Chapter One
Drew, the new Alpha of the Tao Pack, made his case to Hank. Coming back to the pack would be good for Hank. He had missed belonging somewhere since Magnum, his last Alpha, exiled him. Exile had been awful but had it also taught him some valuable lessons—self-reliance being the most important. He didn’t know if he was ready to trade his independence to appease his need to fit in.
“If I come back to the pack….” Hank kept his gaze trained on Drew’s hands. Drew may not be his Alpha yet, but he was Alpha and he’d been a decent enough guy in their youth. He deserved the respect of a lowered gaze. “If I come back, what guarantees are you willing to give me?”
“Same as every other Wolf living in Los Lobos. A new start.” Drew leaned forward, and Hank caught the inviting aroma that always surrounded the Alpha. Back in their school days, he had imagined he’d had feelings for the man. Now he knew that hadn’t been the case. He’d mixed up respect, admiration, and pack loyalty with something else. Everything about those years had been confusing and mixed up for him. “Acceptance.”
Hank’s heart stuttered at the word. As simple as concept as acceptance might be, he’d never actually found it, and he was wary of how easily Drew offered it to him. “Acceptance, huh? You don’t, by any chance, know why your daddy kicked me to the curb all those years ago, do you?”
A soft growl rolled from Drew. He understood the anger. If their roles were reversed, he wouldn’t want to be reminded of the monster who had been the pack’s last Alpha either. Still, he had to ask the question. The challenge could prove to be dangerous for him, but the risk had been a carefully calculated one. He needed to know Drew and his old man weren’t cut from the same cloth. If they were, the meeting had been a waste of time.
He glanced up to gauge how angry the Drew had become. If he were about to retaliate, Hank needed to be ready. Instead of finding Drew half crazed, as he had feared, he found the man to be remarkably calm. The one soft growl was the only indication the question struck a nerve. An Alpha capable of self-control would be a nice change of pace. The only Alpha he’d ever had was Magnum. He’d been on his own since he’d left.
“Nope. If it doesn’t put my pack in any danger, I don’t give a shit why Magnum exiled you.”
His secret definitely didn’t endanger anyone. “You have my word it doesn’t.”
“Then, as far as I’m concerned, we’re good. If you remember correctly, I was exiled as well. Several members of the pack found themselves in the same situation. You’ll find yourself in good company should you decide to come back.”
“What would you want me to do? If I came back?” His stomach cramped with nerves. Everybody in the pack had to serve a purpose. They had to fill a need. Nobody had needed him in a decade. The skills his family had been known for in Los Lobos were rusty at best. “I haven’t practiced carpentry since I left. I can still swing a hammer, but I’m out of practice.”
“We do need help rebuilding, but that’s not the most pressing need right now.”
Hank couldn’t imagine what would be more important than rebuilding the town. Sure, a lot of progress had already been made. With the influx of Wolves, they would need more housing at the very least. “What does the pack need, then?”
“We need food, building supplies, and oil. As our pack gets larger, we need more of everything, and we need it all delivered on a regular schedule.”
He relaxed as Drew’s words sank in. “You need a trucker.” He’d started driving a rig a year after he’d left the Black Hills. If the pack needed someone to run supplies for them, he had those skills.
“We need a Wolf trucker. Those are rare.”
Wolves lived for pack and home. He would be willing to concede finding one willing to spend days, if not weeks, on their own traveling across country would be
Drew, the new Alpha of the Tao Pack, made his case to Hank. Coming back to the pack would be good for Hank. He had missed belonging somewhere since Magnum, his last Alpha, exiled him. Exile had been awful but had it also taught him some valuable lessons—self-reliance being the most important. He didn’t know if he was ready to trade his independence to appease his need to fit in.
“If I come back to the pack….” Hank kept his gaze trained on Drew’s hands. Drew may not be his Alpha yet, but he was Alpha and he’d been a decent enough guy in their youth. He deserved the respect of a lowered gaze. “If I come back, what guarantees are you willing to give me?”
“Same as every other Wolf living in Los Lobos. A new start.” Drew leaned forward, and Hank caught the inviting aroma that always surrounded the Alpha. Back in their school days, he had imagined he’d had feelings for the man. Now he knew that hadn’t been the case. He’d mixed up respect, admiration, and pack loyalty with something else. Everything about those years had been confusing and mixed up for him. “Acceptance.”
Hank’s heart stuttered at the word. As simple as concept as acceptance might be, he’d never actually found it, and he was wary of how easily Drew offered it to him. “Acceptance, huh? You don’t, by any chance, know why your daddy kicked me to the curb all those years ago, do you?”
A soft growl rolled from Drew. He understood the anger. If their roles were reversed, he wouldn’t want to be reminded of the monster who had been the pack’s last Alpha either. Still, he had to ask the question. The challenge could prove to be dangerous for him, but the risk had been a carefully calculated one. He needed to know Drew and his old man weren’t cut from the same cloth. If they were, the meeting had been a waste of time.
He glanced up to gauge how angry the Drew had become. If he were about to retaliate, Hank needed to be ready. Instead of finding Drew half crazed, as he had feared, he found the man to be remarkably calm. The one soft growl was the only indication the question struck a nerve. An Alpha capable of self-control would be a nice change of pace. The only Alpha he’d ever had was Magnum. He’d been on his own since he’d left.
“Nope. If it doesn’t put my pack in any danger, I don’t give a shit why Magnum exiled you.”
His secret definitely didn’t endanger anyone. “You have my word it doesn’t.”
“Then, as far as I’m concerned, we’re good. If you remember correctly, I was exiled as well. Several members of the pack found themselves in the same situation. You’ll find yourself in good company should you decide to come back.”
“What would you want me to do? If I came back?” His stomach cramped with nerves. Everybody in the pack had to serve a purpose. They had to fill a need. Nobody had needed him in a decade. The skills his family had been known for in Los Lobos were rusty at best. “I haven’t practiced carpentry since I left. I can still swing a hammer, but I’m out of practice.”
“We do need help rebuilding, but that’s not the most pressing need right now.”
Hank couldn’t imagine what would be more important than rebuilding the town. Sure, a lot of progress had already been made. With the influx of Wolves, they would need more housing at the very least. “What does the pack need, then?”
“We need food, building supplies, and oil. As our pack gets larger, we need more of everything, and we need it all delivered on a regular schedule.”
He relaxed as Drew’s words sank in. “You need a trucker.” He’d started driving a rig a year after he’d left the Black Hills. If the pack needed someone to run supplies for them, he had those skills.
“We need a Wolf trucker. Those are rare.”
Wolves lived for pack and home. He would be willing to concede finding one willing to spend days, if not weeks, on their own traveling across country would be
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