Daniel's Mate: Pack Mates, #6

Meet the shifters of Smooth Rock Falls

Declan O’Halloran—website designer by day, Smooth Rock Falls pack alpha by night. He mated Quinn Gallagher in the book Called to Mate.

Quinn Gallagher—Quinn is the Omega of Smooth Rock Falls with a tragic past. It was his mating to Declan, in Called to Mate, that healed him. Omega shifters are especially prized because of their ability to calm and strengthen a pack.

Adam Harris—Adam is one of the Smooth Rock Falls betas who also happens to be a firefighter. He mated Cullen in the short story, Spring Mates, available in the Beneath a Spring Moon Collection.

Cullen Stark—Cullen is one of the Smooth Rock Falls betas. He edits novels for a living and is mated to Adam.

Shea Morrison—Shea is Smooth Rock Falls wolf. He is a genius and is employed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a forensic chemist. He is mated to Micah, and their story can be found in Micah’s Refuge.

Micah Warren—Micah is new to the Smooth Rock Falls pack after leaving his old pack behind. He is a contractor and is mated to Shea.

Grayson Mitchell—Gray is a Smooth Rock Falls wolf who works as an emergency room nurse. He has custody of his three young nieces and is mated to Shannon Cho, from The Wolf’s Tiger.

Shannon Cho—Shannon has issues with his name, as he is all male. He is the first Tiger shifter to mingle with the wolves of Smooth Rock Falls and is mated to Grayson from The Wolf’s Tiger.

Michael Ferris—Michael is a Smooth Rock Falls wolf and firefighter. Romantically involved with Justin Blake. Read his story in Michael’s Heart.

Justin Blake—Justin is a rare Eagle shifter. As far as humans are concerned, he is a lawyer, but he actually operates as the shifter negotiator, helping to resolve issues between the different shifter species. You can find his story in Michael’s Heart.

Pierce Nevitt – Tiger Omega who is only now getting to know what having a choice feels like. Read Pierce’s story in Pierce’s Choice.

Gavin Jackson – Tiger shifter, assigned by the Tiger Council of Elders as one of Pierce’s bodyguards. You can read about Gavin in Pierce’s Choice.

Daniel Carter – Ex-military wolf shifter. He’s operates as the Wolf Council of Elders private investigator.

Trevor Armstrong – A deeply wounded wolf who spent half a year in a cage.

Chapter 1

The knot in Daniel Carter’s stomach loosened the second he walked into his apartment and saw the human woman smile up at him from behind her book.

Hey, Jen, he said as he removed his shoes.

The human grinned and marked her page before standing up. Hey, Dan. How was your meeting?

Dan loved this woman. He really did. She was always willing to come to the apartment whenever he had to be somewhere else. The maternal fifty-something was a lifesaver and he made sure to tell her so every few days. It was fine, thanks. Was he good?

Jen waved her hand in the air and snorted. Of course he was good. He always is. He never gives me any problems. He says he’s hungry. I would have started supper except I knew you wouldn’t be long.

Dan nodded and glanced toward the closed door down the hall. Lucas was eating him out of house and home these days. He held Jen’s coat open as he joked, I keep wondering when he developed a hollow leg.

All boys that age have a big appetite. I’m warning you. Be prepared for when he goes through puberty. He’ll be moody and starving all at the same time. Not a pretty sight, trust me. I remember when my youngest turned thirteen. He thought the world was coming to an end if I didn’t get his pizza on the table at exactly five o’clock.

He rolled his eyes and handed Jen a twenty-dollar bill. Thanks for coming by, he said. You’re the best.

Jen looked at the money and huffed. I told you, Daniel. You don’t need to pay me if I’m only here for an hour, and twenty is far too much.

It was his turn to wave his hand in the air. You have no idea how much your help means to us. So take it and say hi to your boys for me. Tell them if they still want to learn some self-defense moves, I have some free time on Saturday.

He watched Jen get on the elevator and then ambled to the window, keeping an eye on her to make sure she safely made it to her car. As a human, she had no idea that there were creatures wandering about.

Dangerous creatures.

And with all that had been happening lately, he wanted to be sure she avoided such creatures.

He rubbed a hand over his face and turned away from the window as Jen started her car and drove off. She really had no idea how much she helped him out. Lucas was only ten years old, nowhere near old enough to stay home alone, even though the boy repeatedly insisted he was.

As if alerted by his thoughts, Lucas started calling from his room. Dad?

He smiled at the strong sound of his son’s voice. At one time, he hadn’t been sure he would hear it again, so it really didn’t bother him that Lucas hollered from his room instead of coming out to talk to him.

Hey, Lukey, he answered, making his way down the hall and sticking his head in the open door to his son’s room.

Lucas scrunched up his nose and stuck his tongue out. Don’t call me Lukey, he complained. I’m ten-years-old, Dad. Not a baby.

Right, he said, ruffling his son’s hair. There was no point in telling Lucas that he would always be Dan’s baby. The boy wouldn’t understand until he had kids of his own.

If that were even possible.

He shook the dark thought from his head and grinned down at his boy. You hollered?

Lucas’ glare cleared almost immediately and he gestured down at the paper on his desk. Can you help me with this math problem? I don’t understand how they got the answer as five.

He sighed as he looked down at the math worksheet. Out of all of Lucas’ schoolwork, math was by far the hardest to understand. Oh, he knew how to work sums. It was this new math thing that screwed him up. He seriously didn’t understand the whole point of counting backwards and adding weird-ass swoops under each step. The last time he’d deviated from the teaching method, though, Lucas had lost points for not showing his work even though he’d gotten the answer right.

He bent down and tried to make sense of the diagram on the paper. Why couldn’t they stick to a simple method?

Sorry, Luke. I know the answer’s five, but I can’t tell you how to get there using this method. Let me do a web search and see if I can figure it out, okay?

Lucas scowled at the numbers and jabbed at the problem with his pencil. Why do I have to be homeschooled? Why can’t I go to regular school?

Dan suppressed a sigh that threatened to escape his throat. It was always the same argument. And they always ended up the same way. You know why you can’t go to public school.

This sucks, Lucas said. Pouting, he shoved his math aside and instead pulled out his history folder. Where do you want me to start?

Lucas had no idea how much Dan wished he could send his son to school. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to give him a regular life. It just wasn’t in the cards. Instead, they both struggled through Dan’s fumbling attempts to educate him.

There was one advantage of homeschooling, though. I think you’ve done enough today. We’ll pick up with the Battle of the Plains of Abraham tomorrow.

Can we go to Quebec and see the Plains of Abraham? Lucas asked as he shoved the folder back into his desk and chucked his pencil somewhere in the vicinity of his penholder.

It’s not like it’s right around the corner, Dan replied, trying his best to avoid giving his son another negative answer. It’s at least a day’s drive to Quebec City.

I know, Lucas said with a frown, clearly understanding the answer was another ‘no’. I thought maybe that someday…never mind.

We’ll get there some day, Dan promised, his mind racing. How many shifter territories would they have to drive through to get to Quebec? Hell, there had to be a pack in Quebec he would have to contact at the very least. And not many alphas were willing to let a lone wolf come for a sightseeing tour in their territory.

Right. Can I play the Wii? Lucas asked.

Dan grinned at his son’s sudden change of topic. Lucas wasn’t one to let circumstances get him down for very long. Sure. And I’ve got that show we like saved for us. We could make some popcorn and watch it after dinner.

Lucas grinned and rubbed his stomach. Sounds good to me. What are we having for dinner, by the way?

Pasta and salad with garlic bread, Dan answered and had to smile when Lucas licked his lips.

With meat sauce?

There was no denying his son was a werewolf. Dan was pretty sure no human had ever had that look in their eyes when they thought of meat. Of course.

Lucas pushed away from the desk and Dan moved aside to let him maneuver his chair out the door and into the hall.

I still want to go to regular school, you know, he said over his shoulder.

I know, he acknowledged instead of entering the argument. Dan shook his head and grimaced. He should have known Lucas wouldn’t drop the subject. It had never been in the boy’s nature to back down.

Lucas carefully avoided the corner of the couch and parked his wheelchair in front of the television, reaching forward to turn on the gaming station. It broke Dan’s heart to see his son struggle to get around in his own home. Unfortunately, there weren’t a whole lot of choices in accessible housing in Smooth Rock Falls. And Declan O’Halloran, the alpha of the Smooth Rock Falls Wolf pack, had been the only alpha willing to have a lone wolf in his territory.

Dan started up his computer before filling a pot with water. Once he’d put the water on to boil, he sat down at the kitchen table and pulled up his favorite browser, typing the words new math into the search bar. He clicked on the first entry and waited for the page to boot up.

Lucas let out a whoop as he played the video game, his thin body twisting in his chair as he swung the controller around.

A sudden pain streaked through his chest as he watched the young boy. Lucas was the best thing in his life. Dan had no idea what he would do without him.

Water hissed as it bubbled free from beneath the pot’s cover and he rushed to the stove, ignoring the small burn he received when he lifted the hot lid. He added the pasta and stirred it around, barely seeing the noodles as they expanded.

He wanted to give his son the sun and the moon. His greatest wish was to watch him experience everything the world had to offer and it grated on him that Lucas was stuck in this small apartment with barely enough room to maneuver his chair. He’d made the place as accessible as possible, but even he had his limitations.

Maybe it was time he and Lucas moved on. Maybe somewhere out there, there was a town that hadn’t been claimed as pack or pride territory. Then he could send Lucas to school at least.

He knew it wasn’t something that was likely to happen. He’d yet to find a place that wasn’t inside an alpha’s territory.

He knew he would have to force himself to eat his dinner. His appetite had completely vanished at the thought of what the alpha might do if he ever found out about Lucas.

Dan prepared himself for another night spent sitting over his son’s bed, watching over him. He would do whatever it took to keep Lucas safe.

And there was no way he was letting any alpha take his son away from him.

Chapter 2

Trevor shifted around, his head shooting up when the sound of footsteps paused outside his door. Scrambling off the mattress, he wedged himself in the tight space between the bed and the wall. It wasn’t remotely comfortable. Unfortunately, there was nothing else to hide behind.

He held perfectly still as his door creaked open even though he knew he was being ridiculous. He hadn’t been hurt since he’d been released from that damned cage and brought here, wherever here was. Besides, there was no way he could hide his scent from the Elder.

Trevor? the Elder called. His voice was soft, as if he expected Trevor to bolt any second. Trevor? The kitchen told me you didn’t eat your dinner again. Is there something wrong with it? Can I tell them to make something different?

He sighed and wriggled out from his hiding spot. He wasn’t sure what the Elder expected of him. It wasn’t like he could answer the man. He’d been stuck in wolf form since his former alpha had beaten the shit out of him and forced him into a godforsaken cage.

As for his eating habits, well, there wasn’t much he could do about it. It wasn’t that he didn’t eat, because he did. He’d forced down as much as he could before nosing the plate away. He’d been starved and half out of his mind by the time the Council had rescued him, and he figured his stomach still hadn’t regained its previous capacity.

The Elder sighed and sat down on the mattress next to him. Trevor lowered his eyes and tried not to show too much fear. A gentle hand ran through the fur at the base of his ears. Trevor flinched but didn’t move. If this Elder, one of the most powerful wolves in their species, wanted to pet him, Trevor had to let him.

If he had been able to shift back into human form, he would have cried. Once upon a time, soft touches like this from a more dominant wolf would have been welcomed. It was always nice to let someone take care of him for a while.

Those six months he had spent in the cage had completely ruined that comfort.

Well, to be fair, he hadn’t exactly spent the entire six months in the cage, but the time out of the cage had been even more horrific. He still expected to feel the agony of a hot poker searing his side.

We’ve made arrangements to transfer you and a number of your pack mates to the Smooth Rock Falls pack, the Elder finally said.

Trevor tensed, his muscles painfully knotting. After all the shit his previous pack had done to them, he seriously doubted he’d be welcomed into the Smooth Rock Falls pack with open arms.

The Elder’s decision had been made long ago and he’d been trying to steel himself for the inevitable hate he’d receive once he got there. He’d been holding out hope that the Council would reconsider their decision. After all, the six of them had been here recovering for months.

The Elder started speaking again. We wanted to wait until morning to move you all, but it’s been determined that the faster you can be moved to Smooth Rock Falls, the better. The van is waiting.

There was no point in trying to delay. Legs shaking, Trevor hopped off the bed and left the room he’d been assigned to for the first time since he’d gotten to the Council House. He had to stop several times in order to collect himself and the stairs proved particularly tricky.

The Elder walked by his side patiently, never rushing him or showing any sign of frustration. A lovely older woman waited for them by the door.

Trevor, she whispered as she knelt down in front of him.

A single waft of her scent told him she was mated to the Elder at his side.

He cocked his head and looked up at her, careful not to meet her eyes. She wasn’t as dominant as him, he could feel that, but her mate could kill him with one swipe of his claws.

She, too, ran her fingers through the fur on the top of his head. Trevor, you remind me so much of my son-in-law. You’ll meet him when you get to Smooth Rock Falls. His name is Quinn and he’ll help you, if you let him.

She swallowed and a single tear ran down her face. He knows what you’re going through. Please let him help.

The Elder patted his mate’s shoulder and she straightened again. Don’t worry so much, dear, the Elder murmured, and don’t cry. Think of how well Quinn has done.

The woman nodded and took a deep breath. Right.

She bent down again and looked him right in the eye. Something in her gaze prevented him from looking away. I’ve packed you a bag to take with you. It’s in the van already. There’s a few changes of clothes, one of those fancy music players and a couple of books. I didn’t know what you liked to read, so I took a chance and picked up a few bestsellers.

If Trevor had been in his human form, he would have blushed. He was touched someone would think about him enough to pack him a bag, especially since they’d never even seen him as a human. Clearly, she was confident he wouldn’t be stuck like this forever. He wished he could have thanked her properly. Instead, he simply bobbed his head.

She seemed to understand, though, if her beaming grin was any indication.

She stepped back and he followed the Elder out the door and into the cool evening. The fresh air tickled his nose and he sneezed a couple of times. It felt good to be out again and he cocked his head when he scented prey in the distance. His stomach rumbled and