Bitten By the Alpha

by Annabelle Jacobs

  She went first, with Cam following her out. Gareth waited for everyone else to leave before doing the same and pulling the door closed behind him.

  Resting his head against the wood for a second, Gareth willed himself to calm down. This wasn’t like him. They were ten days away from the full moon so he couldn’t blame it on that.

  He caught Nathan’s scent seconds before he heard his footsteps coming towards him on the gravel.

  Gareth turned to find Nathan and Luke watching with concerned expressions.

  “Everything okay?”

  The familiar scent of his unit filled the air around him and Gareth greedily breathed it in. This is what he needed to ground him. Pack. He reached for them both and drew them close enough that they were all he could smell. He let out a heavy sigh and rested his head against Nathan’s shoulder. “I don’t like being here,” he whispered. “I need to be back in our building. Where we can protect ourselves and Cam.”

  Nathan tensed. “Are we in danger?”

  “No.” Rationally Gareth believed that, but… “I just don’t feel right.” He indulged himself a moment longer, settling his wolf, then stepped away. “Come on, they’ll be wondering where we are.”

  Sure enough, the others had disappeared around the front of the building.

  Cursing under his breath, Gareth ushered Nathan and Luke in front of him. They rounded the corner of the farmhouse as Mike was going through the front door.

  He stopped and met Gareth’s gaze. “All right?”

  Gareth managed a wry smile. “I’ll be better when we’re on the road.”

  Rolling his shoulders, Mike nodded. “You and me both.”

  Good. At least it’s not just me.

  They walked into the large kitchen area to find the rest of their pack standing around a table full of food. A couple of people Gareth didn’t recognise were off to the side talking with Tregarrak, and next to Cam was Felix.

  Only a few weeks had passed since they’d seen Felix, but Gareth already noted a few changes in him. When they’d caught and held him in their pack building, Felix Martyn had been rough-looking, with straggly hair and an untidy beard, as though he didn’t give a shit what he looked like.

  From what Gareth could see, Felix had smartened up considerably. His dark hair, still shoulder-length, looked recently cut and clean. Instead of the ragged beard he had before, he now had a thick layer of stubble.

  Gareth wondered if he’d been ordered to tidy himself up or if country life agreed with him more than the city.

  Or maybe it was having a stable, settled pack?

  Felix was accountable for his own actions. Gareth wouldn’t forgive him for everything he’d done as a rogue shifter, but Felix’s alpha hadn’t been anything like Cam. It was easy for Gareth to cast blame when the evidence spoke for itself, but he had no idea what it must have been like to be part of a pack like that. Maybe he should cut Felix a little slack?

  He grabbed a plate and helped himself to a bacon sandwich, then walked over to join Felix and Cam.

  Cam raised his eyebrows at Gareth’s late arrival but kept the conversation with Felix going for a moment. Then he gestured to Gareth. “I’m sure you two remember each other.”

  Gareth grinned, baring his teeth. He remembered the fight outside Seb’s apartment all too well. His wolf stirred. Cutting Felix some slack would be more difficult than he anticipated. “Felix.” Gareth gave him a deliberate once over. “I see being banished to the countryside hasn’t done you any harm.”

  Felix laughed. “You sound almost disappointed.” Gareth shrugged, not about to deny it. He’d at least wanted him to suffer a little. “Not that I blame you in the slightest. I’d feel the same in your position.” Fleix grimaced, as though he’d tasted something unpleasant, then added. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  Ahh, that would explain it.

  “For what exactly?”

  “For all of it. I knew what my alpha was planning. Our pack wasn’t always rogue, but things change. When they did, I could’ve gone to the alpha council, told them what our alpha intended to do, and put a stop to it. But I chose not to.”

  Gareth doubted it was as easy as he made it sound but kept his opinions to himself. If Felix wanted to take all the blame, then let him.

  “I’m not asking for forgiveness.”

  A bark of laughter escaped him. “Good. Because you won’t get it from anyone here.” Gareth shot a quick glance at Cam to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. Cam was fair, not gullible or easily swayed by a few platitudes. Members of their pack had died in that fight.

  Cam met Gareth’s gaze, his expression hard to read as he said, “I don’t doubt your sincerity at this moment, but whether or not you’re truly sorry remains to be seen.”

  Felix nodded. “Fair enough.”

  Looking around the room, Gareth spotted Nathan and Luke over by the window. Nathan was staring at them, scowling. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said to Cam, then walked across the room to his two unit members.

  Nathan’s expression softened slightly as Gareth approached, but not by much. “He looks far too happy for someone supposedly being punished.”

  Their conversation wasn’t strictly pack business, but it still made Gareth uneasy to talk so openly in the middle of the Penwith pack members. No one appeared to be paying them too much attention, but he found himself lowering his voice to a near whisper nonetheless.

  “Appearances can be deceiving.”

  Nathan grunted. “I hope so.” Apparently Nathan was even less forgiving than Gareth. But Jared was his mate and Seb was Jared’s closest friend. Not to mention Nathan had almost died at the hands of Felix’s pack. It was personal for Nathan.

  “He helped us get Seb’s sister back, though. He didn’t have to do that.” Luke glanced from Gareth to Nathan. “And by all accounts, rogue pack alphas don’t give a crap about their pack members. Isn’t it more or less every wolf for himself?”

  Trust Luke to try and give Felix the benefit of the doubt.

  Gareth sighed and reached up to palm the side of Luke’s neck. Scenting him. “I’d heard in some cases it’s more of a ‘you’ll do what the alpha says or die.’ There’s no easy way of leaving a pack like that.” He felt Luke’s pulse speed up a little.

  “Fuck.”

  They all glanced over at Cam then. Gareth wouldn’t be surprised if they were all thinking the same thing. They were lucky to have him.

  Another twenty minutes passed, and Gareth began to get fidgety. The morning was wearing on, and they needed to get going. Cam was now talking to Rachel and a guy who bore a striking resemblance to her—same fiery red hair, and green eyes—must be the brother who’d come back from patrol, Leo. He had his arm slung possessively over her shoulders, as though the last thing he wanted to do was let her leave with Cam. His stance wasn’t exactly confrontational, but it wasn’t relaxed and friendly either.

  A low growl bubbled up through Gareth’s chest, startling him, and he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard. No one seemed to be paying him any attention.

  Except Felix.

  Of fucking course.

  Gareth ground his teeth as Felix caught his eye and walked over to him.

  He glanced between Gareth and Cam, eyes narrowing. “Ooh.”

  No. Felix couldn’t possibly know the truth.

  Leaning close to his ear, Gareth whispered. “Stop. Whatever it is you’re thinking. Just stop.”

  “Hey.” Felix raised his palms enough to show his meaning, then let them fall. “I would never. I know how it is.” He shot a glance at Leo, a barely audible sigh escaping.

  It took Gareth a second or two to catch on, but in his defence, he hadn’t been expecting that. “Fucking hell, Felix.” The son of the alpha and an ex-rogue shifter serving two years’ probation—not the best of matches. Especially when said alpha had the authority to hand out punishment if Felix stepped a toe out of line.

  Gareth almost felt sorry for him.

&
nbsp; “Not the best choice you could’ve made.”

  Felix turned and met his gaze, his expression open, easy to read. “It’s not a choice though, is it?”

  Fuck it, Gareth did feel bad for him. With him. His eyes were drawn once more to Cam, now laughing at something Leo had said—eyes crinkled at the edges. “No. It’s not.”

  Felix clinked his coffee mug against Gareth’s in silent commiseration, and Gareth sighed.

  Impossible and unrequited love was the last thing he thought they’d have in common.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Cam waited by the side of the car, leaning against the passenger side door and watching as Rachel said her goodbyes.

  She offered a cold stare and a tight smile to her father, but her brother got a full hug, so tight Cam swore he heard bones creak.

  Tregarrak seemed unfazed by this display, resigned almost as though he’d been expecting it.

  I guess that’s what happens if you essentially banish your daughter from the pack.

  Rachel’s things were already packed in the car—surprisingly little for such an extended stay, not that Cam was complaining. He didn’t particularly want loads of bags crammed in the car with them.

  He glanced back at the car behind them, where Gareth sat behind the wheel, with Nathan beside him and Luke in the back with one of Mike’s unit. Cam frowned. Gareth had been… not his usual self the past two days. Whether it was being out of the city and the unsettledness of the pack like Gareth had said, Cam couldn’t be sure. But something was bothering him, and Cam intended to find out what.

  Finding any spare time was hard lately, but Cam would find some for Gareth. While he wanted to fully integrate his new betas into the pack, it wasn’t going to be at the expense of his old ones.

  Normally Alec was the one he had to worry about, but Alec was a different man now he had Mark.

  Gareth though… maybe Cam hadn’t been paying him enough attention lately—too focused on his surliest of betas in recent weeks.

  That would change when they got home.

  Tregarrak walked Rachel over to Cam’s car, and Cam straightened. “Ready to go?” He moved to open the back door for her.

  She said a terse goodbye to her father and then climbed inside, pulling the door shut with a slam. Turning to Tregarrak, Cam raised his eyebrows.

  Tregarrak glanced at the window of the car and sighed. “Take good care of my daughter. Please.”

  “Of course.”

  With that, Cam gestured for Mike’s remaining unit member to get in the front alongside Mike. Cam would take the seat next to Rachel. Maybe they could get to know each other a little better on the long drive back. They’d be cooped up for a good few hours; might as well make the most of it.

  “I’ll be in touch.” Tregarrak laid a hand on the roof of the car. “Hopefully things will quieten down soon, and she can come home.”

  “Hopefully.” Cam opened the back door and got in the car. Tregarrak retreated to the farmhouse. “Let’s go home.”

  “Thought you’d never ask,” Mike muttered, and Cam smiled. It seemed both his betas were eager to get back to London.

  While Cam missed the rest of his pack and the familiarity of his flat, he loved the Cornish countryside: the fresh bite to the air, carrying a hint of the sea whenever he breathed deep enough. He envied Tregarrak all the space he had for his pack. They were free to roam around without another soul for miles.

  Mike reversed and drove down the dirt road leaving the farmhouse behind them. Cam glanced over his shoulder to see Gareth following, then relaxed into his seat. Time to get to know his newest—if temporary—pack member.

  Turning to face her properly, he got as far as “So, Rachel—” and abruptly stopped. She sat with her eyes closed, head resting against the seat, with her face tilted towards the window. Cam noticed the earbuds she had in and followed the wire down to where it connected to her phone.

  Okay, then.

  He’d expected her to have better manners, alpha’s daughter or not. He couldn’t imagine any of his pack being so rude.

  Cam debated making her put her phone away and talk to him. As her temporary alpha, he could order her to do it. That had never been Cam’s style, though, and he hoped it never would be.

  Letting her be, Cam turned his attention to the fields passing by their window.

  He’d give her a pass, considering the circumstances.

  She’d talk when she was ready.

  THEY STOPPED roughly halfway for lunch at the services again. Luke and Nathan had offered to take Rachel inside so she could use the toilets—not that she was their prisoner—but Cam wanted to keep an eye on her for now, so he steered her towards the entrance. He’d promised her father he’d look after her.

  When they returned, Cam took advantage of the strong 4G signal and checked in with Alec and Jason. Alec’s response was short and to the point: All okay, no issues to report.

  Jason’s wasn’t: I’d like to meet with you when you get back. Some of Wes’s old unit and a couple of others have been to visit him and Newell in prison.

  So now they were visiting Wes too?

  He tapped a finger on the edge of his phone, thinking. Then replied with, I’ll hold a beta meeting 9am tomorrow. We can discuss it then with everyone else present.

  Thank you.

  As Cam went to slip his phone back into his pocket, it chimed with an email alert. He really needed to turn off notifications for that. It was going to drive him mad sooner or later. The name of the sender caught his eye, and he frowned. He’d already had an email from the prison.

  Moving a little way away from the car, Cam opened the email and read.

  From: Michael Fleck

  To: Cameron Harley

  Re: Newell, Colford

  Alpha Harley,

  I wouldn’t normally bother you with this since we don’t grant prisoner requests, but since you expressed an interest in these prisoners, I thought you’d want to know. Both Stephen Newell and Wes Colford have been asking to see you. It was pointed out to them that no such request would be extended to you, but they were both welcome to send a request via letter. I believe Mr Colford has done this, and you should be receiving it shortly. Mr Newell, however, is apparently above such a task and persists to badger the guards daily.

  Please note, this email is not to ask you to visit, but merely to keep you informed of the situation.

  Michael Fleck

  Prison Governor.

  Bollocks. That was the last thing he needed on top of everything else. Why on earth would Newell, or Wes for that matter, want to see me? He sensed Mike approaching and quickly closed his email, pocketing his phone. Now was not the time for this discussion. Especially not having their guest within earshot.

  “You about ready to go?” Mike asked, car keys jangling on his finger.

  “Yeah. Is everyone else ready?”

  Mike pointed at Gareth’s car. “He’s chomping at the bit.”

  Smiling despite himself, Cam said, “We’d better get going then.”

  As soon as they were back in the car, Rachel had her earbuds in, eyes closed. This time Cam was glad for her refusal to talk. He had far too much on his mind to be bothered with idle chatter.

  The remainder of the journey flew by as Cam went over and over why either Newell or Colford would want to see him. What would they gain from Cam visiting? He had neither the authority nor the inclination to help them in any way, shape or form. The thought nagged at him all the way back, and he was still distracted when they eventually pulled up in front of his building.

  Shit.

  Angry at himself for allowing Newell to get to him, Cam quickly sent a text to Alec, Jason, Daryl, and Paul. Beta mtg, my flat, 10 mins.

  He got out and joined Gareth on the pavement. “Good to be home?”

  Gareth’s smile seemed like the first genuine one Cam had seen in days. “Yes. It really is.”

  “Not to ruin your good mood, but I’ve called a beta meeting to int
roduce Rachel and catch everyone up on what’s been going on.”

  Gareth looked at him curiously. “Okay. But why not wait until morning?”

  That had been his original plan, but things had changed.

  “Because I want to do it now,” Cam said, hoping Gareth would drop it. He didn’t want to discuss this in front of Rachel. He didn’t want to discuss any pack business in front of her until he got to know her a bit better. And to do that, he needed to get her alone. Which was why he’d decided to put her in his guest bedroom tonight.

  They needed to talk. Set some ground rules for her time with his pack.

  The car door opened behind them and Rachel got out.

  Both Cam and Gareth moved so they didn’t have their back to her.

  “So this is home, then?” She glanced up at Cam’s building, then down the street towards the park. Her expression remained neutral, but Cam sensed a touch of anxiety coming off her.

  “Yes.” He pointed to the other three buildings next to his. “These are all pack owned.”

  She bit at her lip, gaze drawn to the uppermost floor where Cam’s apartment was. “Which one will I be staying in?”

  “This one.” Cam gestured towards the front door. “Shall we discuss this further inside?”

  She nodded and walked with him up the steps to the door.

  Gareth and Mike followed them into the building, but Cam kept his focus on Rachel. “Is this your first time away from your pack?”

  She laughed dryly. “I thought I’d hidden it better than that.”

  Hoping to put her at ease, Cam smiled at her. “Alpha senses are hard to fool.”

  An eye-roll was his answer to that, and she took a few more steps before speaking. “Yes, it’s my first time away from the pack, away from Cornwall… There’s never any need to go anywhere other than to the beach or into Penzance, maybe Truro now and again.” She craned her neck back, following the staircase. “This is a little different to what I’m used to.” Facing Cam, she added, “How do you cope with it all?” She waved her hand at the walls, but Cam frowned.