ground as she crept forward to peer over a rise. Clumps of desert scrub shifted and waved in the slight breeze. Among them were softer, rounder heaps that didn’t stir at all. She drew back at the sight of more dead sheep. Many more. Her eyes made out the brand on the nearest body—a double S—and her mind spun. Clearly, the three humans from Seymour Ranch hadn’t seen the extent of the carnage. Once they did, they’d kick up a fuss from here to the state capital. An investigation would ensue, and the pack’s fragile anonymity would be threatened.
She had to help distract them. Cody and Ty were still talking to the men, obviously trying to draw them away from the hollow where the majority of the sheep lay. A diversion, that’s what they needed. But what? She glanced around, wondering if she could set off a rock slide or let out a howl. No, it would be foolish to appear in wolf form here. They’d blame her for the massacre. What then?
The three humans were already pushing past Cody and moving toward the side of the road. In another minute, they would discover the rest of the sheep and all hell would break loose. Without giving much thought to her plan, she shifted back to her human form, her mind was spinning with a single thought.
Fast. She had to act fast.
# # #
Ty stopped just short of yanking the Seymour ranchers back from the edge of the road. So they were angry—so what? He personally had leapfrogged anger and gone straight to fury.
Yas was responsible for this carnage. He knew it. Clearly, the rogue was back with a band of troublemakers and was once again trying to pit humans against wolves in the hope that they’d kill each other off. The Seymour Ranch hands would set off a massive wolf hunt, which in turn would rile up his fellow shifters. Sooner or later, things would escalate. All it took was one of his cockier packmates to shift in plain view of a human, and the pack’s true nature would be exposed.
Ty shook his head, keeping his wolf shackled inside. Didn’t Yas realize that trouble for the wolf pack would eventually extend to his own brethren?
Right. Like rogues were capable of thinking that far ahead or that clearly.
The last few days had been agonizing even without the threat of rogues. He had taken to running night patrols just to keep his mind off Lana. Whenever he let himself get too close to her, he was squeezed in a vice between duty and overwhelming desire. Too far, and his wolf strained at a rapidly fraying leash.
All week, he’d struggled to find a solution. Somehow, he had to lock out emotion and get on with his life. Above all, he had to get Lana to safety, even if it meant denying himself. There were too many dangers for her here. He could tick them off on three fingers: one, the rogues. Two, his father. Three, himself. Because what if that humming force started up between them again? He’d never be able to resist, and it wouldn’t end well for her, just as it hadn’t ended well for his mother, or any of his father’s women.
A seductive voice whispered in the back of his mind. Unless she’s your true mate.
When Lana joined in on his howling a few nights back, something inside him had swelled and nearly burst past his self-imposed boundaries. He would have howled into sunrise with her if not for the rogues. In mid-howl, though, he’d caught a murmur deep in the night. It was barely there, more of a portent than a presence. But it had been enough to shatter the magic and tear him away.
But maybe that had been for the best. He’d almost forgotten she was a Dixon that night.
He’d been on his way to check out the threat when he was called back to the ranch by another report of rogue activity that turned out to be a false alarm. He cursed himself. If he had followed his first hunch, the trouble would never have gone this far.
He blinked, focusing on the present. Right now, he had to stop the ranchers before they discovered the other sheep. Then he could call out his
She had to help distract them. Cody and Ty were still talking to the men, obviously trying to draw them away from the hollow where the majority of the sheep lay. A diversion, that’s what they needed. But what? She glanced around, wondering if she could set off a rock slide or let out a howl. No, it would be foolish to appear in wolf form here. They’d blame her for the massacre. What then?
The three humans were already pushing past Cody and moving toward the side of the road. In another minute, they would discover the rest of the sheep and all hell would break loose. Without giving much thought to her plan, she shifted back to her human form, her mind was spinning with a single thought.
Fast. She had to act fast.
# # #
Ty stopped just short of yanking the Seymour ranchers back from the edge of the road. So they were angry—so what? He personally had leapfrogged anger and gone straight to fury.
Yas was responsible for this carnage. He knew it. Clearly, the rogue was back with a band of troublemakers and was once again trying to pit humans against wolves in the hope that they’d kill each other off. The Seymour Ranch hands would set off a massive wolf hunt, which in turn would rile up his fellow shifters. Sooner or later, things would escalate. All it took was one of his cockier packmates to shift in plain view of a human, and the pack’s true nature would be exposed.
Ty shook his head, keeping his wolf shackled inside. Didn’t Yas realize that trouble for the wolf pack would eventually extend to his own brethren?
Right. Like rogues were capable of thinking that far ahead or that clearly.
The last few days had been agonizing even without the threat of rogues. He had taken to running night patrols just to keep his mind off Lana. Whenever he let himself get too close to her, he was squeezed in a vice between duty and overwhelming desire. Too far, and his wolf strained at a rapidly fraying leash.
All week, he’d struggled to find a solution. Somehow, he had to lock out emotion and get on with his life. Above all, he had to get Lana to safety, even if it meant denying himself. There were too many dangers for her here. He could tick them off on three fingers: one, the rogues. Two, his father. Three, himself. Because what if that humming force started up between them again? He’d never be able to resist, and it wouldn’t end well for her, just as it hadn’t ended well for his mother, or any of his father’s women.
A seductive voice whispered in the back of his mind. Unless she’s your true mate.
When Lana joined in on his howling a few nights back, something inside him had swelled and nearly burst past his self-imposed boundaries. He would have howled into sunrise with her if not for the rogues. In mid-howl, though, he’d caught a murmur deep in the night. It was barely there, more of a portent than a presence. But it had been enough to shatter the magic and tear him away.
But maybe that had been for the best. He’d almost forgotten she was a Dixon that night.
He’d been on his way to check out the threat when he was called back to the ranch by another report of rogue activity that turned out to be a false alarm. He cursed himself. If he had followed his first hunch, the trouble would never have gone this far.
He blinked, focusing on the present. Right now, he had to stop the ranchers before they discovered the other sheep. Then he could call out his
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