looked in a wet T-shirt with no bra.
Headlights swept across the driveway.
“That must be the guy Derek sent.” He glanced at his father. “He’s going to stay with
you until we return.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Don said. “I’m going with you.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Alan gripped his head, ready to pull his bandana off
again. “You’d only be in the way.”
Dad’s head drooped. “Thanks a lot.”
“Lock him up if you have to,” Alan told the guard when he walked in. “Keep him safe.”
He’d have his hands full protecting his mate. His gut twisted at the thought of leaving
his father alone even for a couple of hours. How could he leave him for good tomorrow?
He couldn’t face that day yet. Wasn’t even sure he could get through tonight.
Hand in hand, he and Shelley ran out the door.
“Let’s take my truck,” she said.
“I’ll drive.”
She shot him a brief grin as she slid into the passenger seat. “You’re awfully alpha.”
With his heart in his throat, he drove toward the flames. If he’d just arrived from
Virginia, the fire wouldn’t even faze him. Why should he care? He hadn’t even known
this place existed. Now, he cared enough to battle the flames himself.
67
A siren split the air, and red flashing lights competed with the glow of the flames.
Alan pulled off on the shoulder to let the fire truck pass.
“Good. The firefighters from Palmetto are here.” Shelley grabbed the door handle.
“Stop the truck.”
“What do you plan to do? Fight the fire with your bare hands? Leave it to the
professionals.”
She slapped the dash. “I need to do something. I can’t just sit here and watch it burn.”
“I’m going to keep driving so we can see how bad it is.” Alan coughed from the smoke
and pulled back onto the country road.
“No, the other way.” She waved her hand. “I want to make sure Mom’s house is still
okay.”
He gripped her hand as he drove, hard enough to squeeze the blood out of it.
“Do you think Starwood did this?” she asked.
“I know they did.”
This was war. Not merely against the pack or Shelley, but him personally. They
wouldn’t have set the fire if he’d caved in to their demands and sold them the diner. Not
your problem , a little voice told him. The Moonlight pack had a strong Alpha and plenty
of capable men. They’d win the battle against the rival pack without him.
A vision of his brightly lit cubicle drifted through his mind as he drove in the dark.
Was he really going to sit at his desk all day and do his job as if none of this had ever
happened? Could he really bury the wolf in him again?
His fingertips dug into the steering wheel, a breath away from turning into claws. His
rage against Starwood for destroying his mate’s property made him want to shift so bad
he ached. He wanted to howl and scream until his throat ripped to shreds.
For the first time in his life, he welcomed the beast inside him. Even wanted to let it
loose.
Maybe he should take Dad home with him so he could keep him safe. Shelley, too. But
the way she perched in her seat and gripped the passenger door—as if she were about to
leap through the open window—told him she’d never leave.
At last, he scooped cleaner air into his lungs, glad to see the flames hadn’t touched the
whole grove. Yet. Her ranch-style home appeared in the distance, unscathed.
She clasped her hands together under her chin. “Thank God the house is still okay.”
68
“I’ll drop you off so you can be with your mother,” he said. “Meanwhile, I’m going to
look for Starwood’s goons, evidence, or both.”
“No, I need to be involved.” With you. Alan heard her unspoken words as clearly as
the spoken ones.
She slid her cell phone out of her purse. “I’ll call her again and let her know what’s
going on.”
“I’m going to drive back to the blaze and see if the fire department found any
evidence.” He turned off
Headlights swept across the driveway.
“That must be the guy Derek sent.” He glanced at his father. “He’s going to stay with
you until we return.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Don said. “I’m going with you.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Alan gripped his head, ready to pull his bandana off
again. “You’d only be in the way.”
Dad’s head drooped. “Thanks a lot.”
“Lock him up if you have to,” Alan told the guard when he walked in. “Keep him safe.”
He’d have his hands full protecting his mate. His gut twisted at the thought of leaving
his father alone even for a couple of hours. How could he leave him for good tomorrow?
He couldn’t face that day yet. Wasn’t even sure he could get through tonight.
Hand in hand, he and Shelley ran out the door.
“Let’s take my truck,” she said.
“I’ll drive.”
She shot him a brief grin as she slid into the passenger seat. “You’re awfully alpha.”
With his heart in his throat, he drove toward the flames. If he’d just arrived from
Virginia, the fire wouldn’t even faze him. Why should he care? He hadn’t even known
this place existed. Now, he cared enough to battle the flames himself.
67
A siren split the air, and red flashing lights competed with the glow of the flames.
Alan pulled off on the shoulder to let the fire truck pass.
“Good. The firefighters from Palmetto are here.” Shelley grabbed the door handle.
“Stop the truck.”
“What do you plan to do? Fight the fire with your bare hands? Leave it to the
professionals.”
She slapped the dash. “I need to do something. I can’t just sit here and watch it burn.”
“I’m going to keep driving so we can see how bad it is.” Alan coughed from the smoke
and pulled back onto the country road.
“No, the other way.” She waved her hand. “I want to make sure Mom’s house is still
okay.”
He gripped her hand as he drove, hard enough to squeeze the blood out of it.
“Do you think Starwood did this?” she asked.
“I know they did.”
This was war. Not merely against the pack or Shelley, but him personally. They
wouldn’t have set the fire if he’d caved in to their demands and sold them the diner. Not
your problem , a little voice told him. The Moonlight pack had a strong Alpha and plenty
of capable men. They’d win the battle against the rival pack without him.
A vision of his brightly lit cubicle drifted through his mind as he drove in the dark.
Was he really going to sit at his desk all day and do his job as if none of this had ever
happened? Could he really bury the wolf in him again?
His fingertips dug into the steering wheel, a breath away from turning into claws. His
rage against Starwood for destroying his mate’s property made him want to shift so bad
he ached. He wanted to howl and scream until his throat ripped to shreds.
For the first time in his life, he welcomed the beast inside him. Even wanted to let it
loose.
Maybe he should take Dad home with him so he could keep him safe. Shelley, too. But
the way she perched in her seat and gripped the passenger door—as if she were about to
leap through the open window—told him she’d never leave.
At last, he scooped cleaner air into his lungs, glad to see the flames hadn’t touched the
whole grove. Yet. Her ranch-style home appeared in the distance, unscathed.
She clasped her hands together under her chin. “Thank God the house is still okay.”
68
“I’ll drop you off so you can be with your mother,” he said. “Meanwhile, I’m going to
look for Starwood’s goons, evidence, or both.”
“No, I need to be involved.” With you. Alan heard her unspoken words as clearly as
the spoken ones.
She slid her cell phone out of her purse. “I’ll call her again and let her know what’s
going on.”
“I’m going to drive back to the blaze and see if the fire department found any
evidence.” He turned off
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