Iron Wolves, Slater & LeeLee (Iron Wolves 2, #4)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Istared at the tall, red-haired man as he glowered at me.

His order to shift back would have been comical—if I only knew how.

Deep inside, I knew what he wanted me to do, had wanted to become like my friend Cammie Raine.

Heck, if I were honest, I’d tried since the day Cammie’s father Rasmund had saved me all those years ago.

Squeezing my eyes closed against the pain that always came when I thought of that time, from memories that only brought me close to a meltdown of epic proportions, I glared back.

“Damn it, I know you understand me.” Slater O’Neil squatted down, his green eyes flashing fire at me.

Of course, I understood him. I understood what everyone around me said.

The problem was that I couldn’t communicate the way they wanted me to.

The man showed up while I was protecting my charge during a major snowstorm, thinking he had the right to boss me around.

Well, I was not his. I answered to my alpha, Rasmund—Cammie’s father.

Not some...some shifter who made my heart pound and wish I could do as he asked.

His big hand reached out and stroked my head. “Please,” he enticed, trying to get her to do what everyone else failed to do for over twenty years.

Did he not realize I couldn’t?

Jerking away from his touch, I whined. Goddess, I wished my broken form could shift as he asked, as I wanted it to.

I was alone without my reason to be there since they’d taken Cammie and her newborn son to the hospital.

Bless the Goddess, Keanu had shown up just in time to save them both from freezing, until the paramedics arrived and airlifted the mother and child out.

I was sure my best friend and the new baby were safe, surrounded by family and friends.

If I could shift into a human, I’d have done it in a heartbeat, and not because a Neanderthal was yelling at me.

I’d have done it so I could be with the only family I had left.

Instead, I was stuck inside Cammie and Keanu’s newly built home, as a pet, not a human who had the right to go to the hospital, be normal.

I wanted to cry at the injustice of it all, but I kept the pain locked away as I did with all the others. It wasn’t the first or last hurt I’d faced.

I took a few steps away from Slater. His scent called to me, but he was not for me.

He needed a woman who was whole, and I was not that.

Hell, I didn’t even know what my last name was.

To my horror, I wasn’t even sure what my first name truly was.

LeeLee was only what my family had called me as a child, before the massacre. For all I knew, it was just a nickname.

I needed to get away from the tempting man.

His voice did things to me no one else’s ever had, which was absurd.

Turning my head, I eyed the small door Keanu had installed so I could come and go.

The idea of Slater seeing my furry ass disappear through the thing would surely seal our incompatibility.

At the very least, it would make him stop thinking we were the same.

I wanted to snort. A freaking doggie door.

Yeah, I was not cut out to be with a man like Slater.

Before he could notice my intent, I spun and ran for the exit.

“LeeLee, don’t you dare run from me,” he growled.

The sound of ripping clothes made me look back before I pushed through the flap. Where a human Slater once stood, a huge red wolf with flashing green eyes now crouched, determination in every line.

I didn’t stop to think. My fight-or-flight instincts took over. Flight won. The big man, in either form, would win in a direct confrontation, but I knew the area like the back of my hand. I was sure I could lose him. I also knew the male urge to chase was strong in this stubborn shifter.

My red coat stood out against the thick snow as I raced into the hillside, losing myself in the chase. A howl split the air. I remembered that sound—it had scared me while I protected Cammie, who was about to deliver her baby. Goddess, was that only hours ago?

My paws were used to the snow, and I covered ground quickly. With cat-like grace—though I was a wolf—I leaped into one of the low-hanging pine trees that stretched as far as I could see. My smaller wolf body easily jumped from limb to limb, leaving no tracks below for the large red wolf to follow.

By the time I was sure Slater was no longer following me, I slowly climbed down. With my claws digging into the bark, I jumped the final few feet to the ground. My sides heaved from the exertion. Why did my soul ache?

I shook the snow from my coat, glancing around, realizing I’d gone a lot further than I’d planned. With the sun setting, it had dropped a few more degrees, making me shiver. I raised my head and took a sniff, trying to catch my bearings. Strange smells assaulted me.

Dear Goddess, was that the scent of a wild wolf pack?

Now that I was on the ground and taking stock, my brain registered just how far I’d allowed myself to travel.

Hours had passed, meaning I’d left the protection of Keanu and Cammie’s lands.

Out here, I was a lone female wolf, and the wolf pack that had caught my scent circled like hungry beasts.

My heightened sense of smell counted at least five, all male.

They weren’t human like me, so communicating with them wouldn’t be possible in either form.

I was in so much trouble. Damn it, I should have stayed in the trees.

Looking up, I was about to jump when the first wolf stepped through.

His grey and white coat and sharp wolf eyes fixed on me with intent.

I bared my teeth, letting him know I was not up for his attentions.

As the rest of the pack surrounded her, with nerves taut with fear, I forced myself to stand tall in defiance.

My heart hammered, battling terror with every breath.

I refused to let them see me shaking or afraid.

Determination fueled me. I refused to surrender and let these wolves dominate me. I would fight, even to the death, clinging to my dignity and the deep-seated fear of what might come next. No way in heck was I going to be mounted for the first time by a full-blooded wolf.

A growl behind me made me spin and bare my teeth. That was exactly their plan.

I felt the first nip on my flank. The bite burned.

I raked my claws across the muzzle of the closest wolf.

In wolf form, I was larger than natural wolves, giving me a slight advantage.

Using every brutal lesson my alpha had taught me, I fought, growling in warning as one of their pack members fell under my jaws.

His blood filled my mouth. Another wolf bled from my claws, but three still attacked.

My sides heaved. Blood oozed from too many wounds, but I hid my pain. The last three tried to circle me again. I calculated my best move and focused on killing the alpha. Take him out, and the other two might leave.

Mind made up, I lunged at the first wolf who’d entered, but pain made me whimper as another wolf tackled me midair.

I struggled, rolling in the bloodied snow.

Agony ripped through me as the wolves pinned me.

Panic and despair came sharper. I howled, my cries fueled by pain and regret.

My mind screamed at my ignorance and naivete.

If only I’d stayed warm and safe back at Cammie’s.

Waves of self-reproach crashed over me, mixing with real physical distress.

My howls of pain and regret rent the air.

Then I heard a familiar howl. Slater, my mind screamed.

The large red wolf barreled into the fight, knocking the heavier weight from me. He stared at me with green eyes, his message clear even without words. I was to stay out of the way—just what I planned to do. It hurt to breathe, and I wondered if I’d broken a rib or two.

If only I could shift like Slater or like Rasmund and the others. Healing always happened more quickly after shifting several times, from what I’d seen.

My ears picked up the sound of battle, making me realize I’d shut my eyes. Opening them, I focused my attention back on the now dueling pair of wolves. The large red one, and the one I’d thought was the alpha of the natural wolves. The two who’d jumped on me were lying in a heap.

A whimper escaped before I could stop it.

Slater bared his teeth, the sight making the other wolf’s hackles rise.

If the smaller beast could understand what Slater was saying, he didn’t show it, nor did he back down.

The flex and play of his hindquarter muscles gave away the fact that he was ready to leap, and I knew without watching that he was going to die.

At the last moment, Slater knocked him away, then jumped on him, teeth latching onto his throat.

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to watch any longer. The exhaustion pulled at me, wounds screaming, and finally I surrendered—my body and spirit aching with helplessness.

Behind closed eyelids, I drifted into memories, a mix of comfort and sorrow carrying me away from the present pain.

A beautiful woman with flowing white-blonde hair and laughing blue eyes danced with a large blond man.

His features were much harsher than hers, but the love shone out of the couple.

They were in a small courtyard surrounded by others.

Everyone was laughing and seemed to be having a good time.

From beneath the table, I watched, spellbound as the adults cheered and danced around.

“LeeLee, you come out from there this instant.’

I turned to see the angry look on Greta’s face staring at me from the end of the table. Scooting backward, I left the sanctuary of my hiding space.