Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Travis
After a boring-as-hell one-on-one with a fox shifter from Florida—I wasn’t interested listening to the time when she and her friends chased a bunch of chickens, I looked around the hotel for Daphne and learned that she and Sarah had gone hiking.
A frisson of unease shot through me. Although the Crutchfield’s territory was on the northeast tip of the island, far from the sea caves, I didn’t like the idea of her possibly running into one of those assholes.
At the thought of being out in nature, my inner wolf gnawed at me like a leashed dog, and I realized I hadn’t run in days. Not since my injury, which seemed ages ago now. I called the pack together before my wolf got even crankier.
Unlike my father who ordered everyone in the Darkaway Island pack to attend, I sent out word that if anyone was available and wanted to go for a group run, we were meeting at the ranch at moon rise.
Jada and Matthew were in, of course, along with my little brothers, and some cousins, including a few pups who were on their first runs.
Once we shifted into our wolf forms, we wrestled a bit in an upper pasture, then I led the pack through the dense forest and up the mountainside.
Surrounded by family, I ran through the trees, over ferns and felled logs. Wind rushed through my fur, energizing my spirit, the ground solid and sure beneath my large paws.
Heavens Moon, I missed this. A run through Stanley Park with a few co-workers from the set of Secret Shadows didn’t hit the same.
We eventually got to a large clearing where we gathered in a circle around the littles and howled at the moon.
The sound of my family rang like a chorus in my ears, and it occurred to me that this was the first time I’d led the pack since my father’s death.
It was both odd and strangely comforting at the same time.
The air smelled of rain and was charged with electricity. A thunderstorm, though rare on the island, must be rolling in. I hoped Daphne was back from her hike and drinking hot chocolate at the hotel by now.
I was mindful not to keep the group out too long.
While the young ones wouldn’t mind getting caught in a downpour, their parents wouldn’t want to deal with all that wet fur.
It was the complete opposite of what my father would do.
He’d keep the pack out till all hours, rain or moon shine, forcing them to listen to him yap about this or that. The man loved to hear himself talk.
I let one of the younger pups lead the group back down the mountain while I brought up the rear. We had just crossed another creek, this one teaming with fish, when I scented another wolf.
Someone not part of our pack.
While the Darkaway Island pack was the oldest pack on the island, it certainly wasn’t the only one. I stopped, braced myself for a confrontation, the hairs on my neck standing on end.
A small red-coated wolf stepped out of the trees.
A female. Clearly exhausted. Though I couldn’t read her thoughts, I could tell she was in some sort of distress.
She shifted into her human form. What the fuck.
It was Sarah. She’d been running hard and leaned on a nearby tree trunk to catch her breath.
I shifted into my human form as well. Not being from my pack, I couldn’t communicate with her otherwise. “What’s wrong?” I demanded, glancing around. “I thought you were with Daphne.”
“I was, but—”
The blood in my veins turned to ice. “What happened? Where the hell is she? Is she hurt?”
If the Crutchfields had anything to do with this, I was going to rip those assholes to shreds.
“No, no,” she said, reassuring me. “She’s fine. But the two of us got trapped in one of the sea caves at high tide.”
Fresh panic gripped me—Daphne was alone and in trouble—and the drive to go to her became my singular focus. I needed to shield her from danger before it was too late.
Protect her.
“It’s all my fault,” Sarah said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I read the tide table wrong. Then, in my rush to get help, I lost control of the car and it went into a ditch.”
A rookie move for sure, but not unusual. And then there was the unexpected storm rolling in, which undoubtedly contributed to the tidal surge. “Stay here. I’ll send someone for you.”
Without waiting for a reply, I shifted back into my wolf form and charged through the trees.
Jada!
Where are you? I thought you were right behind us.
Through the bond, I told her about Sarah and where she could find her. Take her back to the ranch. I’m going after Daphne.
Want me to send someone to help you?
No, I’ll be fine.
And frankly, I didn’t want to wait for reinforcements. I couldn’t. I needed to get to Daphne—now. If anything happened to her, I’d never forgive myself.
I was still a few miles from the coast when I scented them—three wolves from the Crutchfield pack on the other side of a small clearing.
Coming to a halt, I lifted my muzzle and inhaled deeply.
Thank fuck, I didn’t detect Daphne’s scent on any of them, otherwise this encounter would be a blood bath.
The oldest, a scrawny twenty-something named Leon, shifted into his human form. I wasn’t an idiot, however, and remained as a wolf. Individually, I was bigger and stronger than each of them, but it was still three against one.
“Hey, Travis,” Leon said, daring to look me straight in the eye. “How’s the contest going? Find a mate yet? A cute little filly to fuck?”
One of his packmates gave a little yip.
“Shut up, Ed,” he snapped.
I gave a low growl, all the hairs on my back raised, ready to spring into action. Although I was unable to verbally communicate with him, he understood me perfectly.
I dropped my head slightly, took a menacing step closer, and his two brothers backed away.
Leon ran a hand through his mullet. “I heard you need to be mated by the next White Wolf Moon. What a shame you could lose the ranch.”
Who the fuck told him about the will? Merrick? His wife?
Teeth bared, I lunged at them, sending his little brothers running off, their tails between their legs.
Leon tried to shift, but I was faster and had him by the throat. The will wasn’t an issue anymore, but it pissed me off these assholes knew about it in the first place.
“I was just curious,” Leon rasped. “That’s all.”
I bit down, enough to leave a mark, then let go and pissed on his leg.
“Asshole,” he said as I bounded into the trees.
By the time I reached the coast, the rain slashed in sideways and gray mist had turned the sea stacks into faint shadows.
Although the storm had washed away Daphne’s scent from the beach, it didn’t take me long to find her.
There were only so many caves along these cliffs, and my wolf had a very powerful nose.
Huge waves pounded the shore as I leapt into the surf and swam to the opening about fifty feet away. Dark water and foam churned around me as the current tried to batter me against the rocks, but the moon had healed my knee, and I easily made it through the mouth of the cave.
Once inside, Daphne’s scent was stronger, and I prayed I got to her in time. Sarah had said she was okay when she left her, but that was a while ago. A lot could have happened since then.
When my paws touched the ground, I bounded out of the surf and found Daphne huddling on an upper ledge, alone. My thoughts had turned dark on the way here as I imagined what I’d do if I found the rival pack had been here, but I smelled none of them.
“Daphne!” I shifted into my human form and scrambled over the rocks to her. “Are you hurt?”
Huddled on the cold rock, knees to chest, she lifted her head. “Travis?” She squinted into the darkness, teeth chattering. “What are—? How did…?”
I dropped to her side, waves of relief coursing through me as I pulled her onto my lap.
I needed to feel her sweet, soft body against mine to ensure she was okay.
Thank the moon, I didn’t smell blood or see any bruises.
Wrapping my arms around her, I rubbed her back vigorously. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m f—f—f—fine now. Just a little f—f—f—frozen.”
That would not do. “Would it scare you if I shifted back to my wolf form and curled around you? He runs hotter than me.” I recalled how scared she’d been that day on the ferry dock seeing the Crutchfield boys.
She burrowed her face into my chest and made a soft sound of contentment that went straight to my balls. “Your wolf doesn’t scare me, Travis. I saw him in Wickedville, remember? He’s...magnificent.”
A frisson of heat rushed through me. She wasn’t afraid of me—the man, or my wolf.
My inner beast swelled with pride at the compliment as did my cock, and my thoughts immediately turned carnal.
I tried to imagine how it’d feel to be deep inside her.
Now that would be magnificent. She was smaller than me, of course, but not petite, with sturdy hips and lush curves.
In a word, perfect. I’d go slow at first, keeping my primal nature tightly constrained so as not to hurt her. Then, once inside, I’d let go.
Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, drawing her scent into my lungs. She smelled of salty sea air, cedar and something sweet. I wondered how she’d taste.
“W—why aren’t your clothes wet?” she said against my chest, pulling me out of my X-rated thoughts, but just barely. My inner wolf was still there. Right below the surface, pacing like a caged animal.
“Shifter magic,” I explained. “My fur was definitely wet, but as soon as I shift back into my human form, my clothes are as dry as when I started.”
“How nice,” she said, and I nearly snorted. This woman was so accepting of me and my world even though it had been completely foreign to her a short time ago.
As I contemplated making good on my earlier offer to shift back into my wolf form, I hesitated, unsure it would be enough. This rocky ledge was ice cold, and it wasn’t getting any warmer.
And then I remembered the hiker’s cabin I’d passed on the way here. The island’s nature guild kept the popular trails maintained and the cabins well stocked for hikers. It would have a fireplace, wood, provisions and blankets. Perfect for cold, wet hikers who got stuck in a storm.
I told her my idea, promising to keep her as dry as possible. Once we got to shore, it was maybe a five-minute run up the coast. She was game.
“After I shift,” I said, removing my leather belt, “put this around my neck and it’ll give you something to hold on to besides my fur. If I leave it on, it’ll just disappear with the rest of my clothes.”
“Like a collar?” she murmured, lifting a brow, her beautiful eyes sparkling. Was she being a smartass or was this a sexual innuendo? Either way, I loved it.
I cocked my head at her. Two could play that game.
“Are you ready for me?” I meant—for me to shift into my wolf form—but I was thinking along other lines.
She gave me a pointed look like she knew what I meant. “Yes.”
I reached for the moon’s energy. Although it was hard to make yet another change under the same moon, I managed.
She slipped the collar around my neck, climbed onto my back and buried her face in my fur. And as I bounded into the surf, her legs wrapped tightly around me, I imagined a similar, but different scenario. One that also involved her legs wrapped around me but with me burying my face somewhere else.
But first, I had to get her to safety.