by Tl Reeve
“Yo, Rapier, incoming,” Wy hollered.
Rapier glanced up. Kalkin, dressed in his sheriff’s uniform, came into view. He hadn’t seen the other man since being caught jacking off in the shower. Not exactly his proudest moment. “Fuck.” He recognized the expression on the man’s face. Jace had gone running back to his brother, most likely tattling to the big, bad alpha about walking in on Rapier hugging Danielle.
These fucking wolves needed to get the hell over themselves. He was in no mood to be lectured. Rapier decided to cut the other man off at the pass. “If this is about Jace finding me at Dani’s the other day, I don’t even want to fucking hear it.”
Kal stopped. “Touchy much?”
“Kal—”
“Not here about that, Rapier. We had our conversation, you said you’d handle it. I trusted you kept your end of the deal. There’s nothing left to say.”
Rapier realized, after spending a year in Window Rock, earning the trust of the Alpha was a big fucking deal. The wolf alpha only trusted his brothers and his mate. Had it not been for Mackenzie, he didn’t think Kalkin would have let them stay, issues with Raymond notwithstanding. Too much happened in his town, and most newbies only brought trouble with them. “What are you here to talk about then?”
“Quincy.” Kalkin curled his lip in disdain.
Rapier’s shoulders tensed, and his stomach churned at the mere mention of the man who took his soul from him. He clenched his hands into fists. “Thought he was gone?”
“He’s back,” Kal stated calmly. A little too calmly in his mind.
“Why?”
“Seems he has a new lover he wants to please,” Kal answered.
Rapier cocked a brow. “The motherfucker thinks it is his God-given duty as alpha to populate his entire pack with his evil spawn. Raymond Quincy having a new lover, Kal, ain’t really nothin’ new in my book.” Frustrated by Kalkin’s announcement, Rapier attempted to fold up the blueprints in front of him. It didn’t work. He wadded them up and threw them at Kalkin’s feet in disgust.
“Only this lover has connections to my pack. Specifically, my brother’s mate,” Kal replied, reaching down to pick up the ball of paper. He placed it on the makeshift desk Rapier had put together earlier in the morning.
He looked at the other man in confusion. Had he been so wrapped up in this job site he’d missed a Raferty mating?
“Dani,” Kalkin stated. “Aiden’s birth mother is back. Apparently, she wants her pup.” Kalkin laid it out. He explained how Caden found the boy and how Danielle had helped heal him. At almost two years old the boy was turning into a fine young boy, capable of all kinds of mischief. “No way in hell we’re allowing Tiffany to take Aiden away.”
Fuck. “Caden know?”
“Was standing right next to me while we were eavesdropping on their conversation,” Kalkin said.
Rapier snorted. “He still sober?”
Now was not the time for Caden Raferty to slide back into the depths of hell of his own making. Quincy’s pack was persistent, and with a deranged Alpha at the helm, who had lemmings instead of wolves willing to follow their leader over the cliff, death was the only way he could be stopped. Having animal genes was a bitch sometimes.
“Yes,” Kalkin said, annoyed by the question.
Rapier rubbed his chin. Hadn’t Kalkin told him the other day they wouldn’t have any issues with Quincy? “Didn’t we have the conversation the other day? Didn’t you promise me we wouldn’t be in this situation?”
“Does throwing my miscalculation back into my face make you feel better about this?” Kalkin growled.
Rapier didn’t give a shit. His entire life, his Pride had been devastated by Quincy. Kal was blessed to watch his pups grow and wrap his arms around his little mate. Rapier, on the other hand, wasn’t even sure where his family was or if they were still alive. He held his fingers apart and squinted. “A little.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Takes one to know one,” Rapier stated. He grabbed the crumbled blueprints and began spreading out the wrinkled drawing.
“You done?” Kal asked.
It was eerie how the other man seemed to just know and understand the feelings brewing inside of Rapier. Kalkin never seemed to take offense when he got hateful and mean. Something which was happening more and more with each passing day. Rapier was becoming disillusioned and bitter as fuck about the world around.
“Not sure what help I can provide to you, Kal. I couldn’t even protect my own Pride.” The harshness of his tone made both of them wince.
“I’m offering you a chance to get your pride back,” Kalkin said.
Rapier got the double entendre Kalkin laid down. “How?”
“Work with me. Together we cut of the head off the viper and the rest of the body will die.” Steel determination laced through Kalkin Raferty’s voice. The other man wasn’t fucking around.
“Unless one of his little bastards decides to pick up his father’s fallen sword and continue his work,” Rapier reminded him. “What exactly do you mean by working together? I’m not going to risk my pride to keep your pack safe.”
Kalkin shook his head. Disgust filled his features. “Thought you knew me better than that, Rapier. I’m not the type of man or Alpha to allow others to get their hands dirty, if I’m not willing myself.”
“How’s your mate feel about this? It’s not just the two of you anymore. You have a family.”
“I don’t need you to remind me. Keeley, as the alpha female, is well aware of my responsibilities to my pack.”
“Must be a bitter pill to swallow to realize she’ll always be second place to your pack,” Rapier sneered.
Quicker then he could blink, Kalkin had Rapier pinned against the back wall of the orphanage. His massive forearm pressed against Rapier’s windpipe as Kalkin snarled, exposing the long, curved length of his canine. This was the Kalkin Raferty he heard about from Mackenzie. Fuck, he was strong. Any more pressure on his throat, the enraged man would break Rapier’s hyoid bone. He didn’t fight Kalkin. Enraged like the Sheriff had been, he’d become a holy terror of a beast, not someone Rapier could take down, even if he wanted to. Hell, he didn’t know if he could take the big-assed wolf when Kalkin was his normal, unpleasant self.
“My fucking mate is not second place to anyone or anything. To even suggest a thing is pissing me the fuck off. Like you, Rapier, I know my responsibilities and my mate,” Kalkin spat. With each word his voice grew raspier with anger. “She stands beside me in all my decisions.”
Kalkin released him abruptly, then stepped back, glaring at him. Rapier rubbed at his abused throat while pulling in a much-needed breath. Rapier hissed.
“Almost crushed my throat, prick.”
“Don’t say stupid fucking shit, and you won’t have to worry about it,” Kalkin replied.
He blinked.
The cold, calculating motherfucker stood before him cool, calm, and collect. Like he hadn’t had Rapier pinned against a wall, ready to snap his neck. “I came with an offer. To strengthen my pack. A pack, may I remind you, you willingly swore your allegiance to, therefore becoming part of my fucking pack.”
Fuck if the badass wolf wasn’t right. Rapier’s honor as a man, shifter, and alpha demanded he do whatever was needed of him. Rapier sighed, resolved to help Raferty’s pack—his pack to the best of his ability. “What do you need?”
“I need you,” Kal admitted. “I need your strength and your Pride.”
“You’ve already got it, Kal,” Rapier reminded him.
Kalkin sighed, running his hand over the back of his neck in obvious frustration. “Are all felines this thick, or is it just you?”
“Do all wolves beat around the bush endlessly, or you just going to say it?”
Kalkin smiled, shaking his head in dismay. “I thought I was being clear.”
Rapier shrugged.
“I’m proposing you be my Co-Alpha,” Kalkin stated.
Rapier snorted,
surprised at the sheriff’s announcement. “You don’t seem like the type to give up control. Even a little.”
“You wouldn’t be wrong in your assumptions. I like control, in all things, but I’m also a helluva lot smarter than Quincy. Two powerful Alphas can surely bring down one power-hungry asshole,” Kalkin replied.
Rapier didn’t miss the fact Kalkin didn’t refer to Raymond Quincy as Alpha. No alpha would do to their pack or pride what Raymond did. “You have a point.”
“I realize what this will mean to you and your Pride. You’ll be tied to my pack. All aspirations of ever establishing your Pride again will be gone,” Kalkin said.
“It’s not just my hopes. It’s my families too.” Rapier had been a different a different type of Alpha than the other man. Yeah, he was the Pride leader, and yeah, he made the final decisions, but not without input from his brothers.
Kal nodded. “Talk to them. Get back to me. Soon,” Kalkin said before he turned to leave.
“What the fuck was that about?” Wy ambled around the corner and glanced over his shoulder at the retreating Alpha. No doubt the little pissant watched and heard the whole interaction between the two.
Rapier ignored Wy’s question. Instead, he gave him an order, “Get the rest of the brothers together. I’m only willing to have this conversation once.”
“Sure,” Wy said, bounding off to gather the rest of family.
Within minutes, Rapier was surrounded Cormyr, Saber, Rashid, and Wy Dryer. These men, his brothers, were a variety of shifters and colors. The only other lion shifter in the group was Cormyr. All the others were Coyote, and none of them were related by blood. No, their ties of brotherhood were forged from having no one but each other. They had been depending on each other for survival for as long as he could recall. Rapier had somehow been voted as leader of the oddball group. It was a position he took, yet never fully wanted. Hence, why giving up his power to Kalkin hadn’t been a huge hardship for him.
“What’s going on?” Cormyr’s gaze reflected a calm Rapier was never able to imitate.
Never one to pussyfoot around, Rapier laid it all on the line. What happened. What would be expected of them. Then sat back, giving his brothers the time they needed to process it and ask any questions they might have. Saber and Rashid were always the first to give their opinions. Cormyr would ruminate about it, and Wy, well, the youngest Dryer would go with the majority.
“Is it what you want?” Saber asked.
“Not about what I want, Saber. This decision will affect us all,” Rapier stated.
“How about, just this once, you answer the fucking question without all the smoke and mirrors bullshit you like to play. You never really wanted to be Alpha, and we all would’ve fucked it up,” Rashid added.
Rapier chuckled. His brothers were nothing but predictable. They picked Rapier for the simple fact he was the strongest and, they thought, the smartest.
“I won’t lie. It wasn’t a responsibility I coveted,” Rapier admitted. “I grew into it.”
Each of his brothers nodded.
“And excelled at,” Saber said.
Sure, because the rest of them didn’t want to deal with the daily problems. The petty bullshit and the endless headaches of being Alpha.
Cormyr placed his hand on his shoulder in solidarity. “In this decision, we’ll follow you.”
“What a bunch of pussies,” Wy said angrily. “He’s fucking asking for our input. Now is the time to give it, otherwise you can’t bitch about it later if it’s not to your liking.”
Four sets of eyes widened at the youngest Dryer’s outburst.
“Jesus, Wy, why don’t you tell us how you really feel,” Saber busted.
Wy flipped Saber the bird.
“‘Bout fucking time you found your voice, pup,” Cormyr said.
They snickered at the youngest member of their Pride.
“Suck my dick, bitches,” Wy barked, cupping his junk to add to his verbal insult.
Rapier winced. Derogatory slurs were common with his brothers. Except for calling each other bitches. It was a big no-no, usually ended in a brawl with one another. Rashid and Saber narrowed their eyes in warning at Wy, who seemed oblivious he’d pissed them off. He had to stop it before World War III ensued.
“Rapier should have washed your fucking mouth out with soap more often when you were a kid,” Cormyr interjected.
Rapier snorted. None of them had a clean mouth at any point in time in their make-shift family. “Enough. Fighting isn’t helping.”
“No shit, Rapier.” Cormyr gave him a droll stare. “What do you want to do?”
Rapier sighed and rubbed his chin. Over the years, he might not have ever wanted the position, but it had grown on him for sure. In those years, he’d learned to be a fair and compassionate Alpha when need be and a disciplinarian as well. “This pack, this land, has become our home. I trust the Rafertys and merging our pride with his pack will only make us stronger.”
“I sense a but coming,” Rashid said.
“I don’t want to deal and honestly, I don’t think I’m suited for the bullshit the title of Alpha comes with,” Rapier admitted.
“Raferty doesn’t need a beta. Caden already has the job,” Saber said.
Rapier’s lip curled in disgust at the thought of second in command, Caden. He couldn’t have it both ways though. Rapier either wanted to have a positon of power or he didn’t.
“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the easiest fucking thing for Kalkin Raferty to offer up his stronghold on his pack,” Cormyr stated.
“He’s selfless,” Rapier elaborated. “The well-being of his pack is always his main priority.”
“Just like you,” Wy added.
Wy was wrong.
Even with him growing into his position, if the opportunity presented itself, Rapier would have abandoned his Pride, his brothers, and all his responsibilities to go to find his mate and cubs. And, he’d do it without a single regret. Rapier was positive Kalkin Raferty would never contemplate either of those things.
“You could always offer to be Co-Alphas, with Raferty being Prime Alpha,” Cormyr proposed.
Fuck. Now, why hadn’t he thought of that? Maybe because Felines have one Alpha, whose word was law, and canines could either have betas or pack leaders who rolled up to a Prime Alpha. Well, shit. Guess it’s time to see how far Kalkin is willing to go with this.
Chapter Ten
Mrs. Martin had given Danielle tons to think about. Her future and her past were at a crossroads at this exact moment, and she had to decide which direction she’d go to obtain the life she desired. One path lay before her broken, covered in bramble and weeds. Darkness and desolation consumed the path. The other, light, love, and freedom. But, which was the right one? Would the path leading to Caden consume her in darkness or would the path of light and happiness guide her to a life she could be happy in with Caden?
She scrubbed her face before getting out of her vehicle. She couldn’t think about it right now. She’d already had a conversation with Jace to deal with their issues, plus a power planning session with Keeley in respects to the fundraiser for the orphanage, then a final stop by Charisma’s to check up on Crow. Make sure he didn’t need anything. She started for the door then paused. No noise. Though it wasn’t too late, she should have heard Jace playing with Aiden. It’d been a ritual of theirs. The sounds of her son’s giggles always gave her the fortification to face whatever might come next. Not hearing him set her in a panic. Her heart raced. Her hands went cold and clammy. She opened her sense to figure out what happened, expecting the worst. Instead, there was peacefulness and calm greeting her.
What in the world?
Danielle stepped into her home. The soft murmur of news scrolled across her television. In the kitchen, Caden stood in front of the stove. He wore a form-fitting t-shirt and low-slung jeans. Her mouth watered as she traced the contours of his muscular form with her gaze, eating up every glorious bit of him. She dropped her rega
rd of Caden to his ass. Make you want to take a bite out of it. Keeley’s voice whispered through her mind. Danielle covered her mouth to smother the laughter building there.
“I don’t know if I should feel objectified or horny as hell,” Caden muttered, turning to face her.
Danielle swallowed her tongue as she looked down and caught a glimpse of his hard length straining at the crotch of his jeans. Holy shit. “Where...” She cleared her throat, trying desperately to gather her tattered wits. “Where are the boys?”
He pointed over her shoulder. “Aiden showed me his playroom today. He and Nic are sleeping.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How long have you been here?”
He shrugged. “Long enough to get Rapier and Jace’s stench out of the house.”
Danielle frowned. “I like them being here.” She mentally kicked herself for sounding so damn whiny.
“Yeah, well, I don’t. Not until things have fallen into our new normal.” He went back to cooking. “I know you want to check on the boys. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Thanks.” I think. As she started for the playroom, she stopped short when she spotted the boxes filled with Caden’s things. What...
The cases had been stacked neatly near the arm of the couch, so no one could stumble over them. In front of it lay his work duffle bag. She glanced at him over her shoulder. He hadn’t been kidding about what he said. However, as she turned over his words, our new normal, she didn’t like the way it sat in her already jumbled thoughts. Did it mean he didn’t plan on staying? Did it mean he’d be here part-time? Don’t do this to yourself. Not after what you learned today. Later, she would discuss with him the implications of bringing his things back into her house.
Danielle entered the small space, originally made to be an office, and found her two boys sleeping like Caden said. They wore the small puppy diapers she’d bought for Aiden when he’d been so weak. She grinned. Both of the boys were curled up together. Aiden’s paw lay on Nicolas’ shoulder. As she stood there watching them, Nic began to kick his back legs, no doubt caught in a dream. She wondered if he chased a butterfly or maybe a roadrunner through the desert tundra. His lip quirked in a sleepy snarl. Such a vicious warrior. She didn’t dare go closer to the playpen, so not to disturb their nap. If the soft snores falling from Aiden were any indication, both boys were worn out.