“You’ve had that number for years,” my mom said as if that was supposed to mean something to me.
There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute.
“Would you like to come in?” Rikki asked her.
I really needed my mom to like Rikki.
“Please, mom. Rikki knows her way around the kitchen. We could eat lunch together.”
“Bonnie told me you were vegetarian. I make a really great veggie melt.” Rikki was already headed to the door, opening it for my mom.
My mom smiled and nodded, then walked inside with us.
For the next hour I mostly listened and ate as my mom and Rikki discussed recipes. It was such a comfort to know that they were getting along. My family meant everything to me, and I wasn’t willing to let them go.
Chapter Eighteen
The focus of the next several days was training. Strength. Agility. A lot of hunting. I didn’t mind at all. I was teeming with energy – some of it could be attributed to the fact that I was a werewolf, but a great deal of it was due to Rikki. We were mated. I was still struggling with that concept. However, I was certain about my feelings for Rikki, so I was hopeful the rest would become a little easier to navigate with time.
Rikki and I had finished our training exercises for the day and were grabbing some food from the refrigerator when the couple who were expecting joined us. Izzy, the mother-to-be, waved to Rikki and me while she waited for Ric, her mate, to help her into a chair.
“How’s your little girl?” I asked.
Izzy flashed a bright smile. “The baby bounces around a lot. It gets a bit uncomfortable sometimes, but it’s better when I’m around you.”
“Around me,” I repeated softly. I had a feeling this was going somewhere.
She sighed and looked to Rikki for support. Rikki only nodded to Izzy.
“The last few nights have been bearable.”
“Okay…”
She was certainly taking her time getting to the point.
Her timid expression did not help my own anxiety. “I get that being a part of a pack is new to you. And I am worried that you might find our request to be a little weird.”
Oh, it is beginning to sound that way.
“I wanted to ask you if we could sleep near you tonight?”
“We could turn the living room into a bedroom. Rikki already has enough air mattresses to go around,” Ric chimed in.
“Wait.” I held my hand out. “You want us all to sleep together?”
“It’s not a sexual thing.” Ric sensed my distress. “The pack sleeps together sometimes. It’s a way of bonding, of strengthening our ties as a pack.”
“Well, that’s comforting,” I mumbled.
I wanted to help, but I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of sleeping with people I didn’t know very well. Rikki wasn’t going to say anything. She wanted me to make my own decision. Looking at Izzy’s swollen belly, I was able to sense joy from their unborn child. The baby liked me. I frowned, knowing that this arrangement wouldn’t just be for a night.
“Fine,” I said, giving in.
Ric and Izzy sighed simultaneously in relief. We discussed our expectations for a few minutes until she was ready to go upstairs for a nap. Tonight, we’d be sharing a bed.
“You could have refused,” Rikki remarked.
“You know I couldn’t refuse, whether I wanted to or not.”
“You are allowed to say decline the request,” Rosemary added as she walked into the kitchen.
“No, I couldn’t. I don’t want the pack hating me any more than they already do.”
Rosemary was quick to reply, “They do not hate you. You are still getting used to them, and they are still getting used to you. I think you’re actually fitting in quite well.”
“I think so too,” Rikki said. She held out her hand to me. I took it happily. “We are leaving, but we will be back later tonight.”
I waved to Rosemary as Rikki and I made our way outside.
“Ready?” Rikki asked as she approached her car.
I smiled. “Definitely.”
*
Mill City was a small town, but I had not yet had the opportunity to explore it. Most of my time was spent on Rikki’s property. Tonight though, she wanted to show me around town. Well, not really around town so much as the local bar.
Banes Tavern reminded me of the bar in the movie Road House, except the employees at Banes were mostly women. The wood counters were long and L-shaped, separating the customers from the bartenders. There were several pool tables arranged in rows to the far right of the bar.
A woman with blonde hair and striking green eyes walked toward us carrying two drinks. She placed them on a small, round table where a couple was sitting.
She then turned to us and addressed Rikki first. “Rikki. I heard you finally got a mate. Didn’t believe it until now.”
She studied me critically and I narrowed my eyes at her. I wasn’t impressed by her attitude.
She clicked her tongue. “No offense, honey. I needed to make sure you were good enough for Rikki.”
The door to the bar opened behind us, allowing a breeze inside and enabling me to catch her scent. Human. I was surprised that she could be so bold.
“Well, you could just talk to me rather than staring me down.”
She nodded dismissively and then returned her attention to Rikki. “Showing off our town?”
“Yes.” Rikki squeezed my hand possessively. “I want her to love it here, Jeanie. Could we get a couple of those special sandwiches? We’ll find a table ourselves.”
So that’s her name. I huffed when the woman walked away.
I inhaled sharply. “I want to poke her eyes out.”
We found an empty table near the bar. My eyes studied the path Jeanie walked like a predator stalking its prey. The last thing I wanted to endure after everything I already experienced was some hag questioning my value.
Rikki slid closer to me, trying to block my view of Jeanie. When her hand snaked up the inside of my thigh, I gasped audibly. I was suddenly aroused, and in a public place no less. My eyes found Rikki’s and I felt myself slipping away.
“We are mated. As a werewolf, it’s natural to be possessive. She was rude, but she is human.”
“Great. I’m turning into you,” I joked through gritted teeth.
“If you weren’t an Omega, you would have lunged for her throat immediately after her comment. I could smell her arousal. I am thankful you didn’t notice.”
I snarled and looked around for the woman again. She was nowhere to be found.
Rikki tried distracting me from the others in the bar who were staring at us, probably sensing the tension in the air surrounding our table. She was teaching me how to spot a werewolf without smelling them. It was a great lesson to learn. I guess we weren’t out here just to explore. I was still training.
The old hag came to our table holding out two plates. “My specialty for tonight.”
She smelled like lavender soap. I grunted. She looked down at me, concerned by my sudden closeness and walked off quickly.
“Bonnie,” Rikki muttered my name, kicking me underneath the table.
I leaned back into my seat, scowling.
“What? I thought my shoes were untied.” I couldn’t admit to sniffing the old hag. She walked off and Rikki shook her head. “The old hag—”
“Her name’s Jeanie,” Rikki stressed.
“Fine.” I slapped my hand against the table. “Jeanie. Whatever.”
I stared down at my sandwich, hoping she didn’t poison it. I was hungry and grabbed it with both hands to take a bite. I melted into my sandwich, wanting to savor every flavor that my taste buds experienced.
At least she can cook.
“Have you slept with her?” The question popped out of my mouth before I had a chance to think.
Rikki finished chewing and bit her lip. “A long time ago.”
“How long ago?” I asked, the pitch in my ton
e climbing higher.
“Over 20 years ago.”
“Did she know back then what you are?”
Rikki nodded. “Some of my pack are mated to humans. It’s not an ideal situation, though. We can live for centuries and human lives are awfully short. So, I ended things with Jeanie.”
“I don’t think she got the memo,” I said dryly.
Jeanie reappeared at the table to check on us. As much as I hated to admit it, my jealousy was uncalled for. I needed to work on my attitude.
I smiled at her. It was a bit forced, but I was trying. “Thanks for the sandwich. It was delicious.”
Jeanie smiled. It was unquestionably fake. “Sure thing.”
“Jeanie, can you talk for a minute?” Rikki asked.
She glanced around the bar and then nodded.
“I’m curious to know if you’ve seen any new wolves around?”
Jeanie moved closer to Rikki and lowered her voice to say, “There were two in in here a couple of nights ago. Looked like trouble.”
“What did they look like?” Rikki asked.
As Jeanie described one of the men, I knew it was the man from the forest. The man from the night of my attack.
“Cain.” I clenched my fists tightly in my lap.
Rikki’s grim expression confirmed what I already knew.
“Anything else you can tell me?” Rikki continued her line of questioning.
Jeanie looked at me. “One of them kept claiming that you belonged to him. I think he was mostly trying to stir up trouble with your pack. Lloyd, Tim, Missouri, and Dana were here.”
“They know better than to keep something like this from me,” Rikki growled.
The fact that Lloyd hadn’t said anything did not come as a surprise.
“What else?” I knew she was not telling us something.
“He did not fail to mention that you were an Omega.”
Eyes were on me. Every pair of eyes in the bar. We were surrounded by werewolves. I shifted nervously in my seat as I continued to scan the bar.
Golden hues flickered in Rikki’s eyes. Her fingers gripped the edge of the table and it started to buckle under the pressure. Whispers shot across the bar, and Rikki stood. The table never had a chance when faced with Rikki’s ire. She picked it up and slammed it down with such force that the legs splintered and the center split.
Then it was silent. I’d never seen Rikki lose her temper like this. I reminded myself that as an Alpha her temper was par for the course. This may not be normal behavior for humans, but it was pretty standard for werewolves since their ranks were gained and maintained by their dominance.
“Leave!” she demanded.
Any humans that were in the bar scattered without resistance. The only werewolves left in the bar were her pack except for a few stragglers. One of them, who was clearly having a bad hair day, rose to meet her challenge. His chest puffed and he marched over to us. As he came closer, I realized that he was intimidatingly tall.
“Jeanie, go behind the bar,” Rikki barked.
She sped off without hesitation.
I didn’t know what to do. I’d never seen Rikki fight and preferred not to today. Another of the stragglers grabbed a pool stick from one of the tables. He broke it in half over his knee.
“You are not my Alpha.” He pointed his stick to me. “And she shouldn’t be protected. I thought we killed her kind off over a century ago.”
I didn’t want to challenge him. He was threatening me, and I knew he’d try and kill me if he could. His eyes lingered on me as if my mere existence was the most offensive thing he’d ever encountered. He hated me.
“You take one step and I will kill you where you stand,” Rikki warned him.
His smug expression stirred the wolf inside me. “Alpha or not, I am older. When I’m done with you, I’ll take your Omega bitch and take care of her myself.”
I watched as he took a step forward, but he didn’t take another. A knife sliced through his chest. It happened so fast that I didn’t realize Rikki was wielding the weapon until I saw the blood spilling over her fingers.
The instincts that had been dormant in me for some time, those of a paramedic, wanted to rush to save the challenger as he fell to the ground. No matter who this man was, I knew who I was. Saving lives was my purpose. The wolf inside of me defied my wishes, forcing me to remain in place. My two natures were at odds. I never wanted Rikki to kill for me. And even though this could be seen as self-defense, it still felt seriously wrong.
The other werewolves to our left studied Rikki as if they were assessing their chances of winning. I hoped they wouldn’t follow their friend who was now lying on the ground motionless. I couldn’t take any more deaths.
“This is my territory. All of Mill City. I have been kind to werewolves outside of my pack. I’ve let you all into my territory. But no longer. Any wolves that are not part of my pack are unwelcome here. Leave. Now.”
There was silence. Rikki took hold of my hand and pulled me behind her toward the front door of the bar. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and started making phone calls.
I wanted to go over to the man who Rikki stabbed and check his vitals. I tried to convince myself it wasn’t my fault, but it was. Rikki wanted to protect me. It escalated so quickly I had no time to try to stop her. This is how people felt about my existence. They hated me. They were scared of me. Hell, I was scared of myself.
“Bonnie,” Rikki whispered, the sound of her voice caressing my eardrums. She pulled me into her arms and kissed the top of my head. “I’m sorry.”
She was sorry. That was funny. I was sorry. I’m the one who got out of that damn car, trying to play paramedic when I knew better. I’m the one who got attacked by some rogue Alpha. And because Fate famously liked to play cruel jokes, I was also an Omega. Something rare. Something feared. Something hated.
“I caused this. I can’t do this, Rikki. I can’t have anyone in the pack being killed because of me.”
Rikki pulled back just enough to meet my eyes. “Bonnie, none of this was your fault. I chose to accept you, to bring you to my pack. I don’t regret that. My pack doesn’t regret it either. So, don’t start worrying about things that don’t matter anymore. You are part of us. And don’t even think about giving yourself up to Cain. You know I won’t allow that to happen.”
“I would never give myself to Cain. But maybe I could leave the state?”
Her hand cupped my cheek. “You know that wouldn’t stop him from coming for you. Trust in me. Trust in us. And in the pack.”
“Most of them,” I corrected her.
She nodded, and I knew she hated admitting that there were a few in her pack she didn’t trust right now. Tato flew into the bar, Rosemary and Toni right behind him.
Rikki kissed my forehead. “Can you please go with Rosemary and Tato? I need to clean up this mess before I come home.”
I appreciated her asking rather than ordering me around. I knew she wanted me to be safe. I wouldn’t argue with her this time. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to leave. The smell of blood was overpowering.
I nodded and let Rosemary take my hand from Rikki.
“Hey,” she called to me as I turned to leave, “don’t lose sight of how far you’ve come.”
“I’ll be at home.” I smiled.
“Keep her safe,” Rikki told Tato.
“You be safe,” I said to her and walked out of the bar with Rosemary and Tato.
Chapter Nineteen
I climbed into the tub, partially submerging my body in the warm water. I brought my knees to my chest and buried my face between them.
“He did not fail to mention that you were an Omega.”
Jeanie’s words replayed in my head, stuck in a continual loop. I gripped my calves tightly.
I didn’t want to be one of those women who thought giving myself up or running would save everyone else. That was unrealistic. The pack would still come for me, and so would the rogues. Plus, I still had to consider
my duties as an Omega – Izzy, Ric, and their unborn child. Izzy could not bring her baby to term without me nearby. She and the baby likely would die.
A knock on the bathroom door wrenched me out of my own thoughts. It was Rosemary and Izzy. Their scents were unmistakable. I shouted for them to come in.
Rosemary entered the bathroom first, a concerned look stretched across her face. “You’ve been in here for a while.”
There was a ridiculously ornate, golden clock on the wall above the toilet. I checked the time. I had somehow managed to lose over an hour in the bathtub. Worrying over impending doom could do that to a person, though.
“How are you doing?” Izzy asked, her hands resting on her swollen belly.
We weren’t exactly friends yet, but she was awfully sweet, so I wanted to get to know her better. Izzy offered a towel to me as I stood, the leftover water winding down my body to meet the sea of bathwater. I took it gratefully and they left the bathroom to wait for me in my bedroom.
I set myself to the task of drying my body and slathering it with lotion. I wrapped the towel around me and joined Rosemary and Izzy in my bedroom.
Both were sitting on the edge of my bed engaged in light conversation. Rosemary stood and patted the space next to her. I hesitated for a moment, feeling as if I was about to receive a lecture. Nevertheless, I sat down next to her, knowing that whatever this talk was going to be about was inevitable. She surprised me by moving to a spot on the floor near the fireplace, stretching her legs out in front of her.
Rosemary and Izzy looked at me expectantly.
“I am scared, all right?” I blurted out. “I hate being scared. I want to fight, but I am afraid of who will get hurt in the process. Cain’s arrival is unavoidable, and I know he won’t come for me alone.”
The door to my bedroom opened, and Cecilia emerged in the doorway holding a pint of ice-cream in one hand and a box of Oreos in the other. She looked at me and smiled.
“I thought you’d like something sweet,” Cecilia said as she approached us.
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