Sedona Sin Read online

  Of the born wolves left in Sedona, Cole was the best fit for our new Alpha. He was smart, coolheaded, and had grown up in a pack, so he had firsthand knowledge of what they should be. I’d mentioned it to him a couple of times, but so far, Cole didn’t agree with me.

  He knelt by the newscaster and opened his bag. Then he froze. Cole twisted toward Naomi. “This is…”

  “Chandler Williams.” She filled in the blank. “We had jaguars on the property, and I shot him before I realized he was trying to warn me.”

  Cole lowered his voice. “Are you sure? Why would he warn you? He’s one of the—”

  “I was there, all right?” Naomi shook her head, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Luckily I’m not a great shot or he’d be dead now.”

  Cole went to work cleaning out the wound and stitching it closed. Naomi assisted while I excused myself and went out the back door to dispose of both assassins’ remains. Because we always needed to maintain control of shifter DNA, we burned our dead on the remote corner of the forty-acre property. And in the age of private drone footage, we only set the pyres at night.

  I searched the guy, removing his guns and loaded clips, then pocketed his wallet. Later, we could look him up on the internet. Nine times out of ten it was a fake ID, but every once in a while, we got a hit on a Nero connection.

  Once I finished getting him ready to transport, I went back to my Jeep for a canvas tarp. Even after a couple of years in the violent world of shifters, I wasn’t numb to the blood and death. And if I could move them without being constantly reminded that they used to be people like me, I took it. I understood that shifters lived in a kill-or-be-killed world, but I didn’t have to embrace it.

  I rolled the assassin up in the tarp and hoisted the bundle over my shoulder. Since I’d been converted, my strength had increased to superhuman levels. I’d been strong as a man, often scaling the Red Rocks solo and without a rope, but now as a werewolf, I could pull myself up the perpendicular rock faces with three bodies hanging on my back. Usually the impossible strength was a rush, but sometimes it became an inescapable reminder that I was no longer human.

  I dropped the load into the back of my Jeep on top of the assassin I had shot in front of the house. For now, we were safe, but it shook me more than I wanted to admit that there were two of them tonight. Nero believed that jaguar shifters made better assassins than werewolves because jaguars worked well alone; werewolves were deemed lesser because we found strength in packs.

  Until tonight, the jaguars had never teamed up against us. Blocking the exits of the house to pen Naomi and the boys inside was a new tactic. I couldn’t help but wonder when they’d try again. If there had been a couple more jaguars, they could have overpowered me and Naomi eventually, especially since we were protecting the boys.

  I’d witnessed Adam, the Alpha of the Reno Pack, in action against Nero, and he had made sure there were no lone wolves. Everyone had a partner to watch their backs. We needed that kind of leadership here. Naomi never should have been alone in the house with the boys, especially after I had caught a jaguar’s scent in our territory. But we didn’t have a leader, we had a telephone party line. And if we weren’t careful, our lack of leadership was going to cost us.

  By the time I got back inside, Cole finished wrapping the news guy’s ribs, covering up the stitches on his side. I glanced over at Naomi. “He’s going to be all right?”

  “Looks like it.” She met my eyes. “Everything’s cleaned up outside?”

  “Yeah.” I waited for Cole to finish the bandages before I moved to stand beside him. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

  “Sure.” Cole looked over his patient. “How’s it feel?”

  “Sore, but I’ll live.” Chandler lifted his head. “Thanks for patching me up.”

  Shifters healed a little faster than humans, but we weren’t bulletproof and an infection could kill us just as easily as a human.

  Cole nodded and turned to Naomi. “Can you get him some water? He’s going to need fluids and I don’t have an IV kit here.”

  “Will do.” She headed for the sink, and I followed Cole out back. When we were finally out of earshot, which was pretty far since shifters had enhanced hearing, I stopped. “There were two jaguars after Naomi and the boys tonight. If they start working together, we’re screwed. This fight would’ve had a different outcome if they brought one or two more jaguars with them. They could’ve taken the boys while we were busy with the other two. She and her twins shouldn’t have been left unprotected. We need an Alpha for this pack to organize us and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

  Cole rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at the stars. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I think you should be the Alpha.”

  “I already told you I’m not interested.” Cole chuckled and met my eyes. “Still don’t understand why you think I’m your guy.”

  “It just makes sense.” I paused, hoping he’d agree, but he didn’t. “Look, you’re intelligent, fair, and you’ve been in this pack your whole life. It’s in your blood.”

  Cole sobered, shaking his head. “My father was never the Alpha. In my blood or not, I’ve never wanted to be the leader. I have enough on my plate, Asher.”

  I glanced at the house and back to Cole. “Dex and Deacon don’t want it, either, and half the time Jett already has one foot out the door.”

  Cole raised a brow. “Why not you?”

  “Even if I was willing, I wasn’t born to this life.” I shook my head. “Adam Sloan has a mystical bond to his pack that I’ll never have.”

  “Says who?” Cole crossed his arms. “You were bitten and changed into a werewolf, so what? You’re no less wolf than I am. Who cares if you were born into it or bitten?”

  I frowned. “Alphas are born, not bitten.”

  “That’s bullshit, Asher. Old werewolf legends.” Cole dropped his hands to his side. “Last I checked, there isn’t a werewolf bible out there. No commandments that bitten wolves can never lead.”

  “Have you ever met an Alpha that was bitten?”

  Cole chuckled. “To be fair, I’ve never met any male werewolf who was bitten and changed before Caldwell went on his spree. I think he set a new precedent as far as that goes. So why not take it a step further?”

  “I wouldn’t know what the hell to do.” My heart rate kicked up just considering it. “Caldwell was the only Alpha I ever had, and he was a sadistic psychopath.”

  “So call Adam Sloan and pick his brain.” Cole shrugged. “I think the rest of the pack would follow you.” He paused and chuckled. “Okay, jury is out on Jett, but he may not stick around anyway.”

  “You’re serious?” My thoughts and emotions jumbled together. I couldn’t lead a pack. “What about the fight to the death?”

  “You’re a bitten wolf, and no one else wants the job. New rules, right?”

  I leaned against the house and stared up at the stars. “I don’t know if I’m up for it.”

  Cole gripped my shoulder. “Want my two cents?”

  My gaze shifted to his face. “Lay it on me.”

  “Ever since we broke free from Caldwell, you’ve been taking up the slack anyway. You do it instinctively.” He took a step back. “Think about it. Before Isabelle and Raven left us to join the Reno Pack, you were the one looking out for Isabelle when Sebastian Severino came sniffing around on our turf. And when Raven called from Reno and asked us to help Adam Sloan get his little girl back, you rallied a few guys to go fight by his side.” He slapped my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I think you’re hardwired for this job. Bitten or born doesn’t matter. At least not to me.”

  “Do the others feel the same way?”

  “Do you really give a shit?” His voice evened out. “Seriously, Asher, why do you care what they think? The Sedona Pack isn’t going to be like any other wolf pack in America. We’ve got more bitten wolves in our pack now than we do born werewolves. Why shouldn’t we have an Alpha as different as we are?”

  CHAPTER 4

  Naomi

  After Cole and Asher went outside, I helped Chandler up off the floor and onto the couch. “I have a million questions.” I got him settled, then went into the kitchen to get him another glass of water. I brought it back and held it out to him.

  “Thanks.” He took it, and I sat down beside him.

  “When were you bitten?”

  He took a swallow of the water. “Short answer, I was visiting my little sister up in Reno when a jaguar attacked a coffee shop.”

  “I remember hearing about that.” It had been all over the local news. The story in the media had been that someone was raising illegal exotic animals and the giant cat had escaped. Apparently, that wasn’t the truth. “The jaguar was really a shifter…”

  “Yeah.” He set the glass down on the coffee table. “For a while, I was determined to out shifters to the world, but General Miller Sloan, Adam’s uncle, informed me that the government already knew about us. There were classified experiments into shape-shifting super soldiers, but they didn’t work out. As long as the records of shifters stay classified, we’re all safe from the human world.” He chuckled and winced, shaking his head. “Still sounds so bizarre to say it out loud.”

  “How did you end up in my backyard tonight?” It was the real question of the night.

  “I spend all my downtime following leads on jaguar shifters. I gave the general my word that I wouldn’t expose shifters, not that I wouldn’t try to stop them.” He stared at his hands. “I tracked the two jaguar shifters here.” He lifted his head. “When I realized you were a werewolf with little kids, I wanted to warn you to stay inside.”

  “Instead, I shot you.” I cringed. “Sorry about that.”

  “Nah.
” He shook his head. “In hindsight, it was pretty stupid for me to come out here like that. I wasn’t even armed. In my line of work, the camera is my defense. Sometimes I forget I’m on my own, and it doesn’t occur to me to bring a gun.”

  “How long have you known about our pack in Sedona?”

  “Not long. My sister lives up on Lake Tahoe, but she doesn’t know shifters exist. I felt shitty lying to her all the time, so when the job came up in Phoenix, I went for it.” He took another drink and met my eyes. “I came out here to shift during the new moon a few months ago and stumbled onto the werewolf scents.”

  “Do you know Vance? He’s a jaguar shifter, too.” I smiled. “He’s a free agent now since the fall of the Nero Organization.”

  Chandler started to smile and sucked in a slow breath. “Hurts to laugh.” He lifted his gaze. “Never thought about it before, but I guess I’m a free agent, too. No pack and no Nero. Is this Vance guy part of your pack?”

  I glanced at the door, unsure how much I should share with a news anchor. Exposing us would hurt Chandler, too, and he had risked his life to warn me about the assassins outside. I figured he had earned a little trust. “Actually…” Turning my focus back to the injured man, I cleared my throat. “We don’t have much of a pack at the moment. I mean, we all live around here, but…”

  Chandler frowned. “I thought werewolves all lived in…” His voice drifted off for a second. “Oh. That’s why you were alone here with your kids. No Alpha would leave the next generation so vulnerable.” He quickly put his hand up. “I wasn’t saying you’re not capable. You killed the other one and almost got me, too.”

  I understood what he was trying to get across. If we had an Alpha making sure all our weak spots were covered, it wouldn’t be so easy for the jaguar shifters or anyone else to threaten us. It didn’t take a genius to know that the kids were the best leverage.

  “Caldwell, our previous Alpha, died without an heir to ascend.” I rested my head on my elbow. “So for now…” I shrugged.

  He raised a brow. “No one wants the job?”

  “It’s a little more complicated, but something like that.” The door opened behind me, and Asher and Cole came back inside.

  Cole went directly to Chandler. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better.” He nodded. “Probably not ready to run back to my car a couple miles down the road, but I’m not blacking out anymore.”

  “Good.” Cole turned to me. “Is there an extra room for him here?”

  Asher frowned, stopping next to me. “We barely know this guy. It’s too risky.”

  “Okay. You’re right.” Cole crossed his arms and looked at Asher. “Maybe you should stay here tonight. Keep an eye on him.”

  I bit my lower lip to keep from agreeing too soon. I could take care of myself and my sons, but part of me ached for Asher to stay close by.

  Asher and Cole stared at each other, having a silent conversation the rest of us weren’t privy to. Finally, Asher turned my way. “Chandler could sleep on the couch, and I’ll stay and keep watch. What do you think?”

  After I’d been bitten, my free will had been ripped out of my clenched hands and Caldwell’s orders had become law. Asher always seemed to make a point of asking for my opinion, my consent, and it still surprised me sometimes that someone cared what I thought. I hated that more than any of Caldwell’s abuses: he’d stripped me of my core belief that I mattered.

  I bottled up the bitterness. No time for it now anyway. “Works for me. I’ll be sure the boys stay put so you don’t have unexpected visitors.”

  Asher nodded, turning to Chandler. “I’ll take you back to your car tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank you.” Chandler took out his cell phone and handed it to Asher. “Adam Sloan will vouch for me.”

  Asher scrolled through the contacts and clicked on Adam’s name, but he didn’t make the call. “That’s his number. No sense waking him.” He gave the cell back to Chandler and focused on Cole. “I’ve got to finish the cleanup outside. Can you stay until I get back?”

  “Sure thing.” Cole nodded. “You need help?”

  “Nah. I’ve got it.” Asher’s dark eyes met mine. “Wait for me.”

  I nodded, not sure I could speak. The expression in his eyes said so much more than words ever could. Either that or I was reading into every tiny nuance searching for a hidden meaning.

  Before I could think of a snappy reply, Asher was gone.

  Cole helped me get Chandler on his feet again so I could cover the couch with a sheet. I got an extra blanket and comforter from the closet, and Chandler settled into the makeshift bed. We had guest rooms with beds, but Asher obviously wanted the jaguar in the open where we could observe him, and since we barely knew the guy, Asher was probably right.

  Chandler drifted off to sleep quickly, and Cole followed me into the kitchen, keeping his voice low. “What do you think about Asher becoming our new Alpha?”

  My eyes widened. “Is it even possible for him to ascend? He wasn’t born a wolf.”

  “Honestly?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. But the way I figure it, half of our pack is made up of bitten wolves anyway.” Cole glanced out the window. “Asher asked me to take the job.”

  “You don’t want to be Alpha?”

  He looked over at me, shaking his head. “No.” His gaze flicked over to the couch. Chandler didn’t move. Cole focused on me again. “I can’t, Naomi. I don’t think any of us could at this point. We watched Caldwell spiral into the insanity that led to all of you being bitten, and we didn’t do anything to stop him. The sins we committed…” He shook his head and stared down at his shoes. “It keeps me up at night knowing that I allowed it to happen. I convinced myself there was nothing we could do. If Luke Reynolds hadn’t come to Sedona and reminded us what a real wolf pack should be… Damn. Would we still have wolves shifting in the storage unit?”

  A muscle jumped in his cheek as he ground his teeth and met my eyes. “We need an Alpha who is better than that. Asher has always been that guy.”

  I blew out a shaky breath. Cole was right. Even with Caldwell’s physical and mental abuse, Asher had never broken.

  Ryker had told me about the night Caldwell ordered him and Asher hold Luke steady while the others beat him almost to death. When Luke collapsed on the ground, Asher had refused Caldwell’s command to pick him back up so the beating could continue. Caldwell had aimed a pistol at Asher’s chest and Asher still defied him. He would’ve rather died than be Caldwell’s dog.

  Asher’s line in the sand had been drawn, and after that, he never crossed it. He was the only member of the pack to stand up to Caldwell.

  I lifted my gaze to Cole’s face. “What about the others? They wouldn’t agree, would they? And even if we got Asher to come around to the idea, aren’t there some kind of mystical Alpha powers that are supposed to ignite inside him? What if he doesn’t get those powers?”

  “Even without the extra abilities, having Asher lead would be better than what we have right now. He’s already been patrolling every night when he’s off work. He does it because he cares, not because anyone asked him to.” Cole shrugged. “Sounds like a damned fine Alpha to me.”

  I went to the sink. In the distance, an orange light flickered. Asher had lit the pyre. The flames danced in the darkness, hypnotic. “What about the fight to the death?” I forced myself to turn away from the fire and focus on Cole. “Asher won’t kill anyone in this pack, and if they tried to attack him, they’d have to go through me first.”

  That raised Cole’s eyebrows. He chuckled. “He’s lucky to have you in his corner.” Sobering, he went on. “I asked Asher to think about it. Truth is, there’s not another pack out there like ours. We’ve got four werewolves born into the pack, five who were bitten—and one of those is also a skin walker—and then there’s Vance.”