Wolf in the Woods Read online

  Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2021 N.J. Walters

  ISBN: 978-0-3695-0450-0

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Jessica Ruth

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  All books are special to a writer, but there are some that rise above the rest. The Salvation Pack series has been a labor of love for me for years. Thank you to all my amazing readers who wrote asking for more. It gave me an excuse to go back to a place and characters I love and write the next generation of stories.

  The release of any book takes a lot of work. Thank you to my editor, Jessica Ruth, and the incredible team at Evernight Publishing—especially Stacey and Audrey—for giving me the opportunity to bring this spin-off series to life.

  WOLF IN THE WOODS

  Salvation Pack: The Next Generation

  N.J. Walters

  Copyright © 2021

  Chapter One

  Billy Gallagher peered up at the mountains and inhaled the crisp air. Spring had come to Kentucky, but the day was still cool. Birds trilled their songs, and a crow cawed his annoyance. In the distance, a small animal rustled a bush as it hurried by. Leaves were unfurling, the woods coming awake after their winter nap.

  He loved being outside. Always had. It was his good fortune that he’d grown up in the middle of a wolf pack just outside of Salvation, North Carolina. He’d literally run wild with the wolves.

  He veered off the path and into the surrounding trees, as at home here as he was in his living room. His stepfather, Elias, had taught him how to survive in the wilderness, how to track and find food, how to mark his trail.

  The incline grew steeper, but it didn’t slow him down. He kept up the punishing pace for almost an hour, pushing himself to his limits. His lungs were sucking in air when he finally stopped and sat on a moss-covered outcrop that gave a beautiful view of the countryside below. It was peaceful and quiet.

  Exactly what I need.

  He opened his knapsack and pulled out a bottle of water. As he took a long pull, he let his gaze travel over the landscape. Something about the rustic countryside settled the slight dissatisfaction that had crept into him as of late.

  He loved his life and living on Salvation Pack land, but it wasn’t always easy being one of only two people there who were full human. The rest were either pure werewolf or half-breed. Having to keep such a large secret meant he didn’t have any friends outside the pack. Sometimes it got lonely.

  Every now and then, he just needed to get away.

  He dug into his backpack and found an energy bar. Since it was chocolate, it wasn’t half bad. But it wasn’t nearly as tasty as whatever was being whipped up at home for lunch.

  Pack life was communal. He’d spent his childhood running in and out of all the homes in the compound. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. But he wasn’t pack. Not really. He was human.

  He stuffed the bar wrapper back into his bag and pushed himself upright. The restlessness that had plagued him was back in full force. He was determined to silence it one way or the other.

  Leaving the pack was an option, but not one he really wanted to consider. They were his family. And if he went, his mother would be the only human among wolves. The alternative was to do what he was doing—spending time alone in nature, soaking up its peace and tranquility. And if that didn’t work, he’d sweat his restlessness away, pushing himself harder.

  Billy swung his knapsack onto his shoulders and continued the climb. He’d hike for another hour or so and then set up camp. Being early May and with him so far off the beaten track, he wouldn’t run into anyone else.

  And that was exactly how he wanted it.

  ****

  Addie Fuller glanced over her shoulder, not slowing her pace. Hurry! Her paws barely made any sound as they landed on the forest floor, cushioned by moss and downed pine needles. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Her heart pounded. She dug deep and pushed herself to go faster.

  Even in her wolf form she was tiring. She’d been running flat out and hiding for what seemed like hours. Simon should have given up by now. He had to know if he did, she’d sneak home and keep her mouth shut about what he’d done.

  If she told her daddy, he’d feel honor-bound to fight Simon. And he’d also never let her out of the house on her own again. She’d be basically a prisoner until she allowed herself to be mated.

  But Simon Jones and Jude Gordon didn’t care what she wanted.

  Her options were severely limited.

  Addie stopped beside a large overgrowth of bushes and listened. She was panting so heavily it took a couple of minutes for her to be able to hear anything above the pounding of her heart.

  The woods were silent.

  The birds had stopped singing. The squirrels and other small animals were still.

  Damn! She hadn’t lost him.

  “Come on, Addie. I was only kidding around.” Simon sounded both condescending and cajoling. He was also much closer than she was comfortable with.

  She hunkered down low to the ground, barely daring to breathe.

  “Let’s go home.” Jude was obviously trying to talk some sense into his friend. “Addie doesn’t want you, man.”

  Jude was right. She wouldn’t mate with Simon if he was the last man on the planet. Too bad he couldn’t seem to get that through his thick skull. What had started out as a friendly outing with packmates had ended up with her running to keep from being mated by force.

  “She will.” The certainty in Simon’s voice sent an icy shiver down her spine. This was not a man ready to give up. She was tempted to take a peek to see how close they were but didn’t dare. She shifted her weight and a leaf crunched beneath her right paw.

  “There she is!” Simon yelled.

  “Come back!” Jude called after his friend.

  She took off, running harder than she thought possible, but Simon was a male werewolf, several years older than her. He was bigger, stronger, and faster.

  He’s going to catch me.

  It was only a matter of time until he overtook her. There was only one thing to do. There was a clearing up ahead, and she went straight for it. It would be easier to fight if she wasn’t hemmed in.

  This morning had started like any other normal day. When she’d had breakfast with her folks, she’d never dreamed that hours later she’d be fighting for her life.

  Because there was no way she was going to allow any wolf to claim her. It would be her choice or none at all.

  She skidded to a stop and turned. Growling, she showed her fangs, warning both men she was prepared to fight. Simon remained a wolf, but Jude was in his human form.

  “We don’t have to do this,” Jude began. But Addie was very much afraid they did. Simon’s brown eyes gleamed with determination and lust.

  ****

  Something is wrong.

  The woods went silent. The birds stopped singing, and a squirrel that had been entertaining him with its antics suddenly fled up a nearby pine tree.

  It was an unnatural quiet.

  Billy sat up on his sleeping bag and listened. He’d been lying back, relaxed, watching the late afternoon sky and enjoying the sounds of the mountain. He hadn’t bothered to bring a tent. The
weather was forecast to be decent, and he loved sleeping under the stars, even when there was the possibility it would dip down close to freezing overnight.

  Something rustled in the bushes nearby. He pushed himself upright and quietly moved in the direction of the sound. A bear? The smaller animals wouldn’t have been as spooked by a deer or a fox.

  When voices filtered through the trees, he relaxed. It was just some fellow hikers. Although, he really was off the beaten track, far from humanity or any trails. One of the voices sounded distressed. He knew his way in the wilderness, but not everyone else did. Best to make sure they weren’t lost.

  He took the time to roll his sleeping bag and attach it to his pack, just in case he had to guide them out.

  So much for my quiet afternoon and evening in the woods.

  Some sixth sense made him creep quietly toward whoever was out there. This wasn’t a likely spot for anything illegal, but stranger things had happened. There could be hunters out there, in which case the last thing he wanted was to get his ass shot by startling them.

  He might be human, but he’d been trained by werewolves from the time he was a kid. It was as natural as breathing for him to stay downwind and watch where he put his feet.

  A deep growl made him stop in his tracks. There were wolves out there. And since there weren’t any regular wolves around here, they had to be werewolves.

  He did not need to be caught in the woods by another pack. There was one in Kentucky, but he’d figured the odds of him running into any of them were slim to none. Looked like slim had won.

  But they didn’t know he was out here. The best thing to do was walk away to avoid any possible conflict. He’d turned to do just that when a woman spoke.

  “Make him go home, Jude. I won’t mate with him.”

  Billy’s blood ran cold. Silently cursing himself as an idiot for getting in the middle of a fight between werewolves, he slowly lowered his gear to the ground and strode forward, making no attempt to silence his approach.

  They all stared as he walked into the small clearing. His gaze went from the naked woman—and wow, was she gorgeous—to the very large wolf glaring at him. There was another man, also naked. He had no idea where the naked guy stood in all of this, but the wolf was obviously the biggest problem.

  He held his hands out in front of him. “Don’t mean to barge in, but I’m afraid I can’t let you claim an unwilling female.”

  The wolf growled, showing plenty of teeth. The other man frowned and spoke. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but this isn’t any of your business. Walk away.”

  Billy tilted his head to one side, studying them both. “Sorry, can’t do that. I’ve heard stories about forced matings. A real man protects his friends and family, helps where he’s needed. A real man never forces a woman.” He shook his head. “So sorry, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  ****

  Who is this guy? Where the heck did he come from?

  There was no time to get answers. The tall stranger sauntered forward to confront Simon and Jude, as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Even more shocking, he knew what they were.

  He wasn’t the least bit taken aback by seeing two naked people and a wolf. Obviously, he’d been listening to them if he knew about the claiming. He was a stranger, but he had to be a wolf or at least a half-breed if he knew so much about their kind.

  “You need to leave,” Jude repeated. “While you still can.” His voice was so low it was almost a growl. The stranger didn’t back down, but stood taller and tilted his chin up slightly in an obvious challenge.

  Addie took a deep breath and caught the stranger’s scent. Shock rippled through her. He was totally human and no match against two male werewolves. As much as she appreciated him coming forward on her behalf, she couldn’t allow him to be hurt. And that’s what would happen if he stayed.

  “He’s right.” She looked the stranger right in the eyes. “You should go.”

  The human hooked his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans and shook his head. “Not unless you tell me you’re ready to mate with that wolf.” He jerked his head toward Simon.

  There was something about the man that made her unwilling to lie. She shook her head. “No, I can’t tell you that.”

  “Then I guess I’m staying.”

  Simon began to shift, his bones and body contorting and reshaping, fur disappearing and turning to skin. Back in his human form, he spat on the ground. “This is none of your business, human.” He made the last word sound like a curse and took a menacing step forward.

  But the stranger didn’t back away. Nor did he seem the least bit shocked by Simon’s transformation. Human he might be, but wherever he’d come from, this was not his first encounter with her kind.

  She didn’t know if this newcomer was brave or stupid.

  “But since you’ve seen what we are, you have to die,” Simon added.

  The man cocked his head to one side. “I knew what you were before I stepped into the clearing.” Then he turned his attention to her and inclined his head. “Billy Gallagher. Pleased to meet you.”

  It was embarrassing to be totally naked in front of a complete stranger. Even with her hands strategically placed, there was no hiding her nudity. She always changed and shifted before joining the others. She wasn’t ashamed of her body, but she was modest, and there was no need to make the situation regarding her unmated state even more volatile by parading around in nothing but her bare skin.

  At least she knew his name now. Billy Gallagher. It suited him. He was just a shade over six feet tall with blond hair and eyes as blue as a summer’s sky. He wasn’t heavily built, but from the way he moved, there was a lot of lean muscle under his clothing

  “Addie Fuller.” It should have felt ridiculous to be acting like the situation was normal, but she honestly didn’t know what else to do.

  Simon gave a menacing growl. “You don’t look at her. She’s mine.”

  Enough was enough. “I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours. I thought we were friends, but right now, I don’t like you. I don’t know who you are anymore.” And that was the truth. They’d all grown up together, playing and running wild as children. Everything had changed these past few months.

  She turned to Jude, appealing to his common sense. “You need to take Simon home. We can pretend this never happened.”

  “She’s right.” Jude held his hand out toward his friend, but he was having none of it.

  “No, she’s mine. And I’ll claim her as soon as I get rid of the human.”

  Billy’s affable demeanor disappeared in the blink of an eye. “You might want to rethink that. If I don’t turn up at home on time, people are going to come looking for me.”

  “Let them come.” Simon threw back his shoulders and gave a cocky grin. “They’ll have to find your body.”

  An icy chill ran through her. She’d never once thought Simon was capable of cold-blooded murder. Of course, she’d never thought he’d try to force her to mate with him either.

  “Oh, they’ll find it.” Billy tapped the side of his nose. “Werewolves have an excellent sense of smell.”

  Brow furrowed, she cocked her head to one side, totally confused. “Werewolves?”

  “Didn’t I mention I’m part of the Salvation Pack out of North Carolina? No? Well, I am. So unless you want to bring a whole heap of trouble down on your pack, you’ll walk away.”

  Chapter Two

  Billy was taking a huge gamble, but it was the only chance he had. Simon seemed intent on not only mating with Addie but also killing him.

  He wasn’t sure which side Jude would come down on in a fight, but he wasn’t expecting help from that quarter. He hoped the threat of the wrath of another pack would be sufficient deterrent to end this.

  Simon sniffed the air and glared. “You’re not a half-breed.”

  Once again, he tried not to feel lacking because of his heritage. “No, I’m not. I’m full human.”<
br />
  “How is that possible?” Addie asked.

  She really was lovely. It wasn’t just that she was naked, but she was and there was no denying it was a distraction. She was tall and lean, her long hair falling in waves around her shoulders in a curtain of chocolate, chestnut, and ash brown, her eyes a lovely shade of dark honey.

  “My mom is mated to one of them.”

  “Your mom?” she repeated.

  He nodded. “Yup. I was just a kid at the time. Elias adopted me after they mated.”

  “But she’s fully human, not a werewolf or half-breed?” Addie seemed shocked by his admission. So were the other two. The best thing he could do was to keep talking, maybe give the two men time to rethink what they were doing.

  “She’s fully human. When I was a teenager, I asked her why she hadn’t been turned into a wolf when he’d bitten her. I mean, she has a mating mark on her neck.” He tried not to think about what had been happening when his mother had gotten it. Yeah, as much as he loved Elias, he didn’t want to think about his mom and dad having sex.

  He hated sharing such personal details with the men, but if talking kept them from attacking, it was worth it. Strangely enough, he didn’t mind sharing with Addie.

  “She told me that Elias had been careful, barely sinking his teeth into her. Only enough to mark her. In order to be turned, the bite has to be vicious and life-threatening.”

  “That’s bullshit.” Simon took an aggressive step forward. “If a werewolf attacks a human, they die. Pure and simple. There is no such thing as conversion. That’s just a folktale.”

  He could have disputed that. The details might have been kept from him, but there were females in the pack that had survived such an ordeal.