by Sara Kimball
Alex had almost forgotten the measured, cold sound of her brother’s voice, and it made her swallow. She didn’t feel fear, but rather a lump of homesickness. It didn’t make sense to her since she had spent the last eight years resenting him, and she pushed the conflicting feelings aside. She comforted herself with the knowledge that wherever Lincoln was would be her home from now on. His arm tightened around her waist briefly in a gentle squeeze, and his hand stroked her back through her shirt.
Elizabeth was silent, studying Lincoln and Alex with an intent look on her face. Mitch was just as patient, making not a peep on the other end of the phone. Finally, Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at Lincoln. He nodded back at her.
“Very well, Mr. Cannon.” Her voice got deadly, “But remember that I have a short temper and a desire to taste your flesh. I enjoy my meals more when my prey screams in agony.” Nearly everyone shivered as her Alpha power suffused the room, the predominant feeling that they needed to run and hide. “You will do nothing to interfere in Alex’s life. She will see you at the next Conclave, and you can ascertain that she is being well taken care of at that time.” Alex was surprised to hear that she would be attending, but realized quickly that she shouldn’t be. As Elizabeth’s heir, Lincoln would attend the yearly meetings—or Conclaves—that the Packs took turns hosting, and as Lincoln’s mate she would need to attend too. It was an opportunity for Packs to settle disputes or create alliances without the undue strain of using emissaries. Although technology had developed enough to do video calls, most Alphas were older and preferred the pageantry with sending messengers. The Conclaves were also a time for those wishing to change Packs to petition for a transfer, to mingle for potential mate matches, and to create alliances through mating for political gain.
Elizabeth hung up the phone. Alex was the first to break the silence, “It sounds like my brother was behind the dart at the cabin that put me into heat. But I still don’t understand his motivation.”
Jax hummed thoughtfully, “Who knows why he does what he does. He has convoluted plans within convoluted plans.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Your brother has a reputation for getting what he wants by trying to manipulate those around him, I will admit. Although what I am still stuck on is what he would be getting by giving you to Dupree all those years ago. Surely he would know that that Dupree wouldn’t have been a suitable mate, and that you would have wanted to leave him.”
Lincoln, who had sat patiently throughout the whole conversation, was now standing, lifting Alex in his arms as he went. “Well, I’ve had enough stress for a couple days. And Alex has too. I’ll just go take her upstairs to relax.”
Tyler made a sound of disappointment. “I was hoping that Alex would show me around. I haven’t seen her in a while, and it would be nice to catch up. Make sure she’s here of her own free will and all that…you sounded pretty possessive there for a minute.” Lincoln’s gaze narrowed on Tyler’s face, but the human was impervious and looked back with a patently innocent expression. Alex was sure Tyler had practiced it in front of a mirror.
Alex could feel the growl starting in his chest from where he held her, and she stroked his shoulder softly. “It would be nice to see my friend. I’ll stay within sight of the house, and I’ll even take him to the back, so you can see us out the window.” She said it softly, so Tyler couldn’t hear. The other wolves could, but not him. It was evident, the battle Lincoln fought within himself, his arms tightening around her before easing and then tightening again. Soon enough, however, she saw him come to a decision.
Lincoln set Alex on her feet and tucked her curly hair behind her ear, kissing her cheek softly. “Right. Well then I have work to catch up on. You two have fun.” Lincoln left, Elizabeth trailing after. Moira, Jax and the others remained in the room, and Alex motioned Tyler outside through one of the French doors.
They walked onto the lawn, and Alex waved a hand around them. “This is the lawn.”
Tyler gave her a wry look, and walked further into the sunshine. His shoulders were stiff and his posture was guarded. Alex followed for a moment, stopping at a bench and sitting. Tyler joined her and they sat in comfortable silence for a moment. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that you knew what I am?”
He grunted, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and pulling her in for a sideways hug. “I figured you wouldn’t tell me, and after a while I realized it didn’t really matter.”
Alex straightened quickly from under his arm and looked around. “Normally touching is fine, but not right now. Lincoln is a little—on edge after the events of this week, and I don’t want a reason to incite him.” She softened the rejection with a friendly—and quick—pat on his arm. “But thank you for everything. It means more that you were my boss and my friend when I needed one, and you helped to keep me safe. Even though I didn’t know it.”
He nodded and picked a flower from a nearby bush, twirling it in his fingers. “No problem. Sometimes it feels good to protect people rather than kill them. It’s why Arthur, Miles and I all ended up where we did.” He threw the flower on the ground. “Are you happy? Okay with being that guy’s mate? If not, I’ll take you home right now.”
Alex smiled softly. Surprisingly, she was more than happy with where she was at, and had no desire to leave. “Yes. I’m okay here. And I don’t need to run. Though it is kind of you to offer. Now. How long are you planning on sticking around? Are you staying here? Do you have a room yet?”
“I’m staying in a guest room here…and I plan on staying long enough to interrupt you in the bedroom as payback for doing it to me.”
Alex laughed heartily, and when she calmed enough to speak she told Tyler about how she came to be mated to Lincoln, although she did leave out all of the inappropriate details. After talking to him, her stomach growled, and it prompted her into action. “Come on, I’ll show you around, and then we’ll swing by the kitchen and see if Jayce has anything to eat. I’m hungry.”
He followed, laughing. “You are always hungry. I’ve never seen a better bottomless pit.”
///
Elizabeth followed Lincoln down the hallway to his rooms, and closed the door behind her softly. She faced him full on, guilt twisting inside of her. Without waiting for him to speak, she began. “Lincoln, I have to apologize to you.”
Her grandson, the man she had helped to raise and loved like her own sons, sat and motioned her to sit as well. “What for?”
“I made a mistake. And unfortunately you and Alex paid the price.” She fisted her hand. “Only I didn’t know that dirty, under-handed villain would be shooting Alex with a dart full of something to put her into heat. I didn’t even know there was such a thing.” She looked up at him with a pleading look on her face. “And I wanted so much for you to be happy, I bent a few of my own rules.”
Lincoln laughed under his breath, and then moved to envelope her in a hug. “I know—now—that you gave me some horrible advice about waiting to make Alex mine…I’m presuming with the intention to send me into a rut?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes. I’m so sorry my dear; it was terrible of me to do. I just wanted—”
He interjected, “Great-grandchildren?”
Laughter erupted from Lincoln when he looked at her face, which she knew held a rather remorseful expression. “Well, I’m sorry. It sounds like you have forgiven me, at least.”
Lincoln hugged her once more before moving back a space. “It was a memorable few days, that is for sure. But your advice doesn’t concern me as much as Mitch does. I’ve asked Jax to look into who is manufacturing such a chemical and how widespread it is, not to mention which Packs are involved.
“I greatly fear that for them to find a chemical like that, one that works on a werewolf, they will have used werewolves to test it on.”
Elizabeth had had exactly the same thought. “I’ve asked Moira to look into it as well. Whomever is producing such filth needs to be stopped immediately.”
///
Jayce Wilson w
as not a coward, but she had endured a rather hard life, and was determined to make it better. She was often hesitant in her decisions, but was working on expanding her skills and interests. She was actually sad that Alex’s class hadn’t continued recently, but it was understandable with the circumstances around her and Lincoln leaving. She had been happy at the end of the two hour instruction; refreshed and feeling like she could take control of more and more of her life.
The kitchen was one place that she never felt lacking in. Excelling at cooking and baking from a young age, she had been mated at age sixteen. She had quickly learned that she was nothing more than a commodity. Someone to cook, clean, and take care of her ‘mate’ while he did whatever pleased him, including taking other women to bed.
After several years of degradation and abuse, her ‘mate’ had even begun bringing the women, other wolves or humans, back to their home, and sleeping with them. Jayce had been able to hear everything, and sometimes she was told to watch. It was the lowest period of her life.
And then one day, the vile cretin had died. Jayce had rejoiced at having her freedom back, but had been too scared to do anything about it, going on with her routine. At least, until the Alpha started talk that she was to be mated to her mate’s friend. That had lit a fire in her, and Jayce had run, to the only safe place she knew. Her cousin was in the Gold Pack and had always struck her as a decent and honest man. He had helped arrange for her to work with the butler for Mrs. Harcourt, Ray Johnson.
Mr. Johnson had been Mrs. Harcourt’s butler since well before the last century. And when a fellow Pack member’s young cousin had turned up, down on her luck and looking for a safe place, he had been able to show Mrs. Harcourt that Jayce would be a valuable asset—simply by asking her to cook something.
Jayce had been working for over twenty years in the luxurious kitchen, accommodating the residents and guests of the house as best she could. The granite counters and tile backsplashes had been her sanctuary. Enough time had passed that the walls she had previously hid behind no longer felt like a sanctuary. Instead, they felt like a trap. Jayce was determined to be brave enough to live a little more, to explore further beyond the safe confines around her. Exploration, however, came to her instead that afternoon.
Alex walked in, a human trailing behind her. “Hi Jayce. I was wondering if I could make a sandwich? If you show me where the ingredients are, I can make it myself. Do you want one, Tyler?” Jayce knew she was staring at the man, mouth slightly open, and snapped to attention when she realized Alex was talking to her. She was sure her face was bright red.
“Oh right. Jayce this is my boss Tyler. Tyler, this is Jayce.”
Jayce, trying to cover her embarrassment, turned to the fridge. She pulled out a bevy of leftovers and quick meals that she could make, setting them on the counter and describing each dish quickly. It wasn’t until Alex and Tyler shared an amused look that Jayce realized she was babbling on incessantly. She shut her mouth and made a weak gesture towards the food.
Tyler was a handsome man, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He was tall and muscular, just like the werewolves, but his scent was distinctly human. Jayce’s wolf was nearly humming with tension as she beheld him, sexually interested in a man for the first time. Up until now, she had been repulsed by males—though all of the males she had run across had been wolves.
///
Alex crinkled her brow in confusion at Jayce’s behavior, but then her nose caught a faint scent of arousal and she understood instantly, glancing between Tyler and Jayce. Both seemed rather focused on each other.
She had heard a little bit about Jayce’s history from Moira, and knew that the other woman was often very shy and reserved around the men of the Pack. She even hid most mealtimes in the kitchen, not eating with everyone due to the over-abundance of testosterone laden guards at the table. Alex got an idea, and internally shrugged. What could it hurt?
“Jayce, I promised Tyler a picnic, but I just remembered that I have to go and meet with Elizabeth and Lincoln. Would you mind packing some of this up and taking him for me?”
Tyler glanced at her and started to protest and she kicked his ankle lightly, her eyes glancing emphatically between him and Jayce. Tyler understood quickly and glanced up and down the trim body of the woman in front of him. She was petite, with a slender figure, and curves in the right places. She looked about thirty, and had a pretty, pleasant face and a nice smile.
Alex saw Tyler immediately turn on the charm, “I would love to go on a picnic with such a beautiful woman.” She saw Jayce hesitate, and he continued sheepishly, “Unless you’d rather not go with me?”
“No.” Jayce spoke quickly. “I mean, yes. I would like to go with you. Just let me wrap some of this up and grab a blanket.”
Alex snagged a plate of something to satiate her hunger and began to edge out of the kitchen, but then stopped. She felt responsible that the other wolf not get her hopes crushed due to Tyler’s man whore ways, so she pulled Jayce aside quickly and whispered to her so Tyler couldn’t hear, “I say go get him if you want him. But just know he has a reputation for getting around, so make sure he isn’t going to break your heart.”
Jayce nodded gravely at her words.
///
Mitch Cannon smiled in satisfaction as he dialed his phone. Everything is going according to plan.
When the phone was answered the smile fell off his face, and his tone hardened. “You three will return at once and we will discuss why it was that you chose to shoot at a member of the Gold Pack when I gave specific instructions that my sister was to be taken, and no one else harmed.”
The man on the other end of the phone argued briefly, but Mitch interrupted him. “Enough. I gave you mercy for a few days because I had another job for you. But now it’s done. Come back. You can plead for mercy then.” He hung up without waiting for a reply.
///
Oscar put his phone in his pocket and looked at Ryan and Michael. “Looks like the boss is pissed about us trying to shoot that Gold Pack lady.” They already knew this, having listened to the conversation, but Oscar was still trying to process it himself.
Ryan cursed and spat, the saliva a muddy brown color from the chew tucked into his cheek. “I don’t know what the hell he expected us to do. That was the best plan. We did try, before, but nothing was working out.”
“Who cares if it was a good plan or not? If the boss is pissed it still means bad news for us.” Michael practically growled at Ryan, and Oscar knew he had to de-escalate them fast before they began fighting.
“Enough.” He put a hand on each of their shoulders. “I think I have an idea about how we can come out ahead on this.”
The men looked at him curiously. “I don’t want to go back to Cannon and get chewed a new asshole just because I interpreted orders so I could get the job done. I’d like to see him get his hands dirty. And I don’t want him to find out how we got his slut of a sister to spread her legs for Harcourt and be mad about that too. So what if we go somewhere else instead?”
Michael grumbled under his breath, “Who would take us in? Let’s be honest, we aren’t the most respectable bunch. And I don’t really feel like groveling and kissing some Alpha’s boots just ‘cuz he was born that way.”
Oscar nodded solemnly. “Which is why we aren’t going to go somewhere like that. I’ve heard about a place we can go, in Alaska, where a wolf can be a wolf, and they get respect by taking it.”
“How the hell are we gonna get enough money to get up there and get set up? We can’t drive a stolen car across the border.” Ryan’s face was intrigued but cautious.
“Well, I’ve got an idea about that too.”
///
Johnny Dupree watched as the injection was pumped into the bitch’s vein, his gaze hooded as she began to writhe and squirm on the bed. The man in the lab coat—he called himself a doctor but really he had no medical degree—made notes on his tablet, his gaze impassive.
“This one is
n’t too strong for humans? It won’t stop her heart like the wolf-strength stuff did to the last one?”
The doctor nodded.
Johnny walked to the edge of the bed and grabbed the bitch’s neck, pulling her upright. He looked over her body without compassion and imagined all the things he would do to her. “You be a good girl for me, and it won’t hurt long.”
She cried piteously. “Please. Please help me.”
Johnny chuckled and dropped her back to the bed. “Leave. If it works I’ll order more. Those fucksticks up north want more, and there is a whorehouse in Mexico that we could roll it out in. I know many men—and wolves—that would like some time with someone a little bit more…durable and biddable.” The doctor left and Johnny opened his pants, grabbing the whore’s face in a punishing grip as he used her mouth to pleasure himself.
From the Journal of Elizabeth Harcourt, 1829
My husband died a week ago. I haven’t written because I have been consumed by grief. I can’t…I just can’t stop feeling the hurt.
This is a hard life I have led. It feels that way now. But I have my children to comfort me, my family around me. I keep telling myself there are good things in this world too.
His Beta betrayed him, killed him when he wasn’t expecting it. Tried to take over his empire. And why? My husband loved the man like a brother. And betrayal was his reward.
Well we showed him. Well. Not me. I was…afraid. After what happened with Adam. How wild I got and how vicious. So I let the boys take this one, only I kept the little one, John, on my lap. He is only seven after all.
They exacted their vengeance for their father.
Now we are faced with the conundrum of what to do with Brendan’s territory and his Pack. The Alphas he ruled over are all grappling with each other, and I fear very much that I don’t have it in me to put them all back together again. Only time will tell.
Chapter 15
Alex was walking up the stairs after eating her snack, looking for Lincoln, when Elizabeth intercepted her. “There you are dear. Moira and I have some items for you. If you have time, could you join me?” Alex nodded, and went with the older woman. Well, I can hardly object and tell her I want to go ravish her grandson—that would be a little weird.