Desert Fate (The Wolves of Twin Moon Ranch Book 3) (19 page)

She stood over the body, swaying. There would be no victory shake, no celebration. She spit, disgusted with Ron and with herself. Even in death, he’d forced her to do what she didn’t want to do: to kill. Still, she was no beast. Not like him.

Her wolf managed a weary grin.
There are wolves, and there are wolves, you know.

She knew. She finally knew.

When she looked up, Greer was watching her closely, still in his human form. Still naked. Clearly, the fight had been to his taste, because every muscle on him stood out from the flesh, aroused.

“Well done, she-wolf.” He applauded. “You’ve proven yourself worthy of a better mate.”

She could have howled in despair. She’d just killed a man, and for what? The next barbarian was already in line—and this one, she could never best.

There was a movement behind Greer. The wind, maybe, rippling through the bush?

“I like this new arrangement,” Greer went on. “Why borrow you from a fool when I can have you for myself?”

A wave of nausea swept over her, and she shot a protest right into his mind.
You will never have me!

She forced her stiff legs to back away, but Greer was already upon her, his hands rough, his voice greedy. All she could do was close her eyes and hope for death because living a life imposed on her by Greer was too horrible to consider.

But she couldn’t just wish herself to death, and Greer clearly wanted her alive. With one hand in her hair and the other locking her wrists, he yanked her head back to expose her neck.

The end,
she thought.

But just as his fangs touched down on her skin, there was a bone-jarring jolt and a howl, and she was thrown flat on her back. The air churned over her, filled with screams and wild flailing. Time rushed forward then shuddered to a stop when she realized there were no more clamping hands, no teeth, no bad breath—only a glimpse of sky full of the purest, cleanest blue. Blue that felt like home.

That blue was far too angry to be the sky, and the sun had long since set.

That blue was Kyle’s eyes boring into hers, begging for recognition. His feet bracketed her body, keeping her safe.

Mine,
her wolf cried.
Mate.

The gold in Kyle’s eyes flared like a sunspot, and she heard his response.

Mine. Mate.

She would have given anything to relish the moment, but he was already twisting away. How he fought past his injuries, she didn’t know, only that he had found a second wind. His wolf was a whirlwind of sheer determination that went at Greer with a fury even the mighty alpha couldn’t match. She struggled back to her feet and leaped into the fray.

Greer had shifted back into wolf form but couldn’t quite land his blows, while Kyle was everywhere, slashing and tearing until he’d worked his way into Greer’s thick ruff. Stef worked the outside, snapping at Greer’s flank and legs. It didn’t do much, but it was enough for Kyle to find a hold.

Greer gave a strange yelp, and she saw death register on his face, first in a flash of disbelief, then denial. His hind legs scratched at the ground until a glaze came over his eyes and he went limp. Kyle held on a long time then gave the body a mighty shake before dropping it unceremoniously to the ground. He stood panting over the vanquished alpha then slowly raised his eyes to hers. Her breath caught, and for all the bloody images sickening her soul, there was warmth, too.

They took one slow step toward each other, and she rushed through the rest when he crumpled to the ground, utterly spent.

Kyle!
It came out as an anguished yelp.

She circled him, letting her fur brush his. Just as she’d let her wolf take over in the fight, she let it care for Kyle now, licking his bloodstained neck in long, careful strokes. She sniffed him, begging for some sign.

Please be okay. Please be okay...

Panic built when he didn’t reply, until a voice registered in her mind, weary and distant.
I’m okay. But if I tell you, you might stop, and this feels too good.

Jesus. Had she been in human form, she might have sung her joy, but her wolf settled for a thin whine and licked on. Kyle tasted of blood and grit and desert sand, but under it all, she tasted pure relief.

Mate. My mate.

She curled around him and closed her eyes, blocking away the heavy shadows of the night while she counted the beats of his heart. For a time, that was her whole world, that cocoon of him and her and the night. Her and her mate.

But soon, too soon, the desert stirred. Her head popped up. There was movement out there, an approaching mass. One moment, it was just her and Kyle, and the next, a riot of frenzied voices was breaking on to the scene. The Twin Moon wolves had arrived.

About fucking time,
she thought she heard Kyle think. But there was a soft edge to the complaint; even she knew how far the ranch was. How they even knew to come was a mystery to her. But if Kyle could push his thoughts into her mind, he could probably send them over distances, too.

She curled herself tighter around Kyle and did her best not to growl too openly at anyone who came close. It was his pack; they’d do him no harm. But the fighting instinct was still in her veins, and she wasn’t ready to trust anyone. And she certainly wasn’t part of the pack. She stiffened, wondering what would happen next.

A dark, brooding presence that could only be Ty swept past, sniffing Kyle, then moving on to Greer. Stef let her head pop up to study him, suddenly fearful. She and Kyle had just killed two members of another pack. What consequences would there be?

The din faded to a hush as the others took stock of the scene, anxious and subdued. One wolf let out a mournful whine while another licked Kyle’s fur. As one wolf after another came by, snuffling anxiously, she could sense relief and elation fill the air. Kyle’s packmates had been worried for him. Deeply worried. But he was all right, and she could practically hear the collective exhale.

She rubbed him with her muzzle, reinforcing the message. He had a home—a real home with an honest pack whose members held him dear. Did he get it?

Kyle’s head bobbed, and she imagined him gulping hard away his emotions. Maybe he was more a part of this pack than he’d ever dared to imagine. Maybe he finally saw himself as something more than an outsider. Because the message coming from all the wolves around them said the same thing: he belonged.

His eyes closed, but she could sense his heart swell. Yeah, he got it, all right.

She glanced around as more wolves and a handful of humans approached. Some of the faces were familiar, others new. There was an Amazon of a woman with a bow in her hand, and the arrow notched in the string had a silver tip. She frowned and approached Greer’s body slowly. Only after a kick did the woman slowly let down her guard.

“He’s dead, Rae,” someone assured her.

“Better be.” Rae’s voice was gruff.

Stef wondered who Rae was, and what Greer had done to earn her spite. If the man was so obviously hated, though, maybe she wouldn’t be in such big trouble for playing a role in his death. Did she dare hope?

A pair of human feet appeared at her side, and Cody’s happy-go-lucky voice immediately put her at ease. “Playing possum, Kyle?”

Stefanie heard Kyle’s weak rumble.
Can’t a guy nurse his wounds?

“I’d say your she-wolf is doing that.”

Stefanie felt Kyle tighten into a laugh then choke at the pain in his ribs. She slid her body right, nudging Cody out of the way. What Kyle needed now was time to heal. Peace.

Peace, and you.
His unspoken words filled her with warmth.

Cody chuckled and moved away. “All right, all right, I get the picture. He needs a little more nursing, right?”

A lot more,
she couldn’t help but add as Cody winked at the champagne-colored female brushing along his side, whisking her tail in approval.

Kyle let out a low rumble of agreement and relaxed into her frame. She felt the weight of him, pressing into her side, and decided she’d never felt quite that good.

Don’t worry,
she pushed the thought his way.
I’ll keep you.

Keep me?
Kyle murmured in mock protest.

Keep you safe,
she replied, snuggling her body alongside his.

EPILOGUE

Ten months later…

Kyle bent over the stack of mesquite and loaded up his arms then made for the bonfire pit. He had to weave around half a dozen packmates to do so, all of them scurrying with preparations for the summer solstice: a day the pack celebrated with a barbecue of epic proportions. There’d be games for young and old alike, followed by a feast. The meat of six Angus steer had been slow-roasting in an earth oven overnight, packed in canvas sacks soaked with hickory-scented barbecue sauce. The steak would come out tender and juicy; a real treat. That would be followed by a bonfire and a maybe even a sing-along, if the kids got Cody started, as they always did.

Everyone was in high spirits. Everyone but Kyle.

“Hey, Kyle?”

He dumped the armful of firewood by the pit and turned to Cody. “What?”

It must have come out sharper than he intended because Cody put two hands up in defense. “I guess Stef’s not back yet, huh?”

Kyle grunted an answer before reaching for the baby who was crawling toward the ashes of the last bonfire they’d held, months earlier. He hooked a finger under the boy’s overalls and lifted him into the air. It was Ty and Lana’s younger kid. Amazing how the little guy had grown. At the last bonfire, he’d been a helpless baby. Now he was crawling on all fours. Kind of a miracle, if he thought about it.

He got stuck in the moment, somehow, looking at the child, feeling the wiggle of the tiny body testing his strange new position in the air.

“Thanks!” Lana came running up to take over. She cuddled the child close and turned away, cooing a mild reproach at her son. “What’s my little boy doing over here? Daddy needs you over there!”

Kyle stood blinking in her wake, thinking he wouldn’t have minded holding the little guy a minute longer. Then he caught Cody giving him one of the knowing looks he excelled at.

He scowled in return and dusted off his hands. The ashes were from the last big event, a send-off for Tyrone, the pack’s retired alpha and the father of Ty, Tina, and Cody. With Greer dead, North Ridge needed a strong leader to put the pack in order.

“Should be you, Kyle,” Ty had grunted at the time, piercing him with those black-brown eyes. Having killed the North Ridge alpha in a fair fight, it was Kyle’s right to take over that pack. It made sense: North Ridge could use a fresh face and steady, quiet leadership to rebuild after years of Greer’s oppressive rule.

“You’re just what they need,” Tina had insisted.

She wasn’t the only one. Many of Kyle’s packmates—as well as North Ridge wolves relieved to be free of Greer’s heavy-handed ways—had urged him to take over.

“Not interested,” he had responded, again and again. As much as running a pack appealed to the alpha in him, he had no desire to leave Twin Moon Ranch. For the first time in his life, he felt at home.

Stef understood it best. While others shook their heads and whispered of a missed opportunity, she knew. Neither he nor she was interested in another move.

So old Tyrone, the retired Twin Moon alpha, had headed north to “knock some sense into that disgrace of a pack,” as he so delicately put it, and Kyle was secretly relieved. So was everyone else at Twin Moon Ranch. Old Tyrone was a respected leader but not an easy character to have around. Let him go to North Ridge, they nodded to each other, for as long as it might take for a new alpha to emerge. Someone who could run the pack properly.

Kyle had no regrets. He rubbed his hands on his jeans and gauged the wood pile. Still not enough. He turned with a sigh and headed back for another armful just as two kids came hurtling by with a big black dog in slobbery pursuit.

“Cody! Cody!” cried one.

“Daddy! Daddy!” yelled the other, and Kyle recognized Cody’s older daughter. Only Cody’s kids had hair that shade of blond. That was all the greeting the girls got off before rushing off on whatever mission they were on.

“Hi, sweetie!” Cody called after the kids then caught up with Kyle. “Hey, Tina wanted to know if…” he started then broke off. “I’ll ask you later.”

Kyle glowered at him. “Why later?”

“Because you’re easier to talk to when Stef is home,” Cody said with that smile he never extinguished. Everything was funny to Cody, even when the world was dark.

Kyle knew it only seemed dark at this moment; it always felt like that when his mate was away. Deep in his bones, he knew that life was good. Very good. But he was a greedy bastard who wanted his mate around—all the time, if he had his way. Being separated for normal working hours was hard enough, but Stefanie’s job sometimes called for overtime. The company had been delighted to have her back once everything settled down and promptly assigned her to their growing Arizona consultancy. She only traveled away a couple of times a month—and never, ever to questionable places. He made damn sure of that. Still, she was away too often for his taste. But what could he do? His job was important, and so was hers. At least he knew she’d be safe now that she’d been marked. As his.

The thought made him stand a little taller, a little prouder. She’d marked him, too, and he fingered the spot now. His favorite scar.

Mine,
the wolf growled inside.

He was about to crack a reply to Cody when two arms circled him from behind and a familiar warmth pressed into his back.

He let out a long, relieved breath. “You’re home.”

Stef kissed the side of his neck and there it was, the sun coursing back into him. “Hmmm,” she agreed, “home.”

He turned and pulled her into a smothering clinch of a hug—because a kiss would have taken far more coordination than he could muster with his spirit singing the way it was.
Home is wherever you are.