Pride's Pursuit (a Wolf's Pride novel, book three) (2 page)

Looking rattled, he rakes his hands through his mussed hair and everything inside me
reaches out to him, my heart aching for the tormented alpha and allhe’s been through.
“
Pride—
” he begins, his voice a low, strained whisper as he makes a mental connection,
and I instantly harden myself.
Knowing it’s for Stone’s own good—the good of our kind—I tilt my chin and glare at him
with stubborn determination.
“This isn’t up for debate,” I say, my voice low, but unwavering.
He glares at me, then understanding I’m not about to back down, he disengages himself
from my thoughts and gives a resigned shake of his head.Still I know he’ll follow me.
With that I turn and push a broken and charred door out of my way. It falls to the floor and
the noise shudders in the unnatural silence. Instincts on high alert, I step inside and my taste
buds are instantly assaulted with the decaying stench of charred flesh. My gut clenches and my
wolf howls in response, the smell so overwhelming that I have to breathe through my mouth to
avoid choking.
Pushing on, I carefully pick my way through burnt debris, my feet falling mutely as I step
over black beams and scorched floorboards. The house is dark, all but destroyed, the rooms lit
only by the few orange embers still smoldering in the structures outer edges.
With my senses guiding the way, I go deeper into the house, or at least what’s still standing
of it. The floor creaks and I fear it’s about to collapse beneath Stone’s impressive weight. He
keeps close to me, so close I can feel his warm breath on my neck. We continue forward until I
find the others in a room that once served as a kitchen.
Dread takes hold when I see a badly beaten girl—one who is no older than me. Crouched
on the floor with her back braced against a seared wall, her breath is coming in quick, labored
bursts.
Everything from the vacant look in her pale blue eyes, to the way her legs are pulled to her
chest, her arms hugging them tightly against her bloody body, warns that she’s still paralyzed
with fear. The sour stench of her terror, a pungent mixture of curdled milk and spoiled meat, has
the animal in me howling with rage, eager to seek revenge on those who did this to her.
As I pull in the scent, allowing it to fuel my wolf, Logan kneels in front of her. Talking in
soft, whispered words he carefully brushes her ragged hair from her face. My perked ears enable
me to listen in on the hushed conversation.
Not wanting to startle the girl I move in beside my father. I tilt my head to meet his glance
and when I do his dark eyes narrow in genuine concern. After we exchange a worried look, I
take in the stricken expressions of the other shifters in our pack. When my glance meets Gem’s I
gesture with a nod to Sandy, who looks paler than ever as she rubs the small bulge in her
expanding belly.
Knowing this is no place for a girl in her condition and that her growing childshouldn’t be
exposed to any of the toxic fumes still lingering in the air, I jerk my head toward the doorway.
Gem instantly understands my message and leads Sandy outside.Once she’s gone, I turn
my attention back to Logan. Driven by pure instinct, I take a small step closer to him, my wolf
needing in the most desperate ways to support the alpha she mated with. But when I do, the girl
flinches. Undisguised panic ripples through her, and she pulls Logan against her, shielding her
body with his.
“It’s okay, Nova,” he murmurs as he slides me a look that speaks volumes. While we might
not be able to speak mentally, I know him well enough to understand what he’s asking of me. I
give a tight nod and inch backuntil I’m once again standing next to my father. After giving
Logan and the girl a generous amount of space, Novarelaxes slightly, but she still doesn’t ease
her hold on the alpha.
“It’s Pride,” he explains, his voice both soft and soothing as he settles his own emotions so
he can concentrate on Nova. My heart lurches, remembering all the techniques this boy once
used to relieve my worries and gain my trust. While he might be young, his intuition and inner
strength never fail to amaze me.“You remember Pride, don’t you?” he asks.
Nova’s jerky nod takes me by surprise. Her thick, death-black hair falls forward and masks
her features as I study her harder, struggling to figure out who she is, and how she knows me.
Before the answer comes to me, Logan slowly climbs to his feet, and his voice gives way to soft
persuasion as he coaxes her to follow him up.
Her bones crack in protest as she stands and I wonder how longshe’s been crouched in that
same position. Looking badly beaten and frightened to the point of tears her eyes rake over the
motley crew with detached interest. But when her glance lands on me and lingers for longer than
what’s comfortable, I get the strangest sense that she’s sizing me up.
Unease moves into my stomach and my hackles bristle. The dark warning shivering through
my blood has my wolf growling. But I place my hand over my stomach to hush her.
Logan curls a protective arm around thegirl’s shoulders and pulls her against him to offer
comfort. She melts into him andthat’s when her identity hits me.I’d briefly met her at Logan’s
house when he first introduced me to the members of his pack. That was close to four weeks
ago, right after the last full moon—which, I can tell from the gnawing ache pulling at my joints,
will be upon us again any day now.
But thinking about Logan’s family has me worrying about Malcolm and the others who
disappeared outside the master’s mansion. I swallow the knot tightening my throat and wonder
if they were involved in this bloodbath, or if they’re still missing, either caught by the PTF or on
the run from deadly, shape shifting panthers in California wine country.
“We can’t stay here,” Logan says quietly as he moves past my father and me to lead Nova
outdoors. The hard lines on his face soften and there is real relief in his eyes when he lowers his
voice and adds, “Nova said most of our pack made it out alive. Some might even be at our den
just over that peak.” He stops to jut his chin toward the eastern mountain.“She has more
information but right now she’s in no shape to talk. She has to shift and heal herself first.”
As I watch them step over the rubble, and make their way through the crumbling house, I
get the oddest feeling that something’s not quite right here. Heightening my senses, I listen to
Nova’s blood pulse effortlessly through her veins. As I take in the smooth, unrestricted flow, I
quickly conclude that the steady, rhythmic beat of her heart belies her stricken expression.
Maybe she’s not quite as frightened as she seems.
When Logan disappears around the corner with her packaged in his arms, I think about
canine self preservation. While I understand that she’s been through a great amount of trauma, I
also understand shifting to heal is as inherent as breathing—so why hasn’t Nova done it
already?
What has her wolf been waiting for?

With my lungs starved for fresh mountain air, I shelve that thought to consider later and
follow my father outside. We step into a clearing and as he makes his way toward the others I
move past the smoke and catch a familiar scent in the night breeze.It’s that element of danger
fluttering by in the wind that torments my primal side and warns me to proceed with caution.

Stopping in my tracks, I breathe deep to pull the rich aroma of the forest into my lungs. I
sort through nature’s smells and a
measure of relief moves through me when I detect traces of
rain inching in from the west, but when I get the eerie sense that someone is watching me it
troubles my restless wolf.

I shoot a glance around. Despite the heat from the fire, an uneasy feeling trickles along my
spine and elicits a shiver from deep within. I wrap my arms around myself and continue to scan
my surroundings, looking for possible threats, and unknown enemies.

I narrow my eyes and through imaginary crosshairs I capture Logan leading Nova toward
the towering trees fringing the village. With undisguised sympathy etched on his face, he keeps
her close, protected, holding her battered body tight against his.From my distance I can’t hear
what he’s saying to her, but from the way h
er pale eyes watch him intently, to the way her body
never once flinches, I can tell it’s something very important.

I make a move to go toward them but when warm, rough knuckles brush along the small of
my back it stills my steps and anchors me in place.
“
You okay?
” Stone asks, and I jump at the sound of his voice inside my head.
“
Yes
,” I answer quickly, and throw up a wall of defense to hide my private thoughts from
him.I don’t want him to worry about me any more than he already does. Besides, we have more
troubling matters at hand. Like where are we going to find the monsters responsible for this
deadly firestorm and what is it going to take for us to stop them from ever doing it again?
Thinking of the PTF has me sniffing the air again and wonderingif we’re alone. Could they
be out there watching, waiting for us to lead them to the wolves who managed to flee their lethal
fire? Their poisonous silver? Could they be waiting for us all to gather in one place so they can
make a nice tidy kill using as little of their resources as possible?
Astute wolf that he is and able to read me better than almost anyone else, Stone’s nostrils
flare and he answers my unasked question, “
I think they’re gone, Pride
.”
Understanding I can’t hide much from his piercing eyes, I give an uneasy nod, then, when I
see my father talking to Gem and Sandy, I start toward him. With determined strides I quickly
close the distance but when Gem looks at me, my heart drops to my stomach. The pain beneath
her glittering green eyes is a reminder that she’s part of Logan’s pack and this is—was—her
home, too.
An apology lingers on my tongue.I want to tell her I’m sorry, that I plan to do whatever it
takes to right this wrong, but I know she doesn’t want sympathy from me. And like Logan she’d
never hold me accountable for the destruction.
Regardless, whether they believe this is my fault or not, I know I’m the one responsible,
and I know I have to do something about it.
“Logan mentioned a den,” I say, sounding more in control than I feel.
Gem points to a distant peak, and I note how both fear and worry have dulled the shine in
her eyes.“Up there.”
I peer into the night, and wonder if any of her family actually made it there alive. Or could
the PTF have tracked them up the mountain, to finish what they started? Since there is no sign
of a fire, no smoke signals in the sky, Icling to the hope that they’re safe and alive.
Somewhere in the near distance a nocturnal animal lets loose a wounded cry and all heads
turn in its direction. Looking spooked, Sandy glances around nervously, her dark cautious eyes
searching the forest as she inches closer to me.
I pull her against my bodyto offer comfort, and feel a measure of hope that she’s going to
be okay after all the trauma she’s been through. I’m grateful that she no longer hates me, and
that she now knows I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her and her unborn safe.
But thinking about her baby has me wondering about the father, and where he might be
now.It saddens me to think she was forced to mate with someone she didn’t care for and I
wonder what she’ll feel for an offspringthat wasn’t created out of love. Will they bond or will
the child simply be a reminder of the harsh life we were forced to endure?
The master’s cruel smile flashes in my mind’s eye and my anger spikes. But then I
remember the way I left him, in a faceoff with two deadly panthers out for blood.It’s that
memory that gives me a sense of relief, because I know he can never hurt any of us again.
A low whimpering sound escapes from Sandy’s throat.“Everything is going to be okay,” I
say to soothe her and run my hand up and down her arm to create warmth. Beneath the fear I see
in her eyes, I catch a glimpse of an emotion I can’t quite identify, and it has my hackles spiking.
A sad look pulls her mouth down, and I get the sense she wants to tell me something. I hug her
tighter, and can feel her heart racing against her chest.
“What is it?” I ask gently, and take another glance around to see what has her so spooked.
Her eyes go so wide they look like they’re ready to pop from their sockets.“He could be
here,” she whisperslow, her shoulders slumping as her body closes in on itself, like she’s trying
to make herself smaller, invisible, the way we used to do when we were pups and the master
was on a rampage.
“Who could be here, Sandy?”
“The master,” she says weakly. A cold shiver wracks her body as she leans forward to let a
curtain of wheat-colored hair hide her face. My nerves come alive because I get the oddest sense
that she can’t bring herself to meet my eyes. What is she ashamed of? That a cruel man
managed to break her? Breed her with a powerful wolf so he could harness her offspring?
Or is it something else?
Either way, it’s time to think about our future, not dwell on our past.
“He’s gone,” I assure her, and tuck a long strand of hair behind her ear to expose her face. I
look into her worried eyes.“He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“What if—”
“There are no what ifs,” I say in a bid to calm her. “He died at the hands of his enemies,
Sandy. No human, no matter how cruel and powerful he is, can come back from an attack like
that.”
A strangled, gargle sound catches in her throat, and when anxiety bursts from her pores and
explodes in the air like a pack of fireworks, it has my wolf howling, feeding off the intensity of
her emotions.As I watch Sandy’s peculiar reactions it has me wondering what I said to cause
such a powerful response in her.
Sandy nibbles on her lips, like she wants to say more. But then stops herself and scrapes her
front teeth over her mouth until her bottom lip is red and swollen. Practically bleeding.
Gem, who has taken on the big sister role to Sandy, tips her chin and says, “We should go.”
When Sandy steps away from me, my stomach tightens with a mixture of apprehension and
curiosity, and I make a mental note to get to the bottom of matters with her, right after I get us
all to safety.
Modesty aside, Gem begins to unbutton her shirt and that’s when I notice Logan and Nova,
both shrouded in darkness beneath a sheltering oak tree. The way Logan is caring for Nova,
helping the young wolf from her clothes,doesn’t go unnoticed by me. Nor does the ugly sting of
jealousy zinging through my bloodstream.
A low growl rumbles in the back of my throat, and I can’t deny that the sight of the two
standing so close taunts my wolf in primal ways. Blood lust rips through my veins, and my
talons lengthen, but I diligently fight off the change, hating myself for allowing my wolf to feel
threatened in the first place. Logan is a protector, analpha, and he’s only doing what comes
natural to him.
I briefly shut my eyes to gain control over my emotions, something I find harder and harder
to do as I work to become less animal and more human. Once calm, I take a moment to see the
world through Nova’s eyes, to consider her situation.
Unlike Stone and me, two wolves who’ve grown accustomed to brutality and bloodshed,
Nova has never suffered abuse at the hands of a cruel master, has never been forced to witness
such shocking violence. None of this can be easy for her.
I take a moment to play out the carnage she undoubtedly witnessed and I berate myself for
my girlish behavior, for allowing my wolf to feel possessive under these horrifying
circumstances. But I still can’t seem to shake the uneasy feeling that there is more going on with
the young wolf than meets the eye.
The sound of Stone moving in beside me pulls my focus and helps me to redirect my
thoughts.
I give a hard shake of my head to clear it, and work to focus on the crisis at hand.“Are we
travelling in wolf form?” I ask Gem.
“It’s easier to get up the mountain that way, and we have clothes and food stashed at the
den.”
I nod and stand back while they finish stripping their clothes from their bodies and shift.
Once they’re all in their primal form, I gather their abandoned apparel and toss them into the fire
for safe measure.
My mind briefly flashes to the vicious, shape shifting panthers that attacked us at the
master’s compound. I have no idea where they bunker down at night, or if the PTF can get them
under control, but I’m not taking any chances that they can be harnessed and used to track us.
When the clothes ignite, I tear my shirt and pants from my body and add them to the flames.
Standing naked beneath the near full moon, the blaze backlighting me from behind, I call on
my wolf. But as my bones shift and slide into place, my young girlish screams turning to dark
wolfish howls, I don’t miss the powerful, streamlined wolf standing in the shadows.
Watching me.
His big beefy paws rake the ground, tilling the dirt and soil beneath his deadly nails. His
nostrils flare, and silver eyes move over my frame as I drop to all fours. I canter toward him and
he makes a deep throaty noise.
When I approach he nudges me with his muzzle, and I don’t misinterpret the intimacy in his
actions. He growls low into the fire ravaged night, then rubs up against me, interacting the way
fated mates would. I look past his shoulder and swallow uneasily when I catch Logan studying
us darkly.
The orange glow from the fire highlights the pewter in Logan’s eyes. His growl is deep and
menacing, his gaze sliding over me darkly. He continues to pace by the tree line, and his
movements are purposeful, showcasing his powerful, streamlined body as he waits for me to
make the next move.
I don’t miss the strain in his eyes,a reminder that he’s a pack alpha, a wolf who carries a
world’s worth of responsibilities on his shoulders. Even though he’s still a boy, he’s as loyal as
a bloodhound to those he cares about. I sense his impatience with this whole mating situation,
but I appreciate the fact that he is giving me the distance I need to find my way in this new
world.
My mind briefly flashes back to the compound, to when I took comfort in Stone’s arms
during a moment of weakness. Guilt eats at me, my heart aching from my betrayal.
Driven by a need only my wolf understands, I take a step toward Logan,but when Nova’s
distressed howl cuts the silence, his whole body stiffens. A moment of hesitation passes over his
eyes, then he gives one last glace my way before he darts up the mountain after the injured wolf.
With a swish of my tail I go after them, Stone keeping watch over me from behind.
Swift on all fours, I advance on them, only to find Nova cantering happily alongside Logan.
I cut her a curious glance but she doesn’t return it. Hurrying my strides I move past her and
wonder, was her distress howl simply a delayed reaction to the massacre she’d witnessed?
Or was there another purpose behind it?
I go higher up the mountain, and soon enough the soil beneath my feet turns to snow.
Twenty minutes later, after reaching the eastern tip of the hill, we all gather outside a small
cabin. I draw the night air into my lungs and my paws leave tracks in the dense snow as I walk
the perimeter and search for signs of life. When I find none, I circle back to the others and that’s
when I notice the worry dancing in Logan’s silver eyes.
I nudge him with my muzzle.“
Maybe they went farther
,” I say and glance down the
mountain to see flames licking the sky.“
Maybe they didn’t think it was safe being this close.
”
“
Maybe
,” Logan says and as he shifts back to human another thought hits and I wonder why
I haven’t considered it before.
There must be other hidden communities around the globe. Other wolves who live normal
lives and take to the woods on shift night.Logan’s pack can’t be the only one. I make a mental
note to ask him about this theorywhen we’re alone.
As Logan uses his shoulder to push open the door everyone takes that opportunity to
morph. When we do, the cool mountain air nips at our naked human flesh and Gem hurries us
all inside before we get frostbite.
She rifles through a small dresser and distributes clothes. I pull on a pair of oversized sweat
pants and a gray sweat shirt with University of British Columbia emblazed across the front.
While everyone dresses, I use that time to catalogue my surroundings, looking for signs of
danger in the cozy den designed for two, not seven.
I take in the small kitchen, the meager furnishings, and the single window with its majestic
view of the night sky. Nostrils flaring, I pull the clean scent of pine needles and the fragrant
aroma of freshly laundered bedding deep into my lungs. My nose crinkles and I wonder what
this place is used for, but when my glance lands on the soft bed, and the fluffy pillows tossed
haphazardly about, I don’t need to ask to know.
Years ago when Jace and Clover—the elders I used to bunk with before they were brutally
murdered because of my disobedience—thought I was asleep, I listened in on their private
conversations. I remember overhearing them reminisce about what life was like life before
capture. They talked about wolf customs and the special, isolated place two shifters would go
for their first full moon mating.After another quick scan of the den, I’m convinced I’m in such a
place.
My gaze instantly darts to Logan, my mind remembering the intimacies we shared in the
cave the night the moon was full, when he saved me from myself. But that night was about so
much more than Logan protecting nearby backpackers from my feral wolf, and I’ll never forget
what he asked of me that night, what I freely gave to him. Nor will I forget the implications in
our actions and what it means to a pack.
From across the small room our eyes meet and lock.Everything in the way he’s looking
back at me, his eyes full of unchecked emotions,tells me he’s thinking about that night, too. I
reach out to him telepathically but when my call goes unanswered it simply reminds me that we
were never destined to be mates.
That dark thought has my hackles bristling and I turn my attention to Nova as she steps in
front of me, blocking my view of Logan. My gaze rakes over her tall, curvaceous body, now
healed from her shift, and I tilt my head to meet her gaze unflinchingly.
Her lips peel back to expose white teeth but her smile holds no warmth. Pale blue eyes as
cold as the dead of winter meet mine and she opens her mouth like she’s about to say
something, but her words never come.
“Nova,” Logan says softly and slips his hand around her slim waist, illustrating his
protectiveness of those in his care. With that, she pinches her lips shut and turns adoring eyes on
her pack’s alpha.