Page 83 of Wolf Unleashed
Chapter Twenty-Six
RAFE
Alyssa’s wolf playfully body-slammed Rafe as they approached his birth pack. Instead of reciprocating, taking the chance to play and flirt with her, his wolf glanced behind him to where Maddox brought up the rear. The wolf lifted his tail high, putting Rafe on notice that if he didn’t want to spend time with her, then Maddox would. Spending time with Alyssa’s wolf, allowing Rafe’s bond with her to strengthen, was the very reason Tiernan had insisted on leading the way to Rafe’s pack.
They spent nearly a week on the trek to Custer National Forest in Montana, training Alyssa along the way in the basics of scenting, tracking, and hunting. The skills they’d been taught in their teens. She had a lot to learn, but she was a fast learner, and excited about everything. Mostly, she was relieved to have everyone together, and to have finally met her wolf. Her parents’ escape bothered her somewhat, and maybe she’d talk about that one day, but for now, Rafe didn’t press her. He simply wanted to enjoy the peace and happiness while it lasted.
“What’s the matter?” Alyssa asked after she shifted to human form. His female was wickedly fast at shifting, the sign of a strong shifter. He should have had faith that blood-bonding her wouldn’t compromise his shifter abilities after Maddox and Tiernan had both retained their full abilities. “You’ve been moping for days.”
“Not moping. Worried. You closed the bond to me when you first shifted, Artemis. Did you regret that I blood-bonded you? Or that I didn’t do it sooner?”
“Are you going to second guess everything you do as an alpha?”
“No, Tiernan and Maddox will do that for me. I’m serious. I want you to be happy.”
“I was ecstatic when you blood-bonded me. But my wolf didn’t exactly give me a chance to tell you. And she closed the bond, Rafe. Not me.”
“Why?”
“She feared you’d figure out what she was planning and try to stop her. You’re perceptive in ways the others aren’t, and it scared her. She wasn’t looking for revenge, not really. More like she wanted to ensure my parents would never cage her again. I hadn’t done a good job protecting her, but I will now.”
“And we’ll protect you. Agent or not, Artemis, you’re ours to love, ours to protect.”
She threw her arms around him. “I guess I can accept that. As long as you don’t get mad at me.”
“Mad at you? For what?”
“For sending a message ahead to your pack. To Freya, specifically.”
“What? Why? How?”
“I think you’ve flustered him, angel.”
“After you handed Gallagher the thumb drive you’d hidden in that cabin, I gave Gallagher a message to pass on to Freya. He owed me that much.”
“Freya will—”
“She’s had nearly a week to work on your dad.”
“My alpha will never accept me as his heir.”
“I didn’t ask her to convince your alpha to take you back as his heir, but to remember you’re his son. It’s your home, Rafe. You shouldn’t have to return groveling.”
“I don’t intend to grovel. Just ask if we could set up a cabin on the outskirts of the pack.”
“I’m not going to let you hide from the people you love. And I refuse to hide who I am any longer,” she said.
“Does that mean you’re going to walk around naked all the time?” Maddox asked, running his hand over her ass. “Because I’d vote for that.”
“Me too,” Tiernan said.
“Is that all you guys think about?”
“Yes.”
“More or less.”
Rafe shrugged. “I have to go with the majority on this one.”
