FERAL SINS.

THE PHOENIX PACK.

By Suzanne Wright.

CHAPTER ONE.

What in G.o.d's name was that smell?.

It wasn't a bad smell, mused a slowly waking Taryn whose eyelids were too heavy to lift. It sure didn't belong in her bed though. Her sleep-fogged brain was able to tell her three things. One, the smell was actually a person's scent a most delicious scent; fresh pine, spring rain and cedar wood. Two, the alluring scent belonged to a male. And three, that male was a wolf shifter, just like her. Taryn Warner did not smuggle strange guys into the pack house, even if they did smell delicious.

Forcing a droopy eye open, she peeked at the s.p.a.ce beside her and was able to confirm her suspicion that the mystery male was long gone. Swerving her head which felt unnaturally heavy she peered at her alarm clock. Or, at least, she would have done if it hadn't done a disappearing act. Along with her bedside table. And these silky sheets beneath her, she suddenly realized, were not her sheets.

With a start, she sat up. And cursed. Nope, she wasn't in her room. In fact, she wasn't even in her home. Scanning her surroundings warily, her eyes widened in response to not only the luxury around her, but also the realisation that she was inside what looked to be a freaking cave. A cave?

It was no Stone Age cave though. h.e.l.l, no. The light cream sandstone walls were all perfectly smooth apart from the occasional niche that was being used as a mini shelf. The floors were covered with a plush beige carpet that looked invitingly soft. There was a very masculine-style triple wardrobe and large set of drawers; both a dark oak that matched the headboard of the platform bed. The bed itself was under a smooth arch that had been hewn into the cave, making it cosy despite that the bed was huge. But not cosy enough that she was enjoying this freaky little scenario.

Although her inner wolf was on the alert, she wasn't nervous or anxious. Taryn snickered. Her dumb wolf didn't even have the sense to worry that she was in a strange place a cave, no less that she had no memory of arriving in. It was probably a good thing that she was latent.

So...had she gone out with Shaya and somehow ended up going home with a guy? That didn't ring right. For one thing, she couldn't recall arranging a night out, let alone actually venturing out. Moreover, her position as pack healer meant she was constantly on call and so getting ridiculously drunk was something she never did. Also, she was fully clothed casual clothing that she would never wear on a night out and there was no smell of s.e.x on her or the bed.

What was the last thing she remembered doing? Despite the fogginess in her brain she could recall heading to the internet cafe at around noon. She sure didn't remember getting there. Of course it was worth noting that she suffered from NRS Syndrome (Never Remembers s.h.i.t), but this was different. It was like there was a gap in her memory.

Taryn heaved the air around her into her system, filtering through the various scents. There were only two individuals that she could smell beside herself and the yummy smelling wolf. Another male and a female, both of whom were also unfamiliar wolf shifters. At least she could be sure that she wasn't in the grasp of that d.i.c.k alpha, Roscoe, who didn't give a c.r.a.p that she didn't want to be claimed by him. For that matter, her father didn't give a c.r.a.p either; he was too busy trying to build an alliance with the other pack and if that meant using his daughter to get it, he happily would.

She wished she could say that it was just because he was so desperate for an alliance. But no, her dad already had plenty of alliances with other packs. He simply didn't have time for his only child because, as a latent, she was a blow to his pride, an aberration in his bloodline. He hated her because, as he had seen to her conception, she was his weakness. She put his 'greatness' into question for the rest of the pack. Or so he thought. He certainly wouldn't bother putting her photo on a milk carton if she never got home from wherever the h.e.l.l she was.

Spotting a set of beige curtains, she flicked the bedcover aside and rose from the bed. Dizziness momentarily rushed over her and she swayed. Jesus, what was with her? Staggering to the curtains with sluggish, ungraceful movements, she parted them to reveal a bay window a window that was unfortunately locked. Rather than morning, it was more like late afternoon. Did that mean she hadn't spent the night here and had only been here a few hours? Or did it mean she had just had one h.e.l.l of a sleep?

Her eyebrows almost hit her hairline as she took in the view. Most packs had a ma.s.sive luxury lodge surrounded by a number of cabins. Some even had lodges situated on cliffs. But this place wasn't on a cliff, it was the cliff. With the arched, lighted balconies and the smooth stairways leading to different levels, it was like those ancient cave dwellings versus the town of Bedrock.

What. The. f.u.c.k?

Below was gra.s.s. Gra.s.s. More gra.s.s. A huge forest. So, from what she could tell, she was in some kind of huge cave system in the middle of no man's land. She had heard of caves having been hollowed out and turned into homes or even hotels, but never had she expected they could be made to have such a warm, contemporary look. Something told her she was still in California somewhere, but she had a feeling the cab ride home was going to be expensive. Good thing her kidnapper was wealthy. Especially since there didn't seem to be any sign of her purse anywhere. If this was all a joke she so didn't get it.

Smoothing out the bane of her existence that couldn't seem to decide what shade of blonde it wanted to be, she headed for the door on shaky legs. She might have been cautious if she wasn't so annoyed, woozy and confused. Besides, she figured that if these wolves had any intention of hurting her they would have done so already, and they definitely wouldn't have left her to sleep on such a comfy bed in an extravagant room.

She tugged on the door handle but, to her horror and frustration, the door was locked. Locked? "Hey!" she called out as she knocked loudly. No response. "h.e.l.loooooooooo!" Still nothing.

So, to sum up, she was in a strange place around strange shifters and she was being confined? Well now her wolf was p.i.s.sed. Being cooped up was enough to infuriate and agitate any shifter. "h.e.l.lo! This is your captive speaking! Open the freaking door!"

A chuckle preceded the turning of a key and then the door slowly swung open. Taryn found herself face to face well, face to chest with what could only be described as a living breathing mountain. Another wolf. She arched a brow at his c.o.c.ky, devilish smirk, wondering what could possibly be so amusing.

"You're awake. Good."

"And just which dwarf might you be?" No it wasn't a good time to make jokes but she was a sarcastic b.i.t.c.h and when she was p.i.s.sed off the sarcasm took on a life of its own.

His smirk widened. "The Alpha wants to speak to you."

"And your Alpha is...?"

He winked. "Follow me."

Rolling her eyes at his c.o.c.ky swagger, Taryn followed him through a tunnel which took them deeper into the mountain. Seeing the occasional turn-off, she realized that it was actually a network of tunnels like some kind of giant ant colony. Just like in the bedroom, the light cream walls were so smooth they actually looked soft. Her wolf was going crazy at the strange, unfamiliar scents, wanting Taryn to explore the place. "Mind telling me where I am?"

"All will be revealed shortly," he drawled.

"How about how I got here?" she asked irritably.

"The Alpha will explain everything to you."

She couldn't contain a growl, but it seemed to amuse him.

Soon they came to a large black door, which Mountain Man held open while she pa.s.sed through. They were now in a huge open plan kitchen that was surprisingly modern and stylish with its oak cabinets, black marble countertop, and platinum appliances. In the centre of the large s.p.a.ce was a long oak dining table around which a small number of male wolf shifters hovered. All heads turned as she entered and the crowd split, giving her a view of who sat at the table. Her jaw almost hit the floor.

Motherf.u.c.ker. Trey Coleman.

Now she knew for a fact that she hadn't come here willingly. Even if she had been on a night out and gotten hammered, no amount of alcohol would have distracted her from the fact that this was guy was a psycho. He was kind of like the Black Mamba snake; fiercely aggressive, had a bad reputation, and was respected, admired, and feared all at the same time. That had a lot to do with the rumor that he had challenged and almost killed a mature Alpha male at the delicate age of fourteen. A mature Alpha male who had also been his father.

If what Taryn had heard was correct, Trey had been banished rather than earning the position of Alpha male. The act had caused a divide in the pack and those who hadn't agreed with the decision had left with him. Together they had formed their own pack with Trey as Alpha male and earned their own territory through battles with other packs. So far this particular Alpha was undefeated...which was probably because his wolf tended to turn feral during battles. And here she was with him. She couldn't help but get the feeling that the universe was laughing behind her back.

Given that she was in the company of or, more accurately, being confined by a person who wasn't at all mentally stable, you would think her wolf would be at least a little nervous. Taryn certainly was beneath her anger. Oh not at all! Her wolf wanted to rub against him enticingly, recognising his scent as the one from the bedroom. Tramp.

Okay, Taryn could concede that the homicidal nutcase was seriously hot. His harsh scowl and the sharpness in his artic blue eyes seemed to only add to it. His t-shirt didn't hide his broad shoulders, defined upper body or washboard abs. Ripped, that was what he was. Ordinarily, Taryn didn't much like the highlander look, but she found that she couldn't help admire that physique. In addition, both her body and her wolf helplessly reacted to the power that was practically buzzing around him; he wore authority like a second skin. Perversely, his hard penetrating stare was heating her blood rather than affronting her. His eyes had taken on a glazed, hungry look that both thrilled and startled her. It made her wolf growl in excitement. The primal l.u.s.t that gripped her was so intense it almost hurt.

Well that was just great. Maybe she was developing Stockholm Syndrome or something.

In any case, no way would her inconvenient attraction to him inspire her to react to him as her body and her wolf wanted and as many other females often did, if his reputation as a rake had any substance. Her father was also the dark, rugged, brooding, dangerous type and he was a pain in the padded a.s.s. Betraying nothing about her appreciation of him as a male specimen, Taryn simply returned his full-on alpha stare with one of her own. Oh her wolf may be latent, but she was still an alpha wolf.

Trey regarded the female before him curiously. He had been told that she was latent. Add in that she was a tiny little thing, away from her pack and in his company, and surely you would have yourself a flighty deer. But there was no fear in her expression, nor was it wafting from her like fumes as he would have expected. Instead, she was royally p.i.s.sed. Apparently he had become so used to the scent of fear that he now found himself a little thrown.

He also found that he was becoming painfully hard as a raw basic hunger surged through him, beating at his self-control. She wasn't beautiful in that oh so obvious in-your-face way, but in a natural, understated way. Although she was slender she had mouth-watering curves that had all sorts of fantasies playing around in his head. It was her mouth that had most of his attention though; it was plush, carnal and made a guy think impure thoughts. A mouth that was currently set into a hard line, communicating how livid she was. Still the stench of fear hadn't permeated the air. Maybe she just didn't recognise him. "Do you know who I am?"

Taryn rolled her eyes. "Why don't we just skip to the part where you tell me how the h.e.l.l I got here and why exactly I'm here at all, Coleman?"

Everyone around her stiffened and an uncomfortable hush fell upon the room. Obviously they were all waiting for the guy to explode. Yeah? Well she had had enough of intimidating, dominating males. Had had enough of boyfriends who seemed to think that her being latent meant she had to be submissive and meek. Had had enough of her father trying to force her to mate with a sleazy alpha for his own sly reasons. Had had enough of said sleazy alpha who was so determined to mate with her that he had cornered and bitten her without her permission, believing he had marked her as his. And now psycho boy here had obviously kidnapped her. Forgive her if she had reached her limit!

Trey smiled inwardly at her feistiness. He had been told enough times that he had an intimidating presence. All his life, even before earning his reputation, people had been weary of him and it had kind of irritated him. His grandmother blamed his seemingly permanent scowl as well as the dominant vibes that surrounded him.

This female, however, wasn't shrinking away from him or the intensity of his gaze. And he knew it was intense. He knew that his eyes were so completely focused on her and every single line and curve of her hot little body that it should have been enough to make her look away, squirm or scowl. She didn't even flinch under his scrutiny. Instead she met his hard stare boldly, and it occurred to him that it was very possible that he had found someone who could outstare him. This was obviously a female who was used to taking s.h.i.t from people probably as a result of being latent. Her fiery nature pleased his wolf who didn't respect tremblers. He would bet she had a wicked temper.

Instinctively, Trey inhaled deeply to investigate the scent of the female just as he did with anyone he met for the first time. f.u.c.k. The exotic fusion of coconut, lime and pineapple seemed to slam into his system and shoot straight to his hard c.o.c.k, making it jerk. His wolf growled his arousal, wanting to further investigate this female with the mouth-watering scent. "Why don't you sit," he invited, gesturing to the seat opposite him. His strong attraction to her would be a good thing if she agreed to his deal.

Taryn would have refused his invitation, but to do that would give the impression that she was feeling too intimidated. She couldn't afford to show weakness. After taking the seat, she said, "So you were going to explain what this is all about?" If she hadn't been so in need of answers, she would have avoided talking to him at all. That rough, gravelly voice caressed her senses and almost succeeded in making her shudder.

"My Beta and my Head Enforcer brought you here a few hours ago."

"What? Why? And how did they even get me to go with them?"

"They drugged you."

Taryn gaped. He was too flippant and unremorseful for her liking. "They did what?"

"At the cafe. After you left and the drowsiness kicked in as you were walking home, Dante and Tao took you and brought you to me."

"If it makes you feel any better," began Mountain Man, "you still fought me and Tao like a wildcat before you went away with the fairies to dreamland." He lifted his t-shirt to show her a set of claw marks that spanned his chest. Her marks, she realized. Although she was latent, she could partially shift. She also realized that Mountain Man was amused rather than angry.

"Wildcat is an understatement. No one ever marks our Beta," a tall, olive-skinned wolf told her who she presumed was Tao her other kidnapper. With his athletic build and chocolate brown hair, he was more her type. Unfortunately her wolf was growling her disagreement; she rather liked psycho boy.

"And the purpose of Operation Drug and Kidnap the Female Wolf is what exactly?" Her tone made it clear that no answer could possibly placate her.

Trey's inward smile surfaced. She would be perfect for what he had in mind. In order to know for sure, he needed to tell some sweet little lies first and feel her out, find out if his suspicions about her supposed mating were true. "Roscoe Weston."

Her wolf growled inside her head at the name. "What about him?"

"He has something I want. Something that he owes me."

"Ah, and now you believe you have something he wants and that there's going to be some sort of trade going on." It was just her luck that she would get stuck in the middle of alpha games.

"You're not so much insurance as you are a little reminder that he owes me and I'm not a patient man."

And she wasn't a patient woman. Nor was she partial to being drugged and kidnapped. But did anyone give a s.h.i.t? No. It could be that she was latent or just that she was small, but people tended to judge her as being delicate, skittish and submissive. "Look, maybe in your culture it's perfectly fine to drug and abduct a person, but it sure as s.h.i.t isn't acceptable in mine."

"As soon as Roscoe arrives, you can leave."

That wasn't exactly fan-freaking-tastic news. A part of her wanted to rant and rave, but what good would it do? She would only end up being confined in that d.a.m.n bedroom again and that would drive her and her wolf crazy. Also, she was a believer that it was best to have your enemy in sight. "Have you called him yet?"

"He'll be here soon," he lied. In truth, he hadn't contacted Roscoe and he had no intention of doing.

"Well then, can the captive get a coffee or what?" she asked no one in particular.

Aside from psycho boy, Dante and Tao, there were four other males in the room; a broad frowner with a military haircut, a gorgeous blonde with caramel skin, a tall wolf with tousled dark curls and a clown-wide smile, and a burly rugged guy with claw mark scars across one cheek. It occurred to her that she could just label them Grumpy, Blondie, Smiley and Burly.

Other than Dante who seemed strangely fascinated with her for having managed to claw him none of the wolves looked at all pleased about her presence. She guessed that they weren't a fan of her dad. Not many were. Even the wolf who was wearing a huge grin looked intrigued as opposed to friendly, and she had the feeling that his smile was permanently there. Or maybe he was imagining what it would feel like to rip out her throat and hand it bow-tied to her a.s.shole of a father. With his arrogance, deviousness and 'I own the world and can do whatever the h.e.l.l I want' att.i.tude, her dad was as good at collecting enemies as he was at gathering alliances. Even those who allied themselves with him only did so because of how influential he was it was all just politics.

In response to her question, Trey nodded to a grinning Marcus who switched on the coffee machine and retrieved a mug from the cupboard. Trey tilted his head as he considered her. "You know, you're not what I'd expected."

"Is that right?" she said flatly.

"Roscoe usually likes airheads and submissives." Blonde as she was, she didn't have that bimbo look about her. There was no missing the sharp, keen mind behind those charcoal-grey eyes. "Funny how a person's true mate can be the opposite of what they go for."

"He's not my true mate." It came out snappier than she had intended.

"If you haven't found your true mate yet, why would you mate with someone else? It's not like you haven't got plenty of time to find him. You can't be much older than twenty-four, twenty-five."

"My mate's dead. He died when we were kids."

"Well then that's something you and I have in common. I also lost my mate a long time ago before I was able to claim her."

Taryn took in his solemn expression and felt a pang of sympathy for him. The loss of a mate wasn't something anyone could understand unless they had experienced that kind of pain themselves. "Sorry."

He simply shrugged a little. "Hmm, now you and Roscoe as a couple make even less sense. If you're not true mates, then that means he's chosen a spitfire. It really must be love."

"Huh." Taryn had to bite back a snort. Love? Yeah, right. The reason Roscoe was so determined to f.u.c.k her was simply because she hadn't responded to his charm and apparently his ego couldn't handle the blow. As for why he wanted to take her as his mate...The only thing she could figure was that he wanted an alliance with her dad.

"When's the mating ceremony scheduled for?" asked Trey.

Oh there would be no mating ceremony. Roscoe was keen to get it over with because her dad had insisted on there being one before he would hand her over completely only so he had an excuse to have a get-together with all his alliances and look the big man. No way would she bind herself to someone she didn't care for or even like. Then there was the matter of Roscoe being a control freak; she had picked that up from his interactions with his enforcers, all of whom were intimidated by him. She didn't believe they were scared of him in a physical sense. It was as though he had some sort of hold over them, like he held their secrets in the palm of his hand or something like that.

Also, if the rumors were right, Roscoe got his kicks from inflicting pain on women. Considering he had forced his mark on her in the middle of a night club, she had no problem believing that. She had expected him to strike her after she practically crushed his b.a.l.l.s with her hand in retaliation, but when he could finally stand and had finished panting, he merely smiled. It was a creepy smile that swore revenge, but he hadn't stopped her from walking away. Apparently he was biding his time.

To escape the mating, her first stop had been her dad. As he wanted the alliance, she wasn't getting any help from that corner. Her next stop should be her Alpha, but as her dad was the Alpha, that avenue was closed to her. She could try leaving the pack but that wouldn't improve her situation. As a lone wolf without any protection, pack, or territory she would be easy pickings, and Roscoe would undoubtedly be the picker.

The only other person she had was her uncle her deceased mother's youngest brother who she hadn't seen since he mated into another pack ten years ago. Her plan was to ask him to approach his Alpha with the idea of accepting her into his pack, but she wasn't optimistic. Although she was a healer, she was also latent and she couldn't envision any Alpha being particularly interested in taking in a latent wolf. The question was, even if the Alpha did take her in, would he be prepared to challenge Roscoe if he angry at being thwarted as only a control freak could be came to bring her back?

She thought about telling Trey that she liked Roscoe even less than he did, but sometimes it was a case of 'better the devil you know' and this particular devil was possibly worse than Roscoe. Instead of answering his question, she got herself comfy on the seat, crossing her legs yoga-like, and sipped the coffee that Smiley had placed in front of her.

"Does your silence mean you haven't set a date yet?"

"Oh, didn't I answer? That's probably because it's none of your business."

He felt his mouth twitch into a smile. "You must be looking forward to soon becoming an Alpha Female of a pack."

Something about his tone had her frowning. "Are power hungry females the only type you've known?"

He shrugged. "Isn't it what every female wolf dreams of?"

"Oh yes, and I'm bowled over with excitement at my upcoming position."

Strangely he found that he liked her sarcastic streak. "I thought you were a healer."

"I am."

"Typically they have gentle natures."

"I fall flat there."

"I heard you're quite a powerful healer."

She was. There were three different types of healers. Some worked on an emotional level, neutralising or healing emotional wounds. Others drew the aches and pains into themselves, acting more as a sedative and ensuring a speedy recovery. Then there those like Taryn who could heal the actual wounds within minutes, guaranteeing a recovery.

"Do you always sit in odd positions?"