I scowled at him. “Then why would you tell me to go ahead and do it?”
Cody grinned at me. “You’re a female, so if you and Reagan get into it, it’s expected.”
James nodded. “A dominant female is coming onto your territory, it’s in your nature to want to challenge her and establish dominance over her.”
“Males stay out of female dominance struggles.” Austin added.
I looked at them thoughtfully. “So, what you are saying is that it’s my job to protect you from other females.”
James gave me a dark look; no doubt he didn’t like the idea of me protecting him from anything. I smiled sweetly at him. “Don’t worry, James. I will keep you safe from big, bad Reagan.”
Cody and Austin both laughed out loud as James scowled. I noticed that he didn’t tell me that he didn’t want my protection. That made my grin even wider.
James finished his beer and went over to a cooler in the corner to get another. I rolled my eyes. Just how long were they planning to hide in here?
Cody noticed my look and ran his hand through his hair. “It’s a mutual thing. You are too small to be able to challenge another male, so if a male wolf gives you any trouble then one of us will take care of him.”
To my surprise, James came over to hand me a beer after he popped off the top. I smiled at him in thanks and tried not to show my amazement. Was James starting to accept me?
“So, can you teach me how to fight?” I asked after taking a sip of the cold beer.
All of the guys turned to look at me in shock.
Cody cleared his throat. “Uh, Anna. I have a difficult time picturing you fighting anyone.”
James laughed out loud and I wished I had something to throw at him.
“Why do you want to learn how to fight?” Austin asked curiously.
“You know, in case I need to defend my males.” I teased them.
I got a couple of chuckles out of Austin and Cody, but James just looked at me contemplatively.
“But seriously. I need to know how to defend myself if I can be challenged by females in the packs I’m going to visit.” I explained to them.
Austin ran a hand along his jaw. “I think that learning self-defense is a good idea for you, Anna. Cody, do you think you could work Anna into the training schedule?”
Cody frowned. “She’s a lot smaller than any of the other guys; I don’t want her to get hurt.”
I sighed irritably. “I’m going to get hurt if I’m attacked and I’m unable to protect myself.”
I decided that now was one of those times that I needed to challenge their opinion of me. I did not like them thinking of me as a helpless female. “I don’t want you guys to just hide me away from danger, I want you to teach me how to face it head-on along with the rest of the pack.”
Austin gave me a slow smile. “You want us to toughen you up?”
I nodded, determined to make my point. “I want to stand beside you, not behind you.”
There was quiet in the room. Austin looked proud, but Cody had a worried look on his face. James was completely unreadable.
“I’ll teach her.” James volunteered. My jaw almost hit the floor. First, he’s handing me a beer and now he is volunteering to teach me how to fight?
Cody nodded in relief. Austin agreed but gave James a strange look that I couldn’t read.
I took a sip of the beer and watched all three guys from under my eyelashes. Cody was dressed in his usual jeans and a T-shirt. His six-foot five frame looked uncomfortable balanced cautiously on the folding chair. He was probably worried that his two hundred and thirty pounds of solid muscle would make the chair collapse. The blue of his shirt made his Caribbean blue eyes look even more captivating than usual and I could stare into his eyes all day.
Austin was in slacks and a button-down dress shirt, looking very GQ. James was in all black and had some scruff, making him look even more dark and dangerous than usual.
I sighed. Why did every one of these men have to look so good? It was distracting. And why was I thinking of them like this? Earlier today I had kissed both of the twins in the pool. I tried to focus my thoughts on anything else.
I balanced the beer on one thigh as I held it in place. “So, why do you guys have all of these rules and customs like the queen of England? I thought you had said that most packs were violent and physically fought for dominance.”
Austin gave me a sad smile. “All of those customs are to keep wolves in their place. You are expected to show deference on a daily basis to any wolf that is dominant to you. Failure to do so can result in a challenge or physical punishment.”
“It’s strange to hear that spoken out loud,” Cody added. “All of this is ingrained in us since birth, so we just know what we need to do.” He shrugged, “When you say it out loud…”
Austin nodded. “When you say it out loud it sounds unnecessary and barbaric, which is why I do things differently in my pack.”
“So then how does it work in this pack?” I asked curiously. “What do you do if you feel like someone is challenging your authority?”
Austin smiled at me. “What do they do in the military when someone is challenging a superior’s rank or not giving appropriate respect?”
I nodded in understanding. “That’s why you prefer prior military. They already have an understanding of what is expected of them.”
“They also understand when obedience is necessary and when it’s okay to just be a group of guys hanging out.” Cody added, taking a swig of his beer.
“I’m really glad to be a part of this pack,” I told them honestly. “I don’t want to go to any other packs.”
“Believe me, none of us want to see you go.” Austin told me. “Some of the guys are going to have a difficult time when it comes time for you to visit the other packs.”
I sighed, I knew he was talking about the twins. They were not going to want to let me walk out the door with another pack, even if I promised that I was coming back.
There were a couple moments of silence while we all contemplated. “That won’t be anytime soon,” James announced, effectively closing the door on that topic of conversation.
“Do you think we will be able to go on a pack run tonight?” I asked, directing the question towards Austin.
He grinned at me. “Definitely. I think all of us are going to need to blow off some steam.”
“As long as you stick close to us and stay in sight at all times.” James grumbled in my direction.
I smiled sweetly at him. “Of course, James.” I had only gone on a pack run with James one other time and it had quickly become my mission to get him to play while in his wolf form. I doubted he ever fully relaxed while he was human, but surely he couldn’t be that uptight all the time.
I heard the sound of the twin’s Jeep pulling up to the house through the garage doors. The other guys must have heard it at the same time because they all perked up. Austin finished his beer and stood.
I followed his lead. “I’m assuming they have food?”
“Yep.” Cody beat us all to the door that lead back into the house. I couldn’t help but laugh. That man liked to eat, probably because he needed a lot of fuel for his muscular six-foot five-inch frame.
Austin placed his hand on my lower back as we walked to the door. My spine tingled in awareness and I breathed in deeply to take in his scent as he held the door open for me. It was impossible for me not to be attracted to him right now.
I was gradually learning what it meant to open up and trust these guys. The more I opened up, the more I had all kinds of other feelings flooding in. I sighed as I headed to the kitchen to get what we needed to set the table.
I coerced the guys into helping me set up for dinner after the twins brought the food in. They had brought Italian food, with some fettuccini Alfredo for me. I gave them both big smiles, I had really been looking forward to my Alfredo, I was glad I didn’t have to give it up.
Reagan joined us for dinner. She
gave the dinner table a condescending sigh, but didn’t say a word. No doubt she was accustomed to much finer dining than what we had to offer her.
The table was unusually silent. It was just myself, the twins, James, Cody, Austin and Caleb. The rest of the pack had probably gotten word that Reagan was staying here, and they were keeping their distance.
“Cody, dear. Won’t you get me some more wine?” Reagan said, holding up her glass.
Cody stood with a sigh and reached for the bottle of wine. I did not like the way Reagan’s eyes ran over the length of his body. I felt a flash of possessiveness come over me and it took everything I had not to growl at her.
Apparently, I was not able to hide my feelings from her completely because she turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow as Cody poured her wine. I narrowed my eyes at her and did not try to hide my glare. She already knew I didn’t like the way she looked at Cody and someone needed to warn her away from him.
I did not like the fact that she made Cody uncomfortable with the way she looked at him. I tried to convince myself that I would do the same if a guy was creeping on one of my female friends. Not because I had feelings for Cody.
Austin picked up on the tension between us and blinked with surprise before interrupting. “How long did you plan on staying?” Austin asked his mother politely.
“I was told that I should stay here until the council calls for Anna.” She announced.
Cody almost choked on his food.
Austin frowned. “I thought that was months away.”
Reagan sighed sadly. “Indeed.”
“Can you be away from your pack for that long?” I asked her sweetly. “Surely they must be devastated that you are away.”
She gave me a wry smile. “Nicely played, dear. I think they intended for me to be both a chaperone and a teacher.”
I frowned. “A chaperone?”
Reagan nodded. “Rumor has it this pack is uncivilized, they wanted to make sure you were being treated well.”
Austin rolled his eyes. “I’m sure I know who gave them that idea.”
I looked down at the other end of the table. Caleb, Mason, and Jason were all sitting quietly and keeping their eyes down. It didn’t look like they wanted to be a part of this conversation.
“Speaking of uncivilized,” Reagan added. “When do you plan on furnishing your home properly?”
“After Anna is announced as my mate, I’m sure she will want her home furnished to her specifications.” Austin answered smoothly.
I wasn’t the only one who stopped to stare at him. Was he being serious or just saying that to stop Reagan’s line of questioning?
Reagan gathered herself more quickly than the rest of us. “You don’t intend to provide for her now? I couldn’t help but notice that she lacks appropriate clothing.”
I rolled my eyes. I could understand why she wanted me dressed a specific way to meet the other packs, but I didn’t see why it mattered if it were just us here.
“Anna is free to get whatever clothing she wants.” Austin told her. “I don’t have a dress code for my pack.”
Reagan sniffed. “Very well.” She turned to me. “Anna, I think we should have our lessons in the mornings, so we have time for shopping in the afternoons.”
My jaw dropped. Every day? Did she really intend for us to go shopping every afternoon? What was she planning on buying?
I must have given her a confused look because she answered my unspoken questions.
“We have the entire house to furnish and we also need to build you an appropriate wardrobe from scratch.”
I looked at Austin for help, but he avoided my gaze. I took a deep breath. Dealing with other females was supposed to be my job, not his. I needed to learn how to handle Reagan myself.
If I wanted these guys to respect me I needed to stand up for myself and not rely on them as much. I needed to show them that I deserved their respect.
“Reagan, I work on the weekdays. I can meet with you for a couple of hours in the evenings, but I also have responsibilities in the pack.” I told her assertively.
Reagan blinked in surprise. “I’m sure Austin will release you from your job. This is more important.”
She said the word job as if it was a dirty word and I tried to hide my annoyance and be polite. “I don’t work for Austin, I work for the naval hospital and they are relying on me to be there.”
This time it was her jaw that dropped. “Why do you work there? Doesn’t the pack provide for you?”
She shot Austin a look. “You are sending your female out to the human world to make money for you?” She asked incredulously.
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair but met her gaze head-on. “It’s my decision to work and I love my job. Austin supports my choice because he wants me to be happy.”
“Well, I can see that I am not really needed here after all.” Reagan pushed back her chair and stood stiffly.
“Mother…” Austin said with an air of impatience.
“I am going to call your father.” She stated before walking away. There was silence until we were sure that she had gone upstairs and then everyone at the table let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Alright, Anna!” Jason gave me a high five which I awkwardly returned.
I looked at Austin with concern. “Is this going to cause problems for you?”
He gave me a soft smile. “My father is used to this. I’m sure he was expecting a phone call tonight, I doubt she intended to stay long.”
“She packed enough luggage for a couple months,” Cody grumbled.
“Is it mean if I suggest we let her stew while we go on a pack run?” I asked.
The entire table laughed. Mason picked up his plate and mussed my hair as he walked past me. “This is why we love you, Anna.”
Jason stopped near me to pick up my plate before he brought his to the sink. “I vote we run now and clean up later.” He said as he placed the pile of dishware in the sink.
“I agree.” Austin stated.
That was a signal for the other guys to clear their places and head towards the patio door. Now that Reagan was no longer in sight, they were starting to sound more like themselves.
I bumped my shoulder into Caleb’s as we made our way outside. “Everything okay?” I asked him quietly. I don’t think he had said one word during dinner.
He nodded, but I could see some strain around his eyes. I knew that he had been working hard the past week, maybe a run would help clear his mind.
I gave him a smile as I headed to the pool house where I usually changed into my wolf out of sight of the other guys. I changed quickly but waited a moment before running out to meet them. I wanted to make sure I gave the guys enough time to change as well. Not that they cared, none of them seemed shy about nudity.
When I had decided I had waited long enough I charged out. I was exhilarated by the sense of freedom that being in my wolf form gave me. I ran a lap around the lawn and then came back at top speed to circle the guys.
Austin had a gorgeous dark blonde coat that gleamed in the last light of the setting sun. The twins both had glossy brown coats, and Cody and Caleb were both grey with white markings.
I was the most envious of James’s coat. He was an inky black color that allowed him to hide in the shadows and move through the forest unseen. My bright white coat meant that I was easily seen through the trees and brush regardless of the time of day.
Cody had laughed at me when I complained. “That’s a good thing. It means we can’t lose you.” He had told me with a grin.
I charged towards James and he braced himself for impact with a resigned look in his eyes. At the last moment, I swerved to pounce on Jason. Because I caught him unaware I caught him off balance and we rolled across the lawn, wrestling.
Shockingly, I managed to get the upper hand with a well-timed kick to his abdomen with my back paws. He grunted and let me have the dominant spot for a moment before Mason crashed into me. I knew I’d never
win against both of them, so I squirmed away and took off running.
They might be larger than me, but I was lighter and more agile. They would charge after me and their momentum would keep them going, whereas I could change direction on a dime and have a good lead on them by the time they had followed in the new direction.
The other guys watched in amusement as I led the twins around the clearing, but the game was over when Austin, Cody and Caleb decided to box me in for the twins to catch. When they finally let me up I shook out my coat and gave them all chastising looks. Five against one was undeniably unfair.
Caleb nuzzled me in apology, but the rest just gave me the wolf version of smirks. James had watched silently from the sidelines, no doubt on watch while the rest of us played. I sighed. I wish I could get him in on the fun.
Austin gave the signal for our run to start and we headed to the forest as a pack. Austin led the way with James following last. He liked to stay back so that no one fell behind and he could guard the rear.
I’ll admit that I was a curious wolf; I liked to stop when I caught the scent of something interesting so that I could investigate it. Mr. Grumpy wanted none of that and would nip at my flanks to try and keep me moving with the pack.
I would pretend that I thought he was nipping at me because he wanted to play. After a fair amount of bouncing around and nipping back at him I would decide that I had annoyed him enough. Then I would chase after the pack until we caught up. I thought it was a great game. James, not so much.
The twins eventually caught on to what I was doing and tried to play along. James was not nearly as gentle with them as he was with me. I think he finally lost his temper when he gave Mason a particularly vicious growl and snapped at him. Mason bowed his head to James as a sign of submission and rejoined the pack with his tail held low.
I decided to give James a break and try to race Austin, try being the operative word. I might be better at short bursts of speed and darting in different directions, but the guys all had me beat with endurance. They could run fast for longer periods of time. We eventually came to a river and after lapping up some water, I plopped down on the ground.
Finding the Fire Within: Seaside Wolf Pack Book 2 Page 5