Featured Read: Out of Reach by KC Stewart

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A collection of new and previously published short stories and novellas featuring those of the Adirondack Pack. 



 EXCERPT

There wasn't much that could put that look on Owen's face. In all their years together as quasi-brothers, best friends and pack mates, Tyson had only seen that particular look a handful of times. As pack enforcer it was Tyson's job to find the reason for the look on his Alpha's face and bring justice.

He was protector, detective, judge and jury. His hands were bloodier than anyone else's in the Adirondack Park and maybe even in the state of New York. Justice often meant death because once a wolf went over the line, there was no coming back.

Owen was alpha. He was the most dominate wolf in the pack and that meant he was the one they relied on. The one they turned to for help. The one who would protect them with everything he had. The pack was his family’s legacy but that didn’t mean it was his birthright, he was just right for the job. When someone was born to do something, nothing, not even being an outcast, could stop them from being who they were meant to be.

Tyson was meant to bring justice and protect the pack.

Owen was meant to lead.

"I can tell by your expression that you have good news for me," Tyson strolled into Owen's office and took one of the seats in front of the massive oak desk.

Owen glanced up from the newspaper he had spread out. Usually a remark like that would have gotten a rise out of him, but Owen was too far lost in thought to do much more than show mild interest. Whatever it was had caused his best friend to suppress the man and the alpha wolf to take charge.

"Just tell me," he said this time.

A snarl was just barely being held back. "There was another one." For a guy who usually spoke in low, soft tones he knew how to add venom when needed. Tyson reached across the desk and turned the newspaper around. Another body ravaged by animals. But it wasn't just an animal that had torn and bit into the flesh of the dead man, it was one of them, a werewolf, shifter, lycanthrope. The killing was a message, just not one the human population could read. The message, like all the rest, was for them.

Humans are fodder. Nothing more, nothing less. 

A radical group of wolf shifters who liked to call themselves "Canidae," believe that between the two halves of the lycanthrope soul, the wolf is the stronger half and they should lean towards the way of the animal. Their kind has evolved. At one point, they had leaned heavily on the wolf side of their instincts, but in the world as it is today, they rely on the human rather than wolf.

"Canidae?" he asked but only for confirmation.

"What do you think?"

That would be a yes. “What are you thinking, Owen?”

"I haven't wanted to make waves with Canidae."

"I know." Everything Owen did, he did for the good of the pack. Keeping his head down in this debate may have been seen as submissive by some, but Tyson knew it had kept many of them alive.

"I've kept middle of the line even though I think they are a bunch of ass sniffing dogs who only want a reason to kill freely. This though," he tapped the newspaper, "this is their way of telling me to pick a side. Three dead in the last month.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I think we have a mole. Someone is feeding Canidae pack information. I don't want to believe any of ours would go against me like that but..."

"Yeah, but." Tyson saw just how honest and honorable wolves could be. He had no doubts that there were some in their pack that were capable of espionage and brutal human killings.

Owen folded up the paper and filed it in his desk. There was something else that was bothering him. Tyson saw anger and exhaustion in Owen's face. Canidae was the cause behind the anger, but he never lost sleep over it.

"Everything ok?"

His laugh was half sigh. "No. Lee's on her kick again."

"Jesus," he groaned. "After almost two years you'd think she would get it through that thick doctor skull of hers that you love her."

"You'd think," he agreed. "I can't really blame her though. I quell the gossip when I hear it, but it always gets back to her."

"Those old hags can go fuck themselves. So she can't have kids. It's not like it's the end of the world."

"No, just the end of my line." He wasn't bitter per se, but Tyson heard the accusation. They had been dancing around their mutual attraction ever since they were pups. Unable to have kids wasn’t a deal breaker for Owen but it was always there between them.

The clock in the corner of the room struck three with long deep gongs. Both of them looked and waited for the sound to end. Tyson hated that clock. He needed to be going anyway. Jenny was expecting him soon. "What do you need of me?" he asked referring to the Canidae problem.

Owen looked him square in the face. "To do your job."