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L ucy grimaced, rubbing her expanded belly. “They’re kicking.”

Sarah smiled, noticing wood shavings on the ground under the wooden fence. Her face must have given her away.

Lucy motioned to the new pen. “Talen and Galen just put it up. They hate fences, but wanted to discourage any predators from viewing the puppies as an easy meal.”

“It will keep the babies confined too,” Sarah said, thinking the added security was a great idea.

Lucy sighed. “Apparently, only for the first year or so, cat’s climb.”

“I forgot about that. Do they shift right away?” She didn’t want to make Lucy uncomfortable, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

“Marie said the boys all shifted between four and six months.” She shook her head. “Can you imagine? They shift before they can walk. I guess once they’re old enough to crawl. They’re old enough to stumble on all fours.”

Sarah imagined a young Devon playing with his siblings.

“Eager. I guess.” She had never thought about having children.

Bringing an innocent anywhere near her family seemed wrong, yet she couldn’t help, but look at Lucy and speculate.

“Is it okay if I ask you some questions?” She felt comfortable around Lucy.

Sarah rarely took to people right away. Racheal had eroded her walls slowly.

She realized now that Gerald had helped isolate her.

Help build those walls. She’d been such a fool.

Lucy smiled warmly. “Honey, you can ask me anything. You’re family.”

Lucy’s easy acceptance of her was humbling. It gave Sarah the courage to ask what she wanted. She motioned her hand around the yard. “Do you regret any of this?”

“I won’t lie to you. The transformation was a bitch. I detest pain. I threw a pot at Talen’s head when I found out I couldn’t have an epidural during childbirth. The rest of it’s amazing. I love my life.”

Sarah stopped walking. “Talen wants you to be in pain.” She had never thought about a birth plan before, but she was sure no man, not even Devon would dictate what she would be doing with her body.

“Oh no. He detests it when I’m in pain. His cat goes berserk. Unfortunately, conventional drugs don’t work.” She smiled ruefully. “Shifters heal so fast that the drugs are metabolized before they can offer any effect or relief.”

“I forgot about the healing part.” She felt guilty for thinking the worst about Talen. It was clear he loved his wife.

“I’m not used to it yet either. It still surprises me when I heal instantly.”

Sarah smoothed back her windblown hair. “That happens often?” She tried to sound casual.

Lucy laughed. “Yes. I’m such a klutz these days. I can’t seem to chop vegetables without cutting myself.”

“I’m sure it’ll pass. Get Talen to cut the vegetables.”

Lucy huffed. “He wouldn’t make them. He’s a meat eater. We would eat steak and Twinkies if he was in charge of the meals.”

Sarah laughed. She really liked Lucy. The easy camaraderie was a welcome change, but she didn’t want her background to bubble up later, sabotaging her. Her tone dropped an octave. “You know who my father is right?” Even a new cougar like Lucy would know she was embarrassed.

“Brian Marksman.” Lucy looked away sadly for a moment. When she turned back, her face was serious. “My family has ties to the Spanish mafia and possibly Kevin Kallan. But I won’t let my parentage dictate my future, and neither should you.”

The acceptance on Lucy’s face humbled Sarah.

She realized she’d been holding back. “The Kallans have my best friend. They’ve had her for years.

” She shouldn’t be burdening Lucy, yet she was unable to contain her stifled pain.

That was the moment she realized that some part of her had never trusted Gerry.

She’d lived with him, eaten meals with him, and joked with him, but never discussed her guilt. Her feelings.

Lucy put her arm around Sarah. “We’re going to get her back. The boys are working on it right now. Hunter will be reporting back to Talen any moment.”

This was what a family was supposed to be.

Not false smiles and awkward glances. Coming together in a crisis.

Having one another’s back. She knew one of the reasons she’d gravitated to the force, was a sense of belonging, she’d thought it would offer.

However, her fellow police officers hadn’t been able to forget she was a Marksman when her nametag said it so clearly.

She’d turned to the rangers as a better fit, but she’d never truly belonged.

Devon made her feel she did. If she had a choice on who her family would be. She’d choose this one. Every time.

Lucy bent awkwardly to scratch Sasha’s brother, Brutus’, ears. The pup was rubbing against her leg, looking for attention. His brother Ben had left Talen’s arms and was wrestling loudly with his sister.

Sarah felt Devon’s emotions surge with distress before calming and turning to pride. Their connection was strange and comforting at the same time. She chuckled as Brutus jumped on Ben sending them both sprawling, allowing Sasha easy access to attack them both with playful ferocity.

Sarah gasped as Devon’s emotions surged to blistering anger.

Lucy startled; her expression concerned. “Sarah are you okay?”

Sarah put her hand to her chest as if she could block the overwhelming anger. “Devon is furious. I don’t know what’s happening.”

“TALEN,” Lucy shouted.

Talen was in the yard in seconds. His gaze focused on Lucy’s belly. “What is it? Are you okay?”

Sarah clutched her Jacket. “Devon is fighting.”

Talen was over the fence removing his shirt before Sarah could get her breathing under control. He shifted so quickly his paws jumped out of his jeans.

“NO,” Sarah yelled.

“What is it?” Lucy asked.

Sarah looked at Lucy’s worried face. “He’s gone. I lost him.”

* * *

Devon spat dirt from his mouth and opened his eyes. He lay face down on the floor. His body hurt, reminding him how powerful the tranquilizer had been. He attempted to rise, but flopped down in frustration. He had to get back to Sarah and warn his family.

He managed to roll over and shuffle back to the wall.

He propped himself against it, trying to focus through the haze in his head.

He looked at the metal bars of his cell with disgust. Razel had a penchant for locking him up.

He noticed the severely wounded man that lay to his left.

He inhaled deeply, assessing the threat. The man was human.

He shuffled along the wall, closing the distance, to the still form. He put his fingers on the man’s neck, checking his pulse. The thready beat confirmed he was alive. Judging his injuries, Devon wasn’t sure how. He’d been ripped apart. The smell of iron was thick in the air.

The man groaned and opened his eyes.

Devon leaned down, speaking low. “Where are we?”

“Our compound. About twenty miles north of your property...” He coughed.

“Who are you?” Devon asked.

“Aiden. My father was the pack leader until Razel showed up three years ago and killed him. My father was supposed to have put him down decades ago. We had no idea he was still alive. He used a drug on my father before he fought him. No one thought to interfere as drugs shouldn’t work on us.

It was too late before we realized our mistake,” he closed his eyes.

Devon was surprised the man was a coyote shifter. “I can’t smell your animal. He can mask his scent somehow. Did he give you that as well? What is it?”

“No. He injected me with something new. It killed my beast. I’m dying,” he whispered.

“Why?”

“He’s killing anyone who tries to leave the pack. I’m an example of what happens if you oppose his rule.”

“He’s insane,” Devon hissed.

“I’ve heard it happens to some older generations if they don’t find their mate. I’d never seen it before. My father put down those that were unstable or a threat to our community. It’s our way.”

“Ours as well. You were supposed to be the next pack leader?” He found he respected this coyote.

Aiden coughed up blood. “Yes.”

“You tried to kill him.”

Aiden opened his eyes. “I knew I would die. I wanted some of the others to make it out. I failed.”

Devon sensed Aiden’s anger for failing. His guilt. Devon knew those feelings well. This man didn’t care about his own life, only the innocent members of his pack. “My family will come for me. Razel is going to die.”

“Good. Tell them to cleanse this pack. Wipe it from existence. There are two good men. I humbly ask that you spare them. Allow them to move on and find a healthy community.”

Devon was stunned by Aiden’s request. “Only two?” There had to be twenty to thirty coyotes in the pack.

“Razel killed all the elders, including their mates. He feels that women who can no longer bear children are useless. Our current generation hasn’t mated yet.

He’s killed most of the decent men in our pack.

The two I’m telling you about only pretended to serve him in an effort to save me.

I’ve asked them to leave. They won’t. I’m hoping once I’m dead they’ll move on. ”

Aiden slipped into unconsciousness before Devon shook him awake. This was the first decent coyote he’d ever met. If Aiden represented what his species should be, there was no way he was going to let him die. “Do you know where Razel is getting the weapons? Where he keeps them?”

“No. None of us had heard of such a thing before he shot my father and took over the pack. He kept me mostly sedated between beatings until a month ago. That’s when he injected me with this new shit. He said it was a gift from his friends and it would be interesting to see the effects.”

Devon’s mind raced. A month ago. This drug was new yet the tranquilizer and the masking agent were the same as the ones used by Cyril. Was Razel connected to Kallan or buying the weapons from someone who was?