Wolf's Rage is Published!

Wolf's Rage of the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Publishes!

Wolf's Rage published late August 9, 2018. After writing and publishing Wolf's Enemy, I fully intended to go into Wolf's Quest.

Flora Garrett and Dottie Paddock were not happy characters. At the end of Book 7, Wolf's Queen, they decided to start their lives with their mates by having a human-style wedding. But, when book 8 opened, the wedding had already happened the night before Nate is awakened by a message from General Brighton. The two werepanthers, Flora and Dottie, staged a sit-in on my keyboard, refusing to go away until I told a totally different story than Wolf's Quest. Thus, Wolf's Rage was written.

Originally, I intended to make Wolf's Rage book 7.5, since the events occur between books 7 and 8. Amazon, however, had different ideas. KDP doesn't allow the use of non-whole numbers books in a series. So, the long and short of it is, this is book 9.

Book 9, chronologically book 7.5, brings in new characters, including Violet and her family. It also adds more dimension to Peyton's budding relationship with Gloria Pike, former Houston Police Department Detective. As always, more nuances of pack life and werekind are introduced.

Enjoy!

Blurb:

When Violet escapes her abusive fiancé, he sends men to bring her back. The last thing she expects is to be rescued by two strange women with uncanny abilities.

With his last attempt thwarted, her fiancé kidnaps Violet's sister and father to force her to come to him.

But he doesn't know about her new friends. 

As Violet struggles to find a way to get her family safely home, she is stunned to learn her new friends are more than they seem.

Can she accept that vampires, werewolves, werepanthers, and werebears are real?

And when they offer to help her retrieve her family, will she trust them to help her again?

Or will her world crash around her as she loses all she’s ever had?

Author's Note: The events in this book occur between Wolf's Queen, book 7, and Wolf's Enemy, book 8.

The series should be read in chronological order:

• Wolf's Man
• Wolf's Claim
• Wolf's Mission
• Wolf's Huntsman
• Wolf's Trust
• Wolf's Reign
• Wolf's Queen
• Wolf's Rage
• Wolf's Enemy

Werewolves, werepanthers, werebears, and vampires!

Two Chapter Sneak Peek:

Chapter 1

Flora Garrett, werepanther clowder queen, turned first one way in front of the three-way mirror, then the other while studying the wedding gown she wore. Her panther, Leesha, hissed at the image. Flora agreed with Leesha. She wrinkled her nose and glanced at Dottie Paddock, the other bride in the double wedding ceremony coming up in less than two weeks. Not once in all her life had Flora thought she would ever wear a wedding gown. Were had mating ceremonies, not weddings.

Nate Rollins, the alpha that claimed and protected her clowder as part of his pack when the clowder was threatened, was raised human. When he married his mate, Janelle, the idea of weddings became more normal. She took another look at the gown and shook her head. “I don’t like it. It’s too . . . frilly.” She waved her hand down her body at the mountains of ruffles and ribbons.

Standing beside Flora, wearing the same gown selected by their mates-to-be, Dottie laughed and nodded. “I agree. I think we both need something a little less, um, just a little less.”

Grinning, Flora rolled her eyes. “That’ll teach us to let the sales clerk talk the men into choosing us a dress.”

“Absolutely. Or let them come with us. What say we send them shopping for groceries, or something, and look for something we like better?”

“Sounds good to me.” Flora thought for a moment, then laughed. “Nate said the ranch needs some salt blocks for the cattle he’s planning to buy at auction next month. Why don’t we send the guys after them, so we can have time to shop?”

“But the closest feed shop is . . ..” Dottie’s eyes widened, and she laughed. “That’s perfect. With traffic, they’d be gone for at least two hours.”

Arm in arm, the two women went to send the men away. Flora hummed along with the subdued, canned Christmas instrumentals wafting through the store. When they walked through the drapes into the private viewing area, Will Freyen and Ben Garrett both stood up from the upholstered bench along the wall. “See, Will, I told you those dresses would be perfect for the girls.”

At the smirk on Ben’s face, the two women exchanged glances. Flora stepped forward, gave her dad a hug, then gave Will a kiss. “You guys have great taste, but I think we’re going to just look around for a while.”

Ben raised an eyebrow at his daughter. “Great taste, huh? If it’s so great, why do you want to find something else?”

“Because,” said Dottie, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow, “it’s unlucky for the groom, or grooms, in this case, to see the gown before the wedding.”

“And,” added Flora, “Nate said he needs about a dozen salt blocks for the herd he plans to buy, so if you guys will go get them, we’ll be ready when you get back.”

Will shook his head. “Whew! I sure was hoping you wouldn’t like the dress. We thought if we picked something really, um,” he glanced at the saleswoman and winced. “Sorry.” When she harrumphed and walked away, he winked at Flora. “The dresses are really awful, aren’t they?”

Flora giggled and nodded. She cut her eyes at Dottie, then looked up at her mate-to-be and soon-to-be husband. “We don’t have to have a wedding, you know. We can just have a mating ceremony.”

“Speak for yourself, young lady.” Her widowed dad pulled Dottie to him and kissed her forehead. “I spent years living as a hum . . ..”

Dottie gave him a fierce look and cleared her throat, jerking her head toward the clerk. “And you want a big wedding, so all your former police department friends can attend.” She gave him a smile and pulled her bottom lip behind her teeth. “Does that mean you’re going to shave your head and go gray, again, like you did for Nate’s wedding?”

When Flora and Will snickered, Ben shook his head. “Nope. I’ll tell them I’m wearing a toupee and dyed my hair, so I would look young enough to be your man.” Ben retired from his position as captain of the San Antonio Police Department, Detective Division, at the beginning of the summer. His former colleagues had no clue he was a werepanther and old enough to be the grandfather of most of them. Or even their great-grandfather. Over the years he worked there, he started shaving a bald spot in the top of his head and bleaching his hair with peroxide to pretend he was getting older. As a werepanther, he would look about thirty-five until just a few decades before he died. At one-hundred-seventy-five years of age, he still had a century or so before old age would creep up on him. After quitting the force, he stopped shaving his head and let his hair return to its natural deep brown.

Dottie laughed. “I can’t wait.” She spun in front of Ben. “You don’t really like all the frills, ruffles, lace, and ribbons, do you?”

Ben peeked over his shoulder to check the location of the clerk before he made a face like he had lemon slices in his mouth and gave her a slight headshake. “I think I’ll like whatever you choose better.”

“You guys go buy some salt licks or something.” Flora grinned. “And you could find some poinsettias to decorate all the houses, too. We’ll be ready in a couple of hours.” Flora turned her head to the side, her nose in the air like spoiled royalty. She gave them a dismissive wave with two fingers, then grinned when the two men started laughing.

Careful not to crease or rip the expensive gown she wore, Will gave Flora a quick hug. “See you later, my queen.” He stepped away from her and bent into the most perfect formal bow Flora had ever seen, his arm moving in a gallant superfluous roll, his hand ending up on his chest. When he straightened up, he turned to his soon-to-be father-in-law and swept his arm across in front of himself toward the door. “After you, my prince.”

Ben gave him a regal nod, then walked out the door, snickering while Will followed him. The women managed to keep their mirth hidden behind pretend haughty expressions until the door closed behind them. Dottie snickered, then they both started laughing. Arm in arm, they returned to the dressing room to get out of the awful gowns, so they could start looking for something more . . . less.

After changing into the soft terry robes provided for them by the boutique, they wandered through the displayed gowns for nearly an hour. Finally, Dottie sighed. “I’m not sure I really want to wear white, Flora. Or off-white. Or ecru. Since this is my second mating, I think I just want a pretty gown.”

Flora thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “I think I’d rather have something different, too. Let’s go look at the bridesmaid’s dresses.”

They walked past the Christmas tree decorated in tiny satin hearts and lace to the other side of the store. Flora stopped in front of a pale turquoise gown with a sweetheart neckline. The crocheted lace cap sleeves in a matching color draped slightly below the shoulder. Floor length satin, the skirt was modified A-line with a gentle sweep. The bodice was covered with crocheted lace matching the sleeves, with tiny pearls set into the center of the floral designs.

When Flora’s breath caught, Dottie stepped up beside her. Head cocked to the side, Dottie looked at the dress for a moment, then looked at Flora as if picturing her in the gown. “It’s perfect, Flora. And it’s your favorite color, too. Try it on!”

“I will.” Flora motioned to the clerk. “Do you have this in a size 10?”

“Ma’am, you’re the bride. Wouldn’t you prefer a white gown?”

“No.” Giving her head a firm shake, Flora raised her hand toward the turquoise gown. “I like this one.”

The clerk sighed and nodded. “Yes, Ma’am. I’ll check to see if we have the right size.”

When she slipped into the back warehouse, Flora rolled her eyes. “I’m the bride. If I want to wear something besides white, that’s just what I’ll do.”

Dottie grinned. “She’s probably upset about the difference in the commission she’ll make on this dress compared to the one we tried on earlier.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Flora shrugged. “But I’m not shopping for her. I’m shopping for me. And I want this dress. If I can’t have this one, I’ll go somewhere else.” Flora could hear the woman walking up behind her. “Or shop online.” When she turned to face the clerk, she knew the clerk heard her, just as she intended. It wasn’t the first time someone told her they didn’t have what she wanted just to try to get her to buy something more expensive.

“Yes, Ma’am,” the clerk said with a sigh. “We do have the dress in a 10. I’ll take it to your dressing room.” She almost hid her annoyance, but not quite. Turning to face Dottie, she smiled. “Would you like to look at another bridal gown?”

“No, thank you. I think I’ll just keep looking in here.”

“As you wish. If you find something, I’ll be happy to check and see if we have it.”

Giving her an absent nod, Dottie walked until she found a high-necked dress with a mandarin collar. Made of a light coral brocade, the gown had a fitted waist with a dark coral ribbon belt and a trumpet skirt. In the same brocade, bell sleeves came to a point at the wrist. It almost looked like a medieval gown. No pearls. No lace. No ribbon, except for the belt. Simple and elegant. A slow smile spread over her lips. Flora laughed when Dottie turned to look at her. “I love it.”

Flora waved the clerk over. “She’ll take that one in a 12.”

With a sigh, the woman nodded. “I’ll bring it to the dressing room.”

As she walked away, Flora and Dottie giggled. “I guess we have our colors, now. Turquoise and coral.”

Dottie nodded. “Let’s get shoes and see if we can get veils to match.”

“If they don’t have the veils we want, we’ll just get white and dye them the color we want.”

“That works.” Dottie followed Flora back to the dressing rooms where the gowns they chose hung on hooks on the wall.

Helping each other with the tiny fabric-covered buttons up the back of each gown, they turned to face the three-sided mirrors. For several moments, the two women just stared, then met each other’s eyes in the mirror. A happy smile draped across Flora’s lips, and Dottie grinned. “Perfect.”

Flora nodded. “Let’s get shoes and veils dyed to match. And I want matching, fingerless, elbow-length crocheted gloves.”

The clerk frowned. “We don’t carry fingerless, elbow-length crocheted gloves, Ma’am.”

With a shrug, Flora looked back at the mirror. “That’s okay.” She grinned at Dottie. “Think if I find some crochet cotton the right color Mia would have time to make me some?”

“If she was excused her other tasks, I’ll bet she would.”

Flora squealed, clapped her hands, and pulled her shoulders up almost to her ears, before dropping them again. “Let’s get our shoes and veils selected and go to the craft store.”

Chapter 2

It took several minutes to get changed, then longer before the two decided on satin kitten-heeled pumps dyed to match the dresses they chose. But when it came to the veils, they hit a roadblock. If the tulle was dyed, it would be limp, and it was very difficult to iron and make it look right and hang properly afterward, the clerk insisted. Finally, they decided to make the veils, too. Using the ranch credit card to pay for their wedding finery, Flora arranged to have them delivered to the ranch. At a huge extra expense. Dottie snapped photos of the gowns using her phone, so they could match the tulle at the craft shop.

Dressed again in jeans, boots, and cashmere sweaters, the two women walked out the boutique door and hailed a taxi. While the driver took them to the craft store, Flora texted their location to Will. After she put her phone into her front pocket, she glanced at Dottie. “I hope the guys don’t mind we didn’t get white gowns.”

Dottie lowered her voice to prevent the driver hearing her. “White is a human custom, Flora, and not even all humans use white for weddings. We found something we like. If we’re happy, the guys won’t care.” She grinned. “Besides, I’m a widow. White wouldn’t feel quite right, somehow. And Nate said we could get whatever we wanted.”

“You’re right. He did.” Feeling more at ease, Flora hummed the wedding march until they arrived at their destination. Tipping the driver more than he expected, the two women got out, stretched, and watched the taxi drive away.

Dottie grabbed Flora’s arm and tugged her toward the entrance. “Okay, we’re here for turquoise cotton for gloves and tulle for our veils. Do you want tiny pearls on the gloves? Maybe we should look at patterns, too?”

“Ooh. Pearls would be so sweet. We’ll need a pattern so we probably sh . . ..”

A shrill scream broke Flora’s comment. She whirled, searching for the origin of such terror. Half-way down the second lane of the parking lot, the side door of a dark van was open. Two men dressed in dark jeans and black long-sleeve turtleneck t-shirts were trying to pull a struggling young red-headed woman into the van. She bit the hand covering her mouth, then screamed again when the man jerked it away, cursing.

Flora ran toward them, Dottie right behind her. “Hey! Let her go!”

The man the girl bit looked up, then turned his head and muttered something at someone inside the van. Another man dressed in similar black clothes jumped out of the van, a gun in his hand. Flora stopped and glanced at Dottie. Flora’s panther, Leesha, silently spoke to Urlah, Dottie’s panther. When Urlah explained to Dottie what Flora wanted, she nodded. Dottie stopped moving forward and started side-stepping to get around the guy with the gun and get closer to the girl.

Raising her hands, Flora took another step toward the struggling girl. Then another. “Look, mister, we don’t want any trouble, here. Just let the girl go and be on your way.”

“Get lost, lady. We’re taking her home to her fiancé.”

Flora glanced at the woman’s frightened hazel eyes and took another step. “Is that true?”

She nodded but didn’t seem any less fearful. Flora took another step toward them. “Will they hurt you?”

The red-head nodded again. The two men holding her cursed and pulled her closer to the van. Flora sighed. “I really wish you guys would just let her go.”

Confusion touched the face of the man with the gun. “I already told you, lady. Get out of here.”

Flora gazed at him, and let her panther show in her eyes. Alpha command strengthened her words. “I think you should leave her here and go.”

The hand with the gun started slowly lowering until the barrel pointed at the pavement. He blinked. “What’s with your eyes?”

Flora took another step. A feral grin slipped onto Flora’s lips. “You mean the eyes that tell you I’m going to hurt you?” She jumped toward him.

He yelped and jerked the gun back up. As fast as he moved, he wasn’t as fast as an angry panther. Flora let her panther’s strength push into her and shoved the gun aside. With only her hand shifted, she swiped his throat with her claws and shoved him to the pavement. He dropped the gun and reached for his neck. Both hands clutching his bleeding neck, he screamed at his friends to help him.

Which they couldn’t do without letting the girl go. As their hands released her, Dottie caught her arm and pulled her away from the two men. One of the men charged at Flora. Using the fighting skills Nate insisted all women in the pack learn after the attacks on the ranch, Flora caught his arm, twisted, and jerked while at the same time ducking down. He flew over her shoulder, hitting the pavement face first. He landed in a twisted heap, his left arm caught beneath him. Before he could get up, Dottie shoved her foot against the back of his neck. “Move and I’ll break your neck.”

Side door still open, the van driver took off, tires squealing on the pavement, leaving the others behind. Flora glanced to see that he was staying still, then turned to the last man standing. Glancing past Flora at the two other men, he licked his lips. Pulling a knife from his left boot, he crouched, ready for her to attack. In the distance, she heard a siren and realized someone called the police. He threw a nervous glance over his shoulder, looking toward the sound of the siren.

As soon as his gaze left Flora, she pulled her phone from her pocket. “Here, catch,” she said. Startled, he whirled to face her. Automatically, he fumbled to catch the phone. Flora spun and delivered a spinning back kick to the side of his head. Without a sound, he slumped to the ground, the knife hitting the parking lot before he did. Flora kicked the knife away without touching it. “Clumsy oaf,” she muttered, when she bent to pick up her phone, then groaned.

“Is it broken?”

Flora glanced at Dottie and nodded. “The screen shattered. At least the pictures of our gowns are on your phone.” With another sigh, she slipped it into her pocket. “We’ll get another before we go home.” She swept her gaze over the trembling girl clutching Dottie’s arm. “Are you okay, Sweetie?”

Trembling, staring at the three men on the pavement, the red-head gave a hesitant nod. Before she could speak, a police car pulled up. Dottie took her foot off the man’s neck and stepped away from him. The man Flora kicked sat up, swaying and shaking his head as if to clear it. About that time, an ambulance pulled up behind the squad car. After the women answered questions, the officers handcuffed two of the three men. The one Flora threw into the pavement was treated for road rash on his face, hands, and shoulder, then released to the officers. Neck still bleeding, the gunman was treated, stabilized, then taken by ambulance to the hospital. The other two men were put into the back of the police car, then one of the officers came back.

“Which one of you struck the guy in the ambulance?”

“I did,” said Flora. “He was holding a gun on me. I knocked it out of his hand. He jumped me, and I hit him with my fingers. I guess my nails are longer than I thought.”

“Uh huh.” The officer scratched the side of his head. “He says he wants to press charges.”

Flora tilted her head, face expressionless. “Against me? He had a gun and they were trying to kidnap this woman.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have a scratch on you, and he’s gonna need stitches.” Another police vehicle pulled up behind Flora and Dottie. “I’m afraid you’re gonna have to come down to the station while we get this sorted out.”

A car door opened, then shut, and a female officer stepped up beside him. He jerked his thumb at her. “Officer Hernandez will follow you to the station.”

Dottie glanced at Flora, then back at the officer. “We don’t have a car, officer. Our fiancés were going to pick us up later.”

“In that case, Officer Hernandez will be happy to give you three a ride,” he said, making it clear he meant the victim, too.

Flora bowed her head, eyes closed. As the clowder queen, her panther had the ability to contact the pack alpha. Leesha, her panther, called Koreth, the pack alpha’s wolf, and let him know she and Dottie were going to the police station. A moment later, she heard his response and nodded without speaking. Flora glanced at Dottie, then gave Officer Hernandez a tired smile. “Might as well go, then.”

Before putting the three women in the back of her squad car, Officer Hernandez did a quick frisk to make sure none of them had weapons. Opening the back door, she motioned for them to climb in. Annoyed, Flora got in and crawled to the other side. The victim, who said her name was Violet Heath, got in next and moved to the center of the seat. Dottie got in last. The door closed firmly behind her.

Staring through the metal mesh that separated the front seat from the back, Flora heaved a sigh. The air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror didn’t hide the stench of sweat, rage, and fear that pervaded the back seat. After a moment, Flora shook her head and snickered, then laughed. When Dottie looked askance at her, Flora laughed again. “What do you want to bet it’ll be harder to go shopping without the guys from now on?”

“Oh, Flora. That’s not even funny.”

The young woman between them hunched down into the seat, trying hard not to touch either of the women in the car with her. Flora gave a last snicker, then sighed. “You’re right. It’s not funny. Maybe Dad can help us, though. He worked for the department for years.”

“They took our phones.”

Flora sighed. “Well, Nate knows what’s going on. He’ll contact them.” Her forehead wrinkled and glanced at the worry in Dottie’s eyes. “You don’t suppose he’ll come to town, himself, do you?”

Get your copy here!

---

For a Limited Time, Wolf's Rage is FREE 

Wolf's Rage is FREE on Amazon August 10, 11, and 12! 

If you’ve read the book and wish to review it please consider leaving reviews in the following places:

Goodreads
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You can find information about me or follow me at these locations:

Bookbub: @LynnNodima
Twitter: @LynnNodima
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynnNodima/

Check out the rest of my Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series!

Next to Come

Wolf's Quest is next. The first chapter is written! Now that he has an idea where Jackson hid his mate, Snarl, Thorkell Ericsson, is on a quest to get her back. Stay tuned for more!

Thank you for reading!

Later,

Preview of Wolfs Reign

Preview of Wolf's Reign, Final Book of the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series

I have mentioned before that this book was more difficult to write than all the others in the series combined. 

It is with great relief that I announce that the first draft is complete. I still have several edits to go through, but the hardest part is done. 

This book concludes the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series, though I will write in this universe again. 

I have several short stories planned to give you more information about some of the characters, and someday, somewhere, the were will want to have a school. I am thinking maybe a high school. You'll know soon after I do. 

For several months, I've promised this book to you, so here it is. 

The first chapter is all yours. 

Chapter 1 

Unable to sleep, Nate Rollins, Alpha of the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack, stared through the dark room at the ceiling. Janelle’s head was on his shoulder. She mumbled against his chest. He tightened his arm around his mate and his fingers clutched into a fist. Ophelia’s soft whimpers reached him through the open door connected to the nursery. Careful not to wake Janelle, Nate forced his fist to relax, slipped his arm from beneath her, then padded barefooted to the nursery.

“Shhh,” he whispered to Ophelia, his fingers stroking her tiny chest. “Don’t wake Mommy.” With expertise born of much practice, he quickly changed her wet diaper, then picked her up and carried her to the rocking chair he bought Janelle soon after they learned she was expecting. Giving Ophelia a bottle while he rocked slowly back and forth, Nate stared out the window at the moonlit yard. Somewhere in the woods, an owl hooted. Bats swirled through the air, their silhouettes stark against the bright moon. He sighed and looked at his daughter. Koreth’s pride in her matched his own, though lately, it was difficult to feel or hear anything from Koreth. Almost as if there was a padded wall between them.

The wolf is not needed.

Nate stopped rocking and sat forward. “What?” he hissed into the darkness.

The wolf is not needed. I am enough.

Lycos. It had to be Lycos. No one else could enter his mind so easily. Koreth is part of me. As much a part of me as you are.

The rumble of laughter in Nate’s mind set him on edge. I am more powerful than either of you. I am enough. I don’t need you.

Shoving Lycos out of his mind, Nate stood and walked to the bedroom. “Janelle, wake up.” He bumped the edge of the bed with his knee. “Wake up!”

“Wha . . . what?” Blinking, sleep in her eyes, Janelle sat up. Her blonde hair glimmered in the moonlight streaming through the open window. “Nate? What’s wrong?”

“Ophelia needs you.” He leaned over his mate and transferred his daughter and her bottle to Janelle. “I have to go.”

Janelle settled Ophelia in her arms, then looked up at Nate, concern on her shadowed face. “Go where?”

“Out. I have to go out.” He saw in her expression she needed him to stay. She wanted him to answer her questions. Neither of which he could do. At least not now. Without another word, Nate spun on his heel and left. Remembering at the last minute there were dozens of people sleeping in the house, Nate shut the front door with a soft click. He jumped off the porch and ran toward the cave where he and Janelle found the surviving pack members when Nate first learned he was were.

Going through the back way by vehicle would take almost an hour, but running straight through the trees Nate was there in twenty minutes. He slogged through the creek in his bare feet, ignoring the water soaking his flannel pajama bottoms and ducked into the low cave entrance. The cave was left provisioned just in case it was ever again needed as a hideaway. Sooner or later, someone would find him here, but for a short time, he would be alone with his thoughts. He turned on one of the battery-powered lamps left behind and sat on the cot.

Soon after he took on Alpha responsibilities for the ranch, he learned he could separate his human and wolf halves into two beings. Closing his eyes, he reached inside, searching for Koreth. Wolfish whines led him to the virtual dungeon Lycos built in his mind. Reaching a hand toward Koreth, he gritted his teeth, felt his jaw clench. Slowly, he forced his hand through the thick imprisoning air surrounding Koreth. Closing a mental hand on the nape of Koreth’s neck, he pulled steadily until Koreth passed through the viscous, invisible prison walls.

As soon as Koreth was free of Lycos’ prison, Nate commanded they be two. Koreth shimmered into existence in front of him. The wolf shuddered and crowded against Nate’s legs. Lycos trapped me!

Why would he do that?

Anger blazed in the wolf’s eyes. He is trying to take over. We must not allow him. Janelle, Nadrai, and Ophelia will be helpless against him.

Nate ruffled the fur behind Koreth’s ears. “We’ll find a way to stop him.” Avoiding thoughts of his doubts and fears, Nate stretched out on the cot. Koreth jumped up and snuggled beside him, nose resting on his paws. His hand resting on Koreth’s shoulder, Nate closed his eyes.

In the back of his mind, his massive wolfman form surged against the constraints Nate placed on him. Nate reinforced his hold on Lycos. “We have to find a way.” Even so, hours passed before he had enough control to dare sleep.

*****

Snarl stopped at the edge of the creek and sniffed. Alpha! With a slight nod, he sloshed through the creek, ignoring the water filling his boots. At the cave mouth, he hesitated, then shrugged and pushed his way in. If Nate didn’t want him in the cave, he would send him home. But something was wrong. Snarl could feel it in his bones. His wolf cowered, as if afraid. Something he had never done in all Snarl’s long life.

Inside, a dim battery lamp barely cast enough light to fill the interior. Snarl walked to the shelf and picked up another lamp with fresh batteries, then pressed the on/off switch to flood the cave with more light. He turned to find Nate sleeping on the cot, Koreth stretched out beside him. Koreth raised his head. After a moment, he tilted his head to the left and whined.

Snarl walked to the wolf. “It’s okay, Koreth. Let’s see what’s wrong with the Alpha.” Surprised his voice didn’t wake Nate, Snarl hesitated. It wasn’t a good idea to be too close to someone with combat experience when they waken suddenly. Signing, ready to jump back, Snarl pressed a hand to the Alpha’s shoulder. “Nate?” Snarl shook his shoulder. “Nate?”

Nate moaned, then opened one eye. “Snarl? What’s up?”

Snarl frowned. The Nate he knew would come up fighting if awakened suddenly. “That’s what I want to know. What’re you doing out here? You and Janelle have a fight?”

Nate shook his head, then gently nudged Koreth off the cot so he had room to sit up. Koreth jumped to the cave floor and sat, head tilted, tongue hanging out, and looked at Nate. “I’m okay, Koreth.” One hand reached out to scratch behind Koreth’s ear. “Something happen, Snarl?”

“Yeah. For some reason, the Alpha has gone missing. Know where he is?”

“Very funny. I’m right here.”

“Uh huh. But something is bothering you. What’s up?”

Snarl endured the steady stare Nate sent him. Nate’s bloodshot eyes were haunted. Sitting on a camp stool, Snarl leaned forward. “I’ve pledged loyalty to you, Alpha. Let me help.”

Nate sighed and nodded. Reaching back, he swiped his hand as if reaching for his hip pocket. Surprise filled his eyes and he looked down. “I’m still in my pajamas.”

“Uh huh.” Snarl scratched behind his right ear. “Not often you wander around without all your clothes. Want to tell me about it?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

When Nate stopped, Snarl raised an eyebrow at the younger man. “And?”

Nate stood and started pacing barefoot around the cave, walking around the stone-enclosed fire circle. Snarl watched, quiet, waiting for Nate to decide to talk. Two times, then three, the Alpha walked around the circle. When his feet came to an abrupt halt, Snarl studied his face. Stress openly creased his forehead beneath the uncombed dark brown hair.

“Snarl, when we opened the safe and found the second medallion, there was a paper with it.” Nate bit his lip then shook his head. “It said, ‘Beware the medallion, lest it binds. Valor and strength prevail.’ It seemed silly, so I forgot it. When Jackson’s medallions melded to mine, and the Progenitors granted me life, I forgot the note . . . until . . ..”

“Until?”

Nate bowed his head, then lifted it only enough for Snarl to see the angst in his eyes. “Lycos is trying to take over. Control both me and Koreth.” He slipped his thumbs into the waistband of his pajamas. “I think that’s what the note was about, but I don’t wear one medallion, Snarl. I wear four.” He raised his head more, his anguished gaze settling on Snarl’s eyes. “I think I’m losing this fight.”

Snarl motioned toward the bunk Nate slept on. “Sit down, Alpha. We need to talk.”

That concludes the chapter preview.  Thank you for reading the first chapter of Wolf's Reign! 

Later,

Wolf's Trust Now Available: Read First 2 Chapters Here

Wolf's Trust:  Now Available

Wolf's Trust, Book 5 in the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series has published.

It is available on Amazon.com as an ebook, and will soon be available in paperback.

Wolf's Trust is enrolled in KDP, which means you can read it free if you have a subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

The Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series are serial in nature.

While I strive to make them somewhat understandable alone, they are meant to be read in sequence, starting with Wolf's Man.

Read First 2 Chapters Below!

Chapter 1

Daryll carried Zoe out of the office and down the stairs. Dizzy, she swallowed and turned her face against his shoulder to avoid the curious gazes leveled at her when they reached the living room. She felt Daryll’s sigh, and glanced up to see him shake his head at the were people watching them. Only Daryll’s arms around her kept her from panic. So many werewolves, and who knew what other kind of were animals. He carried her out the front door and settled her back into the front seat of the SUV he drove when he took her to the hospital for treatment for her head injury and snapped her seatbelt.

She watched him walk around the front of the car and slide into the driver’s seat. He slammed the door. She jumped and put her hand to her aching head. Daryll looked at her, a frown settled between his eyebrows, but he kept his lips pressed tightly together. He smelled awful. She stared at him, for the first time realizing she splattered his jeans and shoes when she was vomiting. He put the SUV in gear and started driving.

“Where are we going?” The thin sound of her voice surprised her, but then, she never felt so afraid before.

“Nate told me to take you home with me.” His eyes cut toward her before returning to the dirt road. “We’re going to my house.”

Zoe swallowed. The Alpha also told him not to hurt her . . . not to touch her. That last part confused her. “Where is your house?”

“It’s here on the ranch, down the road a bit. We’ll be there soon.”

A few minutes later, just as the sun slipped down behind the trees, they turned onto another dirt road. Soon it ended in a clearing with five modular homes. In the waning light, Zoe studied the circular drive giving access to a driveway for each house, with an SUV parked at all but one of the houses. All the houses had a large, covered porch built onto the front. The dim light from the porch lights showed each porch had several rocking chairs and swings that looked sturdy enough even for Daryll’s lumberjack size and weight.

He pulled the vehicle into the empty driveway and turned off the motor. “This is it.”

“Your house?” Zoe frowned when he nodded without looking at her. “You said you have sisters?”

The fear in her voice must have gotten through to him. “Two. They won’t hurt you.”

“You’re sure?”

He finally looked at her, his face holding an odd expression. “I’m sure. They’ll know better.”

“What? Why?”

Daryll shook his head. He got out and came around the front of the SUV. Opening her door, he leaned in, released her seat belt, and picked her up. Zoe wasn’t a large woman, but it impressed her that he lifted her with such ease. He walked up the steps. Before they reached the front door, it opened and a woman stepped out to hold the door for them. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of them both. Daryll nodded to her, then carried Zoe inside.

Zoe bit her lip, tense, then relaxed slightly against him as she looked around, studying Daryll’s home. When he huffed, she looked up at his frown. “Think we lived in caves?”

She felt her face burn and silently cursed the fair skin that would let him see her embarrassment. Unsure what to say, she kept her mouth shut. She glanced again at the living room. The only thing that kept it from looking like any human family lived there was the sturdiness of the furniture. It was built to fit the man holding her.

Warm gold, brown, and rich jades decorated the room, but there were feminine touches, too. Frilled beige curtains draped each window, with matching lace panels defusing the early evening light coming through them. Lace throw pillows made of a coordinating beige fabric were scattered across the furniture. Beige and gold roses filled crystal vases on the tables, while lush green ivy hung in pots suspended from the ceiling in the two back corners.

Zoe glanced at the kitchen. Taupe walls had a backsplash of brown, beige, and turquoise tile, with subtle hints of embedded iron pyrite glinting in the light. Brown tile countertops sported a large, copper double-sink, faucet, and polished copper appliances. Not the colors Zoe would have thought to choose for her own home, but the combination of colors was pleasing, comfortable, homey. She liked it.

Daryll shifted a bit, and she looked up at him. He watched her face as if it really mattered what she thought of his home. He cleared his throat. “Well?”

“You have a lovely home, Daryll.” The relief on his face startled her. He grinned, carried her to a recliner covered in brown fabric, and gently set her on it.

The front door closed quietly. Zoe looked at the woman standing beside the door. A frown on her face, the woman looked from Daryll to Zoe, then sighed. She nodded and walked to Zoe. Leaning over, she offered her hand. “I’m Bess, Daryll’s oldest sister.” When Zoe looked at her hand without responding, Bess sighed again. “You’re safe here. No one will hurt you.”

Zoe looked up at Bess’ sincere brown eyes, swallowed, and shook her hand. “I’m Zoe.” She bit her lip, cut her eyes at Daryll, then looked at Bess again. “You’re a . . . werebear?”

Light glinted in the woman’s eyes. “It’s a family thing.”

Zoe gave her a strained smile, refusing to cower. “I suppose that makes sense.”

Bess laughed and looked at Daryll. “I can see why.”

When Zoe turned to follow Bess’ gaze, she was surprised to see Daryll’s face flush. Ignoring his sister, he dropped on one knee beside the recliner. “Do you think you could eat? Or would you like to clean up first?”

Zoe swallowed and shook her head, then frowned when the movement made the room swing around her. “I’m not sure I could keep anything down. Or stand in the shower.”

Bess cleared her throat. “How about some chamomile tea?”

Zoe looked up at Bess. “Tea sounds wonderful.”

The front door slammed hard into the living room wall. Zoe jerked and turned to look past Daryll, the sudden movement causing her head to spin and pain to spear through her head. She caught the arms of the recliner in a tight grip. Closing her eyes, she tried to control her surging stomach. Daryll’s hand covered her right hand, comforting her.

“Why is she here?”

Zoe forced her eyes open and stared at the belligerent stance of a teen girl, her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Anger burned in the girl’s eyes. Zoe swallowed, then sighed in relief when Daryll stood up and stepped between them. Leaning her head to the left, Zoe peered past Daryll at the agitated teen.

“That’s enough, Stella.”

“But she’s . . ..”

Daryll growled. Stella’s mouth hung open for a minute, then she shook her head. “Really? You’d growl at me when you bring a Hunter into our house?”

Blinking at the anger she saw in Daryll’s stance, Zoe watched him grab Stella by the arm and push her out the open door. He shut the door and the screen quietly behind them. Zoe frowned. She couldn’t hear what they said, but the anger in his voice and the belligerence in Stella’s came through. Bess walked into the living room from the kitchen and handed her a mug filled with fragrant chamomile tea.

Zoe looked at her. “I’m sorry.”

Bess tilted her head and shrugged. “You’re a Huntsman. Huntsmen kill were. There will be many here who don’t want you and your friends to stay, but if the Alpha says you stay, they will eventually accept you.” Her eyes twinkled. “That doesn’t mean they will like you, but they won’t hurt you if you don’t try to hurt someone else. Again.”

So, Bess knew Zoe stabbed Colonel Marston. Avoiding the older woman’s gaze, Zoe looked down at her tea and took a sip. “I won’t hurt anyone.”

“Good, because the Alpha put you in Daryll’s care. If you hurt someone, Daryll will be held responsible.”

Zoe swallowed. She glanced up. The intense stare Bess gave her made Zoe twitch. She returned her gaze to the mug in her trembling hands. “I didn’t expect Daryll to be so . . . kind.”

Bess laughed. “Because he’s a bear?”

“Because . . ..” Zoe looked up and shrugged. “I don’t understand. I was taught . . ..” Taking a deep breath, she looked at the woman standing over her. “I was taught were want to kill and eat humans. Or change them to were.”

“You were taught wrong.”

“That’s what Daryll said.”

The front door opened. Stella stomped in and down the hall to her room, slamming her bedroom door behind her. Zoe winced. Daryll followed Stella into the house, a frown on his face. When he looked at Zoe, his frown smoothed away. “Think you could bathe?”

Zoe glanced at the vomit dried on his jeans and shoes, embarrassment again filling her face. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s okay. You have a concussion.” He bowed his head, then peered up at her, uncertainty in his face. “I can help you if you can’t wash up alone, or Bess can.”

The thought of Daryll being in the bath with her made her shiver. Unsure whether the thought was intriguing or frightening, she pushed it out of her mind. “If Bess can help . . ..”

Bess smiled. “Of course.” She studied Zoe for a minute, then nodded. “I think sitting on a stool in the shower would be better than in the tub. Daryll might need to lift you out and . . ..” She bit her bottom lip. Zoe thought she was fighting another smile. “I don’t think that would be good for either of you.”

Zoe blinked. Not good for him? “A shower is good.”

With a strict look at Daryll, Bess motioned toward the back of the house. “Off with you, Daryll. You need to clean up even more than she does.”

Daryll sighed, nodded, and walked toward the kitchen. He stopped and spun to face Bess. “Nate said to destroy her clothes. He thinks there’s a tracker in them.”

“It’s not in my clothes.” Zoe caught her breath and looked down at her hands. She didn’t hear him moving, but suddenly, he was bending over her, his hands on the recliner arms.

“Not in the clothes? You know where it is?” His gentle voice was close to her ear, but there was iron in it, too.

Zoe flinched away from him. “It’s in my ring.”

Daryll picked up her hand and studied the signet she wore. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. Only those who worked as interns for the Triumvirate know it’s there. It’s used as an identifier to help us know other hunters when we see them. Or a locator if we are lost or . . . run.”

“That’s how you knew the nurse that tried to kill you was a Hunter?” When she nodded, he asked, “Some of you run?”

She couldn’t look at him.

“Zoe, why do some of you run?” When she didn’t look up, Daryll curled his fingers beneath her chin and pulled her face up. “Why?”

Zoe blinked, trying without success to force back the tears that pooled in her eyes. “Sometimes, the training is too hard, or someone decides they can’t kill, or . . ..”

“Or?”

She shook her head, unwilling to continue.

“What happens to them?”

“Once the oath is taken, a Hunter isn’t allowed to ever leave. If they do, they . . . die, or they are taken to the . . . Triumvirate.” She swallowed.

“The vampires.”

“They’re never seen or heard from again.” Zoe clenched her eyes closed, trying to still the image of the room whirling around her. “I saw two of the runners . . . die, once. They . . ..” Her fingers caught the wrist of the hand holding her chin. “I can’t go back . . . they’ll kill me, too.”

Daryll’s menacing growl startled her and she looked into his eyes. “No one will take you from me.” She shivered at his fierce expression. She bowed her head, staring at the signet ring on her hand.

When he picked up her hand, she glanced at him. “You have to take the ring off, Zoe.”

“I can’t. It . . . there’s a poison dart in it. If I take it off, I’ll die.”

The room was so quiet Zoe looked up. Daryll’s squatted on his heels, studying her. “You know this how?”

“When runners are brought back, the Triumvirate removes their rings. I saw . . . they die. Painfully. When their rings aren’t taken, they just disappear. They’re never seen again.”

“But you know what happens to them?”

Zoe swallowed, her breathing quick and shallow at her remembered terror. “I didn’t know . . . I went back for . . . I lost my phone and needed to find it. I saw . . . they . . . I didn’t know . . ..” She closed her eyes, trying to erase foggy dreamlike images from her mind. “Nate said the Triumvirate are vampires?”

“You saw the vampires attack someone?” Something in Daryll’s voice opened her eyes.

Zoe looked at him. Really looked at him. There was shock in his eyes. And sorrow. She nodded and whispered, “She didn’t even scream when the . . . the vampires sucked the blood from her.”

“Did the vamps know you saw them?”

“I . . . don’t . . ..” Her gaze darkened and she thought she would pass out. She shivered, then took a shallow breath. “I don’t remember.”

Daryll stroked his thumb over the signet ring, frowning. “We’ll figure out how to take it off without hurting you, Zoe. For now, wear it. I’ll talk to Nate, see if he has any ideas.”

Bess put her hand on Daryll’s arm. “Enough, for now, Daryll. You get a shower, and let me get her cleaned up.”

Daryll allowed Bess to pull him away from Zoe, but his gaze stayed on Zoe’s face. “You are safe here, Zoe. I won’t let them hurt you.” Bess waved at him, shooing him away. He spun on his heel and walked through the kitchen to the back of the house, then disappeared down a hall Zoe could barely see from where she sat.

Zoe bit her lip and looked up at Bess’ contemplative gaze. “I don’t understand.”

Bess smiled, sorrow in her eyes. “You will when you feel better.” She sighed. “For now, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Chapter 2

Peyton Marston, a former Colonel in the Black Forest Huntsman, ran his splayed fingers through his hair. Paige set a cup of coffee in front of him, and he looked up at his daughter. Her smile hid the sadness she didn’t want him to see, but her face was too expressive and he knew her too well to miss it. Sighing,  he looked down at his cup.

“I’m sorry, Paige. I’m sorry I ever got us involved with the Huntsmen.”

“It wasn’t you, Dad. It was Mom.”

Peyton swallowed and looked out the RV window. “I wish . . . I . . ..” Peyton bowed his head.

“Mom and Peter weren’t your fault, Dad. Mom is the one who insisted that we all be Huntsmen. Mom is the one who talked Peter into going with her. Mom is the one who shot him when he was bitten.” Paige sat on the bench across the small table and captured his right hand in both of hers. Her sorrow hit him hard. “Mom killed that wolf’s pups, Dad. I won’t say she got what she deserved, but . . . she caused it.”

The muscle in Peyton’s jaw clenched. “Still, I should have tried to get her away from her family when I learned about the Huntsmen.”

“You know they wouldn’t have let her go. And after you found out about them, they’d have killed you if you didn’t join.” Paige sighed and squeezed his fingers. “They’ll be coming after us, now.”

Children’s laughter floated on the afternoon breeze, and Peyton looked out the window. Children aged four to fourteen played in the central compound yard. The younger kids played chase, while the older kids played with a softball, throwing to each other in turn across a large circle. Paige, Phillip, and Peter never had the opportunity to be kids. Not really. Thanks to Pauline. She and her family pulled him into the Huntsmen when he was a young man. It was all his kids ever knew. And that haunted him. Especially now.

The werewolves, werebears, and werepanthers he met since coming to the ranch were nothing like the blood-thirsty, human-hating, human-eating, animals the Triumvirate preached. Peyton shook his head to clear his thoughts and stared at the Huntsman signet ring he still wore. He hated the ring and everything it stood for, now. And he knew removing it would kill him.

A door slammed. Peyton turned to look at the RV parked next to the one he and his two grown kids were living in. A small woman picked up two stacked laundry baskets and started walking toward the main house with an uneven gait. He watched one of the teen boys run up to her. After she briefly fussed at him, she surrendered the laundry baskets to him, and he carried them the rest of the way to the house. Peyton frowned when she followed him, her limp hindering her ability to keep up with the boy.

“That’s Nettie.”

Peyton pursed his lips and looked at Paige. “What?”

“That’s Nettie. Her husband was the Alpha to the Oklahoma Adair Pack until he attacked Janelle. Janelle killed him.”

“And Nate brought Nettie here?”

Paige shrugged. “It’s a long story, Dad. She was already on her way here when her husband died. He tried to stab Janelle in the middle of the night. Janelle shot him. When Nettie got here, they found out her husband abused her and the kids.” Paige refilled Peyton’s coffee cup and got herself a cup. “The Oklahoma pack refused to let them come back. Nate gave them a home here.”

Leaning back into the upholstered bench back, Peyton sipped his coffee and studied his daughter’s face. “He’s different than I expected.”

“Nate? Yeah. They’re all different.” Paige sipped her coffee, then set the cup on the table. “Nate wants me and Phillip to join the teens in their training.”

“Why? You’ve both been trained to fight, and you’re not wolves.”

“He thinks it would help the wolves to know how we were trained.” She bit her lip, uncertainty in her eyes before she looked at her coffee cup. “I told him we’d think about it.”

“Because of me?”

Paige nodded without looking up.

“Do you want to?”

“I don’t know.” She swallowed and looked out the window. “I don’t want to hurt them, anymore, Dad. I’m not sure I ever did.”

When she turned her sorrow-filled gaze back to him, Peyton fought the urge to pull her into his lap like he did when she was a child. “All the things your mother and I taught you were wrong, Paige. It’s . . . .” He swallowed hard. “It’s hard to say that. Even harder to know it bone deep. These are good people. I can’t tell you how much I regret what I’ve done. What I taught you and your brothers.” He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “If you want to help them, I won’t mind. I won’t ask you to if you don’t want to, but I won’t stop you, either.”

He endured her searching gaze. “Nate asked me to help, too. I’ve already told him I would do anything to help him keep his people safe. Even if it means going against people I believed were my friends. Not because they’ll kill me for being here, but because they are wrong.”

Her shuddering breath hurt him. He and her mother had done this to her. And Phillip. And Peter, too. Put them in this situation. “I’m sorry I was so wrong, Paige.”

“You didn’t know. None of us did.” Paige stood up and poured the last of her coffee down the small RV sink, rinsed her cup and set it in the drainer. “You want more coffee?”

“No, this is enough.”

Paige turned off the coffee maker. “I’m gonna go help Janelle and the other ladies make macaroni and cheese.”

Surprise raised his eyebrow. “It takes all of you to open boxes?”

“Homemade. I told Janelle I would shred the cheese for her. She ordered shredded, and it came in huge five-pound slabs.” Her hand was on the door latch. “It’ll take a while to shred sufficient cheese to make enough for this whole crew, even with a food processor.”

Peyton laughed and waved a hand toward the door. “I suppose it will. Go on, then.” When she frowned at him, he gave her a smile. “I’m okay, Paige. Just trying to work through some of my baggage.”

“If you need . . ..”

“I’ll let you know.” He met her gaze until she nodded and opened the RV door.

“See you at supper, then.” The door closed behind her.

Peyton took the last sip of his coffee. With a sigh, he stood and rinsed his cup, then set it in the drainer. Since his surviving children were never sent on hunts, they didn’t have the memories he did, the regrets. Peyton walked to the back of the RV and stretched out on the bed. Nor did they have the nightmares that plagued him since learning he wasn’t the protector he thought he was. Instead, he was a murderer.

Four hours later, another nightmare woke him. He panicked, not knowing where he was for a moment. We are on the ranch. Krieges’ words vibrated through his mind. Peyton wasn’t sure he would ever get used to sharing his thoughts with his wolf. Blinking, he sat up. The sun was still shining, but it wouldn’t be for much longer. Swinging his feet to the floor, he wiped his face with both hands. Sooner or later, he needed to accept what he was. A werewolf. A made wolf, as Nate called him. Eli, Nate’s adopted brother, didn’t have this much trouble becoming a wolf. But then, Eli hadn’t spent the last twenty-eight years as a Huntsman, either.

Peyton walked to the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water out of the small fridge under the counter. Before he opened it, he glanced out the window. Nettie carried two baskets of folded laundry back toward the RVs, her hip making the distance difficult. Peyton looked for the teens, but they were gone. He set the water bottle on the counter, left the RV, and jogged toward Nettie.

Before he got to her, her eyes widened. Breathing hard, she stopped and took a half-step back toward the main house. Peyton smiled. He reached for the baskets, his hand brushing hers.

With a gasp, she yanked her hands away from his touch. Peyton barely caught the baskets when she jerked away. She’s an abuse victim. Realizing his approach had frightened her, he stood very still. “I won’t hurt you,” he said softly.

She swallowed, took another step away from him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you.” He bit his lip. Whatever her husband did, it really messed her up. “I’m going to carry these to your RV, then I’ll go away.”

He waited until she gave him a slight nod, then turned and hurried to her small home. Setting the baskets on the ground next to the door, he looked at her, head tilted to the left. He turned and took a step toward his RV.

“Thank you.”

Without his wolf hearing, he wouldn’t have heard her low whisper. He stopped and faced her. “You’re welcome. Let me know if you ever need help.”

Nettie shook her head. “No. Don’t ever do that again.” His forehead wrinkled at the fear he felt coming from her. She sidled past him. “Never again.” Opening the door, she rushed inside, leaving the clothes baskets where he set them. The door slammed behind her, and the lock clicked.

Peyton sighed and turned away, then spun back when he heard the lock click and the door open. Nettie peeked around the edge of the door at him, her face pale and her eyes wide. Peyton took a step toward her and stopped when she shook her head.

“No.” Her voice trembled. “Thank you, but no. I don’t want another man. Not again.” She stared at him.

“I was just being neighborly when I carried your laundry, Nettie. I won’t hurt you.”

“That’s what he said. In the beginning. But he lied. I think . . . I think I’m broken. I can’t smell lies like most can, so . . ..” She swallowed hard, then whispered, “I just can’t take the chance.” The door closed quietly. The lock snapped.

This is the end of your free sneak preview.

Future Plans

Next in Series, Wolf's Reign, Texas Ranch Wolf Pack, Book 6, is the end of this storyline, but I am planning to write a few stand-alone stories/novels for this set of characters. 

Wolf's Reign is the culmination of all the events leading to Nate accepting the High Were King coronation, a position he doesn't want. 

After all, he has his own problems. But with his brother's support, he may just be able to pull it off.

Wolf's Reign is scheduled to publish in November.

Later,

Get Caught Up on the Series!

Book 1: Wolf's Man
Book 2: Wolf's Claim
Book 3: Wolf's Mission
Book 4: Wolf's Huntsman
Book 5: Wolf's Trust
Book 6: Wolf's Reign (Coming Soon!)