Enjoy this chapter and do not fear the cliffhanger ending! I swear I didn't do i t this time.

Thank you to all the loyal fans who take the time to read and comme nt. Seeing a new comment makes my day. -DW * "Don't call the pack with a howl," I begged Joel still on my knees. "The rogues don't know we know, yet. Let them think we aren't onto them." "Shift," Joel ground out quietly, "everyone here shift now, pass the word quietl y." The pack was silent watching us. Those that heard the command shifted, those tha t didn't followed the lead of the wolves that did. I heard Joel's voice ordering all the warriors to take up positions around the p ack. Joel pushed into my mind and into Rick's at the same time. 'Which way and when?' he asked. 'They looked like they might have been heading north, sir, last I saw them was a bout thirty minutes ago,' Rick answered. 'No better directions?' Joel asked quietly. 'I didn't want to get caught, sir. I wanted to get back to you and warn you, sir . None of my brothers were shifted, I couldn't call out to anyone I knew.' The black hybrid looked at Rick and the shivering little human next to him. Push ing into Joel thoughts, he held the same opinion I did. Rick would have stayed o ut of their way to protect April. He could have howled a warning, but that would have brought the rogues right to his mate. 'It may be for the better,' I sent to Joel, 'if he howled we'd know, but they wo uld, too. We have the element of surprise now.' Joel didn't agree, not even a little bit, but he let it slide. Instead he focuse d on the warriors and divided everyone into search teams. I felt the weird push as the minds of the pack melded and centered on Joel's com mand. Everyone but Joel was quiet, but I could feel them all shifting anxiously in my head. 'We need to hit the main roads out of the woods,' Joel told all of us. 'Trackers get in your teams. Fan out and find their routes, focus on the area north of us .' The trackers bolted out from the clearing. I could feel their discomfort. The pa ck had been all over the area around us. Finding the trails the rogues had left would be difficult and we did not have time. 'They'll want out of our territory,' Joel told me, although everyone could hear us. 'Most likely they carried the girls to waiting vehicles and they'll move the m across the country.' Betas were divided into teams to monitor the exit roads from the forest. This ti

me of night there would be almost no traffic. If they saw anything, they could c all in back up. 'What about the service road in the northwest corner of the national forest?' I asked Joel. 'You could get on the interstate fairly easy from there, even though there isn't an official entrance ramp.' All the warriors were in our heads now. I sensed them all listening for Joel's r esponse. 'That is a long run from here, Elizabeth, even for powerful wolves,' Joel contem plated. 'However, that interstate is the most direct access out of our territory .' I could see in his mind as he calculated the distance and the time necessary to reach the road. 'I could make it quickly and just watch it. If they were there, I could just let you know,' I offered. 'Love, if this is the second larger pack we were tracking, we are talking about perhaps thirty violent wolves. If they saw you, they would kill you.' 'I swear to you Joel, I wouldn't move on them without back up. If they went that way I'm the only wolf fast enough to make any difference,' I argued as politely as I could. 'No suicide runs, Elizabeth, just watch the road,' was his command and I bolted out of the clearing. In the back of my mind I heard him order five wolves to follow me. I couldn't co ncentrate on them. My feet, I just focused on my feet and moving them as fast as I ever had. I ran for the service road where it neared the interstate. It was a long shot that they'd take this route. It was a massive hike through th e forest even for me, however, it was all I could do to help. Standing in the cl earing while Joel organized and monitored the search would have driven me crazy. Watching a road was a job I could do. I kept tabs on Joel's planning as I ran. He was moving his base of operations to a clearing much farther north. Reports from the few trackers he had sent in oth er areas seemed to be saying that no rogues had been in those directions. He was closing in on where the rogues would be quickly. I heard Anthony in my head after several more minutes of zipping through the for est. He wasn't talking to everyone, just me. 'Madam Alpha, we are behind you. I'm begging you to be careful and be on your gu ard.' 'I'm not ready to die just yet, Anthony. I'm just on a sight seeing tour,' I sen t back to him. The service road was not well known, but it was secluded. It curved in a large S down the side of a mountain. It was intended to monitor the satellite dish at t he top of a small hill. Once the road straightened out it ran for miles eventual ly dumping into route 301. The piece of road I was interested in bordered the interstate. The interstate wa sn't busy at night and it would be easy enough to drive through the trees and me

rge. I was getting closer to the road when the smell hit me: fear and pack blood. The re were male scents mixed, but I didn't recognize them. Opening my connection to Joel I heard him send everyone in my direction. Staying hidden in the dense foliage I darted along the road until I found a set of vehicles. I watched as the rogues tried to pull my girls into the vans. The s mall Omegas they had taken resisted as best they could. I longed to jump out and fight, but I was seriously outnumbered and the pack was on its way. As I stood and watched the girls put up a final bid for freedom. They attacked t he rogues as a pack in an effort for the fastest two to get away. The girls didn 't get far enough to shift and were dragged back. It tore at my heart to watch t his display. It seemed to take an eternity, but the rogues beat the girls until they forced t hem into the vans. They drove back toward 301 and the interstate. Remembering my promise I followed along beside them, but did not intercept. The lights were on in one van and I watched a vicious looking male pummeling som ething on the floor. It was one of my girls; I was sure of it. My promise to Joe l made me helpless and I hated it. 'Mate,' Joel called into my mind in warning, 'just follow them.' It took every bit of effort I had not to jump the caravan. 'Just watching, Joel, not doing anything more.' Suddenly the lead van veered off. They were going to cut across the empty field, through the tree line, and onto the interstate. Once they were there I couldn't follow as easy and we'd have a hard time stopping them. 'Joel, I can take out their tires with my claws and then get out of the way. It' ll stop them from getting on the interstate. I will not engage them at all, I sw ear,' I pleaded. The van was almost to the trees when Joel made his decision. 'Destroy a tire on each van and get back up on the hill. Stay away from them.' I struck like a snake, clawing the tires on the driver's side. I moved so fast I was just a white blur with claws. Quickly, I darted up the hill. Anthony and his group joined me near the top. They closed ranks around me silent ly. We had no other reinforcements, so we just waited. The rogues jumped out of the disabled vans. Several tried to bring the Omegas th ey had kidnapped with them. The girls knew we were close and continued to fight as best they could. I wanted to help them, to run down the hill and slay the monsters that had kidna pped my pack. I waited for Joel, though. He was right; I would lose this fight. Anthony seemed to sense by distress and comforted me softly. The girls would be fine, he said, the rest of the pack would get here in time. Luna, I hoped he was right. The rogues regrouped and seemed to be forming a plan. They tried to pull the wom en to follow them and my females resisted them. It was obvious the pack was near

, so the women tried to stay put. Horrified, I watched the scene before me. If the rogues couldn't have the female s, they weren't going to leave them alive. I saw massive claws raised above my g irls' throats. They were going to murder them in front of me. Joel moved like a shadow intercepting the clawed hands. Anthony and my guards ru shed to his side and started to battle with the rogues. Outnumbered as they were , my pack knew how to work together. The warriors attacked and countered slowly decimating the intruders. The Omegas scrambled to get out of the way. I watched them move into and under t he disabled vehicles. They refused to be in the way of this fight. I stood on the hill and watched. This is what Joel wanted, me out of the way and safe, but I hated it. It took every bit of self control to just watch the battl e unfold below me. Somehow in the melee the rogues managed to peel Anthony away from Joel. He was n o match for the five to one odds they pitted against him. They bit and slashed u ntil he lay on the ground bleeding from multiple wounds. I sensed that the rest of the warriors and they were still many minutes away. An thony did not have minutes. The bloodthirsty look in the eyes of the rogues conf irmed they were moving in for the kill. Anthony was a good wolf and a good man. He had looked out for me since the day J oel found me. I still remembered when he pulled me over, concerned because I was driving too recklessly. I couldn't let him die like this. Bolting down the mountain, I tore into the rogues surrounding my Beta. They didn 't expect my speed and I injured them badly. My claws were bloody and my teeth d ripped with their sinew within moments. I felt Joel's acceptance of my actions. He pushed the battle plan into my mind a nd I followed his directions to the letter. Joel knew how to plan and how to fig ht. I wanted to learn from him. Adding me to the skirmish seemed to diminish the small advantage the rogues had in number. Barely trained and still new to this life, I was an Alpha and a force to be reckoned with. By the time the full complement of warriors arrived, the b attle was already over. Several of the rogues had run, we had seen them turn tail during the fight. Trac kers arrived with the warriors and Joel set them to the task. We were agreed on this. No rogues were living on our territory ever again. Whoever had run would n ot live through the night. The trackers work was easy in this part of the forest. Joel wanted a search and destroy. He sent trackers with teams of warriors to find and neutralize any rogu e they found. He moved briskly around the area, making sure they didn't miss any one. While he organized that, I took care of the wounded. There was a lot of d broken bones and hony closer to the ed as best I could healing that needed to be done. Several girls had oddly angle Anthony was still bleeding heavily. As the wolf I dragged Ant huddled female Omegas and started to work. I cleaned and heal in the field.

Several of Joel's warriors were standing around and I ordered them to change the tires I had destroyed. Using the vans we could deliver the wounded back to the

den most efficiently. The men shifted and quickly got the vans back in working o rder so we could use them. The girls all clung to me when I got near them. They reeked of fear and pain. I couldn't stand it and nearly cleaned off skin in an effort to comfort them. I replayed the day in my head and knew we had made a mistake. We trusted our lan ds to be safe and didn't worry about security at the lake. The pack had been in grave danger and if it wasn't for Rick we would have lost members. I felt this was my fault. It was my job to protect my pack from danger. I had fa iled to anticipate their needs. We came so very close to losing some of them it made me shudder. I was guilty and angry all at once and my bad feelings did not end there. Watching the battle with the rogues as I stood on the hill had been horrific. I had been like a sentry and watched Anthony nearly be destroyed. It didn't matter it was because Joel had asked me to. It didn't even matter I had eventually ste pped in. I felt I was weak and ineffectual. With all the negative thoughts going on in my head, my mood was volatile. I was protective of the rescued females and Anthony to a point I wouldn't let anyone n ear them. I growled and showed teeth when anyone tried to approached them. It wa s like I couldn't think other than to know my own needed protection. One of Anthony's good friends came too close and I nearly took a piece out of hi s shoulder. The wolf bolted to the side and rolled showing his belly. I was prep aring to attack again when I heard Anthony's voice. 'You know, Madam Alpha,' Anthony sent weakly into my mind, 'I think it's you. I' ve never spent this much time being injured in my life.' My wolf was agitated and angry, but that made me laugh inside. I had managed to get Anthony sent the infirmary at least twice now. It took effort, but I backed down and allowed the pack to approach the victims. Joel padded over to me and rubbed his nose along my neck. I was forced to breath him in and it calmed me further. 'Relax, love, they are safe. You don't have to worry,' he crooned rubbing down a long my side. 'We worked together,' I said absently still trying to gather some measure of con trol. 'Yes, we did. It was a good first step and I think the pack will recognize it,' he said continuing to stand close for a moment. 'They need to get back to the den,' I said turning my nose toward the injured. ' Anthony lost a lot of blood and several of the girls have broken bones.' Joel ordered several of his warriors to run with the caravan back to the den. I would feel much more at ease once everyone was safely inside our home. The rogue s had seriously damaged my sense of safety in the woods I now considered mine. The trackers got Joel's attention as several made there way to where we were. Th e bodies of escaping rogues were being dragged out of the undergrowth for Joel's inspection. They needed their leader to coordinate the search. Joel walked arou nd counting the kills the warriors had made and planned the search for any remai ning stragglers that may have gotten away.

I padded along beside Joel and growled at every leaf that blew around us. Despit e Joel's comments I was still upset and having trouble keeping a handle on it. T he warriors all backed carefully away from me. My mood was at best, unpredictabl e. Joel noticed, but didn't fuss at me. 'Get Dia's truck,' he ordered Nate instead. 'Have one of the men that work the d ocks drive it down here and pick up the remains. I'm sure one of them knows how to handle a semi. We'll take the remains to the circle and burn them.' 'Dia doesn't own the trailer,' I argued for some reason, 'whoever she was trucki ng for would own the trailer part. We can't use it to haul around dead bodies.' My brain just wouldn't work right. I felt agitated and just wanted to fight with someone. If that someone was Joel, so be it. 'Shift,' Joel ordered looking over at me, 'we will speak in our human form.' Joel shifted and stood in front of me waiting. I fought with the urge to just do what he said. Eventually, I transformed back to my human skin and took a defens ive posture. Wolf form or not I was ready to battle at the slightest provocation . Moving quicker than I anticipated Joel wrapped me in his arms and pulled me clos e. "Feeling a little anxious, love?" he asked quietly nuzzling my neck. I tried to pull away from him. I wanted to fight, not cuddle. He was so persiste nt, though. Joel forced me to breath against his chest, so every bit of air was saturated with his smell. Eventually, I melted into the embrace and let him hold me. "I bought Dia's trailer from the shipping company yesterday. It still reeks of L inda's body," he explained not letting go. "You are feeling pent up because I ma de you watch an attack on your pack and did not let you take part. An Alpha will always feel anxious when they don't think they are protecting members." He continued to hold and stroke me gently as he spoke. "You did a very good job of stepping in when it was needed. Anthony is grateful you didn't watch him die. The girls are grateful you stopped the caravan. It was not weakness to let me h andle the renegades in battle, although I may be forced to reconsider your abili ty there." "How did you know?" I asked sinking farther into his arms. The urge to rip and kill was slowly subsiding and I felt more like myself now. "I've been at this a very long time, my love," he said running his hands up and down my back. "I didn't like watching," I grumbled. "I know," he laughed, "but you did it to make me happy, thank you." We stood for a few more moments before Joel got back to the task at hand. We bot h shifted so we would have contact with the rest of the pack. He had sent teams to find and destroy any remaining rogues. As they dragged back the kills, he mon itored the search. Several minutes passed by and then Will arrived with a group dragging several de ad renegades. They had been watching a road further west and were the last to ar

rive. Will and his group had intercepted a couple rogues that almost got away. Suddenly Will turned toward the entrance to the service road and growled low and long. He bolted toward the main road without a backward glance. Joel and I push ed into his mind at the same time. Will had felt Dia through their bond. She wouldn't let anyone else drive her tru ck, despite the Alpha's orders. It was hard for her to find the service road in the dark and her agitation had gotten Will's attention. Dia was with a single ma le Omega driving toward us with renegades possibly on the loose. I thought it was pretty classic, but Joel did not appreciate being ignored. The last thing he needed tonight was a human to watch after. Joel sent a cadre of hi s warriors to surround the truck and protect it's occupants. 'Can you imagine,' Joel fumed watching the truck pull slowly down the road, 'wha t Will's father would say if I allowed Will's mate to be injured? He would be li vid. Not to mention I've already had to hear an ear full about the way I treated her. What a disaster.' I felt like a fool, but I wasn't sure why Will's father would care if Dia was hu rt. 'Please explain that to me,' I requested. Joel shook his big wolfy head and spoke into my mind, 'A werewolf can only have pups with their mate. Dia is the link to Will's line being carried on. Most of u s don't get a second chance at a mate. Lucas was an exception,' he said walking toward the truck. 'Emily also found a second mate,' I said thoughtfully and Joel snorted. 'The young ones often confuse attraction with the mate bond. They become overanx ious. I take great pains to ensure it is truly a mate bond when the younger wolv es come to me. If Emily had truly found her mate, he would not have hurt her.' Joel was walking toward the driver's side of the truck and watching it with inte rest. I had the feeling he was intent on giving Dia a piece of his mind, but Wil l beat him to it. When the rig ground to a halt and Dia jumped out, Will shifted to his human form . He stalked up and started to talk quietly and quickly to her. She wasn't quiet in her response. "It is MY damn truck. Alpha Latro owns the fucking trailer. If you want it haule d around with this rig, I do the driving!" she screamed at him. Will responded cooly, but he was obviously upset, "Do you have any idea what you 're picking up? The rest of their pack is scattered in these woods, for all we k now. You just brought them a portal of escape. I know you were lucky to escape h arm two days ago, but you may not be so lucky a second time. I am begging you to stop taking chances."

Will had backed Dia against the truck as he spoke and now stood staring down in her eyes. She looked like a sharp retort had been on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it and glared at him instead. "Dia, baby, just get in the truck and sit still. Lock the doors and let us load

this thing up. I'm going to ask the Alpha if I can ride back with you. Can you d o that for me?" he asked kissing her neck lightly. "It's my truck," she whispered fiercely jerking away, "I don't trust anybody els e to drive it." "I know, baby," Will murmured into her ear, "but it's dangerous out here. Please , let me take care of you." Joel and I had continued to approach and I could see the uncertainty on Dia's fa ce. She didn't seem like the type of girl that was used to being taken care of. My guess was she found Will's concern sweet, but stifling. The proud part of her was going to demand she resist. I shifted to a human form with Joel and addressed Will and Dia. "Dia, may I wait in the cab with you while they load the bodies? My mate is also anxious having me stand out here," I said gesturing around. Joel raised an eyebrow at me, but otherwise said nothing. He understood what I w as doing. "Is it a male wolf thing?" Dia asked watching me carefully. "Yes, they are very protective," I nodded. That seemed to decide her. She wasn't being coddled, we were being coddled and i t was normal. If I wasn't going to put up a fight, she shouldn't either. I walked to the passenger side and sat down as she crawled in her side. We locke d the doors and waited. We sat and felt the truck shift and sway as the back was loaded. A wolf stood ou tside my door, guarding it and I could see the same arrangement on Dia's side. "He's a controlling prick," Dia fumed staring straight ahead. "I've taken care o f myself for a long damn time. I don't need to be treated like a child." "He'll get a little better once you've been changed," I offered. I knew how she felt. Joel had initially come across as smothering in his protect iveness. It was disconcerting to get used to. I decided to change the subject, t his discussion was just going to aggravate Dia. "The boys said you came into money and started trucking. What happened that made you start doing this for a living?" I asked. "Stealing is really hard work," she explained turning to face me. "Every time yo u go on a job there's a chance you won't come back. I took a big job and made it my last. The trucking thing just seemed to fit me. I'm independent and I like t o travel." We talked about the lifestyle she'd led for a while. It was interesting to me. I 'd never known anyone who had been a full time thief. Suddenly, Dia sighed and stroked the steering wheel. "I feel guilty now, though. I probably should sell the truck and give the money back to the last ones I sto le from." "Why in the world would you do that?" I asked.

"The money for the truck came from stealing from Will's pack," she said bluntly. "Humans hired me to steal business secrets. I snuck into the den and took what they wanted. I didn't know it was Will's family until yesterday. He called his d ad, Cedric, and talked to him. I recognized his name." Dia was the thief that had us all up in arms months ago. Considering her backgro und, I should have figured that out myself. Suddenly, I saw Will's face behind Dia staring in at her. He must have heard wha t she was thinking about through the mate bond. As I watched he used one finger to tap forcefully on the glass. Dia turned, looking guilty, and watched him. Will pointed to the door lock and j umped down off the side of the truck. "Damn it," Dia muttered before she opened the door, "I can't believe he heard th at." Will stepped back up so he was looming over Dia through the open door. "As the representative for my father's pack, that makes this MY truck," he told her softly, "so don't give me anymore trouble about who drives it." Dia fumed at his words, "I said I MIGHT give back the money. I did a job fair an d square. It's not my fault your family's security is lax." "You'll help me work on the security then," he said leaning toward her, "but it doesn't change anything. Stealing is not legitimate business." Dia glared at him for a moment and I wondered how bad this argument could get. I f Dia held to her way of thinking it wouldn't be over soon. "And, Dia baby," Will continued, "if you want three trucks, I'll buy them all fo r you. I'm just begging you to stop risking your life." That last statement seemed to quell the sharp retort Dia was about to make. Her shoulders dropped a little and Will leaned down to kiss her lips. He spent a lon g minute exploring her mouth as I sat amused behind them. "Fine," was all she said once he released her lips. I heard Joel calling to Will from outside and he jumped down grinning at Dia. Wh en she turned toward me her face looked slightly flushed. "Hell of a debater," she said leaning back on the seat and I had to laugh at tha t. Once the truck was loaded, Dia managed to get us back on the main road. The truc k had a guard you could not miss as it headed for the den. Once we were home Joel had her deliver the bodies to the stone circle. They were unloaded and ready to be destroyed as soon as we could. The pack was already in the den, awaiting our arrival. They crowded the bottom f loors and stood watching over the railings on all three levels. The warriors wer e met with pats on the back and howling. The noise Joel and I received was deafe ning. It wasn't like they didn't know what happened, but Joel took the time to formall

y explain it. He bounded up the stairs holding my hand and addressed everyone as they stood in the entranceway. His speech was short and to the point. After the speech Joel summoned his warriors out front. He was still concerned we may have missed a rogue or two. The den was placed on lockdown as he busied him self planning the search for any stragglers. Knowing his search would take time, I went to the infirmary to try and help ther e. As I opened the door to the infirmary the human women rushed to greet me. I h ad forgotten about them in the field, but Joel had evidently gotten them home sa fe. They were all very glad to see me. Considering their past experience with the rogue packs, the women were remarkabl y well put together. Even April, although she was trembling, was able to talk wi th me. They felt safe with our pack. Joel had sent them in the middle of a heavy guard back to the den. The women had been impressed with the way the wolves worked to protect one another and them f rom a threat. It made them feel better about staying with us. With the humans taken care of I looked around the infirmary. Pulling on a pair o f sweats I realized I was going to be busy. The girls the rogues had taken were being treated by the healer. I joined her as we set bones and cleaned injuries. Rick helped us with simple tasks, but he looked apprehensive and afraid. He watc hed me when he didn't think I noticed. I couldn't tell what he wanted. I just kn ew I was missing something I should be doing, but I couldn't think of what it wa s. Joel came into the infirmary a little while later. His movements were brisk and commanding. From the way he acted his reason for the visit must be to reassure t he shaken victims. Joel stopped at the beds of the rescued females and checked each of them himself . He patted their arms and stroked their faces as he talked softly to them. Seve ral of the girls leaned heavily into his hands. A tinge of jealousy turned my ey es gold watching him act so affectionately with other women. It took a moment to remind the wolf he was certainly still mine. Caring about th e pack was an important part of his job; I couldn't take this away from him or t hem. They needed to know their protector loved them. After Joel was done with the women he walked into the center area and his eyes f ell on Rick. That heavy blank stare had Rick sinking to his knees before the Alp ha. A second later April was beside Rick, wrapping her arms around him and tremb ling. They watched Joel with wide eyes barely breathing. I understood now. Rick felt he had done something wrong, he had been waiting for me to dole out punishment. I had never really thought about that as part of my role in the pack. Evidently, I should give it more thought. Joel pushed me out of my moment of surprise by sending a question into my head. 'What do you want to do with him?' he asked never breaking his gaze on Rick. I pushed aggressively into Joel's mind and sifted through his memories and knowl edge on pack behavior. Rick was in trouble because he put himself and his needs above the pack's needs. Joel felt he should have warned us as soon as he saw the rogues.

'April is pack,' I sent to Joel. 'She is the weakest member of the pack. If the rogues had found her, we would have lost her for good. He came to us as soon as he could, but he should have been able to call out to someone in their wolf form .' Rick didn't seem to know anybody. It struck me that was because, unlike his adop ted brothers who had new friends, he stayed in the infirmary watching April all the time. 'You make a valid point,' Joel mused. 'Rick spends too much time in this infirma ry doting on his mate. He has not taken the time to fully integrate with the pac k.' 'I think it would be counterproductive to punish him for protecting April,' I sa id. 'You are right, he spends all his time with the humans. Rick doesn't know th e pack at all.' 'He won't like it, but it is time we changed that,' Joel sent into my head. "Rick," Joel's voice finally sounded and I could see both Rick and April shiver, "you spend too much time in the infirmary. You have not taken the time necessar y to get to know the pack. While we appreciate you protecting our most vulnerabl e member, you cannot ignore the rest. You will work in the kitchen until we are satisfied you are fully functional in this environment. We will talk about your duties once our concerns are satisfied." Rick and April looked up obviously relieved as Joel continued. "April needs to b e changed at the next full moon. Will you do this?" he addressed her. "Yes, Alpha Latro, I am ready to change," she whispered still clinging to Rick. Joel came toward me and planted a kiss on my lips before striding out of the roo m. He still had much that needed looking after upstairs, so he didn't even glanc e back. I turned back to the female I had come from treating and started back cl eaning her cuts and scratches. "Madam Alpha," Rick said quietly from beside me, "should I go find the head of t he kitchen now?" "Yes," I answered picking dirt and rock out of the girl's cut in front of me. Th e wound needed to be flushed so it would close quickly. "Who would I be looking for Madam?" Rick asked hesitantly. I stilled my hands for a moment and felt guilty. Rick was a friendly guy and I h ad been hoarding him down here for my own purposes. He didn't know anything abou t what went on with the pack that wasn't directly tied to the infirmary or our h uman guests. "Go the kitchen and ask for Margaret," I sighed, "tell her what Alpha Latro just said. If she has questions she can call me down here." April was at Rick's elbow as she asked, "What about me, Madam Alpha? May I work in the kitchen?" As I thought about her question, I heard Rick almost run out. April was doing we ll with the pack, having a job might help her do even better. The purpose of mov ing Rick was so he would meet more wolves, though. "Rick has to integrate with the pack," I told her. "If you are in the kitchen wi

th him he will spend all his time with you. I want you to work and do something you enjoy, but Rick is going to the kitchens for a purpose." April fiddled with the blankets at the edge of the bed and I turned back to the girl I had been working on. The deep claw mark I had cleaned on her leg looked l ike it could use a couple of stitches, so I pulled out a suture needle. I'd just use some absorbable sutures to close the deeper tissue. "I like to sew," April said quietly from beside me. "I'm assuming you don't mean this type of sewing," I asked with a raised eyebrow . "No, Madam Alpha, I like to sew clothes. It was what I was going to school for," she answered still fiddling with the blanket. My patient on the bed raised her head and looked at April. "We always need more seamstresses, Madam Alpha," she told me. "I work making clothing they sell at a new business downtown. It's all one of a kind, special order type of things. If the human can sew, she could work with us." As I stitched the girl's leg she and April talked about the job. April was thril led when I decided she could work with them. Before being taken April had studie d fashion design and was happy that information could be put to use. The convers ation also distracted my patient from the pain of the stitches, so I was fine to let them talk. Eventually everyone was patched up and taken care of. I was exhausted, which Sar ah believed was due to my blood loss the day before. My body felt absolutely dra ined. Finally finished, I trudged upstairs to our suites to wait for Joel. I stripped and showered quickly. Although I wanted to wait for Joel, I didn't make it. My e yes were shut as soon as my head hit the pillow. It was near dawn when I pried my eyes open. Joel was laying behind me, definitel y not asleep. He had wrapped his arms around me. One hand was carefully tweaking and pulling on a nipple, the other warmly cupping my mons. I felt his pole nest led securely between my buttocks. "I know you're awake," he whispered in my ear kissing the skin underneath. "And I'm tired and grumpy," I grumbled trying to wiggle away. The wiggling did not have the intended effect. I separated my legs slightly and Joel's hand moved further between them. He moaned and thrust his staff between m y cheeks, so I assume that I had further riled him. "Don't you need to sleep?" I groused pressing my breast into his hand. The tweaking got stronger and it was starting to feel very good. The hand betwee n my legs was also stimulating as it sat there warming my nether regions. "Not yet, I had a very successful hunt, mate," he answered, "but it left me feel ing excited once I was done." "Once you were done killing rogues?" I asked turning to look at him. "Oh, yes," he whispered placing kisses along my cheek, "several rogues. The stro ngest managed to get away from us when we attacked the vehicles. The 'leadership

' of the pack must have run." I took a deep breath as he continued to kiss over to my ear. He didn't smell str ongly of blood. He smelled like soap and Joel. "You don't smell like a man whose been fighting to the death," I blurted out. A sharp tug on my nipple reminded me he still had me in a very vulnerable positi on. Moaning, I arched into his hand. I wondered what else I could say to make hi m repeat that motion. "I bathed before I crawled in bed with you," he growled low in my ear. "You, lov e, are very particular about what level of sanitation is acceptable." "It was a big fight?" I asked turning my head to watch his eyes. The growl low in Joel's chest rumbled through me. The hand that had been between legs left to run along my thigh. His eyes turned gold as he remembered. "I went with, Dominick, our best tracker back to the service road," Joel started and I interrupted him. "I know Dominick, he's not that big as a wolf. You really went with just him." "Dominick doesn't need to be big, love," Joel growled. "I trained him to fight. He's fast, like you, and he listened to my lessons. He's a lethal warrior and he always finds what he's hunting. Now do you want to know what he found?" I placed a hand over Joel's naked hip and pulled it closer. "Tell me the whole s tory," I demanded. "I was right to think we had missed some. Dominick found the trail right away. T here were six of them still on our land. They had set up an ambush," Joel said s lowly thrusting his hips against me. "Fools thought they knew the lay of my terr itory better than I did." It never struck me to worry about Joel, but I suddenly realized I should. "You w ere outnumbered," I stated trying to wiggle around and look at him. "Were you hu rt?" The sharp tug at my nipple returned and I realized he was upset with me. "Of course not," he scoffed rolling me flat on my back. "Do you think they could hurt me? Do I strike you as a man who is injured?" Joel looked down at me with a mixture of shock and disbelief on his face. Rollin g to face him, I kissed his lips. "I forget how strong you are," I murmured stroking his face with my fingertips. "You are always so gentle with me." I moved my fingers lower across his chest and belly. The muscles slid smoothly u nderneath my hands, no scratches even. Continuing to watch his eyes, I traced my fingers up his back. Quite suddenly I found myself with both hands pinned above my head as Joel tower ed over me. He settled between my thighs and pressed his length between us. I fe lt it burning warmly against my stomach. "Are you checking me for injury?" he growled. "Don't you trust me?"

I raised an eyebrow at the challenge. Using a foot I ran the sole down the side of his leg, inspecting it. He, of course, was not at all injured, but appeared v ery perturbed. An idea came to mind and I grinned as I spoke, "You may need healing, mate, my t ongue might help ease an ache you are feeling." Joel liked that idea and rolled off of me onto his back. "Heal whatever you wish, mate," he said folding his hands behind his head. Joel is a fine specimen and he seemed to radiate power. Leaning down I brushed m y tongue across his lips several times requesting entry. When he opened his mout h I tangled our tongues and didn't release him until we were both breathless. The beast beneath me groaned as I passed my lips over his neck, actually finding and healing one tiny scratch. That nick did look more like he'd done it with hi s razor, though. It didn't stop me from tasting the tiny cut completely. "That isn't where I'm aching, love," Joel rumbled. Inching down the bed I tasted across his wide chest and took his nipples in my m outh. I grazed him with my sharp teeth and he didn't even wince. Joel just lay s till and quiet as I worked. He was being much too non-pulsed so I reached down a nd stroked his tool with my hand. "Ah," he groaned, "now that is where I ache my love. Put your mouth there and cu re me of that ill." Allowing myself to brush my lips lower over his stomach he rumbled. When I final ly encompassed his smooth heat in my mouth he moaned. The sweet sound made me wa nt to hear it many times over. Kissing and licking, I worshipped his staff. The wet sound of my lips working ov er his manhood were the only sound in the room. "Take me deeply, love," he commanded hoarsely from above me. He was the perfect picture laid out before me. A thin sheen of sweat was slowly forming over his body. He knew what he wanted, but he was trying to let me get t here on my own. I had to admire his control. Grasping the pulsing shaft I lowered my mouth over it. I moved so I was kneeling between his legs as I bobbed up and down. With every downward stroke I took him deeper and deeper. Soon I didn't need my hand to help so I placed them on his r ock solid thighs for leverage. The feel and taste of him was making me crazy. Wetness was pooling between my th ighs and my nipples felt tight. I wanted him badly. Joel groaned and bucked beneath me. He brushed my hair away from my cheeks to en hance his view, but otherwise didn't interrupt as I attended to him. The moment the wolf started to take over, I knew. The base of Joel's cock became thicker and the entire thing grew slightly in width. Looking up into Joel's bea utiful eyes the gold glow was already there.

Before the wolf could grab me, I jumped. My feet hit the ground as Joel roared b ehind me. He had been right the day before, I was a tease. I knew a mock chase w ould make the wolf insane right now. It was impossible to resist. I bolted toward the bedroom doors and turned to watch Joel. At this point I was absolutely positive he would break them down to get to me. His ire was up and he looked seriously irritated. 'The Alpha needs a reward right now, mate,' Joel sent into my mind as he stood b eside the bed watching me. I slowly moved a foot toward the main room and away from him. The resonating gro wl made my hair stand on end. 'Try it,' the Joel offered conversationally, 'you won't get far.' I stood in the doorway and watched my mate. He stood tall and proud. The first r ays of the sun gave a slight glow from behind him "I don't want to get far," I purred enjoying the game. "I like it when you catch me. Come away from the bed and chase me." Joel considered this new information and crossed his arms across his chest. "Perhaps I'm not in the mood to chase you," he said moving to lean casually on t he post at the foot of the bed. "I might be getting tired. At that point you cou ld just go back to sleep, is that what you want, my love?" With his peace said, Joel moved to sit and then lay on the bed. He stretched out on his side. Propping his head up on his hand he grinned and watched me. He could scent me and my arousal, damn him. Joel knew I wanted him to chase me. If I ran out the door, he'd just stay in the bed and wait for me to crawl back t o him. We both knew he would not have to wait long. An idea struck me and I grinned, if he wanted me to beg him, I would. Let's just see how long he maintained his control. He'd come off the bed to get me before long. Dropping to my knees I crawled back toward the bed. My tits hung down beneath me and I could see Joel was watching them sway. "What exactly are you doing, mate?" he asked raising an eyebrow. Telling him I wanted him off the bed would defeat the purpose. I wanted to see i f I could make him to come and get me of his own accord. "I'm sorry, my Alpha," I purred. "You deserve a reward. What do you want?" I was less than ten feet from the bed now. Spreading my knees wide, I sat back o n my heels. My fingertips ran from my knees up the play at the crease at my thig hs. My sensitive ears heard Joel's breath hitch slightly. The show was working so I kept going. Lightly, I tickled my belly and up my ribs . Bypassing my breasts, I ran my fingers along my collarbones and up my neck. To top off my show, I tilted my head back to display my neck submissively. I allow ed my hands to fall back down and rest behind me while pressing my chest out. Joel sat up and threw his legs off the bed. I grinned inwardly, it was a game in my mind and I was winning. He'd come off the bed and get me any minute.

"That's a pretty picture to put in front of me, my love," he said softly, "but I see the defiance in your eyes. You don't think you can fool me, do you? I know what it looks like when a wolf submits to me and you aren't." Bastard. I dropped my head and leveled my gaze on him. Joel just sat on the bed watching me. I wanted him. His tool was hard and still very ready; it drew my eyes. Inadverte ntly, I licked my lips watching it. "Come and get me," I demanded and he laughed. "You were thinking you could trick me into coming to you, into chasing you?" he asked. The growl rose from deep down inside of me and he found that even funnier. I was so frustrated I didn't see his quick movement off the bed. He was behind m e in a flash, raising me with an arm around my middle. There wasn't time to stru ggle before the sheets were in my view. Joel dropped me stomach down on the bed and I struggled to turn and see where he was. The frustration was replaced by a slight wariness. The wolf in my presence had just hunted and killed all night. He was a trained w arrior and I was aggravating him for fun. Perhaps a little real submission would have been a better idea. Just as I managed to turn over and get my bearings, Joel placed himself between my legs. He pushed me back against the mattress and towered over me, grinning ea r to ear. "I have waited a century for my mate, love. It doesn't bother me if I have to co me and get you," he said lowering his lips to nibble at my neck. When my head dropped back submissively this time, there was no falsehood in the gesture. My knees raised on either side of him, cradling him in my center. My ha nds softly stroked his shoulders down to his waist. I needed him badly. "Please," I whispered, "please take me, Joel." The thrust home was glorious and a long moan escaped my lips. Joel lowered himse lf further over me sliding his hands under my back to grip my shoulders. His tee th found his mark at the side of my neck and bit down hard on it. My moans got l ouder with each passing second. Joel wasn't gentle. He rammed himself home each time and held me still in his gr ip. Lucky for him, I wasn't gentle either. I tried to hold Joel's entire body to me. One of my hands grasped and grabbed at the flexing muscle of his buttocks. I drove my nails into his flesh spurring hi m faster and harder. The other hand wrapped in his hair pulling and twisting the locks viciously. The wolf liked the aggression and I felt the shift as Joel started to change. He wrenched his head away to look down into my eyes. The gold glow told me who was in control now. I got dizzy as Joel withdrew and flipped me on the bed. He grabbed my hair and p ulled my head back so he could growl into my ear.

"Get on the floor by the bed and shift. I want my mate right now," he said in a low gravely voice. I loved it when Joel got all commanding and Alpha in the bedroom. Heading for th e floor beside us, Joel smacked my ass. "I like the other side of the bed," he said. I turned to watch at him with a quizzical look on my face and Joel was grinning roguishly. His dark hair was tousled and messy. He looked playful. "Move it, woman, or I might decide to spank you again. It was fun the first time ," he growled pushing me the other way. "Bossy," I grumbled crawling down to the floor. Would it really have made a difference which side of the bed I chose? Joel was on my back in an instant, seeking to crush me to the floor. We tussled and rolled, but he was stronger. The dominance was a real turn on and I started to lose control of my own shift. Besides that in wolf form I was faster and stro nger. Let him subdue me that way, I thought. Unfortunately for me, Joel was also faster and stronger in his wolf form. He pin ned me to the floor and took the scruff of my neck between his powerful jaws. I felt him poised waiting to take me. 'You like it when I'm bossy,' he sent into my mind as his body entered mine agai n. 'You like toying with the Alpha male until I subdue you on the floor.' It was a simple statement, sent into my mind without malice or judgement. 'I don't mind,' he said pumping in and out of my willing flesh. I felt his large front paws wrapping around to hold me tight. My buttocks lifted in the air, seeking to give him easier access. As always, mating with Joel was an all encompassing experience. The orgasm swept out of nowhere. I felt loved and protected. The current positio n of being completely at the mercy of this giant powerful beast was an aphrodisi ac. My brain swam with pleasure, so I opened myself to Joel. The wolf above me came with a long loud howl. Anyone in the den would have heard it and knew the Alpha male had claimed his mate. Odds are the rest of the mated warriors were doing the same thing right now. I fell to the ground with Joel at my back. I was sated and sleepy, so I drifted off curled into the warm beast behind me. I must have shifted back to a human form. At least when Joel removed himself fro m me later, I was human. We were also in bed. He must have moved us here. "Good morning, love," Joel said kissing my neck. "Are you going to bolt for the shower and force me to restrain you?" he teased. "Nope," I saucily replied. "I have a better idea. How about you clean me until I 'm satisfied it's done right." Joel grinned and went to work between my thighs.

"So we've learned to work together," I moaned as his tongue rasped against my se nsitive clit. "Mmm-hmm," Joel said from between my legs. "The pack saw it, too," I whispered getting lost in his tongue snaking in and ou t. "Mmm-hmm," Joel answered again, not pausing in his work. "So now we can relax, right? No more death threats, no more potions, it's all ba ck to normal?" I asked tilting my pelvis toward him. Joel finally stopped licking and emerged from between my thighs with a big grin. "If by normal you mean we now get to travel with our human guests to every pack I have contact with. Then yes, it's normal. We have to protect them, mate them i f we can, or at least change them. It will be months before we get this mess sor ted out. Every pack in the country will be doing the same thing. It is going to be an enormous hassle," he groaned looking down at my pussy longingly. "I'd much rather be doing this." "April already found a mate," I said helpfully. "That's one down." "Wonderful," Joel sighed stroking my hips, "now we just have to help her go thro ugh the change. After that it still leaves us four more in this pack and at leas t that many in seven other packs." "I'll help you," I offered stroking his hair. "Oh, mate, you will certainly help me," Joel nodded kissing my lower stomach. "I f there is one thing all of this has taught me, it's that you are an Alpha. I no longer shoulder this burden alone. Welcome to my world, love," he finished plac ing his face back against my slick folds. Joel was right, things weren't normal at all. The wolf packs were all planning v isits so we could play match maker with our rescued humans. We were expected to be either playing host or traveling with the humans until it got sorted out. I f ound the entire thing draining. It didn't take long to realize Emily found the intricate planning fun. She enjoy ed setting up the visits. While I barely listened to Margaret discuss the menus we would have for our guests, Emily interjected ideas. When we went with the gue st lists to discuss accommodations with the house officer, Emily took extensive notes on her PDA. "You'll need to know exactly who is in which room, Madam Alpha," she told me bri skly. "If you need to talk to someone, you don't need to be knocking on doors." She was right, of course. The accuracy of the statement did not change the fact it bored me. It was annoying, time consuming, and not at all interesting to me. I'd rather be holed up in the infirmary taking care of my frequently injured pac k. "Emily," I finally told her, "I put you in charge of this. Its your baby, so to speak, make your Alphas proud." She was ecstatic. The only thing she asked for was a PDA with more memory. I was

more than happy to give it to her. I had the model she wanted shipped next day air. Emily was officially in charge of the match making and I escaped downstairs . I had to admit Emily worked fast. We were ready for the first visit weeks before anyone else. The women coming were from Will's father's pack. They were being d riven across the country caravan style. Their rooms were set up before they even left their den. The Benson pack leader, Cedric, was accompanying them on this journey. He was ex cited to meet Dia. From what he had told Joel and I, he was thrilled his son's m ate was a resourceful as she was. He appreciated her skills and was eager to see her. Dia, it turned out, was not eager to meet Cedric. She heard Cedric was coming an d tried to run. She thought he would be after retribution from the theft. Will h ad heard her plans through their bond. With Dia flung over a shoulder, Will came to our rooms. "Alpha Latro, I apologize for the inconvenience," Will said loudly and politely as Dia screamed, "Dia seems to want to get away from me by stealing one of your motorcycles. I've stopped her, but she's told me she's going to run again. I nee d to use the chain you had made for your mate." Dia screamed a series of curse words I'm not sure I'd ever heard before. She bec ame hysterical, kicking Will countless times in the stomach. One of the kicks la nded below the belt of Will's jeans and he doubled over, dropping Dia. Joel stepped away as Dia rolled into our rooms. "Motherfucker!" she yelled pointing at Will as he tried to stand up. "Your fathe r is going to kill me for stealing from him. Your reaction to that is to tie me up like a god damned dog?! Are you planning to help him? Is this mating shit a j oke?" She lashed out viciously at Will with her fists when she was done talking. He bl ocked her blows, but couldn't seem to find the words she would trust. They almos t declared war in our sitting area before Joel spoke up. "Dia you are in my territory and in my den. I swear I will protect you with my l ife. You are considered pack. Will's father, Cedric, will not harm you. I assure you, he has no thought of hurting you anyway," Joel said trying to soothe her. At the time he had been barring the door to our suites so their battle didn't fa ll back out into the hall. Joel didn't want the rest of his pack to witness this particular incident. Will was still considered the heir to the Benson pack. Thi s type of gossip would be embarrassing. "I know about your promises," Dia hissed at Joel still crouched and focusing on Will. I saw the look of hurt on Joel's face. She'd never know how deep that comment cu t him, but the battle wasn't near over yet. It looked to me like she was going f or the knife I was sure she kept in her boot. I knew she didn't want to hurt Wil l, but her drive for self preservation was going to come first. "What about me," I said from the side. I moved slowly and with my palms opened o utward. "You are pack to me, Dia, and a trusted friend. You and I have fought to gether. Would you trust me with your life a second time?"

Dia panted watching me. She still kept tabs on Will, though. "I stole from Cedric. I know it embarrassed him. I've heard of what happens to t hieves when the packs catch them," Dia said. It was a good start. At least she didn't say she didn't trust me. I spoke up with confidence now, "Katrina, the Beta with the short hair and the l imitless energy, do you know her?" I asked. "Hard to miss," Dia commented taking a less defensive posture. "She was a thief. Katrina was caught stealing in the den many years ago. Saul re cognized her as a mate and that was the end of it. She was forgiven and changed. Now she helps train us," I said and Joel nodded. That had been the right thing to say. "They will want payback," Dia said, but there wasn't conviction in it. "I assure you," I said confidently. "The old Alpha will want a grandchild more t han anything else. If you want to give back to the pack financially, it probably wouldn't be refused, but it isn't expected. No one is going to want to see you harmed in any way." "Fine," Dia said placing her knife back in her boot, "but I'm not wearing some c hain. You better get that out of your fucking skull right damned now," she finis hed pointing at Will. "Baby, I just want to keep you safe," Will pleaded, his voice nearly breaking. " Don't run away from me, please. I couldn't bear it if you did. The pain of it un mans me." Will looked like he was truly hurting. It seemed to affect Dia finally. She appr oached and wrapped her arms around him. I could hear her soft apologies for not listening to him. The giant man buried his face in her shoulder and I swear his body shuddered. "Take a moment," Joel said motioning to me. We left our own suites to go find sanity somewhere else in the den. These days t hat was hard to find. I'd be glad when all this mating business was done.