The Journey Home

JAMES

The visit to my pack was an even bigger success than I had hoped. I knew that Allie would get along with my mother, but it was clear that they liked each other.

I could always rely on my mother to be welcoming and charming, but she wasn’t quick to trust people or let them in. Allie had proven to be the exception.

It was good to watch the way Allie interacted with the wolves that she met, and how interested she was in what they had to say. She wanted to learn all about them.

I was angry but unsurprised by Eric’s attitude. He was a good gamma and served my father loyally, but he always hated loners. I need to make sure there will be no repeat of the way he spoke to Allie.

It had been a long day, but we’d agreed to come back for another visit in a week’s time so Allie could meet the rest of the pack.

My mother had already arranged for Allie to have a welcome-to-the-pack gala dinner and a visit to the pack school.

Allie was intrigued by the idea of a school dedicated to werewolves. Growing up in human society, she had attended a human school and missed out on so much of our culture.

I couldn’t wait to share it all with her.

I enjoy listening to her tell me about her day with my mother. It was so nice to spend time with her without thinking about my responsibilities to the pack.

When we get home, I’m going to whisk her upstairs to our bedroom. All I could think about was getting her alone. Touching her, tasting her, being inside her.

We’re halfway to the Red Moon Pack, traveling through a remote forest, when I see a fallen tree blocking the road ahead.

Immediately, I’m on edge. My instincts tell me that this is not a random accident.

I slam the car into reverse and swing back around the way we had come, but I don’t get far before a van appears out of nowhere and blocks the road. I was right—this was an ambush.

I could drive right into the van and try to ram it off the road, but that would risk injuring Allie, so I stop the car but keep the engine running.

“Is it Ryan?”

“Probably. I can’t think of anyone else who would try to ambush us.”

Three wolves get out of the van and walk toward us.

In the rearview mirror, I see two additional wolves approaching from behind.

“We look to be outnumbered,” Allie calmly observes. “What are we going to do?”

“You’re going to wait here, while I get out and find out what they want.

“Wait, what?”

“Wait here,” I repeat. “Don’t get out of the car.”

“No way am I leaving you to face them on your own. I’m coming with you.”

I smile with pride at how brave she is, but there is no way I’m going to risk her safety by letting her come with me. “No. You’re not. I won’t let them hurt you.”

“Be serious. You can’t take on five wolves on your own.”

“And you think that if there were two of us, we could?”

“We would stand a better chance. I’m not helpless.”

“I know you’re not.” I stroke her cheek. “But I can handle this. I’ll protect you.”

“Macho wolf!”

I smile at her and get out of the car, confident that she won’t follow me.

As they get closer, I recognize that one of the wolves is indeed Ryan.

“Well, what a surprise running into you, Ryan. I take it this isn’t a coincidence.”

“How perceptive of you. I’m here for Allie.”

“And what do you want with my mate?”

“She isn’t your mate,” he snarls. “Not yet. You haven’t marked her, have you?”

I don’t respond, but he takes that as confirmation.

“Without your mark, she isn’t your mate. But she is going to be mine.”

“Just because I haven’t marked her yet doesn’t change the fact that she is my true mate. You’re nothing to her, and she knows it.”

He smirks at me. “You don’t have to have a true mate bond to make a wolf your mate.”

“True, you could kill me and force the bond upon her, but what good would that do?” I don’t understand why he would want to force Allie to be his mate.

“It would make her mine. She is meant to be mine. Whether the moon goddess agrees or not.”

“Are you crazy?”

“No. I just know what I want and I’m determined to get it. Allie is something I want.

“This has all worked out quite well. I thought I would have to invade your territory and fight your warriors to get her, but then you drive out here alone with no protection and deliver her to me.

“Your arrogance has proven to be your downfall.”

“Not quite,” I tell him. A large group of wolves makes their way out of the shelter of the trees and walk toward us.

“I wouldn’t do anything that would leave Allie unprotected. I had my warriors follow us, in case we encountered some kind of threat.”

He snarls at me and backs away. “Get back to the van,” he shouts at his wolves.

They start to run, and I lunge forward. I try to get my claws into Ryan, but before I can reach him, he throws one of his wolves in my path.

The wolf yelps as I push him away and my claws slash through his neck, but I don’t have time to finish him off.

I need to get to Ryan before he escapes. His van barrels toward us and screeches to a halt, then the door slides open for hands to pull Ryan inside.

“No!” I shout.

This is my best chance to finish him. I launch myself at the van, determined to get at him before he gets away, but the door slams shut and the van speeds off.

“Fuck!” I shout in frustration.

“Get after him,” I order my warriors. They run back toward the trees and jump into their cars. They speed off after Ryan, but I know we’ve lost him.

“So, were you going to tell me that your wolves were following us? Or were you just happy to leave me to worry about you?” Allie asks me angrily.

I realize that she has left the safety of the car and is standing directly behind me.

“I’m sorry,” I begin.

“~Sorry?~ I was terrified they were going to kill you, and all the time you knew you had warriors hiding in the forest ready to take them on and that they had no chance because they were outnumbered.”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry. There wasn’t much time, and I needed to act quickly. I needed to get out of the car and get to Ryan.”

“And before you did, you didn’t think it was worth spending thirty seconds to tell me what was going on? I was so scared that he would kill you!”

“I’m sorry, but you need to understand that my whole focus was on eliminating the threat. I’m not used to having to explain my actions to anyone,” I try to explain.

“Really, not good enough!” She stalks back to the car.

We both get in and drive to the Red Moon Pack.

I do my best to speak to her, to explain, but she ignores me.