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  Mine to Save

  Pine Ridge Pack: Book 1

  Jayda Marx

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for your interest in my book! This paranormal romance features my take on some seriously sexy wolf shifters. They share many attributes of shifters found in other fictional works, but not all. This book contains dark elements, fated mates, sweet moments and lots of laughs. My stories are low angst and insta-love, and I live for sweetness! I want my readers to finish my books with a smile on their face and a fierce case of the warm and fuzzies. Laughter is guaranteed, and each read delivers its own type of drama. Thanks again for taking a look and happy reading!

  Chapter One

  Rory

  I sat in a booth at my favorite pizza place waiting for my friend to arrive, drumming my fingers on the box of my new purchase. I couldn’t wait to show Dax; I’d been talking about buying this camera for months. I loved photography, but there was only so much I could do with the camera app on my phone. So, I saved every dollar I could from my grocery store job to finally buy a nice Nikon. It wasn’t top of the line, but to me, it was incredible.

  My attention was caught by Dax sitting down across from me. He huffed as he looked at his stomach, which pressed into the tabletop. “I think this might be my wake-up call.” I snorted a laugh and shook my head. Dax had always been a big boy; a few inches taller than my five foot seven and thickset.

  “Whatever, you’re a stud.” Dax’s self-esteem wasn’t great, but I thought he was handsome. He had short auburn hair and a scruffy beard, and kind brown eyes that disappeared into slits when he smiled, which was often. He loved to joke around and could always cheer me up if I was down.

  “Tell that to my thighs,” he replied with an eye roll. “Swear to god, my jeans are held together by like two threads from the way they rub together. I’m afraid my crotch is gonna burst into flames from the friction and singe my pubes.”

  I tipped my head back and laughed. “I love you, you know that?” I told Dax I loved him all the time, and I meant it. Not in an ‘I want to marry you’ kind of way, but a ‘you’re like my brother’ way. He’d been my very best friend since we were kids. He and I bonded over being the only two gay boys in conservative small-town Kentucky. We leaned on each other during times when we were teased, ridiculed and even physically hurt. When we came of age and our families wrote us off, we became each other’s family. We moved to a bigger city together, looking for a fresh start and acceptance.

  “I love you too, but don’t let Justin hear you say that.” Ugh, Justin. He was Dax’s boyfriend and I hated him. Well, hate is a strong word…but not strong enough. I loathed him. He was a dick with a capital douche. He constantly took shots at Dax’s weight, calling him names like ‘lardass’ and ‘heifer’. Dax laughed them off as playful terms of endearment, but I saw the disgust in Justin’s eyes when he spoke to the man he was supposed to love. Plus, I never forgave him for asking Dax to move in with him, taking him away from the apartment we used to share.

  “How is Justin?” I asked, trying not to gag when I said his name. “Has he found a job yet?”

  “No, the poor guy isn’t having very good luck. It’s all that window manufacturer’s fault. I still don’t understand why they fired him.”

  I blinked in disbelief. The factory fired Justin because he threw a temper tantrum and put his fist through a plate glass window. He had a nasty temper, which is another reason why I hated him. But, he’d never physically harmed Dax, and every time I tried to talk to my friend about my concerns, it ended up in a fight between us, so I’d learned to hold my tongue.

  “But it’s okay,” Dax shrugged. “I’ve got an interview this afternoon at the movie theater. I figured I could pick up some afternoon and evening hours to help cover the bills.”

  “You’re going to take a second job?” Dax already worked nights cleaning office buildings. Adding even more hours would cut into his sleep.

  “Only until Justin finds work. I’m sure it won’t be long.” I didn’t believe it for a minute; if Dax was covering expenses, Justin would take the opportunity to sit on his lazy ass and mooch off of my friend, but I again kept my thoughts to myself.

  “What should we get to eat?” I asked, changing the subject. I didn’t want to spend another minute on Justin.

  “Well, I’m supposed to be on a diet, so I guess I’ll just get a salad or something.”

  “Or, we could split an order of cheese fries and a pepperoni pizza.”

  “I like the way you think,” he grinned. “But if Justin asks, I got a salad.”

  I had a better idea; if Justin asked, I’d punch him right in the face. I mentally rolled my eyes at myself; I was a relatively short, scrawny nerd with glasses. I was intimidating to exactly no one.

  Our waitress came by to take our order and delivered our drinks. When we were alone again, I turned my attention back to my friend.

  “Wait a minute; if you’ve got an interview this afternoon, you won’t be able to come to the state forest with me. I was planning on hiking some trails and getting lots of pictures with this.” I hefted the box onto the table and Dax’s eyes widened.

  “Ooh, you got it? Let me see!” He grabbed the box and read over the details printed on the side. “This is awesome, Roar. You’ve been wanting this thing forever. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled. I was bummed Dax had plans already; I really wanted to try my camera out, but I didn’t want to go alone. “When will you be free so we can plan a trip out to the forest?”

  “I honestly have no clue,” he shrugged. “Especially if I get this second job; my hours will probably be all over the place. But you shouldn’t wait for me; you had plans of going today, so you should go. You can show me all the great pictures you get next time we hang out.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll get lost or something,” I admitted. I had a terrible sense of direction, so wandering around the woods alone didn’t sound like the smartest idea.

  “Just stay on the paths and you’ll be fine. They’re all marked. Or so I’ve heard anyway; obviously my fat ass hasn’t been hiking many trails lately.”

  “Come on, don’t say stuff like that,” I begged.

  “Sorry,” he replied with a tight smile. He knew I hated it when he talked badly about himself. “I meant to say that I’m in such peak physical condition, trail hiking is just too easy for me. I limit myself to marathon runs and bench-pressing tractors.”

  I snorted. “That’s better.” I let out a long breath. “Okay, I think I will go; the fall colors on the trees are gorgeous right now. I want to capture them before a big rain comes through and knocks them all down.” We usually only had a window of a couple of weeks that the trees were pretty, and I didn’t want to miss them.

  “Awesome. I can’t wait to see what you get. Just do me a favor and call me when you get back into town, okay? I’m sure you’ll be fine, but now you’ve put images of you wandering around lost in the woods into my head.”

  I smiled; Dax and I always looked out for one another and took care of each other. “I promise.”

  Chapter Two

  Phoenix

  “This is my favorite time of year,” Rowan said as he came onto the porch of my cabin and sat in the patio chair beside me.

  “Mine too,” I smiled. The air was crisp and clean, and the foliage was beautiful within the depths of the state park where Rowan, Stone and I lived. We had an agreement with the state government; they knew of our identity and we were protected within the area. They also provided us with a small plot of land along the outskirts of the forest (along with a decent paycheck) in exchange for our services in protecting and monitoring the area. The three of us could roam the lands quickly and efficiently and were able to explore areas hum
ans couldn’t access. It was a perfect job for three wolf shifters.

  Our pack of three was small but mighty. I trusted Rowan and Stone with my life, and I had their trust in return; it was imperative as their alpha to lead with honor and integrity. The three of us had been together since we were born. We were raised as members of the Silver Birch Pack, under the lead of my father, Alpha Dean. We became fast friends and formed lasting bonds. From a very young age, we knew that as an alpha, I would one day leave my father’s pack to lead my own. Even as children, Stone and Rowan swore their allegiance to me and vowed to follow me when I left. However, we never could have envisioned the events that led up to our departure.

  My brother Raven was also born an alpha; he had the call to lead along with inherent strength. Unfortunately, he lacked morality. He was greedy and callus. Instead of fulfilling his destiny and forging his own path, he challenged our father to a fight to the death for his rule over his pack. My father loved my brother and refused to fight his own son. He offered himself up for slaughter; standing still as Raven struck our father down. Since our mother was our father’s true and bonded soulmate, her life was also cut short. That day, I lost my entire family since I no longer claimed my brother.

  That night, Rowan, Stone and I fled. I couldn’t stand being under my brother’s rule. Even though I hated him, I also couldn’t bring myself to fight him. Plus, I was too distraught over the loss of my parents to perform my best. Even if I could, my friends would not have let me fight Raven alone, and I wouldn’t risk their lives against my wicked brother and his friends.

  It took several years of travelling for us to finally find our place in the world. Now we formed the Pine Ridge Pack. We were settled in the forest, living in three small cabins built by our own hands. Raven’s pack continued to dwindle. Over the last decade, I heard of many members fleeing to join other packs not ruled by greed and fear. The only members he had left were those as bloodthirsty and corrupt as he was. My pack was few in number, but I would rather have two men I trusted than a hundred who may stab me in the back.

  My thoughts were interrupted by Rowan’s happy sigh as he stretched out his legs and folded his hands behind his head. I opened the cooler by my opposite side and retrieved a bottle, which I offered to my friend. “Beer?”

  “Thanks.” Rowan took the bottle with a smile, popped the cap and took a long swig. As shifters, our tolerance was high, but it was always nice to kick back and relax with a drink.

  Just then, a rustling along the tree line caught my attention. I grinned at the sight of a large gray wolf stalking out of the woods. It stretched its front paws low to the ground and hoisted its ass up in the air. Within moments, its hair retreated, and its bones snapped and reformed. Its snout shrank and its ears lowered. The animal reared up on its hind legs and in a blink, transformed into my friend Stone. The shifting process looked painful but felt like a good stretch after waking.

  Stone popped his neck from side to side as he approached my cabin. Looking at him, one might assume he was the alpha of our pack. Rowan and I were both tall and muscular, as most shifters were, but Stone was built like a brick wall. His muscles bulged and rippled with the slightest movement. He also kept his head shaved to look even more fierce. Stone liked being seen as an intimidating figure, which is why I believe Fate created him as a beta. His strength was unmatched, but he did not possess the patience or compassion to lead a pack, nor did he have the desire. If I didn’t know of his steadfast nature and the good heart within him, I may find him intimidating as well.

  Stone climbed onto my porch and grabbed a pair of sweatpants out of a clothes basket by my door and pulled them on. We all kept a stash of them on hand so that we’d have something to put on after shifting, since the process left us naked. It wasn’t that we were uncomfortable being nude around one another; we’d all seen what the other two had and had been friends for so long that we were comfortable in each other’s presence in any state of dress. Still; it was easier to relax when everyone’s bits and pieces weren’t hanging out.

  “So, I take it everything was okay?” Rowan asked as Stone grabbed a beer out of the cooler and took the last seat on the porch. He heard a disturbance earlier and went to check it out. Wolf shifters had keen hearing, able to hear footsteps up to two miles away. We also had great eyesight, even in darkness.

  “Yeah, it was just a tourist with a shitty car,” Stone shrugged before draining half of the liquid from his bottle. “It was making all kinds of racket driving up the hills. I watched the guy park and get out to make sure the piece of shit didn’t blow up on him or something.” The man was a brute, but he had a good heart deep down.

  Stone shifted in his seat, sending a gust of air over to me. I caught a whiff of something wonderful on the breeze. It smelled like the sweetest wildflower I could imagine, but none that I could place. Wolf shifters had an incredible sense of smell, and could catalog every scent they encountered, but I was drawing a blank on this one.

  “Hey, did you change your soap or something?” I asked, leaning closer to Stone and inhaling deeply. The scent was too faint to catch again. He must have been close to the flower but not touched it.

  “No and stop sniffing me; it’s fuckin’ weird.” He put his hand on my forehead and pushed me away. Rowan chuckled as I shot an irritated look at Stone. I finally shrugged and went back to my beer. The next time I went out in the woods, I’d search for the elusive flower.

  Stone finished his beer and chucked the empty bottle into the small recycling bin tucked into the corner of my porch. He belched loudly and scratched his stomach. “It doesn’t get much better than this, does it?” he asked, looking at the bright fall colors around us.

  “I don’t know,” Rowan said on a sigh. “Having my mate on my lap would definitely help.”

  “Oh god, here we go again,” Stone groaned with an eye roll. It wasn’t the first time we’d heard Rowan talk about a mate; the man was obsessed with finding his fated match. Every shifter had one true soulmate granted to them by Fate; one person they were to love, protect and cherish for all time, though none of us knew when we’d meet ours.

  Rowan dreamed of that day often and wasn’t shy about it. His icy blue eyes got a dreamy faraway look whenever he discussed finding his future mate. Whoever ended up being Rowan’s match would be one lucky bastard; as gruff and intimidating as Stone was, that’s how tenderhearted and romantic Rowan was. His exterior was strong and formidable, but his insides were goo. He’d always been receptive of people’s feelings and needs.

  “You can’t tell me that you don’t want a mate,” Rowan scoffed at Stone.

  “Of course I do; all shifters do. I just believe it’ll happen whenever it’s meant to happen. Until then, I don’t see the harm in having fun.” He flicked his eyebrows, making clear what his idea of ‘fun’ was. Stone went into the city several times a week to find a companion for the evening. Well, not even for the whole evening; for about half an hour in the back room of a gay club he enjoyed. He said if he happened to stumble upon his mate there, great; if not, he was having a great time doing a lot of comparison shopping.

  Rowan was much different. He would accompany Stone into town and talk to several men at the bar, but only shortly. Once he realized a man wasn’t his mate, he moved on to the next. He didn’t want interactions with anyone who wasn’t his fated match. He wanted to save his body and his heart for the one man who would love them both forever.

  I was somewhere in between. I was excited to meet my mate and have him by my side forever to protect and love. I wanted his help and guidance with my small pack. But I also wasn’t a saint like Rowan. When the yearnings of my wolf half and the biological needs of my human half became too much to bear, I’d allow myself to blow off some steam with a handsome stranger. I avoided relationships but wasn’t opposed to a backroom visit. And not to brag, but I didn’t have trouble finding companions. Men were drawn to my tall, strong body, short chestnut hair, scruffy beard and intense green eyes.
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  “Well for me, it can’t happen soon enough,” Rowan argued. “Speaking of which; Stone, are you up for a visit to the city tonight?”

  “Hell yeah,” he answered with a wicked smile.

  “Great,” Rowan replied. “Just give me a few minutes to get presentable. If I do meet my mate tonight, I want to look my best.”

  “Guess I’ll slap on some clothes too,” Stone shrugged. “Although if I showed up like this, I could get to the fun faster.” Men already clamored all over themselves to get to him; I couldn’t imagine what the mob would look like if he showed up shirtless.

  “Well good luck to both of you,” I offered. Tonight was my rotation to go into the forest and check the trails for lost tourists, fire hazards and fallen limbs or anything else blocking the paths.

  “Thank you,” Rowan answered with a hopeful smile.

  “I don’t need luck,” Stone added, making his pecs dance. I snorted a laugh while Rowan rolled his eyes. I waved to my friends as they left my porch to get ready for their evening. I had a few hours before I needed to head into the woods, so I cracked open another beer.

  Chapter Three

  Rory

  “Come on, Betsy,” I sweet-talked my car, patting the dashboard in encouragement as it struggled to make it up yet another hill on my way to the state forest trails. “You can do it.”

  It was making all sorts of terrible noises as it fought to climb the inclines. Maybe it’d be more alarming if it hadn’t been making these noises for several months. Usually I just turned up the volume to my radio and ignored them; if I couldn’t hear them, I couldn’t worry about them. Maybe it would have been a smart idea to pay for car repairs before I dropped a few hundred dollars on a new camera, but Betsy had made it this long; surely, she’d make it until I could save up again.

  I finally putt-putted into a parking spot and the engine wheezed as I turned it off. I grabbed my camera from the front seat where I had it buckled in safely (can’t be too careful) and stepped out of my vehicle. I stretched my arms over my head and walked over to a large board which listed the trail names and distances.