by Dana Archer
“We should go. It’s getting late, and our beloved human hasn’t had a chance to sleep much over the past couple of days. I’m sure Gwen would like to get a good night’s rest before meeting our pack tomorrow,” Vlad said, once again saving Xander from coming up with something civil to say.
While Xander didn’t care one way or the other who the Jager alpha shared his mate with, the bond they formed had left many in the shifter community uneasy. The attention it drew to those living in this area was the kind to be avoided. Hate and fear made people, humans and shifters alike, do things they normally wouldn’t consider. Xander didn’t want his pack mates at risk. Unfortunately, the proximity of their lands to the Jager territory left them open for the backlash he anticipated would eventually come.
“Of course. Please at least stop by tomorrow evening. Ethan and Noah will want to discuss some of the changes to our little corner of the world, including the Shifter Affairs office that’s been built on my brother Nic Kagan’s pack lands. All the local shifter groups are being asked to appoint a contact person to represent them.”
“I would be honored to visit, but it’ll be late.” Xander gave the only answer possible. He could no longer ignore the responsibilities of being alpha.
“No problem. Our door is always open, but I do suggest knocking first.” Hannah’s smile turned wicked. “Unless you’re okay with threesomes, then come right in. We don’t mind being watched.”
“I’ll knock.” Xander turned his back on the Jager’s alpha female and strode for the SUV where Dante and Devin waited. He needed to get out of here before he admitted to enjoying the same thing.
Chapter 21
The sun had set by the time they reached the Winchester pack lands. They would’ve arrived sooner, but Xander had insisted on picking up his SUV, an old Hummer that looked as if it had seen better days. He hadn’t wanted to damage Devin’s vehicle or drag Devin and Lena out here unnecessarily.
Gwen had understood the latter reason for the detour, but not the first. Devin’s SUV, while luxurious, looked as if it could go anywhere. After seeing the remote area she’d soon call home, Xander’s motive made sense, however. Not only was the road narrow, but the longer they drove, the more impassable it became.
They hit another deep pothole. The SUV lurched, and her seat belt locked, tightening over her chest. She stifled a groan. “How much longer?”
“A few minutes.” Xander slid his hand over her thigh, branding her with his touch. “Then I’ll take you up to our bedroom so you can rest.”
Needing to see Vlad’s reaction to the announcement, she flicked her gaze to him. The light from the dashboard cast a soft glow over his face but she couldn’t see his expression from where she sat. His white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel hinted at how he viewed Xander’s proposed sleeping arrangements, however.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She turned to Xander. “Nobody is supposed to know I’m your mate. If one of your pack mates walks in and sees me in your bed, then—”
“They’ll know you’re my lover and not to touch you.”
“Am I supposed to keep my shirt on at all times while you’re…you’re…” She cut another glance toward the front of the vehicle. Dante, who sat in the passenger seat, smirked. He turned on the radio, filling the car with some country song she’d never heard before. The song wouldn’t drown out their conversation, but it gave the illusion of privacy. She’d take that.
Trusting in Vlad’s driving, she popped her seat belt and leaned closer to Xander. His scent filled her lungs, and her body warmed. The instantaneous reaction embarrassed her but didn’t surprise her. He was her mate. Wanting him wasn’t wrong. It was just that sex with him frightened her on some level she couldn’t name. Actually, that wasn’t true. She knew why the thought of being with Xander no longer sounded as appealing as it had yesterday.
Vlad.
She needed to talk to him. There were too many unanswered questions surrounding their connection. That conversation couldn’t happen if Xander was sharing her bed. He’d never let her sneak out of their room in the middle of the night, and she had a feeling he’d make it nearly impossible to get near Vlad during the day too.
She slid her hand to the back of Xander’s head. The silky strands of his hair slipped between her fingers, caressing her sensitized skin. It didn’t take much to imagine how it’d feel to have the ends tickle her chest, her thighs…her back as he took her from behind. She exhaled, pushing those wicked and wanton thoughts aside. “Unless you leave my shirt on while we’re having sex, there’s a chance someone might see my mate bite. At least I’m assuming your pack mates are allowed in your home.”
Xander moved his hand to her waist and flexed his fingers as if fighting the urge to drag her into his lap. “Yes, most alphas have an open-door policy.”
“Then we can’t risk it. I’ll need to sleep in a separate room.”
His deep chuckle slipped through her. Lust surged. “That won’t stop me from coming to you, Gwen. You’ll just have to keep your shirt on as you suggested.”
The music cut off abruptly. The car came to a jerking stop.
“So you don’t plan on waiting until you can claim your mate’s body in the way of an alpha?” Vlad’s voice held derision. “Or are you too embarrassed to risk our pack mates seeing you love Gwen in our sacred circle?”
“It has nothing to do with being embarrassed. We don’t have a sacred circle yet.”
“Right. Because it takes so long to cut a vein and walk a circle.” Sarcasm dripped from Vlad’s words.
“It is not your place to question me. There are many details that need to be worked out before the pack learns about Gwen, or else I’ll be facing a challenge.”
Challenge. The word squeezed her chest, making it hard to breathe. She turned to Xander. “Do you expect to be challenged?” Because if he mentioned Vlad as a possible contender, she might have a breakdown.
Xander stared at her for a long time. Defeat slackened his features. “An alpha lives with the constant assumption he will be challenged at some point. The moment I announce our mating, I fully expect at least some of our pack mates to demand I hand the spirit over. Once I refuse…” He gave a half shrug. “A challenge becomes the next step.”
“Then go to them prepared to knock down their fears. If Gwen can give you an heir, there will be no reason for you to step down or face a challenge.” Dante glanced over his seat. “Unless Vlad is right and you’re too embarrassed by the fact that—”
“Enough.” Xander’s booming voice shook the car.
She tightened her grip on his hair, an automatic reaction and one she was starting to really hate. It made her look weak.
“Without knowing the details of how the Kagan alpha impregnated his human mate, I can’t make any assumptions that whatever procedure they used would work for a Royal. Our breeding rates have always been poor.” Xander took Gwen’s hand in his and caressed her knuckles with his thumb. “Besides, I don’t know if Gwen would want my child. I won’t force her to bear an heir if that’s not what she wants.”
“Well? Do you, Gwen?” Vlad gripped the edge of the passenger seat and leaned partially between the front bucket seats. “Do you want to carry Xander’s babies?”
Gwen swallowed past the lump in her throat. The thoughts she’d had while talking with Hannah returned. Gwen would like to be a mom someday, but with Vlad’s accusatory stare focused on her, she couldn’t admit that. Doing so felt like a betrayal to Vlad. Ugh…she hated this. She hadn’t even gotten the chance to talk to Vlad to see if his claim to be her true mate had any truth to it or if it was merely his possessiveness driving him to own her too.
She shook her head. “I—”
Xander squeezed her hand slightly. “Do not put my mate on the spot. This is a conversation we’ll have sometime in the future.”
“It’s one we’d better have before the full moon. With the way you look at Gwen, you’ll never make it until next month and—
”
“If Gwen wants me to love her for the first time in the sacred circle”—Xander cut Vlad off—“then I will walk the circle tonight.”
“Won’t your pack assume I’m your mate, then? You said you didn’t want anyone to know yet.” The hint of desperation in her voice annoyed her too. She wasn’t doing a very good job of convincing Xander she was worthy of being an alpha female.
“They’ll assume you’re a female he wants to own for the rest of your life. It fits his past actions too. He claimed you once already that way.” Dante supplied the explanation in an amused tone that tore a growl from Xander.
“When I was Elizabeth.” He’d married her then too. Why hadn’t he mated her? Darn it. She needed to know what had happened to ruin things.
“Yes.” Vlad bit out the word. “When your soul inhabited Elizabeth’s body, Xander made sure she wouldn’t desire—”
“Well, Gwen? Shall we love each other in the circle or not?” Xander’s harsh tone demanded an answer.
All eyes turned to her. She wanted to crouch in her seat and hide from their probing gazes, but she forced herself to sit taller. Xander had unknowingly given her the reprieve she’d hoped for by asking for a separate bedroom. The full moon was days away. Surely, that would give her enough time to get her answers from Vlad and figure out what, if anything, his responses meant for their future. Or if she wanted one with him.
“I want that, Xander. For you to make love to me for the first time in your sacred circle.” The words rushed out. Her cheeks warmed at what she’d agreed to do.
“Are you sure?” Xander turned her face to his. “I don’t have to announce our loving to anyone. Nor do we have to wait until the full moon, but if word gets out, the pack will come.”
So much for buying her time to figure things out. She’d get a day at most. Maybe. And when Xander did love her… Oh, geez. They’d have an audience. His entire pack would watch while she lost her virginity.
Her pulse sped. She licked her suddenly dry lips. Backing out now wasn’t an option either. Then, she’d appear wishy-washy. “I’m sure. If they come, you’ll keep my complete focus. I won’t even know we’re being watched.” She hoped.
The interior light turned on. Vlad got out, then opened Xander’s door. “Then let’s go walk our pack’s sacred circle. Dante can stay with Gwen until we get back.”
“Yeah. It’ll give us a chance to bond.” Dante snorted. “Or something.”
Xander stared at her a long moment. The look on his face was clear. He didn’t want to leave her. Whether that was because he wanted to stay by her side or avoid being alone with Vlad, she couldn’t tell.
“Go.” She sat back, breaking their connection. “Dante will take care of me.”
Xander nodded, but reluctance showed in his expression. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay.” She opened her door. Dante was there waiting for her. He took her arm and led her across the darkened yard to a huge log cabin home tucked among the trees.
She stopped and stared at the house in awe. Although she couldn’t see many details, the stonework on the front and the large wraparound porch were breathtaking. She could easily imagine herself sitting out here in the morning drinking coffee and listening to the birds.
“Nice, isn’t it?” Dante’s voice broke through her fantasy.
“Very, but it’s not what I was expecting.”
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know, exactly.” She stepped back and studied the home. Darkness hid most details, but the light of the moon allowed her to see enough to know the place was huge. “But I wasn’t expecting something so…” She shrugged. “Extravagant.”
“As in large or fancy?” Dante laid his hand on her arm and urged her to the house.
She fell into step with him, trusting him to lead her around anything she might trip over. “Both, I guess.”
“As alpha, Xander’s expected to have a large home. Not all his pack mates live in West Virginia. Like Vlad, they’re scattered throughout the world, and Xander needs to offer them a room in his home when they visit. He’s also expected to have several children. The space is necessary.”
Although she wasn’t ready for kids, the idea of being a mother excited her. She only hoped it was possible. Gwen slipped her hand into her jacket pocket. Her fingers brushed the piece of paper with Hannah’s number on it. Hopefully, Hannah would have the answer to whether or not that’d be possible.
An inside female source into the shifter world Gwen had been tossed into would prove invaluable. Yes, she had Lena, but wolf and feline culture were different. There was also the risk that Lena might withhold information she thought would hurt Gwen. Heaven forbid she learn some dirty secret.
“As for the richness of the place?” Dante ran his fingertips over the hand-carved runes decorating the front door. “Xander loves being one with nature, but he also enjoys beauty and the comforts of this modern world. When electricity was invented, he was like a kid in a candy store. He could read at all hours and filled his homes with as many books as he could fit inside them.”
Dante opened the unlocked door and motioned her inside. “He was known as a patron of the arts back when his pack lived in Europe. Many of the pieces you’ll see on display in this place were made by the same famous artists you’ll find in museums.”
“Really? I never would’ve guessed that.”
“You haven’t gotten the chance to get to know him.” Dante closed the door behind them and flicked the switch, bathing the entryway and stairs in warm light. Paintings of wolves and a full-length silver mirror decorated the space. “Same for him. He’s still trying to understand you, and I can tell he’s unsure what to make of this version of his true mate.”
Dante’s words intrigued her, but so did the first glimpse into Xander’s personal space. She faced the room to the right of the main hallway. Modern leather furniture dominated the large, high-ceilinged room. Not the fancy furnishings expected in a high-end apartment, but the worn and rugged kind meant for relaxing.
Hints of Xander’s love for electronics were scattered about—the sleek television on the wall and several different gaming systems on a glass-door shelved cart below the big screen.
She scanned the room once more, noting the paintings and sculptures, then faced Dante. “He’s told you that?”
“No, but I can see it in his expression. It’s easy to read when he’s around you. He doesn’t hide his feelings. Around his pack and other shifters, he wears a stony, indecipherable mask.”
The scene in the parking lot supported Dante’s assessment. His words toward her while talking to Hannah had been as cold as his hard-cut features. If he hadn’t prepped her with the warning that she had to keep their mating secret, she would’ve been hurt.
“He doesn’t hide behind his alpha mask around you or Vlad.”
“No.” Dante headed down the hallway and pushed open the door at the end. She followed him into a modern yet country-themed kitchen. “But that’s because we’re like brothers to him.”
Using his foot, Dante slid a stool out. “Sit. You still look pale, weak. I’ll get you some OJ and food. It’ll help. Xane had the place stocked in anticipation of Xander’s arrival.”
She felt weak too, and that annoyed her, but at least she’d managed to stay upright since leaving the pizza place. That was a plus. “That was nice of him.”
“Xander’s alpha. His pack loves him, so they do stuff like that. Clean his house. Do his laundry. I don’t think he’s ever had to cook his own meals either. The pack females usually stop over with plates or will come in and make something special just for him. Freakin’ spoil him. Of course, that was before he up and left with only a note telling them he was going to help Vlad look for his beloved human.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. Had Vlad and Xander not come after her, she’d still be in the compound with Killer. That was what she’d originally wanted. She couldn’t help him if she did
n’t know where he was being kept, but the foolishness of her plan had been made crystal clear. Too bad it took almost dying to realize that.
At least Xander and Vlad hadn’t held her naivety over her head. Of course, she hadn’t brought the subject up again. Their tune might change once she announced she was going to visit Shifter Affairs tomorrow, along with seeing Hannah.
She pushed those thoughts aside. Best she deal with their arguments when and if they came. She turned her attention to the dual-fueled stove and the massive side-by-side refrigerator. A minor panic attack threatened to quicken her pulse. She knew how to make boxed macaroni and cheese and heat canned soup.
Creating a gourmet meal? Not her forte.
Wonderful. Not only was she physically weak, she was lacking in the domestics department. As old as Xander was, he’d expect a woman to act like a woman, in all things.
“What about now that I’m in the picture? Will they still cook for him?” And save her from the humiliation of trying to fumble her way through prepping a gourmet dish.
“Sure. Won’t make a difference, even if they knew you were Xander’s mate. They’d still pamper him, but wolves are weird like that. Their sense of community and its power structure is full of hierarchy. If you’re on the top, you’re treated like royalty. If you’re considered weak, they look down on you.” Dante poured a tall glass of orange juice and set it in front of her.
“Don’t get me wrong. They won’t hurt those on the bottom rungs or let them suffer. They’ll just…” He shrugged. “Pity them, I guess you might say. And being pitied is probably the worst thing that can happen to a wolf shifter.”
Dante plopped a blueberry muffin on a dish and slid it toward her. “Felines aren’t like that. There’s the pride leader, and there are the pride members. No special treatment or ‘top dominant’ labels. No protectors. No betas. Just the group of people who loosely align themselves with the pride leader, but heaven help anyone who tries to hurt one of them. Then blood flies. Felines are wickedly possessive and protective of their loved ones.”