Page 1 of Predator (Stope Packs #4)

Her nerves jangling like a skeleton caught in a tumble dryer on high spin, Emily Nightsom clasped her hands in her lap and rocked on the rear veranda of the mansion, her chin up and no expression on her face. Anybody looking at her would see perfect composure and dignity. But anyone who truly sensed her energy would feel an eerie, skin-crawling unease. Thank goodness nobody had ever been on her wavelength.

Well, mostly nobody. Jackson Tryne didn’t count. Ever.

Gentle lights shone down from chandeliers, edging out the darkness of night. The moon had risen, though only at half strength—which somewhat explained the weakness in her knees.

A storm edged closer, with thunder rolling across the sky. Lightning struck nearby with a crackle, and the smell of ozone filled the air. Then the skies opened, instantly releasing rain in sheets, filling the night with the scents of pine and fresh earth.

Sitting safely beneath the veranda’s solid roof, Emily heard vehicles pull up in front of the home and looked toward the table laden with cold cuts, rolls, and cookies. Lovely etched glasses surrounded a full water pitcher, while wine bottles breathed to the side, stemmed glasses nearby. Swallowing, she stood and turned toward the double glass door, her mouth parchment-dry.

Her father emerged first, his gaze on the table and approval tilting his lips.

Well, at least she’d done something right. “Father.”

“Hi, Honey.” Philip Nightsom’s smile and eyes were too wide. Shock?

“Where is she?” Emily angled her neck to see beyond him.

He straightened, and she took in his dashing gray suit and striped, green tie. For as long as she could remember, he’d always kept a three-piece suit in his town car in case he needed clothing. “She wouldn’t, ah, ride with me.”

Amusement surprised Emily as the sensation ran through her. “That’s interesting.”

He frowned and moved toward the table, pouring a glass of cabernet. “You might want to steel yourself.”

“Why?”

The door opened again, and Miliki, her father’s top Enforcer, strode out. At over a hundred years old, he had silver hair and sharp, brown eyes. “Miss Nightsom? I’d like for you to meet Nadia Hodge. Your, ah, half-sister.” He stepped to the side, revealing a female.

Emily swallowed a gasp.

A female walked forward, her eyes a lighter black than Emily’s. They both had platinum-blond hair and fine features.

“Hi.” The female spoke first, her gaze on the wild storm beyond the veranda.

“Welcome to our home.” Emily searched her sister’s face for something. Anything. Man, they looked alike.

Nadia glanced at Emily’s boot-covered feet and then her head. “Well. Guess you got all the height.”

Amusement took over again. “Guess so.” While Em was around six feet tall, Nadia had to be…what? Five-foot-six, tops? “And you have a dimple in your left cheek. I don’t.”

Her father took a deep gulp of wine. “You both look just like my mother. It’s fascinating, really.”

The poor guy sounded like he was still in shock. Probably was, considering he’d discovered he had another daughter just a few hours ago.

Nadia slowly grinned. “You’re truly beautiful, Emily.”

Emily chuckled. “That’s funny, considering we could be twins—minus the height difference.”

“No.” Nadia shook her head, her focus intense. “It’s more than that. There’s something about you. Beyond the bone structure and all of that. Real beauty.”

“What a kind thing to say,” Emily said smoothly.

Nadia snorted. “Kind isn’t exactly one of my character traits. Telling the truth…is.”

Likable. Her newly found sister was eminently likable. This might work out, after all.

A male strode through the door, his dark gaze taking in the entire veranda before he moved to the side, posting himself near Nadia in a position that ensured he could intercept anybody before they reached her. He stood to well over six feet tall and appeared muscled and strong.

Both Miliki and her father bristled.

“You brought your own Enforcer?” Emily asked. Or was there more to it?

Nadia nodded. “This is Caidrik. Our new, um, Alpha assigned him to my protection detail while I visited your territory.”

Emily’s eyebrow rose. Caidrik had some power. She could feel it. Was he an Alpha? Something was off here. “Your new Alpha? You mean Erik Volk?”

Nadia shifted her weight. She looked adorable in jeans and a pink sweater, with her blond hair up in a ponytail. “Yes. Erik Volk. Our co-op joined the Copper Pack earlier today. We need farming land, and they need wolves. It worked out.” She scrunched up her nose. “Although I’m not sure about having an Alpha, you know? My people have stayed out of wolf pack business.”

Caidrik looked from Nadia to Emily and back, promised death with a hint of intrigue in his eyes. “Which is why we were almost taken out by a rogue pack. We’ll be safer as members of the Copper Pack.” He focused on Emily. “It’s my understanding that you were engaged to Erik Volk, who is now mated to somebody else. Has that created bad blood?”

Miliki growled low.

Emily smiled, her shoulders relaxing. Apparently, her sister’s guard dog had done his research. “Not in the slightest. I called off the engagement. Erik and I are good friends, and I adore Luna, his new mate. The Slate Pack and the Copper Pack are allies within the Stope Packs Coalition. Your people will be much safer now.” Her legs trembled, so she turned toward the table to mask the weakness. “May I get you something to eat or drink? The wine is excellent.”

Nadia’s gaze narrowed. “I’d love wine. Thank you.”

Had she seen the tremor? If so, it was kind of her to refrain from mentioning it. Or perhaps she was categorizing weaknesses to use against them later. “Caidrik?” Emily asked, pouring a glass of cabernet for her sister.

“No.” At Nadia’s quick look, he cleared his throat. “No, thank you,” he said, his voice a low growl.

Emily handed Nadia the wineglass.

Their father finished his drink and then cleared his throat. “I didn’t know that you existed until a few hours ago, Nadia.”

“I know.” Nadia sipped her wine. “By the time my mother realized she was pregnant, you had already mated Emily’s mom. She chose not to tell you.”

The female didn’t sound like she cared much. “Where is your mother now?” Emily poured herself a glass of water.

“She passed away five years ago,” Nadia said quietly.

Emily looked at her sister. “I’m sorry. My mother passed away, as well.”

Nadia grimaced. “My mom had a very common wolf name, one that carries through all of the packs, so I often have folks say that they know her. But we pretty much kept to ourselves and our small co-op my entire life.”

A clamor echoed from inside the house, and Emily sighed right before her cousin, Vic, strode outside. “Nadia, this is your cousin, Victor.”

Vic looked from Emily to Nadia and then to Philip. “So, it’s true? You have a bastard daughter?”

Caidrik launched from his post, and Nadia pivoted, putting her body between them.

Emily drew up to her full height. “You call my sister a name like that again, and you and I are hitting the grass, Vic. Last time we wrestled, you ended up crying for an hour.” Of course, she’d been stronger then. Much. They’d been kids, really.

He whirled on her. “Oh, I’d like another chance at you, little girl.”

Nadia shifted, somehow landing next to Emily. “I’d love to see you kick his ass, Emily.”

Emily smiled, willing her left leg to stop trembling. The weakness was increasing, damn it. She couldn’t even kick her own ass. “Father?”

Philip put down his glass. “Yes. I was stunned for a moment.” He flashed his canines. “Victor? You might be my nephew, but Nadia is my daughter. You will treat her with respect. Understand?” Alpha power vibrated in his voice.

“Of course.” Victor stood as tall as Caidrik, with green eyes and dark blond hair. The guy always wore gold: watch, necklace, even pinky ring. “I apologize, Nadia. This is just a…shock.” He rolled his neck. “I’ve been stressed lately, training to step in as the Alpha of this pack if and when it becomes necessary.” He edged to the side, keeping Caidrik in his line of sight.

So, he did recognize the biggest threat—probably instinctively, because Vic rarely thought things out.

Nadia glanced sideways at Emily. “Why aren’t you training to be the Alpha?”

Vic snorted. “Seriously? She’s a female.”

That was nowhere near why. If Emily wasn’t dying, she’d take over as Alpha in an instant…until somebody good came along. She didn’t want the position but couldn’t let Vic take control. He lacked insight. “Nadia? Do you want the job?”

“God, no.” Nadia took another drink of her wine.

Probably a good thing. While Nadia had Alpha blood, she wasn’t big enough to fight off challengers. Emily had the size but not the strength—a fact she’d managed to hide from everyone. Her illness was getting worse, and she had to do something about it before Vic took over. Thank goodness her father was strong and healthy, even at his advanced age.

Nadia’s chin lifted. “However, I do think a female could be the Alpha.”

Philip sighed. “Maybe theoretically, but the challenges would come often, and she’d need to fight well.” He paled. “Not that Emily can’t fight, but her heart isn’t in it, so…”

Emily cleared her throat. “I’ll step up if needed, Father.” Of course, she needed to be in top health, damn it.

Vic looked them both over. “We’re fourth or fifth cousins, you know.”

Nadia flicked her gaze to Emily. “So?”

Vic ignored her and faced Philip. “I understand you’ve promised Emily to Jackson Tryne. I’d like for you to reconsider.”

Fire ripped through Emily, banishing the tremble. “Wait a minute?—”

“Promised?” Nadia’s voice rose, and she actually stepped in front of Emily this time. “You’ve promised her to somebody?” Even her ponytail twitched in anger.

Emily easily stared at her father over Nadia’s head. “No. Listen, little sister?—”

“Big sister,” Nadia corrected, placing her wine glass on the table. She put her hands on her hips. “I’m a year older than you. That makes me the big sister, and there’s no way on this round ball of a planet I’m letting my little sister be promised to the Alpha of the damn Granite Pack.”

Emily cocked her head. Her very petite sister had just called her the little sister. How adorable. “You’ve heard of Jackson?”

“Everybody has heard of him,” Nadia said, her back visibly vibrating. “He’s brutal in a fight.”

Every Alpha was brutal in a fight. “He’s not that scary,” Emily said. “And don’t worry, I’m not promised to anybody.”

Philip poured more wine into his glass. “Actually, we could use the connection to his pack, Emily. That strength would be helpful since the Volk brothers now lead the other two packs in the coalition.”

She understood his position. Their coalition was named after a stope—a tunnel in a mine—an apt moniker, as the four packs mined slate, granite, copper, and silver. With the Silver and Copper Packs now being ruled by blood brothers, it left her father feeling uneasy.

Even so, she shook her head. “I am not mating Jackson Tryne.” She wouldn’t mate for convenience, and besides, couldn’t with her current illness—it wouldn’t be fair to Jackson. She should probably tell her father the truth about how physically weak she felt, but she didn’t want to worry him.

“What about me?” Vic puffed out his muscular chest.

Emily’s mouth gaped, but she quickly pressed her lips together. “You want to mate Jackson?” she drawled.

Victor’s face flushed red. “Funny, but no. I want one of you.”

Nadia’s head bobbed as if her chin had hit her chest.

Emily winced. “We’re cousins, Vic. Don’t be ridiculous.”

Victor continued staring at Philip. “It would consolidate power, and we’re all very distant relatives.”

Nadia’s ponytail jerked again. “Geez, Vic. Would you like to flip a coin for us?”

Sarcasm sounded good coming from the female. Emily sighed. “This is the dumbest conversation I’ve ever witnessed. The answer is no, Victor. Neither of us wants to mate you, so stop it. Right now.”

He moved toward her, and Caidrik growled low. Lightning zapped near the tree line.

Vic stopped.

This was weird. “ Nobody is getting mated, so everyone just calm the hell down,” Emily said before any blows could land.

“Now, that just hurts my feelings.” Jackson Tryne emerged from the darkness, the moon caressing his rock-hard form. The rain sluiced off him, molding his worn T-shirt to his impressive chest.

Emily stiffened, her body electrifying as her gaze slashed to her father’s. While it didn’t surprise her that she hadn’t smelled him, as the Alpha, Philip should’ve known the second he entered their territory. Was Jackson that good at masking his scent and energy? Even with the help of the storm, somebody should’ve sensed the presence of an Alpha wolf. They emitted their own vibrations.

The Alpha strode across the back lawn and into the chandelier’s light, his luminous blue eyes predatory. He glanced at Nadia and then back at Emily. “I heard the rumors. Appears true.”

Victor moved closer to the table, his gaze hard. “Tell you what, Tryne, you can have the new sister. Nadia is all yours.”

It was like he wanted Caidrik to rip out his throat.

Nadia bunched as if ready to attack, so Emily grasped her arm. “Take it easy, big sister.” While Vic had no tact, the guy could fight. Emily doubted her new sister would stand a chance against him. “Nobody is going anywhere.”

Jackson tucked his thumbs into the pockets of his ripped jeans, water dripping from his thick, black hair. “That’s where you’re wrong, baby. I’m done waiting.”

Vic bristled. “Why are you fucking here, Jackson?”

Those blue eyes landed on Emily with a force stronger than the current storm. “I’m here for what’s mine.”