“Brigden is making a few calls, but he’s never heard of a shifter without a humanoid form either,” Hensen said as he checked over his shoulder to make certain his mates were okay. It was kind of a silly thing to do because he could sense their emotions, and he knew Maggie’s thoughts, but it didn’t stop him from needing a visual as well. He hadn’t really wanted to bring Maggie to see the creature that had tried to kill her twice, but he wanted all of his mates close. Gavin had already proven that he was very capable in a fight, but Hensen wasn’t going to let his human mate carry that burden alone.
“When will you make him a wolf?” the alpha asked, following Hensen’s gaze.
“When he asks me to,” Hensen answered in a tone of voice that he hoped suggested it would be futile to argue.
Thankfully, the alpha nodded. “It will make the others nervous, but I can understand your reasoning.”
“Thank you, alpha,” he said, grateful that the man didn’t try to push the point. It helped that Gavin’s sister was mated to the beta of Shy River pack—a woman most of the pack members here knew and liked. Gavin had already made it clear he cared for his sister and wanted only what was best for her. If nothing else it suggested that he wouldn’t run off telling werewolf secrets to the world.
Hensen turned back to the wolf that stared at them both, its teeth showing aggressively as it tried to warn them away.
“Gavin said he heard a slight crackling noise just before the creature changed into its two-legged form. Considering that it’s been in wolf form ever since, I’m beginning to wonder if the change was prompted by outside stimuli, like a Taser or electric cattle prod.”
“It probably fits,” the alpha said as he scratched at the stubble on his face. “If someone opened the door to let the wolf in, it stands to reason that they were trying to control it in some way.” The alpha of Dry Creek was a big man, very experienced, and more than capable of protecting his pack, so the worry in his eyes was a little disconcerting. Hensen got the impression that very few people saw this side of the alpha. “What really confuses me is why it went down with a single gunshot and why it didn’t change immediately to heal. The damn thing was almost dead before it changed forms and forced the bullet out.”
Hensen nodded his agreement. None of it made sense. Why hadn’t the were-creature known how easily it could heal by changing forms? He understood the distraction of pain, but that usually made the change more instinctive, a reaction of survival. It was actually their biggest worry when it came to humans camping so close to their pack lands. Accidental confirmation of the existence of werewolves had been their biggest fear for centuries now.
“Is it possible that it was never a person?”
Maggie asked into Hensen’s mind.
“What are you thinking, baby girl?”
he asked as her thought process became clear in his head. Her conclusion horrified him, but it did fit the information they had.
“Maggie just suggested something that I’m not sure is even possible.”
The alpha raised an eyebrow and glanced at the woman sitting several feet away with Gavin and Kade. “I forgot that when I’m talking to true-mates that I’m talking to more than one person.”
“Apologies, alpha,” Hensen said respectfully. “We’ll be able to control it better once the link is fully formed.”
The alpha waved away his apology. “What was your mate’s suggestion?”
“What would happen if a werewolf tried to turn a creature other than a human into one of us?”
The alpha wasn’t slow on the uptake. Hensen could hear him grinding his teeth together as he considered the possibility. “A day ago I would have said it wasn’t possible, but the creature in front of us seems to be just a wolf, not a werewolf in furry form. And Maggie’s theory would certainly explain why it didn’t think to change forms to heal its wounds.” He scratched at the stubble on his face again, a gesture that Hensen was beginning to realize meant the alpha was deeply concerned. “It also explains why wild wolves are suddenly attacking humans. Lean winter or not, wolves are usually smart enough to avoid humans.” He turned and called to his beta. “Kobe, take a team back to the area where Maggie was attacked and then check every nook and cranny for intruders on pack lands.” He turned back to Hensen. “You said Suzanne’s house was still boarded up?”
Hensen nodded.
The alpha turned to Kobe as the beta moved closer. “There are a couple of abandoned cabins in that area. Check them for medical supplies or evidence of some sort of experimentation. I doubt changing a wolf into a were-creature is as simple as biting it.”
“Medical supplies?” Hensen asked as he remembered all the medical supplies stored in the den where they’d cleaned up Maggie. His blood flashed hot and cold at the thought that they had possibly been that close to the person or people behind the wolf attacks. “Check the den about a half mile north of where Maggie was attacked.”
The alpha looked confused. “Our dens are just bolt holes. A few blankets, water, maybe a bit of food. We don’t stock them with medical supplies.”
“The den we used was built like a concrete bunker. It was fully stocked with food and medical supplies including a stainless steel medical table.” Hensen moved back toward his mates, suddenly needing to stay much closer. The alpha and beta both nodded, as if they understood Hensen’s actions, and moved with him. “At the time I thought it was unusual, but to be honest, I was just grateful to have a place to make sure Maggie was fully healed. I didn’t really stop to wonder why Dry Creek pack would have such well-appointed dens.”
“Did you pick up any werewolf scents?”
“None that I noticed at the time. I was kind of distracted.” He closed his eyes as he realized how much that distraction could have cost them. He should have been more aware of their surroundings. He’d made the assumption that they’d been dealing with just a hungry wolf. It hadn’t even occurred to him that they might be dealing with something far more dangerous.
He almost jolted as a warm hand clapped onto his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. “We were both on high alert,” Gavin said quietly. “Maggie and Kade were never in any danger.”
Hensen nodded, accepting his mate’s reassurance as he tried to push away the feeling of panic that kept running through him.
Fuck
. After a century of having complete faith in his own abilities, the timing of his self-doubt really sucked.
“But it does suggest someone was listening in on our conversations,” Gavin said apparently having followed the conversation from several feet away. Hensen could sense his human mate sifting through all the details in his memory, viewing what happened yesterday in today’s new light. “It would explain how this”—he pointed at the wolf still growling at them through the bars of its cage—“creature could track us even though we traveled here by car.”
The alpha’s cell phone rang. He stepped away to answer the call, shaking his head as whoever was on the other end apparently gave him more bad news.
“But it still leaves the question of why they would risk exposure to kill Maggie,” Gavin said quietly. “If that creature hadn’t attacked a second time, we’d still be working on the assumption that it was just a desperate pack of hungry wolves.”
Hensen heard Maggie’s thoughts and finally realized she’d spent some time studying veterinary science. How the hell had he missed that?
“It wasn’t for long,”
she said quietly into his mind.
“My mom got sick soon after I went to college. I came home when I realized how ill she really was.”
“I’m so sorry, baby girl,”
he said, sharing her painful memories of her mother’s illness.
“It’s okay,”
she said as she flooded their connection with good memories of a woman who’d done everything to keep her daughter safe and happy.
“But I think I have a theory on why they tried to kill me a second time.”
“Do I really want to know?”
Hensen asked as his stomach flooded with dread once more. It didn’t help at all when he caught a few words from the alpha’s telephone conversation. Suddenly, he knew his family wasn’t safe here at all.
Gavin felt Hensen’s agitation. He had no real understanding of what had set it off, but it was clear that he was worrying about something more than what he’d shared with the alpha. He was practically cutting off Maggie’s air supply as he held her closer and the four of them hurried back to Kade’s small home.
As soon as they entered the front door, Hensen pushed Maggie into Kade’s arms and practically body slammed Gavin into the wall. He was so surprised by the attack that he almost didn’t react when he felt Hensen’s mouth open over the side of his neck.
Gavin couldn’t free either of his hands to reach his gun or his knife, the werewolf’s superior strength easily holding him in place. Nevertheless he fought the man’s hold using every survival instinct he knew, but it did him no good. Hensen leaned into him, giving him less room to move, flattening him against the hard wood of the wall. Gavin shook his head wanting to deny he was at the werewolf’s mercy.
“I’m sorry,” Hensen said as he suddenly pulled away. As soon as his arms were released, Gavin swung his fist, catching Hensen’s jaw with a solid thud. Hensen shook his head but didn’t retaliate.
“What the fuck, wolf?” Gavin asked in a low, dangerous voice making certain that the word “wolf” came out sounding like an insult.
“We’ll find a different way,” Maggie whispered, moving to place a hand on Hensen’s arm as if he were somehow the one who should be upset.
“There is no other way.”
“Not against his will,” Maggie said calmly.
“You didn’t get a choice.”
“That was different. I was dying.”
Kade seemed as confused by the nearly silent, whispered exchange as Gavin felt. Whatever these two were sharing across their apparently telepathic link this seemed to be the most they were inclined to share out loud.
Hensen breathed out heavily and mumbled an apology to Gavin, but he didn’t look at him as he stepped away. Maggie finally moved toward Gavin and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held himself stiffly, unwilling to relax his guard long enough to embrace the woman who’d already become very important in his life.
Finally, Maggie stepped back and looked up into his eyes. Again her words were nearly silent.
“When you were with the SEAL teams, did you ever volunteer for a mission without knowing all the details?”
He raised an eyebrow at such an irritating question. That was basically the definition of being a Navy SEAL. He went where he was sent, and he and his teammates did what was asked of them. They didn’t pick and choose missions on the basis of what might be less hazardous or more glamorous. It was dangerous and dirty work, but Gavin had done it proudly and he had no regrets.
“Hensen needs you,” she whispered. “Please trust him.”
“After that,” he said, shaking his head, “I’m thinking no.”
“Not even for Maggie?” Hensen asked as he finally turned worried eyes to Gavin. In that moment, something passed between them, an understanding or perhaps a shared need. Whatever it was, it left Gavin worried that a man as powerful as Hensen could be so shaken.
“Will it make me stronger?” he asked, keeping his voice down. Gavin had practiced hand-to-hand combat with men larger than himself, but he’d never been left feeling quite so outgunned. Hensen was a big man, but his strength wasn’t in proportion to his size. It had to be a werewolf thing.
Hensen nodded and stepped a tiny bit closer. There was a fine tremor in the hand that he placed against Gavin’s face. “I promise you’ll never regret being mine.”
Gavin glanced at Maggie, but it was the man in front of him who dominated his thoughts. Until five minutes ago he would have sworn that Hensen would never try and force him to become a wolf. Whatever had happened had the man panicked.
He closed his eyes and nodded, already regretting the fact that he wouldn’t be able to track down his brothers. His family had drifted apart over the years, and it had been the one thing he’d been determined to fix. But with the purple hue becoming a werewolf would give his skin, chances were the only contact he’d ever have now with his siblings would be via a telephone.
“I’m sorry,” Hensen mouthed before leaning forward to press a kiss to Gavin’s lips.
Gavin felt his cock harden at the man’s sincere words. Whatever else was going on, he truly couldn’t deny the connection they had. He tilted his head to the side, giving Hensen better access, offering himself freely to the man who’d only moments ago seemed ready to take him by force.
“Thank you,” Hensen whispered against his ear and then opened his mouth over Gavin’s throat. The sharp teeth sinking into his skin hurt more than he planned to admit, but it was the sudden spike in his own arousal that nearly had him whimpering pathetically. He wrapped his arms around Hensen’s head, holding him closer, gasping as he felt the power that flowed into his veins. It was an incredible rush, a type of adrenaline high that Gavin had only experienced during life or death situations.
Hensen wrapped his arms around Gavin’s waist, pulling him tightly against him, their hard cocks colliding as Gavin fought to get closer.
“Wow,” Maggie said with a soft laugh. “I’m beginning to think I missed out by being asleep while you changed me.”