Bound by Nature Read online

  The mind may forget, but the heart remembers…

  A Forces of Nature Novel

  It doesn’t take Hayden Garrett’s college degree to figure out why Officer Josh Peterson is the last man alive he wants to face. Not because of the council’s harebrained idea to broker peace between their clans.

  It’s the sweaty palms that prove Hayden never got over his embarrassing attraction to his alpha rival. Mate with him? Nothing fills Hayden with more desire—or dread. Josh doesn’t have a gay hair in his fur. At least not one he owns up to.

  Despite Josh’s reputation for being a connoisseur of female flesh, he’s always cared about Hayden. In a different world, they might have been friends. Now, face to face after five years, the bitterness in Hayden’s eyes fills Josh with regret for what could have been—should have been.

  As Hayden and Josh journey through rituals—and intimacies—that will knit their souls for life, passion and anger flares, revealing a powerful secret. The truth about a long-ago sharing of hearts, bodies and souls that ended in tragedy…

  Warning: Steamy love between two rival alpha werewolves, a pregnant moon that inspires mating urges, and one shy guy who knows exactly what he wants.

  Bound by Nature

  Cooper Davis

  Dedication

  To Lulu for loving Hayden and Josh almost as much as I do, and for being a true sister of the heart.

  Prologue

  The commuter plane skidded as it touched down on the icy Wyoming runway. Eyes closed, Hayden cringed, reminding himself that the landing was always bumpy whenever he came home. All told, this journey had taken eight hours, door to door. Eight excruciating and claustrophobic hours for a wolf born to roam freely. This final portion of the journey, however, always killed him worst of all. Folding his six-foot-four frame into the small puddle-jumper that flew from Salt Lake to Jackson was achingly uncomfortable, and for an Alpha wolf like him, confined spaces were nearly unbearable.

  Still, there was no way he’d have spent the holiday back in his dorm room at Dartmouth, and not just because it was Christmastime. After months around “normal” humans, he’d become what his kind called pack-lonely and yearned for the companionship of other wolves.

  Hayden had inherited his father’s Alpha streak—and it was displayed visibly in his monumental size, although physical stature wasn’t the only element that determined true Alpha status within any pack. Of even greater importance were keen intelligence, dominance and will—all three of which Hayden knew he possessed in spades. When his father stepped aside, Hayden would assume leadership, but hopefully that time was a long way off. He was still young—not quite twenty-two years old—and had exams and his political science thesis on his mind. Actually utilizing such theoretical knowledge to guide his people was the farthest thing from his thoughts.

  He was just glad to be back on his home turf, smelling the fresh snow and the distant, earthy scent of his pack’s land. After the long weeks of cramming for finals, the thought of running free across their territory sent a jolt of power through Hayden’s veins. He already felt more alive than he had in months and he hadn’t even reached the exit door yet. As he stared out the plane window at the mountains, his inner wolf sang in reaction.

  Slinging his laptop case over his shoulder, Hayden ducked through the plane’s hatch, stepping onto the slick steps that temporarily adjoined the plane. As he began climbing down, a blast of frigid Wyoming air hit his face, fogging over his wireframes. He hesitated, fumbling to remove the glasses, but missed the last step, nearly tripping onto the tarmac. He might have been an Alpha, but his chronic eyesight problems still caused occasional klutzy moments when he was in human form.

  “Smooth move, Garrett.” Raspy, rumbling laughter followed the words. “I see college has polished away all those rough edges of yours.”

  Of all the damned luck. Hayden glanced around, squinting, but without his glasses, everything was a blur. Still, he didn’t need twenty-twenty vision in order to recognize that throaty voice. It belonged to a volatile Alpha wolf, one he’d known and competed with since childhood. His neck prickled with a mixture of dread and arousal—familiar sensations whenever he encountered Joshua Peterson.

  “Hey, Josh.” Hayden kept his tone as unrevealing as possible, an almost Herculean task considering the way his heart was leaping out of his chest.

  “Home from New Hampshire, huh?” the other Alpha asked nonchalantly.

  “It’s that time of year,” Hayden answered blandly. He should’ve kept on walking, but he was frozen there, caught in Josh Peterson’s high-beams like he’d always been—and for almost as long as he could remember.

  “Busy time of year, that’s what.” Josh leaned casually against an empty baggage cart, and even in blurry outline, was clearly as cocky as ever. Strong forearms were folded over a thick chest in obvious defiance—defiance against a fellow Alpha wolf.

  “So you work here now?” Hayden asked. Last he’d heard Josh had been employed at a ranch over in Idaho, commuting back and forth over the mountains.

  “Wrangling baggage these days, not horses,” Josh answered with a gruff laugh, moving toward him with a clipboard gripped in his right hand.

  “Seems like a good gig,” Hayden said with a glance around the tarmac. They’d always lived such different lives, with Josh clawing and scraping for every opportunity he’d ever won, whereas Hayden had been born to money and privilege.

  “Decent enough, I guess.” Josh shrugged, pointedly studying his clipboard for a moment.

  Hayden wiped off his glasses, then seized the opportunity to steal a yearning peek at the guy. He could barely swallow a gasp at what he saw as he centered his wireframes over his eyes. Good God above, Josh had changed physically since Hayden had last seen him nine months ago. His stocky frame had become more muscular, with powerful arms that bulged and pulled beneath his parka as he moved. That already handsome face of his had become even more stunning, too, and a dark beard dusted his jaw and chin. He wore a ski cap pulled low over his brow, and soft, unruly curls spilled out from underneath the wool. With his dark hair longer than Hayden had ever seen it, Josh now sported a pirate-turned-ski-bum allure. But all of that, as breathtaking as it was, was the least interesting surprise.

  It was all about the other wolf’s eyes. They’d always been mesmerizing, truly lovely. But their piercing, luminous green-gold depths had intensified, new flecks of light blue and amber accentuating their rare beauty. Hayden confirmed that change when Josh glanced up from his clipboard, clicked his pen shut and swung his light-eyed gaze right on him. A thrill rang through the center of Hayden’s chest as they stared at each other, saying nothing for several long heartbeats.

  Hayden had already been struggling with a serious hard-on just from being next to the man, but Josh’s single, arresting glance made his jeans tighten uncomfortably. His hardened cock pressed against his zipper, his balls tightened and his entire groin began to ache. Thank God he’d worn his parka. Without its coverage, everyone on the tarmac would have seen exactly how Josh Peterson affected him. And Josh would have seen too—no doubt lifting a challenging eyebrow when he noticed the damning, bulging evidence in the front of Hayden’s pants.

  Which would’ve only been the beginning. Under Josh’s subtle inspection, Hayden’s arousal would have twitched and leaped enthusiastically, the prominent tent in the center of his jeans swelling even more. And at this, well, Josh would have laughed softly, amused as always by Hayden’s hopeless lack of control whenever they came in contact.

  Not this time, Hayden thought with a soft growl, and yanked his parka securely over his hips, although it was obvious Josh had already pegged the sit
uation perfectly. His vibrant eyes sparkled with amusement, and he nodded his head knowingly, the corners of his full lips turning up at the edges into a smug, self-satisfied smile.

  Damn, damn, damn, Hayden cursed inwardly, he sniffed out my arousal.

  Sometimes it sucked being a werewolf, especially in the presence of another one—one who did some kind of sneaky voodoo magic on your hormones just by plain fact of existence. A fellow Alpha who didn’t—and never would—return the sentiment.

  If Hayden didn’t do something to seize control of this situation, he was going to crash and burn, big time. Interestingly enough, however, it was Joshua who tried to get the conversation back on track.

  “So, home for the holidays.” Josh sang the partial refrain of the song. “That’s cool. But they don’t get snow back in New Hampshire?” The other Alpha laughed with surprising softness, and Hayden found himself wanting to say far too much.

  “Missed home. The folks.” He looked around, making sure no one was listening, and lowered his voice confessionally. “Really missed my people…all our people.”

  Hayden hoped Josh would catch his deeper meaning. How he longed to be around their own kind, rival packs or not. Those differences didn’t mean crap when you needed the companionship of other wolves. Thank God he was almost done at Dartmouth and would be back here in Wyoming for good in less than six months.

  Josh’s smile became sympathetic. “Tough being alone I bet,” he agreed. “None of our people out that way?”

  “Our people” was a sort of Mafia code phrase for fellow werewolves, and had always made Hayden laugh. He usually half-expected some consigliore to show up and start quoting The Godfather.

  “None of the peeps.” Hayden shook his head.

  “Maybe you want to step out while you’re home?” Josh suggested in a friendly tone. “Get a beer, go hit the trails…”

  Now, what the hell was this?

  The two of them didn’t run together, not as humans or wolves. They never had, except…there’d been one night after Hayden’s freshman year of college when he’d gone out hunting alone. After months away, he was thrilled to be back in the valley, feeling the beating rays of the full moon on his wolf’s back. The way the summer breeze blew over the land, rippling his fur, awakening his ancient instincts.

  He’d stopped to lap a drink from the river when he scented another wolf nearby. Looking up, he discovered Josh Peterson in wolf form, standing on an outcropping. The other Alpha was positioned over the river, bathed in silver moonlight. He was much larger than Hayden ever would have imagined, yet possessed a surprisingly sleek and compact elegance. Dark fur covered his entire body except for two places—his chest, which was marked by a thick tuft of white, and then his ears, which were white as well. His beautiful, unearthly eyes shone in the night, gleaming like those of a glorious predator.

  After a moment in the other wolf’s thrall, Hayden came crashing to his senses, long enough to panic. Josh’s presence meant Hayden had inadvertently veered onto the other pack’s land, violating the treaty between their two clans. By all rights Josh could—and should—have challenged him for the transgression. Instead, Josh had tilted his wolf’s head sideways, sniffing the air and studying Hayden intently. Then, he’d made a light yelping sound, a playful, inviting one, and they’d taken off together on a spectacular run. Josh had shown him places he’d never discovered before, special spots that were off limits to Hayden’s own pack. The bond he’d felt, running and hunting with the other wolf, had transcended anything he’d ever experienced before…or since.

  Josh’s laughter brought him back to the moment. “Yep, still our same Hayden. Daydreaming like always.”

  Hayden scowled at him. “I’m not your Hayden.”

  Josh only rolled his eyes, unaffected by Hayden’s barking tone. “Yeah, whatever.” And then he smiled, a genuine, beautiful thing, and all of Hayden’s natural defenses melted away. “So what about making a plan, dude?” Josh asked casually. “You up for a night out? It’s been too long.”

  All right. Act like this is normal, no big thing. Hayden cleared his throat, pushing his glasses up his nose, then ran a hand through his short hair. “Yeah, sounds cool,” he said, then shoved both hands in his jacket pockets in an effort to stop his anxious fidgeting. “Maybe get a couple of beers, sure.”

  “Moon’s up on the twenty-ninth,” Josh volunteered, eyes gleaming suddenly.

  Hayden’s chest tightened sharply. So Josh wasn’t suggesting a casual drink, but something much more intimate: a run together at the moon’s peak cycle, when their bodies and hormones—and transformative energy—would be bursting forth from their wolf forms.

  Still, as thrilling as the prospect was, something didn’t seem right. Maybe Josh’s dad had put him up to this invitation, hoping Hayden might spill pack secrets, or slip up and reveal too much.

  “Maybe,” Hayden said with a noncommittal shrug. “Call me.”

  Josh blinked back at him, clearly not understanding Hayden’s sudden aloofness. “Should I call you?” he asked quietly, uncertainty flashing in those mystical, magnetic eyes of his.

  Hayden shrugged again. “Sure, that’s what I said. I’m up for a night out.”

  Another airline employee called to Josh, and he held a finger out to Hayden. “Hang on a sec, man. Be right back.” He moved away, adjusting his headset, apparently receiving some direction. Hayden watched, feeling the familiar burn of desire in every part of his body.

  Growing up in the Jackson area, and being the same age, had meant that Hayden and Josh were constantly crossing paths. Competing for positions on athletic teams, or top grades in class. Their secret rivalry, however, was far more intense: they were both Alphas being groomed to assume their fathers’ leadership roles when the appropriate time arrived.

  Hayden wasn’t an idiot, either. It was pretty obvious that Josh had taken some heavy shit because he hadn’t matched Hayden’s own academic achievements. The politics between their two clans made him nuts. All of it was so ridiculously antiquated and competitive, especially if a wolf had even a slight Alpha strain in his blood.

  Everything was a source for squabbling between their two packs. Land, resources, mates, animal rights. Almost any disagreement had the potential to set off months of fighting, which had made growing up in a small town, constantly around the sons of rival pack members, nasty business at times. Still, no one had ever gotten in Hayden’s craw like the rugged, handsome Alpha who stood over at the airline desk right now.

  Josh gave off a scent unlike any Hayden had ever known, one filled with intelligence, hidden wit, dominance…and a thousand other nuances Hayden simply refused to analyze. But as he always did whenever around Josh, Hayden reacted powerfully, instinctually…like the absolute wolf he was at heart. Well, absolutely gay wolf, was more like it.

  Hayden had known he was queer since he was fifteen, had told his family as much at sixteen. Their pack knew it; the townsfolk knew it. Hell, Josh obviously knew it, same as all the rest of their acquaintances. On the other hand, Josh was as straight as any man ever got, Alpha or otherwise, so there was no point to all of Hayden’s yearning. In fact, Hayden would have done anything to stamp out the unrequited attraction.

  Hell, wasn’t attending college thousands of miles away a respectable enough attempt?

  Josh trotted back toward him. “Sorry about that,” he called out with a wave of his clipboard. “Anyway….” His husky voice trailed off.

  There wasn’t anything more to say. The whole ridiculous conversation was an exercise in humiliation, at least as far as Hayden was concerned. He never should have gotten so excited about the idea of a night out with the guy. As it was, he was standing here on the cold tarmac, with a throbbing erection and balls that really might turn some shade of blue at any moment. Yeah, he’d name that color Bruised Ego Blue.

  Hayden rocked back and forth on his feet, search
ing for something to say. “So, yeah, you’re gonna call me,” he finally blurted, all his previous hesitation taking off like one more plane taxiing down the runway.

  Suddenly Josh’s luminous eyes widened perceptively. And there it was again, his cocksure, knowing smile.

  God, but Hayden wanted to haul off and plant his fist in the middle of that smug grin. Knock it right off the guy’s gorgeous face. Yeah, Hayden knew he had to be absolutely reeking of lust, a strong scent that couldn’t be missed by any fellow wolf. Things had gone this way between them on dozens of other occasions—with Hayden forever trying to hide his arousal and insane desires while Joshua left him hanging, amused to watch Hayden struggle.

  Damn, but Hayden suddenly wished he’d never left New Hampshire.

  “Better go,” he said, attempting to force brightness into his tone. Only the words came out much sultrier than he’d intended.

  Hell, even his voice was betraying him now, he thought, feeling his face flush, and not from windburn.

  “Yeah, getting hot out here, isn’t it, Hayden?” Josh smiled up at him, his bright-eyed gaze pure innocence.

  You bastard. The heat crept from Hayden’s face, all the way into his neck. Of course Josh didn’t want to go out on a run or be drinking buddies. He’d been mocking him all along, having a little fun at the gay wolf’s expense.

  Mortified, Hayden muttered a lame goodbye and set off across the tarmac to the terminal, stepping gracefully around patches of ice and snow. Thanks to his very long legs, he was to the terminal in no time, but not before Joshua’s damned husky voice and scent appeared right behind him.

  “Hayden.” Josh’s hand came around him, pressing the door shut before he could open it. Hayden stared at Josh’s forearm, braced only inches from his own shoulder, rippling with barely checked strength. Josh’s parka sleeve rode up, revealing a muscular arm dusted with curling, dark hair. It was truly a man’s arm, no longer that of a boy.