Author: J.D. Tyler

“You did what?” Zan’s mind brought forth horrible images of his mate fighting the beast. He’d been on vacation, healing from his injuries, while the Pack tracked the beast. But he’d gotten a description from the others.

“It was all I could think to do. There was nobody but me to lure the thing away, so that’s what I did.”

Ryon still wasn’t satisfied. “Why didn’t you go back for Daria? How come you didn’t let anyone know about her being in the ravine, bleeding to death?”

“I was out of commission myself. The beast’s claws raked my abdomen, nearly gutting me, and I had to find a place to hole up and heal. By the time I was well enough to shift into human form and make it back to town, Daria had already been found and the locals were buzzing about her rescue and the murders. I knew the authorities were on it by then. And I watched you all come and go, talking about attempting to capture the creature.”

“Do you have any proof of your story?” Ryon asked.

Nodding, Selene stood. Slowly, she lifted her borrowed T-shirt to reveal a pink scar that ran in a slightly diagonal curve from just below her sternum to her belly button. “It didn’t completely go away, I’m assuming because of the venom in its claws. I’ve never had an injury quite like this one.”

Ryon leaned forward. “Convincing.”

Lowering the shirt, she sat again. “It’s the truth. I have plenty of faults, but I’m no liar.” At that, she fell silent and waited.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Daria said quietly. “You were almost killed trying to get the beast away from me, and I won’t forget that.”

The tension leaked from the room like air from a balloon. Daria’s belief was good enough for them. Selene appeared relieved to have been vindicated.

“No thanks are necessary. My parents raised me to help others if and when I possibly can.” She got the strangest look on her face just then and blinked at Nick, seemingly at a momentary loss for words. “Anyway, what happened to the beast? I know that it left the Shoshone, and there was some activity when the team left to pursue it, but I never learned what went down.”

Ryon answered. “The creature was actually a human named Ben Cantrell. He’d been subjected to horrible experiments in Malik’s labs—”

“Malik?” Selene looked from him to Zan.

“I’ll explain later.”

“Okay.”

“Anyway,” Ryon continued, “they tampered with Ben’s DNA and turned him into this supermonster, one of many they hoped to control. When we found and destroyed the last of the labs, Ben escaped to wreak havoc everywhere he went. The poor bastard had no idea what he was doing.”

“That’s so sad.” Selene looked upset.

“Yeah, but the good news is that Mac, Melina, and Jax’s mate, Kira, developed a serum that counteracted the drugs and returned Ben to human form. Mercifully, he didn’t remember much of what he’d done as the beast. He was a good man who was trapped inside the creature.”

“Is he doing well now?”

Daria smiled. “Very. He’s actually my former boyfriend, and we’d broken up before I met Ryon. The whole reason he came here was instinct—he was looking for me, and the Pack as well. In his lucid moments, he was trying to get help. He went back to his law practice and is doing fine.”

“That’s great news.” Selene returned her smile.

Ryon stood, extended his hand to Selene. “It appears I was wrong about you. I want to add my thanks for saving my mate. I’ll never forget what you did. In a way, you brought us together.”

“I did?”

“Tell you another time.” Daria grinned. “Over a glass of wine or two.”

“I appreciate the invite,” Selene said noncommittally.

“Soon, then. We’ll let you get settled in.”

“It’s kind of funny, isn’t it?” Ryon said, pinning Selene with a piercing look. “I misinterpreted your actions that injured Daria so severely she almost died. Sometimes there are explanations for things we don’t understand at first, things that seem unforgivable. You might want to remember that.”

Selene stared at him, cheeks flushing, and then looked away.

The couple left, and Selene’s discomfort was obvious. “So where do I go from here? What does getting ‘settled in’ entail? My nice comfy cot in Block R? If so, can I at least have some magazines?”

Zan’s heart clenched. He didn’t like to think of her in that place, alone. Nothing to do but wallow in misery and listen to Raven, their poor insane teammate, howl day and night. Once again he turned to meet Nick’s gaze and made his plea.

“She can room with me. I’ll take good care of her. I swear.”

“We don’t even know each other.” She gave him a questioning look.

“That’s going to change anyway, whether they let you out of solitary now or next week. At least this way you have some freedom.”

“I don’t think—” Nick began.

“I’ll take full responsibility for my mate.”

“And if she tries to slit my throat while I’m sleeping?” He was only half joking, Zan could tell.

“I don’t need to resort to dirty tricks—I can take you in a fair fight!” she said evenly.

Zan tried to speak over her. “If she harms anyone, or even attempts it, I’ll take her punishment.”

Selene gasped. “Why the hell would you do that?”

“It’s my job—no, my honor—to protect my mate. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure nothing happens to you.”

It was a big gamble. He really didn’t know this woman at all. If she were a bad apple, he’d pay the price. But he had to take the chance; he didn’t know if his wolf could live without his Bondmate.

Her fingers wrapped around his wrist, and sheer pleasure from even that minimal contact had his wolf rumbling, wanting more. He could barely focus on what she was saying. “I can’t let you do that.”

“Why not? Because you know that your sense of honor won’t allow you to stand by and see me take the fall for your actions? I think that says more about you than you’ll admit.”

“It says nothing except that I don’t want your interference.”

He didn’t agree. A glance at Nick showed he didn’t, either. There was more to this woman than blind rage and thoughts of vengeance. She needed a chance to see that for herself.

“It’s done,” Nick said. “You commit a crime, your mate takes the punishment. Perhaps your time here will bring you some perspective.”

She was fuming. No wolf liked having her hands tied behind her back, especially an alpha bitch. She’d decided on a course of action and had been derailed. Now she was lost.

“If we’re done here, I’ll show her to my quarters,” Zan said. He couldn’t say our quarters yet. They had a long way to go before that day, if ever.

Nick stood, signaling the end of the meeting. “Bring Selene to dinner. Everyone will want to meet her.”

She snorted. “I just bet they will. More than likely, they’ll want to rip me to shreds.”

“Something tells me you can handle it,” the commander said with the barest hint of a smile. “You are my daughter, after all.”

“Not by choice,” she spat.

Crap. Time to go. Zan put a hand on her arm and tugged gently, guiding her toward the door. As he looked back, Nick’s expression was composed, revealing nothing.

Until Zan ushered her out the door. When she’d cleared the room, Zan looked back to see Nick’s head bowed, shoulders slumped.

This was going to be a bumpy ride for everyone. And Selene was now his responsibility.

It was enough to make him wish he’d never returned from vacation. In fact, if he bought a ticket to the Caribbean right this second, he doubted anyone would blame him.

Zan had been ready to leave the Pack for good until she showed up loaded for bear.

And now he was just as tethered as he’d been to the Pack—for the rest of his life.

Selene’s mind whirled in confusion as Zander ushered her through the hallways toward what he called his quarters.

All of her life, she was told her father had murdered her mother.

Is there another explanation?

She was told he had run away rather than face execution.

Yet Nick doesn’t seem like a criminal on the run. He’s built a life here.

She was ordered by Uncle Damien never to seek out her father. Warned that Nick would kill her on sight.

Instead he’s been . . . kind. His men respect him, even like him.

What was the truth? Who was lying and why?

“Have you heard anything I’ve said?” Zan asked, interrupting her musings.

“No. I’m sorry.” She gave him an apologetic look. “This is all a lot to take in.”

Reaching a door with a keypad, he stopped and turned to fully face her. “I know it is, but you’ll get used to it. Everyone here will be very welcoming if you’ll give them a chance. We’re like a big family.”

She started to retort that she had a family, thanks, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the kindness in his eyes, his sincerity. He’d gone out on a limb for her when he didn’t have to. He was trying. She could at least meet him halfway.

“I have no quarrel with you or your Pack. Just Nick.”

“That’s where your thinking is wrong. If you intend one of us harm, you’ll have to fight everyone. Not worth it—trust me.”

With that, he punched a code into the keypad and opened the door, gesturing for her to go first. Stepping inside, she took in his apartment. It was more spacious than she’d thought it would be, with masculine furnishings and tasteful landscapes on the walls.

There was a kitchen that was open to the living room and a hallway beyond, which she assumed led to the bedroom. The curtains were pulled back, letting in the sunshine and revealing the gorgeous forest not far away.

“Like the rest of this place, this isn’t what I expected,” she said.

He shrugged. “It’s home. Has been for six years.”

“That’s when you joined the Alpha Pack?” She faced him, curious in spite of herself. Having information was not a bad thing.

“Yes. I’ve been here since the Pack was formed and we opened the compound.” Leading her over to the sofa, he took a seat and gestured for her to do the same.

Taking a spot next to him, she asked carefully, “So my father helped to build this place?”

“Actually, no. Our first commander was a man named Terry Noble. You met Dr. Mallory—she was his mate. He and some of our other Pack members were killed in an ambush last year, and Nick took over.”

The sorrow on his face touched even her jaded heart. She hated her father, but she could relate to Zan because of what she’d been through herself. “I’m so sorry. Losing family is hard.”

He nodded. “Thank you. There was one bright spot in recent months—two of our team we thought to be dead were rescued from those lab facilities we were talking about. Micah and Phoenix were found in separate locations, leaving us at least some slim hope that the others are out there somewhere, alive.”

“Anything is possible, so don’t give up hope.”

“You’d do well to take your own advice.” The words were gentle, compassionate, not intended to hurt or belittle.

But they struck a nerve all the same. “You know nothing about me or my situation,” she snapped. “The only hope I have is to make my father pay for what he did, and beyond that I don’t care.”

Disappointment edged out his compassion. “I don’t believe that.”