Nikolai's Wolf

NIKOLAI’S WOLF

Zena Wynn

www.loose-id.com

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This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id® e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

Nikolai’s Wolf

Zena Wynn

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by

Loose Id LLC

870 Market St, Suite 1201

San Francisco CA 94102-2907

www.loose-id.com

Copyright © March 2009 by Zena Wynn

All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 978-1-59632-894-5

Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Jana J. Hanson

Cover Artist: Croco Designs

www.loose-id.com

Chapter One

“Shannon! Shannon! Where the hell are you?”

The door closed with such force, it rattled the whole house. Shannon rolled her eyes and kept logging figures into her spreadsheet. He’d find her soon enough. She was in the same spot every day.

Her brother, Rory, stormed into the office. “I just spoke to MacDougal. He said you turned him down. That’s the third one this week!” She didn’t even glance away from the computer screen. “If you would stop setting them up for failure, we wouldn’t keep having this problem.” He pounded his hand on the desk, causing the monitor to shake. “I have to do something. If I left it up to you, you’d never take a mate. You’re twenty-nine. Most females your age are mated and have several cubs.”

Oh, great. Time for another one of those discussions.

Shannon sighed, saved her spreadsheet, and finally turned to face him. “I’m not most females my age. If I decide to take a mate, it will be one of my own choosing. Stop shoving men at me. All you’re doing is pissing me off.” Rory growled in frustration and began to pace. “Shannon, you have a responsibility to mate and produce pups. It’s for the continuation of our species. As the alpha-fem, you have to set an example for rest of the females, no matter how few of them there are.” Her eyes narrowed. “Cut the crap, Rory. You could care less about ‘the continuation of our species.’ Don’t you mean the continuation of our family line? God, I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but you’re starting to sound just like Dad.”

“Well, he was right about this at least. We are the last of the McFelans. If we don’t have pups, the line will die with us. Then who’s going to lead the pack? Do you want that to 2 Zena Wynn

happen, Shannon? Do you?” He planted his hands on the desk and leaned forward aggressively, getting into her space.

God, he is lay n

i g i o

t n thick. Shannon relaxed back into her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Rory, quit trying to lay a guilt trip on me. It’s not going to work. If you don’t want the McFelan name to die out, produce your own pups.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she inwardly winced.

Her brother had been spreading his seed around like water since he was old enough to know what to do with it. As far as she knew, there wasn’t a female in the pack over the age of consent he hadn’t fucked. None of it had taken root. He had to be thinking he was the first infertile McFelan in generations. Maybe that’s why he was becoming obsessed with her lack of a love life.

Rory grew completely still, and his face turned red, then white. Supernatural power spiked, raising the hair on her arms. His flesh rippled, and his eyes turned golden. Crap! His wolf was rising to the surface.

Shannon eased away from the computer, calling forth her wolf as she did. She didn’t let it out but held it ready, waiting to see what he would do next. She didn’t want to fight with Rory, but she would if his wolf attacked. She wouldn’t be dominated by anyone, not even her beloved big brother.

Minutes passed as he visibly struggled with his beast, trying to push it back down.

Finally, he regained control of his temper. “I don’t want to fight with you. You will take a mate. I’ve called a gathering for tonight. Be there, and for once in your life, try to remember that you’re supposed to be a bitch, not butch.” The door slammed behind him as he left.

* * * * *

A big, bright, and full yellow moon dominated the night sky. Despite making her best effort to get there on time, Shannon was one of the last to arrive. The gathering place, little more than a large clearing in the woods a couple of miles outside of town, was already packed.

The minute she joined the others waiting, her gaze connected with Rory’s. Oh shit, he’s planning something. Something she knew in her bones she wasn’t going to like. A glance at the other members of the pack showed they sensed it as well. They stood in groups, talking quietly, throwing uneasy glances at the alpha.

As Rory climbed to the raised natural platform in the center of the clearing, his red hair glowed in the moonlight, and his power flowed outward like waves. All around him the silence grew and swelled with expectancy.

Nikolai’s Wolf

3

No longer was he her brother. The McFelan, alpha of the Sparrowhawks, stood before them. Allowing his power to continue to rise and surround him like an aura, Rory began to speak. “Tonight, we hunt!”

There were gasps and murmurs all around. Shannon stood still as shock waves rippled through her body. He’d called a hunt. Sneaking, conniving, manipulative bastard.

He waited for the pack to settle down before he continued. “All of the eligible, unmated she-wolves will be given a five-minute lead. Unmated males will begin hunting on my say. Once you’ve captured and subdued your mate, bring her before the council for formal recognition. All challenges will be settled by combat. In the case of a draw, the female will decide. No killing.”

He waited, giving the rules a chance to sink in. “Let the hunt begin!” Shannon took off running, cursing Rory with every step. Hunts were archaic, even for packs as locked into the past as the Sparrowhawks. He said he was trying to bring the pack forward. Damn it! What was he thinking?

In ancient times, once a year she-wolves of a certain age were gathered on the night of a full moon. They were given a head start and then the unmated males of the pack were set loose. If two or more males trapped the same female, the decision of which male claimed her was settled by combat and most often resulted in death. Once the male subdued his female --

and by that, they meant fucked into submission -- the couple was brought before the council to have their mating formally recognized.

There were only two ways to avoid being claimed. The first was to make it to daybreak without being caught. Sunrise ended the hunt. The second was to keep from being subdued.

Shannon hoped not to be captured, but if she was, it was a bet that she wasn’t going to be mounted. She’d fight the whole damned pack before she’d allow a mate to be chosen for her this way.

She ran as fast as she could with the rest of the fleeing females, then veered off in the opposite direction. There were ten unmated females who fit the age requirements, and about thirty unmated males. Those were three-to-one odds, at best. Because she was the alpha-fem, none of the omegas -- the weakest of the wolves -- would give chase. Unfortunately, that still left the betas. Get enough of them on her tail, and she’d have a serious fight on her hands.

She ran uphill, through the toughest terrain she could find, hoping to slow her pursuers. When she’d gained a comfortable lead, she stopped and stripped, knowing she’d make better time in her wolf form. Unfortunately, her scent would also be stronger, but she couldn’t afford not to shift. She needed all the help she could get.

She backtracked a bit and threw her pants in one direction, then came forward and threw her shirt in the opposite direction, hoping it would confuse them and buy her more time.

Rory howled. A chorus sounded with him, echoing through the night. The males were coming. If she could just make it to the ridge, there were places to hide and water to cover 4 Zena Wynn

her scent. Damn, why hadn’t she figured out ahead of time that he would do something like this? She’d been caught flat-footed and off guard, never good when dealing with Rory.

When she began, the wind had been in her favor, carrying her scent away from the pack. Now, she was running into the wind, her scent trailing like a beacon behind her, announcing her whereabouts to any shifter who wanted to know.

She could hear them behind her, gaining on her. She couldn’t tell how many, but it was definitely more than one. Crap, she wasn’t going to be able to outrun them. That meant she had to fight.

Shannon altered her course, already knowing the perfect place to make her stand.

According to the rules, if more than one male cornered her, they had to fight with each other to determine who got to claim her. She couldn’t escape while they were fighting, but it would give her time to catch her breath and gather her strength while she studied her opponents.

She rushed into the small clearing and turned to face her pursuers, hackles raised. At her back was a rock-faced wall where the mountain soared above them. It was surrounded by dense forest on three sides, forming a natural arena.

As they entered the clearing, she wasn’t surprised to see Caleb Jones and Michael MacDougal, Rory’s second and third. What absolutely floored her was the sight of her brother with them. What kind of trickery was this?

MacDougal was a big, burly bear of a man who’d made no secret of his ambition to one day be alpha. He would have challenged her father if it hadn’t been for Rory. MacDougal was all right, but she knew he didn’t see her as a person, just a means to the end. Mating her would automatically boost his position and prestige within the pack. She would be no man’s stepladder to success.