Heck often wondered if the reason he was in tune with Carla was because her care had often been left to him. He guarded her when Frank and Jock were away. He’d often sensed her loneliness and her insatiable need for her mates. Still, he’d never mentioned her unhappiness to Jock or Frank. They would’ve considered his connection with Carla a threat. Plus, as far as Heck knew, Carla didn’t realize he could hear what she was thinking.
A big splash in the distance put Heck on high alert. He whipped around in time to see a huge grizzly bear entering the river.
“Carla!” Fear pumped through his veins. He sprinted to the riverbank. “Woman! Pay attention!”
The bear waded through the dark waters, weaving his way to the middle of the river. The beast had already closed the distance between them by the time Carla spotted him.
Heck waved his arms. “Get out of there!”
“Heck!” Carla attempted to splash the bear away but the grizzly kept pursuing her.
“Get in deep water!” Heck yelled, kicking off his boots and shucking his breeches.
“Bears can swim!” she screamed.
The bear seemed overly agitated. He slapped at the water and blew out noisy breaths, huffing and puffing as he stalked his prey.
Carla was too frightened to help herself. She couldn’t swim out beyond the point where her feet could touch.
In his head, Heck kept hearing Carla’s repetitive thoughts. Bears could outswim a human. Heck would save her. Bears could outswim a human. Heck would save her.
Without a moment to spare, Heck yanked off his shirt and phased in midair, plunging into the river. Taking advantage of his gigantic werewolf form and strength, he swam to Carla’s side.
She grabbed two handfuls of his fur and pulled herself up and out of the water. As soon as she slung her body over his back, he swam with all his might, staying at least two strides ahead of the bear when they first emerged on the other side of the river.
In his head, Heck quickly transmitted messages to the others, telling them of the dangers at his back. Minutes later, he heard the pack’s unified howls. Then the barking wolves raced toward the river, determination in their voices as they yowled back and forth between pack members, relaying one clear message—there were a number of bear sightings in the area.
Even so, the others would soon come to their aid. They were prepared to fight. They were prepared to die.
The wolves would do whatever necessary to save their female Alpha, even if it meant some of them would lose their lives.
Chapter Five
Frank’s body went into a quick, violent spasm. He pushed away from Grant and rushed the door. “Something’s wrong.” He cocked his head and closed his eyes. His lips twitched as if he were saying a prayer. “It’s Carla.” He opened his eyes and stared at Jock, transmitting what Heck had shared with the pack members who were close enough to alert Frank.
There was trouble in WolfDen. By the time Frank and Jock would return, the threat would be over, but they shouldn’t expect him there in Laramie to pose as an officiating minister. At the moment he was on the run, trying to escape an angry bear. And from what the pack had relayed, there were several other burly beasts in the area, too.
“I’ll handle things here,” Jock said aloud.
Frank phased and left. Jock turned to face the man he’d once thought of as a friend. He and Grant shared a similar history. That history was steeped in WolfDen, Wyoming’s traditions and their pack’s heritage, passed down through generations of a strong WolfDen pack strewn together with familiar ties and what Jock once considered an unbreakable bond.
“You can’t kill me,” Grant said smugly. “Ya tried once and failed. What makes ya think ya can off me now?”
Jock flinched. “There are more significant ways to destroy a man than to simply lead him to his death.”
“Death by hangin’ appeals to ya, does it?” Grant narrowed his gaze on the rifle hanging on the nearby gun rack.
“Don’t even think about it, Grant. I will shoot to kill.”
“Ya probably believe that.” Grant stood in front of Daisy. “And you? You’re under arrest. We don’t take kindly to thieves in this town.”
“I didn’t steal from you. I was paid for my time. Bet the folks here in Laramie would love to hear tales of how their newly appointed marshal was spending his time while the rest of this town’s men were out in WolfDen trying to find the shifters with bounties on their heads.”
“Don’t ya threaten me, girl.”
“Sit down, Grant.” Jock paced in front of the desk. “Ever since I saw those wanted posters this morning, I’ve been going over this notion of yours in my head, wondering what might have possessed you to make such a claim.” He came to an abrupt stop and drew his pistol. “I said ‘sit down’ and I won’t ask again!”
“Which claim might that be?” Grant slowly obliged, but he didn’t get in any particular hurry as he reclaimed his seat.