Soul of the Pack Read online

  Kyra gave her a sweet smile that made her heart thud. She pointed over to the other side of the park.

  “I’m a teacher at the school over there. I work with the—” Kyra hesitated then finished, “The little ones. How long will you be with us?”

  Ripp ran her hand through her hair bashfully. “I’m not sure yet. A few days? A week? I’m just passing through, like I said.”

  “If you need any pointers I can tell you some of the best places to see the wolves,” Kyra offered.

  Ripp’s mouth went dry. Nothing would make her happier than to see this beautiful woman again, but she reminded herself that was not a good idea. She never dated, and anyway, she’d be leaving in a few days.

  She forced herself to say, “Thanks. I better let you get back to school then.”

  Ripp saw Kyra’s smile falter, and that made her feel terrible.

  “Okay, bye, Storm.” Then she turned to Ripp and said, “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Ripp. Bye.”

  As Kyra walked away, Ripp mentally kicked herself. What idiot turned down a beautiful girl like that?

  Storm gave her a quick bark, and that made up her mind. “Hey, Kyra?”

  Kyra turned around. “Yes?”

  Don’t get involved, her head told her, but her heart took over and said, “Do you want to get a cup of coffee later? Talk about the wolves, maybe?”

  A huge smile spread across Kyra’s face, melting Ripp’s heart. “I’d love that. Meet me after school at the Big Bad Wolf?”

  “I’ll be there,” Ripp replied.

  Ripp tossed Storm’s ball while she watched Kyra walk off. She couldn’t believe she had just asked a girl for coffee. Apart from the fact that she wouldn’t be in Wolfgang County long, she couldn’t indulge in even the briefest of encounters with a woman—she couldn’t trust herself.

  Kyra was like one of the unattainable girls at high school, but she had the sweetest temperament. Her smile made her head swim, and her body ache.

  Storm came running back, and she stroked his fur, never once taking her eyes off the retreating Kyra. Ripp’s instincts told her to follow, but her head told her to run. She closed her eyes and heard the words that had tormented her for years.

  “What kind of animal are you”?

  Ripp shook the feelings of embarrassment and guilt from her and said to Storm, “I can’t meet her. For Kyra’s sake. Let’s go buddy.”

  She and Storm headed back to her truck.

  * * *

  “I’ll be back shortly, Lena,” Dr. Jaycen said.

  Lena sat on the edge of the hospital bed in a state of shock, trying to make sense of what the doctor had just said.

  The Mater walking across to her, smiling. “Congratulations, Lena.”

  Eden gave her a big hug, and somehow Lena couldn’t find the words to respond. This was a total shock. Lena touched her midsection to try to convince herself this was true.

  Eden placed her hand on top of Lena’s. “You’re going to be a mother.”

  “How can this be happening, Eden? I’m not a werewolf.”

  Eden stroked Lena’s back in an effort to soothe her. “The doctor said my blood changed you enough to allow you to become able to mate with a werewolf—with your wolf, Caden.”

  Lena felt a pang of guilt. Eden’s pain, losing her own child, had given her this chance to conceive a child with her mate.

  “Eden, I’m sorry you had to—”

  “Don’t.” Eden shook her head. “This wasn’t your fault or doing. You tried to save me, and I give thanks to the Great Mother that some good, some joy could come out of the pain Dante and I have felt.”

  “Really? Will the Alpha think that?” Lena said hopefully.

  Eden gave her another hug. “Of course. Caden is Dante’s best friend in the world, and nothing would make her happier than to see her closest friend with a family of her own.” Eden took a step back quickly and smiled. “Your wolf is coming.”

  Lena’s heart began to thud deeper and faster. “How did she know?”

  “Your mate always knows, Lena.”

  In an instant Caden came bursting through the door. “Lena? Are you okay?” Lena found herself pulled into her mate’s protective arms. “Tell me, Lena. I was at Venator with Dante, and I felt something badly wrong.”

  “I’m fine, Cade. Really, I’m okay.”

  Caden set her back down carefully, then knelt in front of her. “I knew there was something wrong with you this morning. Is it still a human thing?”

  Lena looked to the door and saw Eden standing with her mate, the pack Alpha, Dante. Lena winked, smiled, and slowly closed the door.

  Caden took her hand and kissed it tenderly. “Please, Lena. If it’s some human disease, I can help you get better. We’ll fight whatever is ahead of us.”

  It was wonderful to finally have someone who cared so deeply about her well-being, and not about a number on a scale.

  How would she break the news? This was never something she anticipated doing, but had longed for. Would Caden be disappointed that their baby would be half human?

  “It’s not a human thing—well, partially. It’s something that’s quite natural with newly mated wolves.”

  Caden furrowed her eyebrows. She was quite clearly confused. “I don’t understand.”

  Lena smiled, took Caden’s hand, and placed it on her stomach. “Turns out you were right. I was putting on weight for a very good reason.” She took a breath and said, “We’re having a baby.”

  Realization slowly spread across Caden’s face. “We’re…we’re—a cub?”

  Lena smiled and put Caden’s hand on her stomach. “Yes, and he or she is right in there.”

  “A little baby cub!” Caden threw her arms around Lena’s middle and hugged her tightly. Lena giggled when Caden started to kiss her stomach. She tenderly stroked her mate’s hair.

  “You’re happy, then?” Lena asked.

  Caden looked up to her and had tears in her eyes. Lena’s heart melted. Her mate was not one for emotional outbursts. She was a tough, strong cowboy, and just seeing her so moved made Lena’s tears start to fall.

  Caden cupped Lena’s cheek with her hand. “Happy? There is nothing in this world that could make me happier, Goddess, and I praise the Great Mother for this gift,” Caden said.

  Lena wiped away her tears. “I’m so glad. It’s all I’ve ever wanted with you. To make a family. The baby will be half human—are you okay with that?”

  Caden stood so she could get close enough to kiss her. “It’s a part of me and, more importantly, you, so our cub will be perfect.

  She gave Lena a deep kiss, then rested her forehead against Lena’s. “I promise I will always protect you both and provide meat for our table.”

  Lena laughed softly and held Caden’s face in her hands, “You’re such an old-fashioned wolf, but I love you for it.”

  They started to get lost in another kiss when the door opened and someone cleared their throat.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, Second.”

  They pulled apart. It was Dr. Jaycen. Caden stepped to the side but put a protective, possessive arm around Lena’s shoulders.

  “That’s all right, Doctor,” Lena said.

  Dr. Jaycen thumped his chest in salute to Caden. “Congratulations, Second.”

  Caden, who still had a huge smile on her face, said, “Thank you, Doctor. I couldn’t be happier.” She gripped her mate more tightly, but nothing seemed to be enough. Every cell in her body was full of energy that was bursting to get out. Her wolf wanted to run through the trees and howl long and loud.

  “Will this pregnancy be any different from a normal human pregnancy?” Lena asked.

  Caden’s smile faltered, and she gripped Lena a little harder. “Will it be dangerous?”

  “I’ve never dealt with a were-human pregnancy personally…” Dr. Jaycen hesitated.

  “But?” Caden said.

  The doctor looked down at his notes and appeared nervous all of a
sudden. Caden felt worry spread through her.

  “But I have heard of one, and the only differences were the length of pregnancy and the pregnancy symptoms were intensified.”

  “What does that mean for me, Doctor?”

  “Like any wolf pregnancy, you will have ravenous appetites, both for food and for sexual intimacy with your mate, but also your bouts of sickness will be more intense.”

  “Lots to look forward to, then,” Lena joked.

  “I will keep a close eye on you at every stage,” Dr. Jaycen said, reassuring them.

  Caden would make sure of it. Any little problem and she would bring her mate to the doctor. No more It’s a human thing from Lena.

  She would make sure her mate was wrapped in cotton wool.

  Dr. Jaycen smiled and said, “The Alpha and Mater would like to come in, if that’s okay.”

  “Sure.” Caden kissed Lena quickly on the lips. “Thank you for this gift, Goddess. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Big Bad Wolf.”

  The door opened and the Alpha and Mater entered. Dante smiled and inclined her head to Lena. “Congratulations, Lena. Our pack will be overjoyed at the news that the Second and her mate are adding another cub to our community.”

  Lena knew enough by now that another dominant wolf wouldn’t come near her, especially now.

  “Thank you, Alpha, and thank you for giving me such a loving home here.”

  As Eden approached to give her another hug, Dante and Caden embraced like excited kids.

  “Congratulations, Cade. You’re going to be a great pater.”

  Caden had thought after her wedding that she couldn’t feel any happier, but she was wrong. Having a family meant the world to her.

  Chapter Five

  Kyra sat herself down and Dezzie’s mom, Gloria, walked over to greet her. “Afternoon, sweetheart. We don’t normally see you after school.”

  Kyra looked around at the tables full of overexuberant cubs, including her niece Nix and her friends, wolfing down burgers, milkshakes, and pastries. Usually by the end of the school day, Kyra’s head was buzzing from being with the cubs at school, and she just wanted to head home and enjoy the quiet of her sister’s den.

  “I know. I’m meeting someone for a cup of coffee,” Kyra said.

  Just then Dezzie walked out from the back with some of the other diner staff, their hands full of plates of food. Once the plates were delivered, Dezzie came over to them and said, “Phew. That’s the worst of the rush done, Mom. Hey, Ky. What are you doing here?”

  Kyra took a breath to answer, but Gloria beat her to it.

  “She has a coffee date.” Gloria nudged Dezzie and grinned.

  “Really?” Dezzie said excitedly.

  Kyra held up her hands. “No, no, not a date. Just a coffee…” She searched her head for a term that wouldn’t scream date. “Appointment. Yes, that’s it. A coffee appointment.”

  Dezzie and her mom looked at her quizzically. “A coffee appointment?” “Ky,” Dezzie said, “you’re a teacher, not an account executive at Venator.”

  Just as she was about to reply, the bell over the door rang. Dezzie looked over and softly growled, “Who is that hunk of tattooed, brooding gorgeousness?”

  Gloria replied, “She came in for directions this morning. Striking looking isn’t she?”

  Kyra turned around and stopped breathing. It was her. Every time Kyra saw Ripp, her wolf tried to tell her that Ripp was everything she found attractive in a wolf. But she was a human.

  Ripp met her eyes and smiled, and Kyra was sure she could feel her stomach flipping upside down. “That’s my coffee appointment.”

  “She does not look like she has appointments,” Dezzie said. “Looks like she has coffee rendezvous.”

  Kyra didn’t even reply. She found herself walking to Ripp as if compelled. She tried to say something, but her words got stuck in her throat. Why did she have to be so nervous around her?

  “Hi,” Ripp said, “do you mind sitting outside? I don’t like leaving Storm in the truck by himself.”

  Ripp’s love and care for her dog made her even more attractive in Kyra’s eyes. “Sure, I’d love to see him again. Why don’t you go and get him, and I’ll get us a table.”

  “Great, thanks.” Ripp flashed that dangerous smile again and hurried out of the diner. Kyra followed and sat at a table, while watching Ripp run across the road to her truck.

  She loved watching the subtle interaction between Ripp and her dog. Ripp hardly had to give any commands. It looked like they had their own language of signals and body language, just like a wolf pack.

  They came walking over, and Storm ran the final few meters to greet her excitedly.

  Kyra rubbed his ears. “Hi, Storm. How are you?”

  He barked happily in response.

  “Storm? Careful,” Ripp said. Her words weren’t said with any force, because she loved watching Kyra with Storm, giving him so much attention. But more than that—at the park Kyra didn’t just treat him like a dog, she respected the wolf in him, and that meant a lot.

  Ripp took a seat at the table and told Storm to settle, and he did, right by Kyra’s feet.

  “You’ve won his heart, Kyra.”

  Kyra blushed and lowered her head submissively.

  Ripp nearly hadn’t kept their date, but looking at Kyra in this moment, she knew she’d had no choice. Kyra was unlike any woman she’d ever met. She was unbelievably beautiful. Her golden blond hair draped softly down her back, with the hint of a wave. It reminded Ripp of summer, when the forest was warm, the grass green, and nature was most alive.

  Ripp had the sudden urge to pull Kyra to her and inhale the scent of her hair, a scent she knew would be one that she could never get enough of. But Kyra was more than her beauty—she was also so sweet and gentle. Ripp imagined she could drown in her sweetness and be happy to never come up for air. That ever-familiar ache in her gums, that usually came through anger or frustration, rose now, as she looked into Kyra’s stunning, pale blue eyes.

  There was also an ache of recognition in her chest, something she didn’t quite understand. They gazed at each other silently.

  “Hey, what can I get you two?” The voice of the waitress interrupted them. “A milkshake with two straws?”

  Ripp felt heat burst into her cheeks, and Kyra gave the woman a hard stare. “Thanks, but no. Dezzie, this is Ripp. Ripp, this is my best friend, Dezzie. Ripp’s here to study the wolves.”

  Dezzie gave her a knowing smile and replied, “I just bet she is. What can I get you, Ripp?”

  From time to time it embarrassed Ripp, but she was never into adult drinks like tea and coffee. She was very basic. “Strawberry milkshake, please.”

  Dezzie smiled then winked. “I’ll bring you two straws just in case.”

  When she left, Kyra said, “Sorry about her. I don’t usually meet people for a coffee—”

  “…date?” Ripp reflexively finished for her.

  Kyra looked at her silently for a few seconds and nodded. “She sees romance and a potential mate in everyone I meet.”

  This felt like a date—not that Ripp had any experience, just a one night stand she tried to forget, but she knew what it should feel like, and this was it. “You don’t have a boyfriend? Girlfriend?”

  Kyra smiled. “It would be a girlfriend, and no, I don’t have one.”

  Ripp could not believe this beautiful girl had no one. What was wrong with the lesbian population of Wolfgang County?

  “I suppose it’s hard to meet someone in a small town like this,” Ripp said.

  “We have a large gay and lesbian population in Wolfgang County. I’m just waiting for the one.”

  Ripp furrowed her eyebrows. “The one?”

  “You know, the one who sets your heart and your skin on fire, a love that consumes you,” Kyra explained.

  “Wow,” Ripp replied. The passion in Kyra’s eyes made her want to kiss her gorgeous lips. But she warned herself not to think li
ke this. She was leaving in a day or two.

  She did know what Kyra meant, but she also knew that kind of love only happened in movies. Real life didn’t work like that. But then Kyra looked like she’d lived a pretty sheltered life here.

  Ripp on the other hand knew that life was hard, cutthroat, and the only love she’d ever felt was with her pack at Willow Creek.

  She just smiled and said, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

  “I’m certain I will.”

  The diner door opened, and a pair of rather stern-faced teenagers walked to their table. Storm stood to attention straightaway and took on a defensive posture. Here in Wolfgang County, Storm seemed to see threats everywhere.

  One teen said to Kyra, “Aunt Ky, is everything all right?”

  All the time she spoke, her friend kept her eyes firmly locked on Ripp, and Ripp held her gaze. The teenagers reminded her of young wolves when they were entering sexual maturity, so ready to prove their strength and dominance.

  “Yes, Nix. I’m fine. This is my new friend Ripp. Ripp, this is my niece, Phoenix, and her friend, Dion.”

  “Hi, kids,” Ripp said very deliberately. Reminding them, as she would with any wolf, that she was older, more dominant, and demanded respect.

  They responded with a suspicious, “Hi”

  Nix turned back to her aunt and said, “We’ll just be inside if you need us, Aunt Ky.”

  What was it with everyone around here? They behaved like they were under attack and saw a threat in her presence here.

  * * *

  Kyra found Ripp’s knowledge of wolves and wolf habitats astonishing, and the passion with which she spoke about them was clear.

  They had a map of Wolfgang County spread out over the table, while Storm remained at her feet. She was certain he understood and detected that she was a wolf just like him, but her submissive nature posed him no threat, and maybe he connected her with the white wolf he and Ripp had met.

  “So, how did you learn so much about wolves, Ripp?” Kyra asked.