Pack Community (Were Chronicles) (10 page)

He also knew that future would not be in his Pack. Even if he could get the other wolves to accept a bobcat into the Pack it would mean taking Beth away from her family, and he didn’t want to do that either.

But he would be giving up a lot. His position in his Pack—even having a Pack—his job, and his friends who were his family…

“Sounds like some heavy thoughts over there,” RJ commented.

“Yeah,” Gray admitted. “Some decisions to make once this is all over with.”

“
Alpha red to alpha black
,” squeaked from the radio.

“Alpha black,” RJ answered.

“
Headed your way
.”

RJ and Gray both stood and started to strip. In just moments, they were shifted into two big wolves, crouched, and waiting.

Movement below them and then a bobcat broke through the brush, hightailing it over fallen rocks. A squeal from ahead showed a large flying bird.

RJ growled and jumped from his hiding place. Gray followed, barely landing before having to duck to avoid the large swoop the bird made.

He managed to stay on his feet right before a hard knock into his side had him sliding over the canyon ground.

“
Alpha red, alpha black
,” the radio went off again. “
Three more coming in from the south
.”

Gray wasn’t sure who that was but he didn’t have time to find out as he picked himself off the ground and faced the wolf that had run into him. He snarled at the animal.

Bigger than him, the wolf was from the grey breed, but Gray would fight to the death if need be. He caught the wolf as he launched himself at Gray again. He got a piece of his leg and bit down, getting a huge paw to his head.

They scrambled around, each trying to gain the upper hand over the other. He could hear the sound of fighting around him. He wasn’t sure who was there or even how many. He kept his eye on his attacker even when he heard the loud roar of a cat. He ignored everything around him and lunged.

He caught the wolf in the side, but he managed to kick and get away. Gray stalked him and went after him again. He was pushing him towards the edge of the cliff. Gray didn’t know how far it went down but it was his only option right then.

One last jump and he managed to roll the other wolf over. He heard the hit and looked down. The twenty-five-foot drop wouldn’t kill him but he would be out of the fight for a little while.

Gray had turned to go back to the battle when a large feline landed on his back. He dropped down, rolled, and fought to get back to his feet, knowing he had a pretty good gash on his shoulder. An angry cougar crouched across from him.

Gray was used to being smaller than other wolf breeds but this cat was huge. He growled and faked an attack. The cougar moved left just how Gray wanted. He went in low, taking the cat’s back legs out. He fell but swiped at Gray’s side.

Caught by just the edge of the claws, he hissed in pain. But, while the other shifter might be bigger, Gray was faster. In a series of quick moves, he went after the cougar again and again, backing him up the same way he had done with the wolf. The cat was smarter, though, and swung around to avoid going over the cliff.

A growl behind him, then a big black wolf was rolling into the legs of the cat. Gray took the advantage and landed on the cougar’s chest, taking him down. He closed his jaws around the cat’s jugular and bit down.

He was clawed at but the black wolf butted the cat until the cat finally relented. Gray shook his head in warning before he let go. It was only then that he realised the sounds of fighting had ended.

Next to him the wolf—RJ—shifted to human form and straightened. “Damn, man—who thought a little wolf like you could fight like that?”

Gray glared at the other man but didn’t really mean it. He was just thankful for the help. RJ grabbed the cat around the neck. “Shift,” he ordered.

Gray took in the wreckage around him, noting four men on the ground with Casey standing over them. RJ hauled the cougar, now in human form, up.

“There’s one more down there,” Gray told him.

RJ laughed. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere for a while but I’ll get him.”

He shoved his prisoner at Gray, and he led him to the others. Casey was already on the radio.

“
Good job, alpha blue. We’ll come to you
.”

“There were more and they split up. These six, then another six who ran into Jim, Claude, Mike and Dawson. No one got to Zach,” Casey told him.

“They okay?” Gray enquired.

“Minor injuries.” Casey gestured to him. “You okay?”

Gray’s shoulder was screaming at him but he would heal. “Yeah, fine.”

Casey cut his eyes to where RJ was hauling the wolf over his shoulder. “Let’s move.”

The trek down the canyon took a while with their prisoners’ hands tied but they made it. RJ would push at them occasionally but it was more for dominance than to hurt anyone else.

The sheriff had his gun out, holding it on his own tied-up prisoners.

“Steve,” Casey spat at one of the men Mike was covering.

Steve scowled at him but didn’t say anything.

“I see your dad didn’t make the trip with you,” Casey noted, crouching down in front of him. “Too much of a coward to get his own hands dirty?”

The man lunged at Casey but Mike caught his shoulder and threw him back down.

“That’s what I thought,” Casey said in disgust, standing again.

“Where is your father?” Prince Zachary joined them as he stepped down from the ledge above with Jesse right behind him.

The man glared but didn’t say anything.

“No worries. We’ll get him,” Zachary told the young man, grabbing hold of his chin. “While you and your friends here will be processed for kidnapping, torture and treason, I’ll deal with your father.”

Gray watched the scene closely. It looked like he was the Prince’s nephew. The family resemblance was close enough.

“The rangers are on their way,” Jim told them, closing his phone.

Gray collapsed against a rock. He needed to shift again but wanted to wait until the prisoners were gone.

“You okay?” Dawson asked coming up beside him with a noticeable limp.

“Good, you?”

“Fine.” Dawson waved his hand. “Little shit had sharp teeth.”

Gray chuckled, relieved that the whole mess was finally finished. His part of it, anyway. The wolves had promised to find and rescue the Prince of felines. He’d completed that mission. Of course, the felines still had to round up everyone else who was involved but that would be up to them how they handled it. The wolves were done. He could go home now if he wanted. He just wished he knew what it was he
did
want.

“Who’s got the beer?” RJ asked, falling in on the other side of him.

“First round’s on me,” Gray told him with a nudge.

“I got the second,” Dawson said tiredly from Gray’s right.

“Damn, sounds good,” RJ muttered, letting his head fall back and closing his eyes. “Sounds fucking fantastic.”

Chapter Ten

Beth knew the men were back. It was early evening and the talk of the town was all about the twelve men the rangers had taken to the jail for the sheriff. Dawson had gone home to shower while Gray had headed up the stairs ten minutes before.

“Why don’t you go see if the wolf needs a little help?” Dorothy told her, passing over a room key. “I’ll keep an eye on Toby.”

She’d been sitting on one of the chairs in the great room watching Toby colour on the coffee table. She accepted the key with a smile. Toby’s attention was still on his artwork so she quietly left the room and headed up the stairs.

She hadn’t noticed any lingering injuries on either man but shifters healed fast so that didn’t mean it hadn’t been a tough fight.

Gray’s room was empty when she entered. She could hear the shower running in the attached bathroom. She left the key on the dresser and padded across the room.

The bathroom door was silent as she pushed it open. The room was filled with steam but she could still make out Gray’s naked body through the glass.

Shit, he had a fine body. She stripped and quietly opened the stall door.

“Damn, baby,” he murmured. “I was just wishing you were in here with me.”

She pressed against his back. There were several large scratches that had started to heal. It hurt her heart to see him injured. She carefully kissed the wounds. “I didn’t get to wash your back last time. I thought I would volunteer my services again,” she told him, wrapping her arms around to slide over his stomach.

He chuckled and grasped her hand she was moving lower. “It’s not my back that needs attention.”

She smiled against his shoulder and stroked his hard cock. He moaned, his hips thrusting forward. He felt good in her hand. She liked that just the thought of her had him raring and ready to go.

She glided around to his front to face him, keeping a hold of his shaft.

He cupped her face and bent to run his lips over hers. “It was just a day but I missed you,” he confessed quietly.

She rose to her toes. “I worried about you.”

He kissed her sweetly, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close. Beth opened for him, let their tongues twirl and tease. As expected, the kiss quickly turned to passion and she gasped into his mouth as he ran his hands down her back to cup her ass.

She rocked up, letting go of his shaft and hanging on to his shoulder.

“Hold tight,” he ordered, picking her up and pressing her back against the wet shower stall. He nibbled down her neck to her collarbone as she arched for him.

His hard cock poked at her entrance.

She wiggled, letting him know that she wanted him inside her.

He slipped in slowly, helping her wrap her legs around his waist so he could thrust deeply into her.

Hot and solid, deep inside her. She gripped his shoulders hard, accepting him as he continued to gently enter her.

“You feel so good, baby,” he whispered against her flesh.

“Yours,” she told him. “I’m yours.”

She had to say the words. She knew he would be leaving her soon. She hoped he planned on coming back, but she knew that soon she would have to let him go. She tightened her grip even more. “Yours, Gray.”

He slammed inside her and stopped. “Open your eyes,” he demanded.

She hadn’t even realised they were closed. She complied with his request and her breath caught at the emotion she saw on his face.

“Do you mean that?” he asked hoarsely. “Will you be mine?”

“Yes, Gray, I want you forever. I know I have to let you go, but I wish I could hold onto you,” she confessed.

“Beth…” He moaned her name like he was in pain.

He started to move again, to pound deep inside, filling her like no one else, pushing her to the edge.

“My Beth!” he called out, plunging his hips faster and harder.

She tightened her legs and met him stroke for stroke. “Yes, yours,” she egged him on.

God, no one ever… It was so good… She needed more… “Gray!” She screamed his name as she climaxed.

“Mine, mine, mine,” he chanted, pounding into her over and over. “Mine!” he growled out and exploded inside her.

She hung on as he filled her with his seed, wishing she could keep it inside her for the rest of the night. He shook while he came down, moving his hips slowly once again, never pulling out.

“Not done,” he told her and smacked off the water. He hefted her up higher in his arms and pushed open the stall door.

They only made it as far as the bathroom rug before he laid her back and, still hard inside her, started to thrust once again.

“Look at me. Show me,” he demanded.

She locked her gaze with his, grabbed his lower arms, and gave herself over completely. His eyes glowed and she could feel the power pouring off him.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted.

He snarled, threw his head back, teeth elongated as his wolf pushed to the surface. “Mine.”

“Yes!” she yelled as she came once again.

He growled and slammed into her once, twice, then one last time before releasing again himself. He collapsed on top of her, his panting matching hers and filling the small room.

“Don’t let me go,” he breathed out.

“No, no, I won’t,” she promised, hugging him close.

Beth didn’t know how long they lay on the floor but finally she started to shiver and Gray lifted his head.

“That was intense,” he said, looking a little sheepish.

She giggled. “That was awesome.”

He dipped his head and kissed her gently. “You are amazing.”

She hummed, kissing him back. As long as he thought so, she was happy. Once they had broken their lip lock, he stood, lifting her with him and towelling her off before drying himself.

She loved the attention he paid to her, making her feel so cared for. He was a strong man. A wolf who could have come in and tried to take over the town like the others. Instead he had worked with her family and other shifters for a Prince who wasn’t even his species. She was so proud that he had chosen her. But she was still scared that he would have to leave—that what had been said in the shower had been all passion and not reality. She had known before she’d even joined him in the shower that he was it for her. She was in love with him.