Wicked Wolf

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  “I see you’ve started on the drinking without us,” Gideon said, his voice tired. Quinn didn’t know what it felt like to be Alpha, but he knew he’d never want the weight of that responsibility on his shoulders.

  Mitchell scowled then went to the fridge, pulling out a couple of beers. Mitchell was a pain in the ass, but considering what the man had gone through, Quinn didn’t blame him one bit.

  “So, a council,” Quinn said once they were all seated and drinking. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

  Gideon merely gave him a look. “Since when have I had to explain any decisions I’ve made when it comes to this Pack?”

  Quinn lowered his eyes. “I meant no disrespect,” he said, his voice a growl.

  Gideon just sighed. “Stop it. I didn’t tell you because Kade wasn’t going to tell Gina or the others we wanted on the council. And yes, Kade and I knew who we wanted on our councils before we showed up for the meeting, but we didn’t tell each other. We wanted to wait until we were there for the reveal or what have you. Only Mitchell and Jasper knew what was going on, but not to the full extent. Not even our Enforcers or Heirs knew because we wanted to keep things equal and not let politics get in the way. Though, with any Pack melding, there’s going to be politics.” His Alpha snarled the last part, and Quinn felt better.

  At least he wasn’t the only one kept in the dark. “So you didn’t tell Ryder about it because he’s the Heir just like Finn? Finn’s a bit young to be part of all of this.” Finn was Kade’s oldest son, and therefore the Redwood Pack Heir. He’d also been forced to hold that mantel since he was just a little boy of three. Not only had Finn almost been killed the year before that in the war, he then had to deal with the new powers flowing through his veins when the former Alpha, his grandfather, had died at the hands of the demon.

  It had been a dark time for all werewolves that day.

  Gideon scratched his chin. “Pretty much. Though the boy is an adult now by human standards, so Kade is going to start giving him more responsibility, I think. The kid’s not that hotheaded. Not like we were when we were his age. The fact that he had every bone in his body broken when he was two, thanks to the demon, changed him. War and loss changes you. Paves your path in a different direction when you’re not looking.”

  He winced at the reminder of Finn’s injuries. The kid was okay now, but that couldn’t have been an easy experience. “So now we all know?” Quinn asked, taking a sip of his beer.

  “Yes. We’re not going to keep it a secret. This council isn’t for backdoor dealings or political maneuvers. It’s about a way to make sure our future actually arrives. I’m afraid if we don’t start working together for more than just a few days a year, we’re going to fuck it up when something changes.”

  Quinn tilted his head. “What changes?”

  His Alpha shook his head. “I don’t know. Something’s coming, and we need to find a way to grow before it happens.” He met Quinn’s eyes. “Are you going to be able to work with Gina? We still have time to shift things if you’re having issues. Issues you can’t overcome, that is.”

  It was a challenge, and everyone in the room knew it. If Quinn said he wanted out, he’d look weak to the rest of the Pack, as well as the Redwoods. So it didn’t matter that he wouldn’t back out anyway; he now had no choice.

  He didn’t like being moved like a chess piece, but sometimes an Alpha had no choice.

  Gideon might be a young Alpha, as young in terms of experiences as Kade, but he was not a cruel Alpha. If he didn’t think Quinn could handle it, he wouldn’t have given the task to him in the first place.

  Quinn just had to believe it.

  “I can handle it,” Quinn growled. He took a deep breath, calming himself. “I can handle it.” He sounded better that time.

  Gideon gave him an assessing look then nodded. “Good. Gina should be talking with Kade now about the next meeting. From now on, you two will plan the places and times, but for this first one, the Alphas did it for you. So tomorrow at ten a.m. in the place we met before. Got it?”

  Quinn nodded.

  “Good. She should be calling you soon to confirm.” Gideon drained his beer then stood up. “So don’t fuck it up by ignoring her.”

  Quinn snarled.

  “I heard you, Quinn. Just don’t fuck it up.”

  With that, the Brentwoods left his home, and Quinn stood there, shaking his head. He hated when things were out of control. His life, his work, his son, his wolf…and now he was at it again. He knew his Pack needed him to be strong, needed him to work with the Redwoods since that was the whole point of the council, but that didn’t make it easy.

  His phone beeped, and he answered, already knowing who it would be.

  “Quinn here.”

  “Quinn, it’s Gina.”

  Her voice slid through him and went straight to his cock. He held back a growl and forced himself to ignore his reaction.

  “Gideon told me the time and place.” He didn’t know why he couldn’t just stay calm and not antagonize, but he couldn’t bear to listen to her. She stirred up too many things for him.

  And she was a goddamn witch.

  She paused. “Fine,” she clipped. “See you then. I was just calling to confirm.”

  “Consider it confirmed.” He hung up and threw his phone on the couch.

  If he didn’t think about her too much, didn’t worry about that annoying ache in his wolf, he’d be fine. Once he pushed her away and set the boundaries, they’d all be able to act normally.

  Or as normal as a wolf with only half a soul could act.

  Chapter Three

  That insufferable brute needed a swift kick in the ass.

  Sure, he had sexy eyes and even sexier ink on thick muscles, but damn it.

  Gina’s thoughts had been on a loop with that and a few other choice words since the bastard had hung up on her the day before.

  She scrunched her face and forced herself to calm down. The dirt beneath her feet clouded around her, and she paused in her pacing. She was only making a mess of herself and not helping anything.

  She didn’t need to go into the meeting looking as though she wanted to rip out his throat.

  That probably wouldn’t be good for the whole treaty thing.

  But goddess, she wanted to hurt him, mess up his pretty face. No, that wasn’t right. He wasn’t pretty. His face held too many hard edges for that. But his brutal handsomeness called to her wolf, and she hated the fact that it did.

  And now, she couldn’t get his face out of her head.

  This didn’t bode well for the meeting with the other wolves. It was going to take everything in her power not to reveal her thoughts to the rest of them. Especially Parker. Her cousin saw too much within others. That was probably why he was so good at what he did. Ever since he was a kid, he could break up altercations with his words; he never needed his fists. He’d gained dominance in the Pack because of it, though he could fight when needed. He was also one hell of a dominant wolf, which made him a double threat. That was why he’d been chosen to be part of the council in the first place.

  She would just have to make sure she didn’t react to Quinn like her wolf wanted to.

  Easier said than done.

  “What are you thinking about so hard?” Parker asked as he came up to her side.

  Gina looked over at her cousin and smiled. He was taller than her by at least half a foot, and he had grown wider in the past couple of years as he bulked up. He wasn’t the young kid she’d met when she’d joined the family. Then again, she wasn’t a kid either.

  Of course, Parker’s unruly hair was the same. His light brown hair went in every direction possible but still looked as though he’d paid for it to be that way. The ladies of the Pack seemed to love it.

  Between him and Finn, the younger Jamenson men were proving to be every bit as lethal as their fathers. The other kids, all of Gina’s brothers and cousins, were showing that same edge.

  Of course, all the girl cou
sins were so different that she wasn’t sure they’d ever match their famous aunt Cailin’s attitude and rebellious streak, but a few of them were trying.

  Gina was one of them, but that was only by accident.

  She couldn’t help the fact she was a dominant wolf.

  “Gina?”

  She shook her head and leaned into Parker. He put his arm around her shoulder, and she sighed. “Just thinking about how old we’re all getting.”

  Parker snorted. “Well, we’re not that old, but I, for one, am glad that we’re getting an adult job right now. You know? We aren’t kids anymore.”

  “No. We aren’t.”

  They were the next generation of wolves. Scary to think that her younger siblings and cousins would one day help rule the Redwoods.

  “I’m here. Let’s go.”

  Gina turned around at Farah’s voice. She didn’t know the other woman well but knew Farah was older than both she and Parker by a couple decades. Her dark hair fell to her butt while braided, and her large, dark eyes gave her a youthful look.

  Farah was quiet, but when she spoke, her voice held impatience. She wasn’t as dominant as Gina or Parker, and that fact apparently didn’t sit well with her from the look on her face.

  Well, that wasn’t Gina’s problem as long as Farah didn’t try any dominance games. After all, they were here to form an alliance and council with the Talons, not show weakness.

  “We’re ready,” Gina said, her voice holding her wolf in check since she couldn’t let the other woman think she was more dominant. They were wolves, not humans.

  They were only a five-minute run or fast walk from the meeting place. They’d each driven to the Redwood meeting place separately since they had other things to do that morning, but now they could walk to the Talons as a unit. She was pretty sure Quinn would be doing the same. There were just some things that needed to be done as a show of Pack unity, even though both Packs were supposed to be friendly.

  When they made it to the meeting place in the middle of neutral territory, Gina had to hold back a smile at the sight of the three Talon members. They were walking into the area in the exact same fashion as the Redwoods. At least they were on the same page in that respect. Hopefully that boded well for the others.

  “Quinn,” she said, her voice neutral. He stared at her with such intensity it took everything in her power not to either bow her head or rub up on him. Neither would be appropriate.

  Her wolf whimpered.

  Damn wolf.

  “Gina.” His voice hit her in all the right places, and she held back a curse.

  This was going to be a freaking long day.

  “This is Parker and Farah.” She nodded toward her Packmates, who said their hellos.

  “And this is Lorenzo and Kimberly,” Quinn said, his voice so deep she wasn’t sure it wasn’t a growl.

  After the introductions, they made their way into the meeting room. It was a little awkward since no one spoke, but today would be a day of testing ground, rather than making major decisions. This wasn’t a competition but a way to make things work in the long run.

  She just hoped no blood would be spilled.

  Quinn might be the most dominant wolf in the room, but Parker—and even she—weren’t far behind. In fact, now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure who would win between Quinn and Parker. Parker always seemed to surprise those who fought him.

  Okay, enough of letting her mind wander.

  “Where should we begin?” she asked, trying to get things started to deflect Quinn’s gaze.

  Kimberly, a quiet wolf who was clearly one of the maternal wolves from the way her wolf radiated that power, tilted her head. “I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do here. It’s all a little vague.”

  Farah snorted beside Gina, and she held back a growl at the other woman’s attitude.

  “It’s supposed to be vague,” Parker said, his voice calm, not reacting to Farah or the other dominant wolves in the room. “We need to figure out how to help the Packs. If they knew exactly what to do, then we wouldn’t be needed.”

  “True,” Lorenzo put in. The dark wolf was seriously built and looked as though he could take down a whole den with just one fist. Though his power didn’t seem on the level of Quinn’s, he was still a powerful wolf in the grand scheme of things.

  “We should toss out ideas on how to improve the way the Packs work together,” Quinn said.

  Gina nodded. His thoughts were on the same page as hers. “Right. Then we can evaluate them and decide which one or ones to try once we have a plan. It doesn’t have to be something drastic. Even the little things matter.”

  Quinn rubbed his jaw, and Gina had to keep her eyes from his. If she met his gaze, then he’d see her want, her need. That wasn’t something she could allow.

  “So, what do you have?” she asked. Her voice was calm, despite the war inside her.

  They started tossing out ideas that included such things as forcing people to come together for a purpose or opening the wards and having day visits rather than only necessary ones.

  “We could have a set of games,” Lorenzo added. “Like Wolf Games.”

  Gina nodded, writing that one down. “I like that idea. Have people work together and then against one another but in a spirit of competition rather than dominance. Though I think that might be something we do later, when we’re a little closer to having the trust we need. You know?”

  Lorenzo gave her a small smile, and she smiled back. He might look as though he could kill with a single look, but that smile softened his face dramatically.

  Quinn let out a growl, and she frowned at him. What was his problem?

  She narrowed her eyes at the sexy wolf then sighed, knowing she was being petty. “We could pair up people on perimeter runs,” she put in.

  “That’s a good idea,” Parker said, his voice soft. “We’ve always protected our own perimeter, but if we put a member from each Pack in a unit, it might help promote friendliness.”

  “That’s putting a lot of trust on the other person,” Kimberly said then held up her hand. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing considering that’s why we’re here, but it’s a huge step.”

  “For it to work, it would have to start with people we know inside and out,” Quinn put in.

  Gina nodded. “I know. I’m not saying we put two wolves that we don’t know well together. But the Alphas want us to work together as a team, so putting those wolves together as a unit would be one step.”

  “Maybe,” Quinn said.

  For the love of the goddess, this man was infuriating, but she let it roll off her shoulders. Today was just an idea session. They weren’t making any decisions.

  “Okay, what about the maternal wolves?” Gina asked.

  Kimberly sat up, her eyes narrowed. “What about us?”

  Gina smiled. “You guys are the heart of the Pack. You’re the ones who help raise our children. You run the schools and keep an eye on even the smallest den member. If we have them work together, it could be working from the ground up.”

  “I don’t know that I’d like my children in the other den if I’m not there,” Farah said.

  Quinn glanced over at Farah then turned back to Gina.

  “I don’t know if I’d like that either,” Lorenzo said softly.

  She hadn’t known Farah or Lorenzo were parents, but that just made their concerns hold more weight in this area.

  Gina shook her head. “I’m not saying we send babies to other dens when you’re not there. I’m saying the maternals plan things together and get to know one another first. Then as things progress, we teach our children that it’s okay to be friends with another Pack. If we start young, they won’t learn the prejudices we have now.”

  Quinn studied her face then gave her a slight nod. “That idea holds merit.”

  From anyone else, she would have snorted, but with Quinn, that was almost praise.

  They talked for another hour, and before she knew i
t, it was time to call it a day. Quinn met her eyes with a question in his gaze, and she nodded. He was on the same page.

  “Time to call it,” he said.

  “Yep,” Gina agreed. “We have good ideas down. I think we should mull them over and each of us work on a plan. Then we can come together again and talk through it. Once we’re ready, we can go to the Alphas with our ideas. This way it’s not a jumble.”

  “I agree,” Quinn said.

  Wow, she was on a roll.

  They all stood and began to leave. She let the others leave before her so she could have a moment with Quinn. She knew it was stupid to do so, but if she didn’t, her wolf wasn’t going to leave her alone.

  “What?” he clipped.

  She held back an eye roll. “I just wanted to say thank you for listening to my ideas rather than barking at me like last time.”

  Tact—she had it.

  Quinn narrowed his eyes. “I won’t let anything harm my Pack or Alpha. If that means I must work with you, witch, then I will.”

  With that, he stormed away, and she was left frozen.

  Witch?

  He’d called her a witch.

  Why did it sound like a curse on his tongue, rather than just a title?

  She swallowed hard and pushed down any feelings she could have had for him. She didn’t even know the man. He couldn’t hurt her if she didn’t let him.

  Knowing it would be too much if she didn’t release it, she jogged out of the room and into the forest. She felt Parker’s eyes on her, but her cousin seemed to know she needed time alone.

  She made it to her car, her hands still shaking, and then drove directly to the den and to her home. Her mind warred with itself as she tried to push Quinn’s words from her thoughts. The fact that he seemed to hate her just because of who she was, without even knowing her, hurt far more than it should have.

  She still lived with her parents even though she was well past the age of moving out. Her brothers were all so much younger that she hadn’t wanted to leave her mom alone with them. With six brothers, things could get a bit crazy.