Werewolf's Way [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 1] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (14 page)

“It’s not an actual town,” Graham answered. “We grew up in a small settlement of werewolves in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My former Alpha always managed to hide us from draechen patrols. But when the pack grew too big, Stuart and I were forced to leave. It’s never safe to gather too many wolves in the same place. My parents still live there, though, at least, the last time I checked.”

“The last time you checked?” Caelyn repeated incredulously. “Do you not keep in contact?”

“We try to send messages from time to time, but it’s not always possible.” Graham shrugged. “You have to understand, we’re all drifters. It takes a great deal of effort to organize anything at all or communicate from the distance.”

It made sense, but it was still upsetting. As he entered the car, Caelyn wondered just how many things he’d always taken for granted Graham had been denied.

“Angel, don’t be sad for me,” Graham said as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Compared to other people, my family and I are still quite close.”

Caelyn didn’t know if he believed that. He did realize that from now on, he himself had ended up in Graham’s position. But there was one clear positive thing in the entire situation. Graham was no longer alone. For good or ill, he and Caelyn were in this together now. And that was worth any sacrifice they had to make.

* * * *

A few days later

In shifted form, Graham sniffed the air, following the scent he had caught. It had taken longer than expected for him to catch the trail of his former pack, but now, he’d finally detected them.

Behind him, Caelyn was quiet and tense, obviously realizing that they were close to their destination and still uncertain as to how he felt about that. He remained doubtful regarding how he would be received by Graham’s family. Graham wished he could have reassured his mate, but Caelyn didn’t need white lies. Besides, between mates, just the attempt at deception would have been futile, and Graham knew all too well that what awaited them wouldn’t be easy.

As he advanced through the forest, Graham’s wolf grew increasingly wary. He’d entered the territory of another Alpha, and if Hugh was still the man Graham remembered, he likely wouldn’t be happy at Caelyn’s presence.

Hugh Crane had built Graham’s previous pack from nothing, and he protected it savagely. It was actually admirable of him, and in many ways, Graham still followed his example. However, he still believed that, to a certain extent, Hugh took things too far in his quest to preserve his pack. It had been exceedingly difficult for him to get used to the thought of leaving his home during his earlier years, but his focus on leading his new pack had helped him a great deal. In fact, for everyone, survival had been too important to dwell on the past. But that didn’t change the fact that their previous Alpha had pushed them away, nor did it fill Graham with any faith toward Hugh.

To make things even worse, the day before, Graham had spotted a draechen patrol. He and Caelyn had narrowly escaped being seen, but the near disaster had them both on edge.

In truth, it felt very strange to return here after all these years. He’d missed it in the beginning, but after that, it had become a distant memory he didn’t think about anymore. And yet, the trees, the whisper of the wind, the clear air, and the sky seemed to welcome him home.

As it turned out, his former pack didn’t prove to be so hospitable. Out of the blue, several wolves appeared from the bushes ahead. Graham sensed them coming and, using his bond with Caelyn, said,
“Stay behind me, no matter what, and don’t say anything until I can get them to listen. I’ll protect you.”

A flash of panic coursed through Caelyn, but then, the sprite forcibly pushed it away.
“Don’t worry about me,”
he replied.
“I’m not exactly helpless either. And besides, we haven’t come here to fight.”

Sadly, Graham’s former pack didn’t seem to agree with Caelyn’s assessment. They stalked toward Graham and Caelyn, snarling angrily and baring their fangs. Truth be told, Graham only thought they answered to Hugh, because he didn’t recognize them. That might have been because they were obviously far younger than Graham, likely born after his departure.

Either way, Graham had no intentions of shedding blood. He snarled back, taking a leap forward. Being an Alpha meant that he was far stronger than all of them combined, and he could take them out with ease. But he hadn’t come here to fight pups.

Growling viciously, he willed them to back down. A few of them grew a little more cautious, respectful of his size and obvious strength, feeling the reality of his Alpha nature. The others, though, weren’t so cautious.

Graham decided to make one final attempt.
“I want to speak with Hugh,”
he sent out to the group.
“My name is Graham Powers, and it’s very important that I see your Alpha.”

Communicating mentally with other wolves was an ability only Alphas had. At his words, everyone froze. They couldn’t deny his authority, but neither could they let him pass.

“I don’t mean anyone here any harm,”
Graham tried again.
“Just take me to Hugh.”

For a few moments, it almost seemed that he’d convinced them. Unfortunately, Caelyn’s presence made them nervous, or better said, angry. That fury, and their youth and recklessness, won out. Ignoring his words, they lunged forward and attacked.

There were six of them and one of him, if he discounted Caelyn’s assistance of course. But Graham wasn’t afraid in the slightest. He dodged the first assault with ease and before his foe could recover, buried his fangs in the side of the wolf in question. He was careful not to cause any lethal injuries, and this slowed him down a little, but it didn’t really matter in the end. One by one, his opponents fell, helpless in the battle against his superior strength.

Finally, five fallen wolves lay in front of Graham. To their credit, they’d managed to cause him some minor injuries, although the wounds were practically insignificant. Wait… Five? Where was the sixth pup?

Just as he thought this, he sensed another wave of fear and anger coming from Caelyn. Through Caelyn’s eyes, Graham saw the sixth wolf jumping at him. He turned, ready to take his new opponent on, even if he knew that he couldn’t hope to dodge the unexpected attack now.

In the end, the blow never came. Instead, a hidden force struck his opponent, sending him flying into the air. The wolf hit a large tree and, with a whine, collapsed to the ground.

“Oh, dear,” Caelyn gasped out. “Did I kill him? I didn’t mean to.”

Graham padded to the side of the shifter in question and sniffed him. He was unconscious, but he’d be just fine.

As Caelyn released a relieved sigh, Graham shifted back into his human form. “Perhaps now you’ll be willing to listen?” he asked the group.

The biggest of the wolves at last changed shapes and struggled to his feet. “We don’t listen to spies and traitors,” he snapped back, “even when they are Alphas.”

One of his companions turned into his legged form as well, and added. “It’s a sad day for us that one of our leaders has taken the side of our oppressors.”

Graham rolled his eyes. “Must you be so dramatic? If you’d be so kind so as to listen to what I’m saying, you’ll learn that I’m on your side. It’s a little pathetic that Hugh has to rely on pups who ignore their elders for security.”

The larger shifter bristled, obviously not appreciating the reprimand. Graham suspected he might have tried to attack again, but surprisingly, Caelyn stepped between them. “Please, you mustn’t argue,” he said softly. “We’re telling the truth. My name is Caelyn, and I’m Graham’s mate. I’m not a spy, or a danger to you. Neither of us is. We’re only trying to find Graham’s brother, Stuart.”

The two wolves shared a look. “You are mates?” the second shifter asked hesitantly. “Are you serious?”

“Of course,” Caelyn replied. He threw a loving smile Graham’s way, and Graham’s dick couldn’t help but respond.

Arching a brow, Caelyn turned toward the other wolves once more. “I would never joke or lie about a mate bond.”

He spoke so softly, so gently that not even the two skeptical shifters could be immune to it. “Maybe we should allow them to speak to the Alpha,” the smaller werewolf said. “After all, what can they do?”

“I guess you’re right,” the larger of the two said. “The sprite seemed well intentioned enough.”

It was almost ridiculous to see the two pups who’d faced Graham so bravely melt when faced with Caelyn’s loving nature. After all, as much as Graham might have claimed to be irritated by their immaturity, he admired their dedication in protecting their pack. However, it seemed that not all of those present were inclined to be so trusting.

The wolf Caelyn had knocked out using his abilities stirred and turned into his human form as well. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” He growled. “Are you people blind? You said it yourself. He’s a sprite. He just loves to create illusions to fool idiots like you.”

“Watch your mouth, Dean,” the first man said. “We don’t know if they’re telling the truth or not, so it would behoove us to learn it.”

Dean glared, not looking convinced in the slightest. Personally, Graham was getting tired of playing games with children
. “Come on, angel,”
he sent to his mate.
“I can easily find Hugh, and I don’t need permission from these guys.”

Caelyn didn’t argue. Instead, he slid to Graham’s side, ready to go with him. The other wolves noticed, and clearly didn’t appreciate it. “Hold it right there. Exactly where do you think you’re going?” one of them asked.

The entire situation would have undoubtedly gone to blows again, if the man Graham had come here looking for hadn’t showed up at last. “Enough of this,” Hugh shouted, appearing from the bushes. “Come on, Graham. I think you’ve caused enough excitement for one day.”

In respect for Hugh’s position, Graham bowed his head slightly, although he didn’t expose his throat as another wolf would have. Hugh’s tone clearly illustrated how this meeting was going to go.

He also couldn’t help but notice that Hugh seemed to have aged a great deal. Had it truly been so long since Graham had come to the one place he’d ever called home? The thought bothered him.

Nevertheless, he did his best not to let it show. It would be hard enough to handle this sensitive situation without bringing unnecessary emotions into it. “Not my fault,” he replied. “Your guardlings are so eager to impress you that they’d even fight an ally.”

Hugh narrowed his gaze at him. “I do believe you aren’t here to talk about the security of my pack.”

“You’re quite correct,” Graham said. When he saw Hugh throwing a distrustful look Caelyn’s way, he rushed to say, “First of all, let me introduce my mate, Caelyn Sutharlainn.”

“Sutharlainn?” The disbelief in Hugh’s voice confirmed Graham’s original suspicions about Hugh’s attitude. “Your mate is a sprite noble?”

“I’ve left that life behind,” Caelyn said in Graham’s stead. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“I beg to differ,” Hugh answered. “And you can never change the fact that you’re male.”

All the blood drained out of Caelyn’s face. Clearly, it hadn’t even occurred to him that him being a man would cause a problem, too. It wasn’t an issue for draechen, sprites, and fae. Some magical creatures were a little more squeamish, but not the ones Caelyn had regular contact with.

But Graham would not allow any slight to his angel. “My mate’s gender and my sexuality are none of your business, Hugh,” he said. “I just came to find my brother, who I’m told is here.”

“And how exactly do you know that?” Hugh inquired. “According to what Stuart said to me, you were captured by draechen forces. And now you show up here, with knowledge you shouldn’t have and a male sprite in tow. What would you have me think?”

“I’d have you trust me,” Graham shot back. “If you must know, Caelyn freed me. Now where is Stuart?”

No sooner had he spoken than he felt the familiarity of a presence dear to him. “Right here, brother,” Stuart said as he stepped out of the bushes, followed by Monroe and a couple of other members of their two packs.

Seeing Monroe reminded Graham of Taryn, and he barely managed to suppress a wince. He was distracted from his feelings of guilt when his parents emerged from the forest, joining them.

Violet and Tate Powers had once been among the powerful members of Hugh’s pack. In fact, during Graham’s years here, his father had been the beta. Graham didn’t know if that was still the case, but he decided he didn’t care. His mother was already frowning, and his father’s face had gone red like it did when he was really angry.

“Here we were, trying to figure out a way to save you,” Tate said, “and all this time, you were planning to sell us off. I can’t believe this.”

Graham rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I don’t want to get into this again. I was lucky enough to have a mate who helped me out, and I’m thanking the gods for being captured in the first place. Otherwise, I might not have met Caelyn.”

He took Caelyn’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. “Now that we have things clear, tell me, Stuart. How is the pack?”

Stuart blinked, looking taken aback. “Err… Fine. We managed to escape capture because you distracted them.”