by C. J. Ayers
“When?”
“I don’t know. This is new territory for me, Lex. I…I don’t know how to handle it. How are you doing?” She looked at the phone, and ended the call. What sort of question was that?
It started ringing again almost immediately. She dropped the phone on her bed and rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head. The moment the ringing stopped and sent Shane’s call to voicemail the phone started ringing again. She let him call twice more before picking up.
“Honestly, Shane? I’m not sure how I feel. I don’t exactly think there’s a litmus test for the guy you’re dating telling you that he’s a…a…werewolf.”
“We prefer the term ‘shifter.’”
“Ugh… It’s a lot to take in.”
“I get that. I just wanted to know if this… I mean, if there’s a shot... can you forgive me?... Please, Lexi, allow me another chance.” He sounded a bit nervous, not quite like the cool and collected Shane he was used to.
“I really don’t know.” She sighed. “I’ll call you when I’ve thought some things out.” She didn’t wait for his response before hanging up. She sighed and scrubbed her face with her hands. Too bad there wasn’t a manual on how to feel after you find out your boyfriend isn’t a human.
Chapter 10
Shane paced back and forth in his office. He had never been so angry in his life. Not with his sister at least. She had not only potentially ruined what was turning into a great relationship, but she also exposed the entire pack to a human. He didn’t think that Lexi was the sort of girl to go to media outlets, not that anyone would believe her, but he wanted to tell her on his own time, when he thought she could handle that sort of information.
Amanda’s big slip had made Shane reconsider his entire relationship with Lexi, and ask himself some questions he wasn’t prepared to answer just yet. Did he like Lexi? Yes, quite a bit. She was sweet, and under that timid exterior was a curious little sex kitten. Could he see himself with her for a long time? Yes. Definitely. Would he ever be able to find out if she was his mate? Now it seemed unlikely.
“Thanks Amanda,” he growled under his breath.
His office phone rang and he went to pick it up. “Shane,” he said sharply.
“Uh hi,” his assistant’s timid voice came through the other end. “Your sister is here to see you.”
“Tell her she can rot in hell and do not let her back here.”
“Sir?” Poor Scott. He was a good assistant, and polite too. He would never tell Amanda what Shane had said.
Shane sighed. “Tell her I’m busy and that if she wants to see me she can schedule an appointment for next month.”
“Um okay, sir. I’ll schedule that for you. One more thing. Your father is here too.”
“Fuck,” Shane swore loudly. This was not what he wanted to deal with right now. A meeting with his father would mean a discussion about Alpha status and bringing together the council for voting. “Send my dad in.”
“But not your sister?”
“No, Scott. I don’t care if you have to knock her out, do not let her back here.” Scott wouldn’t be able to take Amanda down anyway, but he just wanted to be sure that he would be able to talk to his father alone.
“Okay, sir. I’ll do my best.” There was a soft click, letting him know that Scott had hung up.
A few moments later the door to his office inched open. Shane’s father moved slowly into the room with the help of a cane. Shane quickly helped him to a seat and the old man sat down with a sigh.
Shane’s father, despite his age, was still an imposing man. He was still around six feet tall, even hunched over, and although he was slightly soft around the middle, it was clear that at one point he was astoundingly muscular. Shane had always looked up to his father. He was a fair man and the pack loved him dearly. If Shane was elected as the new Alpha, he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to live up to his father’s legacy.
“Dad,” he said once he sat down on the other side of the desk.
“Son,” his father replied. His dad’s cool, grey eyes searched his face carefully. “I believe we need to talk about a few things.” Shane nodded once. He had been avoiding this conversation for weeks. He wasn’t sure if his dad was disappointed in him because Matt was after the Alpha position. His father’s status as Alpha had never been challenged, it was simply a given. Being challenged could show weakness. Or defeating a challenger could solidify the strength of your reign. It was hard to tell what people would think until you were on the throne. Once you were seated, everyone wanted to weigh in on every single thing you did.
“I think we do.” Shane took a deep breath.
“Let’s start with the obvious. Matt is a problem. He isn’t strong enough to be Alpha and his head isn’t in the right place. A good Alpha knows that he doesn’t deserve the position, he isn’t entitled to it. He must work for it, earn it constantly. Matt is too trigger happy, as was made obvious by his attack on you the other week. How are you feeling, by the way?”
“Absolutely fine.” Indeed, Shane was fine. He didn’t even have any scars from the bullet removal, but that was more about Lexi’s ability to use a scalpel than it was about his healing ability.
“We will talk about that doctor of yours in a minute.” Shane flinched. Of course Amanda would have said something to their father. It was too much to ask that she would have kept her mouth shut. “Anyway, Matt is out of control. He has been talking to council members, trying to sway them away from voting from you. Most think he is insane, but a few are willing to believe in him. Matt is strong, but his desire to be Alpha comes from some silly boyish need to be better than you. I love the boy like a son, I practically raised him after my idiot brother left the pack, but there has always been rivalry between the two of you.”
It was true. Shane and Matt had grown up almost like brothers. When Matt was ten, his father left the pack to become a lone wolf. He left Matt with Shane’s father. Shane’s parents tried as hard as they could to raise them on equal footing, but something in Matt was always sour. He wanted to be the best but he was unwilling to work for it. Shane, on the other hand, wanted nothing handed to him. The two young wolves were complete opposites, and it made their rivalry even stronger.
It culminated in a final fight when the boys turned eighteen, right before Shane left for college. Matt went after Shane’s girlfriend, an extremely taboo move in shifter society, and it ended with Matt on his back, and his neck in Shane’s mouth in an extremely public and humiliating fight. The relationship with the girl didn’t last much longer, and any semblance of comradery that the two boys had was destroyed that day.
“I know there has been. But I don’t know why Matt is doing this. He knows that he couldn’t beat me in a fair fight. And that’s what it will come to regardless of the council votes. We will have to fight for it.”
“I don’t think Matt will let it go that far.” Shane realized how tired his father looked in that moment. He looked every bit his age. He wondered if it made his father nervous to think about having to step down from his Alpha position due to his health.
“What do you mean?”
“This is where your little doctor friend comes in.”
“What does Lexi have to do with any of this?” Shane could feel the anger rising in him. Lexi didn’t need to be drawn into a fight that had absolutely nothing to do with her. She had been through enough in her life.
“I think Matt is trying to use her to get you to step down from the Alpha position. It won’t fly, there is no way he would be allowed to serve if you were coerced out of the position but I think he’s willing to try anything at this point. I know he is trying to make people upset about the fact that a potential Alpha is dating a human woman rather than a wolf.”
“That’s ridiculous. There are no rules about not dating humans. If there were we would have become extinct.”
“I know that. And you know that if things got serious, turning her would be possible and most likely necessary, b
ut you’re correct. There is no rule forbidding human relationships. That doesn’t mean that isn’t frowned upon for someone in such a high position to be with a human rather than a wolf.”
Shane scrubbed his hands over his face. This is exactly why he didn’t want Lexi to know about him just yet. Humans who stayed with shifters usually made the decision to get bitten or scratched, thereby turning them as well, but it wasn’t something anyone took on lightly. Turning someone bonded you with them forever. There was no going back from that.
Shane hadn’t even thought about the possibility of turning Lexi. Not yet. But he wondered if it may be necessary to keep her safe from Matt. He wondered what Matt’s plans were for her. Was it just about spooking Shane into giving up the Alpha position? Or was Matt really willing to do anything to get what he wanted, even kill an innocent woman? Shane sighed.
“Look, the thing with Lexi and me is too new for her to be able to make a decision about whether or not she wants to be brought into the fold. Hell, it’s so damn new that it’s very likely that Amanda ruined it the other day. But I need Matt kept away from her. Can that be arranged?”
“I will do my best but I can’t make any promises, Shane.”
“I only ask that you try.” Shane had a funny feeling that any of the Alpha’s guards would rather do anything else besides guard a human.
Shane helped his father stand up and walked him to the door. “Shane, one last thing. I know that the girl is new, but have you thought that it may not be as unimportant as you seem to believe. Matt is so willing to hurt this girl because he is convinced that it will hurt you. The boy may be unhinged, but he isn’t stupid. I know you care for her, but I think there may be something deeper here than even you realize.” He clapped a hand on Shane’s back. “Be well, son. And be safe.”
Shane watched his father hobble to the elevator, his heart sinking slowly. What if his father was right? He had been unable to stop thinking about her for more than two minutes ever since he met her that night he was lying in the hospital bed. There was no true way to tell if someone was your mate until well, mating happened. And he and Lexi hadn’t gone that far yet. But he couldn’t deny that something had drawn him to her. He normally wouldn’t have asked out a human, especially one who had just pulled bullets out of his body, but something inside him made him do it. It was as though his inner animal knew something he didn’t.
Even touching her gave him a thrill he had never experienced before. Just the thought of her thick curves made his cock twitch. Was it possible that she was his mate? Maybe.
Part of him hoped she was. But for her sake, a huge part of him hoped she wasn’t.
Shane grabbed his cell phone off his desk and scrolled through his contacts. He sent out a quick text message, and packed up his briefcase. He wasn’t going to get any work done today. There were other things to deal with.
Half an hour later he pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complex. He parked his car and rolled up his sleeves and untied his tie. He tossed his tie in the passenger’s seat and got out of the car. He checked his phone for the apartment number and moved to the stairs. His agitated energy moved him up three flights of stairs easily.
He scanned the numbers for the apartment 605 and then walked in that direction. He could smell the wolves here. It was the right place. He knocked on the door, hoping that Matt would be stupid enough to let him in. He waited a moment before the door squeaked open.
He saw Matt’s face register shock before he tried to close the door. Shane quickly stuck his foot in the jamb, and the door bounced back slightly. “I’m here to talk,” he growled. Seeing Matt in the flesh made him so angry that he wondered if he would change accidently. He hadn’t accidently changed since he was a pre-teen. He took a deep breath, calming himself, as Matt looked at him wearily. He clearly didn’t believe that Shane was ‘just here to talk.’
“Fine.” Matt opened the door. Before he could step back, Shane pushed into the apartment. It was relatively sparse and tidy but it smelled like sex. That was why the hallway had smelled like wolves. Apparently Matt was trying extremely hard to find his mate. Shane could smell at least six different female wolves. None of them were here, and the most recent scent was a few days old but it permeated everything.
“You’ve been busy,” Shane said, turning to look at his cousin.
“An Alpha has to have a mate,” Matt said blandly. Shane rolled his eyes. Matt believed his own idiocy.
“Yeah, great. Now leave mine the fuck alone,” Shane said viciously.
Matt’s eyes brightened. “So Lexi is your mate? I knew it. It was clear in that restaurant.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.” Shane cursed himself for the slip of the tongue. “Leave her alone. We aren’t seeing each other anymore. Fuck off Matt, she’s not part of this. Be enough of a man to actually fight me instead of attempting to scare some fragile little human woman.”
Matt’s eyes shone. “She’s part of you, Shane. She’s fair game.”
“Fuck off, Matt. She’s not my mate. But she is under my protection and if you touch her, I’m going to kill you.”
“Strong words for a little human, particularly one who is ‘not your mate’ as you claim.” Shane tried not to roll his eyes. Making Matt see reason was going to be close to impossible. Shane took a step forward, crowding Matt’s space. He was taller than his cousin, and more muscular too. Whereas Matt relied on his anger in a fight, Shane wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. He still sparred with his friends, both in human and wolf form. He was a good fighter. He just didn’t want to fight in a residential area.
“Touch the girl and I’ll rip you to pieces. Are we clear?” Shane crowded Matt, hoping that he would just be smart and back down. But he didn’t.
“Anyone you touch is fair game, Shane. You fuck a human, she gets put into play. No one wants our Alpha fucking human bitches. It’s disgusting. I’m taking care of a problem by putting her down.”
Shane’s fist swung before he realized it was happening. He saw red. His hand throbbed and Matt hit the floor. Matt looked up at him. Shane waited for him to get up. He was going to win this fight fairly.
“Get up you shit excuse for a wolf.” Matt pushed himself up and took a swing. Shane dodged it easily. “A real wolf would understand that we are the top of the chain and we don’t go after those weaker than ourselves for no reason.”
Matt took another swing, and Shane side stepped. Shane swung at Matt’s face, and as Matt blocked the incoming hit, Shane got him in the stomach. Matt doubled over. Shane grabbed hold of his shoulders and slammed his knee into his stomach, which brought Matt down to the floor again. His fists connected with his face.
He control was gone. He had never felt so possessive over a woman before. Just the thought of Matt looking at Lexi made something inside of him snap. Matt’s groans finally made him stop. Shane stood up and wiped his bloody fists on his slacks. “Touch the girl and I’ll kill you,” he said to the man on the floor. Matt didn’t even look at him as Shane walked out of the apartment.
It had been almost a week since he had talked to Lexi. Maybe it was making him a little crazy, he thought as he got into his car.
Chapter 11
Lexi was having a bad night. She wanted to speak to Shane but wasn’t sure what to say. Honestly, she just wanted him to hold her. The comfort and security she felt when Shane’s strong arms were wrapped around her body was unparalleled. Safe was something that she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Usually she was hands-on and spent lots of time with her patients, but tonight she was mostly barking orders at nurses. They had noticed and a few asked her what was wrong but she waved them off.
Her phone kept going off in her pocket. It was Shane. She knew he wanted to talk to her. He had wanted to talk for a week, ever since Amanda blew the whistle. Something must have really been upsetting him because he had been texting constantly for the last hour. She hadn’t checked any of the messages.
F
inally, when her phone buzzed in her pocket twenty minutes before her shift ended. She reached for it and Shane’ name flashed across the screen. She quickly read the newest text.
Be careful. Matt may be keeping an eye on you. Call me if you need me.
She took a deep breath but it didn’t calm her down. Fuck Matt and his bullshit. She wasn’t involved in this crap. She didn’t want any part of it. She was a very breakable human. She knew that. She wasn’t about to get in the middle of some insane pack war thing.
She packed up her bag and pulled her Taser out of her purse. She was breakable, but she sure wasn’t going to act like it. She thought about texting Shane to see if Tasers worked on shifters but decided not to.
She left the hospital, her Taser firmly in her hand. Her finger was on the trigger button. She looked around the parking lot before setting out to her car. Her pace was rapid. She wanted to get to her car as fast as possible. Her keys rattled in her hands. She reached her car, and pushed the key into the lock. The click let her know the door was open. But before she could pull on the handle, she was knocked to the ground. Her head slammed against the concrete floor of the garage and she screamed in pain.
There was an animal-like growl and she turned her head. Her vision was blurry from the impact.
“Doctor Green, so nice to see you.” Her vision returned slowly, and she could make out Matt. He looked horrible. There were bruises and cuts all over his face. It looked like he had been in a serious fight. She wondered if Shane had done the damage. Probably.
“Why are you here? We’re not together. I’m not even with Shane—“ she started, but he interrupted.
“It doesn’t matter sweet stuff. He still cares, so you’re the best way we have to get to him.” Matt bent down and brushed her hair out of her face. “I have a surprise for you. I’m not sure that you’ll be thrilled to see him, but he’s certainly excited to see you.”