Page 8 of Forged Alliances
Chapter Four
Dax surged past Sierra in the parking lot, leading the way to his truck. He came to a stop in front of his truck, a sleek black beauty that had gotten him out of more scrapes than he could count. Wind rattled the tarp over the bed of the truck, which covered bags of cement leftover from his last contractor job.
“Hop on in,” he said, unlocking the car and slipping into the driver’s seat. The second he turned the ignition, the powerful engine thrummed under him, a wisp of control amid all this family bullshit he now dragged the Red Rock pack into. He rolled down the windows before gliding out of the parking lot and entering the highway.
Sierra leaned out the window, her forearm pressed against the frame as the breeze tangled strands of her long ponytail. Already the sun promised a scorching day, and blossoming sweat glued his tee to his chest. He tugged at the neck, gripping the steering wheel with the other hand as he zoomed across the asphalt, making his way to the place he’d grown up, the home and people he thought he’d known until they’d exiled him.
“How many folks stayed?” Sierra’s voice cut through the darker thoughts beginning to crop up.
“About a dozen,” he responded, brushing away the couple of strands of hair plastered to his forehead. “Most of the elders, the toughest, weathered members of the pack. The whole thing tore families apart, since the other half came with me. They’re waiting for me to make a move on Drew and the others, but if this is our pack’s civil war, I’d rather settle this between Drew and me than let the rest of the pack get bloody in the process. Our best chance might be making enough noise to draw the Tribe to the region.”
Sierra’s lips formed a thin line as she nodded. Any alpha knew what complications could arise by grabbing the attention of the governing group of shifters who ruled over the entire East Coast. Drag them into this dispute, and the entire Silver Springs pack was liable to be punished for their inability to self-govern. His father had left a legacy of trouble, of a disregard for the honor his people were supposed to uphold.
“Jer’s the best at what he does,” Sierra said. “If your father’s will holds any weight among the pack, he’ll be able to figure it out.”
He pressed on the gas pedal, hurtling ahead. As prickly as she’d been on their first meeting, he warmed up to Sierra Kanoska faster than he liked. She strode into a room with command, yet had the wry humor to tease back, to indulge in the games his feline side loved, and her heart was big enough to offer reassurance at the right time. He understood at once why her wolf pack followed her with such a fierce devotion.
Shame flushed through him at his own splintered front. Sure, the cats who’d separated would back him with their last breath, but he couldn’t help but wonder if a stronger leader could’ve kept the pack together. Somehow.
Familiar highway markers flashed into view, green-and-white exit signs he’d seen a thousand and one times, yet now he entered the area as an intruder, a stranger in his own home. Even if his brother’s splitting of the pack hadn’t made the area dangerous territory, the betrayal of pack members Dax had grown up with and considered aunts and uncles sliced him too deeply to move past.
The silent brooding he’d slipped into came to a close with the way Sierra kept glancing his way. His pride wouldn’t allow her to witness him sulking around like some kid. “You seem to keep finding excuses to get me alone,” Dax purred, slipping into avoidance mode.
Sierra’s gaze hardened and her jaw jutted forward. “Anyone ever mention you’ve got a one-track mind? No wonder you need my help figuring out a solution to your problem.”
The jab sank home, piercing his tough-as-shit shell and driving straight into the meat of his current insecurities. His gaze flared, and his grip on the wheel tightened. “I’m not the one who’s buzzing with pent-up sexual frustration. What’s the matter? Scare too many men out of your bed?”
She didn’t respond, but judging by how her lips pressed tightly and the claws pricked from her nails, he’d crossed a line. He’d encountered a great many who sparked his temper before, but rarely did anyone challenge him like she did. “What’s the matter?” he added, unable to resist himself. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Go to hell,” Sierra snapped. “Maybe you’ll find some more original material there.” Her dark eyes blazed with her irritation, and a fine line formed between her brows while she frowned at him. Poking the bear—or the wolf in this case—wasn’t in his best interest, but since she’d proven herself to be as prideful as he was, he didn’t believe for a second she’d dive into a care-and-share on why his comment pissed her off.
Ahead, a thick grove of oaks, birches, and sugar maples swarmed the horizon, a forest he’d raced through from early on and memorized every square inch of. His mother used to scruff him as a cub, dragging him back home from these woods when he’d run off. After her sunshine-and-steel presence had faded away due to ovarian cancer, none of the males in their family had quite recovered.
Dax slowed and pulled onto an unpaved turnoff, one the pack used. Shade devoured them in a heartbeat, from the overhang of the thick, lush oaks towering above the others. Being around here set his nerves at a constant simmer, and he wasn’t the only one. Sierra’s gaze burned holes into the back of his head.
Not like he’d go slinking in with his head bowed, but he needed her help and he needed her focused. As he settled into Park, he winked at her. “Maybe your wolf pups are scared to tangle with a strong woman, but darling, I’d devour you.” Heat flooded his voice.
Even though the intensity of her gaze hadn’t lessened, he didn’t miss the way her tongue glided over those fuck-me lips and how she shifted in her seat. Her copper skin didn’t betray a blush, but he’d hazard a guess other parts heated in response.
“Nice to know you’re focused,” she shot back, the sharpness from before leaving her tone.
His grin widened. “It’s what I’m known for. Now stop wasting all this time flirting with me. We’ve got a job to do.” Before she could respond, he hopped out of his truck and closed the door. A growl came from Sierra’s side as she slunk from her seat and slammed the car door shut with extra emphasis—enough to make the frame of his truck reverberate. The woman had a formidable temper, but most shifters did—especially other alphas.
“So we’re in enemy territory now, yes?” Sierra asked, striding past him toward the woods. “Meaning anyone we might encounter around here will view us as hostile?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a lazy salute as he kept pace. “We’re here to poke around and see if we overhear anything. If there’s unrest at my brother’s camp, we may be able to push at the dissenting ones rather than needing to bring things to the Tribe.”
“And rather than bringing your own pack for this highly dangerous mission, you’re trusting me?” she asked, stopping her tread to face him. “Unless this is a trap and you’re looking to eliminate competition.”
Dax let out a slow exhale. “I understand the distrust, so I’ll be clear with you—my motives in bringing you aren’t a hundred percent pure. If my pack shows up and we’re discovered, it’ll be an instant fight, no questions asked.”
Sierra nodded with her arms crossed in front of her and her shrewd eyes always analyzing. “It’s one thing fighting against your old pack members but another fighting a war on two fronts. Enough to make anyone hesitate. And you’re bringing the alpha of an outsider pack in a very clear statement,” she murmured, her brows lifting. “Clever move.”
Praise from her sank into his bones, giving him confidence he’d been missing. She had a way about her, a blunt honesty that didn’t trifle with false flattery or wasted words. Sierra fascinated him—that much he didn’t bother denying. Even though he flirted with her to get a rise, he had to admit he relished the idea of tangling with someone as powerful and gorgeous as the wolf alpha.
“Leave your clothes here,” he said, jerking a thumb near his car. “We’ll pick them up on our way out.” With the swiftness he expected, she shucked her clothes to the ground, and he followed suit. They continued walking until they reached the end of the unpaved road leading into the woods where amber rays of escaped sunlight glowed through the tree branches.
“Follow me,” he directed, letting the shift roll through him.