Page 2 of Brock

“We don’t think it’s an outsider,” Talon informed him. “It would be tough for someone from a rival pack—either the Grelians or the Loawens—to infiltrate the valley without anyone scenting them.”

Brock nodded slowly, still processing. “One of our own—a Drydus—would dare to approach a marked Alpha mate?”

“Perhaps. Or maybe we’re overreacting,” Arion suggested.

“How many confirmed reports have you had?” Brock asked.

“Four,” Talon confirmed.

“And no one knows who it is?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Talon said. “No one has caught his scent. Average height, average build. Nothing else to go on.”

“So, what do we do? Perhaps we should complete the mating ceremony early?”

Owen shook his head. “You know we can’t do that. It’s against pack law. A mate must reach the age of twenty before she can be claimed.”

Brock rolled his eyes. “As if two weeks could possibly make a difference. Her safety matters more.”

“Nevertheless, that isn’t the best option. What if next time it was two months or two years?” his father pointed out.

“We have another idea,” Talon said as he glanced at the two brothers who had not yet spoken. “We’re going to place Damon and Elias as her guards for the next two weeks.”

Brock drew in a breath and shifted his gaze to his brother and Arion’s. “That’s risky.”

“It is, but measures have been taken to minimize those risks,” Talon added.

It was rare for unmated Alpha males to descend into the valley with regularity because there existed the risk that they might accidentally encounter their future mate. In most instances, the Alpha males were well aware of their mate’s identity. Whether or not he chose to be informed was another matter, but the leaders most definitely had every detail recorded from the moment a female wolf shifter was born in the valley with the mark of her future Alpha.

Brock was aware that both Damon’s and Elias’s mates were also approaching their age of maturity. Their own claiming ceremonies were growing close.

Brock rubbed his temples as he wandered farther into the room, a feeling of unease consuming him. Sure he’d spent the last twenty years pretending to everyone around that he was disinterested in knowing anything about his future mate, but none of that was true.

Brock’s chest tightened at the thought of anything happening to her. Tightened to the point of pain. He lowered onto the sofa and set his elbows on his knees. “I’ll take the nights.”

“No,” his father argued. “Elias and Damon will switch on and off. It’s only for two weeks.”

Brock lifted his gaze. “This isn’t negotiable. I’ll take the nights.” If Elias and Damon followed his sweet mate around during the day and kept a close eye on her while the sun was up, great. But no way would Brock be able to sleep at night without standing guard outside his mate’s house. He could do so without being detected by anyone.

There was a long silence before Talon sighed and nodded. “Make sure you’re not seen.”

Chapter One

Two weeks later…

Suzette bolted awake and sat upright, gasping for air. It had happened again. The dream. It had been happening for two weeks. Every night, she awoke in the early morning hours to the feeling that someone was watching her.

In reality, sheknewsomeone was watching her. She was well aware that two members of the Alpha Protectors had been guarding her night and day. She’d been more than aware. Her entire life had turned upside down two weeks ago when her parents had informed her she would not be leaving the house again until the mating ceremony.

Suzette felt like she was suffocating from being cooped up for so long. She wasn’t the sort of person who liked to be alone in her room. She liked to be around other people, breathing in the fresh outdoor air.

As a female member of the Drydus pack of wolf shifters, she had attended an all-girl’s school with the rest of the unmated females her entire life. It was how things were done.

No matter what age a female was claimed, they all attended school until their claiming ceremony. Twenty was the age of consent. Though she was a marked female who would be claimed on her twentieth birthday, her unmarked peers followed the same rules.

Suzette had been forced to quit school two weeks early in order to ensure her safety. She hadn’t been in favor of the decision, but she hadn’t argued with her father when he’d informed her of her sequestration.

She’d thought she could handle two weeks. Just fourteen days. She’d continually told herself that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow would be reuniting with her best friend, Jezebel, who had been claimed two months ago. As next-door neighbors and best friends, it had been fortuitous that the girls had both been born with the mark on their right wrist.