Alpha Boxed Set
Page 29
Hunt was watching Dunne in the hastily made up bed, not even looking up at her entrance. He’d probably wait there until Dunne opened his eyes, not able to do more than stay calm on the outside and tear himself up inside. That would never do. She’d give him something else to think about.
“I hate this. I had enough problems wondering why I can’t imagine staying true to my mate when all the other women I know do. Now I have to wonder if I’m the reason someone wants to kill off my new pack. Is this worth it to you?”
“THANK YOU.”
“This case has been fascinating. I was honored to be called in.”
“Hunt will be keeping an eye on you in case of any trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whoever shot at us will be looking for a weak link. You must have realized that when you saw Dunne was shot.”
“I didn’t actually think anything about it other than perhaps someone went hunting without a license. I was too busy saving a life.” She pushed her glasses up her nose. “At least, that’s all I thought at first.”
“Later, though, you thought about it hard. You always think hard. I can tell.” Arlin tapped her forehead just lightly and smiled.
She didn’t smile back. “Right now I’m thinking that I don’t understand why you’re saying all this to me.”
“Ruth.” Arlin pointed to the diploma hanging on her wall. “I think we should be on a first name basis by now.”
“I—anything I could say to that would sound wrong. Arlin. I’ll just tell you I’ve lived through much more immediate threats than this one.”
He kept smiling at her. She realized his smile could be a huge distraction. Not that she should say that. She’d learned to be very careful not to blurt things out long ago. Sometimes what she thought was acceptable completely stunned other people—or worse. Careful was much safer.
She cleared her throat. Careful was one thing but confusing was another. “What do you mean? This is very mysterious and somewhat infuriating. I’m too tired to play games right now.”
“You probably know something about Hunt’s rep. He’ll watch out for you but if something goes wrong, call me. I owe you a personal debt too. We all do.” He handed her a card, just gently brushing her fingers as he did. She shivered. His fingers were so warm. “It has my telephone number.”
He murmured something.
“What did you say?”
“I think you heard me, Ruth.”
He smiled at her, unmoving, waiting for her to get her mouth to work again.
To hell with being careful. She was sure other people would find that remark of his totally outrageous.
“You’re at least ten years younger and doing…doing things deliberately, probably to make sure I wouldn’t tell anyone. What is wrong with me? Do I look that easy to you, Mr. Kinkaid?” She looked down at the card and ran her index finger over her thumb. Just that light touch had been amazing. She found herself blurting out, “Oh hell. Nothing is wrong with me. Not a damn thing. You’ve totally thrown me, Arlin.”
She must have been fantasizing—and if she wasn’t, she’d pretend she was fantasizing that he’d murmured “You smell good.” Or maybe even, “You smell hot.” And she’d definitely pretend she hadn’t liked hearing it.
He smelled good himself. Spicy and aroused. And good. Frighteningly good.
“Maybe I’ve been around animals too long.” She shook her head. Smell or not, the boy—the very sexy boy—was definitely hot himself. She’d love to get closer to touch and taste and smell him.
Thank God he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“I agree not a damn thing is wrong with you.” Arlin’s nostrils flared, just a moment. “But I wonder if you know just what I want from you and how right it would be.”
“I’m getting an idea.”
“You probably don’t know the total package, which is a damn shame.” Arlin glanced toward the now closed door where Dunne was. “I should join them and leave you alone but I have the feeling they’re conducting some important pack business which would make my presence awkward. Still, I’m making you nervous. What should I do, Doctor?”
His eyes sparkled and she almost smiled before she remembered how provocative he’d been.
“I have no idea. I suspect you like making me nervous, so I won’t offer any suggestions.” She kept her posture and speech stiff, terrified she’d do something…something very improper if she didn’t.
“Well, I’m learning that when I’m not sure, I should order espresso. Do you want to hit a coffee shop with me? I’ll buy.”
* * * *
“Why do you think you can’t stay true? And what do you think true means?”
“It means that I want you and Dunne. Arlin too. Any of you. All of you. At the same time. An Alpha bitch may sniff and tease, but she doesn’t have sex with anyone but her Alpha.”
“That’s such bullshit,” Hunt said in a near-whisper.
“I didn’t really expect you to take that side of the argument,” she mouthed right back. “I’m not even sure why you’re arguing. Isn’t that what you want? A faithful mate?”
Hunt jerked his head toward the door.
“If we have to discuss this, let’s do it outside.”
“Too late for quiet now. Awake.”
Dunne!
Dunne opened his eyes. Oh, God. He’d changed while they’d bickered in their thoughts and no one had noticed the shift. Tala gasped and forced herself not to rush forward.
Dunne looked directly at her.
“Hunt?” he slurred.
“Here.”
“Tell her. Too tired to.”
“I’ll be happy to do it. Dunne—” Hunt grasped Dunne’s hands as if to hold him to consciousness and life.
Dunne shut his eyes again and drifted off. Hunt touched Dunne’s face and held his hand over his mouth. His face relaxed into a smile when he felt breathing.
He jerked his head again and Tala got up.
“Stay here.”
His eyes opened again. Dunne wanted them to stay? Tala sat back down. She’d stay.
“It’s too late to obey doctor’s orders now anyhow.” Tala crossed her legs and watched her skirt inch up a little. The other two watched too. The usual little thrill at their stares shot through her. “So, Hunt. Why is my behavior all right?”
“You think any other female in a pack would behave differently from you?” Hunt kept looking at her legs. “I don’t know what they told you to do while you were growing up, but, Tala, your mother has two weres for mates. Does that fit your strangely puritanical view of female were behavior? What about Arlin’s mother? I’ve heard plenty about what she and her mate do outside the pack. It’s never hurt anything among the Betas within their pack.”
“Leila—”
“Isn’t were. I’ve done my research on all of them. But how do you think she keeps her mate interested?”
Tala laughed. Even now, the patriarch of the Kinkaid pack was clearly all were. Leila was obviously able to handle wolf sex and more. “I don’t know what to say. Hunt? Now that you’re stuck with me, how do you really feel about this? I could tear the pack apart with my behavior.”
“Tear Dunne and me apart?” Hunt’s eyes narrowed, but with amusement, not anger. “I was a little worried that the two of us mating would drive Dunne away. But since he’s already shown he’s willing to give up his life to protect you, I think we’re safe. I don’t see how anything you’d do with him would hurt the pack. Dunne would never hurt anything of mine.”
“You don’t mind if I have sex elsewhere?” Tala blinked at him. “That’s not…um…”
Not very possessive. Not very Alpha.
Hunt laughed. “I just want to ensure there are children for the pack. I’m not—What would you do if the Alpha of a pack can’t sire any?”
Tala opened her mouth. Shut it again. An Alpha who was willing to allow someone else to father children within his pack was…unusual. She’d never heard of
it outside her own family. Creating and protecting a pack was what an Alpha did. Producing children was part of the job description in creating and protecting.
“I don’t understand.” Hunt touched where the old scar was on his chest and said nothing. But Tala knew then as clearly as if he’d broadcast it. “Tetanus shots!” Tala clapped her hand to her mouth. “You had tetanus shots and now you can’t—”
Hunt dropped his hand to his side as if he’d been burned.
“So you thought Dunne…?” Tala gestured toward the man, who had opened his eyes at the last sentence.
“I could completely accept Dunne’s children as part of my pack. In fact, it would be an honor.”
Dunne’s eyes widened.
“You care a lot about him.”
“He’s been at my back for decades. I trust him with my life. Even more importantly, with my mate.” Hunt’s voice was soft, as if the words were forced out and he wished he could unsay it.
“That’s more than trust, Hunt. I won’t even ask which of us you love more. After all, you haven’t even known me three days, much less several decades.”
Hunt didn’t protest. “I’ve kept watch on you for years, Tala. Very careful watch. You’re important to me.”
Tala frowned. “Watching both my family and me. That’s another little item of information I might just not want to know about. Are you talking about stalking?”
“I take care of what’s mine. That means I know everything about my…valuables, for lack of another word.”
“But you’d share your so-called valuables with your Beta, which I understand, and with an outsider?” Tala looked at Dunne instead of her mate to hide the hurt. Dunne didn’t notice. He was still staring at Hunt as if he didn’t believe what he was hearing. “Not to agree that Arlin has a point after all, but I don’t understand why you asked him to be there for the bonding.”
“At first because I wasn’t sure if Dunne could accept you and I needed a backup plan if…well, if necessary. If he had stayed, we would have all bonded as one pack, with him as a member.”
“You’re so sure that Arlin couldn’t have challenged you then to become Alpha?” Tala looked at him. “Yeah, you’d be sure. Especially since you didn’t know Arlin then.”
Hunt kept talking. “The second reason was because I wanted you to be…I wanted to be sure you’d stay.”
“You wanted me to be what? Satisfied? Happy? Do you really care about my feelings or just whether I’d stick around to have someone’s kids for the pack?”
Hunt turned to Dunne. “And then I saw Dunne looking the kid over like he was a piece of tasty meat. It seemed like a bonus.”
I don’t understand. And I refuse to cry. I’m just tearing up a little.
“Think about it some more. You’ll understand.”
One thing she did get. “You love Dunne more than I could ever have imagined when I first met you both. Neither of you show it much.”
Hunt brushed his fingers against her mouth. “You love Arlin. Certainly I never imagined that complication when I first contracted for you. I’m not going to share, not completely. Not with him. I admit my first thoughts about him won’t work because of how we both feel about you and each other. But I’m willing to let you decide how close you want to get to Arlin without mating with him. I trust you.”
She rubbed her hand, hard, against her forehead as if to make her brain work. “But what does that mean about us? We’re supposed to be bonded.”
“We are.”
Arlin and I can keep on doing what we’ve done all these years only more? Just no kids? God, is that all right? I get the feeling I should have stuck around for Mom to give me “The Talk”—the really special were talk—about what Alpha bitches are allowed to do.
Hunt rubbed the back of her neck.
“This situation is just—”
“Not what you expected?” He kissed the back of her neck. “But is it bad?”
His lips were so gentle. And they left tingles where he rested them against her.
“I always thought so.” Tala tried not to sigh.
“Think some more, sweetie.”
He would really let her be in charge of sex? He said he’d trust her. God, she’d told him she shouldn’t be trusted. What a rotten thing to do to her.
“You already said I should think more—well, someone already said that.” Tala frowned. “Why can I hear the thoughts of all of you? I’m pretty sure I can mindspeak to Arlin too.”
Hunt sighed. “Come on, Tala. We’re waiting for you to figure it out.”
“You can only mindspeak if you’re bonded and mated. I bonded and mated with you, Hunt.” Tala folded her hands tightly together. “But—but something is different when we’re all near each other. We’re all bonded? Not just me and you. Me and Dunne…and Arlin?”
“I don’t know for sure. I’m not sure Arlin and I are exactly soul mates. But something has happened between all of us. I can hear thoughts. Mostly from you. Sometimes it echoes like you’re transmitting thoughts from the others.” Hunt sucked on her neck, hard.
He was going to leave a hickey, the devil.
“So—” Tala tried not to hurry her thoughts because they sounded too good to be true. “If we’re not quite bonded we’re still all…important. All together. We need to be together.”
“I don’t know yet what we need. What you need. But you never jumped any other were or non-were except me. Not until me. You can control yourself. Or control any of us.”
Somehow she didn’t think she could control anyone, much less herself.
“I thought about doing more. Arlin and I came very close.”
“You can think. You can even play with the boundaries. No one is going to stop any were from thinking about sex. But you knew what was important before you bonded with me and you know now. Tala, face it. You’re the Alpha. Basically what the Alphas say goes in any pack, as long as they can make it stick. You know that. Loosen up, Tala. You’re going to make things work your way.”
Her mind reeled with sudden erotic possibilities even while she knew she had to confess her real problem. Not that Hunt didn’t already know it, although she had skirted around the issue for most of her life without dealing with it. “I do love Arlin, you know. We’re so close, Hunt. It frightens me. He’s like my other half.”
“Wrong. I’m your other half, Tala. Like it or not.”
Could she do this, really? Have Arlin, have them all, and give Arlin up all at the same time?
More erotic ideas flashed in her mind. Oh hell. Why not?
“I love you too, Hunt. I love Dunne. And I think I’m really going to look forward to when Dunne is better.” She glanced over to Dunne.
“Understood. But maybe we better leave before we kill him with anticipation.” Hunt brushed his hand against Dunne’s face as he said the words.
Oh God. She hoped she didn’t get stage fright when what she had just agreed to finally happened.
“Tala…give us a minute,” Dunne whispered.
Tala nodded. They all had something as a group but what each of them had as a pair was important too.
AS THE DOOR shut, Dunne gathered strength. He was so fucking tired—tired enough that the room seemed to whirl around as he pulled himself together.
Hunt went to his bedside and then didn’t say anything. Probably the shit was waiting for Dunne to keel over before he could talk. Sorry, but this time he’d have to disappoint his boss. They were going to talk about this. At last.
Dunne managed a rasp. “Eighteen years. You knew for eighteen years. Since the fight and the hospital.”
“Yeah. Didn’t you wonder why I was suddenly willing to back down and wait for a daughter when I could have taken her mother?”
“Some. But I was too grateful to wonder much.” Dunne laughed and choked at the same time. “Didn’t know you were going to make me a present of your woman at the end, though.”
“You minded hanging with me instead?”
 
; Jesus, did Hunt actually sound uncertain? Just a hint?
“No. I love you, Hunt.” Dunne took a long breath. “I didn’t want to say that. Ever.”
“I knew.”
Hunt obviously thought the conversation was over.
“Asshole. Say it back.”
Hunt shifted uncomfortably. “You know how I feel. A were doesn’t hand over his mate to just anyone.”
“Say it.” Dunne clung to consciousness, fighting the graying around his eyesight until he finally heard the words.
Hunt shifted again.
“Shit. I love you. And if you die on me after all this, I take it back.” There was shakiness in Hunt’s voice. Dunne wasn’t imagining things. The ice man was cracking.
Dunne held onto the hand that was grabbing for him. He squeezed back as hard as he could. Crap, what a time to feel this weak! He hoped Hunt could at least tell he responded.
“Yeah. Waited longer than eighteen years for that.” He shut his eyes to hide the tears. Despite everything, the wait had been worth it.
Dunne got the next words out hard and strong, to show he meant it. And he said them fast, before the gray washed over him completely.
“Hunt. Don’t worry. I’ll live for you some more.”
Chapter Six
“Do you feel all right, Dunne?” Tala bent over him to check his pulse.
“You’re the one who has been feeling me up for the past few days. How do I feel to you?” His voice was a low rumble of amusement. “I thought you were going to kill me with those long, lingering sponge baths.”
Tala let her hair trail across his face and smiled. How things had changed! The Beta’s grim threat face was gone. Dunne had a sense of humor and a really wicked tongue when he chose to use it. Really wicked. She was going to enjoy all the ways she’d make him open up.
“No more sponge baths for you then. You’ll have to join me in the shower,” Tala told him. “Or maybe in my bed, now that you’re really home.”
“You’re nervous.”
“Yes. No. A little.”
“Tala, I thought I was going to be bottom last in my pack. After Hunt said what I’ve been waiting years to hear, there is nothing that can possibly throw me. Nothing you do can be wrong.”