Jake shifted to get a better look at the man’s face. Even with the distance separating them Jake could see the light blue of the man’s eyes. They almost looked milky white with a swirl of blue bleeding through it. The man’s skin was pale with deep, dark circles under both eyes. Jake watched as the man straightened from staking the wood that had fallen from the pile and his shaggy brown hair fell across his face. The layers lay in different lengths as if he had cut his hair himself and done a terrible job at it.
Mine! a voice inside his head screamed. Jake straightened and made to stand up.
“What are you doing?” Holden hissed in a low voice. He grabbed Jake by the arm and yanked him back down to the ground.
Holden’s tight grip on his arm shook him from his trance. He turned to look at Holden. “He’s mine.”
“What?” Holden mouthed. His jaw went slack.
“He’s my mate.” He tried to get up but Holden refused to let go of his arm.
“If you go over there spouting off that you’re his mate he might freak out.” Seth leaned closer to whisper.
Jake stared hard at Seth. No one was going to keep him from his mate. A low growl bubbled up his chest and his lips pulled back as he snarled at Seth.
The sound of something thudding to the ground had all three of them jerking their heads back toward the small cabin.
“Who’s out there?” the man shouted.
Jake tried to stand up but Holden still had a death grip on his hand. “Let go of me.” His voice came out garbled. His canines had lengthened from his gums and his lips and cheeks were puffed out.
“I said”—the man paused and the distinct sound of a shotgun cocking traveled to his ears—“who’s out there?”
“Let go,” he snapped at Holden.
“Dude, no way.” Holden pointed in Jake’s mate’s directions. “He’s got a fucking gun in his hands. He’s prepared to shoot and that means even you. Mate or not.”
“The bond between mates is strong. I’m sure once he catches smell of me he’ll put it away.”
Holden looked from him then to Seth who just shrugged his shoulders. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Are you serious?” Holden whispered dramatically. “He could get shot, that’s what.”
Jake peeled Holden’s fingers from his arm. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.” He gave his friend one last reassuring smile then stood up. “Hi,” he called out in a friendly tone. His mate widened his stance and aimed the gun at his chest. Jake put his hands up in surrender. “I’m not going to hurt you. I swear it.” He took a few more steps forward.
“Stop right there, mister.” Jake could see his mate’s knuckles glow bright white from the hard grip he had on the gun. “Just turn around and forget you ever saw me or this place.”
“Why would I do that?” Jake’s arms fell to his sides. “Can’t you feel it?” He continued to walk toward his mate.
“I said to stop!” the man shouted. “Get off my property!”
Jake ignored his mate’s warning and kept walking. Maybe if he got close enough the other man would feel the connection and put the gun away.
He smiled at his mate who never dropped the gun. The barrel aimed right at his chest and for one brief moment Jake thought he saw a slight hesitation in the man’s resolve, but no. His mate curled his finger and a shot rang out.
The force of the impact had Jake stumbling back a step. He kept his eyes on his mate’s face. No look of regret, just one of triumph.
What the hell? He shot me. Jake fell to the ground. The hard dirt floor didn’t soften the impact. Warmth spread out across his chest and he stared blindly up at the graying sky. The nerves in his body came awake with a jolt and pain fanned out from where he’d been shot. His vision went fuzzy and he thought he felt someone touching him. All sound was drowned out by his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He wanted to get up but he couldn’t get his body to comply.
Jake let his eyes fall shut. If he just rested for a few minutes he’d be okay. He’d heal and be fine. And when he woke up the first thing he’d do is take that shotgun from his mate and toss it off the nearest cliff.
That was Jake’s last thought before his mind went blank and darkness pulled him under into comforting nothingness.
* * * *
“What the hell is wrong with you?” a dark-headed man shouted at him as he ran to the man lying on the ground.
“Who…” His voice hitched as he tried to speak. For some reason he felt like what he had just done was seriously wrong. Besides being the first person he had ever shot something else didn’t feel right about what had just happened. Almost like he felt the man’s pain in his own chest.
“Give me that.” A tall man with blond hair stepped forward and ripped away his only line of defense.
Carl took a cowering step back. Without the shotgun he and Casper were left vulnerable. What if his old pack sent these men for them? What if they were going to take them back?
Oh god no!
“What do you want?” He took one step back then another trying to get closer to the cabin. He needed to get away and find Casper. His younger brother had gone out hunting earlier and hadn’t gotten back yet. He prayed if Casper saw the commotion he’d stay away and hide. “Get off my property.”
“Yeah, right.” The blond man laughed. “You are on my land, you gun-wielding moron.” He pointed to the man on
