“Got a newbie with us,” he told McCain. “An Alpha from out west, says he’s thinkin’ of moving here and he wants to see the way we do things in Wolverton.”
McCain frowned.
“All right now, Bobby—you know we try to keep quiet about these Open Breedings. There’s things we do here in Wolverton that outsiders wouldn’t understand.”
“Aww, Chief—he’s not really an outsider.” Bobby grinned at him. “He’s just been gone a while, that’s all. I went to high school with him, right here in Wolverton High—he was our star quarterback. Took us to state three times in a row!”
McCain’s frown deepened.
“You’re not talking about—”
“Yes, I am! Nick, you son of a bitch—get up here! The Chief wants to meet you,” Bobby Aiken called over his shoulder.
A tall man with broad, muscular shoulders and tousled golden brown hair stepped forward. He had forest green eyes and an easy air about him.
I stared at him numbly. No, it couldn’t be. It couldn’t be him!
The old brand on my inner forearm started throbbing and stinging and I slapped a hand over it, trying to cover the way it was beginning to glow a dull red, like a live coal buried just under my skin. At the same time, my heart was pounding like it was trying to beat its way out of my chest. I couldn’t believe my eyes—didn’t want to believe them.
Slowly, I edged away, behind the other girls who were standing in a shivering, naked knot of human flesh at the back end of the van. But I kept my eyes glued to the newcomer.
It was him, I realized as I stared at him. There was no denying it—the brand on my forearm wouldn’t come to life for anyone else. My heart wouldn’t ache like it was breaking all over again for any other man.
“Chief,” Bobby Aiken said, clapping the other man on one broad shoulder. “This here’s Nick Callahan. He finally came home.”
THREE
I didn’t know if I was going to be sick or start screaming and crying or what. Grimly, I clamped my lips shut and just concentrated on staying silent and hidden behind the other naked girls. Was Nick’s brand acting up to? Had it come to life the minute he got near me? Or was it still dormant because he didn’t know I was here?
I couldn’t see his muscular forearm, so I had no answers as I watched McCain size him up, his icy blue eyes narrowed in distrust.
“What brings you back to Wolverton, boy?” he demanded, staring at Nick.
Nick shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling.
“Just homesick, I guess.” His voice was deep and easy-going, just like I remembered. It took a lot to ruffle Nick’s feathers—he was the picture of calm…until he suddenly wasn’t anymore, I thought, remembering that night in the foster home…
I pushed the memory away as I watched the confrontation unfolding.
“I killed your Daddy,” McCain said flatly. “Drew Callahan and Patrick O’Shea were blood brothers and co-Alphas of the Wolverton pack until I came along.”
“Yeah, I know that.” Nick nodded. “It was a fair fight for dominance—you won,” he added, shrugging again.
McCain’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“You telling me you’re here without any blood-debt or reproach against me, boy?”
“No, sir.” Nick raised his chin and I saw that he had dark stubble on his square jaw. “Been living out West for the past ten years but Wolverton’s my home and I miss it. I got in touch with Bobby and he invited me out for a visit. Didn’t seem to think you’d have a problem with it. If he was wrong, I can go.”
For a moment, I thought McCain was going to tell him to leave—to get the hell out of there. But then the older man seemed to finish sizing him up and nodded, as though he was somehow satisfied.
“All right—you can stay. I got no fear of you taking the pack from me even if you tried. I give the Alphas what they want here in Wolverton—what we all secretly crave.”
“That’s what I hear,” Nick drawled, nodding. “Bobby tells me you boys are down here breeding females in your Fur Forms.” His mouth twisted into a lustful leer that looked wrong on his clear cut features. “I was hoping I could get in on that action. It’s something I’ve always wanted to try.”
His words made me sick—how could he want to participate in something so disgusting—so wrong? This wasn’t the Nick I knew—the one I’d tried so hard to forget. It couldn’t be.
But McCain bellowed a laugh and clapped him on the shoulder.
“You and every other Alpha Were in the whole damn world, boy! All right—you can stay. Participate in the Open Breeding tonight and see what you think. But keep it under your hat, all right?” He raised his salt and pepper eyebrows significantly. “Not everybody would understand how we do things in Wolverton, if you know what I mean.”