by Jess Bryant
“But...” Rafe nodded when his brother caught onto where he was going, “He won’t let the oldest sister go. He wants her for himself. Leo says he always has. He thinks she was part of his grab for power all along. That claiming her would unite the pack behind him even after the terrible things he’s done.”
Michael’s scowl darkened, “And she’s not his mate?”
“According to Leo, no.”
He watched his brother scrub his jaw again and the familiarity of the act warmed some hollow piece of his heart. Their father had done that a lot when he was thinking. Michael reminded him of their father right now. Thinking. Plotting. Refusing to act until he’d put all the pieces together. It drove Rafe crazy. If he’d been in charge, he’d have swept into the Crescent pack the moment Leo came to him, seized control and then sorted out wrong from right.
Michael shook his head, “So, what’s he want from us? To challenge this new Alpha on his behalf? To sneak in and steal back his family members?”
“No. He only asked that when he returns to challenge the Alpha that we have his back.”
“He doesn’t think the bastard will fight fair.” Michael nodded, “I don’t blame him considering he challenged the previous Pack Alpha during an illness. He’s holding hostages and he intends to claim a wolf that isn’t his mate. Those are some pretty serious allegations.”
“I know. That’s why I came to you. I’m standing with Leo. I came home to ask if you’ll stand with me.”
Michael eyed him for a long moment, openly assessing and then snorted, “That’s why you came home after all this time?”
“Leo’s a loyal friend, a good man and a good wolf. He’s earned my help but I’m no good to him in a fight. I can’t unleash my wolf like that. I don’t trust him not to attack at random.”
“But you trust him with Zoey?” Michael scoffed.
Rafe winced at the blow he should have seen coming. He’d known it was coming and he still hadn’t been prepared. Because Michael had refused to talk about her until now. Now, when he could throw it in Rafe’s face that he wasn’t good enough for her.
“She’s my mate, Michael.” He said evenly. “My mate.”
“Yeah, well she’s my best friend and I’m the one that’s been there for her so…”
His wolf growled, “Don’t. Don’t try to excuse what you did. You tried to keep her from me. Mate trumps best friend. Mate trumps everything. She’s mine and you had no right to come between us.”
“I had every right!” Michael raised his voice, “You said yourself you don’t trust your wolf and I don’t trust you with her!”
“That’s because you love her.” Rafe shook his head sadly.
Michael flinched, “Yes.” He scrubbed his jaw again when Rafe growled. “But not like that. Not like a… mate should. She’s my best friend. I want the best for her.”
“It’s more than that, Michael. Don’t try to deny it. We’re still family. I can sense how you feel about the girl.”
Michael was the one that dropped his eyes this time, “I wanted her to be mine so badly. All those years together, we were so sure it was the two of us and then it was like, everything changed. I was Pack Alpha and you were gone and when she turned eighteen… she wasn’t mine. I didn’t handle it well. I know that. But I never expected for it to be you and I handled that even worse.”
“Yeah, you did.” Rafe nodded.
“You just, you walked back into town yesterday and turned everything upside down. I was scared. Scared of losing her. Scared of losing the pack. Scared of losing you again too.” Michael met his eyes and this time there was no wolf, no anger, just the sadness and the distance that seemed to be a gulf between them, “I don’t want you to leave again, even if it means giving up the pack.”
Rafe blinked in confusion and then shook his head, “Jesus, Michael, no. I don’t want the pack. I never did. I didn’t come back for it and I’m not staying for it. I’m staying for her. She’s all I want. She’s all I’ve ever wanted. A chance at a home and a life, at regaining a piece of myself I thought I lost forever… my family.”
“You never should’ve left.”
“I know.” He winced at the accusation in his little brother’s voice.
Not the voice of the Pack Alpha. Not the voice of the man that he’d become in the years since Rafe left Noir. Just the voice and the accusation of the scared kid he’d been when his older brother abandoned him to all of this responsibility.
“If you’d stayed, maybe it wouldn’t all be so fucked up. I would’ve given up on the idea of her being mine a long time ago. I would’ve had to accept it instead of keeping her around like some kind of consolation prize and hurting both of us in the process.”
“Zoey is no man’s consolation prize, Michael. You should know that better than anyone. She’s the best. She’s everything I could ever want or need in a mate. She balances me and she soothes my wolf and I swear to you, just like I swore to her, I’m going to be the best I can be for her because she makes me stronger.”
“You better.” Michael flickered a sad smile, “Or I’ll snap your neck.”
Chapter 16
Zoey was totally eavesdropping. Not that she was doing it on purpose… or at least she hadn’t started eavesdropping on purpose. It was a wolf thing. Her hearing was far superior to what it had been just yesterday. She wasn’t standing with her ear to the door or anything. She didn’t have to. She was still standing in the kitchen, chomping on a piece of bacon, which was surprisingly delicious and cooked exactly how she liked it. But she’d heard every word that Rafe and Michael said.
At first, the tension she’d felt coming from her mate had worried her. She’d worried the two of them would come to blows again. The tone Michael had taken with him bristled her wolf and made her frown. When her friend had snapped at Rafe, she’d almost stormed out onto the porch and gotten between them. Which was exactly why Rafe had told her to stay inside.
He didn’t want to put her in the middle. He knew she cared about Michael. Just like he knew Michael cared about her, loved her even. But mostly she thought that he’d been worried if she got between them it would be to take Michael’s side. It was a silly, insecure thought and she hated that she’d put it in his head. Because yesterday it might have been true but today it was impossibly inconceivable to her.
She cared for Michael. She always would. He was her best friend and she loved him. But what he’d said about not loving her like a mate should… she finally, finally, understood that. Because that’s how she felt too.
Her attraction to him was gone and with her head and her heart a little clearer she could accept that a lot of what she’d wanted with Michael was to belong. To be one of them. Her parents were loving and supportive. The community was inclusive and welcoming. But she wasn’t a wolf and she’d always felt like an outsider here… except when she was with Michael.
He’d been her first friend and she’d clung to him fiercely. She’d made him the center of her universe. Just like he’d clung to her when his parents died and his brother left town. Even when they’d learned they weren’t mates, they’d clung to each other for reassurance that it would all be okay.
It hurt a little to hear Michael call her a consolation prize. She couldn’t deny that. But she also couldn’t deny that knowing what she knew now, he would have been hers too.
Because Michael didn’t need her. He never had. He was strong enough to stand on his own. But Rafe wasn’t. Rafe needed her in a way that she needed to be needed.
Listening to the two brothers talk, to try and set things right, she saw now just how right fate was to pair her with Rafe. Not just because the attraction between them was off the charts. But because she was the bridge that could span the distance between him and Michael.
She wasn’t the one that would divide them like she’d feared last night. It was done. She and Rafe were mated. Michael couldn’t change that and he’d seen the error of his ways. The only thing they could do now was move for
ward.
She was the reason they were talking, fixing things, and she knew just how badly Michael had always wanted Rafe to come home. Like she knew from the bond, from Rafe’s swell of emotions, that he wanted to mend what he’d broken between them. They were brothers and despite all of their differences, despite all the years of absence, she could feel the love between them.
It warmed her heart.
What didn’t warm her heart, was the way Rafe talked about himself. As if he wasn’t good enough for her. As if he needed to be better. He’d said something along those lines last night but she’d thought he just meant healing his wolf. Listening to him talk to Michael she realized it went deeper than that.
“I’m not going to hurt her.” Rafe swore. “She’s my mate. I’d die before I let anything hurt her.”
“But you can’t control your wolf. You said as much.” Michael countered.
Zoey huffed as they continued arguing and her own wolf stretched and shook inside of her. She didn’t like Michael’s tone any more than Zoey did and she’d had enough. They were talking about her now. She’d stayed out of it while they discussed pack business but this was her life too. She got a say. Final say even.
“He controlled his wolf perfectly fine with me last night.” She strolled onto the porch as casual as could be and plopped herself down into Rafe’s lap.
She grinned at him when his eyebrows winged up. She could feel his surprise through the bond. He hadn’t expected her to come outside? Really? She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. No, that wasn’t it. He hadn’t expected her to stick up for him.
Silly wolf. He was hers. She’d always protect him. Even from spats with his brother and his own inner demons.
“I…” He groaned slightly as she settled more firmly on his lap, wrapping his arms around her automatically, “I thought I told you to stay inside?”
“Told?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I think you asked.”
He gave her a pointed look, “Yeah. Asked. That’s what I meant.”
She giggled slightly and nuzzled his cheek, “I did stay inside but I got lonely and I needed to touch you.”
Rafe groaned again as she rubbed her body against his and she hid a smile in his neck. He was trying to stay strong. He wanted to send her back inside. She could feel it. But a bigger part of him was loving the way she touched him, kissed him, claimed him in front of his brother and for the world to see.
Good.
Because she had a feeling this whole wanting to be around him constantly, wanting his hands on her body, his skin against hers, wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. So Michael might as well get used to it. Now.
Rafe was hers and she was free to touch him and kiss him wherever and whenever she damn well pleased. Her wolf practically purred when he pulled her closer. She kissed him again, a little harder this time and nipped at his lip with her teeth before pulling back and glancing across the table as if she’d just remembered they had company.
“Michael.” She smiled sweetly, “Nice of you to visit.”
His eyes were wide with a look of shock that made her want to smack him. He stared at her as if he’d never seen her before and she glared back at him. He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut as his jaw all but hit the table.
“Holy shit, you’re…”
“Amazing?” She shrugged, “I know.”
He snapped his jaw shut and glared at her as color creased his cheeks, “I was going to say, a wolf.” He growled and his gaze darted from her to Rafe and then to her neck where the mark was clearly visible, “You’re a fucking wolf! What the hell, Rafe? You turned her!”
Rafe tensed as the air sparked with magic and fury but he didn’t get a chance to respond. Michael was on his feet in an instant and his eyes flashed gold. Zoey was slung into the air and tucked against Rafe’s back as he stood just as quickly.
“Don’t.” He growled at his brother.
“Michael…” She tried to step around Rafe to calm the situation that had spiraled out of control but he only snagged her and tucked her safely to his side.
Her best friend shook his head again, “Jesus, Zo. You let him bite you? One fucking night together and you let him bite you!”
Her own wolf snarled at the disgust in Michael’s tone. He was angry and she didn’t understand why. But it pissed her off.
“Oh, no. No, no, no.” She pointed a finger at him, “You do not get to judge me for bonding with my mate.”
“There’s a difference in bonding and taking a bite, Zoey.” Michael threw his hands in the air, “Fuckin’ hell, he can’t control his wolf. He’s feral! And you let him bite you! He could have just as easily ripped your throat out!”
“But he didn’t.” Zoey forced herself not to yell at her best friend. “He controlled himself. He controlled his wolf. I’m his mate. He would never hurt me. You know that. Despite whatever else you might think, you know that.”
“You don’t even know him.” Michael sighed.
Rafe growled but Zoey touched a hand to his chest and he stilled. This wasn’t his fight. This was hers. Because she knew where Michael was coming from now. He was worried about her. Trying to protect her. It was all he’d ever done. He was just going about it all wrong.
“So, you’re going to what? Slut shame me? You’re mad I accepted the bond and the bite so easily? No. You don’t get to be mad about that, Michael. I’m not yours. I was never yours. But you know damn well that if I had been, we would have sealed the bond the day I turned eighteen, no questions asked and no looking back so you can take your judgmental bullshit and stick it up your ass.”
Michael opened his mouth, closed it again and then dropped his head into his hands with a curse. The sparks that had filled the air between them all began to fizzle and she felt Rafe settle next to her. She kept herself tucked to his side and rubbed his back reassuringly. Michael dropped back down into his chair with a heavy sigh and she knew that she’d finally gotten through to him.
“I’m not judging you.”
“Sure sounded like it.”
“I’m just… worried.” Michael looked up and his eyes were back to their normal hazel color.
She met his familiar gaze with a firm nod, “I know. You worry about me. It’s what you do. But I’m not yours to worry about anymore.”
“That’s the thing…” Michael looked from her to Rafe and then back to her again, “You’re not mine.”
“I think we established that last night.” She groaned.
“No.” Michael shook his head, “You don’t get it. I was shocked because I couldn’t feel your wolf. I didn’t sense her until you came outside and revealed yourself. You’re not mine, Zo… and neither is she.”
“Son of a…” Rafe cursed under his breath.
She could feel whatever ease her touch had given him evaporate. He tensed and almost stopped breathing. She could hear him audibly swallow hard.
“What? What’s that mean?” She glanced between the brothers who both looked confused and more than a little freaked out. “What does that mean, Michael? Rafe? One of you tell me what’s going on.”
“Your wolf.” Michael scrubbed a hand over his face in his universal tell of frustration, “She’s not mine, Zo. She’s not Moirae pack. If she was, I’d have felt her the moment she was born. I would have sensed her.”
Zoey blinked in confusion, “What do you mean sensed her? You said you sensed her when I came outside.”
“My wolf senses her the same way we can sense any supernatural being but you’re not his. She’s not his.” Michael frowned and looked at his brother, “What the hell did you do? She’s not part of my pack anymore. How did you give her a wolf that’s not pack, Rafe?”
Zoey let the words sink in and turned to her mate with a wary expression. He looked as shocked and confused by Michael’s words as she did. She wasn’t pack. She had a wolf but she wasn’t Moirae pack. It didn’t make any sense. This was her home. Michael was her Alpha. Human or wolf, she was Moirae p
ack.
“Rafe?” She questioned softly when he cursed again.
“I don’t know.” He answered her unasked question, “I don’t know. It… I…” He growled and tugged at his hair, “I mean, it explains why you couldn’t sense it was him at the door. If he was your Alpha then your wolf should have sensed him. I…” He swung a panicked gaze to his brother, “Are you sure?”
Michael glanced at her warily, “Yeah. I’m sure.”
The two men stared at one another for a long time and Zoey felt her breathing speed. She could feel Rafe’s unease. His panic. Something was wrong and they weren’t telling her what it was. She wasn’t pack. Somehow, she was a wolf and she still didn’t belong.
“One of you tell me what that means. Now!” Her voice rose with her own panic.
“Hey. It’s okay. Shh. It’s okay.” Rafe pulled her into his arms and she only realized when she was enfolded in his safe embrace that she was trembling, “You’re mine. It just means that you’re mine.”
“I don’t understand.” She bit her lip and nervously glanced at Michael for reassurance.
Her friend was standing up again, hands on his hips, “It means what he said. You’re his. So is your wolf. He’s not just your mate. He’s your Pack Alpha.”
“What?” She tore her gaze back to Rafe and saw the answer in his eyes. “You’re my Alpha? We’re not… Moirae pack? How is that even possible?”
Rafe was Moirae pack. He was a born Alpha of the Moirae pack. She’d been adopted into the Moirae pack. How could the two of them together created a wolf that wasn’t?
Michael finally spoke up with a sad expression, “He broke ties with the pack and he stayed gone too long. His wolf doesn’t recognize the pack as home anymore. He’s feral. Wild. Unbound to any land or anything, until you.” Michael scrubbed his face again, “Your bond anchored him and since he’s an Alpha, it means you two started your own pack last night.”
“Michael.” Rafe’s voice was rough with emotion, “You have to know I didn’t intend for this to happen.”
“I know.” Michael snorted, “You didn’t intend for any of this to happen but fate has her own ideas about where we should be and who we should be with.”