“You’re leaving?” Dawn asked with a pout as she flipped her bakery sign to closed the next day. Grange nodded as he wiped some flour from her cheek with his thumb.

“Yes. Tonight is the night of the full moon, meaning that every werewolf has to turn. I am going to take advantage of that and spend the next two days setting up some boundaries for our territory.”

“You should have changed me yesterday so I could go with you.” Dawn stated as she put her hands on her full hips. Grange shook his head.

“You will need time, Dawn, to get used to being a werewolf before you are forced into a change.”

“So what am I going to do for two whole days without all three of you here?”

“Stay in town, don’t go out after dark and keep your shutters closed.” Grange replied and Dawn sighed.

“Yes, sir.” she mumbled. “I was actually more worried about what I’m going to do with myself without having you all here to entertain me.”

“I thought you would be happy to know that Trig won’t be under your feet for a while.” Grange countered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

“I kind of like the overactive, little pup. Don’t tell him I said that.’ she added sternly and Grange chuckled and kissed her hair. “And I wasn’t really thinking about Trig. I was thinking about what I’ll do without you.”

“It will only be two nights. I will be home the day after tomorrow.” he assured her.

“Why do you act like it’s so easy for you?” Dawn asked with a frown. She was lost at the thought of Grange being gone. She didn’t even like the idea of Trig and Nickolai being gone. Dawn had never had much in the way of family. Her brother had been too busy to concern himself with her most of the time. But here with these three wolves she truly felt like she had people she could count on and a real family.

Grange growled and held her tighter.

“If you knew how badly this was tearing me apart then you wouldn’t have any doubts about how hard I find this. I do not want to leave you. I want to be near you all the time but this has to be done. I have to start setting up boundaries and expanding before I mark you.”

“Because once you mark me, they could come.”

“That’s right.” Grange replied with a nod. “Marking you will let them know that I plan on starting a bloodline of my own.”

“Don’t you need my agreement to do that?” Dawn asked with a smile. Grange chuckled.

“I don’t think you’ll put up much of a fight.” he replied. Dawn found herself laughing.

“Pretty sure of yourself, are you?”

“I’ve heard that once a woman gets a taste of wolf she is never satisfied with less again.”

“Yes I’ve heard that too.” Nickolai replied as he stepped into the bakery. Dawn blushed and quickly pulled away from Grange.

“Have you ever thought of knocking?” she scolded and Nickolai shrugged on shoulder.

“It had crossed my mind.” he stated simply. Trig came bouncing in before Dawn could say anything else.

“Are we ready to go? I’m ready to go. This is gonna be great! A chance to really get some wolf time in. It will feel good to run and feel the wind in my fur.”

“Yes we’re going.” Grange grumbled. He could feel the wolf in him coming alive as sunset neared and while neither the wolf nor the man in him wanted to leave Dawn, he knew that he really had no choice. These boundaries had to be made. He was an alpha with a pack now. That meant he had to think about more than just what he wanted or did not want to do.

“I’ll miss you!” Trig exclaimed as he wrapped Dawn in a tight hug. She patted him on the back and felt her heart ache a little. She was going to miss his annoying backside too.

“The alpha is about to rip your head off, pup.” Nickolai stated dryly. Trig grinned as he pulled away and looked at Grange’s face and his tight jaw.

“Aww come on!” he exclaimed. “I’m allowed to hug my pack sister.” Dawn shook her head and pinched her nose.

“You really shouldn’t say those things when someone could walk in and hear you!” she scolded.

Grange grabbed her and pulled her aside. He took her face gently in his hands and looked deep into her eyes with those intense blue eyes of his.

“Stay in town. No going out after dark. Keep your gun in your pocket.” Dawn shifted her feet nervously.

“Do you think something is going to happen?” Grange shook his head.

“If I thought that something was going to happen then I wouldn’t leave you. But it never hurts to be cautious and prepared.”

“You better be careful yourself.” Dawn warned him. “Don’t pick fights you don’t have to pick.” Grange nodded.

“I’ll be careful.” Dawn stood on her toes and kissed him gently and then she gasped when he pulled away suddenly and left the bakery without a word. She looked questioningly at Nickolai who just shrugged.

“He has not been looking forward to leaving you. It is hard on him.” Dawn nodded and watched Trig and Nickolai leave the bakery. She locked the door behind them and felt loneliness settling in instantly.

***

Dawn woke up the next morning and cleaned her apartment and the bakery. It was Sunday and so she wasn’t opening today and she had the whole day to do nothing.

It was around eleven in the morning when she made her way outside in the sunshine and looked up the road.

Most of the people in this town were in one of the several churches. Dawn walked down to the small log church down the road and stepped inside only to be stopped at the door by the sheriffs wife Gladys.

“I don’t think you’d feel very comfortable in here, dear.” she whispered with a sniff. Dawn looked over her shoulder at the preacher up giving his sermon and frowned.

“Why is that?” she asked. Gladys ushered her out the door, giving Dawn no choice but to obey her or else cause a huge scene.

“Your relationship with three men is not the kind of relationship that is acceptable in the eyes of our little church.”

“Relationship with three men?” Dawn asked with a frown. Her brow creased as she looked at the other woman. “What are you talking about?”

“You have one of those men staying with you nearly every night. You are taking private horse rides with another and staying at his cabin. Did you think folks would not notice?” Dawn laughed off her statement but inside she felt the sting of the harsh judgment.

“I don’t need to defend myself to you, Gladys. You have no right to tell me I cannot come into church.”

“As head of the church committee I would have to disagree.” Gladys stated. “Now you seem like a nice enough girl but not the type of girl that needs to be in our church. Perhaps you’d be more comfortable in the brothel?”

Dawn’s jaw dropped at the woman’s candid statement. She had no idea how to respond and while she was busy stammering and stuttering, Gladys turned and walked back into the church.

“I’ll say a prayer for you, Miss head of the church committee.” Dawn grumbled and then she walked down the road toward the livery.

“Good morning, Miss Patten.” the stable hand said as she walked in. She smiled at the young man, who was probably only around twenty years old and always wore a happy smile.

“Good morning, George.” Dawn replied as she walked to the nearest stall and patted the appaloosa mare on the neck. The horse snorted at her and shied away slightly but Dawn grabbed a sugar cube from her pocket and the mare decided she wasn’t so bad.

Grange had told Dawn that being around he, Trig and Nickolai would leave the scent of a wolf on her and cause horses to shy away. Dawn had planned on coming here after church and that was why she had stuffed the sugar cubes into her pocket.

“You want to go for a ride this morning?” George asked and Dawn frowned and bit her lip.

A ride would be nice. She needed to get out and enjoy the beauty of the day after being told she belonged in a brothel by the head of the church committee. Grange had told her to stay in town but surely he had meant at nighttime. It wasn’t even close to sunset and the day was sunny and bright.

What harm could come from a short ride?

“Yes, George, I would.” she replied with a smile. She waited outside while George readied the Appaloosa and he brought it out to her several minutes later.

“There you go, Miss Patten. It’s a pretty day for a ride.” he stated. Dawn nodded.

“Yes it is. Thank you.” she replied. She reached in her pocket and pulled out some money. She slipped it in George’s hand, climbed up into the saddle and then set off down main street.

She went behind the sawmill and followed a trail that led to a deep, tranquil bend in the river.

The day was beautiful. The birds were singing, bees were buzzing as they went about their busy lives around her and the sun was shining brightly through the trees.

Dawn smiled when the river came into view. She loved this bend. She longed to be able to swim in it some day but she wouldn’t risk that today. She did not want someone to ride up on her barely dressed, she could only imagine the reaction that her protective wolf would have to that.

She smiled when she thought of the way he made his presence known whenever another man was around. She should probably be bothered by his territorial possessiveness but she wasn’t. He was a wolf and it was natural for him to be that way around her. Dawn wondered if she would become just as possessive of him when she was turned. Of course she was already fairly territorial over him.

She remembered when one of the brothel girls had tried to speak to Grange on the street one evening. He had been trying to be polite and make an escape without being rude but Dawn had stormed over and let that woman know she was barking up the wrong tree.

Of course that had been before she and Grange had actually been in a relationship other than friendship and he had seemed to find it entertaining and hilarious.

Dawn missed him. She dismounted and looped the mares reins around a bush before walking to the water. Dawn slipped off her boots and stockings and sat down on the edge of the bank, letting her feet dangle in the cool water.

Dawn wanted her man back but it would be tomorrow before he arrived. She hoped everything was going okay. She worried that he, Trig and Nickolai might run into trouble that they couldn’t handle.

Dawn shook her head to clear those thoughts. Grange was tough, Nickolai was a trained warrior and Trig was…. Trig was safe with them. Dawn looked up at the white puffy clouds and leaned back on her elbows. She was drifting off to sleep when she heard a twig snap to her right.

Instantly Dawn’s head whipped around toward the sound but she saw nothing. She looked over at the mare but if the horse was spooked she wasn’t letting it show as she munched at the grass.

Dawn tried to slow down her racing heart and called herself silly for being so on edge. She had never been one to panic or worry but Grange’s paranoia about leaving her alone had obviously rubbed off. She decided she might as well head back to town and she pushed herself to her feet.

As she reached down for her stockings she heard a thud behind her and turned quickly to see a man in a blue chambray shirt with ripped off sleeves and black trousers. He was tall and broad, muscular and rugged.

His blond hair was long and his skin was pale. He smiled, but the gesture was cold and it brought no emotion to his eyes, which were almost silver in appearance.

“You’re not leaving so soon, are you?” he asked, his voice smooth and soothing. Dawn found herself calmed by the sound of it.

“I was just going to head back to town.” she replied. He nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his arms bunching and tightening.

“I wish you would stay.” Dawn found herself nodding, though she didn’t know why. She needed to leave! This man was dangerous! He had followed her out here. They were completely alone and those eyes weren’t natural! They weren’t…. human.

“I really should go.” she whispered, even as her feet refused to move.

“No you shouldn't.” he purred as he stepped closer and began to move in a slow circle around her. “You can stay here with me for just a while longer.” His long fingers grabbed the ends of her hair and twirled it gently. Dawn swallowed hard as her heart began to thunder behind her ribs.

“I really can’t.” she said before swallowing hard.

“I’m surprised your wolf left you alone.” he said, his breath on her neck as he stood behind her. “They do not usually let their pets run free.”

“I’m not his pet.” Dawn replied, though she didn’t know why she was speaking. It was as if she’d lost control of herself. She could feel his breath on her neck. His hands closing around her upper arms and yet she was unable to fight against him. “I’m his mate.” she added.

“Mate?” the man asked with surprise in his voice. “He has not yet marked you.” His fingers tightened on her upper arms until they were nearly painful. Dawn glanced down and saw her skin whitening under his touch. “That is his loss, I suppose.”

Dawn felt a pain in her neck and she realized that he was pressing his teeth against her skin. She let out a cry when they pricked into her skin and that was when whatever spell he’d cast over her, seemed to break.

She reached into her dress pocket and pulled the gun she had there. Reaching behind her, she pressed the gun into his body, though she wasn’t sure where since he held her tight, and she pulled the trigger.

The sound deafened her and he let out a cry of pain as he released his hold on her. Dawn jerked away from him and ran barefooted to her horse. She grabbed the reins and jumped in the saddle before finally looking back at the man.

His eyes were narrowed and almost appeared to be glowing as he held his side and blood poured from between his fingers, forming a puddle on the ground at his feet.

Dawn screamed when he hissed loudly and started toward her. She fired her gun again and this time her bullet struck him in the head. He let out an animalistic yowl of pain and then fell to the ground. Dawn didn’t wait around to see if he would move again, instead she rode hard and fast away from him.

She wasn’t thinking clearly, she was afraid, she was panicked, she was in an enormous amount of pain from where his teeth had pricked her neck. It had caused her very blood to feel as if it were on fire and her vision was blurry. She had blood on her dress from the man and from her own neck.

She had no idea where she was heading until she saw Grange’s cabin come into view. She wondered if she should turn around and go into town instead but she was so scared that that man was going to come back and all she wanted to do was lock herself away someplace safe and stay there.

She quickly put the appaloosa up in the barn and then let herself into Grange’s cabin, happy to find the door unlocked, though she quickly locked it behind her. She went into Grange’s bedroom, shutting that door as well and got in his bed, pressing her back against the wall and pulling her knees into her chest.

 Dawn sobbed into her skirt as she covered her bloody neck with her hand and wondered if she was going to die while the fiery pain continued to course through her veins.