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Evander’s brother to the guest house.”  She turned to leave before barking, “Cortez and Keryn, why don’t you assist.”
    Barron watched Willa stomp away with her pack in tow, minus the female and two males left behind to escort him to the guesthouse.
    “Did I say something wrong?” He smiled at the female wolf, but she dropped her eyes and headed toward the homestead.  When Barron didn’t immediately move to follow, he felt a nudge at his back.  It was the dark boy who’d yelled at him earlier to leave Willa alone.
    “Easy,” he growled, letting his wolf flash in his eyes.  The display had to be made, and it had to be made now, especially considering the eldest male had approached and was standing close by.  “I may not be your Alpha, but I am Alpha.”  He turned from the young boy to eye the fair-skinned man standing with the girl, Keryn.  Like the rest, what he had thought was the Alpha was nothing more than a boy.  Well, he supposed young man was a better term.  Still, he was not even close to a threat.
    “Battle born,” Barron continued, lowering his head a fraction, knowing the look could wither.  “Any male touches me again and I’ll take it as a challenge.”
    He didn’t want to start trouble on his first day, but being Alpha meant he needed to assert his dominance from the get-go regardless of the fact that he was dealing with mere pups.  He stood scowling at the eldest male.  Finally, the shifter lowered his head, breaking eye contact.  The younger, darker, male fidgeted nervously beside his companion, and Barron knew from his size that the boy had to be quite young.
    Barron turned his attention back to Willa only to discover she’d disappeared over the rise back toward the farmhouse.  Damn shame.  He’d wanted to watch her go. He fought to keep the rumble silent in his chest and to control the sudden fire that burned in his gut.

Chapter 4
    Back at the farmhouse, Willa paced in the kitchen, the dinner she’d been preparing earlier long since forgotten.  Becca and Sarya were now seated at the table watching her nervously.  Jase, bless his heart, was attempting to look unafraid, wearing a scowl she knew would make Arden proud.  It didn’t fool her.  She could easily scent the boy’s anxiety.
    “Willa.” Becca spoke softly and pointed at her own throat.  “You’re bleeding.”
    “I know.” She pursed her lips and crossed to yank the kitchen towel from where she’d left it on the counter, wiping at her neck.  It hurt, but she couldn’t care.  She had bigger things to worry about.
    What in the hell was she supposed to do with Barron Kane?  Why is he even here?   He’d said Evander sent him, and she assumed it was to help, but how?  Her mind kept circling back to the same conclusion.  False Alpha.  Had Evander sent his brother to pretend to be Alpha so that challengers would turn away?  And if so, was Barron aware of it?  Would he pretend to be their Alpha?  Would it even work?  Could she dare to trust him?  And if it came to it, would he be willing to battle for them?
    She’d had Arden, Cortez, and Keryn take him to the guest house.  Well, it wasn’t really a guest house, merely an old chicken coop they’d cleaned out and put a cot in on the off chance they’d one day have visitors. It was tiny, and the boards so worn that wind pushed through like a whistle through gapped teeth.  It wasn’t ideal.
    Willa stopped pacing, knowing she had to make a decision and quickly.  Barron couldn’t stay, she knew that much.  He was a stranger, and an Alpha, which meant it was natural for him to want to seek the dominant position, which meant butting heads with her.  She couldn’t handle that.  Even more importantly, she didn’t know if she could trust him with her wolves.  She couldn’t, wouldn’t, take the chance.
    Decided, she stalked from the kitchen.  To their credit Jase, Becca, and Sarya stayed put.
    Tromping down the front porch steps, she