A Pack of Two

by Jacky Russell

  “Not since I got to Galen’s.”

  Cody snorted. “Well, shit, check your phone. Maybe she’s called or something. I tried, but got her voicemail.”

  I cut my eyes at him before jerking the phone out of my pocket. Cody looked back at me and nodded. “We’ll find her.”

  The uneasy truce between my wolf and me settled. Cody wasn’t threatening. Actually, there was a familiarity to him, like our paths had crossed at some point. His wolf was not as dominant as mine, but Cody was no submissive. He was, like me, the son of an Alpha, and it showed.

  My phone displayed the missed calls. No Breanna.

  “She hasn’t called,” I said, stopping in front a row of oak trees.

  The squalling of tires, a Camaro barreling toward us, drowned out Cody’s answer. I shoved Cody and jumped onto the hood just before the car slammed into the oaks.

  “Holy shit,” Cody exclaimed as he rolled to his feet. “Lucas, you all right?”

  I landed on the hood, rolled over the roof, and splatted on the pavement behind the still-running car. I couldn’t catch my breath and my clothes were torn. Nothing felt broken except my head.

  I was shaking the cobwebs out when a military boot crushed my hand.

  “I told you I’d kill you if you hurt her. You were warned.”

  The boot caught me under my chin before I could roll out of range. Stars and dots danced in front of my eyes as I tried to scramble away from the blows pummeling my head.

  The hits stopped abruptly. “Aaron, what the hell is wrong with you?” Cody demanded. I managed to crawl toward the idling car.

  Blood gushed from my nose and onto the pavement as the boots advanced toward me. I pulled myself up by the bumper and faced my attacker. His eyes were fully silver, his scent reeking of rage and musk. Aaron’s wolf had fully ascended and he was coming after me.

  My wolf surged, his anger and power whipping through me. This time I would kill Aaron.

  “Aaron, stop.” Cody’s voice carried the authority of the Alpha.

  “He hurt Breanna.” Aaron glowered at me.

  I readied for a charge, but Cody held out a hand for me to stay back. I considered pushing Cody out of the way and finishing the battle, but my wolf was willing to give the Wisconsin second-in-command a chance to handle the issue. Aaron belonged to him.

  “Lucas?” Cody said without taking his eyes from Aaron. “Did you hurt Breanna?”

  “No.”

  Cody put both his hands on Aaron’s shoulders. Dominance filled the air. Aaron dropped to his knees and lifted his chin in submission. Slowly the silver diminished and Aaron closed his eyes.

  “Aaron?” Cody urged him to stand.

  Aaron bowed his head. “I did not mean to endanger you, Second.”

  Cody looked over at me. “Why do you think Lucas harmed Breanna?”

  Aaron’s eyes remained down. “When I saw her earlier, she was crying.” He lifted his head and glared at me. “Breanna never cries.”

  Chapter 23

  Breanna

  I walked home. Alone. Past the cozy cottages and playing children, one foot in front of the other. With my pity party in full swing, I rounded the corner and walked headlong into the memory of my first bouquet of flowers. God, how did people live through things like this? I’d been shot, stabbed, choked, and fried with magic, and all that was nothing compared to this. I couldn’t breathe without consciously thinking about it.

  The front door was slightly open, as I’d left it when I flew out.

  Hard to turn a doorknob with nothing but feathers.

  Of course there was nobody inside. Why would there be? He was gone, probably already on a plane back to Italy. I’d made an absolute fool out of myself over him.

  Suck it up, buttercup.

  The door clicked closed behind me as I made my way toward the fridge. A grocery bag peeked from behind the bar.

  “What the hell?”

  I retrieved the bag and found three Styrofoam plates of pancakes and two containers of strawberries. A note waved at me from the fridge door.

  Hey Babe,

  Gone to get breakfast. Be right back.

  L

  If I’d been a screamer, I would have belted one. Why hadn’t I seen this note before? I banged my head against the fridge.

  Because I’d been busy pouting in the recliner.

  Cursing at my own stupidity and clutching his note, I sprinted to the bedroom for my phone. The parts went back together, sorta. Lucas didn’t answer.

  “Damn it, damn it, damn it.” I kicked my pile of clothes in the corner. Lucas must have thought I was the world’s biggest bitch to run out on him after he’d left a note. I tried Galen. His phone went straight to voicemail.

  My knuckles were bloody and bruised from the pounding I had laid on the heavy bag on base. I had spent hours flying around and beating a bag senseless because I thought Lucas was a one-night stand. The words on his note blurred as more tears fell. What the hell had I done?

  Dashing out the door with phone in hand, I stopped at the end of my walkway. Where to go? Left would take me back to base. Right would take me to Galen’s. Would either take me to Lucas?

  “Oh shit, what if he’s gone?” I didn’t have Tristyn’s number. Simon didn’t answer. Lucas’s phone went to voicemail. Galen’s phone went to voicemail again.

  Running out of options, I called Cody. He answered immediately.

  “Cody, have you seen Lucas?” I asked.

  Please say yes. Please say yes.

  “Hold on a sec, Bre.”

  “Hold on?” He was putting me on hold? What the hell?

  “Breanna?”

  Oh God, it was Lucas. “Where are you?”

  His breathing sounded labored and ragged. “Billingham Street.”

  “Stay there.”

  I turned left and sprinted toward the intersection three blocks away.

  Blue police lights were flashing as I rounded the corner onto Billingham. A Camaro had plowed into the row of oaks surrounding Dorchester Pond. The human police officers were talking to Cody. The knot in my stomach tightened. Where was Lucas?

  “Breanna?”

  Lucas was standing behind an elm tree less than twenty yards away. I ran and leaped into his arms. Every muscle in my body constricted around him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Uh huh.”

  His fingers trailed through my hair. God, I loved him. His scent, his body, his voice, everything about him. Everything.

  “Where were you?” he asked. “I came back with breakfast, but you were gone.”

  No words formed yet. The oxygen hadn’t reached my brain. He was here, really here, and I was the biggest idiot on the planet. How the hell would I explain this without sounding like a pathetic stupipod?

  I am a stupipod.

  He loosened his arms to allow me to slide to my feet. I held on tighter. It was immature, but I wasn’t ready to admit my screw up. What the hell was wrong with me? I had no control around him. It was like a foreign Breanna took over and the real Breanna went away to a “special place.” WTF?

  “Baby, what is it?” He nuzzled my hair. I squeezed my eyes shut. Damn it, no more crying.

  Between sniffles, I realized the crumpled Camaro belonged to Aaron. Cody was talking to a uniformed police officer while Aaron inspected the damage.

  Lucas’s stomach roared. His breakfast was on the floor in my kitchen.

  Selfish, pathetic stupipod.

  “Let’s get something to eat,” I managed to sputter. Werewolves hated being hungry.

  “My truck is on base,” Lucas said as he helped me regain my footing.

  I wiped my eyes with the heel of my hand. “Why are Aaron and Cody here?”

  His face hardened for a moment, eyes flashing silver. “We were all looking for you.”

  On the ride to IHOP, Lucas listened quietly to my pitiful explanation of what had happened.

  “It’s okay,” he said after I finished.
<
br />   I let out a deep breath. “I’m an idiot.”

  He tenderly caressed my cheek. “You are the most beautiful thing in my life.”

  “You need to get out more.” I chewed my lip.

  IHOP had all-you-can-eat pancakes. Big mistake when there’s a hungry werewolf at the table. We shared a bench in a booth. His leg bumped mine as we ate, my free hand resting on his thigh. I was feeding him a forkful of strawberry waffle when the thrum of Alpha power washed over us.

  Chapter 24

  Lucas

  Breanna’s hand tightened on my leg. We were in a corner booth far from the door, but the power of the Alpha touched us.

  “What the hell does he want?” Breanna mumbled.

  “Lucas, Breanna, may we join you?” Galen asked as he and Cody strode toward us. It wasn’t really a question.

  Breanna stiffened beside me, her strawberry scent tainted with uneasiness. I took her hand while Galen and Cody slid onto the bench across from us. Neither werewolf smelled angry, but Alphas could hide their true emotions.

  “Alpha McGregor,” I said with my eyes down. Breanna squeezed my hand.

  “So tell me about the incident this morning,” Galen said. His voice gave away nothing.

  Breanna scooted closer. “Incident?”

  My wolf was uneasy with her so close to the werewolves across the table.

  Galen leaned forward, resting on his elbows. “Perhaps I should start.” The big Alpha focused on me. “Thank you for saving my son this morning.”

  Breanna bumped my shoulder. “You didn’t tell me anything happened.”

  It hadn’t seemed important to tell her about Aaron trying to run over me. She would have only been upset.

  “What would you have me do with Aaron?” Galen asked.

  “Aaron?” Breanna croaked. “What does this have to do with–oh, damn, his car this morning? I thought he was helping look for me.”

  Cody snorted. “Yeah, you could say that.”

  Galen’s eyes hadn’t left me. “Lucas? What is your answer?”

  “That is your decision, Alpha. I am not of your pack.”

  Galen tented his hands. “If you were, what would you ask of me?”

  “Somebody tell me what happened this morning,” Breanna demanded.

  Cody explained Aaron’s attempt to skewer me with his car. Breanna’s scent changed to a mix of anger and fear as the conversation came full circle.

  “Lucas? You are a future Alpha. How would you handle this?” Galen asked after the waitress took his order.

  My wolf rumbled but the power of the Alpha kept him in check. “I am not a future Alpha,” I answered through gritted teeth.

  “You’re the Alpha’s son,” Cody answered. “You have to be.”

  “No, I do not.”

  Cody opened his mouth to argue but Galen intervened. “Josef says you are his Second.”

  I swallowed hard. I hated these conversations. “I am not involved with the Italian Pack.”

  “What?” Cody asked. “How can you not be involved with the pack when your father is the Alpha? Don’t you care about the other werewolves?”

  “No.”

  Cody sat back. “You have to care about your pack. You’re a wolf. That’s what we do. We care about our own.”

  Normal werewolves cared. I was not normal. A normal werewolf would feel the bonds of his pack, the bond to his father. I was broken.

  Galen’s forehead wrinkled. “If you care so little for the Italian Pack, why do remain with them?”

  Breanna’s fingers tightened around mine.

  “My father will not release me.”

  The air around the table was heavy. Galen’s eyes were on me. I chose to avoid his glare, hoping he wouldn’t ask the dreaded question. He did.

  “What of Breanna?”

  “What about me?” Breanna asked. “What does Lucas being in the Italian Pack have to do with me?”

  “A wolf needs to be with his mate and he can’t stay here with you.” Galen’s words fell like a hammer.

  “Mate?” Cody asked as he leaned forward. “You two are mates? Cool.”

  I glanced at Breanna before addressing Galen. “I will not ask anything that may put you in a position of poor favor with my father, Alpha McGregor.”

  “What?” Cody and Breanna asked in unison.

  My stomach was threatening to expel the pancakes. This was not where I wanted to discuss the delicacy of the situation. I couldn’t leave the Italian Pack, she couldn’t leave America, and I had no idea what to do about it.

  Galen broke the silence. “Lucas won’t ask me to allow him to stay in Wisconsin Pack territory.”

  “What if he did?” Breanna asked.

  “He would not,” Galen replied.

  “Would not what?” Breanna asked. “Would not ask or would not be allowed to stay?”

  “Both.”

  Remaining in Wisconsin had never been an option, but hearing Galen saying it so definitively was like having a door slammed in my face.

  “That’s stupid,” Breanna snapped. “Why the hell can’t he stay here?”

  “Werewolf law,” the three of us answered in unison. Luckily no humans were sitting close enough to hear our conversation.

  “Yeah, well, that’s stupid, too. Do you want to stay here?” she asked.

  She had no idea how much I wanted to wake up beside her every morning for the rest of my life, but staying here was not an option. If I didn’t leave, Galen would forcefully remove me. Breanna didn’t need to see that.

  I looked into her eyes. “I can’t, Bre.”

  “That is not what I asked.”

  God I loved her tenacity. “Yes, I want to stay, but–”

  “There,” she said to Galen. “How can we make this happen? There has to be some way around this ridiculous law.”

  Galen’s eyes hooded. “Lucas could challenge the Italian Alpha.”

  “Does Lucas have to kill him to win?” she asked.

  A knife jabbed my heart. I knew the answer before Galen said anything.

  “Yes, he would need to kill Josef and then Lucas would be the new Alpha of the Italian Pack.”

  Breanna slammed her hand on the tabletop hard enough humans turned around to stare. “He doesn’t want to be the Alpha. Can’t Lucas just maim the Alpha enough that he says uncle?”

  Galen almost smiled. “No. The Alpha would never concede. However, Lucas is strong enough to defeat Josef.”

  My chest tightened. Alpha werewolves never encouraged challenges.

  “Why do you say that?” Cody asked.

  Breanna was uncomfortably quiet, though her hand never left mine.

  “Their wolves hate each other,” Galen answered solemnly.

  Gunshot wounds hurt less than hearing another Alpha say my father hated me.

  “Lucas, let’s go,” Breanna said, abruptly sliding out the booth.

  I didn’t understand why she was angry. Protocol dictated I not leave without Galen’s permission, but my wolf demanded I stay close to my mate.

  “You didn’t finish your breakfast,” Cody responded. “And we weren’t done talking yet.”

  “Eat it,” Brenna snapped. “I lost my appetite.”

  She was treading dangerously close to offending the Alpha.

  “Why is that, Breanna?” Galen asked with no hint of emotion.

  She lasered him with amber eyes. “Don’t start your bullshit with me, Galen. I’m no wolf.”

  Silver flickered in Galen’s eyes and my wolf surged. Breanna threw a five-dollar bill on the table and met the Alpha’s gaze. I slid out quickly and tucked her behind me.

  “Alpha McGregor, with your permission I will remain in your territory two more days. My plane leaves at seven-fifteen Tuesday evening.”

  Galen stood and Breanna pushed around me. I was trying to block her when Galen extended his hand.

  “Lucas, you are a good man and I wish I could help, but you understand I cannot violate werewolf law?”

&n
bsp; I shook his hand. The power coursing through me was more bearable than a few days earlier. However, my teeth still clenched. Inside, my wolf rumbled. Breanna was much too close to a potentially dangerous situation.

  “Yes, sir,” I answered while Breanna muttered a string of profanity. “Thank you, Alpha.”

  Chapter 25

  Breanna

  We arrived at my house, cleaned up the pancakes from earlier, and settled onto the couch.

  “So, what’s the deal with your father? Why won’t he release you?”

  Lucas put his arm around my shoulders. “I’m his only son.”

  “So what you want isn’t important?”

  His chest rose and fell. “The pack is important. He feels it is my duty to be the next Alpha.”

  I bit my lip so I wouldn’t stick my foot in my mouth. I hated shit like this. “The fact you have no desire to be the Alpha doesn’t matter?”

  He shook his head. “Tristyn is trying to find another legal way for me to get out of the pack.”

  I couldn’t stop myself. “Why don’t you fight him? Galen said you could beat him. You could become Alpha long enough to release yourself and then he could have it back.”

  Lucas leaned his head against mine. “I can’t fight my father. One of us would die.”

  “And you don’t want to kill him?”

  Lucas took a long deep breath. “He’s my father.”

  The pain in his voice made me swallow my sarcastic reply. From what I’d heard, Josef Benelli was a first class asshole, particularly to Lucas.

  “The Divine Council can’t intervene on your behalf? How did you get away with going to college in America and being an agent?”

  A muscle in his jaw ticked. I had hit that nerve again. “Nic was around then. Josef didn’t really care what I did.”

  “Has he ever cared what you did?”

  Lucas clenched his jaw. “He’s my father, Bre. I can’t kill him.”

  Smartass reply aborted. No need to add to the pile of shit already on his shoulders.

  “What about your mom? Can’t she talk to him?”

  “She says I’m being selfish by not wanting to be the next Alpha.”

  Good God, his entire family was loco. “That’s ridiculous.”

  He sighed and looked at the ceiling. It was scary how much he reminded me of Galen when he did that. “She’s right, Bre. Look at what’s going on here.”