by R. E. Butler
She didn’t see Honey. Alarms went off in her head — she was supposed to stay with her. She lifted her muzzle and sniffed, but scented nothing but the snow and the trees. Canting her head, she listened carefully, hoping that Honey was nearby hunting and wasn’t actually injured or in trouble. When she didn’t hear anyone in trouble, she knew she was the one who was going to be in trouble for losing Honey.
She lowered her muzzle to the ground and inhaled, moving slowly and trying to catch Honey’s scent, but she couldn’t find any trace of her. Deciding it was best to go back to Brynn’s house and wait for Acksel, she raced through the woods as quickly as she could, hoping she’d find Honey waiting for her on the alphas’ back porch.
When she skidded into the backyard, the snow fluffing up around her with the motion, the only person in the backyard was her brother Malachi. She could tell he was about to shift, so she hurried and shifted herself, calling for him.
“Mal, wait! I need you to stay in your shift and go find Acksel!” She ran through the snow toward her brother, who turned to look at her in surprise. “Please! I’ll explain later.”
Malachi barked sharply, cast a glance at the back door where his mate Nila stood holding her son, Jack, and then hauled ass into the woods. Mia grabbed her clothes from the porch and hurriedly dressed, thanking Nila as she opened the back sliding glass door and let her in.
“Is everything okay?” Brynn asked, coming into the kitchen.
“Honey took off, so I don’t think anything’s okay right now. Acksel’s going to kill me.”
Brynn shook her head and came to Mia and gave her a hug. “I won’t let him, I promise. Hopefully it’s just a misunderstanding and he’ll have one of the protectors find her and bring her back.”
Mia certainly hoped it was something as simple as a misunderstanding, for all their sakes.
Chapter 8
Jeremiah adjusted the blanket so Honey was more fully covered as she slept next to him. Her head rested on his shoulder, and one arm and leg were thrown over his body so she was tucked very close to him. He inhaled slowly and let her sweet scent saturate his senses. The name Honey fit her, since she really did smell sweet. She was gorgeous — curved in all the right places, with soulful brown eyes and long black hair. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve such a beautiful mate, but he sure as hell was going to do his best to take care of her. He was kind of surprised by how right everything felt. To hold her, to call her his mate, to know she’d be there when he woke up; it must be how mates felt when they connected. He and his wolf were very content.
She was worried about her father. He knew that some alphas were very ruthless. Acksel was a fair alpha, but he had a temper, and before he mated Brynn he hadn’t been as kind as he was now. He’d had his inner circle of wolves, pretty much ignoring the rest of the pack in favor of his select few. The omegas had still worked for him and the rest of the pack when called for, but it wasn’t like it was now, with the omegas finally feeling like an integral part of the pack instead of strays hanging around for scraps. Honey believed her father was going to give her away in a mating, but those plans were out the window since she was now fully mated to Jeremiah and there wasn’t anything but death that would separate them.
He curled his hand, looking at his fingers where claws would emerge when he was pissed. If her father was planning to give her away, he was probably getting something in return. An alliance, or territory, or something else he valued more than his own flesh and blood. Jeremiah didn’t understand that. Family should be first in all things. Not that he’d experienced that from his own parents. Disowned by one, abandoned by the other. He spoke on the phone to his mom once a week, but his father hadn’t wanted anything to do with him in years.
Jeremiah was ashamed of his lack of shifting abilities, but Honey didn’t care, so he was going to stop caring, too. If his mate accepted him for what he was, then he could accept himself as well, and to hell with everyone else. It would suck to watch her leave to hunt on the full moons while he was stuck at the alphas’ house, but he’d be proud to have a mate who could shift and hunt.
He covered his mouth as he yawned, not wanting to wake her. She had drifted off to sleep so quickly, he wondered if she hadn’t been sleeping well. Or maybe he wore her out. Smiling to himself, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and then closed his eyes.
He’d just dozed off when the front door creaked as it was opened. In a heartbeat, he was in a defensive crouch on the floor in front of the bed. His skin prickled as fur emerged, his anger at his mate being disturbed fueling his partial shift. His gums tingled as his fangs elongated and his fingers ached for just a moment as thick claws emerged.
The bedroom door opened and Acksel, Ren, Dade, and Malachi stood in the hall. “What the fuck, Jeremiah?” Acksel snarled.
“Get out of my house.” Jeremiah growled the words. “I might be your omega but this is my house and you have no right to come in here.”
He felt Honey move on the bed and he wanted to warn her to stay covered, but he felt her press her naked chest to his back as her arms looped around his shoulders.
“Calm down, Jeremiah, it’s okay,” she cooed the words into his ear, her palms rubbing up and down his chest as if she were petting him.
Acksel sniffed loudly and groaned. “Are you fucking kidding me? She’s leaving, Jeremiah. I don’t care what happened tonight, she’s on her way out of town. Whatever you’re trying to accomplish by screwing one of my pack members, Honey, it won’t work.”
She made a soft, shocked gasp and Jeremiah straightened from his crouch with a sharp growl. “She. Is. Mine!” He roared the words as Honey hid behind him, her arms now wrapped around his stomach as he glared at his alpha.
“Whoa, shit. They’re mated,” Malachi said in surprise.
“Stand down, son,” Dade said to Acksel. “Someone’s going to get hurt.”
Acksel gnashed his teeth. “You have two minutes to get dressed and get the fuck into the front room.” He spun on his heels and stomped down the hall; the others followed.
Honey’s whole body trembled against him as he stared at the doorway until everyone was gone. He scented the salty tang of her tears and turned, wrapping his arms around her. His partial shift receded, but only because he didn’t want to hurt her. He was still pissed as hell.
“They’re gone,” he whispered.
She burrowed against him, locking her arms around him tightly. “I’m sorry.”
He stroked her hair, hating that she was so upset. “For what? Rocking my world? Making me the happiest guy on the planet?” She peered up at him, cheeks wet with tears, lower lip trembling. “Hey now, sweet wolf, it’s going to be fine. They can’t make you leave. You’re my mate and that makes you part of the pack. Your father’s plans are moot.”
“It’s gonna be bad.”
“Are you planning to leave me?” he asked, raising a brow.
She snarled, baring her teeth in displeasure. “No.”
He chuckled. “Then whatever shit hits the fan out there, we’re still good.”
She straightened but stayed pressed against him. “You tried to make me leave earlier.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t want you to regret having me as a mate.”
Her nails dug into his back. “I don’t want you to regret me, either.”
“No regrets,” he said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and kissing her forehead.
“Hell or high water,” she said, echoing his words to her earlier.
Since she didn’t have clothes, he pulled a shirt and pair of shorts from the dresser and gave them to her, and then tugged on his jeans. He wasn’t particularly happy about being interrupted, but at least they were getting it over with and then they could go back to bed. When she was sufficiently covered, he walked with her out to the front room and found Malachi, Ren, and Dade sitting on the couch, and Acksel pacing.
“What the fuck happened?” Acksel demanded.
Jeremiah wanted to ord
er the wolves out of his house. He was tired of being walked all over, and he especially didn’t like being called on the carpet in front of Honey. “She followed my scent in the woods because we’re mates. Now we’re mated and you’re interrupting our mating night.”
Acksel growled sharply, but Jeremiah didn’t back down. Honey, however, dropped to her knees next to him and tilted her neck.
“What the hell?” Malachi asked, staring in surprise at her.
Acksel made an annoyed sound. “Get up, Honey, I’m not that kind of alpha even though I’m pissed enough right now to see fucking red. I don’t give a damn about your mating night, Jeremiah. I give a damn that I promised her father that she would be out of here by dawn. Now I have to tell him she’s mated. I’m going to look like an asshole who can’t control his pack.”
Jeremiah helped Honey stand back up. She was trembling, her eyes wide with worry, as he tucked her close to his side.
Dade stood and moved to Acksel, whispering in his ear. Acksel snorted in annoyance and then exhaled loudly.
“At sunrise, I want you both at my house so we can call your father. Don’t be late.”
The wolves stood and headed outside. Dade turned to look at them. “It’s a good thing to find your mate. Whatever other shit happens, you’ve found your other half, and that’s worth celebrating. See you two at dawn.”
“Thanks, Dade,” Jeremiah said. The older male nodded and left, pulling the front door closed.
Jeremiah walked to the door and flipped the deadbolt. He had never once locked the doors of his home, but Acksel and the others just walking inside as if they owned the place had rubbed him raw. Pack hierarchy was one thing, but there was also general decency, and walking into his home unannounced and uninvited, making demands, and scaring the hell out of his mate were not acceptable under any circumstances.
Honey sat on the couch with a weary sigh. “Your alpha looked mad enough to spit nails.”
He leaned against the door and closed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I think he… thinks I’m using you to stay here.”
He opened his eyes and found her looking incredibly sad. Joining her on the couch, he slid his arm over her shoulders and pulled her close. “I know you’re not. I feel so connected to you, it’s like I can’t imagine my life without you in it. These are incredibly sucky circumstances, but we’ll get through them.”
“Do you always look for the bright side?”
“I guess I do, because of what I’ve had to put up with. It’s hard to be a male who can’t shift, to be treated like a second-class citizen because of a flaw in my genetics.”
She cupped his cheek and he looked down at her. “I don’t think you’re flawed.”
He pressed his lips to hers and drew her close. She melted against him and his body tightened with need, but he pushed away those thoughts and broke the kiss. “We have a little time before dawn; let’s get some sleep.”
* * * * *
The sun was bathing the woods in soft oranges and yellows, glinting on the icicles hanging from the tree branches. It had been a long winter, but he was hopeful that spring would come quickly. Honey walked next to him, wearing a pair of his sweatpants rolled up at the bottom, a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of his boots, and his warmest jacket. He knew she wasn’t as bothered by the cold as a human woman would be, but he still wanted her to be warm. He’d spent countless years taking care of people as an omega, chopping wood for winter fires, cooking for those who were too busy or unable to do it themselves, cleaning and repairing homes for those in need. But this was a different kind of care. He’d held Honey while she slept, and then they’d gotten up and showered together, before he made her breakfast. She said no male had ever cooked for her before, and that made a part of him as proud as a peacock.
They stepped into the backyard and he pulled on her hand to stop her. “You’re nervous?”
“Yeah.” She chewed on her lower lip as she stared at the alphas’ house.
“Don’t be. We have the laws on our side. No one can separate us. Even if Acksel insists you leave town, which I don’t believe he will, I’ll go with you.”
She turned her attention to him. “You’d leave everything for me?”
Silly question.
“Without a doubt.”
She smiled. “I would too. This is some kind of fucked-up crazy, huh?”
He snorted. “That may be the understatement of the century.”
They walked up the steps to the deck and he pushed open the sliding glass door and let her in. They stomped the snow from their boots and left them on the rug next to the door. Taking her coat, he hung it next to his on the rack, then took her hand in his, gave her a peck on the cheek, and walked into the front room where the alphas, several high-ranked males, and two elders – Hollis and Renfrow – were waiting.
Brynn stood from where she’d been sitting on Acksel’s lap and crossed to Honey, giving her a big hug. She whispered in Honey’s ear, but Jeremiah could hear her anyway. “I’m so happy you found your mate. I wished so hard for that last night.”
“Aren’t you supposed to wish on falling stars, not full moons?” Acksel asked.
“Stop eavesdropping on my whispered conversations, Alpha,” Brynn said, grousing. “I can’t have any privacy with all these sharp-hearing wolves hanging around.”
Honey smiled in understanding.
“Well, I’m sure that you want to get back to your own house,” Brynn said, “so let’s deal with this. I’m tired as hell.” She punctuated her words with a yawn as she joined Acksel where he now stood near the fireplace.
He cracked his neck. “We need to call Honey’s father and explain that she’s now mated.” He looked pointedly at her. “If he wants proof of your mating, we can make arrangements to meet him somewhere.”
“I don’t know what he’s going to say,” Honey said.
Brynn elbowed Acksel and he said, “Oh, right. Honey Williams, as the mate of my pack member, Jeremiah Kincaid, you are hereby made an official member of the Wilde Creek Pack. Unofficially.”
“What?” Honey asked.
Brynn giggled. “It can’t be official-official until you join during the next full moon, but it’s ‘technically’ official. We recognize that you and Jeremiah are mates and that brings you under the protection of the pack. It’s a good thing.”
Honey blinked rapidly and Jeremiah could feel the slight tremble that ran through her body. He hugged her a little closer as she said, “Thank you.”
Brynn nodded with a smile. Acksel handed his phone to Honey and she dialed her dad’s number. Jeremiah pressed the speaker button, and the ring tone filled the quiet room. It rang three times before a gruff voice said, “Williams.”
Honey swallowed audibly and said, “Dad.”
There was a long pause and he said, “You better be calling to tell me you’re on the way back to Wyling River, little girl.”
The implied threat hung in the air. Jeremiah wanted to tell her dad to go to hell and hang up, but he knew that wasn’t the right way to proceed. Jeremiah gave her a little nudge and she said, “Actually, Dad, I met my mate last night while I was out hunting. We’ve marked each other and I’ve been accepted into his pack.”
He roared his displeasure and Honey dropped the phone in fright. Jeremiah snatched it before it hit the ground and handed it to Acksel, whose face was grim.
“Alpha Williams, this is Alpha Moore. What Honey said is true. I’ve seen their marks and can assure you that they are mates, and I’ve accepted her as a member of my pack.”
“She is my daughter and I will not allow her to change her pack. I forbid her from mating.”
Acksel’s brows rose. “You can’t forbid biology, Alpha Williams. They are mates and that’s all there is to it. If you wish to see evidence of their mating, we can arrange to meet you halfway between our packs in neutral territory.”
“Her mating to your wolf is invalid. She is already mated to another male.”
>
Honey gasped and shook her head violently.
“She denies that,” Acksel said.
“I don’t give a damn what she admits or denies, my word is law. She is promised in mating to an alpha from another pack. An important alliance rests on that mating and I will not offer my approval of this one.”
Acksel’s frown deepened. “She doesn’t need your approval to mate with her true mate.”
Honey’s father snarled angrily. “Send her home immediately or I will rain hell down on your pack.”
Acksel growled, and so did every other male in the room. “Honey is part of my pack now, mated to one of my members. Our laws state you cannot force her to leave her true mate. I declare her esconari.”
Jeremiah frowned. Esconari meant ‘protected’. It was like going into a church and claiming sanctuary. It also meant that Acksel thought she needed more protection than simply being a mated member of the pack.
The silence on the phone was unnerving. A minute passed before her father said, “If she isn’t home on Wednesday, there will be hell to pay.”
“Don’t threaten my pack,” Acksel snarled the words.
“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise. Honey?”
Her voice squeaked when she spoke. “Yes?”
“Your mother was a whore and you’re clearly walking in her footsteps. You can try to defy me and stay in that pissant little town, but you’ll be sorry. Everyone who helps you now has a target on their back, and when their blood runs, it’ll be on your hands.”
The call disconnected and Honey sagged against him. Jeremiah held her tighter, worry streaking through him. Her father was a nutcase. What alpha didn’t respect a true mating? It was fate that brought Honey into his backyard during the full moon.