Terr4tory

by Bliler, Susan A

  Foolishly, David jumped in front of her. “You…”

  It was the only word he got out before Barron’s hand slammed into David’s throat and lifted. With one arm, Barron held the weaker Alpha a foot off the floor. Slowly, he moved his arm to clear David’s body from blocking his view of Willa. Suddenly, Barron froze. If it were possible for Barron to look any more menacing, it happened when his ferocious growl suddenly halted. Eyes widening in disbelief, they quickly narrowed to dangerous slits as Barron finally turned to eye David before pulling him closer and inhaling. “You. Touched. MINE?”

  Willa couldn’t deny the jolt of pleasure his words shot through her. Why did his claim always feel so right, so like home?

  Throat still held in Barron’s grip, David couldn’t respond. When Barron’s hand tightened, Willa stepped cautiously forward. “Barron?” She pleaded with him softly, not wanting him to kill anyone here, like this. “Please! The cops will come.”

  “Let them fucking come!” He snarled, unable to control the rage that pulsed through him at the knowledge that this offending male had dared to lay a finger on his mate.

  All the fight drained from David and his eyes rolled back as his body went limp. His pack were slowly getting to their feet.

  “Barron?” Willa approached, slowly lifting a hand to tentatively touch his arm. “Please, let him go. It’ll mean trouble if he dies.”

  Barron kept his angry eyes pinned on David for long moments before he pulled the male closer and then threw him back into his pack. They barely caught their Alpha before hurriedly lowering him to the ground where they struggled to revive him, only stopping when Barron approached to stand menacingly over them.

  “They!” Barron jabbed his finger toward where Jase and Arden still stood by the door. “Are my pack! They!” He jabbed his finger again, but this time it was toward Sarya and Becca. “Are my pack!” He bent to lean closer to the huddled shifters as they recoiled in unison, fear evident in their shocked eyes and open mouths. “She!” Barron leaned to the side and pointed over his shoulder toward Willa. The wolves all flicked their gaze her way, but quickly returned to staring at Barron. “Is. Mine!” He slowly stood. “Keep your eyes off my girls, stay away from my pack, and keep your hands off my mate! Come back again, and you all fucking die.”

  Turning, he held out his arms and motioned for Becca and Sarya to come to him. Both girls threw themselves into his arms, and he hugged them tightly before pulling back and pointing toward the boys in silent command. The girls obeyed, racing to where Arden and Jase stood by the door. Barron turned to look at Willa, and she half expected him to call her to him, but he didn’t. He was the one to make the effort to close the distance between them. Lifting trembling hands to cup her face, he nuzzled her cheek and asked quietly, “Are you okay?”

  She nodded.

  When he pulled back to look at her, his eyes swirled with a mixture of man and wolf, anger and fear, need and…something she couldn’t place.

  “You’re bleeding.” He whispered.

  She lifted a hand to her forehead, but he caught her fingers before she could touch the blood. “I-I think it’s his.”

  “No,” he growled. “You’re hurt.”

  Again, he cupped her face before slowly sliding his tongue up the bridge of her nose and between her brows, stopping just as it got to a painful spot on her forehead. Pulling back, he held her face as he tilted his head back and his eyes closed. There was a look of strain that was reflected in the tightness around his eyes, and Willa wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

  When Barron finally opened his eyes, they’d darkened dramatically. Stepping away from her, he held her arms out to study her and his growl returned when his eyes locked on the bruise on her arm. He made to turn, but Willa grabbed him. Peeking around him, she saw that David’s pack was still attempting to revive him, and there was no doubt in her mind that if Barron got his hands on the male while in his current state, David would die.

  “Alpha,” she urged, hoping the term would persuade him. “Take me home.”

  Finally, stormy eyes locked on hers and he slowly released her. “Go to the car.”

  Afraid to leave him alone with David and his pack, she had every intention of arguing with him. “Barron…” His suddenly raised voice halted any further retort.

  “Now, Phina!” He turned his back on her, effectively dismissing her, and she was slightly insulted by the gesture. He must have scented it, because he turned to look over his shoulder at her, and in all seriousness said, “I need to fight or fuck Willa. You choose, because as much as I want to punish these punks, I know what I’d prefer.”

  She looked over at the interloping pack and felt no pity for what they were about to endure. Turning, she respected Barron’s command as she exited the restaurant, ushering her pack to the car.

  Chapter 16

  The ride home was silent, but the tension spoke volumes. Once she’d gotten the pack into the car, they’d waited for Barron. She’d checked her head first thing and was annoyed to find a huge lump with a deep gash smack-dab in the center of her forehead. It hurt, but it’d heal. What wouldn’t heal were the effects these attacks were having on her pack. It was insulting, and infuriating, and annoying. David’s pack must not have resisted, because Barron stormed out of the mall shortly after Willa and the pack were settled in the vehicle.

  He didn’t speak as he drove back to the farm, and he didn’t need to. They could all scent his rage. Again, Willa was left wondering if he was angry with her for having to defend her. The worry felt like acid eating away at her belly. She hated this. She hated having to rely on someone else, and she hated having to worry if he felt put upon because of it.

  The longer she sat, the more enraged she became. Part of her was mad at the boys for being late, while another part of her was mad at the girls for being so young. She also laid some of the blame at Barron’s feet for disappearing, while she simultaneously seethed at Garner for dying. All of her anger was misplaced, she knew that. She was lashing out, and it all boiled down to one thing. She was mad at herself. She was angry and upset that, had Barron not arrived, she wouldn’t have been enough to protect the girls. It was a humbling and humiliating realization. She was an Alpha with no true power to protect her pack. She simply wasn’t Alpha enough.

  Thankfully, no one spoke during the ride. When they finally pulled up to the farm, the kids raced from the car as if their tails were on fire. Willa exited the vehicle, slamming the door hard, which earned her a hard look from Barron. He was still on edge, and she knew that the scuffle with David’s pack hadn’t been enough to soothe his wolf.

  Willa stomped up the stairs and entered the kitchen as Jase was relaying the story of Barron’s rescue to Keryn and Cortez. It was deflating to enter the house injured.

  “And then,” Jase spoke excitedly, “Barron told ‘em to stay away from the girls….”

  Keryn’s eyes jerked to Becca and Sarya, and without thinking, she blurted, “We should just get Sarya and Becca mated, then they’d be protected.”

  Her statement mirrored the sentiment that Willa had already considered, but there was more to it than that, and she was offended by Keryn’s words on two fronts. First, that she would voice her suggestion in front of Becca and Sarya without fully thinking it through, and second, because she actually thought she was safe simply because her wolf was infatuated with Cortez and he with her.

  “Is that what you think?” Willa snapped, finally losing her cool. She jabbed a finger in Cortez’s direction. “You think you’re safe because Cortez wants to claim you? Think again, little girl.” She stepped forward, letting her full power whip around her, not caring if Barron’s wolf would be offended by the display or not. These were her wolves damn it, and clearly they needed to be reminded who was in charge.

  “They’ll challenge Cortez just for being a viable male.” She stepped closer and noted all heads except Barron’s bowed in submission. “Once he’s dead, they’ll fight for the chance to fu
ck you.”

  “Easy.” Barron uncrossed his arms and stepped away from the wall he’d been leaning against since he’d entered. It only served to anger Willa further.

  “You’re. Not. Safe.” Her nose was practically pressed to the top of Keryn’s bowed head. “None of you are safe, and yet, here you are. Pretending our world isn’t about to end.” She eyed all their bowed heads. “Are you all so fucking oblivious?”

  Wordlessly, Barron stalked across the room and grabbed her. She had a mind to fight, but knew better. Effortlessly, he picked her up and carried her from the room, and she let him. Her anger still burned bright, and she struggled to tamp it down. It wasn’t like her to lose her cool. It wasn’t respectable, and it certainly wasn’t Alpha-like, but the day had been a rough one, and for the first time in a long time, Willa felt…helpless.

  On the porch, Barron didn’t stop. He carried her down the steps and away from the house, heading toward the woods. It was later in the day, but the sun was still warm. When he finally had her deep in the woods, where the house was no longer visible, he set her down and plowed a hand through his hair. “Jesus, Willa.”

  She stomped away from him and took several deep, calming breathes before she dropped to a knee, one fist planting firmly on the ground to steady her. She stayed down and simply breathed. Long, ragged breaths sawing slowly in and out as tears of frustration flooded her eyes and slipped free. She wanted to be alone, but knew if she spoke her voice would break.

  Long moments of silence passed, and her anger did as well, until finally she was left with a weary residue of shame. Turning her head, she sucked back her tears and flicked a glance over her shoulder before swallowing hard. “Th-thank you for sticking up for them.”

  She was surprised that when Barron responded, he sounded genuinely offended. “That is not what I was doing!”

  Curious, she slowly got to her feet and turned to face him.

  “I was protecting you!”

  “Protecting me,” she scoffed still shaken from her outburst. “I was out of fucking control.” She shoved her hands in her jean pockets and dropped her head in embarrassment.

  “You weren’t out of control, Willa.” His tone had softened. “You’re frustrated, and guess what? We’re all entitled to a breakdown every now and then.”

  His reassuring words, surprisingly, made her feel better. “So how was you hauling me out of the house protecting me?” She smiled up at him sheepishly.

  He shook his head and his lips curled. “They needed to hear what you had to say, but my concern was for you. I may not know everything about you, but I think I’ve learned enough to know that if I’d have let you finish with what you wanted to say, it’d eat you up for days. Even when you’re teaching them a lesson you feel regret at the need for it.”

  Willa’s smile vanished.

  “Shit!” Barron hissed. “You’re already feeling sorry for them, aren’t you?”

  She kicked at a rock. “Well, I did kinda lose my shit back there.”

  “They needed to hear it, Willa. They need to know that, while you’re the only one bearing the brunt of the pain, they have their feet held to the fire just like you do.” He shook his head. “You do too much. You carry too much, and I don’t think anyone’s ever told you that that is not what being Alpha is about.”

  “Oh yeah, smart guy. Then what is it about?”

  “It’s not about always being right, Willa. Sometimes it’s actually about being wrong. Lord knows most of us always are, but sometimes an Alpha has to be wrong, and have her pack accept that. When your pack watches you step up and fail, and they still choose to follow you, that’s when you know you’ve made Alpha. They put their faith in you because they see that you’re making what you believe are the best available decisions on their behalf. They’re not always gonna be the right decisions, and you won’t always succeed, sweetheart. But like I said, that’s not always the point. The point is trying to lead them not where they want to go, but to where they need to be. They’ll see it, and they’ll feel it. You have that with this pack, your pack. You’re a good leader, Willa. You’re the only one who second guesses it.” He waved his hand toward the house. “They’d follow you straight off a cliff and smile during the drop, confident that you’ve got something planned.” He shook his head and mumbled, “Knowing you, you probably would.”

  Great! Now she just felt like a bigger ass. Unsure how to respond, she opted for honesty. “I feel like I’m failing them. I feel like we shouldn’t be here. We wouldn’t be here if I’d chosen better.” She turned away from him, unable to face him as she confessed. “I did lead them off a cliff.” Her shoulders dropped dejectedly as she lowered her head. “But I don’t have a plan.”

  Grabbing her arm, he spun her around until she was facing him, held securely in the circle of his arms. “Hell, Willa, you couldn’t fail that pack if you tried. As for being here, what could you have chosen to do that would have made any difference?”

  There were so many things, she didn’t know where to start. “If I’d have mated before all this, there wouldn’t be challengers. There’d be no threats to the pack.”

  “But you’d be unhappy.”

  “Or if I’d have just chosen a strong Alpha before word went out.”

  He shook his head. “And you’d still be unhappy.”

  She pulled a face. “Look, if you’re trying to make me feel better, the only thing you’re succeeding in is showing me that if I’d have just foregone my own happiness, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  Using a finger, he nudged her chin, forcing her to tilt her head back to stare up at him. “Alpha lesson number two. This life, your life, isn’t about servitude to them. You’re supposed to find happiness too, damn it!”

  She chuffed a laugh at the clear indignation he felt.

  “Life isn’t that hard, beautiful.” He lifted a hand to cup her cheek. “Believe it or not, there is a happily-ever-after kind of life where you and your pack live in peace.”

  “Can you show me how to find it?” The words came out more pleading than she’d anticipated, and he smirked at her before the expression slid away and he was staring down at her intently.

  Hand still cupping her face, he slowly leaned in and Willa tilted her head further back, lips parting.

  Suddenly, a tentative voice called. “Willa?”

  God damn it! She was going to shoot Keryn!

  “Hey, Keryn.” Barron released Willa and she turned to find a tearful Keryn standing behind her, her lip trembling.

  The girl didn’t speak, and Willa didn’t either. Instead, the Alphina opened her arms and Keryn rushed to her, sobbing in her arms. “I’m s-s-sorry. I was just…”

  “Shhh,” Willa soothed, brushing Keryn’s long hair back. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have lost my cool. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

  “I didn’t mean to sound like we should pawn the girls off.”

  Willa crooned, “I know, baby.”

  “I love ‘em and I just want ‘em to be safe. All of us to be safe.”

  “Me too.” Willa sighed. “It’s why I lost control. I apologize.”

  Keryn cried a little longer in Willa’s arms before Barron said gently, “You ladies ready to head back to the house?” He smiled at Willa over Keryn’s head.

  Chapter 17

  The next afternoon, Barron studied Willa under the guise of working. He’d offered to tear down the old “guest house” and rebuild it. Willa offered to help, and when she refused to let the pack assist, he knew that, for her, it was a self-imposed punishment. She still felt bad for snapping at them and wanted to give them the day off, so she’d set them up with a monstrously large bowl of popcorn, a pitcher of sweet tea, and a free pass to play video games for the afternoon.

  Now, out in the shade of the trees that hung over the guest house it was still warm, but it wasn’t the temperature that had him so hot.

  Goddamn, she’s beautiful. She was dressed in tight, faded jeans and a ta
nk top, frowning as she used the claw end of a hammer to pull nails from the old shack that was meant for company.

  Ornery as all hell, but fucking beautiful! He grinned when Willa’s brows speared down and her tongue poked out as she worked to free a particularly stubborn nail. Slight muscles bunched in her arms, and he realized as he watched her working with dogged determination that she was thinner than she needed to be. Sweat beaded on her forehead and the tip of her nose, and he grew angry at the fact that she was out here working so damn hard.

  Standing, he swiped his hands on his thighs as he stalked toward her. “Move. I got it.”

  She didn’t look up. “I’m fine.” Her scowl deepened and she changed her grip on the hammer.

  “Let me.” He bent over her to grab the hammer from her hands and noticed how perfectly she fit into the pocket of his body.

  “I said,” she jerked harder on the hammer. “I.” Jerk. “Got.” Jerk. “It.” With one final hard jerk, the nail yanked free and she wasn’t ready for it. Her body slammed into his and he caught her around the waist.

  “Whoa!” Instinctively, Barron stood, scooping her slight frame up as he went. She was light in his arms, and despite her wiggling, he liked the feel of her there.

  “Put me down.”

  She refused to look at him, and he noted the flush that stole across her cheeks. She’d been on edge all morning, and at first he thought it was residual from her guilt at having yelled at the kids. However, as the morning progressed and she’d done everything in her power to avoid him, he knew that he was the source of her consternation.

  “Easy, beautiful.” His arms tightened when she tensed at the endearment.

  She snapped, “Don’t call me that. And put me down.”

  He didn’t listen. Instead, he stalked toward the porch before ascending the steps and crossing to the swing where he sat with her on his lap. When she tried to squirm off, he caught her and hauled her back. “Uh-uh.” He positioned her so she was sitting across his lap, cradled in his arms.