Rogue Wolf

Wolves of Willow Bend

By

Heather Long

Rogue Wolf

Wolves of Willow Bend

By: Heather Long

Edited by: Virginia Nelson

Published by Heather Long

© 2015 Heather Long

ISBN: 9781311023803

eBook Edition

Cover Art by Scott Carpenter

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

Wolves of Willow Bend

Wolf Next Door

(prequel)

Ryan & Tiffany

Wolf Bite

Mason & Alexis

Caged Wolf

A.J. & Vivian

Wolf Claim

Owen & Gillian

Wolf Next Door

(Under a Wolf Moon Anthology)

Tyler & Claire

Rogue Wolf

Wolves of Willow Bend

The Italian Alpha, Salvatore Esposito, crossed an ocean and dared to venture into unfriendly territory to hunt for his missing sister in Willow Bend. He'll do anything to get her back, even if it means he must resist chasing the fierce enforcer who wakens his primal beast...anything.

As an enforcer, Margo Montgomery monitors the lone wolves. She is in the middle of investigating missing wolves from multiple territories when the order comes in to escort the Salvatore to Willow Bend. There's bad blood between her and the current Alpha of Willow Bend, but they soon discover a new danger—a lone wolf gone rogue. 

Now Margo must hunt the rogue—a pursuit made all the more dangerous because it becomes readily apparent the rogue they seek isn't alone and Salvatore refuses to be left behind, not when wolves are vanishing without a trace...  

Wolves of Willow Bend

Mason Clayborne
—Alpha of Willow Bend, mate of Alexis, father of Melissa, son of Andrew and Melissa Clayborne (both deceased).

Alexis Clayborne
—Mate of Mason, mother of Melissa, daughter of Ryan and Tiffany Huston (adopted by Ryan), older sister to Kyle Huston. Turned wolf.

Ryan Huston
—Attorney for Willow Bend pack, father of Alexis (adopted) and Kyle, mate and husband to Tiffany. Counselor to Mason.

Tiffany Huston
—Wife and mate of Ryan, mother to Alexis and Kyle. Turned wolf.

Toman Carlyle
—Former Alpha of Willow Bend (Deceased)

Felicia Carlyle
—Widow Mate to the former Alpha of Willow Bend, counselor to Mason.

Owen Chase
—Senior Hunter, Willow Bend, counselor to Mason. Mate of Gillian

Gillian Whitford Chase
—Healer, Mate to Owen Chase, travels with Owen on his routes.

A.J. Buckley
—The eldest of the Buckley triplets. Willow Bend Second, First Lieutenant and counselor to Mason Clayborne, mate of Vivian

Vivian Knox Buckley
—Software programmer, mate to A.J. Turned wolf.

Lincoln Buckley
—Second eldest of the Buckley triplets. Linc is training with the Hunters.

Tyler Buckley
—Youngest of the Buckley triplets, Tyler works with the juvenile boys for training and anger management

Claire Buckley
— Mate of Tyler, recently returned to Willow Bend and instructor for mid-year group youths. 

Claudia Buckley
—Mother of A.J., Linc, Tyler, and Ranae. Mate to Virgil.

Virgil Buckley
—Father of A.J., Linc, Tyler, and Ranae, Mate to Claudia. Virgil works as a vehicle mechanic

Ranae Buckley
—Youngest Buckley sibling, student

Emma Halifax
—Pack Healer, mate to Thomas

Thomas Halifax –
Mate to Emma, retired Army Medic, gardener

Enforcers

Margo Montgomery
–
Enforcer, southern region

John Nelson
–
Enforcer, southeastern region

Hadley
– Enforcer, Midwest region

Adler
–
Enforcer, Western region

Julian
– Prime Enforcer

Calitri –
Enforcer, central region

Seven Hills Pack

Salvatore Esposito
– Pack Alpha, brother of Luciana Esposito

Giovanni
– Centurion, Seven Hills Hunter

Luciana Esposito
– Sister of Salvatore Esposito, suspected mate of Rayne Barrows

Rayne Barrows
–
Former Delta Crescent turned Lone Wolf, suspected mate of Luciana Esposito

Chapter One

At the exit for Bristol, Margo Montgomery followed the nava-bitch’s instructions to bear right then continue to bear right. GPS made life as an Enforcer a little simpler, but it didn’t stop her from wishing she could rip nava-bitch’s throat out. Even a moron couldn’t miss the exit since the sanctimonious little prig repeated the instructions at least three times.

Her phone buzzed with a text message three miles out from her destination.
911 where r u?
After leaving Westchester County and the Hudson River Pack’s Alpha just after dinner, Margo intended to be as far from Brett Dalton’s territory as she could get before she crashed for the night. A decision she’d made before Cynthia’s first message arrived.

Not answering because her time was better spent covering the intervening miles to reach the woman, Margo tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Dalton had always struck her as a relatively calm Alpha. She’d met him a few times, liked him well enough, but the mad wolf’s rampage through his pack darkened the Alpha. Scarred, he’d been cold, remote, and downright rude for the majority of her most recent visit to gather information on Hudson River’s missing wolves. After the incident, they’d done a full census and then confirmed their numbers.

Four wolves missing and none found among any of the bodies or known dead. Margo gathered photographs, scent evidence and visited their homes. Brett and his Hunters stayed with her every step of the way. Most Alphas resisted using Enforcers for internal matters. Missing wolves gone from their territory, however, was no longer internal. It could affect the other packs.

Her phone rang and Margo checked the caller I.D.
Julian
. As Prime, he served as a tacit Alpha for the Enforcers. Though none swore allegiance to him, Margo and the other Enforcers relied on Julian as a central repository for information and wisdom. He’d earned his place through experience and longevity.

After tapping the screen to answer, she said, “I’ve only got a minute, but I can call you back if it’s important.”

“It is. Where are you?”

“Outside of Philadelphia.” The GPS demanded she should take a right at the next light. She followed the instructions.

“How soon can you be in Chicago?” Julian didn’t wait for her answer. “I need you to meet Salvatore Esposito at Midway and escort him to Willow Bend.”

“Who the fuck is Salvatore Esposito, and why can’t Mason send one of his own damn wolves to babysit?” The last place she wanted to visit was home. Her parents would insist she stop by to see them and then her kid brothers would want attention. Margo made a point of not going home so she never had to disappoint her mother. It worked for her.

Julian chuckled. “Call me back in an hour and I’ll tell you more.” With those ominous words, he disconnected. Probably just as well, since she’d arrived at Cynthia Hamilton’s house. Parallel parking the black Dodge Charger at the curb, she studied the two-story Victorian. Cynthia’s family always had money; her lifestyle hadn’t changed after she married. It didn’t seem to matter she’d tied her life to a two-bit piece of shit like David Conklin—a man who abused her. Twice before Margo had rescued her, getting her away from the bastard. She always seemed fine, then she would start to miss him.

Worse, she kept going back to him.

The front door to the house opened and Cynthia raced toward her. Wearing yoga pants and a tank top, she looked the most casual Margo had ever seen her—save for the massive black eye and split lip.

“Oh, thank God you’re here!” While the diminutive blonde possessed a flare for the dramatic, she’d been a damn good friend to Margo when Margo had no one. They’d been roommates her first year at boarding school, far away from her pack. Despite her rather shallow exterior, Cynthia proved to have mettle, but she needed protecting—and Margo needed to be needed.

It worked well for them.

“We have to go.” Cynthia was crying.

No way in hell would Margo budge, not after seeing the damage to her friend. She unlocked the passenger door and guided Cynthia into the car.

“Sit, stay.” Her animal dominance made the words a command, so Cynthia would listen to her. Retrieving her cell phone, Margo called 911 as she walked toward the house.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

“I’m at my friend’s house. Her husband broke in and knocked her around. He needs an ambulance. I had to stop him from hurting her.” She recited the address, then hung up before the operator could ask her any more questions.

Inside, a drunken David stumbled into the hallway. Margo didn’t slow down. She had maybe three minutes to disabuse the asshole from ever coming near Cynthia again before emergency services arrived. One of these days, she wouldn’t be in range when he came around. He gaped at her charge, and she let the wolf flash in her eyes.

His terrified scream made her very happy.

Him pissing his pants…well, that was just a perk.

An hour later, Margo pulled into the driveway of the Bellefleur House, a shelter for battered women. Tears filled Cynthia’s cornflower blue eyes. “Oh, I don’t want to go here. Why can’t I go to a hotel?”

“Because a hotel won’t help you.” The last thing she wanted to do was add to the grief the abused human had already suffered—however, enough was enough. “You
need
help. You’re worth a lot more than being used as his punching bag.”

“I’m really done with him this time, Margo. I promise.” Cynthia’s lower lip trembled. The trouble with her friend was she genuinely believed her own words. At the moment, she
was
done with her husband. Give him a few minutes to sober up, and her time to miss those fleeting moments when David grew romantic, and she’d run back to him again.

“I hope so, because I won’t be here next time.” Margo made a promise to herself the last time Cynthia called her, weeping after David put her in the hospital. He’d broken her arm that time, and she’d suffered a concussion after falling down the stairs. Instead of pressing charges, however, she’d pleaded with Margo about how David had been genuinely sorry. Margo should have killed him then, but they were both human. Pack laws decried the killing of humans for anything other than self-defense or in defense of a mate. While pack laws didn’t apply to her necessarily, Julian and the other Enforcers would retaliate if she broke them so blatantly. Her own code of ethics tied her hands—at least as far as killing him went. So, she needed to be creative.

“So, you’ll take me to a hotel?”

“No.” Falling back on her training, she let her wolf comfort her as all emotion drained from her voice. Being mean to Cynthia was like kicking a cub. Kindness, however, hadn’t helped her friend so far. “You’re going to go inside, check in for a few days, and go to the groups they offer. You’re going to get a lawyer, a restraining order, and a divorce. He signed a pre-nup. I remember your father ordering that.” Had she really attended their wedding? It seemed so very long ago. Her human ties were few and far between. “You’re going to do this because you need to be free. You need to find some strength to stand up for yourself.”

Or someone
, though she didn’t say that part aloud. Cynthia’s submissive nature made her easy fodder for someone like David. Hopefully his broken bones and concussion would keep him laid up long enough for the shelter to help Cynthia plot a new course.