by M. A. Church
I was impressed.
With a low roar, Brock kicked at her, hitting her ribs. Janelle dropped him and staggered back, her hand briefly resting against her ribs. Brock climbed to his feet, and Janelle, bent over, looked up at him, her fangs flashing. With a loud battle cry, Brock rushed her.
Right before he touched her, he swung. Janelle ducked under Brock’s swinging arm and straightened. Her fists caught Brock across the jaw. He stumbled back, then bent forward, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
Janelle stalked forward. There was no wasted movement. She grabbed a handful of Brock’s long hair and smashed his face down into her raised knee. His head bounced up, and she landed an uppercut. She braced both hands on his chest and pushed.
Brock yelled and staggered back, Janelle following. He straightened, and Janelle snapped out a foot, landing a brutal kick under the chin again. Brock went down on one knee, and Janelle advanced. He took a deep breath and struggled to his feet, then tackled her.
Together they went down, snarling and hitting one another viciously. They rolled, trading bone-crushing blows, but neither scored a hit that would knock the other out. Brock managed to get an arm free long enough to get in a good solid shot at her face. Janelle shouted in pain.
Brock managed to pin Janelle on her back, but she kicked, sending Brock flying halfway across the yard. Brock hit one of the smaller trees nearby, making it shake, limbs falling around him.
“Gods.” Tal shuddered. “That’s going to leave a mark.”
I heard the bone-rattling thud of him hitting the tree from where I sat.
Brock staggered to his feet as Janelle advanced on him. He lashed out, but she easily avoided his fist, then, turning her body slightly, blocked the kick aimed at her gut. Brock swung again, but Janelle caught his fist and slammed his arm into the tree.
Yelling like a wounded animal, Brock swung with his other arm and raked his claws across Janelle’s cheek. Her head snapped to the side from the force of the hit. Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned her head back around and hissed.
I shuddered at the sound.
“Fucker.” Janelle sneered. “That the best you got?”
“Cunt,” Brock yelled in her face.
“Oh shit.” Kirk straightened in his chair. “Remi told me once she absolutely despises that word.”
“How would he know?” Tal asked.
“Marshell told Remi,” Kirk said. “This is about to be over, guys.”
The next couple of minutes passed in a whirlwind as Janelle slowly and methodically beat the shit out of Brock. I had to give her credit, though. She obviously was being very careful not to break anything.
Finally, exhausted, Brock dropped to his knees, his head bent. Janelle lifted her dainty foot, rested it on Brock’s chest, and gently pushed. Brock fell over and stayed down. Dolf stood but didn’t walk toward the combatants.
Kirk, smirking, made a big show of glancing at his watch, looking at Janelle and Brock, then back at his watch again. Tal shook his head. A few minutes passed, and Brock didn’t move.
“This contest is over.” Dolf walked toward Brock and Janelle.
Brock groaned and finally started stirring.
“Janelle, you have won the beta position. Congratulations. Well done. I look forward to working with you.”
Tal, Kirk, and I stood, applauding. Dolf checked on Brock, who shoved Dolf’s helping hand away. Shrugging, Dolf let Brock haul himself to his feet, then escorted him out. We crowded around Janelle, congratulating her and checking her bruises and cuts. She shrugged us off, saying she was fine and it would give Sam something to do later when she got home.
It was a magnificent fight, and even though it hurt to see my position filled, I had no doubt the best person won. I thought about heading on to Carter’s, but it was a long drive. Plus I needed to be alone tonight to say my final goodbyes to the life and the place I’d lived.
After I returned home, I walked around, remembering the good times and the bad. I ate, called Carter, then got ready for bed. It looked like my time here was just about done.
Chapter Sixteen
Carter
“ALPHA?”
I looked up from my desktop. In my doorway stood Rain, one of the pack’s schoolteachers. Saturday mornings were spent learning werewolf etiquette, especially for the thirteen-and-under groups.
A quick check of my watch showed it was only ten in the morning. Nothing good ever came from seeing a teacher standing in your door, especially when there wasn’t a conference arranged. What a way to start the weekend. Next to her stood Keegan, who wasn’t nearly as neat as when I sent him to school.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m afraid we have a problem.”
I stifled the sigh that threatened to escape. “Come in, Rain.” Considering how scruffy Keegan looked, I had an idea what had happened. “Keegan? Why don’t you go upstairs and clean up? When I get through here, I’ll meet you in your room. Please stay there until I come to you.”
Keegan mumbled something, then stomped away. I watched him go, wondering if I should let that slide or not. What was the right thing to do here? For someone who’d never questioned their actions before, I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
Rain came in and sat in the chair across from my desk. “I’m really sorry to bother you, but this can’t wait.”
Disquiet snaked through me. “What happened?”
“I’m not exactly sure since I didn’t see the beginning of it, but we were having snack time, and the next thing I knew, Keegan and another boy were rolling around on the floor fighting.”
I pressed my fingers into my temples and massaged, not that it helped my stress level. “Gods help me. Fighting.” Werewolves fighting wasn’t uncommon, but there was a time and place for everything. School was not it.
“I’m afraid so. From what I can gather from the other students, the boy Keegan was fighting with said something to him. When I asked, the students sitting near them claimed they didn’t hear what was said, but I have an idea it was something connected to Keegan’s dad.”
Not surprising, but still. “Dammit.”
“The pack is aware of what happened to your brother, of course. Since they are, the pups are too. I’ve heard several of the kids whispering about the fact that Keegan’s father… well… abandoned him.”
“But he didn’t.” My temper flared, but I tamped it down. This wasn’t a surprise either. Just because we were werewolves didn’t mean we didn’t gossip. I would’ve thought the parents had more sense than to talk about such issues in front of their kids, though.
“I know that. You know that. But these are immature wolves who can’t really grasp what’s going on. They know his mother died tragically and his father shifted into a wolf and took off. They don’t understand, unfortunately. At this age they truly don’t have a good understanding of what grief is and what it can do to someone once they lose a mate.”
“Dammit.”
“They’re just kids, and kids can be cruel. But to be fair, Keegan is angry. Very angry.”
Of course he was. The little guy lost his mother and father in one fatal swoop. “He is seeing a pack counselor.”
“I know, and that’s good. He’s confused, hurting, and, quite frankly, mad. Plus he’s come to a new pack where he doesn’t know anybody, and he’s trying to fit in with the established cliques. Then add in the fact he’s also an Alpha and your nephew. It hasn’t been easy on him, and I’ve taken that into account, but I can’t have them rolling around on the floor fighting.”
“No, that can’t be allowed, but….” I ran my hand over my head. But what? What should I do? That seemed to be the question, and one I desperately needed an answer to.
“Is there any word on his father?” Rain asked.
“No. He’s disappeared, although I couldn’t explain to you how he’s managed to do that. His pack is still actively looking for him. Even if they find Bram, he may not be in any conditi
on to handle Keegan. For the foreseeable future, Keegan will be with me.” Although it galled me to have to do what I was about to do, I didn’t have a choice. “Do you have any suggestions on what I could do to help Keegan?”
Rain shifted uncomfortably. “I have no wish to pry into your private life—”
I raised an eyebrow. “If you’re about to say something concerning the fact that my mate is a werecat, let me stop you right there.”
“Oh my goodness, no. What would that have to do with anything? No, what I meant was… are you spending time with Keegan? He needs stability right now, and routine.”
Well, that I wasn’t expecting. “What you mean?”
“Are you eating meals with him? Spending time with him? Going places with him? Doing some things that he enjoys? Shifting with him?”
“Well….” I’d done some of the things, but not all of them. Didn’t know I was supposed to.
“He’s adrift, Alpha. He needs you, possibly more than any of us. Please take the time to just be with him. You’re going to have to strike a delicate balance of authority and loving care. That’s what he needs the most right now.” Rain stood. “I hate to run, but I must get back.”
I stood too. “What do you suggest I do about this fight?”
“Let him know he has a right to his feelings, but that there is a time and place for everything. He needs to know it’s not just him against the world.”
I could do that. Somehow. Fuck, did all parents go through this? How did they survive maneuvering these unknown waters? “Thank you. I’ll talk to him.”
“Talk, Alpha. Not lecture. He needs to know he has people here who want to help and who care. He can return Monday.”
But lecturing was what I did best. I walked Rain out of the pack house, thanked her again, and returned upstairs. Keegan had washed up and was sitting in his bed, playing on his cell phone. Standing in his doorway, I stared at him, reminding myself not to treat him as one of my betas. It would be much easier if I could.
I knocked on the door and waited for Keegan to look up. “Do you mind if I come in? We need to talk.”
Keegan sighed. “Sure, Uncle Carter.”
At least I’d gotten him to stop referring to me by my title of Alpha. He wasn’t part of my pack yet, but he was family, so it wasn’t necessary. Keegan had assumed he’d refer to me as “Alpha” just like he had Alpha Daniel. That made for an interesting conversation.
I sat on the edge of the bed. “You want to tell me what happened today?”
Keegan scowled at his cell phone. “Not particularly.”
Okay, so now what? Maybe I shouldn’t have couched that as a question. “Look, I don’t know what was said that caused the fight, but things like that are not acceptable in school. I’m sure you know that. You’re an Alpha, and if no one has told you yet, one of the first things you’re going to have to do is get control of that temper.”
“I know.” Keegan sighed and put down his cell phone. “Alpha Daniel talked to me about the responsibilities of an Alpha. It’s just….”
“What?”
“I thought it’d be easier coming here.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that. Can you tell me?” I asked.
“Everywhere I looked at home, there were things that reminded me of my mom and dad. I just thought….” Keegan shrugged. “I thought it’d be easier if I wasn’t there so those things wouldn’t be right there to remind me.”
Gods fucking damn, what was I supposed to do with that? “You know I love having you here, right?”
Keegan shrugged again. Shrugging was quickly becoming one of my least favorite actions on this planet. Maybe I could ban it.
“If you want to go back, I’ll take you. But….” Tread carefully. Tread very, very carefully. “If you want to stay here, you’re more than welcome. In fact, I want you to stay here. Your dad moved away, and I never really got the chance to know you.” I ran a hand over my head. “Your dad and I had some problems, and that’s neither here nor there, but I missed seeing you. I missed a lot of things while you were growing up.”
Keegan didn’t respond. Didn’t even so much as throw me a bone.
“Help me out over here, bud. I don’t have pups, so I’m kind of winging it.” Was I completely messing this up? Gods, I needed some help.
“I heard you were to be mated to a guy. A werecat.”
O-okay, not exactly the help I was looking for. Then an uncomfortable thought hit me. “You have a problem with me mating with a male? Or maybe a werecat?”
“No, why would I?”
Why would he indeed? Wish some of my pack were as open-minded. “I am mating a werecat. His name is Aidric, and he should be here later this afternoon. Since I don’t have a pup of my own, I’m not really sure…. I don’t have experience with raising…. I’ll make you a deal.”
Keegan perked up. “What’s that?”
Yeah, I wasn’t above using bribery. “You talk to me. In return I’m going to start talking to you too, and not just at you. We’re going to do things together—get to know each other. I’m going to be honest. I’m probably going to screw up, and you’re going to tell me if I do.”
Keegan raised an eyebrow.
It was a trait of mine I did so often it was almost eerie seeing Keegan do it. Eerie, but it also made me feel kind of proud too. “I’m going to treat you like I would treat my own, gods help us all.”
Keegan laughed. Finally. A warm bubbly feeling raced through me. I had accomplished that. Me, the one without pups.
“I’m also going to start teaching you how to be an Alpha.”
“But I thought training didn’t start until we hit a certain age,” Keegan said.
He was right, actually. Those pups who had an Alpha mentality usually didn’t start training until puberty, but I thought it was something Keegan needed. I’d have to be blind to miss the interest that flared in his eyes. “Be that as it may, it’s something I want to do with you. Is that okay?”
Keegan nearly bounced on his bed, he was so excited. “Absolutely.”
Ha! I’d struck gold. Look at me go. “Good. I want you to try to settle your differences with that other pup without my interference. I’m going to guess and say the last thing you want is for me to step in, but I will if I think it’s needed.”
“Please don’t. I’ll take care of it, I promise.”
“Good. Fighting in school is simply not allowed for several reasons, which I’m sure you’re well aware of. But more importantly, you’re an Alpha. Once you come into all your power, you could hurt another pup your age in a fight unless it’s with another like you. Hate to say it, but that’s a responsibility of being an Alpha. You have power, so you’re going to have to learn how to use it wisely.”
“Because absolute power can corrupt absolutely.”
Now I was impressed. “Where did you hear that?”
“Alpha Daniel.”
“You know, the more I hear about this Alpha, the more I like him.” I stood. “I notice you had your backpack with you when you came home. If you got homework, that’s the first thing you’re going to do, and then after that, you can come out of your room, but stay around the pack house. We’ll meet up for lunch and, later, for dinner.”
“Is that my punishment?”
“Sharing meals with me is a punishment?”
“No! I didn’t mean that.” Keegan frantically shook his head. “I meant not being able to leave the pack house, not… not the other thing. I’d like to eat with you guys.”
I realized now allowing Keegan to take some of his meals in his room was a mistake, but I honestly thought it was something he needed. Spending more time with him was a priority now.
“Maybe a couple times it can just be me and you, along with Aidric. What do you think about that?”
“I think I’d like that,” Keegan said.
“Good. You’ll hear the bell when lunch is served, and I’ll save you a place across from me. Sounds good?”
“Sounds good.”
“Okay. See you later.” I was tempted to ruffle his hair, but I decided not to push my luck. Nevertheless, I was pleased with how the conversation went. Very much so, in fact.
Feeling much more secure about things, I returned my office. No sooner than I sat, my cell phone rang. This Saturday was looking up. Delighted to hear Aidric’s ringtone, I answered.
“Please tell me you’re close.”
“Well, hello to you too.” Aidric laughed. “As it just so happens, I should be there in about thirty minutes.”
Thank all the gods and goddesses. “That may possibly be the best news I’ve had all day.”
“Oh? It’s barely ten in the morning. Having a bad day, are we?”
I leaned back in my chair and stacked my feet up on my desk. “I basically got called to the principal’s office this morning. Except it was Keegan’s teacher, and she came here.”
“Oh dear. I think this is something I’m going to have to hear.”
I relaxed in the chair and proceeded to tell Aidric all about it.
ALMOST THIRTY minutes later on the dot, Temple escorted Aidric to my office.
I smelled him before I saw him, and that triggered my wolf. The scent alone had him bouncing happily in my mind, which was utterly ridiculous. Then Aidric stepped into my office, and my cock perked up.
Seemed maybe it wasn’t as ridiculous as I thought, considering I wanted nothing more than to bend him over the nearest flat surface. I stood so quickly my chair slammed into the wall behind me. Aidric raised an eyebrow but waited calmly in the doorway.
“Right.” Temple backpedaled. “I’ll just take his suitcase up to—”
“The master bedroom,” I growled at Temple’s retreating figure as I came around the desk.
I stalked toward Aidric, pleased to see him smirking at me. Two weeks had been a long time. Never again would I allow so much time to pass before I saw my mate. All the wants and needs I’d suppressed bubbled to the surface. Reminding myself that attacking my mate in a fit of lust as soon as I saw him probably wouldn’t win me any popularity points, I tried to rein in my wolf.