All Chapters of The Wolf King's Secret Son : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Josephine POVThe two-lane road cutting toward Kisatchie unspooled ahead of me like something without an end point. My dad's old truck groaned every few miles, a familiar complaint I'd never quite figured out how to fix. That had always been his department."Almost there," I told the cardboard box riding shotgun. My throat tightened. I'd told myself I was done with the crying three weeks after it had wrung me hollow but grief had a way of showing up uninvited. I kept my eyes on the road. The last thing I needed was to wrap his truck around a pine tree before I even got to say goodbye.Nineteen and already an orphan. I still couldn't make that fact sit right in my head, no matter how many times I turned it over. Dad's heart had just stopped, no warning, no dramatic last words. One morning he was there; by afternoon he wasn't. The only real anchor I'd ever had, and it had just slipped loose.I exhaled slowly and loosened my grip on the wheel. "You should've told me things," I said q

Caleb POVI made the full loop around the commune's edge on foot before patrol, same as I usually did when time allowed. My second could've handled it, or I could've sent anyone down the line but I preferred seeing things with my own eyes. There was no substitute for that, regardless of what Jules thought.The Moon Edge pack had held this stretch of Kisatchie for longer than I'd been alive, and not without cost. Wild territory was shrinking everywhere. Packs that had ranged freely a generation ago were now compressed into smaller and smaller corridors, bumping up against human development, against each other. Our land was the kind other packs dreamed about: enough canopy, enough river, enough distance from the nearest town to run without risk. That made it worth fighting over. I'd never let myself forget that, even during the quiet stretches.Everything checked out. I rolled my shoulders down and headed back into the commune.Midday had the place humming. Kids ran between the houses

Josephine POVI felt safe with Caleb. My dad had always warned me to stay away from other shifters, and after barely escaping the mountain lions with my life, I saw why. But I knew I could trust Caleb, and not just because he saved me. There was something honorable about him. My wolf didn’t normally enjoy being around strangers, but she liked him immediately. That had to mean something.His hand on my hip was soothing despite my and his nakedness. I wasn’t a prude, but I was hardly used to hanging around people sans clothing. I was almost grateful for the slash in my side as it made it harder for my eyes to wander.The part of me that wasn’t focused on survival fixated on him. Even with a bloody wound through his brow, he was attractive. Bright blue eyes stared at me with a softness that belied his muscular body. His black, chin-length hair hung around his face but didn’t shield his strong jaw or thin, cupid’s bow lips from view. They were so kissable, even smeared with blood.Why am

Caleb POVI didn’t sleep well and not because I’d insisted Josephine stay in my bed while I took the short, lumpy couch. Even with the door closed, I could smell her desire. It had been there since I helped her dress and only grew stronger when she climbed into my bed. It should have felt intrusive to have her in my home. She was a complete stranger, not a pack mate. Instead, the mingling of our scents was alluring. If I’d let my wolf take charge, I would have burst into my bedroom and taken her, just like we both wanted.I stood up. There was no point in thinking about that. I’d chosen a life free of attachments, and just because a beautiful girl needed rescuing didn’t mean I had to lose my head. I’d always had a soft spot for the vulnerable a need to protect. The fact that she was also compelling and different from the women of the pack made her novel. My feelings would pass.No, not feelings. Urges. Like the urge to take her right there on my bed.I walked out my front door, unable

Josephine POV“Caleb!” I called, but he walked away without another word, leaving me alone in the village square. The sun beat down on me, but I couldn’t feel its heat. Learning we were fated mates was a shock. I had misgivings about the mating ceremony but not about Caleb. I thought we had a real connection something we could build on.I didn’t follow Caleb, though I wanted to. I could give him space if he needed it, even if it hurt. I cared about him, and not just because of the mate bond I now understood drew us together. In the few days I’d lived with him, I’d grown to enjoy his company. He was clever, kind, and different from the rest of his pack. Even if we weren’t mates, I could have seen us being friends. Or more. Much more.I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I returned to Caleb’s house. On the first night I’d stayed with him, his scent had been so overpowering I could barely sleep. My side had ached, and exhaustion weighed on my bones, but my heart raced as I bathed in his