The Bloodhound

The Moonshine Pack

The ride to the Moonshine Pack Territory was quiet. Jensen sat in the rear of the car with her head bowed .Connor kept his eyes on the road, never glancing back. He had too many things on his mind, one being Jensen taking a punishment she didn't deserve.

Forty five minutes later, after driving up a creepy winding road, they finally entered the pack’s borders.

The name was given as an ode to the skilled moonshiners of Northeast Tennessee, who had been offering up fine corn liquor from the dawn of time it seemed. This was Connor's home, where he grew up, learned the ways of the pack, and became a man. Many wolf packs across the land believed in having a mate, the one being in this world a wolf would give his life to and

for ,but the Moonshine pack didn’t enforce this sacred rite. So few of them had actually found their fated mates that the leaders, elders, and most of the members saw it as a failed idea.

In fact, most of the wolves Connor personally knew who had partners that weren’t fated mates seemed just as happy as the ones who did. His father and mother weren’t mates, but they loved each other, showing each other the utmost devotion. It was the same with the alpha, Connor's uncle and Owen’s father. 

Connor and Owen grew up more like brothers instead of cousins. With Connor’s dad being the beta, or second in command, both the families were always together. Even the wives loved each other. It was a perfect family setting, which both the boys enjoyed.

Connor and his family were truly surprised when they found out he had the alpha gene, but he could care less .He knew the responsibility would always fall with Owen to lead the pack when the time came. Besides, he wanted to leave the tiny village and go out into the big world. Connor reflected fondly on his memories during the drive, silently thanking his parents for giving him the freedom to choose his own path in life .He never dreamed when he left for college that he’d wind up with a doctorate, and wind up working for the FBI, hunting bad guys.

With the mate thing never being a big deal, neither of the cousins were pressured into finding a mate, which was good news to the both of them. Both were career minded individuals, who wanted to make it in life before settling down.

He knew Owen would, one day, when he found the right woman, for he wasn’t f*****g a different woman every week, like Connor .He sighed as he cut the engine to the car, biting back the bitter memories that led him back home. Even with everything Connor still had going for him, he was an angry individual. He knew no one was to blame but himself ,but women had left a bitter taste in his mouth. This was why he kept wondering to himself what it was about the shy young woman in the back seat that had him so curious. It didn’t matter at the moment, for he had to drag her in front of his uncle and dad, to decide punishment for her and her twin brother. If she’s only kept her mouth shut, but she didn’t. One thing he quickly learned about Jensen, she may not stand up for herself, but she would die for someone she loved, and he had to admit, he admired her for it.

‘C’mon,” Connor growled, as he pulled Jensen out of his car. Still in her deputy’s uniform, he dragged her toward the Moonshine Packhouse. It was a huge wooden building that could vaguely be described as a chalais, with three floors, big paned windows, and decks around all three levels. The smell of the cedar logs used to erect it wafted in the air as she stumbled up the steps.

Jensen had been around these wolves all her life, in fact she had attended high school with a select few. Her whole family had been on good terms with the pack, especially her father and the alpha, up until now.

“Well Connor, what have you brought us?” The alpha and beta stood in the great hall, watching as Connor dragged Jensen by the arm, dropping her on her knees at their feet.

“Hello, Alpha, father,” he bowed as he addressed them, “This young lady’s brother is the one who nearly shot my head off. She lied to me, at first telling me it was she that shot me, but I found out not long ago it was actually her brother, Gunner Jones.”

“Jensen,” The alpha greeted her.

“Alpha Richard,” she looked him in the eyes, the eyes of a man who wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone who tried to harm his pack.

“So you know her?” Connor raised a wicked brow, his bright eyes shining.

“Yes, in fact her father Graham is a good friend of ours, isn’t that right Jensy?”

Jensen shook her head ‘yes’, not daring to say a word. This day had been shitty enough, and was about to get worse. All she wanted was to get on with the punishment whatever it may be, and keep out of everyone else’s eye.

“Jensen, is my son telling the truth?” Why did she have to answer all these questions?

“Yes, beta Joseph, but I,I was,”

“Trying to protect your brother, I know,” the beta smiled at her, but it was a condescending smile, one that was full of knowing. Jensen didn’t want anyone’s pity ,that just made her feel even worse. Deep in the recesses of her mind, she knew no matter what she did, someone was always disappointed in her, so why care anymore?”

“Your brother could have killed my son,” Joseph circled her, hands clasped behind his back, “You know, we wolves heal very fast, but I doubt even my stubborn son could survive his head being blown to smithereens. Did you try and warn Gunner, little bloodhound?”

“Bloodhound?” Connor looked at her, but she just shrugged her shoulders. Why did every person on earth know more about her than she did ,and what was the big deal. So she had the nose of a hound, she couldn’t predict the future…

“Yes,” Alpha Richard smiled genuinely.”Jensy here is the best tracker in the area, maybe the whole United States. She is gifted with a nose that can sniff anyone, or anything out, which means she knew you were there ,and that you were a wolf the second she scented you. So Jensen?”

Dammit, this only complicated things, but she couldn’t lie, nor comprehend why she felt compelled to tell the truth, after all, she was no wolf ,and these powerful alphas shouldn’t hold that power over a human, but they did.

“Yes, alpha, but I didn’t pick up his scent until just before he entered the clearing. By the time I tried to warn Gunner, he had already fired his rifle. That was when we realized our dad was over in the corner, to the right, slitting the buck’s throat. I lied, because I thought Dr. Evans would go easier on a dumb, ugly girl. I realized too late that he would only have forgiven a busty blonde with a nice ass.”

Joseph laughed out loud, looking at his son, who was turning redder and redder.

“Well, Jensy, that is a good assumption. My son loves females that fit your description.’

“Like my sister,” she added.

“We will leave Samantha out of this for now,” Richard chuckled.

“Why,” Connor smirked, ”She already tried to set me up with her. Maybe I should meet this sexy vixen, she may persuade me to go easy on her sister, but I’m not so sure about the brother.”

“You called my son, Dr. Evans, is he one of your instructors?” Joseph asked.

“Yes I am,” Connor looked down at her, watching her wringing her hands with nervous energy.

‘I nearly kicked her out of my class, but she has the potential to be my best student, so I agreed to let her stay if she abides by my standards.”

“And what would those be?” the alpha asked, knowing Connors morose sense of morality.

“Those are between ‘Jensy’ and I” he winked at her.

Damned asshole, he was pissing her off, and she hadn’t been mad at anyone in a long while. ”Just wait ‘til I get outta here’ she thought to herself. Jensen was tired of his arrogant ass. If he wanted to be a jerk, so could she.

‘I’ll get you back,” she thought to herself. Connor was nothing but a stupid jerk, and she was tired of him.

“Jensen, why are you here, at my feet?” the alpha pulled her to her feet, looking her in the eyes.

‘Ask him,” she nodded to Connor, who had sensed her anger by now. 

“She couldn’t keep her mouth shut when we were questioning her brother. ”Connor growled.

“Miss Jones here offered to take her brother’s punishment, even though he threw her under the bus, so to speak. In short, she pissed me off, and Owen and I decided they both should be punished.”

‘Is this true, Jensen?” Alpha Richard asked her.

“Um, yes. I am sorry if I offended anyone, but he is my twin, and my best friend. I would do anything for my brother.”

“And you agreed to this?”

“Yes.” Jensen was a bad liar, so why start now? She knew her new professor hated her. Was that it though, or was she hoping he would not fail her if she complied, but she was starting not to care what Connor thought. He had no right to be in her business anyway, so why was he 

doing this? Probably just to goad her into dropping out., which she was seriously considering. Nothing would satisfy the asshole in front of her, and he would continue to torment her even if she looked like her sister.

The alpha and beta pulled Connor to the side, whispering to each other, while she stood there like a knot on a log.

‘Very well,” Alpha Richard sighed, “We will agree to whatever punishment my nephew has in mind for the two of you.”

“Can we just get on with it?” Jensen grumbled, tired of all the hoopla .”Just get on with it, so I can be on my way when it is done.”