“Shh!” Logan hissed again. “Please don’t let them hear you! Luke will freak out!”
“So what? Let him freak out! You people don’t own me!” Allison shrieked, jumping to her feet. “This is ridiculous! I’m leaving!”
Allison stormed toward the door, but in a flash, Logan was blocking her way. He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. His expression was soft and pleading.
“Please don’t go,” he begged. “I… they’ll kill me.”
“Well, not literally,” Allison said, rolling her eyes. When Logan didn’t respond, she said, “Logan?”
“Pack law is complicated,” he said. “Besides, I… I really want you to stay.”
“Logan, tell me you’re joking,” Allison demanded. “They wouldn’t really kill you, would they?”
“If I let you go, I’d be betraying my pack,” Logan said firmly. “By law, they would have no choice.”
“Oh, this is not happening,” Allison muttered, hanging her head ruefully. “Your kind sure has some crazy rules.”
Allison flopped down on the bed and sighed heavily, hiding her eyes underneath her arm, which she draped across them in frustration.
“They may seem crazy to you, but they’ve kept our kind in check for hundreds of years,” Logan said.
“I’m sorry,” Allison said quickly, glancing at Logan apologetically. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m just shocked that you’d kill your own kind over some rules. Who makes the rules, anyway?”
“You know how on those nature shows they show baby animals that get abandoned or their parents die and they have these natural instincts?” Logan asked. “Like birds have the instinct to migrate?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, some of it is like instinct. It’s something that is so deeply ingrained into our psyche we are powerless to go against it. Like taking you as a mate. We physically couldn’t prevent it, because it would be going against thousands of years of instinct.”
“But animals go against their instincts all the time,” Allison pointed out.
“I suppose. But for us, instinct is all about survival. We’ve developed a society based on strict obedience of our laws. It’s the only thing that keeps our kind safe from being hunted by humans. We obey our laws strictly. Those that don’t draw too much attention and could get us killed.”
“Well, how is that other pack able to go against their instincts?”
“The best way I can explain it is to point out humans who go crazy and go on murderous rampages. You know… like serial killers and stuff. They’re insane.”
“So this other pack is crazy?”
“Basically.”
“The whole pack?”
“A pack feeds off the emotions of their Alpha. Michael is our Alpha, and we pretty much have to obey whatever he commands. Their Alpha… his name is Victor… went crazy and took his pack with him.”
“I see.”
“It wasn’t always that way. Victor used to be a decent guy. But then…”
Logan’s face drained of color, and his mouth hung open for a moment. Then he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
“Then what?” Allison urged him.
“Um… nothing,” Logan said. “Then he went crazy and that’s it.”
“But what about… you know… the kiss?” Allison asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Logan’s brow furrowed, and he looked irritated.
“It’s a betrayal,” Logan said flatly. “Michael betrayed all of us.”
“How?”
“You’re our mate, not his. He had no right to do that without us being present. It’s not allowed.”
“But he’s the Alpha. Can’t he do what he wants?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Logan snapped.
“Logan, I…”
“I wish you hadn’t even told me any of this!” Logan shouted, jumping to his feet and taking a few steps toward the back of the room. He threw his hands into the air. “I don’t want to know this!”
Allison placed her hands on his bare back. He bristled, his muscles instinctively jerking away from her, but then he started to relax.
“I’m sorry,” Allison said gently. “I didn’t know any of this.”
“It’s not your fault,” Logan said, his head hanging limply. “I just don’t understand why Michael would do something like that. I thought you two couldn’t stand each other, anyway.”
Allison’s hands dropped and her shoulders slouched heavily. She sighed.
“We can’t,” she admitted. “I don’t really understand what happened. It just… happened.”
“Did you like it?” Logan asked gently.
“What? I… no!” she hissed. “No, it… he was…”
“Let’s talk about something else,” Logan said quickly.
“Good idea,” Allison agreed.
“I know, let’s play a game!” Logan suggested.
He opened a cupboard near the back of the room and pulled out a stack of board games. Allison’s stomach was still twisted in vicious knots over everything that had happened lately, but she could see how eager Logan was, so she relented.
“How about this one?” she asked, pulling out a random box.
“Oh, I like that one,” Logan agreed.
They were still playing when the huge door clanged and screeched open and Luke peered around the corner with a look of panic spreading across his face. Logan jumped to his feet and knocked the game board over, sending tiny plastic pieces clattering onto the concrete floor.
“Michael took off!” Luke gasped.
“What? Where’d he go?” Logan asked.
“To see Victor.”
“What?” Logan shrieked. “They’ll kill him!”
A lump swelled in Allison’s throat, and her heart began to pound savagely in her chest.
“He just said he needed to talk to Victor and he jumped up and ran out before I could stop him,” Luke groaned, shaking his head.
“Damn it!” Logan swore. “What was he thinking?”
Logan drew his fist back and punched the concrete wall so hard that it sank inward, sending a shower of concrete bits onto the floor and left a fist-sized indentation behind. He swore again as he pulled back his throbbing hand and nursed it.
“We have to go get him,” Luke said.
“But we can’t leave Allison!” Logan argued.
“They’ll kill him!” Luke reiterated.
“Go!” Allison said suddenly. “Lock me in here. I’ll be fine. Just go!”
Logan turned to Allison and grabbed her shoulders. His eyes were glistening as he stared deeply into hers.
“We can’t leave you alone,” he said. “Michael would flip out.”
“Logan, go,” Allison demanded. “I saw what happened to him before. You can’t let him go alone.”
Logan was silent as he mulled things over. He stood there motionless, his hands trembling as they held her shoulders.
“Come on,” Luke said. “We’re losing time.”
“Go,” Allison urged once more.
Logan’s head dropped forward, and he exhaled sharply.
“Fine,” he relented. “But you stay put!”
“Like I could get out of here if I wanted to,” Allison groaned. “Just go!”
Without another word, Logan followed Luke out of the room and the heavy metal door clanged shut behind them. Allison slumped into her chair and froze. She felt numb. She knew she should be afraid of being alone there. She was trapped. If they did come for her, she’d be defenseless. But she couldn’t feel much of anything.
Then it hit her. These men would really die to protect her. Michael had been seriously injured defending her, and now the others were running off to fight by his side to keep her safe. All along she’d been defensive, angry, and belligerent. She suddenly felt intense remorse. What if they were all killed? They might die never knowing how much she appreciated it. She wasn’t thinking about the fact that if they
never came back she would starve to death alone in that underground bunker. She was only worried that she would never be able to express her gratitude.
In that moment… that lonely, agonizing moment… Allison suddenly realized that she should truly feel grateful to the pack. Now she might never get the opportunity.
The time crawled by like sap dripping slowly down the trunk of a tree. Allison gnawed her fingernails down to nubs while nausea washed over her in waves. Finally, she rushed to the toilet and vomited.
As she kneeled before the toilet with the cold tile against her knees, she heard the screech of metal. She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve and scrambled to her feet and out the bathroom door. Michael appeared in the doorway as the heavy metal door swung open, and Luke and Logan entered immediately after him. Allison sank to her knees and burst into tears, hiding her face in her hands.
Michael joked, “Sorry to disappoint you, but we’re back!”
Allison growled and shouted, “Don’t you dare joke right now!”
The smile quickly faded from Michael’s face, and his expression softened. “Hey… I’m sorry,” he said gently. “Wow, you’re really upset, huh?”
Michael kneeled beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. She pushed him away, but when his arms closed around her, she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.
“What’s wrong?” Michael asked. “It’s alright. We’re alright.”
“I thought I would never see any of you again!” she sobbed, her voice muffled. “I thought I’d never get to tell you…”
“Tell us what?” Luke asked, standing above her.
Allison took a long, deep breath and sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Then she looked up at Luke, then over at Logan, and finally to Michael.
“I wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you’re doing for me, and I understand,” she blurted out. “I’ve been so angry, but I realized it’s not you all I’m angry with, it’s just the situation. And when I thought I might never see you again… I… I…”
“Shh,” Michael said gently, his arms squeezing her tighter. “You don’t have to worry about that. We’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry,” Allison said, her voice breaking as she was on the verge of bursting into tears again. “Michael, I’m so sorry I’ve been so mean.”
Michael’s eyes were softer than she’d ever seen. His face lost its rough edges, and he looked upon her with genuine concern.
“Allison, stop,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “You don’t have to apologize. I should apologize. All of this is my fault.”
Allison shook her head slightly. “What do you mean?”
“All of this,” he said, his head hanging in shame. “It’s all my fault. The other pack, the way I’ve treated you, it was all me.”
“I don’t understand,” Allison said.
“Please don’t make me explain,” Michael groaned. “Just know that none of this is your fault, and you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
She sighed, but relented. “I’m just glad you’re all okay.”
“Let’s go upstairs,” Luke suggested.
“All of us?” Allison asked cautiously, her eyes shifting to Michael.
“All of us,” Michael said, smiling faintly.
Allison beamed with joy. She didn’t want to spend one more moment in that stuffy safe room. Michael heaved himself to his feet and pulled her along with him.
“Oh, wait,” Allison said. “Is there any way I can… freshen up?”
“Oh, damn,” Michael said. “I totally forgot about that. Of course. We have hygiene stuff in the cupboard over there, and I could send Logan after some clothes for you.”
Allison fumbled around in the cupboard and located a toothbrush still in the package, some toothpaste, soap, shampoo and conditioner.
“Have any towels?” she asked.
“Just bring that stuff with you,” Michael said. “You can use the bathroom upstairs in your room. It’s much nicer.”
“Room? I have a room?”
Michael chuckled heartily. “You do now!” he said. “Come on, let me show you.”
Allison followed him up the creaking stairs to the kitchen, then through an archway into a rundown foyer. They ascended another staircase to a hallway of doors. Michael opened a door and walked inside, flicking a light switch as he entered.
“It’s not much,” he said apologetically, “but it’s all we have.”
Allison’s eyes scanned the musty, gray room. The furniture was all covered in a thick layer of dust, including the bed, and the rug was dingy and ragged. Allison smiled.
“It’s just fine,” she said.
“It’s not, but we’ll fix it up for you,” Logan offered.
“That’s not necessary,” Allison said as cheerfully as she could manage. “It’s fine, really.”
“The bathroom is through that door,” Michael said, pointing across the room. “Logan will get you some towels.”
Michael turned to leave, but then he paused and turned back to face her.
“Oh, and Allison?” he paused to make sure he had her full attention. “Not that we don’t trust you, but my room is right across the hall, and Logan and Luke are on either side of me. Don’t even think of trying to leave.”
His lips curled upward, but it was more a warning grin than an actual smile.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Allison said gently, and Michael nodded.
Logan handed Allison a bundle of towels, and she took everything into the bathroom.
“Logan, go into town and get her some clothes,” she heard Michael order as she closed the bathroom door behind her.
Chapter Five
After taking a shower and brushing her teeth, Allison found a large pile clean clothes waiting on her bed, which had been stripped of its sheets and remade with clean linens. It was astonishing how quickly Logan had gone into town and come back with brand new clothes for her. Even more surprising, they were all the right size.
She chose a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and put the rest away in her dresser before heading downstairs to find the others. The stairs creaked loudly as she headed down them, and she followed the sound of voices into a large room with rows of dusty books standing on shelves. As she approached, the voices went silent.
“What’s going on?” she asked, and three pairs of eyes turned toward her.
“We’ve been discussing Victor,” Michael answered.
“I see,” Allison said. “And?”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” Michael said grimly, “but the others agree that you should know. I went to see Victor. It was a peaceful meeting, but he refused to relent. He says his pack saw you first, and they don’t intend to stop until they get you back.”
“Why’d he let you go?” Allison wondered.
“Victor and I… have a history,” Michael answered. “He owed me a favor. Letting me out alive made us even.”
Allison slid weakly into a chair. Then she asked, “Is this going to go on forever?”
“They will not stop until they get you back or they are all dead,” Michael confirmed.
Allison’s heart jumped, and her whole body began to tremble. Her head began to swim, and her stomach lurched. Clasping her hand firmly over her mouth, she sprang from her chair and rushed down the hall. She bathroom door banged sharply against the wall, and she collapsed to her knees in front of the toilet, retching violently into it.
She heard the sound of a clearing throat behind her, and she turned her eyes meekly toward it. Logan peered down at her with pity in his eyes.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
She nodded and rolled some toilet paper off the roll, swiping it harshly across her lips. She flushed the toilet and pulled herself into a standing position on wobbly knees. Her trembling hands turned on the faucet and rinsed her mouth, and then splashed her face. She fumbled with her eyes closed for a towel.
She felt softness in her hand, and h
er fingers instinctively closed around it. Wiping her face, she said, “Thanks, Logan.”
“You’re welcome,” Michael’s voice responded.
She pulled the towel away from her face and looked into the mirror above the sink, and Michael now stood where Logan had been moments earlier.
“You alright?” he asked her.
“I’m fine, I guess,” she said, turning around and hanging the towel on the bar on the wall beside the door.
“We’re not going to let anything happen to you,” he said. “You have my word.”
“What if something happens that you can’t stop?” she challenged him.
“Then it would mean we are all dead,” he said in a matter-of-fact way.
She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. Michael raised an eyebrow at her and the corner of his lip twitched, and then curled into a lopsided grin.
“Why, Allison!” he teased. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were worried about me!”
Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms defiantly in front of her. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, and with a roll of her eyes, she muttered, “Don’t flatter yourself.”
He chuckled and said knowingly, “I don’t have to. I’ve got you all figured out.”
He crossed his own arms and leaned against the doorframe, his head cocked sideways.
“You’re really full of yourself,” she commented.
“Am I?” he challenged. “Or is it just that you know I’m right.”
Her eyes flashed fire and she snorted. “Go ahead and fight Victor and the whole pack for all I care,” she said, thrusting her nose haughtily upward. “I’d barely even realize you were gone.”
Bemused, Michael smirked and said, “Liar.”
She slammed her shoulder squarely against his, pushing past him through the narrow opening he left in the doorway.
“Hey!” he called after her.
With her nose still high in the air, she breezed down the hallway to join the others in the library. She plopped heavily into a chair and crossed her legs, swinging one leg wildly and crossing her arms.
Logan glanced at Michael, who shrugged. Then he looked at Allison who shot him a look that told him to not even bother asking.
Mated to the Pack Page 4