“Then why aren't we using that power to force their hand? No one is doing anything about the Bulgarians. We need to step it up and push back,” Quinton argued.
“I've already requested an audience with Omar,” Kyle informed them. “He'll be here next week representing the Grand Council. They are still looking into the kidnapping allegations of Elise. I'm not sure why they are dragging their feet on it, but I will be pressing for answers next week. In the meantime, we have a pack dinner and run, and tomorrow is the pack meeting and another dinner. Let's be thankful for all we have and enjoy this time of calm, together.”
“I'll second that,” Saul said, and Kyle dismissed the meeting.
Cole turned to me, shaking his head. “I don't envy you. You have one hell of a crazy ride coming up. The trials, the challenges, Beta training, a new mate—man, you're crazy.”
I laughed. “Maybe not quite what I had planned, but I have a whole life ahead to build with my mate.”
“Really? You lovesick fools disgust me sometimes.”
Kyle and I shared a knowing look. Yeah look it, someday we'd be making him eat crow.
Elise
Chapter 29
I've always loved pack runs. They were one of my favorite things each month. The meals before them were great. As a little girl I'd run around with my siblings and friends, playing games. Watching all the grown-ups line up and shift as one pack never ceased to amaze me. As a teen, I'd often hide out with my boyfriend of the day, occasionally making out behind the shed out back. I'd had my first beer behind that shed on a pack run night.
I shifted for the first time just before my eighteenth birthday. I would never forget my first true pack run. It was the first time I had been allowed to stay out all night. The moon was fuller and brighter somehow. The stars twinkled in the dark sky. It was magical.
As I sat around looking at my family and packmates surrounding me, welcoming my mate to the pack and congratulating us, I knew that it was going to be another unforgettable, magical run.
Patrick looked relaxed and happy by my side. The Council meeting had gone well. We had a crazy couple of months to survive ahead of us, but I knew that together, we were unstoppable. There was lots of talk about our mating around the tables, but the official discussion wouldn't come until the next night when we'd get a glimpse of our potential challengers.
The dinner was my first time really seeing Patrick with my pack. I had seen him with my family and knew he got along famously with them, but what I hadn't realized was that in his hunt to find me, while I was cowardly hiding from him, he seemed to have befriended everyone. I had started to make introductions as people came by to talk to us, but there had been no need.
“Is there anyone here you don't already know?” I finally asked him, literally floored by the realization.
He looked around. “No, I don't think so, why?”
“How do you know so many people?”
“Love, I spent a lot of time around here looking for you. I wasn't the one hiding, and I wasn't afraid to pull any and all resources offered.”
As if on cue, Christine came bouncing over to us and threw her arms around Patrick.
“I'm so happy for you,” she squealed. “Finding your true mate, sealing the bond, changing packs to be with her. It's so romantic.”
A loud warning growl escaped me. It came out of nowhere.
Christine just smiled and brushed it off. “Can't tell you how many times she growled at me before the challenges were over.” She was pointing over her shoulder at Kelsey. I was a little taken aback by how nonchalant she was about it. Christine had almost lost her life when she challenged Kelsey. I couldn't believe how casually she tossed that around.
Meanwhile, Kelsey was laughing hysterically. “See, I'm not the only one,” she struggled to say. Then her face turned serious and she jumped up, holding her belly, and waddled off in the direction of the bathroom. “Dammit E, you can't make me laugh like that.”
Lily let out a whoop and my momentary aggression disappeared completely as I joined her.
“You okay, love?” Patrick asked, rubbing my shoulder.
I nodded, “Yeah. Sorry, Chris. I don't know where that came from.”
“It's okay. Just a mating thing. You're about to go into the challenges, where your mate will be threatened. It's only natural, but trust me, I've learned my lesson.” She kneeled, lowering herself beneath me, and bared her neck. “Full acceptance and support. Patrick's a really great guy, Elise. You wouldn't believe the shit he went through to find you. I'm really happy for you both and would never try to come between you. Heck, I'd never try to come between true mates ever again!”
I knew her words meant to be comforting, but they really had the opposite effect. I felt terrible for everything I put him through and for showing aggression like that. That growl had just jumped out of me.
Patrick leaned in and kissed my cheek before whispering in my ear. “You are worth all the shit, and I think it's pretty fecking sexy hearing you growl on my behalf.” He winked at me and I blushed furiously.
Just as we were about to head outside to kick off the run, Patrick's phone rang. He looked at it with a scowl. I glanced down. Blocked number.
“Hello?”
“It's Dave, get somewhere you can talk.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. Dave. The human. He would only call if there was a problem. Trying not to alarm anyone, I casually stood and took his hand. He tried to tell me no, but I glared at him and nodded my head yes. Planting a fake smile on my face to hide my fear, I led him outside and across the street.
“E, Kyle's about to start the run, come on. I may not be able to join in the fun, but I'll still be there in spirit,” Kelsey said pathetically, still sad about not getting to run.
I gave her a quick hug. “Do you have the keys for Kyle's office?”
Her eyes were marked with confusion, but she nodded and handed them to me.
“It's Dave. We need a safe place to talk.”
“Kyle has to get the pack run started, but I'll let him know.” She pointed to her head and I understood that she would communicate telepathically through their bond so there was no chance of being overheard.
I nodded and picked up the pace as we headed for Kyle's office. As soon as the door was closed behind me, I turned to him. “You're free to talk openly. No one outside of this room will hear anything.”
“Sorry Dave, but I had to get to someplace safe. Wolf ears and all makes that a little difficult sometimes.”
“We're seeing movement heading in your direction. There's a small group from your Clan that entered the US yesterday. Sorry I was tied up and couldn't get away to warn you. They are likely on your doorstep by now,” I heard Dave tell him. I didn't need the phone on speaker mode with my wolf ears. It was a benefit and downfall at times.
“They aren't my Clan anymore. I am Westin, and I've been expecting them.”
My heart soared with pride hearing Patrick say that, but fear prickled me knowing it was his brother coming to challenge him.
“Okay, good. There's at least one Bulgarian shifter traveling with them. There's also another Bulgarian group currently on a flight to San Francisco. The strange thing about that other one is that it's a group of females.”
“The Bulgarian women. Do you have any names?”
“There's a Raina something and . . .”
“It's okay. Raina is friendly—at least, she's shown no reason for us not to trust her. The Clan group is my brother coming in for the challenges. It's a shifter thing.”
I was surprised at how forthcoming and honest Patrick was with this human. I realized he truly did trust him. He was looking at me like he understood what I was thinking and gave me a wickedly sexy grin. This was serious, and I needed to stay focused, but my body was starting to tingle all over and I was getting seriously turned on. Bad timing, I knew.
I also knew the exact second Patrick knew it too. His nose flared and he must have smelled my aro
usal. He turned big questioning eyes my way before fighting back a knowing smirk.
“Dave, the number you called on is blocked. Is there a way for me to get in touch with you?”
“It's too risky, Patrick.”
“Not as risky as a blocked number, Dave. I can program you in as a fake name so as not to alarm anyone, but multiple blocked numbers could draw suspicion.
“Shit, you're right. I knew this wouldn't work.”
“No, it's okay. I'll just delete it as soon as we hang up. I don't want you to freak out. This information is more valuable than you know. My Alpha”—I loved the sound of that, as I knew he was referring to Kyle—“will be talking terms with the Grand Council this week. You should know, Westin's preparing for war. We won't go out looking for a fight, but if they come to us again, it will be a lot bloodier than the last time. Keep me posted on any more movement you notice.”
They wrapped up their conversation and my mate turned to find me grinning.
“That turned you on?” he asked, not holding back anything.
I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss that escalated so quickly I thought my body would combust. His hands skimmed up my body, leaving a fiery trail in their wake. I wasn't sure what was happening to me, but I needed him so bad it hurt. Clothes quickly piled up on the floor and I only broke our kiss long enough to get the shirts over our heads.
“Elise,” he groaned against my mouth, making my whole body shiver. “We need to . . .”
I silenced him, pushing him down onto a chair and straddling him. I wasn't sure what was happening with me, but I knew what I needed and exactly what I wanted and I was going to get it.
Relief washed over me as I settled on top of him.
“Mine,” I growled, moving against him.
I didn't hear the movement of the door until Patrick let out a warning growl of his own.
“What the . . . ” Kelsey cut him off.
“Out!” I yelled
“Ewww,” I heard Kelsey whine and laugh at the same time. “Kyle, stop, she's not really had him around the pack before today. Let her, uh, mark her territory, and then we can talk,” I heard her say as she pushed my brother from the room.
I knew I should have been embarrassed. Patrick was frozen in place. I was pretty sure he was beyond horrified, but I needed release so badly I didn't care.
“Mine,” I growled against his throat before nipping my mark on his neck. That definitely fired him back up. In my opinion, we were done much too soon, but I did feel a lot better and some of the aggression that had been building inside me throughout the evening had released.
Patrick quickly dressed and threw me my clothes, still looking horrified.
“I cannot believe we just did that.”
I stopped him and kissed him, shrugging. “So, Kyle may be scarred for life. It was worth it.”
I saw my mate melt a little at my praise and affection, but I did dress quickly and open the door to welcome them back in. My face was definitely red, but more with satisfaction than embarrassment.
Patrick was trying to fix his mussed hair and pacing the room when they walked in. Kyle looked ready to murder him, but I growled at him to back off. Kelsey busted out laughing.
“Patrick, I'm so sorry,” she started as Kyle stared at her like she'd lost her mind.
“You're sorry?” he questioned.
“No, really guys, I'm sorry,” Patrick said. “I'm not even sure what happened. One minute I was on the phone, the next, it, well, it just happened.”
I turned to look at my mate, upset by his words, but I immediately relaxed seeing the look of complete satisfaction in his eyes. I also noticed the unmistakable silent interaction going on with my brother and his mate.
She laughed again. “Honestly, Patrick, it's not your fault. I swear to you it is an actual Westin thing.” She shot me a knowing look. “You would not believe some of the places Kyle had to stake his claim. It's like they have this spontaneous need that just consumes them.”
“Yes, that's exactly what it felt like!” I told her.
“My office, E?”
I just shrugged, happy to know I wasn't going crazy.
“Oh my gosh! There was this one time, that Kyle—” My brother put his hand over his mate's mouth to physically shut her up.
“Let's just make a pact to never ever, under any circumstances, speak of this again.”
“Deal,” Patrick quickly chimed in.
Kelsey wrapped an arm around me, but didn't say anything further, so I didn't either. I laid my head on her shoulder, trying to thank her for the support as the guys got down to business.
Patrick
Chapter 30
I didn't know what had gotten into Elise. It had been amazing and terrifying all at the same time. As I relayed Dave's information, I kept looking over at her, but she seemed fine. Happy. Content. She and Kelsey excused themselves, leaving me alone with her brother, who I was certain wanted to kill me.
“You're totally taking that chair home. You know that, right?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing my face was probably redder than my hair, and not just my face, but I could feel the heat spreading down my neck and on my ears too.
Kyle burst out laughing. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I wasn't. I hung up with Dave and she just sort of attacked me.”
“Oh God, no details, please.”
“Jesus, Kyle, is that normal?”
“Are you really complaining?”
How did I tell her brother that it was probably the most turned on I'd ever been in my life when she took control? I didn't really have to answer his question, because I was quite certain my face told him all he needed to know. I was having a hard time keeping the smile off my face.
“Okay, look,” he finally said. “Dammit, that's my little sister.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Don't think about that,” he said more to himself than to me. “I've been there man. The pack meetings and stuff suck the most, or not. I guess it depends on how you look at it. Didn't you feel a little possessive with all those males around?”
“Not really, but I didn't really see her talking to many other males either, aside from those in your family.”
“Okay, yeah, that makes a difference. I saw Christine throw herself into your arms. She was lucky E didn't knock her out right then. It's normal to get very territorial before and during the initial mating, but in my experience the worst of it is during the challenge period. Kelsey could barely tolerate me around my sisters at times, and I know I wasn't much better. It subsides, a little afterwards, but hell, Kelsey was pregnant shortly after and it gets even worse then, at least for me. It's calmed her down a lot though.”
“Thanks for, uh, understanding,” I said awkwardly.
“Next time, just remember she does have a bedroom down the hall, and I'm serious, you are taking that chair home.”
I grinned back at him. “So it really doesn't sound like we have much new or concerning on the travel front. At least nothing we weren't somewhat aware of. I'm surprised to hear Raina has travelers with her, but she did say she'd be back towards the end of the pregnancy, didn't she? It's still a little early for that, but it's Raina. She's kind of unpredictable, but so far harmless.”
“Your job as Beta, I think, is going to be primarily focused on security. You're already in communication with the humans and it just makes sense. You were trained to be an alpha. You know how to spot weaknesses in the pack and perimeter as well, maybe even better than, me. If you think you're up for it, that's where I'd like your focus.”
“You sure? I mean technically I'm still an outsider, Kyle. You really trust me enough to take on that responsibility?”
He looked me over with scrutiny. Staring straight into my eyes and making my wolf begin to cower, he asked, “Do I have any reason not to trust you?”
“No,” I said, holding his stare long enough to show my sincerity. “Yo
u have my full allegiance, Alpha. I am up to the task and will begin walking our borders tonight on the run.”
“You can take the night off and . . . ew, I almost said enjoy time with Elise, but we both know you already did that. So yeah, go do something beneficial like walking the North Pass.”
I laughed. Poor Kyle might be traumatized for quite some time—me too, if I were being honest.
I found Elise talking and laughing with Kelsey, seemingly unaffected by our earlier indisposition. She was so beautiful, she took my breath away. I still couldn't believe she was mine.
Sensing my presence, she smiled and turned bright-blue eyes my way. My heart did a little flip in my chest, and my cheeks began to burn. I could feel my neck reddening and she laughed as she hugged Kelsey goodbye.
“Do I even want to ask what you're thinking?”
I shook my head. I hadn't even been thinking anything inappropriate, but remembering instead.
I cleared my throat. “I'm going to join the run and a quick perimeter check of the north pass. Would you care to join me?”
“Yes, I would,” she said, still grinning and linking her arm through mine.
Outside we changed quickly. Elise looked back over her shoulder and took off at a full sprint. I did the only thing I could. I gave chase.
We ran, jumping over rocks and dodging under low-lying branches. My wolf had always been dominant, but he seemed perfectly content to follow our mate's lead. He certainly had shown no signs of aggression when she had taken control of things earlier either. I thought for a moment. He had even been subdued with Kyle.
I had always struggled with my wolf, who was more dominant than any of my brothers, and often tried to challenge my father, too. Since coming to San Marco, my wolf and I had largely been one, at peace. It made me consider that maybe we were exactly where we were meant to be.
I was enjoying the playful side of my mate's wolf until I smelled him. Niall. And he wasn't alone. I sniffed the air and grunted my displeasure as I alerted my mate. My chest puffed as her hackles rose, but she moved to stand behind me.
Fighting Destiny (Westin Pack Book 2) Page 22