fantasy because Alex loved Lily and the two would one day mate forever.

But Lily loved Sebastian, and Alex loved her, which was why this act, this perfect moment, took on a dreamlike quality, a living, waking dream with a man who had always been bigger than life in her imagination. Yet, in reality, she’d discovered that Alex was more than she’d expected, much better than her dreams.

He was a selfless, generous lover, funny and sweet and so caring that his love for her made her ache. Now, as his paw brushed her shoulder, as his teeth gently nipped the thick ruff of fur at her neck and then his powerful jaws clamped down and held her, she braced her legs and prepared for his weight.

Inside, her heart was singing, the feelings and words and a lifetime of yearning all tumbled together, and everything was Alex Aragat. He came down on her so carefully, easing his body gently over hers that she was unprepared for the strength of his thrust once he was in position. The sharp, quick slide of his wolven penis into her tight channel; the speed as he filled her deep, again as he withdrew and was back again, thrusting so fast this mating was unlike any sex she could imagine in human form.

Her mind wanted to dissect and compartmentalize everything that happened, but the wolf in her took control, her instincts so sharp and powerful that she gave into the act itself, the amazing act of mating in her wolven form.

And in doing so, she gave everything over to Alex.

She felt her climax building, rushing her toward completion. His front legs clasped her back and the sharp nails dug into her sides. He filled her, harder, deeper, with such pistonlike power her front legs collapsed and she went to her knees. Panic edged her conscious mind, a fear of this man she loved as his stronger body overpowered hers. His wolven cock suddenly swelled inside her and she knew this was the moment, this indescribable link when they tied and she accepted the mating bond.

They would be bound for all time.

For all time, Annie. You and me. For all time.

His voice calmed her as his thick knot filled her tight sheath and his thrusts slowed. She felt the steady, rhythmic pulse of his ejaculation, and something more. Something intrinsic to the Chanku mating as their minds found that perfect synchronicity and linked.

She didn’t remember falling, but she and Alex lay together, bodies tied, eyes half lidded, as she fell deeper and deeper into his mind. Like a movie in highest definition showing every detail, she saw his first shift when he was barely five and listened while he agreed with Lily that no, this was probably not something they should share with their parents. Then she experienced his first sexual explorations with Lily, two bright and precocious kids on the cusp of their teen years, touching and learning with the innocence of the young.

She’d expected jealousy, yet felt none. Instead she felt honored to learn this about two people she loved without reservation, knowing their love was as constant and strong now as it had been when they were children—the love of true friends who were also lovers, yet not fated to love as mates.

His life spilled into hers, and she felt her life flowing into Alex. She knew he recognized how she’d always been there, on the periphery of everything he did, a silent yet steadfast admirer of a young man still finding his way.

She felt his hesitation when he learned of those long, lonely years when she’d studied in England, traveling all over Europe, meeting people, learning languages and customs, and yet always alone. A pack animal without her pack.

And, within the power of the link, he knew those languages she spoke with ease. Accepted the impossible and knew it was the magic of their kind, that what she knew, he would know. What he had mastered, Annie would share in full.

But all of it wasn’t perfect. He saw how her visits home had grown farther apart. They’d been painful reminders that both she and Alex were growing older, both of them unmated, and yet the specter of his relationship with Lily was proof he would one day have his mate, and Annie was destined to go on alone.

Not anymore. Never alone again; never without Alex.

She had no idea how long they lay there in the dappled shadows. How long they shared memories, ideas, beliefs, and fears. Long after their bodies had relaxed and Alex had slipped free, they remained connected by their mating link. The bond was strong and true, and when Alex finally lifted his head and stared into Annie’s eyes, they shifted as one, lying there naked in the lush grass, mesmerized by the sharing that had changed each of them forever.

“You’re an amazing woman, Anne McClintock. A beautiful, intelligent, strong, amazing woman.” He rolled over on top of her, supported himself on his elbows, and looked into her eyes as if he saw her for the first time.

Maybe he did, because she knew she’d never seen Alex like this. She hadn’t understood the struggles he’d had finding his place within the pack. It wasn’t easy, the eldest son of the über-alpha’s second. So much expected of him at such a young age, when he’d only wanted to be a kid. And always the expectation that he and Lily would bond as mates, something they’d continued to deny. Then he’d grown and discovered he loved his work in research and development with Chanku Global Industries, but the job as pack liaison to the local sheriff’s department—originally designed more for public relations than an actual position—meant his career had been put on the back burner once the murders of the young women had been linked to both wolves and humans.

The deaths frustrated and angered him, and he took each one as a personal assault. The attack on Annie last night had just about put him over the top. Making love to her this morning had been the finest moment he’d ever known, at least until they mated, and he loved her so much it made her want to weep.

“I want to make love to you, Annie. Just the two of us, together in the forest. Mates, the way we’ll be for all time.” He smiled and nuzzled her neck before kissing her in that terribly sensitive spot he’d discovered behind her ear. “I love the sound of that. Mates. Damn. I do love you. So very much.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at that beloved face, and finally she believed. It wasn’t merely a dream. It wasn’t just a fantasy. This was Alex and he was real. She’d been inside his head, she’d felt the love in his heart, knew she was forever a part of his soul. The way he felt in her arms, in her heart, in her soul—all of it real. “Love me, Alex.”

He bent and twirled his tongue around her taut nipple before drawing it into his mouth. She cried out and then whimpered, undone by that simple caress, but before she could get herself under control, he cupped her left breast in his palm and drew her right nipple between his lips.

Her hips writhed beneath his weight, and she was so aware of the heavy length of him, of that huge, hot erection lying against her belly—close, but not where she wanted him. She lifted her hips, trying her best to trap him, but he wouldn’t allow it. Instead he kept up the steady kneading of her breast with his long, strong fingers, and the almost painful pressure around her nipple, using his lips, his tongue, and then his teeth. The firm, steady pressure of sharp teeth on the taut peak left her sobbing. Sobbing and needing, so aroused she trembled.

She slipped into his mind, shocked by how easy it was to read him now that the mating bond was complete. She shared her frustration, her need, and her almost painful arousal, swamping his mind with her impressions until he was every bit as inflamed, as turned on as she.

His eyes were blazing when he tilted his hips and thrust into her, filling her in one quick drive that took her to the edge and beyond. She’d never come so fast, never felt such intense passion, never wanted as much as she wanted now, with Alex. All of it, the beauty and the pain, the struggles they faced. She wanted it all, and she wanted it with this man.

Her man.

Blinking slowly, she gazed into his dark eyes and read the passion there and in the harsh lines of his beautiful face. “I love you,” she said, and it felt so good to say the words that she said them again. “I love you. I will always love you.”

He nodded, but he didn’t speak. Not aloud, not even in her mind. She realized his eyes were filled with tears and reached up to brush one from his cheek. “Alex?”

He drew a deep yet shaky breath. “This is more than I ever dreamed,” he said. His voice was hoarse, strained with emotion. She frowned when he shook his head and rested his forehead against hers. “Don’t tell Lily you made me cry. I’ll never live it down.”

“Never,” she said, but her heart soared. “I wouldn’t dream of blowing your cover.”

He touched his forehead to hers. “We do need to tell your folks about us. Your dad’s going to kill me.”

She giggled. This was the man she was used to. “Actually, I think we should tell Anton. He can tell my dad.”

Alex rolled off her, laughing. “That sounds like a plan, but it’s the coward’s way out.” He lay on his back beside her, turned, and gazed at her. “You’re thirty years old, Annie. I’m thirty-two. We’re not pups anymore, and while I appreciate the fact that Chanku young seem to take longer to mature, we are adults. I don’t intend to hide this from anyone, least of all your father. I love you. I’m so damned proud to be your mate, I want to scream it to the mountains.” He stood and held a hand out to her. “And I fully intend to tell your father. In person.”

Once she was standing, he kissed her forehead and chuckled softly. “But I’m not an idiot, either. I think what we need to do is ask your mom and dad to meet us at Anton and Keisha’s. I want my parents there, too, on neutral ground. We’ll tell them all at the same time, okay?”

Annie giggled. She couldn’t help herself. “Brilliant. He wouldn’t dare kill you with witnesses present.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

They shifted at precisely the same time, so in sync since the bonding that it was the most natural thing in the world to know what Alex was going to do next. He pulled her into his thoughts and contacted Anton first.

Annie and I would like to meet with our parents at your house tonight. Is that okay?

If you get here in the next ten minutes, you can sit down to dinner with them. Annie’s parents just arrived, and yours will be here in a couple of minutes.

Alex wanted to laugh out loud. You know, don’t you? How do you do that?

Pack alpha secret, and no, I don’t know, but I’m guessing you and Annie have mated, and if so, you have my congratulations.

Thank you.

Annie added her thanks. We want to tell our parents at the same time, she said.

With witnesses, so Tinker won’t kill me.

Anton’s laughter wasn’t unexpected. The only witnesses will be your parents, Keisha, and me. Lily and Sebastian aren’t back from their visit with Eve on the astral. Come quickly. I expect this will be one of our more interesting dinner parties.

Annie glanced at Alex and caught the twinkle in her mate’s eyes. She was afraid their alpha might just be right.


Alex sat beside his father with Tinker on the far side of Stefan at Anton’s bar while the alpha poured drinks for all of them. Tinker hadn’t said much during dinner, especially when the women had been all over the two of them with congratulations, hugs, and kisses.

Now the four women—Keisha, Xandi, Lisa, and Annie—had headed off to town to shop for something special for Annie to wear when their mating was announced to the pack.

Alex didn’t like the fact they’d left the compound, especially since it was already after seven. Not with Aldo Xenakis back in town and rogue wolves about, but he figured he’d better get used to deferring to what his woman wanted—to a point. He took the cognac Anton handed him and caught his father’s steady gaze. “Congratulations, Alex. I think you’ve made a brilliant choice.” His dad held his glass out in a casual toast.

Alex touched his glass to Stefan’s. “Thank you. She’s pretty amazing, Dad.” Then he glanced at Tinker. “I do love your daughter, Tink. I promise I’ll be good to her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy. Just knowing she loves me is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Damned straight you’ll be good to her.” He practically growled, but at least he smiled when he said it. Then he touched his glass to Alex’s.

Anton held up his glass. “My very best to both of you, Alex. Though, because of you, my wife has once again proved both your father and me wrong.”

Stefan chuckled and took a sip of his cognac. “I know. Include Xandi in that, too. She’s said all along that you and Annie would make a better pairing than you and Lily. How come we were the last ones to see this coming?”

Tinker shook his head and shot a grin at Alex. “Well, I sure as hell missed out on everything, but Lisa always says I’m the last to figure stuff out. So, what’s the plan now, son?”

Alex silently cringed at the unspoken challenge in that question. He swallowed down the short shot of Hennessy and set the glass on the bar. “The plan right now is to follow the women to town.” He stood up and shoved the bar stool back under the bar. “I know that Keisha, Lisa, and Xandi are a formidable team, but a couple of rogues tried to capture us last night, and I don’t feel comfortable with the women going into Kalispell without backup.”

Tinker studied him with a surprising show of respect. Then he nodded slowly, finished his drink, and set the glass on the bar. “Do you want company?”

“Yes, sir, I do. Dad? Anton? Interested in an evening shopping trip in town?”

Anton’s lip curled up in a grin. “The girls won’t like it.”

Alex looked him directly in the eye. No submission at all. Not this time. “Does that really matter?”

Anton shook his head and clapped Alex on the shoulder. “Not a bit. C’mon. We’ll take the Rover.”


Anton handed the keys to Alex and then rode shotgun. He wanted to sit where he could watch him, see how he continued to handle the situation, and he didn’t want to be distracted by either the need to drive or by sitting next to Stefan.

Besides, Stefan needed a little time to bond with Tinker. They were now forever linked through their children, and in spite of his inability to see this one coming, Anton had a good feeling about Alex and Annie as a pair.

They were going to add a strong dynamic to the pack. Alex was already impressing him with the confidence he’d shown today. He’d not only stood up to Tinker, but he’d not backed down in front of either his father or his pack alpha, which was a whole new side of Alex Aragat.

And, while Anton really hated admitting he’d been wrong all along, Lily and Sebastian were a much better match, just as Alex and Annie were absolutely perfect.

Alex floored it as soon as he hit the two-lane paved road that led to the highway, and the Rover practically flew. The women hadn’t left until after the men gathered in the bar, so they couldn’t be far ahead.

Alex? We probably shouldn’t let them see us. You might want to slow down.

No. Alex flashed him a stark look. They’re in danger. I feel it. Annie’s terrified but she can’t mindspeak. Contact Keisha.

Anton hit a blank wall where his wife’s mind should be. “Stefan, Tink! Try and reach Lisa and Xandi. Ask them what’s going on. Quickly. Alex, what’s Annie saying?”

“Crap, Anton. Nothing. I think they’ve got her.” Alex slammed his foot down on the gas, and the Rover leapt forward.

Anton swung around in his seat and looked at Stefan and Tink. Both men stared at the road ahead, but they were shaking their heads.

“Nothing, Anton.” Stefan grabbed the back of Alex’s seat. “What the f*ck’s going on?”

“Don’t know. I can’t reach Keisha. Alex got a quick sense of Annie’s fear, then nothing. Tinker?”

The big guy raised his head. Tears rolled down his dark cheeks. “I heard Lisa scream Annie’s name. Then nothing. Shit, Anton. Where the f*ck are they?”

“Up ahead. I see the car. There. They’re in the ditch.” Alex swung the wheel to the right. Tinker leapt from the moving vehicle as Alex hit the brakes and parked over dark skid marks going off the road.

Anton, Stefan, and Alex reached the car as Tinker grabbed hold of the crumpled passenger door and tore it completely off. He tossed the thing aside as if it weighed nothing and went straight for his mate in the backseat.

Keisha was slumped over the steering wheel. Xandi lay half on top of her, trapped in her seat belt. Lisa was curled against the shattered window behind the driver’s seat, bleeding from a head wound.

There was no sign of Annie, but a chemical scent filled the air around the car.

Anton undid Xandi’s seat belt and handed her limp body to Stefan. “Get them out of here. Quick. They’ve been gassed, but I don’t know if it’s poisonous or just something to knock them out.” He freed Keisha, holding her close against his heart for a relieved prayer of thanks to the goddess. His mate still lived. He carried her to a small green area and laid her down.

Alex knelt to check his mother while his father and Tinker worked to free Lisa. “Dad? Mom’s coming around.” He stood and touched Anton’s shoulder. “I’m going after Annie. If Aldo Xenakis is behind this, I think I know where they’ve taken her.”

Kneeling beside his wife, Anton touched his fingers to her throat and found a strong pulse. Breathing a sigh of relief, he shot a quick glance at Alex. “Are you certain this is Xenakis’s work?”

He’d never seen Alex like this—focused, determined, and absolutely furious. He seethed with anger that felt ready to blow, though it was anger locked under tight control.

Alex nodded. “I am. I recognize the scent of wolves, the same ones who attacked us last night. Lily said they’re the same breed as the ones Xenakis uses as bodyguards.”

Anton felt Keisha stir. Relief and a horrible, dark wave of anger swept over him. “Where do you want the pack to meet you?”

“The big oak, the one that’s on the ridge between the Xenakis property and yours. Link with me when you can so we can coordinate once I get up there and see what the f*ck that bastard has planned. It’s easier to connect when you open the link.”

Keisha groaned. Then she blinked rapidly and grabbed Anton’s arm. “My love,” she gasped, struggling to sit. Anton wrapped his arms around her and helped her up. “Anton. They’ve got Annie. That bastard Xenakis plans to sacrifice her for some spell he’s planning. It’s going to happen tonight.”