Tristan remained quiet, and she wondered what he was thinking while he stood there. She risked a glance up at him. He bit his lip and looked around awkwardly as if trying to think of what to say or how to cover up his slip of words.
She walked back toward the stairs.
"Where are you going?"
"Back upstairs to my room."
"Your room has a busted window, let me get you set up in a new one."
She let out a frustrated growl.
"What?"
"I can't do this. I can't just pretend that we didn't just have sex upstairs, that we aren't attracted to each other, that you aren't so fucking nice and sexy, and yet dominating and alpha-like all at the same time." She resisted the urge to stomp her foot like a child. "We aren't mates. We can't act like it. I'll find myself an empty room." She quickly went to the stairs before he could stop her again.
Tristan raked a hand through his hair as Erin ran off. He didn't know what else to tell her. She was sexy, strong, sassy, but she was also right, they weren't mates, and there was an impending assassination attempt to worry about.
"Lover's quarrel?" Molly's voice came from the kitchen. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine. Keith…" he tried to find a way to explain this situation without flat out lying to his pack member. "Lost his mind and attacked her."
She pressed her lips together. "Did he lose control?"
"No, he just had a moment of bad judgment." It was as truthful as he could get. "What can I help you with? I need something to do other than worry about my pack."
"You can come help make the dough for the rolls for Christmas dinner tomorrow."
He grinned. "That works for me. I can knead it and punch it maybe get some of my anger out."
"No, you're supposed to be nice to the dough when you work it." Molly put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "If you can't be nice, I'm not letting you do it."
He opened his mouth to say something, but a howl caught his attention. Scott's painful howl echoed through the house again, and he went running to find the cause of it. He flew down the stairs to the basement as several snarls and whines joined the noise. He came to a halt as he saw five wolves backing Scott into the corner. These weren't pack members he'd seen around often, just on occasion, and he knew just who they were.
The traitors.
Scott favored his front left paw. His head bowed down in pain and submissiveness as the other wolves started to close in. A blur darted over the banister and jumped in front of the injured wolf. Erin stood there, snarling at the others. Her lips drawn back away from her pointed teeth in a threat that wasn't idle. She was protecting Scott.
He took the last step off the stairs and turned to the situation. Something took him down from behind, wide paws pressing into his back, pushing him against the ground. He caught the breath that had been knocked out of him and spun to his back, forcing the wolf off of him.
The beast snapped his jaw at Tristan, nearly catching the skin. Had they truly been his pack, Tristan could have commanded them to stop. But neither the humans or their wolves would recognize him as their alpha. He took his moment of freedom and called on his wolf to shift.
Fur flowed over his body as he leaped to join Erin and Scott, but another wolf took him down from the side. He managed to turn and land on his paws, but other snarling and yelping soon overtook the room as the original five wolves ambushed Erin and Scott.
The wolf that had taken him down snarled in front of Tristan. Tristan lifted his lips in a snarl, taunting the wolf in front of him. He refused to lower his head but flattened his ears in a warning of violence. He wasn't going to submit to someone trying to hurt his pack.
The wolf launched himself forward, jaw opened for an attack, but Tristan knocked him away with his head, grabbing the fur at the neck, pulling the wolf to the ground. Thrashing and gnashing of teeth met his demand for submission. The wolf tore away from Tristan, stumbling a few steps away.
Tristan didn't give the wolf a chance to attack again. He crouched on his hind legs and propelled himself forward, slamming into the wolf and grabbing him by the front of the throat and slamming him down. If the wolf pulled away, he'd tear his own throat out trying to escape Tristan's jaw. He tightened his grip, waiting for the wolf to make his choice.
Erin stood in front of Scott, staring down the five wolves in front of her. Either her father had misled her on purpose, or the wolves were acting without his consent. Either way, she wasn't going to let these wolves hurt a pup. Chances were they knew that and used it to draw her out.
The scent of Scott's blood only pushed her anger. If she could find which wolf it was that hurt him, she'd kill or maim them first. The wolf closest to her lowered her front in an almost playful move, a sign to her that she didn't want to hurt her but make a show of the fight.
She wasn't going to be stupid enough to give in, but she knew the wolf. It was an old friend of hers that had moved a few years earlier. Marg, a female in the pack that had claimed she was moving because she was tired of how the pack conducted themselves and the disrespect that went around. Clearly, she had a change of heart.
But Erin still hesitated in her attack. She pulled her ears back as she snarled once more at the group, warning them off. She couldn't take five wolves.
She looked up as Tristan came down the steps, and relief flooded over her until a wolf from the stairs took him to the ground. She ran toward him, trying to pass the group of wolves, but Marg jumped on her side, shoving her off course with two paws on top of her.
Erin stumbled and snapped at the wolf who still had her two front paws across Erin's back. Marg reared away just as another wolf jumped to attack Erin, grabbing a chunk of her fur and pulling. Erin yelp and ripped herself away, thankful for the layer of protection, but another wolf was right there, grabbing her leg and taking her down to the ground as another one came up. She felt like it was more than five, dragging her down to the ground and tearing at her. They moved just a bit quicker than she did, and as a group, had just enough strength to overpower her.
Teeth and claws tore at her as she fought to crawl out from under them. The pain laced through her body, and she had a fleeting moment of wondering where Tristan was. Had he abandoned her to die under a bunch of wolves?
Tristan tasted the blood as the wolf ripped away from him, tearing flesh and fur. The wolf yelped and stumbled away, realizing his mistake too late. Blood poured from the wound as the wolf let out a gurgling howl. Tristan turned to the small pack and noticed one had Scott pinned to the ground. Scott held his head down, staying small and submissive, which was all Tristan could have expected from the pup, but Erin…
He turned to where he'd last seen her and saw four wolves tearing at her. Occasionally one would rear back with a whimper, only to go right back. A strangled cry, half-human and half-animal came from underneath the pile, and he knew that she'd reverted back to human form. He darted toward the pack, throwing one after another off of her and then standing over her bleeding body, snarling. He let out a howl to call for the rest of his pack as the other wolves slowing started to back away from them. A thundering stamped of wolves from upstairs came flooding into the basement, surrounding the pack of five.
He'd been distracted enough by the wolf that ambushed him that he hadn't had a chance to call for them until this moment.
The four wolves turned around, snarling at the pack, while the fifth one let go of Scott and joined his pack mates.
Tristan glanced down at Erin as she tried to curl herself into a ball, he could smell the tears on her cheeks mixing with her blood. Mate or not, he'd avenge her.
He let out a low howl that told his wolves exactly what needed to be done. Take no mercy.
Erin pulled herself off the floor while the wolves fought. Her body shook as the pain kept her from shifting back. She should have been stronger than that, and now
she was watching Tristan's pack tear apart the traitors. She stumbled forward, trying to tell them all to stop. There was no need to kill them.
Snarls and growls continued to fill her ears as she limped to the fray. She stood in the middle of the wolves who paid to attention to her and yelled, "Stop!"
The fray stopped, and she swept the room with a glare, trying to assess the damage as she held her arm close to her body. She didn't see Tristan anywhere, and her heart began to hammer.
She searched faster, hoping that the wolves wouldn't just ignore her, or worse, attack her again. She didn't have enough energy to keep up a shift at this point, even if she wasn't in pain.
"You will not kill them. If you kill them, you start a war, which is exactly what my father wants. They failed in their mission, so my father has no right to start a war at this moment."
She felt the tension in the room rise and took a deep breath. "You will take these wolves and hold them where ever you hold your prisoners of war, but you will not kill them. If anything, offer them a chance to join your pack in truth."
The wolves in question lowered their heads in submission and then shifted back to human form. A few of the other wolves shifted back and grabbed the traitors by the arms, pulling them off the floor and shoving them forward. They exited through a door she'd never paid attention to before.
She fell to her knees as the pain became too much, and after a moment, Tristan was by her side, wrapping his arms around her. "I've got you."
"I didn't see you in the pack," she whispered.
He kissed her head. "I was defending Scott in the corner. This all went horribly wrong."
She snorted as he helped her up off the floor. "Really? There were minimal deaths. I'm still alive and not maimed. I think it went pretty well all considering."
He swept her off her legs, despite the cuts and bites on his own arms. "It could have been worse, yes, but you're hurt enough that you came back to human form."
"But I'm not close to death. Can we just agree that it turned out okay, get cleaned up, and maybe deal with the aftermath?" She leaned her head into his chest and sighed at the warmth.
He carried her up the steps. "Yes, that's exactly what I plan to do." He walked her through the hallway and into a room.
Judging by the male jeans thrown about the floor, she assumed it was his bedroom. He pushed past a pile of towels and walked into the huge bathroom. The white tile glinted in the fluorescent light, and he sat her down on the toilet and started the bath.
"You soak for a bit. I need to address the pack, and then I'll come back to join you."
She looked at the corner tub and realized it was big enough for the two of them. "That sounds wonderful."
"I'll be back after I deal with the aftermath."
She nodded. "Best to take care of your pack first, then you can figure out what to do with those who betrayed you and are serving my father." She hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask what this meant for them, but she pushed the thought out of her mind.
He kissed her head and helped her into the bath. She hissed as the hot water hit her wounds. As a wolf, they would heal quickly, but not quick enough for her liking. This wasn't a simple scratch. These were wounds from other wolves attempting to tear her apart.
She sank into the water, letting it surround her up to her neck. Tristan smiled down at her. "If you need anything else, just call for me."
She nodded. "Go take care of your wolves. I'll be fine."
He gave her one last look before he walked out of the bathroom. She closed her eyes and imagined him throwing on a pair of jeans before going downstairs to face the disaster that she was the cause of. A burning sensation crossed her chest. She shot up in the water and tried to brush the strange feeling off her skin, not sure what she was expecting to find, but a dark mark in the shape of a holly leaf was not it.
She looked down at the mark and blinked a few times, tracing it with her fingers. An overwhelming need to go to Tristan came over her. She scrambled out of the bath and dried off. Finding a fluffy blue robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, she threw it on, tying the sash tight around her. The sleeves fell past her hands, and the hem fell down to her feet. She pulled it up to her face and took a deep breath. The smell of Tristan surrounded her and calmed her a little bit, but she still needed to see him.
Tristan looked around at the group of wolves that sat in front of him. Some nursing their wounds, some helping others get patched up. This was his pack. He'd been lucky enough that there were enough members around to take on the traitors and not have any casualties. But he was still cursing himself for allowing his wolves to be in such danger. Over a woman. The moment she told him what was going to happen, he should have sent her home and just prepared for war.
But he couldn't have done that. It was clear that she lived a harsh life with her pack, even as the alpha's daughter. Molly stepped up to him.
"We have a few wounded that will take a few days to heal, but no deaths on our side of things." She motioned to Scott already asleep in the corner. "He was the worst, but he's already sleeping it off."
He nodded. "Good, and the traitors?"
"Secured. What are your plans? The holidays are supposed to be a peaceful time. We have more pack coming in the morning for Christmas. Some of them are children. They don't need to see this mess."
She was right, and he would do anything in his power not to let this destroy the once peaceful tradition the pack had. "We let the traitors stay in the cells until after the holidays. Then we do exactly what Erin said. We give them the option. For now, we worry about our pack."
A strange sensation crawled over his chest, and he rubbed it through his shirt. Dread curled in his stomach as his mind jumped right to Erin. He needed to make sure she was okay, but the sudden urge made no sense because she was fine when he left the bathroom. But what if something happened to her?
"Tristan?" Molly interrupted his thoughts.
"Sorry, my mind wandered. We go on with tomorrow as planned, and we'll figure out what to do with traitors after that. We'll avoid war. Somehow."
Erin's scent filled the air and overtook his senses. Nothing mattered except for the smell of the woman who had brought his life to a screeching halt. He turned to find her standing in the entryway of the living room, his robe wrapped around her, swallowing her up in the fluffy soft fabric.
The dread in his stomach uncurled, and he held his hand out to her. The pack watched as she slowly made her way to him, and he wrapped her in his arms. "You're supposed to be resting."
"Well, I couldn't," she whispered and leaned her head against his chest. "I was lying in the bath, and something happened."
He didn't miss the light-heartedness in her voice, and it eased his concern. "What happened?"
She pulled down the edge of the robe, exposing the swell of her left breast, and he saw a dark mark there. His fingers traced the curved edges of the holly leaf, shaking as he realized what had happened. She'd been mated. It could have been any of the wolves that touched her during the fight.
She grabbed his shaking hand. "You can feel it. I know you can. The moment it appeared all I could think about was coming to find you."
He frowned, drawing his brows together as he tried to think through the events of the last few minutes. The burning mark on his chest. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side.
Erin put her hand against his chest where he'd felt the burning, and her smile told him everything. They were mates. The fates gave them a mating for their Christmas present. He bent down and kissed her deeply while the rest of the pack hoot and hollered behind them.
He pulled away and brushed her cheek. "Go get dressed, and I'll meet you upstairs."
She nodded and went back toward the stairs that led to the bedroom. He'd join her later, and they'd figure out how they wanted to proceed with the
wolves that betrayed him.
Erin laid on the bed with her eyes closed, trying to rest from the fight. Now, she was Tristan's mate, and now she was part of the pack. Queen of the wolf pack. She took a deep breath. She hadn't enjoyed being daughter of the alpha, but that didn't matter. As soon as they dealt with the wolves who attacked, she could be done with that pack.
The door creaked as it opened, letting her know that Tristan was coming in. He lay down next to her and pulled her close to him. She snuggled her face into his still bare chest and let out a sigh.
He just held her there for a moment as neither one of them dared to speak and break the silence. After a few minutes, she pulled back and looked up at him. "What now?"
"Now, I call your father and let him know exactly what is going on and tell him what the option is that we'll be giving his wolves. Tomorrow, we act as if nothing is trying to rip our pack apart and we celebrate Christmas."
She pulled his arm around her and hugged it. "Do you think he'll back down?"
"I think he'll try to negotiate, but I won't be letting him. You're my mate now. He put your life and my pack in danger. Any agreement we had previously is now void."
She nodded and reached for her phone. She pressed the buttons that would call her father and placed it on speaker phone.
He picked up on the second ring. "Merry Christmas Eve, Erin."
"Not so merry for you," she stated, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "Your wolves failed, and there's a new variable in your plan."
There was nothing but silence on the phone.
"Tristan has your wolves in custody. They failed, and I'm not hurt nearly enough for you to declare war." She kept her voice calm. "But Tristan has all rights to attack you."
"What are you talking about?" Her father snarled on the other end, and she imagined him pacing his room like a caged animal.
A Werewolf Kind of Christmas Page 5