Authors: Ellen Keener
The velvet night sky of her dream began to crack at the edges. Lukas toppled over, fading with an incredulous oath.
“Well done, my dear. I didn’t know you had it in you.” He motioned to the place where Lukas had stood. “Apparently, he didn’t either.”
“I’m just full of surprises.”
“Not enough, I’m afraid.”
Her shoulders lifted and dropped.
He bowed, pretending to tip an invisible hat. “Until we meet again.”
Her dream world began to melt at the edges, each color twining around the other until it spun into darkness.
“You know, every time I think things are calming down a little, you prove me wrong.”
Mismatched eyes, dark with irritation hovered over her head. Lips pressed against her nose in a chaste kiss.
“You’ve slept enough. I’ve got a burning desire to know exactly what that was all about.”
She blinked again, sitting up. Morning brushed at the edges of the sky. They’d slept longer than she’d thought.
“I don’t know? Why Haemon shows up in my dreams? Because he’s a nuisance.”
“Lame. Try again.”
“You’re a pain.”
“Maybe. But we aren’t leaving until you tell me what he really wanted. And how you managed to kick me out.”
She rose, stretched, and snorted. “Maybe you aren’t leaving, but I certainly am.”
Her form hadn’t even finished shifting, before she bounded through the trees, listening to his colorful curses as he followed.
Lukas wasn’t far behind, and his voice swirled through her mind.
When we get back, you’re going to talk to me.
Not if I can help it. I’ve got English to tutor. I want to make myself useful around here while the kids are stuck at home.
She stretched her legs longer, putting on a last burst of speed into the forest. In the corner of her eye, far to the left, a familiar honey-colored wolf also loped through the clearing.
Lukas, did he—was he out there the whole time?
She could hear the amusement in his thoughts.
Well, I tried to get him to stay away, and he didn’t come until later, but yes. There was someone around the entire time.
Damn.
If she hadn’t been in this form, she knew her entire body would have flushed.
I am never going to be able to look them in the eye, again.
They weren’t
that
close, baby. Believe me, no one’s getting a glimpse of that behind except me.
Her tail flipped in his direction, and she pointed her nose in the air. They neared the house again, so she slowed her gait to a trot. Wolf ears pricked as she heard car doors slamming in the distance and an engine starting. The kitchen of the house was already lit with a soft glow and Pack members were inside, getting ready to carpool to work for the day. A few teenagers lounged on the porch, yawning heavily and whispering to each other.
Her hindquarters dropped to the ground. She sat, watching the house come to life. The sense of belonging overwhelmed her. A tight band around her chest constricted. Pack should always feel like this. For so many years, she’d been a member of a Pack who stayed together because of fear and old family ties. There had been none of the friendship, love, and loyalty permeating everything from this bunch. Their interactions had no ulterior motive, no reluctance. Even the house radiated comfort.
Her apprehension, brought on by the dream, melted away in the warm glow of morning. She had a place now, a good one. Her resolve hardened to steel. She would never give this up willingly.
The last year had tested her mettle in ways she hadn’t ever thought she would experience. As she watched, a small group of women giggled and gossiped their way to the car, sipping insulated cups of coffee. Friendship was apparent in their laughter and facial expressions.
Later, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone why she’d done it or where the urge had come from, but it felt as natural as breathing and just as necessary. Still sitting on the grass, with Aaron and Lukas next to her, she tipped her head back and howled.
It poured from her throat like a living entity. Every emotion she felt, the sense of belonging, the relief of finding her place, her love for Lukas, and the overwhelming sense that they were her Pack and hers to protect; each thing was its own note and it blended together, seamlessly. The howl stretched out and filled the air, calling everyone’s attention. As the note began to arc and taper off, she was surprised when howls sounded from across the mountain. The women at their car, the teens on the porch, Lukas and Aaron, and wolves out of sight all joined in.
Tears wound their way down her fur as the song faded. The carpool group waved, a few wiping teary eyes, and left for work. The teenagers yawned again and giggled at something, and life resumed. No one else seemed to notice her life had just made an irrevocable change.
They noticed, baby. Believe me, they noticed.
His muzzle caressed hers and he nipped at her flank with a small yip. She trotted towards the steps.
They’re mine, Lukas. Whether they like it or not. And I intend to keep them safe. Whatever it takes.
***
Embarrassment seemed to plague her constantly. She’d blushed more in the last week than she could remember. Her first day as surrogate teacher had been uneventful, though she was certain her charges didn’t think so.
Most of them had individual assignments. Several of them were in different sections of the same class, so they worked in groups to read and answer their assignments. The hard part was keeping them all on track.
By the time they’d finished, they were all groaning about how much she’d fussed at them to stay on task. She had enjoyed the day, allowing herself to pretend it was her job. At one time, getting her teaching degree had been a major goal. Until she’d learned of the Council and her father’s dreams of the pitter patter of little, well-bred feet.
A Pack Meet had been called this evening. Already, Ella and Thaddeus were cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Not wanting to leave a mess, she picked up the papers and writing implements around the room, then stacked up the cups littered on the table.
“They’re old enough to know better. Next time, don’t pick up after them. Keep them here until they pick up.”
She continued tidying things, stopping briefly to allow Lukas a kiss. “I don’t mind, really. I feel more useful than I have in a long time.”
His hands closed over hers, gently removing a stack of cups. He dumped them on the table and pulled her into his arms. “You’re nervous, I can see it on your face.”
“Not nervous, precisely. Just anxious. They’ve all been so supportive of everything, and I still can’t wrap my mind around how easily they accept me sometimes. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
“You won’t. How could you? Everything is going to go off without a hitch.”
She snorted. That was ridiculous, but she appreciated the attempt to make light of their situation. Smiling a little too brightly, she tried to change the subject. “What have you been doing all day?”
He sighed, burying his face in the crook of her neck and squeezing her tightly. He drew a deep breath, pressing a kiss to her neck. “Working. I’m trying to get the Pack a little more financially secure, but it’s taking more time than I thought.”
“What are you doing?”
He laughed. His hands fiddled with the end of her ponytail where it brushed the small of her back. “I’m a jack of all trades, didn’t you know? I run a small security agency, and right now, we’re trying to turn a few acres of our land into an eco-tourist attraction. There’s plenty of land, and”—he flashed a wide grin—“we can guarantee wolf sightings.”
A laugh sprang past her lips, “You’re serious?”
He shrugged. “Well, only if things get very, very dire. But at this point, we need whatever help we can get. You aren’t married to a rich man. All my money is tied up with the land we’re living on.”
“And the Council won’t help?”
He paused, his features losing the teasing smile. “No. I’m almost certain they’re the ones blocking all my applications for permits and contracts. I don’t know why, but they’re doing their damnest to help us fail.”
“They want to make you beg for help.”
“To save the Pack, I would. They are more important than my pride. But I won’t until I have no other options left.”
He was a far better man than she’d ever realized. Pride swelled and she kissed his chin. “Then for now, we’ll play by their rules.” A smile tried desperately to pull her lips upward. If they played by the rules just right, she might be able to help with more than anyone thought.
“We have to, at least for now.” The unspoken implication was there. They had to play by the rules because if the Council chose to, they could make life a living hell for the entire Pack. They could disband them, separate them into other Packs, and do worse to Lukas and herself. Aaron and Thaddeus would gather heavier punishment as well, being high up in the Pack hierarchy.
She patted his chest and pecked his cheek. “Lucky for you, I know all those rules like the back of my hand. Now let me finish cleaning up.”
“Don’t dwell on all the things that could go wrong.”
She looked at him, startled. Their bond was stronger than she realized. He sent her a lopsided smile. “You’re face is like reading a book.”
Scowling, she shook her head. “This mating bond does have a down side. No one else sees through me so easily.”
“I don’t really see that as a bad thing, you know.”
She snorted, piling things on the coffee table. He sighed, heading towards the kitchen. “This Pack isn’t going anywhere, and Haemon and the Council will have to deal with that, whichever way the verdict turns.”
Chapter Seventeen
The Pack gathered in the backyard. Dinner had been cleaned up, and now everyone waited. When Lukas rose from where they had been sitting on the porch steps, the teenagers and the children started to leave. He raised one hand.
“No, the older ones should stay. Everyone needs to understand what’s going on.”
The little ones followed a couple of adults off around the other side of the house, while the teenagers sat down. Apprehension was written all over their faces. Only for very serious matters were the teens allowed to stay.
“You all know Aria was running from Haemon and his Pack. Unfortunately, the Council is also involved now. They have requested our presence in Virginia.”
A low murmur moved through the crowd.
“We can’t ignore them. We’re too small to stand on our own against them. I’ve made some calls to ask for help, but things being what they are….” Lukas shrugged. “We’re on our own for now.”
Aria’s ears perked. This news she hadn’t heard. He must have seen her need to ask questions, because he glanced down and gave her a slight shake of his head
. Fine.
Worry weighed heavily on her heart.
“Aria and I are leaving tomorrow morning. We cannot take a large group, but we are permitted to take a small number of Pack Guards with us. Under the circumstances, no one will think less of anyone who decides they would rather not come with us.”
Lukas turned to Aaron who leaned against the porch railing behind him. “You’ll have to stay, in case something should happen.”
Thaddeus frowned. “You can’t leave all of us behind. You need me,” he said, then added, “Lawrence needs to get out more anyway.”
A few cracked a smile at the jest. Beside Thaddeus, Lawrence nodded in agreement.
Sebastian moved forward in the crowd. “I’ll be honored to accompany you.”
Lukas nodded in Sebastian’s direction. Sean stepped out, but Lukas shook his head. “You’ve got a family to worry about, Sean. If anything goes wrong, you need to be here for them.”
He turned back to the strangely silent group. “Please, don’t get me wrong. This wasn’t meant to be a meeting where I struck fear into your hearts. But Haemon has an agenda, and for the moment, the Council does as well. Until we know exactly what they’re after, we can’t take any chances. If something should happen, Aaron will be in charge until the Pack can choose a new Alpha.”
Aaron nodded once, his face turned gravely serious. His features, always guarded, seemed even more deeply shadowed than normal. Aria could sympathize with his pain. To be saddled with so much responsibility was his job, but to know if his Alpha died, losing his best friend did not make it any easier. Hopefully, it would not come to that. Lord knows, she didn’t have any intention of going quietly into the night. Her mouth tightened. If she went, someone would be going down with her.
Lukas’ arm slid around her waist, squeezing slightly. The silence of the Pack made her antsy and uncomfortable. Faces watched them, carefully, and while anxiety, fear, and concern etched into their expressions, none appeared to be angry or blaming her for their trouble. They needed to understand her position.
Aria took a deep breath, releasing it slowly from her mouth. “I apologize for bringing all this to your doorstep. I never intended to stay here, which many of you know. I must tell you, before we leave, that has changed. Not just because of Lukas, but also because of you all. You’ve accepted me without question and have made me one of your own. You are my Pack.”
She couldn’t quite make eye contact with any one of them. For so long, she’d kept her emotions bottled and letting them free made her pulse race and her face flush. Rising tears burned her nose, but she continued, “I’ve never felt closer to any group of people than I do you. The Pack I was born into was never close. You are the family I never had. I have no intention of losing you now.”
Holding her breath, she waited for their rejection. It didn’t come. She only saw acceptance and admiration. The Pack, as a group, bent their heads forward, baring their napes and then covering their hearts with a fist. It was an old gesture, used only for the most sincere expressions of loyalty and love.
Possessiveness and pride surged through her. Haemon would never be able to break these people. They had a bond he couldn’t understand. And she would do her best to make sure it never came to that.