Pack Security (Were Chronicles)

by Crissy Smith

  “Of course.”

  “All right.” Shawn lifted the lid off one of the cups and Max followed suit. The smell of the fresh coffee was good and his stomach growled. “I brought some of muffins too.”

  “Thanks, man.” He dug into the bag and chose one of the banana-nut muffins. He bit into it and moaned. God, those were so damn good.

  “How are things going here?”

  He chewed and took a long sip of his coffee. Alpha Shawn wouldn’t know what had taken place between him and Cassie the night before, but Max still found himself shifting his feet nervously. “I…uh…well…we…”

  “Max?”

  As he took another drink, he mentally cursed himself. “Everything is okay. I’ve only just really started. I have some ideas on how to increase security and add a few more cameras without being too intrusive.”

  “Good, good. After this mess is over, I hope to talk you about the rest of the Pack.”

  That sounded like his Alpha wanted more than just a favor. “Well, you know that I’m happy to help in any way that I can, but I’m not a security expert or anything. Don’t you have people for that?”

  “Yes, but they’re not Pack. I want someone who I can trust to oversee them.”

  “You want me to do it?” Max asked in disbelief. That was a major responsibility. He wanted to contribute to his community, but he wasn’t sure he could handle such a large job.

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’m not sure I’m the right person,” he said honestly.

  His Alpha didn’t know everything that was going on in his head. If he did, there was no way Shawn would want him.

  “You’re the perfect person. You’re a strong leader, smart, dedicated, loyal and compassionate.”

  He felt himself blush at the compliments. Even though he knew he wasn’t those things, at least not anymore. “I’m not sure.”

  “It’s something that I want you to think about. Take care of things here and see if you can find out who broke in to Cassie’s studio, then make sure your sole focus is to protect her. The rest will work itself out.”

  He sure as hell hoped so. He nodded.

  “I knew I could depend on you.” Shawn patted his back as he passed Max. “I’ll show myself out. I want to stop by and have a quick word with Alex while I’m here.”

  Max stood speechless as Shawn did, in fact, leave on his own. He wanted to be polite and at least walk the man to the door, but he couldn’t seem to make his feet work. His Alpha’s words were still bouncing around in his head.

  Shawn believed in him. He wished he was as sure as his Alpha. Before his last mission had gone to shit, he’d had the confidence that Shawn was showing in him. He’d even been a little bit cocky. It was weird how one day could change all of that.

  All he’d ever wanted to do was make a difference. To help people. When he’d left Canyon, he’d been a young man determined to show the world what he’d been made of. He’d joined the Navy and had known just weeks into boot camp that he’d found his place in the world.

  He thrived at the physical part of training. He enjoyed pushing his body to its limits. The brothers he’d connected with were like an extension of his Pack. He’d been overseas and still thought he would spend his entire life in the service.

  Eight years after he’d first joined, he’d applied to the Special Forces Units. It had taken everything he had to make it mentally and physically. Even so, he had never felt better in his life. The first several missions had been simple gathering of intel. He hadn’t really been in danger. Then he’d been transferred to his new team and everything had changed.

  Under the cover of night, he’d found himself in some very fucked-up situations. Still, every time he’d made it back home, he’d been proud. When he’d been promoted and given his own squad, he’d vowed to bring each member home with him every time.

  In the end, he hadn’t been able to keep that promise to his fellow soldiers. He might have brought Evan’s body back, but it had been under his command that the man had died.

  He closed his eyes, fighting back the memories, but they still bombarded him.

  They’d dropped inside the enemy lines in the pitch blackness of night. The coordinates that they’d been given had just been a rough estimate. It hadn’t been known whether or not the hostages were dead or alive.

  But they’d had to try. That’s what they did.

  So he’d led his small band of men deep into the jungle to complete their task.

  It had been sickening-hot. The air so thick it had been hard to breathe. Sounds they’d only heard a few times had followed them as they’d traveled farther and farther into danger.

  Even when their boots had hit the ground, he hadn’t felt good about the mission. Something, some small part of him, had known there was just something off. He’d ignored the feeling and followed orders. He would always regret that.

  They’d walked for two hours before they’d started to hear signs of life from humans instead of just the jungle animals. Max had stopped his team’s forward movement with a fist in the air. He’d been well known for his above average hearing. No one had known he was a shifter. They’d just teased him that it was his gut instinct, but they’d always followed him. Max had let them believe that.

  * * * *

  Max took point and methodically moved his men into position. They were just south of a small group of tents. One old, beat-up Jeep was parked to the side and it was filled with guns and ammo. They would need to secure that vehicle first. But that was a sure sign that the rebels were very well armed.

  A few rough-looking men sat around a fire smoking and talking. He motioned to his team to drop and wait.

  One by one their targets went into one of the sleeping areas. A large tent on the far side looked like their best bet of where to find the hostages.

  He crawled over to Evan and the youngest member Jon Banks. He gave the hand signal for them to approach, and after receiving nods of affirmation, he crept back retaking his position.

  Waiting until all was calm, he blew out a breath, and sent his unit in.

  Jose Sanchez guarded the vehicle while he and Matt Wallace covered Evan and Banks.

  The shouts from the large tent alerted not only his team but also the enemy.

  All hell broke loose, but Max had a clear view of the hostages running with Evan and Banks, so he motioned Sanchez to set the explosive and take out the extra guns and ammo they’d taken. There wasn’t enough time to secure the weapons on the bodies, but they needed to ensure that they couldn’t be turned against them.

  He and Wallace used their own rifles in the firefight and before he knew it, the huge explosion rocked the night.

  “Move! Move!” he screamed. Max kept close bringing up the rear as they disappeared into the darkness.

  * * * *

  If only things had ended there.

  Max shook himself out of his thoughts. He knew he had to let go of what had happened. It wasn’t easy. He relived that day over and over.

  Pushing himself away from the counter, his stomach was in knots. The first part of their mission had been a success. The rest had been one fuck up after another. He had to keep himself busy to prevent himself from thinking about where things had gone wrong.

  He picked up the extra coffee Alpha Shawn had brought then started down the hall.

  If Cassie was awake, he’d give it to her. If not, he would check to make sure everything was secure.

  He tapped softly on her studio door, hoping if she wasn’t awake he wouldn’t bother her. He heard movement in the room and cracked the door.

  The patio door was closed and the room was much the same as it had been the night before. Except for one thing.

  Sitting in the middle of the room on the easel was a painting. It wasn’t one of the half-finished pieces he’d seen earlier. No, this was amazing…just amazing.

  He pushed the door all the way open so he could get a better look.

  He recognized the canyon cl
iffs of their home. The colors blended together so seamlessly it was almost like he could reach out and stroke the hard ridges of the cliffs.

  Standing strong and powerful in the center of the canvas was a huge black wolf.

  He nearly dropped the Styrofoam cup as he felt compelled to get closer.

  It was the most astounding thing he’d ever seen. Inside his body, his wolf stretched in need. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Cassie he sensed the animal inside. But it was like she’d been able to peer deep inside him and paint how he pictured his wolf.

  “Do you like it?”

  He heard Cassie behind him yet couldn’t look away from the wolf staring back at him. He even recognized the gaze that met his in the mirror. “Yes.”

  She moved closer, bringing the heat from her body next to his.

  “After you left, all I could think about was showing you my vision. It was like I could see him and I wanted you to be able view your wolf through my eyes,” she said quietly.

  Max nodded. “It’s remarkable.” He turned suddenly and grabbed her to yank her forward. He slammed his mouth down on hers and kissed her hungrily.

  Chapter Six

  Cassie had been so scared about showing her newest piece to Max. She hadn’t expected such a passionate response when he did see it. She found herself pressed to Max as he ravaged her mouth. God, it felt so good. She’d never experienced such an overwhelming need for another person like she did with Max.

  She gripped his shirt with her fists to keep him from stopping. They’d touched on some sensitive subjects, but she knew there was more going on with him other than his non-shifter status. She wanted to know everything that made him tick. She’d realized that the night before. Max was everything she had always desired in a mate. They weren’t ready to declare their love for each another, but she thought they might get there one day. There was a pull between them. And needed him more every minute she spent with him.

  He had one arm around her waist anchoring her, but she wanted his full body not just his mouth. She drew her lips back and looked down. His free hand still held a to-go cup.

  He noticed her gaze. “Coffee.”

  Nodding, she took the cup from him then placed it on the shelf behind her. “Now,” she said, framing his face with her hands. “Let’s do that again.”

  She was the one to kiss him this time. He didn’t hesitate to get right back to where they’d left off. Their mouths were fused together as Cassie rubbed against him.

  He moaned and she swallowed the sound. He tasted so damn wonderful. Like coffee and something banana with just a hint of a spice. She could lose herself in his flavor and wouldn’t regret it at all.

  He pulled at the hem of her T-shirt until he managed to get it hiked up. At the first touch of his rough palms on her stomach, she began whimpering.

  “Oh, hell,” he panted against her lips. “You feel so good.”

  “Yeah.” She leaned harder into him.

  The doorbell rang. They froze.

  “Maybe they’ll go away,” she said hopefully. She didn’t want to stop. Yes, they probably weren’t ready to just fall in bed together, but the attraction between the two of them sizzled.

  Max started to step away from her and she tried to hide her disappointment.

  “It’s probably for the best,” he replied. “I need to check in with Alex about the additional cameras and look for weak spots.”

  She understood that he had a job to do. However, it didn’t stop her from almost obsessing about having his hands on her.

  Cassie tugged her shirt back down then smoothed the material just as she heard the front door open.

  “Cassie?”

  “In the studio,” she called out. “That’s James, my assistant. He has a key,” she explained to Max.

  He nodded. He turned to walk away but paused at the painting again. “That is truly beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  James knocked on the open door and stuck his head in. “Hey.”

  “Hi.” She waved him forward. “James this is Max, who is here as security. Max, my assistant James.”

  “Security?” James looked between the two of them.

  “After the break-in, Alex thought we needed to be more careful. Max is going to help get the house and studio better covered and is staying until the person is caught.”

  “Wow!” James stuck his hands in his pockets.

  He was young, still attending college, and a very talented artist himself. They’d met at the gallery and she had been taken with his enthusiasm for art. “I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”

  Cassie frowned. “Of course it is. Someone broke into my home and the studio. Months of work was destroyed!”

  James nodded. “Yeah, it’s just no one was hurt and Canyon is usually such a safe place.”

  “I’m here to make sure it stays that way,” Max said.

  Cassie noticed he was watching James closely. She knew that he had to be suspicious of everyone who had access to the studio, but there was no way she would believe that James had been involved.

  “I guess I was just hoping it was a mistake or something. It’s scary.”

  “It’ll be okay, hon,” she assured him while wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

  His bleached, spiked hair tickled her cheek when she embraced him.

  “Wow!” James noticed the canvas of the black wolf and broke away. “This is so awesome!”

  She met Max’s gaze and smiled. She thought the man was pretty awesome himself.

  “I’m going to get started,” Max stated, “so don’t leave the house without letting me know.”

  “No problem,” she assured Max. “We’re going to go through the inventory list from the gallery to see just how many more pieces I need. I don’t want Alex to cancel the show if he doesn’t have to.”

  Max glanced over his shoulder to where James was admiring the painting from different angles. Max’s hand brushed against hers as he strolled from the room. The tingle that followed his touch gave Cassie something to look forward to.

  Max turned the screw to secure the last additional camera Alex had purchased and sighed with relief. He’d been at it for hours. He was finally comfortable about the new security around the entire Wilson ranch.

  “Hey, man.”

  Max looked over at Alex who had joined him on the porch. The man held out a beer and Max almost moaned in gratitude. It was damn hot out today and he was tired. He climbed down from the stool he was using for mounting the camera above the front door and accepted the cold bottle.

  He rubbed it over his forehead before taking a long pull. “Thanks, I needed that.”

  Alex nodded. “Looks like you got the last one up.”

  “Yeah, I also put new locks on all the windows and installed a chain on the front door. Cassie seems to use the balcony doors a lot and I want to get some better locks for that.”

  “She likes to smell the fresh air,” Alex said.

  Max noted that Alex seemed a little uneasy. He took another long drink and lifted an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

  Alex shook his head. “Let’s sit.”

  Max followed him to the wooden porch chairs then settled down with his beer. “What’s up?”

  “You’ve heard about the Church for Humanity?”

  “Sure, they are the ones who are trying to get the government to make shifters register.”

  “They’re also the reason that the wolf Council worked so hard in setting up the new shifter Coalition. The main guy was arrested in Nevada for kidnapping and all sorts of other crimes against the wolves.”

  “I remember reading about it right after I got home,” Max told him.

  “I received another letter today at the gallery that they want the showing canceled due to the nature of the show pieces.”

  “Cassie’s work?” Max guessed.

  Alex leaned forward and rubbed his hand over his face. “Yeah. I called and left a message for Alpha Shawn, but he
hasn’t called back yet. I’m worried. I know our Pack isn’t public, but the church can cause us all kinds of trouble.”

  “Do you think they might be responsible for the break-in?”

  Alex blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I mean, how would they have known we weren’t home?”

  “Someone was watching.”

  “And if someone is watching, what else have they seen? We shift all the time. Almost everyone around these parts does.”

  Max could completely see why Alex was worried. The members of the church had been getting more and more vocal about how unnatural the shifters were. After their leader had been convicted, it had seemed to spread to being downright nasty between the church and shifter communities. “We need to call the Council.”

  “That’s why I wanted to talk to Shawn. He’ll be able to contact them and maybe even the Coalition.”

  “Fuck!” Max muttered. This just got worse every minute. If they did have to bring the Coalition in, there was no way they would be able to remain hidden. “What are we going to tell Cassie?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure we should tell her anything right now. She needs to concentrate on the upcoming show and I don’t want her more worried than she already is.”

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t discuss it on my front porch.”

  Max jerked his head to the side and saw Cassie standing in the doorway. Alex groaned and stood.

  “I’m sorry, Cass, but I didn’t want to scare you.” Alex held out his hand.

  Cassie moved to him and snuggled into his arms. “I’m a big girl, Alex. You can’t protect me from everything.” She looked over at Max. “Plus I’ve got a pretty good bodyguard.”

  Max grinned, although he fought not to blush. He really admired how calmly Cassie seemed to handle everything. Yes, she was struggling, but her natural instincts seemed to take over and she showed trust in the men around her.

  Alex chuckled and patted her back. She stepped away then leaned against the rail while Alex retook his chair.

  “You can’t keep things from me, Alex. If there is more going on than just a break in, I need to know.”