by Scarlet Fox
“Daddy, no!”
At her holler, Max lifted his head in their direction.
It seemed her father’s gun was completely unnecessary, because Hank used this opportunity to get the upper hand. With his opponent distracted, he lunged up, going for Max’s throat.
“No!” Her scream tore through the kitchen, echoing her terror back at her.
The loud boom that followed left her ears ringing. The gun! Her father had fired the gun. “Max!” she screamed in anguish.
To her astonishment, it was Hank who thundered to the ground, not Max. She gaped at her father’s second-in-command for a moment in disbelief as his blood puddled beneath him on the floor. Then her eyes swept up to her father’s. “Daddy, what…why did you… How…” She couldn’t even seem to formulate a full sentence.
Her father stomped farther into the room and nudged the dead man with his toe. “I’m not as unobservant as you seem to think, Red.” His eyes lifted quickly to hers, his expression reproachful, before returning to Hank. “You think I didn’t know he had nefarious plans for this pack?” He nodded his head in Max’s direction. “You think this man is the first to fall victim to Hank’s bloodlust?”
“You knew.” She spoke the words in breathless disbelief. It was hard to believe, even after hearing it from his mouth herself. “If you knew, then why the sudden restrictions on me? Why leave me worrying?”
Seeming confident Hank was dead, her father gave her his full attention. “Appearances.” He shrugged. “If I didn’t treat the situation as a real threat, Hank would’ve realized. I’d been trying to catch him in the act for a while now, so I didn’t need him suspicious. He’d been terrorizing people, making himself judge and executioner of outsiders. He needed to be stopped.”
His eyes shifted suspiciously to Max, who’d returned to his human form. “Besides, I had no way of knowing if the stray wolf in our midst was feral or not. He could have well been. Hank’s bloodlust aside, the threat could have been real. I wanted to make sure you were well protected in the event he was.”
“Max isn’t a threat.” She was quick to jump to his defense. She didn’t want to give her father any reason not to trust him. There’d already been enough of that.
“Then why the hiding, boy?” her father asked suspiciously. “If you were no threat, why not come forward?”
Max flushed. “Well, at first I was under the impression there was no pack in this area.”
“And then?”
At her father’s pressing words, Red jumped to Max’s defense. “Then he met me, and I asked him to give me a few days to smooth over the situation. I was worried what Hank was going to do to him. I was just trying to protect him.”
“Why didn’t you just come to me?” her father asked, obviously perplexed.
Red knew her cheeks must be the same flaming shade as her hair. There was no getting around it, though. She’d never discussed sex with her father and was extremely uncomfortable with the topic. Especially with Max standing right there. She desperately wished her mother was there to act as a buffer, or better yet, her grandmother. “Well…I…um…” She couldn’t find a way to even begin the subject with him. It was just too awkward.
Her father’s gaze flicked between her and Max before understanding dawned in his eyes. “Oh.” Then he repeated the word more firmly. “Oh!” He suddenly looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. “I see.” He stared at her in surprise. “You’ve never shown an interest in a mate before now. I never considered…”
“That’s because I’d yet to meet Max.” She crossed the kitchen to stand by Max’s side. In a show of her allegiance, she wrapped an arm around his waist. “Max is a good man. He’s not feral, and he’s not looking to take over the pack. He just wants to be with me.” Her eyes pleaded with her father. “I beg of you to let him stay.” A lump rose in her throat as she added, “I need him to stay.”
Her father stared at them for a long moment, his surprise still evident. Finally, he shook his head in resignation. “Then I suppose introductions are in order.” He took a step forward and offered his hand to Max. “I’m Red’s father.”
Chapter Ten
The sound of the doorbell had Red’s belly roiling with tension. Two days had passed since the events in her kitchen, and she hadn’t seen Max since. She hadn’t had time. There’d been so many pack politics to deal with that she hadn’t had a free moment to even stop and fully process what happened. Death within the pack was not taken lightly. Her people were not murderers, but sometimes circumstances arose that called for drastic measures. This had been one of those times.
She’d spent the past two days assisting her father. They’d first had to clean up their home and take care of Hank’s body. Max had offered to stick around and help, but her father had insisted pack business be taken care of in-house. He’d requested Max give them a few days to get things taken care of. Once things settled, then the three of them would sit down and discuss everything that transpired.
After they’d finished with cleanup, Red’s father called a pack meeting to divulge the news of Hank’s death. He’d been hesitant to reveal his second-in-command’s betrayal. He didn’t want to dishonor the dead, but he chose truth to his people over sugar-coating the incident.
Red was not surprised to discover that many members of the pack were not shocked by the news of Hank’s betrayal. In fact, some of them had even suspected their second-in-command of traitorous activities. It seemed he’d made enemies of more than a few of them. Knowing she wasn’t the only one to dislike the man was a comfort.
There’d been a few other things to take care of — Hank’s home for one. He’d had no next of kin. As his alpha, her father had chosen to donate Hank’s belongings to charity. At least something good could come out of his death.
But all of that was finished now. Now, Max stood on the other side of the door. Their fate would soon be decided. Her father’s treatment of Max had been civil, but that didn’t mean he would let a new wolf stay in his territory. If Max was still deemed a threat, he would be forced to leave. She doubted her father would do that to her, but if he felt the pack was threatened, there was no telling what choice he would make.
Shaking her head, she crossed the kitchen to the back door. She could not worry herself with such thoughts. Max was a great guy. He would wow her father and earn his place here. Besides, this meeting wasn’t all about Max. It was the first time she would get to sit down with her father and talk about what happened. She had questions for him as well.
Pulling back the kitchen door, Red found herself face to face with Max for the first time in two days. Just the sight of him tugged at her heart, reminding her of the time they’d been separated. She’d struggled to spend forty-eight hours away from him. It made her wonder how she’d existed at all before he came into her life. “I missed you,” she said softly.
“I missed you too.” Max stepped into the house and cupped her face in his hands. His mouth found hers in a longing kiss before he simply pulled her in against him for a tight hug. He held her close, nuzzling her hair with his nose, and inhaling her scent. It was a very wolf thing to do, and it warmed her heart.
She stayed that way for a while, her head on his chest and her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. In that moment, she made a decision — if Max left, she was going with him. She cared a great deal about her pack, but she loved Max. Sure, it was way too soon for that, but it didn’t change the facts. She loved him.
Her father cleared his throat from the doorway to the living room, and Red lifted her head to gaze over at him. She prayed he saw in her eyes just how much Max meant to her and thought on this situation not only as a pack leader, but as a father as well. He couldn’t tear them apart. She wouldn’t survive it.
“Why don’t we sit?” her father asked gently. He motioned toward the kitchen table as he himself crossed the room and took a seat.
Red took Max’s hand as she made her way over to the kitchen table. She slipped into a seat
and motioned for Max to sit beside her. Keeping her hold on him, she placed their clasped hands on the tabletop as a visual reminder to her father of exactly what her feelings were and what she desired from this meeting. She wanted to leave no doubt in her father’s mind as to what was in her heart. “So…” She allowed her sentence to trail off. Her father was alpha, so she showed him the respect of giving him the opportunity to speak first.
Her father arched a brow. After a moment of silence, he got right to the point. “Can I ask what exactly is going on between the two of you? Pardon my surprise at discovering that my daughter isn’t just dating, but she’s dating a very powerful alpha who snuck into my territory without permission. Please, tell me how this all came about. I’m full of curiosity.”
She opened her mouth to explain, but Max squeezed her hand and shook his head. Biting her lip, she fell silent and let him take the lead in the conversation. It killed her not to jump to his defense, but she knew he was more than capable of handling his own affairs.
Max quickly and calmly explained the circumstances involving his prior pack, about his power level, and his alpha’s displeasure with it. He also supplied her father with the details of their meeting—minus the part about their frantic sex in the dirt. He told of Hank’s plans and his own desire to join their pack. He laid everything out for her father to examine. It was obvious he didn’t want to leave any room for doubt, so he was giving as much detail as possible.
“You’ve got no desire to lead a pack of you own?” Red’s father asked curiously. “You’ve the power for it. I could feel that all the way across the room. Most alpha wolves would be chomping at the bit to get a slice of pack power.”
“Not this alpha,” Max said firmly. “I have no desire to rule a pack of my own. All I want is to be with Red.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, nervously. “I know she’s meant to take over when you retire. I’ll assist her in any way she needs. I’ll do whatever is expected of me, but I’m not looking to take over. That’s the last thing on my mind.”
Her father stared at Max for a long moment, his head cocked to the side as he regarded the man across the table from him. Finally, he spoke. “We have a lot of young wolves in this pack who need guidance. With Hank gone, I’ve lost my second-in-command. You said you’d be willing to do what was expected of you. Does that include filling the position recently vacated?”
Red knew her eyes had to be as wide as Max’s suddenly were. “You want him to take Hank’s position?”
Her father nodded. “I do. The only reason Hank was welcomed into our pack was because I wanted someone to help protect the weaker members of our group. Apparently, I made a mistake in my choice, because he was hurting them more than he was helping. We’re better off without him, but that does not change the fact that I need someone to help keep things running smoothly around here.” He set Max with a challenging look. “Is that something you’d be willing to do?”
Max bobbed his head vehemently. “Yes! Yes, of course. Anything you need.” He grinned wryly. “Just because I lack the ambition to take over doesn’t mean I lack the desire to assist and do my share. I’d be honored to help in any way I’m needed.”
Her father nodded. “Then you can stay. It’s obvious to me you aren’t feral. I’m not fool enough to believe Hank’s wild accusations.”
This brought Red’s thoughts to the second part of their conversation. “And speaking of Hank … how did you know? I thought I was the only one who saw past his charming exterior.”
Her father shook his head. “No. You weren’t the only one, but it’s a big deal to ask someone to step down in the pack, you know that. Those positions are usually fought for and won. A person usually doesn’t step down without being challenged by someone desiring their position. I had to have absolute proof of what Hank was doing before I tried to force him out.” His eyes darkened, the expression within troubled. “As for how I came to suspect him… This was our third feral in a year and a half. It’s extremely rare for a wolf to go feral. The odds of it happening that many times that close to our home is nearly impossible. He was hunting wolves who came into our territory, innocent wolves. I knew it in my gut, and it was my responsibility to stop him.”
He ran a hand over his face, looking suddenly weary. “I started talking to other pack members and discovered he was strong-arming more than a few of them. He was demanding pay for keeping them safe. And anyone who threatened to come to me about his dealings… Well, let’s just say, he used physical force to keep them in line. Hank was much worse than I suspected. We’re fortunate he’s out of our lives without any more innocent people getting hurt.”
Red shivered. She’d never liked Hank, but he was more dangerous than she’d even imagined. They were all lucky to have escaped with their lives. Things could have turned out much, much worse. Her fingers tightened around Max’s, and she found solace in his presence. He was fine. Things were going to work out okay. Hank was gone, and she could now start her new life with Max. Dwelling on the past would only create stress she didn’t need.
He must have sensed her unease, because her father slid back his chair and stood. “Enough pack politics for now. We’ve got plenty of time for that later. Right now, why don’t the two of you take some time to relax and unwind? I’m sure everything has happened so fast, and once Max is introduced to the pack, life will only get more hectic. Why don’t you take some personal time? When the two of you are ready to make official introductions, you let me know.” He paused before adding, “That includes choices about your relationship as well as Max’s position within the pack. Don’t make any decisions or announce anything until you’re both completely sure of what you want. Okay?”
Red nodded, but she didn’t think she’d need much time to think on it. She’d fought for Max. Now that she had him, she wasn’t letting him go anytime soon. “Thanks, Daddy.”
He nodded and waved them off. “Now go on. Enjoy a few days of rest. I’ll handle things here.”
She rose to her feet and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she turned to Max. “The cabin?”
He nodded with a grin. “Bring your picnic basket and blanket. The two of us are going camping under the stars.”
Red beamed at the suggestion. They could have a picnic. They could make love under the midnight sky. And best of all, Max could finally let his wolf out. She had every intention of running through the woods with him, howling at the moon, and then collapsing onto her blanket to sleep naked with him under the stars. Nothing in the world sounded better to her than that.
Epilogue
Red stood before Max and straightened the tie around his neck. Then she fussed with his hair, making sure every strand was in place. “Are you ready for this?” she asked as adrenaline pumped through her veins.
The past few weeks had passed by in a blur. It was hard to believe she and Max hadn’t been together for an eternity, yet his formal introduction into the pack seemed to spring up on them out of nowhere.
Her father had given them as much time as they wanted to make a formal decision on their relationship and Max’s precise involvement in the pack, but Red hadn’t even needed to think on her answer. She would never want another man as much as she wanted Max. He was her soul mate, her other half. She didn’t want to spend her life with anyone else. He’d immediately confessed to feeling the same way. The choice had been easy. It was only the formality of it with the pack that was difficult.
“Not really.” Max answered her question with a little chuckle. “I very much enjoyed being holed up with you in my cabin. I wanted to stay there. Pack politics make me nervous.” He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her in against his chest as he gazed lovingly down into her eyes.
She smiled as he lowered his head to brush his lips along hers. “I thought you were the big, bad wolf. Surely, you’re not intimidated by something as trivial as a monthly pack meeting?”
Max growled and nibbled at her bottom lip. “Don’t sass me. You know damn well
how unnerved I am to be the center of attention.”
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she gave him an encouraging smile. “You have nothing to worry about. Everyone is going to love you. Just like I do.”
His eyes softened, and his arms tightened around her as some of the anxiety visibly melted out of him. “How did I get so lucky, Red? A few weeks ago, I thought I was on the verge of banishment and a lifetime of solitude. Now, I have a pack, a mate, and a perfect life I never could have even dreamed of having. It seems too good to be true.”
“Well, it isn’t. You’re just going to have to get used to a life of unwavering support and love, because that’s what I have every intention of giving you.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think that’s going to be much of a challenge for me. I gladly accept your terms. I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me, Red.”
His mouth lowered to hers in a slow, seductive kiss, and Red gave herself over to it. She let her body mold against the hardness of his chest as she became tranquil in his arms. She knew she would never grow tired of being wrapped up in his embrace. It felt like home, full of comfort and love.
As he deepened the kiss, she heard her father call out an introduction for his guest of the evening from the adjacent room. Regretfully, she pulled back to look up into Max’s beautiful blue eyes. “That’s our cue.” Taking his hand in a show of support, she followed him through the small doorway that led to the meeting room.
Curious gazes and soft murmurs followed their arrival. She had no doubt rumors of Max’s presence had been whispered throughout the pack, but she doubted they knew more than the basics. Her father had done a good job of keeping their relationship quiet until they were ready to announce it officially to the pack. Seeing her and Max clasping hands had surely drawn the attention of many of them.
Her father’s commanding voice rang out through the meeting hall. “I would like to introduce to everyone the newest member of our pack.” He waved Max forward. “This is Max Carpenter, and he’ll be joining our growing family.”