Silent, Ian studied his hands on the table thoughtfully. Maybe he should go look at the prisoner, see what he was like. He did owe that much at least to the pack. “I’ll go see him.”

Marco nodded and stood up. “Let’s leave it at that for now. Bring me the scouting reports as soon as they come in and keep the guards on high alert. We’ll meet again tomorrow.”

The alpha turned to Ian. “In the meantime, why don’t we go have a look at the prisoner? His name is Logan. Whether that’s a first name or a last, I can’t tell you. That’s all he’ll give us. He’s hostile and, I think, pretty frightened though he does a good job of not showing it. Maybe he’ll tell you more, but I think he’s too deeply into his dying for the cause mode right now. He sees all of us as monsters.”

“I’ll go see him, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Fair enough. I’ll go with you.” Marco moved toward the door and turned to Ian when he got there. “He refuses to eat or drink anything besides water. Thinks we’re going to poison him, I guess. C’mon, you can let me know what you decide.”

As they walked, Ian thought about the gravity of what he considered. Once a wolf took on a mate, human or Werekin, the mate became their responsibility forever. There would be no going back. Wolves mated monogamously for life, usually to a blood match. Awolf’s blood sang out when the wolf encountered his true mate. For Ian, it had happened with his wife, Maria. They’d known each other since childhood and mated as soon as their parents allowed. They’d had five blissful years together before Maria and their baby died in childbirth. Since that time, he’d had no interest in anyone else for anything other than casual sexual gratification.

Mates for a wolf could be either male or female. No stigma was attached to same sex matings, with wolves having little control over who their blood chose for them. Once the choice was made, they were totally attracted to the other person; even their scent called to them. If the blood match died, a wolf could still mate again, and the match was another lifetime bond, but it was a more natural, human attraction. As with humans, the attraction could be very strong and powerful. For Ian, it hadn’t happened. This match he was contemplating might not even be compatible, let alone contain any affection other than simple lust and the compulsion for obedience the mating bite created. A loveless match could be miserable even with the bond the mating ritual would form.

He sighed. He’d said he’d go look at the man. It probably was a good solution, all things considered, and he was the only young widower in Mountainwood. He squared his shoulders and prepared himself to do what Casey had joked about—take one for the team. * * * *

Marco went with Ian as far as the corridor and motioned for him to go in alone . “I don’t want to influence you in any way. Go see him and make your decision.”

The prisoner was lying on the cot against the back wall when Ian went in, his army issue camo clothing in rags, no doubt from the struggle when he was captured. His face, streaked with dried blood and dirt because he’d refused to bathe in the pails of water they provided for him, still bore dark bruises and scabs.

“Get away from me, you stinking animal. I told the others I’m not going to talk about anything, so you’re wasting your time.” The young Hunter glared at Ian through the bars, practically spitting the words at him.

Ian stood quietly outside the cell with his arms folded, gazing in at the prisoner. Logan, the alpha said his name was. Logan was young, probably about twenty-five or twenty-six. His dark hair was curly, but he kept it cut short, so the curl barely showed. Ian guessed he nearly shaved it military style most of the time, probably becausehe didn’t like the curls. If Logan was his, he’d make him grow it out longer. Ian was momentarily startled at the thought. Where did that come from?

Logan’s eyes were blue, heavily fringed by black lashes. Blue was Ian’s favorite color for eyes. All the wolves had dark brown or hazel eyes, inherited from their Indian ancestors, so blue eyes were very exotic to him—exotic, beautiful, and damn sexy, judging by the unexpected growing bulge in his jeans.

“Can’t you hear me, wolf?Get the hell out of here! I’m not talking to any of you!”

Logan jumped to his feet and rushed up to the bars. Ian had to smile. The strongest human didn’t have a quarter of the strength of a wolf in his human form. It would be the same as an adult human fighting a five-year-old child. The Hunter must know that, and still, he was posturing. Ian admired his courage. Logan bared his teeth at him and growled. Very nice teeth they were too, white and straight. He licked his lips afterward, and a hint of pink tongue showed between his full, sensuous lips. Ian found himself wanting to taste that tongue. A strange thought and as unexpected as his spontaneous erection. He hadn’t experienced much physical desire for anyone since his mate passed away years ago. This human made his cock stir.

All in all, definitely a beautiful young man, muscular and well built. Ian knew Logan thought he abhorred the wolves as monstrous aberrations of nature. Of course, he only knew the lies and exaggerations he’d been fed by the fanatical Hunters. Ian liked the idea of introducing him to the true nature of the wolf clan.

With the Werekin bite, he would go into an aroused state, commonly known as being in heat. Being a male, he wouldn’t secrete any fluids other than pre-cum, but he would be in a state of hyper-arousal and want sex desperately. Rory had been very careful not to give the deeper, longermating bite when he bit Nicky to save his life, knowing he was Marco’s blood mate. Marco arrived before Nicky progressed far enough for them to truly know what would happen if he had not been mated. Through the ages, they knew of warnings against a Werekin bite without a mating. The reasons why had been lost over time.

What they did know was that once bitten everything would change for him. He would undergo a supernatural change. His body would become stronger, faster, and even more beautifully muscled. Not as strong as a wolf, of course, but much stronger than normal humans. Not only would he have an insatiable appetite for sex during heat, but once given the mating bite and receiving the wolf knot, he would be driven to do or say anything to please his mate, to always be near him, to obey, and please him. He would also need to drink wolf’s blood in order to survive for the rest of his life.

“What’s the matter with you, wolf?” Logan yelled, jerking Ian out of his considerations and the possible repercussions of the step he contemplated taking. No, he knew he would do this. Almost from the first moment he laid eyes on Logan, he’d known he would go through with it. This man was his.

“If you’re going to kill me, go ahead and do it! Do it now! I’m ready!” He banged the flat of his hand against the bars.

Ian took a step toward him, and Logan jumped back, startled by the quick movement. He quickly recovered, though, and tensed his body, ready for a fight. Ian managed not to smile. The young man really was entertaining. Undeniably handsome too. He would probably be a handful to any wolf who took him on. To me. He’ll be my handful from now on.

“Why don’t you say something? Why are you just staring at me like that?” Ian made up his mind and spun, walking away. He needed to speak to Marco. He found him leaning against the wall, speaking softly to the guard. He turned when he heard Ian coming.

“Well? Have you decided?” Ian took a deep breath. “Yes, I’ll turn him, but I won’t mate without his agreement after the Werekin bite.”

“Agreement?” Marco shook his head. “What if he doesn’t agree?”

“Then we’ll find out what happens when the heat isn’t satisfied. I know it’s not traditional, but I won’t force him any further than the Werekin bite. If he’s forced, he’ll never accept me or our people. He’s too stubborn.He’s also brave and very handsome. He has a lot to learn, for sure. If he agrees, I think he’ll make a good mate for me once he adjusts, and we have an opportunity here to learn a great deal about the Hunters.”

Marco put his hand on his shoulder. “A good beta to the core. Always thinking of the good of the pack.” He drew Ian to the side and lowered his voice. “Don’t do this if you’re not attracted to him, Ian. I’m not about to make you sacrifice yourself. There are other young wolves impatient for a mate we can try, or we can do as you said, turn him and see what happens.”

“No.” Ian surprised himself at how quickly the word came from his mouth. “The boy is mine.” Ian dropped his gaze, not wanting to challenge his alpha, but he’d made his decision. “I-I mean, no, Alpha. He belongs to me.”

Marco nodded. “Of course, if that’s your decision. When do you want to do this?”

“Since he’s not eating and making himself unwell, I think we should go ahead right now.”

“I agree. Let’s go get him.”

Chapter Two

Logan paced back and forth across the small cell. Since he’d been captured by these fiends, he’d resigned himself to a fast and painful death, but things weren’t working out quickly at all. He’d been captured over a week ago in a reconnaissance operation turned terribly wrong.

He and the other operatives, four H unters in all, had ventured too close to the wolves’ compound and been spotted by an alpha wolf and another young man. One of the Hunters panicked and shot at them, wounding them, but not enough to incapacitate the big wolf. He’d shifted into his wolf form—the first time Logan had witnessed such a thing, and it still brought shivers to his spine—and attacked them. They should have withdrawn then with the informationthey’d gathered. They had identified the alpha. The squad leader refused, wanting to kill the alpha and weaken the pack before they returned to the compound. On the second attempt, wolves had run up out of nowhere. As he was about to take aim at one of them, he was knocked to the ground and surrounded. The memory of being surrounded by the bristling wolves, with one standing on his chest, fangs snapping at him, ripping his clothes to shreds,was something he’d have nightmares about forever. Why none of them actually bit him he still didn’t understand. His most severewounds hadn’t come until they transformed to their human shapes and beat the hell out of him to subdue him when he refused to surrender.