by Emma Dawn
“Thanks,” I whispered into him. “Not much of an Alpha there, was I?”
He laughed. “Nah, you would have gotten hurt if you’d tried to separate them. And if you’d gone in, Wilder would have fought to protect you, too, which would have put him at risk. You did the right thing. Those two hate each other with a passion reserved for mortal enemies.”
Colt’s gray storm-cloud eyes darkened. “That’s what happens when your father chooses to train a weak asshole as his successor. Wilder’s father deliberately chose Raider over Wilder. It messed up his head.”
Raider climbed out of the pond on the far side, snarled and snapped his teeth, then limped off into the forest, the brush swallowing him up in the blink of an eye. Wilder sat on the edge of the pond, panting, his fur matted with blood in places. My gut tightened. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah, we’ll take him to the healer,” Tarack said. “He’ll be fine, Cassie, don’t worry about him.”
I swallowed with some difficulty because I could feel the tears coming and I didn’t know if I wanted these men to see. Not because it was a weakness, but because the tears were for Wilder and I wasn’t supposed to want him. Or care about him like this.
I leaned into Colt. “I don’t suppose you will let me go on my own back to the Haven?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Where do you want to go there?”
“To see the other women.” They were my best hope for learning to make the change happen. That was something I could focus on to help me not think about Wilder being hurt.
Colt walked with me back to the castle and I tried not to touch him too much. After all, I was going to be with Brennan soon enough. I glanced at the sky, maybe not soon. Still, it was Brennan’s night.
Colt left me at the edge of the courtyard again. “Wilder will be back soon enough to watch over you. And between you and me,” he leaned in close so his mouth was against my ear and his breath tickled me in a most delectable way, “I think you should keep pushing his buttons. He should be one of us, and I think you of all people can show him that.”
“What?” That was not what I’d been expecting from him. He caught my lips in a quick kiss. “I want you for myself, lovely, but the reality is this pack needs Wilder to step up. You can help push him along.”
“He doesn’t want to be an Alpha,” I said, feeling the need to defend Wilder.
“Ah, but he isn’t his father.” Colt shook his head. “He just doesn’t see it yet. You can help him, you have a way that no one else does.”
I wasn’t sure I could, but Colt’s faith in me strengthened my own resolve to see this through. Come what may, I would see this pack stronger than before I came here.
Chapter 12
The female werewolves watched me closely as I stepped into the courtyard. There were more women than the day before, and this time I looked over each of them. Janna looked to be the oldest; I would put her somewhere in her early sixties. The ages went all the way down to maybe eighteen?
Legal, but just barely. A sigh slid from me. I felt old. And I wasn’t even forty.
“Okay, ladies. What can we do to make this pack stronger?” The words seemed to shock them. Maybe they even shocked me a bit. Like always, when I struggled, I fell into what I was good at. Teaching.
They looked at each other and slowly each of them shook their heads.
I smiled and walked forward as I spoke. “How many of you know how to properly defend yourselves?”
Another round of head shaking.
“Well, we are going to change that for those of you who want it.”
“I don’t want to fight,” Willow said.
It was my turn to shake my head. “That’s fine, but I’m talking about defense. So, if someone comes at you, you have a chance to get away, to stop them even. I’ll teach you whatever you want after that. But first step is defense of yourself.”
I had them line up and started them flowing through the karate forms. Over and over, we all fell into a rhythm not unlike a dance. It was a balm to my soul and my wolf eased through me as we moved as a unit, connecting with me like I’d not allowed her to do before.
I hated to break the spell, but I wanted them to have a chance to work against each other. I set them up in pairs, doing what I could to keep those who were obviously antagonistic away from each other. The werewolf named Lisa hadn’t shown back up, and I wasn’t surprised. Sometimes when a woman loses her place of power, she skulks away, and sometimes, she rises to the occasion. Looked like skulking won out in this instance. At least for now.
I watched each pair as they took turns coming at each other, and then defending, and then back again. The women were smiling, laughing, and concentrating so hard that none of us realized it was lunchtime until a bell was rung.
They took me with them down to an eating area in the castle, and I saw there were more women than those that I’d been working with above. Here were the cooks and the maids, by the looks of things.
“Humans,” Willow whispered to me. “They think we’re a cult.”
I choked on the bite of meat in my mouth that I chose not to identify. “What?”
“We pay them. They cook and clean for us.” Willow tore off a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth. “But they think we’re a cult. We have a van that Tarack drives. He picks them up and drops them off at the edge of our territory every morning and night. They stay out of our way, and aren’t allowed to wander the grounds at all.”
I watched the few humans and saw the weakness in them, saw the slow reflexes and wimpy muscles. And it shocked me because I wasn’t one of them. I guess I hadn’t been for a lot longer than I even realized.
“Okay, I’m done,” Janna said around her last mouthful of food. “I want to learn how to do that kick you sent into my jaw.”
I laughed. “A roundhouse. And sure. Just in case Ralph gets misbehaving?”
Janna flushed and the women around her oohed and ahhed. I kept smiling, though. “I think you make a cute couple. But it would be good to have a way to keep him in line so he doesn’t get too cocky.”
Janna gave me nod and a smile, though the color in her face faded only a little. “Thanks.”
The group of us filed up the stairs and into the courtyard once more. Snow had started to fall but, like the stairs out front, the heat from inside the castle seemed to be keeping the stone and cement footing clear of ice and snow.
Once more I set the women through the forms, this time for roundhouse kicks. I showed them several times, and then walked them through it.
The day passed quickly that way, and I let the familiar flow of teaching keep me from worrying about Wilder, from worrying about Brennan, or worrying about the pack in general.
Nearing sunset, I half-turned, sensing someone behind me. I expected—and hoped—it would be Wilder.
Havoc stood, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. His silver gray hair and brown eyes were a welcome sight. And then I realized what it could mean and my heart sank.
What if he was here to tell me Wilder hadn’t made it, that he was dead? My guts rolled and I reached out for something. Willow tucked herself under my arm. “What is it?”
“Is he dead?” That was all I could ask, that was all I could manage.
Havoc’s jaw flexed once. “No, he’s not.”
Relief shot through me, but by the look on Havoc’s face, there was something more to him being there than just letting me know about Wilder. I turned to the women. “I’ll be back tomorrow. We can work on all of this more. You’ve all done well, and I think you could master karate in no time.” Far faster than any humans, at least.
The women exchanged excited glances before I turned away.
I hurried to Havoc and he put a hand under my chin. “Come, I will take you to Brennan and we will talk on the way.”
Again, the fear grasped at me. “Where is Wilder? If he’s okay, shouldn’t he be here watching over me?”
Havoc paused before he spoke, as if he wasn’t sure wha
t to say. “He left.”
Now those were not words I expected. “He left? And went where?”
Havoc slid an arm over my shoulders. “He needs to figure out what he wants, Cassie. If he wants you, then he must take his place as an Alpha. If he fears being an Alpha too much, then he must relinquish his hold on you to Raider.”
My belly tightened once more and I spit out my next words. “Raider will never be in my bed.”
Havoc’s face softened. “For now, go to Brennan.” He kissed me lightly as we stopped in front of a set of doors not unlike those to Keenan’s room. “I will be outside here, if you need me.”
“But you and I already know you won’t be needed. Unless Raider shows up.” The truth was there in front of me. “That’s why Wilder is with me, isn’t it? To make sure Raider doesn’t try exactly what he did today.”
Havoc dropped his forehead to my shoulder. “I wish you were not so clever, Cassie. Yes. We know Raider is planning something, and it may involve you. If he can eliminate you, then Bianca can make a clean sweep of our pack. As long as you are here, she can’t step in without breaking pack law and forfeiting her life for doing so.”
A tremor started at the top of my spine and shivered downward. “Then maybe I shouldn’t be spending my nights with the Alphas. Maybe we should be planning to meet them head on as a pack.”
Havoc gave me a gentle smile. “We are doing that, too. This is part of the process, Cassie. And we all must go to our beds at some point. It might as well be together so we can remember what we are fighting for.”
As if to make his point, he kissed me hard and took one breast in his hands, squeezing, massaging it, making me squirm against him. More, I wanted more of Havoc. I wanted all of him, not just this small taste. He pulled back, breathing hard. “Cassie, I will protect you with my life. With all that I am. Trust me, please.”
“I trust you,” I whispered back to him.
Carefully he pulled my arms from around his neck. “Then trust in this process. You are causing the right kind of mayhem in this pack. You are stirring up the women, you are lighting a fire in the men. It is all good, even if it is hard, and even though some of us are struggling with the change.”
He lifted my fingers to his mouth and kissed each one. “I’m going to make you come all night when you are mine, precious.”
And then he let me go and I was standing there bereft of his touch.
It didn’t last long. The doors behind me swung open and a gust of cool air wrapped around my body. I turned slowly to see Brennan, a smile on his lips, his green eyes alight with laughter.
And excitement.
I drew in a big breath and stepped through the door and into Brennan’s room.
Ready for round three.
Chapter 13
Brennan’s room was lit up with hundreds of candles, making the room look like it was mid-day and not the darkening of the late winter night. While the nights were slowly getting shorter, and the days longer, we still had time before spring arrived.
A spread of food was set out on the table, with meats and cheeses, breads, spreads, fresh greens and fruit. Two glasses of wine were set at the table too. I arched an eyebrow.
“A fancy dinner? What, do you think you’re going to get laid or something?” I winked at him.
His laughter rolled through the room. “Well, one can only hope.”
He smelled like cinnamon and sugar, and I wanted to lick his cock and see if he tasted the same. He grunted. “You keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it through the meal before we are fucking on the floor.”
“We can eat later.” I had my hands on his belt, stopping him in his tracks. Keenan and he might be identical twins, but their personalities were polar opposite.
“We could eat later, but I’d rather not have your stomach grumbling for food in the middle of the most epic orgasm you will ever have.” His smile quirked across his lips.
I put my hands on my hips.
“Cocky much?”
“Cock. Yes, I have that. A rather large one, too, if you’re wondering.” He sat and motioned for me to sit across from him. Laughing, I did as he asked because he was right, I was starving. The food from lunch was long gone with the exercises and the cold.
I drew in a breath as he ladled soup into the bowl in front of me. “Clam chowder?”
“Yes, I begged the cooks for it,” he said.
“How did you know it was my favorite?” I arched an eyebrow at him as I spooned a bite into my mouth. Hot and perfectly seasoned, the clam chowder was amazing.
“Facebook profile.” He winked and I had to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from spewing my soup—as good as it was—all over him.
“Facebook? You have Internet here? And electricity?” Then I wanted to hit myself. Of course, there was electricity. I’d had a shower just that morning. But it just hadn’t occurred to me they had computers and such. Funny, the assumptions that could be made, even now.
“We aren’t complete heathens.” His lips twitched again and I wanted nothing more than for him to keep smiling. His joy for life was contagious and it soothed away some of my fear from earlier in the day.
“What else did you learn about me from Facebook then?” I kept on eating while Brennan counted things on his fingers.
“You’re scared of horses, you like to drive fast, you like extreme sports, clam chowder is your favorite comfort food, you like to read James Patterson, and you have a thing for something called beanie babies.”
I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. “Those things weren’t in my likes and dislikes.”
He shrugged. “I trolled your page.”
“Should I feel creeped out by that?”
“Well, you wouldn’t be eating clam chowder if I hadn’t done some creeping. And I took my cowboy horse sheets off the bed so I wouldn’t scare you.”
I burst out laughing and he joined in. I laughed until I cried and then I was crying for real. A moment later, he was at my side and gathering me into his arms.
“Shush, he’ll be okay. We all will. This pack is strong, Cassie, and you’ve made it stronger. I watched you with the women today. They are looking to you for leadership, and they aren’t afraid of you. It won’t be long before they love you.”
I sniffed softly. “I don’t feel like an Alpha when I’m sitting here with snot running down my face.”
“You don’t have to feel like it to be it. You react the way an Alpha reacts, you protect those who need your protection—”
“And now I’m crying like a baby in your arms.” I looked up at him and he wasn’t grinning any longer, but rather serious.
“That doesn’t make you any less of an Alpha. Your mate will help you carry your burden of leading this pack. I’m honored you feel safe enough to cry against me.”
I placed my head on his chest, a strange sense of calm floating over me. For now, things were good, we were all safe and I was cared for in ways I’m not sure I ever had been before. “Thank you, for holding me.”
“Anytime, Cassandra.” His voice was soothing and the heat that I’d felt from his brother was not mimicked as I’d thought it would be. His skin was cool against mine, helping to temper my own heat.
“We should eat,” I said as I trailed a hand over his shoulder and down his arms to his fingertips. Big hands, just like his twin brother.
My whole body tightened as I thought of what pleasures Brennan would bring me, would show me in his bed without the cowboy sheets. I couldn’t help the grin that slid over my lips.
With a groan, Brennan lifted me off his lap and sat me in my own chair. “I want you to eat now, so I don’t have to stop in the middle of the night to fuel you or me.”
His words sent a shiver all the way to my pussy. It clenched of its own accord, already aching to be filled by his cock, to feel the promise of his words fulfilled.
“Race you,” I said as I picked up my bowl and slurped back my soup. Silly, it was totally silly and
childish, and yet Brennan laughed with my craziness and picked up his own bowl. We tore through the food and more than a little of it ended up being thrown at one another. The sense of play was a part of him, was a part of the bond that rapidly grew. Like seeing a garden blooming at triple time, I could feel it between us, a tangible thing inside me, this bond that was impossible, and I knew it. And yet it was happening with each man I laid with.
“You’ve just thought of something.” He paused with a piece of bread in his hands, poised to toss it my way.
“How can I possibly choose only one of you?” I said, putting down my glass of wine. “How? When each of you fills a part of my heart I didn’t think was even possible?”
Brennan lowered his hand, dropped the bread and then held his now-empty hand out to me. “Because you will know the right one to choose, Cassie. You will know him and it will be okay. No matter who you choose, I will be here for you. You are the woman our pack has been waiting for. The Alpha female we need to make us whole.”
His words echoed Lyric’s and it made this all that much harder. “I’m a greedy woman. Maybe I don’t want to choose,” I whispered.
He laughed and pulled me from my chair. “Then let’s see how the greedy woman takes her punishment for expecting to get her cake and eat it too.”
We were still laughing when he laid me on the bed, still laughing while our clothes disappeared, but the laughter slowed as his fingers began to trace the soles of my feet. Or at least, his laughter slowed.
“Brennan, that tickles!” I squirmed, but his hands clamped tighter on my feet, his thumb pressing into the soles now, no longer the light fleeting touch but a hard pressure that made me groan.
“Better?”
“Hmm, yes. A man who willingly gives a foot rub without being asked? I might choose you just for that.” I sighed and fluttered my eyes at him.
He chuckled. “That isn’t reason enough, but good to know you like it. Just in case.” He gave me a wink as he settled to his knees on the bed. I let my gaze travel over him. From the broad expanse of his chest and shoulders, down over the six-pack abs kissed in shadows from the candles lit around the room, the very alert cock that pressed against his lower belly, to the firm lines of his thighs.