Lone Wolf (The Wulf Pack Book 1)

Just outside Wolf Valley, Oregon

The crunching of leaves and twigs caused Rage’s ears to flicker. He listened closely to the sound, searching for its owner.

He slipped from his spot under, yet another tree, he really hated rain. There was only one set of footsteps, one owner, in human form, he could deal with that.

He sat on his hunches as he waited for the person to approach. When he finally scented the person over the smell of rain and wet earth, he relaxed. He waited patiently for his brother to approach.

Fury bound out of the treeline, following the direction his phone said. The locator app pointing the way.

He didn’t falter as his eyes fell on his brother’s wolf, sitting in the small clearing.

“Here,” Fury grumbled as he dropped the tent onto the soft ground in front of Rage’s fur clad form.

Rage rose to his feet, his dark paws sinking into the mud below him, one thing he hated about Oregon was the rain, it rained so much that fog hung in the air when it wasn’t raining or snowing.

Closing his eyes, he shifted, his black fur pulling into his skin as his bones shifted and realigned to make way for his human form. He rolled his neck before setting his sharp gold eyes on his brother. His body ached from sleeping in the mud for two days, weathering the storm until his brother finally graced him with his presence and his request.

Fury eyed him as he stood to his full height. All of the brothers were tall and built wide, but for sure, Rage was the biggest of them, he was made for destruction and death, a force to be reckoned with.

“I still don’t know why you don’t just come home instead of camping out along the boarder,” Rage didn’t respond as he prowled away to retrieve his duffel bag from behind a pine tree.

Fury watched his movements as he returned, fully clothed, with his duffel tucked under his arm. The way he moved made him a bit nervous, he seemed to move as if he was ready for an attack, his smooth movements slow and agile, cautious.

Did he even realize what being a lone wolf was doing to him? Putting him in a perpetual defense mode that he shouldn’t need to be in. He had a home, a family and if he liked it or not, a she-wolf that waited for him.

“I just can’t,” he finally answered, dropping the bag next to the bagged tent before moving to unzipping the tent and pulling the poles and stakes from inside.

“You are just being stubborn,” the words were grumbled as he moved to help with putting the tent together.

They were silent as they worked, to Rage’s relief, but just as he expected, his brother continued trying to convince him to come him.

“You know, she is waiting for you,” the comment was ignored as moved over to his bag, “Why are you here Rage?” trying once more to get an answer.

Without a word, Rage dropped the bag at his feet and squatted before him, to pull out a small red satin bag. Right away, Fury knew what it was.

“To make sure she got these,” Fury took the pouch from his outstretched hand, he was gentle with the small bag that was engulfed by his palm.

“You don’t want to give them to her yourself?” he watched closely for Rage’s reaction, but he kept his face clear while he shook his head. He took the duffel and tossed it into the tent before zipping it inside, “you’re worried you wont want to leave,”

Fury smirked as Rage froze, body stiffening mid-rise, the exact reaction Fury was hoping for.

“She is waiting for you, we all see it, even Hunter,” Rage straitened his back, his fingers gripped tightly into a fist, refusing to turn and look at his brother, “She she is sweet, but she is shy and quiet, keeping her distance. I have seen her with you Rage, she wasn’t like that with you,”

“Stop,” Rage’s voice was low and strong, edged with emotions that Fury was sure his brother had no interest in, “I am not coming back, she will figure that out, eventually,”

Calculating eyes watched Rage, trying to gauge the truthfulness of his words. Did he really believe that? He had killed an alpha for her, even if it was something he had done before, he had never did it without being told to. He had returned to the edge of the home he left, the home he swore never to return to, just to give her the fangs of the one that let her be abused. Fury was sure he was lying to himself.

“How long will you be staying here?” he asked, knowing not to push his brother anymore. He was in no mood to fight and loose, like he always did with him.

“A few days, I need to rest and get a few things from town before I leave,” Fury nodded in understanding, knowing now that he was going to have to tell him the dreaded news.

“We are having some issues with both Rogues and Turned, they have been crossing into the territory, killing humans and animals alike. So be careful,”

“We have always had trouble with Rogues and Turned,” Rage waved the warning off, not worried about a few mutts trying to ambush him.

“This is different,” mirrored gold eyes met as Rage tried to decide if his statement was possible, “they have been in groups of twenty or more, and not just seperat, rogues and turned have been seen together,”

Rage frowned at the information. Rogues were known to be angry and aggressive, wild even, after all, most are criminals and have been cast out. They, like most born wolves, stayed away from the Turned, knowing they are crazed and highly dangerous. The idea that they would be together was worry some. Criminals with the insane, not a good mix.

“I’ll watch the boarder while I’m here,” Fury eyed him wondering if he had lost his mind too.

“Just be careful, okay?” Rage let out a large sigh.

“Yeah, I’ll be “careful”, ” he grumble, watching Fury turn his back, clutching the red pouch in his hand, leaving him in behind in the outskirts of his family’s territory.