Night Critters (Collection) by Lena Austin

broke beneath her paw. She didn't wait for Corbin's howl of triumph. She exploded out of her hiding spot and ran for a stream to wet her paws so he'd lose her trail.
    He ran around in front of Roni to cut her off, but came to a sudden halt. He spun around into a defensive posture. Roni almost ran into his backside before she scrabbled to a stop. She looked up over his tail.
    A black wolf and Corbin growled softly to one another. The strange wolf made no other threatening moves, but his presence at a uniting was at best impolite.
    Then the black fur registered in Roni's brain. Silently, in the way of her mother's breed, she took off around Corbin and sank her teeth into the foreleg of the wolf. Huskies for centuries had used their lightning speed to break the legs of their opponents using that fighting trick, and Roni employed it now with no regret. The sickening crunch echoed through the forest.
    The new wolf howled in pain and shifted back to human. It was Duke.
    Corbin and Roni shifted simultaneously. Corbin stood protectively in front of her to hide her naked body. “Don't you dare come here causing trouble,” Roni barked over Corbin's shoulder.
    "This ceremony, from what I'm hearing, should not be taking place. You don't have an Alpha Male overseeing it.” Duke rubbed his arm gingerly.
    "My father is here to oversee the ceremony. As far as I'm concerned, Alpha Male is a title to be earned, not achieved through lies and deceit. Mutt.” Roni snarled the last word.
    "My kind of bitch. A bark as sharp as her bite.” Duke smiled. “I would love to oversee the ceremony if you would have me."
    Roni stared at him in confusion. “Huh?"
    Corbin took a step forward. “This was all a test, wasn't it?"
    "Yes, son. I needed to know that you were the Alpha Male I knew you could be, and I needed to know that you had found the Alpha Bitch I always thought you deserved.” Duke turned his attention to Roni. “Welcome to the Thornburn pack."
    Corbin, his head high, shook Duke's uninjured hand. “It would be an honor, Father, for you to oversee the ceremony if Roni's father will step aside. If not, you'll have to share with Eduardo Engelmann."
    Duke licked his lips and smiled. “Eduardo and I may be rivals for territory now, but in college we were roommates. He married the sexiest...” Duke cleared his throat. “How is Katriena these days?"
    Roni snorted. “Mom's fine. She's waiting with Dad. You can go wait with them at the clubhouse.” Deliberately she permitted herself to begin shifting to canine. “I don't like being deceived, and you have a lot of trust to regain, but I appreciate the welcome.” She turned, her tail sashaying behind her. She looked over her shoulder at Corbin, wagged her tail. “Don't we have a chase to finish?” She took off into the woods with a howl.
    "Excuse me, Father. I have a bitch to catch.” Corbin shifted and, with a howl, ran after her.
    "We now pronounce you wolf and mate.” Eduardo and Duke shut the huge tome on the stand between them and shook hands with one another.
    The roar of approval and applause from both packs and their guests shook the rafters of the warehouse-sized clubhouse.
    Roni and Corbin, now dressed in white, led the procession to the reception hall for the celebration. The full moon clearly lit their way on the short walk through the trees in the midst of the Engelmann Pack lands.
    Behind them, Eduardo and Duke talked about their old college days and acted like a pair of college kids on spring break. Katriena, Ana, and Jon tagged along behind, content to be out of the order of precedence.
    Corbin proudly stood next to Roni on the dais and held her as if he'd never let go. The guests filed by, one by one. The rest danced and ate.
    Jon and Ana raced up first. Jon pulled aside the collar of his shirt to show Corbin and Roni his bite. “Whew, am I glad I awakened—er, arose?—in time."
    Ana smiled indulgently at her new husband. “Rose, darling. Just rose or risen.”