Chapter 1 ~ Your Time Is Near
Colton McBride stood, staring out the floor to ceiling windows that provided him a 360• view.
Denver to the northeast, mountains to the northwest.. forests directly west that housed his home pack. Sacred Pines. To the south, was his own small territory. A pack, if you will.. made up of his very own platoon. Men and women he proudly served with in the Marines.
His people had been recruited and trained by the CIA as special black ops. Missions that were covert and generally death inducing as well as death defying. The kind that required signing a significant number of Non disclosure agreements.
Colton turned his focus toward Sacred Pines. His eyes squinted as he found the roof of the pack house. A low rumble released from his chest.
In the last three years, he has tried not to hate his brother, Chaz. Stupid name for a Wolf, let alone an Alpha. Colt choked on calling that thief an Alpha.
His hand raises to his chest and rubs against his heart. He met his mate on his 21st birthday, when he was home on leave for thirty days.
Alastair McBride was so happy and proud. The father and son had planned it out. Colton would roster out of the service in his 25th year. Come home. Ascend to Alpha and make Clarice his Luna.
Clarice and Colton spent twenty five enchanted days and nights together. His refusal to mark her, in case one of his missions went horribly wrong.
When he had to leave, she cried hysterically the whole night before. Their whispered promises of making it right in four years.
Three months later, Colton had just climbed into his hammock for some sleep. The platoon was deep in the jungles of Venezuela on the backend of a search and rescue. They were just waiting for evacuation.
As he dozed, he realized it was his brother’s twentieth birthday. He smiled to himself. He was dreaming of Clarice.. seeing their wolves run and play.
Suddenly, he awakened to an excruciating pain in his left shoulder. So sharp and painful, he fell from his hammock. Archimedes was raging in his mind.
Losing control, he shifted and tore through the jungle. Howling out his agony. It was crushing him. They both knew. They felt the snap and realized their Goddess given mate had marked a chosen.
Colton had to be carried on a litter, to the extraction point. A letter arrived two weeks later.. simple, concise, and absolutely devastating.
Clarice had written the equivalent of a dear John letter for wolves. Colton stared at it for an hour. Trying to bring himself to open it. After an internal argument, he finally tore the seal.
Dearest Colton ~
I know you felt me mark and claim another. I probably should have made sure you knew it was happening.
I rejected you the night of the full moon, before I marked my chosen. You must accept it on the next full moon. I apologize for the pain Archimedes will feel. I hope he heals.
The reason I wasn’t able to wait for you is complicated. The pack was attacked by rogues and Alastair was critically injured. As he lay dying, he commanded I mate Chaz before he ascended to Alpha.
It is the Goddess’s Will.
Clarice
Colton growled. Turning the single page letter over and over. “That’s it? That’s… What the fuck!?” His confusion had him frustrated.
He shook his head, pulled himself out of his reverie. His second in command knocked on the office door, receiving a ‘Come’ in response.
Cody “Max” Maxwell walked slowly in the room. “All good, Captain?” Colton smiled “Yes, Max. Just reminiscing.”
He sat down at his desk “Where are we with the new contracts? Have you established which team is going out on the governor’s detail next Wednesday?”
Max sat down “Yep. Beta team 4 will all be going. Eight should be enough, since he has his own detail visible.”
Colt nodded “Good team! Some of our best Shadow Warriors. Where are we on the intel on the rogues who attacked my father?”
Max shook his head “We haven’t found anything new to speak of. That’s why you have those interviews tomorrow with the cyber experts. One of them’s a woman. Maybe she’s pretty.”
Colton smirked and shook his head “No, Max. We aren’t getting involved with the women we hire.” Max nearly pouted.
Max looked at his best friend. He observed the deepened frown lines and the dark circles underneath his eyes. It’s only been two years, but being without Archimedes while he heals is taking its toll.
“Any word from Archie?” Max asked.. causing a chuckle to escape from Colton. “No. But he’s there. I can see him. It’s like he’s in a coma or hibernation.. something. It’s confusing. I’m not overly concerned yet. I still have his power. Speed, vision, hearing and scent on a lesser scale. But, please do keep calling him Archie. It may piss him off enough to wake him up.”
Max chuckled “Okay. Let’s get tomorrow’s schedule down. You have interviews with a Mitchell Conrad, Daniel Farrow and Shayna Tempest. She came all the way up here from Key West.”
Colton nodded “Why? Don’t they need computer analysts in Florida? Seems like a long way for just a possibility. She’s the last interviewee.. odds are she won’t qualify.”
Max gasped “Dude! Sexist much? Damn! She may be the best for what we need. You going straight for the knock out punch.”
Colton shrugged and went back to replying to emails. An hour later, alarms sounded throughout his 27 story building.
Dusk was falling into night and those alarms signal their territory had been breached. Both men headed to the private elevator hidden in a corner alcove.
By the time they had reached the ground floor, the building was secured and twenty of his men had arrived. Half of them already wolfed out.
They took off south and east, breaking into teams of four.. each flanking one another. Running into over twenty rogues jumping his border.
Colton charged at them, barely giving the rogues the opportunity to shift. Snapping two in half while they were mid shift. The battle lasted about ten minutes.
He looked around and marveled at the quick work his team made of this garbage. “Clean up the site, Max. Then somebody better be telling me something! How are these rogues here?”
A voice spoke from between the trees “My pack chased them this way. I admit to being curious why another Alpha is in my territory and has yet to approach me.”
Colton linked Max 🐺 I really did not want this to happen this soon. “Explain Chaz! Why in The Fuck would you chase rogues onto MY territory! This IS My land! The only part of my inheritance you couldn’t steal!”
Chaz laughed “Holeee Shit! Colt? It’s you? Damn brother! Why didn’t you let us know you were back?”
Max chuckled. Colton shook his head “Goddess, Chaz! You really are an idiot. Why? Why would I let you know ANYthing about my life?”
And Chaz, who really does seem to be a colossal idiot responded “You aren’t still mad about the Clarice thing? Why? The bond should have snapped when she marked me.”
Colton’s body began to tremble and he was rumbling deep in his chest. Max growled “LEAVE! Now! He’s fighting himself not to kill you.”
Chaz shifted and ran as fast as he could towards Sacred Pines. Colton watched him go.. whispering “Run, Coward. Your time is near.”
