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It doesn’t make sense.Bill seethed as he marched through the rain. He could smell the scent of fresh blood beneath the moisture and grudgingly acknowledged the source—him. His leg throbbed—one of those bastards had gotten him good with a knife hidden up his sleeve last night—but the pain barely even fazed him at this point.
Not when there were more important things to worry about. Kyle. Loren. The Eislanders. The whole thing didn’t make any damn sense.
Eislander wolves were known to be ruthless, and fiercely protective of their territory—but it wasn’t like them to attack strays on their land without provocation. Not without alerting their Alpha, at least.
Loreck Eislander may have been an overly aggressive prick, but he was honorable and fair—two words that could never apply to Lukka. Such a man wouldn’t condone the murder of a young girl on his land. Not without his say so and certainly not without good reason.
Though, to be honest, that was the least of his worries.
The pack kept calling. They rang constantly, buzzing through the cell phone at his hip, a different number almost every time. He could guess the source without having to check the I.D. One of Lukka’s many sycophants, or perhaps the bastard himself?
All to give him a half-hearted explanation as to how this had all been just some big misunderstanding.Whoops!They’d spew some shit apology and swear to come the next day to take the girl off his hands.
All nice and clean-like.
And all utter bullshit.
While he may not have been a brainiac like Lukka, Bill liked to believe that he wasn’t stupid. Kyle hadn’t taken a detour through enemy territory just to view the damn scenery. No—and the bastard wouldn’t dare doanythingwithout the go-ahead from his Alpha.
Only one conclusion fit the puzzle—they had abandoned her there onpurpose,knowing full well what would happen.
It was a dangerous suspicion, borderline treason without any proof. Not to mention that he was breaking about fifty pack rulesaloneby ignoring the calls. In his mind, it was better not to answer at all, than cuss out the one man who held the keys to his freedom.
He loathed to admit it. The truth didn’t matter in the face of his feelings. Lukka required just one excuse to revoke his exiled status and summon him for judgment.
One damn reason.
Though he would give them a hell of a lot more than that if Kyle had the nerve to step on his property after this. A showdown between the two of them had been a long time coming, anyway. Some might say it was fucking destiny.
Respect for Emma’s memory was the sole reason he hadn’t torn out his throat by now. As her brother, he deserved that much grace. But no more. Kyle could hate him all he wanted, but to use a young female as a pawn in his twisted revenge?
It was beyond cruel. Loren had no choice in becoming tethered to him. The thought of her made him pick up the pace, feeling the rain lash violently at his skin. He could still picture her, cornered and bruised in the center of that clearing. Her eyes had been wide with fear, and her heart pounded so hard he could practically taste her damn pulse in his throat.
The girl had lost so much already, only to be used as a pawn in some sick ploy—and to what end?
Bill had no idea.
At least now, he figured he wouldn’t have to call her by that bastard’s name anymore; wolves took the surnames of their father. If Connors wasn’t a viable candidate, then…
Maybethatwas the reason he’d been so damn eager to ship her off to Lukka? Wolves could sense family in a way humans couldn’t. They wouldn’t need a paternity test for the girl’s sire to recognize her. Maybe he had hoped that if she’d gone to Lukka’s pack, her real father would catch her scent.
And then what?
Claim the fully-grown daughter he’d never known? Accept her baggage with open arms? Like the fact that she had unintentionally mated a rogue?
Why don’t you throw in sparkles, sunshine, and a happy ending, while you’re at it?he thought sarcastically.
The point was that Loren was in pretty much the same boat he was—abandoned. Alone. Lukka had already failed her. Bill shuddered to think about what could have happened if he hadn’t had the sense to follow her. Hell, it made him shudder to think whathemight have done if—
He shook his head firmly, breaking off the thought, and headed for the trees. It was over and done with anyway. Onlyhecould help Loren now. She needed a pack; she needed help. She needed…
Way more than he could give her. He might be able to help with the first two, not that it would matter much in the long run. There were things she should have learned almost a decade ago. Milestones she should have already reached.
And urges a female would need her mate to satisfy. He could feel it already. She was so damn innocent. Her arousal was so fresh. Sweet. Fragile. He doubted she even recognized the feeling for what it was—desire. Lust. Some sick part of him…likedthat. His abdomen tightened, and he grunted, hating the physical reaction her nearness inspired within him. Sooner or later, she’d recognize the signs. His lingering touch. The way he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. The erection straining the front of his pants.
No.Gritting his teeth, he shook his head.Loren wasn’t his in that way. She couldn’t be. Sooner or later, he would break their bond for her own good—once she became strong enough to hold her own, whatever path she decided.First things first…
