Cover Reveal for Wolf's Enemy: The Texas Ranch Wolf Pack (book 8)
Wolf's Enemy is the next installment of the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series, and follows
Wolf's Queen.
Once again, Nate Rollins, the Royal Alpha Were King, is faced with the plans of rogue vampires.
Nate's meets with President Whelan to let him know a possible war is in the future. He shouldn't be surprised when the president and his cabinet aren't happy that there is a militarized group of nonhumans occupying large areas throughout the United States.
The adventure continues . . .
Chapter 1
Vice-President Zachary Collins slammed his cellphone onto his desk on top of the treaty negotiation documents he should be reviewing. Five weeks and still no news. And now, Arthur Tyler, his Huntsman advisor was missing. Wiping his face with his hands, he stood and turned to the window behind his desk. The first shadows of evening drifted across the manicured White House lawn. He shook his head and wondered what to do. Even now, he twitched when anyone tapped on his office door. Keeping watch in every direction was getting to him, but since the failed attempt on the president’s life . . ..
He heaved a shuddering sigh, swallowed, and sat in his office chair. No one knows I was involved, he assured himself. Well, no one but Secretary of Defense Bianchi. And he wouldn’t talk. Not unless Bianchi wanted President Whelan to know he was a werewolf. Among the government officials, only Bianchi even knew of the failed attempt. A knock resounded through the room, then strains of canned Christmas carols drifted faintly on the air when the office door opened, and his secretary stepped inside.
“Sir, Arthur Tyler called. He asked to speak with you, but the call was cut off before I could put him through.”
Collins gritted his teeth. “What did he say?”
“All he said was HQ is gone.” She tilted her head, her short brunette hair falling forward to caress her cheek. The tiny seasonal bell earrings she wore rang softly when her head moved. “He didn’t say what HQ he was talking about. The call just ended.”
Pulling in a long, slow breath, Collins nodded. “Thank you, Ms. Tremaine. That will be all.”
With a nod, she stepped out and shut the door behind her. Collins stared at the door. Gone? How could HQ just be gone? He stood and walked around the desk to give himself room to pace. Head down, hands clasped behind his back, his footsteps echoed in the small office while he tried to decide what to do. If HQ was gone . . .. Gone? Blown up? Destroyed? Overrun? Why didn’t Tyler give more information than that?
He shivered. If something happened to the Triumvirate, the Huntsmen leaders would blame him. Unless he could do some damage control. He blew out a harsh breath and walked to his desk. Sitting in his desk chair, he unlocked the bottom desk drawer and pulled the drawer completely out of the desk. The phone he needed was wrapped in plastic and taped to the back of the drawer. Retrieving it, he took another slow breath, then pressed the Favorites button marked Uncle Victor. He had no Uncle Victor. Instead, the number was a direct line to Huntsman HQ hidden somewhere in middle Europe. His rank in the Huntsmen wasn’t high enough to let him know exactly where in Europe.
When the call went through Collins wasn’t surprised there was no voice answer. He twitched and glanced around, then decided to trust the device he installed to prevent anyone recording or listening to conversations in his office. “This is U-leader One. I need to speak to the Consul.”
“The Consul is unavailable. You will be contacted.” The line went dead.
Following Huntsman protocol, Collin triggered the virus installed on the phone, waited for it to complete, then pulled the back off the burner phone and removed the battery. Using his pocket knife, he pried out the encapsulated SIM card, then shredded it. He wiped everything carefully to remove his fingerprints. The phone might be found, but no one would ever be able to follow the call. Putting some of the pieces back in the plastic bag, he retaped it to the back of the drawer and replaced the drawer. The rest of the pieces went into his pockets. The great thing about being Vice-President is that he wasn’t searched like most of the people who came into the White House.
Having done what he could to ensure his future remained viable, he leaned back in his chair and wondered if the enemy, whoever they were, caught or killed Tyler. Shame if he was dead. It was hard to find a man you could trust. Collins shrugged and turned back to the negotiation contracts President Whelan asked him to review. Tomorrow morning, the Huntsmen would contact him, but for now, he had work to do.
Chapter 2
Nate Rollins, Alpha of the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack and recently crowned Royal King of all Were, caught his left wrist in his right hand, stretched his arms as high as he could, then yawned as he dropped his arms to rest on the conference table in front of him. Shaking his head, he blinked at the lights flashing on Jonathan Dyers face from twinkling Christmas lights Janelle draped around the office window behind him. Jonathan, his pack Beta, sat across the table, his eyes downcast at the tablet in his hands.
Nate closed his eyes and shook his head. It was too early for blinking lights. “What’s important enough for you to get me up at . . .,” he turned his head and peered at the wall clock, “0400?”
“General Brighton called.”
Nate yawned and shook his head again, trying to shake the sleepiness off. “What did Brighton want?”
“They captured a Huntsman skulking around the OK HQ last night.”
Nate smothered another yawn. In the back of his mind, his wolf growled and went back to sleep. Agreeing with Koreth’s annoyance at the early hour, Nate put his hand over his mouth to cover the yawn he couldn’t avoid. “Sorry, didn’t get to sleep until well after midnight. Maybe coffee would help.”
Jonathan nodded, put down the tablet, and walked to the sink along the back wall. With sure hands, he filled the pot, poured the water into the reservoir, added coffee to the filter, then turned it on. With the pot beginning to gurgle, he moved back to his chair. “I should have made some before waking you.”
“Might have helped.” Nate rubbed his eyes and blinked again. “So, what is it Brighton wants me to do about this Huntsman he found?”
“I’m not sure. He wants you to call him. I told him it would be a few minutes.” Jonathan smirked at him. “Good thing, too. Don’t think you could hear him over all the yawning.”
“Probably right.” Nate sniffed and cleared his throat. “Didn’t expect the wedding reception to last so late.”
“It lasted almost as long as the reception did when you married Janelle.”
“Hmm. Do all were weddings last most of the night?”
Jonathan shrugged. “Beats me. Until you and Janelle had your double ceremony with Eli and Renata, I never attended a human-style wedding before. Were usually just have a mating ceremony.”
Nate grinned at the annoyed expression on his friend’s face. “So, you’re telling me I started a new trend?”
“Maybe so.”
The pot gave its last gurgle and coffee finished filling the carafe. Jonathan went to the pot and returned with two cups of black coffee. The phone rang as he set a cup in front of Nate. Arching his brow in question at Nate, he waited for Nate’s nod, then picked up the phone.
“Rollins Ranch.”
“He up, yet?”
Jonathan covered the mouthpiece. “It’s Brighton.”
“Put it on speaker.”
With a nod, Jonathan pressed the speaker button on the phone base.
Heaving an inaudible sigh, Nate sipped his coffee. “Good morning, General Brighton. What’s up?”
“I need you here.”
“Why?”
“We found a Huntsman prowling around the OK HQ. His block is stronger than anyone here can break.” The general’s annoyance came through in his tone.
Nate set his mug on the table and wiped his face. “I don’t know what that means, General.”
“It means he’s more than a flunky. He’s high-level, and a V-Triumph commander set the block, not a low-level vampire.”
“So, he has information we could use?”
“He has information we need.” Brighton hesitated, then said, “Nate, a block this strong may indicate that he has knowledge of the Huntsmen compounds in other countries.”
“Give me an hour, General.”
“I’ll make sure the compound center is vacant.” Brighton ended the call.
Nate gulped his coffee, ignoring the burn going down his throat. He needed the caffeine, and an hour didn’t give him much time. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, Jonathan. Janelle is in charge. If you need me, have Ezrath contact Koreth through the pack link.”
Shoving his chair back, he strode from the office to his bedroom. He couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Janelle. She wouldn’t be happy about him leaving this close to Christmas, but more and more, his life seemed beyond his control.
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