The Alpha's Quest Collection Read Online Free
Author: Jessica Ryan
watched over Bucklin; the other alphas knew a bit about his tricks.
"How do you know?" the lean one asked.
"The boss told me they have all kinds of tricks," the squat one said. "They disappear into the shadows and can hide their scent."
"Why is one of them this far into the forest?"
"Don't you know? That human-loving freak Rowan talked to the old bear and he complained about wolves in his territory. It didn't take much for that one to put two and two together."
"Son of a bitch! I told the boss we should have killed the old bear!"
"I agree. We gotta tell the boss and then we gotta deal with that bear."
"Well, let's go," the lean one said, walking towards the squat one.
"Stop, you idiot!"
"What?" the lean one asked, looking confused.
"Whoever was here is probably still watching us. Do you want to lead him right to the boss?"
"No. The boss would kill me."
"Exactly," the squat one said. "You go one way and I'll go the other. We'll lead him on a wild goose chase through this forest."
"Gotcha," the lean one said, turning and shifting as he ran through the forest. The squat one did the same in the opposite direction.
Hawk leaned back against the tree as he thought about going after them.
No, he finally decided. I can't confront their pack alone. I need to keep going to Beorn's. I need to warn him that they're coming.
He could tell by their tone that they were after the old bear. It would be tough for them to kill him, but eventually they would overcome him with numbers. Beorn had gotten more and more cranky as he got older, but according to Rowan he was a good friend. Hawk knew he had to protect him; it would be expected by the alpha council.
He waited an appropriate amount of time, until he was sure the other two were gone, before slipping out of the tree. He half expected them to both crash out of the forest and attack him as soon as he hit the ground, but the two idiots had disappeared to find their alpha.
Who is their alpha? Hawk wondered. He had never seen those two before in his life. He thought he knew every wolf in Bucklin, save for a few who lived on the outskirts of town.
Outskirts of town, he thought, turning it over in his head. Suddenly it dawned on him, and his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly exploded out of his head.
"The Oakdale pack!" he said out loud. "Son of a bitch, they were from the Oakdale pack."
Surely Forrest hadn't betrayed them. They had to be serving some other master, didn't they? Hawk took a deep breath and sighed. This wasn't how he had expected this to go. He had hoped it was a rogue sect of another pack. They did keep referring to the boss, not the alpha. Maybe Forrest wasn't a part of this. He could only hope at this point.
Chapter 5
"I'm glad I drive a truck," Rowan said, shaking his head and laughing.
"What?" Eva asked, looking up from her meal. "I didn't bring that much stuff."
"Sure you didn't," Rowan said, rubbing his lower back. "I don't just throw my back out pulling boxes for nothing."
Eva rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Okay, yeah, sure. You're built like a skyscraper. I doubt you had any trouble moving those boxes."
Rowan just laughed again and looked out the window. After moving Eva they had stopped at a roadside diner to have some lunch before heading back to Bucklin. It was a diner just on the outskirts of Cedarville, not far from Cowboy's Landing, where he had originally met Eva. As he looked out the window he noticed the forest just across the highway. This was the tail end of the sprawling Cedarpoint Forest that stretched from Cedarville all the way to Bucklin and beyond.
"Do you think Hawk has found her yet?" Eva asked.
Rowan found it strangely comforting how easily she could read him and predict what he was thinking. He'd never be able to keep a secret from her the rest of his life; she was too in tune with his emotions.
"I'm not sure," he said. "He probably hasn't even made it to Beorn's yet."
"I thought you said he left yesterday before the
"How do you know?" the lean one asked.
"The boss told me they have all kinds of tricks," the squat one said. "They disappear into the shadows and can hide their scent."
"Why is one of them this far into the forest?"
"Don't you know? That human-loving freak Rowan talked to the old bear and he complained about wolves in his territory. It didn't take much for that one to put two and two together."
"Son of a bitch! I told the boss we should have killed the old bear!"
"I agree. We gotta tell the boss and then we gotta deal with that bear."
"Well, let's go," the lean one said, walking towards the squat one.
"Stop, you idiot!"
"What?" the lean one asked, looking confused.
"Whoever was here is probably still watching us. Do you want to lead him right to the boss?"
"No. The boss would kill me."
"Exactly," the squat one said. "You go one way and I'll go the other. We'll lead him on a wild goose chase through this forest."
"Gotcha," the lean one said, turning and shifting as he ran through the forest. The squat one did the same in the opposite direction.
Hawk leaned back against the tree as he thought about going after them.
No, he finally decided. I can't confront their pack alone. I need to keep going to Beorn's. I need to warn him that they're coming.
He could tell by their tone that they were after the old bear. It would be tough for them to kill him, but eventually they would overcome him with numbers. Beorn had gotten more and more cranky as he got older, but according to Rowan he was a good friend. Hawk knew he had to protect him; it would be expected by the alpha council.
He waited an appropriate amount of time, until he was sure the other two were gone, before slipping out of the tree. He half expected them to both crash out of the forest and attack him as soon as he hit the ground, but the two idiots had disappeared to find their alpha.
Who is their alpha? Hawk wondered. He had never seen those two before in his life. He thought he knew every wolf in Bucklin, save for a few who lived on the outskirts of town.
Outskirts of town, he thought, turning it over in his head. Suddenly it dawned on him, and his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly exploded out of his head.
"The Oakdale pack!" he said out loud. "Son of a bitch, they were from the Oakdale pack."
Surely Forrest hadn't betrayed them. They had to be serving some other master, didn't they? Hawk took a deep breath and sighed. This wasn't how he had expected this to go. He had hoped it was a rogue sect of another pack. They did keep referring to the boss, not the alpha. Maybe Forrest wasn't a part of this. He could only hope at this point.
Chapter 5
"I'm glad I drive a truck," Rowan said, shaking his head and laughing.
"What?" Eva asked, looking up from her meal. "I didn't bring that much stuff."
"Sure you didn't," Rowan said, rubbing his lower back. "I don't just throw my back out pulling boxes for nothing."
Eva rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Okay, yeah, sure. You're built like a skyscraper. I doubt you had any trouble moving those boxes."
Rowan just laughed again and looked out the window. After moving Eva they had stopped at a roadside diner to have some lunch before heading back to Bucklin. It was a diner just on the outskirts of Cedarville, not far from Cowboy's Landing, where he had originally met Eva. As he looked out the window he noticed the forest just across the highway. This was the tail end of the sprawling Cedarpoint Forest that stretched from Cedarville all the way to Bucklin and beyond.
"Do you think Hawk has found her yet?" Eva asked.
Rowan found it strangely comforting how easily she could read him and predict what he was thinking. He'd never be able to keep a secret from her the rest of his life; she was too in tune with his emotions.
"I'm not sure," he said. "He probably hasn't even made it to Beorn's yet."
"I thought you said he left yesterday before the
Readers choose
Katherine Holubitsky
Franz Kafka
Charles Stross
David Lee Malone
Tara Hudson
T. C. Boyle
Paul Christopher
Ella Grace
Sibylla Matilde
Nikki Carter