Page 28 of Salvation

Anna would like it there,his bear murmured.

Yeah, he’d bet she would. But his bear had to quit thinking along those lines.

She’s our mate. How can we possibly keep away?

His bear just didn’t get it. Montana was exactly where the Blue Blood rogues had made their boldest attack, wiping out most of his clan in an ambush that had also targeted the neighboring wolf pack and Anna’s family, all due to a crazy belief that shifters shouldn’t cross species lines. How could he bring his mate to Montana if he couldn’t keep her safe there?

Soren said the Blue Bloods were finished. He, Sarah, and the Twin Moon wolves wiped them out.

Todd didn’t answer. How could he really be sure? Purist groups like the Blue Bloods were like the snakes of Hydra’s head — if you cut one off, three more grew back. Who knew whether the wolf shifter he’d chased off was one of the Blue Bloods or not?

The second Soren heard about their encounter, he’d packed Todd into his truck and headed for Twin Moon Ranch, leaving Simon and the others to run the saloon. They sped down the highway until Soren took an unmarked turn onto a dirt lane that didn’t appear to lead anywhere. But it wound on for a full three miles of scrubby desert — a solid buffer to the outside world — before curving right and crossing a bridge over a dry creek bed.

Todd shook his head. God, did he miss the rushing rivers and cool mountain streams of home.

The truck rattled under a wide gateway, and Todd ducked for a better look at the ranch brand that hung from it. Two circles, overlapping by a third.

“Twin Moon Ranch.” Soren nodded, seeing him look. “One of the most powerful wolf packs in the Southwest.” He tipped his head from side to side. “Maybethemost powerful pack.”

The place looked like a tiny frontier town, with rows of false-front buildings on two sides. Giant cottonwoods sheltered a central square, and a smattering of houses extended all around. Beyond them lay pastures full of brown quarter horses and spotted cows, all quietly flicking their tails in the slanting afternoon light.

The wolf pack alpha eyed their approach from the porch of a slope-roofed building on the right.

“That’s Ty Hawthorne,” Soren murmured.

Typical wolf: not quite as broad as a bear, but sturdy and plenty tall. Todd could feel the power concentrated in the man’s laser gaze. The brunette at the alpha’s side was almost as tall and lanky, except for a visible baby bump. Unlike the dead-serious alpha, she looked friendly, even welcoming.

“Hi. Welcome to the ranch,” she called out as he and Soren approached.

Hi, and watch you don’t cross me,her mate’s thunderous expression said.

Alphas were always a bit gruff, and they got fiercely protective around their mates. And if this alpha’s mate was pregnant… Well, Todd knew to watch out, just in case.

He expected the wolf alpha to wait on the porch. It was a hierarchy thing, and no one was bigger on hierarchy than wolves. But the man shocked the hell out of him by descending the stairs — all four of them, all the way to the ground — to greet Soren with a hearty handshake. The two looked at each other for a long, quiet minute, just like Todd remembered his grandfather doing with the leader of the local wolf pack at home. A meeting of equals.

He stared at his cousin. He always knew Soren would become a respected alpha someday, but to see him actually accomplish that… Well, if Todd had been wearing a hat, he’d have doffed it to his cousin.

Way to go, man.He wanted to whistle.Way to go.

Soren’s lips moved as he gestured, and Todd saw Ty Hawthorne’s eyes jump to him. The wolf shifter’s lips moved, too, and Todd tipped his head, trying to catch the words.

Nothing. Not a thing. He’d heard the she-wolf pretty clearly, but the alpha? No chance. All he caught was a faint scratch from far, far away.

Ty Hawthorne narrowed his eyes and spoke again, starting to look angry. But then the she-wolf stepped forward, bumped the alpha’s arm, and said something that looked like,He can’t hear you, dummy.

Todd hid a grin. That woman was definitely the alpha’s mate, and it was pretty clear the power she wielded.

“Does this work?” she asked, speaking and thinking the words at the same time. “I’m Lana.”

Todd nodded. “Yeah, that works. Thanks.”

Most shifters couldn’t read each other’s thoughts unless they were relatives or packmates. But powerful shifters could if they opened their minds to each other and tried hard enough. And to his credit, Ty Hawthorne tried. His brow furrowed and his eyes flashed, but that time, Todd heard him.

“Come inside. Tell me about the wolf you saw.”

Soren pursed his lips in a gesture that said,I told you he’s the straight-to-business type. Which was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, for sure, though Todd decided not to say that.

They filed into the cool shade of the building in strict order of rank — first the she-wolf, then her mate, then Soren, and finally Todd.

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