Nikolai’s Wolf: Chapter Four

Rory was pissed. This was not going as planned. Shannon was too strong and stubborn for her own good. No shifter in the pack would have her now, not after she’d defeated two of their strongest males. She would never find a mate.

Look at her, bleeding and exhausted, but still proud.

When he came toward her, he did so as the McFelan. She should show him proper respect—ears, tail, and head down—especially in front of others. Though Shannon knew how important it was to him to maintain a proper image, she stood there tall and proud, unconsciously issuing a silent challenge he couldn’t afford to ignore now that his men knew just how strong she really was.

The Sparrowhawks weren’t ready to deal with an alpha she-wolf. Their way of thinking was too backward. He was trying to bring them out of the dark ages, but it would take time. Time, thanks to Shannon, he no longer had.

For the well-being of the pack, he knew what he had to do. Rory attacked.

Though he’d caught her by surprise, she responded instinctively, just the way he’d taught her. Had this been a real dominance fight, he’d have shown no mercy, but this was about teaching his baby sister a lesson—showing her alpha the proper respect.

As they circled each other, another plan came to his mind so genius in its simplicity, Rory didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it before. Shannon needed a mate, one who was strong enough to tame her wolf, yet gentle enough to treat her with the love and respect she deserved. His wolves had already proven themselves too weak, but his was not the only pack in the area.

Just a few short miles away as the crow—or bird shifter—flew was another pack full of strong, unmated males, including Alex Wolfe, their alpha. The Ravens had twice as many unmated males as the Sparrowhawks, including some alphas.

He needed to get his sister to the Raven pack.

Concentrating on Shannon once more, he attacked with a controlled savagery. He knew just where to bite to inflict the most pain but the least amount of permanent physical damage, and he used the knowledge ruthlessly.

Shannon didn’t have much fight left. He lashed at her until her wolf took control, turned, and ran. With his betas at his back, he herded her east toward the Raven pack, nipping at her heels whenever she tried to retreat to the safety of their home.

He kept her fleeing until she reached the Raven pack’s territory. To ensure she stayed there, he took a chunk out of the tendon in one of her hind legs. She bled profusely and Rory ran her until she collapsed. Then he backed off, letting her think he’d gone away. She immediately dragged herself until she could go no farther.

When she was down, Rory sent his betas back to the gathering place. He let out a howl of triumph, one guaranteed to be heard, hoping Alex Wolfe came to investigate. Then he sat and watched her from a distance, protecting her from predators and any human seeking to do her harm.

Hearing a sound, he backed into the shadows. He was upwind so he had no fear of his presence being detected. He watched carefully as an unfamiliar male approached his sister. Rory sniffed the air. The male smelled like a wolf-shifter and was moving slowly, so as not to alarm or startle her.

Once he was sure the shifter was there to assist Shannon, Rory headed home. He would miss having his baby sister around, but it was for her own good. After tonight’s events, the council would have made her life a living hell. They were already saying she was unnaturally strong, and they hadn’t even seen the true extent of her power. By defeating two of the highest-ranking males in the pack, she’d done the unforgivable. As the alpha-fem, her actions would set an undesirable precedent with the other females. One the council, with their outdated ways, would not tolerate.

The Raven pack was run the way a pack should be. Their alpha was an honorable man and a strong wolf. Alex Wolfe was one of the few alphas Rory’s father had respected. If his sister had to go to another pack, he couldn’t have picked a better alpha. The Ravens would be good to her, or he would truly become his father’s son and kill them all.