Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Forced Mate Chapter 1

Tanner

The hollowed-out book sat in all its leather-bound glory next to a computer monitor. Ages of technology sat between the birth of the book and now, a stretch of time as expansive and curious as the days ahead. While the monitor logged the various movements of the Beaufort Creek Pack, the time log in the corner counted the hours until dawn.

Steadily, the seconds turned to minutes as the hours passed, creating a visage that reminded me how predictable it was to see time marching toward me. My days numbered high-and now, my responsibilities were much the same. The life of a vagabond called to me, but I knew better than to take off at such a tumultuous time.

It would be a slap in the face for my pack if I were to run, even though every muscle in my body screamed for the relief that my family's schooner provided at the marina. But what kind of wolf would that make me? What kind of friend would I be then to my alpha?

I bowed my head. "Is Blake worried?"

The man seated at the security desk was twice my size, fuzzy, stern, and temperamental. A burnt tan settled over his body and thick curls of earthy brown hair sprouted wherever possible. His upper arm was the size of my head. It would be easy for him to pop my skull like a watermelon.

Which felt like what he wanted to do right this second.

"What do you think?" he snapped. "Did he look worried, Tanner?"

A shuffle. A sigh. A rapid shift of energy.

I shrugged. "Yeah, man."

"Then, that answers the question, doesn't it?"

"Sure does, Jermaine."

I didn't miss his aggravated puff or the way his shoulder joints popped menacingly as he readjusted his position in front of the monitor. The seat beneath him wheezed, unfit to hold his bulk yet doing so all the same. A dozen or more screens rose above the large desk with much the same view as the first-video footage of the suburban neighborhoods located at the end of the estate's driveway.

It was more active than usual. Or more active than I remembered. My travels had taken me all the way up the coast to Maine right around the time tourist season had died. Being alone in a lighthouse had given me plenty of time to think. And to miss my pack.

I couldn't stay away from them anymore, not with the recent attack on my alpha and his mate. Their lives were in danger. It was sheer luck that I'd been here when it happened.

And I didn't want to think of what would have happened if I hadn't been here.

"Has anyone called Milton?" I asked. "Or seen Neil?"

"You have a schooner, don't you?"

I gave him an inquisitive look. "That didn't answer my question, man."

"I just don't see why it's so important to you when you're just going to head out again."

"Maybe I will with that attitude."

Jermaine snorted and pointed to the third screen. "Well, you'd miss Leah if you did." Leah.

I hadn't heard that name in hours. And only because Jermaine had brought her up originally. Without hesitation, I shot up from the chair and closed the gap between the desk and me in three easy strides. There she was, blown up on the screen in high definition, her dark brown hair now dyed in a hazy auburn ombre that paled toward the end of the strands.

She was just as gorgeous as she had been about four years ago. Average to everyone else. But hardly average to me. Her mocha-brown eyes resembled tired beads. Each auburn brow was plucked to perfection, retaining its original shape in confident strokes over her eyes.

A pale rusty sheen coated her skin like I was peering at a desert through a foggy lens. The color was muted, but I knew the richness waiting beneath. If she stayed longer in the sun every so often, then the pigments would truly shine. Curvy hips swayed with every step, sending me reeling back.

Now that was new. And far from average. The way her figure hour-glassed made it seem like she had-

Jermaine leaned forward. "Who's that kid with her?"

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

Like she had given birth.

Hair coating the rest of my body stood at attention. "Sweet merciful gods, she had a child."

"Your kid?"

I gulped. "No, we never-"

Jermaine cut me a look of disbelief.

I growled. "Not one time, man."

"Yeah, I replace that to be absolute bullshit."

"You can say that all you want, but I know what happened between us."

He snorted. "More than heavy petting. That's for sure."

I slammed my fist on the desk, rattling the monitors. "The kid isn't mine."

"You know what? Go for a walk," he barked. "You're clogging up the security area with that shitty adrenaline sweat you got going on."

"Fine," I snapped. "See you later."

I had to admit that marching out of that room the way I did didn't make me feel proud. Nothing about my friendship with Jermaine made me feel proud-and none of it made sense either. One moment, we were closer than brothers. And the next, we were at each other's throats.

Most of the time, I chalked it up to the fact that he was a bear. But he only seemed to be getting angrier these days. It made me wonder what the hell I ever did to him.

My left shoulder rose to my ear. Does it matter?

Yeah, it did matter. It would always matter. Jermaine was my best friend. I would have drowned in a dark cave back when I was a stupid kid if it hadn't been for his hulking bear form hoisting me up. No one else could have done it like him. Not even our alpha. Not that I was doubting Blake or his strength. I just knew that he had limits too. Even with his renewed strength, he was susceptible to getting attacked. The mate bond would be more than sufficient to protect him. The rest was up to us.

That was why it was important to solve whatever crap was wrong with Jermaine.

Part of me was tempted to turn back around and storm into the security room with the same irritating hysteria he showed me. A bear like him would always lose control of his temper-but a wolf like me was far more emotionally intelligent. Being driven by emotions wasn't my thing.

It wasn't like me to stoop to anyone's level.

But this problem made me want to roll heads. With Leah back in town and a kid on her hip who couldn't be older than a few years, a brand new set of problems was sure to erupt. Was she coming back to collect from her pack? Or was she back for good?

I guess I could ask, I thought. But what good would that do? She'll just bring up the past all over again.

My lips tightened into a disappointing line.

She didn't want to have my kid, but she had no problem getting pregnant with someone else's kid.

Wounds from ages ago festered, pulsing with what I knew would soon turn into an infection. Why was I letting her get to me? It wasn't like she had ever given me her body. She wasn't keen on the mate bond either. Her intentions with me had always been purely platonic and that was something I had lived with.

For far too long, I might add.

It was me who had made the mistake. Letting her in was always something I knew would come back to bite me. And now that she was back, the scar tissue in my heart had split open and I just wasn't ready to deal with it yet.

My phone vibrated. One buzz turned into three consecutive vibrations that made me yank my phone from my pocket. Blake was calling.

It was best not to keep him waiting.

I sighed. "Yeah, Alpha?"

"Get Jermaine. I'm calling a meeting."

I frowned, glancing at the screen of the phone. "It's late, man. Are you sure about all that?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I don't think we should wait much longer on this, Tanner. Can you get Jermaine?"

My shoulders drooped.

Yeah, I could get him. But I didn't want to get him.

I bowed my head obediently. "Sure thing, Alpha."

"You don't sound too excited."

"He's grumpy."

He chortled. "When is he not grumpy?"

"I don't know. Elva needs to like, stop pestering him so much."

"Are they still at each other's throats? Really?"

Wasn't that the same thing he could be saying about Leah and me? "Well, I guess."

"That doesn't sound like the confident Tanner I know. What's up?"

Nothing could keep me from lying to my alpha. Not even pride. I had to tell him or the resentment would build until it was astronomical.

And I didn't want to treat my alpha any less than he deserved.

With my head still bowed, I walked purposefully back toward the basement door. "Leah's back."

"That explains why everyone's grumpy."

"She's my problem. I don't know why anyone else would be upset."

"Because she hurt you, Tanner."

There was no doubt about that. But discussing this thing with Blake when we had more important things to worry about seemed like a distraction at best and a waste of breath at worst. It didn't matter what he said. I knew Leah would give me an earful of something eventually.

I just had to prepare for it. "Yeah."

"Listen, I know she's been gone for a while, but-"

I froze near the mouth of the basement stairs. "But?"

"Maybe you'd consider chatting and trying to maybe mend things."

"I don't know why I would do that unless she's sticking around."

He sighed. "Sources say a lot of our traveling members are coming home. It's aptly timed, Tanner. Even if she doesn't stick around, I can't have my members fighting."

I snatched open the basement door. "Tell that to Jermaine."

A steel chest smacked me in the face. It didn't take rocket science to put together who I had just run into.

"Tell me what?" the bear fumed. "You need to tell me something, Tanner?"

"I need to tell you to lay off the Wheaties, damn," I complained while rubbing my nose. "Alpha wants a meeting."

Jermaine softened slightly. But only slightly.

And only because I had mentioned Blake.

He nodded. "Give me about five minutes to round up the security crew. Someone needs to shift out and watch the perimeter while we're all talking."

I saluted him and breezed into the foyer at the front of the mansion. Lavish decorations glittered where starlight lamps twinkled. Nothing felt particularly lavish right now though.

Leah was in town.

The alpha needed to call a meeting.

With everyone.

That meant she would be there.

I had no idea how I was going to react to her-or her kid. Another round of anger coursed through my veins, preventing my legs from stopping. They were intent on taking me wherever I needed to go. And right now, I needed to get out of the house. That familiar call of the wolf rolled through my mind. It was faint at first, a mere whisper of an urge until it shifted into a full-blown desire.

I had to shift and run. Now.