Wolf's Holiday by Rebecca Royce Read Free Book Online Page B

from the back of a line of dominants and Gee who had stuck themselves between him and the bears. Ryker had found her trying to get onto pack land with her cub earlier in the day.
    She’d retreated and stood just over the edge of their territory, though they were trying to communicate with her. Although Ryker, and maybe even Gee, might have preferred if he gave the kill order—over the border being still too close. The deep bass of her roars echoed through the trees.
    Why had the bear even shown up?
    “Okay, gentlemen. You need to move. I promise to let you shove yourselves and your one life to give in front of me if the bear looks at me funny. You forget, I’ve already seen this woman and child up close and personal. She tried to kill my mate. I want to look her in the eyes.”
    Colt and Ravage exchanged a look, which could only be called a cross between annoyed and not happy, although they both obeyed. Drew shook his head. He was grateful they cared. Happy packs meant the dominants protected the Alpha. If only he could keep reminding himself not to feel boxed in.
    Ten years on his own had left him with some lone-wolf tendencies he might never get rid of.
    Striding forward, he didn’t miss how Ryker flanked him, giving him enough space not to be claustrophobic but not enough to get slaughtered by the bear. Pausing next to Gee, he studied the bears.
    “So she’s here.” Drew rocked on his feet. “Do I kill her?”
    “This is a first for me. As far as I know, she’s never done this before. She stays on the mountain with the kid.” The bear rarely admitted to knowing nothing.
    Something didn’t make sense. “How exactly old is the kid?”
    “No idea. Some bear shifters stay children for hundreds of years.”
    “Really?”Well, he learned something new every day. “Your daughter didn’t.”
    Gee leveled a glare at him. “We’re not all the same breed of shifter, son. I can’t understand what she’s roaring either. Not that I would want to. Bad enough when she’s in her human form.”
    An uncomfortable pressure pushed on Drew’s shoulders. “I didn’t mean to sound racist or assume all bear shifters were the same. That was downright ignorant of me.”
    The bear shook his head. “Do you suppose I want to hug it out? You didn’t know. Now you do.”The female bear roared again, and Gee nodded toward the scene. “What do you want to do?”
    The rage he kept buried in his stomach to be a different Alpha than his father had been surged forward, replacing some of his amusement. What did he want to do? “I want to kill her. She attacked my mate.” Glancing at Ryker, he raised a palm. Not Magnum, never him. “But hold off on that, please. I’d like to know why she followed us here, or if she’s just so rabid she needs to be put down. I don’t have time for this. We’re supposed to be getting ready for a Winter Solstice run and instead what I have here is some deranged were-bear whose language you don’t speak roaming my borders for no apparent reason except to roar at me. What. Does. She. Want?”
    The bar owner stepped away from him and yelled directly at the bear. “Hey, Matilda, you came all this way. How about shifting and giving us all a break here?”
    After a moment, the she-bear turned into a human-looking woman. Drew stared at the raving lunatic who had tried to kill his mate. She had long, straight, stringy gray hair desperately in need of a wash. The smell of filth made him want to gag. Her bear musk hadn’t been much better—but her human form reeked. But he was Alpha, so he controlled himself. Behind him, one of the dominants retched. It was all Drew could do not to laugh.
    Again, the Alpha problem.
    He stepped forward until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Gee. “Your name is Matilda. Apparently.” The last he directed at Gee. The old man could share more than drips and drabs. “I’m Drew Tao. Alpha of this pack. What do you want here? My patience is low. You attacked my mate