Too Far Gone: Adirondack Pack, #2

By K.C. Stewart

Tired of her horrific past continually being dredged up and broadcast all over, Sadie James leaves her hometown to start over.  But her new Adirondack home has secrets and dangers that change everything for her.

Wolf shifter, Tyson Cartwright is mourning the life he once knew.  His past haunts him as he reluctantly relinquishes his human side.  But when newcomer Sadie James comes face-to-face with Tyson's most vile enemy, he vows to protect her--no matter the cost.  As Tyson and Sadie grow closer, he struggles to keep her safe while battling his own demons.  Suddenly, he must choose between saving Sadie and ultimately destroying her.  Can he fight the pull of the wild or is he too far gone to save the one woman he's destined to love? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.C. Stewart
• Release date: May 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781536506709

K.C. Stewart

K.C. Stewart is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Hailey Holloway series and most recently, the Adirondack Pack series. All her life she had fantasized and day-dreamed on a regular basis but it wasn’t until she began writing short stories that she made those fantasies a reality. She has graduated to novels but still dabbles in the occasional flash fiction and short story. Because of her love for reading and the written word, K.C. is currently working towards her Masters in Library Science. When she isn’t taking photographs, studying or writing, she is supporting a very real gummy bear habit. Currently, she lives with her husband and pack of german sheperds.

Book preview

Part One

One

Yellow eyes glared down at her with a hatred she had never felt before. This was pure undiluted loathing. At this moment, she felt like a bug that hadn’t died after being stepped on. She was almost dead, the shoe had gotten the majority of her limbs and both her wings but one leg still twitched in agony.

They continued to gaze at her. Never softening. Never changing. They were beautiful in a lethal kind of way with a rich golden hue much like that of a slowly sinking sun but with none of the warmth that came with it. The color was striking and for a moment Sadie was lost in them. Lost in the unblinking enmity.

The moment didn't last long.

Those eyes—those gorgeous, sweltering, scary as hell eyes—belonged to that of a wolf. His face was a beautiful light gray hidden behind a mask of black that she assumed ran down the length of his back. She didn't know for sure. She couldn't see that far from her vantage point. Sadie had the unfair positioning of being on her hands and knees as if bowing to the wolf who stood above her.

From here he was big. Really big.

His teeth were big too. Sadie noticed how white they were when he bared them for her in a growl that made her insides seize. Her teeth weren't even that white. Did he floss? She imagined that bits of bone and fur from whatever animal he was preying on would probably get stuck in between his teeth like popcorn kernels did for her.

Why the hell was she thinking about his teeth?

Maybe because they are only inches from me, begging to sink into my flesh.

Sadie was moments from having her throat ripped out and she was wondering how he flosses. Get yourself together, woman! But how could she gather her wits when out of that snarling mouth came a long, thin, line of drool. He was literally salivating at the sight of her. Her eyes followed as it slowly fell. The line of drool acting as the bungee and the drop that gathered at the end as the jumper. Sadie swallowed as half of it plummeted to the ground, the rest quickly gathered back up at his mouth ready to descend again.

This was what happened when she didn't watch where she was going. Sadie had apparently not learned her lesson the year prior. Had she been paying attention to where her feet were stepping, she would have noticed the knotted tree root sticking up a few inches out of the ground. And if she would have noticed that then she wouldn't have fallen on her face and scratched the hell out of her knees before having the pleasure of looking up into the golden eyes of a very hungry wolf.

The fur on his neck and down his back was standing on end making him seem larger than he actually was. Or at least she hoped he wasn’t that large. Her mind whirled trying to remember what the proper procedure was for running into a wolf in the woods. Bears had been covered extensively in her Girl Scout troop as a child but wolves had not. Sadie hoped that staying still and submissive would make him go away but who was she kidding? Sadie was no one's submissive. She may have been physically below him but her eyes never left his. Bad move on her part. It would probably be the last thing she saw but it wasn't in her nature to look away from an enemy. No, she was more of a hit them upside the head with a hardback copy of The Complete Collection of Edgar Allen Poe and run for the gun in her dresser kind of girl.

She didn't have a large heavy book, nor a gun. All she had was her wits and a granola bar in her back pocket. Much good it would do her there. Sadie doubted that this canine had any appetite for a stick of granola with a small spattering of tiny chocolate chips, which were probably imitation anyway. Why eat that when he could have her kidneys, warm and gooey all soaked in blood?

Why did she have to go on a walk? Was her life not fudged up enough that she had to add death to the list of shit she had to deal with? Fudge, she cursed. The wolf's head tilted just slightly at an angle. Sadie felt the need to explain when he looked at her like that. I can’t say the F-word ok? But I think I’m allowed to curse in my last moments of living. Stop your judging and kill me already.

He didn't. The wolf continued to snarl and growl. In all honesty, it was getting a bit old and repetitive. After a while it just wasn't that scary anymore. That or she had come to terms with her inevitable demise and was ready to move on. But no, she was getting over the initial fear. She'd faced worse and made it relatively unscathed to the other side. Sadie still had dreams, and panic attacks, and flashbacks, and would shake uncontrollably, and…who was she kidding? She was a mess and to be killed by this wolf would be a mercy.

Do it, she told him. Just…do it already.

He listened, understood. Settling his weight on his back legs, the wolf looked just over her shoulder and leapt. As down with death as she had been a moment earlier, Sadie still dove for the ground and covered her head with her hands. So she wasn't the brave heart who would face her demise with honor and grace. Was it really that surprising?

The wolf jumped over her. She didn't know for certain because her head was buried in her arms but she could feel the disturbance in the air above her. He growled with warning. This time, the noise shot like lightning down her spine. Every one of the billions of nerves in her body was tingling. When he growled again...wait, that wasn't the same growl. It was a bit higher pitched, not much but enough to differentiate between the first one.

There were two wolves…and she was the big juicy rare steak.

The fight began out of nowhere. Two dogs fighting, even sometimes simply playing sounded horrific to her, but this was so many times worse than that. The snapping of teeth. A whine from a bite hitting its intended mark. The heat bearing down on her from the blazing mid-afternoon sun. She believed she could smell blood too, but it was probably just her mind filling in what her eyes couldn't see. She was, after all, still cowering under the safety of her quaking arms.

Soon, but still long enough to scar her for life, the sounds abated as the fighting abruptly stopped. Who had won? Did it matter? It was the devil she knew or the devil she didn't. Either way, they both wanted to gnaw on her bones.

The silence of the forest was almost worse than the sounds of fighting. It was so insanely loud with absolute nothingness. Emptiness sounded a lot like the last second before a roller coaster dropped over the first hill. For one brief second, there was absolutely nothing. No thought. No breath. No sound beyond the beating of your own heart in your ears. But even that stops just before the descent begins. Right before you are pulled over, there is a complete sense of weightless nothingness. Too soon, you are half laughing half screaming with a smile so big bugs are getting caught in your teeth.

Was this the beginning of her descent?

In her musings, Sadie had missed the footsteps. Light and airy they floated over the few dried leaves and soft grass to stand beside her. The wolf's presence soothed and excited her in her twisted mental state. While his tongue licked at her fingers and cold nose nudged at her arm, she became irritated.

Didn't your mother ever tell you to not play with your food? she grumbled. Between her arm and the piece of moss she was laying on, Sadie looked at the wolf. It was the one from before, the one with the yellow eyes. She sighed momentarily with relief then remembered she was dinner before they were so rudely interrupted. He nudged her arm again and that's when she looked at him, really looked. The wolf was no longer salivating and kind of looked wholesome now that his nose wasn't scrunched up towards his eyes showing off his chompers. He sat his butt down in front of her and rested his head on his paws. Their noses were mere inches from each other. Behind him, she caught the tip of his tail wagging slowly from side to side.

Hi.

He raised his head and looked dignified and slightly abashed.

So I take it I'm off the menu tonight?

His mouth opened and his tongue flopped to the side as he panted.

That's not a very good confirmation. She pushed up to her hands and knees and sat back on her feet. The wolf sat up as she did. They were the same height now and looking right into each other's eyes. At this height, he didn't look like anything more than an oversized dog. His ears stood up straight with pointy little tips that looked like they were dipped in black paint. The line of dark fur on his face did, in fact, run the length of him. Sadie thought he looked a little like a skunk in reverse.

If you're not going to eat me can I go home?

He stayed put. She took that as a yes and began to rise. Slowly, because he was a still a wolf and she didn't want to spook him and end up losing a hand, Sadie rose to her feet and brushed off the bits of forest that clung to her shorts and t-shirt.

Once more, the wolf followed her lead and got to his feet. Without thinking, or a second glance, she turned on her heel and began to walk back to her house. This was the very last time she wandered this far from her place. If it was not within eye shot, she was too far away.

Lesson learned.

Shame on her.

Bad Sadie.

She stopped.

The soft padding of footsteps behind her stopped too.

You've got to be kidding me, she said looking upward to the heavens. Seriously? She didn't want to but glanced behind her anyway. Sure enough, the wolf stood a few paces behind her with a look of, why'd we stop? Groaning, she turned back around and continued to walk. She told herself that he was just being a gentleman and walking her home. Then she remembered he was a wolf and was probably just finding out where she lived so he could visit at some point for a midnight snack. And a snack was all he would be getting with her.

At one point she had an overflow of curves, the kind that could drive a man crazy with lust. Her hair had once been healthy and vibrant blonde that didn’t come from a bottle. Now it resembled straw with its dull, lackluster hue and stringy texture. She had loved her body before, no matter how short she was. These days she had more bone than fat. Sadie didn't need anyone telling her she was too thin, her mother did that on a daily basis. But it wasn't easy keeping on weight when she just threw up her food after each meal. Not on purpose, mind you. She wasn't bulimic or anorexic or any other eating disorder that ended with ic. Sadie loved food and savored each bite like it would be her last. It was the post-traumatic stress that had her worshiping the porcelain goddess on a bi-daily basis.

Her house came into sight little by little until she hit her front porch. It wasn't home yet, but it was getting there. Had she not taken that little break and almost died, she would have been that much closer to calling it home with one less box to unpack. At the moment, her living room was a sea of cardboard and crumpled up newspaper. The kitchen and bedroom weren't looking too much better. Moving sucked. And the only thing worse than moving was the weeks of unpacking that followed. Should the cups go on this shelf or that one? Did the couch work better here or there? Was the glare on the TV going to annoy her in the afternoon? So many options. She would position and reposition everything for the next four months until one day she just wouldn't care anymore.

The wolf yipped behind her. Not a bark but more of a Hey! Not to freak you out, but I'm still here.

Um... she hummed turning towards him. Thanks for not eating me and for defending me from the other wolf. I'll make you a steak in thanks sometime. Not now though because all I have in my kitchen is a loaf of bread and a jar of Nutella. Bye. Quickly, she turned and walked up the four steps to her porch. He was quicker. Darting up beside her, the coarse strands of his fur startled her as they brushed against her bare legs. The wolf climbed the steps and sat on the top one in front of her. As she lifted a confused eyebrow he lowered himself like the Sphinx and sat staring out over the yard.

That was...unexpected. He looked content, though. His face tilted up towards the beam of sunlight that was sunning the porch. With a pant, he closed his eyes and soaked it in. Sadie stood on the last step unsure of what that was all about. In the end, she decided that she just didn't feel like dealing with it right then and stepped around him and into her house.

Later, after she had a shower and went into shock was when she would deal with the wolf on her porch. Procrastination was her bestie at the moment.

"Hold still or I'm likely to be cutting off something I think you're rather fond of."

Jack stiffened under the firm hand holding down his thigh. For a little thing, Lee had a hard grip. Her purple gloved hands dug into his flesh with her right while her left reached for a needle. You're going to need three stitches. If you don't squirm, I'll give you something sweet at the end.

Your lips are sweet, he pointed out with a grin. Lee rolled her eyes and jabbed him with the needle.

So are your abs but you don't see me licking them.

Jack barked out a laugh. He had always liked Lee, who was not only beautiful but intelligent. She was the pack doctor and a fine one at that. The woman had a way of giving her patients just what they needed, whether it be a joke, a smile, or in his case flirting to ease their mind while she poked and prodded.

Too bad she wasn't his type or she would make a great mate. Her shoulder length apple cider colored hair hung straight and she would often tuck one side back behind her ear revealing her blue eyes that would tempt even the ocean. From his position, he could see down her green tank top to the lovely line of cleavage that she was always sporting. Jack smiled. Had she been able to have children, Lee would have been mated off in minutes. The children thing was a deal breaker for most, if not all of the male wolves in the pack. Damn shame too, he thought.

Done, she said with a smile and pulled off her gloves disposing them in the waste basket beside her. You'll be fully healed in a day or two. Wasn't all that bad. Hell, when Tyson used to- Lee caught herself too late. He knew what was supposed to come next. Tyson, the almighty pack enforcer, used to come in with bites and cuts almost daily. He never flinched, or hurt, or showed any kind of fear, pain or emotion. The man had been a machine and was coveted like a god.

And then, to Jack’s amusement, he cracked. About a year ago the man's sanity snapped. It happened often enough to the old dogs and to enforcers. Not enough mental strength in the former and too much killing in the latter. One day their wolf would take over and wouldn't let go. The human could either fight or submit.

Tyson Cartwright, second in the pack and enforcer, had fallen and submitted to cowardice.

Thanks, Doc, Jack said with a greedy smile.

As the new pack enforcer, Jack had been out looking for Tyson. It had been three months since anyone had seen him last. The pack needed to keep an eye on him should he become hostile. The wolf had run, renouncing his pack and his human side. If it hadn't already happened, he would lose that side of himself for good and live out his life as a wolf.

By the events earlier Jack thought, with a grin, that Tyson was already gone.

He was pulling on a pair of black sweatpants when his Alpha walked in. Owen Purcell dominated any room he was in. Covered with dark olive skin, he beat even Jack's height of 6'1. Strong, quiet and always had his eyes open and ear to the ground. Owen tended to take a more sober approach to running the pack. Not that Jack didn't like him, he did. But his work it out amongst yourselves" attitude was a little lame. Had Jack been Alpha...when Jack became Alpha, he would be acknowledged in his position. None of that first name crap, he'd be Alpha to everyone. He'd also rule harder, punish more and level the scales between wolf and human. Owen leaned more toward human instincts, whereas Jack leaned toward the wolf side of things.

Hey Owen, Lee said from behind him.

As hard and grim as the man looked on the outside, when a female was around, especially Lee, he softened into butter. The man had a weak spot for the ladies. He rarely bedded any of them but would fiercely protect them to the end of days. Had a daddy complex if you asked Jack.

Lee, he said with a nod. Mind clearing out for a bit?

Sure, she shrugged. Stay tough, big guy. Lee punched Jack’s shoulder as she walked by. He watched the jiggle in her ass as she left. Damn fucking shame.

What happened? his Alpha's hard voice chilled the room.

Jack bent his head to each side only stopping after a hard crack sounded in his neck. He's gone. No way does he have any humanity left in him.

What makes you say that?

I found him stalking a woman not 100 yards from her house.

Owen didn't say anything. He was frowning at a jar of cotton balls. Tyson and Owen had been close. Everyone knew the wolf's absence cut the deepest with their Alpha. Lately, the pack bond had been making everyone depressed. Males were picking fights. Females were crying over the slightest thing. It was as if the entire pack all started their cycle together. Pretty soon marathons of Nicholas Sparks movies would be featured on the weekends and Hershey's stock would jump a few points. It was frustrating, to say the least. Owen's mood affected them all. Just like Lee's did and Jack's did. However, as Alpha, he knew better than to let his own inner turmoil leak into the pack bond.

I decided to follow him to make sure he didn't attack her. He didn't. Son of a bitch came after me. That was mostly the truth. Jack had gotten sidetracked when he saw the blonde hiking into the woods. He had followed her but only because she smelled so good. And her voice, sweet and crisp like a white wine. It was then that he had noticed Tyson tagging along.

Owen's eye twitched. And the woman?

Can't say for sure. He got in a nice bite but I led him off a ways. If she had any sense she would have gone home before he came back.

He nodded. Thoughts?

He's succumb to the wolf. No doubt about it.

Owen made a noncommittal grunt.

He needs to be put down, Owen.

His eyes unfocused for a moment. Looking at nothing with a hard brow. And then he was back. Looking at Jack with cool eyes. Rest up, he said before turning and leaving.

Nonsense, Jack said when he was alone. I have a woman to meet.

Two

"I need to call you something other than Wolf," Sadie yelled over her shoulder. She was attempting to tackle the organization of her kitchen. Empty boxes were piled in her living room waiting to be broken down and every dish, cup and utensil was lined up on her limited counter space waiting to find a home. The wolf sat just outside her back door on the porch. He refused to come inside. Which considering he was a wild animal, was probably a good thing. Sadie however, was beginning to consider him her pet. He was the dog she never had because of her mother's allergies.

Well? she asked turning towards him holding a whisk. What's your name going to be?

How did people name animals? Was there a book she was missing out