“Where are we going?” she asked again.
“Just relax. You’ll see soon,” he replied.
“I’d really like to know now.”
He went back to ignoring her, but a smile spread across his face as he drove. Autumn clasped her hands together in her lap, a dark cloud spreading over her like a blanket. Soon, they stopped. There was nothing within sight but a lake and what looked like an old fishing cabin.
“What are we doing here?”
“Don’t be such a party-pooper, Autumn. Come on.”
Autumn didn’t move.
“Get out of the car, Autumn. Don’t be such a baby.”
The nerve of him calling her a baby when he was younger and infinitely more immature. Everything inside her told her not to get out of the car, that whatever he had planned for her out here, all alone, wasn’t something she was going to want to remember come tomorrow. Her hearted beat wildly as she sat, staring straight ahead.
“I said to get out of the fucking car, Autumn,” he suddenly screamed at her, yanking open her car door and pulling her out so that she landed on the ground with a thud. “Prissy little bitch.”
“What are you planning to do? Why did you bring me here?” she sputtered, getting to her feet.
Her knees felt wobbly beneath her as if they might give out at any moment. That was if she didn’t go into cardiac arrest first. Her chest felt tight as her heart raced wildly.
“Don’t be coy with me, Autumn. You’re going to be my wife. I’m entitled to sample the merchandise. I thought we’d have a bit more privacy out here. You can be as loud as you want to out here. Not a soul will hear you scream and beg for it.”
That got Autumn moving. She found her feet and began running for the edge of the woods nearby, shifting as she went. Even if he were the runt of his litter, he would still be more powerful than she was. Her only hope was to catch him off guard and be faster. She could hear him cursing her even as she sprinted through the thick underbrush, getting a nice head start on him.
“I love a challenge,” he yelled out before the sounds of him shifting and running began.
He was quickly gaining ground, and she knew she had been wrong to think she could outrun him. She’d have to be smarter, which she had every reason to believe she was.CHAPTER THREEMalcolm
“I’ve brought you all here today to make an announcement,” Foster began.
Malcolm looked toward his brothers gathered at the round table where they normally discussed both Clan and MC business. Foster had called a special meeting today. They had only buried their dead yesterday, making all the arrangements necessary to conceal their losses to anyone in the human world that might notice.
“There will be further attacks upon us. The Timber Wolves will join ranks with others, and one day, they will come for us again. We must be strong when that day comes,” he said, pausing to run his hand thoughtfully along the edge of the table in front of him.
“I’ve grown long in the tooth, and it’s time for fresh blood, new leadership. I’ve decided to step down, and I have no heirs to take my place. Every man at this table is worthy of being Alpha. I can’t afford to lose a single one of you to the traditional challenges between rivals for the Alpha position. Instead, I am offering you a different challenge. You are to seek a mate. The shifter who mates and has the largest litter within the next year will be the new Alpha.”
“What about those of us who already have litters?” someone shouted.
“I’ve considered all who are eligible, and it doesn’t include everyone, for various reasons. If you know someone not here—not on the list—you are welcome to direct them to me to discuss why, in private. I don’t think there are going to be any surprises with my choices though. There are a few of you who are already married and have a litter in place, but you will have to have a new litter to attempt to lay claim to the Alpha status.”
“How is that fair?” a voice said from the back.
“If anything, it’s an advantage. You already have mates. You just have to start a new litter. Some people on the list are unmarried and have no prospects, so they’ve got a bigger battle, and with only a year to have the litter, they’re going to need to find someone quickly.
“Alright, I’ve got to get going. I’ve got other business to attend to in town. Just catch up with me later, when I return, if you need to know anything else.”
With that, he got up and walked out, leaving the members of his clan to ponder his statements for a while. Several of them got up to go, but others stayed to talk among themselves.