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  Did he have a choice?

  The pack needed him even if they didn’t know it. Fact was that they were in serious financial trouble. If Bain wasn’t already dead, he would have killed him all over again. The drugs, the women, and the gambling had all but crippled the pack’s resources. They could lose Wilderness. Which was more than just a large tract of land for them to live on. It was their heritage and the reserve had belonged to them for as long as the oldest wolf could remember. Wilderness was their home, their future, their territory. There would be no pack without it.

  It all hung in the balance. What he needed was to buy himself some time so that he could turn things around and convince the pack he was the right wolf for the Alpha position. Which meant taking Alisha as his mate.

  Tick tock.

  “We’ll take the corvette, but I’m driving,” he ground out.

  “Nobody drives my car but me.”

  She took to pouting and he decided he liked the look on her. Adorable came to mind. “You choose. The bike or the corvette, but I’m driving.”

  “Who’s the control freak now? Listen buddy, you might be the boss around here but you’re not the boss of me.”

  “I have no problem with you being the boss at least where this investigation is concerned, as long as I can drive.”

  “Deal,” she said with a slight smile and a glint in her eye.

  She put out her hand and when he shook it, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d made a pact with the devil herself.

  Chapter 2

  Red splatters still marked the ground where Brice had been left to die. Bite marks and scratches had marred her body and her neck had been a bleeding torn up mess. Gray allowed his senses free rein. Peaches, soap…damn he needed to focus.

  “I did mention that the police have no leads except for the hair, that is, so let’s hope your wolfie talents can lend us a hand.”

  At least he’d moved up in her books, he’d gone from doggie to wolfie – happy freakin’ days. Gray closed his eyes. He found, by closing off other senses he could hone in more effectively using others. The crime scene investigators together with the cops would have done a good job of combing the place for evidence, so he felt that his best bet would probably be his nose. But that damned scent of peaches lingered everywhere. It didn’t help that the little Chaser was pacing up and down the alleyway, trench coat flapping, blond hair flying.

  “Ash, do me a favor and go and stand at the end of the alley please.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re distracting me.”

  “Distracting you how?” She moved to stand in front of him, opening her trench coat and hooking her thumbs into her front jean’s pockets.

  Gray was reminded of a badass gun slinger ready for battle. Except this gun slinger was as sexy as she was dangerous. Hades help him, but the combination had his cock twitching. The timing was so off and his reaction so inappropriate that he said the first thing that came to mind.

  “The only scent I can pick up is of you. Peaches…” The word came out like a strangled groan and he paused when her mouth hitched into a self-satisfied smile. Great, now she knew he was attracted to her. “…must be your shampoo or something but it’s all I smell.” He tried to cover his mistake. “Go and stand over there.” The last came out gruffer than what he’d intended.

  Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  This woman was infuriating. “I’m only going to ask you one more time, if you don’t move I’ll be forced to physically remove you from this alley.”

  “Sounds kinky.” But she moved back throwing him a naughty grin before turning “You’re lucky my first priority is to find this killer or I might’ve taken you up on your offer.”

  He shook his head turning towards the bottle neck end of the alley trying to hide a smile. Possible death he could handle; the pack’s crippling financial issues, difficult but not impossible; the little Chaser was a different story all together, she frightened him more than Alisha ever could and that was saying something.

  ****

  Ashlyn ground her boot into the rough asphalt trying not to watch Gray as he moved around in the alley. The Alpha kept stopping, putting his face up with his eyes closed. Her adopted brother was an Omega so she’d seen this type of behavior before. Gray was trying to pick up on a scent. Paint a picture using his nose was the way Cole would describe it. She still didn’t fully understand wolf senses, particularly where Omegas or half breeds were concerned, since Cole had always worn a silver ring which kept his inner demon caged.

  With Gray preoccupied, it gave her a chance to assess things. What was possessing her to act this way? Maybe she had control issues. So what if she didn’t like people telling her what to do? But this went beyond that. Flirting, especially on the job, was not something she did. Yet, she couldn’t seem to help herself when it came to Gray. Ash could sense in the Alpha, for the first time in all her twenty nine years, a potential equal and couldn’t help but to test her theory. Too bad that in just three days he’d belong to someone else.

  What was all that about peaches anyway? She didn’t wear perfume on the job and none of her shampoo or lotion products smelled remotely of fruit. Had it just been her imagination or did he actually seem to like the way she smelled? Probably just really dumb wishful thinking.

  Gray went down on his haunches onto thighs that were made for straddling. Standing back up in one effortless motion, he waved her over. Every part of her tensed wanting to do the exact opposite just to see what his reaction would be, but instead she moved forward.

  “A female wolf didn’t leave Brice’s body. Whatever did is not a human. Although I do pick up human elements. The only unmistakable scent I get coming through is of Vibes.”

  “Vibes as in...?”

  “It’s a club here in town. I hope you packed your dancing shoes because we’ll go and investigate tonight when it opens. Whoever did the dumping was at the club. Maybe someone will remember something.”

  Ashlyn could see that his mood had lifted. “I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. Something else may have left her here, but a wolf did the deed. We have the marks on her body – bite marks confirmed to be made by a large wolf, we have the hair, and don’t forget what Brice said when she briefly gained consciousness. Two words Gray…”

  “I don’t need reminding”−he raked a hand over his scalp, his shoulders slumping forward−“she said wolf and woman. AKA female wolf.”

  God she wished she could change the facts. Make the whole wolf link disappear. He clearly had enough on his plate at the moment. The only thing she could do to help him was to find the killer and to stop giving him so much shit while she was doing it. What a pity, she hadn’t had this much fun in a long time.

  Chapter 3

  Dinner was served in a big outdoor restaurant area complete with salad buffet and lamb spit. Two large bon fires crackled and fairy lights twinkled in the surrounding trees.

  Civilized, yet unmistakably wild.

  Her escort, Phoenix, was everything a woman could hope for in a man. He was tall, dark, and fell somewhere far beyond attractive and into the realm of Godly. He was also Gray’s best friend. Besides his amazing good looks, the man was a lawyer. Brains and brawn, her favorite combination, yet it was all she could do to keep her eyes from straying to the path that led to Gray’s place.

  Where was he?

  Alisha wasn’t here either. Maybe she had decided that he was the wolf for her after all, and the two of them were making up somewhere. The thought made her food stick in her throat and she reached for her glass of water.

  They ate in silence until Phoenix’s plate was clean. Ash pushed hers aside mostly untouched. “Have you always lived at Wilderness?” she asked.

  “Yeah. We all have our own homes. The kids go to school just like regular children. Many of us, me included, work in the city. It is very rare for a wolf born on the reserve to move away, but it does happen. We also have
outsiders that join the pack. Again, it’s a rare occurrence.”

  “Have any strangers joined the pack in recent months?”

  “Only happens if a wolf mates with another pack member. No humans in a long time and aside from the medical team, you’re probably one of very few humans ever permitted to enter.”

  “Wow.”

  The team was testing the DNA of all the females on the reserve. It was happening strictly on a voluntary basis and so far just over half of all the female wolves had come forward. Despite Gray’s urging it didn’t look like they would get many more volunteers. At least it did narrow the suspect list. Still a lot of maybes and they couldn’t rule out the possibility, although remote, that the wolf doing this was from another pack killing in Wilderness territory.

  “It’s a sign of the changing times.” He smiled the kind of smile that would have had most women clutching at their panties.

  The lawyer was seriously good looking but in a tailored kind of a way. She could picture him looking dazzling in a suit and tie, but she couldn’t help think that he lacked that Alpha element. That aura of power and presence that Gray carried so well. Although the Alpha was not as good looking at least not in the classic sense, she found Gray infinitely more attractive. But damn it, he was taken and so she worked harder to concentrate on what Phoenix was saying, tried harder to stop herself from looking around the clearing.

  “How has the pack taken the change? I mean, they must be happy that a wolf like Gray has taken over from Bain.” She said the previous Alpha’s name with disgust. Kidnapping, rape, Bain had been bad news indeed.

  It shocked her when Phoenix barked out a laugh. “Hounds no, he’s an Omega. Even worse, he was exiled by Bain a year ago when their Mother died, so he’s not really seen as part of the pack anymore. I’m surprised no one has tried to challenge him yet. Probably because of the investigation but someone will soon.”

  “Challenge him…as in fight with him?” A feeling of apprehension rose up at the thought of Gray in a confrontation with another wolf.

  Ash had been with the Demon Control Agency her whole life, her family were all Chasers, so she knew quite a bit about the different demon species and their cultures. Some of them were deadly, it was up to the Demon Control Agents known as Chasers to keep the peace and to protect the existence of demons from humans.

  The wolves had long ago proved that they could self-govern themselves, so the agency had created an agreement with them, which they sometimes did with amicable species, to save time and resources. The Alphas were in charge and generally ran the packs with iron fists. Although wolves were extremely strong and could be quite aggressive, they usually kept to themselves, indiscretions or rogues were dealt with quickly and discretely. As a result, she found herself knowing very little about wolf cultures and Lores. Her brother was a half wolf but he had been raised by her family from a tiny baby.

  “Yeah as in fight with him.” Phoenix’s words snapped her out of her thoughts. He continued, “I’m afraid that some of our Lores are a bit vulgar but we are wolves after all. No weapons allowed, just good old fashioned canines and claws. The survivor either remains or becomes the Alpha.” He was so irritatingly casual as he dealt out Gray’s potential fate.

  “Survivor as in fight to the death?” Her words came out sounding panicked and she fought to control the fear that suddenly crept up out of nowhere.

  “Yeah. It’s not easy being top dog I’m afraid. There were those…”

  But Gray was an Omega. Only half demon. Which meant… “Please tell me these little testosterone battles take place during a full moon only.” She may not know much about demon wolves but she did know that Omegas, unlike full demon wolves, couldn’t just change whenever they felt like it.

  “Any time. Anywhere. No weapons. No assistance. Winner takes all.”

  No. No. No.

  “…but Gray can only change during a full moon. He’s a sitting duck between cycles.” She must have looked a complete mess because Phoenix reached over and touched her hand.

  “No one has tried yet because of this whole investigation, maybe he’ll get lucky. Out of all the Omegas out there I’d put money on Gray having the most chance at survival. I think that the right term is street smart which Gray has in droves.”

  “Still,” she looked away, her mind in turmoil. Gray was a sitting duck. No wonder he’d asked Phoenix to take care of her no matter what. She’d wrongly thought he was referring to her attitude meanwhile…

  The moment Gray walked in a hush fell over the crowd. It was soon followed by an elevated noise as the pack whispered behind their hands. Ash noticed a large rugged looking man step forward, another wolf put out a hand to stop him. The two exchanged words, the big wolf finally nodded, relaxing back against the wall, his face still stern. A possible challenger? Again, the crowd fell silent as Alisha swept in. She might be a wolf but her oval green eyes were all cat. As beautiful as what they were cold. A shiver crawled up Ash’s spine.

  The female wolf was wearing an elegant wrap around dress. The fiery red garment worked well with her olive skin and the neckline dipped low barely containing lush breasts. Every male eye in the room followed her as she walked.

  “I don’t know what it is they all see,” Phoenix chuckled, “besides the obvious of course and if you ask me big boobs are overrated.”

  She could have kissed him right there and then, but he continued.

  “I feel sorry for Gray. He should be more afraid of her than of any challenge that comes his way. I swear she’ll kill him in his sleep.”

  “Do you think it might be her responsible for these murders?” A lady could hope.

  “What and break a claw?” Phoenix laughed.

  Although she found him funny, she could barely muster a smile, which very nearly turned into a sob when she saw Gray walking over to Alisha’s table. Lordie, he’d dished a plate of food for the female wolf. So sweet. No man had ever done anything so romantic for her. There was something about the gesture she found touching more so than flowers or chocolates. This was him publically…

  Alisha knocked the food from his hand. With lightning quick reflexes, Cole caught the plate before it could crash to the ground but the damage was already done.

  Alisha stood, eyes blazing. “If you knew anything about me, you’d know I don’t eat carbs and I don’t care for mongrels. Even if they do imagine themselves to be the Alpha,” she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. There were a few snickers but mostly just silence.

  Gray pulled back his broad shoulders, narrowed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “Alisha, I’m warning you. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

  “You’re warning me?” She poked him in the chest with one of her talons.

  Gray looked down at her finger and growled. Shivers rushed up Ash’s spine at the menacing sound.

  Alisha took a small step back. “Why is no one doing anything about this?”

  Was it Ash’s imagination or had the female wolf glanced over at the big man that had attempted to walk towards Gray minutes earlier?

  “This”− she snorted−“joke of a wolf doesn’t deserve to be Alpha.”

  “Three days Alisha it’s happening so deal with it,” Gray retorted on a snarl.

  “I would expect no less from a mangy dog.”

  She turned and walked away, hips swaying, all her composure had returned. It wasn’t Ash’s imagination when the big man followed her seconds later.

  It took guts for Gray to square his big shoulders and walk back and dish a plate of his own. The Alpha’s eyes darted around the clearing, lingering on many of the males in their prime. He was standing his ground, almost welcoming a challenge he could sorely afford. Awesome, now she could add guilt to the top of her list of emotions. Gray would have had to endure ridicule and derogatory name calling his whole life. For no other reason than his father was a human. She’d been calling him names like doggie and puppy all day. From now on she’d be nothing but nice and agreeab
le. Gray deserved no less.

  Chapter 4

  Deep down, he couldn’t blame Alisha even though she’d humiliated him in front of half the pack. He wasn’t overjoyed about pairing with someone he didn’t like much less love, but an Alpha whether male or female had to do what was best for the pack. There was a reason she could have almost any wolf she wanted and a reason why everyone had listened to what she had to say today. Alisha was an Alpha. Regardless of what he had said, he would never take her against her will. Right now she didn’t need to know that though. He’d still try and win, gain her submission.

  Fat chance.

  The Chaser being there to see what happened had made it worse. Why exactly, he couldn’t say, except that maybe he didn’t want outsiders privy to pack business which didn’t seem right because Ash didn’t feel like an outsider.

  Phoenix had warned him that his second in command, Rage, might be planning a challenge. All he’d said was that it was a gut feeling. When Phoenix had a feeling about something it was best you listened to it. That was the whole reason his friend had gone into criminal law in the first place. His gut was never wrong. So, chances were that Rage would challenge him soon. Hounds, he was having putrid luck at the moment. Rage was the strongest wolf in the pack. There were some wolves he could take and some, he’d have a hard time bringing down. And, he liked the guy, didn’t want to fight him.

  The sound of heels alerted him to someone’s approach. Very high heels. If it weren’t for the heavy scent of peaches he’d never have believed it was Ash even though he had sent her a message to meet him. He had to press his lips together to stop himself from gaping.

  Hounds teeth…

  The tiny dress she wore was not just pink, it was smoking hot pink with two thin strips of fabric holding the thing on. It was so mouth-wateringly tight that it would probably stay on even without the straps. He had an unreasonable urge to tell her to go and change. Or at least to go and put a bra on, because how the hell was he supposed to look at anything else but her perfect breasts. Even they looked distinctly like small ripe, pearl tipped peaches. Juicy, soft, perfectly edible. He was trying to catch a killer for hound’s sake.