Pack Rogue

by Crissy Smith

As fast as the attack had started, it was done. The SUV sped backwards and was out of sight in seconds. His first instinct was to follow but he needed to check on his mate.

  He hurried over to her vehicle. Kiley was scrunched down in the driver’s seat, wide eyed, hair dishevelled. He knocked on the window and she jumped.

  He offered her a smile, hoping to convey that everything was all right. She fumbled for the lock and opened the door, then launched herself into his arms.

  Austin held his trembling mate, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. When she had stopped shaking, he pulled back enough to look at her face.

  Tears had streaked down her dirty face but she had never looked better to him. Just the fact that she’d allowed him to comfort her calmed both him and his wolf.

  “They tried to kill you already,” she whispered so quietly he barely heard.

  Austin knew what she was talking about. She thought the attack was because of their mating. “Remember the threats, honey? That’s more likely what this was about,” he murmured against her cheek as she buried her face in his chest.

  She continued to hold onto him, so he eased forwards until she was back in the front seat. He kept one arm around her as he dug in his pocket for his phone.

  He punched the first speed dial with his thumb. As soon as Colt answered, he started to bark out orders.

  “Get to Kiley’s apartment ASAP! Make sure you bring plenty of help. Leave Tyler at the house and make sure Jesse is guarded.”

  Colt’s calm voice assured him he was already on his way and everything would be handled. He didn’t ask any questions and Austin was glad. He didn’t know if he could explain what had happened and how close his mate had come to being hurt without breaking down.

  He needed to get himself together before the others got there. He still had the scent of the shifter who had come after them.

  When he found him there would be no mercy for him.

  He hadn’t been able to see behind the blackened window but his nose had told him all he needed to know. The scent of the one who would now become the prey.

  Kiley watched from the front of her SUV while Austin ordered his men around, making sure they got everything they needed from the scene.

  He’d been pissed when Tyler had shown up with Colt and Dominic. Kiley could see it in the way he glared at the other Alpha while he watched his men. She would have been amused by the obvious protectiveness of her mate if she wasn’t so shaken up.

  Even when they’d asked her to guard Jesse she hadn’t taken the threat seriously. Who was going to attack two Alphas surrounded by Pack? Kiley’d thought she was just a glorified baby sitter while they held the meetings. That is, if she was to believe the attack was because of the meetings and not her.

  She wasn’t sure. Which meant she had to be that much more concerned for her mate.

  But just in case, she had to change her entire way of thinking. She wouldn’t let Jesse get hurt. No, there was no way that little girl would be put in any dangerous situation.

  Austin walked over to her and she had to look away since her emotions were so close to the surface. She was still deeply shaken from the whole encounter. Especially from her unexpected reaction to it.

  She had been so scared for her mate. He’d put himself in danger to protect her. No one had ever done that for her. It had brought up too many feelings for her to easily be able to separate and process. Feelings she had spent a long time trying to bury.

  Austin cupped her cheek and lifted her face before placing a soft kiss on her lips. The sweet gesture was too much and she had to pull away and drop her chin to hide the tears that wanted to fall.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he murmured, pulling her back into his embrace.

  She nodded but didn’t trust her voice not to crack if she tried to speak.

  “Gray and Tony are on their way. They were across town when we called. As soon as they get here, we’ll head back to Tyler’s.”

  Kiley started to relax against him as he gently rubbed circles on the small of her back. “Okay,” she managed to whisper.

  She allowed him to hold her until Tyler walked over. Then her instinct to show no weakness in front of others kicked in and she pulled away.

  Austin let go of her with a heavy sigh. She knew it bothered him but there was nothing she could do about it right then. She would work on it, she promised herself. She was mated to the man and he deserved to have a mate that could handle his affection.

  “How are you doing, kid?” Tyler asked.

  Kiley rolled her eyes but laughed, which was no doubt the reaction he was trying for. He gave everyone stupid little nicknames. The first time he’d called her kid, she had reminded him he was only about three years older than she was.

  He’d responded that it didn’t matter because when she was with Jesse, it was like she was a kid herself again.

  She’d thought long and hard about that and had eventually agreed. When she was with Jesse it did feel like she was ten, fifteen years younger, getting to do all the things she had never done as a child.

  She enjoyed playing games, swimming, and spending time with the little cub. It had even made her think about having her own kids one day. She had been almost certain she wouldn’t, but now the possibility was there. She wondered if Austin wanted children.

  She hadn’t realised she’d gone off on her own thoughts until Austin pressed harder on her back and she looked up to see matching looks of concern on his and Tyler’s faces.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m fine. Really.”

  Tyler nodded while Austin just stared at her. Her mate wasn’t buying it.

  “I promise, Austin. I was just thinking…” She let her sentence trail off, not wanting to share exactly what she was thinking. Not just then.

  “You’d tell me…” he asked, dropping his voice low so only she could hear. “You’d tell me if you weren’t okay?”

  “Yes,” she assured him.

  He took a deep breath and she watched the play of his muscles over his stomach. A stomach she wanted to spend hours licking and tasting.

  She wanted to have him all around her. Surrounding her, filling her, consuming her. She felt flushed, hot, and needy. She could smell her mate—rich, sweet, and woodsy.

  Austin chuckled and she gasped, caught once again lost in her own thoughts. Except this time she’d been busted fantasising about Austin.

  But when he turned his body into her, discreetly rubbing his erection against her, she knew she wasn’t the only one longing to reconnect as they had earlier.

  Chapter Six

  Austin paced the bedroom he’d been given, thinking about everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

  He’d found his mate. He was thirty-six years old and was just starting to think that he wouldn’t be one of the lucky ones. But then, when he’d least expected it, Kiley had walked into his life.

  Then, right after he’d claimed her, someone had tried to run them down.

  And, of course, that same night someone had tried to kill Tony and Gray.

  He couldn’t believe it. He’d come to his friend’s territory to sit in on some meetings and that was all. He had already pretty much made up his mind that his Pack would not be going public, while Tyler was still undecided.

  His visit had been to support his old friend and learn as much as he could about what would be coming in the future. Tony had been working with several government officials who had accidentally found out about the shifter world.

  Now, he had a mate, there was a real threat against anyone who was meeting with Tony, and he wasn’t even on his own turf to take care of matters the way he would prefer. He wanted to hunt down the shifter who had dared to place his mate in danger and kill them. Even if they had been after him, they’d still placed his mate in jeopardy.

  When he’d reached Tyler’s, he was ready to gather up his men and go out looking, but no one else had agreed with him. Even Colt, the traitor, had told him he needed to calm
down so they could plan their next move.

  Luckily Gray and Tony would both recover. Gray’s wounds had been superficial—a few cuts and bruises, and a bullet had grazed his arm. Tony hadn’t been so lucky. He’d been shot in the leg and chest. Gray had managed to stop the bleeding and they’d called the Pack doctor to the house to look over the man.

  Doc Jensen had removed the bullet and bandaged Tony up. Already Tony’s brother and some members of his Pack were on the way. So they’d decided to wait until morning when Cain, Tony’s brother, would arrive.

  That was why Austin was pacing his room. But that didn’t explain why he was alone in his room.

  After they’d got back to Tyler’s Kiley had wanted to check on Jesse. Austin had watched her head up the stairs before he joined everyone else in the study. He’d checked on Kiley about an hour later. She was still sitting next to Jesse’s bed, looking exhausted. He’d coaxed her into getting up and taking a shower. Then he’d asked her if she would stay in his room but she had shaken her head, saying she needed to stay close to Jesse. The room she’d been given had an adjoining bathroom so she could leave the doors open to listen for the young cub.

  It hurt, the fact that she didn’t need to be with him as much as he needed her right then. He could understand and respect her concern for the girl, but he felt like he was going out of his mind. He’d thought briefly about going for a run as his wolf but didn’t want to chance being away from the house for any amount of time.

  So he had time to stew. The attack on Gray and Tony had come less than an hour from the one on him and Kiley, which meant they were dealing with a group of people. A group that was keeping close tabs on them, since while he’d been with his mate at her apartment, Gray had taken Tony to a bar to relax.

  Tyler had asked his members to get into Pack territory and stay there for their own safety. Austin agreed with him and would have made the same decision in his place. The compound could be protected more easily. He’d made a call home and warned his own Pack to be on the lookout for anything strange.

  He needed to get back and see to them himself but he couldn’t leave Kiley. And Kiley wasn’t ready to go yet. At the moment, being close to her was all he could do. While she was in her room and he in his, he could at least listen out for trouble. He doubted he would sleep much.

  Even if Kiley wasn’t with him he knew she was safe inside, so that gave him some reassurance.

  Resigning himself to a night alone, he stripped off his clothes before climbing into bed. The cool sheets felt good against his skin. He turned off the lamp and settled against his pillows. He was still painfully hard from thinking about his mate and he lazily stroked himself.

  He was just getting into it, lifting his hips and tightening his grip, when there was a soft knock on his door. He could sense his mate in the hallway and it almost sent him over the edge. He held back, barely.

  Austin started to lift himself from the bed when his door opened.

  “Austin?” Kiley asked in a quiet voice.

  He was thrilled. His mate coming to him. It didn’t matter what she wanted or needed. If she only wanted to talk, that would be fine with him. Oh, he would like to do a whole lot more, but he would take anything he could get with her right now.

  “Come in, Kiley,” he encouraged.

  She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. He had no problem seeing her in the dark. She stood next to the door dressed in pyjama bottoms and a tank top, hair still wet from her shower, wringing her hands together.

  He reached over to turn the lamp on.

  “No,” she said quickly.

  He froze with his hand still in the air.

  “Can I…you said…”

  Austin waited, trying to give her time to get out what she wanted to say. He hoped she wanted to spend the night in his bed after all.

  She cleared her throat. “Tyler came and got Jesse. Said he wanted to put her in his bed so he could sleep. You know, having her close and all, so he’ll sleep better.”

  Austin knew exactly. That’s why he wanted Kiley.

  “So I thought, since Jesse’s with him, I could come in here. That is, if you still want me to.”

  Austin pressed his lips together to stop his wide grin from showing. Instead he lifted the edge of the sheet and invited her to join him.

  She didn’t waste any time climbing into bed with him and cuddling into his arms. Her head resting under his chin, he held her tight against his body.

  He closed his eyes, content to have her in his bed. “Thank you for coming to me,” he whispered. He would never be able to tell her how much it meant to him that she had wanted to be with him. Not just because of the mating bond, but because he was finally beginning to understand a little about her.

  She put her own needs aside for what she thought she should do. She had vowed to protect Jesse and she would. Even when she really wanted to be with him.

  Her soft lips brushed against his collarbone. “I didn’t want to sleep alone,” she confessed softly.

  “You never have to again unless you want to,” he responded. And it was the truth. He didn’t plan to sleep in another bed without Kiley, ever.

  She sighed and her body slowly went soft against him. He laid there for a long time just listening to her soft, steady breathing, happy despite everything else that was going on.

  Kiley woke up alone in the big bed. And that was not something she was happy about or wanted. She frowned. She was used to sleeping and waking alone, but that was one of the many changes in her life since she’d met Austin.

  She would have blamed it on the mating, but deep down she knew that it was because of Austin. Already she cared for him. He was the guy she could grow to love. And wasn’t that a scary thought!

  She shook her head as she climbed out of the bed and made her way to her own room. She dressed quickly and peeked into Jesse’s room. The little girl wasn’t there.

  Standing in the hall, she used her senses to pick up where the two people she wanted were. They were both in the kitchen. She could smell eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, and coffee. She could hear low voices speaking but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  Knowing she would find not only Jesse but her mate as well, she headed for the kitchen. Once at the door, she heard a soft bark. Tyler didn’t have a dog.

  She entered slowly. The kitchen was full. Gray was standing at the stove managing three large skillets. Jesse was on the floor with a man Kiley didn’t know while a brown puppy sat in her lap licking her chin. Both Jesse and the man were laughing. Austin, Tyler, Colt, and an older man sat at the kitchen table.

  “Kiley!” Jesse exclaimed. “Look what Cain brought me!”

  Kiley looked over at the puppy Jesse held up. It was cute. A small furball with huge paws and big, floppy ears.

  “She’s a Lab. I’m gonna call her Daisy,” Jesse told her.

  Kiley knelt in front of the girl and her new puppy. Daisy wiggled around until Jesse released her. The puppy walked clumsily over to Kiley before jumping up and down trying to get in her lap. Kiley picked the little thing up and was surprised by her weight.

  “Wow, what a big girl,” she said playfully.

  The man laughed. “That’s just the beginning. She should get to be about seventy pounds.”

  Kiley’s mouth dropped open. “Seventy?”

  The man nodded with a wide grin on his face.

  “Oh my!” But the puppy was adorable. Kiley cuddled it up to her face. “Hello, Daisy.”

  “She’s my very own dog!” Jesse commented.

  Kiley looked over at the table to see Tyler’s reaction to that bit of news. The Alpha’s attention was taken up by the stranger at the table but Austin caught her eye and winked. Happiness bubbled up inside her. Just seeing him and being in the room with him made her body come alive and her heart swell.

  She smiled back at him and looked at Jesse. “This is a very good dog. It’s going to take lots of hard work to take care of her, but I
know you can do it.”

  The little girl beamed back.

  Kiley was thrilled to see her happy. Peeking up from under her lashes, she looked at the other man on the floor. She could smell the man’s mate on him and relaxed just a little.

  “I’m Tony’s brother, Cain,” he told her with a dip of his head when he saw her looking at him.

  “Kiley,” she responded. She was glad he didn’t try to take her hand or touch her.

  “I know. Austin hasn’t been able to take his eyes off you since you walked in. My father asked him three times if he was okay,” Cain said laughing.

  Kiley felt herself blush. She could feel Austin’s eyes on her.

  “It’s good to see him happy. Congratulations,” he said sincerely.

  “Thank you,” she murmured in response.

  She placed the puppy back in Jesse’s arms and stood. Austin was saying something to Colt but held his hand out to her. She carefully made her way to his side and took his outstretched hand. Austin pulled and she ended up on his lap.

  She heard Tyler chuckle beside her. She looked over at the Alpha and raised an eyebrow. He quickly looked away but a grin was planted firmly on his face.

  The older man looked up and smiled. “You must be Kiley. It is a pleasure to meet Austin’s mate.”

  Kiley blinked at him for several seconds. No one had actually called her his mate out loud before except Austin. She could tell the man was an Alpha but she didn’t get an uneasy feeling around him. She actually felt the same ease as she did with Tyler.

  “Thank you, sir,” she replied respectfully.

  He nodded. “Good mate, Austin,” he said.

  Austin slipped an arm around her stomach. “Thank you and I agree.” Then he introduced the strangers. “This is Lamont, Tony’s father. The man on the floor with Jesse is Cain.”

  She’d already met Cain, so she nodded. “I’m sorry Tony was hurt. I hope he gets better soon.”

  Lamont smiled and his face transformed, making him look twenty years younger. “He is already feeling much better. We’ll be taking him home tomorrow, where he can recover fully.”