Fated to the Alpha (Tolstone Wolf Shifters #2)

Prologue

The late spring breeze cooled the sweat on Shane’s brow as he stomped his way down the metal ramp from the back of the moving truck, a heavy box braced against his torso. The strong scents of the freshly mowed grass and dirt road almost made Illinois feel like home. Everything else, not so much.

The very air seemed different, and the trees of the forest unfamiliar.

The sounds of civilization seemed too near after living all his life surrounded by flat, sprawling farmlands.

In reality, they had driven just a few miles outside of the small town of Tolstone before arriving at the Matthews’s new, temporary home.

He heard some commotion from inside the trailer, as if pots and pans had clambered to the vinyl kitchen floor. “John, what box did we pack the skillet in?” Chelsea shouted.

Chelsea’s husband, John, was on the other side of the trailer in one of the bedrooms with their three kids. The sound of clattering toys and high-pitched arguing nearly drowned out his reply. “I can’t remember. You can’t find it?”

“If I could find it, I wouldn’t be asking.”

Shane peeked at the label on the side of the box in his arms. More kitchen stuff. He hastened down the gravel path that cut through the freshly laid sod and climbed the steps up to the porch. It took a bit of jostling to open the screen door without dropping his load.

When Dominic Beaumont, the Prime Alpha of Tolstone, gave Shane the list of housing assignments for his pack, he was disappointed to see the Matthews family had been given a four-room trailer.

At first, he fully expected to pull up in front of some piece of rundown trash with a blue tarp on the roof and a crooked foundation.

Instead, the trailer looked brand new, like what one saw on the mobile home lots that showcased the best, most aesthetically pleasing models to grab the attention of first-time home buyers.

The interior was even better, so much so that Shane could almost forget he was standing in a trailer.

It was like any other new home with fresh paint, premium floors, and a kitchen suited for a passionate baker like Chelsea.

Everything was fresh and clean, as if the Matthews were the first family to christen the trailer.

It was far more than Shane expected when his pack’s application for sanctuary had been accepted.

Tolstone had a national reputation for taking care of the shifters who came looking for help in their time of crisis.

But after the ordeal Shane and his pack had been through, he came to expect less and less from those who said one thing but often meant another.

So far, Dominic had followed through on his word. The apartments and this trailer were comfortable homes, even if they were temporary.

Shane set the box on the granite countertop of the kitchen island and popped the flaps of cardboard. “I think I might have your skillet.”

Chelsea straightened from her stooped position and swept back a strand of golden hair that came loose from her messy bun. “Thank God. I was afraid we forgot it back in Kansas.”

Shane fished out the large, deep, cast-iron skillet and handed it to her. “Even if you did, I’d go back and find it for you.”

The woman clicked her tongue and snatched the skillet from him. “No, you would not. It’d be stupid to go back into that war zone. It’s just a skillet.”

“Your grandmother’s skillet,” he corrected with a smile. “That thing’s got decades of seasoning. It’d be worth it.”

She propped a hand on her hip. “More like my famous jalapeno cornbread that I make out of that skillet makes it worth it.”

Shane slapped a hand on his chest in mock guilt. “You caught me. I do love your jalapeno cornbread.”

From the other side of the house, John stepped into view. His broad, tall frame made the living room seem small and the eight-foot ceilings too low.

His brown eyes scanned over the stacks of boxes. “How much more is in the truck?”

Shane smacked the side of the box on the counter. “This was the last.”

Chelsea moved around the island to stand next to her husband, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulders. “Thank you again for helping us unload,” she said, voice full of sincerity. “It would have taken twice as long if we didn’t have an extra set of hands.”

Shane knew she meant that it would have taken much longer if one of them weren’t available to referee the three children rioting in the other room. They all took turns breaking up the fights and settling the anxiety of their youngest, who still wasn’t fully aware of what was going on.

“No trouble at all,” Shane returned with just as much earnestness. “I know this has been pretty hard on y’all.”

John wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “The worst is over. It’ll be smooth sailing from here.” He glanced back at the boxes. “So, would it be smart to unpack or just wait?”

Shane’s guts knotted. That was the question Shane had been asking himself for the last few days as he helped his pack get settled in Tolstone.

Dominic stressed that there was no rush to leave, but Shane couldn’t depend on his hospitality forever.

This wasn’t their forever home, not like Warrington was supposed to be.

Shane still needed to find another town, one unclaimed by a wolf shifter pack, one where the Matthews’s kids could grow up safe and happy.

He just didn’t know how long it would take to find such a place, or even if such a place existed anymore.

“Go ahead and get comfortable but save the boxes.”

Chelsea sprang up onto the tips of her toes to kiss her husband’s cheek. “You heard the alpha. Start unpacking.”

John rolled his eyes and reached for an open box near the edge of the counter. “Yeah, yeah. I heard.” He turned to Shane as he held back the cardboard flaps. “We saw a sign for a nature park on the way in. Is that where we go for runs?”

Shane nodded. “Larson Caves Park. Yep. I’ll be going there tonight to scout out the terrain and look for good trails. Later next week, we can all go for a run.”

Chelsea leaned to look past John and toward the kids’ bedroom doors. “We’ll just have to get a babysitter.”

“Already got a few contacts from Dominic for reliable babysitters,” Shane said. “One’s a wolf too, so no tiptoeing around why you need a babysitter.”

John blew out an exaggerated breath of relief. “That’s a blessing.”

“I knew the pack would appreciate a run to get us settled, so I wanted to make sure it happened.”

Shifters needed a safe place to run as wolves, and Tolstone provided just that.

According to Dominic, the expansive woodland park had plenty of space and game for the transient packs to stretch their legs and blow off some steam.

And right about now, Shane needed to blow off all the steam that had been bottling up ever since he made the decision to move his pack to Tolstone.

It had been the right decision to ensure the safety of those who decided to follow him.

He knew for damn sure it wouldn’t have been the same decision his father made.

But that was the point. Shane would be better than his father.