Mission Primal (Men of the Pack Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Mission Primal

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  SNEAK PREVIEW – (TITLE TBD) – SILVER MOON PACK -- BOOK 2 expected publication June 2017

  Mission Primal

  Silver Moon Pack Series

  Book One

  By Parker Skye

  Mission Primal (Silver Moon Pack Book 1)

  Copyright 2017 Parker Skye

  Published by Parker Skye

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Prologue

  Ben methodically went through his belongings, putting the nonessentials back in his dresser neatly. Inside he glowed with pride to finally be entrusted with an important mission and it showed in the care he took in his packing. When Alpha Leikos had requested his presence in his office the night before, Ben had hoped it was for something important, something that would give him more of a chance to prove himself. He hadn’t been disappointed.

  That wasn’t to say Ben was ungrateful or unhappy with his previous duties. He was, after all, an important member of the border guard, protecting his homeland from intruders and wayward human travelers. Ben guessed he had proved himself worthy and reliable over this past year of hard work, since his new alpha had seen fit to choose him for an away mission, which did not happen every day. His pack was fairly isolated in the panhandle of Florida. For the most part, they kept to themselves and did not often venture far outside their home boundaries. For Ben to be chosen to travel alone so far away from pack lands was undoubtedly an honor.

  Ben preened in the mirror as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His bright blue eyes shone with excitement as he brushed his wavy blonde locks off his forehead. He wished again he had had time to get a trim before he left. It bugged him when it was long enough to get in his eyes. Ben smoothed down the collar of his blue dress shirt, trying to smother the nerves burbling in his stomach. As excited as he was to be chosen for this mission, he was also secretly afraid of screwing it all up.

  The details of his assignment were limited to need to know basis only. Ben worried a little at how blind he was going into this assignment, but Alpha Leikos had assured Ben that he had his full support and he would give him more details if needed. The mission would take him several states away, to an area in East Texas called Lakeland – which funnily had not so much as a pond, much less a lake from what little research Ben had had time to do the night before. Ben did know there were no other packs nearby, which could be good and bad. While there would be no chance of causing discord by entering another pack’s territory uninvited, it also left him practically naked without another pack to ask for support if he got into trouble.

  Alpha Leikos had given him only the basics of his assignment, trusting Ben to figure out the fine details. Having studied his dossier the night before, Ben had worked out what he believed to be a fool-proof plan. Swinging his saddle bags over one shoulder, Ben took one last look around his small home, making sure all was in place for his return. He closed the door behind him and walked the short distance to the parking lot where sat his pride and joy – a 2012 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic -- black with midnight blue accents. He attached his saddle bags and sat for a few moments taking a long look around at his home. Several members of his pack were there to see him off, but strangely, his Alpha was absent. His best friends Ryan and Kieran approached to offer their goodbyes.

  “Now remember, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Ryan said, smiling widely, his black hair blowing every which way in the strong breeze.

  “There’s something you won’t do? Color me shocked,” commented the carrot-topped Kieran, elbowing Ryan in the ribs.

  “No, seriously, Ben, you be safe out there, you hear? I don’t want to have to explain to your brother about having to bail you out of trouble again,” Ryan said.

  “You know that wasn’t my doing, Ryan Fearborn. That was all you. I was just slower on the escape and got caught,” Ben denied through a laugh.

  “Sure it was,”Ryan said, cheekily.

  “Don’t listen to this jackass, Ben. When do you think you’ll be back?” Kieran asked.

  “Not sure, but I’ll make this trip as short as possible. Sorry, but I can’t talk about the details,” Ben answered, chest puffing out with obvious pride at being in the know.

  “We know the drill, right Ryan? Well, like he said, you stay safe, all right? And call if you need us for anything…well, if you can, I mean,” Kieran added.

  “Sure thing. Well, I better head out. I have a long trip ahead of me,” Ben said, turning the key on his bike’s ignition. Both men gave a half-hearted wave as Ben rolled toward the gate leading out of their pack lands.

  Ben met the eyes of several of his other pack mates, some in their human forms, some in wolf. He nodded again in a silent goodbye. In that moment he wished his brother was here to see him off, but Logan had been out on an assignment of his own for the last six weeks. Ben hadn’t spoken to his brother since the first week of his mission. He hoped the radio silence was nothing more than Logan’s diligence to duty. This was the first time since their parents died five years before that the brother’s had spent more than a few days apart.

  As Ben approached the final gate exiting his pack lands, his nerves tried to show themselves in a subtle shake in his hands. He clenched his fists tighter on the handlebars to quell the tremor. Finding his inner strength, Ben managed to pull through the gate with his back straight and proud. Inside he pretended to laugh at his fears. Surely he would be back by month’s end. Besides, how hard could capturing one human really be?

  Chapter 1

  Adam Harris

  The day Adam Harris’ life began to change started pretty much like any other. He awoke to the blaring of his phone’s alarm at six a.m. on the dot. He hit the snooze exactly twice as usual, buying himself another 18 precious minutes of time under the covers, curled in the fetal position. At eighteen minutes past six, his alarm sounded for the third time, prompting his father to yell at him to get his lazy ass out of bed, same as every other day.

  Adam threw back the covers disgustedly and shuffled to his closet, eyes still half-shut
. He dug through the pile of mostly clean clothes on his closet floor, finding a very questionable white tube sock with something crusty and green stuck all along one edge. He grimaced and flung the biohazard masquerading as clothing toward his hamper, missing by a good mile. Adam shoved his hair out of his face with one hand and went back to looking for something salvageable to wear. He pulled out the least wrinkled t-shirt he could find and a faded pair of boardshorts, slipping them on. He shoved his bare feet into his beat up red Converse for good measure. After the nasty sock catastrophe, he wasn’t going to risk finding a pair that was clean enough to wear. Lord knew what condition the rest would be in. Adding “wash clothes” to his mental to-do list, Adam dropped his phone and earbuds in his shorts pocket.

  Adam realized on the way to the bathroom that the added weight of his phone would get him cited for indecent exposure before he even made it to his bus. He carefully readjusted the shorts’ tie until it was properly cutting off his circulation from the waist down. Adam didn’t know why, but he took extra time with his hair this morning, actually looking in a mirror while running his hands through his dark auburn waves. He knew from long standing experience that aiming for an actual style was pointless no matter the amount of product he added. He hoped his current hairstyle just said “not homeless”. He didn’t expect much more than that. At least his bright green eyes were unusual enough to distract from the rest…he hoped. The thick brows that were slightly darker than the hair on his head, made to highlight the color of his eyes, making his eyes sparkle from the contrast. He considered for a minute tweezing the few stray hairs at the edge of his brows, but quickly dismissed the thought deciding it was too much work.

  Finally satisfied that he looked as good as could be expected this morning, he turned to the tasks of basic hygiene. While he didn’t think he was overly much to look at, he didn’t find the need to be repulsive. Smelliness was not allowed, no matter how much he liked to keep a good distance between himself and others. It wasn’t that he didn’t like people…well, yes it was, but still.

  Brushing his teeth took exactly the American Dental Association's’ recommended two minutes. A swish and spit of mouthwash, complete with its expected burn, and Adam was good to go.

  Adam bypassed the kitchen, no time to waste searching for something to fill his empty stomach. He thought he had the remnants of a smashed granola bar in his backpack which he could inhale on the bus. Adam’s hand was on the doorknob at thirty-two minutes past six, according to the living room clock. Adam smiled to himself. He was right on time. It was going to be a good day after all.

  “Hold it there, Sport,” came a deep gravelly voice from the living room.

  Adam’s head dropped. He’d been so close. ‘Same shit, different day,’ he thought to himself dismally.

  “I want you home right after school today. No fartin’ around with your loser friends. Things need doin’ around here, got it?”

  “Sure, Charles, I got it,” Adam said, looking over his shoulder to face his father with a smirk.

  Fire flashed in Charles’ eyes. Faster than Adam could get the door open, Charles had his face pinned to the doorframe. Charles’ acrid morning breath, tinged with the unmistakable odor of vodka, flooding up into Adam’s nostrils.

  “Whoa, hitting the sauce a little early today, aren’t you, Charles?” Adam said through gritted teeth, still rebelling despite the side of his face being crushed into the doorframe.

  “What was that, boy? You think you’re a comedian this morning, do you?” Charles growled, spittle flying and spraying Adam’s cheek. Charles added a punch to Adam’s right kidney for good measure. Adam wanted to groan but knew the display of pain would inspire further brutality from his asshole of a father.

  “I’m talking to you, boy. You forget who’s the boss already? Maybe I need to teach you another lesson,” Charles continued, delivering another blow to Adam’s sore kidney.

  “You better start showing some respect or things are gonna change and not for the better, you can count on it.” Charles practically snarled, pressing Adam’s face into the door even harder for emphasis. “What’s that, boy? I’m still waiting.”

  Adam glared at the floor, unwilling to respond, despite the pressure against his skull as his father pushed harder. He added a hard twisting pinch to the flesh of Adam’s side for added measure. Finally through the shimmer of unwanted tears that was starting to impede his vision, Adam met Charles’ gaze and visibly surrendered. His gaze dropped to the floor in a show of submission.

  “Yes, sir. I’ll be home after school,” Adam replied through gritted teeth, using his residual anger to hide the pain.

  “You better be or you’re gonna regret it. Now get out of here. I’m not driving you to school if you miss the bus again,” Charles said, practically pushing Adam out the door. Adam stumbled through the first few steps but did his best to shake it off. His kidney throbbed like a bitch, but he’d had worse. At least this morning his wasn’t bleeding.

  Seeing the last of the kids from his block climbing on to the bus, he started jogging, his kidney pulsing with each footfall. Thankfully, the bus driver saw him and waited until he had thrown himself up the first two steps. He would have offered the driver thanks, but it was obvious by the way she refused to make eye contact that she didn’t really want to get involved. She was just doing her job. The closing door practically clipped his heel as he squeezed through.

  Adam maneuvered the aisle toward the back as the bus started to move. He tossed his bag into his usual seat, right-side, second from the last row. He gracelessly collapsed beside his backpack, arms crossed over his chest, feet punched out under the seat in front. He avoided looking at any of the other students, blankly staring out the window at nothing.

  After several more stops that took them into the nicer neighborhoods closer to the high school, Adam had started nodding off. His inability to keep his eyes open likely stemmed from the fading adrenaline after his morning run-in with Charles. In his inner thoughts, Adam refused to think of Charles as his dad. Adam had met some of his friends’ dads, back when he’d had friends. Charles had nothing dad-like about him other than biology.

  Besides the almost constant belittling peppered with occasional physical abuse, Charles didn’t pay attention to Adam much at all. Charles didn’t even notice he didn’t need to force Adam to come home directly after school. Adam always came straight home right after school, having nowhere else he needed or desired to go. Adam figured even if Charles knew this, he chose to ignore it. The pretense that Adam had a life outside their doors, still gave Charles something he could hold over the boy, some privilege he could threaten to take away. It was one of the reasons Adam didn’t have a life outside of home and school anymore. He had learned the hard way it was better to have nothing worth losing, than suffer through the loss of something that really mattered.

  Adam’s head was dropping awkwardly towards his chest only to be startled upright seconds later. He repeated this several times over the next few moments, unable to shake off the fog clouding his brain after his morning’s fight-or-flight experience.. As the adrenaline left his system, the usual exhaustion followed.

  A hand on Adam’s right shoulder caused an almost comical overcorrection, leaving him practically horizontal on top of his backpack, fists balled up like a boxer bumping fists with his next opponent.

  “Dude, sorry,” said an incredibly tall blonde guy wearing a vibrant blue and orange sweatshirt that read Florida Gators. Adam’s mouth hung open slightly at the sight standing before him. Is this guy for real?

  Standing in the aisle was the definition of male perfection. It caused Adam not a second’s hesitation to come to this conclusion. It wasn’t that Adam found himself attracted. On the contrary, he found himself almost repulsed by how stunning the guy seemed to be.

  The blonde’s chest was mostly hidden by the bulky sweatshirt, but from the width of his shoulders, Adam suspected it was made of granite if it matched the rest of him. He wore k
haki cargo shorts showing off golden calves that could be used for an anatomy demonstration for all the muscular definition on display. Adam caught himself staring at the guys huge hands, which if the old wive’s tale was true, meant….

  “Can I sit here? There aren’t any more seats,” the guy asked, oblivious to the internal dialogue running through Adam’s brain at that moment.

  Realizing his mouth still hung open from shock, Adam snapped it shut. A faint blush crept up Adam’s neck, making his general paleness even more obvious. Adam continued to stare back at the blonde giant, thinking there was no way this guy was a high school student. Adam mentally chiding his racing heart as he slowly relaxed back into his normal affect which was mostly a variation on a displeased scowl.

  The other guy continued to stand in the aisle one hand resting on the back of the bench seat as he waited for Adam’s response. After a few moments, it became obvious Adam wasn’t going to respond, causing the blonde to run his other hand through his perfect ash blonde hair and sigh out loud in exasperation.

  “Dude, come on. There really are NO other seats. Move over so we can go,” the blonde said again, trying to keep the irritation from his voice. Adam looked around, realizing the bus, in fact, was still at a full stop. The driver must have more concern for Thor’s safety than Adam’s. She hadn’t seemed to have any qualms about taking off before Adam had found his seat earlier.