Chapter 3

CALIFF

My wolves of hunters and scouts streamed through the land, giving them enough time to scout the perimeters of our territory for dangers and threats. Though assigned to border patrol, they wouldn’t take chances when their Alpha was going out on the run.

“You’re clear, Alpha,” Kairo, one of the scouts, said through our pack link. That was how we communicated when in our wolf form or emergency.

Running always helped me think. Since that rogue saw me two days ago, my wolf has been agitated and restless. There was just something different about her. I ordered my Delta, Lorcan, and one of my hunters to find that woman. I doubted it was a coincidence that I was there in that hotel, and she was there too. I always trusted my instinct when protecting my pack and our alliances.

Our enemy packs had been very clever lately. I admitted that. Their members left the pack when on a spy mission and acted to join another pack to get information and study their weaknesses. I had done that in my late teens.

In our world, claws, fangs, and magic were dangerous, and threats were always out there. No matter how strong our pack was, we always expected the inevitable.

Racing past my hunters, I headed straight to the forest and turned off our link. The roughened pads of my paws charged over the log as the wind blew through my dark fur.

I ran as much as my body could take it. It was good for my stubborn wolf and my mind. I stopped at the rocky cliff overlooking the river and lush green trees. I shifted to human form.

Our disadvantage of being a werewolf was that our clothes would shed to pieces as we shifted, and we transformed back into two-legged naked humans.

“Alpha,” Kairo came behind, offering me my clothes. His family had been a pack member since he was just a pup. When he was trained enough to fight, he took over the position from his father two years ago.

“Thank you.” I put them on quickly. “Any news?”

“They’re back,” he replied in excitement. “They have the package.”

My head snapped to him as I recalled those misty gray eyes to almost purple staring back at me in shock. “Are you certain?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Let’s go.” I pivoted on my heel.

We came back to the compound from our run. My Beta and best friend, Duke, strode in my direction with a satisfying grin.

“So it’s true then.” I entered the pack house, where everyone greeted me. This had been Stone for many generations. We had houses provided for pack members who couldn’t afford one and cabins at our perimeters for scouts and border patrols.

“Yes, Cal. And she stinks.” He followed up with a laugh.

No, she didn’t.

She tried masking her scent, but I still sniffed it, whiffing in the air. No one could do that unless she had practice, which made it more interesting.

“Are you sure she’s the one?”

“Yeah. Hundred percent sure. She’s still knocked out. Lorcan might have gone overboard with the dose when she fought back. But something else happened before they got into her.”

My eyebrows knitted. My protective nature clawed out. “What happened?”

“There were other werewolves with her.” So, my suspicions were correct. “I thought she was a rogue. And she is a rogue. Her smell doesn’t lie.”

“Let me prove my suspicion. We’ll wait until she wakes up. In the meantime, let me take a shower.”

“Sure. I’ll be waiting in the command room.”

I took two steps at a time upstairs and went through the hallway. My room was in the corner. I had my pad in the city during business meetings, but I stayed at the compound most of the time as the Alpha to Night Stalker Pack.

I took a quick shower, which never happened—the pit of my stomach fluttered as I watched myself in the mirror. I shut my eyes closed, and her face, her eyes came rushing back into my head. Her misty gray eyes widened in surprise as they locked mine. Her smell was a fresh rain, intense jasmine in spring, and a touch of vanilla. But no one should know that.

After I put on a new set of clothes, I went to the command room where Duke was monitoring the woman in our solitary confinement underground of one of our buildings.

“She just woke up,” he informed.

It was her. From her corporate dress, she was now wearing workout clothes and a hoodie but showed enough a bit of the round of her breasts. Her hourglass figure but had curves in all sorts of my wild fantasies. Confused and shocked, she got up quickly from the iron bed, looked around, and promptly thought she was in a government laboratory for an experiment because of the white walls and lighting.

“Turn the speaker on.” As soon as Duke turned it on, her voice echoed. My wolf almost purred.

“Hello? Where am I? Can someone talk to me?” There was panic in her voice, but I sensed a strong and commanding tone.

“Ask her what’s her name.”

“What’s your name?” Duke asked through a microphone.

Her eyes, the same misty gray that kept me restless at night, widened. “Hey. I need to talk to someone who has authority. Where am I? Why am I here? You got the wrong guy, sir. Let me out of here!”

“Answer my question. What’s your name?”

“I’m Shadow Hawks, asshole. If you’re so brave kidnapping an innocent woman, show your fucking face so you can taste who I really am.” She looked around to find a camera but could only see a two-way mirror, which she just raised her middle finger.

Duke chuckled. “She’s feisty.”

And I liked my woman, strong and feisty. I shook that thought off. A rogue? What the fuck!