Chapter Two

Sara closed the door of the dishwasher with her hip, then remained leaning against it. She gazed out of the kitchen window that overlooked her backyard. Her night ended as most people her age were beginning theirs.

Having to get up at four every morning and be at the coffee house by five, she almost never stayed up past nine-thirty or ten.

She poured a half glass of white wine before she walked to the back door. It was dark out, but the light from her porch illuminated her garden and flowers. Her backyard was one of her favorite projects. All her extra money went to having an oasis to relax in day or night. She had several wicker chairs and couches that were perfect to snuggle in and read on the big wood deck. She even had a couple of wood benches close to her planters. Her mom’s touches were everywhere back there. That was where she felt closest to the woman who’d left her too early in life.

This late in the evening, she enjoyed sitting outside and just relaxing. Nothing to do and no one she had to talk to. Her favorite time of day.

The cool night air felt like a caress as she stepped out of the back door. The last days of fall were approaching and soon winter frost would cover her yard.

Since it was such a nice night, she moved to the bench at the edge of the property. There was a small opening that led to a trail she liked to hike on her days off. She had a perfect view of the snow-covered mountains during the day, but even though she couldn’t see them clearly then, she didn’t mind. She’d stared at the view so many times that she could paint it with her eyes closed. That was, if she could paint at all.

She tucked her legs under her and brought the wineglass up to her lips. Another soft breeze blew over her and she shivered a little even in her pajama pants and long-sleeve Henley.

She heard a rustling sound by the trail and bent forward. Her eyes had adjusted to the low light, but she couldn’t make out the shape. She squinted to see if there was any movement.

Yes, something was there.

She straightened but kept her eye on the spot where she could see the shadowed figure. It was some sort of animal, a dog or something. Yes, something that she’d spotted a couple times before. This time, she wasn’t going to allow the creature the opportunity to get away from her.

She grinned. “I know you’re there, and you know that I know. Why don’t you come out of hiding?” she called. She didn’t feel stupid talking to an animal. It wasn’t like anyone else could hear her.

She almost dropped her wineglass when the animal started crawling forward. As soon as she got a good look, she knew it wasn’t a dog. It was a wolf! And the size of it. Wow!

The wolf stopped.

“Oh, no, baby, don’t stop now,” she murmured.

She should be out of her mind with fear, but she was so excited. She hadn’t seen anything so gorgeous in her life.

The wolf crept forward. Pure white—not a spot of another color that she could see. She sat her wineglass on the ground next to her and gripped her knees to keep from reaching out to the animal.

Her fingers trembled with excitement as she stared down at the wolf. Then he lifted his head she noticed the deep-chocolate eyes.

Her breath caught. Could it be Clint?

She scooted to the very edge of the bench.

The wolf crawled forward a few more inches.

She tried to remember everything she had read about shifters. If she talked to him, would he understand her? Yes! She remembered reading that shifters kept their intelligence. She’d test that theory.

“You are so pretty. Can you come closer? I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

The wolf moved forward and she gasped in surprise. Did he understand her?

“Do you…?” She stumbled over her words. How could she ask?

The wolf cocked his head to one side and the movement surprised a laugh out of her. She had no doubt he knew what she was saying. She waved her hand, asking the animal to come closer. Finally he was on his stomach right in front of her. She bent and with a shaky hand petted his back.

The hair—or was it fur?—was super soft, much like dogs’ fur, and she buried her hand deeper, rubbing harder. The wolf made a sound, something between a moan and growl, but it didn’t scare her.

Very carefully, she slid off the bench and down next to him. He remained low and let her guide him to his side.

It was awesome having the wolf laid out like a pet while she ran her fingers over the muscles and toned flank.

“I never would have believed I would be petting a wolf like this,” she said.

The animal lifted his head and looked back at her.

“But you’re not just an animal, are you?” she questioned.

The wolf shook his head.

“Clint?”

The wolf actually nodded.

She laughed. “Wow!” she said in awe. “This is so cool.”

They sat there for a long time, the wolf on his side and her next to him, rubbing his fur up and down. Wow, who needed massages and spas when there was an option to sit out back and pet a wild animal?

Sara couldn’t forget, though, that this was also Clint. The man that she was interested in knowing a whole lot better. And he had to have some feelings for her to have come visit in his shifter form. This wasn’t the first time, either. She’d seen his silhouette before from her kitchen window. Before, by the time she made it out back, he was gone.

Something had changed, though.

Clint was allowing her to see him. Actually, he was actually giving her a rare gift.

The night got cooler and she shivered. She was disappointed when he rolled back to his feet and stood. He nudged her shoulder with his head.

“I know—I should go in, but this was so cool.” She stood and stretched. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

The wolf ran his head under her hand and she patted him.

“I hope to see you for coffee tomorrow?” she told him. She hoped this appearance didn’t mean Clint was leaving. Maybe this was his way of saying goodbye or something.

She wanted him now more than ever. And him sharing this secret side had to mean he wanted the same, right? Sara gave him one last stroke before walking inside. At the door, she paused with her hand on the knob and looked back. Clint, still in wolf form, remained in the yard. She smiled and went inside. She locked the door behind her and only then did the wolf turn and trot out of view.

Sara, floating from the wonderful experience, turned off the lights and made her way to bed. She had a feeling that she would be dreaming of Clint again that night.

The house seemed bigger than usual. Sara loved her home, but it was empty most of the time.

Maybe she should get a dog? Did wolves and dogs get along? With Clint in her life, and damn it, he would be, she had to take that into consideration.

She undressed, then slipped beneath the covers, thinking about what an amazing night it’d been. With a smile, she sighed and closed her eyes.

* * * *

Clint stood in front of the coffee shop with Kurt and braced himself to see Sara again. He hadn’t planned on letting her see him in his shifter form the night before. He had only been checking on her, making sure no one else was around and watching.

But when he’d caught a glimpse of her standing at the kitchen sink, he hadn’t been able to make himself leave. So, he had crouched down as she’d made her way to the door. In his shifted form, he’d been able to see clearly and watch. When she’d started outside, he had frozen, wanting so much to be close to her.

He’d known he was taking a chance. She was human and didn’t understand the world he lived in. Clint didn’t want to put her in danger, but she’d called out to him. Never before meeting Sara had he felt the intense attraction that swept over him every time he was close to her. He wanted the woman, though he knew it wasn’t safe.

Clint opened the door to the coffee shop and stepped inside with Kurt on his heels. The first thing he noticed was the two men from yesterday. They didn’t glance in his direction, but they were most certainly aware of him and Kurt. He then noticed that two other tables held patrons who were dressed like the first two men. All the patrons watched him and Kurt openly.

There were no other customers in the place.

Clint looked over to the counter. Sara stood behind the bar talking with her employee, and when she caught sight of him, something like relief spread over her features.

Damn, she was beautiful. Her faded jeans looked soft and comfortable while stretching across her perfect ass. The short-sleeve shirt she wore under her apron lifted, exposing a small flash of skin, as she nodded and waved over at them.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” she greeted.

It was the most formal welcome he had ever received. He frowned and made his way over. Fuck, her hand was shaking, too.

“What can I get for you this morning?” she asked as he stepped up to the counter.

He wanted to reach for her. To reassure her that he would get to the bottom of whatever was going on. He would protect her. Sara was not going to suffer because some assholes had come to her town to talk to the Council.

“Large house blend, please,” he murmured, trying to catch her eye.

“Right away,” she told him and motioned to her assistant. She placed a napkin on the counter in front of him and turned to Kurt. “For you?”

“The same, please,” Kurt responded, glancing between her and Clint, obviously picking up on how strange Sara was acting.

He hadn’t said anything to Kurt about his visit to Sara the night before, but if she was wigged out about it, maybe he would need to. He shifted his body and let his gaze wander around the room. The patrons of the coffee shop might be sitting at tables, drinking coffee, but their attention was on the two shifters.

He spun back to the counter and glanced down. The napkin that Sara had placed in front of him had writing on it. Discreetly, he read her note.

They have been here all morning. Every time a customer comes in, they question them about the shifters in the area. It made everyone uncomfortable so they left. Be careful.

Clint slid the note to Kurt and glanced at Sara as she brought the two coffees over. She finally met his eye and he winked. She gave him a small smile in return. Yeah, that was what he wanted to see. Sara wasn’t feeling weird about their previous encounter. She was pissed about the men in the shop. He would definitely get rid of them for her.

Kurt balled up the napkin and shoved it into his pocket before pulling out some bills to pay for the coffees. “Thank you,” he said to Sara.

She nodded and backed away. The way she blocked her barista spoke volumes to him. Even worried about what was going to happen, she was putting herself in front of someone else.

Clint and Kurt picked up their coffee cups and faced the room.

“So, how was your hunt last night?” Kurt asked loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

Oh, he was going to love fucking with these guys. Clint shrugged. “Disappointing. There doesn’t seem to be much…prey around here.”

Kurt shook his head. “That’s sad. Maybe that’ll change soon.”

There was no truth to their threat. They didn’t hunt humans, but they had been called evil, so he could see where Kurt was going with this.

Clint eyed the six men in the shop. “I can think of one or…six ideas for that.” He gave each man the biggest predatory smile he could.

Several of them paled.

Kurt snorted. “Not much of a challenge.”

Clint elbowed his friend and he couldn’t help but grin. He was waiting for one of the men to pee himself. “Oh, I don’t know about that. We could give them a head start. Drop them off in the middle of the woods and let them think they have a chance at escaping. Maybe we could have our own edition of the Hunger Games.”

Kurt waved at the two men they’d encountered the day before. “They don’t look to be in great shape.”

The men huffed and, as their faces reddened, the man farthest from him and Kurt stood. “That is enough!” he snapped.

Clint blinked innocently at the man. “Enough? I have even started yet.”

The angry man straightened his tie. “My name is Perry Costa and I work for Reverend Carter. I believe you received my card yesterday and were told of my desire to meet with the shifters of the area, especially the Alpha.”

Reverend Dan Carter. The pathetic prick who’d been responsible for the previous attack of his last mission. Clint had been wanting to get his hands on Carter for a long time. He tilted his head. “Perry? Really? I didn’t know anyone was actually named Perry. Your parents didn’t like you much, did they?”

Clint heard a small giggle from behind him and remembered Sara was still close by. He needed to get the strangers out of there. If any violence broke out, she’d be in danger. And Clint was feeling pretty damn violent.

“Are all of you so…so immature?” Perry questioned, stepping closer.

Kurt snorted. Clint rolled his shoulders, stretching to his full height, causing the man to hesitate. “Guess you just got lucky,” Clint replied.

Frowning, Perry narrowed his eyes. “Did you even pass my message along?”

“We did,” Kurt replied. “Sorry, no one here is interested in anything you or Carter has to say. Although, I hear the authorities in Riverwood are interested in speaking with him. We’d volunteer to deliver him ourselves, in fact.”

Clint grinned at Kurt’s reminder that the last time this group had gone after shifters, it had not turned out well for them.

“I would strongly suggest that you let me speak with the person in charge. It has been brought to my attention that you…you people are holding two men against their will,” Perry stated. “As a matter of fact, I believe the two of you are the ones who kidnapped the men to bring them here.”

“Kidnapped?” Clint sputtered. “You’re accusing us of kidnapping? That’s rich, coming from you. What about the shifter those men we supposedly kidnapped had tied to a chair?”

Kurt gripped his shoulder. Clint hadn’t even realized he’d taken a step forward. How dare the man accuse them of kidnapping when it was that group that had kidnapped a friend of theirs from the side of the road and held him against his will?

The only reason Todd hadn’t been injured was that another shifter, Mike Jackson, had witnessed it. Clint had been with the shifters when they had rescued Todd. Todd hadn’t been injured, thank goodness, and the humans had been arrested. Clint and Kurt had brought the two shifters to the Council to answer for their part in the kidnapping of another of their kind.

Now, at least he knew why the strangers were so interested in him.

“I would hate to have to contact the authorities about this. I believe this is a matter best discussed in private. You have my number. I urge you to let whoever is in charge know I won’t be going anywhere. I will speak to them one way or another.”

“That sounds suspiciously like a threat,” Clint commented with a raised eyebrow. “And please, please, contact the authorities. Or we could do it for you.” Inside, he was fuming, but he would not let the man in front of him know that.

“If you truly believed we kidnapped anyone, you would have already called the cops,” Kurt added, putting his cup down. “And threatening a Pack of shifters? That’s not the smartest move to make.”

“You have no idea who you are dealing with,” Perry responded. “I hope you will take my warning seriously. Although I don’t mind staying in town—great coffee, by the way—I would hate to have these nice people’s lives interrupted by this mess.”

Clint bit back a growl at the mention of the coffee and the town folk. That was a direct challenge to him. No matter how careful he was from this point forward, Sara was now on their radar. His wolf wanted to tear these men limb from limb.

He needed to think back and retrace his steps. It wouldn’t be easy for anyone to spy or follow him. He was a trained shifter. There had to be more to this than Perry and Carter wanting to meet with an Alpha. What was Carter up to this time? He hated not knowing.

Perry rotated on his heel and made his way to the door. The other men followed quickly behind him. Once they were out of the door, Kurt walked over to the window and watched them. Clint turned to Sara.

“You okay?” he asked.

She scooted closer. He smelled the strong coffee scent that seemed to be always with her, and wanted to lean over and sniff her neck. He resisted, barely.

“Yes.” She nodded. “It was so weird. They came in right after I opened. Every time another customer came in, they would start asking all these questions, like if they’d seen any shifters and if they knew who was in charge. No one told them anything so those men… They kept getting more aggressive.”

Clint laid his hand on the counter and was thrilled when she placed hers in his hold. “It’ll be okay. We’re already working on it.”

“I knew they were waiting on you and I didn’t know if I should warn you or not. I didn’t like them being in here. They gave me the creeps.”

Clint rubbed his thumb over her wrist. “You did great. They’re not good people. Have you read about what happened in Riverwood?”

She frowned. “Fires? I think I saw a news report on it a week or so ago.”

“Yeah, Carter was trying to bring down one of the oldest Packs. We were sent there to make sure that didn’t happen,” Clint explained.

“So, he followed you here?”

It was a smart question. “Not sure. It doesn’t matter, though. We’ll protect this town. It’s what we do.”

Sara nodded. “I know you’ll try, but if these guys are as crazy as they seem… But I also don’t want my town burned down.”

Clint understood. “I won’t let that happen. Where would I get my coffee?”

“Yeah.” She laughed. “You remember that.”

“Right now they’re angling for a meeting. I don’t know why. The authorities are searching for Carter, so it’s not smart to approach us like this.”

“Unless all they actually want is their guys back,” she said.

Clint agreed—that was what he was thinking. Even though Carter was against all shifters, he’d used his stepson, a wolf shifter, in his plot against Riverwood. Clint didn’t think the shifters who’d failed Carter would live long out of the compound. “We can handle this.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You can?”

“Yes.” He grinned. “I’m good at my job.”

Sara leaned against the counter. “I don’t know what that job is, remember.”

“Yes.” Clint pressed himself against the counter as well. “We should remedy that once this is over.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” she said. “You know where to find me.”

Kurt coughed to get his attention. “We should get back and give an update.”

Clint hated to leave Sara, but Kurt was right.

“I’ll be back to check on things,” he told Sara.

“Promise?” She lifted a brow and smiled.

“Yes.” He turned, then strolled out, following Kurt. The street was clear of the men who had been inside the shop.

“Where’d they go?” Kurt questioned.

Clint leaned against the brick wall and just breathed. He used his senses to search the area around him. He could pick up the sound and scent of the residents close by. But there were more. “Two men in an alley a block away. They were at the table next to Perry.”

“Okay, anyone else?” Kurt asked.

He tried, but it was much harder to hunt in the middle of a busy street than the woods. Clint shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“We’ll be careful, then. They have to know where the compound is, so as long as we get back there without being attacked, we can let the Council decide how to handle this.”

“You got it. And if they do attack?” Clint asked.

“We do what we were trained for,” Kurt answered.

Clint had been following under Kurt’s command for so long that he didn’t question his orders. He trusted his best friend to make the decisions that would keep the two of them alive.

“Let’s go let the Council know what’s happening,” Kurt said.

“You drive,” Clint said. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

* * * *

Stepping inside the compound, Clint heard laughter and glanced at Kurt. Very rarely did anyone come to visit. Plus most of the Council Alphas were so busy they didn’t sit around laughing. Kurt grinned and waved him farther into the house.

They walked down the halls and entered the great room, where two Council Alphas sat with three other men.

Kurt whooped and hugged one of the men when he stood. There was a lot of back slapping before Kurt threw his arm around Clint’s shoulder and pulled him over.

“Clint, these are some of the most badass Alphas I’ve ever met,” Kurt informed him. “Gage Wolf from West Texas, Austin Winters from Colorado and this guy…” Kurt laughed. “This is Tony. You’ve probably seen his pretty mug all over the television.”

Clint did recognize Tony. He also knew about the two other men. They were highly respected Alphas in the shifter world.

He’d always wanted to meet Tony, too. Tony was the wolf shifter who had become the face of the shifter world. There had been five men total who had stood in place of the all shifters species in front of the public. Those five men had drawn the attention during the announcement of the shifters’ existence to keep everyone else safe. All were different species, and Tony had represented the wolves.

Tony had been the perfect choice. He was intelligent, well-spoken and a little bit crafty. His father was also one of the most powerful Alphas in the States and his brother, Cain, was a well-known and highly respected enforcer. Tony had been instrumental in bringing the other shifter species together. The success of the shifters going public was a result of his hard work.

Clint offered his hand to Tony. “Very pleased to meet you,” he said.

“Same here. I have heard wonderful things about you and what you’ve done keeping the Packs safe. We appreciate it.”

Clint turned to the two Alphas and shook hands, looking down in respect.

Gage Wolf was an Alpha who all shifters knew about. Talk was, he was already being groomed to join the Alpha Council as soon as he felt his Pack had a good replacement Alpha.

He was also mated to a non-shifter—a woman who had the wolf inside her but could not change forms. Before Gage had mated Marisa, there had not been a lot known about non-shifters. In fact, many, like Marisa herself, had been shunned and kicked out of Packs—some even killed.

Marisa had started an online support group for non-shifters after meeting with a teenage girl from another Pack who was having difficulty dealing with the problems that came from not being able to shift.

The Council had encouraged the Packs to embrace the non-shifters, and Gage had opened his Pack to accept any non-shifter who was not comfortable in their own Pack.

Clint hadn’t met a non-shifter himself, but believed in what Gage and Marisa had accomplished.

Gage shook his hand then patted his back. “I met your father several years ago. You take after him.”

Clint met the man’s gaze and saw the approval. He nodded. “Thank you.”

His dad had been an enforcer for the Council for many years before retiring. Clint was very proud of his old man and hoped to follow in his footsteps.

The other Alpha, Austin Winters, was an Alpha of a Pack in Colorado that had decided not to go public. Many of his members had not felt safe with their secret being revealed and Austin had taken that into consideration for his Pack.

He’d also opened up his family and accepted shifters from territories that were going public. Clint had heard he’d gotten almost a dozen new members in only a couple of months.

Austin might not have led one of the Packs that was out in the open, but he remained very supportive of the others who had revealed themselves.

Clint’s wolf side wasn’t comfortable in the room with such dominant men. The animal side of him wanted to bare his fangs and show his power. It was a good thing Clint could control the wolf, though. For once, he wanted to spend time in the Alphas’ company.

“Let’s sit and talk about what’s going on,” Council Alpha Babcock requested.

The men all took their seats before Kurt spoke. “Yes, we have more to add.”

While Kurt told them about the morning at the coffee shop, Gage pulled out several manila folders and passed them around.

Clint opened the file to the first page, which was a colorful brochure for The Church for Humanity led by Reverend Dan Carter.

“You’re kidding,” Kurt said, looking disgusted by the name.

Tony frowned. “Sadly, no. Since the mess down in Riverwood, Dan Carter and his followers have been busy. They have opened three chapters of the Church already, inviting humans to band together to oppose the rights given to the shifters. They’re even trying to get a law passed, banning any shifter from holding a public office, including any position in law enforcement.”

Clint sucked in a breath. He knew several shifters in law enforcement.

“He also wants them banned from joining the military,” Gage added.

Clint shook his head. Not only had he been in the army, he had just met another group of shifters who had formed one of the most elite units in the military. That unit had been made up of several different species and had shown how the shifter communities could work side by side with one another.

“They’re hitting a lot of resistance. Not only has the government already thought about all of this, some of the officials in charge are shifters themselves,” Alpha Conrad said.

“So why are they here?” Clint asked.

“I think they’re trying to cover their asses. Dan Carter got ahead of himself and messed up in Riverwood. He has two witnesses who know he’s directly involved in kidnapping and arson,” Alpha Babcock answered.

“So he wants them back,” Kurt stated. “And even though they aren’t talking, he doesn’t know that.”

“Yes, and Carter hasn’t been seen. There have been a few sightings but nothing confirmed. He’s lying low, but I don’t expect him to stay that way,” Gage informed them.

“That’s not all we have to worry about, though.” Austin spoke up. “I had one of my men join the Church. He’s been working undercover for a couple of weeks now. While most of the preaching is about protecting their families and children, Colt’s told me that’s just the public view. He got in with some of the younger crowd and, while the attacks against Riverwood were considered a failure, Dan Carter rewarded the members involved. Promoted them through the program and paid them richly.”

“So, it’s not over?” Kurt questioned.

Gage sighed. “No, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Dan Carter is organized and has enough followers that he could cause us a lot of problems.”

“Colt and his new friends have been offered a reward if they can capture a shifter,” Austin told them. “We’ve been able to warn the shifters in the area, but that might not be enough. The Church members are getting bolder, traveling farther in their search for a shifter. We can warn the shifters around the areas where the Church is, but if they branch out? We’re still a step behind.”

“We are trying to get some shifters inside all the Church’s chapters, but that takes time and we have to be careful. Dan Carter is also paranoid and checking out all the new members,” Alpha Babcock supplied.

“Who’s this Perry Costa?” Clint asked.

Gage flipped through his file. “He’s Carter’s number-one guy. He does the dirty work. If he’s here, then they’re planning something. Something big. I don’t know why he reached out to you but we can’t give them whatever he wants.”

“Damn,” Kurt muttered and Clint had to agree.

“I’ll find out where they are staying in town. We’ll get a couple of men to follow them, see if we can figure out what their next move will be,” Alpha Conrad said. “What they’re really doing here. They won’t get our prisoners, that’s for sure.”

“Kurt, I would like you and Clint to talk to the sheriff. He knows what and who we are. Let him know there might be some activity in town. He knows who to trust,” Alpha Babcock ordered.

They both nodded.

“We’ll take this to the rest of the Council and see what else they think we should do. Gage, Tony and Austin will be staying here while we sort this out,” Alpha Babcock said as he stood. “I would like the two of you to take point in town. Let the residents see you, know we’re watching out for them. If you need help, give me a call and I can get some of the guards to go down.”

After being dismissed, Clint rose and nodded to each man. He was glad he’d been assigned to town. He would be able to keep an eye out for Sara.

Kurt was on his heels as Clint stepped into the hallway. “We’ll head to the sheriff’s office, then I say we check on your girl again. Maybe have her lie low for a while.”

“I don’t know if she’ll do that,” Clint said. The more he learned about Sara, the more he liked her. She wasn’t going to let a bunch of bigots run her away from her shop.

“Convince her,” Kurt said. “I don’t want this turning out like Riverwood.”

“It won’t,” Clint promised. “This town is too good. I like it here.”

Kurt clapped him on the back. “I know you do. Me, too.”