Meant for Wolves (Pack Wars-The

Grangers Book 2) Vella Day

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MEANT FOR WOLVES
PACK WARS: THE GRANGERS
BOOK 2
VELLA DAY
Erotic Reads Publishing
 Meant for wolves

Pack Wars-The Grangers

Book 2

Copyright © 2023 by Vella Day

www.velladay.com
velladayauthor@gmail.com
Cover Art by Sweet ‘N Spicey Designs
Edited by Rebecca Cartee

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of
the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
 ABOUT THE BOOK

Bestselling Author Vella Day continues the sensual and suspenseful spin-off of her most popular
Pack Wars series…

Tawny Granger's brother has gone missing. Her family and friends have all told her not to worry, but
she and her twin have a special bond. Everything inside of her is screaming he's in danger.
Alex Carter and Liam Zano have built a career teaching other werewolves how to fight. When
Tawny asks them to help her search for her brother, they can't turn her away. Not only is she their
mate, they also make a very grim discovery—werewolf hunters might have come to Wildwood,
Montana.

When a snowstorm forces the three of them to find shelter in the mountains, Tawny is undeniable
drawn to these men. She feels the sexual tension between them, but now is not the time to allow her
emotions to take over.
The werewolf hunters have targeted the entire Granger family, but what happens as a result of
being hunted proves that she is MEANT for these wolves.
 CONTENTS

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28

Excerpt-MEANT for forever

About the Author
Also by Vella Day
 CHAPTER ONE

TAWNY GRANGER PICKED up her cell from her cluttered office desk and called her father, the sheriff of
Wildwood, Montana.
He answered on the third ring. “Hey, sweetie. This is a nice surprise.”
Since her dad was always busy saving the town from some bad guy, Tawny hated to interrupt him,
but this was kind of an emergency. “Hey, Dad, have you heard from Zach?”
Her twin was usually very good about keeping his commitments, and he’d promised they’d have a
drink together tonight. The lack of contact in three days worried her.
“No, but you know your brother. He was probably hiking somewhere in the woods, and his cell
either ran out of power, or he couldn’t get service. Why?”
Tawny blew out a breath, feeling a little better that her father didn’t seem concerned. Still, Zach
should have let her know somehow that he might not make it tonight. “We were supposed to meet up
this evening. My gut tells me something is wrong.”
He blew out a breath. “I bet he found a stranded hiker or two and is helping them get situated. I
wouldn’t worry about him.” Her dad was not a big believer in her twin-link theory. If he’d had a
twin, he might have understood that she often felt what Zach did.
“You’re probably right, but we don’t get a lot of campers in December.” They lived at the
foothills of the Montana mountains after all.
“Sweetie, Zach is twenty-six years old and the forest ranger. He’s a survivor. I bet he can live off
the land all winter if he has to.”
“I know how old he is.” But her father was right. Of all her siblings, Zach could take care of
himself in the wild the best. Considering he could shift into his wolf form, he could last a long time
outside. Even though their kind didn’t eat raw meat like real wolves, if he was able to cook the food,
he would to survive.
“You sound upset. What would you like me to do? Go into the woods and look for him?”
Tawny hadn’t thought that far ahead. Her dad was sixty and a tad overweight. Besides, he wasn’t
the mountain climbing type, despite having been in the military—though that was years ago. “Just call
me if you hear anything, okay?”
“You bet.” A knock sounded on his office door. Apparently, he was needed on the job. “I have to
go.”
“Sure, but don’t forget to call if Zach contacts you.” Her dad could be preoccupied at times.
“Will do.”
As soon as she hung up, her new hire, Julia Smith, a pretty woman with long, brown hair pulled
back into a ponytail, knocked and then bounced into Tawny’s office. She stilled. “Is everything okay?
You look…I don’t know. Upset, maybe?”
Tawny had hired Julia at the Wildwood Rescue Center to help with office work and occasionally
exercise the animals, even though that was Alan and Brett’s job.
“I’m good. It’s just that my twin brother, Zach, hasn’t been in touch for a few days, and we were
supposed to go out this evening. He always calls to confirm. I’m sure he’s just doing his job, or else
he forgot about our date.”
She nodded. “I’m sure he has a good reason for not keeping in touch. Let me know if I can help in
any way.”
Tawny leaned back. “Maybe you can help. In case my date stands me up, do you want to grab a
drink and get a bite to eat at the Double G Bar?” Julia was fairly new in town, and she might not have
been there. Not only that, it would be good to learn more about her new employee. “My treat.”
“Sure. That sounds great. Doesn’t your cousin own that place?”
“Will Granger. Yes, he does.” Tawny was surprised Julia knew that. “How about we leave in half
an hour? I want to make a few calls and check on the animals before we head out.”
Julia smiled. “That works for me.”
As soon as Julia left the office, Tawny called Zach’s best friend, Mike Halperin, a wilderness
guide and part-time ski instructor.
“Tawny, this is a nice surprise.”
Since he sounded cheerful, he must not be aware that Zach hadn’t answered his phone in a while.
“I’m calling because Zach and I were supposed to go out tonight, but I haven’t been able to reach him.
Have you heard from him recently?”
“I spoke with him two days ago. He received a call about some hikers in trouble on East River
Rock. I believe he said one of them was injured.”
She blew out a breath. “That’s why he didn’t get back to me. Thank you, Mike.”
“You know, Tawny, if you ever need a drinking buddy, I’m here for you.”
She smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She disconnected before he could try to convince her to go
out with him again.
Mike was a great guy. He just wasn’t the great guy for her. Ever since Alex Carter and Liam Zano
showed up a few weeks ago to teach the Granger family men to fight in both their human and
werewolf form, she couldn’t keep her mind off them. Too bad she wasn’t the type to ask one of them
out. She’d been tempted though, especially after Alex stopped by to make sure no one had bothered
her after the werewolf showdown at her uncle’s house. There had been a massive fight in which two
shifters had died.
She thought Alex had come by to ask her to have a drink, but he didn’t even hint at it. Tawny
should probably move on—and would have—except for the way he avoided looking directly at her,
she had the sense he liked her. A lot. As strange as it sounded, she’d caught sight of his eyes changing
color from whisky brown to an amber-gold. Every werewolf female knew what that meant—the man
had found his mate.
Normally, Tawny would have been ecstatic to have possibly found the man she was destined to be
with, except for the fact she’d experienced the same stirrings when she was in the presence of his
friend Liam Zano. While ménage relationships were commonplace in Wildwood, it wasn’t for her.
She’d have to choose. Was Alex the one? Or was it Liam?
When things slowed down at the center, she’d find a way to be around them to help her figure
things out. Since they were running their business out of her uncle’s soon-to-be torn down barn, she
could casually check them out without appearing too obvious. But which one was her fated mate?
That was the question.
Tawny pushed back her chair. If she didn’t check on the rescued animals, she’d never make it out
tonight, and she needed the break.
Alan Lipman was cleaning out the last of the cages. “Is everyone behaving?” she asked.
“All’s good. Butler had a little go with Duffy, but Duffy showed him who was the alpha. Other
than that quick skirmish, the animals are fine.”
“Thanks. Since you seem to be done, go on home. I’m about to lock up anyway.”
He smiled. “Thanks, ma’am.”
Tawny stood up straighter. She’d told both of the men that she was Tawny, not ma’am. “My mother
is ma’am.”
He lowered his gaze. “Sorry.”
There was no use bugging him about it. Someone must have ingrained it in him to call her that.
After she finished her rounds, she went back to her cramped office that was in serious need of
some reorganization. It was a miracle she could find anything in there. It was why she’d hired Julia in
the first place, but that was no excuse not to buy another file cabinet and install some shelves. Then
she’d be able to move the stack of file folders off the floor.
Tawny grabbed her coat and keys and went out front to tell Julia she was ready. Her assistant was
at the reception desk, hard at work on the computer. When Julia spotted her, she slipped off her
glasses, and smiled.
“Ready?” Tawny asked.
“You bet.” Julia turned off the computer, straightened her desk, and gathered her things. “I’ll
follow you since I live on the other side of town.”
“Sounds good.”
Tawny said a silent prayer that her brother would be waiting for her at the bar, and that he’d
merely had a problem with his cell phone.
The trip to town took less than ten minutes. Being a weekday, there were plenty of parking places
in front of the bar. As Tawny slipped out of the car, she looked up at the dark clouds scudding across
the sky. If the weatherman was right—which wasn’t always the case—a snow storm was coming.
Some of her rescue animals hated the cold and definitely didn’t like the wet snow. There were others,
however, who seemed to live for it.
When Tawny stepped inside to wait for Julia, who’d been held up at a traffic light, Will spotted
her, waved, and came out from behind the bar. “Here for your weekly date with Zach?”
“Is he here?”
“No, and he always stops to chat when he comes in.”
“According to Mike, he’s helping rescue some hikers, so I asked my new hire, Julia, to join me.”
“Is she pretty?” Will wiggled his eyebrows.
“I guess you could say that.” The door behind her opened, and Julia rushed in.
“Brr. Looks like we’re in for a bad one,” she said.
“So I’ve heard. Julia, this is my cousin Will.”
She smiled and held out her hand. “Julia Smith. Nice to meet you.”
“You new around here? I haven’t seen you in here before.”
Tawny refrained from groaning at that come-on line.
“I’ve been here two months, but I don’t like to go to bars by myself. I live with my brother, but
he’s not into this scene either. Computers are more to Brad’s liking, so we mostly stay home.”
Tawny had no idea that Julia even had a brother. That would be something she’d like to learn
more about. “Let’s grab a booth.”
“Sure.”
“Nice meeting you, Julia,” Will said with a big grin. Tawny quickly led her away from her cousin.
Once they were seated, Julia looked over at the bar and motioned toward Will with her head.
“Your cousin seems nice.”
“He is.” She was about to say he was too busy to date, but she’d let those two figure things out.
“So, tell me about yourself.”
Julia shrugged. “Our story is not all that interesting. Brad and I moved here from Idaho, but you
know that from my application. What’s not in there is why we moved. My mother died recently, and
Brad was having a hard time dealing with her death. We thought a change in location might help. And
so far it has.”
Tawny could sympathize. “I imagine it would be hard to remain in a town where memories are
around every corner.”
Melancholy mixed with joy often overwhelmed Tawny when she’d spot an antique in a store
window that her Nana had loved or a book by one of her grandmother’s favorite authors. “How about
your dad? Is he still there?”
“Yes, but he’s the stoic type. He was never one to show a lot of emotion.”
Tawny couldn’t imagine being in a family that didn’t hug and treat family as if they were special.
That being said, her father didn’t show his emotions as much as her mom. As sheriff, he had to put on
a stern face.
“Why Wildwood?” Tawny asked.
“Long ago, our family took a ski vacation here, and Brad loved it,” Julia explained.
“I get that. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. The summers are glorious, and the winters are so
pretty.” But it was the same in Idaho, so why move five hours away when a town, say, an hour away,
would have sufficed? Then again, Wildwood had great ski slopes.
“Do you ski?” Julia asked.
“When I have the time. In the summer, I try to go mountain climbing as much as I can. Being
outside is in my blood.”
The server came over and took their drink orders. Being part werewolf, Tawny could handle her
alcohol better than most. Regardless, she ordered a light beer, and Julia said she’d have the same.
“Have you heard from your brother?” Julia asked.
“Not from Zach, but I did speak with his best friend who spoke with him day before yesterday.
My brother is our forest ranger, and apparently, some hikers were injured in a climb. He needed to
help them.”
“That’s a relief. You two are close, I take it?”
It was nice to talk about family for a change instead of work. “Very close. We’re twins. My other
three brothers are older, but it’s Zach and I who enjoy nature the most.”
“What are the others like?”
“Let me see. Dan is a high school math teacher. He’s gentle but stern with the kids. If I’d had him
as a teacher, I think I might have actually liked math.”
Julia smiled. “I hear you. The sciences were not my thing either. And the last two?”
“Brandon owns the car dealership in town, and Mason is a private investigator.”
Julia’s eyes widened. “Really? So is Brad.”
“What a coincidence. Mason works way too much. Maybe he could use some help.” Tawny was
saying that to be nice, but Mason might benefit from expanding his business.
 “Do you think you could ask him? I know Brad would really appreciate it.”
“No harm in doing so.” Mason usually worked alone, but who knows? Having a partner might be
good for him.
“Thank you.”
Their drinks arrived, and the first sip did wonders for Tawny’s mood—or perhaps it was being in
the bar with a newfound friend that did the trick.
Once they ordered their meals, they talked a lot about the center and the usual types of animals
that showed up.
“Tell me your favorite memory of Zach growing up.”
Tawny had so many stories about the two of them that it would be hard to choose—but she would
pick one. “We were maybe eight or nine, visiting my uncle, who owns the Double G ranch on the
outskirts of town. Zach loved to climb trees.” She smiled at the memory. He’d tried to climb them in
his wolf form and failed miserably. Of course, she wouldn’t mention that to Julia, who was a human.
“We found one with a few low branches, and my brother scurried up the tree as if it was a ladder.
When I climbed up, my foot slipped. I fell and broke my arm.”
“Oh, no. What did Zach do?”
He hurried down the tree, shifted, and raced back to the house to find our parents. “He ran for
help. I walked back partway, but my arm really hurt. I was in a cast for months.”
Had Zach been injured, he would have healed in days. Werewolf men were so lucky in that
respect.
“A lot of kids break their arm.” Julia sounded a bit wistful as if she’d broken a bone or two.
“Tell me something fun about Brad,” Tawny said.
Julia sipped her drink, as if she needed time to think what to say. “I think the best time was when
we decided at the age of eleven and ten—I’m the older one—to run away from home. He said it was
to prove to our parents how adult we were.”
“How did that work out?”
She laughed. “Let’s say it was the last time we tried that.”
Once their food arrived, they ate in relative silence. Coming here with Julia had taken Tawny’s
mind off of Zach for a bit.
Out of habit though, she glanced to the main entrance, hoping her brother would rush in, look
around, and race toward her. The apology would be epic.
When that didn’t happen, worry seeped in once more.
 CHAPTER TWO

ARIEL WILLIAMSON , one of the town’s assistant vets, was in the back room of Tawny’s center, treating
one of the puppies whose wounds had become infected. Tawny had offered to pay the vet clinic
where Ariel worked for her time since she came to the center two mornings a week, but they insisted
that charity was good for the soul.
“How’s the pup doing?” Tawny asked as she entered the room.
“I put some salve on the wound. He’ll be healed in a couple of days. Just keep him inside for a
while.”
“I can do that.” Ariel had recently found her two mates—one of which was Tawny’s cousin
Benson Granger. “Tell me what it’s like to be with Benson and Preston. Being with two men has to be
different.” Not that Tawny would ever experience what that was like.
“It’s definitely unique, but it’s also truly amazing. Wonderful and fantastic actually.” She grinned
and then sobered. “Except that Preston decided I needed to work out in his gym three days a week.
I’ve never been more sore in my life.”
Tawny laughed. “It’s why I never wanted him to train me. I hope he hasn’t suggested you enter any
bodybuilding competitions? The dieting alone would be a deal breaker for me.”
“Hardly. He knows I like food too much. Why are you asking about what it’s like to be with two
men?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Do you have your eyes on someone—or someones?”
“No. I’m just curious, that’s all. We are friends, and friends talk about those things,” Tawny said.
“Uh-huh.” Ariel faced her, sobered, and then placed a hand on Tawny’s arm. “Since we are
friends, I need to say that I’m worried about you.”
“Me? Why?”
“It looks like you’ve lost weight. No one would guess you’re a foodie.”
Tawny shrugged. “I’ve been busy.” She inhaled deeply. “The truth is that I’m worried. Zach hasn’t
called in four days, which isn’t like him. Mike Halperin said Zach called him two days ago and
mentioned he was called out to help some climber. But it wouldn’t have taken Zach this long to return.
That’s what has me so upset.”
“Is it that unusual for him to go off the grid like that and not contact you?”
“Quite unusual. Not only that, Thursday is our weekly night out at the bar. He didn’t call or show
last night. I can feel something isn’t right. My dad thinks I’m crazy, but Zach and I have this kind of
twin connection.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that. Benson mentioned that the two of you never miss a week unless
something big has occurred. I think that’s really sweet.” She sighed. “I wish Trent and I had that
tradition. If we had, we might not have grown apart as much as we did.”
 Tawny still couldn’t believe that Ariel’s brother had been accused of a murder that he hadn’t
committed. Thankfully, new evidence had come to light that exonerated him. “I thought with you
finding the new evidence that helped get him released from prison, the two of you would have grown
closer.”
Ariel smiled. “Actually, we have been getting along a lot better. I think Trent finally realizes that
he dodged a bullet this time. He swears he won’t gamble ever again.”
“That’s great.” Trent had led a troubled life.
“Back to Zach for a moment. Does your family still have the cabin in the woods?” Ariel asked.
“We do.”
“Maybe he decided he needed a break and is holing up there.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? “He told me that he recently broke up with his girlfriend. They’d
only been dating a few months, so I didn't think it was a big deal. Maybe I was wrong. He might have
needed to get away. Tomorrow, I think I’ll hike up there and see if he’s at the cabin.”
“That would not be a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Ah, can we say there is a snow storm coming?” Ariel said.
“The weatherman has been saying that for about four days now. It’s a three-hour hike at best. I’ll
be fine.”
“How about taking Alex and Liam with you?” Ariel winked.
Tawny would feel better if she weren’t hiking alone, but she wasn’t up for asking them. “Don’t
they have training classes to teach or something?”
“I don’t know. Call them.” Ariel pulled out her phone. “Give me your cell.”
“Why?”
“Just give it to me.”
Tawny chuckled. “Okay.” She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to Ariel.
Her friend entered two numbers. “Now you have no excuse not to call the men. Look, I understand
why you are hesitant, but I saw the way they looked at you. They like you.”
“I figured as much, but just so you know, if I went home and told my dad that I wanted to be with
two men, I think he’d freak.” It was why she’d have to choose between them.
“Are you sure? Would it be okay if your brothers were in a ménage relationship?”
She had to think about that. Mason was a solo kind of guy, but she bet Brandon would like it. Dan
wouldn’t engage in something like that because he wouldn’t want his students to find out. As for Zach,
Tawny figured he was married to the woods, though he and Mike were close. Would her father object
to her being with two men? She wasn't sure. Her mom would say that as long as Tawny was happy,
that was all that mattered.
“He might be okay with it, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Right now, all I can focus on is
finding Zach.”
“I get it. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I have the day off. If you need me to, I can come here and
make sure everything runs smoothly while you’re traipsing around in the woods.”
That was too generous. “My cousin would never forgive me for taking you away from him. What
about Trent? You said he needed the money, especially with all the lost wages from when he was
incarcerated.”
“That’s a thought. He loves animals. I’ll give him a call, but you have to promise to ask Alex,
Liam, or both if they will escort you first. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you
in the woods. Besides, there would be no forest ranger to save you if Zach happens to be holed up in
the cabin.”
Ariel had a point. “Fine. I’ll call one of the men.”
“Then go.”
Ariel could be rather pushy when she wanted something. If they weren’t such good friends, Tawny
might not have agreed. Because she needed to find Zach, she sucked up her courage to call one of the
men. Not wanting anyone to hear the conversation, she went into the office and closed the door.
Tawny pulled out her phone and typed in the first number Ariel had entered. It was Alex’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Alex. It’s Tawny Granger. I run the rescue—“
He chuckled. “I know who you are.”
He did? Of course he did. Alex had been the one to check up on her. “I have a strange favor to
ask.”
“Sure. Shoot.”
She inhaled. “My brother, who is the forest ranger here, hasn’t returned any of my calls in three
days. I heard he was on a rescue mission, but he should have been back two days ago.”
“I’m sorry. Have I met your brother?”
Alex and Liam had only attempted to train Mason, but after one session, her brother decided he’d
rather take pictures of people than fight them. “I don’t believe so. His name is Zach, and he kind of
keeps to himself.”
“How can I help?”
“I wanted to hike into the High Ridge mountains and look for him. We have a family cabin up
there, so I thought he might have decided to stay there.” Though that didn’t have a high probability. "I
don't want to go alone, so I’m wondering if you and Liam wouldn't mind tagging along?"
“The weather is rather fickle this time of year.”
“I know, which is why I fear something bad might have happened to him.”
Alex didn’t answer for a moment. “When would you like to go?”
Her knees weakened with relief. “Tomorrow? I’d like to be on the road by eight to have as much
daylight as possible.”
“That works for me. Liam and I only have a session with Benson tomorrow, but I’m sure he’d be
happy to postpone it a few days.”
She chuckled. “I imagine he would.” Her cousin was more a lover than a fighter, though he had
held his own against the Franklin Clan.
“How about we meet you at your rescue center and head out from there?”
“Are you sure it isn’t too much of an inconvenience?”
“Not at all. See you then.” He disconnected quickly, acting as if he feared she’d change her mind
if they kept talking. Only she wouldn’t.
After pocketing her phone, Tawny found Ariel again. “It’s a go!”
“Great. I hope you’re taking a change of clothes in case you decide to stay in the cabin for the
night—assuming Zach’s not there.”
She hadn’t thought about what she needed to pack, but she liked being prepared. Too bad women
couldn’t shift, or Tawny wouldn’t have to worry about a lot of things—like being cold. “I can do that.
I’ll definitely pack some food and take plenty of water.”
“Not to be a downer, but pack a first aid kit. Yes, I know werewolves can heal quickly, but one
never knows.”
Tawny placed a hand on Ariel’s arm. “I will. Thank you. I’ll be leaving here at eight tomorrow
morning. If you or Trent could show up a little before then, I’ll let you in. If it’s Trent, I will need to
show him around. Alan but not Brett is scheduled to work, which is why I need someone to help with
the animals. Julia will be here though, and she knows how to run things.”
“Sounds good.”
“If by some chance, I do spend the night, the clinic is closed on Sunday. In that case, I’ll need
someone to come in and feed the animals.”
Ariel held up her hand. “Don’t worry about a thing. Between Trent and myself, we’ll make sure
everything goes smoothly.”
Tawny gave Ariel a quick hug. “Thank you. I owe you.”
“Just find that brother of yours.”
“I intend to.”

Tawny spent the night packing, unpacking, and repacking her backpack. Normally, she hiked in the
summer, and winter hiking required different equipment. However, in the end, she believed she had
what she needed.
Tawny arrived at the center a half an hour early to make sure that the animals were all set. At
quarter to eight, Trent showed up. He was clean shaven wearing a nice flannel shirt, jeans, and new-
looking boots.
“Hey, Trent. Thanks for doing this.” Even though she would be paying him.
“No problem. I owe my sister a lot.”
She smiled. “I understand.” For the next ten minutes Tawny showed him around. “If anyone stops
by, Julia will handle things. Help Alan with whatever he needs to have done.”
“Sure.”
Once Trent was set, she stood by the front door waiting for Liam and Alex. They arrived right on
time. Liam jumped out of his truck and rushed up to her door. Before he reached it, Tawny stepped
outside, only to have the cold, damp wind slap her in the face. This was not the weather she wanted to
hike in, but she had little choice. Zach might need help.
Liam reached around her to lift off her pack, but if they were too nice to her, she’d focus on them
and not enough on finding Zach. “I’m good.”
“Suit yourself, but you won’t be comfortable wearing that on the ride up the mountain.”
Damn. He was right, but she was too stubborn to take it off until she reached their vehicle.
Alex was there to take it when she slipped it off. “I’ll put it in the back next to our gear.”
“Thanks.”
He then hopped into the back seat. It would appear rude if Tawny said she wanted to sit by
herself. What was it about these men that distracted her so much? Was one of them really her mate?
Or both?
“What’s your plan on how to locate Zach?” Liam asked as soon as he started the engine.
“I don’t have an exact plan. The last anyone heard from Zach, he was heading out to help an
injured climber on East River Rock.”
“Do you know where that is? Alex and I haven’t explored a lot of the mountains around here.”
“Yes. I grew up in these hills.”
“Great.”
 It took about twenty minutes to reach the High Ridge mountain’s park entrance. She looked at the
almost empty parking lot for Zach’s truck, but it wasn’t there. “This is where he usually parks, though
he could be at the ranger station.”
“What do you want to do? Hike or check the ranger station?” Liam asked as he pulled in at the far
end, near the path’s entrance.
She’d called the station on the way over, but no one had answered. “Let’s worry about his truck
once we find Zach. He’ll know where he parked.”
“Sounds good.” Liam cut the engine, and the three of them piled out.
After putting on their packs, Alex suggested that Tawny lead since she knew the trails.
“Let’s head to the climbing site first. It’s possible the hiker couldn’t be moved without a gurney,
and Zach had to go for help,” she said.
“It’s possible he never made it back with the help.” Liam pressed his lips together.
Wasn’t he the cheery one? “That’s not likely.” Or so she wanted to believe.
“If Zach say, fell and broke his leg, would he chance shifting so he could heal faster?” Alex
asked.
She stopped and faced them. “If it came to dying or shifting, he would shift. Hunting is illegal
around here, but that doesn’t mean people don’t do it. Real wolves can be pests in the mountains, as
can be the bears. The problem is that the humans don’t realize that guns usually won’t stop the bears.”
Liam nodded. “Guns usually won’t stop us either unless they hit our heart, but how many people
know that?”
Tawny gave them a half smile. “Let’s hope humans never learn how to take down one of our
kind.”
Since the females of the species couldn’t shift, killing her would be easy.
“Lead the way,” Liam said.
With her eyes watching where she was going, Tawny forged ahead. As much as she wanted to
move as quickly as possible to find her brother, if she ran out of energy climbing one of the
mountains, they’d actually lose time. Slow and steady had to be her motto.
 CHAPTER THREE

ALEX ADMIRED Tawny’s strength and stamina, but she would tire eventually if she didn’t take a break,
and they’d been hiking for more than two hours. “How about we stop for a bit?”
She turned around. “You tired?”
“I might be.” Alex lifted his water bottle from the backpack’s side pocket and took a drink. He
then pulled out some trail mix and held it out to her. “Want some?” Tawny hesitated. “Don’t worry. I
have plenty.”
“Then thank you.” She grabbed a handful, ate it, and followed it with some water.
“How much farther to the rock slab?” Liam asked.
“The climbing site is about twenty minutes or so ahead. I don’t know where the person was
injured, but the climbing area isn’t very big.”
“I imagine we’ll see some evidence of people having been there.”
“That would be my guess.” She looked up at the sky. “We need to keep moving. The clouds are
rolling in. It could get ugly.”
At least he and Liam could shift into wolves and hide. While the cold wouldn’t bother them much,
Tawny would be at risk, despite wearing her warm gear.
As he hiked, Alex watched to make sure she wasn’t pushing herself too hard, but her steady pace
reassured him she was fine. When they came to a fork, she headed left where the path rose quickly.
The rocks were dry, thankfully, so the chance of Tawny slipping would be less. She was smart to hold
on to the trees for balance.
Tawny looked back over her shoulder. “The climbers usually start up ahead.”
“Zach, can you hear me?” Alex telepathed. Since he’d never met her brother, the chances of
them successfully using telepathy was slim, but he wanted to try.
He concentrated but received no response. He hoped Zach was at their family cabin either healing
or relaxing. It was always possible that one of the other wolf clans—such as the Franklin Clan—had
attacked Zach. They’d tangled with the Grangers before, and since two of theirs had been killed, they
might be out for revenge.
Even if that were the case, would it take Zach three days to heal? The only way for that to happen
would be if he had been near death and couldn’t shift. Heaven help them if Zach was dead.
Gusts of winds swept down the mountain, pushing Tawny off balance, but she recovered quickly.
Thankfully, she managed to pick her way around the boulders without falling during the remainder of
the way to the rock face. They then traveled parallel to the granite slab for a few minutes. No ropes
were dangling from the top, implying that if someone had been climbing, they’d managed to remove
them.
 She stopped, cupped her mouth, and yelled, “Zach?” Tawny blew on her hands to keep them
warm. “Can anyone hear me?” she yelled again.
The silence was deafening, which caused his heart to ache for her. “How about we check that
cabin of yours?” Alex suggested.
“I have a better idea,” Liam said. “How about I shift and do a more thorough check? It will be
faster if I look around. Just let me know if you spot any humans. From the speed with which the
clouds are moving in, we can’t afford to dawdle.” He then looked over at Tawny.
“I’m good with that, but don’t stay out too long.”
Liam smiled. “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
He removed his backpack, shifted, and took off. She stepped up to Alex. “No one has ever been
able to explain to me how you are able to keep your clothes on when you shift, but you need to take
off a backpack.”
He moved closer. “Do you really expect me to divulge the werewolf secrets on our first date?”
Okay, this wasn’t a date, but he hoped she’d sense that he was interested in her. Actually, more than
interested, but she needed to get to know him better before he brought up the notion of them being
mates.
She lightly punched him. “Seriously? It can’t be a secret. I am a fellow werewolf, after all, albeit
one who doesn’t shift. How does it work?”
“You have four brothers. You’ve never asked them? Or your dad?”
“They always said that they didn’t really know. As long as the item was close to their body—like
their clothes, a wallet, or a set of keys in their pocket—it was there when they shifted back.”
He smiled. “There you go.”
“That didn’t answer my question. Your backpack is kind of close to your body. Why take it off?”
“Habit, maybe? Let’s just say it’s magic. I don’t know how the shift occurs exactly either.” He
held up three fingers in a Boy Scout salute. “It just happens.”
She smiled and shook her head. “That’s not a good answer. I love science. There should be an
explanation.”
Alex cupped her red cheeks. “Some things in the universe might never be understood.” Like why
were his teeth sharpening and the hair on the back of his hands growing right now? Shit.
Alex lowered his arms and looked away. He wasn’t ready for Tawny to learn they were mates.
When he’d met her a few weeks ago, his reaction to her had shocked him. Naturally, he pushed it
aside, thinking that Tawny was just another beautiful woman. He put some distance between the two
of them in the hopes that the next time they ran into each other, the sensual attraction would be gone.
Wrong.
He’d even pretended that he was checking up on her at the center to make sure they had a real
connection. As soon as Alex saw her, the urge to kiss her was so strong he had to leave or chance
making a fool of himself. Being part werewolf, Tawny would know what the signs meant—or so he
believed.
Liam said he, too, had felt an incredible pull the first day he met her, but that he was sure it was
because he hadn’t been with anyone in a while.
Alex and Liam had come to Wildwood to start their own company. Being distracted by the sexy
brunette wasn’t in the plans. Unfortunately, Alex couldn’t keep his mind off her. To make matters
worse, when they’d given Mason that first lesson, Alex had taken him aside and asked if Tawny was
dating anyone. While Mason said she wasn’t, he hinted that she wasn’t into being with two men. If
that were to happen, she’d have to choose between him and Liam. For Alex, that would be impossible
to deal with.
He and Liam had shared women many times, and while pleasurable, neither believed any of them
had been their fated mate.
After hiking with Tawny these past few hours, Alex realized she was the one for him. No doubt
about it.
Tawny had taken off to do a little exploring in the opposite direction from where Liam had gone,
but she promised she wouldn’t go too far. Leaves rustled, and he turned to find her traipsing back.
“Did you see anything?” he asked.
“No.” She scanned the woods where Liam had gone. “I wonder what’s taking him so long?”
“He doesn’t know the area, but I don’t think he’ll spend too much time searching.” Alex heard an
animal scurrying toward them. Then the paws stopped for a moment before a man emerged from
behind a thicket of trees. It was Liam.
“Speak of the devil,” he said. “So?”
“No luck,” Liam said as he adjusted his jacket. “I didn’t see any evidence of a campsite either.”
He slipped on his backpack. “We need to head to your cabin if we don’t want to get caught in the
storm. Dark clouds are brewing on the other side of the mountain.”
“Sure. It’s not that far.”
For Tawny’s sake, Alex hoped that was true. Luck was not on their side, however, as the weather
suddenly turned on them. Those clouds decided to dump some snow sooner rather than later. At first,
the light flakes came down slowly, but once the wind picked up, the snow slanted sideways, and the
cold cut through his jacket like boiling water poured on a pile of snow.
What made trekking in the snow even more dangerous was that with each passing minute the
visibility lessened dramatically.
As much as Alex wanted to hug Tawny to warm her up, they didn’t need to delay. Besides, if she
turned him down, it would make things more awkward.
Tawny might not realize it yet, but they wouldn’t be heading back any time soon. Neither he nor
Liam carried sleeping bags because it was more comfortable to sleep in their wolf form when they
were outside, and he doubted she had one either. Hiking back three hours or more in a blizzard could
be deadly for her.
She slipped, and when she landed on her butt, she let out an anguished cry. Both Liam and he
rushed to her side. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m embarrassed more than anything.” She lifted her hand, and Alex helped her up.
“Check to see if you twisted an ankle before you take a step.” Both he and Liam were trained in
first aid. They needed it once they started teaching humans how to fight. Fists often caused some
damage.
She tested both ankles. “I’m good, but damn it’s cold.”
“Need a hug to warm you up?” Crap. That wasn’t why she made the comment.
“I just need to move.”
That was a put down, but he’d deal. It was better in the long run. If Tawny threw herself at him or
Liam, it would be hard to control himself.
The snow on the ground made the trail not only slippery but difficult to see the path. A few times,
they veered off in the wrong direction, but it didn’t take Tawny long to realize she’d made a mistake.
Alex’s hands were cold, and he could only imagine how uncomfortable Tawny must be, yet she
never complained.
What seemed like a long time later, a cabin came into view. It was a small wooden structure no
more than five hundred square feet in size. The porch was a nice added touch, though. A snow
covered stack of wood was piled up on the side, but he didn’t see any power lines, so he assumed
there was no electricity. Despite that lack, it would beat sleeping outside any day—at least for Tawny.
She held onto the porch handrail, and as she climbed the three steps to the porch, her shoulders
slumped. Poor thing.
“I need to get out the key,” she mumbled.
“Why don’t you knock first to see if Zach is in there?” Liam suggested.
They both knew he wasn’t there, or they would have sensed his presence. Alex was surprised
Tawny couldn’t tell, but he wanted her to have some hope that her brother might be there.
She knocked. “Zach?”
When there was no response, she turned around, closed her eyes for a moment, and inhaled.
“What should we do?” Liam telepathed.
Alex stepped up to the door and tried to open it. Locked. “Where is the key, Tawny?”
“In my backpack.”
Liam helped her take it off. It took a moment for her to locate it. Once she did, she opened the
door. “Zach?” Tawny called as she hurried inside.
If he didn’t answer the first time, he probably wouldn’t answer the next. To prevent any more
snow from blowing in, he closed the door. The space consisted of one large room with a set of stairs
on the right hand side that lead to a loft. From this angle, it appeared as if two mattresses were on the
floor. The first-floor room had a fireplace on the north side and a sink and a few shelves on the
opposite wall. Next to the sink was a wood burning furnace.
“How about I see if we can get a fire started? It’s almost as cold in here as it is outside,” Alex
said.
“That would be great. There’s a stream not far from here. I need to get some water so we can
make tea or coffee.”
“I’ll do that,” Liam offered.
“Thank you. I guess I’ll see if any family member left any canned food from the last time they
visited.”
Both men dropped their backpacks and headed outside. The wood would be wet, but with some
luck, the fire might dry it out. If not, heating food and staying warm would be difficult.
An image formed of Tawny shivering. Naturally, he, and hopefully Liam, would offer to keep her
warm. Skin to skin contact would be the most effective he’d say, but in truth, Alex didn’t want to put
more pressure on Tawny. Sex was definitely out of the question in this place. Besides, they were there
to find her brother.
Go. The fire wasn’t going to start itself.
It took three trips for Alex to carry in enough wood to last the night. He had been forward thinking
enough to bring not only a lighter but some fire paste that would help ignite the wet wood.
It was time to create a cozy retreat for the three of them.
 CHAPTER FOUR

WITH THE WOOD already chopped outside, Alex managed to start a fire in the stove as well as in the
fireplace. Liam then boiled the water he’d collected from the stream for the tea.
“This tea hits the spot,” Tawny said. “Despite wearing gloves, my hands nearly froze. Thankfully,
I can feel my hands and feet again.”
Alex didn’t like that she’d been so cold. No telling if she’d suffered any frostbite, but if she did,
she shouldn’t be going outside for a while. He had the sense she wouldn’t heed any warnings,
however. Tawny was determined to find her brother, no matter the consequences.
He pulled out his cell. Surprisingly, it had one bar, which would be enough for a text. That meant
her brother could have texted her—assuming he hadn’t either lost his cell or his battery hadn’t died.
Alex didn’t want to consider another alternative.
After a half hour, the cabin was finally warm and cozy. Unfortunately, the snow was still blowing
outside, and Alex had no idea how long it was going to last. Even a wolf would have a problem
maneuvering in this weather as the snow was close to a foot deep already. If the bad weather hadn’t
rolled in, he and Liam would have gone exploring.
Alex had three theories about what might have happened to Tawny’s brother. One was that
someone had injured or killed Zach, second was that Tawny’s brother had fallen and been trapped by
some kind of rock slide, and third, Zach knew he was being chased and decided to lie low for a
while.
“Tawny, are there a lot of caves around here?” Alex asked.
“Some, but I can’t say I know them all. This is a big forest. Why?”
He shrugged. “Just trying to figure out where Zach could be.”
“You think he’s hiding in a cave?”
“We want to consider all of the possibilities,” Liam said.
“I appreciate it, but why would he hide in a cave if he could come here?” she asked.
Alex had to tell her another possible theory, though it was an ugly one. “I haven’t mentioned this
idea before, because it’s a remote chance of happening.”
“What? That my twin is dead?” She shook her head. “I’d know it if we were true.”
“You can telepath with each other?”
“No, only men can do that. This is different. I feel him in my body. It’s impossible to explain. It
might only be between werewolf twins. I never have asked Benson’s brothers and sisters if they feel
the same draw. They have two sets of twins in his family, but I don’t think Malia and Will are
connected like that. Those two are quite different.”
“How so?” Alex wanted to learn as much about Tawny and her family as possible.
 “Malia’s a nurse. She’s practical and focused, yet kind and sympathetic. As for Will, it’s not that
he doesn’t work hard, but he owns the Double G Bar. He’d rather chat with all of the customers than
work on his books, though he somehow manages to have a very successful business. The other two
you’ve met. They are Trevor and Seth.”
“Yes, the cowboys. The ones who are quite good at fighting.”
“I imagine they’ve had a lot of practice, since they have to fight off real wolves sometimes.”
“I bet you’re right.”
“Now that you’ve tried to distract me, tell me more about your idea,” she said.
He looked over at Liam.
“She’ll find out eventually,” Liam telepathed.
“When Liam and I worked for Rider Scott in Canada, we learned about a group of human
vigilantes. They believed that werewolves should be eliminated.”
She sucked in a breath. “On TV, they have shows about vampire hunters, but that’s fiction, mostly
because there is no such thing as vampires.”
“Are you sure?” Liam asked.
“Pretty sure. They don’t exist, do they?”
“Why can’t they? Werewolves exist.” Liam waved a hand. “That’s beside the point. What Alex is
saying is that it’s possible, though slim, that more hunters have found their way down to Montana. In a
town near where we used to live, this group of humans targeted a prominent family who were
werewolves.”
Tawny’s face paled. “Like us, but why target the Grangers? We don’t rob, steal, or murder. I know
that Paul Franklin and his group do, but we don’t.”
“Hate comes in a lot of different forms for a lot of different reasons,” Alex said. “It’s wrong, but
let’s not focus on that now. I shouldn’t have even brought it up.”
She sipped her tea. “No, I’m glad you did. It’s all the more reason to come up with a plan.”
He thought they had a plan. “What do you propose? And please don’t say we should head out in
this weather. We might get lost. Even you took a wrong turn a few times to find this place.”
She pressed her lips together. “Fine. What do you suggest? You don’t know your way around these
woods.”
“That’s the problem,” Alex said. “How about you make a list of what you think might have
happened to Zach. With each suggestion, we’ll come up with a plan of action.”
“Thank you.” She stood. “I’d like to write down these ideas. It helps me to think better, though I
don’t know if there is any paper around.”
Both men stood. “We’ll look.”
The cabin was small enough that it didn’t take long to search. Alex combed through the cabinets
next to the sink, Tawny looked upstairs in the bedroom, and Liam checked in the coffee table drawers
and anywhere else.
Five minutes later, Tawny called from upstairs. “Got some.”
She came down and plopped on the sofa. “Okay. I’ll start with the last scenario you mentioned
regarding these werewolf hunters that might have come down to Wildwood and are targeting the
Grangers.”
“Before we tackle that option, let’s start with whether we believe Zach is still in the forest or
not,” Alex said.
“He has to be here. If he isn’t, he would have contacted me.”
“His truck is not in the lot,” Liam said. “Have you considered he might have been kidnapped, and
that those people hid his truck to make you believe he’d left town?”
From the way her chest caved in, it was as if Liam had sucked the air right out of her.
“Kidnapped? Why?”
Liam shrugged. “For ransom money, maybe? From what I can tell, the Grangers have a fair amount
of wealth.”
“My immediate family is probably the poorest of the lot, but we’re far from destitute. My dad
might be the sheriff, but he is a shrewd investor. Most look at my parents’ modest lifestyle and think
we live paycheck to paycheck, but thankfully that’s not the case.”
“If not for the money, maybe someone took Zach because he was an easy target. No one was
around to stop them,” Alex said.
She shook her head. “If his life were in danger, he would have hidden behind a rock or a large
tree, shifted, and taken off.”
“Not if they shot him first, assuming we’re dealing with humans and not some werewolf clan, like
the group Paul Franklin led.”
Tawny tossed the paper on the coffee table. “You two are downers.”
“We just want to help,” Liam said. “How about you draw a line down the middle of the paper? On
the left side put the heading: not in the forest. On the right side put: in the forest.”
“Fine, though I don’t see that helping much.” She did as he suggested. “Now what?”
“Let’s tackle the most likely case,” Alex said. “Zach is in the forest. Since he’s not at the cabin,
where could he be? And why would he be there?”
“He’s hurt, but he managed to find a cave so he could heal,” she said.
Alex smiled. “There you go. If the snow lets up and allows us to search, we’ll try the caves.”
“If Zach is in the woods, why isn’t his truck in the parking lot?” she asked.
“Good question. We can figure that out later. Where else could he be?”
“Again, he might have been injured, but this time a group of campers found him and are nursing
him back to health either in the forest or outside of it,” she tossed out.
“The only problem with that is being a werewolf, he should have healed by now.”
She lifted her chin. “What if he was seriously injured? Like he was shot near the heart, or his leg
was broken?”
“The leg would heal. The bullet close to the heart would probably take longer,” Alex said. “If
that’s the case, that means someone tried to kill him.”
Tawny closed her eyes and groaned. “I can’t do this.”
He and Liam must have been on the same wavelength, because they both moved over and sat on
either side of her on the rather short sofa. Alex placed her hand in his. “Tawny, we can tell this is
really stressful for you. Why don’t we play some board games—since that’s all that’s here—and
tomorrow we will explore the caves. Who knows, your brother might come waltzing in here all on his
own.”
She opened her eyes. “Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Stranger things have happened. He is a werewolf after all.”
“Or, he might have healed, and he’s laying low,” Liam suggested. “Your brother could have been
shot and left for dead. Not wanting them to find him, he is hiding. If he stays in his wolf form, he can
last a long time without eating. I’m not saying he can go weeks without food, like a real wolf can, but
we can last at least the three days he’s been gone.”
Tawny leaned over and hugged Liam. “Thank you. That makes me feel better.”
Alex cleared his throat. “Thinking about food makes me hungry. We have some beef jerky if
anyone wants some.”
“I brought power bars, enough for all of us. I also threw in two dried food meal packages. All it
needs is hot water.”
Alex grinned. “Let me fix us some hot water then.”
Liam stood. “I’ll scrounge up some plates. We’ll have a regular feast.”
She smiled, making Alex feel a whole hell of lot better. It took less than fifteen minutes to prepare
the meal. The entire time, however, Alex tried to put himself into Zach’s shoes. What would he do if
he’d fallen down the side of a mountain and been injured? It wasn’t as if a werewolf couldn’t suffer a
concussion, but it wasn’t highly likely.
“Alex?” Tawny asked. “You okay?”
He’d been starring. “Sorry. I was just trying to come up with more options.”
She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “Thanks.”
That one touch sent fire straight to his cock, and that reaction was totally unwarranted. They were
here for Zach—not for sex.
After they ate, Tawny washed the silverware and placed it back in the drawer. As for the trash,
they’d have to pack it out. It wasn’t as if there was garbage service here.
For the few hours of daylight they had left, they played a board game. Alex’s mind was focused on
this whole messed up situation more than on the game’s strategy. In the end, Tawny won, which was
just as well. She needed a victory.
Tawny sighed and leaned back. “That was fun.” She looked over at him. “You two know about my
family, but I know nothing about either of you.”
Alex wasn’t one to say much about his upbringing, but since Tawny was his mate, she should
know the good and the bad parts. “It’s not very impressive.”
“I don’t care. Your past—good and bad—made you who you are today. To be honest, I think you
ended up pretty good.”
Alex never blushed, but if he did, his face would be red. “Thank you. Okay. Let me see. I am the
youngest of three kids and the only boy. Believe it or not, I was rather small growing up, which was
unusual for a shifter.”
“I think the males in my family were born large,” she said.
He smiled. “I’ve heard that’s normally the case, but not me. Anyway, I was picked on a lot. To
make matters worse, I had a big mouth, what can I say?”
She chuckled. “I can believe that. Were your schoolmates fellow shifters or all human?”
“There were a few werewolves but most were human. My dad told me that if I ever shifted in
public that… Well, I won’t tell you what he said would fall off.”
She laughed. “He did not.”
“Hey, I was eight. I believed him. Anyway, by the time I was sixteen, I had a growth spurt. It was
then that I decided that I needed to learn to fight.”
“Did you take classes or were you self-taught?”
“I took classes for the most part, but since we didn’t have much money, I found a job working at a
warehouse after school. On weekends, I’d take a class. I started with boxing and finished with martial
arts.”
“However, as a werewolf, we need skills we can’t learn from a normal class,” Liam said.
“True,” Alex said. “I wanted to learn to fight in my wolf form, but for some reason, my dad said it
would be safer if I avoided all werewolves.” He shrugged. “I didn’t listen.”
“Tawny, I’m sure your brothers played in their wolf form as kids,” Liam said.
 “They did. I tried running after them, but you can imagine how well that worked out. They left me
in the dust.”
Alex couldn’t help but wrap an arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry they didn’t include you, but
since you couldn’t shift, it would have been hard for them to play with you.”
“I know. The first time it happened, I was about six and ran home to my mom, crying about how
mean my brothers were to me. That’s when we had the talk about the differences between male
werewolves and female werewolves. To this day, I don’t think it’s fair.”
“Life isn’t fair.”
Tawny chuckled. “Very true. So Liam, how did you become a trainer?”
 CHAPTER FIVE

“MY STORY IS QUITE different from Alex’s. I loved school, in part because I was the star athlete and a
top scholar. My hidden werewolf talents were a great help in playing high school football,” Liam
said. “I had speed, strength, and agility.”
“Werewolves aren’t inherently smarter than humans, though,” Tawny said.
“No, but my dad was a lawyer. Anything less than excellent was not acceptable. So I studied. A
lot. I learned that the more I prepared, the more I liked the success.”
She smiled. “I get it. You were driven by ego.”
Alex laughed. “Tawny sees right through you.”
“Maybe,” he said.
“How did you two meet?” she asked.
“It’s not a nice story,” Alex said.
Tawny dipped her chin and stuck out her bottom lip. “Please? I won’t judge.”
All people judged. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said.
She smiled. It was a nice sight. “Thank you.”
“There are things I’m not proud of. Let me start by saying my dad and I were very close. Being the
only men in the family, we had to stick together. When I was seventeen, he was in a wolf fight and
was killed.”
She sucked in a breath. When Tawny placed a hand on his arm, it helped lessen the pain that
always came when he thought of his father.
“Do you know why your dad was in that fight?”
“We believe he fought a clan who was into human trafficking. Of course, no one came forward to
say what really happened.”
“Continue with the story, Alex,” Liam said.
“Needless to say, I went into a severe depression. My school work suffered, partially because I
was more determined than ever to become the best fighter. But once I succeeded, I kind of got mixed
up with a crowd that wasn’t the best. I drank too much, even for a werewolf, and did drugs, but with
our metabolism, it didn’t have a big effect. That was when I met Daniel Scott.”
“Am I supposed to know who that is?” Tawny asked.
“No. He is Rider Scott’s cousin who had an addiction problem. Rider moved from Florida to
Canada to help Dan with his drug problem. That’s when Rider decided to start a business teaching
werewolves and non-werewolves how to fight effectively. That’s when he hired both Liam and me.”
She turned to Liam. “I can see why Alex would want to become an expert fighter. He didn’t want
the same thing to happen to him that happened to his father, but what about you?”
 The fire was dwindling, and since Alex had finished telling Tawny about his background, he
gathered a few more logs and placed them on the fire. They were still a little wet, but the heat from
the existing fire should dry them out enough to allow the logs to burn.
“Like I said, I wanted to be the best at everything, and that included being able to defend myself. I
had a natural inclination to strategize during a fight.” Liam then grinned.
“So it really is all about ego with you, isn’t it?” Then she laughed.
“Okay, Miss vet assistant. You can’t tell me that you don’t always strive to be the best you can
be.”
Tawny glanced to the ceiling. “I suppose I do. Being a Granger implies you will be successful.
Mind you, we have a few relatives who might not appear to be over-achievers, but they are in their
own way.”
Alex sat back down next to her. “Does that mean you wouldn’t have a problem going out with me
even though I am not as educated as you?”
Once more, she dipped her chin. “I’m not a snob, you know. As long as you work at being the best
you can be, I’m in.”
The temptation to kiss her nearly made him break his vow to keep his distance until they learned
more about the fate of her brother. “Good to know.”
“How did you both end up in Wildwood?” she asked.
“I’ll answer that,” Alex said. “We thoroughly enjoyed teaching humans and werewolves how to
fight. Mind you we taught the werewolves at a different time than the humans to keep them from
learning about us. However, due to the fact we were in a small town, there weren’t a lot of werewolf
clients.”
“I see, but how did you find out about Wildwood and the Grangers?”
“General Armand mentioned your family,” Liam said.
“Dad’s Army buddy.”
“Yes.” Liam explained about the mission Rider had asked them to help him with. “That’s how we
met the general.”
Alex leaned forward. “When we caught those guys distributing drugs, I knew how my dad felt.
Taking down evil werewolves was like taking a drug. I wanted more. We had only met the general
once, but we said if he ever needed us to give us a call. In the meantime, we would train as many
werewolves as possible—good ones, hopefully.”
“When the general said he was going to visit your dad, we hinted that Wildwood with all of the
Grangers might be a great place to start our own company,” Liam said.
Alex explained that Rider Scott had moved back to Florida. “Another gentleman we worked with
said he would be happy to run the place himself. In truth, there weren’t enough clients for the three of
us.”
“I see. My dad hasn’t spoken about the general much, so I really don’t know much about him. He’s
kind of shrouded in mystery.”
Liam nodded. “Like Alex said, we’ve only met him once. I asked Rider about his story, but he
said he hadn’t been with the organization for long. He was on contract only.”
“I’ll be sure to drill my dad about him.”
Alex smiled. “If you find out anything, let us know. Like I said, if General Armand needs any
additional men for a mission, we’d like to help out.”
“I’ll mention that to Dad too.” She yawned.
“We should head to bed,” Liam said. “We need to get an early start tomorrow, assuming the storm
has blown itself out by then.”
Tawny glanced up at the loft area. “There are two beds up there. Why don’t you two take those,
and I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“That doesn’t look comfortable. Why don’t you take the bedroom, and Alex and I will shift into
our wolf form? We’ll be perfectly fine down here.”
She smiled. “Thanks. In case I forgot to mention it, the door back there leads to a bathroom. It has
a composting toilet and a bathtub.”
“But there's no running water,” Alex said.
“True. In the winter, we usually don’t come up here, but if we need a bath, we have to heat the
water that we gather from the stream and carry it into the bathroom. It’s kind of like the olden days.”
Alex scrunched up his nose. “I think we can last until tomorrow.”
Tawny stood and let out a big breath. “I will never be able to thank you both enough for coming
with me. I can see now that going solo wouldn’t have been smart. Even if I had reached the cabin, I’m
not sure I could have started the fire.”
“I bet if you tried, you could have.”
“Maybe.” Tawny looked at both of them with a yearning in her eyes. It was almost as if she
wanted to kiss each of them goodnight, but if her lips touched his, Alex wasn’t sure what he’d do.
Whatever it was, it might mess things up between the three of them—mate or no mate.
As soon as she went up the stairs, Alex piled more wood onto the fire. “How about adding a few
more logs to the stove too?” he asked Liam. “We want her to be warm,” he telepathed.
“I can do that.”
In a few minutes, the place was once more toasty. He hoped Tawny had enough blankets in the
loft. Darn. He should have checked it out. If she didn’t, he wasn’t sure what they could do. “Should
we at least offer for her to sleep downstairs between us in case she gets cold? We’d be in our wolf
form,” Alex telepathed.
“She’s a grown woman. It’s not like she hasn’t been around werewolves her whole life. If it
becomes too chilly for her, she’ll come downstairs.”
“Are you guys talking about me? You’ve been awfully quiet,” Tawny called down.
Shit. “I’ve never known a female to be able to read minds,” Alex said. “Have you?"
“She’s guessing.”
He hoped that was true. “We’re wondering if it will be warm enough for you up there. Liam and I
plan to shift, so if you need more warmth, join us.”
“I appreciate the offer.”
Alex thought for a moment that she might come downstairs right away, but she moved over to the
bed and dropped out of view.
He looked over at the sofa. “Maybe we should put the two sofa cushions on the floor between
us in case she changes her mind.”
Liam groaned. “If she does that, I won’t be able to sleep a wink.”
Alex probably should discuss the idea with Liam that he believed—or rather he knew—that
Tawny was his mate.

Tawny pulled the blanket up over her shoulders and tried to keep warm. She told herself she couldn’t
sleep because of the chill. In reality, it was because of the two men who were downstairs. Sure, when
she first met them, she was instantly attracted to both, but she said it was because they were so good-
looking.
Stamina, looks, and intelligence were important, but she had a whole new appreciation for them
after this adventure. Alex and Liam were quite different, and their backgrounds weren’t what she
expected either, yet they seemed to complement each other very well.
On the trek up to the climbing site and then to the cabin, it was Liam who analyzed how safe the
path would be and whether they’d beat the storm. Those concerns were similar to hers.
Not that Alex didn’t care, but he seemed more interested in nature. He’d often comment on how
pretty the area was, which was something she admired about hiking. That being said, Tawny was
usually more attracted to a conservative man, like Liam. He was safer. However, even though Alex
was a risk taker, she kind of liked that too.
Regardless of their differences, both men seemed to want to see justice done, and that appealed to
her a lot. Zach’s disappearance seemed to have struck a chord in each man. They wanted to find him.
For that, she’d be eternally grateful.
The fire crackled below, reminding her of her two wolf companions. Were they talking about her
telepathically, or were they merely trying to sleep? She bet they were discussing her. Why? She’d
seen both of their eyes flash gold a few times.
Hold on! If both had eyes of gold, then it probably didn’t mean she was one of their mates. Their
eyes just changed color for some other reason. Or were they both her mates?
The idea of being with one of the men intrigued her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d
been so excited by a man’s touch. Wildwood, Montana might be known for a town accepting of
ménage relationships, but she doubted they’d come here for that reason. Hell, she doubted they knew
about the town’s reputation.
Ugh. Tawny didn’t need to be thinking about romance when she should to be sleeping. Tomorrow,
they planned to search for her brother, and traipsing through the snow, searching for caves would
require a lot of energy. And with all the snow that had fallen, there would be no tracks.
Determined to save her twin, Tawny curled up under the blanket to stay warm. The problem was
the cabin was mostly meant to be used in the summer, not in the depths of winter, which was why the
wooden-slated walls were not insulated.
She slipped out of bed and grabbed the spread off the other twin mattress. As she moved back to
her side of the room, she looked down over the railing at the fire. It was burning brightly. Too bad the
heat wasn’t rising as much as she wished.
A little cold wouldn’t deter her, but man those two wolves sure did look warm and cozy.
Don’t think about them.
Tawny crawled back into bed, determined to sleep. Unfortunately, her mind refused to shut off,
and not being physically comfortable wasn’t helping.
After tossing and turning for another hour, she gave up. Tawny couldn’t help her brother if she was
too cold to look for him. The best place to sleep was between two wolves in front of a hot fire.
She grabbed her pillow and a blanket and headed down the stairs.
 CHAPTER SIX

“WHAT IS SHE DOING ?” Liam telepathed. He could figure it out, but he wasn’t sure what they were
supposed to do about it?
Light footsteps padded quickly across the room. Good thing they’d already placed the sofa
cushions on the floor between them, anticipating she might need a warmer place to sleep.
“We do nothing,” Alex shot back, which was not what he expected from his friend.
They’d spent an hour talking about Tawny. To his surprise, Alex said that Tawny was his mate.
Liam quickly corrected him by saying she was his. It took a few times back and forth before they
realized she was meant for both of them. Sharing was never a problem, thankfully. Too bad Mason
claimed she wasn’t into that lifestyle. Alex and Liam decided that once they located Zach—assuming
they did—their goal would be to convince her that she needed to be theirs. Having her chose would
be terrible.
Tawny stopped at the end of the makeshift mattress, probably trying to decide if she wanted to do
this. She didn’t seem the type to take sleeping between two wolves lightly. After all, both he and Alex
could shift back into their human form and give her a lot more than physical warmth. However, if
Alex could behave himself, so could he, but he sure as hell wouldn’t be getting any sleep knowing
that the delicious Tawny Granger was between them.
Since she might want to know that they were okay with her sleeping there, he opened his eyes.
She knelt on the cushions. “I’m cold,” she said. “It will be warmer here.”
Liam reached out a paw and touched her arm lightly. He then closed his eyes, wanting her to know
she’d be safe with them—at least for now.
Once she settled down between them, her scent invaded his soul and turned his thoughts toward
being with her forever. The urge to shift back into his human form so that he could cuddle with her
nearly drove him crazy, but Tawny needed time to become accustomed to them. He understood that
patience had to be his mantra.

It must have been a log dropping in the fire that roused him. How he had fallen asleep, Liam didn’t
know. When he rolled over, Tawny was watching him. To hell with it. He had to get up soon anyway.
Liam shifted back into his human form. “Good morning,” he said with as much cheer that he could
muster.
“Good morning.” Tawny raised her arms over her head and stretched.
 “Did you sleep?” he asked.
“Some.”
“Me too.” Liam sat up. “I’m surprised I didn’t hear Alex get up.
“I think he is relieving himself outside.”
Liam chuckled. “You have a bathroom.”
She shrugged. The front door opened and blew in bitter cold air. Alex was carrying several logs.
“I see the sleepy heads are awake.”
Liam gave him the finger. “I was the smart one. I thought I’d let you be the one to get the wood.”
“Uh-huh.”
Tawny slipped out from under the blanket. “It’s cold in here, but don’t waste the wood. We’ll be
leaving soon. However, if I don’t make some coffee, I won’t be civil.”
“I already made some, which is why we needed more wood,” Alex said.
Tawny smiled. “I’m impressed.”
“Suck up,” Liam telepathed.
“What better time than now to try to win her over?” Alex shot back.
Tawny poured everyone a cup of coffee while Liam replaced the cushions on the sofa. “I’ll put the
blanket and pillow back upstairs,” he said.
“Thanks.”
“See? I can win points too,” Liam telepathed, trying not to smile.
After they finished their coffee and cleaned up, they took the wood they didn’t use outside so the
bugs wouldn’t come inside. They left the cozy cabin just the way they found it. It wasn’t snowing, but
the storm last night had dumped quite a few inches.
“Which way?” he asked.
“I figure if anything happened to Zach at the climbing site, he’d want to find shelter. There are a
few caves near there.”
That meant they would be heading back the way they came, which worked for him. The sun might
be coming up, but the temperatures had dropped a lot overnight. Liam wasn’t sure Tawny would be
warm enough. Moving would help, however.
“Have you been to these caves?” Liam asked Tawny.
“A few times, but only during the summer. It looks different with all this snow.”
He was worried about that. “Do you think you’ll be able to find them?”
She turned around to face him. “I mentioned that Zach and I have a twin bond. I’m hoping he’ll
guide me to him, somehow.”
That was a little out there, but he wouldn’t judge. Quite often Alex would do things based on gut
instinct—and had been right. “Lead the way.”
Liam had wanted to go first so that he could tamp down the snow for Tawny, but she seemed
determined to lead, and he couldn’t blame her. This was her show.
“I could shift and run ahead,” Alex telepathed. “It might save us time. If Zach is anywhere
near here, I should be able to sense him. You could stay with Tawny and make sure she is safe.”
“Hold off on that suggestion until Tawny is either exhausted, or she senses Zach but can’t find
him. I think it’s important for her to be the one to locate him.”
Alex nodded. “Makes sense.”
They spent close to ninety minutes making it back to the climbing site, taking a few side paths
along the way. It was logical that if something bad had happened to Zach, it would have been around
this area.
 She found a log and sat down. Liam pulled out his water bottle and took a swig. “You should
drink and eat one of those snacks you have.”
“I will.” Tawny sat there, staring off into the whiteness.
As much as Liam wanted to ask if she was okay, he already knew the answer. She drank some
water and then stood. “I can feel Zach.”
Who was he to say she couldn’t? “Where is he?”
“Someplace dark and cold.”
Alex moved next to her. “It’s cold everywhere. Does the dark imply a cave, a tent, or possibly
another structure?”
“I think a cave. As I said, there are a few around here. We should head east.”
“Let’s go,” Alex said.
For the next forty-five minutes they followed Tawny. Most of the time it appeared as if they
weren’t even on a path, but she seemed determined that her brother would be close by. As much as
Liam wanted to ask if she knew where she was going, he wanted Tawny to feel in charge.
For no apparent reason that he could see, she stopped. Both he and Alex stepped on either side of
her and looked around. He didn’t see anything that resembled a cave. Since they had been following a
hillside for a while, it could be behind some large boulders or scrub brush.
“Do you want me to shift and take a look?” Alex asked. “I might be able to detect him faster.”
She looked over at Liam. “If you both go in different directions, we can cover more territory.”
He didn’t want to leave her. No telling what might happen. “Let’s give Alex a chance to find
something. We’ll wait here. The last thing we need is to become separated.”
“Okay.”
Before she changed her mind, Alex shifted and took off. In part because Tawny wouldn’t admit
she was cold, Liam motioned she sit on her backpack. He then sat next to her on his pack and
wrapped an arm around her. “When we find Zach, you won’t be able to help him if you’re frozen to
death.”
She looked up and smiled. “Thanks. I am cold. I can’t imagine Zach being able to survive all this
time out here.”
“Piece of cake in his wolf form. We like the cold weather.”
“I suppose, but what if he’s injured and couldn’t shift.”
Hearing her pain tore at him. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
When Tawny laid her head on his shoulder, his cock shot to attention. That was totally
inappropriate. Liam had more control than that—or he used to before he met his mate, or rather their
mate.
When he and Alex had discussed what they needed to do about having her in their lives, they
decided they would pretend as if they were competing for her affection. They wanted to make it
impossible for her to choose. At that point, they would suggest she at least try both of them.
Hopefully, she’d see that being with two wolves was better than one.
Liam sat up straighter. He could hear Alex running around. Snow crunched and twigs cracked.
“Found something,” Alex telepathed.
“What did you find? A cave or did you actually find Zach?”
Tawny placed a gloved hand on his. She must have sensed that he was communicating with Alex.
“A cave. But I also found blood on a tree trunk.”
That sounded promising yet potentially terrible. “Which way?”
“Follow my paw prints.” A howl sounded about a thousand feet away.
 Liam stood and helped Tawny up. “Alex found a cave and possibly some evidence that Zach had
been there. It’s not far.”
This time he led, but he made sure she was right behind him. Finding Alex was easy, though
sometimes his tracks crossed back over one another.
“Over here!” Alex shouted, now in his human form.
Going as quickly as the snow allowed, they made it to Alex, but Liam didn’t see anything. “Where
is the cave?”
He smiled. “Follow me.”
They let Alex lead. The rock face rounded a corner. At first Liam didn’t see the entrance, but then
he spotted some fallen trees that someone had propped up against the cliff.
“Do you think Zach did this?” she asked.
“Let’s look inside and see,” Liam said.
As soon as they moved the downed branches from the entranceway and went in, Tawny stilled. “I
can feel him.”
He hoped for her sake that she could. Otherwise, she might question her sanity.
“Zach,” Liam shouted. “Can you hear me?” He also telepathed in case her brother was too weak
to respond. Whether they even had the connection, he didn’t know.
Liam received no response.
Tawny charged ahead. “Use your flashlight,” Liam said. The last thing they needed was for her to
trip and hurt herself.
She stopped, slipped off her backpack, and searched for her light. Being a female werewolf, she
had better eyesight than most humans, but this cave was dark even for him.
She found it and flicked it on. When she swung her torch around, it showed two passageways.
“Have you been in this cave before?” Alex asked.
“I don’t think so.”
What he didn’t want was for them to spend so much time in there that they were stuck in the
woods another night. If they delayed, it would take too long to reach the main road and too long to
return to the cabin. “How about you stay here while Alex and I search in our wolf form? Trust me, we
can cover a lot more territory.”
She hesitated. “I guess, but shouldn’t I look too?”
“There are only two tunnels. As wolves, we won’t get lost.” Or so he believed. “Just sit here.
Maybe Zach is out gathering wood for a fire.” He hadn’t seen or smelled any evidence of that, but he
didn’t want to lose her in the maze of the cave. To be honest, he had no idea how far back the tunnels
went.
“Okay.”
She looked around for a place to sit. No telling what other animals had taken shelter in the cave.
Liam tossed his backpack on the ground. “Sit on this, and put your backpack behind you. You’ll be
warmer that way.”
“Thank you.”
Alex placed his next to Liam’s. “We’ll be back as soon as we can. If I find him, I’ll telepath to
Liam, and he’ll find you.”
“Thank you.”
As much as Liam didn’t want to leave her alone, time was of the essence. Alex took one tunnel,
and Liam traveled down the other. The shaft was cold, damp, and smelled like more than just a few
animals had died in there. He doubted any human would want to spend much time within the confines
of these walls. Some of the stone was slick with water, indicating water had managed to seep through
some cracks. Mold streaked the sides.
As he headed farther down the rocky path, the air slightly changed. He couldn’t tell exactly what
had caused it, but the scent was different.
“Zach?” he called out.
What sounded like rocks scraping on stone echoed off the walls, but he heard no other noise,
either telepathically or with his ears. Liam slowed, not wanting to scare whoever or whatever might
be there.
When he eased past a large boulder that almost blocked the way, he stopped. A man was lying on
the ground, face down. Oh, shit.
 CHAPTER SEVEN

LIAM RUSHED to the prone man and knelt down. He was a werewolf, that much he could tell. While it
was possible the man was not Zach Granger, he bet he was. The horrifying thing was the backs of
both the jacket and shirt were open, sliced vertically down the middle. Someone had carved a symbol
in Zach’s back, but caked blood had obscured most of the image. Not only that, several bullet holes
had pierced the skin. Hopefully, none of them had hit the man’s heart, though if they had, he’d already
be dead.
Why hadn’t Zach shifted into his wolf form? Had he been unconscious before he had the chance?
If so, who had scraped the stone against the rock for Liam to hear? Those questions could be
answered later. Zach needed to get help for the man. And quickly.
He shifted into his human form, took off his jacket, and placed it over the prone body to keep him
warm.
“I found him—or who I think is Zach,” he telepathed to Alex.
“Is he alive?”
“Barely. Find Tawny, but warn her that her brother is in bad shape.” It hadn’t occurred to him
to ask to see a photo of her brother beforehand. “I need the fire paste so I can light a fire.”
“I’ll grab what you need, as well as a few sticks on the way.”
Liam leaned over and placed two fingers on Zach’s neck to feel for a pulse. He found one, but it
was faint. Liam shook Zach’s shoulder. “Can you hear me?”
There was no response. Damn.
Ten minutes later, hurried footsteps neared. “No!” she practically shrieked.
“It’s your brother I take it?” Liam asked.
“Yes.” Tawny rushed toward him and dropped to her knees. “Zach?” She stroked his cheek and
then looked up at Liam. “Is he dead?”
“No, but he’s in bad shape. Zach needs help. Fast. Can you call your dad and ask him to have a
stretcher brought here? From his pale coloring, I’d say your brother has lost quite a lot of blood.”
Being the professional that she was, Tawny quickly composed herself and pulled out her phone.
She’d figure it out quickly that she’d get no reception deep inside the cave.
“I have to go outside.” She sucked in a breath. “I have a first aid kit in my backpack, but it’s near
the entrance.”
“I think he needs more than a Band-Aid.”
“I can clean his wound at least.”
“Make the call,” Liam said. “Then we’ll clean him up.”
“I’ll go with her,” Alex said.
 “Good.”
As soon as they left, Liam began building a fire. He made a ring from the many rocks that were
strewn around. Besides the few sticks that Alex had picked up, Liam gathered a couple more and then
used the fire paste to light them. Thankfully, the flames burst to life, but they wouldn’t last long. He
hoped this little bit of heat would help Zach heal. If Tawny’s brother had been shot three or four days
ago, he should have been up and running by now. Something was going on. Not being a doctor, though,
Liam wouldn’t mention his worries to Tawny.
When Zach groaned, Liam moved over to him. “Hey, Zach. Tawny’s here. She’s calling your dad
for help.”
Liam wasn’t sure what to expect, but when Zach’s body went limp, he cursed. Heat was filling the
small cave, but more wood was needed. There were plenty of trees outside, but they would be wet.
However, it would be better than nothing. “Alex, grab as much wood or sticks as you can when you
return. And have Tawny bring me her first aid kit. It might be of use after all. In the meantime, I’m
going to scour the area ahead.”
“Will do. Tawny managed to text her dad. Help is on the way.”
“Great.”
Liam headed farther into the cave. When he spotted some wood, he shifted into his human form
since wolves weren’t great at carrying things. He spent ten minutes traveling deeper into the cave,
picking up what he could before returning to Zach’s side.
Damn. The fire had almost died down. Liam broke the sticks into smaller pieces and placed them
on what was left of the embers. “How are you doing, buddy?”
Zach’s fingers twitched, which Liam took as a good sign.
A few minutes later, Alex and Tawny returned. He looked up at them. “What did your dad say?”
“He’s gathering the troops. He’ll have a gurney to carry Zach out on since it doesn’t look like he
has the ability to shift right now,” Tawny said as she handed him the kit.
“He groaned once and moved his fingers. I think he is slowly coming out of it.”
Tawny rushed to her brother’s side. She must not have noticed before that Liam had draped his
jacket on top of Zach's back. He would have stopped her from seeing the horror, but she’d find out
soon enough.
When she lifted the jacket, she gasped. “Oh my god. Who would do this?”
Liam had an idea. “I think whatever is carved in your brother’s back will give us a clue.”
Before he could tell her to stop, she poured some of her water over the injury. When the blood
cleared, Tawny stilled, her gaze fixed on the image. “It’s our brand.”
It was a circle with two capital G’s on the inside with a line across the circle. “The Double G.”
“Yes.” She looked up, tears staining her cheeks. “Why do this?”
“I can think of a few sick people—or rather groups of people who might do it—but how about we
let your dad follow the leads?” The last thing anyone needed was for Tawny to end up like her
brother. Snooping around could get her killed. “Let me see if any of your first aid stuff can help.”
He opened the box and found some antibacterial salve. Using the pair of gloves from the kit, he
careful spread it over as much of the wound as he could.
Alex had brought some larger branches for the fire, but they were wet, which would cause too
much smoke. However, Zach needed the heat.
“Maybe we should carry Zach to the entrance,” Alex said. “That way when the first responders
come, they can care for him sooner.”
Plus, there would be plenty of firewood closer to the entrance. “Good idea.”
 Both he and Alex slipped on their packs. “Tawny, help me put Liam’s jacket on your brother.”
Once they did, Liam took a hold of Zach under his arms, and Alex grabbed his legs. “How about
you lead, Tawny?” Liam wanted to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t trip over any of the
rocks. The ground was very uneven.
While it would have been easier for one of them to carry Zach over his shoulder, it might cause
one of the bullets to move, and that could prove fatal.
It took more than fifteen minutes to pick their way around the obstacles. Thankfully, Zach didn’t
rouse the whole time. When they reached the main entrance, they set him down.
“I’ll find more fire wood,” Alex said.
They made a good team. “Thanks.”
“I should mark the trail,” Tawny said. “I have some pink plastic tape that I often put on trees to
show where I’ve been. I’ll make sure my dad knows where to turn.”
“Excellent idea, but wait until Alex returns with some wood. Then the two of you can go
together.”
“I’m not going to get lost,” she shot back.
“I get it. These are your woods, but I’ll worry less if you’re with him. If someone came after
Zach, who’s to say they won’t come after more Grangers?”
Her knees almost buckled. “You think this is some act of revenge against my family?”
Shit. He’d stepped in it now, but what else would the Granger symbol with a line through it mean?
“I don’t know, but I want to be cautious.”
Tawny blew out a breath. “Fine.”
“Help me make a fire circle while Alex is gathering more wood.”
Just as they finished with the ring, Alex returned. “The wood is wet.”
“I figured, but it will have to do. I can find enough dry kindle in here. Go with Tawny to mark the
trail.”
“You got it.”
After he gathered some twigs and lit them, he placed the wet wood in a square around the small
fire to help dry it out. All the while, he kept checking on Zach. Even in his human form, his body
should have started to heal.
While Tawny and Alex were out, Liam rubbed Zach’s hands to warm him up. Heat would help
with the man’s circulation. He then rubbed Zach’s legs.
Two and a half hours later, the chatter reached him. Help had arrived. Tawny led her father and
the medical team inside. He recognized Malia, Benson Granger’s nurse sister, and moved out of the
way to let the experts do their thing.
While Tawny had come back in a few times to check on her brother and to warm up, she now
stood over the fire, rubbing her arms. He bet she was nearly frozen herself.
Since the paramedics might not know about the wounds on Zach’s back, Liam told them.
“Whoever did this, ripped open Zach’s jacket in back, so I gave him mine.”
“I appreciate it,” the sheriff said.
Both he and Alex had met the sheriff since he was a good friend of General Armand. The medics
slipped off Liam’s jacket that was now stained with Zach’s blood. They cleaned his wounds the best
they could and then placed a blanket on him before putting him on a gurney. It would be a long journey
to the parking lot. Even though the gurney had one wheel under it, with the snow it might be easier to
carry it.
They hooked up an IV to Zach’s arm, lifted him up, and left. Liam, Alex, and Tawny followed. If
they were lucky, the group would make it back to the parking lot in about three hours. He hoped Zach
would last that long.
“Did your dad say where they would treat Zach?” Liam asked.
“Yes. My dad’s sister is married to Augustine Weston. He is the administrator at Midvale
Hospital. Treating a werewolf there can be tricky, so he built a room at the back of his house and set
it up as an emergency room for werewolves.”
“That’s awesome,” Alex said.
“I agree. His son David is the emergency room doctor at the hospital. I’m sure he’ll be at the
house when we arrive to do surgery or whatever is needed.”
“Your family is amazing,” Liam said.
“They truly are.”
Fortunately, the weather cooperated on the return trip, and with little wind and sunny skies, the
journey wasn’t as treacherous as Liam feared. An ambulance was waiting for them when they reached
the parking lot. Sheriff Granger had brought the cavalry.
“Are you going to ride with your dad or with us?” Liam asked.
“I’ll go with Dad.” She turned to face them. “I can’t ever thank you both enough for your help. I
don’t think I ever would have found my brother without you.”
“We were happy to help.” Though Liam could think of a lot of ways she could thank them. “Can
you text us to let us know how Zach is doing?”
“Sure.” Tawny stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, turned around and did the same to Alex.
Then she hurried off to her dad’s cruiser.
“I guess that was a success,” Alex said.
“It was. We found her brother alive, and I think she learned more about us,” Liam said.
“I could tell she liked us. Why else would she be willing to sleep between us?”
Liam chuckled. “Because she was cold?”
“There is that.”
They slipped into Liam’s truck and waited until the ambulance, the cruiser, and one other vehicle
left the parking lot before taking off.
“What are we going to do about Tawny?” Alex asked.
“In regards to what?”
“You saw the carving on her brother’s back. That really looked like a warning to me.”
“I thought the same thing.” Liam pulled out of the lot. “There are a lot of bad werewolves in the
world. We’ve met a few, like the Franklin Clan.”
“If not them, then who? And why harm a Granger?”
“That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out. My best guess is that these hunters—assuming that’s
who did this to Zach—were told the Grangers were corrupt and needed to be eliminated.”
Alex dropped his head back. “Regardless of the reason, we have to protect her.”
Liam’s gut soured. “I know, but she has a big family. Do you really think she’d agree to let us
watch over her? She barely knows us.”
“What if we tell her she’s our mate, and we can’t let anything happen to her?” Alex suggested.
“I don’t see Tawny believing she’s in danger. She’ll say a human wouldn’t harm her because she
can’t shift.”
“She might be right, or they might not care. She has werewolf blood in her. You saw how
determined she was to do things her way. All I know is that I can’t just sit by idly.”
That was for sure. “We’re stealthy. We can keep an eye on her without her knowing it,” Liam said.
 Alex grunted. “That won’t go over well if she finds out. Starting a relationship based on deceit
isn’t the way I want to go.”
“Neither do I. Then how about we check up on Zach and Tawny at the same time. I don’t see her
leaving his side for a while.”
“Maybe we should speak to her dad. I bet he can talk some sense into her about needing
protection.”
Liam’s mood lightened. “I knew you were my friend for a reason.”
 CHAPTER EIGHT

TAWNY HAD to wait in her uncle’s living room while David, her emergency room cousin, did who-
knew-what to Zach. What frustrated her even more was that no one would tell her anything. Had her
father not threatened his brother-in-law with something, she bet he’d have been kicked out of the
operating room.
Liam had said that both bullet holes had mostly closed up, and for that she was grateful. It meant
Zach’s werewolf healing powers were working somewhat. It was the carving on his back that still
haunted her. Not only would the pain be excruciating, but whoever did it left him in the cold to die.
Why? Zach was gentle. He loved animals, respected the forest, and was willing to risk his life to help
others.
While neither Liam nor Alex would say for sure what they thought, she suspected they believed it
was a hate crime against her family. Maybe she was naïve, but the Grangers were upstanding
community members. Hell, when a fire broke out in the city hall last year, who paid for it to be
repaired? Her family did. Heaven only knew how many charities they’d contributed to.
Then again, if the Franklin Clan was behind this, they wouldn’t care about that. Two of their own
had died on Uncle Josh’s ranch.
Tawny dropped her face in her hands, but she wouldn’t cry. She had to be strong for her twin.
The door to the back room opened, and she jerked up. Her dad came out. His shoulders were
slumped, but his face seemed relaxed.
“How is he?” Her voice cracked.
Her dad sat next to her. “He’s going to be okay. David said it was touch and go since one of the
bullets almost hit his heart.”
“Did they miss because our hearts are off-center?” At one point the doctors had been worried that
more of their organs weren’t in the normal position, but it turned out that their off-center heart might
have been a good thing.
“It’s possible.”
“And the carving on his back?”
Her dad squeezed her hand. “You saw it. It’s the Granger insignia. Not only does Will’s bar
display the double G sign prominently, Josh’s Double G Ranch sign is there for anyone to see.”
“Whoever did this was aware Zach was a Granger, not just some forest ranger.”
Her dad nodded. “I’m guessing that the call for help at the climbing site was a ruse to get him out
there.”
“Can you check his phone and trace the call?”
“I will do that when I have a moment. I just learned that my son was shot.”
 “I know. I’m sorry. Have you told Mom?” she asked.
“Not yet. I haven’t called anyone. You know your mother, though. She’ll worry too much. When
Zach recovers, I can tell her about his brush with death.”
It was a lot more than just a brush of death. “You don’t plan on letting Dan, Mason, or Brandon
know either? They might be next. And what about your brothers? They’re Grangers. They have to be
careful.”
“Let’s give Zach a few more hours. He’s warm and pumped full of all sorts of healing stuff. For
all we know, he might walk out of that room on his own in a few hours. When he does, we’ll decide
who to tell and what to tell them.”
“Okay. But if he isn’t having a beer at Will’s bar by tomorrow night, all bets are off. Don’t forget
Alex and Liam will probably be training some Granger tomorrow. You need to tell them not to let
anyone know what happened.”
He stabbed his fingers through his thinning hair. “I will. Look, it could be hours before your
brother rouses. What do you say we grab something to eat?”
Tawny was starving. “What will Mom say when you aren’t home for dinner?”
He grunted and then pulled out his phone. “You win. I’ll call her. Knowing your mom, if I keep
what happened to Zach a secret, she might leave me.” He actually huffed out a chuckle, because that
would never happen. Those two were soulmates.
Tawny might have excellent hearing, but she didn’t need it to hear the anxiety and then the relief
pour through the phone. The conversation was short. Her mother was coming over to Uncle
Augustine’s house.
The back room door opened again, and Dr. David Weston exited. He pulled down his mask. The
gloves he must have discarded beforehand. She and her dad jumped up.
“Well?” Tawny asked.
“Like I told your dad, Zach will be fine. Once he shifts, it will take his wolf a few hours to
completely heal.”
“Is he conscious?” she asked.
“He is. Zach just woke up, and he’s asking for you, Tawny.”
She didn’t even ask if her dad wanted to come in. She just ran to her twin. As she neared, her
heart beat stronger. It was as if the two were in sync once more. When she stepped into the room,
Zach’s eyes were closed, but he slowly opened them and smiled.
“Hey. How are you feeling?” It was a dumb question. He’d just been through surgery.
“I’m alive. I thought they’d killed me.”
“Who?”
Zach coughed, and her heart nearly stopped. She should leave, but she didn’t want to.
“I didn’t ask their names, but they were a man and a woman. Both human. They said their friend
had fallen at the climbing site. As I headed in the direction of the slab, they shot me in the back. I
thought once I fell to my knees that I would have been able to get right up, but I think the bullets were
laced with a sedative.”
“How did you get to the cave then?” Tawny asked.
Zach dragged a hand down his face and closed his eyes. “I don’t know.” His words were a
whisper.
Tawny squeezed his hand. “How about you rest? We can catch up later. Besides, Mom is on her
way, so you’ll need your energy.”
“Okay.”
 And then he was out. Tawny quietly left. As soon as she neared her dad, her mother burst in, her
eyes red and her breathing a bit ragged.
“Mom, he’ll be fine. He’s sleeping right now.”
“I have to see him.”
Her dad pulled out his keys. “I know your mom won’t want to leave for a while, and I’m sure you
want to get home and clean up. Take our car. I have the cruiser. I’ll have Tess drop me off at your
place to pick it up. I have a spare set of keys.”
“It’ll be closer for you if I leave it in front of your office. I’ll call Alex and Liam and ask them to
drive me home.” She wanted to ask them to dinner anyway. It would be a small token of her
appreciation, or so she told herself.
“Great.”
She hugged her father. “Thank you.”
“He’ll be okay. Don’t worry,” he said.
Tawny always worried. “I’ll try.”
Her uncle might only live two towns over from Wildwood, but it took her about twenty minutes to
reach home. Before she dropped off her mom’s car, she wanted to take a hot shower. But before she
undressed and cleaned up, she pulled out her phone and swiped Liam’s number.
“How is he?” he asked as a way of saying hello.
“He’ll be fine, thanks to you two.”
“You were the one to figure out he was in a cave,” he said.
“Maybe. Listen. I am starving and I wanted to treat you to dinner, if you haven’t already eaten.”
She held her breath.
“Sure. I’d love that, assuming you want Alex to tag along.”
She should have said both were invited. “Of course. I have to clean up, but how about we meet at
The Double G Bar in forty-five minutes? I know Will would want to be filled in.”
“We’ll see you there.” He then disconnected.
Tawny pressed the phone to her chest, hoping that was the right move. It was just a thank you,
right?
She rushed to the bathroom and turned on the water to the hottest setting. Even though her uncle’s
house had been warm, there was still a residual chill in her bones.
As soon as the shower door started to steam, she stepped into the flow and moaned. It felt so
good. She might have taken her time to let her mind wander as she ran the soap over her body,
wondering what it would be like to have either Liam or Alex do the honors, but she didn’t want to be
late. Tawny had to force her mind onto Zach, sending healing thoughts his way. Hopefully, her twin’s
wolf could heal the scar to the point where it wouldn’t be visible.
Once done, she stepped out of the shower and quickly towel dried. Going out with wet hair was
asking for disaster, so she blow-dried it, not worrying about straightening out any errant curls. Since
she didn’t want the men to think this was a real date, Tawny put on just enough makeup to look
presentable.
Since all they’d seen her in was her work clothes or baggy winter hiking gear, she wore a nice
pair of straight-leg jeans, boots with a small heel, and a pretty pink pullover sweater that she
believed complemented her pink lipstick.
Wanting to chat with Will before the men arrived, she grabbed her mom’s keys and hurried out. It
was dark, windy, and cold. And to think her brother had survived several days outside without
shifting. It was a true miracle that he was alive.
 So as not to hit a patch of ice, Tawny drove carefully. The last thing she needed was to run off the
road. Had the carving on her twin’s back scared the crap out of her? Sure, but she hoped it was an
isolated incident.
When the Double G came into view, Tawny breathed a sigh of relief. Fingers crossed that Will
wouldn’t be the next target. His lit sign that was the same as the symbol on Zach’s back, sat
prominently above the door. She shivered.
She parked in front and made sure to check her surroundings before hurrying up to the entrance.
From now on, she had to be careful. Being ten minutes early, she suspected the men wouldn’t be there
yet.
When she stepped inside, Will looked over at her, his expression grim. Her mom must have
enacted the family phone tree. Most likely everyone was already aware that Zach had gone missing
but had been found in a cave close to death.
He rushed around the end of the bar. “How’s Zach?”
“He’s being cared for. David said the surgery went well.”
“Did you ask Zach what happened?”
“I did, but we didn’t chat for long. He was tired.”
Will’s eyebrows rose. “Can he identify who shot him?” He kept his voice low.
“A man and a woman. That’s all he said, but I’m hoping he knows more. When he heals, we’ll ask
him.”
“I understand.” Cold air blew in.
She didn’t need to look to know who’d arrived. Her body went into some kind of sexual
overdrive all of a sudden. Tawny looked over her shoulder to make certain it was Alex and Liam. She
then turned back to her cousin. “They helped find Zach, so I am treating them to dinner.”
“Sweet. Booth or table?”
She didn’t know why he asked. She and Zach always sat in a booth. Fewer people could hear
them. “Booth.”
Alex placed a hand on her lower back. “Sorry we’re late.”
“No, I’m early.”
“You look nice. Real nice,” he said.
These two should talk. While they were wearing thick jackets, they had on polished boots and
nice dress shirts. They also smelled like the woods—fresh and clean.
“Right this way, folks,” Will said as he led them to a booth. “What can I get you all to drink?”
Since everyone had survived the ordeal, Tawny ordered a Cabernet.
“Just a draft beer for me,” Alex said.
“Make that two.”
As soon as her cousin left, Alex reached across the table and cupped her hand. “Tell us what you
know.”
She detailed as much as she could remember. “I had the sense he knew more, but Zach’s strength
was fading. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on him.”
“Smart. If this couple lured him to the climbing site and then shot him, it was a set up for sure. Did
they ask his name for confirmation?”
“I don’t think so, but I didn’t ask. All Zach said was that the bullets must have been coated in a
sedative because it toppled him so quickly.” She leaned forward. “My brother has never been shot—
at least not that I know. Is it true that if you’re shot, you can keep going?”
“Yes, assuming the bullet doesn’t nick our heart. Then it could be fatal.”
She explained that both her heart and Zach’s were more to the right than most people’s.
“Did Zach say if the man was a werewolf?” Liam whispered.
“He wasn’t. Both were human.”
The two men looked at each other, and then Liam nodded.
“It's possible this is the work of the human vigilantes we told you about," Alex said.
“What makes you think that?” she asked.
Another random document with
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 CHAPTER XVII
ARACHNIDA EMBOLOBRANCHIATA
(CONTINUED)—PODOGONA—
PHALANGIDEA = OPILIONES—HABITS—
STRUCTURE—CLASSIFICATION

Order VII. Podogona (Ricinulei).

Tracheate Arachnids with two-jointed chelate chelicerae and

prehensile pedipalpi. The tarsus of the third leg of the male bears a
copulatory organ.
In 1838 Guérin-Méneville[339]
described an Arachnid from West
Africa which he named
Cryptostemma westermannii. At
rare intervals occasional
specimens of allied forms have
been taken in the same region
until six species of Cryptostemma
have been established. In South
America, also, two unique
examples of very similar
creatures are the only known
representatives of the two species
of the allied genus Cryptocellus.
All the examples hitherto found
are of fair size (between ⅕ inch
and ½ inch in length), and bear
Fig. 228.—Cryptocellus simonis, × 4.
(After Hansen and Sörensen.) some general, though superficial,
resemblance to the Trogulidae,
which has led to their being
placed among the Phalangidea by almost all the Arachnologists who
have noticed them. Their claim to this systematic position, however,
is extremely doubtful, and Hansen and Sörensen, who have had the
opportunity of studying the group much more minutely than
previous writers, are of the opinion that they ought to constitute a
separate order of Arachnids, more nearly allied to the Pedipalpi than
to the Phalangidea. In this place it is only possible to indicate some
of their peculiar characteristics. Their integuments are particularly
hard and coriaceous. The cephalothorax is united to the abdomen by
a rather broad pedicle, but there is also a remarkable coupling
apparatus which makes the constriction between cephalothorax and
abdomen appear very slight. There is a movable anterior projection
of the cephalothorax, the “cucullus.” The two-jointed chelicerae
terminate in minute chelae, as also do the five-jointed pedipalps.
There are no spiracles on the abdomen, but two are situated on the
thorax above the coxae of the third pair of legs. Perhaps the most
remarkable fact is that, as in the Araneae, a modified limb is used by
the male for the fertilisation of the female; but in this case it is not
the tarsus of the pedipalp, but of the third leg of the male, which is
specially developed as an intromittent organ.
Ordinal rank is not universally accorded to the group, but
whatever its true position, the known forms fall under a single family
Cryptostemmatidae, including the two genera Cryptostemma and
Cryptocellus.

Order VIII. Phalangidea (Opiliones).

Tracheate Arachnids, with abdomen united to the cephalothorax

by its whole breadth. They are oviparous, and undergo no
metamorphosis. Abdomen always segmented. A pair of odoriferous
glands opening on the thorax. Two simple eyes; three-jointed
chelate chelicerae; pedipalpi not chelate. Spinning organs absent.
“Harvesters,” “Harvestmen,” or “Harvest-spiders,” as these
animals are popularly called, need never be confounded with true
Spiders if the absence of a constriction between the cephalothorax
and abdomen be noted. They are more difficult to distinguish from
Mites, members of which group have sometimes been described as
Phalangids. The Phalangid is, however, generally recognisable by its
segmented abdomen, and as a further point of distinction, it may be
noted that, whereas the anal orifice is always transverse or circular in
Phalangids, it is uniformly longitudinal in the Acarines.
 Members of this group vary
considerably in habit. The best
known forms are exceedingly
active, and trust to their speed in
endeavouring to escape from
danger, at the same time emitting
an odorous fluid from two
apertures situated just above the
coxae of the first pair of legs.
These active Harvestmen are only
found in the mature state at
certain seasons of the year, and
are believed, therefore, to live
only for a single season. Slow-
moving forms, like the
Nemastomatidae and the
Trogulidae, which live amidst
grass and herbage, have a much
longer duration of life. In danger
they remain perfectly still, and
trust to their earthy appearance
to escape observation. Fig. 229.—Oligolophus spinosus. (After
Pickard-Cambridge.)
They are stated to be extremely
thirsty animals, and have been
observed drinking from the dewdrops on herbage. It is probably on
this account that they are sometimes seen attacking juicy vegetable
matter, for without doubt they are essentially carnivorous. The larvae
of insects, young spiders, mites, and myriapods are their customary
food. It is not requisite that the prey should be alive, but they will not
touch anything mouldy.
Notwithstanding their apparently weak mouth-parts, they do not
merely suck the juices of their victims, but masticate and swallow
solid particles. Cannibalism is frequently observed among them.
The males fight fiercely with one another at the breeding time. The
females, with their long extrusible ovipositors, place groups of
twenty to forty eggs in small holes in the ground or under stones or
bark, unprotected by any form of cocoon. The eggs hatch into fully-
formed Phalangids, which are at first white, but attain their
coloration after the first moult. They subsequently moult from five to
nine times.
The distribution of this group is world-wide, and some of the
exotic species are very remarkable in form. Only twenty-four species
have as yet been recorded in this country.
External Structure.—In the Phalangidea there is no constriction
between the cephalothorax and the abdomen, and in the
Ischyropsalidae alone is the distinction between them readily
observable. This is due to the partial or complete fusion of the first
five segments of the abdomen with the carapace or cephalothoracic
shield in most species, these segments being indicated, if at all,
merely by faint striae or successive transverse rows of spines or
tubercles. In the forms possessing hard integuments (Gonyleptidae,
Nemastomatidae, Trogulidae) this fusion results in a dorsal
“scutum,” the component parts of which cannot easily be
distinguished.
The cephalothorax is often surmounted by a turret—usually
grooved dorsally, and beset on its edges with a spiny armature—on
the sides of which are the two simple eyes. The position and shape of
this turret and the arrangement of its spines are of importance in the
classification of the group.
In the Trogulidae the base of
the turret gives rise to a
remarkable, forwardly-directed,
bifurcate structure, furnished
with numerous strong tubular
bristles. This is called the “hood,”
and its hollowed-out under
surface forms a chamber, the
“camerostome,” in which lie the
basal joints of the pedipalpi.
In most European Phalangids
the under surface of the
cephalothorax is almost entirely
concealed by the forwardly-
Fig. 230.—Hood of Metopoctea. (After projecting portion of the
Simon.) abdomen bearing the generative
opening, and by the gnathobases,
not only of the pedipalpi, but of the first and sometimes of the
second legs. As in Spiders, however, there is always present a
“sternum” and generally a “labium.” The sternum is long and narrow
in the Mecostethi, and Cyphophthalmi, but in the Plagiostethi, which
include most of the forms found in temperate regions, it is very short
and transverse, and is hidden by the abdominal prolongation before
mentioned.
The anterior wall of the mouth
is formed by a beak-like plate, the
“epistome,” the basal portion of
which is covered externally by a
second plate, for which Simon[340]
proposes the name “pre-
epistome.” In some Phalangids
there are three little chitinous
plates, one median and two
lateral, on the clypeus, between
the anterior border of the
carapace and the insertion of the
chelicerae. They are best seen in
Nemastoma.
The abdomen always presents Fig. 231.—Mouth-parts of Phalangium.
A, B, C, Gnathobases of pedipalp and
evidences of segmentation, first and second legs; ch, chelicera; ep,
though there is a difference of epistome; lab, labium; m, mouth; ped,
opinion as to the number of pedipalp; pre.ep, pre-epistome; st,
segments of which it is composed. sternum, shown by the removal of the
This is due to the already anterior part of the genital process,
mentioned partial or complete which extends to the dotted line; 1, 2, 3,
fusion of the anterior segments 4, legs.
with the cephalothorax. From the
admirable researches of Hansen and Sörensen[341] it seems likely that
the normal number of abdominal segments is ten. Ventrally, the
abdomen is produced forward into a “sternal process” which is
capped by a genital plate, hardly distinguishable in the Phalangidae,
but readily visible in the other families, which surrounds and masks
the unpaired genital orifice. Two stigmata or breathing pores are
situated on the sides of the first ventral plate, which these authors
consider to be composed of two fused sternites.
 As in other Arachnids there are six pairs of appendages articulated
to the cephalothorax. They are the chelicerae, the pedipalpi, and the
four pairs of ambulatory legs.
The chelicerae are three-jointed and chelate, the second joint
having its inner portion produced into an apophysis to which the
final joint is apposed. In certain forms (Gonyleptidae, Ischyropsalis)
the chelicerae are remarkably long, and may considerably exceed the
total length of the trunk.
The pedipalpi are six-jointed, possessing coxa, trochanter, femur,
patella, tibia, and tarsus. They are leg-like and are never chelate, but
in some forms terminate in a single movable claw. The coxal joints
are provided with maxillary plates.
The legs are normally seven-jointed, as in Spiders, the penultimate
joint being the metatarsus. The tarsus is always multi-articulate, the
number of its joints being variable. It bears terminally one or two
simple claws. “False articulations” (where the parts are not inserted
one into the other, but are only marked off by a membranous ring)
are of frequent occurrence in the legs of these creatures. The first
legs, like the pedipalps, bear maxillary plates, as do also the second
in most Phalangids. The maxillae of the second legs are, however,
entirely absent in Nemastoma, and rudimentary in the Gonyleptidae
and the Ischyropsalidae. The coxae of the legs are all largely
developed, but are not capable of free motion, being soldered to, and
practically forming part of, the cephalothoracic floor. In some forms
they are only separated from one another by slight grooves. The
extreme length of the legs, and their hard and brittle nature, are
characteristic features of the Phalangids, though in some species
(Trogulidae) they are comparatively short. The first pair of legs are
always the shortest, and the second the longest.
The sexual organs of Phalangids are ordinarily concealed, and the
sexes can only be distinguished by certain very variable secondary
characters, the males being usually smaller of body and longer of leg
than the females, besides being more distinctly coloured and being
armed with more numerous and longer spines. Sometimes the male
chelicerae are highly characteristic.
Phalangids are usually destitute of spinning organs, but such have
been discovered, in a rudimentary state, in the Cyphophthalmi,
which are said to spin slight webs.
 Internal Structure.—In Phalangium the mouth leads upwards
into a membranous pharynx, wider than that of Spiders, but
narrowing into an oesophagus which passes between the cerebral
and thoracic ganglionic nerve-masses. It then turns backwards over
the thoracic ganglion, being slightly dilated at that point.
Immediately afterwards it dilates into a flask-like gastric sac which
occupies almost the whole width of the abdomen, and proceeds
straight to the anus. Viewed from above, the shape of this sac is
entirely concealed by the large number of caeca (thirty) to which it
gives rise dorsally and laterally. The two largest of these caeca
extend, parallel to each other, over the whole of the abdominal
portion of the gastric sac, and are flanked by four lateral pairs of
smaller caeca, while there is a cluster of small caeca covering the
anterior and narrower portion of the flask-like stomach.
The large hepatic mass so conspicuous on opening dorsally the
abdomen of a Spider is here entirely absent, but its functions are
believed to be performed by certain wrinkled, tubular, longitudinally
parallel bodies, about seven in number, closely applied to the under
surface of the flask.
The masticating portions of the maxillae of the pedipalpi and the
first pair of legs are hollow distensible sacs, often seen in a swollen
condition in specimens kept in spirits. They are furnished, on the
inner surface, with a horny ridge.
Owing to the fixity of the coxae of the legs, their maxillary plates
are incapable of much lateral motion, but are rubbed against each
other vertically.
Beyond the fact that the heart is a dorsal tube lying along the
anterior two-thirds of the alimentary canal, and divided by
constrictions into three well-marked and equal portions, little is
known of the blood-system of these animals. It is probably
essentially like that of Spiders, but the presence of a pericardial sac
has not yet been established, nor has the course of the blood-vessels
been described in detail.
As in other Arachnids, the principal ganglionic nerve-masses
closely embrace the oesophagus. Immediately anterior to it, forming
a conical mass with its base on the oesophagus, is the cerebral
ganglion, while just behind it is the transverse portion of the large
thoracic nerve-centre. In Phalangium opilio, according to Tulk,[342] a
median nerve is given off from the apex of the cerebral mass (the
paired nature of which is apparent) and bifurcates to the two eyes.
Two lateral nerves proceed to certain organs near the origin of the
second pair of legs, which were thought by the old writers to be
lateral eyes, but which are now known to be glands for the
manufacture of the odorous fluid which these animals can exude.
The thoracic ganglion expands,
on either side of the oesophagus,
into a mass which extends nearly
as far forward as the apex of the
cerebral ganglion. These lateral
masses give off nerves to the
appendages. From the back of the
transverse portion proceed three
nerves. The median nerve passes
above the generative organs, and
soon branches into two nerves
which presently swell out to form
ganglia of considerable size,
beyond which they soon join
again and give off an
anastomosing network of nerve-
fibres. The lateral nerves
immediately branch. The outer
Fig. 232.—Nervous and respiratory
systems of a Phalangid. Nerves black,
branch dilates into a ganglion
tracheae white. c.g, Cerebral ganglion; which supplies the external part
g′, g″, g‴, ganglia supplying viscera; of the generative organ. The inner
m.n, median abdominal nerve; oe, branch, which is longer, also
passage for oesophagus; st, stigma; forms a ganglion the nerves from
th.g, thoracic ganglion; tr, main trunk which are chiefly distributed to
of tracheae. the under surface of the
alimentary canal.
The respiratory organs consist of two large tracheal tubes with
numerous branches, having their external openings or “stigmata”
near the base of the fourth pair of legs. The two main tubes are
directed forwards, and are mainly concerned with supplying the
largely developed muscles of the legs. The distribution of branches to
the abdomen is comparatively feeble. The particular arrangement of
tubes in P. opilio, according to Tulk, may be seen in the
accompanying figure. There are a pair of coxal glands, of excretory
function, opening in the neighbourhood of the coxae of the third pair
of legs.
The Phalangidea are remarkable among Arachnids in the
possession of large protrusible external organs of generation. The
ovipositor of the female may be as long as the whole body of the
animal, and the intromittent organ of the male is of almost equal
length. The pedipalpi take no part in the fertilisation of the female,
which is accomplished directly.
The protrusible organs are concealed under the forwardly-
projecting anterior segment of the abdomen beneath, the genital
orifice being thus in many cases quite near the head region. The
internal sexual organs are not very complex. The ovary re-enters
upon itself, forming a ring, and from the point of re-entry a tube
proceeds towards the centre of the ring, dilating to form an ovisac. It
then narrows, turns forward, dilates once more into a second ovisac,
from which the oviduct proceeds to the base of the ovipositor. This is
a flattened organ, grooved on its upper surface and bifid at its
extremity. The testis of the male is a single sac-like gland, from either
end of which proceeds a vas deferens, which, after several
convolutions, unite into a sperm-sac which opens at the base of the
penis.
Partial hermaphroditism is a very frequent phenomenon among
the Phalangids, the testis often producing ova as well as
spermatozoa.
Though the males fight fiercely at the breeding time, the animals
for the most part live peacefully together. Henking[343] found that the
eggs of Liobunum, which were about half a millimetre in diameter,
were laid during October and hatched out in the following April.
Classification.—The Order Phalangidea is divided into three
Sub-orders: 1, Cyphophthalmi; 2, Mecostethi; 3, Plagiostethi.

Sub-Order 1. Cyphophthalmi

Phalangids with dorsal and ventral scutum, only the last

abdominal segment remaining free. Eyes two or absent. Maxillary
lobe on coxae of first pair of legs rudimentary. Sternum long and
narrow. Anterior segment of abdomen not projecting ventrally
beyond the coxae of the fourth pair. Odoriferous glands open on
prominences.
In 1875 Stecker published a description of a remarkable creature
which he said he had found in Bohemia, and which he named
Gibocellum sudeticum. Among other points it possessed four eyes
and four spinning mammillae, and it differed so much from other
Cyphophthalmi as to necessitate the foundation of a family,
Gibocellidae, for its reception. No one else appears to have seen the
animal, or any of Stecker’s preparations of it, and Hansen and
Sörensen[344] adduce grave reasons for believing that it never existed
at all. If this species is to be disallowed, the Cyphophthalmi all fall
into a single family.
Fam. Sironidae.—These
somewhat Mite-like Phalangids
are rarely met with, partly, no
doubt, because of their retiring
habits and small size, the known
forms ranging from 6 mm. to less
than 2 mm. in length. Of the
seven genera which have been
established, Stylocellus numbers
eight species from Borneo and
Sumatra, and Pettalus two
species from Ceylon. Ogovia,
Miopsalis, and Purcellia have one
species each, from South Africa,
Further India, and the Cape,
respectively. The only European
forms are the two species of Siro
(France and Austria), and
Parasiro corsicus. No species has
Fig. 233.—Parasiro corsicus, enlarged.
yet been found in England. (After Simon.)

Sub-Order 2. Mecostethi.[345]

(LANIATORES).
 Sternum long and narrow. Dorsal scutum leaving at least the last
three segments free. Openings of odoriferous glands not on
prominences. The fourth pair of legs usually long and powerful.
One terminal claw on each of the first two pairs of legs; two on the
last two pairs.
The Mecostethi are essentially tropical forms, though a few
representatives are found in the caves of Southern Europe. One
family (Phalangodidae) has its headquarters in the hot regions of the
Old World, while the other two (Cosmetidae, Gonyleptidae) are
confined to Central and South America.
Fam. 1. Phalangodidae.—Body piriform or triangular,
broadest behind. Last ventral segment of abdomen much the
largest. Very narrow sternum. Eye-turret near anterior border of
cephalothorax. Chelicerae narrow at base. Pedipalpi long and
strong. Maxillary plates on first pair of legs rudimentary. No
stigmata visible.
The only European forms of this family belong to the genus
Phalangodes. They all avoid the light, and are usually found in caves.
Simon[346] records six species found in France. A North American
species, P. armata, is entirely destitute of eyes.
The family has representatives in Australia and in tropical Africa
and Asia. Mermerus, Epidanus, Maracaudus, and Sitalces are some
of the exotic genera.
The other two families of this Sub-order—Fam. 2, Cosmetidae;
Fam. 3, Gonyleptidae—include a large number of species, some of
considerable size (up to an inch in length of body), found in Central
and South America.
Fig. 234.—Phalangodes terricola,
enlarged. (After Simon.)

Sub-Order 3. Plagiostethi.[347]
(PALPATORES.)

First abdominal segment produced forward ventrally to the level

of the first pair of legs, bringing the mouth and the genital opening
very near together. Sternum consequently much reduced. Pedipalpi
thin, with terminal claw absent or rudimentary. Terminal claws of
the legs single.
The Plagiostethi include most of the Harvestmen of temperate
regions, the most familiar examples of these creatures belonging to
the large family Phalangidae, and being much more in evidence than
the slow-moving and ground-living forms included in the other
families.
Fam. 1. Phalangiidae.—Eye-turret always far removed from
anterior border of cephalothorax. Second pair of legs with well-
marked maxillary lobes. Legs similar, without the false joint called
“trochantin.” Multiarticulate tarsi. Simple pedipalpi, with tarsus
much longer than tibia, and possessing terminal claw. Some have
soft, some coriaceous integuments.
The Phalangidae fall naturally into two groups or sub-families,
named by Simon Sclerosomatinae and Phalangiinae. The first
group consists of more or less coriaceous forms living among moss
and herbage. They are not very numerous, there being only about
twelve known European species divided among the three genera,
Sclerosoma, Mastobunus, and Astrobunus.
Two species of Sclerosoma are
found in England, S.
quadridentatum occurring not
uncommonly among moss or
under stones in various parts of
the country. Its back is studded
with wart-like tubercles, which
give it a characteristic
appearance.
The Phalangiinae are soft-
bodied Harvestmen, always with
long legs, which in the genus
Liobunum attain an inordinate
length. There are nine European
genera, Liobunum, Prosalpia, Fig. 235.—Sclerosoma
Gyas, Oligolophus, quadridentatum. (After Pickard-
Acantholophus, Phalangium, Cambridge.)
Dasylobus, Platybunus, and
Megabunus, comprising in all about fifty species. Five of these
genera are represented in England.
The familiar Phalangids, with small, almost spherical bodies and
ridiculously long legs, belong to the genus Liobunum, L. rotundum
being the common species. It is mature in autumn, when it may be
seen scampering at a great pace among the herbage. It very readily
parts with its limbs, and Pickard-Cambridge[348] relates that he once
“saw one running with very fair speed and facility, having lost all but
two legs, an anterior one on one side and a posterior one on the
other.”
The Harvestmen so frequently seen on walls belong, as a rule, to
the genus Phalangium. The best known example is Phalangium
opilio (the P. cornutum of Linnaeus), the male of which possesses a
remarkable development of the chelicerae.
The genus Oligolophus is well represented in this country, nine
species having been recorded. They do not differ greatly from
Phalangium, but have, as a rule, more massive bodies, and rather
stout, though tolerably long legs. The largest English Harvestman,
not rare under stones at Cambridge, is O. spinosus, whose body
measures half an inch in length. O. agrestis is perhaps the
commonest British Phalangid, and is abundant in woods and among
herbage, and on low trees.
Platybunus has two, and Megabunus one British representative.
They are of small size, and are to be sought for among heather or
dead leaves in spring or early summer.
Fam. 2. Ischyropsalidae.—Coriaceous Phalangids, with eye-
turret far removed from anterior border of cephalothorax.
Maxillary lobes of second pair of legs rudimentary, in the form of
tubercles. Legs similar, without “trochantin.” Multiarticulate tarsi.
Tarsus of pedipalp without claw, and shorter than metatarsus.
Pedipalps long and horizontal.
This family includes a small number of large or moderate-sized
Phalangids, which are found occasionally in thick moss, or in caves,
in mountainous regions of the south of Europe, and belong to the
genera Ischyropsalis and Sabacon. There is a North American genus,
Taracus.
 Fam. 3. Nemastomatidae.—
Coriaceous Phalangids, with
cephalothorax fused with the
first five segments of the
abdomen, forming a scutum.
Eye-turret near anterior border.
No maxillary lobe on second
coxae. Similar legs, without
“trochantin.” Multiarticulate
tarsi. Tarsus of pedipalp without
claw, and shorter than
metatarsus.
There is but one genus,
Nemastoma, in this family, and
the members of it are, as a rule,
rather small and dark Phalangids,
which live under stones or in
moss or débris, and are found in
the mature state at all seasons of
the year. There are about twenty
Fig. 236.—Oligolophus spinosus. (After
European species, but only two of
Pickard-Cambridge.) these, N. lugubre and N.
chrysomelas, have as yet been
found in Britain. N. lugubre is a
very common animal, and though it does not obtrude itself upon
public notice, its little black body with two pearly white spots must
be a familiar object to all insect collectors who have occasion to
search under stones or among moss in damp places. Its legs are short
and stout, but those of N. chrysomelas, which is a brighter coloured
Harvestman with spots of dull gold colour, are long and slender.
Fam. 4. Trogulidae.—Coriaceous and very hard integument.
Anterior part of cephalothorax produced into a bifurcate “hood.”
Often a “trochantin.”
The Trogulidae are very slow-moving Phalangids of moderate or
large size (a sixth to half an inch in body), found under stones or in
damp moss and débris. They are Mite-like in general appearance,
and may readily be distinguished from all other Harvestmen by the
presence of the “hood” (Fig. 230, p. 442), the hollowed-out under
surface of which forms a
chamber, called by Simon the
“camerostome,” in which lie the
basal portions of the pedipalps.
Only a single immature
specimen has been found in
England, belonging probably to
the species Trogulus tricarinatus.
It was found in Dorsetshire. Some
members of the family are not
uncommon in various regions of
the Continent. There are four
genera, Dicranolasma,
Anelasmocephalus,
Calathocratus, and Trogulus.
Two other genera, Amopaum and
Metopoctea, have been Fig. 237.—Nemastoma lugubre.
established, but the former is
probably the young of Dicranolasma and the latter of Trogulus.
According to the monograph on the British Phalangidea by the
Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge, cited above, the following species have
been recorded in this country. They all fall under the sub-order
Plagiostethi:—
Fig. 238.—Trogulus aquaticus. a,
Hood. (After Simon.)

BRITISH PHALANGIDEA.

Phalangiidae.

Sclerosoma quadridentatum, Cuvier.

„ romanum, L. Koch.
Liobunum rotundum, Latr.
„ blackwallii, Meade.
Phalangium opilio, Linn.
„ parietinum, De Geer.
„ saxatile, C. L. Koch.
 „ minutum, Meade.
Platybunus corniger, Meade.
„ triangularis, Herbst.
Megabunus insignis, Meade.
Oligolophus morio, Fabr.
„ alpinus, Herbst.
„ cinerascens, C. L. Koch.
„ agrestis, Meade.
„ tridens, C. L. Koch.
„ palpinalis, Herbst.
„ ephippiatus, C. L. Koch.
„ spinosus, Bosc.

Nemastomatidae.

Nemastoma lugubre, Müller.

„ chrysomelas, Hermann.

Trogulidae.

Anelasmocephalus cambridgii, Westwood.

Trogulus tricarinatus, Linn.
 CHAPTER XVIII
ARACHNIDA EMBOLOBRANCHIATA
(CONTINUED)—ACARINA—HARVEST-BUGS
—PARASITIC MITES—TICKS—SPINNING
MITES—STRUCTURE—METAMORPHOSIS—
CLASSIFICATION

Order IX. Acarina (Acari, Acaridea).

Arachnids with unsegmented,[349] non-pediculated abdomen.

Respiration by tracheae, or by the general surface of the body.
Month parts suctorial, but frequently capable of biting or piercing.
Metamorphosis always observable.
The Acarina or Mites are remarkable not so much for the number
of their species, which is very considerable, as for the vast multitude
of individuals of the Order, which is far in excess of that of any other
Arachnid group. This fact is correlated with their minute size. Very
few Mites exceed half an inch in length, while very many are
microscopic creatures, often measuring less than the hundredth of
an inch. Taken all round, a millimetre may be considered a large size
for a Mite.
There is much variety of habit within the Order. All Mites live
principally on fluid nutriment, but it may be obtained from living
animals or plants or from decaying organic matter. Some are entirely
parasitic upon plants or animals; others attach themselves to
animals in their larval stage, but are free when adults; while others,
again, live an entirely independent and predaceous life.
The greater number of the Mites are too small to strike the eye.
Some of them have, however, contrived to attract attention, in no
very agreeable manner. Every one knows the Mite popularly called
the “Harvest-bug,” but to this day there is some uncertainty as to its
identity. It was described as a separate species under the name of
Leptus autumnalis, and Mégnin was the first to show that it was the
larval form of one of the Trombidiidae (see p. 472). Most authors
have considered it the larva of Trombidium holosericeum, but
Murray referred it to the genus Tetranychus. The difficulty is that
the minute creature cannot be removed from its victim without such
injury as to prevent it from being bred out and the mature form
determined. Brucker[350] has recently compared a large number of
“Harvest-bugs” taken from human beings with the figures and
descriptions of the larvae of certain Trombidiidae given by Henking
and Berlese, and he determined them as the larvae of T.
gynopterorum. Quite possibly, however, more than one genus is
concerned in the production of this pest.
That certain skin-diseases are due to Mites (Demodicidae,
Sarcoptidae) is a fact which is widely known. The fruit-grower, too,
has to take cognisance of the Order, for his trees may suffer from
“Red-spider” (Tetranychus telarius), and his black-currant bushes
fail under the attack of the “Gall-mite” (Eriophyes or Phytoptus
ribis). The curious swellings or galls which disfigure the leaves of
many trees are sometimes of insect origin, but they are often due to
Mites.
Domestic pets suffer greatly from Acarine parasites. A large
number of species confine their attention exclusively to the feathers
of birds (Analges, etc., see p. 466). One curious genus,
Syringophilus, is parasitic within the feathers, feeding upon the pith
of the quill. Heller of Kiel discovered them in 1879, but the
researches of Trouessart first showed their frequent presence and
very wide distribution. He found that they entered by the superior
umbilicus of the feather, and disappeared by the inferior umbilicus
when the feathers moulted or the infested bird died.
It is probable that the comparatively large Mites of the group
Ixodoidea (see p. 468), commonly called “Ticks,” are the most
widely known of the order. They attack wild and domestic animals
and man, and are nearly always acquired from vegetables, such as
brush or herbage. It would seem likely that many of these creatures
can never have the chance of attaching themselves to animals, and it
has been suggested that animal juices are a luxury but not a necessity
to them, and that they can live, if need be, on vegetable sap, but
further investigations have quite dispelled this view.
The suspected connection between the North American Tick,
Boophilus annulatus, and the cattle disease known as Texas fever or
“red water,” since clearly proved by the researches of Smith and