Out of the Shadows Read online

  Out of the Shadows

  Written by Raven Darkwing

  Out of the Shadows Copyright © 2019 by Raven Darkwing. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Laura Confiado

  Editing by LnJ’s Editing

  Out of the Shadows

  Book 3 of the Guardian Pack Series

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

  Raven Darkwing

  Visit my website at www.darkwingpublications.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: Aug 2019

  Darkwing Publications

  ISBN-978-0-9964880-2-0

  Ebook is also available

  For those who want their moment in the sun.

  Introduction

  IT HAS BEEN FIFITY YEARS SINCE THE GREAT WAR between paranormals and the humans. A time when sanctuary packs like the Windy River pack would seem to be unnecessary but were needed more than ever. New threats appear as the Alpha and his pack search for answers.

  Robert ‘Shadow’ Bask is a member of Blaze’s Rogues. A mercenary group of wolves who banded together after the war. Quiet and unassuming, Shadow is an expert at reconnaissance. His ability to blend in was great for his job, but just once he would like to be the center of someone’s attention. While on a rescue mission, he meets a shifter who just might fit the bill. If only the wolf would stop running. Could he catch and keep the elusive shifter?

  Jake Williams, a former member of the Willow Creek pack, spent a lifetime hiding who he was to survive. Gay wolves had a short life span in the Willow Creek pack. As one of the newest members of the Windy River pack, he struggles to find his place. His twin sister is missing, and not even the handsome warrior who was slowly stealing his heart would get in his way to save her. Could he come out of the shadows and be what he was meant to be, or would he walk away again from the person who could make him whole?

  Follow along as the two shifters struggle to keep those they love safe while trying to come out of the shadows and into the light of true love.

  This is the third book in the Guardian Pack Series. While you can read it as a stand-alone, you may want to read the prior books in the series since this book refers to previous characters and events.

  CONTENTS

  Introduction

  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 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Jake sat in the back of the truck watching the man beside him doze. He knew Shadow would wake if there was any threat. But for now, at least, he could examine him closer without encouraging the man’s advances. He recalled when he’d first met the shifter. He’d knocked on his door in the dead of night asking for help to save Ricky. Jake’s first reaction was to send the man on his way. He’d already tried to help the young human and his brother out before and didn’t want any more attention from Alpha Clifton.

  But even then, he’d felt an attraction to the shifter. Who wouldn’t? Shadow was tall and slim, with just enough muscles in the right places to count. Some may think he was average looking, but to Jake, he was perfect. He wore his black hair short on the sides but with just enough length on the top to grab. Jake felt his cock perk up at the image of the man on his knees, taking his cock into his mouth. He shook his head, now wasn’t the time. In fact, it might never be the time.

  “I can hear you thinking,” Shadow said softly as he stretched his arms over his head. Jake turned his head, not wanting to be caught looking at the naked man beside him. It certainly would be nice if shifters could keep their clothes in place, especially in situations like now. He jumped slightly when a hand rested on his shoulder, “Go ahead and rest, I’ll watch.”

  Jake shook his head, “I won’t sleep until we find my sister. This is so fucked up. If it wasn’t for us trying to help rescue Alpha Grant’s mate from my crazy ex-alpha she’d be safe at home right now.”

  “True, but from what little I saw of your sister, I doubt she would be happy. She chose her path and has helped many people. Without her, Ricky would probably be a sex slave of a sick pervert, the omega might be in the hands of one who would turn him to evil, Charlie and Radar would still be captives, and Artemus would still be forced to support Alpha Clifton’s evil plans.” Shadow paused. “And you and your sister would still be under the thumb of that sick bastard.”

  “I know, she’s always been the first one to jump into helping someone, but she doesn’t always think of the price,” Jake replied. No, that was his job. It seemed like he spent his life trying to keep them both safe and doing whatever was required to keep them under the radar in their old pack.

  “She is a brave she-wolf with a warrior’s heart. To try to make her anything else would only lead to unhappiness.” Shadow got up and walked toward the truck opening. He carefully pulled back the canvas to look outside. He shook his head and returned to sit by Jake. “I have no idea where we are, but we need to come up with a plan for when they stop.”

  Jake chuckled. “It might have been a good idea to have one before we jumped into the back of this truck.”

  “What can I say,” Shadow replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’m just the guy, who gets the information. Blaze is the one who comes up with the plans.”

  “Great, well, all I know is this; we will be leaving with my sister this time, or I’m not leaving at all!” Jake growled.

  “I understand, but you heard our orders. We report and don’t engage. Once this truck stops, we’ll find a place to hide until we can figure out where we are and if this is the location for Alpha Clifton’s new headquarters. Then we’ll find a way to report since the com-links are out of range.” Shadow held up his hand when Jake started to protest, “Believe me. It won’t help her if they catch us. In fact, they could kill her.”

  Jake sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t care what anyone said, even if it meant they kicked him out of the Windy River pack, he would get his sister back. He watched as Shadow sighed before he rose to stand once more near the entrance to the truck. For a moment he wanted to reach out but what good would it do? He’d hidden his need for so long, he wasn’t sure if he could ever act on it. Besides, Shadow was a warrior through and through. There was no way he’d want anything permanent with a coward.

  He was brought from his musings when he noticed that the truck was slowing down. He moved quietly to stand beside Shadow as they both tried to get a sense of where they had ended up. For a moment, Jake was floored. It couldn’t be, he recognized the old silver mine his old pack had owned outside of Big Sky Montana. His father had worked there before it closed down.

  “I know where we are!” Jake said quietly. “We sh
ould get out now before the truck stops.” Before Shadow could utter a word, the wolf quickly shifted and leaped from the truck. He headed for the cover of the woods and watched as a few moments later, Shadow also jumped.

  Both wolves quickly moved deeper into the woods and away from the road. When they were far enough that no one could see them, they both shifted. “Geez, next time we need to figure out a way to bring some clothes with us.” Jake flapped his arms. “I think my balls are climbing up inside my body!”

  Shadow glanced down and grinned. “Nope, they’re still attached, but I could warm them up for you.”

  “Are you nuts!” Jake shook his head, even though he could feel his cock perking up a bit with interest. “I told you, I’m not getting involved with anyone until Sammy is free and even then, I’m not sure I’m ready for any commitment.”

  The warrior shrugged. “It’s your nuts that will fall off.” He turned and stared back toward the road. Jake felt bad; he knew he’d hurt the man again. While they had become friends, he actively avoided anything further. In fact, he’d spent the last few weeks ignoring the man completely.

  Jake sighed. “We are just outside of Big Sky Montana. The Howling Mine Company was a silver mine that was pack owned. Humans did all the digging. I remember my dad found it funny that shifters would own a silver mine. But I guess all that mattered was the money went to the pack.” The shifter stroked his chin, “I haven’t seen it since they closed it down, but I have to admit, it’s a great place for Alpha Clifton to set up a new base of operations.”

  He watched as the tension in Shadow’s shoulders was still apparent as the wolf continued to look away from him. The urge to reach out and comfort was strong, but that would only encourage the wolf to pursue him. It was better this way. At least that’s what he told himself as the shifter turned back toward him.

  “We need to find a way to communicate with Alpha Grant,” Shadow said softly. “But first we should observe for a bit to see if we can determine the number of enemies we may face.” Before Jake could respond, the man shifted and began to head toward the mine.

  “Good talk,” Jake said under his breath as he also shifted and followed the black wolf. This was going to be a long few days.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Sammy couldn’t believe the past few days. She was happy that Charlie managed to escape. She’d done what she could for Radar, but it ended up not being enough. She could still hear the celebration going on after news reached Alpha Clifton that Alpha Grant and most of his family died in the explosion. What was she going to do now?

  She heard a soft whimper and moved over to the bed. She glanced down at the two babies that lay there. So far, the alpha had let her keep them, but he didn’t fool her. In fact, the last day at the old mental health facility had opened her eyes to the alpha’s dark side, as if he wasn’t already a bastard. Even now she shivered as she thought of what she’d found on the third floor.

  Sammy picked up the small infant that was beginning to wake and quietly rocked him in her arms. She smiled at the perfect little face that looked up at her with such trust. They’d had a rough start in life, and unless she did something, it would only get worse. As the crystal blue eyes closed, she gently put him down next to his brother. She checked to make sure they couldn’t fall off the bed before she walked to look out the window.

  She could still see the boys’ mother, lying in her own blood after giving birth. Sammy had tried to get her help, but the doctors were busy packing. The other women who had been there were already gone; most of them had been in varying stages of pregnancy. While she didn’t know any of the ones she had seen, Sammy was pretty sure she now knew what had happened to the she-wolves who had disappeared from their old pack.

  Alpha Clifton always focused on breeding. Hell, look what he did to poor Ricky. If it hadn’t been for her brother who helped the human escape, she would have joined the other females who they forced to breed with the human. The question was, why? The answer still alluded her.

  The door to the bedroom burst open to reveal Alpha Clifton in a clear rage. “That son of a bitch!” he yelled as he slammed the door shut behind him. “I swear I’m going to kill the whole bunch of them if it’s the last thing I do!”

  Sammy walked toward the angry wolf and placed her hand on his chest. “What happened?”

  Alpha Clifton grabbed her hand and pushed it aside. “Not now, for once I’m not in the mood. I just came here to let you know I’m going to be leaving for a few days to meet up with a few folks. I need you to look after these two whelps for a few more days. I’ve got a buyer who’ll pay me big bucks to take them off our hands.”

  The she-wolf turned and looked at the two innocent babies who somehow had managed to sleep through the racket made by the alpha. She shrugged her shoulders. “Do I get a cut? After all, I didn’t sign on to be a nanny to some whore’s offspring.”

  The alpha placed his hands on her shoulders. “You know, at some point, you will have one or—”

  Sammy turned and smiled. “That’s different; it will be our child. Maybe when you get back, we can spend some time trying to make that happen.”

  Alpha Clifton grinned. “Now you’re talking, girl. But first I need to make sure this time the Windy City Pack’s Alpha is destroyed. I can’t believe the bastard survived!” He muttered. The wolf looked down at her and lifted her chin. “Stay inside, we don’t have all our security in place yet. I’ll leave a couple outside your door to make sure nothing happens to you. Just let them know if you need anything.”

  “You know I can handle myself!” Sammy replied with her hands on her hips. The last thing she needed was a security detail, especially with the type of wolves the alpha had hired. She’d had to put more than one of them in their place when they’d gotten too handsy.

  “I know pussycat, but humor me.” The alpha leaned down and kissed her. She opened her mouth and let him explore as she moaned. He broke off the kiss and headed for the door. “Stay in the room, I mean it. I shouldn’t be gone more than a couple of days.”

  Sammy watched as the bastard walked out the door. She waited until she was sure he was gone before she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. After what she saw, there was no way she was going to stick around this dump. The she-wolf took a seat next to the window as she thought about the pups and their mother.

  It had been chaos when the alpha had ordered the evacuation. At first, she thought about escaping, but after she visited Radar in the sub-basement, the alpha had caught up with her. He’d ordered her to go help the doctors on the third floor gather their things. While she’d been surprised about the medical staff, she knew she didn’t have a choice but to obey.

  The alpha keyed a code into the lock and shoved her toward the stairs. Sammy couldn’t believe her eyes when she finally opened the door and entered the third floor. There were rows of hospital beds, all filled with she-wolves. They chained them to the beds, but the worst part was every single one of them was pregnant.

  Several wolves followed behind her and began to grab the women from the beds, laughing as they screamed and tried to break free. A human in a white lab coat glanced up and shouted, “Be careful with them, or you’ll explain to the Alpha why they didn’t come to term!”

  The man looked at her, “What are you doing here?”

  “Alpha Clifton sent me up to help you pack your things,” Sammy replied. She saw there were other wolves already working to pack up computers and files. “What do you want me to do?”

  The human shook his head. “We’re almost ready to go. But it’s good he sent you. I need you to watch subject 455. She’s in labor, and we can’t move her. As soon as the pups arrive, call me.”

  “But—” Sammy began but was cut off.

  “Do I have to call the alpha?”

  “No, I’ll take care of it,” the she-wolf replied. “But just so you know, I’m not a midwife.”

  The man laughed. “Just be there to catch the pup or pups when they come out. Na
ture will handle the rest.” She watched as the medic hurried over to yell at one of the other wolves who had dropped a box of supplies. It was clear they had a full lab up here, but what the hell were they doing?

  Sammy walked over to the only she-wolf that was left. She noticed the sweat on the woman’s face as she struggled against her restraints. They had her legs locked into stirrups, and the bed was slightly slanted, probably to allow for an easier birth. Sammy glanced back toward the doctor, but he was already out of sight. Great, so she was alone with a woman and had no clue what to do.

  “Please—” the she-wolf gasped.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do,” Sammy replied as she stepped closer. She glanced down and gasped when she saw a small head appear. “Oh, my goddess!”

  “Just, just help the baby out while I push,” the she-wolf panted. Before Sammy could reply. the woman began to push. Without thinking, she moved quickly between the she-wolf’s legs and began to carefully pull on the baby. With one more push from the mother, the baby was free.

  “Tie off each end of the chord and then cut in between. Clear the mouth and slap the pup lightly on the back to make sure it’s breathing,” the she-wolf said before she groaned again. “Quickly before the second one comes.”

  “Second? You have two?” Sammy gasped but did as the woman instructed. She had just managed to grab a towel to wrap the baby in before the she-wolf began to scream again. Well at least this time, she knew what to do. After she had the second baby swaddled, she placed both of them on the mother’s chest. She reached up and removed the shackles that held the woman to the bed.

  “I’ll just go get the doctor,” Sammy said as she noticed the large pool of blood that was forming on the floor. She might not know much about birthing, but there was no way that amount of blood was normal.