Shadow Wolf: A Shifter Romance (Arctic Brotherhood, Book 2) Page 3

  Samson gave a grunt of satisfaction as the chain snapped. The bike, free of the opposing force that had been holding it still, reared up on its back wheel before toppling over. The rider sprawled on the floor in confusion.

  Rising to his feet on boots that no longer had any heels, Samson picked up the chain and examined it. “Shoddy workmanship.” He shrugged. It was worth a try.

  With a threatening growl, Pavel moved toward him. Samson was getting bored. Was he going to have to rip this moron’s head off before anyone around here took him seriously?

  “Stand back.”

  Finally. Samson turned in time to see the pack parting. A lone figure walked toward him and Pavel stepped back. This was not what Samson had been expecting. Could this be their leader? He looked around, checking in case it was a trick. The slim, youthful figure wore a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up hiding the face. Dwarfed by those around him, the leader—this must be their leader; the deferential manner of the other Arctic werewolves confirmed it—stepped up to confront Samson.

  I could break this kid with one hand tied behind my back.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Although it wasn’t quite the approach he’d anticipated, Samson’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the voice. The distinctly feminine voice.

  Tipping the hood back, she lifted her face to his and he gazed into a pair of golden eyes he’d last seen five years ago. Even for an Arctic werewolf, they were unusual. Vivid gold as the midnight sun itself, fringed by black lashes and set beneath slightly slanting brows, they gazed at him with a combination of fury and defiance. The last time he’d seen her, she’d had tumbling waist-length curls. Now her silver-blond hair was cropped almost as short as his own. Her delicate features were ethereal, slightly sharper than conventional beauty dictated, just hinting at the inner wolf lurking beneath the surface. Even beneath her baggy clothing, there was no concealing the lithe strength of her slender body.

  For long moments, Samson gazed in silent astonishment at the leader of the Guardians of Hati. When he finally managed to speak, the single word wasn’t much more than an astonished croak. “Valetta?”

  Valetta stormed through the pack, not waiting to see if Samson was following her. He fucking better be. The Guardians parted, creating a pathway with their bodies through which she could pass. Their overt respect should have calmed her frayed nerves. It was something she didn’t see enough of from them. Right now, she had a bigger problem. Big in every sense of the word. What the hell was Samson Lee doing here?

  When she reached the part of the cave system that was designated as her private quarters, she turned on him, sliding the makeshift door closed across the entrance and folding her arms across her chest. “Well?”

  She’d forgotten how big he was. No, maybe she hadn’t forgotten. Maybe she’d convinced herself that the years and her teenage memory had tricked her. That he couldn’t possibly be all that. All that power. All that brawn. All that man.

  “Well, what?”

  All that arrogance.

  Valetta’s werewolf was unsure how to respond. She was an alpha, but so was he. And he was a male. Her wolf should show him respect. Her human had no such issues. Her human, spitting with rage, overruled her wolf. “I asked you a question back there. I’m waiting for answer.”

  Samson seemed mildly amused by her annoyance. “What the fuck am I doing here? Trying to find you, that’s what.”

  She stepped up close to him, her finger prodding the granite hardness of his chest. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. There was no give in that solid wall of muscle. “This had better not be about you looking out for me.”

  He raised one perfectly arched black brow. “What the hell else is it going to be about? Get real, Valetta. You disappear without a trace after your father gets death threats and weird messages. Who else is he going to turn to?”

  She exhaled slowly, not wanting to admit he had a point. Not prepared to give him an inch. “So now you’ve seen I’m okay you can go.”

  Samson shook his head. “I’m going to need a little bit more convincing about what’s going on here.”

  Valetta uttered a furious exclamation, swinging away from him before her temper, already at boiling point, overheated further. Just when she thought she had this under control, when she believed she was getting somewhere, he had to turn up, looking down his aristocratic nose in that slightly condescending way. This wasn’t some boys’ club brotherhood game she was playing here. This was deadly. This was about her life . . . and her father’s.

  She cast a sidelong glance in Samson’s direction. Could she get away with giving him half a story? She took in the strong, implacable Nordic features. That incredible, powerful body. She remembered the schoolgirl crush she’d had on him. The half-remembered dreams of that beautiful mouth coming down on hers, those muscular arms cradling her close . . . Oh, for God’s sake. That was five years ago. Haven’t you grown out of it yet? It appeared not. The embarrassment of their last meeting felt like yesterday. She wondered if he remembered it, too. She hoped he didn’t. Suspected he did.

  She drew a breath, attempting to get her temper under control. “When that crazy campaign against my father started, I decided to find out what was going on. There is something strange about this setup.”

  “You don’t say.” His sarcastic drawl wasn’t helping her control.

  “Don’t patronize me, Samson,” she snarled and he held up an apologetic hand. “It’s like this pack—gang, whatever you want to call them—have been conditioned, almost manufactured. They had a leader, you saw him, the older man called Konrad.”

  His brows snapped together, his werewolf instincts immediately on high alert. “He’s not an alpha.”

  “Exactly. Yet, when I first met up with them, he was leading them. It didn’t add up. Nothing about them does. There are no pack dynamics here.”

  “So you stepped up?”

  “I have to find out why they want to harm my father.” She gave him a sidelong glance under her lashes. Did he buy the lie? If he didn’t, he gave no sign of it. And it wasn’t a lie exactly. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

  “And they let you take over?” The incredulous look on his face said it all. Filled in the blanks. What he was thinking was clear. How the hell did a girl manage to take over this pack?

  Valetta’s punch took them both by surprise. It caught Samson under the chin and rocked his head back. She was willing to bet he saw stars. It certainly didn’t do her knuckles any good. It was like giving a left hook to a marble statue. Her boxing coach would have scolded her for poor preparation. She waited, unsure whether she should be poised for flight or fight. Running away wasn’t in her nature, but she had a feeling this was a fight she would lose.

  When Samson spoke again, there was a suspicion of tightness about his jaw. “Don’t ever do that again.”

  “I told you not to patronize me. You just made a massive assumption about my ability to lead this pack based on my gender. I was giving you a little demonstration of my credentials.”

  To her surprise, he started to laugh. “How do you know I was basing my assumption on your sex, Valetta? I could have been questioning your size, your age, your experience . . . you must admit, all of those are limited.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Don’t make me hit you again.”

  “You had the element of surprise just now, but you will never catch me unawares again.” He stepped closer, not touching her, but dominating her with his sheer size. “And you won’t get the better of me next time.”

  Valetta tilted her chin defiantly. “That won’t stop me trying.”

  He gazed down at her, frustration and a hint of confusion in the dark gold depths of his eyes. “I believe you. Now, can we get back to the subject of your father? Have you found out why this pack is targeting him?”

  How was she supposed to answer that? She decided evasion would be the best tactic. “I don’t think they know themselves.”

  “Hendrik is going out o
f his mind with worry about you. We both thought you had been abducted by a rogue gang of bikers.”

  Valetta had never known the mother who had died when she was a baby. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of her father, the kindly man who had devoted his life to her. All her life it had been just the two of them. “While I am in charge here, I can keep them away from him.”

  “These are the foot soldiers, Valetta. When the general changes his tactics, what will you do then?”

  Damn him, how did he get to be so astute? “Go after the general, of course.”

  He watched her face, his own expression unreadable. “When I thought you’d been abducted, my plan was to infiltrate this gang so I could get you out.”

  “I told you . . .”

  He held up a hand, and, even though they were on her turf, she allowed him his moment of alpha-ness. “Let me do it anyway.”

  A puzzled frown furrowed her brow. “Do what?”

  “Let me join your pack.” She opened her mouth to speak and he plowed on, overriding the objections she was about to voice. “I know you’re not telling me all of it. I’m not the dumb-ass circus strongman you take me for. But if you and Hendrik are in danger, I want to help. When you go after the organizer of this operation, I want to be at your side. You could use some extra muscle and, from the look this pack, you could definitely use some brains.”

  Valetta’s arguments died on her lips as she listened to him. He was right. She might not want to admit it, but this was way too big for her to handle on her own. And if it was anyone but Samson Lee, she’d be welcoming him into the team by now. Shaking his hand and showing him to his quarters. But it was Samson Lee. The man she’d fallen in love with when she was a shy awkward teenager. The man to whom she’d offered her eighteen-year-old body at their last meeting. The man who had gently, but firmly turned her down . . . after coming pretty close to accepting her. Accepting her in a way that had felt a lot like claiming her. The man she’d only been in this room with for thirty seconds to find those feelings resurfacing once more. Could she cope with that on top of everything else? Could she afford not to?

  She bit her lip. “What do you say, Valetta?” His voice was soft and persuasive, making her wonder what it would be like in other, more intimate situations. Wondering that all over again. Oh, hell. I am in so much trouble here.

  “I’m in charge.”

  “Of course you are.” Was he laughing at her?

  “You don’t do anything without my say-so.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Are you laughing at me?”

  He fingered his chin reminiscently. “I wouldn’t dare.”

  Chapter Three

  “What the hell happened to you?” Valetta regarded Pavel in surprise as he tried to slink past her with his face averted. Even so, it was impossible to miss the livid bruises.

  “Tripped over a rock,” he mumbled, not making eye contact. She noticed the way he gave Samson a wide berth as he made his way to the other side of the chamber, where Konrad was serving up fresh-killed elk for breakfast.

  “Do you know anything about that?” she asked Samson, nodding in Pavel’s direction.

  “Careless.” He shook his head. “Kid needs to learn to watch out for rocks. They can be dangerous things.” He met her probing gaze with a deceptively innocent expression.

  “You said you wouldn’t do anything without my say-so,” Valetta challenged him.

  “I did, didn’t I?” He grinned, and she found herself unable to do anything other than return his smile.

  Damn it, I knew this would happen. I knew he would walk back into my life and I would roll over and show him my belly like a good little female.

  “I was pleased to see Pavel keep his eyes down when you spoke to him,” Samson continued. “It’s about time someone taught these cubs some basic pack rules, like respect for an alpha.”

  It was something that had bothered Valetta from the outset. There were over two dozen wolves in this compound, a large pack by any standard. All of them were male and, apart from Konrad, none of them was out of his teens. She had no idea where they had come from. The odd thing was, nor did they. When questioned, they were vague and even became distressed if pushed for answers. Samson was right. They had no idea about pack rules. If she hadn’t seen them shift with her own eyes, she almost might have believed they weren’t werewolves at all.

  “Valetta?” She became aware that Samson was still talking to her.

  “Pardon?”

  “I said I’d be glad to undertake that task. Teach these guys a few werewolf manners.”

  “Samson . . .” She tried for a warning note. He was taking over. Was he doing it on purpose? To her surprise, she realized she didn’t care. For the first time since she’d been launched into this nightmare, she felt safer. Not safe. She didn’t think she would ever feel that way again. Safer. She had no reason to do so. Just because big, strong Samson Lee had thrust himself into the middle of her bad dream, nothing had changed. The reason for her unease was still there, and sooner or later—probably sooner—she would have to confront it. Did that mean she had to make things harder by fighting Samson on every little detail? He was waiting to hear what she had to say. “Go for it. Knock yourself out.”

  He went away, whistling cheerfully, and she couldn’t help wondering what sort of storm she had unleashed on the Guardians. Consoling herself with the thought that no werewolf should ever be unaware of its place in the pack, she turned her attention to food. For the first time in a week, she actually felt hungry. After snatching the only decent few hours’ sleep she’d had since she’d arrived here, she thought she might be able to manage breakfast. Konrad, whom she had given responsibility for taking out a hunting party each day and providing fresh meat for the pack, gave her a plate loaded with raw meat.

  Snatching up a bottle of water, Valetta went to sit at a long table at one side of the cavernous chamber. Leaving one of his helpers to dispense the food, Konrad joined her. “Who is that guy?”

  She studied his face. He made her uncomfortable, but she had never been able to place why. There was an undercurrent to his subservience, an arrogance beneath the obedience that made her think there was something in him waiting to be unleashed. In other circumstances, she’d have said he was picturing her in her underwear. But that wasn’t it. She didn’t think Konrad was capable of natural instincts, even creepy ones.

  “His name is Samson.” She had come up with a story the night before to satisfy any questions that might arise. Around the same time that she had found Samson a pair of boots to replace the ones he had wrecked with his bike-stopping antics. It had not been an easy task, but, before her arrival had put a stop to such tricks, the Guardians had gone on a robbery spree that had included a shoe store. Luckily, the haul had included some very large footwear. “He’s something of a wanderer, looking for somewhere to settle in this area for a few weeks. I said he can stay here as long as he follows our rules.”

  “I don’t trust him.”

  “Are you questioning me?” Because, while we’re on the subject of trust, Konrad, you have a long way to go before I place any confidence in you.

  He shook his head. “You’re the leader. I wouldn’t do that.” Even the way he said those words was a challenge.

  Although she’d lashed out at Samson when he’d questioned the ease with which she’d taken over this pack, he’d been absolutely right. It had been ridiculously simple. She really had just walked in here and, like a kid picking out candy in a store, said, “I’ll take that.” It was the reason Samson’s remark had annoyed her so much. Being here fitted her plan. She needed to make sure these bastards left her father alone, but she should not have been able to take over this pack. It was all wrong. Or it was part of someone else’s bigger plan.

  “Why did you relinquish your place to me?”

  Konrad blinked at her. She noticed for the first time that his eyes were slightly too light for a true Arctic werewolf. More straw than
gold. A minor design fault. The hesitation before he answered was slight, but it was there. “It was time.”

  “That’s not an answer, goddamn it. I’m a girl. I wandered in here off the street. You guys should have been crawling all over me, passing me round, taking turns with me, even though I’m an alpha female. Instead, I asked who the leader was. I came face-to-face with you. I said I wanted to challenge you, and you backed down instantly. How the hell did that happen, Konrad?”

  There it was again. A fraction, a beat, before he answered her. “You were too strong for me.”

  “Ah, fuck it. I can’t talk to you.” Valetta pushed her uneaten plate of food away and rose.

  Taking her bottle of water, she made her way outside, breathing in the clean, fresh mountain air. Ever since she had been thrust into this bizarre role as leader of the Guardians of Hati, she had been forced into a series of challenges. Leading the pack in a series of fights against other gangs had been one. Konrad had gotten them into some sort of territorial battle over which it was impossible to back down. Stopping them from roaming the streets of nearby towns like feral dogs, preying on the local population, had been another. Organizing them so they knew how to hunt as a pack had been one of her priorities. Now they were actually getting good at it, but Valetta herself had hardly eaten in the last two weeks. The sort of nightmare she had been thrust into, the tests of strength and character she had endured, meant eating and sleeping had been the last things on her mind.

  Ever since that first threat to her father, she had known she would have to be the one to take this on. In among the obscenities and threats of dismemberment, there had been that one specific phrase. It was too precisely worded to be misunderstood. Five simple, yet effective words. Over and over, branding themselves into her brain. Death to the Shadow Born. Hendrik had no idea what it meant.

  To Valetta, those words had spelled the end of her world.