"What he means is that we've been trying to make contact with you. Approaching you at the pack house would've been too risky. After what Isaac did, we thought you would just as soon kick our asses before you heard us talk. And there is always the risk of us being spotted," Stella said.
"That would be bad," Oscar offered as if Pippen and Sorell had not come to that conclusion already.
"What are you doing here?" Pippen asked again. None of what Stella or Oscar had said did anything to relax him.
"Look. We aren't on board with this vendetta Isaac has. We had no problems with your pack. Sure, your alpha killed our alpha, but he was kind of batshit and no one really misses him. But now that Isaac has had a chance to lead the pack and really show us all the direction he wants to go, we, me and Oscar—"
"—And others," Oscar interrupted.
Stella narrowed her eyes at him, it had a sibling quality to it that was endearing. "And a few others are not impressed. We know the slope is slippery from dealing small-time drugs to dealing in large quantities, from arms to human trafficking. That isn't a pack I want to belong to. People already look at us like we're shit. Other shifters, your pack, but we're not shit. We're just looking for a leader like yours, like Luke and Felix."
"Luke should have been our alpha," Oscar said angrily enough for Pippen to reach for his waist.
"It was his choice," Stella said soothingly, her eyes flitting to Pippen's hand.
"He doesn't have any interest in a pack like yours," Pippen said and the other two shifters made similar sounds of outrage.
"He means large," Sorell said, moving to stand beside Pippen instead of cowering behind him. "Luke doesn't want a huge pack. We're more of a family and honestly, we are running out of room as it is."
"That's why we thought you were starting a new pack, similar to Luke's, with your new alpha," Stella said. She sounded as confused as Sorell felt.
"Our new alpha? Felix? He's just mine. I mean, my mate. He's not a shifter."
"But he's an alpha," Oscar said.
"I suppose he is, yes. But he's human. A doctor." Sorell couldn't help sounding proud while talking about him.
"A human infiltrated our own pack house and escaped with a hostage?" Oscar asked laughing as though he couldn't believe it.
Pippen snarled. "Careful, that hostage is my dear friend."
Oscar raised his hands in surrender, taking a step back. "No offense meant. It's just, Isaac told us this big bad new player had come into town. Your mate. And that he meant to join forces with Luke's pack and overthrow us."
"None of that is true," Sorell said, his head spinning.
Stella settled her weight on her heels and nibbled her bottom lip. "It seems that Isaac has lied to us more than we even knew. I suppose you aren't a crazy ex-boyfriend who will stop at nothing to get him back," she said, looking at his pregnant belly.
"Nope. I broke up with him and then he threatened me. Threatened my pack. He's made good on his threats, too."
"Did either of you have anything to do with the shooting?" Pippen asked. Sorell really hoped neither did.
They both shook their heads. "After you left, Isaac became very reclusive. He hardly left the pack house before, now he never does. There is a core group of shifters, the worst of the pack, that he trusts. Those are the only people he will meet and he has them do his bidding. The rest of us are just expected to keep making money." Stella shifted and rubbed her arms as if it had grown cooler. "Keep making money, no matter how."
Oscar put his arm around Stella and drew her to his side. He kept his arm around her as he spoke. "That's what we were doing watching you, hoping to confirm the rumors were true so that we could gather the rest of us and come join you. We don't want to be a part of Isaac's gang. We want to be part of a pack."
Sorell opened his mouth, unsure of what he would say when his phone rang. The screen flashed Felix's number and he answered. "Hello?"
"You and Pippen are still at the nature park? Did you get lost?" Felix joked.
"No, um, well we were just about done when..."
"What happened?" His voice transformed from playful to serious in a second.
"We don't mean to get you in trouble," Oscar said.
"Who is that?" Felix demanded.
"No one, just a few shifters from Isaac's pack—"
"I'll be right there," Felix said and Sorell heard tires squealing in the background.
"Felix, it's not—" Sorell tried to say but Felix had already hung up the phone. "Shit."
Pippen rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, he's on his way?"
"But I thought you said he was human," Stella said. "How will he find you?"
"He has a car," Pippen said like it was obvious.
"And, he can scent me out now. I don't know how, it's like our mating gave him shifter abilities."
"Really?" Stella stepped closer to them, curious. "So he has enhanced smell now? What about his strength levels? His hearing?"
"Okay, that's enough," Pippen said. "I believe you say you are who you are, but I'm still not going to let my lovestruck friend spill all our secrets just because he gets so excited every time he gets to talk about his mate."
Sorell's face turned red, mostly because that was exactly what he'd been about to do. He heard tires screeching in the distance and would bet his orthopedic walking shoes that it was Felix. With as fast as he was on foot, they didn't have much time. "You should probably go, or, get ready if you want to stick around."
"We wanted to talk to him," Stella said but she didn't sound very confident.
***
Felix slammed his door shut and sprinted down the path his mate had taken. He could still smell his scent that clung to the branches and leaves he'd walked by. His sense of smell was improving daily. At first, he could only scent his mate but now he could identify Pippen's scent as well. He was learning how to differentiate between everyone in the pack.
He was barely breathing hard when he heard his mate speaking in soft, soothing tones. It was like a soothing balm over his nerves. Sorell was still safe. When Felix turned the last corner that brought Sorell in sight he let a little of his pent-up fear go. He was sitting on a rock with Pippen beside him. Sorell looked at him, love and adoration in his face. Felix could probably orgasm from the way Sorell looked at him, like he was the most amazing thing in the world, his beacon, his God. Pippen's face was turned toward the line of trees where two shifters stood nervously.
Nothing about the scene looked aggressive or dangerous so Felix slowed down. He leapt over a small creek and when he reached Sorell he pulled him by his side, tucking him into the safety of his protection. "What are they doing here?" Felix asked.
"That's what I kept asking," Pippen replied.
"We don't mean you any harm," the red-headed shifter said.
"So you just followed my mate and his friend into the forest for fun?"
"No," Pippen said, sounding way too amused. "Stella and Oscar have been watching us."
"Pippen, stop it, you're trying to make this worse," Sorell admonished him.
"Mate, my patience is a little thin here. If they want to talk to you, then they want to talk to me. Why don't we go someplace safer and we can sit down and—"
"We can't do that," the red head, Stella said. "Isaac may not leave the bar, but he has eyes everywhere. It's you we wanted to speak with, anyway."
"Fine, Pippen, take Sorell home and I'll talk."
"Felix!" Sorell started to object. Felix gave him the look that meant his actions would have consequences, ones he would mostly enjoy, but he kept quiet. Judging from Sorell's stormy eyes, he wasn't happy about it. Felix groaned internally. Now he was going to suffer the consequences. He would though, if it got Sorell out of possible danger. Who knew what these random shifters had up their sleeves?
"Let's go, Pippen," Sorell said, angrily. "Don't worry, you won't have to carry me," he added and Felix internally winced. Yes, his mate was going to make him suffer later. Felix's cock s
tirred at the prospect of asserting his dominance.
Felix waited until Sorell was surely away and safe before turning his attention to the other two.
"You don't act like a human," Stella said.
He wasn't sure how to take that. "What business did you have with my mate?"
"It was with you, actually," the guy, Oscar said, standing a little straighter and puffing out his chest. "He was just the easiest way we could think of getting to you—"
Felix reacted without thinking, surging forward he grabbed Oscar by the throat and slammed him against a tree trunk. "If you ever use my mate to get to me again I will end you," he seethed.
"That's not what he meant," Stella said, a sharp edge to her voice. She made no move to help her friend, though.
Felix released Oscar and let him settle to his feet. "What did you mean?"
Oscar rubbed his throat but he didn't look angry. "We heard rumors that you were starting a pack. Isaac has everyone freaked, like you are this bogeyman who could strike at any minute. We watched you, though. You didn't do anything like that. Meanwhile, Isaac has our shifter women doing favors for his connections, serving at parties. Stella here barely got out of one of those parties with her life. That sort of pack, it isn't what we want."
"But I don't have a pack. I'm a doctor. Maybe Luke... maybe he could..."
"No," Stella said, her voice steely. "We have our dignity. Barely. But we have it. Luke could have taken over when he killed Lucian. He didn't want us then, he won't want us now."
Felix didn't think that was completely true, but he understood their point of view.
"What will Isaac do if you all suddenly leave?"
"That's why we can't simply go and start our own pack. Even if we go far, he'd find us. We need the protection of an established pack," Oscar said, suddenly sounding young and tired.
Felix regretted his outburst and dug in his pocket for a sample packet of pain relievers. He threw the packets he found at Oscar who caught them easily. "Take these, your throat is going to hurt later."
"We didn't want to say this in front of Sorell because we thought it might worry him, but Isaac won't stop. I'm not sure if he's told the lie so many times that he believes it now or if it is some insane jealousy thing, but he won't stop. He sees you and Sorell as a threat, Luke's pack as a threat. Those shifters that live next to you, I don't know their names, but I know Isaac has people out gaining information on them. You can't ignore this and hope it goes away. It will end badly."
Felix's chest tightened. His stomach turned. Was this how Sorell had felt when Isaac had blackmailed him? Felix almost understood Sorell's actions for the first time. He thought of his pregnant mate and the doomed fate he stressed over. Felix had meant what he'd said when he said it and he meant it now. Somehow, he'd fix this. He'd save Sorell and everyone else too.
Chapter Fourteen
Felix did not want to be where he was, standing in front of the pack, most of them frowning at him, while Luke stood beside him with his arms crossed over his chest, a position that mirrored his own. It had been over a month since his first conversation with Oscar and Stella and the more he thought about it, the less suggestions he had. All he knew was that his mate deserved a safe environment to have his babies. Looking at him now, sitting on the sofa next to Finn and Pippen, had his heart swelling with pride. He glowed. It was cliche, he knew, but Sorell really did glow. He held a hand absently on his stomach where it rubbed in small circles as if he was trying to soothe the unborn children. Felix knew they were movers, just like he'd been.
"Oscar and Stella seemed very sure that if we wait, Isaac will strike. But, they also mentioned their doubts on his sanity. It may be that he has fought himself into a corner. Like a trapped animal, he's ready to fight. Why don't we open his self-imposed cage? Set him free? There was enough room for all of us before, there is no reason why there can't be enough room now."
If possible, Luke's arms became more clenched across his chest. No one objected though, so Felix continued.
"I say we offer him a peace treaty."
The room exploded, except Luke, who already knew and had begrudgingly agreed to Felix's plan. Pippen's voice was the loudest, second to Conner's.
"You'd pardon the man who tried to kill your sister?" Pippen asked, so angry his face was red.
Felix was stuck between being appreciative of Pippen's worry for his sister and pissed that he would think that Felix took this decision so lightly.
Frannie sat at the end of the couch with her legs crisscrossed beneath her. She clutched a mug of coffee but looked otherwise serene over the announcement. He had mentioned this plan to her when he first thought of it and she had been agreeable. She held up her hand and the room of men silenced. "Look, I am so lucky to have so many people care about me, really. But I am not interested in turning this into some kind gangland situation. Isaac is a fuck-face, we all know that. But he is a crazy fuck-face and if a peace treaty is all it takes to make sure he doesn't mess with any of you, then I am all for it."
Pippen stood, clearly not happy.
"How do you know you can trust him?" Conner asked.
"Give me some credit, Conner," Luke said. "No more secret meetings with shut doors between us and his pack. We'll talk this out with his pack present. If he agrees or refuses, his pack will be there to witness. From the sounds of it there is already dissension. He's got to know that."
"So you don't trust Isaac, but you trust his pack?" Conner asked, his tone no less distrusting than it had been.
"For what it's worth, they seemed to want a change. Oscar and Stella at least seemed forthcoming," Sorell said quietly.
Felix turned to where Daryl skulked in the corner. He was the only person in the room who used to be a member of that pack before he'd left it to join his son. "What do you think? About the pack? About Isaac? You knew him, right?"
Daryl grunted, clearly uncomfortable with being put in the spotlight. "Isaac wasn't a real big player when I was part of that pack. I knew Stella's mother, though, she was a great woman. No idea who this Oscar kid is."
"But what about the nature of their pack?" Luke asked.
Daryl shrugged. "There's always something someone doesn't like, but for the most part, they were a good group. Hard workers."
"Great, that's great. You're taking his word. That never ended poorly," Conner said angrily.
"You listen to me—" Daryl started but Luke called them all to order.
Luke stood in the middle of the room. "My word is the final one, but we will vote. All those in favor of offering a peace treaty in front of the entire pack raise your hand."
Felix raised his hand along with Sorell, Frannie, Finn, and Daryl. Seeing all the raised hands, Pippen made a disgusted noise and left the room. Conner went after him.
"I guess that's it then," Frannie said with a small, sad voice.
"That's it," Felix repeated.
***
Felix stepped into Isaac's bar for the second time in his life. The first time he had done everything he could to not be noticed. This time, that was an impossibility. The moment he stepped through the door with Luke and Conner the place quieted down. It sounded as if someone had simply unplugged the jukebox as every head turned toward them.
Luke cleared his throat as if they didn't already have everyone's attention. "We are not here for trouble. We're looking for your pack master, Isaac."
"He's not down here," Stella said from behind the bar. She knew they were coming, Oscar did as well. Felix figured that was the only reason they hadn't been jumped immediately. All those sympathetic to them knew at least part of the plan. There were still a lot who didn't know, judging from the hostile glares Felix was getting.
"We have a proposition that affects not just Isaac but your pack."
"You expect us to just go grab our alpha so you can kill the new one? We know who you are," an angry woman said from the back. "We aren't that stupid."
"Can't be much of an alpha if he needs
to hide behind his pack," Felix said to the outrage of the group.
Luke gave him an exasperated look. But, his words had power and the pack began to whisper like a hornet's nest. Felix almost thought they were going to begin fighting among themselves when the back door slammed open. Felix knew from his first trip here that that door led back to the storage areas and also to the stairs that went to the apartments above.
Isaac stood in the doorway and Felix tried to hide his shock. He was much thinner than the bulky man he'd been. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair had grown scraggly. Felix guessed he'd picked up a few habits harder than drinking. From the state of his arms, it was likely crack cocaine. "Luke, finally down for that drink?"
"No. We offer you a peace treaty. We'll agree to never make a hostile action toward you or any member of your pack if you agree to do the same. Our pack members, including all human members, will stay out of your way if you stay out of ours."
Grumbling and murmurs filled the bar. Felix caught Stella, clutching at her bar towel so tightly her knuckles were white.
Isaac didn't look at Luke though, he stared at Felix with hate-filled eyes. "How is Sorell?" he asked.
Felix hated hearing the man even say his mate's name. He felt an urge to launch over and rip the shifter's tongue out of his body for daring. But that wouldn't make Sorell any safer. Luke had a hand on his arm already, as if sensing his internal war. "My mate is doing just fine," Felix said when he was able to speak calmly.
"Your mate? You're a human." Isaac laughed as if he had just thought of the most hilarious thing. "Is my Sorrel finally switching to top? He gonna put a baby in you? Make you his little woman?"
Felix felt no anger from Isaac attempting to attack his masculinity. It was the possessive before Sorell that had him seeing red.
Luke's restraining hand was necessary now and he strained against it so much Conner had to go to his other side to hold him back. "Sorell was never yours. He's my mate, mine," Felix said with a growl that rumbled throughout the room. He shook out of Luke and Conner's hands but did not try to attack again.
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