Pack Territory

by Crissy Smith

  A Total-E-Bound Publication

  www.total-e-bound.com

  Pack Territory

  ISBN # 978-0-85715-036-3

  ©Copyright Crissy Smith 2010

  Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright February 2010

  Edited by Jess Bimberg

  Total-E-Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

  Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

  Were Chronicles

  PACK TERRITORY

  Crissy Smith

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to the members of my yahoo group.

  Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement.

  Chapter One

  Adam White stretched his arms out as he walked up the back steps to his house. The late night run in his other form had done a remarkable job of relaxing him.

  Opening the sliding glass door to enter the house, Adam took a deep breath and sensed the interior. His sister Laura was in the kitchen baking for the family and other guests who were sure to stop in. He smiled at the smell of cakes and cookies. His sister always cooked enough food for an army, and his mouth watered in anticipation.

  He calmly took another breath and found the man he was searching for. His father and former Pack Alpha was in his room. Adam wasn’t surprised. Christian spent all of his time either in his room or in his other form. Adam had tried to talk to him, to bring him out of the depression, but nothing he said or did helped.

  Three months before, one of the young females of the Pack had been attacked. Mindy hadn’t been the first or the only girl, but she was the only one from their Pack. Christian had to live with the knowledge that he hadn’t been able to protect a Pack member.

  Adam, Laura, and many Pack members—even other Alphas—had told Christian it wasn’t his fault, but he continued to blame himself. The only person who seemed to be able reach him at all was his friend, Logan.

  Logan had been staying at the house and talking with Christian daily, slowly bringing him back. But when Logan’s Alpha, Gage, had found out that his mate was pregnant, Logan had to leave and return to his own territory. As expected, Gage’s Pack was in high alert to make certain nothing happened to the Alpha’s mate or child. Adam could understand the need, but he selfishly wished Logan could have stayed longer.

  Adam headed to his office. For now, at least, his father was alive. Adam just needed to make sure he remained that way. It wasn’t unusual for shifters to want to end their existence after a tragedy. Living for so long and witnessing so much affected each of them.

  Opening the door to the Alpha’s office, Adam stepped inside and flipped on the light. He had taken his new position only two months before and hadn’t changed anything in the office or the house. He didn’t know if he ever would.

  The council, made up of former Alphas who policed the Packs, had given their blessing for him to take over the Pack, but Adam still had doubts whether he was ready. It was a huge responsibility and he didn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially his father. The fact that he still needed to appoint his second-in-command weighed heavy on his mind.

  He’d thought long and hard about who would be good for the position. Every Alpha picked his own man to watch his back. His father’s man had stayed when Adam took over, but Adam knew he was more than ready to retire.

  As he reached the desk, he turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up. As he sat, there was a knock on the door. He tried not to be annoyed at the interruption, but it was hard. He’d been hoping to have a little time to himself at the late hour. He wanted to finish going through the applications for his Enforcer. He had put it off long enough.

  Tasha Johnson followed the guard inside the Alpha’s house and down the hall. When they reached a large oak door, she ran her sweaty palms over her jeans. She hated to bring her family problems to the new Alpha, but she didn’t know where else to turn.

  The low voice that told them to enter sent a shiver down her spine. She braced herself for the meeting.

  The guard opened the door and nodded at her to stay. Procedure dictated that she wait while she was announced and the Alpha decided whether or not to grant her an audience. Tasha wasn’t too worried. Like his father before him, Adam was already known for making time for members of his Pack. As the guard walked away, she peeked inside and got a good look at the new Pack leader.

  She’d known Adam for years, even though they’d never been close, and had admired him from a distance for a long time now. The fact that she was about face him alone made her stomach flutter with nerves.

  Adam nodded as the guard spoke quietly to him before looking up and locking gazes with her. His light green eyes held hers and her breath rushed out of her chest at the intensity with which he watched her.

  Then he smiled and liquid arousal pooled inside her panties. She shifted to relieve the pressure, certain if she didn’t calm her body, he would be able to tell. Oh, the man just oozed raw sexuality.

  When he stood and motioned her in, she didn’t miss the large bulge trapped in his jeans. The sight of his excitement did nothing to tame her own desire. She wasn’t sure if he was reacting to her or not, but a woman could hope. Secretly, she wished he wanted her as much as she did him.

  The guard left the office without another word and closed the door behind him. The Alpha’s scent surrounded her and Tasha struggled not to close her eyes and breathe deeply.

  “Bryan told me that you had a family emergency and needed my help,” Adam said as he gestured for her to sit.

  Weak-kneed, Tasha gladly took a seat on the worn brown leather couch and clasped her hands in her lap. She should be concentrating on getting her sister back instead of her desire for a male. “Yes, Alpha. I need to talk you about my sister, Crystal.”

  He sat in the chair across from her and leaned forward. “I’m listening.”

  “I’m not sure if your father told you about my family when you took over the Pack.” She was so nervous she could feel sweat bead on her forehead. She hated talking about her family and sharing the pain of her past.

  She could see the sympathy in his eyes when he spoke. “Why don’t you tell me?”

  She took a deep breath before starting. “Five years ago, my father left our family. I’m still not sure where he went, but my mother didn’t take it well. Six months after he left, she ended her existence and left Crystal with me. She was eleven.”

  He nodded but didn’t comment. She appreciated him letting her get the story out quickly. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could once again bury her pain.

  “I’ve tried to do the best I could, but I don’t always understand what she is going through. My sister Crystal is a…non-shifter.” Tasha waited for his reaction. Being a non-shifter was an
embarrassment for her sister. Tasha only saw how wonderful her sibling was instead of whether she could shift or not, and even though she didn’t understand, she always respected Crystal’s wishes. They didn’t tell many people because a lot of Pack members considered non-shifters lower class.

  “Go on,” he told her gently, and she didn’t hear or see anything negative from him.

  “Crystal’s had a hard time lately with some of the kids from school. That’s why I think she ran away.”

  “Do you have any idea where she could have gone?” he asked and Tasha just stared at him. Didn’t he want to ask questions about the non-shifter part of the story? He doesn’t say anything more, instead simply waiting for her reply.

  “I do. I talked to her best friend and she told me that Crystal has been talking to a boy in the city over the Internet. She probably went there.” Tasha spoke quickly. “I have his name and number. I keep trying to call but no one is answering. He is older and I’m worried about what he might do to her.”

  Adam leaned over and placed his hand over hers. “Give me the information and I will find her. I promise you that.”

  Tasha could feel tears threaten to fall in relief. “Thank, you Alpha. Thank you.”

  He squeezed her hand before releasing it. “That is what I am here for. Do you have the information with you?”

  Tasha nodded and dug in her purse for her small notebook. Her hand still tingled from where Adam had touched her. “I wrote it all down.” She tore out a page and handed it to him, hoping he didn’t notice her hands shake.

  “I’ll work on this and let you know what I find out,” he told her as he stood. He reached down and helped her stand. She bit back her moan when his touch caused her body once again to tingle. Her breasts felt fuller and heavy, her stomach tightened, and her sex clinched. It was unbelievable how much she could want one man.

  They stood close, not quite touching, and stared at each other for several minutes. Adam shook his head and took a step back. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Tasha turned and took a deep cleansing breath. She needed to get a hold of herself. It would be wrong to throw herself at her Alpha’s feet and beg him to take her.

  “Thank you,” she murmured as she made her way to the door, knowing he would still be able to hear.

  Hell, with wolf senses, he could do a lot more than just hear well. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew just how much she wanted him. Then again she was also a wolf shifter. His need had saturated the room.

  She left the room with a small smile on her face. It felt like way too long since she’d had anything to smile about.

  Adam watched as Tasha walked out of his office. His cock was throbbing from the closeness of the female, and he adjusted himself as he sat behind his desk. He typed the name Tasha had given him into his computer as he started his search for the young man who had one of his Pack members before picking up the phone trying to get a hold of him. Just like Tasha, he didn’t get an answer.

  Searching the Internet, he didn’t find anything on him either. Having one more avenue to check, he dialled a friend. The area code for the phone number was for the city not too far away. Luckily he had friends in the area already.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, man, it’s Adam.”

  “Adam! How’s it going?” Cain asked and Adam felt an instant calm. Cain always had that effect on him.

  “Pretty much the same.” Adam could tell Cain the truth. Cain had been in charge of the investigation of the attacks six months ago along with Adam. They’d spent a lot of time together during the long months and had become even better friends than when they were just pups. Cain was also the one person Adam had confided in when his worries about his dad seemed overwhelming. “Dad’s not doing so well.”

  “I’m sorry,” Cain said. “Is there anything I can do? Or the family? You know we’ll do anything to help.”

  “Right now I don’t know what else to do, but I’m calling for a different reason.” Adam went on to explain to Cain about the runaway teenager and gave him the information on the man he was looking for.

  “I’ll look into the kid,” he promised. “Are you coming up?”

  Adam wasn’t surprised by the question. With there being a good chance that Crystal was in the city, Adam had to look for himself. It was just the way he was made. Cain knew him too well. “Yeah, I’ll leave tomorrow morning and drive up,” Adam told him.

  “I’ll go by the address and see if there’s any word about the girl.” Cain told him before Adam heard shuffling around and he paused. “Emily says you’ll stay here if you have to spend the night in the city.”

  Adam couldn’t keep the grin from breaking out on his face. Cain’s mate was the sweetest but most stubborn female he’d ever met. She gave Cain a run for his money, keeping the Enforcer on his toes. “Tell Emily I’d be honoured.”

  Cain laughed then the sound of kissing travelled over the phone line.

  “I’ll let you go, man, and see you in the morning,” Adam said a second before he heard Emily squeal and Cain’s grunt goodbye.

  Later, Adam closed his office door and started for his room before sensing someone on the back porch. He stopped and debated on whether or not to go out to talk to his father.

  Deciding he needed to tell Christian about his trip to the city the next day, Adam turned around and headed in his father’s direction. As he stepped outside into the cool night air, he saw his dad leaning against the railing of the porch. He opened his eyes as Adam walked towards him.

  “Dad, how are you?”

  His father’s lips turned up. “I’m fine son.”

  Adam hadn’t seen his father smile in so long that he stood for a minute and enjoyed it. “I’m surprised you’re still up.”

  His father shrugged. “I knew you were busy but I wanted a minute of your time.”

  “You could have interrupted me.” Adam didn’t like the idea that his father had waited to talk to him. Nothing was more important than his family. He hoped his father knew that.

  “I figured I’d just get some fresh air while waiting on you.” When his father started to look uncomfortable, Adam remembered the older man hadn’t gone back into the office since he’d heard about the attack. Maybe he should consider some changes after all. It might help Christian move on. It might help everyone in fact. “So what did you want to talk about?”

  His father turned and lifted his head. “You know I’ve always loved our territory.”

  Adam did the same and inhaled, bringing in the familiar smells that were home. “As do I.”

  His father turned back to him and Adam was surprised by the emotion in his eyes. “I can’t forget. I know you want me to be better but everything around here reminds me of my failure.”

  Adam opened his mouth to argue but his father hurried on.

  “Yes, my failure. It might not have been my fault, but if I had done things differently, she might not have been hurt.”

  Adam didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t Christian’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault except for the madman who had committed the terrible crimes against the most innocent of them. But he knew it didn’t matter how many times he told his father that. Christian wouldn’t be able to move on until he forgave himself.

  “Logan has invited me to his territory,” his father told him, still meeting his stare.

  Adam nodded. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  His father’s mouth dropped open, and he blinked several times. “You do?” he asked in a surprised tone.

  Adam nodded. “For some reason, Logan can reach you. If being here bothers you, I think that a break may be in order.”

  “You surprise me, son.” His father reached out and grasped his hands. “In a good way.”

  “I just want you to be happy, Dad,” Adam told him, meaning every word. If he couldn’t have Logan in his territory to stay with his dad, it made sense Christian should go up there. Adam couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought about it b
efore. His father had not left the area since the attack. This was his chance to get away from the Pack and hopefully find some closure. Yes, the more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded.

  “Thank you.” He squeezed Adam’s hands before releasing them.

  Adam winked and grinned at his father. “Besides, that territory is on high alert since Marissa found out she was expecting. You couldn’t be safer.”

  The sound of his father’s soft chuckle made his heart swell with happiness. “That is very true, son. Now, tell me what you were working so hard on in your office.”

  Adam shared with him everything Tasha had told him.

  “That’s a good girl there. She has done everything she can to help her sister,” his father commented.

  “I was thinking about having Marissa talk to the girl. Maybe meeting another non-shifter and seeing how happy Marissa is will help,” Adam shared.

  “I think that would be perfect. Logan is driving down tomorrow to pick me up. When I get to the house, I’ll talk to Gage about it.”

  “I’d appreciate it. I’m leaving for the city early tomorrow but give me a call after you talk to them.” Adam stepped back but his father stopped him with a hand on his arm.

  Then the older man embraced him. Adam held back tears as he hugged his father. Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to work out.

  Chapter Two

  It was still dark when Adam closed the door to the house and walked to his SUV. He threw his overnight bag into the truck, turned around and ran right into Tasha.

  He reached out and steadied her as she almost fell. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his hands still clasped around her upper arms.

  “I want to come with you,” she told him and lifted a backpack to show him.

  Adam looked from the backpack to the woman several times. “How’d you even know I would be going?”