Enemy Red (2 page)

“His name? Mom, what are you talking about?”

“Please. Rudra, I can smell him on you. And he smells exotic.” Rena wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Let’s start again. Hi, Mom. No, no problems in the woods today. There was one small matter we had to take care of. A golden wolf appeared from out of nowhere at the sacred spring. Oh, and he happens to have ties to the Silver Clan. So, how was your day?”

“At the sacred spring, you say?” Rena smiled so wide, Rudra thought her mother’s face would split in two.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

“Okay?” Her mother sniffed. “I’m so damn happy. You’ve always been a puzzle, as much as I love you. The first female alpha we’ve ever seen, and one that’s not even pure wolf. Honestly, honey, how many wolves do you know that can perform spells? None of that would matter except it’s made you so choosy. Two hundred and forty-six years and you still haven’t taken a mate. I despaired of ever watching you grow round with young. And yet, here you are.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We found an intruder in the woods. Nothing more.” Rudra blushed despite trying to keep a calm front, unable to forget about the male nearly screwing her in front of her pack.

“Mm-hmm. That’s why your face is bright red. Look, if you don’t want to tell me, don’t. But I think your father is going to want to get a good look at your young man.”

“He’s already seeing to the
intruder
,” Rudra snapped. “
Jericho
took him over to the hut so Dad can heal him. We attacked a trespasser on our lands. Nothing more.”

“When can I meet him?” her mother asked, not at all fazed by Rudra’s growing temper.

Rudra swore under her breath and strove for calm. “There. Is. No. Mate. I can see coming in here was a huge mistake. I’d better find Dad before he turns my prisoner into a toad.”

“Bye, dear. And tell your father not to be late for supper. We have reason to celebrate your new—”

Rudra purposefully slammed out of the schoolhouse. Trust her mother to make a perfectly bad mood even worse.

Mate. Ha.
The chances of Rudra finding a worthy male in this world were as good as running into a werewolf.
Never gonna happen.
The Wolf in the
Forest
blessed her kind with a dual nature, as either man or beast, but not both. Never both.

Hell, it was bad enough Rudra had both human and beast within
her
. Though most in her clan respected her strength, she knew many talked about her under their breath, too scared to say the truth to her face—that they considered her as much an abomination as her sorcerer father.

In Rudra’s mind, better an abomination than a dying species. The time for wolf segregation had ended years ago. When Michael Barton chose his clan over all the wolves and other species enjoying the
Great
Forest
, he set into motion events that would forever change the Red Clan. Forced to flee their beloved home, the red wolves had migrated to the only area they could, one populated by humans and magic-users. With little recourse but to blend in, some of the wolves had taken humans and other species of shifters as mates. And now a female half-breed led them. So much for pure bloodlines.

Rudra mentally told all the naysayers to go to hell as she trekked back through the woods towards her father. The old leader had been loathe to accept Rurik at first. But her father’s healing skills and power came in handy when the wolves were forced to fight outside their realm. Humans and sorcerers warred with guns and spells that fangs and claws couldn’t beat. Denied their true home, the wolves, foxes and bears had banded together to oppose a common enemy. Not just the humans but that greedy Silver Clan.

Angered at the thought of all they’d lost, Rudra stomped into her father’s laboratory without knocking. And came face to face with a naked stranger a head taller than her own formidable height. He had muscles on top of muscles, a handsome face and a full head of golden blond hair. He smelled wild and male, and though she tried to fight it, Rudra tingled with desire.

“Hel-lo Red. Very nice.” He quirked full lips and stared at her from head to toe, lingering on various spots in between. “You look positively tasty. What’s your name, honey?” He leaned closer and took a deep breath. And froze. “
You.
”

“Fenris, how do you--” Her father’s voice preceded his entrance. He took one look at them and stopped. “Rudra? Is there a problem here?”

“This woman attacked me in the woods. Her and that damn pack of rabid animals.”

Rudra forced herself not to look any lower than Fenris’ eyes. Though nudity was an accepted practice among shifters, she couldn’t look at this man and not feel desire. She didn’t dare glance at any other part of him than his face, especially not with her father in the room.

Hoping she didn’t appear as red as she felt, she attacked Fenris. “You encroached on
our
territory. You drank from the Wolf’s own spring.”

“Bullshit. The only ceremonial waters belonging to the Wolf in the
Forest
are in our village.”

Our village
--at the heart of the
Great
Forest
. He was Silver Clan, of that she had no doubt. Rudra’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer, prepared to go for the male’s throat.

The scent of sulphur filled the air.
Son of a bitch.
Her father had warned her to expect an attack, but she hadn’t wanted to believe him. Better to focus on her fights with a rival wolf clan than lethal sorcerers with an axe to grind.

“
Die, Rurik. You and your bitch of a wife,
” echoed through a cloud of grey mist. A large monster stepped from it. Shaped like a man but with serpentine parts, the creature opened its snake-like mouth and advanced on Rudra.

She froze in fear. The thing looked like something from out of her nightmares and smelled even worse. Mixing with the sulphur came the stench of evil, a taint much worse than death. As it slithered toward her, its scales contracted and expanded with a slight hissing sound, and a blackish ooze trickled from its eyes, nostrils and mouth. She’d never seen anything so unnatural in all her life.

Rudra tried to gather her thoughts for a spell, wondering which one might stop this thing. But panic made it hard to concentrate. The creature advanced. One more glide and it would be within striking distance.

Before she could defend herself, Fenris stepped in front of her and suddenly turned into something she’d never imagined could be real.

A golden beast took shape where he’d been standing. No longer man or wolf but
both
—a werewolf. Now two heads taller and more muscular than his already impressive frame, Fenris stopped the monster with his huge hands. They pushed back and forth, claws and fangs glinting with menace as each tried to dominate the other. Each time the snake creature grabbed at Fenris, he gouged between its scales, slicing into vulnerable spots with a keen attention to what would do it the most damage.

More black ooze seeped from the creature, its decay lending to its own defeat. The battle grew more intense. Yet through it, Fenris nimbly dodged the creature’s strikes while giving plenty of his own. When the monster tried to reach around him for Rudra, Fenris let out a spine-tingling roar and overpowered it, as if he’d been toying with it before. In a lightning fast move, he ripped the monster’s head from its neck and flung it to the side.

As he did so, Rudra noticed a large, star-shaped mark on Fenris’ forearm that seethed with energy. To her astonishment, it looked made of fire, as if the star burned in his arm. She couldn’t look away, and all else faded from her mind.

Captivated, she had the oddest notion she should reach out and touch it. She lifted a hand, but Fenris stepped back and shoved the monster’s scaly torso away from her.

Panting loudly in the stillness of the room, Fenris glanced back at her, his green eyes glowing, and swore. In seconds he’d shifted back into a man, looking distinctly uneasy.

“I, ah, I’m sorry. But that thing was going to--”

Rurik walked forward with purpose in his step. Not sure how her father would react to such wild magic, Rudra moved closer to Fenris and grabbed him. To protect him or hold him back, she wasn’t sure.

Her father raised a hand, but Fenris stood his ground. Rudra had to admire his courage. The golden wolf rumbled from the back of his throat, a warning for her father to keep his distance.

“You wouldn’t attack the very man that restored you to health, would you, Fenris?” her father asked.

“Attack, no. Defend myself against, hell yes.”

Rurik’s grin eased the tension in the room. “No need for defence, my boy. I’ve been waiting centuries for a werewolf. You’re the answer to my prayers!”

 
Fenris gasped under the huge hug her father gave him. He looked over his shoulder at Rudra, obviously as confused as she was.

“Ah, Rurik? You’re cutting off my circulation,” Fenris said cautiously.

Her father stepped back, the normally unruffled sorcerer practically gleeful with joy.

“Dad?”

Fenris blinked at her. “Dad?” He looked at Rurik then took a step back from her in horror. “But you’re wolf.”

Trust even a werewolf to have prejudices. “I’m part wolf and part
him
,” she said, nodding at her father. “And you’re not exactly natural, so please don’t even try pretending like
I
revolt
you
.”

“Oh? So it should be the other way around, is that it?” Anger and something else glittered in his green gaze.

Unable to stop herself, Rudra glanced down and noticed his huge erection.

Her mouth watered. She had an overwhelming desire to go down on her knees and take him in her mouth. Supplicant, obeying her new alpha…

“Shit.” She leaped back as if scalded and bumped into
her father
. Could this day possibly get any worse?

“Now, this is one scenario I’d never envisioned.” Rurik chuckled and handed Fenris a blanket to wrap around himself. “The answer to my problem is putting my daughter in heat. A bit uncomfortable for all of us, don’t you think?”