CHAPTER TWO

Lowell lay in his tent listening to John and Patrick continue to snipe at one another until finally they fell asleep. They often fought, but this was a new level of not letting things go. The girlfriend was definitely a sore spot and the likely cause of the trouble, but neither would admit that. They were going to fight about the fishing gear the entire weekend.

He"d rather go home and sit on his sofa and watch tv than spend the next two days listening to their bickering. It was just after two in the morning when he first heard it, and it woke him from the restless sleep he"d finally been able to achieve. He sat straight up and focused listening for it again and nothing. The night was still, and the air was silent. Something had awakened him something out of place something concerning.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up and his intuition told him to prepare. He grabbed the flashlight and the bear spray and carefully stepped out of his tent. "Patrick, John, wake up." He called to them. They did not respond so he called out again while shining his light across the edge of the forest. Finally, they came awake and started complaining.

"Shut up and listen." He barked at them, which was unusual, so they became still.

"What is it?" John asked as he got out of his tent and came to stand next to Lowell. Patrick joined them, and he brought another flashlight and more bear spray.

"I don"t know, but it feels like something is circling us." They stood still and listened to the night. John and Patrick didn"t hear anything, but they trusted Lowell"s instincts, so they were alert and on guard. They moved to stand in a circle with their backs to each other so that whatever it was, it wouldn"t sneak up on them. They kept moving in a clockwise direction keeping their ears tuned and their sight focused and then it happened.

A wolf the size of a small horse came out of the woods its head down and its teeth bared. The growl was distinct and signaled its intent. The three of them prepared for the attack and then another wolf appeared and then another four in total and all were bearing down on them.

"Want to go for a run?" Eamon suggested. "The woods are perfect for a late-night run."

"I could use to burn off a little energy. My wolf is aching to explore the area." Sean got up and started stripping, as did Eamon.

"You're going to love it." Eamon boasted and quickly shifted and took off. Sean was right behind him as they tore off into the forest. The scents and sounds filled his mind and satisfied his wolf. Eamon was right, the territory was impressive. It was clear why people were fighting over the chance to rule this land.

He followed Eamon through the woods for miles, and then they made their way back to the lake, racing around the shore. Sean took a dip in the lake to cool off and then caught up with Eamon, who was moving toward what appeared to be a public area. Sean slowed down and took his time through this stretch of land, just as Eamon did.

Humans were wearisome, frustrating, and unpredictable. They didn"t want to inadvertently run into one or two. Humans would be fearful of their size and could start shooting, and nobody wanted to deal with that.

They were about to change directions and head back toward Eamon"s place when they heard the ruckus coming from the public camping area. Men were shouting and wolves were growling; they had to intervene and hopefully not get shot for their efforts.

Lowell hit the first wolf with the bear spray driving it backward but the other three rushed them. John used the air horn he'd brought but it had no effect whatsoever and it became clear that they needed a weapon. John grabbed a piece of firewood that was long and thick and began swinging it hitting them but not stopping them.

The four wolves suddenly stopped and just stared at them like they had a collective consciousness or were communicating somehow. They were playing with them charging nipping and then backing off only to repeat.

They were wearing them down rather than just ending it. The wolves had the ability to finish them but instead wanted to draw it out for some reason. This wasn"t going to end well. The feeling in the air told Lowell that these wolves intended to kill them but wanted to do it slowly. It was the weirdest thing to watch them watching them and recognizing that they were orchestrating an attack and knowing they were enjoying every minute of it. These wolves weren't hungry. They were angry. They had a score to settle.

One of them broke from the others and ran at Lowell. Lowell covered his head with his arms and turned away, expecting the worst, but at the last minute, nothing happened. The wolf had stopped to scrutinize the approach of two more wolves.

They would never survive this assault. It was impossible, and yet Lowell could sense in his core that death was not going to own them today. The two wolves were larger and began stalking the other wolves, and the tension between them began to grow.

When the wolf charged at Lowell again, one of the newcomers, who looked strangely familiar, took him out, leaping on him and forcing him to the ground. It was fierce; the two were fighting the four, forcing them back and away from them. Lowell ran to Patrick, who was on the ground, bleeding from a wound on his left arm. John was standing over them with nothing but a piece of wood, swinging it side to side.

Lowell took off his t-shirt and tied it around Patrick"s arm to stem the bleeding. Then, he took a stance next to John. He didn"t have a weapon apart from his bear spray, so he held it ready. It wouldn"t stop them, but it would slow them down.

The scene was unreal, and the beasts fought viciously, tearing at one another, violent and extreme. These were not normal wolves. Lowell"s heart surged into his throat when one of the four broke from the pack and turned to them, charging at them with blood in its eyes.

He and John held their ground, standing over Patrick. It seemed like forever before the strike hit, although it was only a few seconds. Everything was happening in slow motion; time seemed to slow. The wolf was on them, raking its sharp, merciless claws across their soft flesh, and then suddenly, he was gone, tossed aside and torn apart.

He and John lay bleeding on the ground, still attempting to shield Patrick. Lowell opened his eyes to see the two large wolves finishing off the others, and then those two wolves turned into men. The one looked straight at Lowell, and when their eyes met, recognition hit, and he knew those eyes, his dream lover, had saved them.

Sean was utterly shocked when he and Eamon broke from the woods into the clearing to see four wolves attacking three humans. The humans were small and without weapons, and yet the three insane wolves were determined to kill them. Such an act was against the laws of the paranormal and was punishable by death. Self-defense or the defense of one"s family were the only mitigating circumstances, and it was obvious that neither applied here.

A thick scent of violence and anger filled the air, making it clear that these wolves would not be reasoned with. He and Eamon went after the wolves, taking them to task and keeping them from the three humans. They hadn"t intended to kill the wolves, but they left them no choice.

The rogues had already injured one of the humans pretty badly, and the other two were attempting to protect him. It was an impressive display of courage on the part of the small humans. Sean felt drawn to the little one with the dark hair and big green eyes. He had little to defend himself and his friends, but he did not slow down or falter. He stood tall and held his ground, and Sean thought he was the most handsome man in the world.

The odd attraction took him by surprise, but the draw was powerful. When one of the rogue wolves went after this beauty Sean nearly lost his mind. It was then that he began to understand the significance of this small man.

His blood spilled, and the scent hit the air, and Sean felt rage overtaking him. A swamp of pure fury drowned all other thoughts and concerns. He raced toward him and grabbed the bastard wolf who dared to harm him. Sean ripped him away, but not before the wolf tore into the young man. His pain and suffering drove Sean to the edge of insanity as he destroyed the wolf, tearing him limb from limb and howling to the depths of his despair.

Eamon finished the last of them and stood and watched as Sean annihilated the wolf who had attacked the man. Eamon shifted and called to Sean who moved toward him regaining his senses and then shifted to stand next to him.

"They"re finished." Eamon declared. "We need to take care of the humans." Sean turned, and at that moment, his eyes met the eyes of the handsome young human. Surprise and pain filled the young man"s gaze before he went limp and dropped down next to his friends.

"Do you think he knew what he was looking at?" Eamon asked as Sean rushed to the little human and lifted him into his arms. This man was his responsibility.

"Call for assistance and stay with them." Sean indicated the two men still lying unconscious at their feet.

"What about him?" Eamon nodded toward the man in Sean's arms.

"He's mine Eamon. He's my mate." He said, and shock exploded across Eamon"s face.

"Damn, I"m sorry Sean. I"m sorry he was hurt." Eamon seemed to think he should have done more, but they did all they could at the time. "I recognize these four. They"re followers of Jaron." He pointed to the one Sean had killed. "That"s Cory, an enforcer mentored by Jaron, and the others are pack members. The man is driving people to do madness."

"It will likely continue until a leader is chosen. Someone needs to take the helm and soon." Sean retorted.

"Take him home and I'll meet your there after I make some sense of this mess." Eamon began to howl calling for his brother wolves and soon his howl was returned and movement in the forest signaled their approach. Sean took off as Eamon bent to tend to the two humans.

Sean pulled the man tight to his body, holding him secure as he raced through the forest to the house on the lake. He wasn"t thinking clearly and acting sporadic, but that was the effect of meeting his mate in the middle of something horrific. So many problems could arise, not the least of which was the fact that his mate saw him shift.

His mate's blood was driving Sean out of his mind. He could hear his heart beating and his breath was slow and steady and it was the only thing keeping him somewhat clear-headed and logical. His mate needed him, and he needed him to be stable and focused, not caught in a frenzy of emotion.

The other two humans would be taken to the hospital, and Eamon would weave some sort of explanation for their condition. Not wanting to raise fears of killer wolves in the forest, he would probably steer them in the direction of bears or bobcats. There were no bear or bobcat shifters in the area, so there would be no danger of one being shot by an overzealous human.

He dashed up the steps of the deck and entered through the sliding glass doors. He took several deep breaths drawing in the sweet heady scent of his mate and letting it calm and center him. Looking down into the man's face he felt his heart tremble at the exquisiteness even in the midst of this blood and terror, he looked both serene and striking.

He let himself take it in the importance, the difficulty, the magnificence of what lay before him. Human mates were rare where he came from so he was not certain how to move forward but he trusted Fate to show him the way.