Page 42 (1/2)
CHAPTER ONE
He was going to get bad news today Nick knew it in his bones The “knowing” wasn’t an unfas So, an itch at the back of his neck that warned hiave him no clue as to what Other times it was more specific yet veryobject was, like the TV remote or the car keys But then there were ti that rang through his body…like that time when he was in the woods with his sister and he had known that if they didn’t turn back, soe everything
Call it intuition, call it instincts, call it a gift—whatever The point was that he knew that bad neas co harder and harder for the Alpha to keep his anxiety fro out into the pack link
He was pretty sure that the tolves in the vehicle with hiiness, but that was only to be expected considering that—as his brother and bodyguard—they were closely attuned to hi within hiy and restless as he was Well at least he and his ere on the sa Nick Axton had always prided himself on the fact that he and his ere very much in sync with each other There had only ever been one thing that they had been in total disagree Shaya Critchley, their mate
His wolf’s stance on the matter was simple: she was their true mate, therefore Nick should claim her and bond with her and make her their Alpha female of the Ryland Pack But it wasn’t as clear-cut as that No, there was a host of issues surrounding this situation
For one thing,a submissive wolf an Alpha female was next to impossible It wasn’t that submissive wolves eak or passive Hell no Despite their aura of calm, suber than any dominant wolf, just as dominant wolves could be weak-minded or emotionally vulnerable despite their aura of intensity But these differences in aura were partly why doh in rank; a dominant’s intense vibes could suppress and, thus, force the submission of any wolf they weresubmissive wolves vulnerable to them
The other essential difference between doth—a subth, could never be physically stronger than a dominant wolf As such, submissives were vulnerable to dominant wolves on two scores, but they were vital to every pack in that without the natural calh the pack link, the dominants’ natural intensity would leave the pack unstable
As such, though Shaya was vital to a pack and had the inner strength to match any dominant wolf, she would be vulnerable in other ways If she was Alpha feed repeatedly by the dominant females in the pack for her position Of course Nick could keep her safe by ordering that no one challenge her¸ but then she would never be respected or followed or acknowledged as Alpha fe in, which was absolutely unacceptable to Nick, as was the very idea of her in danger
That left him only one option if he still wished to claim her: he would have to step down froive it up if it meant he could have his mate The problem was that no one in his pack wanted the position, and no one wanted the responsibility of keeping the pack stable The old Alpha had been like a cancer, and he’d corrupted the entire pack until he’d blackened the heart of it Although Nick had challenged and killed hio, past events still haunted the pack, and old wounds still tormented it
His asn’t concerned with these details surrounding the matter It was all very black-and-white for him—Shaya was his, so she ry with Nick Not that it was unusual for his wolf to be in a somber mood He had somewhat of a dark disposition, in fact Well of course he did Not only had he surfaced pree and fear
As a rule, shifters changed for the first ti puberty Nick had been just five when, in one very bizarresuch a strong, powerful as so Nick was extremely proud of, but it hurt to know that his wolf had been born that way, leaving scars on his soul—scars that had been deepened by the event that had later led to Nick spending tier, the ani No, his as still as controlled and composed as Nick, but he also viewed the world as a bleak, dark, harsh place Shaya had been the only thing to ever stir strong emotions in his wolf
Ad emotions in Nick Much like his wolf, he could be hard, cold, and remote at times It wasn’t that he didn’t have a conscience, and nor was it that he didn’t know the difference between right and wrong But Nick seelitch in his emotional development that made it difficult for him to bond with others, to connect like they did He felt emotion the sa was so he found difficult
Maybe it was hardly surprising His wolf had surfaced too early, surfaced at a time when hischild being plunged into the stages of puberty—it wasn’t soically ready for, and it would undoubtedly have a fundamental effect on their development as a person: mentally, physically, and emotionally As such, Nick was tainted and broken in so many ways His mate, however, was much the opposite
Shaya reraceful, and always on the le in any crowd and charm them with her sassy attitude Not that she was Little Miss Innocent Oh no He’d heard all about her legendary temper He’d heard that she could be just as crazy as her best friend and Alpha female, Taryn But, still, Shaya eet and perfect, and so different frohable
He could still vividly re ceremony of her Alpha pair, and he had offered to perfor all day, a knowing that soaze had landed on the beautiful redhead, he’d knohat she was to him The impact of the realization had been like a blow to the chest; possessiveness, joy, and need had hit hie to claim her had climbed all over him, entered every pore of his body, and invaded every cell…and it hadn’t left hiht about, all he dreamed about He itched with the need to have her, touch her, smell her, or even just be around her The need could steal his breath, taunt his mind, and make his body restless Basically, it was hell
But the main reason he forced hi he wantedburdened with a patient instead of a partner Hissessions are working, Nick Don’t forsake your ht this