Angelina was next to her now, concern written all over her face. She knew what her friend was thinking. Stuff like this just didn’t happen to people like them. Random events of good luck, is what Miki always called it. In their world, people didn’t win the lottery, meet the perfect man, or suddenly get better. And that meant only one thing…

“Oh, my god. I’m dying.”

“What?” Angelina shook her head, ‘You’re not dying, you idiot.”

“Everything okay, ladies?” Marrec had re-appeared and was watching them closely. Sara opened her mouth to tell him that she was clearly dying because her leg suddenly felt better and people always felt better just before they died and she just felt he should know. But Angelina cut her off.

“Everything’s fine, Marrec. Thanks.” Angelina pushed her out the door into the parking lot.

“Where’s your truck?”

Sara pointed, “Over there.”

Angelina took the keys sticking out of Sara’s baggy khaki pants and pushed her friend over to the vehicle. “Get in,” she ordered.

Sara looked at her friend, “I don’t want a big funeral. Just something simple.”

“Would you get the fuck in the truck,” she snapped.

***

Zach had just gotten back from hunting, stopping briefly at the nearby lake to wash the blood off his muzzle and paws. He had since shifted back to human and, leaving most of the Pack by the lake’s edge, he had returned to the campsite to get dressed and track down Sara. He convinced himself it was just to see how she was doing. To find out if opening her old wound had helped her as he thought it might. But he really just wanted to see her. He thought about her all night. Her smell. Her taste. Her hands in his hair. Her cries of passion. Her growls of desire. He couldn’t stop thinking about her no matter how hard he tried. Not that he tried all that hard.

He had just pulled on his boots and T-shirt when Marrec arrived. A few of his Pack was with him and as soon as he jumped out of his truck he made a direct line for Zach.

Zach stood to his full height, but didn’t make any aggressive moves. Nor did he back down. But he knew that they were in this man’s territory because of Marrec’s goodwill, so he wasn’t about to risk that by ripping the old bastard’s throat out. At least not yet.

But before Marrec could get his hands on Zach, Yates and Conall, who had yet to venture down to the lake, stepped in front of their Pack mate. Yates, being Alpha, snarled, his canines extending.

“Back off, Marrec.” They may be in Marrec’s territory, but Zach knew Yates would never let him get near one of his own Pack.

“You tell that bastard to keep his hands off her!”

Yates didn’t need any clarification as he and Conall turned to look at Zach. “Tell me you didn’t?” Yates asked with a sigh.

Zach shrugged, “It depends on what your definition of‘didn’t is.”

At that Marrec went for Zach again, but Conall pushed him back.

Yates glared at Zach before turning back to Marrec, “Is she yours? Did you mark her?”

“No!” Marrec looked truly appalled. “She’s like my daughter!” He looked at Zach again. “A very protected daughter,” he growled out.

Yates sighed. “I understand that, but…”

Marrec cut him off, “Who’s not ready to be turned yet.”

Yates was confused, “Marrec, that usually takes years. No matter what Zach did or didn’t do.”

“Then why was she was trotting around my store today like she was about to run a marathon? No pain. Just power. And guess what? Her friends noticed.”

Yates sighed again, his canines smoothly disappearing back into his mouth. “Shit, Zach, what did you do?”

Zach wasn’t ashamed of what he did; he just didn’t know Sara would react to it so strongly or so quickly. “I bled her old wound, just like you suggested.”

“I didn’t suggest shit to you!” Marrec stared straight at Zach, “And exactly how did you bleed her without her knowing what you were up to?”

When Zach didn’t answer, Marrec again went right for his throat. Yates and Conall pulled Marrec back.

Yates was clearly losing patience. “Marrec,” he snapped as he pushed the man back for what seemed the hundredth time. “The bottom line is she’s not yours. By blood or mark. So, I’m not exactly sure what your problem is.”

“Did you ever see someone turned quickly? It’s rare, but it happens.” Marrec took a deep breath and once he seemed to be under some kind of control, Yates silently allowed him to walk over to Zach and face him. The two men stood toe to toe, and although he was a good 5 inches shorter than Zach, his power and why he was Alpha male of his Pack was more than clear. “If something happens to her because of this,” Marrec warned in a deadly low voice, “no one will be able to protect you from me.”

The men locked eyes for a few more seconds; then, with a snarl, Marrec turned and walked away. The three men watched Marrec’s truck pull out of their campsite.

Conall gave his friend a sympathetic look, and headed off back to the lake to meet up with the rest of the Pack. When he was gone, Yates rubbed his tired, blood-shot eyes and looked at Zach. “Let’s not bullshit around, okay, Zach?” When Zach didn’t reply, Yates went on. “We both know what Casey is up to. But I know that it’s time for me to step down, no matter what she thinks or wants. I’m tired. And I’m burnt out. I just want to be part of the Pack. Not worrying about who is doing what. And I want you to take over. But if you fuck this up, and that girl goes down because of you… there’s no Pack in the world that will have you.”