Force of the Dark Wolf (Force of Nature Series) by Kathi S. Barton

making her way to the sound. The man, Paddy, didn’t move a muscle , but stood smiling at him. He smiled like he knew something that Gordon didn’t.
    “You the wolf who sprayed himself all over my future mate? You’d better stay the hell away from what’s mine , little cub. I’m going to take what should have been mine in the first place and you are inconsequential to my plan. The other one was a waste of my time.” Paddy nodded toward where Alexis went without looking at her. “The scrawny one didn’t tell me about this beauty before I fucked her. Had I seen her first, you’d be minus a bed buddy. And now that you’ve marked her it’s every man for himself when it comes to claiming her.”
    He moved quickly and had Alexis in his arms before Gordon knew h is intent. When Paddy stilled her struggles with a hand around her throat she looked at him with tears in her eyes. His wolf roared. Gordon felt the change coming . H is beast wanted to kill.
    “Let my mate go and I’ll let you live long enough to apologize to her before I tear your throat out.” Gordon felt his body respond to his mate’s terror. His wolf moved along his skin and tore at him. “This is between you and me now. Let Alexis go.”
    Paddy licked her throat to her cheek. “Hum, delicious. I can’t want to have this sweet thing beneath me, screaming out my name. Do you know what I did to her sister? Do you have any idea what it felt like to kill her? You’d do well to remember I’ve tasted human blood in terror , little boy , and I’ll have no trouble killing her just so you can’t have her. Leave her to me and I’ll be the one who lets you live.”
    The sound of a door slamming had them all freeze. Paddy jerked once as if he’d been hit. Then he leapt toward the door as a shot rang out and Gordon could see where blood was stained on his shoulder. With a snarl toward something in the doorway, Paddy Booth shifted and leapt through the front door that was open.
    “Find the kids and stay with them.” Gordon looked to the door where the wolf had gone. “I’m so sorry about this.” And he shifted. The last thing he heard before going through the still open door was someone screaming.

Chapter 6
     
    Alexis paced. And when she wasn’t pacing she was trying to comfort Darcy. The girl wouldn’t let her touch her. Alexis glared at the people sitting on her couch and continued to pace.
    “He’ll be fine. I swear. He knows what he’s doing.” Alexis stopped and stared at Connor, Gordon’s twin in every way. “He’s been scrapping with me since we were pups.”
    “Oh he’d better be all right. Because when he gets back here , I’m going to murder him.” She started to pace again. “What the hell was he thinking running after Paddy like that? Does he think he’s invincible? No , he is not. Stupid , moronic idiot should be…he should be caged or tied up outside so he can…what the hell are you laughing at?”
    She turned on Dallas so quickly that he backed up in the seat. “Nothing. Well , except you sound just like CJ. She hated that Austin thought he was going to live forever too.”
    “So it’s a wolf thing, this inability to be smart. I see.” She didn’t , but doubted she would ever tell them that. “I don’t understand how your race has made it this far if this is how you handle situations.”
    “I don’t think this is the time to be— ” Austin stopped talking and stood up. His body looked as tight as a strung bow. When both Dallas and CJ stood , Alexis knew that something had happened to Gordon.
    “You know something. What is it?” The hair on her arm stood when the baying began. It was just beyond her house , but it sounded like it was in the room with her. The sound at the front of the house startled them all and Darcy began to whimper. Alexis went to her immediately while the other s made their way to the door.
    Darcy knew something , or felt it. She’d been sitting in this corner since Alexis had managed to