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  Right place? How did he know we were coming? “Is it safe?” She had to ask.

  He dropped his blue eyes back to her with a beaming smile. The guy was hot, like man of your dreams sexy. He had jet-black hair with dreamy blue eyes, tanned skin over impossibly large masses of muscle, and a perfectly trimmed goatee. Small silver hoops in each ear gave him that sexy-as-hell pirate look. Too bad she wasn’t into pirates.

  “Of course it’s safe. You’re with me, and no one messes with me.”

  “And who, exactly, are you?”

  His dazzling smile turned into a self-assured grin. “I’m Liddick.” He waited like the name was supposed to mean something to her. When she didn’t react he looked genuinely offended. “Aw come on! You’ve heard of me? I’m Wren’s Second. The pride beta! Liddick Prime!”

  Ryka’s mouth formed an exaggerated ‘O’. “Liddick. Right.” She smiled her most unassuming smile and extended her hand. “I’m Ryka.” She motioned with her head over her shoulder. “That’s my…pack.” She knew her girls were close enough that they could hear every word this Liddick was saying.

  Liddick took her hand and listened as she introduced herself, but when she addressed the females behind her as her pack, something in his demeanor changed. The large hand holding hers tightened by a fraction and the dashing smile disappeared. He didn’t even glance to where Kenna, Seven, and Ash were standing.

  “Wait.” His eyes narrowed. “Your pack?” For the first time he leaned down and inhaled sharply. Recognition flashed and he muttered a curse. “You’re not the girls Jesup lined up for the night?”

  Ryka tried to pull her hand back but Liddick didn’t let her go. “Uh…no. We don’t know Jesup. We’re here,” she cleared her throat and lifted her chin, fighting down the panic that flared to life when she tugged her hand and he still didn’t release it. “I’m,” she quickly amended, “here to see Alpha Prime.”

  “Fuck,” Liddick breathed out. “You’re the she-wolves.”

  The words weren’t said favorably, and Ryka stifled a growl as she jerked her hand free, suddenly indignant. “As I said, I’m here to see Alpha Prime, and I’m not leaving until I do!”

  Liddick’s attention went over his shoulder as he eyed the house as if debating.

  “Did you hear me?” Ryka challenged, drawing his attention back to her.

  “Yeah.” He seemed reluctant as he turned toward the house. “Come on. Bring your pack!”

  Okay, one hurdle down! Ryka turned to look at her pack and jerked her head. Seven looked hopeful, while Ash turned on her stoic façade and prepared to battle, eyes locked on the behemoth’s back. Behind them, Kenna was shaking her head as if she thought the whole thing was a very bad idea. For once, Ryka was inclined to agree with the youngest wolf.

  Chapter 3

  Ryka followed Liddick around the large house with her pack crowded around her.

  “We’re having a BBQ,” Liddick threw over his shoulder, without looking at anyone in particular. “Your pack can eat with the rest of us while you meet with Wren.”

  Ryka nodded, appreciating that her pack would finally get some nourishment. Truth be told, they could have shifted and hunted the Black Hills during the night, but it was considered an affront to hunt in another pack’s territory without their permission. Seeing as how she wanted to get on the Alpha’s good side, she’d kept her girls from hunting, which meant she’d kept them hungry as well.

  “That’s Lux, Jesup, and Cason.” He pointed to three males scattered about the large, leaf-covered yard mingling with the guests. The one he’d called Lux was near a large garage speaking to two tall blondes. His smile seemed almost shy as he dipped his head away from something one of the women said. He held a water hose in one hand and a rag in the other as he washed a gleaming motorcycle. Cason stood alone, wearing a dark scowl as he basted a succulent-looking pig turning on a spit over a large fire. Jesup stood with a bottle of beer, waving excitedly as he regaled a large group of women with some story as they laughed throatily and eyed each other in clear competition. The wind picked up, and all three of the men stopped mid-act to turn their attention to Ryka and her pack. The others must have been human, because they didn’t scent the wolves who had suddenly entered the party.

  “Come on, I’ll take you to Wren. He’s out back.”

  Ryka turned to her girls with a forced smile. “Stay here and get something to eat. I’ll be back.”

  Kenna completely ignored the attention from the males watching them. Her eyes were glued to the roasting pig as she mumbled, “Yeah, sure. Go.” She walked toward the fire pit as if in a trance.

  “Wait,” Ash hissed, and followed Kenna.

  “You sure?” Seven stepped forward, hunching her shoulders. “I could come with you.”

  Liddick turned, and when he did, Seven quickly dropped her head.

  “I’m good,” Ryka soothed. “Go with the girls and get something to eat.”

  Seven nodded and turned to follow Ash and Kenna.

  Resolved to get permission for her pack, Ryka turned to find Liddick watching her pack of she-wolves as they paced toward the quickly-forming group of people around the fire. “They alright?”

  “Yes,” Ryka clipped out.

  When Liddick didn’t move, she cleared her throat.

  “Uhh-Hmm. You were taking me to Alpha Prime?”

  Liddick pulled his eyes from her pack with a frown. “Alpha? Uh…yeah. Come on.”

  She was led past Lux who’d stopped washing his motorcycle to eye her curiously. She offered a tentative smile. Better to try and make friends, right? Lux didn’t return her smile. Instead, he scented the air as she walked by and the water hose fell from his hands. Okay, a little weird.

  Around the back of the house, she heard a loud grunt, followed by a loud thunking noise, and then silence for several moments before it started again. Liddick pointed to a spot on the leaf-covered lawn. “Wait here.” Then he disappeared around the other side of the house.

  Alone, Ryka exhaled a nervous breath. It was never good to scent of fear when meeting an Alpha. The scent drove dominant males to assert themselves. She didn’t need that. She wanted to appear as unnerved as she could. After all, what would it hurt a great Alpha to permit four slight females to live on the outskirts of his territory?

  Licking her lips, Ryka balled her hands into tight fists then released them and shook out her arms, admitting to herself that she was afraid. What if he said no? What if he took offense to her unannounced arrival? What if he attacked? What would happen to her girls?

  Turning she crossed her arms over her chest and paced to the tree line. Shit! Things could go bad. If he attacked she’d defend herself, obviously, but what about the others? Her three girls were no match for Alpha Prime, and certainly not his pride. She hoped the presence of humans would keep Wren’s pride in check. Still, worry tore through her. This could be bad. And part of her knew it would be. Suddenly, she was flooded by an impending sense of doom, and the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. We should leave!

  She’d learned early to trust her gut instincts. Quickly, she turned with the intention of retrieving her pack and getting the hell out of the Black Hills when she came face-to-face with Liddick.

  “Apex Prime, this is…Ryka.”

  Her eyes slid to the corner of the house and the golden god that rounded the corner. Apex huh? He was tall as an oak and thick with muscle. Unlike his dark-haired brother, Wren’s hair was golden, matching the goatee on his strong jaw and the eyebrows set in a frown. Her eyes locked on the clearest gray eyes she’d ever seen….and then it happened.

  Alpha Prime’s strong face morphed into shock, then pain, before he dropped to the ground like an imploding high rise. Incisors shot through his gums as he threw his head back with a pained growl, even as claws tore through the flesh at the tips of his fingers. Sucking in an agonized breath, he released it on a loud roar that had Ryka jerking back.

  “WREN!” Liddick raced to his side.<
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  “Shit!” Ryka felt the tell-tale signs swirl in her belly, making her nauseated as she backed up on wobbly legs. It couldn’t be. How? She swayed, throwing her arms out to steady herself.

  Everyone knew that lions and wolves weren’t compatible! But proof to the contrary was evident in the fact that Wren Prime was on his knees and stricken. Ryka had just come face-to-face with her mate.

  Jerking her head from side-to-side, Ryka tried to shake the haze attempting to overtake her. “Shit, shit, shit!” she panted, as she wobbled to the side and dropped to a knee before sucking in a steadying breath and slowly reclaiming her feet.

  The rest of Wren’s pack raced around the corner of the house. Clearly they’d heard his roar, or perhaps they’d sensed something was wrong with their Alpha. All three sets of eyes locked on Wren before shooting to her in confusion and accusation.

  Ryka held up her hands and shook her head, her legs still not cooperating. Her own pack rushed onto the scene, and her fearful eyes shot back to Wren when he snarled. His head snapped up and his ferocious gaze locked onto her. Wren sucked in a breath and attempted to get to his feet, but couldn’t seem to fight through the pain enough to accomplish the act.

  “Wren?” Liddick grabbed his brother’s arm. “Fuck, man! What’s wrong? What happened?”

  This couldn’t be happening! She’d come to get permission for her pack, not a fucking mate! Her worried gaze shot to her pack, then back to Wren as his breathing increased. He shook his head hard and punched a shaking finger at her. One word left his lips on an almost unintelligible snarl as his incisors lengthened even further. “MIIIIINE!”

  NO! Ryka shot a look to her pack, hoping they understood. She turned as fast as she could, shifting before her next step even hit the ground. Run. RUN!

  Crashing through the forest in her sleek black wolf form, she heard Wren command, “STOP HER!”

  Fuck, no! She pushed harder, her head still a little fuzzy and limbs trembling from being stricken. Wren’s pack was chasing her down, and she didn’t know what they’d do when they caught her. With any luck, she’d never find out.

  “MOVE!” she heard Ash bark in the distance, then the forest was filled with the hard thudding of padded paws, sharp breathes, and her own thundering heart. Her pack was on the run now.

  She had to get away. She had to! She didn’t want a mate, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to be one to a man she didn’t even know. Plus, something else was off. Why had Liddick called him Apex and not Alpha? The dominant in a lion pride was called an Alpha, just as they were in a wolf pack.

  A loud crash through the trees behind her had Ryka abandoning all thought to focus on pushing harder. She was fast, but a lion would be faster at a shorter distance, which meant she could outrun them if she could just stay ahead of them. Wolves were built for endurance.

  Pushing harder, she burst through a clearing, snarling when she had to turn to avoid the rocky wall of the mountainside. The pride following her would know the territory, while she and her pack were running blind. Part of her wondered if she should stop and talk things out. What if she got away but they captured her pack? What would they do to her friends? Tears stung her eyes. This was worse than the worst case scenario. This was epically fucking bad, and so typical that she wanted to rip her own ears off and howl ‘til her voice was gone. Why! Why? WHY CAN NOTHING EVER FUCKING GO RIGHT?!

  Hearing a grunt, she turned and saw a flash of golden fur in the trees behind her. Shit! They were going to catch her. She needed to think of something else.

  Turning, she raced toward what looked to be a thicker stand of trees. She was smaller than the lions, and therefore maneuvered more easily through tighter confines, but she didn’t make it to the trees. Something caught her back leg and sent her rolling to the ground. Without missing a beat, she took the brunt of the impact on her shoulder, rolled, and came up snarling. Turning to face her opponent, she flattened her ears and pulled her lip back, flashing teeth in clear indication that she wasn’t going down without a fight.

  Confusion hit, followed by shock. Four golden beasts surrounded her, but these lions had no manes. Her eyes darted from one to the next as it slowly sunk in. Mountain lions! She’d thought them long extinct, and heard the same from everyone else. The only shifter lions she knew of were the mane-totting, Mufasa kind. African lions. This was new, and new wasn’t good. She had no knowledge of this type of lions, their habits, their mating rituals, their beliefs.

  The lions shifted back to their human skin, their clothing regenerating with them, and she slowly backed up.

  Mountain lions, mountain lions. She was searching her memory for even the tiniest bit of knowledge of the breed. She had none.

  Her eyes darted around for an escape. With them in human form, and her in wolf, she should be able to escape them easily. She didn’t get the chance to make a play though. The males turned their attention as a large mountain lion lurched into the clearing. Muscles bunched, chest heaving, eyes narrowed to thin slits, the massive lion locked his eyes onto her.

  Wren!

  Chapter 4

  Ryka backed up and growled, teeth flashing, as she lowered her head in warning.

  Wren’s pack formed a half circle in front of her as their Apex shifted. Apex. Now it made sense. She shouldn’t have come. Her pack was in trouble now, because it was clear that mountain lions and wolves were compatible as mates. They had to be, or Wren would never have been stricken.

  Mates! Over my dead body! Ryka lunged forward, snapping her teeth at the giant mountain lion before jerking back. He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he shifted and she finally got her first real look at him.

  If Liddick had been sexy, then Wren was a God. A golden, glowing, sun-kissed, exquisite, God. Glistening strands the color of honey and gold hung just past his shoulders. He was tall, Ryka guessed at least two feet taller than herself, and like Liddick, his body was thick with corded muscle. Clear gray eyes watched her with serious intent over a savagely hewn jaw that held what looked like a day’s worth of stubble. When he finally spoke, his voice was deep and carried the weight of his authority.

  “Shift.”

  Fuck you! She growled louder, leaning lower on her front legs to show him that she refused to back down from him, and she wouldn’t take his orders. His authority had no weight on her.

  The trees rustled and the men tensed as Ryka’s she-wolves stepped into the clearing behind her. Relief and pride surged through her. Her females were showing their solidarity. They were her pack, and as her pack they’d back her, win or lose.

  Ryka felt a surge of power and knew her females had shifted. She heard one of them step closer to her, but didn’t dare take her eyes off Wren.

  “Ryka?” Ash’s voice was steady. She wanted answers, guidance, but the tone also told Ryka that whatever happened, Ash was there.

  Suddenly, Liddick—standing beside his Apex—dropped to his knees and hissed as he clutched at his abdomen.

  Fuck! Ryka’s eyes sliced quickly from Wren to his second. What in the…. Oh, HELL no! Another mating? One of Ryka’s she-wolves was Liddick’s mate!

  God, what is happening? Ryka wanted to turn, knowing she’d be able to tell by their face which one of her girls had just found her mate, but she was too afraid to take her eyes off Wren, who was still watching her intently.

  She felt another surge of power and heard a crash. Whichever one of her girls was Liddick’s mate was making a break for it.

  The huge Second’s head snapped up and he snarled, staring behind Ryka. It took mere seconds for him to shift before he was gone, chasing his prey…his mate.

  Run, sister! Ryka implored silently as her eyes cut to where Liddick had disappeared.

  “Shift!” Wren commanded a second time, drawing Ryka’s attention back to the Apex.

  She flicked a quick glance over her shoulder, and her heart stalled. Kenna was there looking terrified, Seven was trying to hold onto a brave face, and Ash was missing! Ash was the second�
�s mate? Seven stood her ground, but stared only at Wren, as if afraid to meet the eyes of his pack for fear that she too would find her mate. Behind her, Kenna clutched Seven’s arm with trembling fingers and stared at the ground.

  Swallowing hard, Ryka knew she had no choice. Ash was on the run and she, Kenna, and Seven were surrounded. She let a ripple of power shuttle through her, and she shifted. Black fur receded into creamy mocha skin, and the clothing she’d been wearing earlier regenerated covering her in worn, form-fitting jeans, a loose-knit cream-colored sweater, and hiking boots. She’d intentionally dressed to look soft and feminine, and was cursing the decision now as Wren ran his eyes slowly down her petite frame and just as leisurely back up.

  His roving eyes had her backing up a step, and she knew it was a mistake the instant she’d done it. His eyes jerked to hers and she forced herself to still. Alphas didn’t back down…ever! And females didn’t run from interested shifters. Prey wasn’t supposed to run from predators. It incited their primal urge to give chase.

  “We’re leaving your territory.” It was all she could manage. She knew she should have addressed him by title and asked forgiveness for entering his territory uninvited, but under the circumstances, fuck formality.

  Wren kept his eyes on her. “They can leave. You stay.”

  NO! Ryka worked her jaw, and swallowed her pride. “Apologies, Alpha…” she quickly amended, “Apex Prime. We shouldn’t have come. We meant no disrespect.” She forced herself to lower her head slightly, but she couldn’t bring herself to lower her eyes or to show throat.

  Wren took a step closer, his brows spearing down. “You are not leaving!”

  Ryka’s head jerked up. “Why? We haven’t done anything wr…”

  He cut her off. “Because you’re mine!”

  “I belong to no man,” she hissed, earning her a smile. He truly was a magnificent specimen, and when he smiled he was downright unfair. A man shouldn’t be so good looking.