Pack Mates

It was late March and already the temperature had hit over ninety degrees in south-east New Mexico. Nikki Stratton groaned as the air conditioner in her old Jeep barely managed to cool the interior of the vehicle.

Thirty-two years old and she’d been called home like a teenager. She resented the fact that she’d let her older brothers demand her appearance and was still disgusted with herself for not having put up a fight.

She continued to speed down the interstate toward her home town, both dread and anxiety sitting in her stomach. A new Alpha had been named for her Pack. Since she still maintained Pack status, she’d been beckoned home to welcome him and the new members he’d brought to join their family. That was what she supposed, anyway. Brandon hadn’t actually told her why he wanted her home. He’d just stated she needed to leave the next day. Justin, the middle sibling, hadn’t given any hint, either—had just told her the new Alpha would take over this week and she needed to come home.

It wasn’t even that she didn’t want to be there. She’d planned to take some vacation time and visit her siblings soon, but being ordered home left her feeling like a cub again. She loved her brothers, but sometimes they put the needs of the Pack ahead of their immediate family.

Her oldest brother, Brandon, worked as both the town sheriff and enforcer of the Pack. Her other brother, Justin, was a teacher, in public and in Pack life, too. Their wants and needs had been built around being able to serve their fellow wolves. Nikki just hadn’t been born that way. She liked to be free, to travel and to be on her own. Unusual for a wolf, yes, but not unheard of. Away from home, she’d not only met other wolves who felt like she did, but other shifters, too—felines, birds and even a very nice shifter bear family. Nikki felt more at home with them sometimes than with her old Pack.

Her family had never understood her independence, but at least they’d always supported her. She’d been lucky and couldn’t bitch too much about it. And she began to feel guilty and just a little childish about her feelings. Except…she liked her life. Now she worried that her carefully constructed way of living was about to change. Why else would she have to come home, with no choice in the matter? Brandon had never asked that of her.

The exit sign for their town came up and Nikki had to fight the urge to keep driving. She slowed to make the curved side road that would take her straight into downtown Lawton, a small, private cotton and farming community.

Little had changed in the year and a half she’d been away. She’d gone to the big city of Houston, Texas, at nineteen to attend college and had never returned. Oh, sure, she’d made certain that she returned every few years or so, but only to visit her brothers. Nikki was different from many of the others she’d grown up with. Instead of craving a mate and children, she was looking for excitement. She wasn’t ready to settle down quite yet. And living in Lawton would ensure that would happen.

The county line WELCOME sign drew a sigh from her. She felt like a different person in Lawton. Always having to defend her nomadic ways.

If she were as honest as possible, it felt good to know that she always had a place to return to. Yes, even if she never said it out loud, sometimes she missed her family.

Nikki let up off the gas pedal even more to drive in at the posted thirty-five miles per hour. She wouldn’t put it past Brandon to pull her over and ticket her if he caught her speeding. She chuckled to herself—it had, in fact, happened many times.

The library was closed already, reminding her that at six on a Sunday night, she wouldn’t have to worry about running into too many people. The café was open and had a half-full parking lot. But the other buildings—post office, salon, thrift store—were dark and locked up tight. Lights blazed to the right. Of course, the sheriff’s office stayed open twenty-four hours a day. Not that there was a lot of crime, but put a group of secretive wolf shifters in a community and there were bound to be several paranoid people. She happened to be related to one.

As if her thoughts had brought him out, the front door of the sheriff’s office opened and Brandon stepped through.

His dark brown hair looked to be several weeks past a trim and reached over his ears. His strong muscular shoulders and arms bulged from his khaki uniform shirt, while his long legs ate up the ground as he made his way to the street. He turned and his green eyes flashed as he spotted her vehicle. The grin he sent her was so much better than the pictures she carried that she couldn’t help but smile back.

He wrenched the door to her Jeep open before she’d even cut the engine. She slammed it into Park and turned the key right and he pulled her out and into his arms.

“Hey, sister,” he greeted her, squeezing tight.

“Bran!” she managed to squeak out.

He chuckled then set her on her feet. “Let me look at you.” He did the customary check she went through every time she came home. He ran his hands over her head, down her hair to her face, coming to a final rest on her shoulders.

He nodded. “You need to eat more, but you look good.”

Nikki rolled her eyes. She hadn’t expected him to say anything different.

Brandon grinned and threw an arm around her neck, yanking her close once again. “I was just headed to meet Justin for a bite. Now you can join me.”

She groaned. After driving for a day and a half, all she wanted was to rest.

“Oh, don’t complain. You need to eat. Then Justin can grab a ride home with you instead of waiting on me.” He slammed her vehicle door closed then led her away. It didn’t escape her notice that he didn’t lock it up—something she could never forget to do in Houston.

“Fine.” She let herself be dragged down the street, heading to the café she’d passed on her way into town. The stores she passed were new. Lawton now had a flower shop, tattoo parlor and dry cleaners. “New businesses?” There hadn’t been any of those shops in the entire time she’d grown up there. No one had ever moved there to open a business.

“Cameron started working with the new Alpha to bring his Pack members here before he stepped down. Cam wants us to be comfortable and see the plus side of adding to the Pack,” Brandon explained.

“How many shifters did we add?”

“Over fifty.”

She gasped. In a matter of a few months, the Pack size had doubled.

“It’s a good thing.” Brandon responded to her reaction. “Offered jobs to those in the Pack who needed them.”

He’d said that with more feeling than normal. Either he was still trying to convince himself or there were already problems. She’d have to talk to Justin about it later. Justin didn’t usually try to keep her out of what was happening, thinking he’d protect her, like Brandon always did. Not all the time, anyway. Her brothers couldn’t help it. Brandon had raised his two younger siblings since he’d been barely an adult. Their father had left them as soon as he felt they’d been old enough to be on their own. The loss of his mate had been just too much for him to live with.

She wanted to remember good times with her parents but as she’d gotten older, she found it harder and harder to bring up those memories. Brandon had been the one who’d attended her parent-teacher conferences. Brandon had bought Nikki her first pair of soccer shoes and later her first camera. Her older brother had been the dad she’d needed more than her real old man had ever been.

After having left home, Nikki had come to understand everything that Brandon had sacrificed for her and Justin. And thinking about this made the guilt from earlier return. Nikki needed to give Brandon a break. She knew that, but sometimes her brother frustrated her.

Just as they reached the door to the café, she was greeted with a shriek and yanked into the arms of another woman. Chuckling and glad she still remembered the scent of her best friend from childhood, Sabrina, she grinned, hugging back.

“Nik!” Sabrina held her close.

“Hey there, honey,” she greeted. “It’s good to see you.” Nikki meant the words, too. Part of leaving Lawton had meant not only being away from her brothers but also the friends who were just like family as well.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I was just saying the other day that you haven’t come to visit in forever. You haven’t even met little Julian yet.”

Since she was still being squashed, she gently tried to extract herself from her friend. Sabrina didn’t seem to want to let go.

“Baby, give her room to breathe or you’re gonna make her pass out,” Sabrina’s mate, Max, said, coming to her rescue and pulling her friend from her.

Sabrina laughed. “All right.”

Nikki smiled over at her friend. Sabrina had grown to be such a lovely woman. Short-cropped blonde hair, styled and sassy, fit her petite frame and her quirky personality. But it was the glow in Sabrina that warmed Nikki’s heart. She looked so happy.

“We have to catch up. Oh, we have so much to talk about,” Sabrina said grabbing Nikki’s hands.

“Oh, yes, and I’ll finally get to meet baby Julian and see Jesse and Jeremy,” Nikki agreed. She still talked to her oldest friend as much as she could, but with two busy lives, work, family and everything else, it had been too long. “Why don’t you bring the kids over for breakfast in the morning?”

“A breakfast cooked by someone else?” Sabrina asked with a smile. “We are so there.”

Nikki nodded and pulled her friend in for another hug. “Eight o’clock—don’t be late.”

Sabrina agreed then let her mate lead her across the parking lot.

“She looks so great,” Nikki told her brother.

“She’s happy,” he answered. “But I want to know why you’re not making your favorite brother breakfast?”

She slapped his stomach then pulled the door open. “Justin can eat if he wants to.”

Brandon growled and reached for her. She laughed and jumped out of the way, bumping into someone.

“Oh, sorry,” she murmured, peering up. And up. She was forced to tilt her head back to see the man in front of her.

“No problem at all,” he responded in a deep rumble that vibrated the air around her.

Her breath caught as she stared up at the man. Dark, almost black hair hung over his dark eyes. His lips tilted up at the edges in a small smile while he moved to the side. She didn’t even realize she had stepped closer until Brandon touched her lower back, breaking her attention on the stranger.

“RJ.” Brandon greeted the stranger. Nikki didn’t miss the tension in her brother’s body or his tone.

“Good evening, Sheriff.” The man nodded. “Ma’am.”

Nikki snorted. “Ma’am?”

Amusement shined in the stranger’s gaze. “Well, if I knew your name…”

“It’s Nikki Stratton,” she informed him, holding out her hand. She wasn’t worried about Brandon’s cold greeting. Her older brother’s protectiveness had always had him growling at her dates. This man deserved a real introduction instead of the shortness of her brother. “You must be new to town.”

He took it and winked. Electricity sizzled from her fingertips up her arm. She’d become locked into that dark gaze and her body tingled with need. His dark eyes had a sparkle to them. “RJ Cross. I haven’t seen you around here. Visiting?”

“You could say that,” she replied. Nikki was still a registered Pack member, so she wouldn’t call her coming home a visit, but she didn’t mind the flirting. “Although I do know all the good places around here, if you need a tour guide.”

“Is that so?” RJ’s grin remained wicked.

Damn, maybe I can ditch my brothers and—

“Now that everyone’s met, can we go eat?” Brandon snapped from beside her.

She sighed and removed her hand from RJ’s hold. Okay, maybe I can’t bail on dinner, but I’ll certainly go find Mister Tall, Dark and Handsome again. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you around town,” she flirted with the stranger. She really, really wanted to see him again.

“Oh, I can almost guarantee it.” RJ looked over to Brandon and nodded. The smile was no longer present and the chill grew between the two men.

Interesting. Brandon usually didn’t allow his job to interfere out in public, but she got the feeling that he and RJ had had a few run-ins.

“Sheriff,” RJ said, while already walking away.

His spectacular ass in a pair of tight, worn blue jeans kept her attention until Brandon tugged on her arm. Nikki allowed herself to be manhandled into the café.

“Who’s that?” she asked once they’d stepped inside.

“Trouble,” Brandon replied. “You don’t want to get involved with him.”

“Get involved with who?”

Nikki turned to Justin and jumped into his arms. Justin, of course, embraced her, only stumbling a little. “Hey, bro,” Nikki said.

“Hi, so who were you checking out?”

“No one,” Brandon interrupted. “Do we have a table?”

Justin raised an eyebrow at her before giving his winning smile to the oldest Stratton. “Over here,” he said, guiding her toward the back.

Nikki was surprised to see the old restaurant almost packed to capacity. There weren’t a lot of places to eat out in town, but almost everyone cooked their own meals. Even more shocking were the number of new faces she didn’t recognize. Several people waved and called out a greeting as she passed.

There was definitely something going on that she didn’t know about.

Justin pointed to a booth and she slid in, with him following close behind. Nikki glanced up and saw that several old men at one table had stopped Brandon to talk. It wasn’t like the sheriff’s office wasn’t right across the street. They could talk to Brandon anytime, but by the looks of things, they had plenty to say.

“What’s that about?” Nikki nodded toward the group.

Justin picked up a menu and passed it to her. “There are a couple new dishes you might want to try.”

The non-answer was not a good sign.

“Justin?”

“Let it go.” Her brother peered around. “There’ll be plenty of time to talk, but here’s not the place or time.”

So he knew why Brandon had wanted her home. “Fine.” The menu had indeed been updated. It seemed like the White family had at last listened to the residents’ complaints. Nikki had always believed that the only reason the café was still in business was because of lack of choices. “This doesn’t look so bad.”

“New Pack members brought in some business. There’s now a bakery and coffee shop plus a family style restaurant. The Whites had to step up or lose their business,” Justin told her.

Nikki glanced around the crowded area. “It worked.”

Justin snorted. “This isn’t because of the food.”

“What’s that mean?” she whispered, leaning closer to Justin.

“But who’s here?” Justin advised. “All the busybodies of the Pack.”

That was true. While she received warm greetings from several of the Pack, she also received glares from a few of the older women. The ones who’d told Brandon that she shouldn’t be going off to college.

Brandon straightened before heading toward their table. Justin picked up his menu, hiding his face. Nikki guessed she’d have to wait to get him alone to grill him further.

“Order whatever you want,” Brandon said as he sat. “You’re too thin.”

Nikki rolled her eyes. She was in fact at a normal range on the weight scale. It wasn’t easy for a shifter to gain weight, anyway. Still, the complaint was common and, as she’d done in the past, she’d just ignore her oldest brother.

“So, Brandon,” she said. “How’re things going here?”

He glanced up at her for a second before peering around. “Fine.”

Okay, so she needed another topic—something safer.

“How’s the crime in town? Bust any bank robbers or million-dollar theft rings?” Nikki joked.

Brandon grunted as Justin folded his menu, sighing.

Damn. Nikki was running out of ideas on what they could discuss. Luckily, the waitress approached their table. Nikki wanted to get the meal out of the way as soon as possible, so she could find out what was going on.

RJ Cross turned to catch the final sight of the young woman until she disappeared to the back of the café behind her brother. The smile fell from his face once she walked out of sight. Without question, she was one of the most gorgeous women he’d ever laid eyes on. Her long dark hair had been streaked with blonde, which added an attractive touch. Her green eyes had sparkled and her slender body was just to his liking. But her being a Stratton was an added complication. He and Brandon Stratton hadn’t started off on the best of terms. In fact, the more he was around the sheriff, the less RJ liked him. Brandon had an attitude toward his entire family. RJ shook his head and started down the street to his shop.

His youngest brother had worked hard, getting RJ’s tattoo store front set up while RJ had been on his last mission. As he stood in front of the tinted windows with their scrawling script, he couldn’t help the pride that flooded him.

Finally, after years of serving his country and fighting for other people’s needs, RJ had a place that he could call all his own.

Being part of an exclusive shifter military unit hadn’t been bad. He still kept in close contact to the men he considered family, but the wolf shifter in him wanted to settle down and claim his own spot. RJ had done just that, joining his brothers in Lawton. Even if their welcome hadn’t been quite smooth, RJ was now home.

Instead of going inside, he walked to the rear where he had his Harley parked. The alley looked as clean as it had been that morning when he’d arrived, but RJ still took his time scenting the area. No one had been by. Good. He was more than likely being over-cautious, but until things around the town became more welcoming, RJ would need to be prepared for danger.

All three Cross brothers were making the rounds, trying to get to know the established Pack members, but RJ had his suspicions. He didn’t think the additional Pack was in for that smooth a transition.

One of the reasons he’d decided to stop at the café on his way home had been to show his face, make his presence felt. Now he was glad he had done. Running into Nikki Stratton had been a pleasant twist to the already long day. She hadn’t reacted the way most of the townsfolk had. If he had to guess, RJ would say that she’d not known he was part of the inner circle that had been brought into her Pack. Oh, I’m sure she’ll find out soon enough. Brandon Stratton would for sure inform his sister just who RJ was.

He climbed on his bike and started it up. The rumble and vibration under him felt good and he took off toward the main street. It was already quiet on the road that would lead him home. No other vehicles were out and most of the residents were behind the doors of their own houses.

The small community he’d moved to with his Pack was a pretty piece of America. The Pack had come from the mountains of Colorado, and he’d worried that his family and Pack members wouldn’t adjust well. The last eight years had kept him away more than he’d liked, but both his brothers had filled him in on Pack life every time RJ had called home. He might have been away, but RJ had never abandoned his family. Now he had as many new members as he had old. It would be interesting to see how the two Packs came together—if they ever did. Not exactly how RJ wanted to start his civilian life, but when Dylan had called, RJ couldn’t have said no.

His older brother had asked for him to come help him lead a new Pack and RJ had known it had been time. He’d met some great people along the way, but he’d wanted to see his family more. To be a part of something else.

The members of the Pack who had followed Dylan loved the town. Some had even made new friendships. RJ’s relationship with the incoming Alpha appeared to be what was keeping him under constant scrutiny. Even though he and Dylan were clearly very different men, the residents of Lawton were still unsure whether RJ belonged as well. He didn’t know anything but time that would help. That and when Dylan became Alpha, the Pack seeing Dylan as the good man and great leader he’d be.

The quick ride to the house he stayed at with his brothers ended, and he thought about riding around for a little longer. He enjoyed driving the long, empty roads throughout the territory, but he had business to take care of. Dylan would need an update on what RJ had learned. No doubt Dylan waited for him. RJ parked under the carport between the two trucks that had beaten him home. The lights were on in the front windows as he made his way across the wood porch. He let himself in, being greeted by the coolness of the air and the sound of a ball game on the television in the den.

Home. He could now come home to the house with his family instead of a sleeping bag in the dirt, like he’d spent so many long nights. RJ followed the noise to the doorway where he found his two brothers. Dylan was lounging in one of the leather chairs, legs spread as he slouched, drinking a beer. RJ’s younger brother had his head buried in a book sitting on one side of the large couch. He ruffled his ‘little’ sibling’s hair as he stepped beside him and dropped down next to him.

“Hey!” Ben grumbled, not looking up from his book.

RJ grinned meeting Dylan’s gaze. Ben hadn’t been much more than a lanky teenager when RJ had enlisted in the military. RJ had missed his brother becoming an adult. There had been more than a little relief that Ben remained the same kind-hearted, gentle and brilliant young man RJ hadn’t gotten to see a lot of.

Dylan smiled and shook his head. “How’d work go?”

RJ just shrugged. Opening a tattoo shop in a small town might not be very profitable, but he enjoyed his art and, in point of fact, didn’t need the money anyway. “Had a couple people drop by, but no new customers. I think they wanted to check out the new Alpha’s brother more than any art.”

Dylan nodded. “Give them time. The town will open up to us.”

The way Dylan said the words, so certain, helped ease some of RJ’s stress. RJ hoped Dylan was right, but that wasn’t his biggest concern. “I stopped by the café tonight.”

Dylan must have caught something in his tone, because he switched the game to mute and sat up straighter.

“I overhead two men talking about the ceremony,” RJ told him.

Beside him, Ben put his book down and turned toward him. Now he had both their attentions.

“They suggested there might be a challenge after the ceremony.”

Dylan sat back and RJ let the man think. The rumors about a challenge had started to build in the last few weeks. Now, just days prior to the ceremony, they had picked up even more. It had always been a possibility when Cameron King had asked Dylan to take over as Alpha that a challenge would come from someone who wanted the top position.

There were only two ways to become an Alpha of a Pack—to be appointed or to challenge the standing Alpha. Cameron King was an honest, kind and well-respected Alpha. Dylan was new to the territory. An unknown. “What bothers me the most is that the men talking had to know I’d overhear them. It’s like they didn’t care.”

“Any idea who’d issue the challenge?” Dylan asked, in concern.

RJ ran his hands over his face. This was the tricky part. He didn’t want to add to the gossip, but he had to protect his brother. “Talk is Brandon Stratton.”

Dylan didn’t look surprised. “I thought it would be. He’s the wolf closest to matching my strength. Cameron did tell me he spoke with Brandon when he started to think about stepping down. Let him know about me.”

RJ waited for his brother to continue.

“At the time Brandon didn’t want the position. Said he wasn’t born to lead and knew it.”

“Doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed his mind.” Ben spoke up for the first time.

Smaller than his two brothers, Ben Cross stayed the quiet and peaceful one. He’d been born with the ability to calm those around him. It was what made him such a good diplomat for the Pack.

“Yeah, it’s one thing to not want to be Alpha and another to have someone else come in and take over,” Dylan agreed.

“The thing is,” RJ said, “Brandon might not like it, but I don’t get the feeling he’s planning on challenging you. He hasn’t exactly welcomed me, but he doesn’t go out of his way to make up conflict. Other than the argument when I first reached town, he’s been somewhat civil. He doesn’t like me, but I think that has more to do with him thinking I’m some kind of asshole biker.”

“You are an asshole biker,” Ben commented.

“True.” RJ nodded then reached over and cuffed the back of Ben’s head. “But you don’t have to point it out.”

“Ow.” Ben frowned at him. “Maybe Brandon doesn’t want to be Alpha, but he’s being pressured. I could see how that might be making him uncomfortable.”

All three of them sat in silence, thinking their own thoughts for several minutes, before Dylan spoke again.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do until the challenge is issued. Just keep an ear out.”

RJ tilted his head in agreement. They had to wait. Nothing more to do, according to his brother. He might not like it, but it was Dylan’s call. At least on the outside. What RJ found out on his own didn’t have to affect Dylan one way or another. “I’m going to head up to shower.”

Ben picked his book up and sent him a wave of his hand, but Dylan still stared at him. “Is that all?” Dylan asked, his tone low.

RJ didn’t know how he did it. Dylan could tell when something was going on with one of them. He thought about telling him about Nikki but didn’t want to add to his brother’s worries. And maybe he wanted to keep her a secret just a little bit longer. He could still smell the citrus from her shampoo, feel the softness of her hand in his, and wanted to enjoy the moment before he had to deal with the tension between the two families.

“For now,” he answered his brother, keeping things vague.

“I’m here if you need me,” Dylan told him; reaching for the remote again.

RJ headed up the stairs to the first room down the hall. He liked being closest to the stairs in case of problems during the night. He had served as an Enforcer in his Pack as well as the specialized military unit he’d been assigned to. But after his latest mission to protect the feline Prince and the battle once he’d been rescued, RJ had needed some time off. Dylan’s call had been a welcome excuse to make the changes that he’d been thinking about for several months. He wasn’t the only one who’d been ready to leave. Luckily, the others in their unit had also made plans for their futures.

The first time that Dylan had told RJ about the opportunity in Lawton, RJ had been filled with a sense of pride in his brother.

Everyone could tell that Dylan had been born a natural leader, and when their Alpha had heard that Cameron King wanted to retire, he had suggested a meeting between the two men. Their Alpha, Craig, was a good man and had several sons who would be able to lead their Pack into the future. Dylan would never have challenged them if they ran the Pack with a fair hand and Craig knew it. Craig had been offered a position on the Alpha council and, as any good leader would, had suggested some changes. One of them had been for Dylan and Cameron to meet, Craig believing that Dylan should get the chance to lead his own Pack.

So Craig had urged Dylan to meet with Cameron and had even talked several others into joining the Pack Dylan would lead. More had come than any of them had thought. Craig had understood and encouraged them all. He wanted his Pack members to flourish, but with over two hundred shifters under his command, he knew there were some wolves who couldn’t reach their potential in such a large group.

Moving to the new territory had been a great opportunity for them all.

His room was dark and cool as he pushed the door open. He’d brought his furniture from the childhood home they’d lived in all their lives. He missed the old house, but having something to remind him of his past helped. He had a small apartment above his shop in town, but he had yet to do more than move in a couch, futon and odds and ends. It was convenient if he worked late or needed to grab a shower, but he liked being close with his brothers. Plus, until he knew all threat to Dylan had passed, he would be here.

He tried to picture Nikki there with him in his bedroom, which might have been a little ridiculous since he’d just met the woman, but it had been a long time since anyone had grabbed RJ’s attention. Even in his downtime, RJ was always with his unit. Their bonds ran deep.

At first sight, Nikki had woken that part of him that had seemed to have gone to sleep. Hell, his cock was still hard from just the brief touch of her hand in his.

He’d love to see how the rest of her body felt under him. His room, surrounded by the familiar scents of home, would be perfect. Would she find it too masculine, or would she see the beauty of the stained wood the way he did? The large four-poster bed dominated most of the north wall. He was a tall man at six-foot-five. He liked to have plenty of room to sprawl out. He could just see her spread for him in the middle of the bed. Legs open and inviting, arms stretched above her head, her body arching in need.

He yanked his black T-shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor before he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots and socks. The desire he had clearly read when he’d locked gazes with her had tempted his control. And just the one slight touch they’d briefly shared had sent his blood boiling.

There’d be a lot that he could imagine doing with her. Like how soft her skin would be as he caressed and teased her toward pleasure. The moans and gasps he’d be able to swallow from her lips. Damn, just the images were enough to make him need to blow.

RJ stood but couldn’t resist dropping his fingers low to play with the zipper on his jeans. He wanted more than just her hands, though. Her mouth, with her easy smile, had been made for pleasuring a man. He groaned as he pictured her on her knees in front of him. Oh, yeah. He could almost feel the warm, wet tongue tracing his balls then sucking him in.

“Fuck.” He ripped off his jeans to stand stark naked, panting with need. He licked his palm then started to stroke himself, each rough tug drawing him closer to completion. It had just been his hand for too long, and now that he’d found a woman who called to both the man and wolf, he was ready to explode in an instant. RJ concentrated on each detail of Nikki Stratton as he urgently played with himself. Oh, he couldn’t wait to mark her with his mouth, his teeth and his cum. Bend her over the bed and pound into her while sinking his canines into the base of her neck.

The last fantasy sent him over the edge. His seed shot out as he pumped his cock and he almost collapsed at the intensity of his orgasm.

He dropped on the bed and smiled.

Complications be damned. RJ had something to look forward to. He’d need to learn more about her and why she’d all of a sudden shown up in town. That would give him time to ensure that he had complete control of the urges she wrenched from him.

If Nikki had come there to help her brother hurt Dylan or any of the Pack, he needed to find out. No matter how much he wanted the sexy shifter.

Nikki had enjoyed dinner with her two brothers, mostly because of how much she’d missed them. Maybe it was just what she did to convince herself that she was okay on her own, but the loneliness of not being part of their stories actually hurt.

Justin had delighted her with the antics of both his second-grade class and the pre-teen wolves he taught. Brandon had remained quiet throughout most of the meal, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, but she’d picked up his tension anyhow. Something big was going on and they’d been keeping her in the dark about it. The little she’d gotten out of Justin wasn’t enough.

She bided her time until Brandon headed for the station and Justin was sitting in the passenger seat of her Jeep. Justin wouldn’t be able to get out of her questioning that way.

“What’s going on?” she asked, turning south off the main street to where their small home was. “What haven’t I been told?”

Justin sighed gazing out of the window. “The ceremony in a few days is getting people worked up. Brandon needs you here.”

“Why?” She darted a look at him, but he still faced away. “It’s not like we didn’t know it’s going to happen.” Brandon had called and said Cameron was stepping down. He had explained about the new Alpha coming and how their community would grow.

“Yeah, but knowing and it actually happening are two different things.”

“So Brandon wanted me home to show support for the change or something?” Normally Justin was a lot easier to get answers from. “Have you met the new Alpha?”

“Once. He seemed like a good enough guy,” Justin admitted. “But he’s not from here.”

“Well, Cameron has already picked the Alpha and it’s been agreed upon by the council,” she reminded him. “What is there to do?”

“The new Alpha could be challenged right after the ceremony.”

Her hands jerked and the vehicle swerved. She righted the steering wheel. “Shit—a challenge?”

She’d never seen a challenge but knew enough about them to know that a battle for the position for Alpha would be major. Some of her friends had told her stories about the Pack being taken over. The Alpha who lost never lived. Although the Council tried to keep the chance of death minimal, there were old-fashioned Alphas who still demanded it.

This was much worse than Nikki had expected. Good thing I’ve come home. If Brandon was going to protect the new Alpha… A sudden thought entered her brain. “Who would be stupid enough to challenge the Alpha?” she asked.

When Justin simply turned and met her stare, she knew.

“Oh, God! He can’t!”

Justin just shrugged. “I don’t think he even wants to. But he’s getting a lot of pressure right now. I don’t know what he’s going to do, but a day doesn’t go by that someone is not calling or coming by to ask him about it.”

And suddenly she understood. She wasn’t home just to welcome the new Alpha. She might be saying goodbye to her own brother. A challenge to the death. Or even if the new Alpha decided to spare Brandon’s life, he’d have to leave the Pack. She and Justin would have to leave the only home they’d ever had.

Tears pricked her eyes as she peered out of the windshield. The sights that surrounded her were so familiar, but they didn’t soothe her like they normally did. Now, they made her feel sick. They’d lived there since her grandfather had joined the small community and had brought his young mate with him. Her grandmother’s family had been part of the territory for several decades. The wide-open space that expanded for miles and miles was home. But home also meant family. Her family, Brandon and Justin, all she had left.

“We can’t let him,” she almost yelled in the small, quiet confines of the vehicle.

“We don’t have a choice. If he decides to do it, we have to support him,” Justin murmured. “We have to have his back.”

What the hell? Did Justin really believe that any good could come out of the challenge? She pressed her lips together and glared over at him. The pain on his face brought her up short. If he knows what would happen to Brandon, how can he back him?

“Justin?”

He held up a hand, stopping her. “Talk to Brandon. He knows how I feel already and he needs to know your thoughts, too. But no matter what he decides, we will stand behind him.”

Nikki didn’t respond, unsure what could be said in the situation. She turned down the gravel road that led to their cabin. It was only a half mile to the house and the entire journey, her mind ran though several possibilities. All of them ended with her losing so much. She pulled up to the front of the house and heard the barking. The sound brought a smile to her lips. Faced with so much new information, it was good to know some things didn’t change.

She opened the driver’s door without waiting on Justin. She braced her feet shoulder-width apart as the barking came closer. A black streak raced from around her house seconds before a full-blooded sixty-pound black Lab leaped on top of her.

“Hey, Bear.” She rubbed the dog from his large front paws on her shoulders down his back. She received several wet kisses as welcome. God, she’d missed her boy.

Justin’s deep laugh came from in front of the house. “Guess he missed you.”

She glanced over and her heart swelled. It was obvious the dog wasn’t the only one. She wanted Justin to wrap his arms around her and tell her it would be okay. Instead, she let him turn away. This was just as hard on him as her. Except Justin had had to deal with this information much longer. He hadn’t had anyone to talk to, with her several miles away. Her job kept her out of the country just as much as it required traveling in the United States. She’d not been there for either man when this had first started. Well, she was home now and Nikki would fix this if she could.

“Justin?” she called before he could make it up the steps.

He turned and raised an eyebrow in question.

“What’s the new Alpha’s name?”

“Dylan Cross.”

She didn’t hear him walk into the house—couldn’t hear anything over the pounding in her ears. She pushed the dog off her and plopped down on the bottom step.

“Cross?” she whispered to the night. Bear lay at her feet and licked her hand. The man she’d met earlier had the last name Cross. Had to be a relation of the new Alpha. She’d picked up on the tension between the two of them outside the café.

Obviously her brother hadn’t liked the man. The hostility had been easy enough to read. Because he was related to the new Alpha, or something more? In the normal course of things, she wouldn’t have thought anything about getting involved with someone her brother didn’t approve of. In fact, that had been how she had picked her high-school boyfriends. But this was something else entirely. Not only was her body almost vibrating at the thought of him, her wolf—who as a rule stayed mostly silent—was scratching and clawing at her to go find him. She could almost taste the strength that had come from the stranger. He might not have been Alpha material, but he had been dominant. And if he was related to the Alpha, that didn’t speak well for any challenger.

Brandon had always been quick, strong and smart. However, it scared her to death that it might not be enough this time. He’d never said he’d wanted to lead. In point of fact, the opposite had been true. Brandon had commented several times how he couldn’t get paid enough to be Alpha, having no privacy and constant requests to see to. Nikki buried her hands in Bear’s thick fur. “What in the world are we going to do?” she asked.

Of course, the dog didn’t answer.

The wind picked up, forcing her to return to her Jeep and grab her bag. It smelled like a storm was brewing and she didn’t want to get caught out in the rain. Bear stayed with her and she was glad of the company.

She walked in through the front door and the feeling of being home hit her at once. Her eyes blurred from the memories that flooded her. The living room still had the old furniture that had once belonged to her grandparents. The fabric remained worn but clean. The years of spills and rough childhood antics hadn’t left too big a mark. The light was off in the dining room and farther back to the kitchen, but she knew no changes had been made there, either. The kitchen would be clean and tidy even if the space needed a new paint job. The table and chairs, old cabinet and expensive wood furnishing in the dining room had been her grandmother’s pride and joy. Nikki secretly hoped one day to have those pieces in her house.

The stairs still creaked as she made her way up. She smiled, jumping over the seventh step—the loudest—that had given her away more than once when she’d tried to sneak out as a teen. It was as though that spot had had a direct link to her oldest brother’s room.

She passed Brandon’s and Justin’s rooms on the way to her own. Justin’s light shined under his door, but she wanted a little time alone to think things through before she spoke with him again. There had to be something she could do to help Brandon, even if it resulted in her making her brother mad. She would not, could not, accept Brandon challenging for the Alpha position.

Her room hadn’t changed a bit in her absence and that was both comforting and sad. Would it really hurt her to visit more than once every couple of years? While she had been traveling and working, her brothers had been trying to figure out the future of the Pack. She did feel terrible that she hadn’t wanted to come back. Brandon and Justin had obviously needed her. Bear followed her into the small space and climbed on the bed to plop down.

Hoping a hot shower would clear the exhaustion from travel and help her think more clearly, she dumped her bag onto the bed and grabbed her shower case from it. Nikki had the master bedroom with the bath inside, while Brandon and Justin shared the other bath in the hall. She had told one of them to take her room so they could have the private bath, but Brandon had ignored her and Justin had said as soon as she was mated, he would. She’d answered that in that case it would still be hers for a while.

After turning on the hot water to heat it up, she began to strip. Stepping inside the shower, she sighed and let the steam and heat relax her. The tile in the stall was cracked and stained, but she smiled as she ran her fingertips over the hardness. She’d begged Brandon to decorate her bathroom in pink until at last she’d talked him into it, at about ten years old. He had even found the pink tile for a discount. He’d been that wonderful to her.

It wasn’t the décor she’d have picked as an adult, but it had been hers as a child and a teen.

Starting to wash her hair, she thought about the man she had met earlier. RJ was the kind of man she would notice from down the street—his dark good looks, height and build and tattooed arms. She hummed, thinking how damn attractive he’d been. Just the kind of guy she usually found herself attracted to. He’d probably not enjoy showering in the pink space. No, he was more leather and oil. A real man’s man.

Yeah, she was sure RJ Cross didn’t run around in pink and flowers. She couldn’t care less what he preferred. The sexy as sin biker called to the most primal part of her. Nikki craved the dominance male wolves had in them, but in the people she surrounded herself with, she didn’t often find what she longed for.

She filled her palms with body wash and ran them down her neck to her chest. Her breasts felt heavy and she wished there was someone in the shower with her. Of course that made her think about RJ again. His large hands would be able to cup her to perfection and his wide, smooth lips would feel fantastic on her skin.

She moved her hands down her body until she skimmed against her mound. She slipped a finger lower, rubbing her clit hard.

Spreading her legs, she leaned on the wall of the shower. The stall would be too small for two people, but she could still imagine RJ on his knees in front of her, licking her folds.

Her imagination and her fingers brought her to the fevered edge she craved. “Oh God,” she murmured, sliding two fingers deep inside her pussy. Pumping in and out, she trembled. Almost right…there…

A flash of RJ holding her against the wall, his deep voice telling her to come, had her finally falling over the edge.

Spent and warm, she turned off the water and wrapped a towel around her body. She had a lot to think about. Maybe they could come to an understanding, especially if there was interest on both sides. If not, she’d make sure the entire Cross family knew that Brandon had his own support system.

Nikki dressed in a pair of her favorite cotton pants and a tank top prior to unpacking other clothes into her dresser. Nothing seemed to have been moved and the stuff she’d left behind was still inside, but she managed to push it to the back to fit her new additions.

Once everything had been put away, she petted Bear’s head then strolled to her window. She pushed aside the white lace curtain to gaze out. Her community was laid out in front of her. The lights from houses that she probably knew every detail of shined in the distance. These people were the only family that she’d ever known. Even if they thought what they were asking Brandon to do was right, Nikki couldn’t forgive them for putting her brother in this position.

From a young age, Brandon had taken on the responsibility to make things right around him. If he were being pressured to challenge the Alpha, Nikki couldn’t imagine the struggle that he’d been going through.

Maybe she would catch a little nap waiting for Brandon came home. It was time she acted like an adult and showed her brother how much he meant to her. Nikki wasn’t going to let him make a decision that might ruin his entire life.

If Brandon could look her in the eye and tell her that he wanted to be Alpha, she would stand behind him. She’d do whatever she needed to keep him safe.

She knew, though, deep in her heart, that Brandon didn’t want the job.

It was going to be harder if Brandon admitted he didn’t want it.

Either way she’d know for sure what Brandon needed from her.

* * * *

Dylan was already gone by the time RJ made it down the stairs the next morning, but Ben sat dressed in his suit and drinking a cup of coffee.

“’Bout time,” his younger brother complained. “I’ve got to get to work.”

RJ frowned as he reached for a clean coffee cup. “So what’s stopping you?”

It wasn’t as though he usually got up with his brothers. He liked to work late and had never been an early riser. He enjoyed having his own business so he could set what hours he wanted to work.

“Because I needed to talk to you.” Ben stood and rinsed out his coffee mug. RJ moved to the kitchen table his brother had just left and took a seat, waving his hand so Ben would get on with it.

“One of the women I work with said that the Stratton sister would be coming to town,” Ben informed him.

RJ froze. He wasn’t sure how word of his interaction with the woman would have gotten out already. There had been a lot of people inside the café, but most of them had been from the old Pack.

“From what I understand, she keeps Pack status but hasn’t been home in over a year.” Ben stared at him.

Striking the most casual pose he could, RJ leaned heavily in his chair. “And?”

“You don’t think it’s funny that the ceremony and maybe challenge are only days away and she’s suddenly back here?”

Now that he thought about it, yes, it was a little strange, but he didn’t want to admit it to his brother. He needed to do his own research. “What? You think she’s part of the challenge?”

Ben shook his head. “No, of course not, but it doesn’t mean they’re not up to something.”

Ben could be right, but really, what could the young woman do? Besides, she’d flirted with him the previous night. Plus she hadn’t even blinked at his name being Cross. He would almost guarantee she hadn’t a clue about his family. Almost guarantee. He was pretty good at reading people, but he had been distracted by her.

“I’ll see what I can find out,” he promised. He’d already planned on it, but now he’d do it for his brothers as well. There were favors that RJ could call in if need be. His time in the military had earned him points with several different species, including the Prince of felines.

Ben’s shoulders relaxed and guilt turned RJ’s stomach. He should tell Ben about having met Nikki Stratton. But instead, he watched his brother pick up his briefcase and waved goodbye. He didn’t know why he hesitated. Fuck, yes, I do. RJ didn’t want Nikki Stratton to be involved in anything against Dylan. And if she is? Well, he’d cross that bridge when he got there.

“Where to start?” he asked the empty room. He would treat it like any other investigation as an Enforcer. He picked up his coffee cup, topped it off and made his way to his room and his laptop. He would run some basic searches on Nikki Stratton.

It couldn’t be that hard to figure out what the Stratton family and old Pack were up to. Dylan needed to let Cameron know what was going on, whether he wanted to or not. Dylan had told him that he didn’t want to worry the Alpha, but Cameron could help in this situation.

He sat down and typed in his password opening the program he’d used when his job had been to do background searches on shifters who had wanted to join the Pack.

When RJ had left, Ben had taken on the task, but RJ still had access to the system.

He typed Nikki Stratton into the database and over one hundred results popped up. Okay, he could narrow it down. When he added in Lawton, New Mexico, he hit what he was looking for. Nicole Stratton, Lawton Pack, older brothers Brandon and Justin Stratton. Both parents deceased.

RJ sipped as he continued to read.

Fifteen minutes later RJ was impressed with the number of articles written by Nicole B. Stratton. There were so many that he had to print them out to finish reading later. She had traveled to several countries, writing about what she saw and raising awareness of the many cultures that were ignored around the world. It was obvious the woman was good at what she did and that she enjoyed it.

It also raised the question—why would she put that on hold to come home? Why now? And would she be leaving soon?

The last question was purely personal.

The alarm on his watch beeped and he glanced at the time. It was already late morning and he needed to get into town to open his shop, even if the people who came only wanted to check out the new Alpha’s brother. He might not be giving out tattoos, but he’d get good intel. The Pack members who had moved to Lawton with them stopped by to share what they were hearing, while the original residents wanted to see him up close and personal.

He stuffed the articles into his top desk drawer after logging off his computer. Until he decided what to do about Nikki, he didn’t want either of his brothers to know what he was doing. Yes, he’d told Ben, but he also needed time to sort through how much to tell Dylan. Ben never could keep a secret, so RJ would have to let him remain in the dark as well.

He showered quickly before dressing in a faded pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. His custom boots and jacket followed. After locking up behind himself, he peered out into the dreary weather. The thunderstorms from the previous night had quieted down to a steady light fall of rain. He could still ride his bike, but he didn’t like feeling damp denim against his body for the rest of the day.

Instead of heading to where he’d parked his bike under the carport, RJ followed the deck around to the large garage that hid behind the house. He rarely drove a car, but when he did it was going to be the type that he wanted. Southeast New Mexico might not be the place for a classic, but RJ didn’t care. He’d wanted to own a sixty-seven Impala his entire life. Now, with money in the bank from his years of service, he could take his time restoring the beauty.

His baby wasn’t perfect yet, but she would be. Since no one was setting up appointments for tattoos, maybe RJ would try to divide his time better and schedule working on his ride.

It would be fun to pull her out today, though.

The bay doors squeaked as RJ opened them. The storage garage was old but clean and tidy. Of course, since Dylan also stored a vehicle back here, it had to be. His older brother wouldn’t stand for a dirty area, even to work on cars.

RJ shook his head. He had no idea how Dylan could be so fussy but love to get dirty at as well.

As he pulled the cover from his car, he admired the sleek lines and ran his hand over the body. When he’d seen this particular model had been on a television show and he’d been drooling over it ever since. The only one he’d been able to find had been a beaten-down black model in the rear of someone’s yard. RJ had purchased it and sent the car on to Dylan to house until RJ returned.

The hours he and the members of his unit had spent tearing out old fabric, rebuilding the engine and adding personal touches stayed with him. When he looked at his car, he could remember the good times they’d had fixing her up. The beer had been cold, the laughter plentiful and his best friends by his side. That was before Casey had found his mate and the missions had started to weigh on them all.

Back in a simpler time that RJ needed to hold on to.

Plus, the Impala was a chick magnet. He wondered what Nikki had planned that morning. If she hadn’t known who he was the previous night, surely she did by now. It might make it more difficult to get closer to her, but he’d always been a determined man. RJ wouldn’t trade on his attraction to her to get information on her brother, but a woman with the integrity to write the articles he’d read couldn’t be behind a hostile takeover. He counted on it.

There might even be a chance that he’d win her over to his side, keeping a challenge from occurring. Because he had right on his side.

Cameron had chosen his brother to lead the Pack. It angered him that the old Alpha’s wishes were not being respected, in addition to the fact that he wouldn’t stand for any threat against his family.

The rumble of the Impala was loud in the quietness of the garage. He reversed out, speed slow, and headed toward town. Brandon Stratton had already pulled him over once. It had been a tense battle of strength between the two men. RJ knew the sheriff had been testing his control, pushing RJ’s buttons to see what he would do. RJ had managed to hang on to his wolf and not give the sheriff what he wanted. After taking the speeding ticket, he thought he’d seen a flash of respect in Brandon’s eyes, but he couldn’t be sure.

He took the side streets until he reached the alley in which he parked. The drive had been way too short, but after work, he’d take her toward the flatlands where he could really open the old girl up and not worry about getting a ticket.

RJ entered his shop through the back door and flipped on the lights. The place remained neat and clean from the prior night. Everything was in place. Of course, the top-grade security system he’d had installed would have warned him if anything had been wrong, but being cautious was ingrained in RJ. His footsteps echoed as he crossed the front entry to the windows and doors. He opened the blinds, letting the bright sunlight in to gleam off the stainless steel countertops. He reached for the Open sign when he spotted several older residents standing across the street, looking in his direction.

“Let’s see what this is about,” he murmured. RJ did turn the sign around before unlocking the front door and stepping outside. For an instant, he regretted not wearing his sunglasses. The day hadn’t called for the dark shades, but he enjoyed the ability to intimidate people. The few old men who were hanging out across the street hadn’t been welcoming to RJ or his family at all.

In front of his glass window RJ leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. He stared at the group and, just as he suspected, they began to look everywhere but at him.

He’d seen the tall, gray-haired man, Todd Stewart, talking with Brandon Stratton several times in the past two weeks. RJ’s instincts were telling him that Todd was the main voice trying to get the challenge against Dylan started. Todd wouldn’t be able to win versus RJ’s brother, so he needed someone who might.

As dominant and strong as Brandon Stratton was, RJ didn’t believe that he’d take out Dylan in a fair fight. Which meant that something more sinister was in the works. It didn’t take more than five minutes of RJ’s presence on the sidewalk to have the small group strolling away.

Half a block down, Todd turned toward RJ.

RJ dipped his head. He’d promised not to start trouble, but he also wouldn’t allow anyone to intimidate him. Todd sneered then retreated.

“RJ!”

He spun around, not having heard anyone coming up behind him. The pretty young woman on the sidewalk grinned at him.

“Are you causing trouble?” she asked.

“No, ma’am,” he replied on autopilot. Trisha and RJ had grown up together and had been good friends through high school. During his absence, she’d mated a quiet but friendly shifter she’d met during college. RJ hadn’t been surprised when Dylan had told him she’d offered to move Packs with him. Trisha’s mate, Eli, was from around these parts. If RJ remembered correctly, Eli’s old Pack lived about an hour or so away.

Forgetting all about the old men, RJ smiled down at the petite woman. “You look good,” he said. “How’re things going?”

“Great!” She bounced a little as she spoke. “Eli is meeting me at the coffee café, but I wanted to stroll around the shops first. I can’t believe Dylan and Ben managed to get everything going so fast. I thought it would take much longer to get set up.”

So had he. “Ben said that over the years, several stores and services here had gone out of business. Economic downturn and all that.” He waved his hand. RJ didn’t understand half of what Ben had tried to explain to him. As a real estate manager, Ben kept his finger in a lot of pies and always knew what went on with companies. “What have you been up to?”

“Oh.” Trisha beamed. “I got hired on to teach history at the high school. With the addition of our Pack, the town needs more help at the schools. They had most of the young pups in a building and grouped them together per grades. Now there’s enough for us to have full classes. The teachers at the schools are really excited.”

“That’s great!” RJ really needed to hear about some good things happening.

“One of the teachers from here is even organizing meetings with the school district for upgrading the facilities. He seems to have a lot of support already, so I hope it’ll go through. I offered to help him,” Trisha said.

“Wow.” RJ wanted to hug his old friend. While he’d been so busy worrying about the upcoming Alpha switch, someone in the community had stepped up for the children. “Who’s this guy? Maybe I could offer some help once he gets approval for the improvements.”

“His name is Justin Stratton,” Trisha said.

“Stratton?” Can I not get away from that damn family?

“You probably know his brother.” Trisha sounded excited. “He’s the sheriff.”

Oh, RJ knew the sheriff all right. He couldn’t tell Trisha that, though. “Yeah. I’ll see if I can get hold of Justin and find out what he might need.”

“Awesome!” Trisha grabbed his arm. “This has been such a good move for us.”

“I’m glad,” RJ responded.

“Well, I’d better finish my window shopping. I don’t want to be late for coffee with my mate.”

RJ gave her a little wave as she skipped off. At least she was happy. He didn’t know how she could appear so oblivious to the tensions in the town. He watched as she stopped to talk to someone else. The women, an original resident, seemed friendly, though. They exchanged a few words before Trisha took off again. Maybe the Pack would fare better than his own family. That boded well if a challenge didn’t take place.

RJ spun to return into his shop. He had a long day of staring at his sketch book. If he didn’t get any real customers soon, he’d go crazy. Money wasn’t an issue, but RJ was used to being busy. He needed to keep his hands and mind occupied.

One thing he knew—he shouldn’t be thinking about the Stratton siblings.

His first priority was to his brother. Being an Alpha should be the perfect opportunity for Dylan and it was RJ’s job to protect him. He’d been gone and left his brothers on their own for too long.

Not that RJ didn’t love what he’d done. The training had been superior and the friends he’d made were an addition to his family. But going back to civilian life wasn’t an easy transition.

“I just need to draw,” he mumbled to himself. RJ could always use another tattoo. Once he completed the art work, he’d call Mike or Casey to come ink him.