I laughed. “I told you I would teach you and I will. But, I just realized I need more than a grocery store. I have no pots and pans at the cabin. I need to do some more shopping. Is there anyplace I can get kitchen things in this town?”
As Stormie started bouncing up and down in excitement I saw the look of pride on her mom’s face. It made me miss my Nanny so much. She looked at me and my sister with just such a look of pride when we would keep trying to succeed at something even though we may have failed the same task many times. Stormie’s mom was so much like my Nanny it hurt. She smelled like her and that look of pride on her face. I wanted to cry but all these emotions I was going through today was going to have to wait. I could be strong for a few more hours until I was alone again. Today was the biggest emotional roller coaster I had been on in a long time.
Stormie grabbed the cart away from me and started pushing it faster. “We have to hurry we are keeping everyone from shopping.”
I looked around the store. I had not realized how quiet it was. I had not seen or heard one person the entire time we were in the store other than the older lady at the register when we walked in. I looked at her mom, eyebrows raised in question. But I noticed her mom now had a pinched look on her face and would not meet my eyes. I turned back to Stormie and demanded, “What everyone, we are the only ones in the store as far as I can see.”
I watched the guilty look slowly form on her face as her eyes got big and her mouth formed an o shape and she looked at her mom. I felt like they were keeping something from me, especially when after a moment Stormie finally shrugged and admitted “Trey forbid anyone to shop while you are in the store because I told him you did not want to be around a lot of people and Sam told him strangers apparently make you nervous. So, since he wants you to feel safe here he told everyone they have to wait until you are finished before they can come in the store.”
“Are you freaking kidding me? What kind of pull does this brother of yours have that he can forbid people to shop for food and they obey him? Is the entire town scared of him? He sounds like a bully to me and not the kind of person I want to be around. Although, it is hard to hate someone who would do something like that for a stranger. But still, why would the entire town listen to him and obey him unless he was a bully they were scared of?” I was torn about how I felt. On one hand the fact he was so considerate of someone he had never met just on the word of Sam and Stormie made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. How could he want me to feel safe when he had never met me? What kind of man would go to such trouble to make a stranger feel welcome. Especially confusing after the information he did not allow strangers in town and had run several off before. And what kind of town was this that the entire town obeyed one man for the sake of a stranger no one in the town but Stormie, David, and Sam had ever even met. Warm and fuzzy, meet outrage, and winner take all, was what I was thinking.
Before I could say anything more though Stormie’s mom laid a hand on my shoulder, “Do not judge my son before you have met him. There is not one person in this town my son would not die to protect. Not one person in this town has anything but love for my son. He is a special person and protective of those who he has the caring of, which in this case is the whole town. They are his to protect and in return they obey him. He does nothing without putting thought into the situation. If he feels he does not have the knowledge he turns to the council for advice. If clearing the store is what it takes to make you feel safe, well it is a small price to pay for your well being, not just physically but emotionally also. Now, let me make a couple of calls while you girls finish your shopping. I need to arrange to clear out the general store so you can shop there also.”
Feelings of confusion and guilt swamped me. I wanted to tell her not to call anyone. I wanted to tell her I would be fine shopping in a store with other people. But the truth was, I had never felt so safe in a store in my life. I had never been in a store before going on the run and being in an empty store, not having to feel as though I had to look over my shoulder at ever isle. Not having to look at every person to see if the men had found me. The level of safety I felt was incredible. If she could indeed make a phone call and clear the next store, I was going to let her. This place was feeling more and more like a safe haven and a place to call home. I wanted to believe this safe feeling would continue until it reached a point I did not mind if the store was full or empty. That would be amazing.
Just about the time I thought that the confusion swept through me. Must not forget about the wolf and the smells. I shook it off. Plenty of time after Stormie went home later to process today’s occurrences. I started humming as I pointed out items to Stormie to place in the cart. Together we finished the shopping and hurried to the check out counter. I felt guilty for keeping everyone out of the store, even though I did not technically do anything. I figured the sooner we finished the sooner we could leave. I worried a little that the town people would blame me and not like me. If I stayed it was important they like me. I did not know why it mattered but it did. Soon we were placing the groceries in the car and climbing in. The wolf had apparently laid in front of the car watching the doorway the entire time we were inside, only moving when we walked out with the cart full. Even then he seemed to take up a protective stance guarding us. It was unnerving after the thoughts I was trying to banish till later.
Knowing what I did about why the stores were empty I finished all my shopping in the general store in record time. I was slightly frightened when we reached the counter to check out. The man behind the register smelled faintly like the wolf outside. Which meant he smelled faintly like uncle Josh and also like the men chasing me. I would be so glad to get back to the cabin where I felt safe. Not, I realized, that I did not feel safe in town. I was confused and trying not to think about the fact some part of me felt safe in spite of the smells and the confusion I was feeling. When we left the store the wolf was waiting in front of the car watching the door of the store, almost like he was again guarding us. I was getting scared. The suspicions going through my head were alarming. We dropped Stormie’s mom back off in front of the grocery store and headed back toward the cabin. I could not help but breath a sigh of relief when we turned and the small town was hidden from view.
Chapter Eight
Trey
Gabriella was jumpy and I did not know what to do about my jumpy mate. The town people protested being banned from coming around her and shopping while she was shopping but most of them understood. Word of just how many locks she had on her door had made the rounds in town. By the time my little unicorn had arrived in town the pack knew she was running scared from something. A scared female is not scared for no reason and whatever had her scared could end up making the other females feel less safe.
The pack was divided about what to do about the situation. Oddly enough it was the males who were more in favor of running the female out of town. The males were worried for their females. If they females began to feel they were in danger it could spell disaster for our pack. On the other hand the females wanted the little one to stay. They felt if I could keep her safe they would be that much safer. I got the feeling they felt if I turned the female away it would be because I did not feel I was strong enough to keep her safe.
The males were beginning, slowly, to understand the females intended to use the little unicorn as proof I could keep everyone safe. Or at least that is what ole man Thomas had told me while I was laying in front of the dollar store guarding it. He had been speaking with his daughter in law and although he said females were confounded confusing creatures, and ornery to boot, he thought that was the thinking going through his daughter-in-law’s head. He did mutter though the bond that no one could ever really understand what made the females tick but that was the best guess he had on what his son’s little mate felt. He mentioned he had spoken with a few others, both male and female before he reached the conclusion. He was not one of my council members for no reason.
The pack was torn and I had
no idea what do to. My dad had cautioned me about telling the pack the little unicorn was my mate until we had more information. Running her off was out of the question. That option had never even been in the equation in my mind. I had felt from the beginning running her off might affect the females in a negative manner so hearing Thomas confirm it did not surprise me in the least. I was surprised to find some of the males were still in favor of making her leave. I do not think they will still be in favor after the next pack meeting. I plan on letting the females give their opinions. No male, hearing the females opinion on the situation, would dare demand the female be run off. At least, not if Thomas was correct about how the females felt about the situation.
The next meeting location would be a shock to the entire pack. No way was I going to have a pack meeting without every single member of the pack in attendance but at the same time I had no intention of leaving my mate unguarded. So the next meeting would be in the clearing near the cabin. Close enough to keep my mate guarded but not so close she could see us from the cabin. This next meeting would probably go down in our history as one of the quietest meetings we would ever have. Meeting were held in human form almost always. With seventy-eight pack members quiet was not something we did well in human form.
I was the alpha of the pack but I believed everyone should make their feelings known. My word may be, well, was law in the pack, but I can not fix problems unless everyone feels safe enough to bring me their problems. Some problems were private, but not many. Wolf shifters were a close bunch and we knew secrets could come back to bite you in the ass. I wonder about having the meeting in wolf form but we are an even louder bunch in wolf form. I closed my eyes, this was not a decision I wanted to make on my own. But making these kind of decisions was the very reason I was the alpha.
Mind made up I called out to my sister to come into my office before I remembered she had the day off to help Gabby settle in and grocery shop. I told her stay the entire day with Gabby if she could manage it and while she was at it, find out any and all information she could about why she was here. Having been kidnapped herself Stormie knew the trauma that occurred in those situations. As her friend she would be able to help her if it was something like that. Otherwise, as a member of the pack, it was her duty to find out what she could about the new female so that I could keep everyone safe.
Heaving a sigh I picked up the phone to start making calls. I had told David about my decision for the meeting tonight and knew he had that under control. I had work to do before the meeting tonight. Before I could make the first call David walked in the office and stood over my desk slowly rubbing his neck. I closed my eyes for a minute. I needed a vacation.
“What happened? What has you so worried now?”
David, still rubbing his neck, sat down in the chair across from my desk. “Did you know Stormie was crying when they got to town today?”
I was hoping he would not hear about that, especially since I did not know why his mate was crying. “I may have seen her crying when they drove into town this morning, but” I held up my hand and cocked an eyebrow up before he could interrupt me, “I also know she was bouncing up and down in the seat. Whatever she was crying about was not something upsetting. You and I both know she would have been shrunk down in the seat if she was upset, not bouncing up and down. I am going with happy tears. Did you try calling her and asking her yourself?”
I heard him snarl before he answered, “Of course I did. What kind of mate do you take me for?”
“Well, so what did she tell you?”
He snarled again, “Tell me? She did not even talk to me. Well, she did, if you count singing. And that’s another thing, who taught her to sing that awful song? One day someone is going to tell me so I can rip their throat out.”
I laughed, I could not help it. Which only caused David to snarl again. Before he could say anything I found myself defending, yet again, myself and my family, or at least myself. I could not speak for my mom, I know dad would never have done it. “I swear I did not teach her that song. They did not have TVs at that boarding school from what I understand so she should never have been exposed to the song but I swear if you ever find out I will help you rip their throats out. If you have asked me who taught her that song once you have asked a hundred times. How many more times do you plan on asking before you accept I do not know who taught her the purple dinosaur song.”
David shuddered, “I think I would feel better if I took a vacation and tracked down that stupid purple dinosaur, the producers of the show, everyone involved in the show, and ripped their throats out. In fact I am certain I would feel better.” He looked at me in despair, “You do not have to live with her. I love her more than life itself but I can not take that sappy, happy purple dinosaur song. I already know she loves me and she knows I love her and we are mated. Please, please can’t you forbid her to ever sing it again?”
By now I was doubled over laughing. I hated that song as much as David. And while it was true I did not have to live with my sister that did not mean I was safe from the song. Not since she worked as my receptionist with only a door separating my office from hers. Plus family dinners, which David was well aware of since he was always with her for those dinners.
David was glaring at me in disgust when I finally managed to get my laughter under control.
“That show has been off the air for years, you know that. You are my beta, second only to me in this pack, why don’t you forbid her to ever sing the song again.”
I watched with surprise as his face flushed red.
“Oh my God, you tried to do that didn’t you? You actually tried to use your position as beta in the pack to forbid your mate to sing a song? Please tell me I am wrong? No, really, please tell me I am wrong. I may have to beat your ass if you can not tell me I am wrong.”
Suddenly David jumped to his feet, “I think I heard someone calling me. Yeah, so about that meeting tonight, I let everyone know when and where. Gotta go.”
David is fast, but as the alpha I am faster. When he first started talking and backing toward the door I was already on my feet. As he turned to dash out of the room I jumped the desk and was on him before he cleared the doorway. Swinging him around I slammed the door closed and stood between him and the door.
At first David met my eyes in a glare but he slowly lowered his gaze and tilted his neck to the side in submission. I snarled.
“You used your position as the beta of the pack to forbid my sister to sing a song. I can not believe you did that. Don’t you think you could have warned me? Do you realize she sang that song every single day, over and over for a solid week? I would have given her vacation if you had told me you did something so stupid. How could you have possible done something so stupid?”
David’s shoulders slumped, “You don’t live with her. Every single time she gets happy, really happy, I have to hear that song. I play love song after love song for her on the radio. I have bought her enough love song cds to sink a battleship and she still sings the purple dinosaur song. I tell you Trey it is more than one wolf can handle. I know it sounds stupid but as her alpha she HAS to obey you. Can’t you just try to forbid her? Please?”
“You want me to push my alpha power into forbidding my sister to sing a song? That is the most incredibly stupid thing I have heard you say in a very long time.” I paused before telling him the rest, “Besides, I tried that the week she would not stop singing it. She pushed back by telling me I could not use my alpha power to keep her from being happy. Sorry to tell you, but you are on your own. But I still plan on beating your ass a little extra next time we spar. I knew there had to be some reason she would not quit singing that song that week.”
“Maybe we can get Gabby on our side and she will convince Stormie to never sing the song again.” I thought David was just grasping at straws with this suggestion but I did not have the heart to tell him that. He knew his mate better than I did. We both knew how she could wrap someone around her fingers. With our lu
ck she would have my mate singing with her. I grimaced when I thought of this. Suddenly having my sister and my mate become friends did not seem like such a good plan. Oh, I knew it was, but my sister did a few things I would rather her not teach my mate to do.
Shaking such thoughts from my head I moved so David could get back to work. I needed to make a few phone calls anyway. I needed to find out if the high council knew of any missing female shifters without alerting them to the fact we had an underage, unknown female in our area. I needed to come up with some kind of discussion that did not involve my little mate. Some way of making it look like I was just trying to secure my area better. I only really trusted one member of the high council so I would start there with my little fishing trip. If I screwed up, it might bring him to our town but he would not bring the entire high council down on my pack.
Before I could do anything I saw David’s head jerk up and around to me. He was yanking his phone out just as I yanked mine out. I did not know what was wrong but I could feel the most heartbreaking feeling coming from my sister through our pack bond. I know David felt it through his mating bond. He was begging my sister to answer her phone just as I finished ringing the number to Gabby I had gotten from my sister last night. When she answered she sounded upset.
Gabby (Safe Haven Wolves Book 1) Page 6