Under the passenger seat, I have a stash of clothes. Amber looked at Blake for confirmation that he had heard her, since she was still not used to being able to connect telepathically. It was her first time trying to communicate with his human form while she was her wolf. It worked beautifully.
Blake pushed the man to his knees on the ground. “Stay there!” he commanded and headed to the jeep. Rummaging under the seat, his hand felt the canvas bag and pulled it out. He held up the dark green back pack he remembered giving Amber the night she left him. He felt silly, but his heart sang. She had kept his pack and had apparently used it a lot. It was tattered from years of constant use. His happiness was broadcast loud and clear, Amber’s wolf lowered her head to allow Blake to slip the pack around her neck.
The man on the ground watched the large black wolf closely while she rubbed her side against Blake’s hip. Taking the backpack, she turned towards him. The yellow eyes stared at him intently when she walked slowly towards where he sat on the ground, her head low and menacing. The pack around her neck left her mouth free to bare her teeth at him and he swore it looked as if the wolf was smiling sadistically at him.
Stalking towards him, Amber allowed a low intimidating growl to escape. She stopped within inches of his face. The man sat there with his eyes squeezed tightly closed, rocking from side to side, clutching his hand with the half missing digit under his chin.
Amber looked over her shoulder at Blake. With an incline of her head, she side stepped and walked past the man, close enough that she whacked him in the face with her tail, hard enough that he whimpered in pain.
Amber felt the laughing approval from her mate, and heard laughter from the men in the yard who had gathered while they were out in the woods. The wolf swished her back end from side to side while walking away. With the backpack secure around her neck, she pushed off with her hind legs and propelled her body forward into a run. She disappeared quickly, running deeper into the thick of the trees to shift and dress in privacy.
Out of sight in the woods she could feel Blake’s emotions change from happiness to anger when he began dealing with the gunman. His wolf’s frustrated anger beat at them both while he directed his men to watch over the man so he could check on Adam.
Amber quickly dressed, picking the pack up from the ground, slipping her arms through the straps, adjusting them to fit snug against her back. The backpack had retained a trace of Blake's scent over the years. Smiling, Amber started back towards the house.
When she arrived, a large crowd of angry men had gathered and stood intimidatingly around the man on the ground. Blake was not among them.
Her senses allowed her to find him almost instantly. He was on the front porch, hovering over Adam. At Amber's approach, the men turned and stared. The women who had gathered around the boy stared in her direction, too. Amber was a stranger and most packs didn’t welcome stray wolves too easily. The only reason she was allowed to approach was because she carried Blake's scent.
Amber knew she had to make a decision now, before she got any closer to the crowd that warily watched her every move. If she truly belonged with Blake, then how she approached the pack would make the difference between being accepted or not. She wondered quickly if she wanted to be accepted and her wolf nudged her mind. Her wolf wanted its mate, and the more she was around Blake, Amber realized the more she wanted the man.
From where he knelt on the porch beside Adam, Blake watched Amber make her way to him. Her skin was a golden brown, her chocolate eyes shimmering with specks of yellow while her long black hair floated in the breeze behind her. She walked with grace and confidence, her mouth set in a determined line. She never broke stride, walking with a purpose towards the pack that stood between them.
The men parted when she stepped closer. Head held high, her eyes never broke contact with Blake’s while he tracked her progress. Watching her walk towards him, his heart filled with love and sent warmth flooding into her mind. A smile softened her lips while her determined steps drew her closer to him.
Amber quickly assessed the situation on the porch without shifting her eyes from Blake.
Adam was pretty beat up, a small puddle of blood had pooled around him from where he now sat on the bench. His face was a swollen mess, bruising was already apparent on his handsome face. He watched Amber make her way towards him.
Halfway up the steps, Adam gave her a halfhearted smile, trying to lift his hand in a salute, but he quickly dropped it when he was struck with a spasm of pain.
A pixie-like woman quickly scrambled to her feet, backing away at her approach, slipping into the corner, like she was hiding in the shadows. Amber wondered if the woman knew the darkness of the porch did nothing to conceal her, it only provided cover. Her wolf senses allowed her to see far better than humans. She could clearly see that the delicate features of the woman’s face were etched with lines of worry, her hands clenched tightly in front of her. Amber wondered if the woman was afraid of her.
Quickly dismissing the small woman as no immediate threat, she turned her attention to Adam instead. “I would ask how you’re feeling, Adam, but I think it’s obvious,” she said quietly kneeling down in front of him. Placing her hand on his arm, Amber heard a growl from beside her. Looking up, Blake stood stiff, an intent look on his face that was turning red.
“Don't. Touch. Him.” Blake growled with clenched teeth, his skin rippling. He stood rigid, staring straight ahead. His fist held tight in a ball while he fought to control the anger that gripped him and his wolf at even the thought of her touching another man.
There was an audible gasp from the crowd that watched from below. They could feel the aggressiveness pouring off of Blake. They waited in tense silence for the scene on the porch to play out.
Amber knew immediately that his wolf was being territorial and hers reacted with a seductive laugh, through her mental connection she reached out to sooth him. Dropping her hand from Adam’s arm, Amber turned her eyes up to look at Blake, slowly rising, her wolf reacting to his aggression. Her skin rippled in response.
Looking up into Blake's face, Amber could see his wolf fighting him for control. His eyes bore into hers, searching their depths. It didn't matter that Adam was his best friend. His wolf would kill him if she didn’t diffuse the situation and fast. Stepping closer, she lowered her eyelids and her head submissively, trailing her warm hand on his heaving, rippling chest, and gently scraping him with her fingernails.
Amber walked slowly around Blake, the muscles of his jaw line worked where he clenched and unclenched his teeth, fighting hard to control himself. His body remained rigid and perfectly still while she intently stared into his caramel eyes that sparked yellow with each seductive move she made.
Blake forced himself to remain rooted to the spot while his wolf fought for control. It paced restlessly, beating against him to be released, continually slamming himself against Blake's control. It seemed to calm only when Amber’s wolf touched his mind, calling his attention away from the other male that was still too close where he lay on the porch bench.
Blake’s wolf retreated slightly once it realized he had his mate’s full attention. Blake felt her fingers do a slow waltz across his skin. A slow delicious burn began wherever her fingers trailed, making his entire body feel like he was on fire. He was fully aware that the pack was staring, but he didn’t give a damn! This was his mate and they would all accept that or leave! The message was clearly announced to the pack members who stood watching.
No one but him was allowed to touch his mate and his wolf pushed against him to remind her that she should not touch any other man.
It took an eternity for Amber to make her way slowly around him. His muscles rippled throughout his whole body at the light touch of her fingertips. Reaching the front of him, her hand stopped, with palm flat against the heart pounding in his chest. She smiled seductively at him, her fingertips circling his hardening nipples. He realized she had strategically placed herself between the burn
ing heat his body emanated and his broken and battered friend. The corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile.
With her wolf pushing at her, Amber was acting the seductress for her mate; she raised yellow eyes to stare into his passion-filled eyes that stared down into hers. She grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands, at the same time he grabbed her hips and roughly pulled one to the other. Their mouths met in a deep passionate kiss that lay claim to one another and set the men on the ground whooping at the display.
Amber felt the immediate acceptance, of her as their leader’s companion, from the male members of the pack. However, the women were not so accepting. She sensed mixed emotions from approval to outright hatred coming from the crowd of women. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end while she stood locked in Blake’s arms. Her swirling yellow eyes glared from the porch staring into the group of women. Amber was used to taking care of herself, and now that she had accepted Blake, the wolf and the woman would fight to protect what was hers.
Blake felt Amber tense, sensed her wolf pushing her to shift and take out anyone who dared challenge her. As the leader of the pack, he knew there would be tension in accepting an outsider. Now it was his turn to rid her of the pressure quickly building inside of her. He lowered his head close, his lips touching her ear and whispered softly. “Not now, love, we need to care for Adam and Ben. You’re my queen, that’s all that matters.”
Amber looked into Blake’s caramel eyes that still held a spark of yellow. She was flooded with the warmth of him filling her mind with memories of their lovemaking and what he wanted to do now. Blushing slightly she nodded her head in agreement that now was not the time to become territorial.
They both knew that the soft whisper was heard by the entire pack. Her wolf knew that the words were meant to comfort her, but also sent warnings to his pack that he would not tolerate any aggression towards his mate.
Everyone below them and even Adam and the woman standing in the corner on the porch lowered their heads in acknowledgment of their leader’s proclamation.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The man sat on the ground, looking around desperately for an escape route, but found none. They would hunt him down and kill him even if he had. So he stayed where he was, staring at the crowd of strangers while they watched the man and woman on the porch. He had no clue what was going on, but sensed that something dangerous had just happened, and now the attention of the crowd was back on him, which was not a good thing.
Clutching his finger tightly, he was thankful that it only seeped now and that he wasn’t going to die from blood loss. Watching the men part, Blake jumped easily from the porch and walked towards him with determination. He sat on the ground with his eyes closed and hoped like hell Blake killed him quickly.
Instead of killing him, Blake jerked the man to his feet by the front of his shirt demanding an answer. “Who sent you?”
When the man remained silent, Blake shook him, rattling the teeth in his head and repeated between clenched teeth. “Who sent you?”
Opening his eyes, he stared frighteningly at the giant of a man who towered over him. Blake could easily break him in two with his bare hands by the looks of him.
“I, if I, if I,” he stuttered, then stopped and straightened his shoulders, dropping his hands to his side. “If I tell you anything, they will kill my family,” he said in a resolved, but stronger voice.
Amber had followed and was standing behind Blake, touching his shoulder. “Blake, he’s telling the truth.” How she knew she didn’t know, but she did.
Blake glanced at her over his shoulder and nodded, dropping his hand from the man’s shirt and stepping back. Turning and directing an order to no one in particular “Take him inside and get the first aid kit. See if Seriana can fix him up.” Blake didn’t wait for a response and barked out more orders. “Someone stay with this bastard and get Adam inside”.
The crowd dispersed in a flurry of movement. A handful of men stayed with Blake. Amber moved quietly out of the way, watching Blake with his people. She felt the admiration and respect the pack held for him. Even though things were still tense, she relaxed somewhat. There were so many people around and she assumed that everyone here was part of Blake’s pack. If that were the case, then there was a good twenty to thirty werewolf’s bustling around.
“Search the grounds for anyone lurking around. Let me know immediately if you find anything.” He looked directly at her Remember, my love it’s our people, not just mine.
As if they had practiced this a thousand times, the group dispersed. Amber realized for the first time that they carried guns. The men quickly fanned out searching the surrounding woods.
Blake moved to her side, placing his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close while they walked back towards the porch. Amber saw that a couple of men were helping Adam to his feet and through the big double oak doors.
The moment Amber and Blake turned towards the front door, Amber again felt hatred rolling in waves from someone in the group of women. She half expected a knife to fly out of nowhere and stab her in the back. Fighting the urge to seek out the source, she instead, put her arm around Blake’s waist, sliding her hand into his back pocket where it rested on the swell of his bottom, communicating to the women that she was claiming Blake as hers. Blake smiled down at her, aware of what she was doing, and escorted her into the house.
Once inside, the gunman stared at Amber wide eyed while she glared back at him. He waited in anxious anticipation to see what was going to happen to him. This group of people was strange, like the ones he worked for, as he observed how the group worked in sync with one another without speaking. It wasn’t natural.
Amber leaned against the kitchen counter with a bottle of water in her hand, watching the young girl tending to the man’s wounded finger. Blake stood next to her, his arm around her shoulders. They spoke silently to each other, using their own personal path of communication.
I should feel bad for biting his finger off, but damn it, he shot that boy and tried to shoot you! Amber exclaimed when Blake laughingly reminded her of what she had done.
You shouldn’t have stepped in front of me like that. I should be protecting you, he said fiercely, but kept his emotions from his face when he realized the man was watching them.
Don’t try going macho on me. This goes both ways, buddy! If I’m your mate, then you’re mine. I protect what’s mine!
Blake couldn’t help but smile at her wanting to protect him and shook his head. You, my love, are going to give me a heart attack!
Amber laughed and pulled him down to kiss him on the mouth. She surprised herself at how easy it seemed to be for her to be with him and his pack. OK, our pack, she said before he could correct her, and they laughed together.
∞∞∞
A woman came in and began looking over the shoulder of the girl who had started cleaning the matted blood from the end of the severed finger. Amber recognized her as the woman from the porch the moment she walked in the door. Lightly sniffing the air, Amber found no scent of wolf, noting that she walked confidently among the pack and wondered who she was.
Amber continued watching when the woman turned from the girl, walked over to the sink and began washing her hands with the antibacterial soap that had been stored under the sink. Opening the drawer, she grabbed a fresh clean towel and dried her hands. It was very obvious to Amber that the woman knew her way around Blake's kitchen.
At the thought, Amber dared a look in Blake's direction to see what his reaction to the woman was and found that he was watching her instead.
Jealous? He asked laughingly and was rewarded with an elbow to the side.
At least I didn't growl and begin to wolf out, she responded, but turned her attention back to the middle of the room as the woman began speaking.
“Adam is sleeping now, but he’s pretty busted up. A couple cracked ribs, but he should be able to get around in no time. They got his arm pretty good though. It’ll possibly
leave a scar, but I did what I could. Lucky for him the full moon is only days away and should help with the healing process. He was also lucky they didn't cut through the muscle.”
Amber listened intently while the woman described Adam’s wounds. Before the words left the woman’s mouth, Amber was already thinking, whoever did this was trying to send Blake a message. They were not trying to kill Adam.
“Blake, they weren’t trying to kill him or they would have gone for his heart.” She said unnecessarily while staring at Blake and this woman who was apparently his new mate.
“Thanks for getting back here so fast, Seriana. I know you’re a busy woman,” Blake told her, than nodded towards the man she’d been working on at the table, who was currently watching them wide apprehensive eyes.
Seriana turned back to him and pulled his hand out to inspect the damage to the finger. “Looks like a clean bite,” she murmured, glancing at Amber with a hint of reproach. Amber returned the look with an arched eyebrow, daring her to say something.
“I need to either stitch this up or try to reattach the finger,” breaking eye contact she looked to Blake for direction.
“Reattach if you can,” Blake instructed, glancing pointedly at the large man who stood by the door.
Amber realized for the first time that the mountain of a man had been there standing guard. With a nod in her direction, he turned silently and headed out the back door of the kitchen and jumped soundlessly from the back porch.
Seriana cleaned the open wound and poured iodine onto it, causing the man to begin squirming in his chair from the pain. His face went from bright red to pale and he sat limply in the chair, but he kept himself from crying out.
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