Page 29 of Salvation

Yeah, he got the message. He was the outsider here, the unknown bear. Even so, he stretched tall and made sure he met Ty Hawthorne’s eyes straight on in a not-so-subtle message of his own. He might not be a clan alpha, but he was powerful in his own right.

It wasn’t until a minute later that he realized he wasn’t powerful anymore, not with all his injuries. Still, Ty looked him up and down then gave a curt nod.

I’ll give you a chance, bear,that nod said.Exactly one.

Another two wolves were standing in the room, and one offered a friendly handshake.

“Hiya. I’m Cody,” said an easygoing blond guy. He followed Lana’s lead and shot his thoughts across along with the words spilling from his lips.

Cody Hawthorne. Ty’s brother,Soren whispered in an aside aimed exclusively at Todd.Ty takes care of the big issues, and Cody keeps on eye on the day-to-day stuff.

Todd didn’t have to work hard to figure out which of the two brothers had the people skills and which had the raw power.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Tina,” said a dark-haired beauty who looked a lot like Ty.

The sister. She runs the neighboring ranch with her mate,Soren said.

Todd shook her hand, hiding his amazement. The wolf pack spread across not one, but two huge ranches? No wonder they were a force to be reckoned with.

He looked from one face to another. Were they a force powerful enough to stamp out the Blue Bloods?

“Tell me what happened,” Ty barked.

Soren explained what Sarah had described to him. The problem was, Sarah was a human who’d only been turned bear shifter recently when she mated with Soren. She didn’t have the experience to differentiate subtleties between shifters yet.

Todd nodded along. When Sarah and Anna had set off on their hike, he’d stripped and shifted to follow them in bear form. He hadn’t shifted in days, and his body had ached for the chance. And man, did it feel good — really good — to sniff and roll and claw a few trees. Even his damaged foot did okay, so the limping wasn’t too bad, and he could easily keep up. So he’d let the women get ahead of him at one point, figuring he could catch up. The second the wolf howled, he’d barreled upslope so fast, the trees became a blur.

No one threatens my mate!his bear had bellowed.No one!

In his rush to intercept the wolf, he’d dashed right past Anna, who Sarah had shoved into a dive. In part, he figured, to get her out of the way, and in part to prevent her from getting a good look at him in bear form.

I want her to see me,his bear grumbled inside.To accept me. To love me.

Well, Todd wanted that, too, but that had hardly been the time.

When, then?his bear demanded.

He hung his head. Maybe never.

“Todd.” Soren’s voice boomed into his mind, and he looked up.

Oops. Everyone was looking at him, expecting the answer to a question he’d missed.

“Can you describe the wolf?” Lana asked gently — and quickly, he figured, before Ty did something like smack him over the head.

“You’re sure it was a shifter?” Tina added, helping him along.

He nodded. Even Sarah knew it was a shifter. She just didn’t recognize which one.

“It definitely wasn’t one of the Black River wolves from Jess and Janna’s pack. And not any of the Blue Bloods involved in the ambush.”

Normally, a single rogue wolf might not have aroused so much concern. But everyone had learned not to underestimate the Blue Bloods.

“I was hoping we got the last of them,” Tina Hawthorne sighed.

“Maybe we did,” Ty snarled, but even he didn’t sound entirely convinced.

The leaders had been eliminated, but there was no telling whether the movement had been stamped out or whether it had only gone underground.

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