“I’m not allowed to have any fun behind doors where no one can hear me. Oh, and I have to follow your old-fashioned rules and come in the house at the time a child would. Am I getting this right, Father?”
Thor’s Beta, Jude, entered the room and stared at the two men who were facing each other. Thor, with his hands on his hips and eyes trained on his son, didn’t flinch. Damian stood with his hands in his jeans pockets and glanced in Jude’s direction before returning his gaze to his father.
Jude asked Thor through their link, What’s going on?
“That’s where you’re wrong, son. And frankly, I’m sick of having these conversations with you. If you don’t want to follow our rules, it’s time for you to move on and find your own place to live.”
Thor replied to Jude, My brat of a son is being a disrespectful shit again.
Damian crossed his arms and widened his stance. His eyes were locked on his father. “That’s your answer to everything, isn’t it? Just say you want me to leave! Just tell me to get out. Fucking say it.” Damian’s voice cracked.
“Watch the way you talk to me, Damiano! My patience has been worn incredibly thin by your insolence already today.”
Jude sent another message, Thor, he’s over twenty-five. When will you let him have more freedom?
Thor replied, He can have all the freedom he wants when he’s on his own.
“I’m tired, and tired of talking to you. Every time it’s the same thing: ‘Damiano do this, Damiano do that, Damiano you’re late, Damiano, Damiano, Damiano’. I’m so sick of being treated like a child, Father!” Damian huffed.
Damian’s mother, Calista, entered the room. “Why are you both screaming? I can hear you all the way outside.”
Damian stared at his father. “It’s him, again.”
“I have a name, Damiano. Don’t ever forget that. I’m not him, I’m your father. And I’m the Pack Alpha and head of this house, period.”
“Yeah, yeah. You tell me that all the time.”
“You don’t listen very well, then, do you?”
Damian turned his head away from his father and looked at his mother. “And I guess Mother has no power or say-so either, like me, right?”
“Don’t try to drag your mother into this. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Your mother is my Alpha-mate. You, my son, are Omega, until you succeed in sending me to my early grave. Then, and only then, will you become Alpha of this pack,” Thor said. “You have two strikes, boy, don’t get a third and force my hand.” His aggravation from having the same conversation over and over with Damian was evident with the pinched scowl on his face and his eyes reduced to mere slits.
Jude watched, and wanted to send another message to Thor. He kept opening the link, then closing it. He wanted to tell him to walk away, but he knew his best friend would never just walk away from a confrontation, especially one with his son.
Thor growled, then sent a message to Jude, What do you want? Do you have something to say?
Jude swallowed hard. No, Thor. He’s your son. You must handle the situation as you see fit.
The two towering men didn’t give up any ground. Their eyes stayed on each other. Calista walked between them and held up her palm toward each of them.
“Enough, Thor. Please,” she said.
“Calista, my dear, I didn’t start this, but I will end it. And please, love, don’t stand between us.” Thor’s tone was even, but deadly serious.
“Damian,” Calista said.
“Mother, I’m sorry. I’m not a child and I’m not going to allow Father to treat me like one. This has gone on long enough.”
“I’m glad we agree on one thing, at least,” Thor scoffed. He rolled his eyes and inhaled deeply.
Jude sent a message to Thor, This can get really ugly, especially with your mate between the two of you. Be careful, my friend.
Thank you, but it’ll be fine. My son has gotten too big for his britches and needs to understand he’s not the one in charge. Not in my house, and not in this Pack, Thor replied.
Calista dropped her arms and lowered her head, then backed away from her position. She knew the day would come when her two stubborn Alpha men would butt heads like rams, until the death. She just prayed to the Goddess this wasn’t the day.
Damian’s vigilant stare-down with his father was interrupted as he shifted his attention to his mother. She glanced in his direction and raised her eyebrows, silently pleading with him to disengage. When she saw no reaction from him, she shook her head and left the room.
With the eye contact broken, Thor dismissed his son, and signaled for Jude to follow him. The two moved into the office to discuss Pack business.
“Thor, we’ve been friends for how long now? Years, right?”
“Of course we have, and I hope nothing comes between us, my friend.”
“What I’m going to tell you will certainly make your blood boil hotter than before. But I have an obligation as a friend and your Beta to keep you informed of Pack rumblings.” Jude swallowed hard. “There’s talk that Damian is positioning himself to take over the Pack. There are some who are questioning your position of power with your own child.” Jude looked at the floor. “A couple in the pack believe you’re on your way out, and no longer have the strength to overtake your son.”
“We both know that’s a load of bullshit. I won’t reply to the rumors, but I will keep a closer eye on Damiano. I sense his desire for power is becoming too great, and I will not stand idly by and allow a mutiny.”
Jude exhaled in relief. “Perfect. If there’s anything I can assist with, I’m always here for you.”
Thor rose from his seat and began to pace. Jude knew that wasn’t a good sign. He was frustrated and on edge. “Is there anything else?” Thor bellowed.
“You’re already aware of the Mountain Lion situation. I trust you’ll address that with Damian if you already haven’t.”
Thor shook his head and continued to pace. “That boy is going to be the death of me, I swear.”
“One other thing. Fortunately, not about Damian.”
Thor sat back down. The two continued to talk for another thirty minutes before they heard a slight knock on the door.
Thor made his way to the door and opened it to see his beautiful soul-mate.
“Yes, my darling,” he said.
“Thor, I need to have a talk with you when you’re done. I don’t want to interrupt, but it is important nonetheless.”
Jude stood and walked over to where the two were standing. “We’re finished, Calista. He’s all yours.” He clapped Thor on the back, “Thor, my friend, we’ll talk later. Attend to your beautiful mate. I’ll let myself out.”
“Thank you, Jude.”
Jude stepped through the doorway and Thor ushered Calista in to join him. He intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her over by his chair, where he sat and pulled her onto his lap.
“What can I do for you, my sweet?” Thor asked.
Her fingers threaded in his hair and traced down the chiseled lines of his face until they stopped at his shoulders.
“Thor, it’s eating me up inside to watch you and Damian argue. I don’t mean to be a pest, but is there any way this can all be put to rest?”
“Calista, sweetheart, I’d love nothing more than to never fight with the boy again. I think he enjoys pissing me off. He has always pushed me to the point of damn near no return. I’m certain he won’t be satisfied until that happens.”
She leaned in close to her mate, letting her mouth brush against his. Her eyes opened and she gazed into his brown pools of sexiness. “There has to be a better way to deal with him.”
Her mouth closed on his before he had a chance to reply. His tongue collided with hers. One of his large hands splayed on her back while the other caressed her breast through her shirt. His low growl mixed with her soft mewls.
“I see you want to push me to the point of no return, too, my dear,” Thor whispered. “But the boy is hom
e.”
“He’s asleep. We have this time to ourselves. I suggest you take full advantage of it.” She slowly unbuttoned her blouse, then unclasped her front-closure bra, exposing her breasts.
“Only a fool would say no to you. And, darling, I’m no fool.”
They both chuckled. Thor lifted Calista from his lap, pressed his pants down and off his legs, and then hefted her back up so she was straddling him. With a quick snap, he ripped her panties from her body. She moaned as she rocked her hips across his thick length, then she lolled her head back as she pressed back down, letting him glide into her heat.
Chapter 5
By the time Damian made his way back downstairs, it was late afternoon. His father was nowhere to be found, and his mother was cleaning the dishes.
“What’s for dinner?” Damian asked, causing his mother to jump.
“We had duck. Would you like some?” Calista asked.
“No. I hate duck. You guys eat weird. We should be eating more venison,” Damian said. “We are Wolves, you know.” He opened the refrigerator door and peered inside.
“You’re more than welcome to hunt for your food, or go to the butcher and buy your own.”
He slammed the door shut. “Oh, so you’re in on it too now? Fine, fuck it. I get it. I’ll just go hunt.”
“Damian,” Calista called to him, but he stormed back up the stairs to his room, slamming the door behind him. Within minutes he rushed back down the stairs.
“Damian!” she called.
“What, Mother?” He ground out. He continued to face the door without turning to face her.
“Don’t take that tone with me. And don’t walk away from me,” she huffed. “Where are you going?”
“Out. For. Food. I’m hungry, remember?”
“Good, go. I can’t deal with you when you act like this. And you wonder why your father still treats you like a child. Maybe once your belly is full, you’ll be a nicer person.”
“Whatever.” Damian spun on his heels toward his mother. He stepped within inches of her. “Maybe when I’m Pack Alpha, I’ll be nicer.”
Without hesitation, Calista slapped Damian across the face.
“Don’t you dare talk like that in this house! You know what it takes to become Alpha, and for you to say that? What’s wrong with you?”
Damian growled, then left without another word. He’d never made his mother so mad that she threatened him, or slapped him. He was mad as hell, his feeling were hurt, but mostly he was confused why he had been so brazen when talking to her. He’d been irritable since he woke up, and his hunger pangs rumbled deeper into his gut than ever before.
Damian sent a message to Maverick and Jordan, requesting them to join him on a hunt. By the time they both arrived, Damian’s Wolf was finishing a small rabbit. The two looked at each other, then back to their soon-to-be Alpha friend.
Looks like we’re late, Maverick said through his link.
Damian looked up at his Betas. You’re not late. This is my appetizer. I’m starving and have my sights set on much larger prey.
Have you heard all of the talk about you today? My pop was telling me the Mountain Lions are pissed about you hooking up with the Pumas last night, Jordan said.
I don’t give a rat’s ass. What are they going to do to me? Nothing! My dad’s Alpha and they’ll surely take it up with him, like they did the last time, Damian said before he sucked the last of the bunny meat into his mouth.
It’s not good to keep pissing off the Mountain Lions. You know, there’s rumor that they’re crazy as fuck, Maverick said.
Rumor? They are crazy, but they’re all meow and no bite. There a bunch of pussies. Damian laughed and his friends joined in. Enough about those lunatic cats -- let’s hunt.
The trio darted off deeper into the woods. Following Damian’s lead in the direction of the Mountain Lion land.
This is pretty dangerous, don’t you think? Maverick questioned them being right outside the fence that separated the common grounds with the Mountain Lion property. They were so close they could easily read the signs warning against trespassing. Maverick wasn’t one to cower, but knowing his friend had just enraged the cats the night before had him wary of this hunting location.
I’m telling you, they won’t do anything to us, Damian said.
I’m with Mav on this, D. This is like rubbing salt in an open wound. This is not a smart move, Jordan added.
Then go back. Both of you. I can hunt any fucking place I want and I want to hunt here. As long as I don’t cross the property line they can’t fucking do anything. Damian’s Wolf bared his teeth and growled.
Maverick and Jordan’s Wolves looked at each other. They knew they should leave, but couldn’t leave their friend there alone in case the Cats decided to do anything. There was no way they’d be able to live with themselves if their friend was attacked.
As the trio stalked the woods along the fence, a whooshing sound flew over Jordan’s head.
What the hell was that? he asked.
What? No sooner had Maverick asked the question than he, too, heard a whizzing sound fly too close for comfort overhead.
The Wolves stood still with their ears perked up, listening, while they scanned the area around them to try to identify what the buzzing was and where it might be coming from.
Damian! Jordan’s Wolf howled.
When Maverick and Damian turned their heads in the direction of their friend, they saw his hind quarters on the ground, his leg bleeding. They rushed over to him when another whoosh flew overhead.
Someone’s shooting at us; we have to get out of here. Jordan, you have to run! Damian said.
Jordan staggered to his feet and, after limping for a couple steps, he took off in a hobbling run behind his friends.
They ran several hundred yards before stopping near a group of large Douglas firs not far from a lake. Damian and Maverick looked at Jordan’s leg.
It’s a flesh wound. The bullet grazed you good, though, Damian said.
I’m going into the lake to wash it off, Jordan said.
I don’t know if it’s our Wolves someone is hunting or not, but to be safe, we should change back to our human form again, Damian said.
Good idea, Maverick replied.
The trio quickly shifted. As they made their way to the water, they noticed a very large buck with twenty-point antlers. His large black eyes stayed focused on the men as they helped Jordan hobble to the water.
“Do you think the Mountain Lions were shooting at us?” Maverick asked.
“Whoever it was, luckily for me, and all of us, they had bad aim,” Jordan scoffed.
“I wouldn’t have thought the Cats would do something like that, and I didn’t see anyone at all,” Damian replied. “There’s two ways to find out if it was the Cats, but I really don’t want to ask either of the options.”
“I’m guessing one is your dad,” Jordan said.
“Yeah, and he will be pissed off beyond words that we were so close to their fence.” Damian inhaled deeply and shrugged his shoulders. “The other option is ask the Head Cat himself, Xavier.”
“I don’t envy you. Let us know how it turns out,” Maverick said.
“There’s no way I’m talking to either without you both by my side. My father is going to completely flip the fuck out. But, the sooner I talk to him and face the music, the better.”
Chapter 6
“Damiano, you never fail to disappoint me,” Thor said. “Just once I’d like to not hear your name coupled with bad news.” He shook his head as he shifted his glare to Maverick, then to Jordan. “And you two?” His glare shifted back to his son. “Why, Damiano? Can you just please tell me that?”
“Why what?” Damian asked.
“Why in the fuck were you guys near their fence? Why do you constantly do things you shouldn’t? Why are you so hell-bent on causing me to have a fucking heart attack?” Thor screamed his questions.
“You’re over-reacting, again. I told you,
we went hunting. We never crossed their property line, I swear. Isn’t that right, Mav and Jordan?” Damian said. His two friends nodded their heads. Thor’s eyes never deviated from his son. “I’m not lying. I promise you I’m not.”
“What exactly do you want me to do, Damiano?”
“Please, call Xavier to see if his pack was involved in any way. I just need to know.”
Thor kept his eyes trained on his son and let out a long sigh before he walked into his office.
“Your dad is really pissed,” Maverick whispered.
“You think?” Damian scoffed.
Thor returned from his office with long strides and furrowed brow.
“It wasn’t him,” he said. “Xavier told me two of his own pack had reported being shot at the day before. We both agreed, we have to spread the word to others, and be extra careful when we shift.”
“I agree. I can help get the message to others in the pack. As a matter of fact, Mav and Jordan can help me.” Damian turned on his heels with his two friends flanking his sides. Before they reached the door, Thor stopped his son.
“Damiano, you stay. We need to talk.”
“Mav and Jordan can wait for me, right?” He turned to his friends. “Just hold on. Okay?”
Before either could reply, Thor spoke. “No, Damiano. Your friends should go. This is a conversation between you and me only.”
Damian turned his head and looked at his friends in the doorway. He dreaded the thought of having a conversation with his father alone. He suspected this wasn’t going to be good.
“Please, shut the door behind you, Maverick,” Thor said.
When the door clicked shut, Thor walked over to his son and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug.
“Damiano, I love you. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know. I love you, too, Father.”
“I can’t keep bailing you out of these crazy dilemmas you find yourself in. This thing with the Pumas, that’s, um, well, son, it’s just plain stupid. I know the felines are beautiful, but you know how they feel, yet you disrespected them anyway.”
“I had no idea they’d be so mad.”
Damian Page 3