Ranger's End Game (Northern States Pack Book 1) Read online

  Ranger’s End Game

  Northern States Pack #1

  By Lee Oliver

  Ranger’s End Game (Northern States Pack #1)

  Copyright © Lee Oliver, 2017

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Cover Design by Lee Oliver

  Model – ABA_046 Courtesy of Paul Henry Serres Photographer (Exclusive license) Copyright Paul Henry Serres.

  White wolf and background - Elena Schweitzer | Dreamstime.com

  First Edition February 2017

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, Lee Oliver. [email protected]

  No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Lisa Oliver. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  Ranger’s End Game is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Note from the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Other Books By Lisa Oliver

  Note from the Author

  Hello and thank you for taking a chance in reading the first Northern States Pack book. These will be a series of short stories of between 50 – 100 pages. As with all my stories, they feature paranormal men falling in love with other men. I am a huge fan of the true mate trope as these stories will show. I am also hoping to write other shorts as they spring to mind unrelated to this series just because I can – I get a lot of crazy ideas.

  These stories are all standalone. Some of them, like this one, include an epilogue which does introduce you to the character in the next book, but you don’t have to read this as a series. Every story and couple will be different and there are no long ranging story arcs in these books.

  Some of you may know me as Lisa Oliver, author of the Cloverleah Pack, the Bound and Bonded series, the Alpha and Omega series, Stockton Wolves, and the Balance series featuring angels and demons. If you are a fan of longer books, I encourage you to give them a try. All my books are M/M (or M/M/M), guarantee an HEA and with absolutely no cheating.

  Hug the One you love,

  Lee/Lisa.

  Dedication

  To my good friends Judy and Phil who don’t care what name I write under and who support me every day. Thank you.

  Chapter One

  Ranger stood with his arms akimbo and glared at the twenty odd men clustered around the stage. Young, wannabe alphas, most of whom carried an air of entitlement that came from youth and position. This is going to be a pain in the ass, he thought as everyone eyed him expectantly. The urge to knock a few sneers off faces grew by the second.

  “You’ll soon knock the asshole out of them,” Cam, his second in command muttered. “Where the hell did this lot come from?”

  “Council orders,” Ranger whispered conscious of sharp ears. “Developing pack unity is the official position.”

  “You don’t think that’s true.” Cam knew him too well.

  “Doesn’t really matter what I think,” Ranger replied watching some of the bigger men start to show signs of restlessness. They’d be the first ones to cause trouble. “Meet me at the Swamp later on.”

  “Ready to kick alpha butt?”

  “Someone has too,” Ranger said shortly, although why he was being punished with this inane assignment was anyone’s guess. He sure as hell didn’t know and that bugged him almost as much as the men waiting for him.

  “Listen up,” Ranger didn’t bother raising his voice. One advantage of issuing orders to shifters is they all have excellent hearing. “I’m sure you received your welcome packets from the Council full of the normal blather about how you’re here to fulfill your destiny as one of the Council’s new elite fighting force.”

  “Yeah,” A larger, bullish man standing at the front had the balls to meet Ranger’s eyes although he didn’t hold them long. “But all we’ve been doing is standing around watching you two gabbing like you’ve nothing better to do. When my dad called the council last week, I was assured of a private room, an omega to tend to my needs and I’m hungry. So if you’ve got something to say, get on with it. I haven’t got all day.”

  Ranger didn’t hesitate. He didn’t even leave the stage; he simply took two steps forward, reaching and grabbing the man by his thick neck and lifting him off the ground.

  “You’ve been conscripted, pup,” Ranger growled. “You signed the forms. For the next week, your ass is mine and if you think for one second anyone is going to wash your clothes, serve your food or warm your bed at night you’re in for a rude awakening.”

  “My father is the Alpha of one of the largest packs in the West. You can’t treat me like this,” The man didn’t look as cocky anymore. It was probably the first time he’d been manhandled in his life.

  “Wrong!” Ranger found the spot he was looking for and pressing hard for just two seconds, dropped the whining heap on the ground. “Anyone else want a go?” he said straightening up and running a hand through his long black hair. “Might as well get the bullshit out of the way first.”

  There was muttering among the men but it quickly stopped as Ranger’s eyes swept the crowd. “You can call me Ranger,” he continued when everyone settled down. “This is Cam, my second-in-command. Over the next seven days, you will rise at five and work until I tell you to stop. You can forget anything you thought you knew about fighting or protecting yourself and others. You’re in a totally different ballgame now.”

  At least the men were listening to him. “I don’t care what your pack position is; who your father plays poker with or how many friends you think you have on the council. If you don’t do as you’re told immediately, you are out of the program. If you don’t keep up; you’re out. You cause problems for anyone, no matter who they are or for whatever reason; you’re out.” Ranger surveyed the group. The muttering at the back was getting louder and he snarled.

  “Anyone who doesn’t think they’re capable of following orders, the gate is that way.” He pointed to his left. “It’s a twenty-mile hike to town and I suggest you don’t try making the trip at night.”

  “We’re wolves, sir, we can see in the dark.” At least the young man speaking had a certain level of respect in his tone. Ranger found he liked the word sir falling from the boy’s lips.

  “You may be able to see, but the land mines are buried and scent-free. As soon as darkness falls the woods sur
rounding this compound are protected by motion sensors. You’ll have those balls of yours blown off before you get twenty feet from the gate. Guaranteed.” The young man had a fetching blush that highlighted his blond features and fair skin.

  “Training starts at 0500,” Ranger said, wrenching his gaze from the young man. “Cam will direct you to the mess hall and then to your dorm rooms. Anyone not in the quad by 0500 will be….” he cupped his ear and raised an eyebrow.

  “OUT Ranger.” Maybe there was hope for the youngsters yet.

  *****

  Aiden Chalmers didn’t consider himself a small man, but faced with the men he was meant to be training with for the next week, not to mention the enigmatic Ranger and his cheery-as-a-wet-week second, he was feeling at a decided disadvantage. Growing up the youngest of six brothers, Aiden relied on skill, cunning and when that didn’t work, pure speed to keep him out of trouble. The churning in his gut made him realize none of those things were going to help him in the coming week.

  “That big guy thinks he’s better than us,” A redheaded bear grumbled beside him. Aiden shrugged. He was keeping his opinion of Ranger to himself. When Ranger lifted arrogant-Al off his feet without breaking a sweat, Aiden had a lot of trouble hiding his arousal. With wolves being able to smell sex in the air, he was glad he’d worn a splash of cologne. Not something he usually did, but he was grateful for the foresight.

  “Will Al be all right?” Aiden asked instead.

  “Don’t care,” the redhead growled. “He’s another one who thinks his shit doesn’t stink. It was a dumb ass thing calling out the boss like that in front of everyone else. Nah, the only way to bring that man down is to show a bit of stealth. Get him on his own.” The redhead’s grin was malicious and Aiden felt a shiver of alarm run down his spine. He was pleased to see they’d arrived at the mess hall.

  “Bags along the wall,” Cam yelled. “Trays, food, tables. You have fifteen minutes. Move it.”

  “What the fuck?” The redhead grumbled.

  Aiden looked across at the food counters and his stomach growled. Another problem of growing up with so many older siblings is that you had to eat fast or your food ended up on someone else’s plate. The food counters were full of meats, vegetables and Aiden caught the whiff of properly made gravy. Food, glorious food. He wasn’t complaining. He grabbed a plate and started filling it.

  “What’s wrong?” The redhead was still complaining. By the time he sat down, the redhead knocking his elbows, he wished he’d kept his mouth shut. The redhead, who still hadn’t bothered to introduce himself, complained about the texture of the steak, the stringiness of the beans, and the lack of cream and butter in the potatoes. His rant on why grown men shouldn’t be deprived of beer or spirits with a meal was still in mid-flow when a loud bell sounded.

  “Scraps in the garbage can, plates on the tray, get your bags and line up by the door,” Cam said loudly. “You have one minute. Move it!” he yelled when no one seemed inclined to move.

  “I haven’t finished my dinner.” The redhead complained as he got slowly to his feet. Maybe if you’d used your mouth for chewing instead of complaining you’d be finished, Aiden thought but he didn’t see the point in saying anything out loud. “Get through the one-week training and I’ll release your trust fund,” his father told him. That was Aiden’s major goal. Aligning himself with troublemakers and whiners wasn’t going to help him reach that objective. Using the milling around of the men as they grabbed their bags as an excuse to ditch his redheaded companion, Aiden was determined to stick to himself, keep his head down and hopefully stay alive. Just seven days and I’m free; he almost smiled at the thought.

  *****

  “So, what’s your verdict? Can we do anything with them?” Ranger growled as Cam slid into the booth across from him. Cam grimaced as he swigged the bottle Ranger had ready for him.

  “I don’t know how any of them got through boot camp,” Cam said dismissively. “Standards have definitely dropped since our day.”

  “They didn’t come from boot camp,” Ranger took a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket and offered one to Cam before lighting one himself.

  “What the fuck?” Cam’s eyebrows rose. “They had to have had some training. Military? Police? Some special enforcer school I’ve never heard of?”

  “All fresh off the farm,” Ranger blew out a long stream of smoke watching it lazily spin in the air. The Swamp was one of the few places on the council’s not-so-secret base he could smoke and not worry about being challenged. Anyone who came into the dingy bar did so to drink, relax and kept to themselves.

  There were a few men scattered around the room. Some Ranger knew by sight; others he didn’t. But none of them concerned him. He might not know them, but they would know of him. The long blue streak in his hair and the tattooed star under his left eye marked him as the best assassin the council had on its books and Ranger spent a lifetime building a reputation of being a kill first, ask questions later type of guy.

  “We’ve been demoted?”

  Ranger looked back at Cam and shook his head.

  Cam leaned across the table. “Did you piss off one of the eggheads again?”

  Ranger’s lips twitched around his smoke as he shook his head again. His friend had no respect for council members. “Not to my knowledge.”

  “Then how did the council’s deadliest assassin and his faithful sidekick end up babysitting a bunch of kids?”

  “If you hadn’t spent the last month shagging your way through the eastern states, you’d know.” Cam was one of the few men Ranger relaxed around enough to tease. They were the same age, raised in the same pack and when the council called they trained together. Quickly rising through the ranks, Ranger was known as a hands-on killer, while Cam provided backup, researched their targets and could take out an eye from three hundred feet with the large Bowie knife he kept strapped to his thigh.

  Cam grinned, sinking back in his chair and raising his bottle in salute. “You’re not the only one with a reputation to maintain. I just have my dance partners gasping for different reasons than yours. So, what’s going on? Why the fuck are we here?”

  Ranger looked around; no one was paying them any attention but he leaned over the table anyway. “The official version is that our illustrious bosses decided to create a task force designed to breach pack barriers and take care of territory disputes, rogue shifters, and inter-species issues. All packs were sent an order, invitation, call it what you like, to send one man for training purposes.”

  “I bet that upset some alpha females in the packs.”

  Raising an eyebrow, Ranger snorted. “We all know how advanced in thinking the council is. They were very specific. The men had to be between twenty-four and twenty-nine years old, alpha born but not in line to lead their pack.”

  “The spares in other words,” Cam shook his head. “No wonder these guys have attitude. What happens after a week? With no previous training, these guys aren’t going to be fit for field work.”

  “I don’t know,” and that’s what pissed Ranger off the most. He hated feeling like a mushroom. “Dominic called me personally. Told me my vacation was cut short effective immediately and that I had to get my ass back here to spend a week training these guys ‘to the best of my ability.’ When I got here, I got handed the same welcome pack of bullshit sent to the packs, and told to make full use of the base facilities.”

  “There’re a ton of other guys better suited to this job,” Cam’s eyes narrowed. “Any of the council enforcers or one of the captains of the guards would be more qualified. Why you?”

  “Exactly,” Ranger sat back and grabbed his bottle, emptying it. Cam was thinking things over; it’s what he did best. Whereas Ranger was action-orientated, Cam made the perfect partner. He thought things through; examined them from every angle and took his time making any decision. Ranger watched his blond, blue-eyed friend, happy to wait.

  Cam was slightly smaller than he was in height and build
, but in every other way, they were polar opposites. Cam was fair, Ranger sported a deep tan. Cam’s sexual exploits were a well-known fact; he’d fuck anyone regardless of gender, species or position. Ranger spent his downtime on his own. Having sex meant getting close to people and he couldn’t be bothered. When his urges got too much, a quick visit to a club usually resulted in someone face-planted against an alley wall so he could get his rocks off. A hand to rub off on was all he offered in exchange. Ranger made no apologies for who he was or how he acted; Cam was Mr. Smooth all the way.

  “This training,” Cam said quietly. “Were there any specifics? Are they to work as a team, or are we finding out their individual skills and honing them?”

  Ranger shook his head. “They think they’re working as a team. I’ve been told to make reports on them individually, outlining any ‘outstanding or unusual skills.’”

  “That means you’re going to have to work with all of them one-on-one at some point.”

  “So I’ve been told,” Ranger quirked an eyebrow. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “The eggheads are after your ass,” Cam shook his head. “The sleazy shits. They spent twenty years training you and now that no one can take you out, they think one of these toy soldiers can do it?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve tried. Why else would they be using the spares?” Ranger frowned. “I don’t like this. I don’t like this shit at all. I read the fine print on the agreement signed by these inductees. No return; no retribution. Every pack alpha signed it.”

  “So if anyone tries to take you out, and you as alpha assassin kill them….”

  “I’ll have an angry pack alpha on my ass while the council sits there completely absolved from responsibility.”

  “Best make sure you don’t kill anyone then,” Cam offered a grin. “It’s only for a week.”

  “It’s going to be a long fucking week.”

  Chapter Two