Page 5 of Mates for the Rejected Wolf

Fern tenses as we start to land on the rock surrounding the cave. I can almost feel her nerves as we head into new territory for her. She might have been doing the lake tours, and even talking about the legend of Roddrur, but this is something different for her. I want to ease her in gently.

I shift back into my human form and show Fern the way. As we head into the darkness of the cave, Fern gets so close to me that her fingers accidently brush against mine. The feel of her hand against mine is electric, and it takes everything I have not to pull her to me so I can kiss her. Or to push her up against the wall so I can taste her beautiful lips. See if she responds to me in any way.

But I don’t because we aren’t here for that. We’re here to see what we can do about the Nightshade Hunters. I have to keep that at the front of my mind at all times.

“You’re back.” Roddrur’s voice booms through the cave as the flames of the candles flicker, lighting up his face. “And I see you have brought a guest with you.”

He’s acting out, showing his kingly side. Jealousy ices my veins as I spot the mutual fascination. They are both interested in one another, which pushes me to the side. Exactly what I didn’t want to happen.

“So, you are Roddrur?” she asks curiously. “You are the dragon cursed to live the cave?”

He smiles and chuckles in a surprisingly charming manner. “Yes, that’s me. Although I’m not cursed to live here. I’m hiding out here because of my royal blood line, so I don’t get killed over my surname. And you are Fern, member of the Iron Mountain clan.”

She scoffs, almost dismissively. “I don’t know if I would call myself a full-fledged member. It doesn’t really feel that way. I guess my surname also has attachments, but they don’t feel likeme. Butyouare the dragon I have been talking about on my boat tours. It’s crazy to meet you. I really didn’t think it would ever happen.”

“It’s good to meet you too,” Roddrur agrees with a nod. “And those boat tours of yours are the first thing I think we should talk about.”

“Why?” she snaps angrily. “I know you were seen when I’m guessing you didn’t want to be, but that isn’t my fault. I didn’t know that you were going to be flying around at that time of day. I can’t be blamed.”

Roddrur makes her frown with his laughter. “I know, and I don’t blame you for that. It was my fault entirely. What I want to talk to you about is what happened afterwards.”

All the color drains from her cheeks. “You mean the body?”

“That’s right. And the drugs that were found in his system. The Nightshade Hunters are to blame for all of this, right?”

“They have to be,” she says, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. “That is what I keep trying to tell everyone, but no one listens to me. Not even the police. I don’t knowwhythey aren’t concerned about all of this, but I want to stop the Nightshade Hunters. I don’t want to find the body of another young guy in the lake.” I can tell she’s been having a really hard time being taken seriously by anyone. I’m so grateful we came up with the plan that involves her.

“Well, we agree with you, don’t we, Griffin?”

I nod when they book look at me.

“And we want to get rid of them before they ruin this town, and before anyone else dies. So we want to work with you, and potentially your pack as well, to rid Iron Mountain of all its issues so it can go back to the beautiful tourist trap it has always been.”

I expect Fern to be pleased about this, but she narrows her eyes and gazes between Roddrur and me. “And what exactly is in it for you? Because if you live here in secret, then surely the wolves don’t bother you at all. So why are you doing this? I need to understand before I can agree to anything. I don’t want to get mixed up in some hidden agenda. That doesn’t sit right with me.”

“We will work it out,” Roddrur jumps in quick. “Just give me some time. I’ll sort it out. Promise.”

I exchange a look with Roddrur, wondering what he will do. Is he going to explain everything to her or will he downplay it and pretend he’s just a concerned citizen?

4

SLANE

Idrum my fingers on the table as I wait for Echo to finish talking. Iknowhe needs to go through the usual spiel during a meeting of the Iron Mountain pack, but it’s just so dull. It’s hard to listen to him speak about what I already know while my thoughts reel at a hundred miles an hour.

It’s only when my latest obsession is mentioned that I snap back into the room.

“We need to figure out exactlyhowwe’re going to tackle the Nightshade Hunters,” Echo says, hesitant.

I don’t like that hesitation. As a protector of the pack, it’s in my nature to want to get rid of any potential threat right away. And this is a threat that has been growing for a long time. Too long. I have been trying so hard to warn Echo about the fentanyl and cocaine coming through town and the effect it’s been having on citizens. But no one has paid any real attention to it until now. It has taken the death of a kid to make people want to do something. No one cared until there was a body in the lake.

“Because we must deal with them. We can’t just leave things the way that they are. It’s bad and it’s only getting worse.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Drug addiction is no freaking joke, and it’s spiraling out of control. Iron Mountain will be rife with it soon, which, of course, will cause the crime rate to rise and the tourists to stop coming and then there will be nothing left here for us.

But I’m not the alpha here, Echo is, so it isn’t for me to say a damn thing. I just curl up my fists by my sides and try my hardest not to snap.

“I have been in communication with Sheriff India Smart, who wants to work with us on an operation. She would rather work with us than to get the feds involved, so that means we will have to work within the police rules. It might make things slower, but I’m sure it’ll be better in the long run. The Nightshade Hunters don’t seem like they want to be run out of town, so we will have to try to get them behind bars instead.”

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