The Alpha's Promise Read online

  THE ALPHA’S PROMISE

  Written by Raven Darkwing

  Published by

  Darkwing Publications

  PO Box 307

  Fox River Grove, IL 60021

  http://www.darkwingpublications.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The Alpha’s Promise

  Book 1: The Guardian Pack Series

  Copyright © 2015 by Raven Darkwing

  Cover Design by Kat’s Media

  Original Artwork by Stephanie Wallace

  Book Formatting by Lo Confiado

  Edited by LnJs Editing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Darkwing Publications, PO Box 307, Fox River Grove, IL 60021, USA

  http://www.darkwingpublications.com/

  ISBN: 978-0996488006

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Edition

  June. 2015

  eBook edition available

  eBook ISBN: 978-0996488013

  To all my writing friends who poked, prodded, and encouraged me to venture into the world of publishing my stories.

  SUMMARY

  It has been fifty years since the Great War between paranormals and the human race. A time when sanctuary packs like the Windy River Pack would seem to be unnecessary. However, the arrival of a wrongly accused rogue and his younger brother will be the beginning of something evil that up to now has been hiding from view.

  Grant Walker is the alpha of the Windy River Pack. At one time he had been an undefeated warrior who stood by the former Alpha, his father’s side during the Great War. He is in charge of one of the largest packs in the United States and continues to offer sanctuary to any who seek it. But now with a missing pack member and the threat of a rogue coming into his territory, a rogue that he finds out is his mate, Grant will have to fight not only to save his pack and mate, but to also prevent another war.

  Ricky Landon and his younger brother Sandy are on the run from their former abusive alpha and pack. Declared rogue for daring to escape from a life of slavery and sexual abuse, Ricky runs toward the only place he feels he and his brother can be safe, a sanctuary called Windy River Pack. Confused by the strange tattoo that was placed on his arm by a Shaman and fueled by the need to protect his younger brother the last thing he wants is a mate.

  Can the two be mated or will Ricky’s former Alpha be able to reclaim what he considers his property?

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  CHAPTER ONE

  RICKY CURSED AS HE GLANCED IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR OF the old truck. He sighed and ran a shaky hand through his shoulder length strawberry blonde hair. This just wasn’t his day. Actually, it hadn’t been his day for as long as he could remember. The twenty-two year old glanced sideways at the young child sleeping in the passenger seat. At six years old, his brother was luckily young enough to be able to fall asleep anywhere. For a moment, he wished he could be the same.

  But lack of sleep wasn’t the only problem he had at the moment. The stupid bucket of bolts he had ‘borrowed’ from one of his old pack members had apparently decided to finally give up the ghost. He could tell without even looking that the engine would not be starting again without repair. At one time he had thought about opening up his own shop, but life had intervened and left him stranded with no tools and the nearest auto repair shop still over a hundred miles away.

  With a soft groan, Ricky quietly opened the door and exited the vehicle. He grasped the door handle and held it tightly for a moment as the world around him spun out of focus. The young human could feel the sweat beading on his brow as he tried to get his body to obey his commands. It was getting harder as new injuries melded with old to make him feel as if he was in worse shape than the broken down truck. All he wanted to do was find a nice warm bed and sleep for the next century or two.

  Unfortunately, he couldn’t give into his body’s demands. Straightening his shoulders as much as his injured back would allow, he limped slowly towards the front of the truck. The heavy hood wasn’t the only groan that filled the quiet night as Ricky propped it open to have a look. It amazed him that the truck had gotten them this far. It only took him a moment to determine that the broken belt signaled the end of their ride.

  He tossed the useless rubber towards the side of the road and looked upward. “Great, why don’t you just shoot me now and get it over with!”

  “Who’re yah talkin’ to?” Sandy’s voice floated on the breeze.

  Ricky glanced over and saw a small pale face leaning out of the open passenger window. With a soft sigh, he let the hood fall shut and walked carefully back to the passenger side of the ancient vehicle.

  “Just talkin’ to the wind, little brother.” He tousled his brother’s white hair and chuckled when the youngster swatted his hand away.

  “Stop it!” Sandy growled, as he ducked back inside and rolled up the window.

  Ricky enjoyed the brief respite from his current worries. If it weren’t for his sibling, he’d have given up long ago. But he’d made a promise to his stepmother to take care of Sandy if anything ever happened to her. At the time, he never thought things would end up the way they had but he never regretted making the promise. Even though no one else in his life had ever kept one to him, he vowed that he would be different. Ricky closed his eyes and shut out the memories of his life before his stepmother had been killed. He didn’t have time to dwell on the past, as their future was what required his attention now.

  Ricky gazed over the dark woods that lined the lonely mountain road. It was well past midnight and the wind had the scent of snow. It was late fall in Montana and he knew the weather could get bad quickly in the mountains.

  Ricky chuckled as he thought about the name of the mountain range they currently were stranded in. When his one and only friend Jake had told him about a pack of shifters who lived in the Freaky Mountains, he had thought he was yanking his chain. Jake told him the pack was rumored to be a place where those who needed help could go and get it without any questions asked. A quick search on the Internet not only indicated that the mountain range actually existed but also had shown him that it included the town of Sugar Creek where the pack was located. He’d hoped that he could seek asylum with the Windy River Pack but had wanted to check them out before he committed himself. After all, the last time he’d joined a pack it hadn’t worked out so well.

  The young man shivered as he pulled the collar of his thin coat higher. It was getting colder, but the chill in his bones wasn’t just due to the weather. His mind went back to the last conversation he’d had with Clifton, the Alpha of Willow Creek Pack.

  “You will bring back my son and face retribution.” The echo of the Pack Alpha’s cruel voice caused th
e young human to flinch at the memory.

  He’d lost count of how often he’d heard that tone over the past few years. Usually it was just before he’d be punished for some infringement of pack laws or because the Alpha felt like it. When Alpha Clifton had found out that not only was Ricky gay but was also the reason that his stepmother Maria had died, his life had become hell on earth. Apparently, the Alpha had thought Maria would be his and never accepted that she could be the true mate of a lowly human.

  Ricky shivered on the side of the road while he remembered that even in a dingy hotel room that was miles from pack land, he had still felt intimidated by the wolf. Yet he had still managed to squeak out a response in challenge: “He’s not your son!”

  Ricky had felt the whip marks on his back throb even though he had been out of the Alpha’s reach at the time he’d gotten the call. His hand had gripped the cell phone, almost crushing it as he tried to get his breathing under control. “You will face retribution boy for taking my son. I have already called the hunt to retrieve what’s mine. You know what that means, boy?” The Alpha’s voice made him shudder. “You’re officially considered rogue. No one will give you safety and when my warriors find you, there will be no mercy this time.”

  “You can’t do that!” Ricky gasped. “I’m human, not a shifter!”

  “You agreed to join my pack and to follow my rules boy. When you burned down the Williams’ barn, stole a truck and took what was mine, you sealed your fate. Now the question is, will you face it like a man or will you go down screaming like the freak of nature you proved yourself to be?”

  Ricky could still hear the sound of the cell phone breaking against the wall just before he heard the sound of howling outside the hotel room. Without thinking about it, Ricky had grabbed his little brother, the duffle bag that held their few belongings and drove into the night.

  That had been two days ago and still he knew it was only a matter of time before the Sentries of Willow Creek would find him. He shook his head free of the memories and wished he hadn’t been so rash with the cell phone. It would certainly come in handy right now. Instead he currently stood on a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. He had basically two choices: either he stayed here with the broken down truck with the hope that someone would happen by before the Willow Creek Sentries found him, or they had to hike through the mountains and gamble on finding shelter before the storm hit. In the end, Ricky knew he actually only had one option.

  He opened the passenger door and grabbed their duffle bag from the floorboard. “Come on short fry, we gotta go on foot from here.”

  “Where are we goin’, Ricky?” Sandy asked quietly as he jumped down from the truck. He was tall for a six year old, probably due to his wolf genes. Ricky smiled as his little brother lifted his face and scented the air before he looked back up at him.

  “We’re going on an adventure, Sandy,” Ricky answered as he closed the door and took a quick look to get his direction before he limped towards the dark woods. “We’re going to explore these woods just like Lewis and Clark did hundreds of years ago.”

  “Cool! Can I shift once we get into the woods?” Sandy asked as he walked beside his older brother.

  Ricky smiled as he reached down to pat his brother on the shoulder. He wished his brother didn’t have to be so careful. If he were just a normal wolf shifter, there wouldn’t be a problem because humans had known about the existence of paranormals since the Great War. Peace had come at a high price, but at least now all the beings on the planet seemed to at least tolerate each other. The issue was not just the unusual color of his brother’s fur but the strange birthmark that signified his special status. It brought attention to them, which was something they needed to avoid at all cost.

  “Sure thing, short stuff, as long as you promise not to go too far and you remove your clothes this time before you shift. You only have one extra pair of pants.”

  A short time later the young human grinned as he watched a pale white wolf pup running ahead of him. He couldn’t give his brother much, but with luck he’d find a pack that would not only accept them but also help him protect his brother from his destiny.

  Ricky rubbed absently at the tattoo on his upper arm. In part, it mirrored the simpler version on his brother’s wrist. Maria had taken him to an old shaman, who performed a ceremony he didn’t understand, shortly after Sandy’s first shift. It was that day that his step-mother explained to him that his little brother was special and asked him to watch out for his younger sibling. He’d agreed and never regretted his decision. As he slowly followed his brother into the wilderness, he just hoped this new pack would be better than the last one they had been in—if not, then Ricky would find a place where his brother would be safe.

   

  Grant Walker sat back in his office chair and steeped his fingers beneath his chin as he gazed at the young wolf pup sitting in front of him. The sixteen year old had been caught skipping out on school again. It was hard to keep a straight face as he watched the young wolf squirm under his dark gaze. Sometimes though, the best way to get to the root of a problem was to remain silent and wait for the other person to speak. He remembered how often his father had used the same technique on him. Even now, he could get Grant to spill his guts with just one look.

  “Alpha Grant?” The young boy said softly, as he picked at a loose thread on his jeans.

  “Yes, Roger?” It wouldn’t be long now before he found out why the boy kept skipping classes.

  “I can’t go back there, I just can’t…” The pup glanced out the window and sucked on his lower lip. Grant leaned forward slightly but remained silent as the boy continued. “It’s not that I don’t like school, but if I don’t stay home and help with the stock my Pa will lose the farm.”

  “Why would he lose the farm, Roger?” Now they were getting some place.

  Grant liked to think that he knew everything that went on in Sugar Creek, but had his limitations being the leader of the largest wolf shifter pack in North America. He wondered if his brothers knew what was happening with the Sanders family. No matter, he’d get his answers from their son and then he’d take care of the problem.

  “My Pa’s been having trouble finding help since Charlie decided to quit. I can always go back to school later, but if we lose the farm we won’t have anywhere to go.” Roger straightened his shoulders and looked at Grant.

  He’d give the kid credit for having his heart in the right place. However, he and Mr. Sanders would be having a chat about not letting him know of his need. It also angered him that the young pup thought he’d let any member of his pack be homeless.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to keep his inner wolf at bay. It wouldn’t help matters if he took out his anger on the young pup in front of him. The Alpha sat back in his chair.

  “I will find someone to help your dad out. And you will go back to school,” Grant stated as he reached for a couple of files on his desk. He’d simply check to see if any members of his pack were available and might be interested in taking the job.

  “I don’t know, Alpha.” Roger hesitated for a moment before he spoke again. “My Pa doesn’t like to take charity.”

  “But he allows his family to help him, correct?” Grant growled softly in warning.

  “Well, of course, family is supposed to help. That’s why I’ve been skipping out on school when I can. It’s my job to help my family,” Roger replied without hesitation. Even though the wolf was standing up to him, the teen still tilted his head in a sign of submission. Again, Grant found himself trying to calm his inner wolf.

  “M’sorry,” the boy mumbled as he realized how close he was to meeting Grant’s wolf.

  The Alpha wolf sighed. “You let me worry about talking to your father. In the meantime, I’ll make some calls and have a couple of my Sentries help out until we can find a permanent replacement. You need to finish school, Roger, if you want to be able to help your family.”

  “
Yes, Alpha.” Roger tilted his head again to the side in a show of submission.

  “Good, now that’s settled. I’ll have someone give you a ride to school while I give your dad a call.” Grant could see the uncertainty in the young pup’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell him how I found out, this time. But in the future, as part of this pack, I would expect you or anyone else who has a problem to come to me or one of my brothers. After all, pack is family, and as you said, family helps family.” He chuckled as Roger quickly stood and exited the room. Grant picked up the phone and began to make his calls. With luck, he’d have time to get some time to relax and work on his current project before dinner.

  A short time later, a sharp knock on the door was his only warning before his brother and pack Beta, David, walked into the room.

  The wolf bowed with a flourish of his hand. “So how is his royal highness this afternoon? Still listening to the plight of the lowly serfs who live in your kingdom or are you planning the latest battle to take the castle and win the hand of your maiden fair?”

  Grant’s lips quirked slightly. His brother’s chocolate brown eyes were filled with mischief as usual. The Alpha gestured to the chair on the opposite side of his desk. “You do realize that I have a pack to run and unlike you, that doesn’t give me much time to play with the latest security toys on the market right?”

  “Those ‘toys’ help make sure this pack stays safe.” David started to defend himself before he plopped down into the chair and realized he was being teased. A smirk curled his lips. “Of course, there are other toys you might find more interesting to play with since you obviously don’t have time to find someone to help you out. It might make you a little less—intense.”

  A low growl sounded in the room before Grant stood and walked away from his brother. He knew David worried about his social life, but he above all others should understand that the pack came first. He gazed out over the mountains that could be seen from his office window. He wished he could just let his wolf free and run through the land or be able to spend time doing what he loved, but as his father had pointed out to him at a very young age, that was not to be his role. He had accepted it, but there were times when he could feel the weight and the loneliness of his position eating away at him.