Epilogue

Adam White stretched his arms out, loosening his muscles as he walked up the back steps to the Alpha house. His house now that he’d taken over the Pack from his father. As hard as he’d fought for his dad to remain as the Pack’s leader, he also felt a deep connection with the land and his shifters and he wanted to do right by all of them. The stress of the past several months was starting to get to him, but the freedom of being able to shift and run the boundaries of his territory made each hard day worth it.

The late-night run in his other form had done a remarkable job of relaxing him.

Opening the sliding glass door to enter the house, Adam took a deep breath and sensed the interior. He was learning quickly how to use his heightened senses and the bond with his Pack to know where and how they were.

His sister Laura was in the kitchen, baking for the family and other guests who were sure to stop by first thing in the morning. He smiled at the smell of cakes and cookies. His sister always cooked enough food for an army, and his mouth watered in anticipation. If he didn’t have the self-control he did, Adam would weigh five hundred pounds.

He took another breath and found the man he was searching for. His father and former Pack Alpha was in his room. Adam wasn’t surprised. Christian spent all of his time either in his bedroom or in his wolf form. Adam had tried to talk to him, to bring him out of the depression, but nothing he said or did helped.

Three months before, one of the young females of the Pack had been attacked. Mindy hadn’t been the first or the only girl, but she was the only one from their Pack. Christian had to live with the knowledge that he hadn’t been able to protect a Pack member.

Adam, Laura and many Pack members—even other Alphas—had told Christian it wasn’t his fault, but he continued to blame himself.

The only person who seemed to be able reach Christian at all was his friend, Logan.

Logan had been staying at the house and talking with Christian daily, slowly bringing him back. But when Logan’s Alpha, Gage, had found out that his mate was pregnant, Logan had had to leave and return to his own territory. As expected, Gage’s Pack was on high alert to make certain nothing happened to the Alpha’s mate or child. Adam could understand the need, but he selfishly wished Logan could have stayed longer.

Adam headed to his office.

For now, at least, his father was alive. Adam just needed to make sure he remained that way. It wasn’t unusual for shifters to want to end their existence after a tragedy. Living for so long and witnessing so much affected each of them.

Opening the door to the Alpha’s office, Adam stepped inside and flipped on the light. He had taken his new position only two months before and hadn’t changed anything in the office or the house. He didn’t know if he even wanted to, though several friends had suggested it would help the transition if he properly claimed the space and made it his own.

Sometimes, Adam still felt like he was playing dress-up and his father would walk back into the office and demand Adam stop messing around.

Intellectually, he knew that wouldn’t happen, but it was something he struggled with daily.

The Council, made up of former Alphas who policed the Packs, had given their blessing for him to take over the Pack. His Alpha position was official.

It was a huge responsibility and he didn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially his father. So he worked hard and tried to get everything done while still staying available for the Pack. He’d had no idea the hours an Alpha put in before he’d taken over.

As Adam grew up, his father had always been there for him and had made running the Pack look so easy. Adam was finding out that there was a lot that went on behind the scenes that he’d never known.

He needed help taking care of all those under his protection. But even after a couple months of searching he’d yet to appoint his second-in-command and it weighed heavy on his mind.

He’d thought long and hard about who would be good for the position. Every Alpha picked his own man to watch his back. His father’s man had stayed when Adam had taken over, but Adam knew he was more than ready to retire. Their agreement was that he’d train the new second, but he did want to spend more time with his family soon.

As he reached the desk, he turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up. As he sat, there was a knock on the door. He tried not to be annoyed at the interruption, but it was hard. He’d been hoping to have a little time to himself at the late hour. He wanted to finish going through the applications for his Enforcer. There was no one strong enough or dominant enough in his Pack, so he was going to have to bring someone else in.

The Council and several other Packs had sent recommendations but Adam hadn’t found anyone who he felt completely comfortable with. An Alpha had to have a second. This person would be Adam’s most trusted ally. And he’d been struggling to find the right match.

The knock sounded again, and Adam realized he’d gotten lost in his own thoughts. “Come in!” he called out to the guard that would be on duty.

Tasha Johnson had followed the guard inside the Alpha’s house and down the hall. When they’d reached a large oak door, she’d run her sweaty palms over her jeans. She hated to bring her family problems to the new Alpha, but she didn’t know where else to turn.

The low voice that told them to enter sent a shiver down her spine. She braced herself as the guard opened the door and nodded at her to stay outside. Procedure dictated that she wait while she was announced, then the Alpha decided whether or not to grant her an audience. Tasha wasn’t too worried. Like his father before him, Adam was already known for making time for members of his Pack. As the guard walked from the office, she peeked inside and got a good look at the new Pack leader.

She’d known Adam for years, even though they’d never been close, and had admired him from a distance for a long time now. The fact that she was about to face him alone made her stomach flutter with nerves. He was just so good looking and she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of him. Plus, she really did need his help.

Adam nodded as the guard spoke quietly to him before looking up and locking gazes with her. His light green eyes held hers, and her breath rushed out of her chest at the intensity with which he watched her.

Then he smiled and liquid arousal pooled inside her panties. She shifted to relieve the pressure, certain if she didn’t calm her body, he would be able to tell. Oh, the man just oozed raw sexuality.

When he stood and motioned her in, she didn’t miss the large bulge trapped in his jeans. The sight of his excitement did nothing to tame her own desire. She wasn’t sure if he was reacting to her or not, but a woman could hope. Secretly, she wished he wanted her as much as she did him. Not that she believed that would ever happen. No one with Adam’s looks or power would be interested in a nobody like her.

The guard left the office without another word and closed the door behind him. The Alpha’s scent surrounded her, and Tasha struggled not to close her eyes and breathe deeply. She had serious business to discuss.

“Bryan told me that you had a family emergency and needed my help,” Adam said as he gestured for her to sit.

Weak-kneed, Tasha gladly took a seat on the worn brown leather couch and clasped her hands in her lap. She should be concentrating on getting her sister back instead of her desire for a male. “Yes, Alpha. I need to talk you about my sister, Crystal.”

He sat in the chair across from her and leaned forward. “I’m listening. Whatever you need I’ll help.”

“I’m not sure if your father told you about my family when you took over the Pack.” She was so nervous, she could feel sweat bead on her forehead. She hated talking about her family and sharing the pain of her past.

She could see the sympathy in his eyes when he spoke. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Tasha took a deep breath before starting. “Five years ago, my father left our family. I’m still not sure where he went, but my mother didn’t take it well. Six months after he left, she ended her existence and left Crystal with me. She was eleven.”

He nodded but didn’t comment. She appreciated him letting her get the story out quickly. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could once again bury her pain.

“I’ve tried to do the best I can, but I don’t always understand what she is going through. My sister Crystal is a…non-shifter.” Tasha waited for his reaction. Being a non-shifter was an embarrassment for her sister. Tasha only saw how wonderful her sibling was instead of whether she could shift or not, and even though she didn’t understand, she always respected Crystal’s wishes. They didn’t tell many people because a lot of Pack members considered non-shifters lower class.

“Go on,” he told her gently, and she didn’t hear or see anything negative from him.

“Crystal’s had a hard time lately with some of the kids from school. That’s why I think she ran away.”

“Do you have any idea where she could have gone?” he asked, and Tasha just stared at him. Didn’t he want to ask questions about the non-shifter part of the story? He didn’t say anything more, instead simply waited for her reply.

“I do. I talked to her best friend and she told me that Crystal has been talking to a boy in the city over the Internet. She probably went there.” Tasha spoke quickly. “I have his name and number. I keep trying to call but no one is answering. He is older and I’m worried about what he might do to her.”

Adam leaned over and placed his hand over hers. “Give me the information and I will find her. I promise you that.”

Tasha could feel tears threaten to fall in relief. “Thank you, Alpha. Thank you.”

He squeezed her hand before releasing it. “That is what I am here for. Do you have the information with you?”

Tasha nodded and dug in her purse for her small notebook. Her hand still tingled from where Adam had touched her. “I wrote it all down.” She tore out a page and handed it to him, hoping he didn’t notice her hands shaking.

“I’ll work on this and let you know what I find out,” he told her as he stood. He reached down and helped her stand.

She bit back her moan when his touch caused her body once again to tingle. Her breasts felt fuller and heavy, her stomach tightened, and her sex clinched. It was unbelievable how much she could want one man.

They stood close, not quite touching, and stared at each other for several minutes. Adam shook his head and took a step back. “I’ll be in touch.”

Tasha turned and took a deep cleansing breath. She needed to get a hold of herself. It would be wrong to throw herself at her Alpha’s feet and beg him to take her.

“Thank you,” she murmured as she made her way to the door.

Hell, with wolf senses, he could do a lot more than just hear well. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew just how much she wanted him. Then again, she was also a wolf shifter. His need had saturated the room.

She left the room with a small smile on her face. It felt like way too long since she’d had anything to smile about.