Thrown to the Wolves (A Black Treaty Novel Book 1)

by Pixie Unger

  On the other hand, Craig hadn’t been invited up to her room again.

  Mac had been hopeful that first night, but he was here as a guard. Molly slept at her feet and Mac watched her back and Sarah fought to find sleep. After a few hours of her not sleeping, Mac had found her kindle and read to her until she could. That had become part of her bedtime routine these last two nights.

  He was pretty sure she wasn’t staying with this pack. He was praying she would take him with her when she left. The idea of his Ulfurinn leaving him behind made him feel sick.

  “I can feel you staring at me.”

  “Sorry.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Just after five.”

  Sarah grumbled and pulled him closer. “Too early, go to sleep.” Then she rolled over and nuzzled his chest. He felt her eyelashes brush his skin as she opened her eyes. “You’re scared. Why are you scared?”

  Mac rubbed her back. “I’m just worried you will leave me here when you go.”

  “Where am I going?” Sarah tipped her head up to look at him.

  Mac shrugged. “I don’t think you will want to stay with us.”

  Sarah reached up and scratched Mac’s cheek. “I like spending time with you, all of you, when sex isn’t on the table. I just don’t understand how I fit into the pack. I’m starting to understand that might be because this pack isn’t really a family, but more a collection of individuals. Nathan said it would be easier to think of you as a family and work up to the idea of pack. I don’t know how to do that when you don’t even think of yourselves that way.”

  Mac sighed, “So, build us into your own pack. Ignore what was here before you arrived and just tell us what you need so that you can stay.”

  “Just like that?”

  Mac nuzzled the top of her head and licked her ear. She giggled and squirmed away. Molly took this as a sign that they were up and eagerly joined in on the ‘lick Sarah’ game that Mac was playing. She started licking Sarah’s hands while Mac was licking Sarah’s neck. Sarah pulled her hands away and started tickling Mac. Molly was barking and bouncing on the bed.

  Marv burst into the room and saw combat form Mac pinning Sarah to the mattress, he started to growl.

  “Get out!” Sarah yelled. “And for fuck’s sake, knock first!”

  Marv stared at her, then blushed. “Uh… sorry!”

  “God! I miss having a door that locks!” She pushed Mac off of her and climbed out of bed. As Marv turned to leave, Sarah said. “Can you take Molly out to pee and get her breakfast?”

  “Uh… sure.”

  “Thank you. We’ll be down in a while.” She headed to the bathroom.

  Marv looked at Mac and pointedly sniffed. Mac just shrugged. There wasn’t anything to say. No, he wasn’t having sex with Sarah. No, he wasn’t bothered by that. Much. No one in the pack was crass enough to comment on him spending extra time licking himself when Sarah wasn’t around to notice.

  He heard the shower start up. Marv left. Mac changed as he walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Sarah was still using the sink. She finished and tested the water in the shower, jerking her hand out when it was still too cold. She watched Mac brush his teeth.

  “Can I touch you?” Sarah asked, making Mac choke on his toothpaste. “Sorry.”

  He finished up before he nodded. She reached up and ran her hand over his scalp. “Yeah, I’ll shave while you’re in the shower.”

  “I don’t know, I kind of like the stubble. Why do you keep shaving it?”

  “It grows in funny around the scars. Easier to just keep it shaved.”

  Sarah turned off the shower and gave him a pointed look.

  “What?” he asked.

  She was watching his face. “I just realized something.” Mac waited for her to continue. “I don’t want to be the aggressor in this relationship. I don’t want you to be all respectful and ‘court’ me. I want to be dated and seduced.”

  “Umm… OK?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Now?” Mac asked self consciously.

  Sarah shrugged and looked away. “There is an uneven power balance. I want to know, NEED to know that you actually want me. That you aren’t just sleeping in my bed because I’m the Ulfurinn and I said so.”

  Mac watched her carefully as he replied. “No. I am sleeping in your bed because I want you to be safe and happy and the last few nights, you haven’t felt either of those things.”

  “No. I guess I haven’t.”

  “I’m no expert, but I think you need those things first. Sex has to be second. I need to know you aren’t just fucking me because you are scared of Marv.” There. He said it.

  “I’m not scared of Marv!” Mac just raised an eyebrow. “It’s more complicated than that.” Sarah mumbled.

  “Yeah. It is.” Mac kept watching her. “Sarah? Can I take you dancing tonight?”

  “Tuesday night might be better for bookstore and coffee, but yeah, I would like to spend some time with you. Away from here. Maybe we could just… I don’t even know. Go out to dinner after work?”

  “I would like that. Come back to bed, it’s still early. I can leave if you want.”

  She stepped up close and put her hands on his hips. “I really liked the tickle fight before Marv burst in. I have fun with you Mac. I need that. No one else just gets goofy with me.”

  “Really?” Sarah nodded. Mac dropped to his knee and hugged her around her middle, then tossed her over his shoulder and carried her back to bed. Sarah laughed and started scratching his back. “Uh - a little to your left.” She moved her hands and found that perfect spot where you can never quite reach on yourself. Mac groaned with pleasure. He ended up pinning her to the bed and rubbing her back until she fell asleep.

  ----

  Sarah once again ignored Marv at breakfast, but she was still letting him seat her, so that was something. As she was serving herself toast and eggs she asked, “Who’s on dinner duty tonight?”

  Gus hesitantly looked up, “Something you are craving?”

  Sarah shrugged. “Mac and I are going on a date tonight. We won’t be home for supper.”

  Marv opened his mouth to say something. Sarah looked at him. He closed it.

  Work was still awkward. Sarah put in the weekly part order and spent some time talking maintenance with one of the locals. He was from the carburetor era and she was trying to explain that maintenance on fuel injectors is different. She wasn’t sure if he was just not getting it, or if he needed the person explaining to have testicles. She waved at Gus. He came over and spun some bullshit about the man’s car’s flex capacitors needing re-calibration. The client immediately agreed. Sarah exchanged A Look with Gus. Sean suddenly developed an unexplained cough.

  She clocked out promptly at 4:30 and went back to the house to get cleaned up. Hair, make-up, a black pencil skirt, the whole nine yards. She looked in the mirror. OK, so the victory rolls and bright red lipstick weren’t quite the right era for Mac, but she added a pair of ripped looking tights and combat boots and called it close enough. She considered herself in the mirror and added a black leather underbust corset over the white dress shirt. It would do. The skirt would also give her an excuse to take her car instead of his bike.

  She was just coming down the staircase as the boys got home at quarter to six.

  “Holy Fuck!” Gus exclaimed. Marv made a weird little whine in the back of his throat. Sean and Craig just stared. Mac grinned up at her.

  “We are taking my car,” she informed him. “Go make yourself pretty. I’ll wait.”

  Mac sprinted up the stairs.

  “Take the truck,” Marv and Gus said in perfect stereo.

  Sarah narrowed her eyes at them, but didn’t say anything.

  Mac came running down the stairs, still damp from the shower only a few minutes later. Sarah was playing with her phone. Craig was standing in her blind spot, checking out her ass. Gus was sitting on the bench near the door, leaning forward to take off his boots. Th
is meant his nose was at crotch sniffing height, albeit a couple of feet away from her. Sean was leaning on the wall across the hall from her not even pretending not to stare. Marv was trying to talk her into taking the truck. She was ignoring all of them.

  As she noticed Mac, she looked up and smiled. He was wearing a black shirt and black pants. “You look nice,” she said.

  Mac grinned. “You look amazing!” he replied with so much enthusiasm that Sarah blushed a little and looked down.

  That was when she noticed Gus and frowned. “Don’t wait up,” she announced as she turned to the door. Mac stomped on his boots and hurried to hold the door for her.

  Chapter 19

  November 7th 9:47pm

  They didn’t quite close down the arcade Mac had taken Sarah to, but they stayed to last call before walking out to the car. Mac turned to Sarah, “Hey, wanna go get ice cream?”

  She laughed, “If you want. It’s been almost three hours since we finished supper.” She was walking backwards talking to him, which is why her first sign that something was wrong was his face. She spun around to see five werewolves leaning on her car. She narrowed her eyes. “Hey! Watch the paint job, will you!”

  Four of them guiltily straightened up. The last one was big and bald with a slight beer belly and one eye that was milky white. The other was the colour of cognac amber. It didn’t really match his grizzled and tanned leather skin. He just leered at her. “You aren’t supposed to be here,” he growled.

  Sarah glared at him. “I am treaty compliant. Ulfurinn are allowed to travel out of their pack’s territory for supplies that aren’t locally available AND they are allowed to bring an escort.” She looped her arm through Mac’s, “He’s my escort.”

  “We haven’t been introduced.”

  Mac cleared his throat. “Sarah, this is Robert. He runs the local… club.”

  Robert kept his eyes locked on Sarah’s, “You’re the bitch Sean made.”

  Sarah took a step forward. “Get off of my car.” It wasn’t a shout, it was deadly quiet.

  Robert grinned. “Or what?”

  Sarah looked down and thought about that for a few minutes. Then she looked up at Mac and around the street and back at the pack. “Is he a good alpha? One you want to keep, I mean?”

  “What do you mean by that?” Robert demanded.

  Sarah looked back at him. “You, sir, are preventing me from returning to my pack. That is a clear violation of section -”

  Robert straightened up, “Whoa! Easy there! We just want to meet you, is all.”

  “By calling me names and scuffing my paint job? Not the best first impression.”

  “This isn’t your first ‘supply run.’ We’ve caught your scent before and you didn’t stop by to introduce yourself that time either.”

  Sarah narrowed her eyes, “Well, now you are just sulking.” She scanned the pack again, she only saw one pack member with the same facial scars as Mac and Gus. “I thought there were two of you.” The whole pack smelled like grampa cologne, and if she concentrated… “You sent half your pack to flank me?”

  Robert grinned. “Better protection than you get from Marv, right?”

  Mac knew how this was going to go. He stepped up right behind her and put his hand on Sarah’s hip, nuzzling her neck. “He’s ex-military. He isn’t going to understand and you aren’t going to have the patience to explain to him tonight.”

  Without taking her eyes off Robert, she reached up and caressed Mac’s cheek. “I’m leaving. I’m taking my pack mate with me -”

  “Pack mate,” Robert snorted, “you haven’t even -”

  Sarah punched him. “You do NOT get to comment on my relationship!” Then she swore and shook her hand.

  Everyone looked at her in horror.

  There was a long moment of silence. Sarah reached past Robert for the driver’s side door with her left hand. Mac stepped in and held the door for her.

  “Thank you, Mac.”

  “You broke your hand.” Robert said flatly.

  “Not your concern.” Sarah said firmly.

  “Bellmont doesn’t have a doctor,” one of the others piped up. “You need to -”

  “You don’t get to tell me what I need to do.” Sarah said angrily. “This all started because you didn’t want me in your territory. Well, congratulations, I’m leaving. Now piss off.”

  Robert turned on Mac who was getting into the other side of the car, “Take her to the emergency room.”

  Mac shrugged. “Her body, her call. But if you don’t move those bikes you’ve got parked behind her, I can’t promise she will let you fence her in.”

  The local pack saddled up and rode off.

  Sarah still hadn’t started her car.

  Mac waited patiently.

  “I’m not going to be able to drive a stick with a broken hand.”

  Mac nodded. “I could call Sean to bring the tow truck.”

  Sarah sat there for a long moment without saying anything.

  Mac just waited.

  Sarah kept not saying anything.

  Mac kept waiting.

  “Fine! God damn it! You can drive Baby.”

  Mac was startled by that. Sarah glared at him. “I’ll be really careful, angel,” he replied.

  Sarah snorted. “The car’s name is Baby.”

  “Oh! Uh… sorry about that.” Mac replied. Sarah shrugged. She hadn’t made any move to get out of the driver’s seat. “Can I… Um… What’s the verdict on the hospital, boss?”

  Sarah gritted her teeth. “Fine.”

  ----

  Sarah’s phone started ringing some time after midnight

  “Hello?”

  “Why are you in the hospital?”

  “Oh! Hi, Nathan! I was going to call you!”

  “I bet you were, why are you in the hospital?”

  “Yeah, I don’t actually know many Lupers and I wanted to invite you and Nicole for Thanksgiving dinner.”

  “Why are - wait, what?”

  “I was thinking about what you said about family and I was hoping you and Nicole and your pack could come… If you don’t already have plans, I mean.”

  “No, we don’t have… Stop trying to change the subject, Sarah! Why are you in the FUCKING hospital?”

  “Did Robert call you?”

  “No! Why would Robert call me? What did Marv do?”

  “Nothing! This has nothing to do with Marv!”

  “Sarah!”

  “I have a boxer’s fracture.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I hit someone.”

  “Again, why?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “I have time.”

  “How did you know I was in the hospital?”

  “I’m your insurance provider. They called to authorize the visit. Don’t let them talk you into surgery, by the way. Just have them freeze it and pull it straight. It will heal in a couple of days. Now, who did you hit and why?”

  “If you come for dinner, I can explain in person.”

  Nathan laughed. “Are you serious?”

  “Sure! Do you have any idea how big the house is? It’s massive! They hardly use any of it!”

  *silence* “They hardly use any of it? Sounds like you aren’t settling in so well.”

  “Oh, look, the doctor is here, I have to go, bye!”

  *click*

  Sarah groaned. Her phone started to ring again. She put it on do-not-disturb.

  ----

  It wasn’t yet light out when Sarah woke up as the car pulled into the driveway at the house. “Mac? I don’t want to talk about this with the rest of the pack, OK?”

  Mac gritted his teeth. “It isn’t a secret you should keep.”

  “Yeah, but I hit him and I don’t want to start a gang war or anything.” Mac didn’t look convinced. “Look, I’ll tell Marv, I just need some time to work up to it, OK?”

  Mac nodded. He handed her Baby’s keys and ran around to the passenger side to
open the car door. They walked up the steps to the door. Sarah put her hand on Mac’s arm, “I had a really great time tonight… Well, until… any way.” She took a deep breath, “Thank you, Mac.” Mac nodded. “Can I kiss you good night?”

  Mac looked down at her and leaned forward.

  It was easily the best kiss he had in the last forty years.

  Until the door opened and Marv glared at them. Sarah groaned. “Oh, hi dad! Here to keep me from -”

  “What happened to your hand?” He was surprised and worried. Sarah realized that Nathan hadn’t called him.

  “Rowdy meter maid,” she replied.

  Mac laughed.

  “I’m fine. I’m tired. Mac is going to help me get cleaned up. I think I need to call in sick tomorr- today. Sorry, boss.”

  Marv nodded carefully. “Need Mac to stay with you today, or should I be taking him out back to beat the truth out of him?”

  Sarah grinned. “Nah. I think I’ll keep him.”

  “Fine. Need breakfast?”

  Mac stomach grumbled. “Yes please.” It came straight from his belly without his brain actually engaging. Then he blinked and felt embarrassed.

  Sarah laughed, Mac joined in. It was good.

  ----

  Mac watched Sarah sitting at her vanity, trying to take her makeup off with her left hand. She was making little noises of frustration. “Here, let me,” he said, kneeling in front of her. She handed him a facial wipe and sighed with resignation. Mac cupped her chin and carefully wiped her eyes, then he refolded the wipe and wiped her mouth. “There you are,” he said as though he had just found her. She smiled a little. He reached up and pulled the pins out of her hair. “Craig said you liked having him wash your hair in the hospital. Can I try?”

  Sarah blushed a little but nodded. “Uh, I’m going to need help getting out of my corset and boots.”

  Mac swallowed, his eyes darkening. Sarah turned around on her chair and he was faced with a tangle of laces. He cleared his throat. “I’m, um, not actually sure how this works.”

  Sarah laughed. “Untie the bow in the middle, then loosen the laces so I can open the busk in the front.