Free Wolver's Reward by Jacqueline Rhoades Page A

was
safe.
    Members of a pack could communicate with each
other through the power of their Alpha. It was a kind of wolver
shorthand combining thought, projected images, and body language.
River was an outsider and therefore forced to rely solely on the
language of wolves, a much more primitive method.
    " She-wolf ," his wolf translated and
then added as a clarification. " She-cub . Mate ."
    Of course. The Chase. The Mate's daughter was
in that RV. That's what this whole shit storm was about. River felt
like a fool for not seeing it sooner.
    He chuffed at the Mate and took a step toward
her, tossing his head as he did so, telling her as best he could to
step back. He would take care of it.
    She hesitated, then slowly nodded her regal
head, and took a step back. Permission granted.
    River didn't hesitate. He turned and raced to
the RV where two female wolvers fought to keep a single intruder
from the door. Bloodied and torn, they were losing the battle. It
was only a matter of time. River dove at the attacker, aiming for
the vulnerable hamstring of its hind leg, but the animal turned on
some sixth sense of survival and met River head on. It was like
getting hit by his old security chief, a freight train with teeth,
and it was the chief's training that saved him.
    He didn't fight the impact, but rolled with
it, bringing his hind legs up to protect his belly. He could almost
hear his mentor shouting in his head.
    "Offer him your throat. Let him think he has
you. Now turn and give him a mouthful of ruff. Sure it hurts, you
whiny assed pup, and it'll hurt a lot more if you don't get out
from under him. He's too heavy to throw. Roll. Roll. Use your head,
damn it, or die."
    With the gray wolf tearing at the thick ruff
of fur at his neck, River twisted his head, knowing that his body
would follow. His attacker came with him and when they were side by
side like two lovers entwined, River struck out with his forepaw
and caught the larger wolf's underjaw. The snarling mouth snapped
shut with a clatter of teeth. The move bought River the moment of
time he needed to roll again in the opposite direction. He
scrambled away, lungs gasping to capture needed air and had barely
gained his feet before the larger wolf was charging again.
    "Retreat! Retreat!" he heard Ryker's lessons
screaming in his head, but River was no longer listening.
    All the anger and hatred and helplessness of
the cub he once was boiled up inside of him and he stood his
ground. Sides heaving, he let the older, heavier wolf come. Let the
battle scarred creature think his power and prowess would win.
River played the role of beaten and defenseless just as he'd played
it for most of his life. He lowered his head in defeat.
    The attacker snarled in triumph and leapt.
River drew back as if he would fall in an impact absorbing roll as
he had before, but the move was a feint. He dove forward instead,
turned on his back as he did so, and skid beneath his enemy.
    Too late, the gray wolf understood what was
happening and he clamped his jaws on River's tail. The pain only
added to the force of the younger wolf's upward rake of his hind
claws along the old one's belly. Flesh tore. The wolf screamed.
River kicked out again, then turned and crawled from beneath the
collapsing body. He howled his victory to the moon, but his triumph
was cut off by a scream from the RV.
    The Mate, still alive but bloodied, was
crawling toward the steps of the open door where another kind of
battle was raging within. A furious storm of pots, pans, shoes, and
things moving too fast to recognize flew by the door. A male voice
shouted curses as he batted the bombardment away.
    The Mate whined and looked at him with fear
filled eyes.
    The battle behind them was winding down and
in spite of his sympathy for the Mate, River had to fight down the
urge to join it. He sighed and in a burst of light, brought himself
home to human.
    "I got it," he whispered to her before he
leapt up the steps and through the open