“Well then, you have my blessing to do what it takes to protect your mate,” said Rylee.
Lev lifted a brow and nodded. My mate, only until I see to her safety.
Rachel woke and gasped. The nightmare had seemed so real. Her pillows and sheets thrown on the floor. Her entire body covered in perspiration, she sat and every muscle ached as if she’d lifted weights all night. Her head pounded, but the pain slowly subsided. A hangover without drinking. Was it related to the horrible nightmare? She reached for a bottle of water and drank every bit of it. The muscle aches diminished and she got up. She recalled snippets of the horrible dream.
At the sound of howls, Rachel had suddenly appeared in the middle of a forest. Her friends, Cricket, Slade, Rylee, Lev and many more she’d not known by name stripped. They transformed into large snarling wolves. They growled at her. Hungry growls. The next moment, they huddled around a kill. A female elk. Her neck broken, eyes glazed. A she-wolf waited for Rylee and the other alphas to take the first bite. Rylee gave her permission and the she-wolf ripped through the elk’s intestines. She growled in pleasure and swallowed them as if feasting on spaghetti. Rachel recalled covering her eyes and when she opened them again, the other wolves had joined in, but now instead of an elk they feasted on a woman. Lev had ripped off her thigh and gnawed on it, making satisfying grunts. The female cocked her head at the black wolf and he nudged the thigh toward her. The woman was so torn all Rachel could make out was her long golden curls. They were feasting on me. Before she dared a closer look, she woke.
Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. This is why Howard wanted her to leave. Lev had shown her a little bit of his animal side during sex, but someday he might kill her. A savage accident when his wolf lost control. But worse, Lev’s bite had poisoned her. After all this rogue werewolf pack business ended, she would leave lycan society. Not say a word about the lycan society, meet with the warden periodically and return to practicing medicine.
Famished, Rachel fried four eggs and cooked an entire package of bacon. Her metabolism was on overdrive. Later, she planned to meet with Darius and re-test her blood and discuss the scans. I’m definitely not back to normal as he’d thought. After breakfast, she dressed to meet Cricket in the ranch house.
Rachel took the elevator and pushed the button labeled Ranch. The wall opened into the living room and she stepped out. She looked through the glass window and smiled.
Rachel recognized Cricket’s coyote-size gray wolf and Slade’s massive white wolf form. They played in the snow near the barn. She envied their happiness. Rachel cared enough for Lev to set aside her jealousy and hoped he too would someday find the right she-wolf to replace her. Three lycans guards armed with semiautomatic rifles stood on the porch. They looked human, cowboy hats, snow jackets and black military snow boots.
Commander Trevor sat reviewing paperwork with a team of men in the large living room. She would love to know why they looked so serious. None of her business. The less she knew the better.
Rachel walked into the kitchen area, grabbed a mug and poured herself coffee. She settled on a sofa near the window and viewed buffalo leisurely eating hay the ranch hands had just brought out. Last night, Cricket insisted she wear the green hooded jacket before heading upside. It wasn’t as bulky as her snow jacket, but lighter and cuter with a faux fur lined hood and cuffs. Something she would have worn in college. She thought of just wearing a wool pullover, but happy she’d worn her new coat after all. The huge mini-mansion had only a fireplace as heat. Thick skinned lycans apparently didn’t need to waste energy on heating their abode. Rachel reached into her pocket and took out her mobile. She scrolled down to CW. Had he already left? She put it away. Cricket was right. No point in tormenting Lev with one last goodbye. Breaking up with an alpha who had claimed her wasn’t like breaking up with a human man. I’m into him, but for my health I’ve no choice.
A big lycan wearing a Team Greywolf uniform came in. Almost as tall as Lev, he had grey eyes, brown hair with specks of red and moved with the strength and confidence of an alpha. Probably was. Cricket said after a while she would pick up on their status.
The lycan stepped outside and shouted, “Slade, Cricket, get your asses in here.”
Immediately, they ran toward the side entrance, the werewolf mudroom, where one could hang their clothes before shifting.
The handsome man went up to Trevor, who stood at attention. The man must be his commanding officer. They talked in whispers. Rachel tilted her head. She caught them saying something about, “Get her to Rylee’s war room.”
Cricket came in dressed in her black form fitting uniform and approached her while Slade joined the other armed men. ?
?Hey, we need to get you below.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Steele,” she pointed her chin toward the good-looking alpha, “just got word from Rylee that we need to carry out Operation Gene Marker.”
“What’s that?”
“Protect all Stallo women. Dominic, Mia and his men will return here from their island later this evening.”
“So I take it that means no baby shower prep.”
“Postponed indefinitely. Especially since Mia and her baby daddy will arrive soon.”
The lights in the dining area flicked off.
Slade growled as he stared at some panel. “Fuck.”
Cricket grabbed Rachel, practically picking her up and dragged her toward Slade and the other were soldiers staring at some security screen. “What’s wrong, hon?”
Slade frowned. “Power is out and our anti-LRAD is down.”
Trevor took out his mobile. “Manny, can you fix the breach? How long will it take? Fuck. Get us back on the grid!”
Slade turned to Trevor. “How much time does he need?”
“Should take ten minutes or more.”
Rachel frowned and sputtered, “Anti-LRAD? Cricket, what is going on?”