The Alpha and the Gift

Chapter 2: Fyn

Fyn couldn't help but stare at the woman that stood on the front porch of the old Carson's homestead. It had sat empty for so many years, he couldn't remember the last time anyone had lived there. Certainly not in the 3 years he had lived there.

But that oddity did not top the other one that had made him stick around a bit longer than he normally would have. The woman hadn't run away when she spotted him. Running was the most common response that Fyn had gotten when people saw him in his wolf form. However, there were a few other much more dangerous responses that he had encountered. Fyn's had a few hunters come after him with a rifle, intent on protecting their families or livestock. There were a few times when he had come back and wolf traps.

But this woman had not run inside screaming, and she was so tiny he wasn't sure she could even lift a gun. Instead, she had looked almost awe-struck by the fact that he had been there. He had never been looked at like that. He had almost forgotten that he was a wolf and walked right up to talk to her.

Fyn was amazed by how much he had been drawn to this small, fearless woman on the front porch. The whole thing had been odd and amazing. Even now, as he ran through the woods on his nightly patrol, could he feel the pull to go back and find out more about this woman. However, he had a job to do, and he could not ignore that.

Not even for the beautiful woman.

Fyn put his nose in the air and tried to distinguish between the scents that were surrounding him. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, since he had no idea what to look for anyway. Instead, he was looking for something that stood out as odd.

Unusual like the woman with her beautiful long brown hair that had been pulled back in a tight ponytail.

Fyn shook his head to wipe that image out of his mind and refocused himself. In order to remind himself why he was out there, he thought of his father, his family, and his pack. He hadn't seen any of them since the last time he had gone home from college, which had been before his father had given him this mission. He had to find out who was behind everything. Otherwise, many other people would be in great danger.

That worked to get him to focus on his task. He raced through the normal game trials, trying to find a scent that he didn't recognize. There were plenty of mice, squirrels, canines, wild cats, and other animals nearby. He even caught the smell of a bear wandering through, though it had been hours before.

But there was nothing odd or unusual about the forest that night.

Fyn huffed out a big, human-like sigh and turned back towards his house. He was both irritated and relieved not to find anything. Every night he went home empty-handed was a confusing night for him. As a forest ranger, he was happy to not find any traps or other signs of illegal poaching. But Fyn and his father were convinced that the poachers in this area had a hand in the disappearances that he was investigating. Not to mention the many other missing pack members across the North American continent.

Ever since Fyn had taken this job, the amount of illegal hunting and poaching had dropped dramatically. He was extremely proud of that fact.

It was one of the benefits of being both a shifter and a forest ranger. It was easy to hunt down the poachers in his shifter form. He could find most of the traps and pits they used to catch their prey. From there, Fyn could stalk and find out who they were. Then as a ranger, he could find the person and arrest them with plenty of evidence that they would easily be charged.

Fyn loved his job.

He turned and trotted back home slowly as he fought his desire to run past his new neighbor's house. The closer and closer he got, the more he couldn't resist stopping by to see her again. Before he realized it, his paws moved faster and faster, and he was right out where he had begun. Slowly, he emerged from the tree line and just waited to see if the woman spotted him again.

In his wolf form, his sight was magnified, allowing him to easily see the woman was still on the porch. She leaned against the railing and faced the small driveway that housed her single, beat-up red car.

He felt the pull towards her and took a single step forward without paying attention to where he was putting his feet. A large snap of a branch had him jumping backward and crouching low. However, the woman didn't budge or even jump at the sound.

Fyn started to get worried. A deep panic settled into his gut that was more than a little odd for someone he had just met… well, seen. But seeing her motionless like a statue bothered him insanely.

He moved closer and closer until he could see her beautiful, heart-shaped face. Her lashes laid softly against her cheeks, and her sweet bow shape lips were slightly parted as she breathed.

The new woman was in a deep sleep.

He took the opportunity to look her over while she was unaware of her presence. Thanks to the cool breeze that blew through the area, the woman's slender cheeks had been tinged pink. He fought back the urge to shift so he could trail a finger down one of those soft-looking cheeks.

However, what bothered him the most was the dark circles formed under her eyes. She didn't look like she was getting enough rest. He didn't know if she was eating right, but he would bet that the answer to that question was no. His eyes ran down her slightly folded figure. Her clothing was impeccable, even if it was perfectly casual for the area. Her light sweater looked like it was made from some light material that, though beautiful, was not really made for there.

Fyn had to ask himself what would bring a woman like her out into the middle of nowhere?

The woman gave a slight shiver and wrapped her arms around herself but didn't wake up. Fyn realized it was getting too cold for her to stay outside in those thin clothing. But she was not waking up.

Not wanting to startle or scare her, Fyn hurried back to the tree line and let out a loud howl. He kept an eye on her, and when she barely moved, he howled again. The woman startled awake and looked around, her eyes wide with fright. He worried what had put that look on her face. However, he got what he was hoping for. The woman got up and stretched, then looked out over the property before heading back inside.

If she had known that he was there, she didn't give any indication. Fyn knew one thing for sure. He would never get the look of her slim body stretching in the moonlight, showing off her every soft curve.