Seated on a stool with my back against the bar, I observed the room around me. I felt a touch claustrophobic; I wasn't used to being inside for a long period of time.
My elbow was propped on the bar top, next to a beer bottle that had been placed down for me even before my cheeks had touched the padded stool.
I’d tasted beer before and knew its effects on the mind, so I was reluctant to drink.
Even though most wolves needed to consume their weight in the stuff before they became inebriated, I wanted a clear head for a couple nights while my pack settled in and I checked out the territory.
The room was laced in bright twinkling lights and an array of Christmas decorations.
An eight-foot-tall Christmas tree, covered with tinsel and baubles and topped with a shining star, sat to the left of the room.
The Montana pack had been welcoming so far, but as alpha of my pack, I’d be on alert for the duration of our stay.
The number of adults within my pack was rapidly dwindling, with females dying during childbirth and hunters seeming to be one step ahead of us every time, picking off my weakest members.
When I’d received word from the alpha of the Montana pack that we were welcome to join them for a few weeks over the Christmas period, how could I refuse?
My pack members were exhausted and needed a safe place to rest their heads, to protect their cubs. Two cubs from my pack ran by me, giggling with cubs from the Montana pack.
We’d been here for only a couple of hours, but the pack had settled in, cubs were running around carefree, and their parents relaxed and smiled in conversation. No one was alert except me, but that was my job.
Laughter drew my attention toward the dance floor, where couples danced to the music and were urging others, my pack included, to join in.
I watched in amazement as my pack members didn’t hesitate but jumped right in with large smiles on their faces.
It had been a long time since I’d seen their smiles. We lived in a constant state of fear in the wild. We never laughed, rarely talked, and just existed.
Waiting for the next one of us to be picked off by hunters. What I wouldn’t give to have a town like this. Somewhere for my pack to feel safe, to call home. Where they could shift and run freely.
Our pack had once ruled the vast forests of Russia. Packs from all over the country sought us out and joined us in many celebrations.
We would mate, create new lives, and switch packs freely. We thrived. Until humans discovered us, claimed we were demons, and started to hunt us down.
Soon the packs stopped visiting and our own pack members stopped coming home. When cubs started being taken, we left.
We found new home after new home after new home, until it seemed you could run miles without catching the scent of a shifter—none that were alive anyway.
My pack of sixty strong at the time had had no choice but to seek passage on a vessel, and we ended up in America.
We weren’t the only ones. Lone shifters had been aboard and told of their once-mighty packs, now extinct. I'd heard talk of packs fleeing, taking refuge deep within rainforests.
Some wolves agreed to stay with us upon arrival in America. “Safety in numbers” became my new mantra.
Though it became a losing battle. When it became apparent that wolves had fled Russia, hunters followed not long after. For every new wolf who joined, we seemed to lose two.
My pack trusted me with their lives. They never fought for my position. We were a family.
“I’m humbled that you accepted our invitation to spend Christmas with us, Viktor.” The Montana pack alpha took a seat on a matching bar stool beside me.
We’d crossed paths about twenty years ago while we were still in Russia. Nick had been searching for his estranged son, who’d supposedly taken off with a female wolf from a rival pack.
I had heard Nick had managed to locate his son, but sadly, hunters had beaten him there.
I turned to face the alpha and stared him dead in the eyes. Alphas didn’t kowtow to each other by dropping their eyes and I wouldn’t this time, no matter that Nick’s aura spoke volumes about the kind of power he harbored.
“Thank you for inviting us, Nick. I’m afraid it came at just the right time. My pack is on its last legs.” I paused, then continued. “I was very sorry to hear about your son, Nick.
“My pack and I would have come to pay our respects, but we weren’t in America at the time.”
A pained look crossed the other alpha’s face. “The hunters killed them during the night while they slept.
“We arrived the next morning, too late.” Nick didn’t avert his gaze, and I understood why; a dominant wolf never looked away first.
To onlookers, we’d appear to be locked in a staring contest, but there was no awkwardness between us. It was simply the nature of being an alpha.
Nick made no attempt to hide the pain that just talking about his deceased son caused. “My son and his mate were holing up deep in the forests of Russia with their daughter, Anna.”
I sighed and said a silent prayer for another life taken before its time. “They are heartless, killing innocent cubs.” I ground my teeth. “I can only hope she and her parents didn’t suffer.”
Nick lightly smiled, though it seemed forced. “Anna survived. She was six at the time. My son and his mate had created a basement to be her room. The door was hidden so the hunters didn’t find her.
“It seems they always knew they weren’t safe.” He sighed. “Thankfully, the persons responsible were caught last month. They suffered, believe me.”
I nodded. I did believe Nick. Losing a cub was one of life’s greatest pains, one I wouldn’t bestow on even my worst enemy. “How does this town work?
“With no one coming in, how do you make money to keep it running? Surely the humans know you are out here?”
Nick surprised me by jerking his gaze away first and lifting a hand with two fingers raised to a woman who stood behind the bar. Immediately, she placed two open bottles of beer in front of us.
My last beer replaced by the fresh. Nick motioned for me to take the offering, and I respectfully did. I took a small swig before lowering it to my lap. I wouldn’t have any more.
“Before I settled here my pack was a large one, almost a hundred strong. My mate and I, we were living in a small town within the city.
“After a period, the humans started to notice that something was different about us, and they started asking questions.
“That was when we knew it was time to leave.” Nick raised the bottle to his mouth and downed half of the beer in one gulp.
“As cities started to get more and more populated some of us went months without shifting.
“Half of my pack—me included—craved the forests, while the other half liked the city life and had almost adapted to the human way of life.
“I didn’t see sense in it at first. I tried to fight them tooth and claw until a few of my males got in with the surrounding communities and started buying housing developments with private land to hold us.
“We moved into one together, but it wasn’t the same; we still craved the freedom of the wild. My guys did some research and found this place.
“This forest we sit in is a protected nature reserve; the land we have made our town on is a clearing of grass, we destroyed no trees. It was a perfect fit.
“We’ve been here undisturbed for almost a hundred years. There are humans who know of us and live here; some work with my pack within the city.
“We’re a registered town, but the paperwork lays with my pack.” He finished his beer on his second gulp.
“Some of my pack venture out to the cities and visit the families who decided to stay there. Even to work. The younger ones, they want to earn money, contribute.
“We are about a day’s walk from any city, yet we’ve found a route that only takes a few hours in wolf form.”
“Your pack is separate? Why wouldn’t they join you here once you settled?” How could he protect them when he wasn’t around them?
“They are content in the cities; they feel safer. The hunters won’t look among themselves for us. They believe us to be wild.
“Aside from our human appearance, they believe us to be nothing more than animals. We know one day we’ll be discovered here. Humans are expanding and running out of room.
“But until then, this town is ours and we intend to keep it that way for as long as possible.”
“What happened to your mate? Did the hunters take her?” I asked.
A clouded, pained expression settled in Nick’s eyes. He shook his head.
“She died shortly after birthing my son; it was many years ago now. There were some complications; it all happened so fast. We settled into this town a week after she passed.
“Her ashes were spread in the forest,” he said.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Nick.”
“Viktor,” my beta called, breaking the silence that had settled between me and Nick. When I turned in the direction of Erik’s voice, he was almost upon us.
Trailing behind him were two young members of my pack—Elise and her mate, David. Elise cradled their sleeping cub against her chest. Seeing the cub’s soft resting face tugged at my heart.
One day I’d have one of my own, and I couldn’t decide whether I longed for that day or dreaded it. If anything were to happen to my own cub, the grief would consume me.
My vision was blocked by the wall of Erik’s chest as he stood before us.
“Alpha Nick.” Erik nodded his head respectively. “Some of the pack would like to get settled. Elise wants to put her cub down for the night.”
“Of course.” Nick hopped down from his stool and set his empty bottle on the bar.
“We have some spare houses available, and members of the pack have opened their homes for you to share. I’ll show you around.”
“Thank you very much, Nick.” I nodded my thanks. Nick nodded back, then left, walking in the direction of the door with the couple in tow. I longed to follow, to protect them, but refrained.
Nick would protect them.
Erik settled on the vacant stool Nick had left and leaned back against the bar. Exhaustion marred his features. “It has been a long day, my old friend. I look forward to a peaceful, rest-filled night.”
I was about to voice his agreement when a mouthwatering scent teased my nostrils. The scent instantly caused a bulge to form against the zipper of my jeans.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Erik sniffing as well. His eyes frantically searched for the source of the scent.
A tall woman with charcoal-black hair approached us from the direction in which Nick had just left, and the closer she got, the stronger the scent became.
She came within a foot of us and held out her hand in greeting, her gaze moving between mine and Erik’s. I couldn’t seem to form a word through the lump in my throat.
“Hello, Alpha Viktor. I’m glad you could join us for the holidays. I’m Nina Gerald, and I’m beta of the Montana pack.” She dropped her hand after I made no move to take it; apparently, my arms were refusing to function.
Her gaze dropped from mine in a show of submission. The scent was coming from her. My wolf tried to come forward to scent the woman to be sure, but it couldn’t be.
The bite marks on this woman’s neck showed clearly; she was already claimed. She couldn’t be my mate. The women’s gaze met mine again.
“Is something wrong?” Her eyebrows rose in question.
“Your scent.” Erik pushed up from the stool and took a step toward the women. “You scent of my mate.”
His mate? “Your mate?” I stood, possessiveness taking over. I wanted to knock the man down, put him in his place, but I refrained. Had Erik not been my friend, though, I just might have.
“Excuse me?” Nina asked, a shocked expression on her face. Her small hands rose in front of her as if trying to calm a beast, which was how I felt right then.
My wolf was so close to the surface and was fighting for control. I could tell Erik was in the same position when I glanced to my side to size up my competition and possible threat.
Erik’s eyes had shifted to the yellow rings of his wolf. “I’m not your mate,” Nina protested.
“I can see you are marked. Who is he?” I ground my teeth in frustration. Whoever he was, I’d kill him, then take my mate away for myself.
“Alpha Viktor, a wolf bit me during sex decades ago. It was accident, and he died soon after.”
“Good,” My voice was deep and gruff as I advanced a step, my teeth sharpening with the need to claim her.
“Stop.” Nina’s hands touched my chest. “I am mated, but to a human!”
I froze and took a calming breath. She was mated to a human? My foggy mind cleared somewhat, and I ordered my stiff body to relax, although one appendage refused to do so.
Once calm, I spoke softly. “I wish to scent you. May I?” She lowered her hands from my chest and nodded once. I closed the distance between us and took a deep breath to inhale her scent.
It seemed she was right. She wasn’t my mate, but my mate’s scent was on her clothes.
“She’s not,” I said aloud.
Turning to face Erik, I said, “The scent is from someone she’s been in physical contact with very recently.” I turned back to Nina and raised a brow in question; she had a perplexed look on her face.
“I came straight here. I was in the forest when I heard your arrival.”
“Were you alone?” Erik’s gaze bored into hers. She was angry now, glaring at my beta. It was a shame she wasn’t my mate. She seemed strong and happy to meet my and Erik’s gazes.
Nina dropped her gaze only because it was polite. She hesitated, then her eyebrows rose in shock.
“No.” She visibly swallowed. “I was with my niece, Anna.”
