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    Rebel's Claw (Black Hills Wolves #22)
    Rebel's Claw (Black Hills Wolves #22)
    Rebel's Claw (Black Hills Wolves #22)
    Ebook119 pages2 hours

    Rebel's Claw (Black Hills Wolves #22)

    By Afton Locke

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    About this ebook

    Roark Archer’s Lamar Canyon Pack in Yellowstone has been decimated by ranchers and hunters. Although the Tao pack in Los Lobos, South Dakota, has offered to assimilate it, he cannot give up his heritage so easily. At least not until he gets revenge against whoever killed his best friend, Jared, three years ago.

    Recluse Carrie Myers lives on the Wyoming cattle ranch her late father left her. One fateful night changes her life forever, leaving her questioning her sanity. She knows what she saw...or does she? Regardless, she’ll do anything to protect the awful secret that has haunted her for the past three years.

    When fate brings Roark to Carrie’s doorstep, the connection between them is undeniable. Determined to avoid commitment, they agree to give in to their unexplainable attraction for one night. Will hatred consume this hell-raising shifter, or can he learn love and forgiveness in the enemy’s arms?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDecadent Publishing
    Release dateJul 2, 2015
    ISBN9781613338742
    Rebel's Claw (Black Hills Wolves #22)

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      Book preview

      Rebel's Claw (Black Hills Wolves #22) - Afton Locke

      The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.

      This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      Rebel’s Claw

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2015 by Afton Locke

      978-1-61333-874-2

      Cover art by Fiona Jayde

      All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

      Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

      Look for us online at:

      www.decadentpublishing.com

      Black Hills Wolves Stories

      Wolf’s Return

      What a Wolf Wants

      Black Hills Desperado

      Wolf’s Song

      Claiming His Mate

      When Hell Freezes

      Portrait of a Lone Wolf

      Alpha in Disguise

      A Wolf’s Promise

      Reluctant Mate

      Diamond Moon

      Wolf on a Leash

      Tempting the Wolf

      Naming His Mate

      A Wolf Awakens

      The Wolf and the Butterfly

      Infiltrating Her Pack

      Omega’s Heart

      Coming Soon

      Claiming the She Wolf

      Uncaged

      Dangerous

      Worth Fighting For

      Promiscuous Wolf

      ~Dedication~

      This story is dedicated to the Facebook group The Wolf Pack: For Readers Who Like a Good Howl. Hanging out there is like attending a 24/7 Facebook party. These readers love wolf shifters. I ran a little contest to promote Alpha in Disguise and was amazed by the enthusiasm so many showed for a sequel. As a result, inspiration struck and I found the perfect heroine for Roark.

      Rebel’s Claw

      Black Hills Wolves

      By

      Afton Locke

      Prologue

      Wyoming, May 2012

      Carrie Myers dashed out of her ranch house in the driving rain. Except for the circle of brightness from her flashlight, blackness enveloped her. Dang storm! Why did it have to be so fierce and sudden?

      Even with the downpour, the strange noise she’d heard wasn’t thunder. She had to check it out, especially with so many cows close to calving time.

      Never go outside without the gun, girl.

      She stopped in her tracks as raindrops pelted the brim of her cowboy hat. Though Daddy had passed before Christmas, he still talked to her. Maybe she imagined it. No matter. It comforted her.

      Not willing to question a spirit, she raced inside and grabbed the rifle. Panting, she ran toward the pasture, but a flicker of movement in the darkness stopped her. Then a growl pierced the drone of rain. The hairs on her nape rose to full mast.

      The flashlight gyrated as she cocked the rifle. Her hands shook so hard, she almost dropped both. When she aimed the light in the direction of the sound, her stomach lurched to her throat.

      Oh, Lord! A dark wolf. Big and mean-looking.

      Its growl deepened. Intelligent eyes flickered green from the light she shone at it. Her heart slowed to heavy, throbbing beats as the animal crouched. Fear paralyzed her muscles. The beast was about to pounce on her, and she couldn’t move.

      Shoot it, girl. Now!

      Daddy’s words were all the encouragement she needed. Her eyelids involuntarily closed as she squeezed the trigger. The rifle kicked her in the shoulder, almost knocking her down into the mud.

      She opened her eyes, ready to flee or fire another shot to finish it off. But she didn’t need to do either. It lay on its side, still as a stone, as blood seeped from its abdomen. Still gripping the gun, she nudged its hind end with her boot—softly and then harder. It didn’t move. The beast was dead.

      Because it was no longer a threat, she realized how magnificent it looked with thick, reddish-brown fur and green eyes, still open. Its expression seemed almost human. She’d never killed such a big creature before. Nausea and sadness wrapped around her as the coppery scent of its blood pierced the rain.

      She sure couldn’t leave it sitting in her yard to decompose. The smell might draw other wolves.

      What now, Daddy? she called into the storm. What do I do?

      Soaked to the bone, she sank to the ground and cried faster than the rain. Why did he have to die and leave her with so much responsibility? She’d never get the hang of running a whole ranch.

      Get up, girl. Before you catch your death out here. Daddy was back. Thank God. His presence gave her enough strength to stand, anyway. Get my shovel from the shed. We’re going to bury it proper.

      She slapped the back of her hand across her mouth to force back the urge to vomit.

      I can’t.

      What was wrong with her? Hadn’t she helped birth a cow once? She’d even seen a carcass or two of cattle, which had sickened and died in the field. The wolf she’d shot was an animal like any other.

      So numb she could barely feel her fingers, she unlocked the shed and found the shovel. Daddy told her where to dig. She labored for hours until her arms were sore enough to fall out of their sockets. Her hair, long and sodden, hung in her eyes and tangled in her mouth as she gasped deep breaths of air. Every time she pleaded to give up, her father’s spirit chided her in his gruff voice to keep going.

      Luckily, the ground was soft and easy to shovel. Luck, ha. There was nothing lucky about her grisly task except for the Lucky Horseshoe Tobacco advertisement painted on the side of the barn. Daddy’s favorite brand. She imagined the aromatic scent of his pipe. He used to sit in the den and smoke while reading the paper. It sure smelled better than the sour mud coating her hands.

      It’s deep enough, girl.

      With a sinking belly, she stumbled over to the wolf and dragged it by the hind legs toward the fresh hole. The animal was so massive, trying to move it made her boots sink into the mud midway up her calves. When it tumbled in, the tobacco smoke intensified until it seemed she watched herself through a misty haze. Thunder grumbled and lightning flickered as if even nature disapproved of the kill.

      At last, she began to cover the dead wolf in wet earth. Fresh strength returned to her limbs as she pushed and shoveled in the mud. When a flash of lightning revealed a pale hand sticking out of the grave, she gasped.

      What on earth? She’d shot a wolf. Hadn’t she?

      Her eyes must be fooling her. Although curiosity tempted her to brush away the mud to investigate, she tossed in more instead. Her heart pounded louder than the thunder.

      Lightning flashed again, revealing a man’s face with a short beard the same color…as the wolf’s fur. She screamed and gripped both sides of her cowboy hat, wanting it to swallow her head. How in the heck? Did a human lie in the hole? If so, where had he come from? What happened to the wolf?

      Daddy!

      You’re seeing things, girl. Just keep shoveling.

      But shouldn’t I call 9-1-1 or something? She didn’t have the stomach to dig the thing back up, but maybe someone should investigate.

      And risk losing the ranch I worked so hard to build? Finish the job and don’t worry. No one will ever find that thing here.

      Too stunned to argue, she obeyed. After shutting off her mind, she moved her arms like machine parts, shoveling and shoveling. When the task was finally complete, she patted the top smooth, reminding her of planting the vegetable garden.

      Lord, whatever that thing is, please have mercy on its soul, she said gazing up at the black sky.

      She stood, every muscle aching and on fire. Her soaked jeans made her legs feel like they were encased in concrete. The carcass was hidden, but she’d never look this way without picturing it lying there. Wondering. Never, ever would she forget this miserable night.

      On her way back to the house, the light from her flashlight reflected from something

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