3

I couldn’t deny that things were getting worse between me and my pack. That was why I was determined to maintain a job outside of pack life—so I could save up and get the hell out of there. The more I refused to submit, the more determined they were to break me. The cycle was becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy—as if I had a death wish.

I didn’t. I wouldn’t fight against them nearly as hard if I did.

The chestnut wolf padded leisurely beside me, keeping my pace and not pushing me to move faster. Judging by the way he held the knife in his mouth and scanned the area for threats, I guessed he was a skilled fighter.

When the trail I normally took home appeared, I moved to the right, but the wolf swiftly moved in front of me and pointed his snout to the left.

Fuck me. My blood cooled as the enormity of the situation settled over me. He was leading me toward Idaho. The territory of a royal-advising alpha whom my alpha couldn’t stand.

“Uh…my pack is this way.” I tried to lift my arm, but I’d barely shifted it off my chest before my ribs panged as if someone had kicked me. I placed my hand back on my shoulders, covering my bare chest.

The wolves probably thought I was stupid for protecting my modesty. Shifters usually weren’t bothered by nudity, but I was, mainly because I’d never shifted.

He shook his head and motioned in the opposite direction.

When I didn’t move, he planted himself in my way, making it clear he wouldn’t allow me to go the way I wanted.

Normally, I’d be willing to fight him, but not after what I’d gone through. He’d have me down within seconds. Begrudgingly, I turned left and set out again, with him following close behind me.

I didn’t know this trail since I’d never ventured to this side of the recreation area. The river ran through it, and it was most definitely too close to the Idaho state line. I had to watch my steps more closely, although my wolf side was strong enough to make me agile.

As we moved farther from my pack lands, cold tendrils of fear unfurled throughout my body. Even though these wolves had saved me from my pack, the closer we came to the state border, the more I’d pay for this misadventure when I finally went home. Charles, Pearl, and the others would surely tell our alpha their version of what had happened.

There was little I could do now, and I continued to force one foot in front of the other, playing Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” in my head, focusing on the lyrics. I had to believe they were true. I wasn’t dead, so I’d survive. I had to.

As soon as we were close enough to hear the rush of the Snake River, the distant pounding of wolf paws hurried toward us. My heart clenched, and I glanced at the wolf beside me, trying to gauge whether he was alarmed. When he didn’t tense or glance behind him, I took a slightly deeper breath. “Are those friends of yours?” I didn’t know what to call his companions. They all emanated strong power like an alpha, but they were together. I wasn’t sure if they had a superstrong pack or if four packs were close enough for all their alphas to be friends. That would be rare.

He nodded, not breaking his leisurely pace.

I couldn’t figure out why these four wolves were helping me. Normally, wolves minded their own business, but for whatever reason, they had come to my rescue.

We stepped through the trees and walked down to the rocky embankment. A canoe had been pulled onto the shore, and four sets of clothes were scattered around it, indicating the place where they had stripped to shift.

The chestnut wolf brushed my leg, then dropped my knife at my feet. If they were planning to hurt me, he wouldn’t have given me back the weapon. Although, considering how strong they were, I didn’t stand a chance against them even with it.

When the other three wolves ran between sagebrush bushes and toward me, the chestnut wolf gently picked up a shirt, jeans, and underwear with his teeth before rushing back into the tree line.

I raised my brows. Shifting in private was definitely not the norm in my pack.

The ebony-furred wolf trotted over to me and sat beside me with his body turned toward the tree line, keeping watch as the other two shifters followed the chestnut wolf, grabbing their clothes and running in the same direction.

With his attention diverted, I examined the ebony wolf. He was larger than any wolf in my pack, including Zeke. Beside my five-foot-ten-inch frame, he came to my waist, and his fur was gorgeous, the color of the night sky.

Twigs snapped, and I glanced back to where the wolves had disappeared. My jaw dropped.

The most handsome man I’d ever seen was marching toward me.

He was tall, even by shifter standards, coming in at perhaps six and a half feet. I knew exactly which wolf he was from the messy chestnut hair that fell over his forehead and his indigo eyes, which appeared lighter against his sun-kissed complexion. My eyes lowered, taking in his scruff, and dropped further to his shirtless body. His lean, muscular form was stunning…not too muscular, but definitely not fat, and I wanted to touch the curves of his muscles. Jeans hugged his body, but I had no doubt the lower half was just as enticing as the top portion was.

“You can go and shift, Miles,” he said as he strolled over, his white shirt in hand.

Miles gingerly took his clothes and ran off to join the others. My focus, though, stayed on the sexy man standing in front of me.

His forehead lined as he scanned me. “How much pain are you in?” The concern was foreign to me, especially coming from someone as strong as he was.

I glanced down at my injuries. My hands were covered with drying blood, and soon, they’d be sticky. “I’ve had better days,” I replied dryly. “But it would’ve been worse if you and your friends hadn’t helped me, so thank you.” I swallowed, my throat suddenly parched. “I really need to get back to my pack. I’m sure Charles and the others are already telling my alpha everything, and, well, he won’t be happy with me.”

Brows furrowing, he stared into my eyes. “He won’t be happy with you? What about them?”

This was a conversation I’d never dreamed of having. “Pack hierarchy. I’m the weakest of us all, so…”

His eyes glowed, and his voice turned gravelly. “Wait. This behavior is normal? They’ve done this bullshit to you before and gotten away with it?”

More power radiated from him, and I lifted my chin, not liking the way he was speaking to me.

The blond and brown-haired men joined us.

“Bodey, chill,” the blond said. His hair was longer than Bodey’s, with waves that fell into his eyes. He had a similar build, just a bit smaller and shorter, but his cobalt eyes were jarring. “She’s been through a horrible experience at the hands of her own pack members, so back off, douche canoe, and don’t freak her out more.” He winked at me. “I’m Jack, by the way. And you are?”

My face warmed. “Callie.”