Wolf's Fall

Book 6: Alpha Pack

by J. D. Tyler

Genres: Paranormal; War & Military; Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

Still tormented by his recent captivity, Alpha Pack commander Nick Westfall isn't sure he's fit to lead-especially when he meets the one woman he can't claim without reliving the torture he endured at the hands of a rogue vampire.

Vampire princess Calla Shaw has seen her own share of heartbreak, but she can tell that the wild attraction she and Nick feel for each other could turn into something significant-if only he'd let it. But Calla isn't about to give up on her mate without a fight.

Time is running out, not only for Nick to claim his mate but for Calla and her coven. A vampire war is on the horizon, one the Alpha Pack can't hope to win if their leader can't pull himself back from the abyss.

Contains mature themes.

Release date: December 2, 2014

Publisher: Berkley

Print pages: 352

Sample

PRAISE FOR THE

Also by J. D. Tyler

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to:

One

Alpha Pack commander Nick Westfall strode from his office and down the main corridor of the compound, his heavy black boots muffled on the carpet.

His hand went to his side, fingers touching briefly on the butt of the firearm tucked into the waistband of his jeans. He pulled his T-shirt down to cover it and kept walking.

I should feel something, shouldn’t I? Fear? Self-loathing? Regret?

Yes, all of those things shredded his guts like razor blades, but not because of what he might be about to do. He wanted to hold on. It wasn’t in his nature to give up, ever. But the storm within battered him from all sides, tidal waves washing over his head again and again until it seemed there was nothing left to do but just let go. Drown.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Carter Darrow’s sinister smile splitting his cold face. Day and night, the phantom press of the dead vampire’s body, fangs piercing his skin, unwillingly aroused him all over again.

Worse, he’d begged for it. The nightmare of his time with Darrow never left him. The vampire had broken him down, mind and body, to the lowest common denominator of flesh, blood, and desire. He was nothing but what the creature wanted him to be: enslaved.

Choking off a bitter laugh, he turned a corner and almost mowed down Hammer—aka former Special Agent John Ryder. His best friend and right hand, the one man who’d been with him for years. Endured all sorts of shit with him since their days in the FBI, passing a few years as humans. The one man who would see through Nick’s mask in a heartbeat if Nick wasn’t careful.

“Where you goin’ in such a hurry?” The big wolf shifter was half teasing, but the easygoing smile met a quick death as he studied Nick’s face. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” he said casually. “Just going out to the hangar to check on the repairs of that Huey, and then I’m heading over to Sanctuary to see how things are going with the new residents.”

All of that was the truth. He’d just left out his next, possibly final, destination. Still, the huge bald man narrowed his eyes, shifted his stance, clearly communicating that his bullshit detector was fully functioning. They’d been friends too long to miss when something was off with the other.

“I’ll go with you.”

A test. One he’d fail if he refused his friend’s company, and the guy knew it. Shrugging, he said, “Sure.”

Nick could fool most people, but not the former undercover agent whose life had depended on his ability to read the subtle nuances of tone, body language, and facial expression. And he probably knew Nick better than anyone else ever had, even Nick’s own brother.

As they headed for the hangar, a buzz vibrated against Nick’s thigh. Fishing in his front pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and let out a frustrated breath as he saw his brother’s name on the screen. Hell, the guys of the Pack were more his brothers than Damien had ever been.

He should have known. Just when he wanted nothing more than to be left alone, especially by that asshole, he had a couple of minders breathing down his neck. “Fuck off,” he muttered, pushing the button to decline the call. Then he shoved the device back into his pocket.

“You not gonna answer that?”

“Nope. Thought the ‘fuck off’ made it pretty obvious.”

Hammer was unperturbed, sliding on his sunglasses as they stepped outside. “You know he’ll just keep calling back.”

“Yeah, he’s a dick like that.”

“He cares.”

Nick shot him a glare. They had been friends for years, since long before the Pack. The others might suspect that Hammer had known the sad story of Nick’s past all along, but nobody knew for sure and no one had asked in the days since everything had come out.

Hammer had known, almost from the start of their friendship. And he had never told a soul. He was the most loyal, steadfast friend a man could ask for.

Few people knew better what Nick had been through twenty years ago, after making a horrible mistake. He’d used his abilities as a PreCog to change the future, saving his daughter’s life. But his actions had cost his mate her life instead—at Carter Darrow’s hands. Damien had banished Nick from their clan and forced him to leave a then-eleven-year-old Selene behind. He’d lost his daughter, mate, brother, and clan, in one fell swoop. It was that bastard Darrow’s fault—but Damien could have handled things differently. The heartless prick could have supported Nick instead of casting him out.

Which was why Hammer’s pushing Nick to reconcile with his brother completely baffled him. Coming back to the present, he realized he’d stopped to stare at his friend.

“You really want to go there with me?” he asked in a warning tone.

“Just sayin’.” Thankfully, his friend lapsed back into quiet mode until they reached the cavernous hangar, and didn’t bring up the subject of Damien again.

In the driveway outside the building, some of the guys were waxing the SUVs. Correction: most were waxing and two others were goofing off. Jaxon Law, Ryon Hunter, Zander Cole, and Micah Chase were polishing the freshly washed black vehicles to a high shine while Aric Savage and Kalen Black were running around throwing wet, soapy sponges at each other. Nick exchanged an amused look with Hammer and the two of them stopped to watch.

“Gotcha!” Kalen yelled as his missile hit Aric’s chest with a wet splat.

“Yeah? Take this!” The redheaded wolf shifter returned the favor, dipping his sponge into a bucket and then letting it fly, hitting the Sorcerer in the head.

“Oh, yeah? Die, mangy wolf!”

With that, Kalen waved a hand at his own bucket—and the contents shot from it, completely drenching Aric. Who sputtered, cursed, and laughed at the same time.

“You fucker! That’s cheating!” He wiped soap from his eyes and gave Kalen an evil grin. “You’re gonna pay, Magic Man.”

Aric waved a hand at his own bucket, the sudsy water splashing on the concrete as he used his gift of telekinesis to hurl the entire thing at Kalen. Who immediately used his own magic to stop the bucket midair and send it straight back at Aric. Halfway to Aric, the bucket met with equal resistance and hung suspended between them.

“Stalemate,” Kalen said dryly.

“Yeah. All the water’s gone anyway.”

With the ceasing of their power, the bucket fell unceremoniously to the ground with a clatter. Nick rolled his eyes and stepped forward. “Is that all you two idiots have to do today? I’m sure I can find jobs for you. Like cleaning the staff restrooms, for example.”

The words apparently held no real heat, though, from the unrepentant grins he received in response. Aric answered, “Nah, that’s quite all right. I’m sure we can find something to keep ourselves occupied, can’t we, Goth Boy?”

“You bet, Red.” Kalen plucked at his soggy T-shirt.

Hard to imagine that just months ago, those two were at each other’s throats. Now they were horsing around like a couple of teenagers, all smiles. Who knew?

And how far would it set them and the entire team back once Nick was gone?

Nick shook his head to clear that thought. “Anybody know if the Huey’s fixed?”

“The mechanic’s still in there,” Jax said, tossing down his polishing rag. “He was replacing a couple of parts last time I checked.”

“Okay. I’ll go take a look.”

“You ever seen this guy before?”

Nick studied the tattooed shifter, who was rubbing his goatee thoughtfully. “Scott? Just met him earlier today when he interviewed with me. Why?”

“I don’t know, but Tom really loved his job taking care of our vehicles. Guess it just doesn’t sit right that he left without so much as a ‘see ya.’”

“I thought that was weird, too,” Nick admitted. “But Grant confirmed Tom’s departure and vouched for Scott. He seemed competent enough when I spoke with him before.”

“Never mind. I just thought it was strange the way Tom left without a word. That’s all. And in our world, strange isn’t typically a good thing.”

Nick gave a soft laugh. “True. I’ll keep an eye on him.” And how the fuck was he supposed to make good on that when he wasn’t planning on hanging around?

Aric nodded, attitude sober now. “We all will.”

Leaving them to finish the SUVs, Nick strode into the hangar, Hammer still dogging his heels. It was rapidly becoming apparent he wasn’t going to shake his friend anytime soon. Damn. He didn’t know whether to yell or be grateful.

Forcing himself to focus, he crossed the expanse of the hangar to where Scott was working by the nose, grease-covered hands fiddling with some wires. At their approach, the man looked over and turned to greet them, pulling a dirty rag from his front pocket and wiping his hands.

“Hey, there. I think I’ve got her fit to hit the clouds again.”

“Good to know.” Nick studied Scott again, taking closer note than he had during their interview.

Scott Morgan was thirty-one, according to the employee profile Grant had e-mailed to him, and had plenty of experience working on aircraft. He wasn’t overly tall, maybe five-ten or -eleven. Slight build, hands that appeared work roughened, as they should. His brown hair was clean but a little shaggy, falling into dark eyes, and his demeanor was relaxed. His expression was friendly. There wasn’t a single thing the least bit disturbing about the mechanic.

Except that he’d replaced their regular man so suddenly, without warning. Nick was falling down on his job when it took his team members to point out a potential concern. The shame nearly consumed him. He wasn’t doing anyone a favor by remaining here as their leader.

Time for that issue later. Nick gestured to the craft. “So, we can take her for a spin?”

“Absolutely. Whenever you’re ready.” Scott pulled out his cell phone. “In fact, I can call Steven if you need a pilot.”

Steven was one of the Pack’s standby pilots who lived in the nearby town of Cody, Wyoming. He and a couple of others filled in to help out Aric when the team needed more than one pilot to go out on a call. The extra personnel was approved by General Jarrod Grant, and sworn to secrecy involving whatever they might witness on the mission. A must when Nick’s team was made up of wolf shifters—and one panther—with special Psy abilities. Their job entailed battling the world’s most lethal paranormal and human enemies, and anyone from the “outside” had to be trusted implicitly.

“That won’t be necessary,” Aric said, entering the hangar and approaching the group. “I can take everybody.” His long red hair, T-shirt, and shorts were still damp, and he wore flip-flops on his feet. He looked more like he belonged in a rock band than at the controls of a helicopter. But he was a damned good pilot, even from before his time in the military.

“Oh. Okay.” Scott put away his phone. “I can ride along if you all want. Make sure she’s running smooth.”

Aric smiled. “That’s a great idea.”

Nick knew that smile. It was the fake one the Telekinetic/Firestarter gave people he didn’t trust, and Nick wasn’t sure why the man was leveling it at Scott. In fact, his own PreCog abilities hadn’t given him a single vision or even a vibe about the new mechanic. That in itself wasn’t unusual or alarming. It wasn’t like he saw everything. But he trusted Aric’s instincts.

“I agree,” he said. “If she’s still doing anything funny, you can make some adjustments when we get her on the ground.”

The mechanic nodded. “Sounds good.”

Nick didn’t add that even if there was something seriously wrong with the copter, it wasn’t going to crash with Aric on board to set it down safely. Their Psy gifts came in damned handy sometimes.

If Scott had caught on to their wariness of him, he didn’t show it as they boarded the Huey. Nick took the copilot’s seat up front with Aric, while Hammer sat behind them with the mechanic. Aric hit a button and the roof above them slowly slid open to reveal the bright skies. The blades started with a whine and in moments they were lifting off.

The ground fell away, and Nick let himself enjoy the view of the mountains and valleys, the lush green forest below. He wondered whether he’d ever see it like this again, with the earth far below him.

Maybe, if battered old wolves were allowed in heaven.

The ride went without a hitch. After about an hour, Aric brought the Huey around and headed back to the compound. Once they landed in the hangar, Aric shut off the copter and saw to refueling it while Nick and Hammer thanked Scott and said good-bye.

After the man left, Jax and the others who’d been washing and waxing the vehicles walked into the hangar, clearly curious as to Nick’s impression of Scott. They were joined by Phoenix Monroe, a Pack brother who was a Firewalker in addition to being a wolf. Meaning, the guy could literally walk through fire without being burned—unless he purposely dropped his shields.

Hammer posed the question on all their minds. “You think Scott’s legit?”

“Logic says yes,” Nick said. “But I didn’t get any visions.”

“You tried to read him?” the big man asked.

“Yeah. There was just nothing.”

His friend didn’t appear pleased about that news. “My wolf’s nose says he’s human, at least. Not a shifter or a vampire.”

“Mine, too. Unless he’s somehow masking his scent.”

Phoenix frowned. “How could he do that?”

“He couldn’t, but someone could do it for him. Someone powerful could, like a Sorcerer, or perhaps there’s a drug we don’t know about that has the capability.”

“That’s a disturbing thought,” Hammer put in.

“Which one?”

“Both.” Hammer eyed him. “Have you actually heard anything about a drug that can mask scent?”

“No, but who knows what all is out there? Our own medical team is working on a drug to delay the negative effects of mating sickness. Nobody outside the compound, except Grant, knows about it.”

“Say what?” Phoenix stared at Nick. “A drug that can delay having to mate? Who are they using for test subjects?”

Nick cringed inwardly at the sudden interest from the wolf. He thought of Noah Brooks, the human nurse who’d been waiting for Phoenix to claim him as his mate, and regretted mentioning it. “They’ve got a couple, from Sanctuary. They haven’t mentioned needing more volunteers.”

He sensed his attempt to deflect the wolf from the subject wasn’t successful. Phoenix excused himself in a hurry, and Nick shook his head. Another fuckup to add to his growing list.

“Shit,” he muttered, watching Nix’s retreating back.

Hammer shook his head. “Hey, you don’t make his choices, or anyone else’s. If he breaks Noah’s heart, or his own, that’s on his head.” There was a murmur of general agreement from the others.

“I know, but we can’t afford to lose two good men.” Nick ran a hand through his hair, which needed a trim. Like it mattered. “Anyway, about the testing. I was just trying to make a point.”

“I got it,” his friend said. “It stands to reason there are plenty of paranormal studies we don’t know about, considering how many different groups there are. Either way, we’ll keep an eye on Scott. Want us to watch him?”

“For the time being. If he’s up to something, we’ll find out sooner or later.”

“Do we know where he’s staying?” Hammer asked.

“His contact info lists a motel in Cody, supposedly while he looks for a place to rent. Also, call Tom and see if he’ll shed more light on his departure.”

“Will do, right after we’re done at Sanctuary.”

The others dispersed to tackle other tasks. Hammer stayed with Nick as he walked to the Sanctuary building, and Nick resigned himself to his friend’s presence. Truthfully, he found the man’s dogged persistence comforting. He wasn’t half as annoyed as he tried to be.

They entered the lobby of the facility, and he stopped for a moment to admire the completed project. The place was like a high-end long-term-
care home for shifters and other injured, sick, or displaced paranormals—except instead of coming there to receive comfort and care at the end of their lives, they were there to begin to live.

It was certainly a lofty goal, and though it hadn’t been his brainchild, he’d been in full support of the project since its inception. Kira, Jax’s mate, had founded Sanctuary. When she’d first come to live at the compound, she’d been horrified at the treatment received by the residents of Block R—the rehabilitation wing. In particular, she’d bonded with their Fae prince, Sariel, or “Blue” as some called him, who’d been depressed and uncommunicative. No wonder, as he’d been exiled from his realm, captured by the Pack, and was wasting away in the equivalent of a jail cell.

Kira had been passionate about having a real facility to treat paranormals, one that would use staff trained in delivering love and understanding rather than a punitive system that inspired fear. With Blue’s and Noah’s help, she’d put together quite the haven. That wasn’t to say they didn’t have their hard-core, sometimes dangerous cases that required extra measures, such as restraints or drugs, for everyone’s safety. But they received better care than ever before.

The lobby was empty except for the receptionist and a lone shifter sitting in one of the oversized chairs, curled up with a blanket around her shoulders, staring out the window. A nurse hovered near her, tidying the area and keeping an eye on her charge.

“Been wondering about her story,” Hammer commented quietly, eyeing the small tiger shifter. “She always looks so sad.”

Nick kept his voice down. “Her name’s Leila. She and her brother, Leonidis, were attacked while in Cody on some sort of assignment.”

“What kind of assignment?”

“Not sure. She and her brothers are a pride of big-cat shifters, and they run some sort of detective agency. The one upstairs on the hospital floor was injured pretty badly and might not make it.

“Damn.” The man cast a glance toward her filled with something like longing. “I’ll ask her later if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.”

Interesting. Nick pondered his friend’s reaction to Leila as they got into the elevator. In fact, Hammer had been much more animated lately. Talkative. Very unlike the typically quiet guy Nick had known for so long. But he didn’t want to point that out and cause the man to clam up.

On one of the residence floors, they exited the elevator and Nick asked around for Kira. Since he’d given Hammer the excuse of coming here to check on things, he might as well make good. He learned she was tied up on the phone in her office, and instead found Noah coming down the hallway toward them. The head nurse gave them a sunny smile, tired blue eyes at odds with his happy expression.

“Hey, guys. What’s up?”

Nick stopped and studied the younger man carefully. He looked more than tired—vibes of sadness were coming off Noah in waves, though he probably didn’t realize it. “Just checking to see how things are going over here. Any problems?”

“Ha! Is it a day that ends in D-A-Y?” he quipped, making a face.

Nick chuckled in spite of himself. “That bad, huh?”

“No—okay, yeah. But nothing we haven’t been able to handle.”

“Leo?” Hammer guessed.

Noah blew out a breath. “He’s one issue in a string of them. He crashed two hours ago and we almost lost him. Between fighting to save him and fighting with his unruly family, I’m about ready to put in my notice. Go park my ass on a beach somewhere and sip fruity drinks.”

“Except you won’t,” Nick told him with a half smile. “You care too much.”

“Total personality fault,” Noah assured him. “I’m working on it.”

Nick clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t change a thing. You’re doing great, a real asset to everyone here.”

The nurse’s face flushed and he looked pleased. “Well, thanks. I’ve got lots of help, though.”

A familiar tingling sensation began in Nick’s fingers where they gripped Noah’s shoulder. It was one of the hallmarks of a vision coming on, though he didn’t need to touch people or even be near them to “see” a glimpse into the future. His eyesight swam, and a buzzing overtook his brain. Then the corridor disappeared and the scene unfolded.

“He’s gone?” Phoenix glanced around at his Pack brothers in confusion. “Where did he go? When’s he coming back?”

“He left, idiot,” Aric snarled, eyeing Nix in disgust. “Did you really think he’d stay after what you did to him in front of everyone?”

“I—I was going to apologize! That’s why I’m looking for him!” His voice took on a desperate edge. “Is he staying in Cody? It doesn’t matter. I’ll find him and make him understand how sorry I am. I’ll—”

“There’s more,” Jax put in, his expression grim. “Noah’s been taken.”

“Taken . . .” Nix uttered the word, obviously trying to make sense of it.

“He was kidnapped, by Jinn. I’m sorry, man. But we’ll find him. I promise.”

“No,” he moaned in agony. His legs buckled and Aric grabbed him to keep him from hitting the ground. “God, no.”

The vision faded, though Nick tried to hang on to it. He became aware of his surroundings again, and the other men’s voices asking whether he was all right.

“I’m fine,” he said hoarsely, trying to clear his head.

Here was the part that sucked about being a PreCog—the urge to tell people what was in store for them. His general rule, though, was to be vigilant but never to tamper with the future.

And who the hell was Jinn?

“You sure you’re okay?” Noah asked, grabbing his wrist to check his pulse. “You’re kinda pale.”

“I’m good.” He took his hand back and gave the nurse a reassuring smile. “Anyway, I was making a point. Never sell yourself short. The work you do here is tough, and it’s important. Utilizing your team is essential to success, and that’s something you excel in—which is why you’re in charge of the nurses. Don’t forget that.”

Noah stood a bit straighter. “I won’t. Thanks, Nick.”

“We’ll let you get back to work,” he said. “Call if you need us.”

“I will.”

He thought about giving Noah a small pep talk about his would-be Bondmate, but decided against it for the time being. Besides, who was he to give anyone warm fuzzies on that subject?

As he and Hammer left the building, he said, “Listen, I’m going to go for a run. When I get back, let me know what you found out about Tom.”

“I will.”

But instead of veering off, his friend walked with him all the way to the back of the compound, where the forest began. When Nick stopped, Hammer was quiet a moment before he spoke.

“You get a vision back there?”

“Yeah.” He debated whether to reveal what he’d seen. But what if he wasn’t around to help the would-be mates through their trials? Someone should know. “Phoenix and Noah. They’re going to have it rough for a while. Not sure when, but some bad shit is coming, too.”

His friend frowned. “Like what? You talkin’ in general, or something specific?”

“The bad shit is someone named Jinn, and he’s going to kidnap Noah.” He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s all I know.”

“Jesus,” the big man muttered. “That’s more detail than you’ve ever let me in on before. Why?”

“I just felt you should know.”

“What for? What I am supposed to do that you can’t— Wait.” Then Hammer narrowed his icy blue eyes at Nick. “You’ve been trying to shake me off your tail all day, and now this. I know what you’re planning to do.”

“I don’t follow.” But he did, of course.

Hammer’s voice was sharp as the crack of a gun. “Don’t lie to me. Not to me, goddammit! I know you’ve been through hell. And I know you want out, but—”

“You have no fucking idea how messed up my head is,” he shouted, jabbing a finger at his friend’s chest. “Not a day goes by that I don’t feel Carter Darrow’s fangs in my neck! That I don’t remember what it was like, begging that bastard to drain me dry! He raped my soul, and I don’t know how to live with that.”

“You had no choice,” the other man emphasized. “It wasn’t your fault. Vampires seduce their prey. That’s how they operate.”

His anger began to deflate, leaving him hollow. “I know that. But it doesn’t make living with the nightmare any easier.”

“And then there’s Calla.”

Nick’s jaw tightened, his gut clenching. “What about her?”

“Man, I saw how you reacted to her at the party the other day,” he said, studying Nick carefully. “You exchanged a few words, looked at her like she’d grown a second head, and lit out of there like your ass was on fire. She your mate?”

“Where’d you come up with that?” He swallowed hard.

“I’m asking. It’s not that tough a question.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a tough answer.” Nick sighed, looking away. His heart hurt like it was being scored with razor blades—proving he wasn’t dead inside. Unfortunately. “Tell me what I’m supposed to do about having a Bondmate, one I can’t stand the thought of touching me the way Darrow did. Seducing me, and feeding from me.”

“Shit.” Hammer paused. “You can get past it. I believe that.”

“I wish I had your faith.”

“One thing is for sure—I’m not going to stand by and watch you kill yourself. Not that I really believe you’ll go through with it.”

He gave a bitter laugh. “What makes you so certain?”

“You care too much,” Hammer said simply. “About your daughter, about Noah and Phoenix, your whole team. Even the mate you don’t want. You care, and you won’t leave no matter how much you want to.”

Misery clogged his throat. His friend was right, and he hated it. Turning, he looked out, into the forest he loved so much, and at the mountains beyond. The one place that had always given him comfort. Until recently. Now even his wolf didn’t care whether they ran. He was curled up inside Nick, hurting deep in the core of his being.

He took a breath. “I’ve lived over two hundred years, and as a born wolf I’ll live a lot longer. I’ve seen so many changes in the world. I’ve lost more than I ever thought I could and still