Day's Light

by M. A. Church

  “I guess your comment about lack of privacy caught Paul’s attention.” Mark climbed into the bed and flopped down on his side.

  “I guess so.” Hunter joined Mark. He ran his hand through Mark’s hair. “Are you okay, babe?”

  Mark leaned into the caress. “I know we need to talk, but…” Mark smiled weakly. His eyes started to burn, and he blinked frantically. “Shit.”

  Hunter pulled Mark into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around his mate. “They can’t hear us.”

  Mark buried his head in Hunter’s chest and let go. He cried until there was nothing left. All the pain, the fear, and the worry gushed out of him. When he finally ran out of steam, Hunter wound around him, holding him close. Mark drifted off to sleep with the softly murmured words of affection from Hunter in his ear.

  THE NEXT afternoon, Paul and Andy treated him and Hunter to a really late lunch. Mark assumed it was probably because they weren’t used to feeding werewolves, and there was no doubt, between him and Hunter, they could pack away the food.

  Once they got back, Paul pointed out they were right on the beach, and sun and sand were a great way to relax, even though it was January. Unbelievably, it was in the upper seventies there, but Paul did caution the water would probably be on the cool side.

  They decided to just take a blanket and sit outside for a while. As they hiked down, Mark noticed how close the condo was to the beach, and that Paul was sitting outside with Andy.

  “Keeping an eye on us, do you think?”

  “Probably.”

  “But it’s daylight. Vampires can’t come out during daylight hours, right?”

  “They can’t. But others can.” Hunter helped Mark lay out the blanket.

  Well, that was disconcerting.

  Mark sat down then leaned back, bracing himself on his elbows. He stared out over the ocean. What an amazing shade of blue. The waves crashed gently on the sand. There was a hint of salt in the air too. The tension he hadn’t realized he was carrying melted away. “It’s really pretty, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” Hunter eased down next to Mark on the blanket. “And so very different from what I’m used to. But I do think I could grow to like this.”

  There was the opening he had been waiting for. While sitting on the beach was nice and all, Hunter had been on edge ever since they got up. “What is it you want to talk to me about?”

  Hunter glanced out over the ocean for several minutes before he turned back to look at Mark. “I need you to be brutally honest with me. Do you think you’re ever going to be comfortable around my brother?”

  Shit. This particular subject was one he really didn’t want to discuss. “Hey, I like your brother! He’s never done anything to make me feel uncomfortable.”

  “But you aren’t, are you? Comfortable, that is.”

  “Do we really have to do this now?” Mark grimaced. Didn’t he have enough going on without adding this to it?

  “I’m afraid so. We need to face this, babe.”

  “Well then, I’m sorry, but no, I don’t think I’m ever going to be easy around him. And I hate that because he’s gone out of his way to make me feel comfortable. When he’s around, I’m on edge.” That was putting it nicely.

  “I know.”

  “Fuck, Hunter, he’s powerful, and it makes me nuts. Half the time my wolf is posturing, and the other half, he wants to go belly up—which pisses the both of us off. I don’t know how to not feel that way, dammit.” It frustrated him endlessly too. He liked Zane.

  “It’s an Alpha thing.”

  “You don’t feel that way,” Mark whined.

  “Oh, babe, Zane’s my brother. We may be related by blood, but believe me, we’ve butted heads often in the past.”

  “But it’s not the same thing I feel, is it?”

  “No. Well, not exactly. We may be brothers, but we are both alphas. It helps that we have our own little territory within our pack. I’ve told you this. But you’re an Alpha who is not blood related and who resides in a pack that already has two Alphas.”

  Mark studied Hunter’s face. There was worry there and concern, along with hints of sadness and resignation. Shit, shit, shit, he didn’t like what he felt from Hunter. He also listened with his heart. The mate link between them was stable but also full of determination. “You don’t think it’s going to get any better, do you?”

  “Not only do I think it’s not going to get better, I think eventually your wolf is going to goad you into challenging Zane.”

  Horrified, he gaped at Hunter. “I would never do that! He’s your brother. And I know fuck all about running a fucking pack. I mean, I’ve been a werewolf for all of a half a year. I’m not so arrogant to think that I could do a better job. Seriously, I’m not!”

  “It’s the nature of the beast, babe. You’re an Alpha, and eventually you’re going to want your own territory.”

  Suddenly Mark understood the feeling of determination he was getting from Hunter. It all made sense now, although he prayed he was wrong. “Does that mean you and I are going to eventually have problems?”

  “No, because we’re mated. But that does bring me to my next point. You and I need our own territory. Our own pack.”

  As relieved as Mark was to hear there weren’t problems lurking in the future for them, he hadn’t been expecting this. The meal he’d eaten earlier now sat like a rock in his gut. “Are you seriously talking about leaving your pack?”

  “First off? It’s our pack. Secondly, it’s also not that unusual. Zane and I are the exception to the rule. Normally, when an Alpha is born into a pack, they either forcibly take it over when they’re grown, wait for their parents to retire like ours did, or leave in order to establish a new pack. It’s time for me to leave.”

  “Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod, I’m gonna cause you to lose your pack?” How was Hunter sitting there so calmly? This was a big deal, was it not? Shouldn’t there be pacing involved? Maybe some pulling of hair? Cuss words at the very least? “Shit, Hunter.”

  “Hey, babe, don’t look at me like that. I will always be a part of the Day Canyon pack. You will be too. But it’s time for us to establish our own pack.” Hunter blew out a deep breath. “I’m going to challenge Alpha Bennett.”

  What? Whaaaat? “Ho-ly fucking hell. Are you serious? What does that entail? What’s a challenge? Is it dangerous?” Mark’s words tripped over themselves. “Are you absolutely sure this is the way to go? I mean, I can work harder on my reaction to your brother.” Mark jumped up. Seemed like he was going to do the pacing, hair pulling, and cussing. “Jesus fuck. Talk about blindsiding a guy. How long have you been thinking about this?”

  Hunter reached up and grabbed Mark’s hand. Gently he tugged. “Sit back down. Please?”

  Mark collapsed back down on the blanket. “How long, Hunter?”

  “Almost since the moment I knew you were an Alpha, but more and more here lately.”

  Mark’s head was spinning. How had he not picked up on this?

  “You threw several questions at me at once, so let me answer them as best I can. Yes, I’m serious. I believe this is what’s best for us. A challenge is where one Alpha challenges another Alpha to take over the pack. Think of it as a hostile takeover. As to what it entails? That’s simple. We shift into our hybrid form, and we fight until one of us can’t get up, meaning the loser submits.”

  “Uh-huh.” Granted, Mark didn’t know a whole bunch about werewolves yet, but he knew enough. “Right. Just gives up. Somehow I can’t see an Alpha doing that.”

  “They will unless they want to die.”

  Aaaand that was what he was worried about. “Fuck. Are you saying that a challenge is basically a death match?”

  “I’m not gonna lie. They can be.”

  Mark lay back, and for several minutes, he stared at the lovely blue sky above him. “You could die.”

  “It’s a possibility, but not likely. Babe, I’m damn strong.”

  “I’ll make sure to put tha
t on your headstone.”

  Hunter leaned over Mark. “There will be no headstones because I’m not going to die. I promise. And to your final question, the aggressiveness you feel toward Zane isn’t going to get better, so yes, I’m sure this is absolutely the way to go.”

  “Fuck.” Mark reached up and slid his hand around the back of Hunter’s neck. Hunter went willingly and kissed Mark’s lips. “I can’t lose you,” Mark whispered.

  “You won’t.” Hunter leaned back and pulled Mark into a sitting position. “As tempted as I am to lay down on top of you and let nature take its course, that’s not happening on sand. I’ve heard horror stories about sand in places it doesn’t belong. Plus, we still need to finish this talk of ours.”

  Mark huffed. “You’re going to challenge to take over the Marked Tree pack. What else is there to talk about?”

  “The reason. I’m going to challenge Alpha Bennett because of what happened to Michael. Alpha Bennett can deny knowledge of his werewolves’ actions, but that doesn’t excuse him from the repercussions. And being an Alpha myself, I call bullshit on that also. He knew. Our Betas don’t act without our knowledge.”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “I can’t prove it, but I have a feeling he kidnapped Michael as leverage against me and Zane. We were actively trying to find who trespassed on our territory and robbed our pack members. I guess he found out you lived, I mated you, and who Michael was to you. Maybe he thought if he had my mate’s brother as a hostage, we’d back off.”

  “That son of a bitch! And just what would he have done with Michael?”

  “Well, he certainly wouldn’t have let him go because as soon as he did, I would have been on his doorstep threatening to rip his throat out. He probably would have forcibly mated your brother to one of his pack members.”

  Mark’s gums burned as his fangs dropped. “I’m going to kill him.”

  “No, I’m going to kill him. Well, I will if he doesn’t submit once I beat him. I need you to stay calm because what I’m going to say next is going to piss you off, so get ahold of your wolf. I will be the one to challenge Alpha Bennett. Not you.”

  “Oh, fuck that!”

  “Control, Mark. No wolfing out here on the beach.”

  It took several deep breaths and a long mental conversation with his wolf before Mark finally managed to nod. “Tell me why.”

  “Alpha Bennett won’t accept a challenge from you. You’re a bitten wolf. In a circumstance like this, I seriously doubt Alpha Bennett will even recognize your Alpha status.”

  Mark’s growl was low and mean.

  Chapter Twenty-four – Hunter

  “IT ISN’T fair, I know. It’s why I’ll be the one to challenge him. He can’t manufacture some flimsy excuse to avoid me.” Hunter smiled evilly. “I’m hoping to rip his throat out and throw his body at your feet, mate.”

  “That’s so fucking hot.” Mark shivered. “That makes me wanna fuck you through the mattress.”

  “Tonight.” Hunter stood and held his hand out to Mark. “Right now, we need to get ready.”

  Mark grasped Hunter’s hand and let his mate help him to his feet. “Fuck. I didn’t notice the time.” Mark yanked Hunter to him, and his mouth crashed down on Hunter’s.

  The kiss seared Hunter to his toes. He couldn’t wait until later. They shook out the sand, folded the blanket, and trooped back across the beach to the condo.

  Paul waved at them from his deck. “I got a phone call from Jonas. He’s on his way here. I’d like the both of you to meet him. Why don’t you guys get ready, and we’ll all go out to eat. As soon as it gets dark, I’ll call Clay and set it up.”

  “Sure.” Mark shrugged. “We have to eat anyway.”

  Hunter followed Mark into Paul’s condo. Andy was coming out of the kitchen. “I heard what Paul said, and what he didn’t. This way you two can eat. Vampires don’t, you see, so I doubt they have much in the way of food at home.”

  “Oh. That makes sense.” Mark handed Andy the blanket. “Thanks. I didn’t think of that, actually.”

  “Their lifestyle is different than ours.” Andy dropped it on top of the washer. “The rest of us will come back while you guys follow Clay back to their house. I know you and Michael want to visit.”

  “Yes, we do. I’ll shower first and be right out.”

  “Okay.” Hunter wandered out to where Paul was sitting on the deck. “Thanks for thinking of that. Andy explained why.”

  “It’s no problem,” Andy said, joining them. “And Jonas really does want to meet Mark. He was the one investigating Mark’s disappearance.”

  Hunter sat in a deck chair across from Paul. “Thank you for being so concerned about my mate. It’s nice to know he has people who care.”

  They made small talk until Mark finished, then Hunter went to get ready. By the time he had joined them, it was dark outside. There was a man he hadn’t met yet talking quietly to Mark.

  “Clay said to meet them at the Sidestreet Steakhouse,” Paul said.

  Hunter perked up. “Steakhouse?”

  “Yes. It’s really good too.” Paul gestured toward the other man. “Alpha Hunter Day, this is Guardian Jonas Parker. Jonas? This is Hunter.”

  Jonas stood, tilted his head slightly, then held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Alpha Day.”

  “Call me Hunter.” Hunter shook Jonas’s hand. He barely managed to stop his reaction to the very clear, very thin gloves Jonas wore. How odd. Unless someone was shaking hands with him, they weren’t noticeable.

  “Then please, call me Jonas.” Jonas sat back down. “I was just talking to Mark. I’m glad you were there for him. We were worried. He was also telling me about your unfortunate meeting with Jackson.”

  Hunter didn’t quite know how to respond to that. He also couldn’t help but notice how powerful this Guardian was, and that he seemed a little stuffy. “It was something, all right.”

  Jonas’s lips twitched. “Welcome to the Jackson Needs to Die club. Please take a number. There’s a long line of us wanting to kill this asshole, but hey, you may get a chance.”

  Hunter burst out laughing. Huh. Maybe he was wrong on the stuffiness. Anyone with that kind of humor couldn’t be all bad. “Now that I can get behind.”

  There was a knock, and Andy opened the door. “Hey! Come on in, Nicholas.”

  Jonas immediately stiffened, and Hunter couldn’t help but notice. Hell, he was willing to bet the whole room did.

  There’s definitely something going on there.

  Got that right. Hunter agreed with his mate. The tension between the two men was ridiculous.

  “Is everyone ready?” Paul asked.

  “Are we sure this is a good idea?” Andy muttered softly to Paul.

  “I realize you’re worried about Jackson, but this is spur of the moment,” Paul whispered back. “There’s no way he could know what we planned.”

  Andy shivered. “I just have a bad feeling about this.”

  Did you catch that?

  Yes. Keep your eyes open, babe.

  “Hunter? I assume you’re going to take your truck since you’re going on to Clay’s house?” Paul asked.

  “Yes.” Although even if he and Mark weren’t, Hunter still would have driven. He didn’t like not having control, and being a passenger guaranteed he wouldn’t.

  Andy locked Paul’s condo, and they all went down to the parking lot. Once everybody was ready to go, Hunter fell in behind Paul’s vehicle. Twenty minutes later they were at the steakhouse, which was already pretty full.

  Paul parked in the back near an alley, and Hunter snagged a spot next to him. Clay and Michael pulled up a few minutes later. They went around to the front of the building. As soon as they stepped inside, two paranormal couples left.

  He actually didn’t blame them. As a group, they were intimidating. There was Clay, with his sexy dark looks and bad boy vibe. Hunter didn’t know how old Clay was, but he’d wager Clay was older than him. Mark and Mich
ael both rocked the collegiate athletic look, but even though they were young, their abilities were noticeable.

  Paul and Jonas came across as the proverbial boys next door—good-looking and likable. But any paranormal would know immediately they were Guardians and not someone to mess with. Andy was definitely the sassy bottom who gave as good as he got.

  But the one who drew the most attention was Nicholas with his unique eyes, long white hair, tribal tattoos, and coldly forbidding presence. Everything about him shouted don’t fuck with me. If Hunter had been waiting for a table, he would’ve left also. Between the eight of them, they probably had enough power to level a city block.

  The hostess showed them to a table at the back of the restaurant that was away from the numerous large windows, which was a shame because goddess, what a view. A short time later, a waitress arrived, and everybody placed their order.

  Since they were out in public, nothing serious was discussed, but the conversation still flowed easily. Andy made sure of it. Hunter relaxed. He liked these people. If things went according to plan, his new pack would be here, and he could use all the allies he could get.

  The food arrived, and Paul was correct. This was seriously some of the best steak he’d ever had, not that he’d ever tell Sissy that. She’d skin him. Just thinking about her put a slight damper on his appetite. Damn, he was going to miss her cooking.

  After dinner was over, Andy dragged out the dessert menu. Hunter settled on some delicious chocolate concoction with ice cream that he shared with Mark. Poor Clay and Michael. They sure as hell didn’t know what they were missing.

  Once dessert was finished—and Hunter lost the battle to pay the check thanks to Paul’s damn quick fingers—they got ready to leave. He had barely stood when a loud screech of tires caught his attention. He wasn’t the only one, judging by the many heads turned toward the front of the restaurant. Bright headlights sped toward the front windows.

  “Jesus,” Mark whispered. “Is that coming toward—fuck!”

  Hunter didn’t wait to see what anybody else did—he dove at Mark, pulling him as far away from the front as he could. A breeze ruffled his hair. Someone hissed. Glass exploded as a Mack truck rammed through the glass windows and plowed into the seating area.