Chapter 1
He Saw Her Standing There
When Braden Jackson spotted the tall, curvaceous, naked brunette stepping out of the concrete den, his stomach dropped, his cock stiffened, and his inner beast howled. The newly culled woman had a round face with wide cheekbones and wide-set eyes—indigo with tiny gold flecks that shined when the morning sunlight crossed her face. Her wide mouth stretched in a yawn, and when she glanced his way and smiled, sharp dimples dinted her cheeks.
Beautiful.
It had been three days since the invited had been culled and transformed. The tribe’s land in the Ozark Mountains, lush with colorful foliage, trees, and clear streams and springs, was a perfect and private location. Members of the tribe used it when the need to run as a wolf overwhelmed them, but usually no more than a handful of lycanosapiens attended at a time. The place hadn’t seen these kinds of numbers since the last cull during the time of the Great Depression.
Most of the tribe members—natural borne and culled—would spend the week naked, changing back and forth from two legs to four legs at their pleasure. His kind was very comfortable with both their forms. In that sense, the woman’s nakedness didn’t surprise Braden. His visceral reaction to her—that was another story.
When she reached for the sky, clasped her hands, and twisted her torso to Braden, his breath caught in his throat. Her lush breasts swayed with the movement. Brazenly, she held his gaze as she dropped her arms to her sides, her fingers sliding over her ample hips. His cock jerked, making him glad he’d put on jeans after his earlier run. Otherwise, the proof of his desire would be pointedly obvious and hard to hide. He smiled when she winked.What a woman!
Braden had been born in the late sixties, a son of two first generation lycanosapiens or natural borns. His people had been culling humans to create more of their kind for thousands of years. They usually waited for times of great disaster. He’d heard the stories from his parents and grandparents, and from the tribal elders. Actually watching a cull take place—being a part of the process—had been an eye-opening experience for him.
The invited were usually people in desperate circumstances: the destitute, the terminally ill, and the desperate. Which category did the enticing woman belong? Whichever, she certainly looked happy and healthy now.
She went up on the balls of her feet. Her breasts gave a slight bounce as she dropped back on her heels. Braden grinned.Very healthy.
The woman put her hands on her hips and sauntered over. She looked Braden up and down while tugging the side of her lower lip into her mouth. Finally, after a moment’s assessment, she asked, “Are you okay? You look like you swallowed a bug.”
Oh, man. She had a sweet, southern accent, but not so Deep South he’d need a dentist. Some of the newly culled were shy about their bodies, but not this beauty. She acted completely unaware of her nakedness. “I’m Braden Jackson,” he said.
The charming brunette held out her hand. “Eve. Eve Taylor.” A pulse of energy washed into Braden as she shook his hand with friendly enthusiasm. “Nice to meet you, Branden.”
Braden inwardly groaned. It was never a good sign when a woman couldn’t get your name right. “It’s Braden,” he said again.
“All right,” Eve smiled. She hadn’t let go of his hand. “Braden.”
“Eve!” a man shouted. Braden and Eve both looked. Tom Ellis, a first generation, stood outside the den where Eve had emerged. He was a broad man, built like a heavy weight boxer.
Eve dropped Braden’s hand, and he drew it into a fist. He ground his teeth as an unnatural fury surfaced. His fingernails turned to claws and cut through his fisted palms. Had Tom and Eve shared a den? The thought made him sick to his stomach. Tom Ellis worked in law enforcement in the human world—no stranger to violence and death. Braden taught second grade. Ellis had a reputation for getting exactly what he wanted when he wanted it. What chance did Braden stand up against such a hardcore beast?
“I guess I better go,” Eve said, looking over her shoulder to Tom.
With surprising speed, Braden grabbed her wrist before she could step away. “Are you mated to him?” He punctuated his question with a growl. He should have sensed her as claimed or mated, but she didn’t feel tethered… to anyone.
Eve narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Ellis.” Braden could barely control his reaction. Fuck! He could feel Ellis’s glare almost burning his skin, but he couldn’t stop himself. He wanted Eve—wanted her to the point of stupidity. He had to know if he had any chance with the lovely, dark-haired woman. “Tom Ellis. Is he your mate? Have you…”
Eve yanked her arm away from Braden before he could say more. “Don’t be crude. Of course I haven’t—” She waved her hand dismissively. “He’s my sponsor.”
The word “sponsor” took Braden aback. “As in AA?”
She snorted. “You’re funny.”
“Eve!” Ellis barked her name like an order.
“Sorry,” she smiled apologetically. “I told Tom I’d go for a run.” Eve took Braden’s hand, her fingertips lightly dancing on his palms. “Maybe I’ll see you ‘round later.”
She jogged backwards a few steps, her cheekbones widening as her nose and mouth began to protrude, and her eyes shifted from dark blue to the color of a clear sky. Within seconds her muscles began to ripple as a layer of fur sprouted smooth and thick over her entire body. In wolf form, she was a rich cream color with touches of brown, black, and white with the thickest concentration of brown around the crown of her head. She glanced at Braden once before taking off in a brisk lope into the woods. Ellis didn’t immediately follow. Instead, he approached Braden as soon as Eve left the area.
Tom Ellis was a tall man, at least six feet four inches—a good three inches taller than Braden. Even more intimidating, he was nearly twice as wide—all beefed up with workout muscle. No wonder he looked astonished when Braden didn’t flinch.
The big man pointed a finger at Braden’s chest. “Go near Eve again and I’ll take you out, Jackson.”
Anger overrode Braden’s good sense. “She said you two aren’t mated.”
Tom Ellis’s face turned ruddy and his mouth thinned. The veins on his neck bulged and twitched as he clenched his fists. “I plan to remedy that real soon.”
A knot tightened in Braden’s chest over Ellis’s declaration—something so sinister in the way he’d saidremedy. Before Braden could respond, Ellis turned on his heel, transformed into a large gray wolf, and raced into the dense woods. A half second later, Braden shimmied out of his jeans and tracked after him.
