Taken (Sinful Series - book 1)

Violet

The ceremony was over and more wolves broke off on their own, enjoying the cool night after the pack run. Jacob may not have been able to lead it, but the pack had their newly ascended Beta. Landon took his duty to heart and picked an easy trail so that everyone could follow.

Violet could have cared less where she ran as long as the wind was in her fur and the momentum propelled her forward. Her mate delicious scent was easy to track, and soon she was nipping at his tail.

A brown wolf ran alongside them. Violet somehow knew it was Ryan, despite not seeing his wolf before.

It was the pack bond, supplying her with information she needed.

There was no pond, mud or forest she couldn’t overcome. In a way, the pack run reminded her of the trek she had chosen to take with Xander, and how different her life had become. She had the mate she always wanted.

Fierce. Protective and loving.

Dashing.

“Vi, you need to shield your shield. You’re projecting to the whole pack,” Landon’s voice carried through the mindlink.

Violet’s initial reaction was to gasp and to rewind her thoughts. She took a sigh of relief. Everything was PG-13 rated. Crisis averted.

“It’s my right to admire you,” Violet replied.

Mates enjoyed intimacy on all different levels. As long as it was consensual they couldn’t be reprimanded. She still recognized the need for privacy, so she focused on projecting a door in her mind and putting on her favorite deadbolt. She imagined Landon just moving through the door like a ghost, leaving the deadbolt intact.

“Finally. I was beginning to worry you’d block me, too,” Landon’s words sounded in the mindlink.

“I am not really used to shielding my mind,” Violet confessed.

“I noticed. Since we’ve mated, you never blocked me,” Landon told her, nipping at her tail playfully.

“Never too late,” Violet teased him, earning a yelp from his wolf.

The trail looped around the forest and soon thereafter veered east to the ceremonial clearing. While there was a start to the pack’s run, there wasn’t a clear ending point. It wasn’t about the distance traveled, but about being part of something bigger, recognizing you were connected to others just as you were to the Goddess. It gave life purpose and kept the wolf in the human sane.

Mated wolves had long ago started separating and enjoying some time by themselves. It wasn’t long before Landon shifted mid-step into his butt-naked human.

“Show off,” Violet shot at him.

Landon cockily smiled at her over his shoulder reaching for the folded clothes.

It took significant practice to be able to transition between the forms in such fluidity. Few shifters possessed such control. She was jealous and proud of him at the same time. Violet needed not only to sit down, but focus on the shift before her fur finally receded.

Landon stood in front of her naked, shielding her with his body and holding up a shirt for her. She smiled at the thoughtfulness. Only once she pulled on his white T-shirt, did he proceed to pull up a pair of pants. Violet chuckled as the caked up mud on his body made the task rather amusing.

Landon looked up at her and goofily smiled at her as he tugged on the pants.

“Both of us need a good shower,” Landon told her.

“You know people pay for this,” Violet replied smudging some mud from her palms to his chest. “It’s called a mud-bath.”

“And most think we are mythical creatures,” Landon continued.

“We kind of are,” Violet teased him.

“Anything in the name of beauty,” Landon told her then proceeded to smudge his dirty hands over her cheeks as he pulled her in for a kiss. The cold mud made Violet shiver or was that Landon’s proximity. She pressed herself into his front.

“You changed my mind. Let’s go home and shower,” Violet pleaded. “Like ten times!”

Landon chuckled at the implication behind such an ordinary word, “Only if I do the scrubbing.”

Landon

There was a reason why packs held ceremonies and did runs together. It was a way to seal the social contract that one engaged in being a part of a pack. The Howlers were known for their family values. When the mindlink took roots in his mind, Landon discovered they indeed felt like a family. They made his mate feel at home and even welcomed him as one of their own. They were now his family as family bond grew stronger.

The night had a crisp edge to it. Landon wrapped his hands around Violet as she snuggled into him, occasionally pulling him for a passionate make-out session. This was mated life that everyone talked about and Landon finally felt included. Violet was indeed the mate he always wanted.

Passionate, fierce and loyal.

His.

Landon’s smile quickly vanished when he saw Jacob pacing the front steps, trying hard to conceal he was waiting for them, or perhaps just Landon as Jacob tried hard to avoid looking at Violet’s direction. The secrecy of such meeting only spelled out trouble.

“Go start the shower. I’ll be right over,” Landon whispered in Violet’s ear. She glanced at Jacob, bidding the Alpha good night then silently nodded towards Landon. She left a lingering buzz from where her lips touched Landon’s – a reminder for him to hurry back to her.

The moment she disappeared from Landon’s sight, he shifted his attention to his Alpha.

“I won’t keep you long,” Jacob promised then led the way to his study. “While you were out on the run, there was a development.”

Landon remained silent but the Alpha never continued until they entered his office. Upon entering the office, he saw a middle-aged female already seated and waiting for their arrival. The only interesting thing about her was the vague resemblance to Violet.

“Valencia McCabe, this is my Beta Landon Wesley,” Jacob introduced them shortly.

Landon went to offer his hand in greeting then stopped.

“Don’t want to get mud all over you,” he explained refusing to give the moment awkwardness.

“I am happy Violet found a deserving life partner,” Valencia greeted him.

Landon nodded then shifted his attention to Jacob. While meeting Violet’s extended family was a big step forward for Violet and Landon as a couple, it didn’t require Alpha supervision. Jacob’s presence brought some legitimacy to such meeting that most families did not need.

Most.

His Violet was definitely not usual.

“Casey went to the Cavino’s party,” Jacob informed him. The awkwardness could easily be traced through the pack link and Landon suspected the brief relationship Casey had with the Alpha awoke more emotions than both of them cared to admit. “While we are waiting for an update from her, Valencia wanted to talk to you alone.”

Jacob opened a cold beer for Landon as if reading his mind. The run took out a lot of energy and proper hydration was key. As Landon took the beer, Valencia handed him a tablet.

“I think it is important for you to be aware of these documents,” Valencia started, peeking Landon’s interest.

There were documents upon documents on the tablet – wire transfers, bank statements, equipment and shipping orders, and internal memos linking Pack Order HQ sanctioning genetic testing, sequencing, and mapping of young embryos, and developing a sedation therapy for shifters who burnt through the human meds faster than they could influence them. The end project goal was “Goliath” – a genetically modified shifter, who was the perfect soldier, unable to feel pain or exhaustion. The compound they worked on twenty years ago was named Creek for the purity of the in and out sedation without memory loss and painful side-reactions.

Landon didn’t need to go over any additional documents to guess that Creek was altered to become Creed, dangerous to any shifter who had reached maturity.

Landon’s gut feeling was right. Pack Order hired him to hide their tracks by inserting themselves into the investigation.

“How did you get these?” Landon asked Valencia.

“We found a USB stick in Nathan’s desecrated body,” Valencia replied, explaining why they insisted Landon was alone. She was trying to save Violet the heartache knowing of the gruesome details of her father’s death. “We think they tortured Logan to make Nathan talk. When he didn’t, they proceeded with Jana. She was three months pregnant at the time.”

Landon reminded himself to stay calm or Violet would feel his emotions through the mindlink.

“I would rather spare Conner and Violet the details for as long as I can,” Valencia continued. “I am responsible for this carnage. I regret not going back and marrying the prick so that I can end him in his sleep. Then I could have put an end to this.”

“Why are you showing us this now?” Landon asked.

“Battalion Leader Nolan,” Valencia replied.

“What about him?” Landon defensively asked.

“I understand he was your training officer. He offered you a position in Pack Order,” Valencia started only for Landon to interrupt.

“Listen, my place is by my mate. In this pack,” Landon immediately knew what she was after. “I am not going back.”

“It wouldn’t be necessary if you can persuade him to appoint Hildeguard as his replacement,” Valencia revealed her plan. “Vincent can safely leak this evidence furthering his career. He can work from inside to reform the system for everyone.”

Landon looked at Jacob. They couldn’t possibly be serious.

“Does Vincent even know about this coup?”

“You can talk to him in the morning and find out his position,” Valencia replied confirming these plans were probably made between the two without direct input from anyone else.

While Vincent made sense on paper for the position, Landon was unsure if he could trust Valencia’s motives. Such selfless gestures often came with strings you couldn’t see until you were neck deep in schemes of others. And that was exactly what was wrong with Pack Order’s structure today.

The mornings were always wiser than the nights so Landon promised to consider recommending Vincent for the battalion leader position and headed upstairs for much deserved rest, shower and time with Violet. Not necessarily in the same order. He quickly picked the lock, entering to find the room dark and quiet. His meeting had taken longer than expected and Violet had fallen asleep. Landon locked the door behind him then pressed a chair against the handle. Going old school had paid enough times for him not to trust his own methods. Landon then took a shower and finally snuggled into Violet’s side.

“What took you so long?” Violet mumbled and pressed her body into his.

“Shower,” Landon replied.

“Really, that’s what you’re going with?” Violet asked before he chuckled and put his arms around her, his fingers tracing her lower waist.

“Valencia is here,” Landon replied then thought about what she’d want to know. “There is some family resemblance.”

“What are you not telling me?”

“She brought evidence of how the idea of PO degenerated over the years. They need to be restructured.”

“You are contemplating Nolan’s offer,” Violet guessed.

“Yes, but not for me. For Vincent,” Landon replied.

“Hm,” Violet wondered out loud before continuing, “He’d make a good Pack Order official.”

“How do you know?”

“You don’t just become a Fixer,” Violet replied. “His pack was subjected to the mandatory drafting. His older brother went and never came back. PO never told them how he died. I think Vincent will accept on the account of finding out what happened to him. But what will happen once he learns the truth, now that’s the unpredictable part. I’d like to believe he’d make sure it never happens, that Pack Order is restructured, but you never know.”

“You really have an insight in people,” Landon remarked.

“That’s why we make the perfect couple brawns and brains,” Violet jested.

“Wow, wow,” Landon shook his head, “Only three hours after the ascension and you’re insulting your mate already! Bad Violet, Bad!”

“I meant we complement each other,” Violet explained. “You’re quite smart.”

“Quite?”

“Oh, stop it. You are the most intelligent, sexy and incredibly gifted beast I have had the pleasure of knowing. Your Skin is not bad, either,” Violet confessed her love to him.

“Oh, when you put it that way. I am goddamn amazing,” Landon joked before he reminded her, his incredibleness knew no bounds.