Authors: SL
a jacket around Jac's shoulders. "It should put Mary Lynn out like a
light."
The full moon fever raced through Ray's veins. The alpha
sithech
wanted blood ... the she-wolf's blood, but his human-side held him at
bay. If he purposely harmed her, the pack would question his actions.
And, being a pack guardian, they would hold him accountable for the
consequences.
The she-wolf still was rabid and fighting hard. The moon fever had
her under its grip, and in a bad way. Yet, he'd managed to wear her
down. From the other side of the clearing, he sensed Megan's
approach.
Step back, bro,
she mentally conveyed.
I need a clear shot.
Ray eased back, hoping Megan's aim was on the mark. If not, the
she-wolf might turn on her and he wasn't about to let that happen. He
certainly would kill the bitch if she attacked his sister –consequences
be damned.
Shots rang out. The she-wolf staggered back. She was hit. Two
small darts marked her tawny fur. Combined with weariness, the
potent tranquilizers took effect. The wolf wobbled on all-fours then
sank to the ground. However, it wasn't until the she-wolf closed her
eyes that he exhaled a sigh of relief.
He turned to where Jac and the others stood. She leapt to her feet
and ran toward him. "Oh Ray, thank goodness you're okay." The
genuine concern in her voice made his heart soar.
Smiling, she dropped to her knees beside him. "I wouldn't want
anything to happen to you ... not to my mate." Moonlight glimmered
in her dark eyes as she threw her arms around his neck, burying her
face in his fur. "I love you too, Ray," she confessed in a soft whisper.
Jac was accepting him as her mate. Ray was overcome with
emotion. He was one damn lucky
sithech
.
In an expression of pure joy, he tilted back his head and howled at
the moon.
* * * *
Returning to the house, Ray hopped in the shower, while Jac fixed a
pot of coffee for several pack members who'd come to help transport
Mary Lynn to safety.
Jac grinned as Ray strolled into the room in nothing but a towel.
"Do you need a hand with that?" Ray inclined his head to the
thermos and cups beside the coffeemaker.
"No, I've got it." She winked. "But you'd better get on some
clothes." Jac wagged a finger at him and smirked.
"All right, but I'll meet you down there," he called over his shoulder
as she grabbed thermos and cups, heading out the door. She made her
way to the shady glade, recalling the nightmare from the night before.
Yet, she'd survived ... thanks to Ray and Megan.
Dawn was breaking over the horizon. Jac was relieved, happy to
see the daylight again.
She stopped just short of the commotion as Derek and several pack
members unloaded a metal cage from the back of a pickup truck. Jac
cringed as a twinge of sympathy rippled through her.
"Is Mary Lynn going to be all right?" Jac asked, handing Megan the
thermos and cups.
"Yes, she'll be fine." Megan gave her a reassuring smile. "Bruce
and the boys will make sure she recovers and then the pack will
decide how to handle her transgressions."
"I can't believe she was trying to kill me ... and all because of Ray."
Jac frowned, shaking her head as she recalled the deadly she-wolf
chasing her through the woods.
"It's okay, Jac. Everything's fine now." Ray came up behind her,
placing his warm hands on her shoulders. Calming her with his touch,
he continued, "The moon fever affects each of us
sithech
differently.
The moon acts as a mirror, magnifying our reactions. Mary Lynn
must've lost control and her jealousy was intensified many-fold for
her to attack you."
"Well said, bro." Megan grinned, raising a cup in mock-salute.
"For a moment there, I didn't know if you could control your emotions
either."
"Believe me, it was difficult." Ray gave a weary sigh.
In unison, the three looked back to Mary Lynn, still in
sithech
-
form, unconscious on the ground. Bruce was kneeling beside her. He
stroked her fur, whispering to her in a low, soothing tone.
"He likes her, doesn't he?" Jac asked, her throat knotting with
emotion.
"They went out on a date the other night," Megan replied in a low
tone. "Yeah, he likes her, but my intuition tells me he's upset with
himself for not suspecting she was the rogue."
"Ah man, it's not his fault." Ray shook his head. "Hell, if it wasn't
for you and Ernie, we all would have been in the dark."
"Maybe you can take Bruce out for a beer later on." Jac smiled up
at Ray, patting his hand. "I'm sure he could use a good friend about
now."
"That's one of the things I love about you, Jac. You have a good
heart," he whispered into her ear, making her feel all warm and fuzzy
from head to toe.
Megan had slipped away, giving them privacy. Jac turned in his
arms, inhaling his familiar scent, the scent of wolf and man. "And my
heart belongs to you, my mate." She smiled into his handsome face.
"But, what about your career at
The Inside-View
?" he asked,
pressing his forehead to hers. "You'll be leaving town soon and – "
"No, I want to be here with you," she confessed. "I've thought
about moving to Heather Grove." Jac glanced up and smiled with
amusement at Ray's stunned expression. "Cameron White is looking
for a reporter over at the
Gazette
. I could take a job there or I could
start writing my 'Great American Novel'. What do you think?"
"That's my pixie!" He chuckled. "You know, a woman with
confidence is a real turn-on."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah." His breathless tone stirred something deep inside her. The
dawn's early light twinkled in his eyes while he leaned close,
capturing her lips in a sweet, sensual kiss. Jac's senses reeled, her
heart filling with love ... love for her
sithech
mate.
Without a doubt, both of their lives were changing and it was all for
the better.